"You guys okay?"

Tenko is cleaning her uniform from the sand, "Yeah, I'm fine."

Tokaya then said, "That water magic was really useful, but how much did it cost?"

Anko responded, "… Everything."

"Eh?"

"Yep, that took all of my MP, it's going to take a while before I can use it again."

"Hmm, I see…" Tokaya realized something, "Hm, wait. This is… odd."

Chika said, "What, about we not get a single hit done in on us?"

"… Well, that too, but… why are we still not getting the [Notification] rewards."

"Hm, now that I think about it, it really—"

"Grooahhhhoooaoaaahh!!" a loud howling of an animal was heard from the nearby surrounding.

They looked around, trying to find it. As they turned their head to the left, the group's eyes widened as they saw the creature that is coming out from behind a tree. Chika swallowed her saliva, and Tokaya asked, "Was that… the thing you were talking about?"

Chika s.h.i.+fted her eyes, and nervously responded, "Yep…"

"Grooooooooahhhhooooooah!!!"

A boar with two large tusks and 4 horns with a mouth filled by many large teeth covering its skin. The height is that of a fully grown man and it is… very large.

[Fanged Green Tusk lv. 10]

HP: 500 / MP: 25

The boar suddenly charge at an extremely fast speed, they have no time to react, but Tenko did. As her eyes widened, she yelled out, "Everybody, MOVE!!"

They quickly came back to their sense, but by the time they did, there were about to get struck by the monster. Tenko pulled out her polearm and swing it to the three of them, two to the left and one to the right, she hits her teammates so that they can avoid the boar's attack.

*Bam *Bam

They flew away.

Tenko quickly fixed her stance once again and tried to block the boar's advance with her polearm, but then…

*BANG!"

As her saliva leaves her mouth, her stomach sends a searing pain to her brain. "Nghf." The boar managed to broke her weapon, and then struck her in the process.

The monster lowered its head and then pushed Tenko upward to the sky.

*Bang*

She got hit to a branch, "Nngh" realizing it's her chance to recover, she grabbed onto the tree's branch and then casted one of her abilities, "Healing Hand."

They are glowing in golden-ish color, slowly regenerating her body.

[Kusanagi Tenko lv. 0]

HP: 48

HP: 49

HP: 50

Tenko frowned knowing that it's healing slower than she expected, she looked back down and saw that the boar is still onto her, ignoring the three of her teammates. She wondered why, but it's not the time for her to worry about that.

She then went up to the branch and use both of her hands to heal herself.

*Ziiinnnng*

Something went wrong, the two ball of light surrounding her colliding with each other. The healing is faster, but she soon realized that she was doing it wrong. Now that she has put two and two together, she then did the right thing. She combined the two of her palms together, and the two-ball of light nourish her at three times faster rate than before.

[Kusanagi Tenko lv. 0]

HP: 55

HP: 59

HP: 65

HP: 73

HP: 75

Tenko managed to recover her health back to full within a minute.

*BAM*

"Wooah!"

Something shook the tree she's sitting on. It was the boar. The monster is trying to bring the tree down. Attempting to make Tenko fall from it and if not, it's trying to make the tree fall instead to make sure Tenko fall. She' is panicking, she doesn't know what to do. Her weapon is gone, that means, she can't attack it, and using her fist against such beast will prove to be useless.

But then a slither of hope appeared before her eyes, it's Tokaya, she has awoken.

A sting of pain was felt on her arm, 'Ngh, what the…' her mind, her memories started reforming together. 'Right, Tenko. Did she just— No, she wouldn't betray us like this.' Looking around the area, she saw the beast that has caused this searing pain in her arm. The other two members are still unconscious.

Tokaya wondered what the beast is doing, but soon she quickly realized that it's because Tenko is at the top of the tree branch. Tenko is looking at her with puppy eyes and expectations glittering inside them. That eyes already told Tokaya everything, and she knows what to do.

Her injured hand… it's healing. She was wondering how, but then she realized that Tenko does have that kind of ability with her, although it was slow, it is still considerably useful and faster than she's expected for being a Pa.s.sive Skill. It is especially useful, considering their current situation.

She grabbed her bow, rose up from the ground, and then ran away. The noises she created were loud enough for the boar to quickly noticed it right away, it turns around and went to chase her.

