The surrounding Silverfalls Vine reacted as one, its consciousness rippling sharply toward a single direction.
Ray's eyes snapped open. He lifted his arm and pointed.
"Over there!"
Alfred did not hesitate for even a fraction of a second.
The Skyfrost Sword slashed downward, and a colossal Skyfrost Slash tore through the darkness. The frozen blade of light ripped open the black fog, frost spreading in a straight line across the vegetation it passed.
"Awoo—!"
A deep, distorted howl echoed through the forest.
The black fog shrank violently, compressing into a pulsing knot of purple light.
The Skyfrost Slash struck the purple light head-on and dissipated.
As the darkness thinned, their opponent finally revealed itself.
A black ape stood there, a little over two meters tall. Its body was lean and agile rather than imposing, but its head was crowned with strange golden hair that burned like fire.
