The Mantis King screeched, a metallic cry that rattled the clearing like glass shattering. Its wings flared, and from behind its towering form, twenty smaller mantises swarmed forward like a tide of emerald blades.
Renji's eyes narrowed.
"Figures you wouldn't fight alone."
His aura flared violently. Alpha Aura—activate.
A wave of killing intent surged outward, invisible yet suffocating. The swarm faltered, their legs trembling as fear clawed into their instincts. Renji moved instantly, knuckles glowing faintly as he dashed forward. His strikes cracked carapaces, echoing like thunder in the garden.
[Echo Sense—active.]
[Void Sense—active.]
The world shifted. Sound folded around him, every vibration painting the swarm in sharp relief. Each movement, each twitch of an insect's limb, appeared as if drawn in silver lines across the black canvas of his perception.
Then—
A killing intent flared at his back.
His instincts screamed. He twisted at the last second—only to find the Mantis King itself, rushing forward with blinding speed for its massive frame.
"—!"
The beast stopped mid-lunge, forcing Renji to skid backwards. But before he could recover, his foot slammed into something soft.
Fffwooom!
A fungus-like bulb burst beneath his step, releasing a strange powder that coated his face. His vision blurred instantly, the world dissolving into haze.
[Warning: User has been afflicted by Strange Spore. Vision impaired.]
[Skill: Fearless Tenacity will remove all debuffs in 3:00 minutes.]
Renji staggered.
"Three minutes… I don't have three minutes!"
Panic clawed at his chest. His fists trembled as the swarm began to move again, their chittering growing louder, closing in like a drumbeat of death.
But then—he stopped.
He drew in a long, steady breath. In… and out.
Darkness surrounded him. But even in darkness, his senses sharpened. His beast essence spread outward, like threads weaving into the world itself. Every blade of grass, every trembling leaf, every shifting claw of the mantises became visible—not to his eyes, but to his will.
"…I can still see."
He launched forward, fists colliding with the swarm. One by one, the lesser mantises fell. His movements were fluid, almost instinctual, guided not by sight but by essence. And when the dust settled, only the King remained.
The massive predator loomed over him, wings buzzing in fury. It struck—its forelegs descending like guillotines.
CRACK!
Renji blocked, but the blow shattered his knuckles into fragments. The weapon clattered uselessly to the ground. He clenched his fists, empty, and despair flooded his mind.
Will I die here? Is this the end?
Fear began to tighten its grip on him. His knees almost buckled—until a voice cut through the haze.
[All debuffs removed.]
[Fearless Tenacity—activated.]
Suddenly, the fear vanished. His heart calmed. His vision cleared. And for the first time, he felt… unshakable.
Renji smirked. "No. Not yet."
He clenched his hands—and claws tore through his fingertips. Feral Claw—activated. His fingers elongated into savage, glistening blades, sharper than steel. His beast essence roared around him.
And then—
[Beast Resonance—activated.]
His aura exploded outward. His hair lengthened, whipping in the storm of energy. His eyes burned with a glowing azure light, his teeth jagged like a predator's. Every fiber of his being radiated primal hunger.
Before him, the Mantis King shifted its stance, lowering its forelegs. It, too, sensed the shift—the predator's rise.
At the same time, Renji's system blinked with new text.
[New Skill Acquired: Resonance Shatter.]
Renji stared at it, but his grin only widened.
"No. Not now. I'll fight you with my own strength."
The skill faded, suppressed.
He bent his knees, claws gleaming. The Mantis King raised its scythes, wings buzzing violently. For a heartbeat, the world stood still.
Then both predator and prey lunged forward, colliding with the speed of thunder.