The forest was silent, except for the soft rustle of leaves as Ryu and I moved cautiously through the thick undergrowth. 

The sunlight barely filtered through the canopy above, casting long shadows on the path ahead. 

My pulse quickened as I unfolded the piece of paper in my hand, scanning the details of our assignment.

"According to this."

 I whispered, keeping my voice low. 

"There were several rank 5 beasts herding together in a pack. They made it a rank 4 assignment because of the numbers."

Ryu, a few steps ahead, slowed down, glancing back at me with a raised brow. 

"A pack of rank 5s?"

 His voice was calm, but I could hear the edge to it. 

"That’s rare. They don’t usually hunt together."

"Yeah, that’s what makes this dangerous/"

 I replied, folding the paper back and stuffing it into my pouch. 

"Last sighting was... right around here." 

I gestured toward the clearing just ahead, the trees giving way to a wide-open space filled with uneven ground and jagged rocks.

And then I saw them.

Four creatures at the far edge of the clearing. 

They stood low to the ground, their muscular legs built for speed, talons digging into the snow. 

Their bodies were sleek and scaled, with long tails that ended in clusters of sharp crystal spikes. 

[Vultors.]

I gripped my rifle tighter, my heart pounding in my chest. 

I had read about these creatures in the report. 

Their tails weren’t just for balance—those spikes could shoot out like projectiles, fast enough to shred through armor.

"Ryu."

 I whispered. 

"look at their tails. Those spikes—they fire shards. If they swing those things at us, we’re done."

Ryu’s gaze was fixed on the creatures, his face as calm as ever. 

He reached for his sickle, the blade catching the light as he readied it. 

"And there are four of them. Perfect."

I couldn’t help but smirk at his sarcasm, though the tension in my chest hadn’t lessened. 

"We need to split them up."

 I said, more to myself than to him. 

"If we let them gang up on us, we’re screwed."

He gave a small nod, eyes never leaving the Vultors. 

"You think your rifle can handle them from a distance?"

I took a deep breath, feeling the familiar weight of my weapon in my hands. 

"If the modifications hold up, yeah. I’ll need to aim for the weak spots—their eyes, joints. I’ve increased the range, so I don’t have to get too close. But... I can’t miss."

“Then don’t miss.” 

Ryu’s voice cut through the air, sharp and unapologetic.

I shot him a glare.

“You’re such an asshole.”

But before I could even get another word out, he was already moving.

 In one swift motion, he gripped his sickle and darted towards the closest Vultor, his body a blur of speed.

 His blade slashed across its leg, tearing through its scaly hide with precision.

 The beast shrieked, crashing to the ground, its enormous form thrashing in the dirt.

Three more.

I barely had time to think. 

One of the Vultors turned its spiky tail in Ryu’s direction, preparing to launch a barrage of crystal shards. 

Its eyes gleamed with feral intent, but Ryu, ever calm, mumbled under his breath. 

“Gotcha…”

I didn't hesitate. 

Pulling the rifle to my shoulder, I steadied my breath. 

The modifications had to work. 

There was no room for error. 

My finger squeezed the trigger.

The shard shot from the barrel, cutting through the air in a blink.

 Time seemed to slow as it sailed toward the beast. 

The crack of the rifle echoed through the clearing, and the shard buried itself deep into the Vultor’s skull. 

Blood splattered in all directions, and the creature collapsed instantly, crumpling to the ground.

I didn’t have time to revel in the success. 

The other three Vultors hissed, enraged, as they shifted their attention toward us.

“One down…” I muttered under my breath, already preparing for the next shot.

Ryu didn’t even flinch as the lifeless Vultor crashed in front of him. 

“Not bad.” 

he said, sidestepping the beast’s corpse, eyes locked on the next target. 

His movements were fluid, almost graceful, as he readied himself for the next strike.

But the Vultors weren’t going to make it easy. 

One of them swung its spiked tail, the crystals gleaming dangerously in the sunlight. I had to think fast. 

I scanned the beasts, looking for an opening—something, anything to exploit. 

Their tails were deadly, but their movements were predictable, slow.

The Vultors weren’t going to make it easy.

One of them swung its spiked tail, the crystals glinting menacingly in the sunlight. 

I barely had time to shout a warning before Ryu dodged, but not fast enough. 

One of the shards grazed his side, tearing through his shirt and drawing a line of blood.

He hissed in pain but didn’t falter, his hand instinctively pressing against the wound.

“Damn it…” 

I muttered, watching the Vultors regroup. 

We couldn’t afford to get sloppy now.

I bolted forward, adrenaline kicking in as I reached for my rifle. 

My fingers found the hidden compartment near the chamber. 

I quickly pulled it open, revealing several crystal shards. 

Without hesitating, I grabbed one, its cold surface smooth against my fingers, and loaded it into the rifle.

The world narrowed to the target ahead, everything else fading. 

I ran forward, eyes locked on the closest Vultor as it snarled and charged. 

My breath came in steady, calculated bursts. The shot had to be perfect.

