The chamber remained frozen in that suspended moment, two forms of crimson-eyed madness evaluating each other across bone-littered floor. Then Bephemoth moved.

The creature exploded from the wall with speed that defied its massive bulk, berserker state reasserting dominance over the fear that had momentarily paralyzed it. Whatever survival instinct had recognized danger was overridden by territorial rage that refused to accept anything as superior in its own domain.

The charge was even faster than before, desperation adding urgency to already overwhelming velocity. Stone cracked beneath its paws as it closed the distance, twisted limbs pumping with force that sent shockwaves radiating outward. The visible heart pulsed so rapidly it was nearly vibrating, driving the body beyond sustainable limits.

The crimson-eyed figure didn't dodge.

Instead it raised both hands, palms forward in gesture that mirrored what had stopped the previous charge. But this time the air didn't just crystallize—it detonated.

BOOM.

The explosion caught Bephemoth mid-stride, concussive force slamming into its chest with impact that arrested momentum completely. The creature was thrown backward, thirty feet of muscle and bone launched through the air to crash into the wall it had just left.

Crack.

Stone fractured from the collision, cracks spreading across the ancient surface as Bephemoth's bulk impacted with force sufficient to compromise structural integrity. Dust and debris fell from the ceiling where vibrations had dislodged material held in place for centuries.

But the apex predator was already recovering, shaking its massive head as it pushed away from the wall. The impact that should have stunned it for precious seconds was shrugged off through combination of prehistoric durability and berserker state that made pain irrelevant.

Bephemoth charged again, this time angling to come at the figure from the side rather than direct frontal assault. Its intelligence, limited though it was, had recognized that straight charges were being countered and adapted tactics accordingly.

The crimson-eyed figure turned smoothly to face the new approach, marked face showing approval at the adaptation. When it moved, the speed was beyond what Raze's body should have been capable of producing. The form blurred, leaving afterimages that hung in the air as it repositioned to intercept Bephemoth's angled charge.

They collided in the chamber's center, the impact generating shockwave that made the accumulated bones jump and scatter. The marked figure's palm caught Bephemoth's snapping jaws, hand pressing against the creature's upper teeth to arrest the bite before it could close. The other hand struck the apex predator's chest, delivering blow that carried force disproportionate to what the relatively small fist should have generated.

Thump.

The punch drove into Bephemoth's visible heart, impacting the oversized organ with precision strike. The creature's entire body convulsed, muscles seizing as its central pump was directly assaulted. For a moment its berserker fury faltered, the pain of having its most vital organ struck overwhelming even chemically-induced madness.

The crimson-eyed figure followed up immediately, not allowing the apex predator any recovery time. Its hand released Bephemoth's jaws and drove upward in uppercut that caught the creature's chin, snapping its head back with force that would have decapitated anything less durable.

Bephemoth staggered, its footing compromised by the rapid combination. But it wasn't defeated, wasn't even seriously injured despite attacks that would have killed Master rank creatures instantly. Its regeneration was already addressing the damage, tissues repairing themselves with speed that made the injuries essentially meaningless.

The creature's claws swept through the space the figure occupied, multiple strikes coming from different angles in coordination that belied Bephemoth's limited intelligence. The berserker state was enhancing more than just physical capabilities—it was elevating tactical awareness beyond what the apex predator normally possessed.

One claw found its target, catching the marked figure across the torso with swipe that opened deep wounds. Blood sprayed from the injury, Raze's body suffering damage that should have been immediately fatal.

But the figure didn't slow, didn't even acknowledge the wound beyond slight grimace. It stepped inside Bephemoth's reach before the creature could capitalize on successful strike, positioning itself where the massive size became disadvantage rather than asset.

Its fist drove into Bephemoth's ribs, the impact creating visible depression in the thick hide as bone beneath cracked from concentrated force. The follow-up struck the same location, compounding damage before regeneration could activate. The third strike punched completely through the hide, hand disappearing into Bephemoth's side to grip something internal.

Then it yanked, pulling out mass of tissue that was still pulsing with vitality. The crimson-eyed figure held what it had extracted up for examination, the layered voice carrying notes of clinical interest.

"Fascinating. Your regeneration works through distributed organ systems rather than single central point. Explains how you've survived this long without proper medical attention."

It discarded the extracted tissue casually, the mass hitting the floor with wet sound that echoed through the chamber.

Splat.

Bephemoth screamed, sound mixing agony with rage at having part of itself literally torn out. The wound in its side was massive, blood pouring from the opening despite regeneration already beginning to work. But closing damage of that scale would take time, precious seconds during which the creature was significantly compromised.

The apex predator lunged with jaws open wide, abandoning tactical awareness in favor of pure killing fury. If it could bite the figure in half, could crush this thing that dared to injure it so severely, then regeneration would handle the rest.

