Rebirth of the Disgraced Noble-Chapter 17: Aden and The Beast (2)

The beast didn’t spare a moment and lunged toward Aden with a thunderous roar.

Aden’s eyes glowed as he infused energy into them.

The claws were mere inches from his face before he sidestepped to the left, causing them to bury deep into the tree once more.

The trunk shuddered violently, it’s bark splintering as the beast struggled to wrench itself free.

Aden didn’t hesitate.

He dashed forward and leapt onto its body.

The air twisted around his arms as he rained violent blows into its back and sides, each strike reverberating with dull, concussive force. Golden fur rippled under the impact, but the beast roared in fury and swung its body violently.

The sudden momentum sent Aden flying.

He skidded across the soil before planting his feet firmly, the surrounding trees trembling from the force of his halt. Dirt scattered beneath his boots as he steadied himself, his breath sharp but controlled.

The beast turned.

Its eyes blazed an intense yellow. The air grew hotter, vibrations grew visible in the atmosphere. Leaves curled, bark cracked, and nearby trees began to char as heat radiated from its massive frame.

With a primal roar, a torrent of flames blasted toward Aden.

The soil blackened instantly as the fire tore through the clearing.

Sweat beaded on Aden’s forehead, yet his expression remained calm, his eyes constantly calculating.

The flames drew closer.

But the beast didn’t remain idle. It charged forward, timing its movement perfectly, preparing to strike the moment the fireball landed.

Aden’s eyes narrowed.

’It’s intelligent.’

His energy flared higher, his body moving with such speed one could mistake it for teleportation. The fireball collided with a nearby tree and four others around it, exploding into embers and ash.

The beast halted abruptly.

Its ears perked up, its head snapped from side to side whilst it’s massive claws gouged into the earth with each step.

’...I’ll show you how much I’ve grown,’ Aden thought. ’Maybe then you’ll stop looking at me like that.’

From the peak of a towering tree directly above the beast, Aden watched with predatory calm. Below, it prowled in restless circles, decimating every tree in its path with careless swipes.

’That being said... I need a proper weapon.’

His gaze swept the forest floor, searching for anything usable, but nothing caught his eye.

Suddenly, the beast stopped.

Its head snapped upward.

Its maw opened wide, a massive fireball forming within.

Aden’s hands trembled slightly as an involuntary gulp escaped him. His free hand tightened around the branch, stabilizing his stance as heat washed over his face.

A flash of sunlight reflected sharply off his ring.

Aden’s breath hitched.

’I wonder...’

Not giving the fireball any chance to draw closer, he leapt to an adjacent tree and watched as the one he’d just abandoned burst into flames.

The snapping and cracking of burning wood echoed behind him, but he ignored it.

Focusing his energy into the ring, a faint shimmer surrounded it, but his gaze never left the beast. Its massive figure appeared and vanished amid the dense vegetation, flames licking the forest in its wake.

Urgency surged through him.

He forced more energy into the ring, trying to barge past whatever seal restrained it. His brows furrowed at the dogged resistance it posed.

He pushed harder.

A roar thundered behind him, violent enough to make his heart lurch.

’Come on!’

He didn’t stop.

Jumping from tree to tree, he fled with desperate precision, each trunk igniting moments after he left it. The heat chased him relentlessly, the forest dying step by step beneath the beast’s advance.

’Its locked in...’

Gritting his teeth, Aden poured even more energy into the ring, veins tightening along his wrist as he tried once more to break its seal—all while putting as much distance between himself and the beast as he could.

Suddenly, a wave of energy flowed outward from the ring, smashing him directly in his face.

His face distorted at the force, his body wavered but he managed to steady himself.

Or so he thought.

The beast took it’s chance and slammed the tree with all the force it could muster.

Aden’s eyes widened in horror as the winds blew wildly against his back.

"Shit!" He cursed out loud.

The blazing heat licked at his clothes, scorching fabric before he even closed the distance to the beast.

Strengthening his core, Aden twisted midair and barely managed to evade the fireball hurtling straight for him.

Barely.

The edge of it grazed him.

His arm absorbed most of the impact as he crashed into the ground, the force knocking the breath from his lungs.

"Fuck!"

