Zeni's body was a symphony of pain, each movement sending shockwaves through her battered and bloody form. She dove through the shadowed trees, branches scratching at her skin like claws, leaving stinging trails in their wake. The creature pursued her relentlessly, its grotesque form a twisted silhouette against the firelight, the embodiment of her nightmares come to life.

Her spear was slick with her own blood, the crimson liquid dripping steadily from the gaping gash that marred her arm. Zeni hurled Elemental and Curse Invocations at the creature, power that seemed to reverberate in the air around her, but it dodged the strikes and paid her no heed, its empty eyes locked onto her with the singular focus of a predator.

As she stumbled into the flickering light of the fire, Zeni caught sight of the creature's mangled hand, severed and left behind. It was a small victory, but she felt a contorted sense of satisfaction at the sight. The creature, however, seemed almost delighted by Zeni’s injuries, its grotesque grin widening at the sight of her pain.

Their combat was a brutal, visceral dance, the air thick with the coppery tang of blood and the stench of the creature's decay. Zeni's spear flashed in the firelight as she swung it in wide, sweeping arcs, attempting to keep the monster at bay. But it was unyielding, its elongated limbs lashing out with bone-crushing force, its jagged teeth snapping inches from her face.

With each passing moment, Zeni felt her strength waning, the weight of her injuries dragging her down like chains. Her breath came in ragged gasps, her vision blurring at the edges as she fought to remain conscious.

The creature, sensing her growing weakness, lunged forward, its massive form a blur of dark fur and gnashing teeth. Zeni's spear found its mark, the blade sinking deep into the monster's shoulder. A guttural snarl erupted from its maw, a sound that seemed to shake the very air around them.

Zeni's body screamed in protest as she twisted the spear, wrenching it free from the creature's flesh. The monster howled in pain, its remaining hand lashing out in a blind fury, seeking to crush the life from her.

The creature's claws raked across Zeni's shoulder, tearing through flesh and fabric alike. A scream tore from her throat as her grip on the spear faltered, the weapon clattering to the ground. But with a burst of adrenaline, she rolled backward just in time to avoid the creature's snapping jaws, the vicious teeth clashing together mere inches from her face.

Summoning her remaining strength, Zeni poured Ka into herself, filtering it through her Deftness Marker. The power surged through her body, granting her a fleeting burst of speed. She raced away from the creature, gathering more Ka and summoning the Fury of Set invocation as she unleashed a storm upon the beast. Lightning crackled through the air, a brilliant display of raw power that struck out at the monstrosity. The bolt found its mark, searing a smoking burn into the creature's torso, causing it to reel back in pain.

Reacting swiftly, the creature raised its good hand, retaliating with its own Ka attack: a whip of shadows that lashed out, coiling around Zeni's leg with a stinging bite. The force of the blow sent her crashing to the ground, her breath stolen from her lungs as she was dragged closer to the beast.

In a desperate move, Zeni invoked Wither, her atrophy curse, on the shadowy tendril. The cursed energy coursed through the tendril, causing it to fray and disintegrate into wisps of smoke. The shadow whip dispersed, releasing its grip on her leg. Zeni rolled back to her feet, her breath heaving.

It was then that she noticed the sensation—the creature's Ka. It was strikingly similar to the Ka of the scroll that had stained her own essence. The realization sent a shiver down her spine, a cold dread settling in the pit of her stomach.

Zeni's focus shifted, her senses honing in on the aura of the creature's Ka. She locked onto that feeling as she moved, every step a careful calculation to keep her distance from the monstrous being. The creature lunged at her, but she narrowly rolled to the side, avoiding its deadly grasp.

Drawing upon the power of Geb's Splinters, Zeni sent razor-sharp rocks hurtling through the air, slicing through the darkness to strike the creature. The projectiles found their mark, embedding themselves into the beast's flesh, eliciting a roar of rage from the monster. It lashed out wildly, but Zeni had retreated back toward the campfire, her body aching with every limping step, her blood painting the ground beneath her in vivid crimson.

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The creature halted its pursuit, suddenly, regarding her.

Zeni stood there, breathing in labored huffs, her body trembling from pain and exhaustion, while the beast appeared unfazed by its injuries.

"You possess a fascinating energy, mortal," the creature hissed, its voice dripping with curiosity. "Your Ka... some of it bears a similarity to my own. How intriguing."

Zeni met the creature's gaze defiantly, even as her body screamed for respite.

"Yeah, well, it seems you don't handle your Ka as well as I do," she retorted. "I've already chopped off one of your hands, and I'm more than happy to do the same to the other."

