Each step felt heavier than the last, it was as if he was lifting a ton on his shoulders, the ache in his ribs not making things any easier.

Axel looked around, tree sprawling all around, nothing familiar, he was tired, exhausted, thirsty and hunger was quickly settling in.

The raw rabbit meat, the fruits around suddenly looking appetizing, I should have taken at least a bar with me, he regretted his decision of leaving the cave unprepared.

Fortunately he had not encountered any monstrosity that wanted to kill him since he left the crater, that was the good news, the bad news was he didn't find any sign of water and as if that wasn't bad enough, he had miscalculated and ended up lost, the location of the cave completely eluding him.

He had been searching for awhile now, what felt like a day, yet no sign of the damn cave, the only good thing so far was he was able to use the red crystal to recover.

It seemed it had a time limit to use, or perhaps he had a limit to the amount he could absorb per a set amount of time, but after the rest he could use it, unlike the blue crystal.

It helped but not enough, at most it could keep him alive and conscious.

The motivation to get back to the cave, those eggs waiting for him, the liquid to perch his thirst and the food, were what made each step feel like it was worth it, but now…

Axel knelt on the forest floor, he felt like crying, yet there was no water to waste as tears, he looked up, the leaves of trees watching over him, above them the purple miasma enveloping the whole place.

"Please if there be any gods, hear me out, I know I am not exactly a believer or been good, but please, please, just help me, I don't want to die here, at least even if I was to die, it should be on a comfortable bed."

"Not like this," he continued, "please, Buddha, Allah, Jesus, Zeus…" he paused as if waiting for a response.

"Devil," he whispered, perhaps that guy would hear him, "I will give anything you want," he added.

But well there was no response, just the sounds of the jungle, which at this point sounded like it was mocking him.

"Fine," he looked at a tree, specifically it's multicolored curved fruits, kind of like a banana mixed with a rainbow.

Since this is what y'all want, what was I even thinking, expecting help from some God, even the devil refused to help me huh.

Axel stood up, approaching the fruit, the tree was pretty short with big red leaves covering it, looking too heavy for the stem, dragging it down.

Its fruit were almost lying on the ground, almost like they were inviting you to come take a bite, most likely a trap, but he didn't care at this point.

Either you kill me or I take your fruit, he steeled his resolve as his stomach grumbled, approaching the tree, eyes sparkling, focused on the fruit.

But before Axel touched the fruit he paused, he looked down at the ground below, recognition dawned on his face, it was familiar, too familiar, not to mention red leaves, his eyes narrowed, wasn't that what covered the cave, hope rising like fire within him.

Axel warily went around the tree, dropping down from the height, and it was indeed the cave.

He knelt down in front of the cave, a crazed smile on his face, eyes glistening.

"Oh sweet cave, I'd never complain again, never ever," he bowed in front of the cave.

"Good thing I didn't give up, my perseverance paid off," he added as he stood up, forgetting his prayers and the fact that a few minutes ago he had almost given in, but it was almost so yeah.

Axel stood up, ready to dash into the cave, but he froze, as he heard a snap behind him.

He made a sharp turn, eyes widening with fear and shock, a familiar grin revealing blood soaked canines, two tusks at the side adding to the menacing figure, two big eyes staring back at him.

The bolf, it had caught up, but how, all my effort, Axel gulped hard in fear and disbelief, the rabbit dropping to the ground from his shoulder.

The monster didn't move, it's gaze locked on Axel, it's expression relaxed, like it was enjoying this, like Axel was already done for.

Perhaps I am, he thought, the tense silence lingering in the air, a chill travelling up his spine, even though the bolf wasn't doing anything, just staring at him.

Axel slowly reached for the sheathed Gishiki while warily taking a step away from the caves entrance, ready for any sudden movement, but the bolf didn't move, it just stared with what Axel assumed was an amused expression.

As Axel finally drew the katana, jumping back, creating distance between them, the bolf finally moved, leaning back, it's muscle taut, then it jumped.

Sh*t Axel cursed as the bolf was already upon him, covering the distance between them with one leap, he dashed to the side, the bolf totally missing him, crashing into a tree.

Axel rolled into recovery, but the bolf wasn't coming after him, it just thrashed around, the way a dog played with a ball.

He realized something, the bolf was absolutely not taking him serious.

The monster stood up, watched Axel stepping back warily, that grin on its face, then when the distance was enough it leapt again, slowly, as if giving him time to dodge.

And Axel did, then it thrashed around and attacked again, this time rather than leaping a distance away, Axel dashed to the side, refusing to continue being it's plaything.

He dodged, sliding beneath the bolf, then he brought the katana down on the creatures leg, aiming to at least injure it.

Axel jaw tightened as he pushed the sword down, his muscles straining, trying to decapitate the leg, but the resistance was too much, he couldn't even get past the spiky rock like hair.

The creature flicked it's leg, throwing Axel away, slamming against a tree, blood spilling out of his mouth.

But Axel cleaned the blood, perhaps due to the bolf not taking him serious or due to his physical condition, he didn't feel the pain as much as before, unbeknownst to him he was changing, getting stronger.

The creature looked at Axel, then it's red tongue slowly slid out of its mouth, almost mocking, the smell of something putrid spreading as it licked where Axel struck, a small gash at the spot.

Axel gritted his teeth in anger, his lips twitching, brows snapped together, after what he'd gone through the past days, the irritation, the pain, the anger, all of it combining.

The bolf's action combining to it all, an uncontrollable the boiling over, and all of a sudden, the bolf was his ultimate enemy.

"First Dezon, then that damned snake, the rabbit, for the past week everything has been trying to kill me, I haven't had a proper rest, living on the edge, yet you," Axel growled as he stood up.

"You won't even try to kill me properly, using me like a plaything," he pointed the Gishiki at the bolf, a maniacal grin spreading on his face.

"Well now you've done it," He gripped the Gishiki tightly, " I'm pissed, and for that, I've decided to kill you," he roared, as he dashed towards the bolf this time.

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