Panther

At noon, in a certain part of the forest, near a relatively open area.

"Shoot!" Ulvuna ordered.

Akito immediately released a fire arrow. It hit the area around the neck of a black tiger, almost 2 meters tall. Obviously, it was no ordinary black tiger. This animal had two large fangs above its mouth, protruding menacingly. Additionally, it had a single horn on its head. But that wasn't all.

"Tch, I didn't hit the vitals! Switch to Plan B!" Akito shouted in frustration from a distance, clearly aiming for a one-shot kill.

I emerged from the bushes just a few meters from the animal, armed and ready. I, too, had my own weaponry, wearing a black robe infused with what they called "Magic" and wielding a black-bladed katana in my right hand.

This particular black tiger was called a Panther, akin to the animal on Earth and with a similar stature. Due to Akito's unsuccessful attack, the panther remained largely unaffected by the arrow.

The creature lunged at me without hesitation, horn aimed menacingly. If I were hit by that attack, I knew I wouldn't be able to move. Its movements were swift, making it nearly impossible to dodge. However---

I effortlessly dodged to the side. Observing its footwork before the move, it wasn't as hard to avoid as it seemed. 'Or so I thought...'

Immediately after I dodged, the panther stopped and thrust its two hind legs towards me. I managed to defend myself with the katana, but I was pushed back as a result.

'I'm still not used to this world,' I realized.

Soon, I stepped on something strange.

"?"

I quickly glanced at my feet and saw roots attempting to spread throughout my body at an alarming speed. On reflex, I slashed at the tip of the root. But in that split second, the panther attempted another attack.

"Huff!"

Haruka, clad in full metal armor embellished with diamond flower patterns, jumped off the steep slope behind me, wielding a bastard sword nearly as long as her own height, appearing almost weightless in the air.

However, her attack was too far off the mark.

The panther leaped off out of the way before she landed. Thanks to that, she hit nothing but the ground.

"Why!?" Haruka shouted in frustration, crouching at some point.

"Your attack was too far!" Keisei yelled.

He descended down the cliff behind me, cautiously and safely, unlike Haruka. He wielded a white-handled staff with the tip resembling a hammer, using it to keep the panther at bay. His attire was a white uniform with dark blue stripes at several points. Thin armor plates covered some areas, but they were far less durable than Haruka's armor.

"Support me, Kiyotaka!" 

Keisei hurriedly came to her side, helping her walk out of the battle area. It was evident that the jump she had made had seriously injured her legs. Leaping over a four-meter height with heavy armor was undoubtedly taking a toll on her.

"No need to worry," I replied shortly, readying myself for the upcoming battle.

At that moment, the panther let out a deafening roar, forcing me to cover my ears and eyes. Ulvuna had informed me about the effects of its roar, which could affect your eyes through magical sound. Following the roar, several beings similar to the panther emerged from the ground, forming themselves into distinct entities.

'Finally, a real challenge,' I thought, gearing up for what lay ahead.

Panthers possessed a unique ability: the power to spawn clones. These clones were distinguished by the color of their fur, representing the elemental power they possessed. All the clones shared the same abilities as the real panther, making it difficult to discern the true one amidst the copies. This made fighting them quite troublesome, especially when they outnumbered you. There were generally three known types of panthers: the normal ones, the commanders, and the kings.

The group we were facing comprised the normal ones, indicated by their entirely black fur, representing dark elemental power. They usually appeared in groups of 2 to 4, with a maximum of 5, and sported a single horn on their heads.

Commanders were a step above, with two horns and a height ranging from 2.2 to 2.4 meters. They could create up to 20 or more clones, often accompanied by dozens of lesser panthers, sometimes reaching up to 50. Additionally, commanders possessed varied elemental attacks, such as fire and ice, making them more challenging to handle. They were also known for their cunning and strategic thinking.

The most dangerous of all were the kings. These formidable creatures had more than 100 clones and essentially commanded their own army, consisting of commanders and normals. Few dared to face them, given their overwhelming numbers and power. Kings were identifiable by their three horns and towering height, reaching over three meters.

Panthers were well-known inhabitants of Shadow Grove, deep within the forest. They lived in distinct factions, preying on each other as groups. However, the closer they ventured toward Endren's territory, the fewer of them appeared individually, preferring to unite under a single banner, as this particular panther had done.

