He stood still. Breathing steady. Listening.
A shift.
Behind him-
CRACK!!
Boros twisted-
A claw tore past him, grazing his side as the ground split open behind him.
He didn't counter.
He stepped forward instead-
BANG!!
A tail slammed into his ribs from the opposite side. He grabbed it and flung the Draken aside.
The second bit down, it's jaws snapping like thunder.
"...Tch."
He exhaled slowly.
"They're not giving me a chance to breathe..."
The moment he stabilized-
They were on him again. The first Draken lunged, jaws snapping toward his neck-
Boros raised his arm-
THUD!!
The bite crashed against his guard, forcing him back-
Before he could react-
A shadow loomed overhead.
BOOM!!
The second Draken dropped from above, as it came crashing down with immense speed. Boros timed the attack and kicked it precisely in the head sending it flying again.
The ground shattered. Dust exploded.
His breathing was heavier now.
"...Yeah," he muttered.
"... that's more like it."
They didn't stop. Didn't hesitate. Didn't give him space.
The first Draken rushed him again-
Claws. Jaws. Pressure.
Boros stepped in-
Threw a punch-
BANG!!
It connected.
The Draken's head snapped to the side-
-but it held.
Didn't even stagger.
And that was enough. The second one moved.
CRACK!!
A tail slammed into Boros' shoulder-
This time, it hit clean.
He was launched sideways, tearing through the ground before crashing into a mound of earth.
Silence.
"...Tch."
He pushed himself up again, rolling his shoulder slightly as his expression tightened.
"So that's how it is..."
His eyes shifted between them. Back and forth.
"...One presses. The other punishes."
The Draken moved again.
Boros didn't rush this time.
He waited. The first came from the front-
The second from above-
He stepped forward-
Not back.
The claw missed. Barely.
Boros twisted-
Caught the first Draken's jaw mid-lunge-
-and yanked.
The massive body shifted-
Just enough-
BOOM!!
The second Draken crashed into it from above.
The impact shook the ground.
For the first time-
They broke formation.
Boros slid back, breathing heavier now.
A faint grin tugged at his lips.
"...Got you."
But it didn't last.
The first Draken recovered instantly-
Its head snapped toward him-
Eyes locked.
And then-
For just a fraction of a second-
It hesitated.
Boros saw it.
His grin faded.
"...What was that?"
The feeling hit again. That same cold weight. That same strange pull. His chest tightened.
"...This again..."
The second Draken roared-
Breaking the moment-
They charged again.
Faster.
Harder.
Boros stepped in-
Ready this time-
But his movement slowed-
Just slightly.
A flicker of pain. His vision blurred for a split second-
And that was all they needed.
CRACK!!
A claw slammed into his side-
BANG!!
The follow-up came instantly-
A tail smashing into his back-
He was sent crashing forward-
Rolling across the ground before skidding to a stop.
Silence.
For a second-
He didn't move.
Then-
He pushed himself up again.
Blood dripped from his mouth.
"...Heh..."
He wiped it with his thumb.
"...So I mess up once..."
His eyes lifted.
Both Draken stood in front of him now.
Watching. Waiting.
"...and you make me pay for it."
He exhaled.
Long.
Steady.
Then adjusted his stance.
This time-
More grounded. More focused.
"...Alright."
His eyes sharpened.
"...I see how you fight now."
They lowered their bodies again.
In sync.
Boros didn't grin this time.
"...Let's see if you can keep it up."
And then-
They vanished.
Not a blur. Not speed-
Absence.
Boros didn't move.
His breathing slowed. His eyes sharpened.
Then-
The air shifted.
A ripple-barely there-
Behind him.
He twisted-
CRACK!!
A claw tore across his side, ripping through flesh before he could fully turn.
Blood sprayed. But Boros didn't react. Didn't flinch.
His hand shot out-
-and grabbed it.
The Draken froze for a fraction of a second.
"...Got you."
Boros yanked-
BOOM!!
The massive creature was ripped off balance and slammed into the ground with enough force to crater the earth.
But-
The second one was already there.
CHOMP!!
Its jaws clamped down on Boros' shoulder.
Bone creaked under the pressure.
Boros' grin twitched.
"...That fucking hurts."
He drove his elbow backward-
CRACK!!
