In front is the sight of my two classmates running toward me, wearing what would probably be the happiest looks I’ve seen them shown to me yet. Even though their faces are painted with desperation, they still have a more favorable expression than all the time they've been sending mocking glances toward me.
I'm well hated aren't I?...
I get lonely easy you know, I demand better treatments.
Why am I doing stupid complains and not running away you say?
Obviously, because there's no point.
If you think that you can out run a panther with just fighting spirit I'd like you to show me how.
Well, that thing certainly isn't a panther, but looking at it's build one can easily guess it's a speed oriented creature. Not to mention this terrain with bad footing and many obstacles, I'd rather spend my energy finding another way out rather than signing my death certificate foolishly.
While all my brain cells are desperately burning their selves out to find the solution, my classmates are already just one step before me.
However, the panther was faster.
"Kyaaaaa !!! " –Haru
With a "thud" sound, Harusaki-san was pinned down by the panther from the back.
Aiming for the weakest one first? That's one shrewd animal.
Or rather, that's what you get when you show your back to the enemy you know?
Harusaki-san is about to burst into tears any moment, ironically the only thing holding her back is the extreme tension and fear not allowing her to relax.
Like this, it's 2 to 1.
Yet, the panther did not finish Harusaki-san off.
With one front foot pinning her shoulder down, its head is faces toward us, letting out a "kishaaa~" hissing sound threateningly.
Hmn… it's a cautious fellow, the hurdles just suddenly got even higher.
However, not all hopes are lost.
If this was a bear, then our chances is close to zero, but luckily, this one’s body looks like something between a panther and a greyhound.
It has incredible speed, but the body itself shouldn’t be so sturdy that we cannot inflict mortal wounds on it. A bear’s thick hide and enormous strength would be impossible for us to take on. This dog/panther like thing however, the slim limbs and elegant body is a masterpiece when it comes to sprinting, but that's only assuming it's a 1v1 race.
This is not a race, it's a confrontation.
It's running speed is certainly high but just speed alone won't let it be able to finish off two opponent at once. Our enemy is a bit bigger than the size of an average adult panther, 2.5-3m long spanning from the tip of it’s nose to the tip of it’s tail, standing straight on all fours it’s head reaches as high as our waist. If we can surround and pin it down with the force of two people, there's a chance for us. It's a long shot even if I were to be optimistic, considering the opponent is a ferocious wild animal and we're just two sheltered high school students. But I myself am not that weak in the physical department, though I don't take any martial arts I train my body regularly for health sake. The other guy too seems to be in a sport club... I think? His build is fairly big so I can at least expect something out of him.
However, the panther too understand this. Not taking it’s time to finish off Harusaki-san and instead putting up precautions toward us is a proof for that. As expected of a wild carnivore, it knows its game well.
The biggest problem is how to create an opening. Maybe using Harusaki-san as bait, we could wait for the chance when it lowers its guard and finishes her off? Yep, an evil plan if even if I were to say so myself. But I have no intention to sugarcoat it. If it's for my own survival, a stranger's life is of no importance. Now if only the other guy would figure this out...
"Bastarddd!! get away from Harusaki!! " –Boy
Shouting at the top of his lungs, that guy fiercely rushes toward the panther.
Ah.
Well.
There he goes.
Time for a new plan.
The boy charges forward, take his wooden club into a wide swing, striking at the panther with all his might. The panther nimbly dodges the attack, did not forget to dig its claw into Harusaki-san's shoulder right before it moves and clawed out a big wound as it jumps to the side.
"GUAAaaaa !!! " -Haru
Seeing Harusaki-san's shoulder dyed in red while letting out a painful voice, his eyes become blood shot.
"Damn it !!! " –Boy
He lunges his body forward intending for another strike but this time the panther counter attacked by swiftly slips through his swing range and bite on his wrist.
Uwaa… that looks painful.
"KUu !! this bastard ! " –Boy
Twisting his face in pain, he frantically delivers a kick to the panther's belly, throwing the beast's body on the ground, but it got up in an instant as if there were no damage. On the other hand, the boy's wounds run deep, his wrist is already covered in blood.
Tears start to form at the corner of his eyes while he's wearing an expression filled with agony. Still, he is desperately trying to keep his grip on the wooden baton. And then his body is tackled by a shadow.
