Ray didn't have time to think—
but his body sure as hell moved.
The telekinetic hold shattered with a soundless snap, and the beast's claw came crashing down.
Ray rolled sideways, dirt exploding beneath the swipe. Before he even stopped sliding, he kicked off the ground, aura igniting around his fist in a faint, shaky glow.
He swung.
His knuckles slammed into the beast's forelimb—
not enough to break anything, but enough to make the monster's scales creak and draw a pained, guttural snarl from its throat.
"Oh thank god, that actually did something—"
The beast answered by trying to bite his head off.
Ray ducked under the snapping maw and rammed his knee upward, aura ringing through the strike. It connected with the underside of the creature's jaw—
a solid hit—
but nowhere near enough to stagger it fully.
It was like kneeing a boulder with teeth.
Ray hissed through his teeth as pain jolted up his leg. "Ow—okay—yep—that was stupid—"
The beast's tail whipped toward him.
He jumped.
Barely.
The tail carved a trench under his feet, showering him with dirt. Ray twisted mid-air, aura pulsing through his leg, and brought his heel down in a desperate axe kick onto the back of the creature's neck.
The impact cracked the air—
a loud, sharp snap of energy—
and the beast's head dipped, muscles bunching in surprise.
It wasn't hurt.
Just annoyed.
Ray's heart plummeted. "You're kidding me…"
The creature wheeled on him with sudden ferocity.
Ray threw a punch—
aura bursting off his fist—
and followed with a second, third, fourth, battering the beast's shoulders and snout as he backpedaled.
Each hit landed with the weight of a panicked teenager trying to stay alive—
quick, sharp, instinctive.
They left faint cracks along the scales, purple light flickering where his aura broke through. The creature's magenta eyes flared brighter, furious.
Ray exhaled, shaking, raising his hands again.
His aura sputtered around his arms like dying sparks.
His legs were screaming.
His chest was tight.
"Okay," he panted, "new plan: don't die in the next ten seconds."
The beast lowered its body, claws gouging the dirt, preparing to pounce again.
Ray braced himself, aura trembling around his fists and feet—
a flimsy shield against something built for killing.
The beast lunged.
Ray dove sideways again, but his legs screamed in protest and he stumbled. The creature's claw grazed his shoulder, ripping fabric and skin alike. Hot pain lit up his nerves.
"Gahah—okay—ow—"
No time. No time to feel it.
Ray staggered upright and threw a punch at pure reflex. Aura flared, weak and flickering, like someone shaking the last drops out of a lantern.
The punch connected with the beast's jaw.
It did nothing.
Not even a grunt this time.
Ray blinked. "Hey—don't ignore me, that's rude—"
The creature swiped. Ray ducked, too slow. A claw scraped across his ribs, sending him stumbling back into a tree.
The impact knocked the air out of him.
He slid down the bark, gasping, one hand pressed to his chest. Sweat dripped into his eyes.
His body wasn't listening to him anymore.
Aura sparked around his legs as he tried to force himself upright—
but it was shallow, weak, barely there.
"This is so… stupid," he rasped.
"I'm going… to die… because some lizard-goblin… thing decided I looked crunchy—"
The beast charged again.
Ray rolled, barely avoiding being crushed. He scrambled to his feet and swung a kick at its snout purely out of stubborn spite.
The aura on his heel fizzled.
The kick still hit.
It just didn't do anything except mildly inconvenience the beast.
The creature blinked slowly at him.
Ray blinked back.
"…You're not even pretending I'm a threat anymore, huh?"
The monster roared in his face.
Ray was thrown backward by the shockwave alone, tumbling through leaves and crashing into a patch of moss.
His ears rang. His arms felt like noodles. His breaths were shallow and sharp, each one scraping inside his chest.
He pushed himself up onto one knee.
Aura kindled on his fist—
a tiny, pathetic spark—
and sputtered out.
Ray stared at his hand.
"Seriously…? You're quitting now? We're in the middle of a giant murder-lizard boss fight—"
The beast stomped toward him, each step deliberate, heavy, final.
Ray's vision blurred.
His body swayed.
His thoughts split between panic and exhaustion.
But somewhere under all that, faint and furious:
Not yet.
He staggered upright again, wobbling like a drunk, raising his fists though they shook violently.
"Come on then…" Ray whispered, voice cracking.
"You want me? You can have me. But I'm… not… kneeling."
The beast opened its maw, magenta light flooding its throat like molten fire.
Ray braced himself—
for pain, for death, for something—
knowing his aura wasn't enough, knowing every punch so far had been pointless.
But still lifting his arms anyway.
Because even if he was weak—
he wasn't going to die curled up.