"Wild Boar!" Taki exclaimed, each of the travelers kept in shock. "Defend yourselves!" He called out, each of them quickly raising their weapons to guard. Four Wild Boar charged at each of the team members, and each one stopped in their tracks by the team's tough weapons. Adel was having the hardest time holding his Boar back. His arms felt weak, not only from being shocked awake, but the fact he was scared of the angered beast before him. The Boar's snorted and growled at the team, trying to push into the weapons used to hold them back, and twisting their tusks around in hopes of stabbing their hands and dislodging the weapons.

Taki was becoming angered by the situation. He had taken down Wild Boar in the past, and the fact he was having trouble with just one set him off. He yelled in anger, before shoving his bow off the creature, and kicking it with enough force to knock it onto its back. He quickly used the free moment to notch an arrow and aim at the Boar Kana was holding back, so that, together, they could get rid of the rest. Just then, Adel shouted, the Boar he was struggling with charged forward suddenly and knocked him down, preparing to attack the young boy.

"Damn it!" Taki shouted, switching his aim from Kana's Boar to Adel's. And as he was preparing to shoot, his own Boar suddenly recollected itself, and charged with extreme force into Taki's side. The Archer shouted in pain from the attack, before he was sent flying several yards away from the impact.

"Taki!!" Kana exclaimed, looking over at him as he slid to a stop. She watched the Boar start to close in on him, and she growled with frustration. She knew she had to do something quick or else Adel and Taki would be killed. She reached into a small pouch she kept at her hip, and took out a sharpened, throwing knife. She grit her teeth, and swiftly stabbed the Boar in front of her in the eye, causing it to screech in pain, and back off.

The Boar's were about to go for the eyes of their prey, out of sheer instinct, and Adel and Taki were helpless to defend. Kana dashed toward Adel, grabbing the Boar beside him by its wiry hair, and then throwing the several-hundred pound beast into a nearby tree with a loud shout of effort. The sound of the Boar crashing into the tree with a screech distracted Taki's Boar, and Kana used the distraction to send her Dragon's Tail flying at the Boar in a spinning motion. Before it returned to Kana's hands like a boomerang, it slashed the throat of Taki's Boar, which promptly fell over, lifelessly.

Runa, realizing all the others were safe, felt confidence sweep through her. She frowned at the Boar before her, shoving it away with her sword before, raising the weapon over her head.

"Hyaaaaaa!" She cried out as she sent the blade straight down to the Boar, but was shocked when it swiftly avoided the attack, and prepared to dive at her. Runa winced in fear, when suddenly, the Boar yelped, and fell over, a second throwing knife lodged in its side. The young girl breathed a sigh of relief and looked over at Kana, who smiled.

"Always keep a spare." She said, walking over to her knife and pulling it out of the beast.

"That was too close." Runa said, happy that her comrades were mostly unharmed. She then gasped, as she saw Kana's hand as she went for the knife. "Your hand... it's all cut up." Kana opened her hand and inspected the wound, which she realized must have occurred when she grabbed the Boar's sharp hairs. She didn't think much of it, and gave Runa a reassuring smile.

"It's just a flesh wound." She replied. "I'll be all right." She then turned her focus to Taki, walking over and kneeling beside him, without touching him with her bloodied hands.

"You okay?" She asked. He got to his hands and knees with a grunt, staring down at his bow beneath him before clenching it angrily in his hands.

"Just... shut up." He strained somewhat to speak, his chest feeling sore from the impact. He shakingly got to his feet, before shouting in pain, dropping onto his seat and holding his ribs.

"Let me try to help." She said, calmly.

"I don't need your damn help!" He snapped, angrily, before staring at his bow again and gritting his teeth. 'Why the hell couldn't I beat that pathetic Boar?' He thought. 'If I wasn't distracted by my weak team I would've been able to take it out with ease... I shouldn't have even bothered helping them. Now, look what happens. My ribs hurt like hell, and the others barely get a damn scratch...'

"If I never would've bothered helping you weaklings I could've killed that Boar with one shot." He added, spitefully.

"Weaklings!?" Kana exclaimed. "You had just as much trouble fighting one Boar just like the rest of us!"

"I kill Wild Boar for sport!" He shot back. "You've probably never fought one for real!"

"Then how did I kill every one of them while you killed none!?" She yelled. He grit his teeth angrily, looking at her with such a fiery temper.

"...Because I didn't kill them first." He replied, cockily. Kana fumed, clenching her fists.

"I can't believe how damn selfish you're being!" She shouted. "I just saved your life and all you do is act like an asshole!"

"I don't care what you think of me." He said, getting to his feet once more. He took a deep breath, ignoring the pain, and let it out in a loud sigh. "I never cared. So just shut up and leave me alone. Go babysit the children for a while." Then, he turned his back and walked off.

"So what are you going to do now!?" She shouted at him as he continued to walk away. "Tell us you're never coming back and then showing your face again for the hundredth time!?"

"I'm not going to lie, I'll be back." He replied, calmly. "I just need to get away from you for a while." Kana grit her teeth with intense rage.

'That pompous ass!' She shouted in her mind. 'He thinks he so damn great, tells us we're all weak and then says he's coming back like we need him or something. I'm really getting sick of him...'

"Kana..." Runa spoke softly. The older girl sighed and turned calmly to her. "Please don't get angry. I really don't like when you two fight." She looked away for a moment, a guilty look on her face, before turning back.

"I'm sorry." She said.

"Oh man, Kana..." Adel suddenly spoke up. "Your hands." Kana looked down at her hands, which were nearly covered in blood, gently dripping off her fingertips. Clenching her fists in anger didn't help the injuries on her hands.

"Crap, that's not good..." She muttered. "I should probably get some cloth and--"

"No, wait." Adel interrupted her. He coyly walked up to her and held her hands in his own, leaving her confused. He blushed somewhat, not quite used to holding a girl's hands. "Let me try something." He then closed his eyes, focusing his thoughts to her hands. They were soon enveloped in a mysterious blue light, and Kana gasped. Within a few seconds, the light dimmed, and Adel opened his eyes with a smile. Kana turned her palms toward her and was shocked to see they were completely healed.

"That's amazing, Adel!" She exclaimed. Adel played it off as though it were no big deal, blushing a bit more. She smiled and gave him a thankful kiss on the cheek, which only amplified his blushing. "Just make sure you don't do Taki any favors and heal him."

"Oh... okay..." Adel replied, disheartened by the comment. Kana sighed and looked over in the direction Taki had disappeared to.

'Taki, why do you have to be so self-centered all the time?' She thought. 'Don't you realize we're your friends?' The morning sun began to peek from behind the horizon, and it was time to start a new day of adventuring on their long, winding road.