Chapter 16 Mexican Standoff

Reika and Alessandra waited near the forest edge, the towering trees casting dappled shadows in the fading light. The cave’s entrance loomed in the distance.

Reika broke the tense quiet. “Sensei, are you saying they have bad intentions?”

Alessandra didn’t answer immediately. Her gaze remained locked on the cave entrance, her brow furrowed in thought. Finally, she let out a sigh. “I don’t know... but Iryoku definitely knows something. That scoundrel never tells us anything,” she muttered, her tone laced with frustration. Shifting uncomfortably, she added, “Let’s just wait a little longer. Maybe it’s just paranoia on his part.”

Reika crossed her arms. “Yeah, maybe he’s just pranking us again.” Her voice softened. “Léon seems like a trustworthy person. His group too...”

Alessandra stayed silent, unsure how to respond.

Moments later, Alessandra’s sharp gaze caught movement. “Look. Someone’s coming out of the cave.”

The two women stepped cautiously out from the cover of the trees. In the distance, a figure staggered into view—Léon. His elegant demeanor was gone, replaced by a disheveled, bloodied appearance. Crimson dripped from his body, staining his once-pristine clothing.

“Please... help me,” Léon gasped, his voice weak. “We found a demon... it attacked us...”

Reika’s eyes widened in concern. Without hesitation, she rushed to his side, supporting him as he stumbled. Alessandra followed more cautiously, her hand resting on her mace, her instincts screaming at her to stay alert.

Just as Reika wrapped her arms around Léon to steady him, another figure emerged from the cave—bloodied, battered, but unmistakably defiant.

“Iryoku!” Alessandra exclaimed.

Iryoku’s sharp voice cut through the tense air. “No! Get away from him!”

Reika froze, her head snapping toward Iryoku in confusion. Alessandra barely had time to react when Léon’s hand shot to his sword. In a flash, he thrust it toward Alessandra.

The blade narrowly missed her torso but grazed her underarm, tearing through her armor and drawing blood. Alessandra stumbled back, her expression a mix of shock and fury. “What the hell?!” she shouted, gripping her mace tightly.

Léon’s grip on Reika tightened, his arm snaking around her neck as he pressed the blade of his sword against her throat.

“Reika!” Alessandra screamed, taking a step forward.

“Stay back!” Léon barked, his voice sharp and commanding. “One wrong move, and her blood spills.”

Reika’s tear-filled eyes darted between Léon and Alessandra, her mind unable to process the betrayal. “Léon... what’s happening? This has to be a misunderstanding, right?”

Léon sneered, his mask of charm completely shattered. “Shut up, bitch.” He pressed the blade closer, eliciting a small gasp from her.

Iryoku moved closer, daggers in hand. His face was a mask of calm, but his eyes burned with fury.

Léon laughed coldly. “This would’ve been so easy, but you just had to interfere, didn’t you?”

“I knew you were no good from the start,” Iryoku replied, his voice steady. “You’re sloppy, you know that? I saw you and your lackeys tailing Reika the moment she stepped out of the magic store.”

Reika’s eyes widened, her pupils contracting in disbelief. “What?” she whispered.

Léon’s laughter grew louder, more mocking. “Hahaha! I think I’ve lost some practice. But don’t worry, sweetheart. I never miss twice.”

Alessandra tightened her grip on her mace, her teeth clenched in rage. “Let her go, or I’ll crush your skull myself.”

“Bold words,” Léon taunted, his blade gleaming dangerously in the faint light. “But you’re not in a position to negotiate.”

Iryoku took another step forward. “Let her go. You’re surrounded.”

Léon’s grin widened. “Surrounded? By you people? Pathetic. Do you think I haven’t dealt with worse? You should’ve stayed out of this.”

Léon pressed his blade closer to Reika’s neck, his grin twisting into something maniacal. “Come on,” he mocked, his voice dripping with venom. “Now they will all die. Before, they could’ve lived as slaves to some deviant noble. But no, my friend—you just had to interfere. “Now, do something, I dare you!” His deviant eyes gleamed with malice as he sneered at Iryoku.

