"Thirty-two targets, Captain." Ned whispered from above. He was perching on a tree branch, behind a thick foliage. "One slightly larger. Likely the alpha."
"Alright." Jack acknowledged. Appreciating his precise observation.
He glanced again at Barnaby. "Support us from the canopy, Barnie. Give us a tune for battle. But only after the battle starts."
Barnaby was already moving. He scaled a sturdy red-leaved tree with surprising agility. His lute was not hindering him at all.
Ned was already positioned on another tree, pointing his steamrune sniper rifle from a higher branch. He was invisible to others due to his [Mystic Camouflage Cloak]. But clearly visible in Jack's [Eyes of Judgement].
Reina drew her handguns. And, Aella clutched her voidfire revolver tighter.
Jack approached the edge of the clearing. It was a wide, circular space. The eerie red light of the forest trees gave way to a more open, moonlit expanse.
And there they were. Dozens of Moonshard Werewolves. Their crystal fur was shimmering under the colossal reddish moon.
They were gathering around a central mound. Some were gnawing on obscure prey. Others were simply resting. However, all of them were very vigilant. Their glowing eyes occasionally swept the perimeter.
When Jack stepped into view, a wave of growls immediately erupted.
"Ready for combat, Dear!" Reina called. Walking into the view with Aella. Creating a triangle formation, with Jack at the tip.
Jack stood his ground. Raising his shotgun. This time, he didn't charge immediately. He let them come. The sheer number of opponents demanded a slightly more controlled engagement. At least... initially.
A howl ripped through the air. And the entire pack surged forward. A tide of snapping crystal furred beasts with glowing eyes.
The first wave hit him like a frozen avalanche. Jack met it with the force of a violent beast of destruction. His shotgun roared. BOOM!
Devastating pieces of shrapnel struck the front beasts. Halting their charge. Causing several inevitable collision among the werewolves.
Jack reloaded and pull the trigger again. Twice. BOOM! BOOM! Not sending shrapnel this time, but solid slugs. Each one was a concentrated burst of steamrune-powered impact.
He blew apart the lead werewolf's head, and another one's chest. He then casually dropped his shotgun while sending a low kick toward another werewolf that got too close. Knocking that opponent off its feet.
Almost simultaneously, the [Chains of Vengeance] flared from both his bracers. He ensnared two more foes. Twisting his body, he utilized his incredible strength efficiently. Using them as living flails to clear a path.
Jack's Savage Rampage martial art continued its unpredictable dance. Turning him into a whirlwind of blunt force and raw power. He truly played the role of a literal 'tank'. Blocking attacks and sending devastating frontal damage towards the enemies.
Reina, meanwhile, had also acted swiftly. She was a phantom. She used her [Absolute Blink] power to teleport in and out of the mass of werewolves.
Her handguns spat mystic bullets with surgical precision. Each shot found a weak point. An eye, a throat, a joint. She weaved through the chaos, an untouchable angel of death.
Aella was her destructive counterpart. She blinked all over the place too with her [Voidfire Blink]. And her [Cape of Mystery] made her presence incredibly hard to predict.
But, her voidfire revolver wasn't as accurate as Reina's. She didn't need to. The sheer damage of the voidfire bullets was enough to pierce any part of the werewolf's body. She was as devastating as Reina and Jack in term of destruction.
From his hiding place, Ned's sniper rifle cracked. Bang! Each shot he made was a guaranteed hit. Taking down a werewolf that tried to flank Jack. Or one that was about to attack Reina or Aella.
He wasn't as damaging as the three in the open. But, he was a hidden, precise guardian. Picking off the threats before they fully materialized.
And then... Barnaby's lute finally found its voice. Contributing a wild, rhythmic soundtrack to the battle. Battle song melody spilled from the glowing strings. Surging with courage and vitality.
It wasn't merely music. It was a mystic current. Weaving its way through the team. Enhancing them significantly.
Jack felt a surge of strength. His muscles seemed to be burning with renewed vigor. Reina moved with even greater fluidity. Aella's voidfire seemed to burn hotter and more concentrated. Ned's shooting rate and reloading speed turned much faster.
This new battle song Barnaby played, the 'Stormy Sea Symphony', were incredibly potent. Lifting the team's spirits and sharpening their senses.
Quickly, the battle became a brutal one-sided massacre. The moonshard werewolves clawed, bit, and lunged. But Jack nullified and countered every strike easily.
His body was like an illusory fortress. Most of the attacks missed. And the one that hit could only damage his leather armor. They couldn't penetrate his skin.
On the contrary, the crystal fur and the condensed muscles of the werewolves were like weak, easy-to-tear fabric when they encountered his attacks. They shattered easily against his strength.
Reina and Aella also worked in perfect sync. A deadly dance of teleportation and devastating destruction.
