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CHAPTER 30 – EARLIER
So this was where the mutated beast was last seen...
Kaido narrowed his gaze across the sandstone canyon, heatwaves rising in rhythmic pulses from the earth. The jagged cliffs across them held a worn military campsite—makeshift tents staked in sand and dust, flapping gently under the high desert wind.
"You sure you're okay, Kaido?" Tayla's voice came from behind, concern slipping into her tone as she scanned the few fresh bandages wrapped tightly around his arms.
"For the hundredth time—jeez—I'm fine," he muttered, adjusting the twin blades strapped to his back. His fingers brushed the hilt with familiarity, but his movements were taut, controlled.
"He's a feisty one," Scott called out, perched beside the serpentine Andrea and the ogre, Nick, who towered over them, one hand resting lazily on the massive club slung across his shoulder.
"Yeah…he is," Raymond said, stepping into view, his boots crunching softly against the cracked terrain.
Two adventuring parties stood side by side at the cliff's edge—each assigned to investigate the reoccurring attacks on La Jaran soldiers by a mysterious creature that haunted the canyon under the cover of night.
"Didn't they say this beast attacks at night?" Joel asked, her grip tightening around the staff she held upright beside her.
"It does. But it's better we deal with it now," Scott replied, his eyes scanning the terrain. "According to the reports, part of its ability is camouflage—blending into sand and stone like vapor."
"Yes... Scott's right," Raymond added, tightening the bag around his waist and adjusting the weight of the shield strapped to his back. The sun caught the curvature of his muscles, his bare biceps flexing beneath the weight of his gear, glistening with heat-born sweat. "Fighting it at night? Would've been suicide."
"Not to butt in on your strategy talk," Scott added suddenly, gripping the javelin resting at his side, "but…you guys okay? With the council's news and all?"
Kaido let out a scoff from his elevated perch. "Of course we're okay. We don't even know what those freaks found yet."
"You heard the kid," Raymond muttered, but before he could continue—
"Hey! I'm not a kid!"
"Pfft. Of course you aren't..." came a soft, unexpected voice—uncomfortably close.
"WOAH—what the creepy hell!?" Kaido jolted, stepping sideways.
"Piko…? Thought you didn't come with us," Andrea blinked from her position.
"What do you mean?" Piko asked, tilting her head. "I followed you here."
Still too quiet. Still too close.
"That's still creepy as hell," Kaido muttered, his eyes twitching as he tried to regain focus.
"Is this the famous Kaido I've heard about?" she asked gently, her gaze sweeping across his bandaged arms. She leaned slightly closer.
Tch...too close, Kaido thought, holding back the urge to step away.
"Sorry!" she smiled sweetly. "You didn't meet her this morning, did you?" Scott chuckled. "Kaido, this is Piko. Piko—Kaido."
Before Kaido could respond, Andrea turned toward the tents below. "Guys...when are we spotting this thing? The soldiers we're using as bait are starting to give us serious side-eye."
Below, two uneasy soldiers stood rigidly outside their tents, casting glances toward the cliff above them.
"Don't know yet, but let's keep loo—"
"I see something!!" Kaido's voice sliced through the air like a blade.
Every weapon rose instinctively.
"What is it!?" Raymond demanded.
"Footprints. Being formed—just across from the men!"
Kaido's pupils sharpened, his field of vision extending through trained instinct. Claw-like impressions began to sink into the sand—one after another—each step drawing closer to the two soldiers, who remained clueless.
"That's...quite the ability," Piko whispered, suddenly near again, her presence like a cold wind brushing the back of his neck.
Kaido tilted his head slightly, stealing a glance. She looked remarkably young for seventeen—pale skin, long black hair cascading over one eye, a little taller than him. There was something unsettling in the contrast of her beauty and her whispery stillness.
"Y-yeah...I really am," Kaido muttered, looking back at the prints.
"What's your take?" Scott called, his right arm drawn back, javelin in hand. Sparks of orange lightning licked the edges of the weapon.
"One...two...three...Now!"
A shrill whistle cracked the air as Scott hurled the javelin.
It tore through the wind with a speed so sharp it sliced sound itself—
KRAAAKK!
The impact exploded in a roar.
BOOOOM!!
Sand and rock tore upward in all directions, flinging dust into the air and knocking the soldiers backward.
"Let's move!" Raymond shouted.
The entire group launched forward, leaping off the cliff. Mid-air, the wind shifted. Joel and Piko raised their staffs, bending the current beneath their feet. A strong gust cradled them midair, slowing their descent into a flawless glide.
