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Been meaning to post this for a while but I've been having too much fun playing Legends: Arceus. (Warning: contains mild violence, mild language, mild gore)
It was around noon. The Hero group had found the fresh water source, which was a river, and had stopped to rest and have lunch. Celtic was working on his latest meal with everyone eagerly awaiting it. After a short time he took a sample from the pot and tasted it.
“Hmm… yeah, I think we’re good to go,” he said after a moment of pondering. “The Crimson Turkey Bacon Wrapped Fried Ghost Shrimp in Icefloe Snowberry Sauce and Fried Rice is ready. Gather up.”
“Sounds good to me!” Rupert said cheerfully.
Everyone had gathered around the pot as Celtic placed a serving of the food to each, along with giving a large amount to Heatblast. All of them sat down at the tables created by Grass Bomb and immediately tucked into the food.
“Mmm!” Eric said blissfully. “Another award-winning meal, Celtic. I love bacon wrapped fried shrimp. Haven’t had it in a long time, although I’ve never had it with turkey bacon before.”
Celtic merely chuckled, “Glad you like it.”
Skye turned to him, “Hey, Cel, how are you feeling? You did get pretty rattled in the Dark Forest. Feeling any better, loverboy?”
He turned to her, “Yeah, I’m doing better now that I’ve gotten away from the Dark Forest. Still a bit shook but nevertheless okay. But, damn, I’m really starting to hate Gengar Bats. They’re becoming the bane of my existence as they keep forcefully unearthing my deepest fears and insecurities. At least with Alastor gone I don’t have to worry about them too much, but it’s still a royal pain whenever they show up and send my already fractured mind into panic mode.”
Ryan replied, “Can’t say we blame you for that, Celtic. Those Gengar Bats, while not being very strong, are clearly some nasty pieces of work with those hallucinations they cause. Even the most hardened of souls will likely buckle under the weight of those illusions, especially since they prey upon one’s biggest fears. And considering the living hell you’ve been through it’s no surprise you’re as harshly affected by to their tricks.”
Heatblast walked over and gave Celtic a small nuzzle, making the redhead smile as he stroked his pet Weyr under the chin. They all resumed eating, getting a second serving before finishing the food off. Rupert and Tyroe washed the dishes and cooking tools before the group continued onward. It wasn’t long before something would try to stop them.
Heatblast started to snarl, his eyes narrowing.
“What’s up with Heatblast?” Lucas asked.
“Magic Fire!” a voice shouted.
Everyone dodged the attack as the magical flames rocketed toward them. The group got into a battle-ready pose as Kalaraja floated down.
“Your pet Weyr is certainly smart,” Kalaraja said. “But I’ll still take all of you apart.” He raised his scepter-like arms before stating, “Monster minions, come forth!”
Several portals opened up, allowing monsters to emerge from them. One looked like a swarm of Cloud Krill, only they had more electric yellow bodies. Another group were flaming vampire-like beings with long capes. A third group resembled chibi-looking gangsters in nice suits, wearing large top hats and oversized angular sunglasses. And the last group were red-colored Shadow Bison.
Zuzu stated, “So, we’re dealing with Cumulus Cloud Krill, Flame Vampires, Gangsters, and Red Shadow Bison. Once again all monsters from the Demon Realm. Be especially wary of the Flame Vampires, as they’re not only the strongest of the bunch but are also the most intelligent. Though don’t underestimate the Gangsters, either, as their Flash Bombs may not do any real damage but they can stun you for a brief moment and also inflict the Blind status ailment, which will allow follow-up attacks.”
“You’re correct, Succuryn, you’re quite sharp. But regardless these monsters will push you off the scarp. Attack!”
The monsters quickly charged in. Fortunately, the Cumulus Cloud Krill weren’t able to damage the Hero group despite their best attempts, allowing the warriors to deal with the more imminent threats.
Celtic stated, “I’ll gather all the Cumulus Cloud Krill together so they don’t get in our way! Mag-Bolt!”
His arm transformed into the Mag-Bolt. He then raised it up and activated it. The Mag-Bolt released energy that caused all the Cumulus Cloud Krill to latch onto it, unable to remove themselves or fight back, helping clear the area of them and allowing the Hero group more freedom.
Skye started channeling energy, “Have a taste of this! Giga Volt!”
A massive thunderbolt rained down upon the battlefield, striking every enemy in its path, including Kalaraja, much to his surprise. It also struck the Cumulus Cloud Krill attached to Celtic’s Mag-Bolt, nearly striking him in the process, much to his alarm. He glared at Skye who responded with a rueful grin.
