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I could have waited until it was fully asleep, but this is a scouting run, after all. I won\'t learn much if I face a helpless opponent. One that\'s tired, on the other hand…I\'ll take that advantage. Ike closed in on the chicken, raising his spear.

The chicken charged directly at him. Its beak gleamed in the moonlight as it lifted its head high.

Ike rolled to the side. The chicken struck the earth behind him. Before he could punish it for its mistake, it whipped around to face him. Bits of dirt still clung to its beak as it chased him down again. This time, Ike juked left and right, checking the chicken\'s turning skills. The chicken dug in its claws and threw itself after him. Its large body lagged the turn a little, but its head and its feet remained on point.

It\'s a bit heavier than a normal chicken—just a little bit—so it corners slower, Ike noted. He whirled around and feinted at it with his spear.

The chicken didn\'t so much as flinch. It lifted its beak high, preparing to strike him down from the heavens.

Spinning back around, Ike leaped to the grass. The chicken\'s blade-like beak slammed into the ground behind him, close enough that the debris from the strike bounced off his skin. He rolled back to his feet and kept running, into the forest.

Something that large has an advantage in open spaces. Let\'s see how it does in the tight spaces between trees.

Ike crashed through low bushes and vines. Behind him, the chicken charged after him. He glanced back. The massive, fluffy beast plowed through the undergrowth without a thought of hesitation. Branches snapped on its mighty chest. Vines tore around its vicious legs. It uprooted bushes as it passed.

Ike ducked around a mid-sized tree. The thing was about as big around as his bicep at its widest, not tiny, but not huge either. That oughta slow you down.

The chicken lifted its mighty claws and jumped at the tree. The tree swayed. Its roots cracked, trunk creaking from the forces applied to it.

Ike stared, wide-eyed. No way.

The tree rebounded. Dropping back to earth, the chicken shook its head and jumped at the tree again.

SNAP! The tree\'s roots broke through, and it plummeted to earth. Ike jumped to the side, barely ducking the canopy. As the branches and leaves rained down, he slid behind a large tree.

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The chicken stalked forward. Head first, then body, it stepped over the mid-size tree. It tilted its head left, then right. A big golden eye with a big round pupil scanned the forest. It let out a quiet b-gawk and stepped forward, crunching freshly-fallen branches under its feet.

A rustle. It snapped around, facing the large tree Ike had ducked behind. Striding forward with urgency, it turned the corner and looked around the tree.

Nothing. An empty space.

Confused, the chicken stepped forward. It lowered its head to sniff the ground. Short wattle trembling, it looked left and right again.

Ike dropped out of the tree, his spear held in both hands. The chicken lifted its head, but too late. The barbed spearhead pierced through the back of its neck and bore it to the ground, pinning it through to the earth. It struggled, its body spasming a few times.

Ike wiped his forehead. He pulled his sword out and sliced the chicken\'s head at the neck, cutting it clean off. It fell to the side, eyes empty, beak open. Dead.

Turning to the chicken, he smiled and patted the headless corpse. "I\'ll eat well tonight."

The headless corpse jumped up and slashed at him with its claws.

Startled, Ike staggered back. Blood streaked down his chest, and pain surged into him. The chicken charged, claws still going wild. Its wings flapped, and its tail flared. Ike lifted the spear, barely holding off its wild charge. What the hell? I killed it!

He tightened his grip on the spear, then, all at once, slashed with the handle. The force of the slash threw the chicken back. It landed on its heels and immediately charged again. Ike jumped to the side, avoiding its charge. It didn\'t turn to follow him, nor respond to his actions. Instead, it ran on and smashed into a tree in front of it. It fell back again, only to jump up and run on. It vanished into the forest.

Ike stared after it. What the hell was that?

A moment later, he startled, and sprinted after the chicken at full speed. That\'s my dinner running away from me!

His paltry legs couldn\'t keep up with the chicken\'s speed. Ike grimaced, checking his mana. It was already being drawn to heal his wound. Can I afford to use Lightning Dash? Usually, he wouldn\'t hesitate, but in the Abyss, chasing a headless chicken…it was a waste of mana, pure and simple. Maybe I\'ll just let it tire itself out, then catch up afterward.

Even as he was considering his options, a bolt of grey charged out of the forest. It tackled the chicken to the ground by the neck and held it there, shaking its head vigorously. The chicken\'s neck snapped, and for the second time, it stilled.

Ike slowed. He stood on his tiptoes to get a better look. Is that…?

Loup stood there, crouched over the chicken. She looked at him, then backed away, lowering her head.

Ike grinned. It is. He jogged over, waving a hello. "Loup!"

Loup flicked her ears toward him and walked toward him, greeting him with a sniff. He went to pat her head, then snatched his hand back. Right. She doesn\'t like that, and I like my hands.

Standing over the chicken, Ike raised his spear. He plunged it down, stabbing the beast in the heart just to be sure. If it could survive without a head, maybe it could survive without a neck, too. But even a mighty chicken monster ought to die from being pierced in the heart.

He jerked the spear free, the barbs tearing the flesh on the way out. The chicken\'s lifeblood leaked out, staining its feathers and the forest floor. Ike grabbed the chicken by the ankles and dragged it back toward the clearing. Time to roast some chicken.