Predator

A deafening roar echoed across the battlefield.

"ROOOAAAARRR!!!"

The Siberian Tiger stood firm, its golden eyes blazing with fury. Its powerful muscles rippled under its striped coat, and its sharp claws dug into the ground. It faced the three towering Abyssal Giants with unwavering defiance.

Behind it, the Black Panther and Jaguar snarled, ready to strike.

The giants, however, didn't flinch.

(In Giant's Language)

"Look at them," the Skull-Armored Giant sneered. "They think they can stand a chance against us?"

The Spiked Giant chuckled. "Poor little pets… I almost feel sorry for them."

The Four-Armed Giant remained silent, its cold eyes fixed on the tiger. It gripped two massive axes in its upper hands, while its lower fists tightened, preparing for the inevitable clash.

"Go!" Hermes commanded, his voice sharp and determined.

The beasts attacked without hesitation.

The Jaguar sprinted ahead, leaping toward the Skull-Armored Giant. Its claws gleamed as it aimed for the giant's face—

WHAM!

The giant swatted the Jaguar mid-air, sending it crashing to the ground with a sickening crack. The beast tried to stand, but its legs gave out beneath it. Blood pooled around its broken body.

"Jaguar!" Hermes shouted, panic filling his voice.

The Black Panther growled and leapt, sinking its teeth into the Skull-Armored Giant's arm.

(In Giant's Language)

"Feisty little thing," the giant muttered, smirking. "But not for long."

It grabbed the panther by the neck and lifted it off the ground, holding it in the air as it thrashed violently.

"Let's see how long you last!"

With a brutal twist, the giant snapped the panther's neck. Its body went limp, falling to the ground with a thud.

Hermes froze, his breath caught in his throat. His heart pounded in his chest, his mind blank for a split second.

Then rage consumed him.

"YOU F*CKING BASTARD!!!" he shouted, his eyes wide with fury. He raised his blade, prepared to charge at the Skull-Armored Giant.

But before he could move—

WHAM!

The Spiked Giant's fist struck him with devastating force, sending him flying across the battlefield.

CRASH!

Hermes smashed through a stone wall, debris falling around him as dust filled the air. His body lay in the rubble, motionless for a moment.

"H-Hermes!" Rhea screamed from a distance, her voice trembling with fear.

Hermes groaned, forcing himself to his knees. Blood dripped down his face, his breaths coming in ragged gasps.

The Siberian Tiger remained.

It stood between the giants and Hermes, its body battered but unbroken. It let out another fierce roar.

"ROOOAAAARRR!!!"

The Skull-Armored Giant chuckled darkly.

(In Giant's Language)

"This one's got spirit," it said. "Let's play with it before we kill it."

The Spiked Giant grinned. "Good idea. I haven't had fun in a while."

It reached down and grabbed the tiger by the scruff of its neck, lifting it off the ground like a toy.

"Come on, beast… show me what you've got!"

The tiger clawed at the giant's arm, drawing blood, but the giant only laughed.

"Pathetic."

It tossed the tiger aside like a rag doll. The beast hit the ground hard, skidding across the dirt.

Before it could rise, the Skull-Armored Giant kicked it, sending it tumbling again.

"Try harder!" it taunted.

The Four-Armed Giant watched silently, its eyes devoid of emotion.

The tiger struggled to its feet, its legs trembling. Blood dripped from its side, where the Spiked Giant's spear had grazed it earlier. Still, it refused to back down.

(In Giant's Language)

"This one's tougher than the others," the Spiked Giant said, licking its lips. "Let's finish it."

The Skull-Armored Giant raised its hammer high.

"Say goodbye."

The hammer began its descent—

But before it could strike—

SLASH!

In the blink of an eye, the giant's arm was severed. Blood sprayed into the air.

"ARRRGHHH!!!" the Skull-Armored Giant howled, stumbling back.

Hermes stood there, his blade dripping with blood. His body trembled from exhaustion, but his eyes burned with fury.

"DON'T EVER F*CKING TOUCH MY CATS AGAIN!"

The Skull-Armored Giant clutched its bleeding stump, its eyes wide in disbelief.

(In Giant's Language)

"Y-You… How dare you…!"

Before it could finish—

SLASH!

Hermes cut through its leg, and the giant collapsed with a thunderous crash. It writhed on the ground, roaring in pain.

Ignoring it, Hermes knelt beside the fallen tiger, placing a trembling hand on its thick fur.

"Sh*t… I'm sorry," he whispered. His voice cracked as he struggled to hold back tears. "I should've protected you better."

The tiger let out a weak growl, its breath shallow.

A furious roar shook the battlefield once again.

"ROOOAAAARRR!!!"

The Spiked Giant charged at Hermes, its eyes filled with rage.

Hermes rose, his body screaming in pain, but he refused to fall.

