The forest seemed to hold its breath as the team prepared to move forward, but the quiet didn't last long. A guttural roar shattered the calm, and the trees around them trembled.
"Uh, guys…" Zane's voice quivered as his device emitted another set of furious beeps. The screen now displayed larger, more detailed red blips—each accompanied by ominous symbols. "I think these ones have upgrades."
"What kind of upgrades?" Elena asked, already gripping her blaster.
"Superpowers," Zane muttered grimly.
As if summoned by his words, a massive, feline-like beast leapt from the shadows. Its fur shimmered unnaturally, and arcs of electricity crackled around its body. Before anyone could react, the creature snarled, sending a bolt of lightning surging toward the group.
Akamatsu stepped forward, raising a hand just in time. The lightning split and redirected, striking harmlessly into the trees. "Electric types," he said calmly. "How quaint."
Before anyone could reply, the ground beneath them quaked again. A hulking, turtle-like monster with crystalline spikes lumbered into view, its jagged shell reflecting the dim light. With a guttural roar, it slammed a claw into the earth, causing a localized shockwave that knocked the team off balance.
"Alright, we've got an electric cat and a seismic turtle," Ken said, rolling back to his feet. "Who's keeping track of this mess?"
Anji smirked, her hands already glowing with chaotic energy. "Not me. I'm too busy blowing them up."
With a flourish, Anji hurled a pulsing orb of chaos at the feline. The beast dodged with inhuman speed, zigzagging toward her. Just before it pounced, Ken intercepted, grabbing the creature mid-leap. Sparks danced across his body, but he only grinned.
"Nice try, Sparky," he growled, slamming the beast into a tree. "Now stay down!"
The turtle roared again, and Simon lunged forward, fully shifted into his reptilian form. He grappled with the monster, his claws scraping against its crystal spikes. "A little help here!" he yelled as the beast pushed him back with sheer strength.
Elena fired a well-aimed shot at the turtle's exposed leg joint, causing it to stumble. "Aim for the weak spots!" she shouted, climbing onto higher ground for a better vantage point.
From behind a tree, Zane was furiously assembling something new. "This time," he muttered, "it's gonna work. I hope."
Before anyone could ask what he was doing, another creature emerged—a serpentine monster with glowing blue scales. Its eyes flared as it hissed, and an icy mist spread through the area. The temperature dropped sharply, frost forming on the ground and the trees.
"Ice powers?" Anji muttered, shivering slightly. "Oh, come on!"
Akamatsu waved a hand, creating a barrier of shimmering energy around the team to block the encroaching frost. "Let's not freeze to death today, shall we?"
Ken, still wrestling the electric feline, called out, "I'm starting to think these things have type advantages!"
"No kidding," Simon grunted as the turtle reared back for another ground slam. He lunged forward, sinking his claws into its exposed neck. The beast howled before collapsing in a heap.
"Two down!" Simon roared, turning to face the serpent. "Who's next?"
Elena fired a rapid volley of shots at the snake, forcing it to weave through the air. "Zane, whatever you're building, hurry up!"
"Almost there!" Zane shouted, sweat dripping from his brow as he adjusted wires and twisted knobs. With a triumphant yell, he raised his device—a compact, shoulder-mounted cannon. "Say hello to my little friend!"
The cannon hummed to life, emitting a high-pitched whine before firing a concentrated beam of energy at the snake. The beam struck the creature mid-slither, freezing it in place as electricity arced through its body.
Zane cheered, "It works! It actually works!"
"About time," Elena muttered, taking down a smaller monster that had tried to flank them.
The feline, now free from Ken's grasp, snarled and charged again. Ken sidestepped at the last moment, delivering an uppercut that sent the creature tumbling. "That makes 10 for me!" he shouted.
"Great," Anji replied, throwing another chaotic orb at the frozen snake for good measure. "You're still not winning."
As the last of the monsters fell, the team regrouped, panting and bruised but alive. Zane examined his new cannon with a satisfied grin. "Okay, so maybe I'm a genius."
Simon smirked, shifting back into human form. "Next time, genius, start with that thing."
Anji laughed. "Yeah, let's not let the snake almost freeze my face off again."
Elena adjusted her glasses and sighed. "Let's move. If these are the powered-up ones, I don't want to stick around to meet their boss."
The team exchanged wary glances before continuing into the forest, ready for whatever madness awaited them next.