Samuel stepped in front of Slimantha and the rest of his companions. His right hand went to the hilt of the sword sheathed at his left hip. Fluidly, he drew the weapon. The gray metallic blade of said weapon glinted. The hero’s eyes were on the gathering of mist skulker’s, and the eyes of the various mist skulkers were on him. Then two of the mist skulkers floated silently forward—floated toward Samuel the Hero From Another World.

The two mist skulkers floated side by side, each sporting an unnerving smile. The mist skulker to the left broke forward, the mist rippling. It swiped its right hand. The mist became like blades at its fingertips. Its slash met gray metal as Samuel blocked with his weapon. Then it pulled back, narrowly avoiding Samuel’s counter. That same unnerving smile still showed upon its face. Now the other mist skulker, the one on the right, moved.

Slimantha watched the ongoing stream of exchanges between Samuel and the duo of mist skulkers play out. Sparks reflected in her eyes as another misty slash met Samuel’s sword. The hero’s counter found its target this time, biting into one of the two mist skulkers. It wasn’t enough to down that mist skulker though. No, that mist skulker still appeared to have plenty of fight left in it.

“Tabitha’s training does seem to be paying off, doesn’t it?” Black said. Her eyes were on the ongoing fight that a certain hero took part in. Her black feline tail twisted playfully behind her.

“I’d say so,” a certain plant woman, Rose, said. “He looks so cool right now. He’s the hero we need.” The tall plant woman shifted her weight from side to side, her long luxurious pink hair swaying. Little hearts displayed in her pink eyes.

“Yes, he is so amazing,” Mitsy said, clasping her hands together cutely. The petite short-haired mimic also sported a little heart in each of her eyes currently.

Latril glanced at Rose and then at Misty. She scowled. “Will you two knock that off?” the swird woman said, addressing the plant woman and mimic. “He is fighting a pair of mist skulkers, not goddesses. It isn’t that impressive.” She then glanced at Samuel and his fight before her gaze shifted to the other mist skulkers. “There are way too many of those things for him to deal with on his own.”

“It will be fine,” Slimantha said nonchalantly. The slime summoner’s brown eyes met with the golden sword eyes of Latril—met with the eyes of her girlfriend. She gave the other woman a smile. Latril truly did have such lovely eyes—eyes that each contained the likeness of an upward-turned sword. Slimantha stepped up to the other woman—stepped up to her girlfriend. The slime summoner’s eyes drifted down from Latril’s eyes to Latril’s lips.

Slimantha’s gaze then shifted to a mist skulker heading toward her. A pout promptly spread across her face. Way to ruin the moment, mist skulker. She stepped back and glanced at Samuel, who still exchanged blows with the same two mist skulkers from before. If Samuel was still fighting those mist skulkers, then this approaching mist skulker must be another mist skulker. She gave another pout. Then a tentacle of viscous blue lashed out from behind her. The contest of strength ended in an instant. The mist skulker sailed back in defeat. Not much of a fight really. Then she slime-tentacled a second mist skulker away. She blinked. Maybe they did have a bit of a mist skulker problem.

“See?” Latril said, glancing at Slimantha. “There are way too many mist skulkers for hero boy to handle on his own.” Her golden sword eyes then turned to a mist-skulker pair charging toward her now. A silver sword materialized in her right hand. A cocky smirk stretched across her face. She crouched down. Her black feathery wings extended to her sides. Her eyes closed. “These fools who dare challenge me …” Her eyes re-opened. “I’ll show them their place.” She flew forward. Her sword sliced twice. She then came to a stop. Her black shoes pressed down into the grass beneath her. She glanced back at the two mist skulkers she had attacked. Both mist skulkers collapsed in defeat.

Blades of mist met Samuel’s sword once more. Sparks scattered. The hero pulled back and swung. The mist skulker howled. Well it kind of howled. Only silence came from its mouth. The creature crumpled in defeat. Its companion lay unmoving in the grass nearby, already having been bested by the hero.

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“Go, Samuel!” Rose and Mitsy both cheered nearby, pumping their hands into the air.

Latril glanced at the two cheering women and rolled her eyes. Samuel beating a pair of mist skulkers really wasn’t that impressive, was it? Then the sound of snickers made Latril’s right eyebrow twitch. Slowly, she turned to the source of the snickers—turned to Black.