Iryoku's eyes darkened, his voice dropping to a smooth tone laced with an unmistakable edge of danger. “You’ve made a grave mistake daring to mess with my women.”

The moment the words left his lips, Iryoku burst forward with all his speed. Léon reacted instantly, his sword angling toward Reika’s neck in a swift motion.

But before the blade could strike, Léon’s instincts screamed danger. His body tensed, and he twisted on his heel, bringing his sword up just in time to deflect an arrow whistling toward his back. Sparks flew as the arrow ricocheted off the blade, embedding itself in the ground nearby.

“What?!” Léon hissed, his eyes darting toward the trees.

Iryoku didn’t waste the opening. In the split second Léon turned his attention, Iryoku darted forward, grabbed Reika, and leapt back several meters, carrying her to safety.

Reika clung to him, her body trembling. He set her gently on her feet and placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. “Stay behind me,” he said firmly.

Still shaking, Reika nodded, her eyes filled with confusion and fear.

Léon’s sneer faltered as his gaze swept the forest. “The archer?” he muttered. “I thought my people took care of that nuisance.”

From a tree in the distance, Yumi crouched with her bow drawn, another arrow nocked and aimed squarely at Léon. Her eyes were sharp, her expression unyielding. “I won’t let you hurt my friends,” she whispered, her voice steady.

Before Léon could react further, a thunderous growl erupted from the underbrush. From the shadows emerged Rhogan, the massive, magical rhino, its horn faintly glowing with pulsing energy. Rhogan’s presence was overwhelming—its sheer size and power commanded attention as it positioned itself behind Léon, cutting off any possible escape.

Léon’s eyes darted between his opponents. Iryoku stood with daggers ready, Alessandra with her mace and shield raised, her expression hard with fury. Reika was behind them, shaken but resolute. Yumi, perched high in the tree, had her arrow trained on Léon, while Rhogan’s growls rumbled like thunder, his glowing horn pointing menacingly at their adversary.

The tension was palpable, the air charged with the promise of violence.

Iryoku broke the silence. “Just give up, Shithead. Surrender now, and you’ll only be Locked up.”

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Léon threw his head back and laughed, his voice echoing through the clearing. “You think you could do something to me?” he sneered, his tone dripping with disdain. With a swift motion, he pulled up his sleeve, revealing a tattoo of a cavalier’s hat and a sleek cat silhouette entwined around it. “The boss isn’t going to like this. All of you—meddling with the wrong people.”

Iryoku narrowed his eyes, unfazed. “That means nothing to us Dumbass,” he said, his voice steady and cold. Without hesitation, he charged, his speed a blur as he thrust one of his daggers toward Léon’s chest.

Léon’s sword flashed upward to parry, but Iryoku’s attack was a feint. In a fluid motion, Iryoku brought his second dagger up in a low-to-high arc, aiming for Léon’s ribs. Léon twisted his body just in time, narrowly avoiding the blade.

As Léon recovered, an arrow whizzed toward him from Yumi’s perch. His golden sword flicked to the side, deflecting the projectile with a shower of sparks.

“Is that all you’ve got?” Léon taunted, only to be interrupted by Alessandra, who had closed the distance. Her mace came crashing down from above, aiming to split his skull. Léon leaned back just enough for the weapon to miss, the sheer force of the swing leaving a small crater in the ground.

Before Léon could reposition, Iryoku seized the opportunity and delivered a sharp kick to the side of Léon’s leg. The blow staggered Léon, forcing him off balance.

But Léon was not so easily outmaneuvered. Using the momentum of his stagger, he executed a horizontal spin close to the ground, dodging another arrow from Yumi and regaining his footing. At the peak of his spin, he lunged forward, his sword a golden blur as it thrust toward Iryoku’s chest.

Iryoku crossed his daggers in a defensive X, catching the blade between them. Sparks flew as the weapons clashed, the force of the impact reverberating through Iryoku’s arms.

“Impressive,” Léon said through gritted teeth, his strength pushing against Iryoku’s guard.