The marked figure caught Bephemoth's upper and lower jaws in its hands, preventing the bite from closing through application of strength that shouldn't exist in human proportions. Muscles that had been Raze's strained visibly, veins standing out along arms as power flooded through channels designed for far less stress.

The layered voice carried slight strain as it spoke, suggesting that even this entity's fragment had limits when operating through mortal vessel.

"You were stronger once, but so was I. And the gap between what we were hasn't changed despite both of us being reduced."

It began pulling, hands forcing Bephemoth's jaws wider despite the creature's desperate attempts to close the bite. Tendons creaked, ligaments stretched beyond safe tolerances, the apex predator's mouth being opened through pure overwhelming force.

Crack.

The jaw dislocated, bone separating from socket as structural integrity failed. Bephemoth's scream became garbled, the sound distorted by anatomy that no longer functioned properly. But even this injury was temporary, regeneration already beginning to reset the joint despite the impossible angle.

The crimson-eyed figure released the jaws and struck again, fist driving into Bephemoth's throat with force that collapsed the windpipe. The creature's breathing became labored gasping, oxygen intake compromised despite its enhanced physiology.

They separated, both combatants backing away to reassess after exchange that had tested their respective capabilities. The chamber floor between them was covered in blood and torn tissue, evidence of violence that would have killed anything less durable multiple times over.

Bephemoth's side wound was closing, the massive injury slowly knitting together as regeneration worked overtime. Its jaw was resetting, bone sliding back into socket with audible grinding. Even the collapsed windpipe was expanding, cartilage restoring proper structure despite the catastrophic damage.

The marked figure's torso wounds remained open, blood continuing to flow from gashes that had cut deep into muscle and possibly organ tissue. But the entity inhabiting Raze's body seemed unconcerned with injuries that should have been debilitating, treating them as mere inconvenience rather than serious threat.

"You're healing faster than expected," the layered voice observed. "The dungeon magic preserving you also accelerates regeneration beyond what your natural capabilities should provide. Interesting adaptation to long-term isolation."

Bephemoth's response was to charge again, having recovered enough function to resume the assault. But this time it was learning, approaching with combination of straight rush and lateral movement that made interception more difficult.

The crimson-eyed figure met the charge but was caught by the lateral component, Bephemoth's bulk slamming into it from angle that threw off the counter. Both forms crashed to the floor, the marked figure pinned beneath thirty feet of prehistoric apex predator.

Bephemoth's jaws, now functional again despite lingering damage, closed around the figure's shoulder. Teeth designed for crushing bone punched through flesh to grip the joint, the creature beginning to thrash its head side to side to tear the limb off entirely.

Rip.

The shoulder separated partially, tendons severing as Bephemoth's thrashing exceeded what human anatomy could withstand. The arm went limp, useless appendage that could no longer respond to commands.

But the figure's remaining hand found Bephemoth's visible heart, fingers closing around the pulsing organ through the gaps in the creature's flesh. Then it squeezed, applying pressure directly to the apex predator's most vital component.

The effect was immediate and devastating. Bephemoth released its bite, body convulsing as its heart was compressed by grip that threatened to rupture the organ completely. The creature's strength began failing as blood flow was disrupted, oxygen delivery compromised by the very thing being attacked.

The crimson-eyed figure pulled, using the grip on Bephemoth's heart to lever itself out from beneath the massive body. The effort tore the shoulder wound worse, making the damage severe enough that regeneration would take considerable time to repair properly.

They separated again, both showing accumulated injuries that would have ended fights between lesser opponents multiple times over. Bephemoth was favoring one side where internal damage had been inflicted, its breathing labored despite windpipe having mostly regenerated. The marked figure's left arm hung completely useless, shoulder joint compromised beyond immediate function despite the entity's ability to ignore pain.

Azure Edge lay forgotten on the floor nearby, the blade that Raze had carried through five floors of the dungeon raid now seeming pathetically inadequate given the scale of combat occurring around it. The weapon had been designed for conflicts between cultivators, not whatever this represented.

The apex predator circled, seeking optimal approach angle while its regeneration continued repairing accumulated damage. The figure mirrored the movement, marked face showing satisfaction despite the injuries reducing effectiveness.

Bephemoth lunged without warning, abandoning the circling to strike while the figure was apparently distracted by self-analysis. The attack was perfectly timed, catching moment where attention seemed divided.

But the crimson-eyed figure had been baiting exactly that response. Its remaining functional hand came around in strike that caught Bephemoth's snout, redirecting the lunge to pass harmlessly to the side while simultaneously delivering force sufficient to crack bone.

Crack.

The creature's momentum carried it past, unable to adjust when its attack had been so perfectly countered. The marked figure stepped forward and delivered kick to Bephemoth's rear leg, striking the joint with precision that hyperextended the limb beyond safe angles.

Pop.

The leg gave out, tendons separated from bone as structural integrity failed. Bephemoth crashed to the floor, three functional limbs insufficient to maintain balance when the fourth was suddenly compromised. The apex predator slid across the bone-littered surface, momentum carrying it into the chamber wall.

