Lukas felt a surge of adrenaline. His leg throbbed from the kick, but it had worked. The pain was distant, muffled by the excitement of battle.

He had killed one with his own hands, or rather, with his foot.

"One less!" he shouted, panting.

The wounded man stared at him with wide eyes, caught between shock and admiration. His mouth opened and closed several times before he managed to form words.

"Lord Lukas... you..."

"Stay behind Tilbo!" the boy ordered.

The two remaining rats attacked Lukas directly, ignoring the ant. Their red eyes now seemed focused on him, as if they considered him a threat as well. One jumped first, the other flanking.

Lukas stepped back, launching short webs to hinder them. One strand struck a rat’s snout, sealing its mouth shut. The other leaped high, claws extended toward the boy’s neck.

Lukas saw the claws approaching, saw the red eyes gleam with triumph.

Tilbo was faster.

The ant surged forward, intercepting the leap. Her mandibles closed around the rat’s belly, lifting it into the air and shaking it like a rag doll.

The agonized screech was cut short when Tilbo slammed it into the ground with crushing force. The impact opened a small crater in the earth.

Four remained.

The forest seemed alive with the sounds of battle. Screeches, the cracking of carapaces, the rustling of leaves, and the dull thud of bodies.

The air smelled of blood, earth, and sweat. Lukas was sweating, his chest burning, his breathing ragged. Astra, still perched on his shoulder, emitted sharp cries of encouragement, her wings half-spread, her golden eyes fixed on the enemies.

That was when he heard the familiar sound of rapid legs.

Prata emerged from between the trees like a silver bolt.

The giant spider leaped onto a low branch and, without hesitation, dropped onto the back of one of the remaining rats.

Her chelicerae sank into the animal’s neck, injecting paralyzing venom. The rat thrashed violently, but Prata was relentless. Her front legs held the prey in place while the venom took effect.

The rat screeched, and tried to bite, but its movements became slow and uncoordinated.

"Prata!" Lukas smiled in relief.

The spider did not respond. Her multiple eyes shone with hunger and loyalty.

She abandoned the paralyzed rat and jumped toward the next one, weaving a quick web that wrapped around another attacker’s hind legs. The rat fell face-first to the ground, its legs trapped.

Now it was a coordinated fight.

Tilbo in the center, crushing and biting. Prata on the flanks, paralyzing and tearing apart. Lukas providing support, launching webs to immobilize enemies and create openings.

One rat managed to slip past Tilbo’s guard and charged straight at Lukas. The boy did not retreat. He fired a thick web into the creature’s chest, anchored the strand to a nearby tree, and pulled with all his strength. The rat lost its balance and fell onto its side.

Lukas ran forward, jumped, and delivered another spinning kick, this time to the skull. The impact did not kill it, but shattered its jaw. The rat screeched, trying to bite, but its mouth would no longer close properly. Prata finished the job, leaping onto it and driving her fangs into its skull.

The second-to-last rat attacked Tilbo from below, trying to bite into her softer underside. The ant lifted it with her front legs and slammed it repeatedly against her own armored body until the screech turned into a wet gurgle. The rat’s body went limp, hanging like a rag.

The last rat, the largest of them all, stopped.

Its red eyes assessed the scene. Dead companions scattered across the ground. The giant ant was bleeding lightly from deep scratches. The spider covered in enemy blood. And the human boy who did not run.

It screeched one final time, a lower sound, almost intelligent, and tried to flee in the direction of the cave.

"You’re not getting away!" Lukas shouted.

Prata and Tilbo gave chase in unison. The spider fired strands that bound the fleeing rat’s legs. Tilbo caught up in only a few strides and drove her mandibles into its spine.

The final crack was decisive.

Silence returned to the forest, broken only by the heavy breathing of Lukas and the wounded man.

Lukas dropped to his knees, exhausted. His hands trembled. The powerful kick still echoed through his leg. He had strength, yes, but his body was still fragile, still that of a child. The combined strain of webs, movement, and adrenaline demanded its price.

Astra gently pecked at his hair, as if trying to comfort him. The soft touch of feathers against his forehead was almost a caress.

Prata approached, touching his leg with one of her front legs. Her multiple eyes seemed almost concerned, carrying a different gleam than usual.

Tilbo remained on guard, her metallic body stained with dark blood, yet still imposing. Her mandibles still dripped.

The wounded man crawled over to Lukas, tears mixing with the blood on his face. His trembling hand rested on the boy’s shoulder.

"Thank you... Lord Lukas... You saved my life. Those rats... they aren’t normal. They came from a large cave."

Lukas took a deep breath, trying to calm his heart. He looked toward the direction of the cave, now hidden by the trees. The smell of rot still seemed lodged in his nostrils, lingering like an unpleasant memory.

"I know. I saw one of the caves. There’s something wrong with the forest."

He slowly stood up, helping the man to his feet. Tilbo approached, offering her body as support, her metallic carapace firm and steady.

"Let’s go back to the village. You need a doctor. And I... need to tell Clavor."

Prata climbed onto his free shoulder, partially curling herself there. Astra watched everything, alert.

As they walked back through the forest, Lukas looked at the bodies of the scattered rats. Their red eyes had already gone dull, but the feeling of malicious intelligence remained.

This was not a simple pest problem.

Lukas thought of something, then fired a web at the front legs of one of the dead rats. He had to show it to Clavor, so he would drag one of the rats all the way back to his home.

The Village was still far away, but the morning, once so peaceful, now carried the weight of Lukas’s first battle in this new world.

Lukas clenched his fists.

And returned.