Beads of light resembling black lightning appeared on top of their horns, indicating their impending magical attack. Ready for the challenge, I braced myself for what was to come.

'Bring it on...'

The panthers unleashed their black lightning at me simultaneously. With swift movements, I slashed my katana vertically, causing the black lightning to vanish into thin air.

My katana had the unique ability to completely deflect attacks with the same elemental power as mine, taking compatibility into account.

"O denizens of this forest," Airi chanted an incantation. "please lend me your power..." 

A transparent circle emerged from the ground, surrounding the panthers. Sensing danger, the creatures attempted to escape, but I wouldn't allow it.

While retreating, I continued chanting my own spell, channeling it through my sword towards the panthers.

"The Lord of Darkness, Uzoth. With the shred of your power I invoke, Fall Haze."

A dense black mist emanated from the tip of my sword, racing towards the panthers and expanding rapidly. The panthers, engulfed in the mist, became disoriented, running around in confusion.

My mist had a bewildering effect on those caught within it. Even without the effect, though, creatures like them tended to get confused when plunged into such disorienting situations.

'Now's your time, Airi.'

Almost simultaneously,  "Flowers Bloom," Airi finished her incantation.

The once-transparent circle transformed. Intricate patterns of various types of flowers, gleaming bright white, spiraled towards the sky. My mist dissipated, replaced by the blossoming spectacle.

Winds swirled from all directions towards the circle, carrying flowers identical to the patterns on the ground.

The flowers whirled, forming a small tornado that engulfed the area. When the tempest subsided, there was no sign of the panthers, except for a few jet-black orbs the size of fists that rolled on the ground.

"That's some power you've got there, Airi," Akito praised as he descended from the slightly rising ground.

In his hands, he held a bow crafted from common bamboo. Its string was made from superior hide, particularly that of the golden-horned hind. The limbs were adorned with pieces of obsidian, ending in sharp points ornamented with spearheads. The handle was wrapped in rare leather, embellished with symbolic writing. The modest quiver, made from a hollowed-out tree trunk, hung around his back, decorated with ivory details. In the hands of a skilled archer, this bow could shoot arrows up to 273 meters while retaining lethal power.

His attire resembled that of a hunter, crafted mostly from animal skins. He wore ordinary leather clothes with a fur coat around his neck, along with boots that provided traction. A dagger was tucked into his waist, ready to be drawn if the enemy got too close.

The armor Akito wore was inferior to Haruka's, lacking the protective magical coating like mine. This disparity in protection was evident when facing attacks. Due to financial constraints, he had to make do with it, neglecting to invest in better gear, especially since Haruka insisted on being on the front lines. Nevertheless, it was better than having nothing at all.

"I-It's nothing at all," Airi replied shyly, her face obscured by a dark red witch-style hat with a pointed tip and circular sides. She clutched a wand made from a rare wood, Mahogany, reserved for wizards. The wand, measuring 9 inches/23 cm, appeared ordinary but was made from a particular strand of Mahogany, increasing its value significantly.

Airi wore a robe of the same dark red hue, adorned with scarlet flowers. As a wizard, she couldn't have any metal components in her attire or gear, even though it meant sacrificing some protection. Coating her equipment with magic, like mine, was a viable solution, but the high cost made it unfeasible. We devised a strategy to keep Airi protected at the back while Haruka and I held the front lines.

"Stretch out your legs. I'll cure it," Keisei instructed Haruka.

Haruka complied, and Keisei squatted down, his palms directed at her legs.

"Let the Azuth blessing be upon us, Cure."

A white light enveloped Haruka's legs, and within moments, the injury seemed to vanish.

"How was it?" Keisei asked.

"Oh?" Haruka stood up, swinging her legs playfully, as if amazed. I, too, was surprised. After such a stunt, her legs should have been injured, but thanks to Keisei's spell, they were restored to normal.

"This is amazing! How is this possible!?" Haruka exclaimed.

"Like Kiyotaka, I borrow the Goddess's power to do it. Still, why do you have to jump from the slopes? Especially from that height," Keisei scolded with a frown.

"Ehehehe," Haruka chuckled, rubbing her hands against her head, or rather, the helmet she wore.

"Well, at least you'll get a good income from it," remarked Ulvuna, a pointy-eared woman, standing near where the panther had fallen.

Ulvuna, dressed in her customary black robes, held a black orb in her right hand.