Karuizawa, Japan—
Han lay in his casket while Emeru hopped around, shifting back to a human-like form as she vented to herself.
"My brother's out there! What if he causes a mess? What if he brings the others? What'll he do to Mr. Omariro? What'll Mr. Omariro do to him?"
As she continued rambling on, she noticed Han's pale skin, as his fingers moved ever so slightly. "Han?"
There was no response.
"Right, they need to hurry! And where's that meathead with my food?"
Emeru could hear a door open downstairs, and she shifted into a blob to check it out. Gakuto was at the door, holding a bag of meat in his hand.
"Here, little slime! I've brought you a meal!"
Emeru yanked the bag of meat from Gakuto. "Ugh, finally! How dare you make me wait? Now, is this human, or no?"
"Of course not! Fresh from the deli aisle!"
"Hmph."
Emeru devoured the meat in one gulp, while Gakuto went to turn the TV on. As he did so, he noticed the news on the first channel, with a reporter broadcasting a feed of Nakashibetsu.
"Breaking news! My sources have indicated there's an all-out brawl occurring in Nakashibetsu right this instant! Shinkaidan and their Kaidanchō, Omariro, are dueling a Mujinsha Elite! Not only that, but there's this massive creature hurling rocks everywhere, and I think it's fighting a bird! Anyway, if you're in the area, get out, NOW!"
The feed showed Omariro and the others against Emerald, while Behemoth and Ziz clashed with each other nearby. Emeru immediately covered her mouth. "No, no! It's happening!"
She threw herself off the couch, pointing to Gakuto. "You! Take me to my brother, right now!"
"Ya sure, kiddo?" Gakuto questioned. "That slime is no joke, and with the Land Beast backing him, I can't say you won't get hurt!"
"Yes! Take me, now!"
On the screen, the fierce battle continued, all the while Han slumbered in his casket above.
Nakashibetsu, Japan—
Zaria watched while Emerald and Omariro continued attacking each other, matching one another blow for blow. Emerald ducked one of Omariro's slashes, before forming a gauntlet and throwing a punch right to the latter's face, which he blocked.
"Now's my chance! Jugen-Tōshi: Senkai Yari!"
Zaria chucked her spear at Emerald, which rolled across the ground like a bowling ball, heading straight for the slime. Emerald jumped away from Omariro, catching Zaria's spear and breaking it.
"You've got guts, girl."
Zaria tried to step forward, but Emerald was already behind her. "Maybe they'll taste good."
He attempted to punch Zaria in the stomach, but Rei interrupted him with a blast of moonlight. "Here, Zaria! I'll help!"
Rei formed a shield around Zaria and herself as Emerald shrugged off the blow. She summoned a pair of moon crests over Emerald's head, briefly catching him off guard and slashing off one of his arms.
"That power..." he noted. "Strange."
His arm regrew nearly instantly, and he bashed Rei's shield into pieces with one blow. As the two girls slid across the field, Sōshin quickly zoomed forward and caught them.
"Are you okay, friends?"
Zaria nodded. "Thanks, Sōshin. I admit, this is one of the only times I wish Han was here. Nerd's probably got some slick way to deal with this guy!"
Nonoka and Rika caught up to them.
"We'll just have to figure it out ourselves," Nonoka declared. "Don't let him get to Master!"
Omariro's body slowly began to heal once more, aging even further as his height slightly shrank. Emerald looked at him with a disappointed look. "You look like shit. Are you really the Danjon no Hakaisha?"
The old man cracked his arms. "Slime talk too much. Go, or blade shows no mercy."
Emerald got into a fighting stance, eyes narrowing. "Those are fighting words, you old shit. Now back them up."
Emerald's arm stretched and formed a large fist, slamming the ground near Omariro as he teleported away. Omariro formed his blade and slashed through the fist, but another came and knocked him away. More arms formed from Emerald's body, and Omariro used one hand to block them all.
"Okay, any bright ideas?" Nonoka asked. "Because that thing is no slouch."
