As the Gnoll armed with a crude spear charged forward, Enkrid’s blade carved a perfect arc, slicing through both the spear’s shaft and the Gnoll’s chest in a single motion.

CRACK! SPLAT!

Two distinct sounds echoed simultaneously as the Gnoll’s chest split open.

Dark, viscous blood seeped out from the yellow fur covering the beast’s torso.

Enkrid flicked his sword, scattering the monster’s blood from his blade.

The Gnoll, its chest laid bare, coughed up thick, black frothy blood.

SNAP!

A whip snapped through the air, wrapping around the neck of a hyena beast lunging at a collapsed worker.

WHOOSH!

The beast was yanked off its feet and hurled skyward, crashing down among its pack.

One unfortunate creature landed atop a nearby rooftop, letting out a shrill cry as it rolled off and hit the ground with a thud.

“‘Lua’ is what a lover might call me, you know,” Frokk said, reacting to her abbreviated name being called. She was now fully armored, her sharp gaze sweeping over the fallen Gnoll.

Though it hadn’t been intentional, the blow had cleaved through the creature’s heart.

Without a hint of concern, Frokk shifted her attention elsewhere. Her wealth of experience was evident in the way she moved, the aura of a seasoned warrior exuding from her.

As Enkrid’s sword continued to dance, Frokk suddenly announced, “Hey, I’ve got somewhere to be.”

“Where... exactly?”

Despite the urgency of the situation, Frokk, of all people, was about to leave?

“To the cult,” she replied bluntly.

A cult?

Before Enkrid could ask further, Frokk’s cheeks puffed out dramatically—a physical expression of frustration or regret.

Enkrid had no way of deciphering her emotions.

With a burst of force, Frokk launched herself forward. The ground beneath her cracked as she leaped away, leaving a plume of dust in her wake.

Her departure left a visible trench in the earth, and the path she carved became a blur of green light.

Several hyena beasts attempted to block her path but were flung aside like ragdolls.

THWACK! THWACK!

The sound of beasts crashing into walls and scattering echoed across the battlefield.

Watching the carnage, Enkrid couldn’t help but feel a sense of detachment from reality.

Frokk’s overwhelming strength made her movements seem almost surreal.

As her figure disappeared into the fray, Enkrid focused his gaze on something familiar.

Among the chaos, he recognized a figure—one of Deutsch’s men, someone who had been following the guard captain around like a shadow during their stay.

“Kyat!”

A scream pulled Enkrid’s attention back.

Esther, the ever-loyal panther, now stood protectively in front of a frightened worker.

Enkrid quickly redirected his focus.

Ahead of him, the field was swarming with Gnolls and hyena beasts.

This was no time to ponder Frokk’s cryptic departure or the cult she mentioned.

“What the hell is this?” Kraiss muttered from behind him.

There was no time to answer.

More Gnolls were closing in on Enkrid.

Hoo...

Exhaling slowly, Enkrid planted his left foot firmly into the ground. He twisted his ankle, knee, and waist in a fluid motion, bringing his blade around in a wide arc.

The Middle Sword Form’s Spinning Slash cleaved into an advancing Gnoll.

THUNK!

The blade sliced cleanly through the creature’s torso, separating its upper and lower halves.

Black blood and entrails spilled out as the bisected body flew to Enkrid’s left, momentarily halting the Gnolls' advance.

But it didn’t last long.

One of the Gnolls leaped over the corpse, swinging a warhammer.

Behind it, several more charged, their tongues lolling and saliva spraying as they howled with savage glee.

Enkrid, without any armor and armed with only a single sword, faced them head-on.

The situation couldn’t have been worse.

“They just keep coming!” Kraiss shouted.

Enkrid didn’t respond.

With another controlled exhale, he raised his sword, readying himself for the chaos of close combat.

The battle had begun, leaving no room for words.

***

In this world, there are things one cannot concede, things one must not ignore, and acts that cannot be forgiven.

For Frokk, the Cult was such a thing.

A fanatical sect, deluded into believing their god resided within the Abyss—a mad congregation of zealots.

They were a target of vengeance she could not overlook.

The moment she spotted the cultists, Frokk's vision turned crimson.

Despite her composed exterior and seasoned wisdom—enough to speak of matters of the heart as though they were mere techniques—Frokk was still Frokk.

She was a being driven by the desires and passions that roiled within her chest.

One of those cultists had killed her second lover.

On that day, she had sworn upon her heart:

"I will kill every cultist I see."

To Frokk, this vow was more important than anything else.

And so, she chased them with unwavering determination.

Her sole objective was to strike them down and return.

