The air became dense. The pressure in the air was suffocating, as if the world itself was holding its breath at what had just arrived. Ryuusei could barely remain conscious; his vision was blurred and his body a mess. However, even in his pitiful state, he could feel it. Something monstrous was here.

The Black Herald stopped his sword in mid-air and slowly turned his head. For the first time, his relaxed posture stiffened, as if something inside him recognized the threat.

"It can't be—" he murmured with a faint hint of surprise.

From the blackness of the rubble, two eyes flashed like gray flames, expressing no feeling. A low, guttural roar reverberated through the air. Then, the ground trembled as the huge silhouette emerged from the shadows.

The Beast had arrived.

He was a nightmarish being. His body, an amalgam of muscles and living darkness, moved with restrained aggressiveness. Claws as sharp as blades scratched the earth with each step. Its jaws parted, showing fangs capable of tearing steel as if it were paper. But the worst thing was his presence. It was as if the abyss itself had materialized in the form of a predator.

The Black Herald, always imposing, took a step back.

"Tch... This was not in the plans.

Ryuusei gasped, trying to find the strength to move, but her body refused to respond. I could barely process what I saw. The Beast did not distinguish allies from enemies. Its only nature was destruction.

The monster roared, and the world seemed to shudder.

The Black Herald was the first to react. With impossible speed, he retreated several meters, his sword glowing with dark energy. His gaze was fixed on the creature, evaluating it.

"If you think you can stand in my way, you're wrong.

The Beast did not answer with words. I didn't need it.

He took the plunge.

The attack was instantaneous. The speed with which it moved did not correspond to its size. In the blink of an eye, he was atop the Black Herald, his claw descending with a blow capable of splitting a mountain in two.

BOOM!

The impact raised an explosion of debris and fire. Ryuusei felt the ground beneath him fracture from the shockwave. He could barely cover his face with one arm to protect himself from the shrapnel of rocks and dust.

As the cloud of dust cleared, he saw the Black Herald standing, his sword crossed in defense, resisting the crushing force of the Beast. But, for the first time, there was a crack in his weapon.

The monster roared with a primitive fury and attacked again, giving it no respite.

Blows, thrusts, fangs and claws collided against the scythe in a deadly dance. The Black Herald was forced to fall back, deflecting each attack with pinpoint accuracy, but the difference in power was evident. The Beast was a being of pure instinct, without strategy or technique... but with an enormous strength that made it immune to any form of resistance.

And then, Ryuusei understood something terrifying.

"This is not a fight. It's a hunt."

The Beast was hunting the Black Herald.

But if that creature could push back its worst enemy... what if it fixed its attention on it?

Fear stabbed him in the chest. He had no strength to flee and no way to defend himself. If the Beast decided to attack him, he was dead.

He tried to move, to force his body to react, but every muscle protested with excruciating pain. He could only watch, helpless, as the two titanic beings continued their confrontation.

The Black Herald gritted his teeth. Black sparks erupted from his weapon.

"Damn freak...

The Beast did not wait. He launched again, this time with even greater speed. The Herald barely had time to react when the claw dug into his chest, hurling him across a colossal rock.

CRASH!

The rumble echoed throughout the area. A huge crater formed at the point of impact.

Ryuusei held his breath. Had he beaten him? Had he finished with the Black Herald?

But then, something changed.

The air became even denser. The temperature dropped sharply. A dark mist began to emanate from the crater.

And in the midst of the black haze, a deep laugh rang out.

"Hehehe... Don't think it will be that easy...

Ryuusei felt a chill run down his spine.

The battle was not over. It was just getting started.