NOVEL NEXT Chapter 125: The Price of Passage
At the winding mountain pass, where jagged cliffs loomed on either side, Theodric and Kola stood across from the monstrous Primordial Rhino, its hulking form casting a shadow so vast it seemed to swallow the sunlight. Kola's dark skin glistened under the harsh daylight, sweat streaming down his arms and face like rivulets carving through stone. Beside him, Theodric's breath was ragged, his face slick with perspiration, droplets falling from his nose like rain in the dry heat. Around him, four of his knives hovered steadily, their steel unscathed, while three bore the scars of battle, jagged dents along their once-pristine edges. They floated around him like celestial bodies caught in the gravitational pull of an unseen force, each trembling with barely contained energy.
A deep, guttural "RRROOORR!" shattered the air as the Primordial Rhino's maw parted, unleashing a devastating wave of sonic energy. The very earth seemed to recoil, turning the world into a trembling, distorted reflection of itself. The frequency rippling through space, warping the air into visible waves of sound that churned towards them in a devastating, skull-splitting onslaught.
Kola's body flared with energy, an aura of raw power surging from his core, wrapping around him like a second skin. His muscles coiled as he crossed his arms in front of his chest, bracing for impact.Beside him, Theodric's knives vibrated in response, their edges glowing as the immortal energy within them pulsed. One by one, they aligned into formation, spinning with an intensity that blurred their outlines. The air around them twisted, forming a spiraling, razor-thin cyclone of steel and energy, an ephemeral shield that shimmered with raw power.
Then came the collision, the soundwaves struck them like an unseen tsunami. Kola gritted his teeth, he staggered as the force pressed into him, his arms trembling under the strain, the impact burrowing into his very flesh. He absorbed the energy in waves, his body humming with raw vibrations, but the sheer magnitude threatened to overwhelm him. Theodric's energy shield rippled violently, the sheer frequency distorting the very air around it, creating the illusion of a fractured void for a moment that flickered like torn fabric in the void.
Their feet skidded backward, carving deep trenches into the ground, dust and rock kicked up in their wake. "Heee...!" Their bodies convulsed with the strain, teeth clenched, veins bulging against their skin. Blood beaded at the edges of their noses, trickling down like crimson threads, their sclera darkening with the weight of the pressureAnd then BOOM! The force finally tore them from the ground.
Kola's arms were violently yanked apart, the resistance in his muscles snapping like overdrawn bowstrings as the force wrenched him back. Theodric's spinning knives, their delicate balance shattered, exploded outward their formation breaking apart like shattered glass. Both warriors were launched into the air, their limbs flailing, their legs skyward as if gravity itself had momentarily released its grip just to mock them.
For the briefest of moments, time stood still.
Even the earth seemed to hold its breath, watching as its warriors were tossed like leaves in a storm. Debris from the torn earth spiraled in slow motion, Theodric's knives twisting and flipping end over end in chaotic motion, reflecting shards of dying daylight before.
CRASH!
Their bodies slammed into the towering landscape behind them, rock splintering upon impact. A colossal burst of dust erupted, swallowing the scene in a thick veil of chaos. For a breathless moment, silence reigned. Only the soft patter of falling debris and the metallic chime of displaced knives breaking against the ground disturbed the stillness.
Turning the mountain pass which was once an arena of defiance, now became a graveyard of shattered resolve.
"Kuff, kuff, kuff!" Theodric coughed, staggering as he climbed out of the crater his body had carved into the shattered ground. Dust clung to his skin like a second layer, and blood once trickling from his nose vanished as his body rapidly healed. Though his wounds mended, the recoil still throbbed through his muscles, a harsh reminder of the monstrous force that had sent him flying.
A few feet away, Kola emerged from another dust-choked hollow, his form momentarily obscured by the swirling debris. His injuries vanished in mere moments, but like Theodric, the lingering drain on his stamina was undeniable. Both warriors barely had time to exchange a nod before their attention snapped back to the towering beast before them.
