Introducing Merikh: The Secondary Antagonist Of Sonic Chronicles: Return Of The Dark Brotherhood
Merikh is a large echidna who has taken Shade's place as Procurator. His strength and brutality are like no other, his determination to succeed fuelling his desire for victory. He has led countless battles, mostly on his own as no one, not even whole armies, can match his strength. Here is the part where he makes his first appearance in the story.
As the battle raged on on, Knuckles moved with a fluid grace, striking down one clan member after another with powerful punches and swift kicks. He's confident, assured in his fighting skills and ability to take on any challenger. But then, out of nowhere, Merikh appears, his roar filling the air as he launches a haymaker at Knuckles with explosive force.
Knuckles threw up his arm in a desperate attempt to cushion the blow, but the impact still made him stagger backwards, his head ringing. As he tries to regain his balance, he quickly jabbed at Merikh with his other hand, but the huge warrior caught his fist in mid-air and moved in for a crushing low blow to Knuckles' stomach.
Knuckles fell to the ground with a painful gasp, his eyes squeezed shut as the strike leaves its impact. He knows he's in trouble now as Merikh moves his hand forward to grab him, but Knuckles refused to give up that easily. With a fierce determination, he quickly got back up and landed two quick jabs into Merikh's stomach, making the large warrior lean forward and leaving him vulnerable.
Seizing the opportunity, Knuckles jumped up and landed an uppercut on Merikh's chin with all the strength he can muster. The punch landed with a resounding thud, briefly making Merikh's head jolt backwards. But just as quickly, he recovers, his concealed eyes blazing with fury as he retaliated with another haymaker that brought Knuckles down to his knees once more.
Despite the searing pain in his jaw and the ringing in his ears, Knuckles refused to stay down. He forced himself to his feet once more, determined to give as good as he gets. Right before he can make another move, Merikh swooped his arm forward and wrapped his armoured fingers around Knuckles' neck.
Merikh held a tight grip on Knuckles' throat, holding him up with one hand effortlessly while Knuckles frantically punched at his arm in a desperate attempt to break free. But Merikh only tightened his grip, cutting off Knuckles' air supply as he sneered down at him.
Merikh leered forward as taunt, his other hand clenching into a fist. "I expected more from the guardian of the Master Emerald."
Knuckles wheezed and gasped for air, struggling against Merikh's iron grip but unable to break free. His vision started to blur and darken at the edges, his strength draining with every passing moment.
As Knuckles is held up by Merikh, his mind races with disbelief. He can't believe the sheer strength of this unknown opponent. Despite his best efforts, Knuckles' punches are having little to no effect against Merikh's vice-like grip. In his head, Knuckles is analyzing the situation, trying to figure out a way to turn the tables on this formidable foe. But in this moment, all he can do is try to endure and hope for an opportunity to strike back.
The fear that grips Knuckles is a new sensation. He has always been confident in his strength, but now he feels powerless against this adversary. A sense of desperation begins to set in as he realises that this may be the toughest fight he has ever faced. As Merikh continued to hold him up, Knuckles inhaled a deep breath and tried to gather his remaining strength for another attack, all the while hoping that his opponent won't break him before he can even attempt to strike back.