"Get down!"
Whisp's voice echoed in Ângelo's head as he ducked, a massive arm grazing his hair. Planting his hands on the ground, Ângelo dashed to the side—just in time to dodge the gorilla's fist.
Rolling away, Ângelo froze in disbelief. The punch had left a crater in the concrete.
"To think even a punch could do th—" Ângelo was abruptly cut off.
"Now's not the time to think! He's coming again!"
Lifting a huge chunk of the ground, the creature let out a roar, hurling it toward Ângelo. He leapt aside on all fours like a cat, barely escaping in the nick of time—or so he thought. A piece of debris struck his head, blood trickling down from the gash.
Everything became a shaky blur. Ângelo wasn't even sure if he was still moving.
"Ângelo... Ângelo..." a voice echoed in the back of his mind. "Get up, damn it!"
Snapping back to his senses, Ângelo barely rolled out of the way of the monster's giant foot. He was now on the street, panting as if he'd run a marathon. The boss glared at him, baring its fangs in a clear show of aggression.
"How can it be that fast being so huge?... I can barely keep up." Ângelo thought while slowly backing away. He didn't understand why it hadn't attacked yet, but the brief moment to catch his breath was welcome.
"It's sizing you up," Whisp interjected. "Most animals do that when they feel threatened… It doesn't know if you're worth the effort."
"As if I'm a threat to such a freak..." Ângelo muttered. Pressing a hand against his wound, the bleeding didn't seem too bad. "I think it's made up its mind."
The beast rose once more, pounding its chest and roaring in fury. Staring at Ângelo with pure rage, its fur bristled. Both enormous arms came crashing down, leaving another crater where they landed.
The ground shook violently, but what followed truly caught Ângelo off guard. Gigantic stone spikes erupted from the ground like wild thorns, each as thick as a tree trunk. Ângelo reacted instantly, bolting to the side.
Even with his quick reflexes, he wasn't fast enough—one of the spikes grazed his left leg, tearing through flesh.
Rolling across the ground again, he forced himself up, using a hand for support. Ângelo bit his lip hard, the pain swelling rapidly.
Feeling warm blood dripping down his leg, he quickly checked the wound—it wasn't deep, thankfully just a graze.
A shadow loomed over him, and before Whisp could even warn him, Ângelo dove aside. The monster came crashing down from above, obliterating part of the street. Dust and debris filled the air, offering him a narrow chance to escape.
"Why is this gorilla so relentless?! I can't even catch my breath!"
Using that small window of opportunity, Ângelo sprinted with all his might. He knew his survival depended entirely on getting away.
Bursting through the cloud of dust, the monster's massive figure charged after him, catching up in a blink—and the chase resumed.
Dodge, duck, run—Ângelo forced every muscle in his body to move in perfect sync, but what truly kept him alive…
"From the right!" Whisp warned urgently.
Dropping low, Ângelo narrowly avoided another wild swing, barely managing to maintain his momentum.
Whisp was playing a crucial role in his survival. Without his guidance, Ângelo would've been pulverized long ago. Having to focus on only a few directions while Whisp covered the rest made things slightly easier—but even so, it was a desperate struggle.
Ângelo felt every near-miss grazing his skin, leaving shallow cuts all over. But that didn't matter—he was still alive, still dodging the killing blows.
"Ângelo, you have to come up with something! If this keeps going, you'll burn yourself out!" Whisp shouted.
He was right. Even if Ângelo managed to keep pace with the boss, his stamina would run dry eventually. He had to shake the gorilla somehow—but how?
Before he could think, a massive stone wall erupted from the ground, blocking his escape route. Ângelo immediately knew where it came from.
He had maybe five seconds before hitting the obstacle. Was this it? If he turned now, the beast would have enough time to catch him.
It was too tall to climb and too wide to go around—what option was left?
"Ângelo! I don't want to disappear!" Whisp screamed in panic, unable to see a way out.
Gritting his teeth, something ignited inside Ângelo's chest. "No! No way it ends here!" he roared, charging straight at the wall.
His eyes sharpened like a feline's, a faint yellow hue blending with his natural brown.
Planting a foot against the wall and pushing off, Ângelo climbed with explosive strength. The gorilla's massive arm came crashing down, aiming to crush him—but before it could, Ângelo kicked off the surface.
Launching himself over the creature, he twisted midair, landing behind it with fluid precision—like a trained acrobat. The monster smashed through the wall with its fist, roaring in frustration as Ângelo vanished from sight.
Turning sharply, Ângelo sprinted into an alley, breaking line of sight. A hellish roar echoed from the street behind.
"How did you do that?!" Whisp appeared on his shoulder, rubbing his head against Ângelo's cheek. The little creature was ecstatic.
"I don't know! And get back to hiding—it's not over yet!"
"What? But you just escap—"
Before Whisp could finish, a dreadful sound erupted from behind them—the violent tearing of concrete. Turning his head, the cat froze.
The boss was forcing its way through the alley. Its massive frame didn't fit, but that didn't stop it. Concrete crumbled like paper under its strength.
Ângelo kept running—losing this thing wasn't going to be that simple.
Taking a sharp turn, he pressed on, his exhaustion now showing. He didn't know how much longer he could keep this up.
The monster slammed into a wall mid-turn, roaring in rage. Driving an arm into the ground, it summoned spikes once again, ripping through everything in their path. The entire alley would be gone in seconds!
"Ângelo! Do that again! I don't know how, but we need to get out of here!" Whisp shouted, vanishing once more. "Climb the walls, get to the roof—something!"
"I don't know how!"
Thinking fast, Ângelo veered back toward the main street. The spikes narrowly missed him, shredding his clothes by mere inches.
Crossing the street, he dashed into a ruined building, jumping through a shattered window and pushing onward. Ângelo ran through the wrecked landscape, weaving between debris and leaping over obstacles.
Even as the sounds of destruction faded behind him, he didn't dare stop. His eyes locked on a skyscraper—it would make a perfect hiding spot.
Using the nearby ruins as a ramp, Ângelo sprinted up a slab of concrete, taking a deep breath.
His eyes flashed yellow again, and without hesitation, he jumped—soaring through the air before crashing through one of the lower windows.
Landing smoothly, Ângelo bent forward, panting heavily, sweat dripping down his face. It looked like he was in a luxury apartment.
Turning around, his eyes widened. He had jumped to the tenth floor… in a single leap? Sure, his starting point was high—but still.
"Ângelo... I think we're not alone..." Whisp whispered nervously.
"What? Another monster? The boss can't be this close already." Ângelo turned again—and froze.
A young woman was staring at him, mouth agape, her back pressed against the wall. Ângelo was just as stunned.
Long black hair cascaded down her back, framing graceful curves accentuated by casual clothes. Her face was stunning—a youthful beauty that, under normal circumstances, might've made Ângelo blush.
But not now.
Still buzzing with adrenaline, Ângelo stayed on guard. The woman could be dangerous. Covered in blood and sweat, hair disheveled, he kept his stance defensive.
"W-who... are you?" she stammered, voice trembling. "H-how did you get up here?"
Now this was awkward.