The crimson-eyed figure approached slowly, allowing Bephemoth time to rise despite knowing the creature's regeneration was already addressing the leg injury. The marked face showed expression mixing satisfaction and something approaching respect.

"There it is. The Terror Generation's true capability, showing itself despite centuries of atrophy. You adapted to having limbs disabled mid-combat, adjusted weight distribution automatically to maintain function. That's the experience I remember, the survival instinct that kept your generation alive when gods themselves hunted you."

Bephemoth was indeed rising, using the three functional limbs and the partially-regenerated fourth to regain footing. The creature's visible heart was beating with rhythm that suggested it was drawing on reserves beyond what berserker state normally accessed, tapping into power that had been dormant through lack of genuine challenge.

The apex predator and the ancient entity charged simultaneously, meeting in chamber center with collision that exceeded everything that had come before.

BOOM.

The shockwave from impact was physical force, air compressed and then released explosively as impossibly durable bodies crashed together. Bones accumulated on floor were pulverized, reduced to powder by pressure wave that spread across the entire chamber.

They grappled, the marked figure's one functional arm locking with Bephemoth's jaws while the creature's claws raked across its opponent's torso repeatedly. Blood sprayed from both combatants, injuries accumulating faster than either could regenerate despite their respective healing factors.

The crimson-eyed figure drove its knee into Bephemoth's chest, impacting ribs with force that cracked bone despite the prehistoric density. The apex predator responded by using its greater mass, bearing down to crush this thing that refused to die beneath overwhelming weight.

They crashed to the floor again, rolling across the chamber as each sought advantage over the other. The grappling was brutal and unrefined, pure contest of strength and durability rather than technical skill. Bephemoth's size provided leverage that should have been decisive, but the entity's strength was disproportionate to the body's dimensions.

During one exchange, they rolled across where Azure Edge lay forgotten. Bephemoth's bulk came down on the blade, thirty feet of apex predator landing directly on enchanted steel that had served Raze faithfully through countless battles.

The sword shattered.

Crack.

Not bent, not damaged further—completely destroyed. The metal that had been forged by master smiths and enhanced through cultivation techniques was ground to powder beneath force that exceeded what it was designed to withstand. Fragments scattered across the floor, glittering dust that was all that remained of weapon that had carried Expert rank cultivator through dungeon that should have killed him repeatedly.

The combatants separated yet again, both showing damage that would have been fatal if inflicted on anyone else. Bephemoth's regeneration was slowing, the sustained combat finally exceeding even its enhanced healing capacity. Wounds remained open longer, tissue knitting together at reduced speed that spoke to reserves being depleted.

The marked figure was bleeding from dozens of gashes, the torso wounds having expanded through continued assault until ribs were visible through torn flesh. The separated shoulder had worsened to point where the arm was held on primarily by skin and a few remaining tendons, anatomical connection compromised beyond what partial regeneration could quickly address.

But the crimson eyes remained bright with maddening clarity, no hint of weakening despite injuries that should have killed the body multiple times over.

"Now this," the layered voice said through breath that was becoming labored, "is what I've been waiting for. Genuine challenge, opponent that forces exertion rather than casual dismissal."

It raised the one functional arm, fingers spread as power began gathering with intensity that made the air crackle. Crimson energy condensed around the hand, building to levels that were making the vessel's limits increasingly apparent.

"You know what's funny?" the voice continued conversationally. "I've been holding back significantly. Operating at maybe one percent of what this fragment could theoretically channel, because anything more would tear the vessel apart from internal stress."

The energy around its hand intensified further, becoming visible as distortion field that bent light passing through it.

"But you? You've pushed me to where one percent was becoming insufficient. Where I needed to access slightly more just to maintain engagement. Do you understand what that means?"

Bephemoth snarled, the sound mixing challenge and something that might have been comprehension despite limited intelligence. The apex predator recognized that whatever came next would determine the fight's conclusion.

The crimson-eyed figure's marked face split into that too-wide smile, showing too many teeth in expression that promised terrible things.

"It means I'm finally warming up. After eons of imprisonment, after escaping into vessel that's barely adequate, after descending into dungeon that should have been beneath my notice—I've finally found opponent that justifies accessing more than trivial fraction of my capabilities."

The power gathered around its hand reached critical density, energy compressed beyond what normal space should be able to contain.

"So thank you, ancient predator. Thank you for surviving long enough to give me this. The first opponent in this new age that can withstand more than one percent."

The layered voice carried genuine satisfaction beneath the madness, appreciation for challenge that transcended the violence required to produce it.

"Let's see how much more you can endure before one of us breaks completely."

The chamber held its breath, both combatants poised at thresholds that would define how this confrontation concluded. Bephemoth's berserker state pushing its body beyond sustainable limits, the entity's power building toward levels that Raze's vessel might not survive containing.

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