Through his periphery, R. Jun watched the girl scrutinize the weapon rack for what had to have been the sixth consecutive pass. This had been going on for quite a while now, and, seeing as she appeared no closer to making a decision, he figured he still had time.

Idly toying with the supernaturally sharp splinter of aura he held between his teeth, on the surface R. Jun feigned a casual disinterest, while on the inside he strained for comprehension.

Keying in on his innate feel for conceptual strength, he once more passed his sixth sense over the various beast pens hidden behind each massive portcullis. Only to come to the same shit conclusion as he had all the other times. There simply wasn’t a beast in this place stronger than the piss poor fodder he’d already been shown.

Sure, there were plenty more of them than he honestly thought safe, given the proven fragility of these inferior natives, but not a single one of them was even worth looking twice at! And when he’d been all hoping to make a good impression and everything.

It was regrettable, but they would just have to improvise, he supposed. Strolling over to the extensive weapon rack, a jaunty tune on his lips, Jun plucked up a great sword longer than he was tall, gave it a few practice swings, before putting it back with a shake of his head.

Next gravitating towards a two headed battle axe of comparable heft, a quick check in with Cleaving was all he needed to put that one back as well.

Sighing, R. Jun resigned himself to, yet again, go into battle with nothing but his bare hands. Like some penniless, pugilist, deadbeat barbarian. Eventually Eleanor settled on a short sword and buckler combo. After which the expected exchange finally came.

“I’m ready!” she called.

“Understood. Preferred challenge difficulty?”

Eleanor hesitated then. Throwing a cautious glance his way, brow creased with uncertainty, before she eventually looked away and replied.

“I would like the hard difficulty please!”

“Tsk tsk tsk,” R. Jun muttered under his breath. “No, that simply will not do. Can’t make an omelette without breaking a few eggs. Can’t impress a military superpower without making a pretty sizable splash.”

Jun flicked the toothpick which, for the last half hour, he’d been steadily infusing with cutting aura, up into the air.

“Cleaving, are you sure you can handle this? You know the girl may not forgive us for this, right?”

“I’m sure she’ll understand! Just leave it to me!”

And so saying, now wreathed in lemon-yellow mist, Jun let out what was sure to be the first of many.

“Splitting Chops!”

image [https://i.ibb.co/rw6tMBB/IMG-2711.png]

Above them, the attendant squires had barely begun to raise the indicated portcullis, when, without any warning, Jun suddenly blurred into motion. Flashing yellow, he unleashed a flurry of strikes at nothing but air, shouting like a mad man all the while.

Pointlessly. Or so it seemed.

Until, that was, she caught the telltale flicker of movement, and heard the unmistakable crack of sundered foundations. All at once, each of the half dozen portcullis’s lining the inner wall sagged, before they all came crashing down in an avalanche of rubble and debris. In an instant, every barrier between her and the unknowable number of rift spawn which lurked on the other side had been utterly obliterated.

Or at least, that’s what she first thought. When no rift born hoards came boiling out from the severalfold breach, however, Eleanor actually dared to hope.

That was when an explosion erupted from just overhead.

It was like a smoke bomb had gone off, only one that was somehow dyed a glowing red. Soon the red mist began to swirl in unnatural patterns, coalescing at multiple points to form several dozen ruby daggers. Daggers which hung suspended in the air.

Refracting ruby beams in the afternoon sunlight, they only held that position for a scant second, before they each began plummeting towards the ground at speed—shooting unerringly towards every one of the newly opened portals. Vanishing into the blackness, the sounds of sheering metal could barely be heard over the yowls and deafening cries of agitated rift spawn.

In the next moment the very thing she’d feared most came to pass. And out from the darkness came the stuff of nightmares.

[FrostTailed Phoenix (Peak D Grade)] — This ice attuned phoenix variant is a creature renowned for its stalwart defenses, near limitless vitality, and the ability to revive itself should the temperature fall below zero. If allowed to reach adulthood, it has been known to grow to a wingspan of fifteen feet. Able to unleash freezing gusts of wind trailing wickedly sharp feathers, this particular rift spawn is both well suited to the tundra, and worthy of its place at the peak of D Grade, even if it is the weakest out of the Phoenix type variants.

[Thunderclap Cobra (Peak D Grade)] — A lightning attuned king cobra variant, the Thunderclap Cobra is a rift spawn nearly unmatched in elemental attunement for its Grade. If allowed to reach adulthood, it has been known to grow to a length of sixteen feet. Harnessing the charged potential of the skies, it is liable to release debilitating bolts of electricity from its hood at the first sign of aggression, earning its place as a formidable creature at the peak of D Grade.

