Fleeing prey in sight. Adrenaline pumping. It was only a matter of time until Dire caught his target--Taurian. He couldn't count how many times his prey fled from him in the past, just to get backed into a corner and caught. Dire saw hunting like fishing. Whenever his victim tried to escape, he'd give them a little slack—a small sliver of hope that they could potentially survive. But then, he'd snatch that hope away from them right before their very eyes.
Their expressions of utter hopelessness satisfied the Beastia to a certain degree. That's what he wanted to see from Taurian. He wanted to see the light from his eyes fade; his head to droop in defeat; his body to slump.
Ever since their first encounter days ago, Dire wanted to bring Taurian down a peg. The Bull Beastia acted all high and mighty, but that's all he figured it was. An act. Dire swore to shatter the bastard's charade and show him the reality of his position.
Dire was the Second Exousia, the second person in the entire world chosen to become the next God of the world. Only one person stood above him. To get looked down upon by anyone else was a grave insult to his pride.
It was a mistake he'd make sure that Taurian paid for with his miserable life.
When he felt playtime was over, the Wolf Beastia increased his pace. He ran out in front of Taurian and flashed a dreadful smile that stopped the Bull Beastia to a complete halt.
"Damn mutt! Get out of my way!" Taurian demanded with a wave of his arm. His objective was right before his eyes, and yet Dire stood in his path once again. He failed to complete his mission before. But, he wouldn't allow another misstep in the plan of his leader. If the gloves were going to come off, then so be it.
"Make me," Dire taunted.
"Dire," Taurian shuddered when he heard Gigas' voice come from behind him. An enemy in the front, and another from behind. Both were Exousia and incredibly powerful ones at that. "Take this seriously. Let your guard down around him, and you may die."
"Him? Kill me?!" Dire pointed and laughed at Taurian. He didn't think Gigas had a sense of humor. "Yeah, sure, Gigas! That'll be the day!"
"That day is today!" Taurian wasted no time in retaliating against the enemies. He lunged at Dire with his ax and swung. Dire raised his leg and blocked it with his foot. "You've chosen the wrong day to show your face in front of me! I'll kill you, your friend, and then I'll work my way up to that bitch, Zofia!"
"Trying to look ahead into the future while I'm here in front of you is a bad idea! You're dying here whether you want to believe it or not!"
"If you surrender, however..." Gigas suddenly cut his way into the conversation. Dire knew what his partner would suggest. It didn't bring him any joy as the man continued, "Perhaps we can come to some agreement."
"Agreement?" Taurian chuckled. The fools had no idea what they'd gotten themselves into. The likes of Taurian surrendering to his enemies was a grave insult to him and his organization.
He gave his answer to the duo in the form of another swing from his ax. That time, his target was Gigas. Due to the man's broad, muscular frame, he figured the mercenary would be too slow to avoid. In theory, he was correct.
Gigas didn't avoid the attack. The large man merely blocked the blade with his vambraces. No signs of visible strain showed on his face. The force of the strike didn't make him budge an inch—as expected of a man whose strength rivaled Beastia's.
While Taurian was left momentarily stunned, Dire jumped into the fight and landed a well-placed kick across his face.
Taurian staggered back a bit. He shook off the damage and laughed. "Two against one? I'm flattered."
"Stay outta this, Gigas!" Dire exclaimed. "I can take this guy by myself!"
"I have no doubts about that. But, I want him gone as soon as possible," Gigas rested his hammer on his shoulder. "I advise working together to beat him."
"Working together or not. The result will be the same," Taurian boasted before he rushed the two Exousia. Gigas stepped out to intercept the Beastia, but Dire proved himself faster. The soles of his boot clashed with the blade of the ax. Shockwaves radiated throughout the area from the impact.
Dire extended his leg out more and forced Taurian back. The Bull Beastia recovered and attempted to cut him down again.
That time, Gigas came out from behind Dire and defended his partner with his hammer. The two brutes shared a short power struggle until Dire intervened. He jumped over them and landed a quick series of kicks on Taurian's face.
Once on the ground, he lashed out with another kick, aiming for Taurian's lower back. The Acolyte predicted the attack and dodged—Dire's foot connected against the shaft of Gigas' hammer.
By the time his gaze returned to Taurian, the Acolytes ax was already inches away from his face. If not for Dire's quick reflexes, his head would've been cleaved from his shoulders. Only a few strands of his hair got chopped.