But her path was blocked.

These cultist bastards were more resourceful than she had anticipated.

“Damn Frokk monster,” one of the fleeing cultists sneered, a twisted grin curling at the edges of his mouth.

To an observer, that grin might have seemed mocking, but Frokk saw through it.

Had she fallen into his trap?

No. It didn’t matter.

It was time to crush their arrogance.

However, for the time being, returning to Enkrid would have to wait.

"Don’t die."

It was all she could hope for.

***

The moment Frokk left, the dam holding back the tide of monsters broke. A flood of creatures surged forth, overwhelming like water spilling over shattered barriers.

Enkrid stepped forward, determined to buy time, but it was futile—there were simply too many.

“Guuugh!”

A guttural howl accompanied the downward swing of a crude war hammer aimed squarely at his head. The hammer’s tip, fitted with jagged iron, promised pain and death.

Enkrid retreated a step, reversing his grip on his sword to deliver an upward slash.

Thwack!

The blade cleaved through the gnoll’s chin, splitting its head in half vertically.

Before he could recover, a hyena monster lunged from his left. Enkrid used the pommel of his sword as a makeshift mace, driving it down with precision.

Crack!

The creature crumpled to the ground, its skull shattered. The satisfying crunch lingered in his hands like cracking open a nut.

No time to confirm the kill.

From the right came the glint of steel—three weapons aimed at him, their intent deadly.

Gnolls. Damn gnolls. Their teamwork was infuriatingly precise.

Enkrid reacted instinctively, slashing his sword in rapid succession.

Clang! Clang!

Two of the strikes were deflected. The third, too close to counter, forced him to twist his body. A spear tip grazed his side, cutting through his tunic.

Without hesitation, Enkrid slammed his blade down, severing the spear’s shaft.

Thud.

The spear was neutralized, but another blow landed—this time, a hammer smashed into his shoulder from behind.

There was no avoiding it. No matter how sharp his instincts were, he couldn’t account for every attack.

The blow had come from his blind spot.

The pain screamed through his body, but Enkrid couldn’t afford to stop. To stop was to die.

He feigned a stumble backward, shifting his weight to counter. Reversing his sword grip, he thrust the pommel into the attacker’s face.

Thud!

The gnoll staggered, choking on a pained gurgle.

Using the momentum, Enkrid twisted upright, spinning to meet another charging hyena.

Its jaws snapped for his wrist, desperate and relentless.

Enkrid brought his blade down in a clean arc, splitting the creature’s skull.

The Beast’s Heart Awakens

As the hyena’s body slumped, a strange clarity washed over him.

His heart pounded like a war drum, a rhythm that drowned out the chaos.

Calm. Boldness.

The Beast’s Heart steadied his mind, allowing him to see the battlefield anew.

Time seemed to slow.

Ahead, gnolls swung their weapons—spears, swords, axes, and hammers—all aimed at him.

Lines formed in his vision, connecting the weapons and their trajectories.

These lines represented survival and death, a web of choices to navigate.

Enkrid followed the lines, his blade dancing in response.

Slash! Hack! Thud! Crack!

The first gnoll’s head split with a decisive downward cut.

The second had its throat opened as Enkrid reversed his slash into a smooth upward motion.

The third fell as Enkrid drove his sword downward, cutting through its collarbone and into its heart.

The fourth gnoll’s ribcage was torn open with a diagonal slash, spilling its entrails onto the ground.

By the time Enkrid stepped back, four gnolls lay dead in quick succession, their black blood soaking the earth.

The Relentless Tide

But the gnolls did not falter.

They used their fallen as cover, lunging at Enkrid with spears and blades.

The hyena monsters joined in, their jaws snapping, their fangs seeking his flesh.

One gnoll aimed for his wrist but failed, shifting instead to target his thigh. Another went for his shin.

There were too many to count.

Enkrid had no room to worry about others—his entire focus remained on surviving the moment.

Slash. Stab. Hack. Repeat.

The techniques of the Middle Sword Form flowed through him, severing heads and splitting bodies with relentless precision.

Despite the carnage, the enemies seemed endless.

His breaths grew ragged, his heart thundered, and his limbs ached.

Even his calm resolve wavered under the relentless assault.

The Giant Gnolls

Then came the giants.

Larger than their kin, these massive gnolls towered over Enkrid, their bulging muscles and glowing yellow eyes radiating power.

One stepped forward, wielding a spiked wooden club the size of a tree trunk.

“Guuuuh!”

The beast swung down with earth-shattering force.

Enkrid’s instincts screamed.

"Can’t dodge."

