Makhulu slowly clenched his fist.♾️
His arm began to tremble violently.
At that very moment, the white scorpion tightened its grip even further. Blood began to drip from Makhulu's hands, falling onto the ground one drop at a time.💢
Suddenly, the veins in his arms swelled as though they were about to burst.
...And then, just as abruptly, they returned to normal.
At that instant, the Axe in Makhulu's right hand began to shine with a blinding radiance.😈
The earth beneath them started to crack apart, the fractures spreading across the battlefield as though the ground itself was about to swallow everything in its path.
With explosive speed, Makhulu swung his right arm upward.👊
In a single motion, his axer🪓severed one of the white scorpion's massive claws.
Yet Makhulu didn't even descend toward the ground.
He remained perfectly suspended in midair, as though gravity had no authority over him.
Enraged, the white scorpion thrust its razor-sharp stinger toward him.
But before it could strike...
Makhulu's axe flashed once more.
Slash!🦂
The scorpion's stinger was cleanly severed, and the massive fragment crashed onto the battlefield.
A violent cloud of sand erupted into the air, while the impact echoed across the battlefield with a terrifying roar.
At that moment, the confident smile on the 👑GOAT's face vanished, replaced by despair.
Without another thought...
He turned and ran.😳
Makhulu brought his parashu crashing down upon the white scorpion's head.
Crack!⚡
The sound of bones shattering echoed across the battlefield.
A stream of blood poured from the creature as the colossal white scorpion collapsed to the ground.
Yet Makhulu remained suspended in midair, his expression completely unchanged.
Without a moment's hesitation, he swung his axe once more...
...and severed the scorpion's remaining claw.🪓
Behind the GOAT👑, a colossal river surged forward, transforming into a devastating flood that swallowed everything in its path.
Even so, the GOAT showed no sign of concern, as though the approaching torrent meant absolutely nothing to him.
The man drew his bow behind him before thrusting it forward with explosive force.
Whoosh!🌬️
An arrow shot straight toward Makhulu.
But in the very next instant...
Clang!
Makhulu casually deflected it with his axe.
The GOAT now stood before him, keeping his distance.
Far behind the GOAT, the colossal river continued to surge forward, its flood drawing closer with unstoppable force.🔥🔥
The two men now stood face to face.
Makhulu fixed him with an unwavering gaze and spoke in a calm, commanding voice:
"Kneel..."
"...or I'll bury you where you stand."
The GOAT suddenly froze in shock.
His throat was cut... then how is he still able to speak? he wondered.
Without wasting another second, he reached behind his back, pulled out an arrow, nocked it onto his bow, and slowly drew the bowstring.
As the string tightened...
...darkness descended upon the battlefield, as though the sun itself had been hidden from the sky.🌌
Stretching across the entire distance between Makhulu and the GOAT, a massive black banner materialized, standing like an impenetrable protective barrier between the two warriors.🏹
An arrow shot toward Makhulu at blinding speed.
Standing firmly on the ground, Makhulu casually deflected it with a swift swing of his axe.
The GOAT continued firing arrow after arrow without pause.⏯️
Yet, Makhulu advanced relentlessly, shattering every single one of them.
Then, in an instant, Makhulu burst forward.
His speed surpassed that of a lightning bolt.
Within the blink of an eye, he appeared before the GOAT and unleashed a light swing with his axe.
The GOAT swiftly raised his bow and blocked the attack.⚛️
Makhulu immediately drew his arm back near his neck before launching another strike...
This one carried far greater force than the last.
His attacks became faster and faster, while the GOAT matched every strike with equal speed.
Then...
Makhulu unleashed yet another attack.
This time—
The GOAT's bow snapped.👋
The force of the impact created a powerful shockwave that rippled through the air.
Makhulu's attacks became even faster, each swing carrying greater momentum than the last.
With his bow gone, the GOAT was forced to block the relentless blows with his bare hands.✊
As a result, his hands were covered with wounds, and streams of blood began to flow from them.
Then—
Boom!💥
Makhulu drove a powerful kick into the GOAT, sending him crashing into a massive tree.
At that moment, rays of sunlight fell upon Makhulu.
His expression darkened.
In a deep, cold voice, he said,
"I hate the Sun."😡
Suddenly, Makhulu shouted at the top of his lungs,
"The Sun... it's burning me!"🔥
Moments later, he fell completely silent.
His gaze slowly shifted toward the GOAT, who was in a barely conscious state.
The GOAT slowly dropped to his knees and stretched out his hands like a helpless beggar, pleading for mercy.
Makhulu stared at him for a moment before speaking.
"You're the first human..."🚶♂️
"...to survive."
A deep silence followed.
Then, with a calm yet terrifying voice, Makhulu continued,
"You're the only one upon whom even my curse had no effect."
A faint smile appeared on his face.
"Oh... that's right."
"You're the GOAT."👑
"...and now, the GOAT has come under my protection."
Makhulu suddenly burst into laughter.
"I don't know why..." he said with a grin.
"...but today feels different."😤
He slowly tilted his head upward and gazed at the Sun.
"Perhaps..."
"...there should be another battle."⚔️
The moment Makhulu looked at the Sun, the GOAT felt an icy chill run through his entire body.
Why do I suddenly feel so cold...?
...No.
This isn't cold...
It's fear.😰
Vashuki was so deeply affected by what he had just read that his entire body began to tremble.
An unnatural chill spread through him.
His hands had gone completely numb.
Slowly, he turned the page...📃
And then, without warning, a deep and unsettling smile spread across his face, as though something within his mind had begun to change.
A moment later, Vashuki reached into his pocket, pulled out a lighter, and set the book ablaze.🔥
Yet there wasn't the slightest trace of fear on his face.
Suddenly, his eyes glowed a brilliant green.
Elsewhere, seated quietly in her room, Hiruma spoke in a calm voice.
"A book written entirely in blood..."🩸
"...one that can only be read by the people of Kazime."
"For within its pages lies the buried history of Kazime's downfall."
"If an ordinary person reads this book, their state of mind will never remain the same."
"The world may call them insane..."
"...but they will believe themselves to be someone whom no one has ever truly understood."🕵️
"And the knowledge they possess..."
"...will become boundless."
Vashuki slowly placed his hand over a few words from Chapter Two of the book.
"Darkness..." 🌑
His mouth slowly fell open.
"And..."
Suddenly, he began coughing in a strange, unnatural way. 😷
Then, his hand moved to another word...
"Curiosity." 👁️
Vashuki's lips slowly parted as he whispered,
"In my mind..." 🧠