The ground trembled beneath their feet, warped by the sheer presence of the God Beast.
Renzo, fists still flaring with golden flame, cracked a grin.
"That thing's ugly," he muttered loud enough for everyone to hear. "Looks like a cosmic roach."
In the blink of an eye, it vanished.
No one—except Kael, Liora, and Azephon—even saw it move.
A sonic boom echoed across the cliffs after the blow had already landed.
Renzo screamed as his body flung through the air, crashing into a jagged stone outcrop. His right arm dangled limply, bones shattered.
"RENZO!" Kael shouted, eyes wide, but it was too late.
The beast stood where Renzo had been—unchanged, unbothered.
Tetsu and Ryuu didn't hesitate.
Lightning erupted from Ryuu's palms as his twin sabers crackled to life. Tetsu roared, Will energy bursting from his fists as he moved in with devastating speed.
They struck the creature together—Ryuu slashing, Tetsu punching with enough force to shatter mountains.
It didn't even flinch.
With a casual swipe of its tail, both men were launched backwards like ragdolls. Ryuu bounced off a cliffside, coughing blood. Tetsu crashed through two boulders, only stopping when Liora caught him mid-air.
"Damn it," Ryuu groaned, struggling to stand. "It's toying with us…"
Azephon's eyes narrowed. "It didn't even use 1% of its power. This was… a warning."
Kael clenched his fists. "Then it's time we start fighting like it's not a warning."
He looked back at Renzo, who lay groaning, barely conscious.
"You'll be okay, kid. But next time… don't provoke a god."
Lightning cracked in the sky again—not from weather, but from the sheer collision of Wills.
The next round would decide everything.