The Monster barred its fangs as it leaped forward.
The Hunter planted his feet as he raised his Spear.
A swift horizontal swing.
The Spear's tip was barely dodged by nimbly crouching.
With the weapon swung to the side, the Monster shortened the distance, aiming for the Hunter's chest.
But the Hunter was no amateur.
He allowed his Spear's blade to move aside, before thrusting its heel against the Monster's skull.
It hurt, but the Monster wouldn't let pain or dizziness get in the way.
Still, the hit had allowed the Hunter to discreetly move his center of gravity backwards.
A leg kick approached the Monster's left shoulder.
It didn't block the attack.
It didn't even try doing so.
Instead, the Monster extended its sharp claws.
Claw and Armor collided, and one emerged victor.
Intact, the Armoured Leg continued its way towards the Monster's body.
But the collision had taken off just enough speed from that kick for the Monster to slip below it.
By this time, the Hunter had brought his Spear back in front of his body, back where it belonged.
But the Weapon's blades, due to their spiral pattern, weren't sharp enough to be used successfully in combat.
It was a Spear made to be thrust.
A Spear made to pierce.
A Spear made to impale.
Which is why the Hunter instinctively wished to widen the distance slightly.
The Hunter in question was used to fighting against very powerful Monsters.
Monsters whose skin, hide, or scales could only be pierced by the Spear's tip.
The possibility of those blades being capable to injure the Monster in front of him did not cross his mind.
The Hunter's instincts and habits wanted him to widen the distance.
But he refused.
Stepping back was not an option.
Conceding one inch to the Monster, was one inch too many.
Giving the "Monster" the impression that it had managed to push back the "Monster Hunter" was out of the question.
The Hunter let go of the Spear with his right hand.
The Monster, despite three of the claws on the ends of its right hand breaking, did not let up.
It refused to back down.
It refused to slow down.
In fact, it seemed to have gotten even faster as it lowered its body.
Everything around disappeared from the Monster's field of vision.
The only thing that remained was the Hunter's body and Weapon.
The Hunter had one hand around his Spear.
The other hand free.
One foot in the air still, the other on the ground.
Knocking the Hunter off balance seemed like the right way to approach the situation.
The Monster's right knee kissed the ground and slipped closer.
Its left knee was bent as it hung in the air.
The Hunter's hand approached the Monster's face.
The latter tucked its neck just enough for that hand to miss.
The Monster's leg approached the Hunter's, when,
'...?!'
Confusion and surprise.
"Horns..." Zephyr uttered.
The Monster's body was slowly and easily lifted into the air.
"Are such ugly things."
Before Mark could attempt to free himself, Zephyr spun around.
BAM-
ARGH-
Grabbed by its horns, the Monster's body was slammed onto the ground.
Cough-
With no time to flow down peacefully, the drop of blood was torn from the Monster's mouth as its whole body was thrown against the Boss Room's wall again.
ARGHHH-
Pieces of stones and bricks fell to the ground as Mark took their place.
"Hey, can you hear me?"
The Monster opened its mouth and roared.
The Hunter remained where he had been standing.
"Can you hear me?"
The Monster slightly pushed itself off the wall.
But before it could leave the crevasse it had made in that wall,
"Mark, can you hear me?"
The Monster looked around, searching for where the familiar voice was coming from.
It didn't find a thing.
"You should be able to hear me... What is..."
With an open palm, the Monster suddenly slapped the side of its head.
"Mark?"
The Monster suddenly roared once more.
"Get out... Of my head..." It uttered.
On the other side of the Boss Room's doors, Elisa let out a long sigh of relief.
She opened her mouth, and the Wind carried her voice once more.
"I'm not in your head, dumbass. But I need to ask you something."
"You're... In the way."
"You asked me this a while ago. Now, I want you to answer that same question."
"Shut... Up... You're..."
"Tell me, Mark. Are you with them, or with us?"
The Moonlit Feline pressed its paws against Elisa's thigh.
Mark took a deep breath in.
He pushed himself off the wall.
With a bam, Mark's feet hit the ground.
"Does it look... Like I'm with him?"
A chuckle escaped Elisa's mouth.
A chuckled she made sure the Wind would filter out.
"Good. Then don't forget. We have a Contract."
Mark shook his head.
He couldn't tell where the voice was coming from.
In truth, it didn't come from one singular direction.
Indeed, from every angle possible, the Wind around him talked.
"What does that have to do with-"
"Clause 5..."
Suddenly, Mark felt something tighten around his right wrist.
Something cold, and heavy.
He pulled his arm immediately.
The sensation was already gone.
"You will listen to my Request once we make it outside. You hear?"
"What are you-"
"Once we make it outside. You've agreed to it, so don't forget or neglect it. The two of us are making it outside. It's already part of our Contract after all."
"You're not-"
"I'll help however I can from here, but don't expect much."
"How would you even-"
"The two of us are making it outside, Contractee. It's a promise made. So keep your word. No matter what."
The next second, he could feel the Wind around him change slightly.
"Have I indulged you enough?" Zephyr asked, after having patiently waited.
"My first words might not have been as good as I wanted them to be but..." Mark whispered.
He clenched his fists.
"In this World..."
His eyes zeroed in on Zephyr once more.
"I'm not breaching my first Contract."
