Braka's breath came in sharp, uneven bursts, his chest rising with every ragged inhale. Fear gripped his heart like a vice.
Though he had diverted its attention, he didn't have a plan. Now, what was he supposed to do? His mind went blank, and his muscles became tense.
The beast then lunged at him.
He could tell that it was coming. But even with his surging adrenaline, Braka found himself unable to move when the beast lunged at him.
'Move! Move! Move!'
Desperation surged from within as his mind screamed at him. But as if immobilized, he couldn't move a muscle.
'Is this the end?'
The thought crept in.
The beast loomed larger, its monstrous frame blotting out the light as it surged forward. Just the shadow alone was enough to cover Braka as a whole.
He could see his death in those fierce molten pupils.
The sheer force of its presence crashed over him like a tidal wave, suffocating him. He felt helpless, as if he had been stripped naked under a cold blizzard.
Death seemed inevitable.
But just as the beast's massive claw descended upon him like a guillotine.
WHAM!
A force slammed into his side, hurling him off his feet. The world spun as he tumbled across the ground, rocks and twigs scraping against his skin.
Braka crashed hard, and a sharp jolt of pain tore through his arms.
"Argh…" Braka grunted, gripping his bruised arms.
What happened? He couldn't tell.
But before he could make sense out of what had happened, a guttural, agonizing billow split the air. The billow startled him and jolted him awake from his reverie.
'Right, the beast!'
He came to his senses. For a moment, faced with impending danger, he had forgotten about his predicament.
His gaze jolted towards the direction of the beast.
But what he saw next completely stunned him. Before him, the beast was roaring, but not in triumph but in pain.
Just below the massive frame of the beast, stood a lone figure, his face a blur.
Braka's heart was still pounding, his mind in a daze.
"Who?" He blinked.
The figure, however, didn't respond, for he appeared to be struggling. But just the fact that this figure was holding this behemoth of a creature by himself was an astonishing feat.
Would he be able to do it if he were in his place?
No, he couldn't. Let alone holding the beast, he wouldn't even be able to move a muscle. After all, he had already blanked out just from its sheer pressure before.
Braka pushed himself up slowly, his breathing ragged. His muscles still felt tense, and his vision was still a blur.
He still couldn't see the appearance of the figure that was holding the beast.
But then, as his vision became clear, he saw it.
Braka let out a gasp, his eyes widened in marvel and reverence. Disbelief clouded his vision, and a doubt seeped inside his heart. Even though he was seeing it with his own eyes, he couldn't believe it.
Kael stood directly beneath the Ravager's massive frame, his silver hair stained with blood, his body tense like a drawn bow.
His right arm was buried deep into the beast's throat.
Blood seeped out of the wound, staining his white claws crimson.
Kael's eyes burned with resolve as he subdued the beast. The Ravager was struggling, writhing in agony. For a moment, it looked like it was begging for its life.
But Kael knew that was far from the truth.
"Kael, is that you?" Braka could hardly believe the sight he was witnessing.
"ROAR!"
Just as those words left his mouth, the beast let out a roar. It swept its claws at Kael, attempting to break free.
Kael knew he wouldn't be able to confront it directly. Hence, he lifted from the ground and kicked the beast, which in turn allowed him to free his claws that had been stuck in its throat.
Utilizing the force he gained, he broke free and maintained a distance from the beast.
The beast's swing missed its target.
Kael, however, didn't lower his gaze. He glared back at the beast, maintaining a defensive stance. Under normal circumstances, he wouldn't be thinking of attempting such stunts. But he felt he could even take this creature on a fight today.
He didn't feel afraid.
The beast glared at him, and their eyes met. But unlike before with Braka, the beast couldn't spot even a spec of fear in Kael.
The lack of fear in Kael's eyes made the beast hesitant.
Combined with the wound it had sustained, its instinct told it to flee. Letting out a growl, it darted to the nearby bush and vanished from the scene.
Kael, however, didn't drop his guard until he confirmed the beast had left.
Just as he confirmed the departure of the beast, he dropped his shoulder and relaxed his muscles. He stabilized his breathing before checking on his tribesmen.
Braka still couldn't believe what had happened.
But the aura he noticed when Kael stood face-to-face against the beast, he couldn't stop recalling. In that moment, Kael looked just as ferocious and intimidating as the beast, if not more.
The aura he exuded during that moment was something he hadn't witnessed before.
"Can you move?" Kael asked.
Braka, however, was lost in the moment.
"Huh?"
Kael's voice jolted him awake from his daze.
"If you can move, help me carry Thran."
Kael was helping Thran, who had been knocked unconscious.
Though Braka had sustained some injuries, it wasn't severe. But it was a different case for Thran.
Supporting Thran, the three then left the scene as well. Even so, Braka couldn't help but get this urge to ask Kael about the earlier incident.
'Was Kael always this strong?'
He couldn't help but ponder. Though he knew Kael was strong, he never assumed him to be this strong. He had the strength to take on Ravager.
There were a lot of things he was curious about, but he didn't dare to ask.
Soon, the trio arrived at the location where the tribesmen were gathered.