"Hit it hard," Zaria ordered.
"What about fast?" Sōshin proposed.
"No, no!" Rika shut down. "It's way too strong! It'll fold us in one hit! Here, let me make a sigil! I've still got a few more."
She cupped her hands together.
〈Sigil Created: Siphon.〉
Rika gave the sigil to Zaria. "There."
"Thanks."
"Rei, do you think you can get us close?" Nonoka wondered. "I'll buff us, then you and Z give him hell."
Rei reformed her shield. "Will do! Stay behind me, guys!"
The kids marched forward using Rei's shield while Emerald remained preoccupied with Omariro. The old man slashed into Emerald's shoulder, which the slime ignored.
As soon as the kids got close, Zaria bent down to whisper to Sōshin. "Hey, Sōshin, do you think you can give me a boost?"
"Sure thing, Friend Zaria! Say the word!"
Zaria held out her arm, forming her spear. Sōshin put his hands on her back while Emerald took a wave of arrows from Omariro. "Ready, Friend?"
Zaria got into a low stance. "Ready. Do it!"
"Jugen-Sōunsha: Densō-Dai-ni Giyā!"
Zaria's body flung forward, and with a powerful thrust, she managed to impale Emerald's chest, interrupting his attack.
"Leave my Master alone, you freak!" she demanded.
Emerald's head did a 180 and spun around, surprising Zaria, who instinctively let go of her spear. Emerald grew taller, arms extending. "You're just a pain, aren't you?"
Omariro restrained Emerald with golden whips, but the slime shifted into a blob and slithered out of them, before calling out to Behemoth. "Hey! Keep the old man busy, for me! I'll eradicate the students!"
The Land and Sky Beasts were tumbling across the farm, their attacks shaking the entire land. When Omariro attempted to move towards Emerald, a large mountain formed around him, trapping him.
"Master!" Zaria called out.
Emerald ripped the spear out of his body. "You wanted a fight. So fight."
Zaria kicked Emerald in the face, knocking off his head, but he easily recovered. Before he could make a move, Zaria crushed the sigil in her hand.
〈Sigil: Activated〉
Emerald delivered three rapid blows to Zaria's stomach, which reflected back at him and blew him into pieces, but his slimy body reformed once again.
"Crap," she thought. "Ran out of charges. "I need to do something, anything! All that training for nothing?"
Sōshin sped her away before Emerald could grab her, and Rei fired two beams of moonlight from her hands. Emerald remained unfazed. Nonoka began to glow yellow."
"Hold on, everyone! Jugen-Sōunsha: Noroi no Sukiru Kyōka!"
〈200% Buff to *All* Party Members.〉
"Cover me, everyone," Zaria stated. "I'm going in!"
Sōshin used his speed on Rei's shield, sending it and all the kids bouncing around like a beach ball. Emerald watched with confusion as the ball circled around him, right before Zaria hopped out, performing an aerial cartwheel.
"Tenkai-geri!"
The kick split Emerald's body in two, and the shield quickly ripped around him, scattering him into goo.
"Keep it up!" Nonoka insisted. "Don't let him reform!"
One piece of goo formed a large palm, batting the shield away. It regrouped with the other pieces, and Emerald reappeared right before Zaria.
"Seriously," she hissed. "What are you?"
"One of the Mujinsha Elite," he announced. "Highest class of dungeon entities you'll ever face. Party tricks aren't nearly enough to stop me. Beg for mercy, child."
"Kiss my ass!"
Zaria responded by swinging a kick towards his head, but he grabbed her leg, slamming her into the ground. "Pathetic. You've studied under our greatest enemy for months, and this is all you can muster? Perhaps I gave him too much credit."
"Shut...up!"
Zaria formed her spear and flung it into Emerald's head with all her energy, and a dark wave erupted, briefly causing the air to thicken.
Emerald removed it with no effort. "A last-ditch effort. Noble. But foolish."
With a casual backhand, he sent her crashing into a tractor, knocking her clean out. Emerald picked up her limp form. "I shall grant you the privilege of a quick death, no?"
