Kaito slashed at the Tiger Monster's other claw, aiming to disable its strike.
The Tiger Monster reacted sharply, twisting its body to dodge. It swung its other massive claw in retaliation, aiming for Kaito's sword-arm. Sparks flew as steel met claw, the Tiger Monster's attack gnashing against the blade. The blade's edge bit into flesh, but the monster grunted and yanked back, stepping away to avoid Kaito's counter.
Kaito lunged, moving in, attempting another strike at the Monster's shoulder. But the Tiger Monster lunged too raised its jaws and snapped, trying to bite at his neck. Kaito twisted sideways to evade, the Monster's teeth closing mere inches from his skin. A few strands of fur flew off in the air where the teeth passed.
Kaito managed a quick backstep, pressing his advantage. He struck with the flat of his blade, trying to stun or even stagger the creature. The Tiger Monster roared, rearing up on its haunches, claws slashing in arcs. Kaito blocked with his sword, the impact vibrating through the hilt. He staggered slightly, thrown off balance by the force, but recovered quickly.
Then the Tiger Monster charged forward powerful, wild. Kaito braced himself, sword ready. The beast's paw came at him, claws spread. Kaito sidestepped, but not fast enough. One sharp claw still scraped across his shoulder, tearing through fabric and leaving a burn of pain. He stepped back, chest heaving.
Before the Tiger Monster could follow up, Kaito pivoted, using his momentum to strike at its flank. He slashed across its side, cutting into taut muscle. The beast roared in rage and pain. But the Tiger Monster was far from finished. It shook off the pain, eyes flaming, and swung its free claw at Kaito's legs, trying to topple him down.
Kaito dodged backward, but the claw caught him just enough to send him off-balance. The ground slipped under him. With a single swipe, the Monster smashed a claw into his torso, forcing him off his feet. He flew backward, landing hard on his back among rocks and underbrush. The breath knocked out of him, pain exploding in his ribs.
Even though Kaito had taken a fierce hit, he still was able to force himself up. He then replayed the fight in his mind, seeing clearly where he'd made mistakes. In the game, once you activate a skill it stays active, but in real combat, keeping skills ready demands mental energy.
Kaito realized that he had leaned almost entirely on his basic sword work, ignoring Wind Veil Steps after using it in the start. That was a critical mistake and the Tiger Monster had taken advantage, striking his shoulder and then his chest.
Looking down at the claw marks on his chest, pain burning hot, Kaito thought again his plan of fighting the tiger monster first was right as If he had rushed toward the Mine Spirits before practicing his skills, the result might have been far worse. He steadied his breathing just as the Tiger Monster readied its next lunge.
The Monster, enraged, lunged forward again. Seeing this, Kaito made a split-second decision. He threw his sword toward a tree near where Marcus, Elias, Lucas, and Calvin were hiding. Their faces were tight with worry, and each of them had weapons in hand, ready in case Kaito was in real peril. Elias bore an arrow on his bow, knuckles tight around the string.
Kaito shook his head slightly at them to quiet their panic. Then he refocused entirely on the Tiger Monster. This time, he made sure part of his mind stayed focused and then he directly performed the Wind Veil Steps, stepping lightly, shifting his body so he didn't repeat his earlier mistake.
He had discarded the sword not simply out of overconfidence but because now that he had already practices with his basic sword skills, he also wanted to test his physical strength, as after practicing Azure Thunder Meridian Art earlier, he was aware his physical strength was now comparable to a Rank 1 mid-grade martial artist. So he wanted to test that strength directly against the tiger monster, So he decided to fight with his fists, not relying on his blade.
The Tiger Monster lunged forward, claws aimed low, aiming at Kaito's torso once again. As the claw slashed out, Kaito sidestepped this time swiftly using Wind Veil Steps. And so this time he avoided the strike without being wounded like previously being hit on the shoulder. The Monster's claw swept past empty air.
Kaito gathered momentum. With his fist pulled back, he struck upward at the Tiger Monster's head in a clean uppercut. The blow connected solidly; the beast's head snapped back from the force. The impact stunned it momentarily, and it stumbled backward.
Not resting, Kaito leapt forward. He dashed in, fists flying in a rapid flurry toward the Monster's head. He aimed straight, punching and dodging. The Tiger Monster swung its claws wildly in response, but Kaito twisted his torso, letting the claws slice through air. His punches landed. The Monster roared, trying to claw back, but Kaito stayed just out of reach.