Seeing the visuals of them gone, Tenko dropped to the ground.

*Thud*

She landed safely, and hastily went to tend the two unconscious teammates. Healing them with [Healing Hands], combined with her Pa.s.sive Skill [Healing Aura] and the two-handed combined hands, the result is tremendous.

Not a few minutes have pa.s.sed and they have quickly regenerated back at full health.

[Kusanagi Tenko lv. 0]

HP: 75 / MP: 145

However, it cost did her so much Mana. Because of how low her MP is, there is no other chance for another failure. They have to make use of this chance and handle the situation properly.

Soon after, the two of them woke up.

*Gaaa.s.sssp*

"TENKO!! WHY DID YOU HIT ME!!" Chika yelled.

Tenko quickly covered her mouth, "Shhh! Calm down"

"MMMRNGHFHMMGH!!!" (You'll have to explain this, I want an explanation!!!!)

"Okay, okay, please calm down. Miss Tokaya is still being chased by that monster and soon they'll be here."

"Mmrmph?" (Really?)

"Yes!"

"…" Chika noticed the smooth silky texture on her mouth, her eyes widened and shove it away, "Bleergh! Your hand is full of sand, Tenko. Clean them up!"

"Geez, I will, but please don't speak so loud."

Anko's head is still spinning, "Urgh, I think I'm going to throw up. So that girl really ran away, leaving us all behind?"

Tenko shook her head, "No, no, she's buying us time. We have to prepare before it—"

"OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOIIiiiiiiiii!"

Tenko got startled, their eyes widened as they saw her again, Tokaya has come back. Their eyes are filled with joy, but that soon faded when they saw the boar that is behind her back.

"ANKOOOOOOOO, MAGIC, MAGIIIIIIIIIIIC!!!"

It was certainly the first time for everyone to see that side of Tokaya.

Anko quickly gets her act together. She rose from the ground and invoke her spell, the blue circle magic, full of unknown words, appeared at the palms of her hands. After it all charged up, she then shouted, "Hydrosophist Ray!"

*Bam *Bam *Bam

Shooting from afar, the ray managed to hit the boar, halting its charge.

*Tak*

But suddenly, Tokaya stumbled.

*Bam*

"Ngh, now of all times" she tried to get up, but then felt a searing pain coming from her ankle. "G.o.d, no, no, no! Tenko! HELP!!"

Tenko is already on the move when she saw her stumbled.

Because how small is the window for her to regenerate her MP back, Anko is gritting her teeth, "Hurry up! I can't hold it much longer! MP… IS… VERY LOW!!!"

*croak*

Chika's frog is voicing out its concern. "Guh, isn't there anything I can do!?" yelled Chika.

Anko responded, "Rub my feet."

"Huh?"

"if you want to help, RUB MY FEEEEEEEEEEEET!! They're itchy!!"

"Nghrrr..." Chika lowered her posture down and then rubbed Anko's feet, and at the same time, scratching them through her shoes. Anko let out a noise of satisfaction, "O-Oohh, yes. Mm, very good, keep doing it, okay?"

Chika sighed, "Haa, why is this happening to me…"

*Tak *Tak *Tak *Tak *Tak

Running so fast from puddles to puddles, Tenko is doing all her might and put her all into it. Tokaya is still far from her sight, she can't let Tokaya to be done in by that monster.

The spray of water is fading, Tokaya's eyes widened as the sight of it leaving the boar. She quickly crawls away and fast, even with her feet sending all kinds of pain to her brain. She doesn't want to end here, it was too short... she only just started.

Her eyes are getting teary and clouded, her voice is dry and croaked, "Tenko… please…" a tear shed from her eyes, "Save me…"

*Taks*

"Groooahhhaaaaaaaaaa" the monster has escaped from the staggering ray of water.

Her eyes widened to its edges, Tokaya gasped.

*Tak *Tak *Tak *Tak

The boar shook off the leftover water and then charged at max speed, and is going to run her over. "Groooaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhh*

*Bwooosh*

As if the wind has been split. The das.h.i.+ng image of her newly found girlfriend, burns to her retina, with her in the arms of the said friend. The still image of her face amidst the green scenery and blue sky at that time will never fade from her memory.

*Fwooosh*

...