His legs suddenly twitched from the instinct to run as fast as he possibly could. Vincent prepped his legs to spring forward, then he swiftly slid like an arrow on the red grass with his fists clenched, ready to strike its leg. The Demonic Beast was about to throw a punch at Lupa when it suddenly lost its stability and falling to the side. The back of its knee was hit with enough force to cause its body to lose balance. Before the rescue slide happened and the Demonic Beast began losing its balance, Lupa felt the dread of death while she was falling. She twisted her body to find escape and planted her claws in the massive tree while Vincent slid on the red grass to save her. Lupa frowned in pain while her body dragged for half a meter until coming to a halt. However, her body arrived at a striking distance. Lupa quickly turned her gaze to the Demonic Beast with worry, but her brows soon raised in surprise when she saw the Demonic Beast falling to the side. Lupa contorted her face from the pain. A claw from her finger got torn, stuck on the tree trunk. The emergency stop had its painful risks. But at least, she was still alive. The Demonic Beast swiftly shoved his tail in the ground allowing it to regain balance by using its tail as a second leg. Kass felt like he couldn't continue fighting anymore from the pain and tiredness. He clenched the shields wrapped around his fists and mumbled, "I'm coming to see you, my beloved." Kass rushed at the Demonic Beast with all the strength he had remaining. He wanted to end the fight while the Demonic Beast focused on Lupa and something else. Vincent understood what was happening in these few long seconds while sliding on the red grass. He swiftly shoved his hands down and dug his fingers deep in the ground until he stopped. Vincent could see Kass brimming with the resolve of a final attack from that short glimpse. The old swole Kass was ready to die to take revenge and save his niece in what it seemed a reckless unguarded charge. *Thud Kass was at striking distance. He tried to deliver a powerful straight, but something stole his balance before he landed the hit. He stepped on something soft and slipped on his back. Kass raised his head and noticed he stepped on a banana, but that was the least of his worries as the Demonic Beast had its eyes locked on him with a furious murderous glare. *ROAR! The Demonic Beast emitted a vicious and ferocious roar filled with killing intent. The Demonic Beast quickly grabbed his foot with one arm and lifted Kass from the ground. It was so quick that Kass didn't have time to stand up or move his exhausted old body. The Demonic Beast proceeded by brutally slamming Kass on the ground like a sack of potatoes multiple times. Vincent froze by this display of violent strength while Lupa shivered at what could have happened to her. The Demonic Beast then tossed Kass like a broken doll. He flew and rolled on the ground without a hint of waking up soon. Vincent moved his trembling green eyes on Kass to use Inspection on him. It's the only ability that can change his morale after use from the result. [Name] Kass [Condition] Critical Injury, Exhausted, Enraged, Upper Zerk Mode (-3:20), Crippled (Five broken ribs, broken left arm), Medium Bleeding, Unconscious [Class] Berserker Vincent suddenly felt the heavy feeling of hopelessness weighing on his shoulders. The only hope they had to win was now barely alive. [This is bad; the soldier is unconscious. It's you and Lupa now. A banana fell from the tree, we can... ] The Demonic Beast lifted the squished banana and ate it with a deep frown. It then approached Kass and lifted him, but the next scene shocked Vincent, Lupa, and Kazumi even further. The Demonic Beast viciously bit Kass on his swole wide neck. Blood gushed while the victim of the bite forcefully awoke from an unconscious state just to feel his strength leaving his body. Amongst the silence of Vincent and Lupa frozen in place, they heard Kass blurt out before passing away, "Save... Tula... " The Demonic Beast threw the lifeless Kass on the ground. It turned its gaze at Vincent, indicating he was the next target. Vincent became shocked to his core as he saw Kass lifelessly falling on the red grass. The person he fought with suddenly died. The feeling of watching Ester or Lupa dying before his eyes made him shiver from fright. There were already three corpses of recently killed soldiers a bit far from them. But this was his first time witnessing a person die before his eyes, and a person he knew at that. Vincent couldn't take it anymore and puked from the swirling emotions built up inside. The horrific scene was too much for his will alone to resist. [Stop puking and stay on guard! Your lives depend on it!] [Look up. Lupa is looking at you for instructions. Our only option is to fight, but all our lives are hanging by a thin thread.] Kazumi tried her best to support him with a level headed approach. She had an idea of what passed through his mind because she witnessed his life from the moment of birth. But the time for emotional thinking needed to stop, or it would be the end of them. Kasumi didn't feel the same emotions Vincent felt, allowing her to stay level headed in this deadly situation. As if her soul had experienced this kind of emotion before she died and became engraved in her soul. 