The weeks dragged on for Saruto, but he never stopped.
Each day he increased the room's gravity, pushing his body to unimaginable limits.
He reached x25 and began experimenting with new formations:
Cheetah paws for speed.
Dragon's arm.
Water gills for underwater breathing.
But just as he came close to mastering it, his body would collapse again, bringing up the system's screen and healing himself to get back up.
One night, he looked at the lightboard with heavy eyes:
"It's not enough… I have to reach x30 before I can set foot in the academy."
He increased the level all at once.
A crushing pressure knocked him to the ground, but he cried out defiantly:
"If I can't take it now… I never will!"
With sweat pouring down his forehead, he managed, for the first time, to hold the Cheetah paws and Dragon's fist formation together, if only for a few seconds.
---
Return to the Founder's World
Five days before entering the academy, he sat in a state of complete concentration and was transported once again to the Founder III's world.
The same wondrous island: giant trees, cascading waterfalls, and wild animals roaming freely.
The Founder III appeared before him, his body half-human, half-shifting, and said with a serious smile:
> "I've returned… and I see a different determination in your eyes."
Saruto replied with scorching coldness:
> "I won't allow myself to remain defeated. This time… I will crush you."
---
The Fight Escalates
The battle began with a barrage of attacks.
The Founder formed his paws into those of a panther, lunging with lightning speed, attacking with a series of consecutive blows.
Saruto countered by forming a dragon's arm and parried the attacks, but the Founder III surprised him and landed a punch to the stomach that knocked him to the ground.
He collapsed to the ground clutching his stomach, but he rose, tried again, and learned how to maintain the balance of his formations.
Day Four…
His body was covered in wounds, but he managed to form a dual form:
A leopard's leg.
A fiery arm.
A hawk's eye for seeing the subtlest movements.
The Third Founder raised his eyebrows in surprise and said,
> "You're beginning to understand… This isn't the power of animals; it's the power of the Dark Family."
---
The Final Battle
On the fifth day, the decisive moment.
Saruto enters the Founder's world, standing with a confidence he's never possessed before.
The Third Founder smiles as he assumes a fighting stance:
> "Show me… how far you've come, Saruto."
The two charged forward, the ground trembling beneath their feet, the air tearing with dark energy.
Saruto transformed his legs into a leopard's, his arms into a dragon's, and charged swiftly toward the Third Founder. The Third Founder, in turn, transformed his body and blocked Saruto's attack.
The fight shakes the entire island, each blow sending clouds of dust into the sky. They move about the island, exchanging blows, when suddenly the Third Founder grabs Saruto by the arm and throws him into the sea. Saruto is unable to breathe, so he transforms his throat into gills using the power of darkness. He touches the seabed and is startled by the Third Founder rushing towards him, having formed wings. Their fists clash, creating a deafening roar, and they exchange many blows. Saruto notices his energy is running low and emerges from the sea to conserve it. He hovers in the sky, using his wings, waiting for the opportunity for the Third Founder to attack. Saruto transforms his throat into a dragon's throat and gathers fire to unleash upon the Founder. The Founder emerges from the water, speeding towards Saruto. Saruto watches for the moment he gets closer, and when he reaches the point Saruto has prepared, he breathes the fire he has been preparing. The Founder is taken by surprise and tries to deflect the flames, which engulf him completely. As he tries to block them, Saruto emerges from the midst of the fire and strikes Two punches to the stomach of the Third Founder knock him to the ground, wincing from the fire and the blows Saruto had delivered.
After a long fight, the Third Founder stops, panting, a proud smile on his face:
"Well done… You've got me."