The man suddenly grinned and shouted in a completely different tone. ⚡
"Drikani... White Cat!"
"Thunder Cannon!" ⚔️⚡🐱
Ajina heard the words even from afar.
His brows furrowed slightly.
How far away is this fool...?
And did he just say... Cat?
What nonsense. 😒
The next moment, Ajina's eyes transformed. 👁️🦅
Their pupils sharpened, taking on the appearance of an eagle's gaze.
Behind him, the earth began to crack. 🌍💥
High above, the descending cloud mass suddenly split apart. ☁️⚡
Something emerged from within it.
First came a massive beak.
Then a giant head.
Slowly, the creature pushed through the storm and descended toward the world below.
It looked as if its only purpose was to devour the ship whole. 🚢😨
The clouds scattered completely.
And the true form of the creature was revealed.
A colossal eagle. 🦅⚡
Its body was as large as a building.
Its wings stretched across the sky like dark sails.
Each beat of its wings sent powerful gusts sweeping across the sea. 🌪️🌊
The giant bird locked its gaze onto the ship and charged forward.
Below, the enormous tidal wave continued racing toward the vessel. 🌊
Above, the eagle descended from the heavens. 🦅⚡
And somewhere between those two disasters stood the spear-wielding warrior, his weapon pointed toward the sky and a fearless smile on his face. ⚔️🔥
The collision was only moments away. 🌑🌊⚡🦅
It looked as though the warrior was about to kill the giant eagle. 🦅⚡
However, he suddenly rose even higher than the beast itself.
Then, without warning, the lightning surrounding his body disappeared. ⚡
The warrior immediately began descending toward the ground.
Only then did Ajina realize the truth.
The man's true target was not the eagle.
It was Ajina. 😨
At that very moment, a streak of white lightning emerged from the warrior's back and wrapped around his spear. ⚔️⚡
Ajina stared in shock.
Suddenly, a giant white tiger burst out of the sea with a tremendous leap and locked its jaws around the eagle's neck. 🐯🌊🦅
The instant it happened, Ajina felt a sharp pain in his own throat.
He quickly placed a hand on his neck.
Seeing the opening, the warrior took advantage of it and accelerated toward Ajina at incredible speed.
His spear was raised above him, as if it were meant to pierce Ajina's body.
Meanwhile, blood began flowing from the eagle's neck.
At the same time, a translucent mist started escaping from Ajina's throat. 🌫️
High above, the white tiger dig its claws into one of the eagle's wings and refused to let go. 🐯💥🦅
Feathers scattered through the sky as the battle intensified. 🌪️⚡
Tabhi smoke began emerging from Ajina's diamond palm. 🌫️💎
A moment later, Ajina cried out in pain. 😨
A crimson liquid flowed from the corner of his mouth.
The warrior closed the distance and arrived directly before him. ⚡
In the next instant, he thrust his spear forward.
Suddenly, the wind stopped. 🌑
Everything became silent.
The warrior looked ahead and froze.
To his shock, his spear was lodged inside Ajina's diamond palm. 😳💥
Ajina had stopped it.
The warrior slowly closed his eyes and shouted at the top of his lungs. ⚡
At once, streams of lightning erupted from the spear. 🌩️
The surrounding air trembled.
Ajina's body shook violently as the energy surged through him.
Unable to endure the force, he let out another scream that echoed across the battlefield. 🌊⚡🦅
Ajina suddenly smiled. 😈💎
The fingers of his diamond hand began stretching on their own, growing longer and sharper.
The warrior felt his grip on the spear weakening. ⚡
For the first time, uncertainty appeared in his eyes. 😨
Then—
Ajina moved.
His elongated fingers shot forward like blades and struck the warrior's back. 💥
The impact caused the warrior's body to jolt.
His breathing became uneven.
Unable to maintain his hold, one of his hands slipped from the spear's shaft. ⚔️
The lightning surrounding the weapon flickered for a brief moment. ⚡
Meanwhile, Ajina's smile only grew wider.
