Eratz sat crouched on the rooftop of the building, his gaze was fixed on the forest that stretched at the border of the city.
"They're out there... somewhere." he thought, his instincts sharper than ever.
The feeling from his beasts disappearing in those woods was still clinging to him, and he wasn't about to leave them behind.
With a slight shift of his weight, Eratz stood, the rooftiles barely making a sound beneath his feet. His giant bird, resting on the adjacent rooftop, cocked its head. With a swift move, Eratz leapt, landing on the creature's back.
"Let's go."
With a powerful beat of its wings, the bird launched into the air, and they soared toward the forest.
The town below quickly fell away, its dim lights fading as they crossed the border. The trees rushed up to meet them, and within moments, they were engulfed in the dark embrace of the woods.
The wind howled through the branches, whipping around them as the bird weaved between the towering trunks with ease. The moonlight barely penetrated the dense forest, casting long shadows across the floor. Eratz was finally in his new playground, but he had to claim it first.
His senses were on high alert, his body tense as they moved deeper into the woods. They weren't the predators anymore, but intruders, and they had already been welcomed by a local.
He could feel the pulse of energy in the air, the remnants of his beasts' presence nearby.
"We're getting closer, but something else is too..."
His bird slowed as they approached a clearing, and Eratz slid off its back, landing silently on the forest floor. The earth was damp beneath his boots, the smell of moss and decay heavy in the air. The silence was sinister, broken only by the occasional rustle of leaves in the wind.
Eratz crouched low, his hand brushing the ground. He could feel the faint energy trails of his beasts, leading deeper into the forest.
"Spread." he whispered, his shadow stretched around and summoned his beasts. In an instant, the clearing was filled with wolves, insectoid creatures, and shadowy beasts of all shapes and sizes. Hundreds of them, their eyes gleaming in the dark, forming a wave of monstrous forms stretching into the distance.
For what felt like an eternity, they walked in silence, the tension in the air growing thicker with each step. The forest around them seemed to hold its breath, the usual sounds of wildlife strangely absent.
Then, Eratz stopped.
A sudden pulse of energy rippled through the air, faint but unmistakable. He straightened, his eyes narrowing as he scanned the trees around him.
"They're here."
His shadow spread once again, growing darker, thicker. And then, one by one, the missing beasts began to reappear.
Eratz's eyes widened.
"They've been here all along," he muttered, his smile reappearing, but as instantly, he realized. "...That means… the one responsible is also nearby."
A sharp breeze blew through the clearing, and Eratz's instincts screamed at him. He turned his head slightly, and then
THUD
The ground next to him exploded with a deafening roar, dirt and debris flying everywhere as a bolt of lightning struck the earth.
Eratz jumped back, the force of the impact sending vibrations through the ground. His heart raced, but his reflexes kept him on his feet.
"What the...!"
Before he could finish, a blur of movement appeared in the corner of his eye.
His body moved on its own, dodging to the side as a figure slashed through the air where he had been standing just moments before. Sparks flew as claws crackling with thunder energy raked the ground, leaving deep scars in the earth.
Eratz's breath hitched as he briefly caught sight of his attacker. The creature was tall, towering over him, it's eyes glowed a sickly yellow, and electricity danced across its claws.
"That thing…"
He tried to parry its next strike, but as their bodies collided, a surge of electricity coursed through him, sending sharp jolts through his body.
His muscles tensed, and he gritted his teeth against the pain, his vision blurring for a split second.
"Damn it... Lightning...I can't touch it…" he stepped back
The creature's next move was faster than expected. A blur of thunder and shadow, it lunged at him again. Eratz ducked, but the impact of its clawed feet against the earth shook the ground beneath him. He rolled to the side, barely escaping its reach as it came crashing down on a tree, splitting it in half.
Breathing heavily, Eratz leapt onto a nearby branch, his eyes locked on the creature. Now, with a moment to breathe, he could fully take in its form.
He spotted it next to a fallen tree, a hulking figure with glowing eyes. Its thin abdomen made its muscular arms and legs seem even more imposing. Claws sparked with lightning, and it crouched like a predator, ready to pounce.
[Name: Thunder Lycaon]
Affinity: Darkness/Lightning
Rank: Special
Abilities: Shadow Body]
Eratz chuckled despite the situation. His eyes glinted with excitement. He had finally found what he looked for.
"This thing is incredible. I need it!"
