Turning back her attention to the devourers, Zero leaped into the battlefield. She toyed the nail between her finger and thumb, aiming it like it was a dart. With one flick of her wrist, the nail was sent flying into the air then serrating an oblivious devourer’s scaly white belly. Glistening intestines bulged out like wrapped sausages, a mash of green and brown accompanying it, garnishing the innards with its thick consistency. The following whimper was enough to divert their attention from the roasted deer. The victim was circling its own mess, dragging the connected entrails along the circle, leaving a trail of brown blood, squealing, licking, and sniffing senselessly as it approached its imminent death.  

Nokori and Rinko dropped down in horror, Nahashi gaping quietly at their side.

Zero shook the baton on her right hand—it expanded on both sides (transforming it into a staff), revealing its cerulean glow, announcing itself as mana enhanced—and she raised her middle finger with the other.

The blood nail shot inside the devourer’s stomach, drilling a hole through its back. The nail was flying at the air in an instant, landing straight into Zero’s open palm. Blood spurted out the exit hole, painting the ground with messy strokes. The devourer dropped dead on the ground—not even given a chance to process what happened to it. Blood exuded on the burnt grass and along with it was the life the devourer held, its cerulean eyes slowly fading into an emptiness devoid of any substance.

Shinichi’s eyes flicked towards the scene. “That flashy manoeuvre must’ve cost too much mana,” murmured Shinchi.

The crystallised blood on her palm dissolved and slowly dripped back into Zero’s open wound. What remained on her palm was a small pebble-like material. Zero shook the blood off of it and pocketed it, not before the students saw it glowing a dull blue.

“So there really are mana stones inside them,” said Nahashi.

Nokori lifted his head at the mention, saliva dripping down his chin. He squinted his eyes. “That thing only had a tiny mana stone?”

"I don't—" Rinko gagged. "—feel so good..."

The remaining devourers charged forward, legs surprisingly nimble. Zero spun the staff around, delivering heavy strikes at their heads.

Shinichi rose up, finally finding what he needed. He gripped the matchbox tightly on his hand. “We’re lucky it’s one of those dumb ones,” said Shinichi, eyeing Zero and the devourers doing their mindless dance.

Nahashi pouted. “If they’re dumb, then you should have let us join the battle…”

“No, no, I’m good here,” said Nokori, lips curled up unnaturally.

“This situation is too weird. I don’t want three students dead on my charge,” said Shinichi softly. His thumb brushed over the matchbox, swiping away dust that mired the crimson wood“I really won’t be getting any jobs like that.”

Nahashi laughed. “Jeez, you sure don’t hold back, mister.”

Lips twisting into a scowl, Shinichi turned to the students warily. He jabbed a finger at the students and sternly asked: “What sort of devourers are those?”

Nahashi raised her hand. “Those are Carrion Beasts: the scavengers of the Devourer race.” She answered.

Shinichi nodded and turned to a white-faced Rinko. “Uh…” she stammered, feeling too feverish. “They eat the corpses of other devourers?”

Shinichi raised his brow. “I need more than that. You’re just repeating what Nahashi said.”

“Their population can be found in every zone, inside and outside an instance,” Nokori relayed instead for her despite his equally sickly pallor. “They have nimble legs and strong tails as well.”

“Okay. Their weak spots?”

“Their vision is limited. They’re blind on their sides,” Nahashi answered reflexively. Her gaze slid to Zero and the dead devourer. “And from what I’m seeing, they’re just pretty weak in general.”

“Good to know someone actually paid attention to theory,” grumbled Shinichi. He continued in a tired voice and pointed down at Irish. “We should probably do something about that leg of his…” 

Zero dodged through a long tail speeding towards her chest, her staff blocking her right side where a devourer attempted to ram her with its horns. Zero tossed the baton lightly and gripped the end on her two hands. She slammed the shaft onto her right, landing straight on the devourer’s head, knocking it into the ground. Behind her, the air hissed and Zero dropped down just in time as another tail attempted to club her head. Zero swept the staff on its legs tripping it over its feet.

Just as the other got up, she slammed it back to the ground, a pained roar echoing as it connected and it fell heavily on its back. Its limbs scrambled in the air in a panic, struggling to leave aggressive bites on Zero’s skin, its jaw snapping and growling but Zero was in a safe enough distance and the staff was long enough to reach the poor beast’s neck, crushing its trachea and ceasing all its noises.

Another slam, the staff broke in half. And another slam, the devourer’s skull broke as well. The Carrion Beast’s cerulean eyes dart back and forth, its ample chest heaving heavily in and out. It could do nothing but whimper until death captured it. Zero panted at the exertion of her strength. Her arm wiped off the bead of blood and sweat on her forehead. Her red eyes darted behind her, glaring at the recovering devourer.

The last devourer stepped back, hesitating almost.

Zero spun the staff, hands and fingers overlapping each other with ease. Its broken side was clinging on for dear life before finally giving in to its fate, twirling into the air and landing directly into mauled deer. The blood that decorated the staff showered onto Zero and the burnt land, splashes of crimson imprinting itself onto her heated skin, the spray pattering like a soft percussion. Uniting with Zero’s red hair and eyes, it was almost as if the blood was coming home to its rightful owner. Zero simply licked her red lips—the copper taste of blood sliding down the back of her throat—eyes radiating a manic fever.

The broken staff was clean of blood after her flourish.

With the Carrion Beast frozen in place, Zero slowed down her pace. She welcomed the fog’s embrace as she stepped into them, the staff lazily hanging on her left hand.

At this moment, as the devourer stood in front of Zero, it was nothing but prey.

It turned and ran away.

Zero spat on the ground. “That’s level 1 for you…”

“My-my staff,” Nahashi murmured in a low voice. “That cost one silver coin!”

“Pretty cheap weapon if it broke that easily,” ridiculed Shinichi, a smirk riding on his lips. “Okay, show’s over—“

Zero threw the staff away and ran after it. Shinichi’s eyes widened.

“Hey, Zero!” came Shinichi’s voice.

The devourer was faster and had longer limbs, each stride of it creating a lot of distance between them. Out of view from Shinichi and the students, Zero was about to pull out the big guns.

Hidden beneath her baggy pants and carefully tucked on the band of her panties, she took a tiny pistol out. Her fingers curled on the unfamiliar object, her knowledge of how it works only from movies, she didn’t even know if it was loaded. She cocked it—or she believed she did—and aimed with one eye closed.

At the trigger, it released an explosive noise—Zero flinched, not expecting it—leaving a trail of smoke at its wake. The bullet bore into the devourer’s hamstring, red mist dissipating from the wound. The speeding devourer lost its balance, falling onto its side, and with the speed it went, it was sent spinning wildly with no control of its body, a scream accompanying its tumble.

“Yes! The bullet’s actually enhanced!” rejoiced Zero.

“Isn’t that—” a heavy breathe interrupted. “Isn’t that my gun?” she heard Shinichi’s panting voice at her left.

Zero almost tripped herself. She was solely focused on the devourer; she hadn’t noticed the rest of the group follow her. “Why are you all here!?” she shouted.

“This should be the path that’s heading to Zen Highway!” Nahashi answered, Irish settled on her back in a piggyback.

“You think we’ll all just stay and wait at an area that’s near a two-way gate?” hissed Shinichi. Despite being out of breath, he still had the energy to be snarky. "And why the fuck is my gun on you?"

“Let me finish this one off first!” said Zero. “I’ll be keeping the gun as well. Thanks.”