The battle was beginning to turn. 🌑🔥
Ajina's sharp diamond claws held the warrior firmly in place. 💎⚔️
Far above them, the giant eagle and the white tiger remained suspended in the sky, as if time itself had stopped. 🦅🐯
Then, unexpectedly, the warrior smiled. 😏
Ajina narrowed his eyes and said,
"Your worth lies beneath our feet."
The warrior burst into laughter. 😂
"Do you think you're Makhulu?"
"It seems you're a fan of his."
He tilted his head slightly before continuing,
"Though, in a way, we're not that different."
"Because I am a servant of Makhulu."
Ajina's expression hardened. 👁️
"Who is Makhulu?"
The warrior laughed once more.
"Hah... the Lion Spirit." 🦁🌑
The moment those words were spoken, anger flashed across his face. 😠
Slowly, he raised one hand and placed it upon Ajina's head.
At that exact moment, high in the sky, the giant eagle drove its claws into the white tiger. 🦅⚡🐯
The air trembled.
The clouds scattered.
And the battle above mirrored the tension below.
Transparent smoke began flowing from the warrior's eyes. 🌫️👁️
At the same moment, the white tiger's eyes started glowing brightly. 🐯✨
With a powerful pull, the tiger withdrew the claws it had locked onto the eagle's wing.
The force was so great that the eagle's wing tore away completely. 🦅💥
Far below, smoke suddenly began emerging from Ajina's diamond arm. 💎🌫️
A wave of pain rushed through his body.
Ajina cried out as he struggled to remain standing. 😖
The detached wing fell toward the sea and crashed into the water. 🌊
Even then, the eagle still held the tiger's head firmly within its claws. 🦅🐯
The tiger hung suspended beneath the giant bird, refusing to let go.
Meanwhile, the warrior slipped free from Ajina's grasp. ⚔️
Unable to remain airborne, he dropped to the ground and landed on one knee.
His breathing had become heavy.
Ajina was no better.
The pain coursing through his arm caused him to lose his balance.
His vision blurred.
Then, unable to steady himself any longer, Ajina fell. 🌑💥
For a brief moment, both warriors remained motionless while the battle of the colossal beasts continued above them. 🦅🐯⚡🌊
The warrior suddenly began laughing. 😂
"You're quite a weak kind of person."
Ajina's eyes narrowed with anger. 😠
"And who are you to laugh at me?"
A strong gust of wind swept across the shore. 🌊💨
High above them, the giant eagle and the white tiger faded from sight, vanishing into the sky. 🦅🐯
The warrior looked at Ajina and replied coldly,
"I have no interest in telling my name to someone like you."
For a moment, silence filled the air. 🌑
Then his voice grew serious.
"And remember this..."
"I am not weaker than you."
"I simply do not wish to bring harm to others."
He slowly turned his gaze toward the vast river. 🌊
"Otherwise..."
"Using this river alone, I possess the power to sink not only you..."
"...but your entire nation as well."
The wind howled across the shoreline as his words echoed through the air. ⚡🌊👁️
A colossal wave suddenly rose from the river and crashed down upon the warrior. 🌊💥
The same wave swallowed Ajina as well, pushing him far backward through the water.
For several moments, nothing could be seen except the raging current. 🌊
Then, gradually, the river became calm once more.
The waves settled.
The wind grew silent. 🌑
Ajina slowly lifted his head.
Anger still burned in his eyes. 😠
"Makhulu..."
"Who is Makhulu?"
No answer came.
Ajina looked around the shore but could no longer find the warrior.
Then a faint smile appeared on his face. 😏
"Though... he's probably not alive anymore."
With that, Ajina sat quietly by the riverbank. 🌊
His thoughts remained fixed on a single name.
Makhulu. 🦁👁️
The name echoed through his mind as the river flowed silently beside him. 🌕✨