VS Lion, Part 8

The sound of approaching footsteps occasionally stepping a branch had stopped. Moose slowly opened her eyes, which she had closed while she reminisced.

"How many times have we fought by now…?"

In front of her stood Lion with a furious expression as her mane was thrown into disarray and her body soiled with mud and vegetation. Moose knitted her brows at the "beastly" form of who was her friend who matched her in power.

"I never wished for our duels to be like this, but…"

Moose lightly averted her gaze from Lion. Seeing that, Lion swung her arms as if to split the sky, roaring.

"—Let's go."

Moose's rested eyes glared at Lion, glowing red. Lowering her stance, Moose raided her weapon while fixing her gaze on Lion.

"DERYAAAAAA!"

Her weapon in hands, Moose dashed while splattering mud. Not only was the power behind enough to send Lion flying, but it's speed was impressive as well.

"!"

Lion quivered and faltered witnessing such unexpected speed, but quickly regained her footing and clashed. She dodged the weapon's antlers with her flexible body and vigorously swung her claws. Moose blocked the blow by slamming her arm against Lion's.

"Ngh!"

Moose deflected it, pushing Lion back. She then relentlessly assaulted the staggered and tottering Lion.

She swung wide with her antlers. Lion crossed her arms in front of her face, preparing to guard. She took Moose's strike, and while she did slide back on the muddy soil, since she was in a defensive stance, she wasn't sent flying like last time. Her golden eyes peered from underneath her scarred red arms which took the blow.

"So you still had some reason left over to block with your hands, huh…? So she hasn't completely turned into a beast. How troublesome."

While spinning her antlers and adjusting her stance, Moose laughed fearlessly.

…

"Pretty cool, no…?"

"Yeah."

The air trembled with every clash, with two kinds of Sandstar being spread about. Kaban and Serval were completely taken aback witnessing the showdown between two matched opponents.

"…"

Kaban had previously witnessed the two duel before. It was during the battle in the Plains Area. During that great war. She couldn't interfere with such breathtakingly ferocious offense and defense, but she watched it with fascination.

However, this fight is something completely different. They weren't clashing with rolled up paper posters, but with the flesh of their bodies. They weren't going for the balloons stuck to their vital spots, but for each other's lives. Kaban's balled up hands clenched stronger as she anticipated the result of the fight.

…

'There's one thing that I'd like for you to be careful of. …Under no circumstances can you allow yourself to get injured.' While handling Lion's claws with her antlers, Moose thought back to Kaban's words from before the battle. 'Because of the black Sandstar that Lion-san has taken in, she's now in a state of "Instinctive Frenzy". …If you get injured, then your body will absorb that black Sandstar, putting you in the same state as Lion-san.'

"Quite frightening…!"

Her eyes were bloodshot. They glew with her Wild Release. She attacked fiercely without mercy. Thinking about how the smallest mistake could turn her into that, sweat ran down her hands and onto her weapon.

'...Lion-san isn't doing that of her own volition. She's actually still the same kind person. —If possible, then I'd like not only for you, but also for Lion-san to be uninjured.'

Hearing that Lion isn't sane made Moose a little relieved, even if she was mad at the unknown perpetrator of the Park's incident. That's because it made her realize that she didn't hurt and abandon her friends on her own accord. However—

(Forgive me, Kaban… But fulfilling your request is… A bit difficult…!)

Having brought her hands overhead, Lion swung them both down. Many sharp claws were approaching. Moose extended her arms and stopped the attack with the handle of her weapon.

She was her important friend. She wanted to finish this without injuring her. —However, she wasn't an opponent that she could defeat while going easy on. She had to fight back with all of her might, or she'll be the one injured. She had to protect those two.

"GRRRRRRR…!"

While Moose's weapon and the claws were locked, Lion's sight was directed towards what was behind Moose. —She was still aiming for her previous prey. Kaban gulped. They probably should've left this place to Moose and leave. However—

Kaban grasped the Lucky Beast Belt and Amulet Stone in her pants' pockets for reassurance.

"What a stupid thing, to be looking away during battle!"

Moose blew Lion away, as the latter glared at those two rather than herself. Rather than pushing her away with her weapon which was blocking the claws, Moose deliberately bent her arms to pull her in. Lion stumbled, staggering towards Moose. Matching the rhythm, Moose bent backwards and vigorously swung her head.

THUMP*

She headbutted with the strength of her whole body. The heavy sound reverberated about, causing Serval, who was lying down next to Kaban, to involuntarily gasp.

"Gah…!"

Lion was reeling. Moose briefly straightened her head.

"HAAAAAAAAAH!"

A singular shadow came in like the wind. It put it's whole vigor into a punch, driving it into the side of Lion's chest, where she hadn't healed yet.

"...!"

Being unable to withstand the pain, Lion finally fell to her knees. However, sensing the threat of Lion not giving up on her pursuit, the shadow darted back, running up to the others as they were surprised from the unexpected intruder's sudden appearance.

"You're safe, seems like…!"

"African Wild Dog!"

"African Wild Dog-san!"

The intruder, whose plain hands were oozing Sandstar, turned out to be African Wild Dog, who should've been at the Library. She was carrying Kaban's bag on her back, which was left by Kaban at the Library. African Wild Dog took off the bag and, with a somewhat displeased look on her face, walked up to Kaban and Serval and thrusted the bag towards them.

"There're a whole bunch of questions I want to ask… Like 'why are you in a place like this?' or 'what are you even doing?', but… I'll leave it for later… For when we return to the Library."

Not waiting for their answer, African Wild Dog turned on her heel and lined up next to Moose.

"And you are?"

"Cellien Hunter, African Wild Dog. Offering support." Replied African Wild Dog, clenching her fists while glaring back at Lion, who was breathing heavily on her knees.

"Ah… I've heard a few things about you hunters. I wanted to challenge them to a duel to see how strong those who fight Celliens everyday are."

"H-Huh…!? Now's not the time for this sort of talk!" African Wild Dog didn't divert her attention from Lion, even when she was confused by Moose, acting at her own pace. "A-Anyway, we've got to take care of Lion. …I'm great at cooperation, so if you tell me the strategy, I'll act accordingly."

"Strategy… Strategy…" After a brief moment of thinking, Moose stabbed her weapon into the ground and answered wholeheartedly. "—We're charging in, taking care to not get injured!"

A short silence followed after. Taking a brief respite, African Wild Dog tightly clenched her fists.

"…Understood."

Hello, this is PoGu. Wao, African Wild Dog is back! Also, I was sick last week, so sorry for the delay.

Anyway, since FF doesn't like any kind of link anywhere, I'll instead leave directions on how to find the original work.

First method is to search for "「けもの」の本能" and find the link that leads you to a Japanese site called "kakuyomu".

Alternatively, you can go to the kakuyomu site and add "/works/1177354054882921926" to the domain.