As the bear finished devouring the severed arm, it slowly lifted its massive head and refocused its bloodthirsty eyes toward what remained of Nagumo's body.
The flesh still lingered on its tongue. Sweet. Unnaturally so. Far richer than any of the monsters it usually devoured in the depths of the labyrinth. The taste was intoxicating—almost addictive.
The bear's lips peeled back as saliva dripped from its fangs. A low, eager growl rumbled deep within its chest.
It wanted more.
"Graaaawww…!"
The roar thundered through the cavern, seeming to echo endlessly.
Nagumo barely had time to register the pain, as his mind was already beginning to break. Panic drowning out every other thought. Death was right there—one more swipe, one more second, and it would all be over.
"I can't let it end like this," he placed both of his hands behind him, as he did the only thing he could think of at that moment. "Transmute—transmute—transmute—transmute—transmute—!"
The stone beneath him warped and shifted, liquefying at his command. His body sank into the earth as if swallowed whole, the rock sealing above him just as the bear's claws smashed down where he had been.
He didn't stop.
He couldn't.
He kept forcing the stone forward, piling layer after layer of rock between himself and the monster. Each use of magic tore through what little mana remained inside him.
"I don't want to die!" he screamed, his voice cracking as he pushed himself deeper and deeper into the earth.
Behind him, the Abyss Bear roared in fury. Its claws slammed against the newly formed rock again and again.
It continued its relentless pursuit when suddenly—it stopped.
The bear's nose twitched as another scent drifted through the air. This scent was different from the creature in front of it, it was similar, but it could tell it was even more delicious.
"I thought I heard something coming from this direction," a calm voice echoed faintly through the cavern. "Turns out I wasn't imagining it."
Sylas stepped into view, hands ready at his side for whatever jumps out at him.
His eyes flicked to the torn strip of black cloth dangling from the corner of the beast's mouth. His expression hardened as he started piecing together the world he was in.
The Abyss Bear turned fully toward him, abandoning the manmade tunnel entirely. Its massive body shifted, muscles coiling beneath its thick fur as it locked onto Sylas with a predator's stare.
A chill crept up Sylas's spine. "You wouldn't happen to let me pass here, would you?" he asked, half-joking.
The bear didn't understand his words. And even if it did, it wouldn't care. All it saw was a delicious meal standing right in front of it.
'…Yeah, figures,' Sylas thought before rolling his shoulders, letting out a deep breath as his stance shifted. Faint white light stirring around him.
"Alright then," he muttered. "Let's do this, you big bastard."
"GRAAAAAWWWW—!"
The Abyss Bear roared, its killing intent crashing down like a tidal wave as it charged.
"Ren," Sylas called out as aura erupted from his body, wrapping around his skin in a dense glowing armor.
The bear swung.
Sylas barely raised his arms in time to block the strike.
Bam
The impact was heavy.
His feet left the ground as though he'd been hit by a speeding truck. He slammed into the cavern wall, as pain detonated through his ribs despite the protection of Ren.
"Guh—!" He dropped to one knee, coughing up blood. 'That thing hits harder than I thought.'
The Abyss Bear didn't let up. It lunged again, jaws wide, fangs slick with blood and saliva.
Sylas rolled aside just in time as the bear's jaws snapped shut where his head had been. 'That was close.'
He scrambled to his feet, his Ren flaring brighter as he forced out more aura from his body.
Instead of retreating, he rushed forward, slipping beneath another wild swing, readying for a counter attack.
Crack
The punch landed squarely against the bear's foreleg. The impact echoed—but the bear barely reacted.
Its hide absorbed most of the force, thick muscle and unnatural durability dulling the blow.
Pain screamed through Sylas's arm as it recoiled from the blow.
Before he could retreat, the bear backhanded him.
Sylas tried to block.
Whoosh
Claws tore across his chest, ripping through clothing and flesh. Blood sprayed as he was hurled aside, skidding across the stone floor.
"Shit—!" He rolled onto his back, his vision swimming.
The Abyss Bear reared up, towering over him. Its shadow swallowed his body as it raised both forelimbs to crush him outright.
'If that lands, I'm done.'
Sylas's breathing slowed.
'Zetsu.'
His aura vanished instantly.
The sudden absence of presence confused the bear. Its instincts hesitated for a fraction of a second, as it couldn't feel what was standing right in front of it.
Sylas rolled and surged to his feet as his Ren exploded outward again. He dashed beneath the descending claws. The bear slammed the ground instead of him, the impact splitting the floor and sending debris flying.
Sylas wasn't unscathed.
One leg buckled as he landed wrong, pain flaring up his calf. Something warm trickled down his side—another deep cut.
The Abyss Bear turned, fully enraged now, eyes burning as it charged again.
Sylas planted his feet. "Come on," he whispered. "Just a little closer."
As the bear lunged, Sylas focused every shred of aura he had left into his right arm.
"Ko!"
He waited until the last possible second, stepping inside the bear's reach, he drove his fist upward.
The punch connected beneath the monster's jaw. Nen surged directly into the bear's skull, ripping through bone and brain alike. The Abyss Bear released a strangled, broken roar as its body convulsed.
Cracks spiderwebbed across the inside of its skull. Its enormous frame crashed to the ground, as dust filled the air. After a few final twitches, it went still.
…
Sylas stood there, arm trembling violently, blood dripping from multiple openings. His Ren sputtered out, leaving only Ten to protect his body.
He staggered back one step… then another. "…That," he panted, "sucked." His legs finally gave out. He collapsed beside the monster's corpse, sliding down onto the stone floor. His gaze drifted back to the half-destroyed tunnel, the bear had abandoned midway.
To be Continued…