The Sound Of Despair

Sturm was spent. He had used all the mana cells he could gather and expel, dividing them into the two lightning bolts forming above his hands. The result spoke for itself as two charred corpses fell to the ground. 

<<Why is it so powerful? Well, better safe than sorry.>>

It was unexpected. If Sturm had known that fully attributed lightning cells would have this much of an effect, then he would have never emptied his tank like that. As [Black Room] had already scanned the surroundings, the teenager knew there were no imminent threats, but it was never wise to challenge fate. 

"Schatten, Licht, good joob. We surely have attracted a lot of the sasquatches with all the commotion we caused, so it is time to change location."

The two beasts were still speechless by the simplicity of fighting higher-tiered enemies, but they were too experienced to let their shock affect their behavior. Schatten covered himself in a thin membrane of dark lightning and melted into the surrounding tree's shades. Meanwhile, Licht used his superior agility to move from one tree branch to another.

Returning to the lightning space was convenient for offensive purposes like surprise attacks and ambushes. But, conversely, it was a disadvantage when they needed to defend. Being together limited their tactical options, as Schatten and Licht would have less or no time to prepare magic.

Now that Sturm needed to recover, it was best not to strain his mind too much and let the two beasts do the scouting. Should they encounter enemies, they could easily set up additional traps to stall for time or divert their attention. There was no danger to Schatten and Licht, as

It was best to leave sasquatch territory for now and rest closer to the lone mountain. The prey was going nowhere, and reviewing their tactics and experiences would further consolidate their teamwork. There were no complications during their tactical retreat, which was something two certain beasts tried to take responsibility for.

Schatten sat down in front of the exhausted Sturm. {Did you see how I led us through that forest? I told you I can smell any beast from a mile away. Who dares to say I am not useful during the day now?}

{You are useless during the day, and our retreat just confirmed that. If it had not been for me, then we would have walked straight into that sasquatch chieftain with his warrior contingent! How could you even claim to be responsible for our success in avoiding them, you dumb dog? If you smell them when they are only two kilometers away, then you may as well get rid of your nose. Maybe you can free some space for a few more brain cells. }

It was true they had spotted a marching army, but at no point was it as close as the two beasts made it seem. Sturm had noticed a faint tremor and subtly changed course without informing the others. 

{You dare?! I would have smelled them much sooner if there was no stinking feline distracting me! Don't they say house cats are clean? How come a rotten water corpse may as well be a perfume next to you?} 

Schatten was right that Licht stank, but so did he and Sturm. Out of the three of them, the tiger maintained the most hygiene, and the wolf knew that. But, at the same time, he also knew that he was rubbing salt into a wound. Raitigers were not just any felines. They were a noble and majestic race that took their appearance very seriously.

{You… you savage dare to insult my cleanliness? A lowly brumadog, who practically lives in the dirt? You are lucky your fur is black; otherwise, it would be brown like the shit you are! I will teach you a lesson, even though I know you are too stupid to understand it.}

Sometimes, when provoking someone and going for their weakness, you have to be prepared to face the consequences. Schatten knew that this was a delicate topic for his rival, but not that he would explode like that. During their last two years of training, Licht had often been too tired to reduce his rest time to clean himself. It had been hard and agonizing, but with sheer willpower and determination, the raitiger managed to banish the desire to the deepest parts of his consciousness.

Now that it had been brought up again made it impossible not to actively think about it. Like a persistent earworm stuck in your head, it would take days for Licht to forget about it. The dog had crossed a line he should have never crossed.

{DIEEE!}

"MIAAUU!" 

Licht did not notice how he spoke mentally and physically at the same time, as rage consumed him. This was no berserkergang. No, it was worse. It was a cat throwing a tantrum. Not even Sturm threatening him with extra training would be able to stop Licht, so he did the only thing he could come up with… and baited both beasts into the lightning space. 

Of course, it was impossible to force someone into it, but as his contracted beasts, the two had to make a conscious effort to stop the entry. So what Sturm did was simply standing in their path, touching them with his tattoos while opening the pocket dimension.

<<Schatten, good luck. You were a good boy.>>

The wolf in question, however, had not yet realized the severity of his actions and did not mind the change of scenery.

{Lowly brumadog… live in dirt? I'll have you know that we bathe at least once a month! Even during our campaigns, we find ways to clean ourselves regularly, and our she-wolves admire our manly odors! I will… wait, Licht, why are your eyes so red?}

What ensued could not be called a fight. Licht attacked Schatten with reckless abandon, and the wolf would have to seriously injure or cripple the tiger to make him stop. Yes, they used to hate each other literally to death, but suffering together under Sturm created some camaraderie nonetheless. Furthermore, their fates were now inseparable. When their contractor died, so would they. So while Licht's death would not kill Sturm, it would still sharply diminish their overall strength. The brumawolf was not as intelligent as the other two, but he was not stupid.

{Sturm! Get me out of here and leave the mad cat inside,} pled Schatten as Sturm actively blocked the exit. 

{You said you are basically a prince, right? So even if you are from a warrior family, I suppose you were fed with a silver spoon throughout your whole life. Otherwise, you and Licht would have never ended up in the state I found you in. Everyone needs to learn the consequence of their actions, so deal with it yourself,} responded Sturm.

If there was a truly dangerous situation at any moment in time, then Sturm would not hesitate to intervene. Concentrating his senses would slow down his recovery, but if the beasts could learn a valuable lesson, then it was definitely worth it. 

<<I closed my mental connection to Licht because he was far too noisy. I wonder what he is thinking right now…>>

{DIE. DIE. DIE. I WILL KILL YOU. YOU...}

<<Ok, I should have guessed as much.>>

Inside the lightning space, Schatten was using his dark lightning to disappear inside the dim world. In the beginning, there had only been a platform of about ten square meters, but their increase in strength had pushed back the darkness. It revealed a much more gentle slope than they had previously thought, which gave the brumawolf more than double the space to maneuver around. 

Had their roles been reversed, the more agile Licht would have been able to easily run laps around the wolf. As it was, however, Schatten could only make use of his ability and the raitiger's lack of thought. It was a game of cat and mouse, or rather dog and cat. No, wouldn't that imply the dog was giving chase?

It was a game of cat and a dog fulfilling the role of a mouse. The plan to use dark lightning was good and frankly the only viable option, but there was one complication Schatten had to frequently deal with. It was a 'lightning' space, which meant there was lightning striking all over the world. 

Even beyond the darkness, one could frequently hear terrifying thunderclaps. The lightning around the platform and the surrounding slopes was more subdued, but it momentarily illuminated the peak anyways. As a result, every time it did, Schatten's location would be briefly revealed, giving Licht sight of his target.

<<Rather than a game of cat and mouse, this looks more like Whac-A-Mole. Well, it seems like Schatten did me a favor by warning me of this taboo. With how crazy he has gotten, I am sure Licht would attack me all the same. Would I face the consequence of my actions like I am teaching Schatten? Hah, who am I kidding? Of course, I would.>>

He would most definitely not.