The air grew thick with choking haze. Heat clung to every surface like a living thing, wrapping around Simon's Body as sweat dripped from his brow. He stood still—coiled, ready—his muscles like a drawn string, eyes locked on the creature before him.
Kimodo, with rage filled eyes, locked onto his pray.
Simon.
With a deafening roar, the beast lunged. Its gaping jaws snapped shut with a thunderous crack—right where Simon had Stood a heartbeat before.
But he was already in the air.
Aerial.
Solidified air, conjured in an instant, stepping on its Simon launched upward, propelling, soaring above the Kimodo's massive head.
Fire manipulation.
Mid-flight, he extended his hand and summoned a spear of flame, its tip blazing with scorching intensity.
"Take this!" he roared, hurling the spear downward.
The fiery spear struck true—but when it met Kimodo's Armor-like scale that tanked the attack with ease, the impact leaving nothing more than a smoking scorch mark on its hide.
"Tch… figures"
The Kimodo retaliated immediately, unleashing a thick cloud of greenish gas that filled the chamber. The stench hit Simon like a slap.
Poison.
No time to hesitate. Simon activated Infrared waves, and in an instant, the surrounding temperature surged. The superheated air vaporized the toxins before they could reach him, but it did not reach the Dreadbeast, wasted afford for a steep cost. As his body slowly dried of Astral energy.
"I can't keep this up…"
He dropped like a meteor, landing with a bone-jarring crack that split the cavern floor. His muscle stripped. The moment his feet touched down he was on the move.
The Kimodo's tail came crashing in from the side—a blur of black and red. Simon rolled beneath it, just as it obliterated a cave's wall behind him. Rock shards exploded into the air.
Closing the distance in a flash, Simon slashed at the beast's underbelly—the only spot where its defenses thinned. His blade cut through—but not deep. The scales there still held strong, yielding only slightly.
Not enough.
Kimodo roared in anger, the sound like a landslide in his ears. It whipped its head around, fangs glistening, venomous saliva dripping from its maw. Another lunge.
Simon barely dodged, the air beside his face splitting as those monstrous jaws clamped shut with lethal force. He retaliated with a focused blast of flames straight into its eyes. The creature shrieked, reeling back, momentarily blinded.
Now. Aerial.
Simon summoned a platform of solid air and launched himself upward once more, landing squarely on the Kimodo's back. The beast thrashed beneath him, but he held firm, gripping the hilt of his blade tightly.
"There—between the scales!"
He plunged the blade into the base of the creature's neck, forcing it between the narrow gaps. He twisted hard. The Dreadbeast roared and struggled in pain, and Simon was flung like a ragdoll crashing into the cavern wall with brutal force, leaving his Ember cleaver stuck on his neck.
Pain exploded through his body. He gasped, tasting blood.
But he got up.
He had to.
Blood trickled down from a cut above his brow. His vision swam, but he saw the Kimodo turning. It was wounded now—its movement sluggish, blood leaking from the neck wound where his blade was still stuck.
Simon summoned fire again, this time forming a flurry of blazing arrows that rained down on the beast's face. Kimodo reeled, stumbling back under the onslaught.
Still not enough. He needed one final, decisive blow.
With a deep breath, Simon reached deep inside—drawing out every last reserve of power. He poured everything into a single, massive fire spear, its tip glowing white-hot, nearly blinding.
He rose on Aerial platform once more, the world slowing around him.
Kimodo opened it mouth for one last roar.
Now or never.
With a shout, Simon hurled himself forward, spear in hand. Time seemed to freeze.
And then—
He drove the blazing weapon straight down the monster's throat.
The explosion rocked the clamber, a blinding flash of fire and force shaking the very mountain to it core. Dust, Stone and flame erupted in all directions.
Silence followed.
As the smoke slowly cleared, the massive body of the Kimodo lay motionless, its obsidian form cracked and scorched. Lifeless.
Simon Staggered forward and collapsed beside the beast; his strength completely gone.
But he had a smile on his face because he won.
Barely.
A Few Minutes Earlier – Outside the Cave
The girl stood anxiously at the cave entrance; her hands clenched tightly at her sides. The sudden, guttural roar that erupted from within sent a shiver down her spine. It wasn't the cry of a beast hunting its prey—it was the scream of something cornered, furious, and in pain.
Lucien, by contrast, remained calm. A seasoned 5-Star Astral Lord, he had heard the cries of countless beasts—whether in the throes of battle or issuing a death knell. This one, however, was different. It was the roar of a predator turned prey.
Then came silence.
The cave fell still, no sound echoing from within. Seconds dragged into minutes.
Finally, footsteps approached. A figure emerged from the dark.
Back Inside the Cave – Moments Earlier
Simon stood over the massive corpse of the Kimodo, his chest heaving as the adrenaline slowly ebbed from his veins. The monstrous beast lay motionless, its scaled body scorched and ruptured, the aftermath of a brutal, desperate fight.
With a weary sigh, Simon pulled an instant-heal serum from his belt pouch. He stabbed it directly into his chest, the sharp tip piercing through muscle until it reached the heart. He pressed the base of the device, injecting the luminous healing serum.
Within seconds, the serum reached his Astral Core, and warmth spread rapidly through his veins. His injuries knit themselves together, torn flesh closed, and bruises faded. Muscle tension eased as a sense of invigoration washed over him.
By the time he turned toward the cave entrance, Simon looked as though he had never been in a battle at all.