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Within the shadows of the forest, Xerneas steadied itself.
The lingering chill from that near-fatal punch still echoed in its mind.
It had underestimated this Machamp.
If its reaction had been even a fraction slower, if it had failed to teleport in time, that blow might have dealt serious damage.
It could not allow that to happen again.
Even corrupted by the Nightmare Seeds, a fragment of its divine instinct remained. It was not wholly consumed by mindless greed like lesser infected beings. Basic battle judgment still guided its decisions.
Across the clearing, Kael drew his fist back, eyes scanning the shadows.
His Aura field expanded once more, a pale blue wind enveloping the battlefield.
As a close-combat specialist, he despised the move Teleport.
He had learned that lesson long ago.
Long-range special attacks combined with constant repositioning were deceptively simple tactics.
But brutally effective.
Especially against fighters like him, whose ranged capabilities were comparatively weaker.
And this Xerneas was clearly experienced.
Its timing.
It's restraint.
Its execution.
All of it pressed a subtle frustration into Kael's chest.
A lesser melee Pokémon would be slowly worn down and defeated by such a strategy.
But Kael was not inexperienced.
His eyes sharpened.
He focused.
Aura surged outward from his consciousness.
At the same time, his killing intent expanded like a storm.
The two merged.
Aura and murderous will intertwined into a dark crimson psychic pressure that flooded the forest.
The atmosphere thickened.
Distorted.
Xerneas felt it immediately.
A violent, cold presence locked onto it.
The surrounding space seemed to freeze.
The mental pathways required for Teleport were weakened blurred, and disrupted.
It was not entirely unexpected.
In battles at this level, Teleport was rarely a decisive move.
It was an escape.
A brief evasion.
True victory depended on raw power and execution.
Still, in its weakened state, Xerneas could not break free of Kael's suppression as easily as it normally would.
And Kael did not waste time thinking further.
The enemy was restrained.
Teleport disabled.
Now—
He attacked.
BOOM!
His legs exploded with force.
His massive body launched forward once more at terrifying speed.
Both pairs of arms rose high.
Black.
White.
Red.
Yellow.
Four different elemental energies surged across his fists.
Shadow.
Ice.
Flame.
Lightning.
Each is perfectly controlled.
Each wrapped tightly around a separate iron fist.
Xerneas was pure Fairy-type.
Poison and Steel would have been ideal.
He possessed neither.
So he adapted.
Layered pressure.
Multiple attributes strike simultaneously to destabilize its resistance and defenses.
He would overwhelm it through complexity.
Light reflected off Xerneas' radiant antlers.
This time—
It did not retreat.
It raised its head proudly.
Even in its corrupted state, something ancient and regal remained.
A god of nature would not endlessly flee.
"Megahorn."
The brilliant multicolored glow around its antlers condensed.
A vibrant emerald light replaced it.
Unlike the grotesque imagery often associated with Bug-type attacks, this energy shimmered beautifully.
Hypnotic.
Like neon lights in a city at night.
Then—
Impact.
BOOOOOOM!!!
Four elemental fists collided head-on with the massive glowing antlers.
Green.
Red.
Gold.
Black.
White.
Color exploded across the forest.
The shockwave rippled outward, shaking the ground itself.
For a heartbeat, time froze.
Then—
CRACK!
Kael's massive body was hurled backward.
He did not crash to the ground.
But he staggered violently, boots carving trenches in the soil as he slid.
Opposite him, Xerneas fared better.
Its hooves carved four deep grooves in the earth.
But it remained upright.
Steady.
It was still a Legendary at the pinnacle of the world.
Its ranged attacks were exceptional.
But in close quarters, empowered by its colossal antlers and divine physique, it was no less formidable.
Its physical strength, tempered over ages, rivaled even Kael's.
Kael exhaled slowly.
His eyes locked onto Xerneas.
"…Too reckless."
He had seized the initiative.
But he had ignored one factor.
The forest itself.
Xerneas drew power from its domain.
The environment amplified it.
While his raw muscle may have held a slight advantage—
The combined elemental clash favored Xerneas.
And the result showed.
He rolled his shoulders, shaking off lingering soreness.
The probing phase was over.
They had tested one another.
Measured strength.
Measured resolve.
What came next—
It would decide life and death.
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~Support with 200 PowerStones = 1 Bonus Chapter
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For early access to advanced chapters on P-atreon:
P-atreon/iamxeno
(Just remove the - hyphen to access normally)
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