I smile, my wicked grin stretching wide to reveal four rows of jagged, razor-sharp teeth—each one glinting in the filtered forest light. In one swift motion, I reach out with my left claw and grab Rucka's sword, not to take it, but to launch myself upward using his own strength against him. My body lifts into the air, devilish and agile, arcing through the misty canopy as I descend upon Jack like a predator swooping in for the kill.
My claws slash down at his arms and chest—not deep enough to kill, but more than enough to draw blood and instill fear. This is just a play fight, not a battle to the death… though they don't know that. The thought amuses me as I feel Jack stumble back, his spellbook falling from his hands in panic.
From the corner of my eye, I spot Rika moving in—quick, silent, precise. Her dagger glints as it aims for my lower side, but I twist my body at the last second, her blade slicing only air. My grin widens, teeth gleaming in a mocking display of terrifying glee.
With a burst of momentum, I plant my clawed hands against Rucka's chest and launch myself backward. My body spins midair before I land against a thick tree trunk—my claws tearing into the bark with such force that the wood splits and splinters, the entire tree groaning as it begins to fall under the sheer power of my strike.
The forest stills for a moment, their fear thick in the air. I lick a drop of blood from my claw, grinning once more.
I smile, my monstrous form reveling in the chaos, as I launch myself off the shattered tree trunk—a blur of muscle and crimson—straight toward Rika. My claws extend midair, but it's my teeth that find her first. I sink them into her shoulder, just enough to break skin and muscle, not deep enough to kill. I hate the taste of blood… but I let it coat my tongue anyway. Her scream is sharp, raw—music to this twisted game.
I release her and land in a crouch, turning my attention to the only one still uninjured—Nina.
She kneels over Jack, her small hands glowing with healing magic as she desperately tries to mend his wounds. She looks up as I rise, towering and bloodstained, my four rows of teeth gleaming in the filtered light. I take one slow, deliberate step toward her—mocking, predatory. Her breath catches, her magic falters.
Then—a sudden, searing pain.
A dagger buried deep in the flesh of my leg.
I snarl and twist around, catching sight of Rika, staggering but standing, her hand still clenched around the hilt of her blade lodged in my thigh. Her eyes are burning with defiance.
I grin through the pain.
So… the fight isn't over yet.
I think to myself, narrowing my glowing eyes as I hurl my claw toward Rika's legs, the razor-sharp tips slicing deep into her thighs. She cries out, collapsing to one knee. I made sure not to sever anything vital—just enough to keep her from standing for a while… hopefully without crippling her permanently.
Without sparing her another glance, I turn back toward Nina.
She's already on the ground, her small hands gripping the dirt, trembling, trying to cast another healing spell. Her lips quiver—then suddenly freeze.
Before I even reach her, her body jerks once, and she collapses, foam bubbling at her mouth.
I blink, stunned.
Did… she just pass out?
A long sigh escapes me as I press my bloodstained claw to my forehead, standing among the wounded, the unconscious, and the barely clinging to consciousness. The forest is silent around us now, save for the faint rustle of wind through the trees and the drip of blood hitting the leaves below.
"I thought they would have been stronger," I mutter aloud, disappointed.
Another sigh.
I raise my hand and cast a simple water spell, rinsing the blood from my mouth and spitting it out, the metallic tang still clinging to my tongue. I glance around at the battlefield I've made.
Rika groaning in pain, Jack unconscious, Nina out cold, and Rucka still breathing but unmoving.
I roll my eyes.
With a quiet breath, I raise my hand and cast sleep magic, letting a soft shimmer ripple through the air. One by one, the groans and pained breathing of the group fall into silence. All four collapse into a deep, dreamless slumber.
"Rest easy," I mutter, more to myself than them.
I turn to the Blood Saguist, still nestled in the dirt, soaked with blood and magic. With a flick of my wrist, I cast levitation, gently lifting the herb into the air. It floats slowly toward Nina, her small, unconscious hands twitching as the flower lowers into them. As it touches her palms, her fingers close reflexively around it.
There. Mission complete.
Another wave of magic, and the group begins to rise into the air, suspended by invisible threads of my will. I guide them silently, carefully, out of the forest, past the winding roots and watchful shadows, until we reach the open grassland near the edge of the village.
I lower them down in the field's center, ensuring they look like they'd simply passed out after a hard battle. Just to be sure someone finds them quickly, I extend my arm and fire a controlled explosion spell into the sky nearby.
The blast lights up the sky in a crimson flash—loud, fast, impossible to miss.
Moments later, shouts ring out from the village, armored figures rushing toward the source of the noise.
Perfect timing.
As they begin to reach the scene, I slip into the treeline, silent, unseen. I cast a minor concealment spell just in case, watching for a moment as the guards check on the adventurers and begin calling for medics.
Good. They'll live. They'll remember. And maybe… they'll get stronger.
I roll my shoulders as I let go of my polymorph, my monstrous form unraveling like threads of shadow, pulling back into my true, human body. My skin returns to normal, my claws vanish, and the fanged grin fades.
I glance down at myself—caked in blood, dirt, and sweat.
"I need a shower," I mutter flatly, pinching the bridge of my nose. "And I seriously need to brush my teeth. I still taste blood."