The ground trembled as the trees at the other side of the river fell down, giving passage for a gigantic lizard-demon that stopped with its forward claws digging into the riverbed, staring at both Sazume and Kumari with extreme angry.
“You! What have you done to my progeny?”
Kumari and Sazume stepped back at the sight of such an intimidating monster.
“Heh… You two are no more than puppies,” the monster said, smelling the two. “A dog-demon and a bear-demon.”
“Bear? That’s his race?” Sazume was surprised by the revelation.
“You will make a good meal, little bear. The girl is too skinny, but smells nice… I think she will make a good dessert!”
“I don’t think you will get a chance to taste her, demon!” Kumari provoked the monster while thrusting his sword into the ground. “I assure you, I won’t be easy to digest!”
Growling in anger, Kumari assumed his true form, inherited from his grandfather: a huge brown bear, not as big as the enemy presented to them, but still bigger than most demons. Kumari charged directly at the lizard’s head, and grappled with it, trying to keep its mouth shut.
“Kumari, don’t do this,” Sazume protested, running into the fight.
“Run, my Lady!” he begged. He hoped to earn her some time to escape, seeing that neither was match for that enemy, but she insisted on helping him.
Sazume was a dog-demon, and knew well how to hunt. She took advantage of the fact that Kumari seemed to be having success in constraining the big lizard against the ground, and went around the monster, jumping from one tree to another. As soon as she had a good angle, she jumped onto the prey’s neck.
However, the demon they were facing was much older than both of them, and it had already survived many hunts. It was only pretending to be trapped by Kumari’s strength. When Sazume was already airborne, the lizard waved its head vigorously, making Kumari lose the floor under his feet, hitting Sazume with his own body. The girl was thrown away, and hit the ground between some nearby trees.
Shortly after, the lizard released itself from Kumari’s grapple and jumped over him, pressing him against the ground. Its bite was strong and made Kumari scream out loud in pain when he felt the sharp teeth going through his shoulder. Then the lizard slung him away, making him land right next Sazume, already reverting to his original form due to the absurd amount of injuries he had suffered.
“Kumari!” Sazume ran to help him, but the lizard-demon didn’t intend to let them live for long.
The monster charged at them, willing to swallow them both in just one bite. Angered by seeing Kumari injured because of her stunt, Sazume prepared on the poisonous whip at the tip of her fingers, which she inherited from her father, and slashed the lizard’s face, forcing it to stop its advance. The demon roared in pain, and she hit it again, knowing she couldn’t hold it forever.
However, salvation appeared from the forest around them.
