Grog landed on the ground and prepared to jump again, but a tree branch extended and caught his leg. Enraged, Grog cut the branch, saying, "Damn that old hag and her dirty tricks!" Julia was using her powers whenever Grog landed to slow him down and give Uzi and N as much time as possible.
Grog jumped again and thought to himself, "This is strange! First, that old witch intervenes, and then these two stop moving... Why? Now I understand." Grog landed on the ground and jumped again. "She's trying to stall me to give them time, probably to re-feed N so they can fight me." Grog chuckled to himself and continued thinking, "But what's the point? I managed to defeat that so-called N, and I even cut him in two. And that old witch won't intervene. If she wanted to, things would be worse now, and I'd have to resort to some measures I don't want to use. So I don't think there's anything they can do to me." He landed hard on the ground and prepared to jump again as Julia used her powers once more, but Grog cut through the tree branches reaching towards him and leaped into the air once more.
"But that girl... what can she do to me?" Grug said. "I mean, she's not a vampire, and even her scent doesn't worry me, so what role could she possibly play against me?" Grug thought for a moment, then realized something. "That's right!" He remembered the weapon Uzi had when he tried to kill her and continued, "Is that some kind of weapon? It looks so strange. But would she use it against me? I don't think it would work. My body is solid in this form, so there's no fear. I think she'll run away, and that vampire will give her time. But..." Another question popped into Grug's head: "Why did she disappear? And then reappear with that witch who's helping her? Why is she even helping her?"
Grug remembered something and said, "It's possible she's related to someone in that cult? That's possible. That old woman wouldn't help her; I think she gave her the key. So, she won't fight; she'll run away and use N as a distraction to escape. That weapon, I think, is just for protection or something. So, I have to capture the girl to present her to my master. That way, he'll not only get the key but also someone close to a member of that cult."
Grug approached N and Uzi's location and landed on the ground. He took one last jump before reaching them and said to himself while hovering, "Hehehe, I've arrived. Now, what are you going to do..." Suddenly, something hurtled towards Grug, who was in the air. Grug could smell the approaching object and reacted immediately, blocking its attack. However, the force of the blow sent him crashing to the ground from the height he had jumped from.
Grug collapsed to the ground, sighing, "What... what was that... wait, that smell... but this is impossible... how?" He recognized the scent of the person who had attacked him, but this left him stunned. "Where were you hiding all that power? I'm amazed, N!" he exclaimed.
N landed with such force that the impact seemed to split the earth. He stood before Grug, his clothes torn, his hair white, his eyes tinged with yellow, the red veins around them bulging, and his face contorted with rage. Grug tried to sniff out Uzi, but N told him, "It's no use. She's gone."
Grug deduced that N wasn't lying; Uzi's scent had completely disappeared. "So she escaped just as I expected," Grug thought to himself. "Well, this will be a problem, but no worries, I can take away the place N is hiding." Grug sensed something had changed in N—not just the scent, but his aura. It had completely changed. "It's okay, I'll find her soon," Grug said, "but first, let's finish what we started."
Grug and N charged toward each other. Grug expected their claws to clash like last time, so he put more force into this attack aimed at N. But to his surprise, N dodged the blow and leaped into a nearby tree, causing Grug to miss his target and hit the ground, creating a large gap.
N unfurled his wings and began leaping and moving swiftly around Grog's position. He launched an attack using his sharp claws, employing the same technique Grog had used against him before. His wings gave him an extra boost, increasing his speed and preventing Grog from striking or grabbing him, thus allowing him to unleash a barrage of attacks.
"That's my style!" Grog exclaimed. "You're using my style against me?" Grog shifted into a purely defensive posture, finding himself surrounded. Despite his robust body, he knew N's attacks were more powerful than before, so he had to switch to defense. Even with his strength in this form, there were limits to his defense against the sheer volume of attacks N was facing. N could target a vital area like his nose or the site of his previous injury, which would be a problem. He couldn't revert to his original form to keep up with N's speed, and even if he could, it would take him a considerable amount of time. But then an idea struck him.
