Chapter 109: Unleashing Ferocity

Like an outsider to it all, Svatava watched from the shore.

The sea surged violently, sending typhoons streaking into the far-off clouds, which had now become completely dark.

An incredible battle of feral might unfold between a werewolf and a tiger.

Though she was just as strong, the raw might of their battle filled her with awe, an unexplainable awe that sent her heart pounding ferociously.

Dorimunga’s pride would not let it back down even an inch.

It fought back, displaying a level of ferocity that she had never thought it capable of, yet its opponent had seemingly become the incarnation of wrath, his might growing with every fall as a blue and golden aura burst out around him.

Though a beast, the way he fought was beyond anything she had ever seen.

Dorimunga excelled in brute, beastly power, its attacks raw and savage, while the young man, though equally beastly, fought with the precision of an art, an art that grew more perfect as the battle continued until, soon, one of them fell onto his back, pinned beneath his opponent’s foot.

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!

The ocean trembled as Declan’s strike crashed down on the tiger beast, hurling it deep into the sea.

ROOOOOAAAAAR!

Flames roared toward Declan, slamming into his face, but the attack was cut short when he headbutted Dorimunga, slamming its jaws shut.

Jerking both claws backward,

RIIIIIIIIIIIIIIP

RIIIIIIIIIIIIIIP

RIIIIIIIIIIIIIIP

A surge of golden and blue energy rippled through the sea as Declan slashed down furiously, his hands becoming a blur.

________

It did not make much sense to Dorimunga.

It had seen the boy twice. The first time had been a test of his power, and it had easily sent him into the air with a simple roar, while the second time, he had put up a bit of a fight, but it had still sent him flying.

Yet now, it was being pummeled helplessly.

It could not understand how there could exist a beast that grew in might with every battle in such a short time, one with such calm yet unceasing ferocity.

As it lay on its back, being slashed to death beneath those heavy golden claws, it failed to understand, but then, in that moment, the world began to slow down.

The blows hit it repeatedly, but they came slower, and even the pain felt blurry.

’Is this the end?’

Dorimunga thought as the world began to slip into darkness and a strange peace descended upon it.

At the last moment, the question of its opponent’s anomaly was all its mind could focus on, and as it looked downward, its eyes widened.

It finally got the answer: Its opponent’s heart.

The glowing blue light from his heart sent more energy through him, and it could feel a source of power from that place that surpassed its imagination.

In the next moment, its teeth ground together in conviction.

"DIE WITH ME!"

It roared, and in the next moment, Declan halted as a flash of crimson light blazed through the air, coming from Dorimunga.

The crimson scales on its body all rearranged, gathering around its right claw, which became as bright as the sun.

A feeling of danger struck him, making him immediately step back in caution, but then,

CRAAAAACK!

SHATTTERRRR!

A sound Declan had never heard before.

It was similar to grass cracking, yet it wasn’t, and his eyes went wide as the very space before him cracked and exploded into fragments.

A claw shining with intense crimson light reached straight for one place:

His Heart!

Reflexively, he dodged to the side, but Dorimunga’s claw still tore through his chest.

BLEEEEEERGGGGGGH!

Blood burst from Declan’s lips, his eyes widening as the pain hit him, the sensation of a hand tearing straight through his chest and out the other side almost overwhelming him.

Biting down on his teeth, Declan’s claw slashed outward toward Dorimunga, landing on its right shoulder and cleaving off its entire arm.

With the arm detached, Declan took a step backward before collapsing onto one knee.

Dorimunga did not die.

Even though severely weakened with one arm lost, it rose onto all three legs and tried to swim out of the water, but it had not moved very far when its head knocked into a scaly body.

It paused, raising its head to find those ice-blue eyes staring down at it.

It was her, Svatava.

She had none of her usual cold or amused smile, only silence as she looked at its devastated state.

It tried to say something, but nothing but blood came from its lips. It tried to force the words out, but then sharp claws held its jaw, raising its head and turning it to look into her eyes.

"To think you will be reduced to such a state by one you called a clown."

"Goodbye now, Dorimunga."

She whispered, and in that moment, one of her claws moved, carving through its neck.

It silently pierced through the already weakened crimson scales, severing Dorimunga’s neck with one smooth slash.

Its eyes dimmed gradually, and in silence, Dorimunga’s head slipped from Svatava’s grasp, plunging into the sea.

