The moon weaving in and out of ribbons of black clouds, scudding across the sky. Monsters were clawing their way out of the shadows of the trees and the blackness of their surroundings. The wind died, the leaves ceased to rustle, even the rumble of sea waves was muted.

Yurika stood with an astral long sword on her right hand and water shield on her left. Her fuchsia eyes fleeted from the tent where Lucia went, the monsters and Marc that sat not too far away from the tent.

"Don't worry about me. I can take care of myself," Marc's calm voice entered her mind.

"But--"

"I am not that blind. I am a samurai after all. I've been trained to fight in the dark."

"You are just saying that to calm me down. You didn't even know where to go last time at cave," protested Yurika.

"That's a different case. My instinct can only work if I sense their killing intent aimed at me." Marc paused, "other than that I am blind as a bat."

Yurika almost could hear a chuckle in his words and she couldn't help to roll her eyes, "fine, I believe in you. But, in case--"

"Just focused on what you need to do," Marc cut her words, "protect Lucia."

With that said, Yurika looked up at the first flood of monsters. A few at the front let out gargling roars. She prepared herself as she moved forward carefully with her back facing the tent.

A monster; a Felierd - a large hybrid feline monster that could be found in secluded forests-. Its greyish-yellow fur made it as the best hunter at night. It has a double midline on the back and was marked with a small irregular cloud-like pattern on the shoulders. It barred its long canine teeth as it was prowling down the cliffside followed by its pack.

It made strange noises that were almost similar to a thunder clapping as it rolled forward with its claws raised. Yurika didn't wait any longer, she lifted her long sword to met its claw and pushed it back. The beast roared obviously unhappy for her to stand on its way. The Felierd crouched and snarled at her as its pack started to gather and surround her.

"Yep, it's me you guys want. Nothing in that tent would taste as good as me," Yurika hissed, "come and get me!"

She jumped forward at the same time as the alpha of Felierd leapt. They met head-on, the sound of her sword and its sharp gigantic claws cracked the stillness. She tried her best to dodge and counter each attack thrown at her. One of the Felierd swung its sharp double tail down and she leapt back to avoid it, then with both of her hands on the handle of her sword, she drove it through the beast's back. It shrieked and dropped motionlessly. The stench of blood agitated the other beasts even more.

Yurika backed away a few steps as the astral sword reformed on her hand. Her eyes glowed against the moonbeam that peeped through the clouds. Suddenly a wall made from sand and gravel rose up around the tent to protect it against any attack.

"That should help me focusing better," she said to herself.

Another beast came roaring from her left side. She threw her left hand facing the incoming beast and a gush of water shot out from it. Sending the beast backwards a few yards away. Another beast came from her right. It got too close and she had to throw herself rolling on the ground to avoid its attack. The beast roared in outrage but Yurika sank her sword into its neck. Silenced it for good.

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Her last attack made the pack backed away a bit. They sensed that her ferocity was not something to underestimate. Yurika pushed the dead Felierd from her sword and stood up from her kneeling position. Her face was covered by the beast blood. She glared intimidatingly at the pack when suddenly she heard a faint, sharp whistle from her back. She had to spin to the right to avoid the incoming attack. A Windscrech -an enormous, fey, bird-like beast-. Its dark mahogany feather fluttered as it failed to swoop an attack at her. It returned to its flock that had round up in the sky.

Yurika struggled to get back on her feet when one of the beasts flung at her. Its claw tip scratched her shoulder. Not deep enough but it drew blood nonetheless. She took the chance to slash the gut of the monster open as another swoop of attack from the Windsrech came from her rear.

"Ugh!" she grunted in annoyance as she ducked. It was hard enough to fight the horde without having to dodge the aerial attack.

"Is that a Windsrech?" Marc's telepathic interrupted her.

"Yes!!" she shouted at him.

"Use wind attack to drop them before they blow you up with their air bomb."

"Easy to say when all he needs to do is sit in that circle," muttered Yurika under her breath.

She dodged another attack from the twin-tailed beast while slicing its neck. Then she jumped and used the dying beast's head as her footstep. She raised up her right hand. Aiming at the flock of the bird beasts. Her eyes glowed green for a few seconds and a wall of air formed around the Winscreches. It caged the birds in one and slowly closing in. The moment Yurika closed her palm the wall of air totally enclosed the birds and as she dropped her hand the air cage exploded in the sky. The birds' dead bodies fell from the sky like rain.

"I am sorry," Yurika whispered, feeling guilty for some reason. She hated useless killing but she had to do it for survival.

Another horde of monsters came. This time a Rachserpt -a towering arachnid beast that could spit acid and poison-. It came in a large mob. Yurika braced herself for the incoming attack. The Rachserpt multiple eyes blinked as they came closer. They were judging her as their opponent.

"I should attack their legs, Rachserpts are weak if they couldn't stand on their feet," she mumbled to herself, "need to avoid their poisonous acid too."

She then transformed her long sword to astral Katars as she ran toward the pack. Her left arm raised aiming at their feet, this time her eyes glowed blue before another gush of water came out from her left hand. The water ran between the legs of Rachserpt. The beasts were confused at first with the puddles under their skinny feet.

"Freeze!" shouted Yurika. As she whipped her left hand, the puddles hardened in mere seconds. It was too late for them to avoid. Only a few of them managed to jump away at last seconds, but a lot more got trapped in the icy trap. Yurika took the chance to slide down in between their captured legs and with her Katar she cut them down. The beasts shrieked as they fell down to their unavoidable doom. She then finished them off with a rain of ice spear that fell on top of the feet-less beasts.

The rest of Rachserpt took a large step away from Yurika. They knew this girl wasn't a weak opponent. Yurika stood facing them, her breathing was heaving and her platinum hair was matted on her skull discoloured by the blood of the monsters. No matter how she seemed to have the upper hand against them, she has her limit. Her strength was depleting fast and she knew she couldn't do this much longer.

The sound of a clashing sword surprised Yurika. She whipped her head toward the source of the noise. There she saw under the moonlight, Marc was fighting off the monsters that came from the sea. Her eyes glanced at what was supposed to be his circle of protection. The marking that was made on the sand was smeared by the blood of a dead Windscrech. Guilt grew on her mind as she turned her heels to go to him.

"Don't come! I can handle this!" Marc shouted as he whirled his Katana, slicing through the hard shells of Brachcrost -an eight-foot-tall sea monster that could walk on land with their six sharp feet. It has a projectile abdomen that usually hidden under the thorax, ready to shoot ice magic anytime the opponent off guard. Their dangerous pair of pincers also something that best not to take frivolously.

Yurika still stubbornly rushed to him, especially when she saw a Brachcrost jumped out from the sea and aimed its deathly pincers at him. She forgot about her own opponents that have been waiting for her to be off guard. She created a wall of seawater, that came down upon the new Brachcost pack and dragged them back to the sea. Everything moved slower, the sea waves, the wind, the beasts even Marc, when suddenly she heard...

"Yurika, behind you!" a deep voice shouted at her.

It was too late for her to avoid what happened next.