He made his decision in an instant.

"Leap."

The Beast’s Heart surged within him, unleashing a burst of power.

Enkrid raised his sword to meet the attack head-on.

BOOM!

The clash echoed like thunder, sending shockwaves through the battlefield.

The giant gnoll’s club was flung upward, its massive frame staggering from the force.

Enkrid seized the opening, lunging forward with all his strength.

His blade struck true, piercing the beast’s neck.

Squelch!

One clean motion. In and out.

The giant gnoll clutched its throat, black blood spraying as it collapsed.

But there was no time to celebrate.

Another two giant gnolls charged from the side, flanked by their smaller kin.

Their eyes burned with malice, a sea of yellow glaring at him with savage intent.

What could he do against such numbers?

What was even possible?

Enkrid didn’t know.

All he knew was that his sword must keep moving.

Because if it stopped, so would his life.

***

Esther knew something was terribly wrong.

“Too many. It’s a full-scale colony.”

The word colony carried weight—a term reserved for massive, organized groups of monsters.

Escape was no longer an option.

Her panther eyes scanned the chaos behind her.

Humans were dying. Monsters were unleashing unrelenting carnage.

“P-please, spare me!”

A desperate plea cut short as a gnoll thrust its gladius into the victim’s throat.

“Aaaahhh!”

A man screamed as he was dragged, alive, into the jaws of a hyena monster. The sounds of flesh tearing filled the air.

Stab. Stab. Stab.

A gnoll repeatedly plunged its spear into an already lifeless corpse.

“Guuk! Guuk!”

The grotesque pleasure was evident in the gnoll’s guttural growls.

The massacre unfolded in seconds.

The humans had no chance to flee.

The village’s tall palisade, meant to protect, now became a trap. With monsters flooding inside, the settlement was no longer a refuge—it was a plate, and the humans were the meal.

Some attempted to climb the watchtower, desperate to buy time.

It was futile.

“It’s not just the monsters.”

Esther’s keen eyes narrowed.

Atop the watchtower stood a former mercenary, supposedly a guard captain, grinning as he nocked an arrow.

Thwip. Thunk.

The arrow struck a villager attempting to climb, sending him plummeting to the ground. His skull cracked open upon impact, and his lifeless body was immediately claimed by the hyena monsters.

Every person who tried to reach the tower met the same fate.

An unsettling intuition gripped Esther.

A Predator Unleashed

“Kyaaaah!”

Esther decided to act.

She lunged, shattering a gnoll’s skull with a single powerful kick.

Leaping forward, she tore through the hyena monsters with her claws, slashing, slicing, and impaling.

Thwack! Thud! Crunch!

Her claws split skulls, her strikes crushed ribs. Ten, fifteen monsters fell to her fury, yet the horde seemed endless.

This was no ordinary colony—it was a disaster-class event.

A colony of this magnitude could wreak havoc on the kingdom itself.

“Someone orchestrated this.”

Her intuition, honed by her magical world, whispered the truth: this was no natural occurrence.

But there was nothing she could do about it now.

Even as her claws continued to tear through flesh, Esther began to feel the limits of her endurance.

Too many. Far too many.

Fighting would only end in death. Escape was the only option.

Desperate Measures

“We need to break through the front, Captain!”

Krais, the wide-eyed tactician, shouted over the chaos. At some point, he had drawn a short sword and was holding his ground remarkably well.

His survival? Sheer skill and strategy. He hovered near Enkrid, staying just on the edge of the maelstrom.

The monsters’ focus was on the greatest threat: Enkrid.

“Enkrid. The one I need.”

He fought like a hero of legend, his sword a whirlwind of destruction.

Gnolls fell like leaves in a storm as he hacked, stabbed, and crushed his way through the horde.

At one point, he gripped his sword near the ricasso and drove it into a gnoll’s skull with sheer brute force, shattering it completely.

The display of raw power was awe-inspiring.

If only there were time to admire it.

“This isn’t good.”

Esther, burdened by her limited abilities in her panther form, realized the futility of fighting alongside him.

To fight now would be to die alongside him.

A Predator Observes

Esther leapt onto the roof of a nearby hut, vanishing into the shadows.

From above, she stilled her movements, quieting her presence. Her sharp eyes stayed locked on Enkrid.

For now, she would watch over him.

“I’ll ensure you’re avenged.”

And with that thought came a newfound resolve.

It was a resolve Esther had never felt before.

Never before had she fought for someone else, never had she vowed vengeance for another.

The realization eluded her, but the sentiment burned within her:

She would protect him, even if it meant her own life.