Chapter 114: The Defeat
The creature charged.
Rliqs disappeared.
David barely caught the movement.
’Where—’
BOOM!
The monster was driven into the ground.
The impact shook the street hard enough to send loose chunks of concrete bouncing across the pavement. Dust exploded outward, swallowing both figures for a moment.
David instinctively raised an arm to shield his face.
Then he saw Rliqs standing over the crater.
The creature lay beneath him.
Its massive body twitched as it tried to push itself upright.
Rliqs didn’t give it the chance.
He reached down, grabbed it by the throat, and lifted it off the ground.
David’s eyes widened.
The creature’s feet kicked against empty air.
Its claws immediately tore toward Rliqs’ arm.
Rliqs didn’t flinch.
The claws scraped across his skin.
Nothing.
Not even a scratch.
The creature snarled and struck again.
Rliqs’ expression remained completely calm.
"You’re done."
His fist slammed into the creature’s chest.
BOOM!
The monster flew backward.
Its body tore through the air before crashing into the side of an abandoned building. The wall collapsed around it, burying half its body beneath concrete and dust.
David stared.
’He wasn’t even fighting seriously before.’
Rliqs lowered his hand.
"Stay where you are."
David looked at him.
"You’re giving me orders now?"
"Yes."
David opened his mouth.
Then closed it.
’Fair.’
The rubble shifted.
The creature pushed itself out.
Slowly.
Its movements weren’t as smooth as before.
There were cracks spreading across its chest now, glowing faintly beneath the dark material covering its body.
But its eyes were still bright.
And the moment it stood—
They found David.
Again.
David’s expression hardened.
’Still me.’
The creature crouched.
Rliqs noticed.
"So it really is desperate."
The monster vanished.
David’s eyes widened.
"Rliqs—"
"I see it."
Rliqs turned.
The creature appeared behind him.
It didn’t attack.
It simply looked past Rliqs.
Straight at David.
Then it launched forward.
Rliqs moved first.
His hand shot out and caught the creature’s wrist inches from David’s face.
CLANG!
The force of the interception sent a shock through the pavement.
David took a step back.
The creature snarled.
Rliqs tightened his grip.
"You’re not getting to him."
The monster pulled.
Rliqs didn’t move.
It twisted its arm.
Rliqs adjusted with it.
The creature swung its other claw.
Rliqs caught that one too.
For a second, they stood locked together.
The creature’s entire body strained.
Rliqs simply stared at it.
Then—
THUMP.
David froze.
That sensation again.
Deep inside his chest.
He instinctively placed a hand against it.
’What the hell...’
The creature stopped struggling.
Its glowing eyes flickered.
THUMP.
David’s breath caught.
The creature’s body trembled.
For the first time, something about its expression changed.
It wasn’t anger.
It wasn’t aggression.
It almost looked—
’Afraid?’
Rliqs noticed it too.
His eyes narrowed.
"So that’s it."
David looked at him.
"What?"
Rliqs didn’t answer.
Instead, he twisted the creature’s arm.
The monster’s body jerked.
Rliqs released one wrist, grabbed its shoulder, and slammed it into the ground.
BOOM!
The pavement cracked beneath its weight.
The creature roared.
David instinctively stepped forward.
Rliqs glanced at him.
"Don’t."
David stopped.
The creature pushed against the ground.
Its claws dug into the broken pavement.
It was trying to stand again.
Rliqs grabbed it by the shoulder and forced it back down.
"Enough."
The creature released another roar.
Its body suddenly pulsed with energy.
The air around them distorted.
David’s eyes widened.
’That’s the same energy from before.’
The creature’s claws dug deeper into the pavement.
Rliqs remained over it.
The energy exploded outward.
BOOM!
Dust swept across the street.
David raised his arm.
"Rliqs!"
No answer.
The dust slowly cleared.
Rliqs was still standing.
His clothes shifted slightly in the fading pressure.
The creature lay beneath him.
Still moving.
Barely.
Rliqs looked down.
"You’re persistent."
The monster’s head lifted.
Its glowing eyes immediately searched past him.
David.
Even now.
Still David.
Rliqs’ expression hardened.
"That’s enough."
He reached down.
His hand pressed against the cracks spreading across the creature’s chest.
The monster suddenly thrashed.
Rliqs’ grip tightened.
"Stay down."
Energy gathered around his arm.
David felt the pressure immediately.
His chest pulsed again.
THUMP.
The creature froze.
Rliqs’ eyes narrowed.
Then the energy around his arm surged.
The cracks across the creature’s chest spread rapidly.
The monster’s eyes flickered.
Once.
Twice.
Then—
The glow disappeared.
Its body went limp.
Silence fell over the street.
David stared at the creature.
’It’s over.’
Rliqs slowly released his grip.
The monster didn’t move.
For the first time since it appeared, it wasn’t trying to reach him.
It was simply lying there.
Defeated.
David let out a breath.
"You make that look ridiculously easy."
Rliqs glanced at him.
