Using her twin rattan batons, Fatheema felt much more at ease. These were the weapons she was most skilled with, the ones she had practiced more than any others. She had learned various techniques from YouTube videos and free online courses. Although she had never received formal training from a professional instructor, she had become remarkably proficient with a pair of rattan sticks.
At times, she resembled a young Eskrima master from the Philippines.
In truth, these two batons were her favorite weapons. She felt awkward and even disgusted by the idea of fighting with bladed weapons. Fatheema was not accustomed to being a killer, even in self-defense. Whenever possible, she preferred using nonlethal weapons such as rattan sticks.
Fatheema ran toward her opponent while circling to the right. Both batons were extended along either side of her body. As soon as she came within a few steps of the creature, she leaped onto a nearby tree and used it as a foothold to launch herself to the left, opposite the direction she had approached from.
Then she dashed toward her target, thrusting forward with her right hand while keeping her left arm bent and ready to continue the assault.
Then—
CLANG!
Their weapons collided.
Using both batons, Fatheema pressed the creature relentlessly. Strike after strike came from the right and left.
Meanwhile, the creature struggled to defend itself against the barrage. It continued retreating.
Then suddenly—
It grabbed its staff with both hands and pointed it straight ahead.
Then—
BLOOP!
A bubble emerged from the small hole at the tip of the staff. The black sphere rapidly expanded until it was roughly the size of a human being.
Startled, Fatheema tried to jump backward, but she was too late. The bubble slammed into her body and burst.
WHOOSH!
The explosion released a cloud of black smoke that engulfed the area where she stood.
Instantly, her vision was obscured by the dark mist. She quickly leaped backward.
Ripples appeared within the smoke, as though something had disturbed the surface of still water.
"There's something inside this black mist. Something that creates illusions."
"Hey... I feel like I'm being pulled toward a dream!"
"How strange. Dreaming while awake?"
"No! I can't let myself be drawn in. I refuse to fall asleep."
"This must be one of that creature's tricks."
Fatheema sensed that the mist contained something unusual.
It felt like dream fog. Fortunately, the black mist failed to affect her. She has two mystical eyes. Gradually, it faded away and disappeared.
However—
She now stood alone.
The surroundings were dark once more, illuminated only by the faint light of celestial bodies visible through gaps in the trees.
"What? What happened? Why is it dark again? Where did it run off to?"
Fatheema immediately assumed a defensive stance.
The environment that had appeared to be daytime moments ago had reverted to night.
Her eyes glowed violet, while her irises turned a deep crimson. She scanned the entire area.
"So it really is still nighttime."
"That creature created a daytime domain to deceive me and trap me so I couldn't escape. It actually thought it could defeat my martial arts."
"Hmph! It ended up running away instead."
"But where did it take my friends?"
"What does that evil thing really want?"
Fatheema headed back toward the tent. Then she froze.
A figure lay motionless in front of it.
A girl dressed in red with long black hair.
"Akane?!"
"Is that really you?"
"Are you okay?"
She cautiously approached the fallen girl.
The figure stirred.
Slowly, she sat up.
"What's going on?"
"Why am I sleeping outside?"
"I had a strange dream..."
Akane looked exhausted.
Her arms rested limply on her knees.
"Fatty, why are you looking at me like that?"
"And your eyes... why are they glowing so frighteningly?"
"Oh, sorry! Don't be scared. My eyes are fine."
"They only look like this because I was seeing strange things. There was an evil creature here."
Fatheema sat down beside her and explained everything that had happened.
The eyes Fatheema possessed were truly unique.
In darkness, they adapted much like the eyes of creatures with a high concentration of rod cells, allowing her to perceive heat signatures and infrared radiation.
In bright environments, however, her eyes shifted toward a greater concentration of cone cells, enabling her to perceive wavelengths shorter than those visible to ordinary humans.
As is commonly known, visible light ranges from approximately 380 to 750 nanometers. Wavelengths shorter or longer than that range cannot normally be seen by the human eye.
Through the power of her eyes, Fatheema could consciously adjust the balance between rod and cone receptors according to her needs.
"It's a Face-Stealing Ghost," Akane said weakly, lowering her head.
"It steals people's faces. Anyone whose face is taken loses their consciousness and becomes its servant. Then they are left faceless, like dolls stripped of their identities."
"Meanwhile, the creature can freely switch between the faces of those it has captured."
"Oh no!"
"Nyx's face was stolen too!"
"It transformed into Nyx earlier. Before that, it looked exactly like you."
"But I managed to kick it into a tree. After that, its face turned flat and featureless."
"Oh, right. Do you think that if we damage it enough, it might be forced back into its original form?"
"Maybe we can free the people it's enslaved."
Fatheema tried to piece together everything she had witnessed.
"Maybe, Fatty."
Akane's eyelids drooped as she spoke, as though she were struggling to stay awake.
"But how did you survive that creature?"
"I'm not entirely sure, Akane."
"But that thing is cunning. It attacked while we were sleeping."
"For some reason, I woke up, and everything happened the way I described."
"By the way, you look exhausted. Here, drink some water first."
"I'll help restore your strength."
Fatheema handed her a water bottle.
Then she sat behind Akane and placed both palms against the girl's back.
She began channeling her inner force—her mana—into Akane's body, trying to restore her vitality.
After some time, Akane looked noticeably healthier.
"Fatty, what should we do now? What about Nyx?"
"Hmm... give me a moment. We have to find a way. We need to rescue Nyx" Fatheema sat silently, contemplating their next move.
This situation had been completely unexpected. Although she had known there would be dangers in crossing the haunted forest, she had not had many alternatives.
"That creature escaped. The prison-like illusion it created has already collapsed, and everything has returned to normal. If we can track it down, maybe we can take Nyx back. Or perhaps we can find its hiding place." She muttered to herself while thinking.
"Don't worry. I'll try to track it." Akane stood up and spun around. Jn the very spot where she had been standing, a red fox suddenly appeared.
"Come on, Fatty. I'll track that creature down!"
"Hey! That's right, I forgot you could do that!"
"Let's hurry and find its hiding place!" Fatheema immediately jumped to her feet. A broad smile spread across her face as she looked at the talking fox before her.
Sniffing the air, the red fox circled the area.
A few moments later, it suddenly sprinted off in a specific direction. Toward the deeper, darker part of the forest.
***