Since I knew full well that I had no talent for fighting, playing music, or even the charm of a great cook—none of which were any help in dealing with a hellhound like Cerberus—I decided to fall back on the one thing I was actually good at:
Using my wits to survive, by making the most of whatever I had around me.
The first step was to get Crab out from behind the gates of Erebus. I needed a partner if this plan was going to work.
"Get ready, Kinos. When I count to three… transform into a crab and jump onto me!"
Crab hesitated for a moment. "Uh… alright then. But… are you sure this plan will actually work?"
"No. I'm not promising anything," I shouted back.
"What?!" Crab's face went pale.
Cerberus must've sensed that Crab was trying to escape from the underworld, because it immediately turned away from me and charged straight toward him.
I sprinted around for another pass, and just before I reached the gate again, I yelled, "No time to talk! Ready? One… two… three!!"
Crab, though clearly unwilling, did exactly as I said. He transformed and leapt onto my back.
Cerberus lunged at him immediately. I twisted just in time, narrowly dodging those monstrous jaws. The massive hound couldn't stop in time and slammed face-first into the gate of Erebus with a thunderous bang. It stumbled back, dazed.
I took that chance and dashed for a large boulder nearby.
Cerberus soon shook off its daze, and when it saw we were no longer in sight, it roared with frustration and began sniffing wildly, searching for us with renewed fury.
If it didn't get to eat us today, it clearly had no intention of giving up the chase.
"Alright… Kinos, listen carefully. You see those torches lining the path?" I pointed toward the eerie skull-shaped torches that lit the road ahead.
Crab followed my gaze. "Y-yeah… I see them," he said, his voice trembling. "What do you want me to do?"
"Snuff them all out—except for one," I explained, laying out my plan.
"You're using that 'put-the-lights-out' trick again, Sept? I don't think it'll work this time… This thing isn't dumb like those souls on the other side. And don't forget—it's a dog. Even in the dark, it'll still sniff us out."
Crab was clearly uneasy with the plan.
"Don't worry, Kinos. Trust me. This plan won't work without you."
Crab smiled faintly. He was glad—maybe even moved—that someone still believed in him, that someone still needed him.
With a bit more confidence, I quickly laid out the rest of the plan. Cerberus was already closing in on our hiding spot, so we had no time to waste.
Crab listened carefully, trying to memorize every detail to avoid any slip-ups. "Okay… I've got it," he said. Then he darted off toward the torches to begin putting them out, just as I had asked.