Enemy camp

Ryua stands on a hill overlooking the camp, holding a brass spyglass to her eye. The morning sun casts a golden hue over the scene below, illuminating the activity in the camp. Half the people are gathered around, eating and drinking, their laughter and chatter reaching her ears even from this distance. The other half are busy walking around, carrying boxes and engaging in animated conversations.

Her gaze shifts to the far side of the camp where Oda is positioned, ready to cause a distraction. Hidden in the shadows within the camp, Rio waits for the signal. Any moment now, he will set the camp ablaze, igniting chaos.

Ryua lowers the spyglass, her expression focused. She watches as Rio makes his move, flames beginning to lick at the edges of the tents. Smoke rises, and shouts of alarm fill the air.

Suddenly, Oda emerges from his hiding spot, drawing the attention of the panicked revolutionaries. He exposes himself deliberately, sprinting through the camp. A large group quickly mobilizes, chasing after him as he leads them away from the others.

"Perfect," Ryua murmurs, turning to her team. "Let's move and get what we came for."

Swoosh!

Swoosh!

Taking a step, they all vanish from the hill. "Nia, keep the flames active and slowly spread them southwest," Ryua murmurs, sliding in the muddy terrain.

"Already on it." Nia's palm opens up, revealing a small orange doll with white and red swirls. It looks like a cross between a fox and a bear, its body completely coated in fiery red-orange flames. It sits up, stretching its arms with a yawn, then stands and jumps up and down with its arms extended out. "No hugging. I need you to do your little burning dance, got it?" Nia flicks its forehead. After sitting back up and rubbing its head, it gives a little military salute. "Good." Nia throws it up.

"Have fun, little one~" Suki whispers with a smirk before blasting it off with a kick. His tail waves from side to side. "Wow, that's my best kick yet— Ow ow ow ow!" Suki whines.

"Come on, kitty kitty~ We're going to lose the captain. You better carry us~" Palam smirks mischievously, pulling his ears.

"Come on, pleaseeee. The other three are already out of sight," Nio sighs, scratching the back of his head. "Dammit, I wish I could've gone with brother Oda instead."

"Okay, okay," Suki groans, holding the two of them behind his back. "Geez, next time you better run, Palam. Stop being lazy." He gets down on all fours, his eyes dilating and his tail waving as he views his surroundings. With a leap, he starts running, jumping from tree to tree.

Suki moves with incredible speed and agility, his movements a blur as he leaps gracefully from one tree to another. The branches barely rustle under his light footfalls. Palam clings to him, her arms wrapped tightly around his neck, laughing with exhilaration. The forest blurs past them, a mix of greens and browns, as they move swiftly through the canopy.

"Yippeeee!" Palam smiles, her voice carrying through the trees as she flies from branch to branch.

Leaning against a tree, Ryua exhales. "I can never keep my eyes off you two," she says, looking at Palam and Suki with a raised eyebrow.

"Hey, you can't blame me," Suki groans before glancing around. "Something feels off."

Nia crouches down, touching the ground. "There's abnormalities..." she sighs, sounding slightly annoyed.

"Abnormalities?" Ryua turns, her eyes narrowing as she scans the narrow passage ahead. The passage is treacherous, a narrow corridor flanked by steep, jagged cliffs on either side. The walls are covered in moss and vines, making the terrain slippery and unpredictable. Large boulders and fallen logs litter the ground, creating an obstacle course that requires careful navigation. The canopy overhead is dense, allowing only slivers of sunlight to filter through, casting eerie shadows on the ground. The air is thick and humid, carrying the scent of damp earth and decaying leaves.

"I don't feel anything unusual..." Ryua mutters, her senses on high alert.

"Yes, they set up an array," Nia explains, her voice tense. "It looks like it'll release some poison mist if we try getting through. I can't deactivate or destroy it without alerting them."

"Poison, huh? Guess we'll be getting a stomachache," Zoey exhales, stretching her joints. As military personnel, they've undergone crucial training for poison resistance.

Standing up, Nia stretches her arms back. "I don't want a stomachache. Can't we just rush in and kill them all?" she asks, her muscles rippling as she stretches.

"No, they know how important those files are. They'll destroy everything by the time we get through all of them. The reason Rio can't break in is due to their detection team. They have traps set in every dark corner near that tent." Walking up to the ledge with a sigh, Ryua puts on her face mask. "Let's go, remember no magic until we reach the spot."

"Hmm..." Palam groans, leaning on Ryua. "I'm scared, carry me, Captain," she whispers in a seductive voice, her turquoise eyes gleaming with mischief.

"Stop fooling around," Ryua smirks, pushing her away as they calmly walk through the narrow, winding passage. The purple mist swirls around them, its sinister tendrils reaching out like ghostly fingers, but they move with nonchalance, their steps measured and steady.

The area is a treacherous landscape of sharp rocks and tangled roots, the narrow path flanked by jagged cliffs that tower above them. The air is thick with the scent of damp earth and decaying leaves, the mist curling around their legs as they advance. Shadows dance on the walls, creating an eerie, almost surreal atmosphere as they proceed through the narrow corridor.

Sneaking up on Nia, Suki pokes the back of her head. "How's Flarey?"

"Hmm?" Nia taps her head before rubbing her eyes. "That damn little thing is making a scene. I'll have to educate him later," she mutters, popping her knuckles.

They reach a different part of the passage where the terrain shifts slightly. On their left, a towering wall of dirt and rocks rises high, imposing and foreboding. The ground beneath them is uneven, with loose stones and roots that threaten to trip them up at every step.

Stopping in his tracks, Nio rubs his forehead. "Okay, we're here. Nia, give me a hand," he says, extending his arm and placing his palm on the earth beside him.

