"Now where are you, Mr. Beast," Shun said softly as he looked around.
The desert stretched out in all directions. The soft sand looked endless. The sun was high and burning. The air shimmered like water above the ground.
A dry wind blew across the land, lifting small waves of sand that brushed against his face. The heat was heavy. The world felt empty no sound but the wind.
Then, far ahead, something moved through the shimmering air. He smiled. But just as the smile appeared on his face something flashed in front of him.
THWACK!
Shun's left hand caught a huge brown tail mid-swing. The force of the strike kicked up a spray of sand around his feet.
It was a scorpion, an Androctonus australis.
The creature's wide, hard body gleamed under the sun. Eight thick legs pressed into the sand as it shifted its weight.
Two large claws flexed, ready to strike. Its long tail twisted hard in Shun's grip, trying to pull free. At the tip, the fat stinger dripped poison, the drops sinking into the sand below.
"I thought you were hiding under the sand when you first hit me.. but now I can see you're fast." Shun whispered.
"Interesting."
He grabbed the scorpion's tail tightly with both hands. The surface felt rough and dry.
Shun planted his feet into the hot sand, twisted his body, and started to spin.
Once.
Twice.
The scorpion's heavy body swung through the air as he turned.
Then, with all his strength, Shun let go and sent the creature flying.
WHOOSH!
The scorpion shot through the air. Sand flew up around Shun's feet as the wind from the spin scattered it.
The scorpion's legs kicked helplessly. Sand stuck to its body as it turned again and again in the air.
"That tail strike.. it reminded me of Jin's kick." Shun spoke to himself, watching the scorpion. The moment he finished his words, his body moved. He disappeared from where he stood. His feet hit the sand softly as he ran fast toward the flying scorpion.
Each step kicked up little clouds of dust behind him. The heat burned against his skin, but his eyes stayed fixed on the target.
As he was closing the distance, the scorpion's black eyes stared back at him.
Its thick tail suddenly bent forward. Green liquid began to gather at the tip, thick and shiny under the sun.
Shun kept running.
Then without warning the scorpion's tail flicked hard.
The green liquid shot out in a sharp line straight toward Shun.
It was fast. Just a few meters away now.
Shun's eyes widened. He bent both knees quickly while still running. His body dropped low, almost hitting the sand.
SWISH!
The poison flew just above him.
Shun's feet slid across the hot sand as he lay low to dodge it.
THUD!
He landed on the burning ground, hands pressing into the sand.
"Huhh.. that was close." Shun said, breathing lightly.
He looked back. What he saw made his eyes narrow. The green liquid had melted the sand, carving a long, straight hole. Smoke rose from it. The desert fell silent again. Only the wind whispered now.
As Shun slowly turned his head forward again, his eyes widened.
That scorpion was already right in front of him. Its fat, thick tail moved with a blur and came shooting straight toward him with incredible speed.
Without a second thought, Shun raised both of his hands.
THWACK!
The tail smashed against his block with a loud impact. A huge blast of wind exploded from the hit, sending sand flying high all around them.
The force drove Shun's body deeper into the burning sand.
He gritted his teeth. His hands were shaking from the pressure. The weight of the scorpion's tail felt like a giant hammer trying to crush him.
Before he could even catch his breath, the scorpion moved again. It raised both of its front legs and swung them down at Shun's lower body.
Shun reacted fast. He bent both knees and kicked upward, blocking the attack with both legs. His body strained under the force. He barely managed to hold it off.
"Fuck..." Shun whispered, sweat running down his face. His arms and legs were trembling now, locked in a battle of pure strength.
Then, out of the corner of his eye, he noticed something.
At the tip of the scorpion's tail, the small opening began to move. The hard tip was slowly splitting apart, and a thick green liquid started to gather inside.
"Shit," Shun said sharply.
Before he could think, the liquid shot forward aimed straight at his face. Time seemed to slow for a moment. Shun opened his mouth wide.