Taurian followed up with a quick succession of swings. Dire shuffled back to evade every strike until he found an opening—his leg. With one swift blow to it, Taurian buckled and dropped down onto one knee. Afterward, Dire spun around and went for another kick. But, Taurian held his ax horizontally in front of him, sparing him from receiving maximum damage.
He recovered quickly and rose from the ground. The hatred in his eyes grew fiercer as his nostrils flared in frustration once more. Gigas and Dire moved in to attack again.
Dire was the first one to reach him. The Wolf Beastia jumped and aimed for Taurian's face with his foot. Taurian blocked it and knocked Dire away, leaving Gigas alone to clash with the Acolyte.
Shockwaves erupted around the area each time their respective weapons clashed. Debris from the ground flung through the air. Dire couldn't help but crack a smile at their impressive showing of raw power.
But, he felt it still paled in comparison to his.
Once they were knocked back after clashing with each other again, Dire got in between them. Taurian acted immediately and spun around, swinging his ax with great force. Dire raised his leg and slammed his foot down on it.
The blade smashed into pieces once it made contact with the ground.
Taurian's jaw dropped at the sight of the shattered fragments of his weapon. He used that weapon for decades. It never showed any signs of damage throughout its usage.
Dire took immediate advantage of that moment. He struck the stunned Beastia across the face. The unsuspecting Beastia got knocked off his feet and hit the ground with a satisfying thud.
"What's wrong? You're not through already, are you?" Dire called out to the downed Acolyte. The direction of the fight was clearly in his favor. But, he just got started. It was too soon for the battle to end so abruptly.
"Don't offend him. Finish it already," ordered Gigas. While the flow of battle was in their favor, the mercenary had a gut feeling that someone was off. In a battle of Exousia's, one would expect powers to get involved.
Gigas used his powers only when necessary. Dire rarely resorted to using his. The brat's pride and arrogance prevented him from using them until he encountered a worthy opponent. Their reasons for restricting their powers were already known to them.
But what about Taurian? He was at a definite disadvantage. The numbers were against him, and his weapon got destroyed. So, how come he hadn't used his powers? Did he look down on them?
All eyes fell on the hand of Taurian's once a bright light flashed from it. They immediately recognized that sign. They brought the Acolyte down to the point where he had no choice but to use his powers.
Dire waited in anticipating while Gigas, on the other hand, readied himself for anything. There was no telling what kind of power the Beastia had. In his experience, the forces of Exousia were all over the place.
The mercenary's eyes narrowed when he sensed many waves of energy course through the area. It all met into a singular point—Taurian's body. As the Acolyte returned to his feet, he grew roughly three times his average size—easily towering over Gigas and Dire.
"This is going to be a problem." Gigas sighed. A gigantification power was far from his realm of expectations. Beastia's already possessed overwhelming power at birth. So, how much stronger did Taurian become from using his skills?
"For you," Dire mocked. It didn't matter how tall Taurian wished to grow. It just made him a bigger target.
"Behold the power bestowed upon me by Shura!" Taurian bellowed, his voice thundered throughout the area. Dire gritted his teeth in annoyance and covered his ears. "Be grateful that you've seen the scope of my powers! Now, I'll trample you and this entire country!"
"Loudmouth," Gigas complained.
"Let's shut him up," Dire suggested.
"I'm fine with that,"
"Still can't comprehend the situation that you're in?! Allow me to enlighten you!" Taurian raised his leg and slammed it downward at his enemies below.
Gigas opened a portal and dragged Dire along inside of it. They exited from another portal nearby.
"Over here!" Dire called out to Taurian. The Acolyte looked over at them and scowled before he made his way over to them.
"Slippery vermin! I'll squash you!" He shouted and swatted at them with one of his hands.
Gigas opened another portal and used it as a means of escape. Meanwhile, Dire jumped over the hand and ran up Taurian's arm. The Acolytes used the other one and tried to get Dire off, but he leaped over him. On the way down his back, he tore his claws into him.
The satisfying sound and feeling of tearing flesh brought a cruel smile to Dire's face.
Once he landed, a large rock flew over his head and smacked Taurian in the face. Dire looked over and spotted Gigas off in the distance, flinging more rocks using the Terra Vitalis crystals in his hammer. Strangely enough, with each hit the Beastia suffered, he only grew in size.
"The fuck?!" Dire exclaimed.
"Fools! The more damage I take, the larger I become!" Taurian announced.
"What an annoying power," Gigas lowered his hammer while Taurian triumphantly laughed. Even he understood the difficulty of the situation. He feared the flow of battle shifted in the enemy's favor.