As I moved, I aimed, feeling the familiar weight of the rifle. My heart pounded as I squeezed the trigger.

The shard fired with a sharp crack, embedding itself deep into the creature’s leg.

 It roared in agony, stumbling as its massive body struggled to keep balance. 

Blood sprayed from the wound, staining the grass below. 

But there was no time to celebrate the hit. 

The second Vultor was already swinging its tail directly at me.

Instinct kicked in.

I dropped low, sliding beneath the rain of crystals that shot from the tail. 

The ground blurred beneath me as shards embedded themselves in the earth where I’d just been standing. 

The rush of near-death set my nerves on fire, but I pushed through, gritting my teeth.

As I rolled to my feet, the scene around me faded, replaced by a memory—a moment from just days ago.

Ryu and I had been wandering through a shop in Valenor, its walls lined with weapons of all shapes and sizes. 

Ryu had been on the hunt for a new sickle, running his fingers along the handles of different blades, testing their weight in his hand.

“You’re being picky…”

 I’d teased, leaning against a wooden beam. 

The smell of leather and metal filled the air, the soft glow of lanterns casting a warm light on the shelves.

He shrugged. 

“I’m not just grabbing the first one I see. It has to feel right.”

As he continued browsing, my eyes had fallen on a dagger sitting on a display case. 

It wasn’t large or particularly eye-catching, but something about it had drawn me closer. 

The blade was sleek, curved slightly, with a handle wrapped in dark leather. 

Simple, but sharp.

 Reliable.

I reached out, running my fingers along the edge, but then pulled back.

 I didn’t need another weapon, not when I had my rifle.

 I was never supposed to get that close.

“Thinkin’ about it?”

 Ryu’s voice had startled me from my thoughts.

I shook my head. 

“No point.”

Ryu snorted, picking up a sickle and giving it a test swing.

 “You say that now. But you never know when you might have to get close. You’ve seen what these beasts are like. They don’t always give you space.”

I hesitated, glancing back at the dagger. 

“I don’t know…”

He stepped over, tapping the blade. 

“You should take it. You’re fast, but sometimes that rifle won’t be enough. Trust me. Better to have it and not need it than the other way around.”

I’d frowned at him but picked up the dagger, feeling its weight in my hand. 

Light, balanced.

Easy to carry.

“Fine…” 

I’d muttered, tucking it into my belt. 

“But if I ever need this, it means things have gone very, very wrong.”

I reached for the dagger strapped to my belt, gripping the hilt tight.

The Vultor reared back, prepared to strike again, but I was faster. 

I lunged upward, driving the blade deep into its body. 

The creature howled, its shriek deafening as the blade sank into its side.

I held on, using the momentum to slide down its body, the dagger carving a long, brutal wound as I descended. 

Blood gushed from the gash, spraying across my face and chest, hot and thick. 

My fingers slipped from the hilt as I hit the ground, but the damage was done.

The Vultor's massive frame collapsed beside me, its thrashing growing weaker as the life drained from it.

Before I could catch my breath, I saw movement in the corner of my eye.

 Ryu was already back on his feet, his movements swift and precise despite the blood soaking his side.

 Without hesitation, he grabbed his sickle and, in one smooth motion, hurled it through the air.

The blade spun like a deadly blur, whistling through the clearing before embedding itself deep into the skull of the next Vultor. 

The creature barely had time to screech before it collapsed, its body going limp as it crumpled to the ground in a lifeless heap.

Three down. 

One more to go.

I dropped to one knee, adrenaline surging through me as I reached for my rifle. 

My fingers worked fast, opening the compartment again and grabbing another shard. 

The last Vultor was circling, its eyes locked on me with deadly intent. 

I loaded the shard, the familiar click echoing in my ears as I locked it into place.

No time to hesitate. 

No time to miss.

I steadied my aim, my breathing slowing as I focused

. The Vultor lunged forward, its spiked tail raised, ready to strike. 

But I was faster.

I fired.

The shard shot through the air, a blur of light and energy.

 It struck the Vultor in the throat, the impact tearing through its flesh with a sickening crunch. 

The creature stumbled, its roar turning into a gurgle as blood spurted from the wound. 

It swayed for a moment, then collapsed, its body hitting the ground with a dull thud.

Silence fell over the clearing, broken only by the sound of my heavy breathing.

 I stood slowly, wiping the sweat and blood from my face, my heart still pounding.

It swayed for a moment, then collapsed, its body hitting the ground with a dull thud. 

Silence fell over the clearing, broken only by the sound of my heavy breathing. 

I stood slowly, wiping the sweat and blood from my face, my heart still pounding, my body feeling the weight of the battle.

Ryu approached from behind, his footsteps crunching softly against the earth. 

He stood next to me, looking over the fallen Vultors.

“That it?”

 he asked, his voice calm as ever, as if we hadn’t just faced down a pack of rank 5s.

I exhaled slowly, nodding. 

“Yeah. That’s it.”

He glanced at me, then back at the lifeless bodies strewn across the clearing.

 “Alright then. Let’s gather them up and head back.”