C12 The Death of the Little Black Bear.!
"Hiss!" The massive serpent let out a hiss and lunged at the short man, initiating the attack.
The short man found himself in dire straits, with a tiger before him and a snake behind, both intent on taking his life. Yet, there was no hint of panic in him.
The two black bears at his back, one shimmering with a flash of light, slammed their broad backs into the Flame Tiger with ferocity. The other bear extended its furry claws, seizing the lunging serpent, and without hesitation, slammed it into the ground with a fierce embrace.
"Bang!" "Bang!"
Two thunderous crashes echoed in succession.
The Tiger King, sent airborne, effortlessly righted itself and landed gracefully a short distance away. The snake's fate was less fortunate, pinned to the earth by the smaller black bear, immobilized...
"Roar!" The Flame Tiger issued another furious roar.
With a mere step, the space before it warped, and it dove headlong into the distortion.
The short man, witnessing the Beast King vanish, reached out to pat the large bear before him.
"Bai! Stay alert, it can briefly traverse through space."
"Oh roar!"
The large bear let out a low growl and nodded with an almost human-like understanding.
...
The standoff on the field was palpable.
The short man stood at the center of the clearing, his black bear companion firmly pinning the giant serpent, which in turn was coiled tightly around its limbs and torso, the pressure seemingly enough to crack bones.
The vigilant big bear scrutinized the surroundings, wary of giving the vanished Flame Tiger any opportunity for a surprise attack.
To the short man's left stood the aggressive flat-headed brother, who, for reasons unknown, merely observed in silence, abstaining from the fray.
And the Wolf King beside the Frog King?
Its disappearance went unnoticed...
Beneath the surface calm, a tempest raged.
On this side,
The short man's face suddenly contorted: "Bei Bei! Unleash the Torrential Water Curtain!"
From within his cloak, a half-open humanoid shell emerged: "Bebe ~ Bebe!"
"Whoosh!"
A curtain of water, glowing blue, enveloped the short man, shielding him securely.
As the water curtain solidified, a red flame blade materialized before the short man!
The agitated fire elements condensed into a slender flame blade, poised to react violently upon contact with other elements.
"Bang!" "Boom!!!"
A mighty blast sent the short man flying.
It was then that the slower-reacting black bear noticed the Flame Tiger, the assailant of its master.
"Roar! Roar!"
The bear, eyes red with rage, gazed at its charred master and bellowed an angry roar, charging at the Flame Tiger with formidable fury.
In its wrath, it sought only to shred the Flame Tiger that had harmed its master.
But would the Flame Tiger, a Beast King of exceptional gifts, allow such a fate?
Clearly not!
"Roar! You foolish slave to humans..."
The Flame Tiger, nonchalantly licking its dusty claws, watched the oncoming black bear with a serene gaze.
The black bear's rage intensified, white breath billowing from its nostrils, black smoke rising from its body as it channeled all its strength into its claws, now bloodied and raw.
"Roar! Roar!... Die!!!"
The big barbarian unleashed a furious blow, its blood-soaked claw, powered by its full might, swung fiercely...
The crew-cut brother, previously a mere spectator, now recoiled slightly: "Sizzle!..."
Such a formidable presence, it felt as though the space around was constricted, and he would have to endure it head-on. How would the Tiger King fare?
In the Flame Tiger's perception,
The world had lost all luster, plunged into darkness; its body felt as if buried in the earth, immobile; only a massive bear claw loomed closer, threatening to crush it to dust.
Yet the Flame Tiger remained unresponsive, as if oblivious to the impending doom.
In an instant, whether a second or a mere tenth of it, under the watchful eyes of Brother Pingtou and the horrified gaze of the Frog King, the black bear's brute force came crashing down.
"Rumble!" "Whoosh!"
The explosive blast sent leaves swirling in a frenzied dance.
Was it dead?
All eyes were fixed on the crater created by the black bear, now obscured by drifting dust and unclear details.
"Roar?" The big black bear peered at its bloodied claws in bewilderment.
Had I become so powerful? Did I reduce it to ash? Why is there no sensation of impact?
"Big Man, Second Man! Behind you!" The voice belonged to the short man.
He had survived. His third Pet Beast, Water Babe, had saved him from certain death.
Though Water Babe, the big bear, the Flame Tiger, and Brother Pingtou were of equal rank, they had succumbed to near-death after enduring the wrathful strike of the Beast King, the Flame Tiger.
The short man himself had only been grazed by the aftershock, but even that slight brush was nearly enough to knock the wind out of him.
Thankfully, there were no casualties. The short man also managed to retrieve Shui Bei Bei, who was teetering on the brink of death.
Thanks to the Pet Beast Classic, known for its effectiveness in healing all pet injuries, Shui Bei Bei's life was spared.
But just as the short man came to his senses, he witnessed...
"Roar!"
The space behind the black bear twisted slightly, and the Flame Tiger sprang forth.
The Flame Tiger was poised to ambush and slay the weakened black bear, but the bear, alerted by the short man's cry, lunged forward in time to evade the Flame Tiger's pounce.
Da Man, now facing the Flame Tiger, heaved with exhaustion. He had no strength left.
The Flame Tiger before him was also panting heavily. Despite being a Gold-stage spirit beast, it couldn't casually use a potent skill like space jumping.
It had only acquired the spatial attribute and the ability to jump through a fortuitous encounter in its youth.
Yet each leap drained a significant amount of its stamina, leading both creatures into a deadlock...
This standoff, however, was abruptly shattered by a piercing scream.
It was the little black bear!
"Roar! Roar! Roar!"
Seconds earlier, as the short man had called out, a figure materialized behind the snake.
It was the Wolf King!
It had vanished stealthily, unbeknownst to the others. It had been lurking behind the snake all along, undetected.
But the sly wolf chose that precise moment to strike...
