Simo

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Ynos's defiant grumble and attempts to rise were met with swift consequences – a punishing strike to the face from the back of my claw, a resounding thud marking his descent once more.

"Stay down, I said it already, you are not my match, Ynos," I repeated, my voice edged with a mixture of frustration and concern.

Ynos, however, had no intention of heeding my words. Instead, he made a hasty retreat, employing his wings to create distance between us. His strategy didn't deter me. Without delay, I lunged after him, closing the gap at an alarming speed.

He tried to counter with his spiky tail, a dangerous weapon aimed at my face, but I deftly used my left claw to redirect his strike downward. My right claw seized hold of his tail, and I pulled him toward me, his options dwindling rapidly.

Realizing he had no room to escape, Ynos abruptly conceded, allowing me to pull him closer. A moment of unexpected vulnerability left me momentarily off guard. I retaliated with a claw strike aimed at his face, but Ynos shifted his head, deliberately exposing his shoulder, and bore the brunt of the blow, a deep gash opening in his scales.

Though it wounded his shoulder, he successfully closed the distance between us. With incredible swiftness, he aimed his open maw at my neck. Unable to avoid the impending strike, I raised my right arm as a desperate barrier. His jaws clamped down upon it, and I winced in pain as his powerful bite tore at my scales.

Frustration and determination welled up inside me as Ynos stubbornly held onto my arm. I resorted to a flurry of left-handed strikes aimed at his head, but he seemed utterly unmoved, his mouth clamped resolutely around my arm.

I couldn't help but mutter a few choice words under my breath. "This little..."

With a begrudging acknowledgment of his tenacity, I prepared for a different tactic. My eyes locked onto a well-known weak point on the back of his neck, a tempting target. "Ah, damn it! Fine! You want to play like that?" 

Ynos's body reacted instinctively, a slight shiver running through him as he sensed the impending danger, yet he refused to release his grip. So be it.

I lunged forward, my back limbs coiling around his body, pulling both of us crashing to the ground. My left arm unleashed a relentless barrage of strikes aimed at his neck, seeking to exploit his vulnerability.

Ynos winced in agony, his grip on my arm loosening slightly, enough for me to wrench it free. Blood stained his mouth and my limb, a tangible reminder of our fierce battle.

"Happy now?" I queried, my gaze locked onto his, my own frustration simmering beneath the surface.

Ynos offered no immediate response. Instead, he reached up and gingerly rubbed the back of his neck, the pain etched across his features. It was impressive how he didn't faint already, but we weren't children anymore, and his body became monstrously strong so I suppose it's not as surprising. 

I gently flexed my wounded arm, my gaze fixated on the damaged scales and the dried blood that marred its surface. Another sigh hovered at the edge of my mouth. I couldn't ignore the emotional turmoil that churned within Ynos. His thoughts and feelings were almost palpable, particularly in the wake of Father's death.

But truthfully, he had been grappling with inner turmoil long before this tragedy unfolded. The change in him was evident, especially after that chaotic battlefield where Grandfather had saved him. He was trying, in his own way, to gain control over his emotions, to temper his recklessness. Yet, given the current circumstances, it wasn't surprising that he needed an outlet for his pent-up emotions.

I sighed inwardly, acknowledging my responsibility as his older brother. It fell to me to help him release this pent-up frustration now, before it could become a liability on the battlefield.

"Fine," I taunted, a hint of a smile curving my lips. "Come at me. I'll teach you a lesson you won't forget anytime soon."

Ynos responded by charging toward me headfirst, his renewed determination evident in every movement.

The tension between us grew with each clash of our claws, the sound echoing through the forest. It was becoming evident that my relentless assault was having minimal impact on his abnormally resilient form. In the heat of our battle, a strategic idea emerged.

With a graceful motion, I ascended into the sky, maneuvering to guide Ynos toward a section of the forest untouched by our previous confrontation. He pursued me eagerly, fueled by our sibling rivalry, determined to prove his strength.

As we closed the distance, I executed a deft and precise move, uprooting a towering tree with a flourish. Twisting back toward Ynos, I sent the massive trunk hurtling toward him, aiming for a direct hit to his face. Caught off guard, he faltered and crashed to the forest floor.

Wasting no time, I descended to maintain my advantage over him. While the tree had been fractured from our initial encounter, its shattered form now played no role in my plan. My sole focus was on pinning Ynos to the ground, denying him any chance to retaliate.

He squirmed beneath my weight, his powerful muscles straining against my hold. Yet, in his struggle, he unwittingly exposed his most vulnerable point – his nape. With unrelenting determination, I channeled all my energy into a relentless assault on that weak spot, each of my blows resonating with the force of a tempest, causing the ground beneath us to give way as I created a small crater with our battle.

"He's already sleeping, home long do you plan to keep on hitting him?" Breta's voice came from above. 

I raised my head to the sky, where our floating mountain was at. I could make out Immy's sleeping form, while Sidus and Essie were watching the fight with curiosity. Breta, on the other hand, had her legs dangling from the edge as she fiddled with her spear. 

Listening to her words, I turned my attention to Ynos. His form collapsed beneath me. She was right, he already lost consciousness. I stood up, and used my water mana to heal my injuries before doing the same to him. 

With that out of the way, I dragged him along and flew back to the floating mountain, gently dropping him on the ground next to Immy, before I walked back toward the others.