章 2002: A Single Minute

The charge of the Master-level beast into close-range combat marked a shift in the battle. The first phase of the battle had ended within thirty seconds of commencement. It ended the moment a significant realization dawned on it.

The realization that it could not kill its target with low effort.

That its opponent was not weak.

That he wouldn't simply perish with little exertion.

That was all that this had been.

Little exertion.

""̸̘̻̫̭̍͌R̸̥͔̭͑̒͗̀͂O̷̢̝̤͕̹̱̳͇͌̔́̂̚͘Ơ̴̧̧̙̳̩̰̇̒͋̾́O̸̱̪͕͖͕͑̐̐̈͋͛̋͠Ȏ̶͚͚̜͔͚͕͋͐͗O̸͚̓͘͘O̶̡̠̠̞͒͒́̐͘Ę̴̤͍̣̤̭͛̈́̃̅̀̍͠E̸̙̯̽̂̔͛̚̕Ȩ̷̭͙͎̈̉̑̂́͊̒ͅĚ̴̡̢̝̼̲̘̃͐͘͝Ḙ̴̤̬̊̃Ą̴̨͓̱̝͚̦̖͒̑̍̃A̷̧͚̠͕͆̐̐̅́Ȁ̴̛̠̈́͑̃̕͝Ą̸̞̮̤̝̝͑̊̽̽̏͘ͅÁ̵̦̺̜̝̾̄̓̽͊͝A̶̧̰͚̜͓̦͆̊ͅÙ̵͚̦͋̀̒̓Ų̴̖̠̞̯̠͂̒͐̍̐͒͘̕U̸̝̼̳̤̟̯̜̾U̵̝̼̇͘U̶͙̫̣̹͖̙͂͗͂͋̆͋͠R̷̡̘͎͖̾̋̇͛R̷̻̪͓̪̩͖̺͋̅̓͘R̶̡̳̖̼͕̞̙̓̒̂̿̒͑̐̐R̸̢̛̙̀̎R̸̛̯̗̺̟̀̓͐̈́͜Ṟ̶̮͉̞͚̝̘̹̆̄̂̾͋̒!̶̬̲̳̓̾͂̽͌̕!̶̢̻̯̠̤̭̟̀͂!̶͔̗̈̃͐̓̆!̵͓̪̈́͋̋̌̒̌̚͠!̷̡͙̥̱̭̱̞̓͛̏͆̍͗̚!!"̸̻͕̯̜͎̈́͝ ̵̢͍̭̱̤͕͐̊̎̔̃͐̇"