Exiled Prince and His Succubus Army-Chapter 35: The giant porcupines 2

Reggie stood over the fallen beast, chest heaving, blood spattering the grass beneath him. The remaining monsters circled warily, their quills bristling, but none were as large as the one he had just defeated. He wiped sweat from his brow with the back of his hand, muttering something halfway between relief and disappointment.

"That’s three," he said under his breath. "One more and I can actually call today productive."

He scanned the battlefield. The towering creature he had slain lay collapsed in a heap, twitching weakly as its last shreds of life left its body.

The others, still dangerous, still deadly, but smaller by comparison, paced around the clearing. Their claws scraped the dirt with sharp, rhythmic taps. Their fangs clicked as they chittered, nervous but not hesitant enough to refuse a fight.

Renji tightened his grip on his sword. There was still work to do.

The second beast charged before he could reposition. Its body was a blur of quills and muscle. Renji twisted to the side just in time, feeling the creature’s claws swipe past his ribs. It skidded across the ground, spun, and launched itself again with startling quickness.

"Persistent little..." Renji slashed, aiming for its hind leg, but the beast jerked away with inhuman reflexes, hopping sideways almost like a grotesque, armored rabbit.

He clicked his tongue in irritation. "Show off."

A brief glance toward the other side of the clearing reassured him. Aya and Kaede were handling their side expertly. Aya stood with her hands raised, her telekinetic barrier shimmering faintly around her and Kaede. Any beast that tried to breach it ended up slamming its face straight into a wall of invisible force

From behind that protection, Kaede leapt in with elegant precision, her sword flaring like a silver arc as she cut down anything that got close. She fought with disciplined ferocity, striking only when the barrier opened gaps for her, slicing down monsters one after another.

They had killed two already and were working their way to the next.

With them safe, Renji felt something he didn’t want to admit, pressure. A prickling urge at the back of his mind insisting that he keep up, that he do better, that he prove he was strong enough to lead. Strong enough to protect them. Strong enough to be worth their trust.

He refocused on the beast in front of him.

"Alright, round two."

He rushed the creature. Its quills rattled as it growled, bracing itself. Renji slashed toward its face, but the monster lunged first. He dodged, but its movement was faster this time. Much faster. The creature planted its iron-hard foreleg into the soil and twisted, using the anchoring point to spin around with shocking agility.

The claw sliced across Renji’s shoulder.

He staggered back, hissing at the sharp sting. A thin line of blood trickled down his arm, marking yet another injury to add to the growing list for the day.

Renji frowned, glancing at the wound with clear annoyance. "Hey. That’s my favorite shoulder."

He shifted his stance. The beast lunged again, eager to follow up its successful strike. Renji moved just enough to avoid the jaws, then made a sharp feint with his right arm as though preparing to strike from that side.

The creature reacted instantly, turning to block. 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝒆𝔀𝒆𝙗𝓷𝒐𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝓶

Renji swung left.

The blade sliced deep. The monster shrieked, stumbling sideways before collapsing to the ground in a heap of jagged quills.

Renji stood over it, breathing hard. Then he laughed, wiping sweat and dirt from his cheek.

"Seriously? That worked? A basic feint? You guys need to up your game."

He didn’t have long to savor the moment. The third beast snarled from across the clearing, its eyes locked onto him. This one was slightly bigger than the last two, its quills longer and its limbs noticeably more muscular.

Renji stepped forward, planting his feet. "Alright, you’re next. Come on then."

He motioned with his sword, beckoning it forward.

The creature didn’t hesitate.

It shot forward at frightening speed, tearing across the clearing and launching into a full-body charge. Renji prepared to dodge, but the monster was faster than he estimated. Its quills flared out, grazing his side before he could fully evade.

A hot stripe of pain tore across his ribs.

Renji yelped, stumbling sideways. He clutched the gash with his free hand. "Ow, okay, okay. That one’s on me."

Three injuries in one fight. All shallow, but all painful. His body throbbed in uneven pulses, each one echoing with the reminder that he wasn’t invincible. He straightened despite the discomfort, raising his sword again.

The beast paced for a moment, measuring him, its quills rattling like a bag of knives.

Renji gritted his teeth. "Come on. Let’s finish this."

The creature roared and charged again. Renji tightened his grip, preparing to dodge right this time, learning from the last exchange.

But before he could move, a sharp voice rang out from the other side of the clearing.

"Renji! Left!"

Aya’s hands thrust forward, her brows furrowed in fierce concentration. A wave of telekinetic force slammed into the charging beast. It wasn’t enough to stop the monster completely, but it was enough to knock it slightly off its intended path.

The creature stumbled mid-leap, its body twisting awkwardly.

Renji’s instincts ignited. He lunged in, driving his sword forward with all the force he could muster.

The blade pierced through the beast’s chest.

The impact knocked the air out of him. The beast convulsed around the blade, shuddering as its momentum carried it forward. Before Renji could pull back, its full weight crashed onto him. He hit the ground hard, dirt exploding around him.

His head struck the ground with a heavy, ringing thud.

The world spun.

The sounds of battle blurred together.

Aya’s distant cry echoed through the ringing in his ears.

Kaede shouted his name, voice sharp with panic.

But Renji could no longer hold on. Darkness rushed in like a tide, dragging him under.

He lost consciousness.