Quinn adjusted his grip on the Mana Blade, its glow pulsing softly in the dim light. His eyes flicked between the two trapped jaguars and the one still circling, analyzing its prey’s movements. "The longer we wait, the more they’ll adapt and fight back. We need to hit them before they get a chance to recover."

  Dexter nodded, his fingers hovered over his bracers, eyes darting between the jaguars. "Yeah, they’re quick learners. We need to throw them off balance before they figure us out."

  Emily’s focus shifted from one creature to the next, her mind already calculating the best approach. "I’ll take care of the one in the ice. But we need to keep them guessing. If we fall into a pattern, they’ll adapt. Let’s stay aggressive and keep them on the defensive.”

  Quinn nodded, meeting her gaze. "Exactly. Don’t give them a chance to regroup. We keep the pressure on. Their mobility is their strength. Focus on their legs, neck, anywhere we can take out their advantage."

  Dexter cracked his knuckles, a grin pulling at his lips as he looked at the jaguars.“Sounds good to me. But let's make this quick. It's almost time for lunch, and Dexter is getting hungry," he said smiling.

  Quinn raised an eyebrow, a slight smirk playing on his lips. "You know it's serious when Dexter starts talking about himself in third person.”

  Dexter shrugged nonchalantly, his eyes locked on the jaguars. "Hey, priorities, right?"

  Quinn exhaled, his expression hardening as he turned back to the jaguars.

  Emily conjured another arrow, the bowstring vibrating with raw energy as the electric mana sparked and crackled at the tip. “The ice won’t hold much longer,” she said.

  Quinn’s grip tightened around his Mana Blade, the glow pulsing brighter. “I’ve got the one in the vines.”

  Dexter’s bracers hummed with energy as they shifted, the staff transforming into an exact replica of Thor’s hammer.

  “Mj?lnir, really?” Quinn asked, his brow arched.

  “Mule what?” Emily said, confused.

  “Seems Dex isn’t too concerned with copyright infringement. That’s Thor’s hammer.” Quinn explained with a dry laugh.

  Dexter grinned, unbothered. “Hey, fictitious battle weapons are fair game in this new world. Besides, if he can look cool using it, why can’t I?”

  Quinn shot him a sidelong glance. “Because he’s Thor! The only thing you and he have in common is tomorrow you’ll both have ‘thor’ muscles.” He added a little lisp for effect.

  Dexter rolled his eyes but grinned wide. “Ha ha. Go ahead and mock. I’ll show you how Thor should’ve used his hammer.” He glanced at the free jaguar, eyes gleaming with mischief. “Looks like I’ve got the wild card. Don’t blink if you want to see the show.”

  “Let’s end this,” Quinn called out.

  Quinn locked eyes with the second jaguar, its molten eyes burning with a primal fury as it thrashed against the tight vines. Each wild jerk of its body sent tendrils snapping, but its strength only made the vines coil tighter. The beast’s strength and fury pushed it closer to freedom.

  Quinn crouched, steadying himself, and felt the pulse of the jungle beneath his feet, his senses syncing with the pulse of the jungle. His Mana Blade gleamed, ready in his grip, but he knew he couldn’t rely solely on his weapon. But his attention wasn’t just on the weapon—it was on the earth.

  His fingers dug into the ground, the soil beneath him responding to his focus. Vines erupted from the ground, thick and vicious, coiling like serpents hungry for their prey. They surged toward the jaguar, their grip unrelenting. The creature’s claws tore at the air in vain as the vines tightened.

  The jaguar’s body shuddered, and with a violent, deafening roar, it tore free. Vines exploded in all directions, and the jaguar shot toward Quinn, its teeth bared and eyes blazing. Quinn didn’t flinch. Instead, Quinn called on the earth again. The jungle obeyed.

  With one hand still pressed to the earth, Quinn extended his other pointing his sword at the incoming jaguar. The jungle responded instantly, as though the very trees sensed his intent.

  One massive, ancient gnarled tree twisted toward the jaguar with unnatural force. The air split with a crack as the tree’s thick branches whipped forward, smashing down on the jaguar’s back. The ground shook with the impact. The jaguar staggered, its body faltering under the brutal blow.

  “The Whomping Willow?” Dexter yelled out, mockingly. “Now look who is using science fiction in battle.”

  Quinn smirked as he focused harder.

  Before the creature could regain its bearings, Quinn’s vines lashed out with a speed that seemed impossible. They wrapped around its limbs, constricting with unrelenting force. The jaguar roared in frustration, thrashing against the tight grip. Its muscles strained, but the vines tightened, refusing to give. Its body flailed, helpless.

  The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

  With one final, bone-jarring snap, the jaguar was completely ensnared, its glowing form swallowed by the tightening cocoon of vines. Layer upon layer of the thick, unyielding plant matter wrapped around it, rendering any escape impossible. Quinn took a step back, his breath heavy, his gaze never wavering from the captured beast. The jaguar's growls faded, slowly swallowed by the oppressive silence that followed.

  Quinn wiped the sweat from his brow. Even though exhausted due to massive mana usage, Quinn’s face held a smile. A brief moment of victory surged through him. He had done it. Sim had her specimen.