Without a second thought, he commanded his beasts forward, the clearing erupting as his monstrous army surged toward the lycaon. All his monsters leapt through the trees, a massive wave of fur, claws, and fangs closing in on the creature from all sides.
But as they approached, the Thunder Lycaon stood still, calm and collected. Its glowing eyes narrowed, and for the briefest moment, its lips curled into a smile.
It was a simple move, but too unsettling coming from a beast, to the point of sending a shiver down Eratz's spine.
"He... He smiled?!… no way…"
Before he could even process it, the lycaon disappeared in a flash of pink lightning, crossing the battlefield in the blink of an eye. It moved so fast that Eratz could only catch glimpses of its form, a streak of light tearing through his beasts.
One by one, his monsters fell, their bodies crumpling to the ground as the lycaon slashed through them with terrifying precision. The world seemed to slow for Eratz as he watched the destruction unfold, but in reality, it was over in mere seconds.
The lycaon stood in the center of the clearing, victorious. Its eyes locked onto Eratz's, a mocking grin spreading across its face.
Eratz exhaled slowly, his jaw clenched. "Holy shit... That thing is truly intelligent... Now I won't let you go."
With a deep breath, he reabsorbed his fallen beasts, pulling them back into his shadow. They wouldn't help him here. Not against this. The Thunder Lycaon wasn't just strong, it was smart, far smarter than any ordinary beast.
He took a step forward, releasing his aura. The air around him thickened, a dark and primal aura radiating from his body, oppressive, like the presence of a predator stalking its prey.
The lycaon stopped smiling. It raised its claws, the lightning crackling in the air around them.
In the next instant, they disappeared, clashing midair. Eratz barely avoided the first swipe, twisting his body out of the way as the lycaon's claws tore through the space where he had just been.
He spun, delivering a powerful kick to the beast's stomach, sending it crashing into a nearby tree with a sickening crack.
The lycaon recovered quickly, using the tree as leverage to leap back at Eratz, claws flashing with energy. Eratz dodged again, but the beast was fast, faster than anything he'd faced before. Its claws grazed his arm, sending another jolt of electricity through him. He hissed in pain, but stayed on his feet.
For hours, the two clashed, each blow faster and more brutal than the last. The forest around them was reduced to splinters, trees branches falling in their wake as they tore through the terrain. The lycaon's claws struck with precision, but Eratz's reflexes kept him just out of reach.
His heart pounded in his chest, adrenaline coursing through his veins as he landed hit after hit. His body ached, but he was gaining ground. Slowly, he was dominating the lycaon down.
The lycaon snarled, frustration flashing in its glowing eyes. It backed away, and for a moment, Eratz thought it was retreating.
But then the lycaon's body shifted. Its form darkened, melting into the shadows beneath it.
"... The Hell?"
The beast disappeared. Eratz scanned the area, his senses on high alert. There was a possibility that the monster had retreated, but his instincts were screaming at him, and just as he turned, the lycaon's shadow leapt from the ground, claws extended. Eratz dodged, but the beast's strike tore through his tank top, leaving a gash in the fabric.
He spun to face it, but it was gone again, melted into the shadows.
"Damn... This is bad..." he muttered, his eyes darting around, searching for any sign of movement.
But the lycaon was too fast, too elusive. It attacked again, this time from behind, and Eratz felt the sting of claws rake across his back. He turned, kicking out, but his foot passed through the shadow as though it wasn't there.
Electricity surged through his body, the familiar jolt making his muscles seize. He grunted in pain but refused to go down. He had to figure this out, and fast.
"This thing's not like the others, I can't just rush in..."
The Thunder Lycaon didn't move much. It stayed calm, too calm. Most monsters would have attacked by now, relying on their instincts. But not this one, it was calculating, watching him, maybe enjoying his suffering. There was an intelligence behind its glowing eyes that made Eratz uneasy.
Eratz pressed his fingers against the rough bark of a tree, taking a deep breath. The forest around him was unnervingly quiet.
Time seemed to slow down as he thought through his options, trying to understand the beast's strengths and weaknesses. He could feel its oppressive aura in the air, a force that made the hair on his arms stand up.
The stats he had scanned replayed in his mind: "[Name: Thunder Lycaon]... Affinity: Darkness/Lightning... Rank: Special... Abilities: Shadow Body."
"Shadow Body..." Eratz repeated to himself, narrowing his eyes. "What does that mean?"
He thought back to the lycaon's earlier attacks. Every time it had struck, its body crossed it as an hologram. It was as if it was untouchable when turning dark. That ability was what made it so deadly, it could phase through attacks and strike back without warning.
