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The narrow steel corridor was alive with tension.
Flashlights carved through the dark, their beams cutting across Bert's squad as they advanced, rifles trembling in sweaty hands.
Smoke curled lazily from gun barrels, the acrid scent of powder lingering as a reminder of the wasted barrage that had vanished into the shadows.
Arbok coiled in the center, its massive body forming a living shield. The hood flared wide, patterns shifting hypnotically, forked tongue flicking as it tasted the air.
The hiss that poured from its throat was sharp, insistent, enough to make even trained men's hearts skip.
Bert forced himself forward. Even with his weapon steady and Arbok by his side, unease gnawed at him. Something in the dark was watching.
"CRACK!"
A sudden whistling split the air. Bert jerked, flashlight beam darting then squeezed the trigger without hesitation.
Muzzle flare burst like wildflowers in the dark, lighting a deep violet orb streaking through the air.
But the Shadow Ball flew not at them… but upward.
"SHATTER!"
A ceiling light burst apart. The faint glow that had softened the corridor winked out, plunging the squad deeper into shadow. The flashlights still worked but now the corners beyond their reach crawled with menace.
Panic spread.
"FIRE! FIRE!"
Gunfire erupted again, bullets tearing into the dark. Shell casings clattered across the floor, ringing like mocking chimes. When the magazines clicked dry, silence fell save for the sizzle of overheated barrels.
Bert turned, jaw tight, checking Arbok.
The serpent was unmoved. Its hood rippled with shifting sigils, its gaze sharp, unblinking.
Calm, Alert, Focused.
That cold composure struck Bert harder than the gun recoil. He swallowed, then barked:
"Hold formation! Stay alert!"
The squad tightened, beams slicing frantically through the dark. But silence pressed back, broken only by their ragged breathing.
Then—
A spark of light. Tiny. Distant.
"[Confuse Ray]!"
The ripple spread instantly. A kaleidoscope of dazzling colors burst outward, twisting reality into a sickening whirl.
Bert's skull pounded. The world spun sideways. His hands went slack, trigger slipping from numb fingers. The floor felt like clouds beneath his boots.
"THUD! THUD! THUD!"
Men collapsed one by one, crashing unconscious to the ground.
Only Arbok remained.
"SSSSHHHHHH—!"
It shrieked in fury, massive coils lashing forward. Poison sprayed wide, a tidal wave of venom aimed at the shadow that dared challenge it.
Kael stepped from the blackness. His crimson eyes gleamed.
"Oh? You found me?"
He leapt aside, dodging the acid stream only for Arbok's tail to blur from the dark.
"WHAM!"
The impact slammed into Kael's chest like a freight train, flinging him through the air. Stone shattered as he crashed into the wall, rubble cascading around him. Blood streaked his lip.
He wiped it with the back of his hand, grinning.
"Damn… that actually stung."
Even with [Zamazenta Heart (Fragmented)] cutting the damage in half, the serpent's strike had left him bruised.
Arbok's hood flared again. The markings twisted, forming the grotesque mockery of a human face.
[Move: Crunch → Pursuit]
Dark energy rippled across its scales, body coiling like a missile. It launched, a train of muscle and malice hurtling toward him.
Kael rolled, the serpent's bulk smashing past him. Its tail scraped his back, leaving burning lines of blood.
The beast coiled again, ready to crush him in its embrace. Venom dripped from its fangs, hunger in its eyes.
Kael spat blood, roaring back:
"Not today!"
His leg flared with [Fighting]-type energy, brown-red aura encasing muscle and bone. He spun, heel lashing like a hammer.
"LOW KICK!"
The blow detonated against Arbok's scales.
"CRACK!"
Purple armor split, Flesh tore, Blood sprayed.
The serpent's massive body tumbled across the hall, smashing against stone before grinding to a halt in a shower of dust.
Kael straightened slowly, fists clenched. [Ghost]-energy bled from his fingertips, the aura wrapping them like claws. His crimson eyes burned in the dark.
He stepped forward, boots echoing.
"Don't be in such a hurry."
The smile that split his face was savage.
"The fight's only just begun…"
---
[Battle Status: Houndoom – Defeated]
[Battle Status: Arbok – Injured, Active]
[Player Condition: Minor Injury | Adrenaline Surge]
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