Aris was now running with all his strength toward a completely unknown destination.
The wet ground did not exactly provide good footing, and the slightest misstep could even prove fatal. The gray rock beneath his feet, which he stepped on every few milliseconds, made his run much more difficult.
The group followed closely behind without losing pace. Even though they had lost quite a bit of time stopping to think, they were still managing to maintain a certain distance from him, one that was slowly growing.
Aris was not confident in his plan at all. He had to escape the Koekitsu's hunting circle, but he didn't really know whether he was running straight toward it instead. However, he knew that even if this was a gamble for him, it was almost impossible that he was running directly toward it.
The hunting circle was immense, and Aris had even come to admire the ability to cover such a vast area without him noticing. But that also meant the game master's positions were numerous. Aris was sure he wouldn't run into it.
The wind slammed against his face at incredible speed, as if it were no longer merely air. At this speed, Aris felt as though he were swimming. The sensation was so real that he sometimes even held his breath.
But Aris was on land. On solid ground.
Even if it was constantly soaked and the gray sky sent tons of water down every day, Aris was indeed running across hard ground through a fluid far less dense than water.
The former king never took his eyes off the point directly ahead of him. Determined, he knew an opportunity like this might never present itself again.
So he ran.
He ran with all his strength to escape his predator. But it was only temporary. Afterward, he fully intended to kill it...
Suddenly, Aris's heart skipped a beat.
He had sensed a presence behind him.
Or rather... beside him.
For sure, he had no desire to confirm what it could be, because he already knew exactly what it was.
And despite all the rage he possessed toward that thing, seeing it charging toward him at such speed was the most terrifying thing he had ever experienced.
The Koekitsu, running on its four massive legs, tore through the air like the most powerful beast in existence, charging with fury.
Despite its size, its body made almost no sound.
The only things it emitted were the horrifying sound of its growl and its ragged breathing, similar to that of a horse's, but far more intense.
Its tails seemed to align perfectly with its movement, making its body incredibly aerodynamic as it almost scraped against the ground to gain even more speed.
It had probably seen him or sensed him. In any case, it had noticed that Aris was trying to escape the circle.
It was only a matter of time before it lost its favorite game.
So it had gone hunting itself. And Aris did not like that at all.
The Koekitsu completely ignored the group, focusing its entire run on Aris.
Aris was terrified.
Yes.
That was the word.
Nothing in his life had ever seemed as terrifying as a creature the size of a parade tank on four legs, with four tails, chasing him with all the fury in the world.
He didn't even know why it was putting so much intensity into this when it could simply surround him again.
But faced with such a sight, the Mad Beast could only run.
And he wasn't gaining any ground on the enraged beast...
Aris continued running nonetheless. Running wherever it could take him.
He had nowhere to hide in these accursed lands, and in any case, he had a good idea that the Koekitsu would find him again.
It was only a matter of time before he was devoured...
Or worse, surrounded once again.
Yet nothing else came to his mind.
The best thing that could happen to him was that he ran into another Koekitsu and that they fought over the territory.
But Aris had absolutely no idea what would happen to him if he entered the territory of another one of those devilish beasts...
The Koekitsu was still gaining ground.
Aris could now feel its presence as if it were no more than a meter behind him, its mouth wide open, ready to swallow him whole.
He gritted his teeth, thinking he could forget about it, but his rapidly beating heart constantly reminded him that he was obviously being pursued.
The situation itself made him nervous.
For reasons he didn't know—or perhaps did know after all—Aris had the impression that the beast had become three times larger behind his back. Like a living nightmare. A wandering spirit that gave him no chance to escape. Simply waiting for him to give up.
It was a horrible sensation, even for him.
Aris had already been running for some time, and even though he still hadn't stopped, he had the impression that he was running straight toward his death.
He could now feel the Koekitsu's breath, tainted with the smell of blood and flesh, its horrible, malicious smile, and its playful gaze.
He could now feel death...
...and its scythe beneath his throat.
All of this had been for nothing.
All this frantic running...
...only to finally find himself face to face with death.
All this rage he had been holding inside...
...only to finally...
Finally...
Smile in the face of it.
Yes.
Aris was finally smiling.
He wasn't dead. He had no reason to be. He had no reason to be afraid. Was this what one was supposed to feel in the face of death? This surge of adrenaline? He had no idea.
But for one reason or another, he was no longer afraid.
In fact...
He was excited. He was incredibly excited at the thought of being on the verge of death. Nothing frightened him anymore. Not even the Koekitsu behind him.
And when he realized that...
It was time for a new plan to emerge...
Aris could feel the Koekitsu's jaws opening wider and wider behind him.
It was time to move on to the first step.
He suddenly stopped, sliding across the ground as he desperately tried to slow himself down. His feet scraped harshly against the ground, instantly heating up. Aris could feel his feet being damaged, his skin crumbling away and slowly disappearing beneath his soles.
But he had no time to worry about that.
In a flash, he leaped into the air just before the beast tore him apart with its fangs and in a second movement, the threads wrapped around its jaws.
Aris landed behind the Kokekitsu, all excited, then pulled on the string with all his strength, violently shutting its jaw.
The beast was surprised. The moment it had caught up with the Mad Beast, it had thought it was over. But now, it found itself with its mouth sealed shut by threads wrapped around it by that same beast who was normally completely harmless to it.
But Aris wasn't finished yet.
Before the Koekitsu could react, he slipped beneath its body, the threads flying in every direction. A small second later, he was once again standing in front of the astonished beast, which was beginning to understand what was happening.
Aris pulled on the threads a second time.
And this time, the Koekitsu's four legs were violently brought together at a single point, causing it to collapse onto the ground.
Under normal circumstances, Aris knew he didn't have the strength to perform such a feat. But everything had been done through surprise.
The beast had greatly underestimated him. After the chase, it was impossible for it not to believe it had the advantage.
Aris had taken advantage of that to outpace it for a single second. And the beast had no time to recover.
With the beast on the ground, Aris knew he had only around thirty seconds to have some fun...