Suddenly, the Tiger Monster lashed out with its other two hind claws one clawed paw shot up, the other paw aimed to sweep under Kaito's arms. It kicked too, a sudden backhand move that slammed into Kaito's midsection. The force of the blow drove him backwards. He arched through the air, limbs flung out, and landed among rocks and underbrush. His breath left him in a sharp gasp.
The Tiger Monster then rose again, body low, muscles tensed for another assault. Kaito also sprang forward each movement measured yet forceful. He then lunged at the Monster, raising his fists once more. His fists came in controlled arcs, aiming for its head and torso which were the easiest to target, trying to keep its claws from tearing at him again.
This time, before the Tiger Monster's claws could come down in retaliation, Kaito closed more ground. He tossed aside all hesitation, letting his physical strength show. He matched its ferocity blow for blow, throwing punches, ducking its teeth, weaving around its claws.
As he came nearer, the Monster, snarling, attempted to bite him at the neck again but Kaito ducked under the bite, narrowly evading fangs that snapped shut above his head. He spun sideways, countering with a punch to the beast's flank.
The Tiger Monster roared, its muscles tensing in pain and anger. Kaito, feeling his heart pounding, pressed his advantage. He jabbed again, then another uppercut, then a cross-punch all thrown with precision and force born out of his recent training.
As he landed the punches, the Tiger Monster staggered. Its eyes flickered with both pain and anger.
Kaito leapt once more, closing in as the monster tried to regain balance. He raised both fists, preparing another attack, his whole body tuned, ready for whatever the Monster would throw at him next.
As the Tiger Monster lunged forward, Kaito met it head-on. The beast, driven purely by anger, poured all of its rage into its strike. Its movements were raw, unrestrained, and focused only on tearing apart the human who dared to challenge it.
By now, Kaito had already gained control over his own physical strength. And after such an intense fight, his body had adapted, and his strikes were steady and calculated. Gathering his focus, he poured every bit of his strength into his fist. Using the momentum of Wind Veil Steps, he once again sidestepped the claw that came slashing toward him and delivered a heavy punch directly to the Tiger Monster's head.
The impact resounded, and the beast's body crashed to the ground with a loud thud. Dust rose around them as the Tiger Monster staggered, trying to push itself up again. But before it could recover, Kaito moved in swiftly. He raised his leg and brought down a powerful kick on its head.
This kick carried the force of a Rank 1 mid-grade martial artist. And though the Tiger Monster's physical power was on par with that level, it was still only a Rank 0 monster. Its body lacked the spiritual foundation to defend against such an attack. The kick landed before it could even react, and a sickening crack rang out as its skull fractured.
The Tiger Monster let out a final roar, its eyes filled with unwillingness and anger. Its massive body trembled once, then collapsed completely. Its limbs stiffened for a moment, claws digging weakly into the dirt, and then it lay still. The light faded from its eyes, leaving only the frozen expression of rage as death claimed it.
Seeing the Tiger Monster fall, Marcus, Elias, Lucas, and Calvin also immediately ran over, their faces lit with excitement. Kaito, on the other hand, dropped down to sit beside the fallen beast. Although his breaths were steady he was still a little tired. Though the fight had been short, it had demanded a lot from him.
It wasn't just about landing blows. He had been forced to divide his focus constantly part of his mind on dodging the Tiger Monster's attacks, part of it on executing Wind Veil Steps at the right moments. The battle had pushed both his body and mind to their limits. Sitting there, he realized something important, as a physical cultivator, fighting with raw strength alone wasn't enough.
He had no proper fist or leg techniques. His punches and kicks had been powerful, but they lacked form and refinement. It was clear to him now continuing without learning proper techniques would be like a swordsman fighting without a sword. He silently resolved that once they returned, he would seek out solid fist and leg techniques to complement his physical cultivation.
As he recovered, Marcus, Elias, Lucas, and Calvin gathered around the Tiger Monster's body, their excitement obvious. Lucas crouched low, eyes on its claws. "I'll take these," he said eagerly. "If the claws could withstand a Rank 1 sword, then at the very least, they can be made into a Rank 1 dagger."
Hearing that, even Marcus's eyes lit up as well, clearly sharing the same excitement.
Elias then pointed at the beast's sharp fangs. "These teeth," he said with a grin, "I can use them to make arrows. They'd be strong enough to injure even a Rank 1 monster."
Their voices rang with enthusiasm as they imagined the uses of the Tiger Monster's remains, while Kaito stood up slowly and walked over to the medicinal kit that Lucas and Calvin had brought along. The fight was over, but it had left him with valuable insights.