Within the sea of trees, stood a clearing, the sound of crashing, crunching and shattering trees boomed through the forest, startling various birds into flying away. With pale yellow and teal swirl-shaped particles popping out of her, Nowa booked it through the forest, running circles around the shadow grizzly while ducking between the trees lining the clearing to avoid the monster's onslaught attacks. The shadow grizzly hurled a claw, and Nowa narrowly avoided the attack as the claw swiped over her, slamming straight into a tree and cleaving it in two.

"Heh, that dojo instructor wasn't kidding when he said speed is irrelevant against an easy-to-read opponent," Nowa remarked as she pulled back her fist and thrust a light, Magma Fists-covered, jab into the shadow grizzly's arm, sending a ripple of orange crack-like marks through the monster's body.

[Shadow Grizzly's Status Effect]

[Scorched]

-Drains target's HP by 15% of user's Hexa Proffecency, and if the target is hit by a water/ice attack the incoming DMG is increased by 3 times along with the effect being removed-

The shadow grizzly threw its arm high into the air, flinging the small splinters of wood in its fur away as it wound up to attack. She formed a smug grin, her face contorting with glee and adrenaline at watching the shadow grizzly's HP drop by fifteen points every other second. While Nowa continued to duck behind the trees and stall the monster, Al pulled out a yellow potion and a dark grey potion from Potions Galore, darting his eyes between the two potions before groaning as the many potion bottles rattled from the shadow grizzly striking the ground.

"Do I really need to use one of these? Wasn't the speed and focus potions enough?" Al grumbled, pouting about having to use more of his potions when Nowa and Kaze could easily defeat the shadow grizzly.

"But isn't it a good idea to test some to make sure they work?" Kaira asked puzzledly, placing a finger on his chin as Al angrily glared downwards. Al huffed indignantly, holding up the yellow paralysis potion for Kaira to take. Metsu poked her head over Kaze's shoulder as she clung to his back, watching Nowa effortlessly evade the shadow grizzly's attacks with mild admiration.

"Why no attacking?" Metsu mumbled while tightening her grip as she slipped slightly, inadvertently choking Kaze for a short time.

"Unlike the Battle Maniac, the Combat Yakuza or the Gyaru Delinquent, some of us aren't as gung ho about or used to fighting," Kaze stated calmly while Nagami gave him a contentious side-eye.

"But aren't you a fencer?".

"Fencing is a regulated sport with harmless weapons," Kaze stated sternly, his voice firm and gruff with a hint of annoyance.

"Heads up, Mr Kaze~," Kaira said in an intentionally sultry and cutesy way before teleporting away, making Kaze shiver with disdain.

"I can't stand guys like him," Kaze grumbled. Metsu glanced at Al, her brain rattled by Kaze's remark, and pondered something deeply with her blank expression.

"Hate femboys?" Metsu asked. Flinching at the out-of-the-blue question, Kaze slumped his shoulders in not-so-abstract nihilism, utterly baffled by Metsu's line of logic, and groaned despondently.

"I wasn't referring to that..., Metsu" Kaze grumbled. Despite his reservations, Al placed a dark grey sleep potion in Metsu's hand and a dark green poison potion in Kaze's, reluctantly relinquishing them as he swiftly pulled his empty hand away.

"Just throw the potions," Al said poutfully as he slammed Potions Galore shut, startling Metsu into falling off Kaze, followed by a glassy ding.

This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

"Ow...," Metsu uttered, rubbing her forehead as she held the chinked sleep potion bottle in one hand. Nowa gracefully flipped into the air, leaping over the sweeping strike of the shadow grizzly and landing on its arm. She sat herself on the bear's raised arm, a condescending grin beaming from her which rapidly grew into a wicked one as the bear's breaths became heavy from it passing its stamina limit.

"Is that it?" Nowa asked rhetorically. She raised a hand to the shadow grizzly and booped its nose, a girly giggle escaping her as she made booping noses every time she poked its nose. Nowa sighed contently and hopped off the bear before the three potions struck it, shattering them on impact and covering the bear in a mist of swirling particles matching the evaporating potions. The shadow grizzly's eyes went blank, its body stiffening to resemble a taxidermied animal before it rocked back. The shadow grizzly crashed into the grassy ground, its posture retained momentarily by the effects of the paralysis potion before all the effects wore off.

[Nowa's Level Increased]

[129 -> 141]

[Kaze's Level Increased]

[156 -> 162]

[Kaigorou's Level Increased]

[101 -> 124]

[Metsu's Level Increased]

[213 -> 215]

[Philip's Level Increased]

[99 -> 127]

[Nagami's Level Increased]

[111 -> 119]

"Alright! We beat it without Zalroth's help," Kaira exclaimed as he landed on top of the shadow grizzly corpse, bouncing off it like a trampoline and landing on the ground with a twirl. Metsu lept off Kaze, launching the guy straight into Nowa and Kaira, knocking the two over like bowling pins as she landed next to the shadow grizzly. As she reached out to the grizzly and the knocked-over trio staggered to their feet, Metsu stopped her hand inches from the grizzly at the sound of a light thud beside her.

"By all means, don't stop on my account," Zalroth remarked as he dispelled the Frostbite Armament over his arms. Metsu turned to Zalroth, confusion etched on his face as she slowly turned her gaze to the sky.

"Where come from?" Metsu mumbled, lost as to where Zalroth came from.

"The Sky?" Zalroth retorted with equal amounts of confusion, given how obvious the answer was. The other stared at him, their expressions ranging from confusion to bewilderment, but none could find the right words to say. However, nagami didn't share the other's confusion as she strolled up to Zalroth and nudged him in the leg.

"So~," Nagami said giddily, eyeing the cross-guard of Kotatzugami with glee as she saw its blade wasn't fully in its sheath anymore. Zalroth sighed disappointedly, causing Nagami to gasp in offence, as Zalroth tapped Kotatzugami's pummel to fully sheath it.

"Don't get the wrong idea, I'm just frustrated for not putting a crest on the nightmare grizzly," Zalroth stated. Nagami's annoyance melted away, replaced by a proud sense of satisfaction that Zalroth ended up using her creation so soon.

"It can't be that bad can it?" Kaira remarked while rubbing the back of his head, wincing slightly as he touched certain spots. Zalroth huffed aggressively as he snapped his fingers and summoned the two halves of the Nightmare Grizzly from his Inventory before Metsu excitedly collected her Light Copy Points from the monsters.

"When I missed out on an ability to increase my none-Proficceny stats by three times because I absent-mindedly changed weapons after the boss used said skill, I feel like being annoyed is justified," Zalroth explained, leaving the others speechless. Feeling like she's being punished, Nagami collapsed to her knees, cursing her selfishness for wanting Zalroth to use Kotatzugami. Zalroth rubbed, mildly sighing at Nagami's reaction but, strangely, understood her feeling of being responsible.

"Stop being pedantic, it's not like you forced me to use it," Zalroth stated boldly, swiftly sending the two bear corpses into his Inventory and marching off before Nagami could raise her head. While still a little lost from the interaction, the other rose to their feet and walked after the briskly jogging Zalroth; however, Nagami couldn't help but smile, knowing it was only a matter of time before her current wish came true as she pushed herself to her feet and hurried after the others.