A pale brown deer grazed for herbs in the deceptive calm of Cedar Forest. Its steps slow and silent with only the soft breeze to accompany them.

  The deer’s head jolted up without warning and remained perfectly still for a few moments, carefully taking in the forest around it. Quietly and calmly, the color of its fur changed to match the forest around it, and the deer returned to its herbs.

  As it grazed, a tiger lied in wait beneath the brush just out of sight. Its eyes intently locked on its prey with unwavering focus, the tiger waited patiently.

  Finally the deer stepped to the left, exposing its vulnerable neck. The tiger rose slightly to a crouch, silent as well, though the deer’s ears flickered once. A tense still held the forest. Then the deer bolted but the tiger covered the distance in a flash, and sunk its two long fangs into its neck.

  And just as suddenly, a dark scaled wyvern swooped down to clutch both creatures in its piercing talons, only to be crushed along with its prey by a massive monster crashing across the ground, pursued by a savage man.

  The Tyrant Lizard sprung to its feet with a flare of slashing bolts of lightning that tore into the ground and trees, but the savage darted around them all, drawing closer.

  With a roar of rage and fear, a cluster of lightning surged in the beast’s giant mouth, the seams between the armor-like scales of its chest glowed yellow, but the man hurled a stone that crushed its left eye.

  The monster flailed in agony as its lightning breath disintegrated a part of the forest far removed from its target. It glared back at the man but found it had lost sight of him, only just finding him again as he descended from above.

  A flare of lightning built over its body again but the claw-like nails of the man shone with glowing divinity as he pierced his arm deep into the monster’s skull. The Tyrant Lizard spasmed, then the yellow lightning died down and the great beast collapsed with it.

  Banda ripped his arm out and whipped off the blood. He opened his mouth wide as his eyes went white. An azure spectral mass rippled over the tyrant lizard’s corpse for a few moments before the soul was torn out against its will, swallowed whole by the savage. Banda closed his mouth and the forest was silent again.

  His bestial eyes returned human, his nails and fangs shortened and the strain of his muscles relaxed.

  The savage appeared to be a few decades old in human age, and had a lean muscular build with copper skin. A thick mane of white hair flowed down his back like the rugged fur of a wolf, his nails long and sharp even now and his teeth closer to fangs.

  Barefoot and bare-chested, the only clothing he wore were primitive pants made of layers of the fur hides of various beasts, his spoils of battle. Though none would call him civilized even under the most diplomatic of terms, there was a certain savage dignity to it.

  Banda glanced at the arrogant tyrant lizard, another fool who thought itself the strongest after reaching the highest stage of power. Another fool who dared challenge him.

  He looked up at the clear sky above with the sun shining fierce at the highest point before jumping of the corpse, leaving it as is. Tyrant Lizard flesh tasted terrible.

  He moved through the dense forest at his own casual pace, though that pace would be frighteningly fast to most. A patrol, in the simplest terms, though he doubted he’d encounter any more challengers today. Anything near would have heard the fighting and they would be smart enough to stay far away.

  In truth, the whole forest belonged to him. He merely allowed others to keep their own territory as he had no need for the entirety of it. Still, there would always be some foolish or arrogant enough to hunt on his personal grounds. And even some who thought themselves worthy of claiming the forest whole.

  His patrol went as he had expected. There were no more challengers.

  Not at the gnarled tree with an interesting shape.

  Not at the rapid river that flowed like a snake, aside from the simple-minded piranha that leapt from the water when he splashed it.

  Not at the hive-shaped rocks that made the wind whistle with sounds he could not find anywhere else in the forest.

  All was as it was the day before. As it was most of his days.

  Banda came to a smooth stop as a group of yeren caught his eye. Large apes with white fur and gray faces and hands. Five in total, the standard number for their hunting packs.

  The largest one, which seemed to be their leader, looked at Banda for a moment before gesturing with grunts and hand motions. Banda motioned back and the yeren continued on their way with no show of any aggression.

  They couldn’t talk like the one who led their tribe but they could communicate better than most. And they were reasonable. That was partly why Banda liked them. With no true desire to patrol any further, Banda stayed where he was in his hunched crouch amidst the cool breeze and the softly rustling leaves that followed.

  He glanced at the cloudless sky again. It was dull when only the sun rose, as the tyrannical golden light would not let him gaze upon it for long. He would have to wait for night with the moon and stars. It was days like this that Banda liked the least.

  His thoughts were interrupted by the distinct caw of a Stymph. These birds were weak and thus made their nests on the outskirts of the forest, surviving by abandoning them at the slightest hint of danger. But they were excellent at sensing it, and even created unique crows for every type of threat to alert the rest of the flock.

  Banda had learned them all over the many suns and moons of his existence, and this one meant humans. Usually they were weak, weaker than his challengers in the forest. But just sometimes, they could be far stronger. And more importantly, far less predictable. Banda’s bored expression lowered into one of hostility and sped off. Humans needed to be hunted too.

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  “This savage is taking rather long to show himself…” A beautiful young woman spoke just outside the boundary of the forest with her arms crossed.

  She wore the top of a white silk gown laced with red and gold, parted down the middle of her waist over soft leather pants. Golden jewelry adorned her soft fair skin that enhanced her alluring sensuality, chief among them a thin necklace tiara woven into her black hair styled in the short regal fashion that flowed down just below her chin.

  A thin layer of dark eyeliner accentuated her rich purple eyes that were currently focused on the edge of the forest, sharp with slight irritation.

  “We don’t have much time before they catch up, my lady.” An older man spoke from the side. His dark hair tied tight at the back and his face clean shaven save for a thick neatly trimmed mustache. A dark-green cloak draped over the light garb of a warrior. “We may have to venture into the forest.”