"You're dead!" the Spiked Giant snarled.

Hermes narrowed his eyes. "Try me."

SLASH!

A deep gash appeared across the giant's chest. It staggered back, roaring in agony.

Hermes moved like a blur—

SLASH! SLASH!

The Spiked-Back Giant collapsed with a deafening thud, its life snuffed out. Blood seeped into the ground, marking the end of its reign of terror.

Hermes stood over the fallen giants, breathing heavily. His muscles burned, and his body was battered, but he tightened his grip on his blade, his eyes locking onto the final threat—the Four-Armed Giant.

This one was different. Calculated. Cold. It didn't roar in anger or scream in pain. Its icy gaze remained fixed on Hermes, unreadable and unshaken.

It took one step forward. Then another. Each step sent tremors through the ground.

(In Giant's Language)

"You've taken down the weaklings," the giant growled. "But you won't survive me."

It raised its two upper arms, each holding a massive, blood-stained axe. Its lower fists clenched, muscles bulging as it prepared to crush Hermes with brute force.

Hermes wiped the blood from his face and took a deep breath, steadying himself.

"I've taken down two of you already,"

Hermes said, his voice calm but defiant.

"What makes you think you'll be any different?"

The giant's lips curled into a sinister grin.

(In Giant's Language)

"Because I'll make you beg for death before I'm done."

Without warning, the giant charged.

The ground shook with every step the Four-Armed Giant took. It swung its twin axes down with brutal force, aiming to cleave Hermes in two.

Hermes barely dodged to the side, the axes slamming into the ground and kicking up a cloud of dust and shattered stone.

He countered with a swift slash of his blade, aiming for the giant's exposed side.

CLANG!

The blade scraped against the giant's thick skin but failed to cut deep.

"Damn it," Hermes muttered, quickly retreating as the giant swung again.

"You're fast," the giant said, chuckling darkly. "But how long can you keep dodging?"

It raised one of its lower fists and slammed it into the ground, creating a shockwave that knocked Hermes off balance.

Hermes stumbled, and in that brief moment, the giant's left axe came swinging toward him.

CRASH!

The impact sent Hermes flying across the battlefield. His body skidded across the dirt, leaving a deep trail behind him.

"Hermes!" Rhea screamed from the distance, her voice filled with panic.

Hermes groaned, his body screaming in pain, but he forced himself to stand. He coughed, spitting out blood.

"You hit like a truck," Hermes said, wiping his mouth. "But I'm still standing."

The Four-Armed Giant tilted its head.

(In Giant's Language)

"You won't be for long."

It rushed him again, faster than before.

Hermes swung his blade to block the incoming attack, but the giant's lower fist struck first—

BAM!

The punch landed squarely in Hermes' chest, knocking the wind out of him.

His ribs cracked under the force, and he was sent flying once again, crashing into a pile of rubble.

Hermes struggled to breathe. His vision blurred, and his entire body throbbed with pain. Still, he gripped his blade tightly and pushed himself back to his feet.

"I've… faced worse," he muttered to himself.

The Four-Armed Giant laughed, its voice echoing through the battlefield.

(In Giant's Language)

"Pathetic. You're broken, human. Why do you keep standing? You've already lost."

Hermes glared at the giant, his eyes burning with defiance.

"Because I'm not done yet," Hermes growled.

The giant raised both axes high into the air, ready to bring them down with a final, devastating blow.

As the axes descended, Hermes summoned the last of his strength.

He sidestepped at the last second, the axes slamming into the ground with enough force to create a crater.

Hermes seized the opening.

With a surge of energy, he leapt toward the giant, aiming his blade at its chest.

"You talk too much!" Hermes shouted as he drove his blade forward.

SLASH!

The blade bit into the giant's side, blood spraying into the air.

The Four-Armed Giant roared in pain, staggering back.

"You little pest!" it bellowed.

It lashed out with one of its lower fists, catching Hermes off guard.

BAM!

Hermes was sent flying once more, crashing hard into the ground.

The Four-Armed Giant loomed over him, its eyes filled with fury.

(In Giant's Language)

"This ends now."

It raised both axes again, aiming for Hermes' head.

Hermes tried to move, but his body refused to obey. His arms felt like lead, and his vision darkened at the edges.

The students watching gasped in horror.

"He's… he's going to die," someone whispered.

"It's over," another muttered, tears streaming down their face.

Rhea's voice broke as she screamed. "HERMES! PLEASE, GET UP!"

But Hermes couldn't move.

The Four-Armed Giant grinned.

"This is the end, human," it said, bringing its axes down.

Just as the axes were about to strike, a blinding light enveloped the battlefield.

A deep, powerful voice echoed through the chaos.

"You've done well, kid."

The light grew brighter, forcing the giant to step back in confusion.

Hermes blinked, struggling to understand what was happening.

Then everything went white.