Booming echoes shook the jungle as shockwaves burst outward. Sand exploded into the air, debris scattered everywhere, and the ground looked as though a giant plow had torn through it, broken and upheaved in countless places.
Another violent impact followed. Atticus' feet carved two long trenches into the dirt, each nearly ten meters in length. His body trembled slightly as he steadied himself, a faint pallor touching his face. The blow he had just taken made his blood churn painfully within his chest.
He coughed twice, the sound rough and wet. His jet-black, disheveled hair clung to his right eye, giving him a fierce but strangely charismatic aura.
Behind him, Momousagi lay injured and barely breathing.
Atticus did not turn around, his eyes locked on the massive shadow rampaging in front of him. The creature roared at the sky while hammering its chest, its deep bellow reverberating through the air like rolling thunder.
"Are you alright?" Atticus called back, keeping his eyes forward as he tracked the beast's movements. His tone stayed calm, but urgency tinted his voice.
Momousagi—her clothing torn, pale skin exposed through the rips, and blood staining her side—struggled to breathe. If Atticus hadn't arrived when he did, she likely would not have survived.
"Th… thank you…" she whispered weakly, pressing a trembling hand to her chest as pain wracked her body.
Just minutes earlier, she had wandered into this region by accident and encountered the towering creature now facing Atticus. Nearly three meters tall, with jet-black fur like a gorilla but a thick, muscular tail swaying behind it, the beast had attacked without hesitation.
It possessed strength on par with a Vice Admiral, perhaps even surpassing many of them. Without Atticus' arrival, Momousagi would have been finished.
"It's too early to say that," Atticus murmured, his expression hardening as he tightened his stance. The creature felt like a mountain pressing down on him.
He inhaled deeply, breath uneven from the previous exchanges. "As soon as you get the chance, run. Your injuries are too severe. You should give up on this part of the training and retreat."
"But…" Momousagi tried to protest, though even speaking made her wince.
"Don't argue," Atticus said sharply. "I'm not even sure I can get out of this without taking serious damage. So the moment I draw its attention, you run."
Momousagi bit down hard, forcing strength into her legs. "Thank you…"
She staggered backward, forcing herself to retreat with painful, unsteady steps.
The beast immediately noticed.
It roared furiously, kicking up a cloud of dust as it focused on her retreating figure. Savage intent burned in its red eyes.
"Hey, big monkey," Atticus said, stepping forward, voice cold. "You'll have to crush me first."
His figure vanished as he launched himself forward. Mid-air, flames burst around his fist as he drove it toward the beast's skull.
The giant monkey howled with fury and swung its own fist upward. Its arm darkened instantly, coated in thick Armament Haki.
The sight made Atticus' expression stiffen for a heartbeat.
Their fists collided.
The earth shook violently. For a moment, it felt like Atticus had punched pure diamond. Pain shot up his arm, followed by a massive force that blasted through him.
He was launched backward like a ragdoll.
A giant tree splintered as he crashed through it, debris raining down. Momousagi froze mid-step, turning with a horrified expression.
"Atticus! Are you alright?"
Atticus wiped blood from his lip, then exhaled with an excited grin despite the pain. "I'm not dead yet. Just go. This opponent is… exhilarating."
"Madman…" Momousagi muttered under her breath. She clenched her jaw and continued toward the island's edge, stumbling with every step as Atticus and the beast clashed again behind her.
Another explosion echoed across the forest.
Atticus fought like someone who had abandoned all hesitation. He didn't rely on technique or finesse. He simply met the beast head-on with raw, burning force.
"High Temperature, one hundred thousand degrees!"
Heat erupted from him like a living inferno. Flames wrapped around his limbs, distorting the air around him.
The beast roared and swung again. Atticus grinned as he pivoted and lashed out with a whipping kick.
The beast retaliated with a savage strike of its own.
Atticus coated his torso in Armament Haki at the last second.
Even so, blood burst from his mouth as he was thrown backward again.
His stomach throbbed with pain. That kick nearly collapsed his lungs.
He wiped blood away and snarled, "Fire Spear!"
Flames surged upward, forming a massive thirty-meter spear that blazed across the battlefield.
"Armament Haki, Endless Arrows!"
Countless flaming weapons—blades, spears, swords—shot through the air like a swarm of deadly meteors.
The monkey roared as its body expanded. Muscles bulged, fur bristling. In seconds, its three-meter frame grew even larger, transforming into something resembling a primordial monster.
Flames collided with its massive body. Explosions erupted in every direction.
A wave of heat and force swept outward, flattening everything within sight. Trees vaporized. Rocks shattered. A thousand meters of land turned into chaos as the very ground quaked under the destruction.
Atticus tried to steady his breathing, sweat dripping down his temples as he watched the ocean of flames ahead.
A sudden roar shook the air.
The colossal beast burst from the fire, engulfed in blood and embers, charging straight at Atticus.
"Damn it…" Atticus gritted his teeth. He had been holding back one more transformation. With no other option—
"Golden Crow, half-beast form."
His body ignited. Flames coiled around him as feathers made of fire sprouted. A three-legged golden bird silhouette emerged behind him, shimmering with intense heat.
"Armament Haki. Finger Pistol, Golden Crow Claw!"
An attack like a blazing talon shot forward and pierced the beast's fist, leaving three deep, smoking holes that spilled blood and charred flesh.
"Again!"
The beast howled, enraged.
They collided once more. Flames and fur flew in all directions.
The ground cratered and broke apart beneath their feet. Trees disintegrated. The world around them became scorched earth.
Minutes passed. Twenty minutes. Nearly an hour of brutal combat left them both bloodied and battered.
Atticus knelt in a giant crater, body bruised, blood dripping from his mouth. Despite this, he grinned darkly.
Across from him, the once-ferocious beast was covered in hideous wounds, patches of burnt fur falling away to reveal charred skin beneath. Even its breathing carried the faint scent of roasted flesh.
For the first time, fear flickered in its eyes.
It had killed many small creatures on this island, but none had ever survived this long against its full strength. None had pushed it into a corner.
But Atticus had.
And Atticus was still standing.
"No more wasting time," Atticus muttered. The sun was already dipping, and the night on this island was far too dangerous.
"Full beast form."
Fire exploded outward. Atticus' arms transformed into golden wings, vibrant and deadly. His legs shifted into razor-sharp talons, while a third leg pressed firmly against his abdomen, responding to his will as naturally as breathing.
His strength surged exponentially. Defense, endurance, regeneration—everything rose to another level entirely.
And the temperature around him skyrocketed.
The heat jumped from one hundred thousand degrees to two hundred thousand in seconds, doubling the intensity.
Power thrummed in his veins.
He launched forward in a flash of fire.
The beast roared, swinging both of its Haki-coated arms like a rabid demon.
They clashed again.
Atticus was thrown back, claw marks appearing across his chest. Pain rippled through him, but he didn't fall.
Flames surged, sealing the wounds in seconds, leaving fresh scars behind.
A manic grin spread on his face.
"In this form… I'm unstoppable."
He focused on the beast.
"You can die now."
He became a streak of golden fire and vanished into the chaos.
______
Happy New Year!
The number of power stones I get is pretty low lately, which is kind of funny in its own way.
If you'd like to read ahead (about 60 to 90 chapters in advance) you can find early access on my Patreon.
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