The moon rises to the top of the sky, emitting a beautiful blue glow that lights up the dark and quiet forest below. Sounds of rustling bushes, the river, bugs, frogs, and birds fill the air. Everything seems to fit, except for one out-of-place sound: footsteps, the sound of someone running.
A girl with long dark hair tied in a ponytail runs through the jungle, wearing a dark leather suit that fits her body perfectly. She is out of breath and constantly looking behind her. Growling and barking sounds chase her, blood dripping from her broken arm. She holds her arm as her body screams in pain, her left eye wounded and unable to see clearly.
She keeps running until she sees two figures ahead. This gives her hope, and she smiles, pushing herself harder.
As she gets closer, both figures turn around. They wear masks that cover their faces. She recognizes Reilly. Reilly looks at her with pity before her vision turns upside down. She screams in pain, glancing at her feet caught by a rope tied to a tree.
This is strange; usually, traps in this jungle are fatal. A trap meant to catch someone is unusual. Reilly approaches her while the other watches. "He... help," the girl struggles to speak. Reilly stares into her eyes coldly, terrifying her. "Please. Wait. Help me." She pleads, but the two masked men walk past her.
The growling and barking grow louder as the weird creatures approach. She struggles to free herself but is too exhausted. She sees dogs with no eyes and pig snouts approaching. Panicking, she gives everything she can.
"No, No, Please No. I don't want to die"Her eyes were filled with horror as the dogs reached her. biting and ripping her apart. Her screams filled the air as Reilly and his friend walk away, Reilly's mad laughter echoing under the blue moon.
Kenji, Bel, Hender, Fenny, Grey, and Denber are once again surrounded, this time by different creatures. These have canine bodies and pig snouts, with sharp teeth capable of biting off an arm effortlessly.
Kenji's group surrounds a bonfire in the middle of the night. The woods are dark, filled with the growling and barking of the strange creatures. The creatures seem afraid of the fire and keep their distance in the shadows.
Despite the noises, Kenji and the others feel safe in the light. They share meat, celebrating their survival. Fenny raises a stick of meat in the air. "This is for surviving this long. As long as we have each other's backs, we will survive," he declares. "Cheers," the others shout.
Hender, a bit distant, observes. Denber notices and approaches him. "You're lonely again. What's up?" he asks, handing Hender roasted meat.
Hender accepts it. "I'm terrified. I might not be worthy," he whispers.
Denber pats his back. "What makes you feel like that?" Denber asks.
"Nothing. You wouldn't understand anyway," Hender replies, biting the meat.
After a few moments, the others fall asleep. The sound of the creatures in the dark persists. Grey is in charge of keeping the fire lit. He faces the fire, poking it with a stick, unaware of his surroundings. His bangs cover his eyes, his suit ripped but his body back to normal. The light illuminates his bright red lips.
Behind him, a figure appears from the shadows, slowly approaching. The shadow raises a hand, getting closer.
Grey is startled by a tap on his shoulder. It's Hender. "It's my turn to watch the fire. You can go to rest," Hender smiles.
Grey nods and goes to sleep. Hender watches him. "What an odd guy," he whispers, sitting in Grey's spot and poking the fire. He plays with the hilt of one of his daggers, heating the blade until it glows red before watching it cool. His eyes reflect the blazing fire.
As the sun rises, the leaves are wet with morning dew. The creatures are gone. A deer chews grass, watching two men checking the faces of the sleeping people. Kenji, peacefully sleeping, hears footsteps nearby. He opens his eyes to see a katana blade at his neck. The blade rises and swings down. Kenji, reacting quickly, barely evades the attack, rolling away as part of his hair is cut. He grabs his daggers and glances at the attacker, who wears a clown mask.
"You!" he snarls. Reilly watches as the others sleep. Reilly and the clown-masked man run away, and Kenji decides not to let them escape. He kicks Fenny to wake him. Fenny frowns in pain and glances at Kenji. "Wake the others," he commands and went his way to chase the two. Fenny, confused, wakes the others.
Bel stretches. "Is it morning already?" she asks.
Noticing Kenji's absence, Denber approaches Fenny. "Where's Kenji?" he asks. "He went after someone," Fenny replies, making Bel and Hender turn. "Who?" Hender asks, shaking Fenny. "I don't know. He went after two summons but didn't say why," Fenny answers.
Hearing "two summons," Bel and Hender draw their daggers and chase after Kenji, leaving the others confused. "Fenny, go after them," Denber commands. "Jeez, I just woke up and now I'm running," Fenny mutters, standing and running after the three.
Grey watches Denber stretching. "They're so lively, aren't they," he sighs. Grey stands, his bangs covering his eyes. "Let's go after them," Grey speaks gently, surprising Denber. "Yeah," Denber smiles, and they walk after the others.
Kenji runs, catching up to the two. Reilly and the clown man split, confusing Kenji. Bel and Hender catch up. Kenji commands them to go after Reilly while he chases the clown-masked man. Fenny, seeing them split, decides to follow Kenji.
Kenji focuses on the masked man. The clown glances back, seeing two people chasing him. Fenny passes Kenji, chasing the clown-faced summon.
Suddenly, Fenny is caught in a trap, a rope tied to his leg lifting him. "Shiii..." he shouts as Kenji runs past. The clown-faced man stops as he faces a waterfall, he turns around to face Kenji. "See ya," he bids before jumping. In his surprise. Kenji followed him by jumping down to catch him. "Well, it has come to this," the clown sighs before landing in the water.
Reilly is chased by Bel and Hender. Bel jumps from a tree, throwing her dagger at Reilly, but he dodges, the dagger hitting a tree. Hender runs past, and Bel grabs her dagger as they chase Reilly.
They notice him slowing down before stopping, panting. "Are you just going to chase me to the end?" he laughs. "This is no laughing matter, Reilly. How many lives have you taken?" Bel shouts angrily.
"I don't know. Maybe eight or so. Don't blame me; I'm just doing my job."
"Job? Killing other summons who could have survived this forest with us is your job?" Bel demands.
Reilly sighed before answering. "How am I supposed to explain this." He whispered.
"You see. The king gave me a task before I entered this forest. Do you know what he tasked me with?"
Bel tightened her grip on her daggers. Hender glanced at Bel who was angry before shifting his gaze to Reilly. His face is calm. He is observing the situation.
"Well this is what he said. The king allowed me to go on a rampage. You know why?" He started to laugh "Because he recognizes me as one of the worthy." Reilly shouted while laughing maniacally.
Hender was surprised. "He told you you're worthy?" Hender asked. His face is filled with envy. Reilly noticed this and let a small laugh.
"Yes I'm worthy and I'm tasked with this job to kill those unworthy. You both are lucky because you have Kenji on your side. That's why I let you live. From my perspective, out from the three of you. He is the most worthy one."
This statement makes Hender's thoughts go wild. He glanced down to the ground biting his lips. Kenji's face flashed in his eyes. He remembers Kenji being scary, that aura he emits, That technique he uses to kill the creature.
"Oh wait. It's already time for the next phase." Reilly scratches his head before running away.
"Stop!" Bel demands, about to chase him but notices Hender staring at the ground. "What's wrong?" she asks. "Nothing," Hender whispers.
Meanwhile, Grey and Denber stand in the forest, confused. "Where did they go?" Denber asks. Grey shrugs.