Lars leapt forward, soaring over the ground as a gray streak. Enidri jumped backwards as soon as the wolf pounced towards her with a backflip. The hunter's claws slashed away at a dead tree trunk, cutting away large chunks with his claws. With an annoyed growl, Lars looked up and saw the swordswoman standing on a branch above him, focused on the location of her Ion Blade instead of him.

"So you do have some power without that weapon of yours!" Lars stood up straight on his hind legs, snickering as he stared Enidri with his bright yellow eyes. She looked back down at him, her eye filled with disgust. "Why don't you come down, huh? You were so eager before to get me on the ground!"

Enidri didn't reply. She looked back towards the thicket of foliage where her weapon lay. The shiny metal of the hilt glistened in the afternoon sun. She extended her hand, trying to have it return like with her Flying Cutter technique. Her fingers shook and trembled as the weapon lay motionless in the distance. Lars watched Enidri try to summon her armament, snickering and howling he shifted his eyes from the woman's fingers and back towards the bush. 

"Too far for you, eh? Looks like you'll have to come down after all!"

Still focused on the Ion Blade, Enidri sprung from her branch. Lars followed her trajectory with his head as he got on all four limbs. The wolf dashed in the same direction, covering more distance than Enidri could with her additional midair jump. He turned around after his sprint and stood between Enidri and her weapon. With his claws spread open wide, he towered of the swordswoman, one arm raised high and ready to swipe down.

"You're awfully quiet!" Lars said with a growl. "What happened to the confidence? I thought you were going to at least be more of a challenge than my last prey." The Neo-Sapia slashed his hand down with tremendous force, cutting through the air so quickly that it sent a gust of wind that rustled the overgrown blades of grass. Enidri dodge dodged to side, but not fast enough to completely avoid the strike. The sharp tips of Lars' claw cut through the sleeve of her outfit and through her skin.

Three long red slashes appeared on her arm. Enidri's lone eye winced as she stole a brief glance at the wound. After taking her gaze off the injury she stared back at Lars. He licked the tips of his fingers and then flashed his long and jagged teeth. His slid his tongue across them, wiping the crimson blood away with it. "I was too busy hunting your friend to fully enjoy the meal that I left behind with that other Neo-Sapia. There's not much meat on you, but I think there's enough for me to scrape off for lunch!"

With a sinister smile, Lars jumped forward once more. Enidri dove onto her stomach in the direction of her Ion Blade. The wolf laned on the other side of the swordswoman, giving her enough time to stretch her hand out far enough to summon her sword. Seeing that Enidri was still laying down, Lars turned around and went for another leap. Enidri rolled over with Ion Blade in hand but deactivated. The wolf landed on the swordswoman’s arm and legs, pinning her to the ground. 

Enidri let out a groan of anguish as the talons dug into her skin, on the verge of piercing flesh. The wolf opened his mouth wide, letting his rancid breath engulf the swordswoman's face. Despite the putrid odor, Enidri kept her composure and stared back at the eager Neo-Sapia as he growled again. 

"I'm disappointed!" He howled. "You're an even easier target than that bird from before!"

Enidri lips were shut. She angled her weapon sideways so that the blade itself would puncture Lars' side. A quick swipe from the back of his hand, however, sent the weapon soaring away. "This is why you don't depend on weapons! What happens when you're left unarmed? You're defenseless!" 

The swordswoman gritted her teeth as she moved her arms and legs as much as she could. Lars' strength and weight proved to be too much for Enidri to overcome, only having to shift his weight around to keep her immobile. The wolf tilted his head and opened his mouth wide. He let out a long howl, ready to bite into the pinned captive. 

There was movement among the leaves in the distance. Enidri took notice and put all her energy into trying to free herself. Lars wobbled from her abrupt shaking, becoming frustrated after losing his balance. Angered, he lifted one of his claws off Enidri's pinned wrist and poised it for another slash. With her hand now free, the swordswoman intercepted the oncoming blow so that the claws slashed the edge of the forearm before landing into the dirt next to her face. She grunted from the sharp pain that shot up the length of her arm while Lars gawked back with murderous intent. 

"Struggling isn't a fight!" the wolf growled, saliva dripping from his jaw and spilling onto Enidri's cheek. "The time for that has passed!" He opened his mouth and aimed his bite towards Enidri's neck. She squirmed her head as Lars tightened his hold. 

"Enidri!" a deep voice boomed from the distance. Both turned to the side and saw Gurk charging forward. Behind him was the small duckling waddling around in the distance. He lunged forward, grabbing Lars by the neck and pulled him Enidri in a single motion. The swordswoman struggled to her feet, one hand clutching the fresh wounds. With a quick shake of her head, she took her mind off the pain and focused on her weapon. The Ion Blade flung back into her grasp. The moment she had a firm grip, she activated the weapon. 

"Let me handle this, Gurk!" Enidri said as she dashed towards the battle between the pair of Neo-Sapia, her weapon by her side. Gurk held Lars in an arm lock while the hunter slashed away at his scaly arm with his free hand. The strikes cut through his natural armor, drawing bits of blood with each slash. 

"Huh?" Gurk said as he watched Enidri close in.  The moment he took his eyes off his enemy, Lars swung at his exposed chin. The slash missed his throat but forced the crocodile to end the arm lock as he held onto the cuts. 

The wolf took his attention away from the staggering wolf and back to the swordswoman. She stood with her legs spread in a firm stance, her weapon balanced perfectly in her hands. The resentful look he had remained as he spotted the young Neo-Sapia wandering around in the distance. 

"You all right, Gurk?" 

"Yeah," the crocodile mumbled. As he straightened his composure, he watched the duckling move into the forest. Enidri turned her head just enough to watch the child disappear. 

"You go make sure she's safe," she said with a nod of her head. 

"But Enidri," Gurk mumbled.

The swordswoman's eyes remained focused on the foe in front of her. He growled as he took a crouched stance in preparation for another lunge. "That kid won't last two seconds without someone protecting her. Hurry up and go after her!"

Without another word, Gurk got up and ran off in the direction of the child. Once he was gone, the two fighters kept their eyes locked as they moved in a small circle with their slow sidesteps. 

"Should've let him stay," Lars muttered. He rolled his elbow and shook his head like a wet dog. "The two of you might have been able to kill me. And one of you might have survived."

Enidri stopped her movement. She stood still and held onto the Ion Blade with both hands, this time lowered to her side. The swordswoman rocked her neck from side to side and ground the heel of her boot into the dirt. "I'll manage by myself."

"I was seconds away from killing you!" Lars shouted, his panting becoming heavier. He snarled while stretching his claws forward and lowering his legs for a crouch. 

"Then you shouldn't have a problem finishing the job.," Enidri replied.