[https://i.ibb.co/cYNvWQq/Gate-Breaker-header1.png]
Adrenaline rushes through me, flooding my entire body as I stare at the giant creature waking up right in front of me, long spiked tail slowly uncoiling, its mouth opening wide, revealing a terrifying row of long, razor-sharp fangs.
A foul breath blows warmly over my face.
"Strike!" I hear the beast's loud whispers from behind.
I snap out, raising my burning axe, aiming it toward the Shen'kan's body, too large to miss, I think, preparing myself to deliver the deadly blow.
A deep breath! I steel myself, arching my right arm.
"ANK'TH!!!" I yell my brains out, throwing the burning weapon directly in front of my bracelet as the power commanded blasts it ahead towards the lizard, instantly following up with a massive blow, bending the air itself around me.
The axe swirls red and hits straight, splitting open a large cut and sinking deep into the giant's body. The dreadful Shen'kan lets out a horrendous roar, recoiling in pain, its body stumbling backward down the mound of putrid carcasses.
Yes!
I did it!
It's dead!
My heart jumps, and a giant release of tension floods my body with relief as I triumphantly watch the dying monster rolling and twisting in agony further away on the other side of its nest.
"RUN!!" comes an unexpected yell from behind.
Run?
Why?!
I almost ask her if not for the sight of the damn lizard crawling back up on the pile of bones, eyes opened wide, maddened with rage, tongue flicking through the air, hissing angrily at me.
Oh, fuck!!
RUNNN!!!!
My legs start even before I tell them to do so! Behind me, the lizard picks up my scent and is now homing toward me, dashing at full speed across the cavern's sand-filled floor.
I'm running, no, I'm flying through the air!
I jump toward the narrow exit, hitting the stone wall before dashing through the stone corridor like an adrenaline-fueled rocket, running at full speed, my heart beating so fast I can feel the pressure inside my ears. There's no time to think, panic breaks over me as I look ahead, wondering where my beastly queen disappeared all of a sudden.
It's hormones alone that keep my heart from blowing into pieces as I sprint through the narrow gaps, completely ignoring countless bruises and scratches. Behind me, the sounds seem to fade, and just for a second, not thinking straight, I feel a slight sense of relief.
It doesn't last long, though. One look behind is all I need.
The lizard's massive body easily squeezes through the corridor, giant claws biting into the stone, its monstrous head rushing ahead, mouth wide, bloody sharp fangs still chasing after its prey, me!
Fuck! Fuck!! Fuck!!!
I push myself harder, lungs burning, breath completely collapsing, trying to keep the distance between those dreadful fangs and my precious, vulnerable body. I won't become lizard food! Not today, at least!
But all my efforts are not enough, I can sense it! The fucking thing is gaining on me!
How the hell can such a large creature move so damn fast?!
"Rai'ze, where are you?!" I desperately shout as I reach the main chamber, dashing madly through the sand and bones, looking panicked around for any sign of the mighty beast.
I can't... keep up... I gasp, looking around, eyes wide, scanning deep into the darkness.
Where the fuck did she go?!
Don't tell me...!
A shower of fear passes through me.
Panic! The thought hits me, both knees softening at once.
Is this the test?!
She abandoned me! I'm alone with the monster!!
If I fail...
I die...
I clench my fists tightly, grinding my teeth... no, that can't be! A flurry of thoughts fight for attention inside my desperate mind.
She won't... she won't abandon me! She can't!
Can... she?...
Wait... she told me to run... the plan was for me to strike first and then...
That was the plan... I did my part...
I did as she asked...
This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
A second!
No! Just a blink!
I feel it! The dust blows around, a cold gust rushing through, narrowly missing me.
A shadow!
"Get away!" a whispered echo reaches me as my lovely beast charges past me against the Shen'kan, throwing herself directly in front of the creature, her mighty axe shining brightly as it strikes the creature's head, leaving it dazed and confused, blindly hissing and spitting its anger.
I instinctively dive to the floor, barely missing a massive tail swing.
I turn around. In front of me, a spectacle of violence and raw savagery develops at a mind-blowing, frantic pace. My ferocious queen dashes wildly around the cavern, her blade striking mercilessly against the Shen'kan's flesh. Powerful strikes leave large cuts, carving deeper and deeper wounds, blood spilling at will, painting the sand and the stone walls around.
But even this is not enough!
The creature's size alone is enough to absorb most of the damage, and despite the constant assault, it keeps moving forward, swinging its tail widely, throwing the sand away and crushing everything in its path, its entire body shaking furiously, claws scratching madly, mouth spitting its poison at the woman in front.
For a moment, I feel like the two primal beasts are evenly matched, forgetting that only one spills its blood while the other seems mostly untouched, biting stronger with each strike of her sharp blade.
This... this is not a battle! This is just a choreographed massacre! Rai'Ze dances around the maddening creature, dashing from wall to wall, always one step ahead, never missing, and I almost feel pity for the poor lizard as cuts over cuts write down its bloody and predictable demise.
But soon, the battle turns!
A narrow miss, another one, a few more, my heart jumps ever higher before with each one, just to freeze in shock soon after!
The massive Shen'kan's claws finally reach their target, barely touching Rai'Ze, her dash deviated just enough for the lizard's giant spiked tail to swipe straight at her and connect directly with her chest!
A devastating hit sends her flying through a stone pillar, crashing down on the other side, coughing a shower of blood.
"NOOOOO!!"
