The lion’s roar choked into a wet, hissing gurgle. Frost spiderwebbed across his fangs, his tongue, the roof of his scorching maw. Steam exploded from his nostrils. He staggered back, clawing at his face, his mane flickering and sputtering. For the first time, the Prince of Fire looked afraid.
It wasn't a victory. It was a truce. And as the sun set over the strange, churning horizon, the Boy from Onett and the Prince of Fire walked side-by-side into the unknown, two rivals bound by the simple, terrifying truth that neither could destroy the other.
Zetterburn slammed into it. The impact sent shockwaves rippling through the mud. The lion roared, claws scrabbling against the psychic barrier, his heat so intense that the air inside Ness’s shield grew sticky and hot. Sweat beaded on Ness’s forehead. rivals of aether ness
"You're lost, little boy," Zetterburn growled, his voice the sound of a collapsing forge. He flexed a claw, and a corona of fire licked up his forearm. "This isn't Onett. There are no weak, sentient animals here for you to bully with your mind."
It caught Zetterburn in the open mouth.
"The rift you fell from," he growled, his voice still hot but no longer mocking. "It wanders. Near the Rock Wall. I will take you there."
He was right. The PSI Magnet was cracking. Ness felt the psychic feedback lancing behind his eyes. He couldn’t hold. He dropped the shield. The lion’s roar choked into a wet, hissing gurgle
Crack.
"Fragile!" Zetterburn snarled, raking his claws across the shield. Green sparks flew. "Just like all your kind!" He staggered back, clawing at his face, his