Luca's fist and the tiger's paw slammed into each other with a wet crack.
A wave of wind shook and exploded as Luca was sent spiralling through the air.
He tumbled mid-air before smoothly landing on his feet. Precise, calm and controlled.
His gaze whipped to the side and his body followed as a beam of yellow light blasted the spot where he had stood a moment ago. The earth shattered, and a fireball exploded.
The smoke blasted out in a gust as Luca emerged from it unscared. His legs slid down the green grass of the fields as if he were sliding on ice.
His movements were as smooth as silk, and a golden hue surrounded him.
Luca was now mentally and physically in charge of his actions. Through his form, he had realised how easy it was to perform practised movements.
Whatever he thought he could do in his head, he would do it precisely and perfectly.
But his form wasn't limited to the control of his body alone.
As Luca slid down the grass, his head darted back to find the Tiger standing on its feet.
A shiver ran down his spine as their eyes met.
'I wanted to take care of it first since it felt weird, but I guess I'll just fight it head-on, then.'
His sneak attack hadn't worked as he wanted it to.
Perhaps because he put too much force into his attack, or the movement of the wind had been too loud when he attempted to cover the distance in a flash and kill it in one swoop.
Either way, his ambush had failed.
'I don't understand… what did I do wrong? I used the Stealth Talent, so it shouldn't have noticed me right?'
Luca wouldn't know since he had never used an assassination technique in his life.
And it was a shame. It would have fit perfectly with his ability to observe and tell fractured parts of a whole structure.
'Doesn't matter, change of plans.'
Just as he ended his thoughts, a beam blasted past him, crashed into a foliage of tall grasses and exploded.
The wind carried the fiery hunger around and the rest began to catch on fire.
Luca narrowed his eyes as he increased his speed, sliding faster than ever with his back bent forward in an arch.
He controlled his speed and direction. Twisting ever so slightly at awkward corners and narrowly evading barrages of flying beams.
The sound of sizzling fire echoed in the forest. Loud explosions echoed causing the earth to crack and shatter.
A hollow rumble ensued and Luca whipped his head to the source. 'No.' He clenched his jaw.
The Bulk Rhino had awakened. Rising slowly from its spot.
'Can I handle both?' He didn't have the heart to find out.
He skidded to a halt and changed directions. Ready to kick the air and escape at a moment's notice– but his escape was cut off.
The tiger appeared like a massive Phantom.
It cast a shadow over Luca while he tilted his head to look up. He gulped, flipped gears and slid left, then right before drawing nearer to the side of the creature.
The tiger's beam blasted into his former position and its head traced Luca's movement up to when he reached its side. It prepared another beam when Luca suddenly lunged into the air.
Its head darted up, eyes brimming with rage as its beam missed, yet again. It flew into the skies, igniting in a small ball of explosive force.
Luca ignored and grabbed his sword from his mouth.
'It's tail.' He landed on the creature's back and ran to its rear end. With his gaze locked on the flickering tail, his goal was clear as day.
When it came to Null Buds, most beasts formed physical evolutions of their predecessors.
Most of the former Earth's beasts were lost– replaced by Null Buds which roam the Earth.
This tiger was one of such, with a larger body than its ancestors and two tails to boot.
Tails served as an anchor for body balance for most land creatures.
It was why man evolved out of it. It was an unnecessary structural flaw.
Remove it from any land creature and what do you have? An uncoordinated, clumsy creature.
Luca slashed through the air before jumping off and landing with a balanced gait.
His gaze darted to the ground where a heavy thump echoed– the creature's tails fell with a torrent of blood rushing out of its stump.
The Vallion Tiger staggered as a pained growl escaped its maw.
Blood siphoned like a torrent as the light in its eyes glowed a pale yellow.
It staggered forward, tripped and nearly fell before charging at Luca.
'Must be it's last stand.'
Luca prepared to evade when the earth thundered with a massive force.