"Void."
The green fluid splashed toward him but as it entered his open mouth, every drop vanished. Not a single drop touched his skin. It was as if the fluid had never existed at all.
He closed his mouth tightly. His whole body tensed.
With a sudden surge of strength, Shun gripped the scorpion's tail even harder.
He spun his body, twisting the thick tail in his hands.
Then with all his strength, he swung the scorpion sideways and smashed it into the ground next to him.
BOOM!
The impact shook the entire desert floor.
A huge cloud of sand burst into the air.
Shun collapsed back onto the ground, his chest rising and falling heavily.
The scorpion wasn't moving anymore. It lay still in the sand. Above him, the burning sun shone down, its light falling across Shun's exhausted face.
The desert was silent.
Only the hot wind moved, swirling the loose sand in small waves across the ground. The sun above was bright and heavy, its light pressing down on the land.
Shun lay flat on the hot sand, chest rising and falling slowly. His body felt drained. The scorpion's huge body was lying nearby, unmoving, half-buried in the sand.
Suddenly, without a sound, a shadow fell across Shun's face. Jin was standing beside him, holding a large umbrella in one hand.
"You really took down a highest rank beast," Jin said gently.
He stood calmly under the umbrella, not a speck of sand touching his clean clothes. With a small smile, he sat down beside Shun.
Shun opened his eyes, still breathing heavily.
"Heal my hands... and legs. I think some bones are broken. This thing was no joke," Shun said, closing his eyes again.
Jin didn't reply. He simply reached out and placed one hand lightly on Shun's forehead.
A faint warmth spread through Shun's body.
Slowly, the sharp pain in his legs faded. His right hand, which had been numb and throbbing, now felt whole again.
Shun flexed his fingers and toes, testing them. The pain was gone.
"Now that's better... why can't we heal ourselves? This power is so complicated. Every time we try to figure it out, we just face more mystery," Shun said, still lying on the sand. He stretched his right hand out, opening and closing it.
Jin let out a small laugh.
"I thought your fight would be longer with that beast... but it ended in just a few minutes."
He snapped his fingers.
A cold water bottle appeared in his hand. He handed it to Shun.
Shun sat up slowly, sand sticking to his back.
"If that fight had gone on any longer... I'd be dead by now," he said, taking the bottle.
He twisted the cap and took a long sip. The cold water was refreshing, washing away the dryness in his throat.
"And you think I'd let you die while I'm watching?" Jin said calmly, standing up again.
Shun looked up at him with a tired smirk.
"I know... you would've stepped in if something went wrong. That's why I was fighting with confidence."
He raised a hand toward Jin. Jin grabbed it firmly and helped him to his feet.
The two of them stood together in the empty desert, the sun still burning above them, and the wind whispering across the endless sand.
Shun stood beside Jin, brushing some sand off his arms. The air around them still shimmered from the heat. The scorpion's huge body lay nearby, half-buried in the sand, unmoving but not gone.
Shun kept his eyes on it.
"I don't know why.. but something felt wrong about this," he said quietly, glancing at Jin.
Jin shifted his gaze to the beast.
"Yeah.. you're right. A beast at that level should've been stronger than this," he said calmly. His voice was soft, but sharp with thought. "But we can't be sure yet. It's still alive… just passed out."
Shun gave a small nod.
"Let's go before it wakes up again," he said.
He raised his right hand.
With a snap of his index finger against his thumb and black smoke burst around them. In the next moment, both of them vanished from the spot.
The desert fell silent once again.
Only the wind moved, stirring the sand. The scorpion's body lay still under the burning sun.
The dark smoke returned, slowly drifting across the sky.
Jin and Shun stood in the middle of the quiet desert, facing each other.
Neither said a word at first. The wind passed between them, carrying bits of sand.
Jin blinked, then let out a soft breath.
"Huh."
[Chapter 35 end]