As the group sets off from Camp Magnifico, their morale is high, though Kazuya is secretly dreading what fresh chaos awaits. Their destination: the fabled Ruins of Celestara. But fate—or some particularly vengeful poultry—has other plans.
The Chicken Returns
It starts innocently enough. The forest is calm, the path clear, and everyone seems unusually cooperative. Kazuya begins to think, Maybe today will be normal.
That's when it happens.
A rustle in the bushes. A faint clucking sound.
"No," Kazuya whispers, his blood running cold. "It can't be."
But then it emerges: a single, plump chicken with glossy feathers and an unnervingly intense stare. It's the same chicken that started the fiasco at the tavern weeks ago.
"Is that..." Mika trails off, squinting at the bird.
"Impossible," Sylvara mutters. "We left that demon bird miles behind."
The chicken cocks its head, as if offended by the accusation. Then, with an ear-piercing BAWK!, it launches itself straight at Kazuya's face.
The Chase Begins
The forest explodes into chaos as Kazuya flails, trying to dislodge the feathery menace.
"GET IT OFF ME!" he yells, stumbling backward.
Fergus leaps into action—or at least tries to. His attempt to tackle the chicken results in him tripping over a root and landing face-first in the dirt.
"Hold still, hero!" Mika shouts, summoning a fireball.
"DON'T YOU DARE!" Kazuya screams, narrowly dodging the flaming projectile.
Meanwhile, Nerissa doubles over with laughter. "This is the best thing I've ever seen. Someone, paint this scene for posterity!"
Sylvara, ever the pragmatist, calmly draws her dagger and hurls it at the chicken. It misses by inches, embedding itself in a tree instead.
The chicken, apparently unfazed, finally releases Kazuya and hops onto a nearby rock. It lets out a triumphant cluck before vanishing into the underbrush.
The Revenge of the Chickens
Thinking the ordeal is over, the group regroups and presses on—only to find themselves ambushed minutes later.
This time, it's not just one chicken. It's an entire flock.
"They've brought reinforcements!" Mika shouts, her voice tinged with panic.
The chickens swarm from all directions, clucking furiously. Some of them wear scraps of armor, and one particularly large rooster has a makeshift sword strapped to its back.
"This is not happening," Kazuya groans, dodging a beak aimed at his ankle.
"They're organized," Sylvara says, narrowing her eyes. "This isn't natural."
"They're chickens!" Fergus yells, swinging his axe wildly. "How hard can it be to fight chickens?"
Very hard, as it turns out. The chickens fight with the precision of a trained army, using their tiny wings to launch themselves into the air and peck at the group's faces.
The Chicken General
In the midst of the battle, a chilling sight emerges: the chicken from earlier, now standing atop a fallen log, wearing a crude crown made of twigs.
"That's their leader," Sylvara says grimly.
"Of course it is," Kazuya mutters.
The chicken general lets out a rallying BAWK, and the flock intensifies their attack.
Desperate, Kazuya turns to Mika. "Do something! You're a mage!"
Mika hesitates. "You want me to waste a powerful spell on chickens?"
"YES!"
With a sigh, Mika casts a minor wind spell, sending several chickens flying into the trees. But the general remains steadfast, glaring at Kazuya with unrelenting malice.
The Final Showdown
Realizing the only way to end this madness is to defeat the leader, Kazuya squares his shoulders and charges at the chicken general.
The chicken meets him head-on, leaping into the air with a flurry of feathers. What follows is an epic duel of man versus poultry, complete with dramatic music (provided by Nerissa, who has pulled out her lute).
Kazuya dodges pecks and claws, finally managing to grab the chicken mid-air. "Gotcha!" he yells triumphantly.
The chicken, however, has one last trick up its wing. It squirms free and lands on Kazuya's head, pulling at his hair with its beak.
"Not again!"
Sylvara, seeing her chance, calmly picks up a stick and whacks the chicken off Kazuya's head. It lands with an indignant squawk, glares at them one last time, and retreats into the forest.
The Aftermath
The group collapses onto the ground, covered in feathers and scratches.
"Well, that was humiliating," Kazuya says, staring up at the sky.
"I think we handled it rather well," Sylvara says, brushing off her cloak.
"You call that well?" Mika snaps. "We were nearly defeated by chickens!"
"I blame the stew," Nerissa says, plucking a feather from her hair.
As the group gathers their belongings and resumes their journey, Kazuya can't help but glance over his shoulder, half-expecting the chicken general to return.
"Mark my words," he mutters. "This isn't over."
The others laugh, but deep down, they know he's probably right.