The Dreadvex Ape lay stunned behind them, struggling to rise, its massive body still sprawled across the crater it had created while beating Yuuta.
The beast's golden eyes blinked slowly, confusion replacing the cruel intelligence that had burned there moments before.
Its chest heaved with labored breaths that sounded like rocks tumbling down a mountainside. Its limbs trembled as it pushed against the ground, thick fingers digging into the dirt, trying to find the strength to stand.
Blood still dripped from its nose where Sophia had bitten it, black and thick, pooling on the ground beneath its massive head.
The queen stood frozen above them, her green eyes wide, her hands trembling at her sides, her mouth open but silent.