“You talk too much,” Iryoku growled, shoving the blade aside and countering with a quick slash toward Léon’s torso.

Léon backflipped to avoid the attack, landing gracefully several paces away. His sword’s golden aura flared as he smirked. “I see why you’ve lasted this long, but it’s time we end this.”

Rhogan’s thunderous growl echoed across the clearing, shaking the tension loose. He turned his massive horned head toward the mountain, signaling something unseen.

The battle froze for a moment as the trees and bushes surrounding them began to rustle violently. A chorus of guttural roars erupted, and from the shadows emerged a horde of mandrill-like monsters.

“Reika, stay close to me,” Alessandra said urgently, stepping in front of the mage. Her shield was raised, her mace ready. “This is the worst possible time for this,” she muttered, her voice sharp with tension.

Reika, calmer now, glanced at Iryoku and Léon. They still stood locked in their deadly standoff, weapons pointed at each other yet visibly aware of the growing threat around them.

Iryoku smirked, his usual cocky attitude breaking through. “This just keeps getting better and better,” he remarked, his tone mocking their increasingly dire situation.

Léon, however, wasn’t amused. His face twisted into an angry snarl, knowing full well his chances of escape had plummeted. Now, surrounded by both foes and beasts, his predicament had become nearly impossible.

The first to act was Rhogan. With a roar that shook the earth, the magical rhino charged into the nearest cluster of mandrills. His glowing horn struck a creature with brutal force, sending it flying into a tree where it crumpled lifelessly to the ground.

Taking advantage of the chaos, Iryoku darted toward Léon. His dagger glinted in the dim light as he feinted a direct thrust. Léon’s sword moved to parry, the golden blade flashing, but Iryoku’s attack was a ruse. Pivoting with feline agility, Iryoku dodged back just as two mandrills lunged from the sides and landed on Léon’s back.

The creatures snarled and snapped, their sharp tusks aiming for Léon’s neck. Léon staggered under their weight, twisting his body with surprising strength to throw one off. The second beast managed to sink its teeth into his shoulder, provoking a pained yell from the swordsman.

“You’re persistent little pests, aren’t you?” Léon growled, his sword flaring with golden light as he swung backward. The blade cleaved through the mandrill clinging to him, severing it with a sickening crunch.

Meanwhile, Alessandra and Rhogan worked in tandem to fend off the wave of monsters advancing toward Reika. Alessandra’s mace smashed into a mandrill’s skull with brutal precision, while Rhogan charged another group, scattering them like leaves.

Reika stood behind them, her hands glowing faintly as she prepared a spell. “I’ll try to hold them back!” she called, her voice steady despite the chaos. She released a wave of fire that swept across a section of the clearing, burning several mandrills to ash and forcing others to retreat momentarily.

Iryoku, undeterred by the swarm, saw his opening. Léon was still off balance from dealing with the mandrills, his golden sword raised defensively as more beasts encroached. Iryoku darted forward again, this time aiming a precise strike toward Léon’s thigh, intending to cripple his movement.

Léon’s sword moved instinctively, deflecting the attack yet again, but his focus was fractured. “fuck,” he spat, blood dripping from his wounds.

Above them, Yumi’s arrows rained down from her perch, each shot precise and deadly. One bolt struck a mandrill mid-leap, pinning it to the ground just before it could pounce on Alessandra. Another whizzed past Léon, narrowly grazing his arm.

One of the injured mandrills let out a growl, its tone strange and unnatural, carrying a frightening resonance through the open field.

Then, a deafening roar erupted from the depths of the forest, shaking the very ground beneath their feet. The sound was deeper, and far more menacing than anything they had heard before.

“What the hell is that now?” Alessandra muttered, gripping her shield tighter as her eyes darted toward the treeline.

The massive trees bordering the field began to sway and crack violently. Branches snapped like twigs as something colossal forced its way through. Moments later, an enormous mandrill burst into view, its towering frame casting an sinister shadow over the battlefield. Standing easily twice the size of a human, its rippling muscles and glowing crimson eyes radiated raw, terrifying power.