As he prepared to strike her, time seemed to stand still, and a reddish shadow appeared before him, eyes glowing crimson.
"No. Spare her."
Emerald stopped. "Hmm? What? But she's—-!"
The eyes erupted with flames. "You heard me. The girl lives."
The shadow disappeared into the darkness, leaving Emerald and Zaria alone. Emerald held Zaria up. "You must be an odd case. Fine. It's your lucky day."
Rika jumped onto his back. "Let my best friend go!"
Emerald grabbed her by the air and slammed her into the ground, but Sōshin appeared and punched him in the knee repeatedly, only to get kicked in the face by Emerald.
Nonoka and Rei attempted to ambush him, but he ensnared both of them with his arms, banging their heads together and letting them drop to the ground.
Emerald examined the injured kids before him. "Maybe that old fool isn't so much of a fool after all...."
Meanwhile—-
Omariro slashed out of the mountain, preparing to head for Emerald, but Behemoth charged at him, leaping up to stomp him. "OMARIRO!"
"Beast."
Omariro grabbed Behemoth by his tusk and threw him into the air, where Ziz grabbed him, smashing him into the ground.
"Calm down, Behemoth!" Ziz demanded. "Would thou dare attack one you've known for so long? A friend, even?"
Stone pillars rose from the ground, flying into the air and raining down on Ziz, who shattered them all with lightning.
"There are no friends!" Behemoth declared. "Only those who are with you, and those who are against you!"
Omariro teleported on Ziz's back as the bird flew away from Behemoth's charge. The Land Beast formed a mound of earth to support him as he chased after the two.
Behemoth unleashed a powerful roar that disoriented Ziz, causing the latter to slowly descend back towards the ground. Behemoth met him below, ramming into the Sky Beast hard enough to send him and Omariro into the clouds.
"Okay," Ziz growled. "Thou hast crossed the line!"
A large bolt of lightning struck Behemoth from above, turning him into stone that crumbled into pieces. A few seconds later, the stone reformed into the Land Beast.
"Land is beast's domain," Omariro pointed out. "Will not be stopped on land."
Behemoth stomped his legs and formed a large mountain that reached Ziz, but Ziz unleashed a whirlwind that lifted the mountain and tossed it aside.
Ziz swooped down and grabbed Behemoth with his talons, Behemoth threw his head forward and smacked Ziz in the chest, creating a window to free himself.
The Land Beast followed up by tensing his shoulders, scraping the ground, and diving into a large ball of pure rock that crashed into the Sky Beast. The latter formed a shield of lightning, which repelled the attack.
Omariro took the opportunity to try to restrain Behemoth inside the clock, but Behemoth formed a wall of mountains to separate himself. Ziz flew above, analyzing the scene.
"Thou is even more feral than before," Ziz noted. "One's rage knows no bounds."
"Beast will be tamed," Omariro replied. "Beast will cause no more trouble."
The two sized each other up, waiting for the other to make a move. Behemoth huffed, preparing to strike.
WHOOSH.
A large wave surged over the land, lifting Behemoth and flooding the entire area. The Land Beast struggled to move as ice coated his lower body, keeping him in place.
"I apologize, Master," a voice echoed. "I do hope I am not too late."
"Ah," Ziz realized. "I know that voice."
Leviathan's body arose from the water, circling Behemoth, whose eyes followed her with a hint of rage. "You."
"Greetings, fellow beast," she replied. "I believe it is time for you to cool off, no?"
Behemoth broke free of the ice with a roar, forming a rocky platform to stand on. Leviathan grouped with Ziz, who lowered Omariro onto her.
"Ziz," Leviathan noted. "I hope you have not gotten rusty?"
Ziz flapped his wings, offended. "Thou would dare presume such a thing?"
"Just a thought."
Omariro pointed his blade at Behemoth, whose body grew larger and coated with rocks. "Beast must pay price. Time to repent."
Behemoth took one look at them before grunting.
"Come at me, old man! Come!"
——