"Show him, Alex! Show him who's boss!" Melon cheered from behind a tree.
Alex didn't need to be told twice. He sprinted toward the towering beast, his feet digging into the dirt as he closed the distance.
Just as he got close, Dongira spun around, swinging his massive tail at him!
Alex barely had time to react. He jumped, but the monster followed up with a powerful punch.
BANG!
Their fists collided midair, sending a shockwave through the forest. The sheer force launched Alex backward, tumbling through the air like a ragdoll. Dongira wasn't left unscathed either—his own body was pushed back from the impact.
Alex twisted midair, flipping as his feet slammed into a tree trunk. Using the momentum, he kicked off the bark and rocketed forward just as the monster charged at him again.
Dongira threw another punch, but—
"Too slow!"
Alex vanished.
The monster's fist struck nothing but air.
"Afterimage...!" Dongira realized too late.
Above him, Alex appeared with both hands raised.
"Take this!"
With a thunderous slam, Alex hammered his fists down onto Dongira's skull.
BOOM!
The beast crashed into the ground, sending dirt and debris flying.
Alex hovered above the dust cloud, breathing heavily. "Did that do it…?"
Suddenly—
SNAP!
A massive jaw burst through the smoke, aiming straight for Alex's head!
Alex barely twisted out of the way as Dongira lunged at him with terrifying speed, his fanged mouth snapping shut inches from Alex's face.
"Stay still, you little bug!" Dongira snarled.
He swung his tail like a whip—this time, Alex wasn't fast enough to dodge.
WHAM!
The attack caught him right across the chest, sending him crashing into the ground.
BOOM!
Alex coughed, clutching his ribs. "Damn... that hurt."
No time to rest.
He rolled just as Dongira's foot came down, stomping where he had been lying.
Alex sprang to his feet—but the beast was already charging again, jaws wide open.
SNAP!
Alex flipped over him at the last second, landing behind the monster.
"Gotcha!"
Grabbing the tail, Alex spun with all his strength and launched Dongira into a tree!
CRACK! The entire trunk shattered on impact.
Panting, Alex wiped his forehead. "That… should be enough..."
But as the dust settled—
Dongira was still standing. Bruised, bleeding, but still standing.
Alex wasn't much better. He clenched his fists—his arms felt heavy. He had never fought a real opponent like this before.
"This is bad..."
"I won't lose!" Dongira coughed, then opened his mouth wide.
"Merry-Go-Round Gum!"
A glob of sticky pink gum shot toward Alex.
"Oh, hell no."
Alex cupped his hands together, taking a deep breath.
"KAME…"
The gum shot toward him—Alex leaped over it just in time.
"HAME…"
The gum splattered onto a tree, trapping it in a thick pink cocoon.
Alex aimed both palms forward—
"HAAAAA!"
A blinding blue wave of energy exploded from his hands.
Dongira's eyes widened. "No… no, NO—!"
BOOOOM!
The energy wave engulfed him, sending shockwaves through the forest.
When the dust settled, Dongira lay motionless, unconscious.
Alex exhaled. "Huff… That takes care of that." He sat down, completely exhausted.
"Yay! We won!"
Melon ran out from behind the tree, throwing her arms up. She rushed over and helped Alex toward the capsule house.
"That was amazing! You're so strong!" She beamed at him. "That energy beam you fired—what was that? It was so cool!"
Alex chuckled weakly. "That? That was the Kamehameha. But I'm really not that strong, you know." He shook his head. "There's a whole list of people way stronger than me."
"Well, I don't know anyone stronger!" Melon grinned.
Alex sighed. "We should get moving. Who knows if that monster has any family nearby? And… something tells me he'll recover a lot faster than I will."
They packed up their things and left as soon as possible.
---
A Few Days Later
"Hey, look! We're finally here!"
Melon shielded her eyes from the sun as she followed Alex's pointing finger.
In the distance, a massive tower stretched high into the sky, piercing through the clouds.
"That's Korin Tower," Alex said. "At last… we made it."
Melon's jaw dropped. "You're gonna climb that?!" She stared at the impossible height. "Well… I hope you don't fall to your death."
Alex smirked. "Guess we'll find out."
power level
melon :4
Alex :80
Dongira(the monster):80
Alex (tired/hurt ):20