A low growl shattered the peaceful silence of the forest. Kara's senses heightened as she stood up, instinctively withdrawing Lamia's seal into the stealth on her thigh.
"Keep an eye out, Kara..." her ancestor warned, sensing a threatening presence.
A shadow stepped out from the thick bushes, a large bear-like creature with claws for fingers. From either side of its lower jaw jutted massive fangs, sharp and curved almost like the tusks of a boar.
Its fur stood on end, and its bloodthirsty eyes glowed with primal hunger.
A dark purple aura surrounded it, and the color of its body darkened.
"A STRAY?" Kara whispered, her heart racing of fear. "What's it doing here? There have never been predators in this forest..."
These creatures, devoid of souls, were a threat to the world. Their physical forms were corrupted, driven only by hunger for destruction.
Yuri growled fiercely, his fur standing on end in defense besides Kara.
The Stray wasted no time.
It lunged forward, claws outstretched, but Kara was quicker. She jumped back, her silver eyes sharpen as the boulder shattered in a single blow.
"Yuri!" she shouted.
The round canine charged like a bolt of lightning, launching at the foe like a powerful speeding wheel, the blow caught the STREY off guarded.
Kara seized the moment. She pulled a firearm from her back waist, its edges glowing with crimson light.
"Let's do this. . ."
.
She called the weapon's name.
.
"[Lycoris Radiata],"
The gun powered up as if hearing her word, the red light brightening as she aimed at the Stray. She fired, a storm of crimson bullets flying through the air.
But the shots, though strong, didn't penetrate the Stray's corrupted flesh.
"Tsk!" Kara's brows furrowed, frustration evident.
"Kara, duck!" Lamia's voice rang out.
"D-Duck? Hkyaa---!!"
The Stray lunged again, faster this time! It's claws aimed for her chest. She barely had time to react, diving backward as the creature's attack slammed into the ground in front of her. Kara hissed, shielding herself from the impact.
The force sent her flying through the air, landing hard on the forest floor.
With a howl, Yuri protect the brunette, and unleashed a barrage of mist that trapped the foe in confusion, keeping it distracted long enough for his guardian to recover.
"Ouch," Kara groaned, the wind was knocked out of her lungs. She pushed herself up, hands shaking slightly. "That strength was no joke."
"I told you to keep an eye out," Lamia remarked.
Kara ignored her, hair covering the brunette's face. As she stood on her knee, she pulled a lever on the gun, releasing a hidden limiter. The crimson light flared, pulsing with nearly unbearable energy.
Lamia narrowed her crimson eyes, sensing what was coming.
"Think you can handle it?" Lamia challenged.
"This time..." Kara muttered, a dangerous edge to her voice.
Her silver eyes ignited in blood red, any trace of light was gone, replaced by an empty, bloodthirsty aggression in her behavior.
A menacing grin spread across Kara's face, a hint of amusement shining through.
"I'll knocked 'em down."
She dashed straight through the mist, firing a rapid series of bullets that broke through the Stray's defenses. Adrenaline coursed through her veins, fueling her every move. The bullets now held raw, untamed power, ripping into the creature's flesh, leaving trails of ash in their wake.
'Not yet.'
She couldn't stop now, her only goal was to break through the obstacle in her way.
'Not yet!'
Her focus remained on the main target, the one who dared to threaten her.
Finally, she spotted an opening.
'..Gotcha.'
With a steady aim, the bullet flew toward the creature. Striking it's line of sight, she prepared for the next attack.
Not this time.
One step, and a field of crimson flowers bloomed on the dry earth, surrounding the off guarded STRAY.
Brilliant coral-red flowers with elegantly curled petals and long stamens bloomed.
In a flash, the STRAY was trapped in it's over bloomed, unable to move.
But it remained persistent, sensing it's awaited death. It was more desperate to drag the human girl along with it.
However, Kara saw through it. The giant claw incoming, ready to slice her apart.
And in that dire moment.
Her body deformed, flowers blooming around her until she was engulfed. The STRAY's claws rushed past, but she was no longer there. Red lilies scattered around, leaving the confused monster behind.
"...Drop dead, you oversized piece of sh*t." In an instant, Kara reappeared behind the beast.
With a swift motion, she finished the job.
"Awra!" she shouted, piercing her gun at the monster's spine. The crack of the bones was blend along the STREY's screaming.
Without wasting a moment, she pulled the trigger.
BANG!!
...
BANG!! BANG!! BANG!! BANG!! BANG!! BANG!! BANG!! BANG!! BANG!! BANG!! BANG!! BANG!! BANG!! BANG!! BANG!! BANG!!
Its body disintegrated into dust.
Kara took a step back, panting heavily. Her heart racing rapidly, red eyes returning to their original color.
"Not bad," Lamia's voice echoed in the silence, a hint of approval in her tone. "But you lost control a bit there."
Kara glanced at her hand, noticing a crimson stain on her index finger. She had been so focused on the fight that she hadn't noticed the recoil of her gun, the raw force sending chills through her.
"I guess so," she said awkwardly.
"It's fine," Lamia replied. "Your Arcana is difficult enough. Training to control it is your main priority."
Kara scratched her head sheepishly. "I did skip training to be a shut-in, though."
"...And most importantly, do it at your own pace!" Lamia laughed, avoiding the another awkward topic again.
Kara played along, her gaze shifting to Yuri, who was bounding toward her, tail wagging happily. She pulled a treat from her pocket and knelt down, offering it to her furry companion.
"Good boy, buddy." she said affectionately, petting his round body, "You saved me."
"Rwaf! Yap!"
Standing up, Kara scanned the green forest floor. A mana crystal, shimmering with an iridescent glow, lay where the Stray had been.
Kara picked it up, her silver eyes sparkling with excitement.
This could be a valuable item if sold in the market. But it was also commonly used in crafting, especially for weapons.
"Look, Ancestor!" she exclaimed, voice filled with enthusiasm. "With this, you can charge a single light house in a full year."
Lamia sweat-dropped. "You still get excited about these little things."
"How can I not?" Kara replied, her voice genuinely awed. "Magical creatures, powers, the beauty of it all... This world is like a dream come true!"
"Indeed," Lamia agreed, a hint of amusement in her voice. "If only you showed the same enthusiasm for people as you do for these crystals."
"Urk..."
Kara's expression faltered at Lamia's comment, a touch of self-awareness creeping in.
'I honestly prefer talking to little Yuri than engaging with others...' she thought to herself.
"Fufu! But fear not, for I shall be the one to fix this flaw of yours. Soon, your social skills will improve thanks to yours truly!"
"...Pfft—" Kara giggled in response.
"H-Hoi! What are you laughing at?!" Lamia retorted, feeling flustered.
'Sometimes, Ancestor does the most unexpected things...'
A sincerity to achieve.
"Ancestor is back to her old ways. You're so
like a grandma."
'It confuses me, why did she reincarnate someone like me in this world?'
Confidence of trust.
"So disrespectful!"