wizardmanor | Floor 1, Room 5

It's not like I'm from here. [ Sure, he's...technically Eastern, but not THIS Eastern. ] All these are just a bunch'a strangers, so why's it my business what they wanna think about me?

[ Let them gossip all they want, in his opinion. Maybe if it's get dangerous, but so far, this isn't enough to warrant anything but a shrug off. ]

Maybe I'll listen to them when they can get through here without relying on us to do it for them.

[ khun laughs. ]

Fair enough. [ he's mostly on the lookout as they start to enter the woods, but his gaze lingers on the axe for a few seconds. ]

I take it you're used to combat?

[ He's fine with whatever, so he's simply lingering behind Khun a step, eyes darting here and there amidst the whispers behind them. ]

You could say that. [ He shifts his grip. He certainly carries the thing with a specific kind of ease. ] I wanna get back into the swing of things before I get too rusty. 'S been a while.

[ Well, a few weeks, but. Still. ]

All things put together, this place is more peaceful than I'm used to. [ so he agrees, though he's not carrying a weapon of his own, hands empty. ]

I'll let you handle the front line then.

Sounds like famous last words.

[ Because if what he's heard about this damn forest is anything to go by, they likely won't have peace for very long. Even now, it feels weirdly still, and it's...unnerving. His grip tightens on the axe in reflex. ]

But got it. That suits me just fine.

[ His gaze flickers to their entourage, before he tugs his beanie down further over his face. ]

Sooner we get through here, sooner we don't gotta listen to any nagging, so let's pick up the pace.

Sure. [ he'll keep up with whatever pace Shinji sets easy enough, conjuring a small blue orb of light so they can see where they're going. He keeps it dim so their eyes don't adjust to the dark too much, as that's one way to fall headlong into an ambush.

and as they venture deeper into the forest, there is a rustling that doesn't quite sound like your usual critters scurrying about. that sure is a pack of wolves running... past them? this bodes well. ]

[ Shinji's stride tends to be long, but at the moment, it lags, if only because their entourage doesn't seem like a particularly fast bunch no matter how quickly they seem to wish they were going. While he doesn't give a verbal thanks for the light, Khun will get an appreciative nod of approval.

Perhaps it was wishful thinking, with how decent their entry went. The rustling has his grip tightening, but all his muscles tense at the wolves darting past, barely paying them a lick of mind. ]

Well, shit. [ His eyes are trained on the direction they came from, and the intense feeling of foreboding that comes with it. ] Not eager to see the bastard that's got them running for the hills...

[ But judging by the heavy thump of something getting closer, they aren't getting much of a choice. ]

With any luck it'll be something with parts worth scavenging. [ unperturbed as usual, there's suddenly a rather plain looking knife in his hand. the biggest change is the look in his eyes, bright and focused.

i have no idea what kind of magical beasts are in mahouyaku so feel free to roulette here! ]

Tch. Pass.

[ If the abrupt knife and glint in the other's eyes is a bit unnerving, Shinjiro isn't gonna say it. After all, the guy hauling around the axe can't really say much.

There's the sound and tremor of something big, branches crunching and leaves shaking. Their followers are already scattering far behind them, panic and fear evident in their mad scramble to get out of the potential line of fire, and for good reason-

Shadows are ugly, but this thing might be just as ugly, if not uglier. The face that appears through the trees is like a lion, were it not for the wings on it's back and whipping wave of it's spiked tail behind it. It looks...about as happy to see them as they are to see it. Which is to say, not at all. ]

...You gotta be kiddin' me.

[ Which is about all he has to say on the matter, because here it comes- ]

Looks like I was right. More for me then~. [ the bestiary khun is used regularly produces things like manticores, so khun actually feels right at home. ]

Since there's only two of us...I'll take it from behind and you get the front. [ khun sounds right at home too, throwing out an aguero with ease. shinji will notice he's fainting glowing blue, and feel more invigorated, both offensive and defensively. and with that, khun darts off to the side through the foliage, a streak of blue. ]

[ That earns a scoff, but you do you, Khun. Do all the digging in monster guts that your little heart desires. While this thing isn't exactly in Shinjiro's ballpark, he's seen enough shadows that look similar that it isn't totally jarring. ]

Works for me.

