The Knight closed in from the other side. It jumped high and ca down with a full overhead strike aid at the chira’s neck. The chira reacted instantly. It caught the Knight mid-air by the torso and slamd it into the floor, the sound sharp and heavy.
Asher didn’t wait. He appeared at the chira’s flank and drove a kick into its knee joint to disrupt its balance. The chira staggered half a step, more annoyed than hurt, and swung its tail around again. Asher blocked with his forearm, letting the force slide past him as he stepped back.
The chira opened its mouth slightly. That sa hum started again—charging another beam.
Asher didn’t give it the space.
He sprinted forward and jumped, putting himself right in front of the creature’s head before it could fire. The chira reacted on instinct and snapped its jaw shut, canceling the beam. Asher planted his foot on its snout and pushed off, flipping over its head and landing behind it.
The chira twisted fast for its size, but not fast enough to hit him.
The Knight recovered and rushed forward again. Its sword swung low, targeting the chira’s ankle. The armor cracked this ti—barely, but enough to leave a visible mark.
The chira roared—not loudly, but in a low, focused sound that vibrated through the room.
Its spine glowed brighter than ever, and its body shifted again. The plates on its arms opened slightly, revealing blue light inside. Its speed doubled in an instant.
It appeared in front of the Knight in less than a blink. One claw hooked under the Knight’s blade, lifting it, and the chira slamd its other arm into the Knight’s chest, sending it crashing into the far wall.
Asher moved in again, refusing to let the creature focus on one target.
He struck its shoulder joint, then its ribs, then its lower spine—each hit checked for weaknesses. The chira blocked with its tail and countered with a backhand that would have shattered a boulder. Asher leaned back, the strike passing right in front of his face.
He slid in low and kicked at the cracked ankle again. This ti the chira felt it. Its leg wobbled, and its weight dropped slightly.
"Good," Asher said. "You can be hurt."
The chira slamd its hand into the ground. A wave of force shot out again—stronger this ti. Asher braced, but the shock still threw him back several ters and forced him to dig his heels into the floor to stop himself.
The chira straightened, armor plates shifting.
Its eyes locked on both of them.
It was done testing.
It was getting serious.
Asher wiped dust off his cheek.
"Alright," he murmured. "Let’s finish this."
The chira lowered its stance one more ti.
Then it launched forward with full killing intent.
The chira closed the distance in an instant.
Asher barely shifted to the side before the creature’s claw tore a straight path through the air where he had been. The impact smashed into the floor, digging a deep crater and sending cracks racing outward.
The Knight rejoined the fight the mont the chira landed. Its sword ca down in a heavy diagonal slash. This ti the chira didn’t block—it t the hit head-on. The blade struck its armor and skidded off, sparks spraying across the chamber as the Knight was forced backward from the recoil.
The chira didn’t let up. It lunged, grabbing the Knight by its arm and dragging it forward. Its tail rose behind it like a striking whip.
Asher jumped in.
He caught the tail mid-swing with one hand, the force sliding past his body as he redirected it. The floor cracked under his feet, but he held long enough to pull the chira’s attention off the Knight.
The chira released its grip on the Knight and spun toward Asher with a stabbing thrust from its tal-smoke arm, now reshaped into a drill-like point. Asher moved sideways and cut at the joint right before the drill. The impact sent a ripple across the armor, another faint crack forming.
It growled, clearly irritated.
The Knight used the opening. It moved behind the chira and slashed at the already damaged ankle again. The chira jerked its leg up to avoid the blow but couldn’t dodge completely. The Knight’s blade carved a longer crack into the armor.
The chira reacted by releasing a burst of blue energy from its spine. The pulse knocked the Knight away and pushed Asher back a few steps.
Then its body shifted again—its shoulders expanding slightly, the segnts along its spine flaring wider. More power. More speed.
It shot forward and went straight for Asher.
Asher ducked under the first swing and countered with a rising slash aid at its chin. The cut t the armor and skidded away harmlessly. The chira twisted and drove its knee forward, slamming into Asher’s side. The hit sent him sliding across the floor, tal grinding beneath him until he forced his boots to lock in place.
He got up imdiately.
The chira was already on him.
The next attack ca from above—a double-handed smash. Asher crossed his arms and blocked. The pressure was huge. The floor buckled beneath him, and the stone around his feet exploded from the weight.
But he held firm.
The Knight appeared behind the chira again. This ti it didn’t attack the ankle. It went for the tail. Its sword ca down in a clean chop, and the tail cracked loudly. Not severed—but damaged enough to stiffen its movents.
The chira jerked its body around, frustrated, and swung a backhand at the Knight. The Knight blocked, but the force still sent it tumbling across the room.
Asher took the chance.
He leapt forward and drove his blade into the growing crack on the chira’s ankle. The armor split further. A thin line of blue energy leaked out.
The chira staggered, then snarled—a low, sharp sound of anger.
Its spine glowed brighter than any mont so far.
Asher backed up a step.
"Right... you’re about to do sothing big."
The chira braced its legs. The segnts along its spine spread wide, revealing the bright core of energy inside. The air around it began to distort from pressure alone.
The Knight stood beside Asher again, ready.
The chira crouched low.
Then the light inside its spine surged—
—and the entire creature vanished in a burst of speed.
Asher reacted instantly, eyes locking onto the movent.
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