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"Tch…"
Kael's crimson eyes locked onto the massive silhouette looming within the rolling smoke and dust ahead.
Even separated by dozens of meters, he could still feel it.
That bottomless, earth-devouring hunger.
Under the effect of Mean Look, his retreat had been completely sealed.
If he wanted to live—
There was only one option left.
Fight.
Kael was not reckless.
Against enemies he could not currently overcome, retreat had always been his preferred and rational choice.
But once battle became unavoidable, no matter how overwhelming the opponent—
What awaited it was only Kael's blazing combat will, and fists forged like iron.
The instant he accepted that there was no escape, every trace of hesitation vanished.
Battle intent ignited.
His mind sank into clarity.
The human soul behind his thoughts accelerated, countless combat calculations flashing through his consciousness.
Muscles hardened like stone, swelling outward as his entire frame seemed to expand.
Scalding blood thundered through his veins, heat radiating from his body as wisps of white steam rose from his dark-purple skin.
His eyes appeared calm, almost dim—
Yet every shred of attention was focused on the monster ahead.
In a battle at this level, even the smallest lapse would mean death.
This was Kael's first time since evolving into Machoke—
Going all out.
"Guzzlord's typing is Dark plus Dragon."
"My Ghost typing is suppressed."
"To deal meaningful damage, I need…"
"Fighting. Dragon. Ice."
A precise and ruthless plan snapped into place.
His mind burned hot with resolve, yet remained cold and controlled.
Both arms lifted, drawing inward before his chest.
"Hnnng—"
A sharp, windlike hum rippled through the air.
Brilliant blue streams of Aura manifested, swirling like living currents and converging violently into Kael's hands.
Yes.
Against a foe possessing strength rivaling legendary Pokémon—
Kael chose to strike first.
He understood this clearly.
Against monsters of this caliber, only by seizing the initiative could he dictate tempo.
Only then could he carve out even a sliver of victory.
Spiraling blue light compressed violently.
A massive Aura sphere formed so large that it nearly eclipsed Kael's entire body.
"Aura Sphere."
This was not a restraint.
This was excess.
No armor break tuning.
No speed optimization.
No splitting.
Everything was discarded in favor of one thing only.
Damage!
Damage!
Damage!
Kael didn't know Guzzlord's internal structure.
He didn't know how it fought.
So he stripped the Move down to its rawest form.
Pure destructive output.
His bare right foot pressed lightly into the concrete.
Cracks spiderwebbed instantly—
And the colossal Aura Sphere launched forward with terrifying force.
"WHOOOOM—!"
Blue radiance twisted violently through space itself.
The air warped.
The sphere tore along invisible Aura pathways, screaming toward its target.
Guzzlord did not dodge.
It stood there.
Centered in the road.
Waiting.
Its black-and-yellow fangs spread apart as thick, foul saliva dripped downward.
Its monstrous maw opened wide large enough to swallow Kael whole.
Deep within its throat, a piercing blue glow burned like an abyssal gateway.
As the Aura Sphere closed in—
Guzzlord bit down.
It swallowed the attack whole.
For a moment—
Its massive body shuddered.
The pitch-black flesh rippled as faint red heat spread across its surface, as though scorched from within.
Thin trails of dark smoke leaked from between its sealed teeth.
But that was all.
Moments later, the jaws opened again.
Inside—
Nothing.
The Aura Sphere was gone.
Completely consumed.
No visible damage.
No structural collapse.
Kael's opening assault had failed.
There was no avoiding it.
The power gap was simply too vast.
Even with a type advantage—
Even with Aura—
Against a monster with god-class durability and an alien physiology, Kael's level-45 attack could only scratch the surface.
Guzzlord's silver-blue eyes gleamed with mockery.
Amusement.
It wanted to see how much more this prey could struggle.
One massive claw with three golden talons lifted lazily as it glanced toward where Kael had stood.
Then—
It froze.
"…Hm?"
The dark-purple Machoke was gone.
Before Guzzlord could process it—
A tearing howl split the air above its head.
Its small, disproportionate skull snapped upward.
What it saw—
Was a falling meteor.
Kael's massive body descended from above, wrapped in momentum and killing intent.
Using the blinding impact of the Aura Sphere as cover—
Kael had already closed the distance.
In the blink of an eye, he had crossed dozens of meters, using pure explosive power to reach Guzzlord's blind spot.
His crimson eyes burned with resolve.
Both arms swelled to their limit, muscles straining as though ready to tear free from skin.
The Aura Sphere had never been meant to win.
It had only been bait.
A smokescreen.
A distraction.
What followed—
Was the real killing move.
ROOOAAAR—
A phantom dragon's cry echoed across the ruined city.
Ice-cold, ancient, and tyrannical—
Resonating through the air itself.
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~Support with 200 PowerStones = 1 Bonus Chapter
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