Dante angled to the side, letting the rest deal with the other demonic raccoon. The moment they reached their targets Dante began counting.

The monster did not hesitate. Being the closest target to its side he got its full attention. It lunged forward swinging with its right paw.

One.

Dante brought his hands up in guarding position but didn’t dare to actually block. He stepped away and bent his upper body back, letting its paw swing past him. It left shallow cuts on Dante’s fists.

Dante straightened his body, throwing a left-right-left combo. He struck the raccoon in its teeth with two hits before his other claw forced him back. His knuckles throbbed for the impact. His punches did little damage but it did cause the beast to flinch. Maybe it wasn't worth the added risk, but to run without fighting back didn't sit well with Dante.

Three.

The raccoon stepped forward, thrusting with it’s right this time. Dante ducked and stepped into its right side, coming up with a swing towards the side of its head. The raccoon barely felt it. It swung around with it’s left claw. The attack came from the top right to the bottom. He couldn’t step under or to its side with his size, low agility, and close proximity, but unlike a thrust, it didn’t have the range. Dante stepped back from it.

Five.

Dante couldn’t catch his breath. It didn’t stall—there was no reason for it to. Each attack came immediately after the other, forcing him to hit the raccoon at the same time he dodged. A furry of swipes and thrusts flowed from one into another, causing Dante to constantly remain on the backfoot. He ducked and dashed to the side when it thrust, and stepped back when it tried to swipe.

Seven. This time it raised both of its paws into the air. Both of its left and right paws were coming down vertically. There was no space to sidestep, so Dante retreated once again. It was such a slow attack that it made Dante worry, but even with his guard up he didn't anticipate what it did next.

It fighting like a humanoid made Dante forget it was a bear. Its entire body went down, striking the ground, and with all power of its four limbs it leaped at him at a much faster speed than Dante could possibly dodge. Mid-air it raised both of its paws into the air. Top left to bottom right. Top right to bottom left. There was no space to sidestep it’s X swipe, and he couldn't step back in time. Its claws give her an obscene amount of range.

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With no other option, Dante charged forward, swinging a straight with all his strength. Naturally, he barely dealt any damage. Its head bobbed backward but its attack was unhindered. The left and right paw crashed into his shoulders. He felt his bones shudder and his already broken ribs to break further, but he was too close to get hit by the actual claws. He was still in one piece.

Ten.

That’s where the good news ended. He was trapped inside its arms. It began to squeeze him as its paws hooked around his back. At the same time it also tried bite his face off, though that wasn’t a real issue. He bashed his head against its jaw until he felt its teeth give in.

The real damage was dealt by its claws.  They pierced his back and pulled up, leaving 3 slash marks on each side of his spine. He felt his insides melt in the pain. For a moment it was all he saw, felt, and heard. He could feel each individual nail open his skin.

It hurt. Dante didn't bother pushing back--that would only drive the claws further into his body. Dante instead turned sideways. He felt its claws swipe deeper against his back, but their sharpness worked in his favor—they cut cleanly through his flesh, letting him escape. It gave him the space to drop to the ground and to roll in between its feet.

Eleven? Twelve?

He was already dead, probably. His entire back was pouring like a faucet and the dizziness that took away the pain also threatened to take away his consciousness. He lost all sensation of his feat. Thinking was hard in the best of time, but now it felt like he was dragging his brain through mud. He didn’t know what to do when the Racoon turned around with a swing, but he still moved anyway.

Not yet. No one was going to save him in the nick of time. Hell, he didn't even need to save himself—he just needed seconds.

Desperation and a non-functioning brain gave Dante’s body the bright idea of grappling the bear. He stepped under its range, tossing himself under the swing of its arm. The opening was narrow but he didn’t need all his body to get through. He caught its shoulders and swung most of his body under its armpit. His left and right legs squeezed against the raccoon’s sides, holding him in place as he wrapped his arms around its shoulder. He pressed his face against its shoulder blades and hopped for the best.

Maybe Dante couldn’t move, but so what? His hands still worked. He could hold on to it.

Just a little bit more. The fight like it had lasted minutes but Dante knew better. It wasn't over. Just a few more.

The arm he had hooked himself around wasn’t flexible enough to reach him, but its other one was. It reached for his legs, and while he couldn’t feel them anymore he still moved them when the monster swung. Its paws hit its front instead of his legs. Dante climbed directly behind it, hooking his arm around its neck. It tried to thrust around but its short arms were too short to reach him back—he just moved his head from one side of its back to the other. It took a big chunk out of Dante's, but this time the numbness was on his side. Seeing his bones stick out was only a discomfort.

Damn, Dante thought as the raccoon jumped backward. I should have grappled it from the start. He jumped off, hitting the ground hard.

He didn’t stand up. He didn’t need to.

Time was up. He could hear the sound of flesh parting and the whimpers that followed it. Good riddance you…son of a…

The pain was gone, with it every other sensation. He tried to hold on, but seeing Sai’s smiling face pop above him finally finished him off.