The dark-skinned man struck at the face of the prone beast, but he had not realized in his fury that this was a trap that the lion had set. While he was able to strike quick enough to slash the lion with his stone across its brow, spilling blood into its eyes, it struck him back just as quickly. It swatted him to the ground with the flat of its hands, and then mauled his flank with its jagged teeth. Apart from the pain of its teeth digging into his side, the man felt something rupture in his gut. This blinding pain was quickly followed by a spew of blood that came bursting up his throat and out his mouth.

The bearded man, striking the beast's flank, managed to strike a decisive hit. Though unable to gut the beast as he had planned, he was still able to come close enough plunge his stone quite deep between its ribs. The lion retaliated quickly, swiping its claws in the man's direction, but with the blood in its eyes it could not see him clearly, and he was able to duck out of the way of its strike.

Both the woman and the clean-shaven man circled slowly, trying to find a decent angle from which to join the fray. The monster was obviously weakening; perhaps another coordinated strike would be enough to bring it down. They clearly fared best when they surrounded it on all sides and pummeled it. However, they were all bloody and battered as well, and if some of them took much more harm they would soon be on death's door.

The woman hissed in pain, having found where her stone and landed and shattered, by one of its shards digging into the bottom of her foot. Without worthwhile armament, the woman chose to run at the lion screaming, leaping at it again with only her bare hands. As the beast was distracted by the bearded man's assault, she managed to grapple onto its neck, clinging to it by what remained of its mane, and scratched at its face. Eventually her nails found purchase, and with a tug and feral cry she tore off one of the lion's ears. Another pained howl, and the lion shook the woman off and batted her some distance away. The woman landed hard on her face, but managed to turn upright as she wiped the blood running from her broken nose. She laughed madly, holding her savage prize aloft for the others to see.