Slowly, the numbers of the werewolves dwindled. The raging howls turned to yelps of pain, then to silence.
Jack finally slammed the last moonshard werewolf to the ground. Sending it sprawling. Aella's final voidfire shot pierced through its head. Leaving a smoky hole on it.
Silence descended upon the clearing. Broken only by the heavy breathing of the team members and the soft crackling of lingering voidfire. Thirty-two moonshard werewolves lay dead. Slowly dissolving due to the realm's law.
"Clearing secured." Jack declared. Surveying the carnage. He wiped a streak of monster blood from his cheek. "Good work, Team!"
Barnaby gave a relieved sigh from his perch. "Glad to finally contribute, Captain. This battle was..."
"Something big is coming, Captain!" Ned's voice suddenly interrupted.
A low, guttural rumble reverberated. It wasn't the snarl of a werewolf. This was different, deeper.
Then, the reddish earth trembled. The ground beneath their feet shook. Sending a shiver through the forest. The air grew heavy. Thick with raw power.
"What was that?" Aella asked. Her voice was a little higher than usual.
Before anyone could answer, a colossal shadow detached itself from the deeper, darker woods at the far side of the clearing.
It was immense. An enormous beast. Shaggy and crimson-furred. With black tusks that glinted like ancient, polished obsidian. Its eyes glowed with an insane, bloodshot fury. This was a berserk... Crimson Mammoth.
"Crimson Mammoth!" Jack stated grimly.
He had learned about this creature from Baroness Artheim's gathered information. He knew this was one of the most dangerous threats in the realm. Raw, untamed power, high durability.
This kind of beast couldn't be defeated in a short time. And that... would bring more danger toward them.
Jack quickly made a decision. He could handle it in human form. But it would be a prolonged, exhausting fight. He had to use his other form.
"Everyone... This one would invite more troubles. I'll handle this." Jack said calmly. His voice resonated with authority. "Focus on any secondary threats. Keep your distance from this."
He didn't wait for a response. He immediately activated his [Incarnation Shift] power.
His form bulked up. Expanding rapidly. His skin hardened and darkened. Turning into reddish black color. His human face twisted. Transforming into a beastlike visage with sharp, jagged teeth. His hair thickened into long, wild mane.
His leather outfit turned into a blazing [Naraka Armor]. And a massive, two-handed war hammer seemed to materialize from nothing in his hand... the [Judgement Warhammer].
In an instant, Jack Night was gone. Replaced by Judge Jack. The hulking rakshasa incarnation stood over three meters tall. Radiating an aura of oppressive power and primal fury.
The berserk Crimson Mammoth bellowed. A sound that shook the trees around them. And then, it charged. Its massive head, with those deadly tusks, was lowered. It turned into a living battering ram. A force of nature driven by pure, unthinking rage.
Judge Jack sprinted to meet the charge. He didn't flinch despite being much smaller than the opponent. He let out a roar. A deeper, more resonant sound than any human could produce. A challenge that vibrated through the air.
He swung the [Judgement Warhammer] down. It slammed into the mammoth's forehead with the force of a falling meteor. BOOM!
A thunderclap echoed. The ground heaved. Dust and displaced air exploded outwards. The mammoth stumbled. Its massive body reeled from the impact. Its crimson fur bristled.
But the beast seemed to be undamaged. Only enraged further. It shook its head. Snarling. Then it lunged again. Aiming its tusks for Judge Jack's body.
Jack twisted his body to evade. A deceptive amount of agility was in his monstrous frame. The war hammer came around again. A horizontal arc that caught the mammoth on the side of its head. BOOM!
The sound was like two mountains colliding. The mammoth bellowed in pain and frustration. Staggering sideways. Momentarily disoriented.
The duel had begun. Two titans, locked in a brutal contest of strength and will.
Judge Jack's bulging muscles and thick dark skin contracted. Absorbing the mammoth's blows. His eyes glowed with intense focus. His [Judgement Warhammer] was a blur of destructive force. Each strike was powerful enough to create craters in the earth.
The mammoth was a berserk engine of relentless destruction though. It was struck again and again. But it always countered with charges, stomps, and swings of its massive trunk. Its raw vitality seemed to be endless.
While Judge Jack was locked in this earth-shaking duel. The ground began to ripple at the edges of the clearing. Small, pinkish mounds erupted from the soil.
They weren't werewolves. They were small, hunched creatures. They had bulbous heads, razor-sharp teeth, and wicked-looking, bone daggers. They were... Pink Goblins. And they were a lot.
They swarmed out. Chittering and squealing. Their eyes were fixed on the remaining members of Jack's team.
"Pink Goblins!" Ned shouted from high above. His rifle was already tracking the nearest targets.