They landed in formation.
"You sure it hit?" Tayla asked, drawing her blade.
"Of course it did," Scott replied, reaching out his left hand.
SWOOM!
The javelin snapped back toward him, trailing purple blood along its bronze-patterned shaft.
"I never miss."
The impact site was a crater—nothing but torn sand and blood-soaked debris.
"That's some firepower you got there," Raymond muttered, observing the scattered stains trailing away from the camp.
"Damn…" Scott exhaled. "Maybe I shouldn't have recalled it…"
"No," Andrea said, eyeing the impact zone. "You probably forced it to flee."
"Exactly. I didn't sense any more mana after the strike," Scott added, frowning. "Thought I killed it."
"Already gone," Kaido said, tracking the blood trail with Tayla along the ridge.
"So it can't be taken down that easily?" Raymond said grimly.
"At least you made a dent," Nick grinned, slapping Scott's shoulder.
They followed the trail until it suddenly stopped—no more blood.
"It cut off here," Tayla called out, resting her hands on her hips. The sunlight glinted off her silver half-armor, shadows outlining her focused expression.
Kaido bent over the last dark patch in the sand. "It...regenerated."
"What!?" Joel exclaimed.
"Yes." Scott walked up slowly. "Blood stopped. No sign of injury after that point. It must've healed."
"What if it flew?" Nick asked.
"It didn't," Kaido snapped.
"How do you know?" Piko questioned.
"Because he would've seen it," Raymond said, drawing his axe. "It's how his eyes work."
"Then it's still around," Tayla said, eyes darting.
"Everyone—stay in formation," Raymond ordered. "Eyes on the sand. That's our only clue."
Scott's javelin flickered again with elemental energy, humming through the tension.
"Some shitty situation we've found ourselves in," Nick muttered, hefting his club.
Seconds passed. Silence.
"Why's it not budging?" Piko murmured.
"Joel—barrier now," Raymond barked.
"On it." A bluish hue encased them, the magical shield flickering across their skin.
"Let's see what that freak does next…" Kaido grinned, his fingers brushing the edge of his sword.
Still. Still nothing.
"I'm beginning to think it actually left—" Tayla started.
"Maybe it's just waiting for us to—"
"Guys?" Piko's voice snapped them to attention. "The ground... it's—"
"What the—!?" Scott yelled as his feet began to sink.
"JUMP!" Raymond bellowed.
THOOOOM!!!
The sand exploded beneath them in a violent eruption. Dust swallowed their boots as a monstrous figure tore upward from beneath—claws first.
The beast landed with a quaking thud.
Its head uncoiled first—snarling. Long, jagged teeth protruded in every direction from a grotesque maw. Its two front limbs ended in claws sharp enough to shred armor. It had no hind legs—only a massive tail that cracked the earth beneath it. Scaly spikes jutted out across its hide, glinting like rusted metal under the sun.
It was thirteen feet of hell-born muscle, hide, and hunger.
Kaido stepped back. "Those prints didn't prepare me for... that."
"It's out!" Raymond raised his shield. "So this is what Frank took on and survived!?"
"Kinda," Joel muttered, already conjuring. "Frank weakened it... Tayla impaled it... And it wasn't this damn big!"
A massive magic circle whirled above them.
FOOM! FOOM! FOOM! FOOM!!
Fireballs launched, cutting through the air like meteors.
BLAST!! BLAST!!! BLAST!!!! BLAST!!!
They struck the beast directly—
But when the dust settled, only minor scorch marks remained.
"It's a desert beast," Nick snarled. "I know the species it mutated from—it's a damn desert dragon. Fire barely scratches it."
"Nick and I will take the rear!" Raymond shouted. "Kaido, Tayla, Andrea—you're on left and right. Piko, Scott, Joel—support!"
Everyone split on cue.
THOOM!!
Raymond slammed his shield into the creature's tail.
The beast shrieked—an ear-splitting growl that rolled across the canyon.
Its tail swung—
"Not today!!" Nick roared, grabbing the tail mid-swing and digging in.
"Tch... this thing's wild!" he grunted.
"HAAAH!" Raymond's axe came down.
KRRSHUNK!!
It bit halfway into the beast's hide—stuck.
"Damn… Skin's too thick
Raymond slammed into the side of the beast's leg, shield-first, sending a shockwave rippling across its scaled body. The creature buckled slightly, but didn't fall.
Kaido and Tayla split in opposite directions, circling like twin blades.
