'Damn it. Here comes a third player.' Arthur cursed at the poorly timed intrusion, his head turning in the direction the rustle came from. 'Aunt Karen is gonna make me hunt another beast because of this!'
As annoyed as he was at the intrusion, he did not try anything, opting to observe first. There was no shortage of beasts with the appropriate grade his aunt could choose for his coming-of-age hunt.
The gorilla-like beast let out a threatening grumble as its sharp eyes focused in the direction of the rustle. And from the tree lines came another massive predator.
'Of course it had to be an Acidic Viper.'
Arthur huffed at the sight of the green, snake-like beast. The beast was just as impressive as the Rapacious Gorilla. It had glowing emerald scales resembling Beryl, with spikes protruding along its fifteen metres of body length.
Then there were the deadly fangs it packed, along with the acidic venom that dripped to the ground as the Acidic Viper hissed its challenge. The venom sizzled as it corroded and melted the surrounding perennials.
The beast was impressive as it was deadly.
'Ugh… This is why I hate snakes.'
But the very sight of the beast sent an involuntary shudder down Arthur's spine. This was a reaction even the Rapacious Gorilla failed to elicit from him. Yet the viper had achieved it with just its presence.
Arthur narrowed his eyes as he watched the Acidic Viper circle the Rapacious Gorilla, hissing as it analysed its prey for an opening, while the Rapacious Gorilla huffed and growled, its eyes following the Viper, its guard raised.
'What are you going to do, gorilla?'
A brutal fight was imminent. Two apex predators facing off against each other was going to be bloody, more so when their strength hovered on the threshold of grade three beasts.
One possessed brutish strength and power, while the other had acidic venom. Each was lethal in its own right, possessing characteristics that compensated for its visible weaknesses.
Silently, though, Arthur rooted for the Rapacious Gorilla.
A second passed. Then another. The Acidic Viper could not find an opening, and the Rapacious Gorilla did not attack blindly, seemingly familiar with it. Arthur grew more interested as tension continued to grow.
The Viper, although cautious in its movements, was gradually closing the distance towards the Rapacious Gorilla. These beasts were not simply driven by instincts. They were intelligent enough to know a thing or two about strategy and patience.
'Any second now…' Arthur thought with a small smile, picking up on the gorilla's nonverbal cues. 'My buddy Gorilla isn't that dumb, you know.'
ROAR…!!!
The Rapacious Gorilla, as Arthur had predicted, was the first to make its move. Its roar shook the surroundings as it shot forward at speeds that should have been impossible for a beast that size.
It closed the distance to the viper in an instant, swinging a powerful right fist at the viper's head.
With a surprised hiss, the viper pulled back, but failed to dodge the strike in time. The blow connected with a sickening crunch, flinging its head and entire body to the side.
Sadly for the viper, the gorilla wasn't done. Before it could be sent flying, the gorilla let out another ear-piercing roar and grabbed a hold of the viper's midsection and swung it overhead.
With a thunderous boom, the viper found itself buried in the ground. It hissed in agony as it struggled to break free of the hold, left disoriented from the first blow it was dealt. But the gorilla was still far from done.
It flung it overhead once more, slamming the viper on the other side.
'Oo… I wouldn't want to be in its scales.'
The Acidic Viper lost multiple protrusions from the vicious slams, bleeding profusely from the injuries. Rapacious Gorilla delivered a final slam before flinging the viper into the stem of a nearby tree.
With a resounding crack from the stem, the Acidic Viper slid to the ground, letting out low hissing sounds. Rapacious Gorilla let out another roar and beat its chest in a display of its overwhelming might.
'You're indeed powerful, buddy.' Arthur was both impressed and shaken. 'But that viper is not out of the game yet.'
He looked over to where the viper lay and gulped. The serpent was already getting back up, glaring and hissing at the gorilla beast. Then it moved… sliding across the ground at incredible speeds.
It hissed and pulled its head back, unleashing a jet stream of greenish venom at the gorilla beast. Rapacious Gorilla moved to dodge, but it too failed to move fast enough.
ROAR…!!!
'Yeah… that's going to leave scars.'
Arthur hissed at the sight of the acidic splash. Gorilla beast momentarily froze in place, the shock and agony of the sizzling burn of fur and muscles driving it mad with fury.
Muscles melted away like goo, exposing raw, bloody flesh. The acidic venom had splashed all over the gorilla beast's chest with deadly precision. Viper did not hesitate.
It slid around Rapacious Gorilla, binding it in its death grip. The viper hissed as it tightened its grip, daring the gorilla beast to break free. The gorilla beast groaned and roared defiantly, trying to break free.
Fortunately for it, the viper had not been able to bind the gorilla beast's head. Once it shook off the blinding agony, it furiously looked the viper in the eyes and bit down with its powerful fangs, instantly drawing blood.
'That's it, buddy.' Arthur clenched his fists in silent support. 'Show it who's boss.'
HISS…!!!
Acidic Viper snapped its head back and hissed in excruciating agony. Its binding further loosened, creating the opportunity the gorilla beast needed to completely break free.
With a defiant roar, it pushed its arms apart, breaking the viper's death grip. Rapacious Gorilla followed up with a vicious blow at the viper's head, swinging its head back. But the blow wasn't as powerful as it had been before.
'It's going to be a bloody brawl from this point on.'
Both beasts were heavily injured and weakened. They could no longer draw out their full strength. Acidic Viper seemed unwilling to melt its food completely, while Rapacious Gorilla suffered from severe burns.
Arthur watched as the two beasts continued to trade brutal strikes for several minutes, their strength diminishing with each blow they traded. One or both would give out eventually, but Arthur had already lost interest.
He descended to the ground as silently as possible, making sure to stay out of sight.
"Let's put you two out of your misery before more beasts show up."
With a relatively clear line of sight to the two beasts, Arthur assumed a iaijutsu stance. He closed his eyes, taking a deep breath and slowly exhaling.
"Quick Draw Arts: Third Form…"
The air held its breath as essence charged the surroundings.
Then, almost as if the two beasts had sensed the ominous change in the air, they broke away from the brawl and cautiously looked in Arthur's direction, snarling. Their instincts screamed danger, but it was too late.
When Arthur's eyes snapped open, that amusing gleam had vanished. In its place was a focused intent locked onto the two beasts. Finally, he whispered the technique's name.
"...Yielding Flash."