They had come from a mission that had gone smoothly.
Too smoothly.
Lucien walked at the front this time, his sword resting casually over his shoulder. The tension that once followed him into every fight was gone replaced by something quieter.
Confidence.
"Remind me again why that was so easy?" he asked.
Riven, walking behind him, shrugged.
"Because not everything wants to kill you immediately."
Lucien snorted.
"Give it time."
Kael said nothing.
His eyes moved constantly, scanning the terrain as they passed through a dense stretch of forest. The air here was heavier than usual not thick, but charged.
Subtle.
But present.
Nyx appeared briefly beside him.
"You feel it," she said quietly.
Kael nodded once.
"Aether density is higher than normal."
Elias, walking ahead, slowed slightly.
"Stay alert."
That was enough.
Everyone adjusted.
The forest grew quieter.
No wind.
No insects.
No sound.
Lucien frowned slightly.
"Yeah, I don't like this."
Then a low growl.
Deep.
Vibrating through the ground itself.
Serah cracked her knuckles.
"Finally."
From the trees ahead
Something moved.
Then another and another.
Shapes began to emerge one by one.
They stepped into the clearing.
And the creatures revealed themselves.
Not human.
Not natural.
Aether pulsed through their bodies like veins of light.
The first resembled a wolf but larger, its body layered with hardened, stone like plates. Faint green Aether glowed between the cracks.
Beside it
A serpent-like creature, coiled low, its scales shimmering with blue energy.
Above
Something moved through the branches.
Fast.
Silent.
Lucien grinned slightly.
"Alright. This is more like it."
Kael spoke calmly.
"Multiple targets. Different affinities."
Elias stepped forward.
"Don't hold back."
The wolf moved first.
Fast.
Faster than something that size should be.
Lucien met it head-on.
His blade formed instantly,perfect, stable, extending his physical sword.
Their clash echoed.
Steel against reinforced hide.
Lucien slid back slightly
Then adjusted.
"Yeah… you're tougher than you look."
He moved again.
Sharper.
Faster.
This time, his blade cut through one of the glowing lines between the plates.
The beast howled.
The serpent struck next.
A burst of water-like Aether surged toward Kael.
His barrier activated instantly.
The attack collided and dispersed.
Kael didn't move.
Fragments formed around him, sharper and faster than ever before.
The serpent lunged again.
This time Kael stepped forward.
His fragments moved before the attack fully formed.
Intercepting.
Redirecting.
Cutting.
Precise and Calculated.
One large fragment pierced through the serpent's weaker under-scale.
Another followed.
Then another.
The creature recoiled violently.
Kael's eyes remained calm.
"Your structure is inefficient."
The final strike came clean as he cut it's head with his sword.
The serpent collapsed.
Above
The third beast dropped from the trees.
Fast.
A blur of motion.
Riven looked up lazily.
"Too predictable."
He raised his hand.
Gravity shifted.
The beast slowed mid-air
Then dropped.
Hard.
The ground cracked under the force.
Riven walked toward it casually.
"Stay down."
The pressure increased.
The creature struggled
Then stilled.
Two smaller beasts circled the edges of the clearing.
Fast.
Careful.
Nyx disappeared.
Then reappeared behind one.
Her dagger moved once.
Clean.
Silent.
The second one turned
Too late.
Shadow wrapped around its movement.
Slowed it.
Just enough.
Nyx ended it without a sound.
Another wolf charged from the side
Straight at Serah.
She didn't dodge.
Didn't step back.
She stepped forward.
Aether surged through her body.
Reinforcing her.
Her fist collided with the beast's head.
The impact echoed.
The creature flew back crashing into a tree.
Serah rolled her shoulder.
"Too soft."
The beast tried to stand.
She didn't let it.
Two more strikes.
Heavy.
Direct.
And final.
Back in the center Lucien was smiling.
The fight had sharpened him.
His movements were clean now. No wasted motion. No hesitation.
The wolf lunged again
Lucien sidestepped.
His blade cut upward.
This time It went deeper.
The Aether coating strengthened at the edge, slicing through the reinforced plating.
The beast staggered.
Lucien didn't stop.
One more step.
One more strike.
Through Clean through it's body.
The wolf fell.
Lucien exhaled slowly.
"Yeah. That felt right."
The last beast a larger one emerged from deeper in the forest.
Heavier.
Stronger.
Its Aether burned brighter than the others.
Elias stepped forward.
"Mine."
The others didn't argue.
The beast charged.
Elias didn't move.
Until the last second.
Then Frost spread instantly overwhelming the beasts flames.
The ground froze beneath the creature's feet.
Its movement slowed
Then locked.
Elias raised his hand.
Ice formed.
Sharp.
Condensed.
One motion and it pierced clean through the beast's core.
Silence followed.
The forest was still again.
Broken trees.
Cracked ground.
Fading Aether.
Lucien stretched slightly.
"Okay. That was actually fun."
Riven yawned.
"Mid-tier beasts. Nothing special."
Serah crouched near one of the bodies.
"Still useful."
Elias nodded.
"Collect the cores."
They worked quickly.
Each beast held something different.
Green cores from the wolves earth-type.
Blue from the serpent water-type.
Faint dark cores from the smaller beasts shadow-influenced.
Lucien picked one up, turning it in his hand.
"So this is what people kill for."
Kael glanced at it.
"Yes."
Lucien smirked slightly.
"We're definitely not normal anymore."
Kael didn't disagree.
Elias looked at the collected cores.
Then at them.
"You handled that well."
Lucien grinned.
"'Well' is an understatement."
Riven smirked.
"You didn't die. That's 'well.'"
Nyx stepped back into the shadows.
Serah stood, dusting her hands.
Kael looked toward the forest.
"This area will attract more."
Elias nodded.
"Then we leave."
He turned.
"Next time, it won't be this easy."
Lucien followed, sword resting on his shoulder again.
"Good."