Chapter 51: Team Strike

Aaron’s gaze briefly shifted towards Kelly.

She froze.

His expression tightened as he recalled what had happened moments earlier.

Despite possessing the ability to manipulate ice, Kelly had been completely overwhelmed when confronted by the Black Fang. The beast had barely given her enough time to react before lunging at her with its enormous jaws.

She hadn’t even attempted to defend herself.

Had Aaron not intervened at the last possible moment and shoved her out of the creature’s path, there was little doubt that she would have been seriously injured.

Perhaps even killed.

She’s a high Second-Dimensional beast. What exactly did she expect?

Aaron couldn’t entirely blame her, though.

There was a considerable difference between fighting an opponent within one’s capabilities and standing before a monster that could tear through your body with a single swipe.

Still, freezing in the middle of battle was practically an invitation for death.

She needs to get over that fear before it gets her killed.

Unfortunately, he didn’t have the luxury of offering her a lecture.

A sudden, guttural growl reverberated throughout the cavern.

Aaron immediately turned his attention towards the source.

The Black Fang was already charging at them again.

Its enormous paws slammed against the rocky ground, sending fragments of stone scattering in every direction. Its blood-red eyes were fixed on the group, while its mouth hung open, revealing rows of jagged fangs coated in saliva.

The creature’s previous injuries had done little to diminish its aggression.

If anything, they had only made it more hostile.

Aaron tightened his grip around his sword.

However, before he could make his next move, a shadow descended from above.

BOOM!

A tremendous impact shook the cavern.

Tommy had leapt into the air and brought his massive greatsword crashing down on the Black Fang’s head.

The beast barely had enough time to react before the enormous blade struck its skull.

Its head was forced downwards, and its front legs buckled momentarily beneath its weight. Cracks spread across the rocky ground underneath its paws as the force of Tommy’s attack travelled through its enormous frame.

Aaron’s eyes widened slightly.

He actually went for its head!

It was an impressive attack.

However, the result wasn’t quite what he expected.

Although Tommy’s weapon had clearly injured the creature, the greatsword hadn’t managed to cleave through its skull.

Instead, the blade had bitten into the thick hide covering its head, leaving behind a deep wound that oozed dark blood.

The difference was immediately apparent.

The low-level dimensional beasts Tommy had been fighting earlier were practically helpless against his enormous weapon. Their bodies had been sliced apart with little resistance.

This one, however, was different.

Its hide was considerably tougher.

Much tougher.

The Black Fang released an enraged roar and violently shook its enormous head, attempting to dislodge the blade.

Tommy, however, didn’t seem particularly surprised.

His expression remained composed as he maintained his grip on the weapon.

Then something unexpected happened.

The enormous greatsword suddenly rippled.

Aaron’s eyes flickered.

The weapon’s massive blade began contracting, its entire structure shifting as though it were made of liquid metal. Its broad edges narrowed, the handle elongated, and within the blink of an eye, the greatsword had transformed into a massive black javelin.

What?

Aaron momentarily forgot about the approaching beast.

He had seen Tommy’s weapon before, but witnessing it change forms in the middle of combat was something else entirely.

So his weapon can change shape?

The transformation had been almost instantaneous.

And Tommy wasn’t even on the ground yet.

Still suspended in the air, he twisted his upper body and drew his arm backwards.

The muscles in his shoulder tightened.

Then, with a powerful forward thrust, he hurled the javelin directly towards the Black Fang’s head.

WHOOSH!

The weapon tore through the air.

Its pointed tip struck the creature just above its right eye.

CLANG!

A metallic impact reverberated throughout the cavern.

The Black Fang’s head jerked backwards as the javelin lodged itself against its skull.

However, despite the tremendous force behind Tommy’s throw, the weapon failed to penetrate deeply.

Its sharp tip had managed to pierce the outer layer of the beast’s hide, but the thick bone beneath prevented it from going any further.

The creature growled furiously.

Its enormous head shook from side to side, attempting to dislodge the weapon.