“Sorry, loverboy,” she said sheepishly.
Ryan transformed his Sword, stating, “Now’s our chance while the enemy has been stunned by Skye’s Giga Volt! This should shut down one of those Flame Vampires! Undead Eat Stab!”
He impaled one of the stunned Flame Vampires, making it screech in pain as it was absorbed by the Soulavore Sword. Ryan noticed a tank in his stat vision filling up with energy, making him smile. The other Heroes smirked and transformed their respective Legendary Gear into their Soulavore-based forms.
“Undead Eat Thrust!” Lucas shouted.
“Undead Eat Slam!” Eric roared.
“Undead Eat Shot!” Jerry yelled.
They each launched their attacks at the Flame Vampires, striking them and causing them to be absorbed by the attack. This, in turn, caused energy tanks to fill in their stat vision, along with a footnote regarding item drops.
Celtic transformed his Shroud into the Soulavore Shroud, stating, “I’ll clean up the rest. Undead Eat!”
The two halves of the Soulavore head joined and started to inhale energy. The remaining Flame Vampires were converted into spheres of energy and consumed into the Soulavore’s mouth. In Celtic’s stat vision he saw a couple of energy tanks filling up, along with notifications about item drops. He then gained a devious smirk as he saw Kalaraja’s surprised face.
“I wonder…” he grinned darkly. “Let’s see if you have the same weakness Sylph had. Soul Energy Syphoning!”
The Soulavore head opened its mouth again and started to inhale energy, this time directly toward Kalaraja. The Magician Demon screamed in pain as energy was directly syphoned out of him and entered the Soulavore Shroud, making Celtic smirk.
“I knew it!” he grinned. “You have a weakness to Soulavores and MP-draining skills just like Sylph did! Now we’ve got your number, Kalaraja.”
Kalaraja, although quite alarmed, positioned his scepter arms in front of him, stating, “You may have discovered my biggest flaw. But it won’t serve you as I’ll crush you in my magical squall! Airstream!”
He fired a vacuum of wind at the Hero group, ready to shred them to pieces. Tyroe slammed his hands on the ground, causing a wall of earth to form in between the party and Kalaraja. The Airstream attack struck the wall of earth but was unable to penetrate it. This tactic gave Skye an idea and she quickly vanished. Kalaraja stopped his attack and started to prime another one.
“Your wall of earth won’t hold forever! Allow me to show you with this endeavor! Tsunami!”
A massive tsunami formed in front of him and raced toward the wall of earth Tyroe had set up. The tsunami effortlessly shattered it, striking the Hero group and knocking them back.
“How do you like that?” Kalaraja laughed. “My Tsunami spell made you go splat!” He then noticed something. “Wait a minute: where’s the elf? Show yourself!”
Suddenly, he felt something impale him from behind, with what looked like a magic blade protruding from his chest, making him go wide eyed. Skye then reappeared, holding her Shadow Mana Dagger right in Kalaraja’s back, grinning darkly.
“You shouldn’t have said that, you warlock wannabe,” she purred darkly. “Now my Shadow Mana Dagger will put you in a very precarious position. Thanks to its special properties you’re now cut off from your magical powers!”
Kalaraja’s eyes widened, “You vile wench: how could you!? Time for you to pay your due!” His arm transformed into a sword, “Magic Saber!”
He attempted to slash at Skye but she not only dodged the attack but retaliated by summoning her naginata and slicing off Kalaraja’s arm, making him howl in pain. She quickly grabbed it and ran back to her party, who had managed to regain their bearings from the Tsunami spell.
Kalaraja pointed his remaining arm at the Hero group, “You may have cut me off from my spells but I’m far from defenseless. My next attack will leave you senseless! Magic Fire!”
He fired his trademark attack, forcing the party to scatter.
Gram stated, “Slate, I need your help! Give me the power of Stone Cutter!”
He summoned his Earth Spiria, which channeled a large amount of energy into Gram’s sword, causing it to be coated with sharp rocks and doubling in size. Slate then fused with Gram to rest. Gram charged in, jumped, did a flip, and slashed down at Kalaraja, creating a sizeable slice down the Magician Demon’s front. Kalaraja howled in pain before focusing on Gram.
“Summoning your Spiria in order to attack me, you little worm!” he growled. “I’ll enjoy making you squirm! Magic Saber!”
He transformed his remaining arm into the sword and clashed blades with Gram, whose sword had returned to normal after his previous attack. However, Kalaraja’s strength was pushing Gram back. At the time the rest of the group had finished defeating the remaining monsters and turned their attention to Kalaraja.
