"What did you say?!" Johan asked.
"There is a way to save his life" Ziltris remarked in a matter-of-factly tone.
"Tell us! What is it?!"
"Don't bark at me boy!" Ziltris' expression was ugly, but quickly reverted to normal. "Bring my body over"
Johan wanted to stand but Theron held him back.
"How do we know to trust you?"
"He'll be dead in a minute-do you have any other option?"
Theron stared, while doubtful, he could only relent.
Johan dragged the headless body over.
"Move it closer to him"
Johan narrowed his gaze. "Why?"
"Just do as I say"
Taking glances, Johan placed the body by Ezra's side.
"Step back" Ziltris said.
"Don't" Theron spoke. "What are you trying to do?"
"Save his life"
"Why would you help us?"
"Oh?"
The body raised it's right arm, alarming the siblings.
Suddenly, the arm dug into the center of the chest, cutting through flesh with its nails before rising up once more.
But now, it was drenched in blood, and on it was a fairly large organ, round it was, dripping blood while beating at set intervals with black and red lines snaking all over it.
Ezra's eyes widened in realization. "I'm not doing it"
The siblings were confused.
"Seems you knew of this already" Ziltris remarked.
Ziltris turned to the siblings. "This is my heart. More importantly, this is the heart of a rank six demon"
"It has incredible healing properties. Eating it will save his life"
The siblings lit up, before…
"That's not all now, is it?"
"The healing works best for first timers, subsequent uses diminish in effectiveness"
"You b*stard!" Ezra spoke. "Tell them everything"
"Hehehe" Ziltris formed a cruel smile. "Eating the blood with grant him incredible healing powers, but also turn him into a demon!"
"Hahahaha" Ziltris burst into sick laughter. "So, what will it be?"
"Give it up" Ezra said, smiling. "This is for the best. Death is far more honourable than becoming a demon"
He knew demon hearts were ingredients for the best elixirs, but those were strongly distilled before use, they had nothing to distil it at hand, and even if they did-Ezra would have long died by then.
"Anyways, now you're all free"
The siblings were shaken, tears fell off Velora's cheeks.
But Theron's gaze was locked on the beating demon heart.
"Hu-rry…" Ziltris' sinister tone nudged at him. "I'm almost dead, and once I die, my heart's potency significantly weakens-so you'll have an even lesser chance of saving him"
Theron gulped, at the crossroads of such a difficult decision.
Then, he whispered. "Sorry Ezra"
"Huh?"
Bam!
Theron knelt on his left arm.
"Kuh!!! What are you doing?!" Ezra shrieked.
The other siblings looked at him in shock.
"I'm saving your life" he replied.
"I command you to stop!"
"I'm afraid I can't do that"
Theron faced the others. "What are you doing?! Hold him down"
"B-But-
Velora stammered.
"But what?!" Theron hollered. "I refuse to let him die"
"That isn't something for you to decide!" Ashton exclaimed.
"Then I guess I'll be selfish this time around. And don't dare try to stop me!"
Ezra was enraged. "Theron, get off me!"
"No can't do, Ezra"
Flailing his body, Ezra's right leg was pressed to the ground.
"Johan, what are you doing?!"
"Saving you, Boss"
"You're making a mistake!"
"Too many of those already-one more wouldn't hurt"
Bam!
Then the left leg.
"Roxanne! Stop this nonsense"
She shook her head fiercely. "I'll have to disobey. I can't let you die"
Sniff*Sniff* Velora wiped her tears. "I'll help too"
"You too?!" Veins pulsed all over Ezra's forehead.
"Uhhh…" Ashton scratched his head. "How can I help?"
"....."
Ezra was speechless at this point.
"Hahahaha" Ziltris laughed hysterically. "Hahahaha, I'll win"
"Oh shut up" Theron smacked the head away.
"Now" Theron reached for the heart.
Ziltris spoke from afar. "If you hold it with your bare hands you'll die"
Theron gulped.
"There's a lot of poison residing within" Ziltris added.
Theron understood, then nodded. The siblings knew of his blood poison while in the castle.
"Take his scythe and cut off the hand"
Quickly, Theron cuts the arm holding the heart and holds it.
"Place it right atop his mouth"
Ezra snapped his mouth shut, letting the blood land on his face.
"Ashton, press down on his chest!"
"Yes!" Ashton jumped on Ezra's chest. Forcing Ezra's mouth open as he spewed a lot of blood.
Ezra forced a few words out.
"You-guys, stop!"
Theron shook his head. "No we won't!"
Ezra's eyes shone blue, provoking the mana within to burst faster.
The siblings felt the change.
"Even I if I have to kill myself, I am not going to become a demon. Now, get away!"
Johan tightened his grip. "Then you'll have to take us with you"
"You…!"
"Same here" Ashton strengthened his leg.
