the one time chance

Chapter 4: the one time chance

The atmosphere was thick with fear, the shadows of the unknown creatures looming over the group.

Lisa's eyes went wide, the color draining from her face as the realization hit. "Who... who are they?"

Kaito's voice trembled with anxiety, but he managed to steady himself. "I don't know, but one thing's for sure—they're not to be messed with."

A chilling howl echoed across the dark field under the pale moonlight. It was followed by others, each sending a shiver through the bodies of the five. They

looked like wolves, but their forms remained elusive under the shadows, their bodies barely visible in the night.

Suddenly, one of the wolves lunged toward them, its growl savage and primal.

"Kaito, quick! Use the laser!" Kurou shouted.

Kaito acted immediately, shooting a beam of light that temporarily blinded the beast. The wolf staggered back, revealing itself in the brief burst of light. It was massive—almost as large as a bull—with sharp, deadly fangs and claws, its grey-to-white mane streaked with scars. Its menacing form was more like a nightmare than a natural creature.

"Is that... a wolf!?" Maria's voice cracked in disbelief, her legs trembling beneath her as the sight of the beast froze her in terror.

"We have to fight it," Kurou said, his voice calm but his eyes betraying his fear. "We can do this."

"How are we supposed to fight that? It's a monster!" Kaito says, panic rising in his chest.

Kurou's gaze hardened with determination. "Trust me."

He turned to Lisa, his eyes never leaving the wolf. "Lisa, you ready?"

Lisa's lips curled into a small, confident smile. "Yep, right now would be perfect."

She picked up a sturdy stick from the ground, her grip firm.

"Sato, go!" Kurou commanded.

Sato, his superhuman speed kicking in, began running circles around the wolf, distracting it. Meanwhile, Kaito shot several beams of light at the wolf's eyes, disorienting it further.

"Strike it now! Lisa!" Kurou shouted.

With precision, Lisa leaped into the air, using the momentum to strike the wolf's face. The blow, fueled by her weapon mastery, was strong enough to knock the beast unconscious.

A brief silence fell over the group as they stared at the fallen creature, hope flickering in their hearts. "Did we do it?" Kaito's voice was full of tentative hope.

But the moment of victory was short-lived. The other wolves, surged toward the tree, their eyes burning with fury. And in that instant, Kurou felt a surge of dread—more wolves were coming.

"Shit!" His heart pounded in his chest, his mind racing. "Climb the tree, now!" he yelled, urgency in his voice.

But the wolf they had knocked out was stirring, slowly rising to strike Kurou from behind...

"STOP!" Maria's voice rang out, desperate and filled with power. Time around the wolf froze, saving Kurou from certain death.

"Maria!?" Lisa's voice was filled with confusion but also relief.

"Not now! Climb!" Kurou shouted. They needed to move fast.

Without wasting another second, they scrambled up the tree with a tour, just as Maria's power began to wear off. The wolves below stared up at them, pacing in anticipation, but not yet daring to climb.

"They can't climb up. This tree is too thin, and there aren't many branches for them to latch onto. We're safe for now," Kurou said, trying to steady his breath as he surveyed the situation.

Maria, still catching her breath, nodded. "Thank you for saving me back there," Kurou said, turning to her with gratitude. "How did you activate your power?"

Maria shrugged, still unsure herself. "I don't really know. It just... happened. I just said the words, and the particles seemed to gather on their own."

Kurou's brow furrowed in thought. "Does this mean that the particles have a will of their own? Are they... alive?" he murmured to himself.

Sato, his usual carefree demeanor replaced by focus, sighed. "Whatever it is, we have to deal with the pack down there."

Kaito, his voice tinged with worry, shook his head. "But how? Even Lisa's weapon mastery couldn't stop it."

"We fight," Kurou said, his resolve hardening.

"How do we fight something like that?" Lisa asked, her voice shaky but trusting in Kurou's leadership.

Kurou looked over at Sato. "Sato, can you apply your super speed to other parts of your body to attack? What if you attack with your leg, and then halfway through the strike, increase the speed—will that add power?"

Sato's eyes lit up with understanding. "That... makes sense. Let me try it."

He jumped onto one of the upper branches, preparing himself for the attack. "Just don't push it too far," Kurou warned. "We don't know how much recoil you'll get."

Sato nodded, focusing on his posture. With incredible precision, he launched himself into an attack, his leg moving faster than no human could ever be able to achieve. The force was so powerful that it sent the top of the tree crashing down.

"Maria! Stop the tree from falling!" Kurou shouted as a small smile lights up his face.

Maria, her concentration unwavering, froze time around the falling tree, giving them just enough time to reposition and take cover.

Kurou's mind raced as he pulled a sharp stone from his pocket and began carving carefully into the tree's trunk. Slowly but surely, he shaped it into a curved shape, wrapping it with the fibers Kaito had woven earlier. After a few moments, a rough but functional bow was complete.

Lisa's eyes widened in amazement. "A bow?! Just like that?"

"Now we just need the arrows," Kurou said, his voice steady but strained.

Lisa blinked in surprise. "What are we going to use them for?"

"We'll use them to take down the leader of the pack," Kurou said with quiet determination. "We don't back down. Not now."

Lisa's face set in determination. "But they're not going to just let us shoot them forever."

"We can keep them at bay—at least until the leader falls," Kurou said, his mind racing through every possible strategy.

Sato, already gathering materials for arrows, grinned. "We'll make it work."

With their improvised weapons ready, Kurou turned to Lisa. "You have weapon mastery, right? You know what to do."

Lisa nodded, her confidence returning. "Let's finish this and keep moving. We're not done yet."

Kurou's gaze turned toward the wolves below, their eyes filled with rage. But now, for the first time, they had a fighting chance.