Celtic started to channel energy, “This’ll help! Aura Boost!”
Everyone was coated in powerful energies, increasing all their stats. Thanks to the boost Gram started to push back against Kalaraja’s blade, creating a more balanced stalemate.
“I’ll save you, Sir Gram!” May shouted. “Hydro Tower!”
She slammed her palm down on the ground, causing the pillar of water to appear and race toward Kalaraja. Kalaraja was unable to move away because he was locked in a blade stalemate with Gram. The Hydro Tower struck him, making him howl in pain. This attack gave Gram the opening he needed and allowed him to push back with all his might. He ultimately overpowered Kalaraja, forcing the Magician Demon back. Heatblast then raced in and slammed his talons on Kalaraja’s face, pinning him to the ground.
“Get off of me, you overgrow lizard!” Kalaraja yelled as he struggled to remove Heatblast from him.
Heatblast started to open his mouth in order to deal the final blow but suddenly his attention was directed elsewhere, much to everyone’s confusion. He started to snarl, embers leaking out of his nostrils, his eyes narrowing, and his teeth bared.
“What’s got Heatblast’s attention?” Eric asked.
“And at such a critical time, too,” Jerry added.
Suddenly, Heatblast jumped off Kalaraja and attacked something else, causing an invisible target to become visible, revealing it to be Infinator. Infinator barely managed to repel Heatblast, forcing the Weyr to land next to Celtic.
“Of course,” Zuzu stated. “Weyrs were bred to fight Galvaton Demons, remember? So it’s natural that Heatblast would be able to detect Infinator before we can.”
Kalaraja looked hopeful, stating, “Master, you’ve come for me! Please, crush these fools like fleas!”
Infinator merely closed his eyes, saying, “Kalaraja, I’m disappointed in you. Even with monster minions you still struggle with these lowly creatures. But rest assured that I still have some use for you.”
He then gained an evil smirk as he raised up his tendrils and lashed them out at Kalaraja, impaling him and injecting his paralyzing poison. Kalaraja’s eyes widened in horror as his body became locked in place. Infinator then raised Kalaraja up via his tendrils and started to drain the Magician Demon of everything, horrifying everyone else present. Before long Kalaraja was reduced to bones which Infinator casually dropped, causing them to shatter to dust as they hit the ground.
“Thank you for your service, Kalaraja. Rest assured that your purpose has been fulfilled. And your powers will further boost me. Consider it an honor to become part of a superior being.”
Lucas sputtered, “H-How could you!? He was your loyal General! How could you just devour and dispose of him like that!?”
Infinator merely huffed, “Feeble minds need not concern themselves with the thoughts and actions of superior beings. Spear Hero, you need to remember something: demons eat other demons. Kalaraja is a Mid-Tier Demon while I’m an Advance-Tier Demon, thus it falls into one simple concept. He is my prey, plain and simple. He outlived his usefulness, so his power and nutrients will go to empower a more worthy being in me. And I’ll clue you into something… the same fate has befallen Seth and Caym after you defeated them. Seth was much more flavorful than Caym was but they were both very filling, nonetheless. I suggest you keep that in mind, Heroes, that just like Kalaraja, you are also my prey. And I intend to devour each and every one of you. But I’m not quite ready for the main course so our next lunch date will have to wait. But rest assured that you will become nothing more than nutrients to further strengthen my body. Until then. Teleport.”
He vanished in a flash of light, leaving the Hero group behind. They were all shaken at what they had just seen.
“Infinator… is pure evil…” Ryan shivered.
“Yeah…” Rupert said. “While that’s always been an established fact of him, I never would’ve thought he’d devour his own allies so callously like that. They served him willingly and he rewards them with a fate worse than death. Disgusting.”
Zuzu grimaced, “I used to live by those rules before joining Celtic’s party. It was considered perfectly normal to demons. But thanks to being part of this group it’s allowed me to see just how horrible some demons can be when they use the demonic food chain as a means to cover up their cruelty. Now the thought of devouring one of my own demon kin repulses me. Morality is a strange thing. I knew that Galvaton Demons were the worst of the worst when it comes to demons. But even I wasn’t prepared to see Infinator dispose of his loyal minion in such a cruel manner, merely describing it as part of our nature. It is technically true, but even so, Kalaraja, Seth, and Caym didn’t deserve that fate, to be so callously discarded by their master in the most brutal way possible. Infinator must be stopped at all costs or all worlds, not just Zakota, will become feasting grounds for him.”
