The dust had barely settled when the Chimera lunged forward again, refusing to give Kalem even a moment's reprieve.
Kalem gritted his teeth as he flicked his wrist.
The runes on his gauntlet flickered to life—ancient symbols glowing with an eerie blue light, responding to his silent command.
With a dull metallic clunk, something inside the crate shifted.
Then—whoosh.
A heavy maul shot out, hurtling through the air before slamming into Kalem's waiting hand.
The sheer weight of it sent a shockwave up his arm, but he adjusted quickly, gripping the handle firmly.
At the same time, five enchanted blades launched outward from the crate, each one twisting midair in erratic, unpredictable patterns.
They weren't meant for precision strikes.
They were meant to overwhelm.
The Chimera snarled, reacting instantly.
The lion's head roared—a blast of hot breath sweeping through the dust cloud, sending tiny particles swirling through the air.
The goat's head twisted unnaturally, its eyes locking onto the incoming blades. Its horns crackled with energy as it reared back—then, with shocking speed, it jerked sideways, attempting to intercept the floating daggers.
The serpent's tail—though still injured from Kalem's previous attack—coiled defensively, ready to strike at anything that got too close.
But these weren't ordinary blades.
Each one carried a unique enchantment, designed not to fly in predictable, straight trajectories, but to change direction mid-flight.
The first blade zipped toward the lion's head—only to suddenly veer left, slicing a deep gash into the Chimera's side.
The second and third blades twisted upward, forcing the goat's head to react as its horns crackled with defensive energy.
The fourth blade shot low, aiming for the serpent's tail, forcing the creature to snap at it in retaliation.
And the fifth…
It flew straight at the lion's open maw.
For a moment, the beast hesitated.
Then, with an explosive burst of movement, the lion head clamped its jaws shut around the blade.
A deep, guttural crack echoed through the battlefield as the lion's fangs shattered the metal.
Kalem raised an eyebrow. "Alright. Noted."
The Chimera had survived the first wave, but Kalem wasn't done.
The maul in his hand hummed with energy, the runes along its handle flickering in response to his grip.
Unlike the spear, which had been designed for precision, the maul was built for brute disruption.
Kalem knew he wouldn't be able to out-muscle the Chimera.
But he didn't need to.
He just needed to break its balance.
With a sudden dash forward, Kalem closed the distance, swinging the maul in a wide arc.
The Chimera, still recovering from the blade assault, reacted late.
The heavy metal head of the maul slammed into the lion's front leg—right at the joint.
A sickening crunch sounded as the limb buckled.
The Chimera stumbled, momentarily caught off balance.
Kalem seized the moment.
He twisted his grip—flipped the maul—then swung downward again, this time aiming for the side of the beast's ribs.
The impact sent another shockwave through the air.
Dust erupted from the ground as the Chimera skidded backward, leaving deep claw marks in the dirt as it struggled to recover.
Lyra, watching from above, exhaled sharply.
"He's not just fighting it," she murmured under her breath. "He's dissecting it."
Kalem knew he had landed solid hits.
But the Chimera was far from finished.
The goat's head, until now more reactive than aggressive, suddenly lowered its horns—and charged.
Kalem had a fraction of a second to react.
He shifted his stance, preparing to dodge—
Too slow.
The massive horns slammed into his side, sending him flying backward like a ragdoll.
Kalem hit the ground hard, rolling several times before coming to a stop.
His ribs screamed in protest, pain lancing through his chest.
He coughed.
Something warm dripped from the corner of his mouth.
"Alright," he muttered, pushing himself up. "That one hurt."
The Chimera didn't give him time to recover.
The serpent's tail lashed out, aiming to wrap around his torso and crush him.
Kalem's mind raced. He couldn't let the tail grab him—if it did, it was over.
His hand shot to his belt, fingers brushing against a small vial.
A last-resort measure.
He popped the cork with his thumb and hurled the vial at the tail.
The moment the glass shattered, a thick, viscous liquid erupted outward, expanding rapidly into a foamy, web-like substance.
A binding gel.
The serpent's tail slammed into the gel mid-strike, its movement suddenly restricted.
It struggled, hissing in fury, but the binding agent held—for now.
Kalem exhaled. "That should buy me a few seconds."
Kalem staggered to his feet, adjusting his stance. He was wounded, but still in the fight.
The Chimera, despite its injuries, was still dangerous.
It would recover soon.
He needed to end this now.
Kalem activated the maul's secondary enchantment.
The runes along the weapon's handle blazed to life, spreading upward toward the heavy metal head.
It hummed with barely contained force.
Kalem adjusted his grip, shifting the maul's weight.
One final strike.
The Chimera, sensing something was wrong, snarled in defiance—but its wounded front leg made it difficult to dodge.
Kalem rushed forward, pushing his battered body to the limit.
The maul descended like a meteor.
The moment it connected—
A deafening shockwave erupted outward.
The ground beneath them cracked, sending fissures racing across the battlefield.
The Chimera let out a final, defiant roar before its limbs gave out.
But something was wrong.
Instead of just buckling under the force, the entire back half of the Chimera collapsed inward, the bones giving way far too easily.
Kalem frowned.
That… wasn't normal.
He had expected a broken rib, maybe a deep wound.
But this?
It was as if its bones had been hollowed out.
His mind whirred as he stepped back.
Had the tournament organizers weakened the Chimera before the match?
Or was something else at play?
He glanced toward the viewing platforms, eyes narrowing.
Something wasn't right about this fight.
And he intended to find out what.