Perfectly, Lucien could zoom the wood puma's actions; he could tell the creature is something he wouldn't best alone. Even the Tama-Artist who lured the beast with herb powder would take a long time to kill it. That being said, he didn't hesitate to charge forward.
Increasing the clasp on his hammer, he directs the claws toward the wood puma; however, the beast was swift in moving its arms.
As the claws sank into the wood, Lucy somewhat grates his teeth. Careful not to trip, he jumps back, hammer in hand.
The creature growls in his direction, its bloody canine dripping with malevolence. Abandoning its meal, the puma stood on all four legs, rushing toward the red-hair.
Lucien amber eyes contract, stepping back, his left hand grabs his stationary teammate holding a kunai —the Mohawk who cursed his mother.
Although a greenhorn in life, Lucy knew from hearing the 'Journey of the First Tama-Artist' that people tend to do nothing when someone courageous steps up, crowning them a hero. This group is a perfect example: they should have attacked the servals, without the need for him to act, not watch. He made the plan to attack the puma based on that; the role of the watchers is to be (sacrifices) distractions for him to kill the beast.
"If you want someone to do something for you, get powerful in strength and wealth to order them around." —First Tama-Artist.
Without hesitation, Lucy throws the blinking Mohawk toward the incoming beast. As the man clashed with the beast, Lucien swings the broad surface of the hammer —didn't have time to switch.
BAM!
The Mohwak's head turned into a synthesized mix of flesh and bone, but the beast only managed to stagger backwards. On the other hand, Tsukino face proclivities in disgust.
"Is that the way you treat your teammate?! How can you've no—"
Whoosh!
Her words were caught midway, as an arrow passed next to her nape, piercing the beast's left eye.
'Is he trying to kill me?'
Tsukino's face paled in fright, her face contorting more; however, the moment she looked at Shinji placing an arrow onto his bow, the puma roared in her direction, rushing to avenge its eye.
Panicked, she grips her kitanas, strengthening her fortitude. Pushing the fear away, she swings the swords forward, but sliced air, as the beast swiftly moved to the side, wide opening its mouth.
'I'm going to die!'
Luckily for her, Lucien threw the Mohawk's brother —the man who called his mother the b-word— at the beast, before striking it with his hammer.
Wrawll!
The wood puma cried.
The claws of the hammer left a severe wound on its nape. To add salt to its misfortune, two of Shinji's arrows struck the same place, leaving it staggering for footing —such a wound would kill it in nearly two hours.
'What happen?!'
Tsukino blinked: the previous actions were too fast for her to see. That said, one thing was clear: she was covered in the blood of an innocent man.
—To preserve her life, someone had to die, worse as a sacrifice!
A tear escapes her eye.
'Isn't it better if I died?'
—Why did he save me? I didn't ask to be saved?
"Don't be stupid, Tsuki. You can't save anyone when you're dead; the dead can't come back either."
Tsukino snapped her head sideways to look at the source of that lukewarm voice, but Lucy was already running away from the puma, heading toward an avocado tree that had a hanged rope like someone was trying to commit suicide.
'How does he know my name?'
On the other hand, the wood puma growled in fury. Its life was nearing its end, but a voice echoed in its mind telling it to kill the strongest human warrior —Lucien. It didn't know when this started, but the voice kept on giving it strength.
The voice was close, but its origins were unknown.
'Uraya! Uraya munhu iyeye! Uraya! Handisi kuda kumuona arimupenyu!'
—Murder! Murder that person! Murder! I don't want to see him alive!
Losing its mind, the wood puma frantically charged at Lucien. The moment it passed the avocado tree, however, it suddenly found itself committing suicide, it's head hanging on a rope.
It charged forward, but the clasp on it neck increased.
Hidden in the tree leaves, Ten smirked.
'Silver Hammer-san catches on fast!'
Taking a wazashi he had hidden on the branches, the young man jumps down to finish his plan. The action was precarious, as falling into a volcano naked, but the Villain Rehabilitator said, 'DANGER BUILDS A MAN!'
Descending like a rocket, Tento stabbed the profound beast that was about to break the rope on its neck, killing it on the spot.
Thud.
The young man fell to the side, leaving hot blood entering his mouth. For a frail guy like him, such a move was exhausting.
"Here, I thought you wanted to kill yourself."
Ten chuckled.
At least someone wants to joke.
Turning his head to look at Lucien who was standing next to him, his pupils contract slightly.
'His birthmark is now green and red!'
—Could my brother have possessed him?
Tento trembled at that thought, goose-bumps raising from inside him.
'When my brother's birthmark turns red, he acts differently.'
—Maybe, it's the same thing!
***
Stage 1 profound beasts are basic beast —animals in the reader's world—; stage 2 are an evolution to them with an added traits or features, making them grotesque in appearance.
Knowing such a fact, the mortals didn't hesitate to celebrate their victory... even though, most of them sat and watch, waiting for the first group to die.
Unperturbed by their shamelessness, Shinji took out his shamisen, composing a tune for everyone to dance and forget the bloodshed that had occurred —it's useless to mourn for those who die in battle. Seeing this, however, Katsura became furious.
'They think this is a party, huh?'
The Bushi grabbed his whip, walking out of the restaurant with a murderous exterior. Closing in, he cracks the air several times, gaining everyone's attention.
A moment of silence occurred with only blood and heavy breaths in the air. Looking at Lucy and Ten resting on a tree far from him, Katsura's brows knit. His free hand clenched into a fist, but relaxed the second after.
'Those two and the scholar took the profound beast down, yet we lost three of our men to that puma while luring it here.'
—Are they strong or lucky?
'Either way, I need to keep an eye on them.'
—If they turn out to be threats, I need to kill them on the spot.
Placing his thoughts aside, Katsura's addresses the group:
"You will rest for 4 hours. After that, you'll go hunt a stage 3 profound beast."
The group's faces sank in dismay. From seeing the wood puma's actions, they, now, knew why there is a difference in stages; hunting a stage 3 might be the end of their lives. However, all they could do is helplessly tremble, and listen.
"If anyone has a problem with my command, step up," katsura cracked his whip at the end of his voice, casting a dominating silence, "One of you should come and get a map before heading out."
Shinji was the one to tail katsura.