As Eleo, Tony, and Kenji walked along the forest path, the faint glow of moonlight filtering through the dense canopy above, Kenji suddenly stopped in his tracks and slapped a hand to his face. "Damn it," he groaned. "I forgot to ask that fool where the castle is."
Tony, strolling just behind him, gave an exaggerated shrug. "Welp, I guess we're on a hunt for a castle."
Eleo, bouncing slightly as he walked, chimed in, his ears twitching with excitement. "It shouldn't be that hard to find a big, giant castle, right?"
Tony squinted up at the thick branches above, scratching his bony chin. "Yeah, except this forest is making it hard to see anything."
Tony turned his gaze to Kenji and asked, "Don't you remember where the castle is? You said you were heading there."
Kenji sighed and shook his head. "If I did, I wouldn't have tried asking that guy. Use your brain for once."
Tony smirked. "Welp, let's get to looking," he said casually, gesturing ahead.
As they ventured further into the woods, the group's pace slowed. The thick underbrush grew denser, and the sounds of the forest felt unusually close. Suddenly, a faint rustling in the bushes nearby brought them all to a halt.
Kenji instinctively gripped the hilt of his sword, ready to strike at whatever emerged. Tony's hands was in fighting position, his grin fading as his expression turned serious. Eleo, wide-eyed, tilted his head at the noise, his curiosity overshadowing any fear.
The rustling grew louder, and then, with a crash, a group of enormous beasts burst out from the underbrush. Their forms were monstrous—hulking bodies covered in matted fur, their bear-like shapes paired with lupine agility and sharp, glowing eyes.
Eleo gasped, pointing a trembling finger. "Oh my god!"
Tony's gaze hardened as he sized up the creatures. "It's a pack of Wolf-Bears... and that one there—" he gestured at the largest of the group, a towering beast with silver streaks in its fur—"is a King Wolf-Bear. Those only come out on a full moon to kill everything in sight."
Kenji scoffed, though his grip on his sword tightened. "I thought those were just a rumor."
Tony's voice was grim. "Well, seems like the rumor's true."
The group stood their ground, tension thick in the air as the King Wolf-Bear raised its massive head and let out a bone-chilling howl.
Kenji let out a sigh, brushing a hand through his hair. "Good grief," he muttered as the Wolf-Bears let out a collective roar and rushed toward them with terrifying speed.
Without hesitation, Kenji, Eleo, and Tony leaped high into the air, narrowly avoiding the beasts' massive claws. The Wolf-Bears' strikes tore into the earth below, sending shockwaves rippling outward and splitting the ground beneath their paws.
The trio landed a short distance away, steadying themselves as the dust settled. Kenji adjusted his sword, his eyes narrowing. "They seem tough."
Tony nodded, his tone serious. "Indeed, they are."
Then, with a smirk creeping onto his face, Tony added, "But I think it's time I use my powers."
Eleo's ears perked up in surprise as he glanced at Tony. "Wait, you have powers too?"
Tony chuckled, his skeletal features giving his grin a mischievous edge. "Of course I do. I've been training them for 300 years."
Eleo's jaw dropped. "Three hundred years?! How old are you?"
Tony tilted his head nonchalantly. "I'm 1,020 years old, kid."
Before Eleo could respond, one of the Wolf-Bears surged forward with blinding speed. Two of the beasts clamped their jaws down on Tony's arms simultaneously, forcing him to the ground, though his grin never faltered.
Meanwhile, two more Wolf-Bears rushed Eleo, their razor-sharp claws slashing toward him. Eleo quickly crossed his arms, summoning a layer of ink-like energy to block the strikes. The impact sent him skidding backward, his small frame straining to hold his ground as the beasts roared and charged at him again.
The fifth Wolf-Bear remained still for a moment, its blood-red eyes locking onto Kenji. Its stare was primal, dripping with raw bloodlust as it lowered its stance, preparing to pounce.
The fifth Wolf-Bear lunged at Kenji, its claws cutting through the air with vicious intent. Kenji remained motionless, his sword held loosely at his side, until the last possible moment. With a single fluid motion, he sidestepped the attack, bringing his blade up in a precise arc.
A deafening slash echoed through the clearing as Kenji's strike cleaved cleanly through the Wolf-Bear's thick fur and hide. The beast collapsed to the ground, its momentum carrying it a few more feet before coming to a stop. Kenji flicked the blood from his sword and sighed. "Good grief. That wasn't even a warm-up."
Meanwhile, Tony stood unbothered as two Wolf-Bears clamped their jaws down on his arms. He tilted his head back and let out a deep, amused laugh. "Fools! I'm a skeleton. I can't feel pain!"
Suddenly, his body began to glow with an eerie green light, the necromantic energy radiating from his bones. The Wolf-Bears yelped in agony as their mouths began to burn, the glow searing their flesh. They quickly released him, backing off with snarls of frustration.
Tony smirked, his eyes glinting with mischievous confidence. The glowing energy condensed and surged into his fists, making them pulse with raw power. "Now, Eleo, Kenji—watch closely. This one's a showstopper. I call it Crushing Bone Fist—or in the old tongue, 碎骨拳 (Suì Gǔ Quán)."
Tony dashed toward one of the retreating Wolf-Bears, his movements a blur. His fists became a whirlwind of motion, unleashing a relentless barrage of straight punches, palm strikes, and hammer fists. Each strike connected with devastating precision, releasing green shockwaves of necromantic energy that rattled the beast to its core.
The Wolf-Bear howled in pain as its legs buckled, unable to withstand the relentless assault. Tony ended the barrage with a powerful hammer fist to the ground, sending a shockwave through the earth that knocked the beast out cold.
He turned back to his companions, his skeletal grin wider than ever. "And that, my friends, is how you put a beast in its place."
Eleo's eyes sparkled with awe. "Tony, that was so cool! Crushing Bone Fist is awesome!"
Kenji rolled his eyes but couldn't hide a smirk. "Not bad… for a bag of bones."
Tony gave a mock bow. "Why, thank you, my dear critics. Now, shall we finish the rest of these pests?"
The remaining Wolf-Bears snarled, their aggression dimming as fear began to creep into their glowing eyes.