Crack—creak—
Yan gripped his baton tightly as the creature's body twitched violently. Its limbs bent at grotesque angles, joints dislocating, twisting, then snapping back into place.
"Crk—crk—crk—"
The sound grew faster and sharper, like someone grinding bone with a rasp.
Yan swallowed.
He knew very well the rule of striking while the enemy was weak.
So before the creature could regain its footing—he charged!
His foot slammed down, gravel scattering. The baton cut through the air, aiming straight for the creature's throat.
—But the creature was faster.
In that same instant, it suddenly sprang up. Its tail lashed against a tree, borrowing the recoil—launching itself at him in the blink of an eye!
BOOM—!
Yan felt a crushing impact on his chest as he was sent flying.
Midair, he twisted his body, barely shifting enough that the claw meant to pierce his heart instead hammered into his left shoulder.
Crack—! Pain exploded.
He tumbled, rolling across the ground for several meters.
Blood dripped from his sleeve. His entire arm had gone numb.
Thump, thump, thump—!
His breath came sharp and ragged. His heartbeat roared in his ears, adrenaline dulling the pain.
"Hah…" He exhaled.
His blood felt like it was boiling. In the depths of his hearing, there was a faint crackling—like sparks.
It wasn't an illusion. His bones and muscles were heating up; something was spreading within him.
But the creature didn't intend to wait. With a low snarl, it charged again.
This time,the world slowed.
The once impossible speed now appeared sluggish, each movement stretched out.
The claws drew near.
Yan twisted his wrist—
CLANG!
The baton struck the creature's wrist.
Its claws grazed his chest, bringing with them a scorching surge of air.
It missed.
Yan moved on pure instinct. Before the creature could gather new strength, he stepped aside and thrust.
BAM—!
A heavy, thunderous impact. The baton smashed into the creature's chest, sending its massive body skidding back several paces, tearing up dirt in a burst of flying debris.
Yan lifted his head, eyes sharp. His chest heaved, blood burning, some unknown power surging through him.
The next moment—
"ROAR—!"
A tiger's bellow echoed through the forest.
A force indescribable surged inside him. Heat gathered in his chest, almost bursting out of his body.
An invisible shockwave erupted, scattering leaves.Behind him, a crouching tiger's silhouette flickered into existence.
But Yan did not notice.
All he saw was his opponent.
Battle intent roared in his veins, nearly breaking through his skin.
The creature sensed the flare of power. It snarled, stepping back instinctively.
But it did not fear. A second later, it lunged again—faster than before.
Whoosh—!
A razor-sharp swipe sliced in from the side, aimed precisely at his injured arm.
Yan's reaction was equally inhuman. His body moved before thought.
He retreated half a step—the claws brushed past his sleeve.
The creature overextended.
Time slowed again.
He saw everything—the blue liquid pulsing under transparent skin, the spasming muscles, even the ripples its claws carved into the air.
—Now.
BANG—!
The baton struck.
It slammed into the creature's waist, the force traveling through metal, accompanied by a crisp snap.
The creature shrieked.
Behind Yan, the tiger-shadow let out a furious roar.
A shockwave burst from beneath his feet, almost tangible.
Heat surged from Yan's chest, racing up his spine into his mind. In that moment, colors, shapes, shadows all faded—leaving only the outlines of existence.
Only the creature remained whole.
At its skull and spine, two white glowing points emerged.
The lights pulsed like living things.
Some instinct whispered to him:
Kill it.
Kill it now.
So he moved.
His body and mind overlapped.
The baton's path and the tiger's strike overlapped.
"—ROARRR!!!"
The tiger's roar shook the forest.
Yan slammed a foot into the ground and charged, baton sweeping upward—
BAM!
The rod smashed into the creature's skull. Bone cracked with a sharp snap.
And almost simultaneously—the tiger-shadow struck.
CRUNCH—!
The air trembled.
Half the creature's skull was pulverized, blue blood spraying outward.
Blue liquid splashed across Yan's face, warm and carrying a faint sweetness.
He stood there, chest heaving, holding the bent baton dripping with viscous blue fluid.
The wind stirred the leaves, carrying the faint metallic scent of blood…
————————————————
Return to the beginning.
Its claw pierced Yan's chest and his consciousness plunged into utter darkness.
In the instant before he blacked out, something rose from deep within his chest—an overwhelming sorrow with no source, so heavy it felt suffocating.
Then a low tiger's groan echoed in his mind.
Mournful.
As if grieving for him or for itself.
The sound receded into nothingness.
…
Outside, the wind whispered.
The fallen creature twitched.
Its limbs bent sharply, dislocated, then reattached. Bones writhed beneath skin, grinding with sickening cracks.
Its spine arched. Its head lifted.
From its shattered chest cavity, a black, flexible appendage slowly slithered out a tongue.
Nearly half a person tall, ringed at the tip with circular mouthparts, gear-like teeth rotating slowly within.
It crawled across the ground, the tip slapping the damp soil with a sticky "pat… pat…" sound.
It seemed to be tasting the air.
Then, following the fading warmth, it slowly slithered toward Yan's body.
The moment the tip touched his skin, it froze—
and stopped moving.
For a long, long time, silence.
Then a single, muted bite echoed in the stillness.
…
But the tongue and the corpse did not notice:
On that still-warm body, a few droplets of scattered blue blood were slowly, quietly seeping into the skin.