Hidora raised his sword, and the sky tore open. Torrents of lightning, thick as ancient trees, plummeted to the earth, striking with such force that the entire kingdom trembled. "What the hell is this?!" Samura snarled to himself, dodging a searing bolt that vaporized the ground where he'd stood moments before. "If any of those had hit me, I'd be ash. This demon… I've gravely underestimated him."
"No need to hold back now, General," Hidora taunted, casually flicking his sword to clear the dust from his previous attack. "Oh, wait… I don't think you can hold back. Falter for a millisecond, and you're dead!" He lunged, closing the distance in a terrifying blur, then stopped just within Samura's reach, allowing the human to instinctively jump back. A cocky smile played on Hidora's lips as he watched Samura's reaction.
"He's toying with me," Samura breathed, his jaw tight. "Fine. Let's go, Demon." The two warriors clashed, a maelstrom of steel and magic. The ground cracked and quaked, the very heavens seemed to shift with the force of their blows. The demon and human camps, miles away, felt the brunt of their battle. Weaker soldiers collapsed, unconscious from the sheer energy radiating from the fight. Tents were ripped from their moorings, and massive cracks spiderwebbed across the earth. Some unfortunate souls were even flung into the air by the concussive force.
Hidora disengaged, a few minor injuries marring his demonic skin. "You just keep getting more interesting, human! I've decided not to kill you. I'll keep you as my battle pet. Wouldn't that be better?" He raised his left arm, streaks of lightning coiling from his shoulder, down his arm, and into his palm. The lightning converged, forming a brilliant, pulsating orb that swelled until it was four times Samura's size. Hidora dropped his arm, and the ball began to crackle, fissures of raw power appearing on its surface.
"Be grateful, General. Only the worthy witness this. A beast that has claimed hundreds of thousands of lives. It is truly magnificent. Now, Come Forth, Bringer of Heat and Light, Firebolt!" The orb shattered, and Samura felt as if he'd been struck blind, deaf, and mute all at once. The light was searing, the explosion deafening, and his vocal cords seized as the beast erupted from its shell. The world transformed into a hellscape as the lightning beast roared, unleashing gigajoules of energy. He was certain its cry would be heard three hundred miles away.
It was a monstrosity: two multi-horned heads perched on an elongated, multi-layered neck, ending in a chest that accommodated four arms, each terminating in five impossibly sharp claws. Four muscular legs, built for devastating speed, propelled its massive frame. Seven tails whipped and thrashed, beating the ground into molten magma with each strike. Two colossal wings, each larger than the beast itself, unfurled, blotting out the sky.
"What?" Hidora gloated, his voice echoing over the beast's roar. "Are you done? Don't tell me the mere appearance of Firebolt is enough to break you. I thought you were stronger. Guess I overestimated you after all."
"Don't dare mock me!" Samura roared back, silently cursing his momentary despair. "You and your beast are going down, and you will never rise again!" He pointed his sword at Hidora, his voice ringing with defiance. "Your beast will lose the life it has used to kill thousands, and you will lose your life to my blade!"
"Uh, it seems you're getting delirious. No matter. You pose no threat to me, even at your best." Hidora thrust his hand forward, and the beast surged towards Samura, who steeled himself. As the colossal creature bore down on him, Samura muttered, his voice barely audible above the storm, "Blue Flame Spirit Release : Fifth Testament: Panic."
A wave of unseen energy rippled from Samura, not a physical attack, but something far more insidious. The colossal Firebolt, mid-charge, suddenly faltered, its multi-horned heads snapping wildly, its seven tails lashing out erratically, striking nothing. A low, guttural whine, a sound of pure, primal terror, emanated from the beast, and for the first time, a flicker of genuine concern crossed Hidora's face. What had Samura done? What power could instill such fear in a creature of pure lightning and destruction?