Sparks flew as Hitori strained against the oppressive strength of the serpent. It's jaws fixed around the blade, and a competitive flare in its eyes. "I... want to see if you bleed!" Hitori's aura thickened as he sunk his blade into the beast, his vision blurred. Then his weapon snapped. A piece of it blitzed by his face, causing his cheek to burst into a stream of thick red blood.
The serpent's mouth expanded as Hitori fell to the ground. The serpent slowly inched closer, as if feasting upon Hitori's fear. Hitori closed his eye, and searched the ground with his hand. He clutched his hope in his hand and stabbed through the serpent's vibrant scales with found determination in his eye. The serpent hissed as it swiftly recoiled itself into a defensive position. Blood gushed its neck. In the midst of its sudden retreat, Hitori got back up. "Oh come on! Don't tell me you're scared!" Hitori shouted with a villainous grin. The air around the serpent danced as the inside of the cave became excessively warm. Sweat poured down Hitori.
"I could really use some kind of magical awakening right now." Whilst the heat intensified Era's words rang in his mind. "Mana is all around us, but most people rely on magic in a elemental form, however magic in it's simplest form is Mana manipulation." "Is it possible for Ethos to cut through heat itself." Hitori veins bulged as he clutched Ethos and raised it above his head. As he sliced through the air, the heatwaves warped around him and dissipated. Hitori rushed forward "he looked at it with a soulless gaze. Ethos shimmered above him. Hitori pierced the serpent's scales, sparks flew. His attacks torn through with vicious succession.
The serpent twirled and turned violently, however, Hitori had lodged himself in it's under-belly. He gripped onto its scales, and climbed to the serpent's head. With each grip his hands bled, as if he was gripping serrated knives. Tears and sweat drenched his face, and his muscles ached in their sore agony as he fixed himself on the serpent's head. "Die damn it!!" Hitori exclaimed as he repeatedly stabbed the juggernaut of the serpent. The serpent heated itself up. Hitori stabbed into its mutilated interior once more. The serpent's eyes became red, its body stiffened and it descended onto the ground. Dust cloaked the cave followed by a thud.
As the dust cleared Hitori stood atop the monstrous beast that was previously full of life and resilience. Hitori took a relieving breath and unclenched his muscles. As his adrenaline gradually declined, he was reminded of its limitations. His agonizing cries reverberated throughout the cave as the pain from his mangled hands, sore muscles and damaged eye settled in. His skin burned as if he had been bitten by hundreds of bullet-ants. His legs went limp, causing him to collapse face first onto the ground. A group of distant footsteps echoed into the cave. The silhouette of various monsters manifested at the edge of his sight.
The commotion had died down, prompting the monsters to return to witness the aftermath of the battle. Hitori gritted his teeth as he dragged himself over to the nose of the deceased serpent and crawled inside the serpent's mouth. The serpent accumulate a fowl odor in and around itself. The monster fled cave, the smell being too pungent for their senses, however, Hitori could only endure...