His arm hung at an unnatural angle as he struggled to his feet, pain screaming through his nerves.

The beast didn’t relent.

It charged, claws extended to their limit, its maw yawning open to reveal rows of massive, jagged teeth.

His body went cold.

Death loomed so close it felt tangible.

Aden’s eyes flicked to the ring once more as he darted through the trees, each trunk offering only a fleeting moment of cover before being reduced to ash.

’Should I try again?’ he wondered with ragged breaths.

His clothes were barely holding together, his boots worn down from relentless movement, but stopping wasn’t an option.

With a strained, hopeful look, he forced even more energy into the ring, pushing against the unseen barrier within.

Then—

A massive heatwave slammed into his back.

The fireball struck fully this time, hurling him forward like a ragdoll.

"Arghhh!!!"

Pain tore through him as his body skidded across the forest floor, skin blistering as dark burn marks spread across his frame.

Letting out a dry exhale, he staggered to his feet and continued running awkwardly with a haggard expression.

The ring refused to budge no matter how much energy he poured into it, and his reserves were running dangerously low.

Another fireball flew toward him, accompanied by the most primal roar.

His heart sank, but he ran, this time in zigzag movements.

It wasn’t enough.

Once again, the fireball crashed into him, destroying whatever remained of his outfit and slamming him into a tree.

The impact forced his body forward, leaving him face to face with the beast. All that filled his vision were jagged teeth, threatening to consume him whole.

His heart thundered as he consciously circulated his energy through every part of his body and twisted away from its bite.

He wasn’t so lucky, though.

A large chunk of his shoulder was torn away, leaving blood to spray round the forest ground.

"Aaarghhh!!!"

Stumbling upright, he pressed down on the wound in a futile attempt to stop the bleeding.

He rolled to the side just in time.

Clenching his teeth with a pained expression, he ducked a swipe from the beast’s claw.

A growl followed then another swipe.

The left claw appeared right next to his neck as he evaded again but then he belatedly realized something.

He was trapped between the two claws.

"This can’t be..."

The beast’s imposing face became larger than ever. Every detail was magnified in Aden’s eyes, and the immense heat caused slight burn marks to appear on his hair and face.

The beast lowered its face even more as it opened it’s maw, afraid he might escape at the slightest chance.

Aden’s eyes shook violently, his face contorted dangerously, the transparent energy flickering in and out of life as the gravity of the situation settled in.

’I was careless...all because of this fucking ring!’

The panic in his eyes melted and mixed with the burning anger that burned within him.

Aden grit his teeth and moved whatever was left of his arms, infusing every drop of Resonance energy into them.

They gripped the two sides of the beast’s mouth, the burning flames chipping away at the coating by the second.

The beast’s eyes widened as it shook its head violently, smashing Aden’s body against the soil and dragging him across it.

Rocks and splintered wood tore into his back, but his eyes remained locked on the beast’s as his hands continued to pry at its jaws, unmoved by the inferno roaring between them.

Scattered flames flew out of its mouth as it shook, some flew against Aden’s skin and face, the rest burning patches of the soil before fading away.

A primal roar sounded, but this time it wasn’t from the beast.

It was from Aden.

The air twisted as he bent his body backward, his hands burying themselves into the beast’s mouth, forcing it to bend in Aden’s direction.

Flames licked at him, but the thin coating of energy alleviated part of the damage—though the pain persisted. Sparks rained around him as embers from the nearby trees scattered in the air.

"I’ll kill you!!!"

With one last shout, Aden’s hands tore through the beast’s mouth, the rip running from the corners of its mouth to the tip of its nose.

It struggled fiercely in its dying moments, jerking its head violently, claws scraping the scorched soil. Rocks and broken branches flew in every direction, but Aden held it in place, pulling even farther toward its eyes.

Its feet scraped against the soil, quickly at first, then slowing, until it finally stopped.

Aden finally let go. The Resonance energy coating him flickered out of existence and immense amount of blood sprayed out of his shoulders and arms.

He staggered and crashed against a tree. The tree fell backwards with a large crash.

Aden laid on the ashen tree with ragged breaths, blood spilled through every orifice and his face twisted in pain.

But he forced himself awake.

"I want to see what happens next..." He mumbled.