Meanwhile, on the side of the five teenage dwarves and the slimes, in another part of the forest, Kiran walked proudly, showing off his new sword.
"Don't you think my sword is amazing?" he said with a wide smile.
Tessa, unable to stand it any longer, leapt into the air, her wooden sword pointed toward the clouds, ready to deliver a vertical strike on Kiran's head.
"This is the fifth time you've annoyed us with that damn sword! Arrrrh!" she shouted.
Behind them, Andris tried to calm the situation: "Stop- It!"
Fira and Doran reacted just in time. They crossed their wooden swords and managed to block Tessa's attack. Andris arrived behind her and grabbed her to hold her back, but Tessa struggled:
"Let go of me! We've been walking for an hour and he's already annoyed us five times with that sword! I can't take it anymore! I'm going to destroy it once and for all!"
Kiran turned around, a provocative smile on his face:
"What? You get angry every time over that? It's been the same since the beginning… I can't stand your tantrums."
Everyone stopped, thinking the same thing: "He's dumb…"
Frustrated, Tessa elbowed Andris in the side. The pain made him release his grip, and he fell to his knees. Tessa then rushed toward Kiran, sword held in her right hand, right arm passing in front of her chin toward the left, the blade pointed backward.
But Kiran wasn't about to let her do that. A playful smile stretched across his face:
"Why didn't you tell me you wanted a real sword fight? I was craving it!"
He prepared his sword, ready to strike. Just as their blades were about to clash, Doran shouted:
"Stop! The slimes are back! And judging by how they're hopping, they must have found the fruits!"
Tessa and Kiran put away their weapons. Kiran made a disappointed pout:
"Too bad… a good sword fight missed."
Tessa picked up branches and snapped them in frustration. They moved deeper into the forest, following the slimes between twisted trunks and the rustling leaves.
A few minutes later, they came upon a clearing… a true delight hidden in the heart of the trees. Shimmering fruits, their skin seeming made of colorful prisms and sparkling rubies, captured the sunlight and turned it into an explosion of rainbows.
"Wow…" they all whispered, amazed.
Andris said:
"Okay, we need two people to climb and two people to catch the fruits in the baskets."
Exasperated, Tessa pointed at Kiran:
"That idiot should climb! Fira and I will handle the baskets. So you two, decide who climbs with him."
Andris gently nudged Doran:
"Thanks, Doran, for volunteering. I'll stand guard with the slimes."
Doran stammered:
"But… uh… uh…"
Kiran climbed without concern, making it look like a simple training exercise. He slowly progressed up the tree, ready to grab a fruit.
Suddenly, a huge yellow and blue chameleon, perfectly camouflaged until then, reappeared in front of him. Kiran and the chameleon stared at each other intensely.
As Kiran reached for the blazing sword at his belt, the chameleon's tongue shot out with incredible speed and struck Kiran in the face. He fell backward, a stream of blood running from his nose.
"Shit…" Kiran groaned, dazed.
Furious, Tessa shouted:
"What are you playing at?! You don't know how to climb or what?!"
Still stunned, Kiran pointed at the chameleon, but on the ground, Tessa and Fira saw nothing.
"What?" Tessa murmured, puzzled, before turning… and Fira was violently thrown against a tree.
"FIIIIIRAAAAAAA!" Tessa screamed, horrified. "What's happening in this forest?!"
Andris and the slimes rushed over:
"Tessa, what's going on?"
"I… I don't know… but it's really strange."
Kiran got up, gritting his teeth:
"These are filthy invisible monsters attacking us!"
Then, the chameleons removed their camouflage. Fifteen huge creatures, two meters tall, appeared, their scaly skin oscillating between bright yellow and blue. Their bulging eyes scrutinized every movement. Stuck to tree trunks, they slowly descended to the ground, surrounding the dwarves and the slimes.
The first to act was Kiran. He charged straight at the chameleons, his blazing sword raised with fierce determination. The others hadn't moved at all, paralyzed by fear.
Kiran approached the monsters and leapt, intending to deliver a vertical strike. But while he was midair, an ultra-fast chameleon tongue struck him on the right flank. He felt himself propelled to the left, but another tongue hit him on the left flank. And just as he was about to tilt to the right, the chameleon in front of him sent a final tongue strike to his stomach.
Kiran was thrown to the other end of the clearing, crashing into a tree with a loud impact. His ribs were broken, and he painfully tried to move and pick up his sword from the ground.
Tessa slapped her cheeks to wake up:
"We have to fight… we have no choice!"
She charged toward the chameleons, but after only three steps, a powerful tongue struck her in the face. She collapsed, unconscious. The blow was less violent than Kiran's because she was farther away.
Doran backed away, terrified:
"I'm scared… what do we do?"
Andris, equally terrified, trembled but held his wooden sword firmly. The slimes were just as terrified, but they remembered that Alex had entrusted them with the dwarves' protection. Despite the fear, they charged at the giant chameleons.
The creatures sent their tongues in all directions to hit them, but the slimes, quick and agile, dodged all attacks. They carved a path through the clearing, ready to defend the dwarves at all costs.
Kiran got up with effort, despite the pain biting his muscles. Gripping his sword with an iron fist, the blade suddenly glowed with a brilliant light. A determined smile lit up his face, and, as if galvanized by a new strength, he launched himself at the attack again.
"I feel so strong… it's incredible!" he murmured.
This time, he knew he could do it. His sword had increased his strength and speed.
The chameleons, completely bewildered by the slimes, had lost all control and didn't even pay attention to Kiran, who advanced in the middle of the chaos.
He charged at one of them and struck precisely. A gash formed, electrocuting the chameleon and paralyzing it instantly. Without stopping, Kiran moved to the next, and then the next. In a few seconds, four chameleons were paralyzed, victims of the sword's effect, which reduced his pain and amplified his power.
Andris, mouth agape:
"Oh… Kiran, you're amazing!"
Doran, stunned:
"But… how can he fight without trembling, and withstand that pain at the same time?"
Andris shook his head:
"You're wrong, Doran… he's surely terrified like us, but he keeps fighting."
Suddenly, something fell from a tree, huge, creating a dense cloud of smoke. When it cleared, everyone froze: a colossal, terrifying chameleon stood before them. Red and blue like icy fire, it dominated the area, measuring twelve meters long. Each step shook the ground, its claws pierced stone, and its tail seemed capable of crushing any obstacle.
The monster roared. The other chameleons responded with a collective cry. The presence of the colossus paralyzed everyone: even the slimes froze, terrified.
Kiran stood frozen in front of it, unable to move. The chameleon raised its claws, ready to attack. He dropped his sword, and the moment the blade hit the ground, the sword unleashed its fifth strike special effect: a powerful shockwave that swept everything around. Kiran was propelled backward, narrowly escaping certain death.
The massive chameleon, blinded by the wave, spotted Kiran unconscious in the distance and diverted its attention. It focused on those still standing: Andris and Doran.
Doran fell to his knees, in tears. His legs no longer supported him.
"It's over… it's all over for us…" he sobbed.
Andris tried to move with all his might, but he couldn't. Fear had completely paralyzed him, as if his body refused to obey his mind.
Fulgurating, faster and longer than any they had ever seen, it shot straight at them, sharp and merciless, ready to strike in an instant… but something fell from the sky, raising a thick cloud of smoke. The smoke cleared, revealing Alex, who held the chameleon's tongue firmly.