It was in the darkened room where Takumi's instincts truly kicked in. The flickering lights above them barely illuminated the space, and the air smelled of dust, stagnant, suffocating.
They had been following the narrow passage when a low growl echoed from the shadows. Takumi's breath hitched in his chest. The headphones buzzed in his ears, the beat now distorted, erratic. Something was approaching.
"Stay together," Takumi commanded, his eyes scanning the darkness. "Stay close."
But even with his focus heightened, he knew they weren't prepared. The walls of the room seemed to press in, and out of the shadows, a massive, shadowy creature lunged at them.
Its eyes glowed bright red, and it had the form of a distorted wolf, with spindly legs and an unsettlingly large mouth. Haruka screamed, instinctively pulling away, but Takumi's voice rang out.
"Get back!" he ordered, stepping in front of them. His hand gripped the weapon at his side, the blade cold against his skin.
The creature's growls grew louder, and it surged forward, its jaws snapping. Takumi closed his eyes, tuning the world out as much as possible. The rhythmic pulse in his headphones became sharper, faster, in sync with the pounding of his heart.
The creature lunged again. Takumi had no choice but to trust his instincts. He darted to the left, barely missing the beast's claws. With a quick, sharp movement, he slashed the blade across the creature's flank, causing it to howl in pain.
The battle wasn't over, though. It was just beginning.