Rey hung nigh lifelessly as he took one final glance on his allies before Dagon turned his body so he could only see its hideous face.
Once it saw the beastly grin on the creature's face, Rey already knew there was no hope.
No... he already knew that, but... something within him just snapped.
'You were right, Ater...'
If only he had him by his side at this moment, perhaps the fight would have gone a lot differently.
'No. What would he have done? There's no way an S-Tier would beat an SS-Tier...' Rey's thoughts trailed as he closed his eyes.
Throughout the battle he had considered summoning Beasts to fight, but it wouldn't have worked either way. Even if the space around them was stable, and his Skills weren't being affected, all of his Summons would be Level 1 Fodder who would never be able to match the Divine Beast.
If he summoned a Divine Beast, it would only escalate the problem, since both creatures would desire to kill Rey--for various reasons, but still...
Rey couldn't control a Divine Beast, so it was useless.
In the end, there was no one to save him at this precarious hour.
'It's all my fault...' He felt his body grow numb and cold, and the rate of his heartbeat slowed down considerably.
It seemed, without the buffs aiding him, he was going to die without the Divine Beast even lifting a finger.
"GRRRRRRR...."
... Not that the horrid creature would allow such an end.
Dagon raised its second hand, its claws gleaming dangerously as it licked its scaly lips while staring intensely at Rey.
It desired to end Rey's life itself, and would most likely gain another Level as a result.
'It's over...'
This was far from the future that Rey envisioned for himself, but it was indeed what he was dealt with.
Sadly, he was going to die.
~SQUELCH!~
**************
Dagon's claws went through Rey's chest, his weak body offering no resistance at all. It ripped out his heart, causing blood to gush out in the process.
The crimson stains on the Divine Beast turned into nothing but particles and were burned away, while the rest of the liquid splattered on the ground.
Once again... it Leveled Up.
The Divine Beast, now Level 3, let Rey's pathetic corpse go, watching as it collapsed into the puddle created by his blood.
Needless to say, there was no resistance.
The body landed on the bloody mess on the ground, and it remained there--completely motionless.
Dagon's instinctive desire was fulfilled. It had killed off the threat, and now it would finally recieve its just reward.
--Killing the Tamer!
The initial mission returned to the forefront of its mind, and this prompted it to move towards the cluster of helpless humans that watched it with fear for their impending doom.
The sheer bloodlust rushing from the Beast was unreal. It made everyone weak in the knees, shivering in the face of such impossible adversity.
Something told them it wouldn't be like before... and they were correct.
The powerless humans were right to be afraid.
In the past, Dagon would have ignored them and simply gone for the prize. But, after all the trouble it went through with one human, its assessment had been completely flipped.
Its neutral disposition towards the entire race was different now.
'KILL ALL HUMANS...'
That was its current imperative, and it desired to fulfill all of it to the letter.
But first... the Tamer.
It took a few more steps forward, hoping someone or something would stand in its way so it could tear them to pieces.
Dagon had already decided to kill all of them on its way to the Tamer, who was still unconscious at the rear, but it still wanted some amusement from them.
It wanted to see them struggle until they met their inevitable end and died--like how Rey did.
However, none of them could move a single muscle.
... Not before its divine power.
Then, right as it raised its claws, ready to mow them all down where they stood...
~VWUUUUUUUUUUUM!~
A certain vibration coursed through the air, forcing the world around it to tremble.
Two distinctly colored lights rose into the sky—one red, and one blue. Like pillars, they pierced into the heavens, causing rumbings to resound in the sky.
Dagon instantly halted its movements as he turned to face the cause. It glared, very intensely, at the two brilliant creatures that hovered above the corpse.
The creatures looked similar in every way, except for their colors. They seemed to be made entirely out of flames, and they had the form of birds.
Their wings majestically spread out, and their fiery feathers gleamed brilliantly under the setting sun. Their brilliance was impossible to ignore… and the heat they offered instantly banished the cold of the evening.
Dagon felt something within it tremble slightly.
It had only felt this sensation once—back when it cast its gaze on those Dragons earlier.
Something about the Dragons felt threatening, so it made them its first priority—eliminating them before going after the Tamer.
This felt similar too… with those two creatures who floated magnificently over a corpse.
Within a moment, though, that all changed.
"Kiyuu!"
One of the two—the blue one—echoed out something, and then it burned brighter than ever.
Its brilliance caused even Dagon to brace itself, taking a step back as it watched this display of pure, primal energy.
Then… just as the brilliance reached its precipice, the blue bird exploded.
~POOF!~
The explosion was small, considering the scale that its brilliant light covered.
Even Dagon was left confused.
But… as soon as it exploded, its glittering ashes fell on the corpse beneath it. Then, the true miracle occurred.
~FSHUUUUUU…~
A world of steam suddenly manifested as they made contact, and energy coalesced into the fallen man.
Then—
"Haaa…"
—The man slowly rose, all of his wounds and marks completely gone.
The smoke parted, revealing his new form.
His body glowed gloriously, and his naked form showed nothing but immaculate perfection. His plain face had an allure to it, and every aspect of his body seemed carved by absolute wonder.
This boy's average form was maxed out to the fullest.
Blue sparks danced around him, and almost as soon as he rose to his feet, the crimson bird flew to his shoulder, perching itself perfectly there.
~VWUUUUSH!~
That instant, a powerful force echoed from where they both stood.
All of the power that was pushed out immediately returned, coalesced to form a regalia that he donned in a mere moment.
Garbed in a brilliant crimson cloak, adorned in darkness and golden marks of perfection, the boy's naked body was covered in a magnificent outfit.
His skin began to burn brightly as well—an azure colored flame that finely contrasted the crimson robe it had on.
In a sense, it had taken on the nature of the blue-colored bird, while the red one also blessed him with its power.
"I see…" As he parted his flaming lips, Rey's voice came in a warbling whisper.
He stared at his open palm for a while, feeling the flow of energy dancing inside him—overflowing like never before.
"So you gave up your life for me…"
Clenching his fist in resolve, he cast a quick glance at the other bird who was perched on his shoulder.
A smile formed on his face as a determined gaze shifted straight ahead.
"Thank you."
*
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Thanks for reading!
Looks like the eggs have hatched, giving Rey yet another shot at this. Let's see if it'll be enough…