[Volcanic Ash Elemental (Peak D Grade)] — This swirling mass of molten rock and ash is an elemental known for its scorching heat and aggressive temperament. Able to manipulate its amorphous ashen body at will, its favored tactic is to burrow deeply into its enemies, quickly cooking them alive from the inside out.

[Abyssal NightHunter (Lowly C Grade)] — An elusive demonic panther variant, the Abyssal NightHunter is a creature of stealth and agility. If allowed to reach adulthood, they have been known to grow to a sleek length of seven feet. Master of darkness, the Abyssal NightHunter can meld with the very shadows themselves, making it a creature well suited to the night, and even more so to its place among the ranks of Lowly C Grade.

[Arctic Devourer (Lowly C Grade)] — This hulking bear type variant is a creature of frost, incredible strength, and unexpected mobility. If allowed to reach adulthood, it has been known to grow to the imposing height of fourteen feet while standing upright. Able to summon blinding blizzards with a swipe of its massive claws, that, in addition to its prodigious size, makes it a formidable rift spawn on the very cusp of entering middle C Grade.

If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

Eleanor froze, as more and more of the colossal rift spawn came pouring out from the manifold breach. She couldn’t move, she couldn’t think, only watch, paralyzed, as death, in all its myriad forms, came to claim her. That was, until her familiar stepped up beside her and slapped her on the back.

Jolting Eleanor from her uncomprehending stupor, and nearly landing her on her face.

“Wha-!”

“Chin up girlie!” exclaimed S. Jun. “Reckon there’s no need to worry yourself. I promise I won’t hurt them too badly. Just kill them a bit until they stop moving is all. Perfectly humane, and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. Ready boys!”

Jun brought his fists together with an audible thump, the strange force of the impact enough to make Eleanor stumble.

“You’ve got fifteen seconds,” said G. Jun.

“More than I’ll need.”

“Oh, and girl?” R. Jun this time. “Keep the rabble at bay, would you? There’s a dear. We'll be sure to handle the rest.”

“We believe in you!” said Y. Jun.

And so saying, a roiling cloud of silvery mist exploded from his slightly crouching form. In the next moment he shot forward, too fast for her to track, with another of those deeply reverberating thumps—cratering the ground where he’d stood only a moment before and raining down a great deal of sand in his wake.

It took Eleanor some time to fully grasp the meaning of his words.

Turning around, she soon found all of her many questions answered, though she wasn’t the least bit ecstatic at the revelation. A literal sea of middling F to lowly D grade rift spawn stared right back at her.

Eleanor… readjusted the straps on her buckler.

Gulp.

image [https://i.ibb.co/rw6tMBB/IMG-2711.png]

They must’ve thought it prudent, keeping all the major threats penned up in one area.

Now that they were freed, it just made his job easier.

Conveniently clumping them together as he sped towards the biggest, baddest threat of them all. A bear, snow white fur, easily the size of a building, with twisted rams' horns in place of brows. Paws the size of large platters, each ending in dagger like claws. Jun felt the sand subtly give under his weight.

Try to spill him, slip out from under him. He pressed forward regardless, funneled aura—gathering it beneath his soles, before, with a thump, he was sent flying. Careening headlong through the air.

He closed the distance in an eye blink, in that single explosive leap. Feet found traction. The bear reeled back—its height on full display. The beast fell.

Jun leapt, a savage roar ripping itself from both their throats.

Rising uppercut met descending forepaw with a concussive detonation of force—sand and sound and silvery light blasting away in all directions. Jun’s back rebounded painfully off the arena floor, knuckles throbbing and head spinning.

And as for the great beast?

The Arctic Devourer was sent tumbling through the air, several tons of apex predator made to spin like a coin. Shattered forepaw a fitting souvenir—a parting gift to best compliment its incomprehension.

The beasts bulk hit the sands just as Jun was rolling to his feet. Stumbling, he was readying aura for yet another explosive leap, when he suddenly tasted metal on the air, and every hair on his body stood up on end.

Eyes widening, Jun quickly redirected his crushing force.

Exploding upward, ten feet in the air, Jun barely caught the flash before the BOOM rocked his senses. Lightning! And close. Blinking away tears, he followed the second bolt as it snaked just below him. Arcing forward to impact the sands where he’d been—leaving only an uneven patch of glass behind.

Jun grimaced, following the bolts to a massive snake creature with blue and yellow scales, swaying two hundred or so paces away. More arcs of lightning sparked and crackled around its hood, and already he could feel the hair on his arms begin to rise.

