Atlas lunged forward, fists glowing with low-level earth magic, hurling shards of jagged rock. The stones tore free from the ground around him, spinning through the air like missiles. They whistled as they flew, sharp edges glinting in the harsh sunlight. It was everything he had left, every ounce of strength he could muster poured into this one desperate attack.

But the ihe moved faster than the eye could track, sidestepping effortlessly. One moment it was directly in the path of the projectiles, and the next it had shifted, its body flowing like water around the incoming stones. The rocks sailed past harmlessly, crashing into the buildings behind it and sending up clouds of dust. The creature didn't even look concerned. If anything, it seemed bored.

It swatted its arm casually like it was swatting a fly and it slammed into Atlas, sending him flying into the ground. The impact was devastating. Atlas's body hit the street with bone-jarring force, sending dust and rubble flying in all directions. The air was knocked from his lungs in a single violent gasp, and pain exploded through his chest and back. He felt something crack—a rib, maybe two—and his vision went white for a moment.

Atlas groaned, struggling to rise. His arms trembled as he tried to push himself up, but his body refused to cooperate. Every muscle screamed in protest. Blood trickled from his nose and the corner of his mouth. His head was spinning, and he could barely focus. The world around him seemed to tilt and blur.

Meanwhile, the ihe locked onto Ken, its gleaming eyes narrowing. There was something almost predatory in the way it looked at him now, like a cat that had finally cornered a mouse. It took a slow, deliberate step forward, its tail swaying behind it in anticipation.

Ken spun, shadow tendrils whipping around him, trying to block the assault. The darkness erupted from his body in waves, forming layers upon layers of barriers between him and the creature. But the ihe's speed was relentless. It closed the distance in an instant, its claws slashing through the shadows like they were paper. Each strike was precise, calculated, aimed to inflict maximum damage.

Each strike threw him across the battlefield, his body twisting violently, bones rattling, shadow shields barely holding. Ken felt his ribs compress under the force of a blow, felt his shoulder dislocate and snap back into place with a sickening pop. Pain radiated through him with every impact, but he couldn't stop moving. Stopping meant dying.

Every hit forced him to push harder, stretching his powers to the limit. The shadows around him burned brighter, darker, more intense than they'd ever been before. They flickered with an almost flame-like quality, shadow flames burning brighter with every impact. His ability was reaching its breaking point, the strain threatening to tear him apart from the inside out.

But the ihe grinned, as if savoring the torment. It wasn't trying to kill him quickly. It was playing with him, testing him, seeing how much he could endure before he broke. The creature's enjoyment was written plainly across its face, in the way it moved, in the measured pace of its attacks. This wasn't a fight. This was entertainment.

Ken's vision blurred. His breathing came in ragged gasps. Blood dripped from a cut above his eye, stinging as it ran down his face. His legs felt like they were made of lead, and his arms trembled with exhaustion. He didn't know how much longer he could keep this up. Seconds? Minutes? It all blurred together into one endless nightmare of pain and fear.

Atlas scrambled behind debris, trying to regroup. His movements were clumsy, uncoordinated, driven more by instinct than conscious thought. He pressed his back against a chunk of broken wall, breathing heavily, trying to clear his head. His ribs throbbed with every breath, and his vision still swam, but he forced himself to focus.

He whispered under his breath as he summoned trembling boulders to distract the ihe. His hands glowed faintly with earth magic, and the ground around him responded sluggishly. Several large stones lifted into the air, wobbling unsteadily as Atlas struggled to maintain control. His energy was nearly depleted, and the effort of lifting even these few rocks made his head pound.

The boulders hurtled toward the ihe, not particularly fast, but enough to draw its attention for a moment. The creature glanced at them with mild interest and casually batted them aside with its tail, sending them crashing harmlessly into the street.

But it was enough. That split second of distraction gave Ken the opening he needed.

Ken barely managed to roll away from a tail sweep, panting, blood streaked on his face, shadows coiling tighter, energy screaming through him. The tail had come within inches of his head, close enough that he felt the wind of its passage. He hit the ground hard, rolled, and came up in a crouch, every muscle in his body protesting.

His shadows were thinner now, barely more than wisps clinging to his body. His reserves were almost gone. He could feel the emptiness inside him, the hollow ache that came when an ability was pushed too far. But he couldn't stop. Not yet.

Atlas moved silently, attempting a flanking strike. He pushed off from the debris, moving as quietly as he could manage despite the pain. His plan was simple—attack from the side while the ihe was focused on Ken, maybe land a solid blow, maybe buy them a few more seconds. It was a long shot, but it was all he had.

He raised his fist, earth energy crackling weakly around his knuckles, and lunged forward.

But the ihe's tail lashed out like a whip, smashing into him with brutal force. Atlas didn't even see it coming. One moment he was moving forward, and the next he was airborne, his body spinning helplessly through the air. The impact drove the air from his lungs and sent fresh waves of agony through his broken ribs.

He was sent flying again, crashing into Ken's path. His body hit the ground and skidded, tumbling end over end before finally coming to a stop directly in front of Ken. Blood pooled beneath him, and his vision flickered in and out. He tried to move, tried to get up, but his body wouldn't respond. Everything hurt. Everything.

"ATLAS!" Ken shouted, his voice torn between rage and disbelief. He stared at his friend's broken body, sprawled out on the ground in front of him, and something inside him snapped. Not his fear—that was still there, sharp and overwhelming—but something else. Something deeper.

He couldn't let this happen. He couldn't let Atlas die. Not like this. Not here.

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