As Kaito navigated the twisting corridors of the labyrinth, an instinctive dread clawed at him. His senses screamed imminent danger, his skin prickling with icy awareness. Each step felt like stepping directly towards his own end.
A guttural growl reverberated through the air, a growl so fierce Kaito could FEEL it vibrating against his very bones. He froze, heart pounding. "What is this?" He questions quickly sliding. behind a jagged wall, falling into the shadows. Kaito peaks out to see what was, giving him this feeling, he was being HUNTED.
Emma stirred beside him, eyes widening in horror at the sight of the beast. Her horrified scream barely escaped before Kaito clapped a serious hand over her quivering lips.
The creature loomed impossibly, crouched on four spindly limbs, yet towering at a fearsome seven feet. Its hide bristled with inky spikes and sinister mottled patterns. Most terrifying was its visage: a grotesque, gaping maw edged with layers of jagged teeth, tentacles whipping angrily from its back. Its mouth bore permanently blood stained teeth.
The thing sent an unfamiliar chill down Kaito's back. Kaito ducked back, his heart hammering wildly. Emma was injured, bleeding, and Lucky was somewhere in the shadows, an unknown variable amidst the terror. Kaito felt the dreadful shift from hunter to hunted, prey to this monstrous entity.
Kaito tries to slow his breath panicking internally. "What is that thing?" Kaito has never known monsters could look this horrifying, he thought the worse it got was big bugs. But this THING defied all he thought he knew,
It's limbed cracked and clicked, as the beast prowled closer, a low, baleful roar echoed through the passage, and its ponderous steps fell heavy upon his ears. Sinister tendrils sought out their surroundings.
Kaito peeks at the thing again. His face goes pale as he realizes what it's following. The beast is licking up Emma's blood, slowly leading it to Kaito.
As it gets closer Kaito tense up. "This thing is so strong, can I even beat it?" His voice softly whispers. The heavy slow steps of the beast approaches him as he hears the tendrils lap up the pools of blood.
Kaito braces himself for the confrontation.
A sudden noise split the suffocating tension, and the creature's savage response was instantaneous. It lunged towards the sound with an unholy and impossible speed, leaving Kaito a moment to collect his shaken nerves. "Calm down Kaito." He exhaled a shallow breath, inching upwards from his crouched position.
But fate was merciless. As he edged into motion, the beast returned, so fast it seemed it was almost materializing before him with nightmarish speed. Its hulking form bore down fiercely, tentacles thrashing. Kaito falls back as the beast tries to bite down on his face.
The labyrinth transformed into a battleground where hope waned beneath every monstrous breath the creature took.
Acting quickly in the chaos Kaito throws Emma with all the strength he can muster. "Take Lucky and Run!" Kaito urges as the beast attempts to take a bite out of him.
Kaito quickly kicks the beasts mouth shut slamming with a crack!
With Emma's injuries making her move much slower. Kaito would have to hold the beast here allowing her a safe escape.
Kaito jumps back a few feet to regain some composure before the next attack. The monsters impossible speed closes the gap between them in seconds, and Kaito is left shocked as a blow so powerful lands sending him flying through a labyrinth wall.
It felt as though he had all the breath ripped from his lungs.
Kaito catches himself, a deep aching pain causing him to grasp his side. His breaths become heavy from surprise. "I've never seen anything like this, this is crazy!" Kaito thinks to himself.
The monsters arms grab the walls, using the walls as a way to propel itself towards Kaito. He leaps into the air and summons his Beario sword.
Kaito's blade pierces the back of the monster. The stab seemingly did no damage as the beast effortlessly tosses him to the side like he's nothing. He ragdolls, quickly skidding to his feet.
The creatures speed shocks Kaito once again as it, swings it's large arm at him. Kaito barely dodges the attack and the next ones that follow. Continues strikes come at him one after another each one harder and harder to dodge. The beast gives him no time to think all he can do is react.
Another powerful strike lands. He manages to barely block with his arm, the force behind the strike causes immense pain to flush all throughout his body nearly breaking his arm.
Kaito hits the ground with a powerful THUMP. "I hate to admit it, but I don't actually think I can win this." Kaito thinks to himself awaiting the next attack. But the attack never came.
The monster turns it's attention from Kaito to the fleeing Emma. The impossible speed once again shows as it dashes towards her.
Kaito panics. "There's no way I can catch it, with it moving that fast!" Kaito shouts.
With no other choice he decides to use his daily use teleport skill. He lands in front of the monster. Kaito stomps his foot onto the ground and erects a wall between them using earth magic.
Thinking quickly he grabs Emma and lucky and begins dashing off. His panicked steps echoing throughout the dungeon.
"I just need to find the others, if I can find them together we could beat this thing!" Kaito says.
Lucky's constant panicked meows not helping him hold his composure.
Emma coughs, "I apologize for being a burden to you mister Kaito." She weakly says.
Kaito shakes his head wearing a smile. "Never, we're gonna be just fine."
BOOM BOOM BOOM. Constant banging on the rock wall is heard behind him, echoing across the walls until another BOOM. causes debris to fly out towards him.
Before Kaito even fully turns around the beast managed to close the gap in between them. Again having no choice Kaito tosses Emma.
She lands softly onto her back, taking off the bag and running off once more. Lucky in hand.
He quickly stabs the beast in the head. Finally seeming to have caused damaged the monster roars out in pain. A powerful strike from the monster sends Kaito flying into the air. The hit almost knocking him out.
Before he can collect himself the beast jumps into the air after him. In the air it SINKS it's teeth into Kaito's side with a nasty CHOMP easily tearing into his flesh.
"AGH!" Kaito recoils in pain his blood staining his clothes. The feeling is so intense he spraels out yanking his blade from it's head.
Kaito begins striking the monster in the head, over and, over and, over again, i'm an attempt to get it to release it's hold on him. Each hit causing it to sink it's jagged teeth deeper into his side, causing another yelp to escape him.
The monster kicks its legs from the roof, charging them out of the air downwards into the ground. The force shatters the ground sending them through multiple floor after floor.
Each time they pass through another solid concrete floor. A new fresh horrific wave a pain flushed through Kaito's body. As his head hits into the ground.
Kaito stabs the beast in it's head again, it releases him from his hold, throwing him away, finally ending there fall and he lands on his back away from it.
He holds his side, while laying on the floor in immense pain all over his body. "I think... I broke a few ribs." Kaito weakly says.
"little buddy!?" A familiar voice calls out to him.
Both Ray and Terra appear in front of Kaito. Ray bends down his face filled with worry. "Kaito are you alive?!" Ray asks him.
Kaito weakly smiles. "I barely feel it." He says, clinging to consciousness.