“My annoyance isn’t funny,” Latril deadpanned.

“Well, it is a little funny,” Black said, snickers slipping out between words. Her black feline tail swished playfully behind her.

“You know what would be really funny?” Latril’s voice turned cold and menacing. “Impaling you with this thing.” She held her silver sword up in front of herself as a threat.

Black’s tail bristled. Her snickers came to an abrupt stop. “I-I’ll stop laughing.”

“Good girl.” Latril smiled, lowering her weapon. “Now if you don’t mind, how about helping with the”—she gestured to the mist skulkers—“mist skulkers.” As if on cue, even more mist skulkers began emerging from the mist. Latril then added in deadpan, “Please say I didn’t jinx us.”

Black turned away from Latril, the cat woman’s brown eyes going to an oncoming mist skulker. Her tail twitched. She smiled. The mist skulker reached her, and she weaved to her right. She threw a right-handed punch, catching the thing in the gut and propelling it back. The creature crumpled into an unmoving heap.

Black smiled, turning back to Latril. “See,” the cat woman said, gesturing at her freshly defeated mist skulker. “I am helping.” Her tail swished happily behind her.

Latril smiled back at the petite cat woman in the black witch hat. “Good,” the swird woman said. “Now help more.” Latril turned her attention back to the mist skulkers.

Samuel readied his sword as three more mist skulkers floated toward him. The mist rippled and the foremost of the group lunged toward the hero. Samuel dodged and countered. His blade bit and the wounded mist skulker pulled back. The battle continued.

Mist skulkers—many mist skulkers—rained down around Slimantha. The slime summoner lashed out again—almost absentmindedly. This time she used two tentacles. The dual-tentacle attack knocked even more of the wispy-looking creatures airborne. She looked up at the falling creatures. The scene had a strange kind of beauty to it. The falling bodies reflected in her eyes. Sunlight filtered down from above. She then knocked more up with another dual-tentacle attack.

Slimantha’s eyes drifted down—drifted down to a green-skinned something standing by a tree. That something wore a red cloak and had bulbous black eyes. Long red claws showed at both its hands. It was the thing she had seen before, the Thing in the Mist. Its black white-less pupil-less eyes met her eyes. She and it continued to stare at one another. Mist skulkers continued to fall around her like drops of rain. Yet more mist skulkers continued to emerge from the mist.

Black clicked her tongue, her eyes on the increasing number of mist skulkers. Though the creatures weren’t that strong, the sheer number of them was getting a tad ridiculous at this point. She glanced at Samuel as the hero downed the third of the three mist skulkers he had been fighting. The hero wobbled a bit, pants slipping from his mouth. Black’s eyes then went back to the still-increasing number of mist skulkers. Her tail twitched. There were just too many mist skulkers.

“Everyone, get back!” Black finally said. She thrust both her palms forward. An imposing wall of black flame flared into life, blocking off the main mass of mist skulkers. That should buy her and her companions some time at least. That wall won’t hold for too long though.

Slimantha glanced at Black’s wall of flames. She blinked. Then her eyes went back to the Thing in the Mist. Well, her eyes went back to where that thing had been. The Thing in the Mist no longer stood there though. Slimantha blinked again and then looked around, but she found no hint of the Thing in the Mist. All around her, the remaining airborne mist skulkers tumbled to the ground. They had been defeated. That just left the ones beyond Black’s wall.

“I suggest we run while that wall still holds,” Black said, her eyes on her wall. Her tail swished behind her.

“Run?” Slimantha said. The slime summoner blinked and then looked at Black. The eyes of the two women met, and Slimantha gave Black a smile. “I’m sure it will be fine. Why don’t we get punchier instead?”

“You’re awfully punchy for a slime summoner,” Latril deadpanned, her golden sword eyes on Slimantha—on her girlfriend. “Tell me. Do you want to drown in a sea of mist skulkers?”

“Well”—Slimantha blinked—“no, I totes don’t want to drown in a sea of mist skulkers, but”—she glanced at the mist skulkers waiting beyond Black’s wall—“look at how punchable they look.” Her words earned a series of glares from her companions, and a sweatdrop rolled down her right cheek. Nervously, she placed her right hand behind her head. “Fine, I’ll run.” She, along with her companions, then fled into the mist.