Sakura closed her eyes, focusing very hard. She was trying to call to her any animals that were awake tonight. She hated risking their lives, but they needed allies. Behind the the circle of wagons, the last defense, men, women, and children huddled together. Under orders to remain beside the wagons, Jazpeer, Moegi, Cally, and herself waited for a chance to fight the Grimm. Her parents, aunt, and uncle pounded on the Aswang from four different directions working together, understanding each other through a look or gesture. Four individuals, melded into the perfect team.
"Take that you mongrel," Pecan slammed her club down on the Grimm.
It screamed, grabbing at her with its long sable fingers. Ao leapt forward, slicing off its arm with his short sword. Midori fired three arrows into its spider body, transforming her bow into its shotgun form and taking a blast at its head. Leafy twisted its other arm off with his hands. The Aswang writhed, regenerating just as quickly as the limbs were removed. It hissed stabbing at Ao with its dripping stinger. He blocked with his shield, rolling away. Vines began to crawl up the Grimm, but it shook them away too easily.
Brow furrowing, Midori rushed, unloading a magazine of electricity bullets into the creature. The Aswang surprisingly dodged, but not before the Huntress got in several good shots. They needed to find its weak spot, the only place Grimm like it could be killed. Blocking its savage bite at her arm, she whammed her shotgun at its head. One arm wrapped around her middle, throwing her away. She hit the wagons, sliding woozily to the ground.
"Mom!" Sakura slid to her side.
"Midori!" Ao called, glancing back at his wife.
"I'm alright!" Midori rubbed her head as she pushed herself up. "That darn creature took some of my good luck. I think it's time for you kids to join us."
"I've been waiting," Cally sounded relieved.
Moegi and Jazpeer nodded, it was difficult waiting at the sidelines. Midori got up, brushing herself off and grabbing her weapon. "You kids take all the good luck you need, don't let that monster get it."
"Yes ma'am," Sakura grinned, excited to have a chance to fight with her family and her team.
At that moment, a swarm of bats darted from the tree cover. They circled Sakura, making her almost invisible. She smiled, speaking with them quietly. The bats began to create a barrier between the fight and the wagons. Among the fight they would not only blind the Aswang, but those fighting it.
"Finally," Cally swung her boomerang. If she could get close enough to touch it, she could lite that monster up with a few explosions.
Moegi stuck close to her, aiming her shotgun at the beast. The Aswang snarled as she disappeared suddenly and it searched the dark night for its prey, the harder it looked the less noticeable Moegi became.
With two fast digging moles at her side, Sakura set out to protect them as they dug holes to trap the Aswang's legs in.
Jazpeer drew his sword. The night was his time to fight and over the semester he had gradually accepted his semblance with some persuasion from Cloud. Darkness curled thickly around the Aswang's eyes, blinding it
Team Jasper joined in the fight, striking blows interlacing themselves between Team Maple. Unable to stand the constant beating, the Aswang retreated to the safety of the trees, its spider body working furiously to take down some of its opponents. Poison dripped from its stinger as it aimed at Cally.
Moegi reappeared, spraying the Aswang with bullets. Ao slammed his shield into its upper body, stabbing his sword through its head. Its spidery legs sunk suddenly into the ground, thanks to the moles. Pecan slammed her club down on its necklike body between its head and spider body. Cally activated her scythe, slicing off a few of its legs. Leafy held its hands captive while Sakura buried her twin katanas into its spider body.
"Cut off its head," Ao instructed Jazpeer.
Nodding, Jazpeer raised his sword, severing its head from its body. It lay still and everyone relaxed. It was finally dead.
"We need to gather everyone," Ao straightened as the body began to dissipate. "I doubt anyone will want to stay the night and we may have attracted more Grimm to this area. Fear is running high among the villagers and I don't want to run into a pack of Grimm.
The others nodded gravely. Ao went back to the wagons, trying to calm everyone down. One hysterical young woman screeched at him.
"It isn't dead! You can't kill it without fire! Its not dead!" she screamed over and over again.
"That's just the myth," Ao said calmly. "We just killed it. It's Grimm, it isn't immortal."
Sakura turned, looking at the area where the body had been. It had all disappeared into dissolving shadows. Nothing to worry about, she told herself, but chills laced up her arms. She grabbed the medical kit and approached Jazpeer, who was just a few steps away.
"Are you alright?" she asked, inspecting him in the pale light.
"Just fine," Jazpeer shrugged. "We weren't in the fight long enough to get hurt…" He trailed off, looking up in surprise as Sakura gasped lightly. "Sakura?" he stood up quickly.
She stood a few feet in front of him, her back to a tree. Her eyes were wide and Jazpeer drew his sword, knowing the look in her eyes. Pain. He caught her as she fell against him. Shouting for help, he dragged her away. Sliding out of the tree, the Aswang shrieked. Ao and Midori reached him first, the latter taking Sakura from him the former fighting back the Grimm. Furious, Jazpeer spun to face the monster as it fought against Ao, Pecan, and Leafy.
"You two take care of Sakura," Midori instructed, as Cally and Moegi ran up. "We need to kill this beast." She loaded a magazine of fire dust bullets. "Maybe its a myth, maybe not," she muttered an even more dangerous fire in her eyes.
The bats Sakura released came back, attacking the Aswang with a fury only outmatched by her teammates and family. The moles began digging, the creature's spidery legs narrowly avoiding long tunnels meant to trap them. Two wolves sprang out of the forest, jumping on the Grimm.
Though all the animals were attacking the Aswang they were also inhibiting the huntsmen and huntresses. Pecan used her club to brace herself as she pulled her foot from one of the holes. Midori struggled to see to shoot and Ao couldn't attack with the bats and wolves in the way. They fell back, warily watching the animals attack. The Aswang threw off their attacks, but as more nocturnal animals joined the fray, it began to weaken again. Midori aimed carefully, spraying the monster with fire.
Screaming the Aswang burned away, the animals fleeing from the flames, forming a protective barrier in-between it and Sakura. It burned to ash, blowing away in the wind. The animals remained.
"Leafy, keep watch to make sure it doesn't come back," Ao ordered, rushing over to his daughter.
"You've overexerted yourself," Jazpeer sighed, kneeling down beside Sakura.
She was pale and shaking. Cally and Moegi had rolled her to her side, bandaging a deep wound running across her back.
"We did our best," Cally looked scared. "But it's poisoned."
Midori cradled her daughter's head, "We are still two days away from the pick up site."
"She'll make it," Ao said after a moment. "She has to."
He cleared space in a wagon for her to ride in. Everyone was on guard duty around the wagons as they rolled forward except for Sakura and one person riding with her to change the bandages and keep her cool. Already she was tossing and turning, deep into a poison induced fever. Jazpeer walked beside the wagon, watching for the Aswang in case it returned. Glancing over the wooden side, he stared at Sakura's ghostly face, beads of sweat rolling down her forehead, chills shaking her small body.
"Don't you dare die," he murmured softly.
Next is Team Opera!