The beast's roar ripped through the air, a sound so deep it made the ground itself tremble. The massive creature—a hulking fusion of scales, fur, and jagged bone spikes—lowered its head, saliva dripping from its maw like acid. The stench of death rolled off its breath, hot and suffocating.
Aamir tightened his grip on his twin blades, his eyes narrowing to slits. His heartbeat didn't quicken—if anything, it slowed. Every muscle in his body coiled like a spring, ready to explode.
"Come on, then," he muttered, voice low but carrying across the blood-soaked clearing.
The beast lunged first. Its enormous paw struck down with the force of a falling boulder, tearing up earth and sending shards of rock into the air. Aamir twisted sideways, barely avoiding the crushing blow. He didn't waste the momentum—his body flowed like water, blades flashing in a silver arc as he sliced across the creature's foreleg.
The wound was shallow. Too shallow.