"Sure thing, green eyes. Everyone better get ready. As soon as we get started," she turns to Ryua, "you better protect me. I can't get distracted."

With a mighty smirk, Ryua walks up next to her patting her back. "Has your captain ever failed you?"

"You always fail me," Palam mumbles with puffed cheeks.

"I don't think refusing to make out with you counts as failing," Zoey giggles. "Don't worry, she won't have a reason to reject you once this mission is over~" she whispers.

Taking a deep breath, Nio's face becomes cold and serious. His mana starts flowing out, spreading all over as his body begins to glow a light green. The ground beneath them starts to blink as the array detects their presence. "Now!" The earth wall starts twisting and turning, chunks of dirt and rock flying out and tumbling down the cliff in a cascade of debris.

Nia's dark grey eyes ignite with pink flames, a magic circle appearing around her, casting a light pink hue in a dome shape. BOOM! Nia pushes off the ground, running at full speed, the earth shattering beneath her feet. Ryua, Nio, Suki, and Zoey follow closely, their movements synchronized as Nio focuses on creating a tunnel through the rocky barrier. As Nia charges forward, her protective dome blocks any debris from crashing into her, carving a path through the chaotic terrain.

The team advances through the tunnel, the sounds of cracking rocks and shifting earth echoing around them. The pink flames of Nia's dome illuminate the way, casting eerie shadows that dance along the tunnel walls. 

"They set up underground traps!" Nio yells slightly frustrated. The tunnel twists and turns, each bend revealing more of the intricate array that the enemy has set up to protect their camp. But Nio's control over the earth is masterful, and he guides them through the maze with unwavering focus.

"It's about time you called," Ryua exhales, tapping her specially-designed military-grade MST earpiece. "How is it on your end?"

"I'm fine. They keep coming after me. I've dealt with a hundred, but I just noticed half the people have returned to the camp. They haven't found you, but they're looking everywhere," Oda replies from the other side, the sounds of destruction evident as he slices through enemies with his spear, the clash of metal and grunts of pain punctuating his every move.

Stopping in her tracks, Ryua looks up. "Listen, we're here. Just start wiping them out." She cuts the call and turns to Nia. "Let—"

"Watch out," Nia murmurs as the ground above them explodes, sunlight pouring through the newly-formed hole.

Grabbing onto Nia, Suki jumps up. "Let's go!" He slides out of the hole and instantly twists his body back mid-air as an arrow nearly pierces him. Flipping his body, he stabilizes himself, then throws Nia down and lands on all fours, digging his nails into the ground. His tail wags from side to side and his ears twitch before he zigzags around the area, moving with incredible speed. Reaching the archers, he slices their necks with swift, precise movements.

"A fucking demi-human!? Kill that son of a bitch!" a man yells, leading his group as they charge at Suki with swords drawn.

Zoey sighs, "You get too excited." Raising her arm, bolts of red lightning shoot out of her and into the ground. They course through the earth, reaching the men in a flash and running up their bodies. As soon as the lightning reaches their backs, it transforms into blades, slicing through them with deadly precision. The men collapse, their screams cut short by the crackling energy.

Nia exhales slowly, placing her hand on a tent. Her eyes continue to glow as a box of mana becomes visible, surrounding the tent. "They went out of their way to block entry." Closing her eyes, her mana circulates the area, creating magic circles around the barrier. "Team leader," she murmurs, sensing a threat.

A man suddenly leaps from behind a set of boxes, aiming his sword at her. Before he can strike, his head rolls to the ground, severed cleanly.

"Let's get this over with," Ryua mutters as blood drips from her sword.

Swoosh!

Palam flips through the enemies with a wide smirk, her body twisting and turning with acrobatic grace. She leaps into the air, executing a flawless somersault, her feet finding purchase on a soldier's chest before she flips backward, snapping his neck. Landing lightly on her toes, she cartwheels through another group, her hands barely touching the ground as she twists mid-air, her legs lashing out to strike necks and spines with deadly accuracy.

She continues her fluid, lethal dance, her body a blur of motion. Each twist and flip is a masterful display of agility and strength, her movements so fast that the soldiers can hardly track her. She rolls under a swinging blade, popping up behind her attacker and breaking his neck with a quick twist of her hands. With a running leap, she vaults over another enemy, grabbing his head and using her momentum to spin him around, his neck snapping with a sickening crunch.

Palam's smirk widens as she lands on a fallen soldier, using him as a springboard to launch herself into a double backflip, her legs scissoring out to take down two more foes.

A horde of troops, around a hundred strong, begins to approach in a U-shaped formation. Each soldier is heavily armed, some wielding swords and shields, others gripping spears or crossbows. The sun glints off their armor, a mix of metal plates and leather, giving them a formidable appearance. In the center of the formation, a particularly imposing figure stands out. He has a broad, muscular build, his face twisted into a scowl. His dark hair is cropped short, and a jagged scar runs from his temple to his jaw. Clad in a more elaborate armor adorned with spikes and dark red accents, he wields a massive battle axe.

Glaring at Ryua and her team, he roars, "Surrender now, or we'll torture you to death!"

Nia stops for a second, losing focus. Ignoring the approaching troops, she looks at a particular tree in the distance. "There he is," she mumbles before focusing back on the array. Out of nowhere, one after another, heads start to disappear and lifeless bodies fall to the ground.

"It's big bro!" Suki smirks as a shadow can be seen running from one end of the formation to the other. The shadow is shaped like a black panther, seamlessly gliding from corner to corner. In less than a minute, most of the troops have fallen.

"Ugh... my body is all sore," Rio groans as he appears next to Ryua, his arms covered in blood up to his elbows.

"You didn't get them all?" Nia mumbles, still focused on the array. "How weak, blueberry."