Half Shining Moon  

"Yahoho! Your tail is mine, worm! Have another dose of my Avoirdupois!"

Boom! Boom!

"GROWL!" Kahless screamed in retaliation.

"Erm… that worm sure looks tough, but… it's lame…" Sarubo, the Baboon Dragon on the right, watched the battle unfold with a bored expression as it nonchalantly picked at its ear with a long, slender finger. Its movements were slow and deliberate as if it couldn't be bothered to exert any more effort than absolutely necessary.

"Hmm, at least Saruto's having all the fun."

It glanced down at Avatar Soru Gurahs, who stood at the base of the central Baboon Dragon. His breathing was ragged and he look about to collapsed from exertion.

"You aren't Master Aoi..." Sarubo observed with a hint of disappointment. "But you have his blood."

Soru Gurahs nodded silently, acknowledging Sarubo's words. He could feel the weight of his father's legacy upon him, the responsibility of wielding the awakened Baboon Dragon Golden Nunchaku and the power of the Sage Curse.

"We must end this quickly, Sarubo," Soru Gurahs said urgently. "The curse… it's consuming me. I don't have much time left."

Sarubo shrugged, its expression still bored. "Whatever you say, Master."

It turned its gaze back to the battle, where Saruto was now scaling the Eden Ryuu Titan Avatar like a nimble monkey. With each step, it hammered the dragon's rocky hide, its Avoirdupois technique adding to the weight of each blow, pulling the colossal beast closer and closer to the ground.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

"Get off me, you damn dirty ape!" Kahless cried in frustration as he felt the dragon's body growing heavier and its movements becoming more sluggish. "I will not be defeated by a... a monkey!"

Unleashing more of his TerraFlow Kana, he unleashed a blast of earthen energy that erupted from the dragon's mouth, engulfing Saruto in a torrent of rock and dirt.

"Gah!" Saruto was thrown backwards, tumbling through the air as the chain that connected it to the other Baboon Dragons pulled taut, preventing it from falling to the ground.

Whoosh!

Saruto flipped in mid-air and landed gracefully on a nearby rock formation. It shook its head, clearing the dust and debris from its eyes.

"That all you got, worm?" Saruto taunted.

Kahless yelled with wrath, his dignity bruised. "You'll pay for that, monkey! I'll crush you with these massive arms!"

He commanded the dragon to charge towards Saruto once more as its massive earthen claws extended and its jaws gaped open.

"Yooo bro! Stop lounging around and come lend a hand here! Do you hear me you lazy bastard!" Saruto yelled upon sensing that it was no match for the Eden Ryuu Titan Avatar alone.

"Erm…" Sarubo stirred from its slumber, its eyes blinked open slowly as it yawned and stretched its limbs. It glanced at its brother, who was now locked in a fierce battle with the dragon.

"Fine, fine," Sarubo grumbled, rising to its feet with a look of annoyance on its face. "I'll help you out."

It leaped into the air towards the dragon. The chain that connected it to the other Baboon Dragons extended, allowing it to move freely.

"Just try not to break my staff, little worm," Sarubo muttered as it raised its weapon high above its head. "It's a family heirloom, you know."

With a swift, effortless swing, Sarubo unleashed its signature attack.

"Half Shining Moon!"

Whoosh!

A golden crescent of energy shot forth from the tip of its staff, slicing forth with incredible speed.

Slash!

The crescent struck the Eden Ryuu Titan Avatar, cleaving it cleanly in two from head to tail. The dragon's severed halves plummeted towards the ground, spewing forth a torrent of blood and viscera that immediately began to evaporate into steam.

Boom! Boom!

The onlookers stared in astonishment as they witnessed the dragon's demise. They had never seen such a display of power, such a clean and effortless strike.

"He... he cut it in half?" a soldier stammered, scarcely believing his eyes.

"With... with just one swing?" another added.

Warden Poahf, her jaw agape, stumbled backwards in shock. "What... what kind of power is that?" she wondered.

Kahless, who had managed to eject himself from his Titan Avatar form just in time to avoid being cleaved in two, landed in a heap on the ground with his body covered in Aether Steam. His eyes were wide with disbelief as he stared at the Baboon Dragons, feeling a primal fear grip his heart.

'Those... those creatures... They're... they're strong as hell.'

He had underestimated the old man and his companions. But now, he realized that they were a force to be reckoned with, a power that could rival even the might of the Dune Empire.