Her words were tinged with humor, despite the dire situation she found herself in. To her horror, however, the creature merely smiled, its grotesque features twisting into an expression of perverse amusement.

"I just needed a moment, mortal," it purred, a sinister undertone lacing its words.

Zeni's heart clenched with dread as she watched the severed stump of the creature's hand begin to knit itself back together. The process was grotesque yet she couldn’t rip her gaze from it, the sinew and bone creeping outward, weaving together in a macabre creation. Muscle wrapped around the reformed bone like a living cloak, while veins and arteries threaded through the newly-formed tissue, pulsing with dark vitality.

Finally, the creature's fur sprouted from the newly healed flesh, completing the horrifying reconstruction. The beast flexed its regenerated hand, the joints popping and cracking as if testing the strength of its restored limb.

Zeni's mind raced, her thoughts a chaotic whirlwind as she grappled with the implications of the creature's regenerative abilities.

Zeni suddenly heard a noise that sounded like a freight train plowing through a shopping mall at breakneck speed. The creature turned its attention towards the trees, its confusion quickly replaced by apprehension.

Before Zeni even had time to register what was happening, a massive shape burst through the dark forest, moving faster than her eyes could track. Trees were torn asunder, trunks flying in every direction as the unstoppable force approached. Amidst the chaos, she caught a glimpse of gleaming metal.

“Muscles!” Zeni exclaimed.

Quicker than Zeni could follow, her companion’s massive armored fist struck the creature while he was still in motion, slamming it into the ground with a bone-shattering impact. Zeni gasped at the sheer speed and ferocity of the assault, but he wasn't finished.

In less than a heartbeat, the armored warrior’s immense form bore down on the dazed creature before it could even consider recovering. His iron grip closed around one of its limbs, the bones snapping like brittle twigs under his merciless strength. The creature's screams filled the air with a cacophony of agony, a horrifying melody that resonated through the night.

Undeterred by the monster's torment, Muscles continued his relentless onslaught, his massive fists striking with the force of a thousand hammers, pounding the creature's body into a grotesque and unrecognizable pulp. Each brutal impact sent viscera and gore spraying in every direction, painting the forest floor in a gory tribute to his fury.

Finally, his hands closed around the creature's head, his fingers digging into the matted fur and damp flesh. With a sudden, savage motion, the armored brute yanked with all his might, the sickening sound of tearing sinew and snapping vertebrae echoing through the darkness. The creature's head stretched grotesquely, its mouth opening in a silent, contorted scream before it was finally torn from its body, sent hurtling into the trees like a gruesome missile.

Zeni gaped at Muscles, or rather, the towering mass of armor and determination that had just manifested in front of her. Her mind grappled with the whirlwind of recent events, still struggling to process the sheer ferocity he had displayed. The memory of her half-remembered not-a-dream of her companion tearing a huge beast to shreds bubbled to the surface, and now she was feeling quite foolish indeed for ever thinking she hadn’t actually seen it. Meanwhile, her body protested her continued upright state with every fiber of its being, threatening to succumb to the pain and blood loss.

"Muscles...or should I call you 'Fists of Fury'? Either way, you certainly know how to make an entrance," she managed to croak out, her voice weak but still attempting to carry her signature amiability. "That was... timely. And terrifying. Timifying?"

Fists of Fury remained silent, his massive frame standing like a very tall, very broad exclamation mark, his attention focused on Zeni, as if to ask ‘are you alright?’

“I’m…okay,” she said in response to the unasked question. “Well, I’m alive. For now. Good thing you showed up when you did, huh?"

She was still attempting to maintain her usual lighthearted tone despite the overwhelming pain threatening to drown her in a sea of agony.

However, her banter trailed off as she noticed a shape rising behind the colossal figure that was Fists of Fury. Her heart leapt into her throat and performed a series of increasingly frantic acrobatics, while her eyes widened in terror.

"Behind you!" she barked, her voice barely more than a desperate cough, as the looming threat materialized in the flickering firelight.

But, it was too late. The reforming creature lunged forward, a grotesque amalgamation of torn flesh and twisted limbs that had somehow reassembled itself after Fists of Fury’s brutal assault. Its maw gaped wide, revealing rows of jagged teeth that glinted menacingly in the firelight as it hurled itself towards him, its intent unmistakably malevolent. In an instant, the air was filled with a visceral cacophony of snarls, the clash of metal, and the sickening sound of flesh and bone colliding with unrelenting force.

It bit down, and with a hollow pop, punctured her companion’s armor.