“Now we’re in a damn boss battle,” Iryoku said with a strained grin, mocking himself in an attempt to mask his unease.

Yumi, still perched in the tree, had her focus broken as she noticed two smaller mandrills scaling the trunk toward her. She panicked, unable to line up a shot. “No, no, little monkeys, no!” she whimpered. Looking down, her heart sank as she realized how high she was. The massive mandrill's roar below only added to her fear.

“Help!” she screamed, her voice breaking.

Iryoku immediately snapped his head toward her and assessed the situation. His face hardened as he shouted, “Change of plans! Time for a strategic retreat!”

“What?” Alessandra and Reika yelled simultaneously, their disbelief clear even as they fought off the attacking mandrills.

“We’re leaving! Now!” Iryoku barked, dodging a swipe from a mandrill. He kicked it hard in the side before turning to Yumi.

The enormous mandrill snarled and turned its gaze toward Léon, who had just finished slashing through a pair of mandrills. The beast’s muscles bulged, and in a blink, it disappeared from where it stood, reappearing in front of Léon with a terrifying roar.

Its massive claw came down in a blur. Léon, though battered and exhausted, managed to intercept the attack with his glowing sword. The clash created a shockwave that rippled through the battlefield, sending smaller mandrills flying and even forcing the giant beast back a few steps.

But the mandrill wasn’t done. It stood, unscathed, and roared louder, its claws scraping the ground in fury.

Meanwhile, the mandrills chasing Yumi had reached the top of her tree. She screamed again, “Iryoku!”

Iryoku acted instantly. He sprinted to Alessandra and Reika, yelling, “Jump, Yumi!”

Without hesitation, Yumi leaped from the branch just as one of the mandrills lunged for her. Mid-air, she closed her eyes and braced herself.

“Alessandra! Boost me!” Iryoku commanded.

Alessandra nodded and crouched, raising her shield. As Iryoku stepped onto it, she heaved upward with all her strength, propelling him into the air. Iryoku reached Yumi just in time, catching her in his arms.

They crashed into a bush on the ground, breaking their fall but leaving Iryoku winded.

“Hehe, see? It’s not so hard to say my name,” Yumi said with a shaky smile, her heart racing.

“Don’t get used to it,” Iryoku muttered, tired but managing a small grin. He glanced back toward the chaos, where the massive mandrill and Léon were still locked in a standoff.

“Time to go!” Alessandra shouted as she slammed her shield into another mandrill, pushing it back.

“Rhogan, move!” she called to the magical rhino, who bellowed and barreled through a cluster of mandrills, clearing a path.

As the group began their retreat, a deafening shockwave stopped them in their tracks. They turned to see Léon’s parry technique had pushed back all the surrounding mandrills. Bloodied and enraged, he dashed toward them at full speed, his glowing sword cutting through anything in his path.

“Shit, that fucker just doesn’t die!” Iryoku cursed, setting Yumi down and drawing his daggers. “Keep going! I’ll hold him off!”

Before he could take another step, a brilliant flash of lightning streaked across the battlefield. Reika stood with her hands extended, casting with all her might. The bolt struck Léon and the smaller mandrills behind him.

Léon raised his sword in a futile attempt to block, but the lightning’s sheer force overwhelmed him. Sparks danced across his body, and he dropped to his knees, his movements sluggish and disoriented.

“Stay down, jerk!” Reika shouted, her voice trembling but resolute. She nearly collapsed from the effort, but Iryoku grabbed her arm and pulled her along.

“Now’s our chance! Move!” he ordered.

They resumed their retreat, with Rhogan guarding their rear and trampling any mandrills that tried to catch up to them.

Behind them, Léon remained kneeling, his body burned and numb. The smaller mandrills, sensing weakness, swarmed him, clawing and biting. He fought back weakly, but his strength was fading.

The massive mandrill finally approached, its red eyes gleaming with rage. With a single, devastating swipe of its claw, Léon’s body collapsed to the ground, lifeless and broken.

The group didn’t look back again. They ran until the roars and growls faded into the distance, leaving behind the battlefield,the cave and the chaos within it.