Once. Twice. Again.
Each strike landing directly into the Draken's skull-but it didn't let go.
Instead-
It tightened.
The first Draken rose instantly. No hesitation. No wasted motion.
Its tail whipped-
BOOM!!
The impact slammed into Boros' ribs, launching him out of the bite and sending him tearing across the battlefield.
He hit the ground-
rolled-
slid-
Then forced himself upright.
Blood dripped from his shoulder. His breathing roughened slightly.
For the first time-
They had rhythm. Coordination. They weren't just attacking anymore.
They were hunting him.
Boros wiped the blood from his mouth.
"...Heh."
His grin came back. Wider.
"Now we're talking."
The Draken didn't respond.
Didn't roar. Didn't posture. They split.
One low. One high.
Again.
Boros lowered his stance.
"...Let's see how long you can keep that up."
And this time-
He moved first.
Boros shot forward-
Not at one-
At both.
He closed the distance in an instant and ducked low, slipping beneath the first Draken's sweeping claw-
Then drove his fist upward-
BOOM!!
The strike landed under its jaw, lifting its massive head slightly-
-but not enough.
Its body barely shifted.
"...Tch."
The second one descended.
Boros twisted-
CRASH!!
Its full weight slammed into him from above, driving him straight into the ground.
The earth shattered beneath him. A crater formed instantly. The Draken didn't stop.
It pressed down harder-
Pinning him. Crushing him.
The other joined in-
Claws digging into his arms, locking him in place.
For a moment-
Nothing moved.
Dust rose slowly into the air.
Then-
A low sound escaped Boros.
"...Heh..."
Then louder-
"...HAHA..."
His shoulders trembled.
Not from strain. From laughter.
"...Tryna pin me huh?"
His fingers twitched-
Then clenched.
The ground beneath them-
Cracked.
Then-
SHATTERED.
BOOM!!!
A violent surge of force exploded outward from Boros' body, blowing both Draken off him at the same time.
They skidded back-digging into the ground to stabilize.
Boros rose slowly from the crater.
Blood ran down his body. His breathing was heavier now.
-but his eyes-
Had changed.
Something colder. Deeper.
"...That feeling again..."
His hand twitched slightly.
That same sensation from before.
That strange, unnatural connection-
It surged stronger now.
His gaze locked onto them.
"...Why do you feel... familiar?"
The Draken froze. For the first time-
They hesitated.
Their eyes narrowed.
Their bodies lowered slightly-
Not to attack-
But... cautious. Watching him.
Boros tilted his head slightly.
A faint grin returned.
"...Oh?"
He took a step forward.
The air grew heavier.
"Do you feel it too?" He asked with a grin.
As the words left his mouth-
One of the Draken let out a low growl toward the other-
Then both charged.
This time-
On foot.
Boros' grin widened as he dropped into a stance.
"...So the feeling's not mutual, huh?"
The first Draken lunged, jaws stretched wide-
CHOMP!!
Boros caught it. Both hands braced against its upper and lower jaws, holding them apart as the force drove into him.
His arms trembled. Shoulders strained.
But he held.
The Draken thrashed violently, trying to tear free-its massive body twisting, claws tearing into the ground-
But Boros didn't budge.
"...Not happening."
For a split second-
He focused only on the one in front of him.
And forgot. There were two.
"...Where's the seco-"
CHOMP!!!!
Pain exploded through his back.
The second Draken had already closed in-
Its jaws clamped down hard, crushing into him, teeth digging deep as bone creaked under the pressure.
"Shit-!" Boros gritted, his body tensing.
The Draken didn't let go.
It bit again.
CRUNCH!!
And again-
CRACK!!
And again-
CHOMP!!
Each bite more violent than the last, shaking his body with brutal force.
Then-
It stopped. Pulled back slightly. Its eyes narrowed as it stared at Boros' back-
Confused.
The flesh it had been tearing into...
Was freezing.
A thin layer of ice had already spread across the wounds, creeping along its teeth where they made contact.
Cold mist rose faintly from his body.
Boros exhaled slowly.
"...I was really hoping I could end the fight without using this."
His grip on the first Draken tightened.
His voice dropped.
"...but I guess I've hit my limit."
A faint crackle echoed-
Ice beginning to spread further across his skin.