The monster felt like vomiting—its head spinning so violently that it stumbled backward, dazed. It wasn't just exhaustion that left it deeply shaken.
The sight of Aaron wasn't just unexpected—it was unreal. Not only had Aaron's body completely recovered, but he now radiated strength, far greater than before.
The winged tiger monster stood frozen, eyes wide in disbelief. It tried using its enhanced senses to re-evaluate Aaron's condition, but the result was the same: nothing made sense. Ziva, the tiger, couldn't trust what she was seeing. It shook everything she thought she knew—even her trump card, the devastating Blood Lightning technique she'd perfected and relied on for centuries.
"How... how is this even possible?" she muttered, stunned.
"That red lightning is my strongest attack! It's my ultimate move! Even that damn filthy ape was nearly killed by it during our last fight—he would've died if he hadn't fled!" Ziva's eyes twitched with disbelief.
"Hello! Anybody home? You've got a visitor!"
Suddenly, a voice echoed from the mouth of the cave, snapping Ziva out of her daze.
'That cursed monkey! Always showing up when I'm at my worst!'
"Just thinking about him is enough to make him appear!"
Ziva dashed out of the cave, and sure enough, standing there was a massive gorilla, slightly bigger than she was. His body resembled stone, crisscrossed with glowing red lava-like veins that pulsed with intense heat.
"What do you want?" she snapped, annoyed.
"Hahaha... So rude. Well, as always, there can't be two kings in one kingdom! And since you look to be in decent shape, I came to challenge you to a duel!" the gorilla said with a sly grin.
"You're shameless as ever. Always looking for opportunities when others are weak," Ziva sneered.
"I wouldn't be surprised if you followed me even when I went to take a dump..."
Ignoring her words, the gorilla lunged with full force.
He remained cautious, wary of any surprise counterattack, particularly a technique he hadn't seen before. Blow after blow was launched at Ziva, each punch sending visible shockwaves through the air. But she, despite her weakened state, evaded every strike by taking to the skies with her wings.
Frustrated, the gorilla cloaked his hands in blazing red fire and began hurling fireballs at her. Each one flew like a meteor, tearing through the air with sonic cracks.
Ziva, having used nearly all her energy in her final attack on Aaron, could only muster the faint remnants of her strength. She summoned her blue lightning and fired it to intercept the fireball, managing to block or dodge them.
But her stamina was waning fast. Unlike her, the gorilla was still at full strength. Ziva had no choice but to stay airborne and dodge, engaging in a high-stakes game of evasion.
Meanwhile, the gorilla kept escalating his attacks—fire spears, explosive fireballs, boulders, and even waves of flame—each strike intended to wear her down before he revealed his trump card.
"Ziva! Are you just going to keep running? Fight me! Where's that pride and arrogance you always flaunt, you coward?!"
He roared, taunting her from below. Unable to fly, he had to rely on ranged attacks—none of which landed due to Ziva's agility in the air.
"Wow, I didn't know even filthy apes had egos," Ziva shot back sarcastically, mocking his pathetic attempts to gain the upper hand while she was not at her best.
Yet without being able to land a solid physical hit, and with Ziva refusing to come down, the fight turned into a prolonged chase, each combatant playing to their strengths.
Ziva had a flight. The gorilla had raw, brute strength. But in her current state, any direct clash would be suicide.
As the battle dragged on, Ziva's stamina continued to drain. Eventually, a few fireballs slipped past her defenses, striking her in the abdomen and knocking her off balance. She spiraled out of control—like a helicopter with a broken rotor—and plummeted.
Seizing the opportunity, the gorilla didn't hesitate. He gathered more energy in his mouth, compressing it into a blazing orb of molten lava. Then, with a thunderous roar, he fired it at the falling Ziva.
With her last ounce of strength, Ziva concentrated her remaining lightning into her wings. She wrapped them around her body, forming a cocoon of crackling energy that glowed like a sphere of light.
But as the lava orb hit the glowing ball that was Ziva, the light burst into flames, and her body was hurled hundreds of meters away from the battlefield.
"Bwahaha! Look at you now, Ziva! What a pathetic sight!" the gorilla bellowed in triumph.
And Ziva truly was a pitiful sight. Her once-glorious fur was scorched—she looked like a roasted bird, ready to be served.
"Blergh—"
She coughed up blood, struggling to breathe, her chest burning with every inhale. Still, she managed to speak:
"Haha... are you proud? Attacking someone who already used up most of her strength?" she sneered, her voice thick with contempt.
The gorilla snorted.
"Who cares? I won! I'm now the sole ruler of this forest! And I guess I should thank that foolish little creature who forced you to use your red lightning and waste your power!"
"Well then! The time has come… I can't wait to devour you and become even stronger. Goodbye, neighbor!"
The crushing satisfaction of finally besting his old nemesis lulled the Fire Gorilla Monst.
Whoosh—
"Oh, what luck! It seems we'll be neighbors once more… in the spirit realm. How utterly delightful. Hahaha…"