"Us too" Roxanne and Velora replied as one.
"Don't you get it?" Theron inquired. "We can't let you die-we need you!"
Ezra paused, looking Theron in the eye. "You…need…me?"
Theron nodded vigorously. "Yes we do. We wouldn't have gotten this far without you-So don't dare die on us!"
"Ha…" A look of astonishment lay on his face, before reverting to a calm smile.
'I thought you guys resented me…'
"Fine then. Do what you want"
Ezra relaxed his muscles, opening his mouth willingly.
Seeing that, Ashton lifted his knee off Ezra's stomach.
Carefully, Theron placed the heart above Ezra's mouth, letting the blood trickle down the throat.
The minute it touched his tongue, Ezra's body shook, inhaling deeply.
He could feel it, the blood moving through his body as a foreign force invading it and tainting his mana red.
At the same time, he felt his veins pulsing as the blood was absorbed.
The injuries that weren't healing before healed fast.
The mark along his face faded, and his eye healed.
Gradually, his skin hardened and reddened while his nails blackened.
"Let me help a bit" said Ziltris. Forcing whatever was left of himself to have the severed hand squeeze the heart into pieces.
The pieces fell down Ezra's gullet.
*Munch*Munch*
Ezra instinctively chewed on it.
And then…
"UGHHH!"
With a beast-like groan, Ezra's presence changed, exuding demon energy.
Ziltris spoke. "Step far away from him"
The siblings did as told.
Ezra rose up to a sitting, looking around he grabbed his detached right arm and placed it on the stomp.
Immediately, it began healing.
Thereafter, he starts looking around, sniffing and even drooling.
"Hungry.…"
Locating food, he plunged his nail into the headless body beside him, ripping out the lungs-which he then munched on hastily.
All the while…
"Haha! Hahahaha! I won!"
Ziltris jubilated. His head rolling about.
Ezra munched on the organs when he paused, his body felt giddy.
"Hmm?"
Boom!
From his figure erupted a large pillar of blue and red light, shooting into the sky.
"Is he-
"Yes" Theron nodded. "He's advancing"
"This…!" Even Ziltris quietened.
'Reaching Grandmaster rank so easily…Tch!'
Waves of envy washed up on his face.
After an entire minute, the pillar receded.
Bom!
Upon completely dissipating, a wave of energy burst on all sides from Ezra's body, blasting Ziltris and the siblings afar while simultaneously knocking up a whole lot of dust.
The dust cleared up in a few seconds.
Only then did Ezra's red skin recede.
Slapping his tongue against his lips, Ezra opened his eyes to the scenery.
"Hmm, what-ssss
Ezra hissed, rubbing his eyes to ease the sudden burning itch within them.
"Ahhh!"
But it proved useless as Ezra's eyes turned red, more importantly, memories came flooding, memories of another-Ziltris.
Only then did the itching dissipate.
Rapidly blinking, he finds his eyesight to be not much different.
'Oh, my head'
But his brain was definitely hurting.
He confirmed that Ziltris' memories had reached him, but rather than the initial glimpses, Ezra wasn't in a hurry to dig into it.
An eye sweep of the surroundings had him shocked.
A large radius of the forest had been destroyed with them at the center.
The soil now black, the trees incinerated with precision, others on the ground as broken blocks of ice, with many more charred to powder by lightning.
"Boss?"
A voice called.
"Boss, is that you?"
The siblings came into view, walking towards him with slow steps.
Ezra smiled. Stretching out his palm to the side. "Hmph. Who else could it be?"
"Haha, it's the Boss!"
Skyfall flew from its position into Ezra's palm. Shrinking to the size of a pin afterwards before Ezra sucked it into the ancient space ring.
Velora ran and jumped into arms-much to Ezra's surprise.
"Don't ever try to leave us again!"
Slowly, Ezra gave a back page. "I promise"
Only then did she relent.
The other reached him.
"So, how are you feeling?" Theron inquired. Folding his arms.
"Great" Ezra replied. "I'm a Grandmaster"
Lightning sparked all over his body.
"I can't wait to try it out"
"Shouldn't we take care of that first?" Ashton asked. Pointing at the corpse.
"Right"
Ezra approached it. "I almost forgot this was here"
He picked up Swift Blade and had it stored in the ancient space ring.
He took a small leap.
"You have no words?"
In front of him was Ziltris' head, with its face facing the ground.
Lightly tapping with his feet, the head rolled over.
Ziltris stared him in the eye, making a smile. "Heh...
"Well? Speak"
After a few seconds, Ezra reached down and tapped the head.
No movement.
'So he's dead'
Ezra gave a heavy sigh.
Then, something popped up in his view.
Something so shocking, Ezra staggered, falling on his butt.
'It couldn't be'
Ezra stretched his arm forward.