"Now!" Raymond barked.
CLANG!!
Andrea's axe came down on the beast's shoulder—
Only to glance off the dense armor plating.
"Too thick!" she growled, sparks flying.
"I've got an opening!" Kaido shouted, slipping into a shadow-flash. He reappeared behind the beast and drove both blades into its back.
SHUNK! SHUNK!
A roar erupted—ear-shattering, guttural.
RRRRAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!
A pulse of raw force blasted outward—
WHUUUMMM!!!
Kaido was flung back like a ragdoll, crashing into the sand and tumbling across the ridge. His swords remained lodged in the creature's back.
"KAIDO!" Tayla cried out, intercepting his fall mid-slide, her boots digging into the rock.
"Don't worry about me," he groaned, blood trickling from his lip. "My blades are still stuck in it..."
"They're glowing," Joel said suddenly. Her eyes locked on the hilts buried in the beast's back—both beginning to emit a crimson shimmer.
"He planted them deep…" Scott's voice dropped as realization hit. "They're drawing blood."
A thin red mist swirled from the embedded swords, sucked toward Kaido's fingertips even from a distance.
"Piko, Scott, Joel—keep it off them!" Raymond yelled.
"On it!"
ZAP!
Scott hurled his javelin again.
WH-THUNK!
It struck the beast's side, embedding deep this time.
"I'll push it down!" Nick roared.
THOOM!!
His ogre frame slammed shoulder-first into the beast, shoving its lower body to the side. It stumbled again, this time hissing.
CRACK!!
Its tail lashed out. The air itself split as the tail snapped toward Andrea.
"ANDREA, MOVE!!" Joel screamed—
Too late.
WHAAAAM!!
Andrea flew. Her body struck a large sandstone boulder mid-air and slid down, coughing blood.
"Shit! Andrea's down!" Tayla shouted, throwing a knife at the beast's eye.
TWIP—THUNK!
The blade hit—but bounced off its armored face.
Kaido pushed himself up beside her, panting. "I need—my blades—"
"Joel! Barrier on Andrea!" Raymond yelled, rushing the beast again.
"Done!" Joel's magic circle spun into existence.
Piko stood silent, expression unreadable. Then her lips parted.
"I'll draw its attention."
"No!" Kaido barked.
But she was already moving.
In a single blink, she was behind the beast.
"Over here," she whispered.
Her staff scraped across the air—
SWOOOOSH—KRAK!!
A sonic boom cracked as she slammed her spell into the base of its skull. The impact dented the armor and knocked the beast's head forward.
It reeled, finally staggered.
"NOW! TAYLA!" Kaido shouted.
Tayla dropped to a runner's stance—
and launched.
Her blade ignited mid-swing—glowing white-hot as she leapt.
SHRAAAAAANKKK!!!
The sword carved deep into the creature's neck, a spray of thick violet blood erupting from the wound.
It shrieked.
RRRRAAAHHHHHHHHHH!!!!
Then—it twisted.
A claw rose—
SHINK!
And slashed Tayla's leg clean across.
She crashed to the ground, sword skidding across the sand.
"Tayla's down!" Raymond called. "Nick, back her up!"
"Already on it!" Nick moved fast, faster than a beast his size should've allowed.
He slammed both fists into the creature's ribs.
BOOOOMMM!!!
It bent sideways—at last vulnerable.
Kaido ran.
He threw himself toward the monster's back, hands reaching—
"Got 'em!!"
His fingers closed around the twin hilts of his embedded swords.
The moment he gripped them—
SSSSHHHHWOOOOOMMM!!
The red energy swirling from the beast rushed into Kaido. His eyes widened—blood, memories, emotion—
all flooding his senses at once.
VOOM...VOOM...VOOM...
His pulse slowed.
His heart synced with the beast's.
He saw something.
The moment it was born.
Claws.
Burial.
Lightless pit.
Experiments.
Frank's face.
Then—
Vance.
He ripped the blades free.
SHRA-KKSH!!
Blood fountained—the beast shrieked in fury and agony.
"Kaido—what did you see!?" Joel shouted.
Kaido staggered backward, panting. "It knows... Vance. It remembers him."
Joel's face dropped. "...No way."
Raymond clenched his teeth. "Then we kill it now. No more running."
Piko raised her staff. "Then let's end this."
Scott's javelin recharged with lightning. "Ready."
Kaido wiped his mouth and narrowed his eyes.
"Let's put this thing down."
BOOM.
The final clash began.