It remained like that, and just a few seconds later, its body turned into crimson motes of light that wafted through the air.

It died.

The fiery beast that had kept her imprisoned for years, one whose hatred had raged in her heart for years, had finally fallen to her claws.

Her eyes remained empty as she watched it dissolve into crimson dots before shifting to find Declan on one knee.

Slowly, his hands moved, grabbing onto the claw of Dorimunga buried in his chest, and with one heavy jerk, he tore it out, revealing the hole in his chest that spurted blood.

His teeth ground together in pain, yet not one cry escaped his lips.

After the claw was removed, the panel flashed before Declan’s eyes.

[Congratulations, Host has completed the quest: Defeat Dorimunga!]

[Energy: 0]

His massive form gradually shrank, and when he crashed into the water, he had returned to his humanoid form, sinking beneath the surface.

In that moment, Svatava moved, scooping him up in her claws and swimming toward the shore.

She reverted to her humanoid form once she was ashore and looked down at him in her arms.

There was a hole in his chest. He had been able to move slightly, avoiding having his heart completely torn out, but half his chest had been destroyed.

"You won’t survive..."

She whispered softly, and in that moment, she saw his face break into a smile.

’Hey, system,’ he called.

[Yes.]

’Use All Injuries Rejuvenation Card!’

He ordered.

[-1 Rejuvenation Card!]

The system panel flashed in that moment.

GASSSSSSPS!

Declan gasped in shock, and Svatava’s eyes narrowed as she watched the glow reappear, the bizarre glow around his heart.

Even though only half of it remained, that glow brightened, and arcane runes quickly appeared, filled with a complexity beyond her imagination as they enveloped his heart.

Strands of blue energy rapidly surged from them, coursing through the rest of his body.

Within a minute, his half-destroyed heart rapidly regenerated, the cracks in his ribs mending as his torn flesh closed.

For a moment, he became a glowing blue humanoid figure, and when the blue light finally faded...

There he was, Declan completely fine, without a single speck of injury on him.

One thing occurred to Svatava in that moment.

’This definitely is no ordinary regeneration.’

The blue glow in his eyes receded, and he turned his head slightly, only for his eyes to quickly shut closed.

"Huh?"

"Can you... put on some clothes?" he asked, and she was speechless for a moment before giggling quietly.

He felt a bright flicker of light, and when he opened his eyes, she was now covered in ocean-blue robes.

He opened his eyes fully, a relieved smile on his face, but then she grinned.

"Now, it’s your turn to put on some clothes."

He looked down at himself, and as he watched her face, his own turned red with shame.

In a blur of light, he flashed away from her arms, disappearing into the jungle.

"Tehehehe."

A mocking laugh escaped Svatava’s rosy-red lips as she rose to her feet.

Not long after, a figure stepped out of the jungle, and it was none other than Declan, but this time, he was clothed in a simple shirt and trousers.

His face, though, still had a red tint, and in a flash, she was before him, her hands reaching out to poke at his nose.

"Don’t worry. I didn’t see anything. Tehehehe," she said teasingly as he hmph’ed, but his eyes soon focused.

"Where..." he began before pausing as he looked forward.

The shores were still scarred with craters and deep trenches from his battle with Dorimunga.

"About Dorimunga, I’m..." he tried to say, but she shut him up by placing a finger on his lips.

"We’re enemies. I feel nothing but appreciation for his death," she said, and he hummed, but then he stared at her, a glint appearing in his eyes.

She noticed.

"What? Do you now see me as a monster for killing an enemy?" she asked with an eye roll, but then Svatava felt herself gently pulled forward by his hands as he quietly held her in his embrace and whispered,

"You might see yourself as a monster, miss, but to me... you are a stunning lady with a power unlike any I’ve ever seen."

Those words had never been spoken to Svatava in that way before, and she didn’t know when her hands wrapped tightly around him as ocean-blue tears dripped from her eyes.

"Thank you..." she murmured, but before she could react, his grip slipped, and she was dragged to the ground alongside him.

"Hey," she called out, then froze as she stared at the young man.

His eyes remained shut, and he didn’t move at all.

"Did he?" she whispered, feeling her heart race as her hands instinctively found their way to his chest.

His heartbeat was heavy and deep, and she could feel him gently inhaling and exhaling like one...

"He fell asleep?"