How could they take down an enemy that grew in size with each amount of damage they took? It pained him to think about it. But, the option of retreat was the only choice left on the table. They couldn't deal with powers like Taurian's.
"Dire, we should retreat!" Gigas announced.
Dire's ears perked up upon hearing the suggestion. He fiercely scowled at his partner and shook his head defiantly. Retreat was never an option in Dire's mind. Running away was only for the weak.
"You can go ahead and run if you want! I'm staying!"
"Dire! Now isn't the time for this!"
"Having trouble cooperating?" Taurian sneered. If the two continued to argue amid the battle, he could kill them both.
He staggered again when more rocks smashed into him. Like before, he only grew in size. With each step that he took, the ground shook beneath him.
"If he grows any bigger, he'll be about the size of a Colossal," Gigas commented. If that situation came to be, then they'd have to escape. A Beastia, the size of a Colossal, was unheard of and certainly impossible to defeat through ordinary means.
"Sounds like a plan to me." Dire nodded his head when a half-baked scheme popped into his head. He licked his lips and rushed for Taurian.
"What are you planning?!" Gigas called out to his partner but received no answer.
Taurian raised his foot again and stomped on the ground. Dire jumped out of the way and smirked at the sight of Taurian's foot hitting nothing but concrete. Large cracks appeared on the ground underneath him.
Dire leaped into the air and struck Taurian's jaw with a firm snap kick. Although he staggered—it was only for a moment. He instantly recovered and countered with a punch. Dire crossed his arms over his face and steeled himself. He smashed violently into the ground.
He heard it.
A few of his ribs got broken from the hit he took. His hard collision against the concrete didn't help either. He couldn't deny that the Acolyte possessed impressive strength, as expected of a Beastia.
However, it was borrowed strength. That was something Dire wouldn't stand for. He refused to lose against someone that had to borrow the power to win.
Dire returned to his feet and bared his fangs. With clear malicious intent to kill and destroy, he darted toward the giant. Taurian swatted and stomped at him, but Dire proved most agile.
Dire understood the limits of Taurian's power. What he gained in strength, he lost in speed. The giant Beastia was full of openings, which Dire exploited whenever a chance revealed itself.
Every opening that he found—he attacked. As a result, Taurian only grew.
"Have you lost your mind? What do you hope to accomplish by making me stronger?" Taurian mocked him. He couldn't understand the scope of Dire's plan, or if he even had one at all. Regardless, he'd continue with his attempts to killing the mutt.
"What are you planning?" Gigas rushed over to Dire.
"Something great," Dire answered. "One or two more good strikes should do him in for good."
"Whatever you're planning won't work! I'm invincible in this state!" Taurian boasted.
Gigas opened multiple portals around the area. He jumped through and used them as shortcuts to reach Taurian's blind spots. One of the things that made Gigas a terrifying opponent was his innovative mindset. He'd use anything and everything at his disposal to bring out the most of his abilities. What he lacked in speed, he made up for in strategy and tactics.
He struck Taurian's legs with mighty swings of his hammer. The Beastia didn't budge an inch. The damage he received increased his size again. More cracks appeared across the ground where he stood.
"Ah, so that's your plan." Gigas immediately understood.
"Gigas! Give me a lift!" Dire ordered.
Gigas raised his hammer and struck the ground. A massive pillar of rock erupted from underneath Dire's feet and launched him high above the head of Taurian. The Acolyte swung his fists at him, but Dire maneuvered around them all.
Once he broke through his defenses, Taurian's head was left wide open. Dire performed several summersaults and built up some momentum. Once satisfied, Dire brought the heel of his boot down on Taurian's head.
No sound of pain came from Taurian—only arrogant chuckles. But, even those soon came to an end once the cracks underneath him grew more apparent. Soon enough, the ground beneath him crumbled, and he plummeted to the water down below.
His pathetic cries were music Dire's ears, as well as the large splash that soon followed. Gigas and Dire stood by the massive hole, looking down at the water. The ripples shortly died down, and the body of Taurian came floating back to the surface, face down. He returned to his original size.
The duo waited there for a moment—wanting explicit confirmation that he was dead. That moment soon came. They felt a burning sensation in their hands. The number fifty that was once on their hands changed to forty-nine. That was all that remained. Only forty-nine Exousia were left in the world.
And Dire couldn't wait to hunt them all down. Only one person deserved to become the next God, and it was him.