'One dead person is enough.' She thought while trying to bring him to reality. A brutal fight for the survival of the fittest was in front of them. Every second and every action counted. [We need more bananas to distract the Demonic Beast. Tell Lupa to drop more.] Lupa was frightened by such brutality. She turned her gaze on Vincent for moral support, but she saw Vincent puke instead, painting a hopeless scene. Vincent abruptly stopped when the thoughts to protect Ester and Lupa rushed to his mind. The burst of protective emotion mustered his courage to stay alive. "Climb the tree and drop more yellow fruits. The banana that fell attracted its attention, so drop more." Vincent shouted the order to exploit the weakness the Demonic Beast displayed. Lupa placed all her trust in Vincent. She raised her gaze at the branches and painfully climbed the tree with her nine remaining claws. "Vincent, I'm finished!" Shouted Ester with a frozen horn in her hand. Ester immediately stopped as her eyes picked the swole soldier's corpse. The person who gave them hope lay on the ground with most of his body colored red. Ester gasped in shock. Her body trembled by the thought of death as her grip loosened, dropping the frozen horn on the ground. Lupa soon painfully approached a branch and began kicking with all she had. However, the Demonic Beast heard Lupa damaging its precious tree. Vincent had to grab its attention somehow. He quickly gazed around and noticed a rock the Demonic Beast threw. An idea sparked in his mind by this object on the ground. Vincent let out a loud whistle, echoing throughout the whole area and grabbing the Demonic Beast attention. When Vincent felt a heavy bloodlust stare, he grabbed the rock and slammed it on the ground. Vincent faced the Demonic Beast, and with a laugh, he started stomping the rock. The next time he turned his gaze at the Demonic Beast, the terrifying murderous glare locked on him increased to the point of causing him to stop. If glares could kill, then he would be dead. The agro was pulled, but the air around Vincent became heavier. He had a hard time breathing from the bloodlust's intensity directed at him. *ROAR! [I hope you have a backup plan because your taunt made you its target. Also, the bananas should start dropping soon.] The roaring Demonic Beast plucked two rocks from its back, holding one in each hand. Vincent had already tasted the power from one rock throw, but now two rocks were about to be thrown. "You won't double tap me!" Vincent regained his breathing as the will to survive somewhat suppressed the heavy bloodlust directed at him. Vincent raised his guard, ready to parry the rocks. Momentarily, the first rock shot headed at Vincent like a cannonball, ready for the kill. [Now!] Vincent moved like a game character following the player's instructions. He twisted his body, mitigating the impact of the first rock. But the force was more potent than he predicted. The parrying stance broke apart, sending his arms in the opposite direction. He parried the first rock by a hair, but he was unprepared for the second one. [The second rock is coming from the left side!] Vincent was left unguarded at the mercy of the second rock. He tried to tilt his body, but it was too late. The rock grazed his left shoulder as the second rock's accuracy wasn't on par with the first. The rock however slashed his shoulder like a sharp blade and opened a long wound. Green boiling blood erupted like a volcano along with a burst of green steam. Vincent suddenly fell unconscious on the ground for the third time. He blacked out from the unbearable pain shooting to his brain. Ester gasped at the horrific scene. On the other hand, Lupa furiously kicked the branch as if her life depended on it. However, no bananas wanted to fall; it seemed they were stuck and unable to fall. Lupa stopped kicking and walked on the branch to pluck and manually drop the fruits herself. *Vincent's Soul Domain [Vin...] [Vincent...] [Vincent! Wake up!] Kazumi used her Soul Visit ability to pull Vincent into his Soul Domain once again. Vincent opened his eyes but didn't feel any pain. His clothes were undamaged, and no wounds were on his body. It seemed the conscious of the soul projects the body as unhurt every time he enters inside the Soul Domain. Vincent soon noticed the black sky and a green warm ball of light floating next to him. He turned his gaze on Kazumi and said with a hopeless frown, "I don't know what we should do. It's like fighting in insanity difficulty mode, one hit and you're dead." [Don't think like that. The situation escalated too much to run away. So... ] [What do you wish to do? Who do you wish to protect? I don't mind dying with you, but the cycle will repeat. You will leave Ester and Lupa behind like how Kevin left you, Tessy and Trisha behind.]