Just as Will was about to be crushed beneath the Abyssal Behemoth's colossal foot, Jin stood frozen in the distance—unable to approach without his Firethorn Potion—and Lisa had already collapsed into an exhausted slumber.
"Damn it!" Tears welled in Jin's despairing eyes. He couldn't bear to watch his friend die, nor to see his homeland fall into ruin. Yet in this moment, he was powerless. All he could do was slowly shut his eyes, hoping to escape the horrors unfolding before him.
"ROAR!" The Abyssal Behemoth let out a thunderous howl and slammed its foot down toward Will. Resigned to death, Will bowed his head, bracing for the end.
But seconds passed, and the foot never struck.
"Mister Will, hurry… run!" came the sudden voice of General Lei, echoing from beside him.
"General Lei!" Will cried out, hope rekindled in his voice as he raised his head.
Perhaps it was telepathy, or perhaps Will's voice rang loud enough to reach the heavens—whatever the reason, Jin's tightly shut eyes flew open the moment he heard the name. He turned toward the Behemoth and, without hesitation, surged forward with superhuman speed.
"Brother?" Jin gasped in horror as he neared the creature. He saw General Lei, wreathed in radiant white energy, holding up the behemoth's foot with his bare hands, buying precious seconds for Will to escape.
"Brother!" Jin shouted, his voice trembling.
"Go! You must flee!" General Lei's face twisted in agony. "I've taken the Firethorn Potion—I can hold on for a while longer. Jin, find the king and our family. Get them out of here."
His words were pained and labored—understandably so. It was taking every last ounce of his strength to hold up the demon's massive limb, and now he also had to endure the searing flames that cloaked the monster's body.
"Tch!" Jin clicked his tongue, then dashed to Lei's side without a word, spreading his arms wide to help prop up the beast's foot.
"Fool! What are you doing?!" Lei roared.
"We're going to find them—together!" Jin shouted back, pouring every shred of his strength into resisting the creature. But without the Firethorn Potion, he lacked the sheer power Lei possessed.
"Where's your potion? It would at least help you resist its attacks—look at your hands!" Lei shouted, panic in his voice.
Jin looked down. The hands pressed against the beast were sizzling, the skin blackening from the unbearable heat.
"Well, well… how touching—brotherly love on full display," Merlyn sneered from above, wearing a mockery of a smile.
"Abyssal Behemoth, ignore that runt. Crush the two of them!" Merlyn shrieked, his expression contorted with malice.
"ROAR!" The beast howled and pressed down with renewed force.
"Jin! There's still time—get out of here!" Lei bellowed.
"I… told you… we're leaving… together!" Jin's face was twitching, his body pushed past its limits to resist the crushing weight.
"No! It's impossible without the potion!" Lei cried.
"I'll… prove to you… that I can grow strong… even without it," Jin forced out, each word drawn from the depths of his will.
"ROAR!" The creature doubled its effort.
"AAAH!" Lei and Jin screamed in unison as their strength gave out. Their knees buckled, and they sank lower beneath the monstrous pressure.
"ROAAAR!" The behemoth unleashed its fiercest roar yet and lifted its foot slightly—then slammed it down with bone-shattering force, sending dust billowing across the battlefield.
"Jin! General Lei!" Will, exhausted and collapsed on the ground, shouted in panic, unable to see through the thick haze.
"Two birds with one stone! What a kill!" Merlyn laughed maniacally in midair.
"Merlyn! You bastard!" Will rose to his feet, fists clenched, his eyes burning with fury.
"ROAR…" The beast howled again—but this time, its roar was feeble, stripped of its former might.
"What? What's going on?" Merlyn's excitement gave way to unease.
"Could it be…" Will, who moments ago seethed with rage, now stood frozen, captivated by the change in the creature's voice.
Another weakened roar followed.
As the dust slowly settled, an astonishing sight was revealed. General Lei lay crumpled and unconscious—but Jin, alone, was lifting the behemoth's foot with his bare hands.
Unlike Lei, who had drunk the Firethorn Potion, Jin now radiated an intense crimson aura. His skin had turned scarlet, his eyes glowed red, and his jet-black hair stood on end like bristles of flame.
"Jin!" Will cried out, overcome with hope.
"No… impossible!" Merlyn gasped.
"RAAAAH!" Jin roared, then hurled the beast's foot upward with a burst of strength. The Abyssal Behemoth lost its balance and toppled.
…
At that moment, in a corner of the Arusian capital—
"What? I've explained everything, and you still refuse to move?" Shaoen glared at the gathered commoners, his voice laced with menace.
"Why should we believe you?" "Yeah, how do we know General Lei is really fighting the mages?" "Exactly!"
Doubt rippled through the crowd.
"Tch! You people…" Shaoen spat in disgust. Their questions left him momentarily speechless—he couldn't prove Lei was battling the mages, and taking them to the palace would only endanger them further.
Suddenly, a deafening crash erupted nearby. The massive body of the fallen Abyssal Behemoth landed just outside the palace, not far from where they stood.
"Ah!" "What is that thing?!" "It's a monster summoned by the mages!"
Panic tore through the crowd.
"Yes! That's the mages' doing! Now do you believe me?! Move, move!" Shaoen seized the opportunity, shouting with urgency. The once-defiant commoners scattered in terror.
"Whoever you are… thank you," one of the king's guards said to Shaoen, stepping forward.
Shaoen gave a curt nod, then strode toward the shaken monarch. He removed his hat and pressed it to his chest, bowing with exaggerated grace.
"Your Majesty, General Lei sent me. Please—come with us. I know a place that's far safer than here," he said with a gentle smile.