"Bring it on!!!" Kael roared in his transformed state.
The Calamity Beast paused, locking eyes with him. In the blink of an eye, it vanished, reappearing right in front of Kael at such speed that most warriors couldn't track its movement.
But Kael remained still. He had seen it coming.
The beast's tail swung like a blade toward Kael's head.
"Graaaaaaaaaaarrrrrr!!!!" the beast howled in agony.
Its tail had been ripped clean off.
Kael held the severed tail in his hand, inspecting its sharpness before casually tossing it aside.
At blinding speed, he dashed forward, slamming his fist into the beast's gut.
BOOM!
The force of the blow shattered the trees behind it, sending the beast flying, blood spraying from its mouth as it crashed through the forest.
Just as the beast struggled to rise, Kael was already there. His blazing orange eyes locked on it.
The beast trembled. One of its heads lunged for a bite.
SMASH!
Kael's punch crushed it downward.
"Don't fall now..." Kael muttered, rage burning in his voice.
On a cliff above the battle, two hooded figures watched.
"Kael did well, don't you think, my lord?" the first said.
"Yes, but the real battle begins now," replied the second calmly.
The beast roared, unleashing a shockwave that ripped trees from their roots. Kael and his army leapt back, evading the destruction.
Then it began. The beast twisted its two necks like rope, emitting a deep, eerie sound. A crimson aura burst into the sky, swirling around it like a storm. Dust clouded the battlefield.
Kael squinted through the haze.
"Not the same trick twice, buddy!" he growled, slicing the air with his hand as if wielding a blade.
When the dust cleared, what stood before him was no longer the same monster.
The Calamity had transformed.
Now with a single demonic head, two powerful legs, and a fully regenerated tail, the beast was armored with bone-like spikes across its entire body. Its face was masked with bone plating, and two twisted horns grew from its skull.
"What in the world of death is this…" Kael muttered, a rare shiver of fear creeping up his spine.
Then—
BOOM!
The beast appeared right in front of him. Kael saw the punch coming in slow motion, but his body refused to move.
The blow landed hard.
He was launched like a cannonball, smashing through trees.
Before he could crash into the ranks of his own men, one of the hooded figures caught him mid-air, gripping his spine gently but firmly.
"Wow, Kael... you did great," the figure said, tending to his wounds.
"Who... are you...?" Kael croaked, coughing blood.
The figure pulled down his hood.
All the warriors dropped to one knee in unison.
"Lord Inosuke..."
"Rest now, Kael. I'll handle the rest," Inosuke said gently, lowering him to the ground. Then he turned to face the calamity.
"Kaena, tend to the wounded. Call in more healers."
"Yes, my lord," replied the second hooded figure, now revealed as Kaena. She lifted Kael onto her back and began shouting orders.
"All soldiers who aren't injured—move the wounded away from Lord Inosuke's side!"
The army scrambled, following her command.
Inosuke walked slowly toward the beast, cracking his neck and shoulders.
The beast simply stared.
They stood, only one step apart.
"Well... let's get this over with, shall we?"
WHAM!
Inosuke was slapped hard across the field.
The soldiers froze.
The one who had taken the king's place...blown away in one strike?
Inosuke flew through the air with arms still crossed, face unreadable.
He sighed, visibly annoyed.
"Why does this always happen to me?"
Every time he tried to say something cool... he got cut off.
To be continued...