The full moon's ethereal brightness enveloped the forest, leaving its surface in lengthy shadows. Aizel skulked through the shadows, scanning for any indication of the deadly Dire Bjorns, but thus far he had found none.
"I think I should wait now for the old man to arrive; it seems either they are scared or they have run away somewhere," he thought.
"So much for an artifact," he sighed.
"I wonder how Alora is doing alone; I bet she is still watching K-dramas. And what about Dr. Shelly? Did she come back after her visit to her mother?"
Aizel stopped mid-track and took a moment to scan the area as the ground underneath him started to tremble.
It wasn't a constant vibration but rather a periodic trembling that occurred every few seconds.
"Are they finally here?"
Aizel stayed vigilant, keeping a close watch for any activity.
Even when no horde appeared, the periodic tremors remained and shook the ground beneath him. Even though there was no immediate danger, he couldn't get rid of the feeling that something wasn't right.
"Are they waiting for me?" He thought.
As Aizel continued to wait, he noticed the trembling grow stronger and more frequent. Soon after, bolts of lightning began to light up the sky in the distance, followed by the sound of thunder that echoed throughout the forest.
The rain poured down in sheets, creating a loud pattering as it hit the ground. Aizel was unsure of the cause of the disruption, but as he watched the storm rage on in the distance, he began to feel uneasy.
As he moved closer to the cause of the sporadic tremors, Aizel's pulse raced with anticipation.
With every step he took, the lightning grew more and more intense and the sound of rain grew louder.
He walked for a few minutes until he found the source of the tremors. What he discovered was a woodland clearing where the trees had been uprooted and dispersed.
The remaining Dire Bjorns were observing Aizel as he approached them from where they were standing. They let out a loud roar, but Aizel's attention was drawn to brown Dire Bjorn in the middle, who was the biggest and most menacing of them all.
It was taller than the other Dire Bjorns, with an athletic frame and sparkling brown fur. But what really distinguished it was the ease with which it controlled the lightning in the sky, locking its dark eyes on Aizel as he cautiously drew near.
"A Grade III Dire Bjorn," Aizel murmured.
The Grade III Dire Bjorn took deliberate steps towards Aizel, who mirrored its approach with slow, steady strides.
When they met in the middle of the clearing, Aizel tilted his head upwards to meet the monster's gaze, unflinching.
Grrrrr...
Roarrrr....
The Grade III Dire Bjorn rumbled a low, menacing growl as it glared down at Aizel. The other Dire Bjorns around them echoed its aggression with their own deafening roars.
"Oh, so it's like that," Aizel thought.
Aizel made a daring move, raising both of his hands high above his head. He then raised his middle fingers in contempt towards the beast.
The creature's confused expression gave Aizel the perfect opportunity to strike. Aizel used his enhanced strength to deliver a devastating kick to the monster's gut.
Aizel's right arm glowed, and an earthen gauntlet conjured on it. He sprang high and threw an uppercut to the monster's chin with enhanced strength.
The beast staggered and shook his head to knock off the effects of the attack. When he looked up, Aizel had vanished from sight.
Flames burst from the earth beneath the monster's feet, spreading their heat and blazing glare across the surroundings as it stared around in confusion.
Meanwhile, Aizel dashed towards the remaining Dire Bjorns, determined to diminish their ranks before the Grade III Bjorn arrived. He knew they wouldn't wait for long before assaulting him all at once, so he had to act quickly.
As Aizel charged toward the rest of the beasts, the Grade III monster appeared right in front of him, engulfed in lightning that coiled like serpents around its body.
Aizel realized the creature had evaded his attack by utilizing the power of lightning.
The Grade III monster raced at breakneck speed, striking Aizel with crackling, lightning-charged claws. Aizel tried to avoid the beast, but it was too fast, and even his honed lightning reflexes couldn't keep up with the lightning-fast strikes.
Aizel felt a searing pain as the beast's electrified claw tore through his shoulder, leaving behind a deep gash. He stumbled back, quickly summoning his sword.
*Thunder*
The sky above crackled with electricity as bolts of lightning rained down upon Aizel.
He dodged and flowed rapidly, his motions light and smooth as he avoided each strike. The lightning created smoldering craters in the ground where it struck, a monument to its destructive strength.
As Aizel focused on dodging the lightning strikes, the Dire Bjorn seized the opportunity to attack him from behind.
Sensing the danger, Aizel created a layer of hardened rock to shield his back just in time, preventing the beast from ripping him apart.
The monster's clawed attack had been deflected by Aizel's defensive rock barrier, but the impact was powerful enough to send him flying and tumbling over the ground. Despite the shield, he could feel the overwhelming power of the attack.
ROOAARRRRR...
A deafening roar escaped the Grade III Dire Bjorn's jaws, echoing across the battlefield. Aizel watched with dread as the rest of the horde charged towards him in a frenzied rush.
"If I am going to die today, then I will take every single one of you with me."
Aizel sprang to his feet, his eyes blazing with purpose as he dashed towards the frantic crowd, dagger and sword drawn.
He was determined to cut through them, one by one, and take down as many as he could.
Aizel charged forward, sword and dagger in hand, hacking through the monsters one by one. He used his dagger's shadow puppet power while fighting, draining the life energy of the beasts.
The Bjorns attacked with sharp claws, but Aizel replied with smart gusts of wind, allowing him to maneuver. With the dagger's ability, he refined his senses and power, giving him the burst he needed to avoid and deflect the incoming strikes.