Celtic nodded grimly, “Agreed, Zuzu. And this is why I never indulge in the concept of eating other demons despite my species, Shadokor, being the top link of the food chain. The fact that Infinator justifies his cruelty as being part of the circle of life just makes it all the more horrible.” He took a deep breath before saying, “Well… as disturbing as that was, it does help motivate us in our mission to stop Infinator once and for all. Heroes, I suggest we have our Legendary Gear absorb some of the monsters we defeated today. While the Flame Vampires have already been added to our list of powers due to our Soulavore-based Gear, we still have others to take samples from. And let’s divide up Kalaraja’s remaining arm between us. It won’t be pleasant, especially after what we just witnessed, but we need every ounce of strength and power we can get in order to win this war.”
The other Heroes nodded grimly as they took samples from the downed monsters to add to their Legendary Gear powers. Celtic then sliced Kalaraja’s remaining arm into segments, allowing him and the other Heroes to absorb them, creating new abilities. Celtic also packed the Cumulus Cloud Krill and Red Shadow Bison into his Tek-Pak, knowing they were a breed of edible monsters. With heavy hearts the party continued their quest to the next planetary energy vein. They were deadly determined to end Infinator once and for all before his cruelty could reach new levels.
Next Chapter: A Determination to War
And that's all for today. Tune in next time to see what our Heroes face.
The Day the Magic Died
It was around noon. The Hero group had found the fresh water source, which was a river, and had stopped to rest and have lunch. Celtic was working on his latest meal with everyone eagerly awaiting it. After a short time he took a sample from the pot and tasted it.
“Hmm… yeah, I think we’re good to go,” he said after a moment of pondering. “The Crimson Turkey Bacon Wrapped Fried Ghost Shrimp in Icefloe Snowberry Sauce and Fried Rice is ready. Gather up.”
“Sounds good to me!” Rupert said cheerfully.
Everyone had gathered around the pot as Celtic placed a serving of the food to each, along with giving a large amount to Heatblast. All of them sat down at the tables created by Grass Bomb and immediately tucked into the food.
“Mmm!” Eric said blissfully. “Another award-winning meal, Celtic. I love bacon wrapped fried shrimp. Haven’t had it in a long time, although I’ve never had it with turkey bacon before.”
Celtic merely chuckled, “Glad you like it.”
Skye turned to him, “Hey, Cel, how are you feeling? You did get pretty rattled in the Dark Forest. Feeling any better, loverboy?”
He turned to her, “Yeah, I’m doing better now that I’ve gotten away from the Dark Forest. Still a bit shook but nevertheless okay. But, damn, I’m really starting to hate Gengar Bats. They’re becoming the bane of my existence as they keep forcefully unearthing my deepest fears and insecurities. At least with Alastor gone I don’t have to worry about them too much, but it’s still a royal pain whenever they show up and send my already fractured mind into panic mode.”
Ryan replied, “Can’t say we blame you for that, Celtic. Those Gengar Bats, while not being very strong, are clearly some nasty pieces of work with those hallucinations they cause. Even the most hardened of souls will likely buckle under the weight of those illusions, especially since they prey upon one’s biggest fears. And considering the living hell you’ve been through it’s no surprise you’re as harshly affected by to their tricks.”
Heatblast walked over and gave Celtic a small nuzzle, making the redhead smile as he stroked his pet Weyr under the chin. They all resumed eating, getting a second serving before finishing the food off. Rupert and Tyroe washed the dishes and cooking tools before the group continued onward. It wasn’t long before something would try to stop them.
Heatblast started to snarl, his eyes narrowing.
“What’s up with Heatblast?” Lucas asked.
“Magic Fire!” a voice shouted.
Everyone dodged the attack as the magical flames rocketed toward them. The group got into a battle-ready pose as Kalaraja floated down.
“Your pet Weyr is certainly smart,” Kalaraja said. “But I’ll still take all of you apart.” He raised his scepter-like arms before stating, “Monster minions, come forth!”
Several portals opened up, allowing monsters to emerge from them. One looked like a swarm of Cloud Krill, only they had more electric yellow bodies. Another group were flaming vampire-like beings with long capes. A third group resembled chibi-looking gangsters in nice suits, wearing large top hats and oversized angular sunglasses. And the last group were red-colored Shadow Bison.
Zuzu stated, “So, we’re dealing with Cumulus Cloud Krill, Flame Vampires, Gangsters, and Red Shadow Bison. Once again all monsters from the Demon Realm. Be especially wary of the Flame Vampires, as they’re not only the strongest of the bunch but are also the most intelligent. Though don’t underestimate the Gangsters, either, as their Flash Bombs may not do any real damage but they can stun you for a brief moment and also inflict the Blind status ailment, which will allow follow-up attacks.”