[ He works better on the frontlines, anyway.

There's a flicker of surprise at the sudden rush of energy, but it's a very familiar feeling, to the point it feels pretty good. Khun disappears, and Shinjiro shifts his posture, hefting the axe off his shoulder to grip it with both hands. Some people use magical attacks, but all he needs is this; a lurch forward, right into that roaring face, and the axe is heaved behind him before he abruptly rips it forward with a ferocity, right into the wing.

Unfortunately, it doesn't hit as hard as it should, as the thing is far faster than it's heft belies. Still, it does cleave a bit through the wing, earning a very angry roar that rattles the trees. It swipes, and claws clashes into the axe as it comes up to protect him, but he's pushed back and nearly off his feet with a grunt. Alright, tough guy. ]

[ well that won't do. shinji won't have to struggle with the manticore for too long, because it's soon distracted by icicles raining down over head. given it's tough skin they're more annoying than anything else, but it's still enough to piss it off and distract it, and an opening is an opening.

khun's revealed his location in doing so, due west and up a tree, but such is the nature of teamwork which he surprisingly understands very well. ]

[ Luckily, he has the foresight to step back enough to avoid a few errant icicles; he's been hit by too many a bufu not to take precautions. While it doesn't seem to do very much damage, it turns with a low growl, which works just fine for him.

Even with it's attention turning, in the process of lumbering around to the culprit, it's still an imposing figure; but not imposing enough, as Shinjiro takes advantage of the distraction to go for another shot. This time, there's a wind up, arching the axe high above his head before bringing it down with a brutal swing. It slices right through the midsection, leaving a nasty wound in it's wake, blood splattering the leaves and the blade itself.

Unfortunately, this also comes with the side effect of garnering a very bad reaction, tail and body lashing about in a pained frenzy. The tail itself slams straight into the tree Khun is, and Shinjiro himself has to dart with a muffled curse to avoid the abrupt swipe of clawed paws. If it was unhappy before, now it's furious. ]

[ woah!

khun jumps down from the tree rather than be violently thrown from it, but it still means he needs a few seconds to get his bearings once he's on the ground. the beast of course, notices this.

hmmm.

khun takes a moment to cast something and then just stands there in place.

🧍‍♂️

or at least it looks like he's just standing there. the west is known for it's illusions after all, but khun doesn't have time to tell shinji as much, so hopefully he gets the message.

the manticore however, charges straight for the easy target with a roar. ]

[ Shinji takes a step right out of the line of fire from that lashing, but his gaze does snap to the tree the moment the tail slams straight into it- thus it snaps right onto Khun, who hops to the ground seconds before.

He can see the faint movement of...the cast, probably? But then he just stands there, and it takes him a moment of straightening up with widened eyes before he actually remembers.

...Still, what if that isn't it? He would like to have some faith that he knows what he's doing, but he's also not interested in watching the guy get bitten into like a chew toy.

Compromising on both, Shinji opts to instead wind up, muscles tensing....

and with a grunt, throw his axe directly at the manticore. Yeah, one-handed and everything. There seems to be a lot of power behind it, the way it flies through the air, before promptly lodging itself directly in the monster's hide.

Sure, it starts to thrash in pain even more, but it's definitely starting to slow down now! ]

[ if he could shout from where he's actually hidden, perched on the branches of a neighboring tree, he'd congratulate shinji on a nice hit. but it's important for him to remain camouflaged for the next bit—

a thrashing manticore not a stationary target, but it is a predictable one even if he's going to get banged up somewhat for what he has in mind. it's fine though, because despite how he holds himself he's not the type to shrink from injuries or danger. so down he goes, a glint of his blade in the air aimed for it's head. this knife, another "gift" from his father can slice through bone, and it does so with a spray of blood.

it'll be dead or close to it soon, but there's still the matter of it's tail so here's to lacerations and bruises and ruining these clothes. ]

Floor 1, Room 5

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