The Primordial Rhino stood firm, its massive horn vibrating at a frequency that made the very air tremble. The space around it wavered, distorting like heat ripples, before a blinding, compressed echo blast erupted forward, a concentrated beam of devastation that howled through the void, tearing through reality itself as it surged toward them.
But before the strike could claim its targets. Kola reacted instantly, lunged forward, his fist hammering into the fractured earth. A deafening, seismic shockwave pulsed outward, racing through the ground like an unleashed beast, its tremors shaking the battlefield to its core. The land beneath the rhino quaked violently, throwing the beast off balance just enough to skew the trajectory of its devastating blast.
Though the attack veered off course, its sheer power still carried a violent aftermath. A hurricane of debris, sharp-edged rocks, chunks of torn earth, and an avalanche of dust, surged toward them with a deafening roar.
Theodric wasted no time, his gaze darted upward. he imbued his knives with energy, flinging them skyward, each blade glowing like a fallen star before freezing in mid-air. With practiced agility, he leaped from one to the next, his footfalls swift and precise. But as his left foot pressed onto one of his knives, a jagged dent threatened to throw him off balance. He barely managed to summon another blade beneath him, adjusting his footing just in time to propel himself further, flipping over the storm of destruction with a last-second somersault.
Below, Kola braced himself for the impact. He crossed his arms tightly over his face, muscles coiling like steel cables as the violent gust slammed into him. The debris pelted his body like thousands of needles, each fragment carrying the raw force of the beast's power. Yet, he stood his ground, his frame unmoving, unwavering, his muscles strained, his stance digging deep into the trembling ground as he fought against the tempest's merciless push.
Theodric, still mid-somersault, his body coiled like a tightly wound spring, prepared to unleash his final strike. His head tilted downward, knees bent, legs tucked behind him like a falcon poised to dive. His seven knives, shimmering with boundless energy, aligned in perfect formation, their energy threads intertwining, forging them into the illusion of a single, elongated spear, an extension of his will. The aura binding them crackled like chained lightning, linking the blades with an invisible force. With razor-sharp precision, he launched them downward.
A deafening shockwave rippled through the battlefield as the knives surged toward the monstrous beast, their momentum splitting the very air like a comet streaking across the heavens. The sheer force of their descent distorted the wind, a silent omen of the devastation to come. They found their mark, slamming into the beast's mighty horn with an ear-splitting impact. Cracks spiderwebbed through the horn's surface, creeping outward like veins of molten fury before, BOOM! An explosion of energy erupted from the impact point, sending tremors coursing through the ground.
"RRROOORR!" The beast's agonized bellow echoed through the ruins, shaking the very foundations of the earth. It staggered backward, its colossal frame quivering under the strain. But before it could regain its balance, a figure emerged from the haze of shattered debris, Kola, his silhouette slicing through the dust-laden air like an avenging phantom.
"HAAAAAA!" His battle cry tore through the battlefield, a thunderous declaration of unyielding will. His left fist, wreathed in raw, pulsating energy, came crashing down with the force of a celestial hammer. The strike connected, a direct hit to the beast's skull. The impact sent devastating seismic shockwaves coursing through its massive frame, rupturing bones, tearing through flesh, and sending waves of internal destruction straight to its essentia core.
A visible pulse of energy surged through the beast, its form trembling violently as its very essence faltered. The core, unable to contain the raging forces within, shattered. A final, mournful howl erupted from its throat as its towering form jerked upward in a grotesque spasm before, CRASH!
The beast collapsed, its ruined body slamming into the ground with earth-shattering force, leaving behind a crater of devastation. A plume of dust and wind exploded outward, rippling through the battlefield like the aftershock of a dying god.
As the dust settled, Kola and Theodric descended from their airborne assault, their bodies drained, their breaths ragged. Kola's legs gave way first, buckled beneath him, sending him crashing onto his butt, breath heaving, his arms slack at his sides. Theodric, utterly spent, sprawled across the fractured ground, his chest rising and falling as he gasped for breath. Their weary eyes remained locked onto the motionless corpse of their fallen adversary, proof of the battle they had fought, the victory they had earned.