A shout of desperation escapes my lips as I stare at the vile giant lizard rushing ahead, ready to crush whatever is left of my queen!
"ANK'TH!!! YOU PIECE OF FUCK!" I jump ahead, projecting all my anger toward the monster, discharging my entire remaining Ae'l at once!
The back blast knocks me down, sending me tumbling to the ground while the massive reptile gets launched toward the back wall, hitting it with full force, its body coiling down, motionless like a giant ragdoll.
AGHHHH.....!!!
My lungs scream for air!
I gasp... I cough... I crawl for another breath... but at last... the damn lizard is dead...
I recover, slowly getting back on my feet, looking toward the monster.
Fuck me...!
Its tail moves, still!
The massive tail swings, slowly at first, then faster and faster, pushing the sands away as the dreadful creature recovers its full conscience.
Die... die, you piece of shit...
I... can't... anymore...
There's nothing I can do, I'm spent, there's no more Ae'l left, my bracelet is dead!
And there's not much time left either... the fucking lizard is almost back on its feet.
I must act! I must save Rai'Ze, get her out of here!
I rush toward the crumbling pilon, searching for her body inside the soft sand, dust burning my watering eyes.
Where is she?!
Where did she land?
Is she still alive?
Behind me, the lizard seems fully recovered, hissing and probing the air around with its tongue, mapping our scents, scanning for its prey. It doesn't take long before it launches itself toward my location, mouth open, hissing and spitting, ready to finish me once and for all!
I reach for the gun instinctively, hands shaking, fingers trembling, searching, pushing, and probing all its nubs and screws!
There! A small knob, is this the safety? I don't have time for answers! Down! Up! Down?!
I turn and aim at the lizard, its head, its eyes, its teeth-filled mouth!
BANG!
BANG!!
BANG!!!
I squeeze the trigger, eyes squinting, ears ringing, hands flinching each time. So much power!
And yet the damn fucking lizard seems completely unharmed!
BANG!
BANG!!
BANG!!!
DIE DAMN IT!! JUST FUCKING DIE!!!!
BANG!!!
Click... click... click....!?
I'm baffled! I keep squeezing the trigger, and yet no sound comes out, no flash blinds my eyes, no bullet rushes ahead, squashing itself uselessly against the thick skull of the approaching monster!
Click... !
There's no more ammo...
I'm...
...dead!...
"I told u to get away." The whispered echo fills my heart with joy.
Two bright eyes look straight at me, her burning skin touching my arm.
Alive?! She's... alive!!
Her eyes burn through me... I know this look... and yet...
Danger?!
Her push hits me like a truck, sending me straight to the other side of the chamber, crashing on a pile of rotten carcasses.
She's mad!
No!
She's filled with rage!
Her blade burns red, melting sparks falling to the floor as she walks toward the confused monster.
The lizard stops dead in its tracks, its eyes staring at her, hissing and spitting, sensing danger ahead. A challenge arises? Wasn't this one dead already? How dare she stand up like that, with eyes burning and body soaked in its blood?
The feral creatures are measuring each other, dust slowly settling down, sand dripping from the cracked ceiling above.
An unstoppable beast facing a giant Shen'kan.
Fear tightens inside my stomach, should I even dare to stay and watch? The cave itself seems too fragile for this confrontation.
The lizard flinches first, opens its mouth, growling menacingly at the beast, flicking its long forked tongue through its long, razor-sharp teeth, wiping the air ahead, a putrid scent filling the air, belching out from its throat, a warning, a challenge, a death sentence for anyone that dares to oppose its wrath.
The giant decides, against its multiple bleeding wounds, it will accept this insolent provocation and fight her once more!
It killed her once, it will do it again!
My terrifying queen ignores the provocation, spitting blood, annoyed, slowly moving ahead, centering herself in the middle of the battlefield. Her eyes burned brighter than ever as her entire body tensed, waves of incredible muscles bulging, contracting on her back, ready to lash out with deadly force.
I freeze, bracing myself for the assault.
The lizard charges cautiously at first, with a swing of its claws, a massive hiss, another swing, and then a few more.
The beast doesn't flinch, waiting tall right in front of its open mouth.... is she insane?!
The enormous reptile feels emboldened, it moves forward, getting closer, its tongue flicking.... almost touching... her...
Big... mistake!
A primal roar bursts through the cavern as the beast launches herself into the air, a blur of movement, a dash of flames, jumping high above, almost touching the tall ceiling, then crashing down like a meteor!
Impossible...!!
Her speed is incredible, her power unleashed beyond anything I could ever imagine!
She reaches the top of the beast within a fraction of a second, her axe raised, glowing fiercely above the lizard's surprised eyes.
A MIGHTY BLOW!
A massive, skull-splitting, earth-shattering blow!
Her flaming axe comes down with such force that it blasts the giant head into the ground, splitting it wide open, carving a path straight through its brain, and sinking itself deep into the stone floor! A wave of pure Ae'l energy passes through it, lighting, blasting, forcing the ground itself to explode under the impact, sending a shockwave of dust and sand across the floor.
The dust-filled air still reverberates off her roar long after the Shen'kan tail stopped swirling aimlessly, its last spark of life fading away and vanishing into nothingness.
It's over...
The mighty Shen'kan is dead!
Its massive skull lies split open, gushing a dark red at Rai'Ze's feet.
[https://i.ibb.co/CtkLH1N/Gate-Breaker-footer-2.png]