Tommy, meanwhile, was already beginning to descend.

And that was a problem.

His weapon was stuck in the Black Fang’s head, leaving him completely unarmed in midair.

There was no ground beneath his feet, no immediate opportunity to change his position, and the beast was already preparing to retaliate.

Aaron’s gaze sharpened.

He’s exposed!

The Black Fang noticed it too.

Its blood-red eyes shifted towards Tommy, and its enormous jaws opened wide.

A low growl vibrated through its throat as it prepared to intercept the descending boy.

If Tommy landed directly in front of the creature without retrieving his weapon, he would be forced into a one-on-one confrontation with an enraged Second-Dimensional beast.

And considering its physical capabilities, that was hardly an ideal situation.

However...

You gave me an opening.

Aaron’s lips curled slightly.

He had no intention of wasting it.

The moment Tommy descended upon the Black Fang, the creature’s attention had been completely diverted.

That brief distraction was all Aaron needed.

His body moved before the beast could turn its attention elsewhere.

He surged forward, his boots scraping against the rocky ground as he closed the distance.

The Black Fang was still struggling with the javelin embedded in its skull.

Aaron lowered his centre of gravity.

His sword shifted into position.

Then—

SWISH!

He thrust his weapon forward with everything he had.

The blade found its mark.

A wet, sickening sensation travelled through his arm as the sword plunged directly into the Black Fang’s left eye.

"GRRRRAAAHHH!"

The beast released an ear-splitting roar.

Its enormous body convulsed violently, and its head snapped sideways as blood erupted from the injured eye.

Aaron immediately released his grip on the weapon and retreated.

BOOM!

A massive paw slammed into the ground where he had been standing a moment earlier.

The impact sent a wave of dust and shattered rocks flying into the air.

Aaron felt the wind from the attack brush against his clothes.

That was close.

He staggered backwards, barely maintaining his balance.

The Black Fang was completely enraged now.

Its injured eye had been destroyed, and the pain seemed to have driven the creature into a frenzy. It swung its enormous head around, its remaining eye searching desperately for the human responsible.

Aaron quickly repositioned himself.

He couldn’t afford to underestimate the creature.

Even with one of its eyes destroyed and a javelin lodged in its skull, its physical strength remained terrifying.

A single direct hit could potentially end his life.

"GRRR!"

The Black Fang suddenly swung its head towards him.

Its enormous jaws snapped shut, producing a terrifying clacking sound.

Aaron barely managed to duck.

The creature’s teeth passed dangerously close to his head before its momentum carried it forward.

He immediately stepped backwards, putting some distance between them.

However, the beast wasn’t finished.

Its enormous body twisted, and its tail swept across the ground with frightening speed.

Aaron’s eyes widened.

He raised his sword instinctively.

CLANG!

The impact sent him skidding several metres backwards.

His boots scraped against the rocky ground as he struggled to regain his footing.

Damn!

His arms tingled from the force of the collision.

He hadn’t expected the creature’s tail to possess such strength.

Before he could properly recover, another shadow appeared in his peripheral vision.

Tommy.

The boy had finally landed several metres away, rolling across the rocky ground before pushing himself back onto his feet.

He wasn’t injured.

At least, not visibly.

However, his weapon was still embedded in the Black Fang’s skull.

Tommy glanced towards it before shifting his attention to the creature.

His expression remained relatively calm.

"That thing has a ridiculously hard skull," he muttered.

Aaron couldn’t help but glance at him.

You’re only realising that now?

Still, he couldn’t deny that Tommy’s performance had been impressive.

He had expected the boy to be capable, especially considering how confidently he had approached the Black Fang earlier.

But what he had just witnessed was beyond his expectations.

Tommy had deliberately drawn the creature’s attention, attacked it from above, and forced it to concentrate on him long enough for Aaron to exploit its blind spot.

Even though his attacks hadn’t been powerful enough to penetrate the beast’s skull, they had served their purpose.

He had created an opening.

And Aaron had taken it.

Not bad.

