The ground rumbled once more, and Xion groaned. "More? Can't these things just stay extinct?"
Kazama chuckled. "Oh, you're going to love this next batch, hero. I've dug deep into history for these."
Out of the ground emerged a Dunkleosteus, its armored head gleaming like polished steel; a Hallucigenia, a nightmarish worm with spiked limbs flailing wildly; a Glyptodon, an armored armadillo the size of a car; a Megaloceros, its antlers so massive they looked like decorative furniture; and finally, a Hyenadon, its jaw unhinging to reveal teeth that could crush boulders.
Xion stared at the strange assembly of beasts, momentarily dumbfounded. "Seriously? Who thought this lineup was a good idea?"
The Hallucigenia's Wriggling Menace
The Hallucigenia was first to attack, lurching forward in a grotesque display of spiked appendages. "You look like a bad acid trip!" Xion shouted, vaulting over it.
It flailed, almost smacking him with a spiked limb, but Xion spun in the air, summoning his barriers into a massive frying pan shape. "Time for pest control!" He brought it down with a satisfying clang, flattening the creature like a cartoon.
The Glyptodon's Rolling Rampage
The Glyptodon curled into a ball and started rolling at Xion like an unstoppable bowling ball. "Oh no, not this nonsense!" he yelped, leaping to the side just in time.
The armored beast rolled back for another pass. Xion quickly conjured a ramp-like barrier. "Let's see how you like airtime!" The Glyptodon hit the ramp and launched into the air, flailing helplessly before crashing down and landing upside-down, unable to move.
"Guess you're stuck," Xion quipped, brushing off his hands.
The Dunkleosteus's Watery Wrath
Suddenly, a jet of water shot out from a nearby pond as the Dunkleosteus lunged, its massive jaws snapping inches from Xion's face. "A fish? Really?!"
The aquatic predator leapt from the water, somehow staying suspended mid-air. Xion dodged and created a series of barriers in the shape of fishing nets. "Hook, line, and sinker!" he shouted, ensnaring the fish and slamming it back into the pond.
The Dunkleosteus flopped for a moment, then gave up, looking vaguely offended.
The Megaloceros's Elegant Charge
The Megaloceros charged next, its massive antlers swaying dangerously. "Oh, you're majestic, but I'm not letting you win just because of aesthetics," Xion muttered.
He summoned barriers shaped like a pair of giant scissors. "Time for a trim!" He snipped off the massive antlers, which clattered to the ground. The Megaloceros froze, looking deeply embarrassed, before retreating into the forest.
"Yeah, that's what I thought," Xion said, twirling a barrier blade.
The Hyenodon's Chaotic Frenzy
The Hyenodon snarled, circling Xion with unsettling speed. "Alright, Fido, let's dance."
The creature lunged, but Xion conjured a chew-toy-shaped barrier and threw it. "Go fetch!"
To his surprise, the Hyenodon actually chased the barrier and started gnawing on it with unholy enthusiasm. Xion sighed in relief. "Well, that was easier than I expected."
Fifth Wave: A Cavalcade of Chaos
Kazama's laughter boomed as more creatures began to appear. A Therapsid, resembling a prehistoric hybrid between a lizard and a mammal; a Procoptodon, a kangaroo the size of a truck; an Arthropleura, a centipede so big it could bridge rivers; and, inexplicably, a Giant Beaver.
"Are you just pulling random animals out of a history book now?!" Xion shouted, dodging the Therapsid's snapping jaws.
The Procoptodon hopped toward him, its massive tail swinging like a wrecking ball. Xion conjured a pogo-stick-shaped barrier and bounced up to meet it. "Bouncy vs. bouncy!" he yelled, delivering a mid-air kick to its face that sent it tumbling.
The Arthropleura reared up, its segmented body towering over him. Xion shuddered. "Nope. Nope. Nope." He summoned a flamethrower-shaped barrier and incinerated it. "I'm not dealing with a bug that big."
The Giant Beaver waddled forward, looking oddly harmless until it began gnawing on one of his barriers. "Hey, stop that!" Xion shouted, forming a barrier shaped like a tree to distract it. The beaver happily dragged it away, leaving the battlefield.
Sixth Wave: The Ultimate Test
Kazama clapped. "Bravo, Xion. But can you handle…this?"
The final wave emerged: a Gigantoraptor with feathers glittering like gemstones; a Platybelodon, an elephantine creature with a bizarre shovel-like jaw; and a Helicoprion, a shark with a terrifying spiral saw for teeth.
Xion groaned. "I hate this job."
The Gigantoraptor squawked, charging with surprising speed. Xion summoned barriers shaped like wings and soared upward. "You're not the only one who can fly!" He dive-bombed the creature, smashing it into the ground.
The Platybelodon swung its shovel jaw, but Xion formed a massive scoop barrier and caught it mid-swing. "What even are you?" he muttered, flipping it over like a pancake.
The Helicoprion lunged from the water, its saw-like teeth spinning. Xion summoned a chainsaw-shaped barrier. "Let's see whose teeth are sharper!" The two clashed in an absurd, grinding battle until Xion's barrier overwhelmed the shark, sending it back into the depths.
Aftermath
Xion collapsed to the ground, panting. "Is that all you've got, Kazama?"
Kazama chuckled darkly. "Oh, Xion, this is only the beginning."
Xion groaned, pulling himself to his feet. "Of course it is."