"For my Lord and Master, I will do anything! Even if I have to tear apart my soul to release the True Demon dwelling within me!"
Marchosias roared, as his humanoid shaped body took a sudden change. He was covered on white and blue fur, his head transformed into that of a huge wolf, he gained giant paws, his posture became quadruped, and he gained a long, wolf-like tail.
Indeed, Marchosias within the Book of Demons, Goetia, was known as a "Fire-Spitting Demon Wolf" that had wings and could spit fire everywhere, it was a wild beast with no intelligence.
Yet the Marchosias everyone was confronting was intelligent, and knew how to fight with his bare hands, and didn't even look like a wolf!
It didn't made sense, isn't it?
However, this was because Demons that grow strong enough possess what's called "Dual Natures", within their Souls rests the true embodiment of their Demonic Powers.
It is often sealed by themselves to develop outside of this overwhelming power, so they can continue growing and develop as individuals.
And how was that done?
Through the Demon Soul Gate Seal!
The stronger this "True Demon" was, the more Gates it needed to be sealed…
And the reason why they desperately sealed such power was also because it made them go mad, so mad they were no different than Demonic Beasts!
It was a last resort that Demons of high ranking, such as Demon Lords like Marchosias, would utilize once they were drive to a corner.
RUMBLE!
"Hahah… HAHAHAHAH!"
With a maddening laughter, the endless shockwaves that emerged out of Marchosias creation slowly stopped, as Rakasha, Yuki, Tisha, and Pekora watched in horror at the scene in front of them.
A giant wolf of over two hundred meters has suddenly appeared instead of the humanoid four-armed blue demon from before.
It had blue and white fur, sharp crimson eyes, black horns growing on its head, sharp silver spikes on its back, and giant, metallic claws, with six legs and a pair of huge, demonic wings.
As it laughed maniacally, it released Demonic Flames everywhere, setting everything ablaze with even more intensity than before.
"What is this?!" Yuki cried. "What the hell? This dude became a huge wolf?!"
"This is no mere wolf…" Rakasha muttered, barely being able to keep his composure before Marchosias true form. "This thing is something we weren't supposed to fight yet!"
"It is… How strong is it?!" Tisha asked.
"The Jungle… It is afraid? Nature is escaping, it doesn't want to confront it?!" Pekora was shocked to realize that even the Spirits were too afraid to fight.
She slowly started to lose control over the jungle's Nature due to this, Marchosias flames burned it all, even turning spirits into ashes.
"RAHAHAHAHA! I will BURN! I will BURN it all!" Marchosias laughed. "BURN! BURN! BURN! BURRNNN!!!"
FLAAASH!
With a single leap, Marchosias reached the four warriors in a single second! His enormous jaws opening, gathering ridiculous quantities of flames and then releasing them at point-blank!
"BURN TO ASHES!"
"Shit!"
Yuki quickly rushed in front of everyone in an incredible act of heroism, as she imbued all the power of her Frost Phoenix Divine Beast Spirit on her body to create a shield of ice made out of her own wings and hands!
"[Divine Frost Phoenix Sacrificial Shield]!"
"YUKI!"
Tisha cried as she extended her arms towards Yuki, but the flames engulfed her in a tremendous explosion.
BOOOOOOMMMMM!!!
The shockwave alone sent all three of them flying down into the ground, rolling over the jungle floor as they shattered the ground and left countless cracks.
The explosion was so strong it continued into an enormous tower of flames into the skies, opening it wide… the heavens trembled, the ground below seemed to be opening a tremendous hole.
It was as if a whole meteor had fallen there!
"Is this… the true power of Demons?"
Rakasha was left completely perplexed… Until now, this was just the second instance of them fighting these otherworldly beings.
Just because they had killed a few small fries, they thought they were actually not that big of a deal if they grew strong enough.
But now they realized the titanic gap between the two!
Demons were overwhelming beings.
And a single Demon Lord could as well threaten a whole continent by themselves!
"BURN! BURN IT ALL!"
Marchosias laughed, his entire body covered on blue and red flames as he rushed towards them! He had yet to burn them all and would not stop until they were all burn to ashes.
"Yuki! Where is she?!"
Tisha panicked, looking everywhere for Yuki, after the huge explosion, they only saw her shield blocking the attack for three seconds before shattering and then engulfing it all with fire.
"C-Could it be… No…!"
Pekora thought about the worst but didn't want to believe it. That girl was always reckless, but they never thought she would be so heroic as to jump into imminent danger for them.
Rakasha scouted his surroundings using his senses, his crimson eyes lighting up as he saw something in the burnt woods right at the left side of him.
"Is she there?!"
He quickly ran with them, as Marchosias quickly descended towards them, following them at lightning speed!
The trio jumped towards Yuki, finding her in a horrendous state, like nothing they had ever seen before.
Her entire body was almost carbonized, her skin was burned into ashes, her muscles were pitch black, her eyes were vaporized, her hair was gone, both her arms and legs were destroyed, and it was a miracle her Divine Core was holding back, even as shattered as it was.
A faint aura of divinity was coming from her, but it was slowly fading away!
"No, YUKI!"
Tisha started crying as she saw her friend in such an horrendous state, Pekora was the same, but acted quickly.
She waved her hands, as countless vines encompassed Yuki's body and protected her, while she constantly conjured all her healing spells on her.
"Any Elixirs?!" She asked desperately.
"I am out of them!" Rakasha said.
"Me too…!" Tisha cried.
"Dammit!"
The trio quickly leaped into the skies, escaping the monstrous wolf that burned it all with his very steps!
"BURN!"
He opened his titanic jaws again, releasing a gigantic blast of fire!
This time, there was nowhere to run.
BOOOOOOMMMMM!!!