N approached Grog to deliver another blow towards him, but Grog struck the ground with great force, causing dust and rocks to scatter around the place. This caused N to be scattered by the rocks he collided with, giving Grog enough time to locate him and aim his claws towards N.
N blocked Grog's claws, but the attack focused on pushing N backward, causing him to slam into the tree behind him. Undeterred by the pain, N sprang into action, transforming his claw into a sword and aiming it at Grog. Grog, in turn, blocked N's attack. After blocking N's strike, N transformed his other hand into a sword and aimed it at Grog, using the shockwave from his first attack to deliver another blow. Grog blocked this as well. After blocking the second attack, Grog aimed his claw at N. N blocked it, then transformed one of his hands into a claw again, grabbing Grog's claw. He then leaped over Grog, still holding his claw, and landed behind him. He struck Grog's legs with his sword, forcing him to his knees. N then transformed his other hand into a claw and seized Grog's other hand.
"He's trying to pin me down," Grog thought to himself. "Is he stupid? I'll be free of this soon..."
"Now," N shouted.
Uzi emerged from the undergrowth, wearing N's torn coat, and pointed her weapon at Grog.
Grog was taken aback, but unconcerned. "What? Is this your plan? You idiots! No matter how powerful this weapon is, it will never penetrate my tough body."
"Bite Me," Uzi said. "We'll see about that." She pulled the trigger, and a powerful green beam shot out with a loud bang and a strong wave. The beam aimed at the wound N had previously inflicted on Grog, allowing it to penetrate his body and burn his internal organs. Because of Grog's tough skin, the beam didn't escape, but its fiery power was concentrated deep inside him.
Grog screamed in agony as he felt his limbs burning. But the smell... if the stench of burning flesh was repulsive to humans, imagine how much more so to dogs with their keen sense of smell. Grog had once again underestimated his opponent, and this time it cost him his life. N let go of him and collapsed into the swamp, blood gushing from him, the stench of his burning flesh mingling with the smell of his own body.
Minutes earlier:
N explained to Uzi what he had learned from his fight with Grog. She knew that if Grog had used his first form, he would have caught up with them quickly, but he hadn't yet. This meant that the injury N had inflicted on him was severe. However, the problem with his second form remained. If his defense and attack were strong in this form, it would be a problem, and even if she used her weapon, it couldn't be guaranteed to cause significant damage. Therefore, they needed a decisive blow to finish him off completely. Then an idea came to her that might help them, or rather, that would completely destroy Grog. Uzi told N, "Okay, that's what we'll do. First, you'll go face Grog and then pin him down. As for me, I'll approach him and aim my weapon at him."
N said, "Sorry, but I can't accept that plan. No."
Uzi asked, "What? Why?"
N said, "Have you forgotten what I said about his toughness? Do you think your weapon will damage him enough?"
Uzi said, "Not exactly, but I'll aim my weapon at his wound. Then the beam will enter him and won't exit. Its power will be concentrated inside, burning his internal organs. Hehehe."
N said, "I think... I think that will work." N was taken aback by the plan's brutality. Although Grog was trying to kill them both, the method Uzi wanted to use to defeat him was utterly barbaric. However, her smiling face made N overlook it; the fear and anxiety that had gripped her earlier seemed to have subsided somewhat.
Before N could proceed with the plan, Uzi smacked her forehead and said, "Right, I forgot about the smell. How are we going to manage this?"
While Uzi was pondering this dilemma, N took off his tattered coat and wrapped it around her, saying with a smile, "I think this will help, won't it?"
Uzi blushed and said, "Yes... yes, I think so."