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No, it was not an enemy. The warm and soft sensation wrapping around his waist was actually Harusaki-san's body. She's clinging to him while holding back most of her tears, yet the overflown droplets keep streaming out of her eyes.
"Takanashi-kun..-sob-.. Takanashi-kun.." –Haru
Oh, so that's what his name was.
Well, it's fine and dandy to know his name and all but…
Are you people fine with clinging to each other like that in this situation?
Are you really?
Right now both of them are sitting ducks for that beast's jaws.
Also, Takanashi-kun, stop getting carried away, why are you looking at her face with a gaze full of affection? There's like a man-eating beast to your right you know? Shouldn't you be looking at that instead?
Looking at how things are unfolding, whatever hopes I had left for survival would be extinguished by now.
But it seems like the duo wasn't the only ones who got carried away. Facing bloody preys, the panther's body trembles in excitement. Its tail twitches and wiggles. The beast's claws dig into the soft ground, ready to pound on the unfortunate ones at any moment.
Hmm?
Pounding on them?
Something is wrong with this development…
The panther's tail shakes with disgusting movements, just like that of an earth worm twitching in midair. The pointed end of the tail that resembles a pitch black bud turns its tip toward the source of the blood. The bud then open like a flower with 4 petals, in the middle of it various thin yellow tentacles are rustling and wriggling about, as if expressing their happiness of being drowned in the scent of blood.
And the next moment…
With a "thud" sound like something hard hitting a soft surface, the tail's tip got knocked back as if being shot by something. A couple of tentacles were smashed and fell on the ground.
"Grruuuooooooo !!!" –Panther
The beast screamed painfully and threw itself on the ground, its body twitches in agony. Next to its crawling body is a stone covered in blood that was not supposed to be there before. Did someone throw it to wound its tail? Who? Who could have done such a thing?
http%3a%2f%2fpre11.deviantart.net%2f491b%2fth%2fpre%2f...a0x4mu.jpg [http://pre11.deviantart.net/491b/th/pre/i/2016/121/e/a/insectumchronica8_by_amano_m-da0x4mu.jpg]
.
.
.
Oh right.
It was me.
I've been thinking about it from the start. How does this thing that possesses no eye maneuver around?
The answer is due to its tail that acts like an antenna.
From the time when it noticed me for the first time and when it was confronting us, its tail tip always pointed toward ourselves. But it was only opening a little. If my conjecture is right then the reason it became so aggressive suddenly was because of the smell of blood stimulated its sensitive feelers. The tail tip opened fully and its appearance no longer carries the same calm it was just a moment ago. The proof is that even though I'm standing right here it forsook all precautions and only concentrated on getting the prey in front.
All were just wild guesses in the heat of the moment.
But whether I’m right or wrong.
This is my only chance.
If I can somehow wound the tail I can distract it with pain… After all, the more sensitive its feelers are the more susceptible it is to pain. If I were to describe this in anyway, it’s similar to hitting your toe against a table's leg using all your strength.
With that said, I don't have any confidence in my throwing accuracy, not to mention the target is incredibly small and is a moving one on top of that. So I used the sharp stone I picked up earlier and cut my own palm, smears it with my blood.
Ouch, it hurts.
Getting scratched unintentionally is one thing but to purposely wound your own body required much more courage than i thought.
I don't like pain.
Somehow, thanks to the stress and the adrenaline pumping into my head, I was able to cut into my skin.
When I threw the stone its tail caught the scent and turned toward the projectile by itself, putting its own feelers on the path of the thrown stone. As a result, after its tail gracefully "caught" the stone some feelers were smashed and now it’s crawling on the ground in pain.
It was truly a gamble…
Looks like this time, Takanashi-kun realized his chance. After a short pause, he wastes no time to jumps forward and strikes the beast's head over and over again like a mad man.
"You ! you ! shit !" –Takanashi
.
.
.
"huff...huff..."
After spending all that's left of his strength until he couldn’t hold the piece of wood properly anymore, the panther’s body finally stopped twitching.
Its head already turned into a sloppy mess of flesh.
It looks like I can relax at last…
Seriously, I hate this survival game.