"It wasn’t."
His eyes returned to the creature.
"It was adapting."
David’s expression changed.
"Adapting?"
Before Rliqs could explain, the creature’s fingers twitched.
David’s grip tightened around his weapon.
’It’s not dead.’
The creature’s body suddenly jerked.
Then it moved.
Fast.
It crouched low and launched itself forward.
Not at Rliqs.
At David.
David’s eyes widened.
"Again?"
Rliqs disappeared.
The next thing David saw was Rliqs standing between them.
His hand was already wrapped around the creature’s wrist.
"You’re getting predictable."
The creature snarled and tried to pull its arm free.
Rliqs tightened his grip.
The monster twisted violently, its other claw swinging toward his head.
Rliqs ducked.
The claw tore through the air above him.
He stepped inside its reach and drove his elbow into the creature’s ribs.
BOOM!
The monster staggered.
Rliqs caught its shoulder before it could recover.
"You really don’t understand."
He drove it into the ground.
BOOM!
The creature bounced once before rolling across the pavement.
David watched it struggle to rise.
’It’s still moving.’
The monster pushed itself upright.
Its breathing had become rough.
Its body was covered in cracks now, dark material splitting apart around its chest and shoulders.
But those glowing eyes remained fixed on David.
David frowned.
"It won’t stop."
"No."
Rliqs’ gaze remained on it.
"Because it hasn’t gotten what it came for."
David’s stomach tightened.
’Me.’
The creature suddenly crouched.
Rliqs stepped forward.
This time, he didn’t wait.
He vanished.
The monster launched itself at the same moment.
The two collided halfway across the street.
CLANG!
The impact shook the surrounding buildings.
Rliqs caught both of the creature’s arms.
The monster strained against him.
Its claws trembled.
Rliqs’ boots dug into the pavement.
For the first time, the creature managed to force him backward.
One step.
Then another.
David’s eyes widened.
’It’s actually pushing him.’
The monster roared.
Rliqs’ expression hardened.
"Enough."
His body shifted.
He released one arm.
The creature immediately tried to strike.
Rliqs caught the attack with his forearm.
Then he twisted.
The monster’s balance broke.
Rliqs grabbed its waist and threw it over his shoulder.
BOOM!
The creature crashed into the street.
Before it could recover, Rliqs was already above it.
His fist came down.
BOOM!
The pavement shattered.
The creature’s body disappeared beneath the crater.
David instinctively took a step forward.
"Rliqs!"
Rliqs raised one hand without looking back.
"Stay there."
David stopped.
Dust rolled through the street.
For several seconds, nothing happened.
Then something moved inside the crater.
The creature’s hand appeared first.
Its claws dug into the broken pavement.
It pulled itself upward.
David’s expression tightened.
’How is it still standing?’
The creature rose.
Barely.
Its entire body was trembling now.
But its eyes were brighter than ever.
And they were still fixed on David.
Rliqs stared at it.
Then he looked at David.
"Do you feel it?"
David hesitated.
"The pulse?"
Rliqs nodded.
David placed a hand against his chest.
THUMP.
The creature reacted immediately.
Its body jerked.
THUMP.
The glow inside its chest intensified.
David’s eyes widened.
"It’s reacting to me."
"Yes."
"Then what happens if—"
The creature suddenly charged.
Rliqs moved.
But this time, the monster didn’t attack him.
It slipped past.
David barely had time to raise his weapon.
CLANG!
The creature’s claw slammed into it.
The force drove David backward.
His boots scraped across the pavement.
The monster pushed harder.
David’s arms shook.
’Too strong.’
Its face moved closer.
Those glowing eyes stared directly into his.
David gritted his teeth.
"Get off me."
The creature didn’t respond.
Instead—
THUMP.
David’s chest pulsed.
The creature froze.
David froze too.
For one strange second, neither moved.
Then another pulse came.
THUMP.
Energy surged between them.
The creature suddenly recoiled.
Its body jerked backward as though it had touched something dangerous.
David stared.
’It backed away.’
Rliqs appeared beside him.
He grabbed the creature by the neck.
"That’s enough."
The monster struggled.
Rliqs lifted it.
Then hurled it across the street.
BOOM!
It smashed into the pavement and disappeared inside a cloud of dust.
Rliqs lowered his hand.
"Don’t let it touch you again."
David rubbed his wrist.
"Why?"
Rliqs looked toward the crater.
"Because whatever is inside you..."
His eyes narrowed.
"...it recognizes it."
David stared at him.
"That’s supposed to make me feel better?"
"No."
Rliqs turned toward the dust.
"It makes this more dangerous."
The creature slowly rose from the crater.
Its movements were no longer controlled.
Its body shook violently.
The glow in its eyes burned brighter.
It looked at David.
Only David.
Rliqs stepped forward.
This time, there was no hesitation in his movement.
"Stay back."
David tightened his grip.
Rliqs lowered his stance.
The creature crouched.
For a moment, the entire street went silent.
Then both moved.