「Quiet.」
The night was thick and heavy, shrouding the rainforest in silence, broken only by the rustle of unseen creatures. Beneath the thick canopy, Tatsuya and Yuki set up a crude tent near the mantis's corpse. Using the massive leaves from surrounding trees, they pieced together a makeshift shelter, just enough to keep out the damp air and the bugs that filled the forest.
Nothing luxurious here, Tatsuya thought, his gaze sweeping over the flickering campfire, shadows shifting across the towering trees encircling them.
Tatsuya sat cross-legged by the fire, gnawing on a charred mantis leg. His face twisted with disgust as he chewed. Across from him, Yuki looked content, her tail swaying behind her as she dug into her portion with ease.
"How can you eat this?" Tatsuya muttered, holding up the leg like it might change if he stared hard enough. "It's like chewing on some weird mix of crab and spinach, with a muddy aftertaste."
Yuki's red eyes glinted with amusement, a slight smirk tugging at her lips. "You wouldn't understand, with your spoiled human tastes," she said, biting into her share with an exaggerated look of satisfaction.
Tatsuya rolled his eyes. "Fine, it's edible. But I'd kill for rice or even some INSTANT RAMEN!"
Yuki's ears perked, her gaze sharpening as she scanned the dark jungle. "You're as loud as a child," she muttered, barely a whisper.
Time-Skip
First light filtered through the canopy, casting golden beams through the morning mist that clung to the underbrush. Tatsuya and Yuki moved in tandem through the jungle, their steps silent against the soft, damp ground. Towering trees stretched high above, their thick trunks twisted with age, while the dense foliage above blocked most of the sunlight.
They had fallen into a rhythm as they navigated the jungle, Yuki's tail brushing against Tatsuya's leg occasionally as she walked in step beside him. The silence was eventually broken by her curiosity.
"What exactly are those weapons?" she asked, nodding toward the two Uzis barely visible under Tatsuya's cloak, the metal glinting faintly in the dim light.
A smug grin spread across Tatsuya's face, his chest puffing slightly. "Well, they're not just any weapons. My mining wasn't for simple stuff like iron. I was after elements like aluminum and lead—materials necessary for crafting... let's say, advanced technology."
He struck a dramatic pose, finger raised, as if he'd revealed some grand truth. Yuki, unimpressed, gave him a deadpan stare, her ears twitching in irritation.
"So it took you a week for that?" She shot him an exaggerated thumbs-up, her expression flat.
Scene Switch
High above in the dense canopy, three figures moved with predatory grace, crouching in silence. The group consisted of two wolves and a leopard demi-human, each with sharp eyes that gleamed in the dawn light—yellow, green, and orange. Clad in fur cloaks and jagged bone necklaces, they carried metal spears strapped across their backs, the blades glinting ominously as they leapt from branch to branch.
The silver-haired wolf sniffed the air, his nostrils flaring. "I smell an undead... and something that reeks of Nibbler Skulk. Strange," he growled, voice low and primal.
Yuki's ears twitched as she picked up an unfamiliar scent. Her hand went to her katana, hidden beneath her cloak. Tatsuya noticed her tension and stepped back, forming a stone gauntlet over his left hand from the earth at his feet.
What's going on...?
Before they could react further, the demi-humans moved.
In 0.2 seconds, three sets of glowing eyes appeared through the mist, their hostile stares piercing the dim light. The very air felt weighted with menace.
At 0.6 seconds, they moved in unison, breaking the sound barrier with a deafening crack. The wolves and leopard seemed to defy gravity, standing sideways against the trees, like shadows poised to strike.
By 1.6 seconds, they leapt, their bodies blurring as they launched from the trunks with explosive speed.
Yuki barely managed to react. Her katana clashed against the silver-haired wolf's spear, the impact sending a shockwave through the jungle. Leaves and branches trembled, while the massive trees swayed. Gritting her teeth, Yuki held her ground, her boots sinking slightly into the earth from the force.
Meanwhile, Tatsuya braced himself as the leopard demi-human's spear struck his stone gauntlet. He blocked it, but the force still hurled him back, sending him flying through the air. As he flew, the black-haired wolf appeared beside him in a blur, striking again mid-air before Tatsuya could even brace himself.
This second blow sent him hurtling toward a tree on his left, slamming him into it with a bone-rattling impact.
Tatsuya hit the ground, a shallow crater forming beneath him. He grunted, pain shooting through every muscle. Forcing himself to stand, he spat out blood, breaths coming in ragged gasps.
"First time meeting people here… and they turn me into a punching bag. Fantastic."
Yuki abandoned her fight, leaping to his side, her katana flashing as she glared at the demi-humans now circling them with predatory intent.
The silver-haired wolf sneered, his spear ready for the kill. "An undead that survived our attack... interesting. But this day will be your last, demon."