Present Time:
Grog fell to the ground, and Uzi looked at him. The sight of the blood-covered monster and its disgusting smell would have made any normal person shudder or vomit, but Uzi reacted differently. She shouted excitedly, "Yess ... N looked at her not with surprise, but with joy. He'd never seen that side of Uzi before, or even her smiling face. Ever since they became friends, she'd looked at him with annoyance, but this time was different. It seemed she was starting to open up to him and truly consider him a friend. N, smiling, approached her and said, "Yes, you were brave there, and that's what I like about you. You're brave and fearless."
Uzi asked, "What?"
N began to stammer, trying to explain, "I mean... you were able to stand up to that monster... and that's something most normal people can't do... I don't mean you're abnormal or that I'm calling you a monster... I mean, yes, you're a normal person, not a monster, but what you did was brave... Ah, Biscuit."
Uzi wasn't angry, just surprised. All she could think was, "Brave... me?" No one had ever praised her like that before, but to receive such praise from N, who had been struggling to explain what he'd said earlier, made her a little happy. She thought to herself, "Nice."
"Relax, Dude ," Uzi said. "I'm not angry or anything."
N breathed a sigh of relief. He'd thought for a moment that he'd said something unpleasant that had upset Uzi. He, too, had been called annoying by V and J, so he didn't want to be seen as such in front of Uzi. "It's just that you were amazing there," N said.
Uzi blushed at the compliment. Turning her face away to hide her embarrassment, she said, "Bite me, I know that." Then she turned back to face him and said enthusiastically, "I'm brave and strong, unlike those stupid, boring adults. I was able to defeat that monster with my weapon!"
While Uzi and N were both distracted, there seemed to be some breath left in Grog, as he said to himself, "I... I am being defeated by pathetic vampires and humans, and on top of that they are mocking me, this is impossible... No... No... No... No, I will not accept this... I will show them... I will show them all... I will destroy them... No, I will make them wish for death." Gathering all the strength he had left, he said in a weak and feeble voice, "My Lord... revered Lord... you who dwell in the shadows... I beg you hear the prayers of your weak and humble servant... and give me strength... strength to take revenge... to take revenge on those who have hurt me... on those who have dared to confront you..."
Black arms began to wrap around Grog, encircling him. Above him, a black shadow emerged, standing over him. The shadow said, "Oh, Grog, my poor servant, once again you disappoint me."
Grog: "My lord... please..."
Shadow: "What? You want me to lend you my power? Why? So you can fail again, as you did before and as you are doing now?"
Grog: "My lord... I am your loyal servant... I gave you my soul..."
Shadow: "And that is why I was merciful to you and gave you another chance to find the key. But look at you now, lying on the ground, breathing your last."
Grog: "My lord... I made a mistake, please..."
Shadow: "And you repeated the same mistake again and again. You underestimate your enemy, then you are defeated and come crying back to me. Until now, you were able to dodge that girl's weapon, but you underestimated her and pride completely consumed you. And now here you are." Grog: "Sir... please, they've tricked me."
Shadow: "Do you think I'm a fool? I saw everything, Grog, and heard everything you were thinking. And let me tell you, your fight against that vampire and that girl... has piqued my interest a little. It seems these two will be of great use in the future, especially the girl. As for the young vampire, he has very promising potential."
Grog: "But... sir... what about the key?"
Shadow: "Forget about it. Even if you get the key, the book won't work without its original owner or someone from his lineage."
Grog: "But... sir... why did you make me..."
Shadow: "To punish you, of course, but that doesn't matter now." The Shadow began wrapping Grog completely in black limbs until his entire body was covered. Grog started to panic, but the Shadow continued, "Don't worry, you'll have another use for yourself. As for your revenge, you'll get it, but only when I decide. Hahahaha!" Grog vanished amidst the Shadow's laughter.
Uzi felt a shiver run through her body, along with a touch of fear—almost the same feeling she had when she first encountered Grog. The same thing happened to N; his senses told him there was something dangerous behind him. The two turned to see that Grog had completely disappeared into a cloud of smoke.
Julia felt the same way and realized what had happened. She said, "Oh my God, it seems that girl and that boy are going to face some serious trouble in the future. I hope they're ready for it , because they should be ."