Gorzuga, the King of the Forest, was stunned for a moment.
The courage—or rather, the foolishness—of the little human before him was completely unexpected. Other creatures usually fled, terrified, at the mere sound of his roar.
That surprise quickly ignited into a far more devastating storm of rage.
No signal. No warning.
As if driven by ancient instinct, he swung his giant iron club towards Hariel. Blind, primal power surged from his bulging muscles, creating a terrifying swing speed for a creature of his size.
The giant club shot downwards, splitting the air with a deafening whistle.
Like a black thunderbolt ready to obliterate anything in its path.
SWOOOSH!
"WHOOOAA!"
Even as death threatened, Hariel's cry sounded more like a shout of awe than fear. His razor-sharp instincts made him leap backwards, performing an acrobatic backflip in mid-air with impossible precision.
Just in time.
THOOM!
The ground shook violently. The massive club slammed into the earth, creating a small crater and sending out a shockwave that kicked up dust and dry leaves.
A hot gust of wind from the impact washed over Hariel's face as he landed perfectly several meters away, his legs bent flexibly to absorb the shock.
He grinned widely, the fire of spirit in his eyes not diminishing in the slightest. "THAT WAS CLOSE! I thought a creature your size would move as slow as an overfed turtle, you Old Gorilla! Not bad at all!"
The taunt was gasoline poured onto the flames of Gorzuga's fury.
With a low growl that made the air feel heavy, he swung his club again. This time with a much faster horizontal sweep, aiming to split Hariel's body in two.
The wind from the swing was so strong that dust and humus on the forest floor billowed thickly, momentarily obscuring vision.
"Too slow!" a voice called out from behind the cloud of dust.
With the agility of a wildcat, Hariel had vaulted onto a massive tree root jutting out from the ground. His eyes gleamed, filled with a fighting spirit eager to retaliate.
"My turn!" he yelled. "Take this!"
He raised his fist, which was still blazing with red fire. The energy there felt concentrated, hot, and dense.
"Red Flame... RED FIST!!"
BOOM!
The fist, coated in a dense, red fire energy, shot forward like a rocket from where he stood. He didn't fly, but the energy from the punch itself exploded forward, striking Gorzuga's hard stomach with a powerful, compressed impact.
His obsidian-like skin appeared to blacken slightly and smoke at the point of impact.
Gorzuga staggered back one step. A roar that was a mixture of pain and surprise escaped his massive throat.
But the monster did not fall. In fact, the attack only seemed to make him even more ferocious.
"Huh..." Hariel was a little surprised to see just how tough Gorzuga's body was. That punch should have been enough to crack a large boulder.
With a more terrifying snarl, Gorzuga retaliated. He spun his body, swinging the club in a devastating 360-degree arc.
Hariel was forced to leap high onto a tree branch above him to avoid the brutal assault.
KRAAAKK!
The iron club completely obliterated the tree trunk where Hariel had been standing just seconds before, sending splinters of wood flying in every direction.
"Whoa, you've got thick skin, Old Gorilla!" Hariel shouted from the branch above, his breathing starting to grow a little ragged. "In that case, how about this one?!"
"Red Flame... RED WHIP!!"
WHIIISSSHH!
Two long whips of fire extended from the backs of his hands, snaking nimbly through the air like a pair of blazing red serpents.
With a spirited cry, he swung them downwards, ensnaring one of Gorzuga's sturdy legs.
A hissing sound and a puff of thick smoke arose as the fire met the obsidian skin. But Gorzuga only grinned savagely.
With a single, incredibly powerful flex of his leg muscles, the fire whips snapped instantly. They scattered into helpless sparks before vanishing into the air.
"Tch!" Hariel clicked his tongue in annoyance, landing on another, sturdier branch.
His fire attacks didn't seem strong enough to penetrate the monster's natural defense.
"Is that all you've got, little human?!" Gorzuga roared, laughing mockingly. He began to rampage, his club smashing smaller trees and large rocks around him, turning the area into a zone of destruction.
Hariel kept moving, dancing between Gorzuga's onslaught.
He leaped from branch to branch, from root to root. Every jump and dodge required his full concentration.
But he was starting to feel the effects.
Sweat flooded his forehead, stinging as it ran into his eyes. His breathing grew heavier and faster, his chest rising and falling erratically. A few new scratches from wood splinters and stones began to adorn his arms and cheeks.
The energy of his flames also began to feel dimmer.
He's so strong... fire alone isn't enough... Hariel thought quickly, rolling to avoid a swing that nearly crushed his ribs.
I... I have to win! This is just my first trial! I can't, I won't, lose here!
Suddenly, amidst the despair that was beginning to creep in, a calm voice echoed clearly in his mind.
Old Man Ed's voice.
"...true strength doesn't just lie in the fire in your hands. Use your head, too..."
His head? His brain? A strategy?
Of course! Why had he only just thought of it now? Why had he been relying solely on raw power this whole time?
A brilliant idea began to form in his suddenly clear mind.
His movements changed instantly. No longer just aimless dodging, he began to run nimbly between the tree trunks, deliberately keeping his distance, fully exploiting his advantage in speed.
"SWOOOSH!" He intentionally zipped past Gorzuga at close range.
"HEY, BIG GORILLA! WHY ARE YOU SO SLOW? CATCH ME IF YOU CAN!" Hariel shouted, deliberately glancing back and sticking out his tongue.
As he had hoped, Gorzuga roared with absolute fury. To be toyed with by a little human he should have already crushed? His pride as the ruler of the forest was ignited.
Without a second thought, he began to chase Hariel blindly.
"DON'T RUN, YOU DAMNED COWARD!" Gorzuga bellowed, his enraged voice echoing throughout the forest.
"HAHAHA! JUST TRY AND CATCH ME!" Hariel shot back, his laughter audible between his increasingly rapid breaths.
He kept running, leaping from one tree to another, intentionally moving deeper into the forest, luring Gorzuga to follow him.
Finally, after a few moments, he saw his destination ahead.
A rather steep and high cliff.
This is the place!
He quickened his pace, reaching the edge of the cliff in a few bounds, then spun around quickly.
His back was now to the gaping chasm. He stood there, on the fragile edge of the cliff, breathing heavily, but his eyes glinted with anticipation.
A challenging smirk was plastered on his face, which was covered in sweat and soot.
He stared straight at Gorzuga, who was now charging blindly towards him, red eyes full of rage, club raised high, ready to destroy.
"Ready to receive my final attack, Old Gorilla?" Hariel yelled.
"Time for the finishing move!"