  “I certainly won’t be going back empty handed.” Eres told Montu. “Perhaps we should wait for them. They will at least make for good shields traversing this wretched place-”

  A blur shot out of the forest and the seemingly fragile priestess caught Banda’s clawed hand just short of her face.

  Banda’s eyes widened in shock, but only for a split second as he twisted his body to kick at her head. His leg crashed against her blocking arm like the crack of thunder but just as with the first strike, she did not budge. The slight, confident smile that spread across her face proved it hadn’t been difficult either.

  Banda broke himself out of her grasp in whirling burst of strength and slid back across the ground. But he did not strike again. Instead, he waited motionlessly in a fighting crouch as he reevaluated the pair of humans.

  Few could ever match him in strength, at least when he avoided the Strain. And none had ever given him the look the woman had after receiving it. Banda glanced subtly at the man beside her. One was manageable, but if the other was her equal, it would truly be dangerous.

  Eres gripped her hand into a first a few times with pleasant surprise, not taking her eyes of the ambushing savage. It seemed the rumors held some weight and her time spent here wouldn’t be wasted.

  “Don’t interfe-”

  The thunderous roar of a beast interrupted her words as a powerful sonic blast slammed into Montu, sending him crashing far away. Eres’ gaze slipped left out of shock and Banda attacked silently from the right with perfect timing. The priestess blocked his claws again but the sheer strength of the mauling swipe sent her sliding back on her feet.

  Banda closed the distance without hesitation. The other human wasn’t as strong, which meant the only threat was her. A sword appeared from thin air in Eres’ hands as she held it up by her face in a combat stance with focused expression.

  His first strike was deflected clean and she countered with a quick thrust to his head. But Banda slipped that easily, and his hand clawed deep into her forearm on its way back.

  He darted around her erratically, moving with neither rhyme nor reason. He was stronger and faster now with the strain, but the woman was skilled enough to withstand simple attacks.

  He sidestepped her slash and ducked under the second to kick one of her legs out from beneath her. As she stumbled off balance, his clawed hand speared for her throat once more, but Eres spun with incomprehensible footwork to dodge and nearly slash a line into his chest.

  Banda’s eyes narrowed. She was getting stronger somehow. Better. In the midst of his thoughts, Banda saw a smile creep onto her face once more.

  Eres took another stance, and Banda mauled the ground. Broken stone and dust exploded around them and the rocky surface fractured into uneven footing.

  He darted through the debris, battering stone at the priestess and clawing at the openings they caused. Viciously and patiently he fought, until the dust settled, and Eres was covered in blood and wounds.

  She was weak and unsteady, and Banda went for the kill. But his mauling claws shredded into a giant golden shield that suddenly appeared from the air. A shield wielded by a disembodied arm made of mana.

  Eres raised her sword but before she could act, cracking thunder swirling around Banda’s fist and he shattered the magic shield. The impact of raw power carried further into her arm, snapping it clean along with the ribs she tried to defend, and sent her crashing across the ground.

  Eres clipped off a bump in the ground, slowly spinning to face the sky. Along with the sight of Banda falling down from above with fists clenched together. But in the face of death, her smile widened. The deep wounds healed rapidly and fire spewed from the soles of her feet, propelling her away from his cratering blow.

  Eres spun upright as she soared through the air, and raised her hands pointing straight at him. Fire swirled around her arms and surged towards him like a flooding river.

  Banda breathed in deep and let out another roar that tore through the fire like the wind of a storm. The chain of rippling thunder burst right in front of the priestess and Banda charged through the scattering flames.

  Eres took higher in the air with another fiery burst. Mystical flames flared around her and turned into screeching fireballs that rained down from the sky. Banda hit the ground running, weaving through the swerving comets as he pursued his flying prey.

  He sidestepped another fireball and whipped his arm without warning. Eres barely tilted her head in time to avoid the stone he threw with enough power to smash open her skull.

  Banda continued to dart between the raining fire as he hurled stones with lethal speed. A tactic he developed against beasts with that could fly. Their wings were worthless once they fell to the ground.

  Eres dodged a stone but another appeared far too close before she realized. Thrown perfectly within the blindspot that the first stone created for a brief instant. With no choice, fire burst from her hand, propelling her down enough to avoid it. But she realized how close she had gotten to the ground too late. And Banda had already lunged.

  Human magic was strange and deceptive. Banda didn’t know if that magic shield could be used again or if it was broken for good, but it didn’t matter. The divinity of Mountain pulsed through his body in rippling lines, reinforcing his Spirit. His form turned even more savage and feral, raising his might. And Thunder once more cracked around his clenched fist.

  The shield appeared after all as Banda threw his punch, but he did not care. The fight would end now. Banda’s fist crashed into the shield so loudly it threatened to wake the heavens. With nothing more to show for it than a fist-sized dent.

  Disbelief struck Banda’s face. Nothing in this forest could take his strongest strike unharmed. And for the first time, a shred of doubt crept into his thoughts.

  Another arm raised a lance high, and with it, a sense of danger pierced Banda’s mind. He snapped out of his thoughts just in time to dart away from its thrust. From his wary bestial stance, Banda gazed at the new being that appeared.

  A giant woman, ten times the size of the one who stood in front of it. Its face resembled hers, but beneath its golden helm was glowing blue skin and pure white eyes. Heavy golden armor covered most of her body, and flame-like cloth adorned it. In its left, it held a large round shield and in its right that dangerous lance. A threatening dark aura emanated from the blade.

  Banda lowered himself like a crouching tiger as his eyes sharpened even more. He knew from his instincts alone, that this giant woman was stronger than any normal beast he had ever fought.