  Out of the corner of his eye, Quinn saw Dexter spring into action. The first jaguar stalked in tight, calculated circles, its ember-bright eyes fixed on Dexter, sizing him up like a predator appraising its prey. Every muscle in its sleek frame coiled with raw tension, preparing for an attack.

  Dexter didn’t flinch. His hammer crackled with a burst of electricity as he planted his feet, the stance grounded. “Here, kitty, kitty,” he muttered under his breath, tapping the hammer against the earth with a low thud. “Come to papa.”

  The jaguar crouched, its fur shimmering in the dim light, muscles rippling beneath its sleek coat. Without warning, it sprang, a flash of motion so fast it was almost a blur. But then, just as quickly, it veered sharply to the side, its eyes never leaving Dexter. The beast wasn’t retreating, it was planning its next move.

  Dexter’s instincts surged. The jaguar launched itself directly at a nearby tree, claws extended, fangs bared in a vicious snarl. It slammed into the trunk, ricocheting off it, then leapt straight for him. But something didn’t add up. The angle was all wrong. It was too high, and yet, it made no sense.

  In that split second, the jaguar did the unexpected. It twisted mid-air, its tentacles extending with unnatural speed, aiming for Dexter’s hammer. Reacting on pure instinct, Dexter bent backward, narrowly avoiding the tendrils. But the jaguar was faster, its tentacles shot out, ripping the hammer from his grip.

  The creature’s momentum carried it 50 yards away before it landed gracefully on its tentacles, using them like legs. One tentacle still gripped Dexter’s hammer.

  Quinn was watching from a distance. “Well, you don’t see that everyday,” he muttered to himself. “Its actually walking on those things while upside down.”

  Dexter’s lips curled into a grin. “Well done, kitty,” he said, a note of admiration creeping into his voice. “That was clever. But I’ll take that back now.” With a flick of his wrist, the hammer disintegrated into dust, vanishing before the jaguar could react.

  The beast, undeterred, flipped back onto its feet, crouching again, its body poised for another strike.

  Dexter’s grin widened as he summoned his staff, his fingers wrapped around the smooth glowing metal, adjusting his grip with a deliberate motion portraying his intent. In a single fluid motion, the staff blurred, spinning through the air with a whip-like snap. His movements were a blur, a cascade of rapid strikes and spins, the weapon a streak of motion as he flowed seamlessly from one position to the next. He twirled it behind his back, his body shifting with the grace of a dancer, then arced it high above his head with the precision of a master, the staff cutting through the air like a whip. His eyes locked on the jaguar, his every movement exuding controlled chaos as the staff hummed with power in his hands.

  Dexter yelled as loud as he could, mimicking the jaguar. The jaguar responded in kind, and it lunged again, its movements a blur, claws scraping against the jungle floor. Its glowing eyes seethed with unrestrained rage. But Dexter was ready. He slid his hands to the bottom of the staff and swang it in a wide arc. As the jaguar reached the apex of its leap, Dexter released the staff mid-swing, sending it spinning toward the beast.

  The staff split in mid-air, transforming into two sets of metallic handcuffs. With a sharp, resounding clink, the first pair latched onto its front paws, yanking them together with magnetic force. Dexter stepped to the side as the jaguar flew past him and crashed into the ground, its head slamming into the dirt with a sickening thud.

  The jaguar howled, thrashing violently, its muscles rippling and straining against the cuffs in a desperate attempt to escape. But Dexter was already one step ahead. The second pair of cuffs had landed behind the target. They sprouted tiny scorpion legs and skittered across the ground making a soft clink as they latched onto the jaguar’s hind legs and linked with the front cuffs. The beast’s struggles were futile, its limbs clanging together, now fully pinned.

  Frustration and fury boiled in the jaguar's chest as it snarled, its glowing eyes flashing wildly in all directions. The jaguar was now helpless, unable to move.

  A soft hum filled the air as a drone descended swiftly from above, its rotors buzzing loudly. Like a swarm of locusts closing in, the drone’s mechanical arm extended and locked onto the magnetic cuffs. With a smooth motion, it lifted the jaguar off the ground, suspending it mid-air, its limbs twitching helplessly as it struggled in vain. The beast was now a helpless prey, defeated and immobile.

  Dexter crossed his arms, watching the jaguar dangle in the air, completely at his mercy. A smug grin tugged at his lips, and with mock innocence, he leaned back slightly. “I tawt I taw a puddy tat,” he quipped, his voice light and playful. “I did. I did, taw a puddy tat.”

  The jaguar’s fiery gaze burned with fury, but it was a futile resistance. There was no escape, no fight left in it. Dexter gave a satisfied nod, then turned toward Quinn and Emily. “And that, ladies and gentlemen, is how you handle a mana-infused kitty.”

  Quinn raised an eyebrow, clearly impressed. “Nice work, Dexter. Creative as always. So was that how Thor is supposed to use his hammer? Let the bad guys take it?

  Dexter shot Quinn a sly grin, his eyes glinting with mischief. “That’s the thing with fictitious weaponry,” he said, his voice light but laced with a confident edge. “They never mentioned mana-kitties being worthy enough to wield Thor’s hammer. Honestly, they need to update those comic books when mana gets around.” He paused, tapping the side of his head thoughtfully. “Besides, this kitty wasn’t ready for my version of the thunder strike.” His grin deepened as he gave the jaguar a mocking salute. “Better luck next time, furball.”

  It was Emily's turn.