In fact, it was considerably better than what Aaron had initially expected from him.

The Black Fang suddenly shook its head again.

The javelin remained lodged in its skull, but the weapon was beginning to loosen.

Tommy noticed it.

His eyes narrowed slightly.

"Don’t let it pull that thing out!"

Aaron immediately understood.

The weapon was more than just a means of attacking the creature. As long as it remained lodged in its skull, it would continue causing discomfort and interfere with its movements.

Allowing it to remove the javelin would only make things more difficult.

"Got it!"

Aaron adjusted his grip on his sword.

He didn’t have a particularly good plan, but he understood what needed to be done.

They had to keep the creature occupied.

The Black Fang suddenly charged.

Its enormous body moved with surprising speed, and the rocky ground trembled beneath its weight.

Tommy moved first.

Rather than retreating, he dashed towards the creature’s right flank.

The beast immediately redirected its attention towards him.

However, Tommy wasn’t attempting to attack its head this time.

He slid beneath its sweeping foreleg, narrowly avoiding the enormous paw as it came crashing down.

BOOM!

The ground shattered.

Using the opportunity, Tommy planted one hand against the rocky surface and pushed himself sideways, escaping the creature’s reach.

Aaron watched the maneuver with widened eyes.

That was close.

But Tommy wasn’t finished.

He raised his empty hand towards the Black Fang.

The javelin lodged in its skull suddenly trembled.

A faint ripple travelled across its black surface.

The weapon began changing shape again.

Aaron’s eyes widened.

He can control it remotely?

Before he could process the discovery, the javelin elongated.

Its shaft extended, forcing the weapon deeper against the surrounding hide and making the Black Fang release another furious roar.

The creature shook its head violently.

Tommy clenched his fist.

The javelin immediately returned to its original shape.

It was an impressive display of weapon manipulation.

And Aaron couldn’t help but be impressed.

What kind of weapon is that?

He had never seen anything quite like it.

However, his momentary admiration was interrupted when the Black Fang suddenly swung its head towards him.

Its remaining eye narrowed.

Aaron’s expression changed.

Oh, come on.

The enormous beast had apparently decided that he was the more troublesome opponent.

It lunged.

Aaron immediately moved sideways.

The creature’s jaws snapped shut just as he escaped its attack, and its enormous body continued forward, nearly crashing into the rocky wall.

Aaron seized the opportunity.

He rushed towards its exposed flank and swung his sword.

CLANG!

The blade struck its thick hide.

Unfortunately, it barely left a scratch.

Aaron’s expression twitched.

Seriously?

He had expected as much, but experiencing it firsthand was still frustrating.

The Black Fang twisted around almost immediately.

Aaron barely managed to pull his sword away before its claws swept towards him.

He jumped backwards.

The enormous paw missed him by inches.

A moment later, Tommy appeared on the opposite side.

"Move!"

Aaron didn’t hesitate.

He immediately retreated.

Tommy raised his empty hand once more.

The javelin embedded in the Black Fang’s skull suddenly dissolved into countless black fragments before reforming into a narrow, curved blade.

The weapon detached itself from the creature’s head.

But before the beast could react, Tommy pulled his hand backwards.

The weapon shot towards him.

He caught it effortlessly.

Aaron stared.

So that’s how it works.

The Black Fang roared, blood pouring from the injuries on its head.

Its remaining eye shifted between the two boys.

For the first time since the fight began, it seemed uncertain about which opponent to target.

Aaron tightened his grip around his sword.

His earlier impression of Tommy had changed considerably.

The boy wasn’t merely strong.

He was surprisingly resourceful.

And judging by the way he handled that strange weapon, he still had plenty of tricks up his sleeve.

Aaron couldn’t help but grin.

This might actually be interesting.

The Black Fang lowered its enormous head.

Its claws dug into the rocky ground as its muscles tensed.

Another charge was coming.

Aaron adjusted his stance.

Beside him, Tommy calmly raised his weapon.

Neither boy retreated.

The next exchange was about to begin.