Tower of god:Skybender

Endorsi carried Anaak on her back, her steps labored from the weight of both the injured Princess and the stress of their situation. They moved quickly, trying to distance themselves from Ren. Anaak groaned softly, clutching her side where Ren had struck her. Blood seeped through her fingers, but her eyes remained defiant.

"Khun!" Endorsi gasped into her pocket, her voice cracking with urgency. "We've got a problem. A ranker showed up. He's after us."

Khun's voice came through, sharp and concerned. "Who is it? What about Kael?"

Endorsi glanced over her shoulder, her brow furrowed in frustration. "He's fighting a person from jahaads secret forces Ren.Kael's strong, but this ranker's a whole different level."

Anaak groaned again, and Endorsi shifted her weight to keep her stable. "Kael won't be able to hold him off for long," Anaak muttered through gritted teeth. "Ren wants us dead. He's not just playing around."

Khun's voice was filled with tension. "You need to get out of there, now! If jahaads forces are involved, this is bigger than we thought."

Endorsi's expression hardened. "I'm not leaving Kael behind. But we need a plan, Khun. He can't handle Ren alone, and if we stay like this, we're sitting ducks."

Khun's mind raced on the other end, his silence heavy with calculation. "Alright," he said finally, "head towards the central pillar. There's a check point you can use to escape. I'll find a way to distract Ren."

Anaak groaned again, her breaths coming in short, ragged bursts. "If Kael doesn't stop him…he's going to come after us next."

Endorsi tightened her grip on Anaak and steeled her resolve. "Then we better make sure Kael gets all the backup he needs. We're not losing anyone to that creep."

"Stay sharp, both of you," Khun warned. "And keep moving. I'll figure something out."

"Hey, you two," A feminine voice said with a mischievous tone to it , her voice calm but carrying authority. "I couldn't help but overhear your little conversation about someone trying to assassinate you. As your big sister, I can't let that slide."

Endorsi snapped her head toward the direction of the voice, eyes wide with surprise.

Walking out of the shadows was a striking figure: a fair-skinned girl with long, flowing, ankle-length dark hair tied back by a red ribbon. Her piercing red eyes gleamed in the low light. She was dressed in a sharp white jacket, with a black shirt underneath, a red tie, a matching red skirt, and black tights that hugged her legs.

Endorsi's jaw dropped in disbelief. "Y-Yuri!?" she stammered, recognizing the woman immediately. The confusion in her voice was clear. Why would Yuri Zahard, one of the highest-ranking Princesses and an elite ranker, be here in the middle of their test?

Yuri smirked, clearly enjoying the reaction. "Don't look so shocked, Endorsi," she said, placing her hands on her hips. "I don't just sit on a throne all day, you know. Besides, if someone's messing with my family, I'm going to handle it."

Anaak, still weak on Endorsi's back, groaned slightly, her eyes flickering open just enough to take in the scene. "Of all the people…" she muttered, half in pain and half in annoyance.

Endorsi shook her head, bewildered. "But…how are you even here?"

Yuri shrugged nonchalantly. "I've got my ways. Now, where's this so-called assassin? Time to show them what happens when they mess with princesses of jahaad." Her red eyes gleamed with an unmistakable brutal glint, a hint of battle-hungry glee in her gaze.

Endorsi exchanged a brief glance with Anaak, still processing the sudden appearance of the powerful Princess. Things had just gotten a lot more complicated.

——

Staring Ren down, I brace for any of his usual tricks.

"You know, Kael," Ren says, a smirk creeping onto his face, "I've always wondered how you managed to enter this tower." His voice drips with curiosity. "You've got the abilities of a Skybender, but there's something else. Like Aerotherions."

Aerotherions? My mind races. "What do you mean?" I ask.

Ren grins wider. "Interested, huh? Defeat my anima, and maybe I'll tell you all about it."

I hold back my frustration, exhaling slowly. Instead of giving him the satisfaction, I grin wickedly. "Alright then. But when I win, you'll submit to me."

Ren chuckles, his voice dropping to a low growl. "If you say so."

Suddenly, a deafening roar fills the air. I whip around to see the Bull charging. "How is it still alive?!"

I barely manage to dodge as it punches the ground, firing three shinsu baangs at its arms and legs. Ren's mocking laughter echoes behind me. "You've gotten stronger, Kael," he taunts.

Before I can retort, the Bull launches a massive shinsu blast from its mouth. I shoot into the sky with a powerful flap of my wings but—BAM! I'm slammed down, crashing hard. My back throbs with pain as I turn to see a werewolf looming over me, its claws dripping with my blood.

"Hehe, you thought that was all I had?" Ren cackles, his voice dripping with amusement. "Sorry, little student."

His laughter grates against my nerves, but I can't lose focus. The werewolf prowls in front of me, claws still wet with my blood, while the Bull crawls in the background, ready to strike again. My mind races—Ren's toying with me, but he's also testing my limits. He wants to see how far I'll go.

The Bull sent another shinsu blast from its mouth, and I barely dodged it, rolling to the side as the ground where I stood erupted into a cloud of debris. The shockwave rattled my bones, but I stayed on my feet, my wings beating furiously to keep balance.

"Again?" I muttered under my breath. My eyes flicked between the werewolf and the Bull. The werewolf's claws gleamed, dripping with my blood, while the Bull's eyes glowed menacingly.

I breathe in sharply, feeling the pain in my back, but I push it aside. If I'm going to

win, I need a plan.

The werewolf growled low in its throat, muscles rippling under its fur as it circled me.

Blood ran down my back where its claws had struck, the sting burning with every move. I clutched a feather between my fingers, sharp as a needle, its edge thrumming with energy. Focus. Breathe. The creature was fast, but if I timed it right, I could turn its strength against it.

