"Did you see how she looked? She's barely sorry!"
"Karin…"
"The nerve on her. And that guy…"
"Karin…"
"It's because of him that she like that. She barely looked at us."
Karin and Kento were trekking through a brown path close to the orchard. From a far one could see people picking apple fruits and placing them on brown baskets, others just picking and rubbing the apple on their clothes then taking a bite on it. It looked quite juicy just from the juice flowing down their lips as they ate one.
Karin was leading the way as the orchard view was slowly replaced by a large oak tree that grew just outside the orchard.
There were many discolored leaves on the ground hiding the ground underneath and softening Karin stomps with a crunching sound. The orchard slowly slipped away with more and more trees hiding the path they had just came from. Kento was the only one to notice this. As for Karin, she was extremely mad at Cilia. Even more than before.
"I can't believe she hasn't come to apologize yet. I knew she wasn't sorry."
"Karin…"
This time she didn't say anything. She just walked silently thinking to herself. Kento took the chance.
"I don't think you gave her a chance to apologize." Kento said unhesitant. Seconds later he wasn't so sure.
Karin suddenly stopped. She slowly turned, eyes narrowed and mad.
"So, you think it's my fault?" she asked.
There was only one right answer here. Kento knew it but even with all the books he had read he decided to answer.
"Yes."
The shock, the betrayal.
"How is it my fault. She's the one who faked her death. She's the one who made us worry and turns out she just wanted some stupid cake. She the one who chose that guy over us. How is it my fault?"
This time he was hesitant.
"Well yeah, but you never asked how she was or even tried to listen to her. I know you've known her longer than I have but…"
The hesitation grew. The look in her eyes as though everyone was betraying her didn't make it easier.
Kento sighed before sealing his death wish.
"I guess Cilia expected you to be more welcoming than you were. She's silly sometimes but I don't think that she would make us worry for all that time knowingly. When I found her in the old mansion…"
Krr! Krr!
A rusting sound suddenly cut short Kento.
"Did you hear that?"
Kento nodded. He adjusted the ring on his right index finger as turned to the rustle.
Krr! Krr!
Karin turned, her back now facing Kento's. Something was stalking them and its intent was quite clear just by the sudden increase in frequency of the growling.
"Karin!" Kento called noticing something shadowy speed by the trees surrounding them.
"I know." She said, clapping her hands together as a black misty aura formed around them.
The first attack came with an abrupt launch parting of the leaves that lay on the ground and sending them into the sky
. All from the sheer force of their assailant.
"Karin!" Kento called again.
"I know!" Karin said jumping to the side and landing… sliding onto one knee. Her eyes shot in the direction from which the claw currently deep in Kento arm came from.
Tazugata!
Karin called summoning her black whip like mass in to the fray. The whips shot curving through the air towards the thick tree where the green vine like arm of their assailant was hidden. The black mass bore through the bark of the tree piercing to the other side and reached through to grab whatever lay on the other side.
"Reel it to me!" Kento called.
And again Karin answered…
Right through the tree came the assailant.
It had a deep red shell that was divided into an upper part and a lower part. The two parts were tightly cojoined with a small sliver at the front in between them where two white gooey eyes popped out. It didn't have legs under its tight shelled structure rather two vine like extensions shooting from its side with undefined length. At the end of those vines were pincers, crab like claws with a similar waxy look like the shell that covered the main body. à [Crabalin]
And it was with that pincer that whatever the creature was had managed to dent Kento's skin enough to gorge out blood from him. However, with the same claw, Kento grabbed onto it and yanked. He pulled with all the brute in him and forced the floating shelled Crabalin to soar straight to him.
Aided by the pull from the black mass of Tazugata, the Crabalin flew towards Kento, who was now waiting with an attack of his own. Hard as steel and enough break a bone, Kento's fist coiled with a pop.
"Aargh!" He roared driving the fist into the hard shell of the Crabalin.
There was a crack on both ends. From both the Crabalin shell and Kento's hand.
With the force perfectly drove into its shell, the Crabalin retorted violently back and flying into a tree a distance away. Its shell cracked open as it met the tree revealing its reddish and gooey insides.
On the other hand, Kento was in pain. He groaned slightly as he pulled back his fist from his striking pose.
"Are you okay?" Karin asked rushing to Kento's side.
Krr! Krr!
*In normal cases… Crabalins normally travel as a group. Though neither of the two knew this.*
Just then another rush of leaves flew into the air as they parted for another shot. This time it came from the skies faster and true as it aimed for Karin.
Tazugata!! Karin called as she flattened her black mass into a black shield.
Hard surface met a fast diamond bullet and was for sure going to give in. The collision dropped her to one knee and skidded back a little. Just steps away Kento formed a fist in his right injured arm. Rather to loss it than loss a friend.
"That's not how you handle Crabalins!" A voice, deep and stoic said.
Karin looked around. For some reason the pressure from the projectile had eased.
"You have to move fast and aim for the small opening at its eyes."
Kento looked to the side. A thick tentacle wiggled on the ground writhing from being detached from the main body. Hovering above it was a shadow, a few meters in the air and quickly drawing short blade.
Then a slush sound followed right before a dying shriek. Krr…!
"And finally…" the man said as he dropped to the ground. "Look for the rest of them."
He launched the short blade in his arm with a slight flick. The flick exponentially drifted the blade through the air curving it like a boomerang and striking the last of the Crabalin that was trying to flee.
"Mr Osoro!" Kento said as the scarred man's breath came settled.
***
Osoro was almost done tying up the wound on Kento's arm with a brownish bandage. The brownish color slowly became less prevalent as a new shed of red slowly took over.
"There's no need for a bandage. I heal really fast." Kento said trying his best to stop Osoro.
Osoro's grip on his arm didn't loosen.
"Even so it's careless to take a pincer bullet from a Crabalin. You're lucky you still got you hand." Osoro said tightening the last knot.
He let go of Kento's hand then walked towards where his blade had landed after killing the final Crabalin. It was a perfect bullseye not daring to spare any of its eyes. He wrestled the blade out of its carapace and spat on the little monster.
"Come on. Let's join the others at the tear."
…
The tear wasn't that large. That was good or even more Crabalins would have crossed or even something bigger.
In simple description the tear looked like a hole made through fabric. Only that this had a butterfly's wing beat flicker to in. Possibly due to the weakening veil.
Karin peered in through the hole witnessing the other side.
"The locals call it the cursed forest." Danko said joining Karin in peeping.
Karin shivered by just how close he was and moved to the side.
Past the hole it looked like nature didn't obey the season or even time itself.
First it was dark. Karin attributed that to the canopy of trees stretching through it. It was even denser than the area they were in. Which was the other thing. Compared to the other side the density of trees was far greater there than the small patch they were in. She could see things crawl around and shun from the light that was seeping through the hole in the veil. Only Crabalins showed up but floated away immediately when they saw Danko.
"This is why we maintain the barrier. Any more creatures like that and it would overwhelm the village." A knew voice said joining Karin and Danko.
"Now hurry up and close replace the talismans with the ones you have." Osoro ordered.
Some short distance to the side a large tree stood. On it was a rectangular hole carving with a paper on it. The writing on the paper was fading and was slowly coming off.
As she placed the new talisman onto the old one Kento noticed something in Karin. She didn't seem like herself. Or rather all that energy from before for complaining had completely disappeared from her eyes.
"Hey Mr Osoro…" Kento called him in a low tone.
"That Crabalin thing…
Do you have any books on it?"