"It's not just speed. It's darkness..." Eratz thought, clenching his fist. "How do I fight something I can't hit?"
The lycaon shifted slightly, its claws glowing with pink lightning as it prepared for another strike. Eratz stayed focused. He needed to study it more, figure out exactly when it was vulnerable. There was an option, but it would mean being a punching ball against unknown.
He watched the beast bend in the darkness, making one with it, mixing in it, and then, face to this fusion, something snapped.
"Shadow Body…" Eratz thought back to the lycaon's ability. "It's not just becoming invisible. It's turning into pure darkness."
He stood his ground, waiting for the right moment, and then, the lycaon lunged at him, its massive claws aiming for his chest.
Eratz jumped on the side, just as the claws tore through the tree where he had been. The impact shattered the tree into splinters, sending wood flying in all directions.
Eratz rolled as he hit the ground, quickly springing back to his feet. The lycaon landed heavily in front of him, its claws sparking with energy as it growled, his body black in shadow.
Eratz darted to the side, keeping his movements steady, watching the beast's reaction. The lycaon's eyes followed him, and within a split second, it lunged again, its claws leaving trails of lightning in the air.
Eratz ducked, dodging the attack, but this time, his fist covered in darkness, his fist moved at incredible speed, and in a brief instant, he felt a miracle, the furr of the beast.
"There!" Eratz's eyes widened. "It's vulnerable when I use darkness!"
It wasn't much, but it was enough. Now that he knew the lycaon's weakness, he just had to time his attacks right.
Eratz circled the beast again, his heart pounding.
"But I need more than just darkness. That thing's too fast."
He closed his eyes for a brief moment, feeling for the power of the darkness inside him.
The origin was another race of monsters inside him, the Vulpans, the darkness they commanded stirred within him, and he focused on channeling that energy into his body.
Slowly, his senses sharpened. He could feel the lycaon's presence more clearly, like an animal tracking its prey.
When he opened his eyes, the world around him seemed different. The shadows were clearer, more defined. He could feel the lycaon's movements even before it made them.
The lycaon lunged at him again, its body flickering with lightning and shadow. But this time, Eratz moved with precision, sidestepping the attack in perfect sync with the beast's rhythm.
He spun on his heel, delivering a powerful kick straight into the lycaon's side. His foot connected with a loud thud, sending the beast crashing into a nearby tree. The tree splintered under the impact, its trunk snapping in two.
Eratz landed lightly on his feet, watching as the lycaon pulled itself up from the wreckage.
"Got you."
The lycaon snarled, shaking off the blow, but there was a new look in its eyes. It wasn't just anger, it was respect. The beast now understood that Eratz was more than just a regular opponent.
But Eratz knew the fight wasn't over. The lycaon wasn't done yet, and it had more tricks up its sleeve.
The lycaon roared, and before Eratz could react, its entire body shimmered, turning into pure shadow. In an instant, it melted into the ground, disappearing from sight.
"Dammit," Eratz growled. "It's using the shadows again…"
The lycaon attacked again, vanishing into the ground before launching another sneak attack. Eratz dodged, but it was getting harder to keep up.
The beast was relentless, slipping in and out of the shadows like a ghost. Every time Eratz tried to counter, his attacks passed through nothing but air.
"I can't hit it like this," he muttered, frustration building. The beast was too slippery, too elusive. It was like fighting a phantom.
As he dodged another attack, Eratz's mind raced. "It's the shadow form... I need more darkness!"
Eratz closed his eyes again, focusing more deeply on the Vulpans' power. He could feel their dark energy swelling inside him, merging with his own.
His arms covered in darkness with the shape of claws. As the lycaon prepared its next attack, Eratz let the darkness consume him.
The lycaon lunged, but this time, Eratz moved even faster. He dodged the attack with ease, his body slipping through the shadows like a wraith. As the lycaon's claws missed him, he spun and delivered a back kick straight to the creature's head.
The impact was devastating, slamming the lycaon's face into the ground with enough force to crack the earth beneath it.
Eratz landed in a crouch, his body now surrounded by a dark aura.
The lycaon struggled to rise, shaking its head in surprise. It looked at Eratz, its glowing eyes wide with disbelief. For the first time, it seemed unsure.
Eratz grinned, his stance shifting into something more animalistic, more primal.
"Now that I've got you figured out, let's finish this."
The lycaon snarled, its claws sparking with lightning again as it prepared to charge. But Eratz was ready.