It lunged again, aiming for my throat, and I barely twisted away. Its claws grazed my skin, the hot breath of the beast fanning across my neck. Pain flared up my back from the earlier hit, but I pushed it down. This thing was strong, too strong to overpower. I needed to outthink it.

With a flick of my wrist, I sent a feather-needle spinning toward its exposed flank.

The werewolf snarled as the tip grazed its side, drawing a thin line of blood. It whirled on me, eyes gleaming with fury. Good, let it get reckless.

It charged, wild and unrestrained, claws swiping at me again. This time, I ducked low, letting its momentum carry it past. I extended my wings, gathering wind, and vaulted upward, flipping mid-air. As I landed behind it, l jabbed the feather into its leg. The beast howled, stumbling, but not enough.

The werewolf spun faster than I expected, slashing my side. I gasped, staggering back as blood trickled down my ribs. My vision blurred for a second, the world spinning. I couldn't take another hit like that. I had to end this fast.

I willed my feathers to form another needle, this time thicker, more like a spear. The werewolf pounced, but I was ready. With a grunt, I sidestepped its attack and drove the feather-spear into its chest, amplified by a burst of wind. The impact sent a shockwave through the air, and the werewolf was thrown backward, crashing into the ground.

It lay still for a moment, twitching, before letting out one last growl and collapsing into unconsciousness. I stood there, panting, bloodied but still standing.

Now I'm looking at Ren, who stands there grinning, surrounded by seven anima. Each one more bizarre than the last. I take a huge breath and ready myself, analyzing my opponents.

The first one, an unsettling mix of bat and spider, flaps its webbed wings, its hairy body pulsating with each movement. Its eight eyes glint in the dim light as it slowly circles me, fangs bared. Next to it, a towering beast stands tall—a fusion of giraffe and lion, its long neck ending in a fierce maw filled with sharp teeth. It has the body of a lion, but its height is disorienting, moving with surprising agility.

On the left is something that could only exist in nightmares—a half-fish, half-wolf creature. Its fins gleam like razors, and its wolf-like head snaps its jaws at me, saliva dripping from its maw. The stench of wet fur fills the air.

Ren's grin widens as a screech pierces the air. From above, I spot a bird-like monstrosity, but with the tail of a scorpion. It circles me, talons clicking, waiting for an opening.

Two more anima, closer to the ground—a snake with porcupine quills, its body writhing as it slithers near, and a monkey-rabbit hybrid with enormous ears and razor-sharp claws—flank Ren on either side.

The last one stands directly in front of me. A grotesque combination of an elephant and a scorpion, its massive bulk seems slow, but I know better than to underestimate it. The scorpion tail flicks dangerously, dripping with venom.

I can't take them all head-on. Time for strategy.

I leap into the air, wings thrumming, and immediately send out feather-needles toward the bat-spider. They arc through the air with precision, but the creature weaves through the attack, agile on its wings. My mind races, and I pivot midair, diving toward the lion-giraffe hybrid instead.

I slam into its flank, my feathers sharp enough to leave gashes. It lets out a furious roar, but I roll away, narrowly avoiding its claws. The snake-porcupine is fast, too fast, its quills shooting out like projectiles. I twist my body, dodging most of them, though one grazes my arm, the sting of poison sharp.

Gritting my teeth, I focus. Skybending. I need the wind. With a flick of my wrist, I summon a gust of wind, swirling around the quilled snake, trapping it in a vortex of air. For now, that's one down. But the others are closing in.

The fish-wolf creature leaps at me, jaws wide. I thrust my feather-needle forward, amplifying it with skybending. The wind sharpens the tip, and it pierces the creature's side. It howls, but I don't have time to celebrate.

The bird-scorpion swoops down, talons aiming for my back. I roll forward, feeling the sting of its tail swipe the air just behind me. Too close.

In a blur of motion, the monkey-rabbit hybrid is suddenly on me, claws flashing. I barely block with my feathers, the impact pushing me back. I kick it away, but the elephant-scorpion charges, shaking the ground.

I can feel the fatigue setting in. I need to end this quickly.

With a deep breath, I gather all my strength and focus. I shape the wind around me into a cyclone, willing my remaining feathers to become blades in the storm. Aero Lance: Enjeruzu Fezā Cyclone.

The wind howls as I release the attack. The feather blades spin in a deadly vortex, slashing through the anima. The bird-scorpion screeches as it's torn apart by the storm. The fish-wolf collapses, bleeding from multiple wounds. The elephant-scorpion stumbles, its legs giving out under the relentless force.

As the dust settles, three of the anima remain standing, battered but not broken.

Ren's grin widens. "Not bad, Kael. But let's see how you handle the rest."

The three remaining anima-bat-spider, lion-giraffe, and monkey-rabbit-circle me, their movements erratic but predatory. I take another deep breath, feeling the weight of fatigue but refusing to back down.

The bat-spider darts forward, fangs aimed at my throat. I twist, feathers sharp in hand, slashing through one of its wings. It screeches, crashing to the ground. I dive in, finishing it with a feather-lance through its chest.

The lion-giraffe lunges next, its claws swiping. I sidestep, using the wind to amplify my speed, then launch a powerful kick into its side. Before it can recover, I channel a gust of air, propelling a feather straight through its neck. It crumbles with a low growl.

The monkey-rabbit is quick, zigzagging toward me. But l've learned its pattern. As it leaps, claws extended, I leap higher, spinning in mid-air, and slam a wind-infused feather into its back. The force sends it crashing into the dirt, unmoving.

Breathing hard, I land softly. All seven anima are down. My eyes lock onto Ren, who watches with a cruel smile.

"Not bad," he says, "but you're far from finished."