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Of course, excitement was just that. Excitement.
Perhaps that surge of adrenaline sharpened Kael's reactions, pushing his performance beyond its limits. But it didn't actually increase his raw strength.
The gap between them still remained.
Clear. Absolute.
"Ha… ha…"
The raging gale howled endlessly through the forest, showing no sign of slowing.
Skarmory narrowed its eyes in satisfaction as streams of life energy flowed continuously from the Zigzagoon beneath its claws.
The aerial advantage of a Flying-type made its ambushes nearly unstoppable.
Its sleek, armored head lifted high as its cold, black gaze locked onto Kael.
Killing intent thickened the air.
Zigzagoon was never its only target.
Kael, though small and hardly appetizing, was still… something.
Even the smallest prey had value.
A perfect after-meal snack.
With a powerful flap of its crimson-edged steel wings—
The surrounding air twisted violently, condensing into a razor-sharp invisible blade that tore toward Kael.
No hesitation.
No warning.
No need.
To a predator—
Prey was prey.
"SHRRRK!"
The air itself screamed as it was split apart.
Even before the wind blade reached him, Kael could already feel the slicing pressure tearing at his skin.
His pupils shrank.
Too fast.
Too decisive.
The scent of death wrapped around his mind.
His body jolted—
And reacted.
Muscles that had already been tensed exploded into motion.
His small frame burst forward with terrifying acceleration, further enhanced by the speed granted to him by the cosmic DNA within.
"BOOM!"
A dull impact echoed beneath his feet as he launched himself aside—
Barely.
The wind blade grazed past him.
But—
Even though he avoided the core of the attack—
The scattered fragments of cutting wind still tore across his fragile body.
"SHHK!"
Thin lines of blood burst from his skin, forming a spray of crimson droplets.
The metallic scent of blood spread instantly through the humid forest air.
Kael frowned.
But he didn't look at the wound.
Didn't care.
His entire focus—
Was locked on Skarmory.
"SHRRRK!"
Another blade.
Already coming.
No time.
Across from him, Skarmory watched with mild surprise.
It hadn't expected the tiny creature to survive even one strike.
Interesting.
But—
Still prey.
In the wild—
Weakness was sin.
Even if it dodged once…
Twice…
A dozen times—
The outcome would not change.
"BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!"
Wind blades carved through the air in relentless succession.
Branches shattered.
Leaves exploded into fragments.
Amid the storm—
Kael moved.
A flicker of blue.
A fragile figure dancing on the edge of destruction.
Like a butterfly caught in a hurricane—
Weak.
Powerless.
And yet—
Refusing to fall.
He twisted, dodged, leapt—
Barely slipping past each incoming strike.
But inside—
Pressure mounted.
"This can't continue…"
He had already dodged more than a dozen attacks.
But stamina had limits.
At this rate—
There was only one ending.
Death.
Worse—
He could tell.
Skarmory wasn't even serious yet.
It was playing.
Testing.
If it truly attacked—
Closed the distance—
Used its full strength—
He wouldn't even have time to react.
"I have to take control…"
"I need to change the pace."
"Only then… do I have a chance."
A sharp light flashed in his blue eyes.
He had adapted.
Learned the rhythm.
And in that fleeting moment between attacks—
He moved.
Not to dodge.
But to strike.
Energy surged.
Every drop of Water-type power within him was drawn out—
Forced—
Compressed.
His blood roared through his veins.
Power gathered at his throat in an instant.
Behind him—
The Water Stone wrapped in his tail blazed brilliantly.
Pure energy flooded into his body like a raging tide.
"Water Gun!"
This—
Was his strongest attack since rebirth.
Everything he had—
Poured into this one strike.
"BOOOOOOM—!"
The water condensed.
No longer fluid.
No longer soft.
It hardened—
Sharpened—
Like a piercing lance.
A transparent spike tore through the forest air with a sharp hiss—
Shooting straight toward Skarmory.
For the first time—
Skarmory hesitated.
Its simple mind couldn't process it.
Moments ago—
This creature had been scrambling like a terrified mouse.
And now—
It dared to attack?
And this power…
Its dark eyes locked onto the incoming strike.
"This… came from it?"
Its heavy, armored body—
Its strength—
Its defense—
Came at a cost.
Speed.
Agility.
Against this sudden, explosive attack—
It couldn't evade in time.
Instead—
It chose to endure.
Its massive steel wings slammed together in front of its body—
Forming a shield.
And then—
Impact.
"BOOOOOM!"
The collision exploded through the forest.
Branches trembled.
Leaves shook loose.
Even the ground itself seemed to shudder.
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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
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