Sarubo, having executing this impressive feat, landed gracefully beside the dragon's severed halves. "There," it said with a smug grin to his brother. "I cut it in half for you. Now handle the rest."

Saruto felt humiliated. "Hey, don't act all cocky! I soften him for you!"

With a bored expression, Sarubo simply shrugged and replied, "Whatever you say, Bro." It then turned and leaped back towards its sister, Saruho, landing lightly at her side and resuming its ear-picking activities.

"Tsk, showoffs," Saruto glanced back at its brother with a look of exasperation. "Fine, I'll slay this worm myself!"

With renewed determination, Saruto charged towards the Eden Ryuu Titan Avatar's severed halves. It raised its hammer high above its head, preparing to deliver the final blow.

"You will not defeat me!" Kahless roared as he channelled his remaining TerraFlow Kana into the dragon's severed halves.

The two halves began to glow with an emerald light. They contorted and merged back together as the dragon's wounds healed at an alarming rate.

"What the..." Saruto gasped in surprise.

"The earth remembers," Kahless intoned ominously from within his revamped Titan Avatar. "And it will not be divided."

After receiving full restoration, the Eden Ryuu Titan Avatar did not hesitate to charge towards Saruto.

Saruto barely raised its hammer in time to deflect the assault, taken aback by the dragon's unexpected regeneration.

Clang!

The impact threw Saruto backwards, it skidded across the ground until it came to a stop at the edge of the mountain peak.

"Gah!" Saruto groaned, feeling the strain on its body. It had underestimated the dragon's resilience and its connection to the earth element.

"Kuhaha! You are nothing but a speck, a pebble compared to me! I am the mightiest dragon alive, the most powerful Titan Avatar! And you will bow before my strength!"

With a burst of speed, the dragon charged towards Saruto once more while producing a Kana Beast Bomb at point black range.

Saruto raised its hammer to defend itself, "Bring it on you swimming worm!"

Boom! Boom! Boom!

In the meantime, Soru Gurahs was on his knees on the ground, his breathing laboured and his body shivering. The searing of the Sage Curse had gotten worse, its caustic effect eating away at his will and his mind. He sensed that his vitality and vigour were diminishing.

"Arh…"

His eyes were wide with terror and pain as he grasped his chest. It was the curse starting to bite him since he had pushed himself too far.

 "Master… are you alright?" Daichi asked worriedly from afar. He could see Soru Gurahs struggling, his body convulsing and his face contorted in agony.

"Kyuuu…" Breeze Plume chirped sadly.

Soru Gurahs ignored them, and with a final burst of willpower, he focused his intent on the Baboon Dragon Trinity.

"Saruto! Sarubo! Saruho!" he called out telepathically. "Help me! We must defeat Kahless, now!"

Oh the other side of the mountain, was a shocking sight.

"Bro... Big Sis..." Saruto's golden body was damaged and battered as it lay on the ground, muttering weakly. It looked up, fear and resignation in its eyes as the dragon approached. "I... I can't..."

Just as the dragon was about to deliver the final blow, a voice, calm and steady, resonated within its mind.

"Sarubo, go and assist Saruto. Our host doesn't have enough time left."

Saruto and Sarubo turned their gazes towards the source of the voice - their elder sister, Saruho. She remained neutral, her eyes were still closed and her expression serene, as if she were oblivious to the chaos unfolding around her.

"But... Big Sis..." Sarubo protested weakly. "Can't Saruto alone handle it, I'm feeling tired."

Saruho replied, "Do not question my orders, brother. Go now, and fulfil your duty."

Previously hesitant to enter the conflict, Sarubo now moved with a renewed sense of urgency. It grabbed its staff and threw itself into the air. It delivered its signature strike with another quick swing.

"Half Shining Moon!"

Whoosh!

The golden crescent of energy sliced ahead and struck the dragon, cleaving its body into multiple pieces.

Slash! Slash! Slash!

The dragon's severed parts scattered across the airspace, landing with dull thuds on the ground.

Sarubo glance at Saruto and said with a bored expression. "There. I cut it into pieces for you again. Now handle the rest this time brother."

But as Sarubo turned to leave, the dragon's severed parts began to healed at an alarming rate. In a matter of seconds the Eden Ryuu Titan Avatar was fully restored.

"I've told you apes before, the earth remembers and I cannot be defeated!"