Chapter 15: Chapter 16. Desperate gambit.

"Now we wait," Kyoji whispered, crouching low and watching carefully.

Frederick was peppering the mutant with attacks, making it even angrier.

Although Frederick's attacks were little more than mosquito bites to the powerful creature, they were annoying enough to drive it crazy, especially now when it was trying so hard to achieve a breakthrough.

The mutant roared in anger, but Frederick ignored it and fitted another arrow to his bow. He aimed for the eyes once again, and this time, the arrow found its mark.

The arrow hit the mutant's eye with a loud bang.

ROAR!

Even though the mutant had managed to shut its eye just in time, protecting it with its thick eyelid, it was still furious. Frederick had almost hit its weakest point – its eyes.

The mutant opened its mouth, revealing rows of jagged, terrifying teeth and a long, sticky tongue covered in spikes.

In a flash, the tongue shot out towards Frederick.

"Damn!" Frederick cursed, scrambling to get away.

Meanwhile, Kyoji, who had been waiting for the perfect moment to strike, smiled.

"Now!" he muttered, as if reminding himself.

He gripped his throwing spear tightly and prepared to move.

Kyoji dashed out from his hiding place, heading straight for the distracted mutant. It was so focused on Frederick that it didn't notice the tiny human approaching.

As Kyoji got close enough to attack, he didn't slow down. Instead, he pushed himself forward, leaping onto a large rock from the ruined temple wall.

Using the rock as a springboard, Kyoji launched himself even higher into the air.

Focusing all his strength into his right hand, the hand holding the spear, he hurled it towards the mutant.

Time seemed to stop as the spear left his hand. Kyoji could feel his heart pounding in his chest, beating incredibly fast.

He knew this might be his only chance to hit the creature.

If he missed, the mutant would know he was there, making it almost impossible to land another attack. This throw had to count, no matter what.

Kyoji's eyes were locked on the spear, even as he felt his heart still racing in his chest.

Finally, the spear reached its target – the mutant's eye, exactly where Kyoji had aimed.

The mutant sensed danger, but its attention was split between its breakthrough and attacking Frederick. It reacted too slowly. The spear pierced its eye before it could even flinch.

"Yes!" Kyoji shouted in triumph. But his excitement was short-lived. The spear hadn't gone all the way through. It was lodged halfway, not deep enough to kill.

The mutant, far from dying, was even more enraged. This tiny creature had dared to injure it!

Furious, it lashed out at Kyoji with several of its tentacles. He was close enough to be within easy reach.

"Damn!" Kyoji swore, scrambling back to avoid the tentacles.

He knew he couldn't dodge them in time. His only option was to find cover. He sprinted towards a nearby boulder and dove behind it without looking back.

The tentacle slammed into the boulder the instant he took cover.

The force of the blow shattered the rock, sending sharp pieces flying everywhere.

Kyoji wasn't spared. Although the boulder had absorbed most of the impact, he was caught in the blast. Luckily for him, it wasn't a direct hit. The force only sent him tumbling across the ground.

Kyoji didn't roll for long. He pushed himself up from the ground, using his hand for support.

The moment he was back on his feet, his danger sense screamed a warning.

He didn't hesitate. He turned and ran.

He had barely taken a few steps when a massive spike slammed into the ground where he'd just been, missing him by an inch.

The impact sent tremors through the ground, throwing debris into the air. Some of the rubble slammed into Kyoji's back, sending him sprawling to the ground in agony.

"Argh!" Kyoji cried out in pain.

He was sure he'd heard a snap. Something was definitely broken. He felt a warm, wet sensation on his back.

He was bleeding.

But he didn't have time to rest. His instincts screamed another warning, alerting him to a new threat.

Forcing himself up, Kyoji pushed on. He ignored the searing pain in his back.

It felt like a metal rod was jammed into his spine as he ran.

More huge spikes shot out from the mutant's back, targeting him as he fled.

The ground cracked and split behind him, walls crumbled in his path. It felt like the whole world was against him. A chilling sensation crawled up his back, whispering that he wasn't going to survive this.

The pain was unbearable, and he was getting weaker as he lost more blood. Frederick was gone. Kyoji was on his own.

"Damn it!... Damn it all!" he cursed through gritted teeth.

_____

Meanwhile, in another part of the temple…

Ethan was huddled inside a fireplace, hidden behind a large boulder.

"I'm such a failure," he mumbled, breaking the silence of his hiding place.

He could feel the power surging within him. He was far stronger now than he'd ever been. His abilities had awakened. But instead of using his newfound strength to help, he was cowering here while others fought for their lives.

"I'm nothing but a coward. I don't deserve this power," he muttered, tears streaming down his face.

A part of him desperately wanted to burst out of his hiding spot and join the others. But a bigger part was terrified and selfish. It just wanted to stay hidden and survive.

"Is this what a hero looks like? Is this how I'm supposed to make money and give Grandpa and little Timmy a good life? By being a coward?" he whispered, clenching his fists until they ached, forcing himself to relax his grip.

Hugging his knees to his chest, Ethan trembled as the sounds of the battle echoed around him – roars, shouts, and explosions.

He wanted to cover his ears and block it out, but he knew it was pointless. The fighting was too far away for the sounds to reach him. The roars, the shouts, the explosions – they were all in his head.

Minutes crawled by as Ethan remained trapped in his fear. But slowly, he lifted his head. His eyes, though filled with terror, flickered with determination. Kyoji's words echoed in his mind...

"Being pathetic is one thing, but staying pathetic is another." Kyoji's handsome face, framed by white hair and startling blue eyes, flashed in his mind.

Even though his body still trembled, his eyes were resolute. He reached out towards the boulder blocking the fireplace and closed his eyes, taking a deep breath.

"Here goes nothing," he whispered. He pushed against the boulder with all his strength.