He turned to his right just as the Bulk Titan barged through the air and smashed its skeletal helmet at the side of the Vallion Tiger.
It was like the air froze, until their screams tore through the silence– one feral and weakened, the other low and furious.
The Rhino's four jotted spear-like horns protruded out of the tiger's side as it was lifted into the air with a casual flip of its neck before it slammed the tiger down to the earth.
A powerful shockwave exploded as the earth gave in to their combined weight.
Jagged vein-like cracks spread out as a crater was dug under the collision.
Luca watched in alarm as he bit down on his lips.
'My experience percentage!' He lunged forward with a sudden force and threw his sword into the air.
The sword vibrated with a low hum before it rotated mid-air and whirled—end to end— towards the Bulk Rhino as it lifted its head.
Luca's form was Control and the first time he saw it, he had been more than just confused– he was lost.
It didn't matter that his affinity was absolute. How can one use an ability he didn't understand?
At first, he began with the basics.
'Control means moving objects with your mind.'
That simple thought opened a thousand keyholes for him and little by little, he drew understanding.
Moving objects with his mind was merely the start. Control was more than that, it meant authority. Authority over what you wish to claim. The true definition of a will given form.
At first, he felt like he had ventured a bit too far off topic.
He was able to move objects as small as an apple, and slightly larger objects and utensils which became his first limit, but that wasn't enough.
If it were a rare form like telekinesis, perhaps he would have been satisfied with it and moved on, but it wasn't.
He shifted his exercise and instead of controlling physical objects, he looked within and focused on the internal structures he felt and that was when his true nature became prevalent.
His blood flow soared! His heart thumped at a ridiculously high pace. His mind– it was clear as day.
All instructions he had handed out to his biological system responded in real time.
The rush he felt was superb– an exhilaration at this small understanding, yet, he knew he was barely touching the surface of his Form.
An Egoist's first form was usually their main and unlike Spell Casters whose forms were flexible and easily obtainable, others were stuck with one.
Naturally, Luca would experience the same effects as a Spell Caster, but he believed his Control Form would be the foundation of his future prowess.
As the Rhino tore its jaws wide in a guttural, victorious roar, Luca's blade came spinning—end over end—straight into the Null Bud's maw.
It struck deep and jammed fast, the steel biting between its jaws and locking in place. The creature snarled, its mouth forced open, stretched wide around the blade as though its own bones were being pried apart from within.
Luca appeared like a mist, below the massive giant. His head tilted upwards as he observed the creature with a glint of intrigue in his eyes.
He dashed from side to side before blasting upwards with a forceful drag. The earth cracked, then shattered as a wind blasted in his wake.
He flew towards the creature's face and landed on the row of massive canine teeth.
The Rhino's pupils constricted as it raised its head in rage. It screamed and slammed its feet to the ground in a tantrum.
Trying everything in its power to send the pest away. When it didn't work, it began to clamp its jaw.
Luca was persistent.
He raised an arm and caused a golden gust to ensue and coat the upper teeth.
It held firm– restricting the creature from fully closing it shut– but the resistance was powerful.
He groaned as he quickly pulled out his sword and flung it back.
The weapon flipped sideways through the air with a low whistle before sinking into the forest floor.
Then he raised his free arm forward, his gaze fixed on that fleshy little bouncing pendulum.
A ridiculous anatomical structure swinging like a speed bag in the back of its throat.
A dark glint appeared in Luca's eyes as that golden gust surrounded the fleshy part.
The creature's force began to increase. Its jaw tightened as muscles coiled like living serpents.
The force was overwhelming. So much so that Luca nearly slipped– but his pressure was just as forceful.
Immediately, he yanked his arm and propelled himself backwards. Dragging the fleshy part as he flew into the air.
The Bulk Rhino's eyes snapped open as an unrestrained amount of pain clouded its mind.
A wet, gargling screech of a titan choking on its own blood tore through the Forest.