The ground under their feet quaked as the Otherworlder and Clementine rushed deeper into the forest. The pebbles trembled while the trees swayed violently.

Another loud shout emerged from the closing in siege monster. The Otherworlder sent a fleeting gaze backward just to see the very water of the stream be pushed back from the shockwave.

"Run, run!!" Clementine pulled the Otherworlder when he suddenly pulled her back to a stop.

"Wait! Jamie is still here, I can't leave her alone!"

"What? You're girlfriend's around? Can't she fend for herself?" Clementine quipped back.

"Of course not!" This time, the Otherworlder grabbed Clementine's hand and dragged her to the southeast, closer to the sounds than she was comfortable with.

They trampled over the leaves and ran over the roots as fast as they could.

"Jump!" the Otherworlder shouted as he lept over an outgrowing root of a tree. Clementine, still pulled by the hand, jumped right behind him—

-CRASH!

—When a sword impaled into a tree, a mere few centimeters above her head.

"AHH! What the fuck is that!?" Clementine landed back down and sprinted again. Her white face had gone purple in fear as her mouth and eyes opened as wide as they could. She overtook the Otherworlder and ended up leading him by the arm as they continued to run.

All around them, swords of all kinds rose from the ground and floated mid-air!

"Spirits? Poltergeist? Ghosts?!?" the Otherworlder was baffled. "That lying neigh-heigh motherfucker! This forest is dangerous!"

Clementine's eyes grew even wider! "Ahh, you met that horsey!"

Their feet pushed against the ground as the Otherworlder and Clementine pushed against the ground to go far and far ahead. Soon, the glinting beautiful frame of Barley Jamieson entered their sights.

"Jamie!" the Otherworlder shouted, overtaking Clementine once more.

"Your girlfriend was a motorcycle?!"

The Otherworlder jumped right towards Barley and hopped right on. He pulled out a key from his pocket and turned them, kicking her engine to a start.

"Get on, get on!"

"No wa—"

"—TROLLLL!!!!"

With the siege monster's scream as the push she needed, Clementine let go of all hesitation and jumped on the bike like a child on a trampoline.

"Go! Go! Go! Go!"

┈ ┈ ┈ ⋞ ⟨ ⏣ ⟩ ⋟ ┈ ┈ ┈

Back in the camp that Clementine had left, the trembling air carried along with the shouts of the siege monster right into the ears of the hero, the saintess, and the two princesses.

They rushed out of their tents in a panic when the earth itself trembled from the pressure.

"What-what is going on?" Ettie screamed out loud as she looked around the forest.

"Wait, did you just come out of Lucas' tent?"

"Hm? Hm?"

Rinia and Minia went off on a tangent as they saw Ettie come out with Lucas in her nightwear, completely ignoring the situation at hand.

"Ah! That is... not important!" Ettie answered back.

"Not important? You wench you make a move while we weren't looking?! I hope a sword falls on you from the sky!"

"Hm! Hm!"

A sharp glint reflected in the air as a sword suddenly dropped from the sky! The thick metal blade cut past the trees and made its way right towards Ettie's very attractive visage when another blade blocked it.

Lucas hit the falling blade with his own and scanned his surroundings in a rush. "Huh, is this a midnight event? Is the power of this forest's boss like this?"

He mumbled on, without any armor, his brown hair and charming face sent out glitters with each movement.

"A blade or two won't be enough to hurt any of you." Lucas placed a hand on his chest and said. "Not while I am here!"

Right then, more swords floated up from the ground. One, two, ten, a couple of dozen of swords floated up from the ground and pointed right at them.

"Ok, maybe now," Lucas put his sword the sheath tied to his back.

"RUN!"

He screamed as he sprinted ahead! Stammering on their words, Ettie and the twin princesses also took a stance and high-tailed it right behind the hero.

The blades all around them came crashing towards them from all directions!

A jump, a roll, a parry! Lucas and the rest of his team ran around with stretched faces as they dodged the swords, pulling out all the talent for acrobatics stored deep within their genes.

"Fuck! Someone stop these swords!!" Rinia shouted out loud. "Wait! Clementine! She can stop them!"

"Huh?" Ettie's eyes widened when realization hit her. "W-where's Clementine?"

"Who cares!" Lucas shouted right back! He ducked to the ground as a sword went right above him, then he jumped up and let a sword pass below him. "Forget that bitch, just run!"

With no other choices, the rest of them continued to run behind Lucas, they streaked through the forest, running from one tree to another.

A flash of light appeared in front of them. Maybe it was a clearing! Lucas picked up pace and rushed right ahead, reaching the part where the trees ended.

His feet dug into the ground as he came to a stop. The path ended in front of him as a wide stream divided the forest.

-Thud!

Ettie crashed right into his back, making him stumble ahead.

-Thud!

Rinia crashed behind Ettie. Lucas flailed his hands he was pushed even further ahead!

-Thud!

With Minia coming in as the finisher, Lucas was pushed again.

"Aaah!"

Lucas splashed right into the water, his whole body going in for a trust fall with complete faith in the stream. He immediately contracted his hands and feet into a ball as three more swords dived in behind him.

Dodging the weapons with the grace of an inch, Lucas pushed his head out of the water and took in a deep breath when the air came crashing into his face, almost pushing him back.

"ETROLLLLLL!!!"

It was right in front of them. Hovering above the ground.

The two-meter tall giant with a perfect hourglass figure, bulging up and down and contracting right in the middle. Its flaky brown body full of veiny blemishes and a crack running through its side. Two large googly eyes lay on the top while a pink crescent was stuck to its bottom.

A monster that looked so familiar yet so unbelievably strange.

Even the swords had stopped in place at the sight of the siege monster when it suddenly froze in place.

A small crack appeared below its eyes and took in the air around.

The monster sniffed the air and slowly turned around.

Lucas could only watch as the monster menacingly turned around and tilted its frame forwards.

"PETROL!!!!!" It screamed out loud and blasted ahead, leaving behind a giant sonic wave!

The air pressure launched the floating swords away and made the three ladies fall on their backs. Lucas crawled out of the stream with a terrified look as he unconsciously muttered.

"What was that...?"

Minia, the quiet member of the group answered back in a daze.

"Petroleum... Peanut."