A sharp cry from high above immediately captured his attention. Jerking his head up, he was just in time to shield his face with crossed arms, as several glittering projectiles nicked at his skin.

Were those… feathers?

Thankfully his aura acted as some form of resistance—feathers biting chunks out of the silvery cloud while it, in turn, dulled their speed considerably. Though that didn’t mean much when the deadly shower of projectiles never stopped.

Where were they even coming from?

Another cry. More wickedly sharp feathers. More blood to run down his forearms and sides. Then he saw it. Past the suns glare there was a bird made of ice—pelting him with every beat of its wings, even as it glittered and shone like polished diamond.

Jun hit the ground running, hoping to finish off the Devourer while it was still on the back foot. It clearly wasn’t meant to be, however. For every two steps he took, an errant bolt or rain of feathers forced him to skip out of the way.

His conceptual sense giving him the edge he needed to avoid death, while he otherwise failed to make any forward progress. Soon the ground around him was littered with glass and feathers, and his patience, much like his time limit, was just about up.

With a roar Jun turned, directing all of his ire on the ThunderClap Cobra. Exploding forward, he stepped erratic. Ducking. Dodging. Weaving at random. A rapid blur of motion. Zigzagging this way and that. Passing bolts scorched his skin. Glass crunched beneath his heels.

Thunderous claps became a cacophony, so rapid and close that he was effectively deaf to the rest of the world. It was only him and the beast. His split-second evasions and the snaking arcs of blue.

He was close now. So close.

Aura gathered. Jun pounced. Eating up the last meters in a matter of seconds, he reeled back his fist, a chrome luster already dusting his knuckles. The beast hissed. Lightning arced. Jun howled, and beneath it all, his shadow rippled ominously.

He nearly failed to notice it in time.

As the three eyed panther leapt up from his pooling shadow, maw dripping saliva and sharp claws extended, Jun was given little choice but to react. With a roar of frustration, he let his fist fly, still an entire arms length away from his quarry. In the next instant the air between them detonated—all three of them sent flying in opposite directions.

Jun’s body skipping, skidding, tumbling across the floor before sliding to a halt—scorched, dazed, and with a mouthful of sand.

Once more, ominous shadows played with his senses. Though this time, the threat originated from a far more mundane source. Above him, the Arctic Devourer loomed—its bulk enough to swallow his entire field of vision. Injured and uninjured paw alike came crashing down, their aim clearly none other than his head. It was only luck that Jun managed to roll out of the way in time.

An icy chill, a blast of arctic winds, and he was once more sent skipping across the arena floor.

Eventually finding his bearings, he pushed to his feet just in time for a swirling wall of ice and snow to consume him whole—engulfing him in a world of blinding white and flickering shadows.

The cold hit him all at once, frigid, brutal, and intense.

He could feel his clothes stiffen—sweat binding cloth to skin. Feeling like the blizzard were gnawing at his flesh. Snow obscured his vision, creating ghostly figures in the haze that weren’t, while expertly hiding those that were.

A shallow cut bit into his calf, making him spin and lash out at nothing. Another tore a gash in his robes, the culprit still no where to be seen. One after another, these probing cuts slowly accumulated, and Jun left swinging wildly at nothing but air.

Thankfully his aura did some to alleviate the damage. However, that didn’t mean the snow at his feet wasn’t dyed red in short order. Cursing, Jun caught the tell-tale flicker of shadow from out of the corner of his eye.

Enraged, he decided that if he couldn’t win, he’d flip the entire game board over on its head. And so saying, brought his chrome fist down on the crunching floor below.

BOOM.

Before the expansion of crushing force, the blizzard around him simply broke. Sunlight returned, and in place of whirling snowflakes rose millions of tiny grains of sand.

Jun grinned.

He would soon come to realize that this had been a terrible mistake.

All at once, the small trickle of nicks and cuts he’d been receiving, became a flood of bloodshed and burning lines of pain. Cuts appeared on his body as if by magic. Coming from everywhere and all at once, claws dug into his flesh from every conceivable direction.

As if the air, or even the hovering granules themselves, were actively lashing out at him—painting themselves red with his blood. In fact, that wasn’t so far from the truth. Now, with millions of shadows to leap from, in the form of each shadow cast by every individual grain of sand, the Abyssal Night-Hunter was able to move uninhibited and with impunity.

Nearly swooning with rage, impotence, and blood loss, Jun did the only thing he could think to. He ran. Leaping free from the earth, and any shadows that hid therein, Jun soared into the sky, his every fiber ready to-!

“Time!” Y. Jun exclaimed, taking his turn at the helm at last.