Manasei dashed forward, leaping from branch to branch like a shadow weaving through the trees. His speed, enhanced by years of exposure to the mysterious red light, bordered on superhuman. It was the only reason he could keep up with the assassins, and the only thing allowing him to maintain this breakneck pace despite his missing arm.

The cursed beast, however, was relentless. Its bat-like wings beat furiously above him, driving it closer and closer with each passing second. Manasei felt its presence bearing down on him like a death sentence.

Sweat poured from his brow as he reached into his cloak, pulling out the chakram.

Damn it! he thought bitterly. I was saving this for the assassins, but if I don’t use it now, I’m dead!

A quick glance over his shoulder sent chills down his spine. The beast's talons gleamed in the crimson light, inches away from him. Ducking just in time, he narrowly avoided being decapitated, though the razor-sharp claws still managed to graze a few strands of his hair.

Fuck, fuck, fuck! Manasei swore internally, forcing himself to push harder, leaping faster, sweat slicking his palms. His mind raced. He knew he had no chance in a direct fight; cursed beasts were leagues above demons of the same rank. Even with the chakram, a weapon crafted specifically to combat soldier-ranked demons and cursed beasts alike; his survival hinged entirely on execution.

I only have one shot at this, he thought, his heart pounding.

The flapping wings behind him grew deafening. He could feel the beast’s malice, its claws lowering for another strike. Manasei waited, forcing himself to hold steady, the tension coiling tighter and tighter.

“Now!” he growled through gritted teeth.

Instead of leaping to the next branch, he suddenly slammed his feet down, launching himself straight into the air. The branch beneath him snapped under the force, shattering into splinters.

The cursed beast, caught off guard by his abrupt change in trajectory, screeched as Manasei vaulted above it in a perfect arc. Twisting midair, he somersaulted and landed squarely on its back.

The creature roared, flapping its bat-like wings furiously to regain altitude. But before it could ascend, Manasei gripped the chakram tightly with both hands.

With a yell, he thrust the weapon into the creature’s neck, aiming for the spot where its shimmering scales were thinnest.

The beast let out a brutal roar, its wings flapping erratically. Blood gushed out, azure in color, though it was unclear if the crimson glow distorted its true nature or if this was simply the natural blood of cursed beasts. The strange liquid splashed across Manasei’s face as he gritted his teeth, wrenching the chakram free from the beast’s neck.

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Using his legs to anchor himself tightly around the creature’s body, Manasei steadied his position. He raised the chakram high, ready to deliver another decisive strike to the creature’s neck. Just as he prepared to bring it down, a sudden blur lashed out from the beast's rear.

Whip!

“Damn it, this thing has a tail?” he snarled.

The tail had remained hidden beneath the beast’s scales and feathers, its sudden appearance catching Manasei completely off guard. It extended with shocking speed, striking him across the back.

The impact tore through his skin and muscles, leaving a grisly wound so deep that his bones were briefly exposed. For a fleeting moment, there was only numbness, but the agony followed like a tidal wave. The searing pain burned through his body, forcing tears from his eyes as he clenched his teeth until his gums bled.

I have to cut off its head before it can recover, he thought, his resolve hardening despite the pain.

The beast was still plummeting downward, its body thrashing as Manasei’s first strike had nearly severed its head. A testament to the chakram’s brutal efficiency, the wound had drained the creature of most of its strength.

Manasei tightened his grip and swung the chakram downward once more. He could hear the rush of the beast’s tail behind him, its trajectory aimed squarely at his back.

The second strike connected with the beast’s neck, the chakram digging deep into its flesh. Manasei gritted his teeth, pushing with every ounce of strength he could muster. The tail’s speed slowed, but it continued its deadly arc toward him, determined to deliver a final blow.

DIE, YOU BASTARD! Manasei roared inwardly as the chakram severed the beast’s head entirely.

The head fell, its lifeless eyes staring blankly as it tumbled into the air. The creature’s body went limp, but the tail, acting on residual instinct, struck one last time.

Though the impact was weaker, it was enough to shatter what little strength Manasei had left. The blow sent him hurtling off the beast’s back, his body tumbling through the branches and crashing to the forest floor below.

He landed heavily, his vision dimming as his body screamed in pain. The horde of cursed beasts loomed ahead, their stampede an ominous prelude to what awaited him.

The lifeless corpse of the flying beast fell a few meters away, its headless body spurting azure blood like a grotesque fountain.

Just when it seemed like Manasei's body would be reduced to nothing more than mangled flesh beneath the relentless stampede of cursed beasts, the melody shifted. The eerie tune, which had been driving the creatures into a frenzy, suddenly changed its tone. The shift was subtle at first, but its effect was immediate—the stampede froze in place, the air thick with tension.

After a brief pause, the melody resumed, distinct and commanding, its influence now focused. The one-eyed deer, with its grotesque antlers filled with gnashing mouths, emerged from the horde, its single crimson eye locking onto Manasei’s prone body. Malice radiated from the beast as it dashed toward him, its intent clear, it wanted to impale the boy on its antlers, to let its monstrous mouths feast on his flesh.

But as the melody grew stronger, its tone piercing and relentless, the one-eyed deer faltered. Its movements slowed, and it lowered itself onto all fours, as though obeying an unseen master. Without hesitation, it lifted Manasei onto its back and began sprinting away from the horde.

The cursed beast carried him deeper into the forest, back toward the direction the horde had originally come from. The melody’s intensity diminished, returning to its original, haunting tune. With that, the stampede resumed, the mindless beasts trampling everything in their path as they surged forward.

---

“Great Magi, I have gathered the camp's most skilled warriors. Thirty of our finest, ready for the plan,” a goblin announced, stepping forward with pride.

Standing in formation were thirty goblins, their green skin gleaming under the eerie crimson light of the forest. They held swords and spears forged from an ominous jet-black ore, their gray patchwork armor barely covering their muscular frames. Among them, at the front, was the same goblin who had been the most vocal against the Magi during the earlier meeting.

The Magi stepped out of his tent, his purple robes trailing behind him as he surveyed the assembled troops. His thin, bony hand reached out to clasp the shoulder of the goblin at the front.

“You have done well,” the Magi said, his voice raised to carry over the gathered crowd. “I hereby promise, in the name of the Baron, that your choice today will not lead to regret but to triumph!”

At his declaration, the goblins erupted in cheers, raising their weapons high into the air, their cries echoing through the forest.