The beast's body ignited with a fiery glow, and his eyes blazed with a demonic intensity. For the first time, Royer felt genuine dread. The power radiating from Pride was palpable, and Royer knew that a single mistake could mean his end.
In a desperate bid to turn the tide, Royer hurled his spear skyward, allowing its hand-printed mark to glow with an otherworldly light. As the spear ascended, Royer used its power to reposition himself, aiming to catch Pride off guard. Despite his precision, Pride's agility allowed him to dodge the attack and retaliate with a vicious strike. Royer endured multiple powerful blows, each hit weakening him further.
Realizing that his usual tactics would not suffice, Royer began to predict Pride's movements with greater accuracy. After numerous attempts, he finally managed to grab Pride by the neck, attempting to choke him into submission. However, the beast's resilience proved formidable. Pride's strength and tenacity made it clear that Royer would need more than just brute force to claim victory.
Meanwhile, Julia had successfully located a vehicle and prepared for her perilous mission. Her role was to lure the beast out of hiding, allowing Isabella and the rest of the air force to execute their plan. As Julia maneuvered the car, the beast, guided by the tracker, pursued her with increasing speed. The air force, still concealed in the clouds, tracked the beast's movements with precision.
Isabella's plan hinged on Julia's ability to evade the beast's strikes while maintaining a specific course. Julia was instructed to drive in the opposite direction of the beast's attacking arm to avoid being caught in the ensuing explosion. Despite the high stakes, Julia remained resolute, driven by the knowledge that her actions would determine the outcome of the battle.
As the beast leaped into the air, preparing to deliver a devastating blow, Julia executed her maneuver with expert precision. She swerved left, narrowly avoiding the beast's attack. In that critical moment, Fin, in his jet, executed a high-risk maneuvr. With unparalleled speed, he flew directly into the path of the beast's descending arm, slicing through it with his wing. The collision was catastrophic.
The beast's arm was severed, and as Fin lost control of his jet, the crash that followed was both destructive and decisive. The wreckage of the jet, combined with the beast's fall, caused a massive explosion. The blast sent shockwaves through the battlefield, crushing tanks and causing chaos among the remaining forces.
The explosion also had a secondary effect; it knocked Pride into a tank, which exploded on impact. The destructive force of the combined impact and subsequent explosion marked a significant turning point in the battle. With Pride incapacitated and the battlefield in disarray, the tide of the conflict shifted dramatically.
As the dust settled, Royer, though exhausted and wounded, stood victorious. The battle had been fierce and costly, but the defeat of Pride and the successful execution of Isabella's plan provided a glimmer of hope amidst the chaos. The true extent of their sacrifice and valour would only become fully apparent as the battle continued to unfold.
As soon as the beast's arm was severed, it remained suspended in the air, a grotesque sight against the battlefield's chaos. Isabella seized the opportunity, launching a missile directly at the creature's back. Her plan was simple, as a human's heart stopping meant death, she hoped that the same principle applied to the beast. The missile struck its mark, causing a significant explosion that shook the ground. Isabella then opened fire on the beast's back, aiming to exacerbate the injury.
When the beast crashed to the ground, it could no longer dive underground since it needed both arms to do so. Nonetheless, it continued to struggle, dragging its remaining arm with desperate determination.
Isabella kept a relentless barrage of fire on the beast, though it had retreated partially into a hole it had previously dug. Despite this, she could still track its movements from above, as it remained relatively close to the surface.
In her fervour, Isabella flew dangerously close to the hole, driven by the need to finish the creature off.
Unbeknownst to her, this proximity played directly into the beast's strategy. It feigned weakness, luring Isabella in with the pretence of being unable to fight. When she was within striking range, the beast lashed out with its scorpion tail, which split into three deadly appendages. The tails pierced through the jet, rendering Isabella's aircraft helpless.
Realizing her predicament, Isabella swiftly pressed the emergency eject button, propelling herself out of the jet. She plummeted into the pit created by the beast, landing a few meters from it.
The beast, seeing her vulnerable and isolated, was certain of her impending demise. It shredded the wreckage of the jet, its rage palpable, and charged at Isabella with brutal intent. But Isabella was not as helpless as she seemed.
With a calculated move, she pulled a chain of grenades from her belt and hurled them into the beast's gaping mouth. The grenades detonated in rapid succession, causing a violent explosion from within the beast's body. The beast convulsed and fell, its form twisted and charred, with its back split open from the spinal cord.
Royer, who had been watching anxiously, was immensely relieved to see Isabella alive. His own tension was momentarily eased, but the relief was short-lived. As he and Isabella shared a brief smile of victory, a chilling realization struck him. Behind Isabella, Pride, the formidable opponent, was silently aiming his claws at her neck.
"No!" Royer yelled, extending his hand in a desperate attempt to protect her. Although he was too far to reach her physically, his yell triggered an unexpected response.
The spear he wielded, seemingly animated by his emotional surge, responded instinctively. It rose from the ground and sped towards Pride, bypassing Isabella and striking the beast directly in the heart. The spear pierced through Pride, pinning him to a nearby tank and obliterating him in a burst of fiery explosion.
Isabella, stunned and confused, watched as the spear's intervention had saved her life.
She rushed to Royer, enveloping him in a fierce hug, her head resting gently against his chest. Overwhelmed by the near-death experience, she marveled at the miracle that had spared her life. As the remaining aircrafts circled above, their presence was a beacon of hope amidst the devastation.
"It's finally over," Isabella murmured, but her optimism was met with derisive laughter from Pride. "You're delusional if you think this is the end," he taunted, revealing a new threat. "There's one more left, a five-star general. He's more powerful than any of us, one of the Big Five. He has been watching you the whole time."