He looked around in panic, constantly shouting Senba Gari's name. But no matter how he looked, no matter how he shouted, Senba Gari could not possibly appear at his side. For a moment, the unfamiliar surroundings, combined with the disappearance of Senba Gari, who had come with him, sent him into a panic. He was scared. He regretted it.
He was scared that he was all alone now, alone in this place where who knew how much danger lurked. He regretted why he had talked Senba Gari into coming to this damned place with him. He regretted why he had touched that rock.
—Boom! —Boom! —Boom! —Boom!
Just then, several tremendous sounds suddenly came from the ground, accompanied by a faint tremor. Immediately after, Takai Geki stared ahead in terror. He saw a scene he would never forget for the rest of his life.
[—Roar!]
[—Shriek!]
He saw two colossal creatures fighting each other. One was shaped like a turtle, but its tail was a lifelike snake coiled around its back, its entire body as black as ink. The other was shaped like a bird, its whole body a deep red like fire, and its long neck did not hinder its flight at all. Instead, it made it even more agile as it dodged the attacks from below.
But they had one thing in common: the stiffness in their bodies made it clear that they had both been made of stone.
[—Shriek!!!]
At that moment, Takai Geki suddenly saw a faint red light shine from the giant bird's chest, weak yet especially conspicuous in the darkness. Immediately after, sparks suddenly burst from the giant bird's beak. The giant bird abruptly opened its mouth wide, and a mass of scorching flames gushed out, landing on the back of the giant turtle