“You’re correct, Succuryn, you’re quite sharp. But regardless these monsters will push you off the scarp. Attack!”
The monsters quickly charged in. Fortunately, the Cumulus Cloud Krill weren’t able to damage the Hero group despite their best attempts, allowing the warriors to deal with the more imminent threats.
Celtic stated, “I’ll gather all the Cumulus Cloud Krill together so they don’t get in our way! Mag-Bolt!”
His arm transformed into the Mag-Bolt. He then raised it up and activated it. The Mag-Bolt released energy that caused all the Cumulus Cloud Krill to latch onto it, unable to remove themselves or fight back, helping clear the area of them and allowing the Hero group more freedom.
Skye started channeling energy, “Have a taste of this! Giga Volt!”
A massive thunderbolt rained down upon the battlefield, striking every enemy in its path, including Kalaraja, much to his surprise. It also struck the Cumulus Cloud Krill attached to Celtic’s Mag-Bolt, nearly striking him in the process, much to his alarm. He glared at Skye who responded with a rueful grin.
“Sorry, loverboy,” she said sheepishly.
Ryan transformed his Sword, stating, “Now’s our chance while the enemy has been stunned by Skye’s Giga Volt! This should shut down one of those Flame Vampires! Undead Eat Stab!”
He impaled one of the stunned Flame Vampires, making it screech in pain as it was absorbed by the Soulavore Sword. Ryan noticed a tank in his stat vision filling up with energy, making him smile. The other Heroes smirked and transformed their respective Legendary Gear into their Soulavore-based forms.
“Undead Eat Thrust!” Lucas shouted.
“Undead Eat Slam!” Eric roared.
“Undead Eat Shot!” Jerry yelled.
They each launched their attacks at the Flame Vampires, striking them and causing them to be absorbed by the attack. This, in turn, caused energy tanks to fill in their stat vision, along with a footnote regarding item drops.
Celtic transformed his Shroud into the Soulavore Shroud, stating, “I’ll clean up the rest. Undead Eat!”
The two halves of the Soulavore head joined and started to inhale energy. The remaining Flame Vampires were converted into spheres of energy and consumed into the Soulavore’s mouth. In Celtic’s stat vision he saw a couple of energy tanks filling up, along with notifications about item drops. He then gained a devious smirk as he saw Kalaraja’s surprised face.
“I wonder…” he grinned darkly. “Let’s see if you have the same weakness Sylph had. Soul Energy Syphoning!”
The Soulavore head opened its mouth again and started to inhale energy, this time directly toward Kalaraja. The Magician Demon screamed in pain as energy was directly syphoned out of him and entered the Soulavore Shroud, making Celtic smirk.
“I knew it!” he grinned. “You have a weakness to Soulavores and MP-draining skills just like Sylph did! Now we’ve got your number, Kalaraja.”
Kalaraja, although quite alarmed, positioned his scepter arms in front of him, stating, “You may have discovered my biggest flaw. But it won’t serve you as I’ll crush you in my magical squall! Airstream!”
He fired a vacuum of wind at the Hero group, ready to shred them to pieces. Tyroe slammed his hands on the ground, causing a wall of earth to form in between the party and Kalaraja. The Airstream attack struck the wall of earth but was unable to penetrate it. This tactic gave Skye an idea and she quickly vanished. Kalaraja stopped his attack and started to prime another one.
“Your wall of earth won’t hold forever! Allow me to show you with this endeavor! Tsunami!”
A massive tsunami formed in front of him and raced toward the wall of earth Tyroe had set up. The tsunami effortlessly shattered it, striking the Hero group and knocking them back.
“How do you like that?” Kalaraja laughed. “My Tsunami spell made you go splat!” He then noticed something. “Wait a minute: where’s the elf? Show yourself!”
Suddenly, he felt something impale him from behind, with what looked like a magic blade protruding from his chest, making him go wide eyed. Skye then reappeared, holding her Shadow Mana Dagger right in Kalaraja’s back, grinning darkly.
“You shouldn’t have said that, you warlock wannabe,” she purred darkly. “Now my Shadow Mana Dagger will put you in a very precarious position. Thanks to its special properties you’re now cut off from your magical powers!”
Kalaraja’s eyes widened, “You vile wench: how could you!? Time for you to pay your due!” His arm transformed into a sword, “Magic Saber!”
He attempted to slash at Skye but she not only dodged the attack but retaliated by summoning her naginata and slicing off Kalaraja’s arm, making him howl in pain. She quickly grabbed it and ran back to her party, who had managed to regain their bearings from the Tsunami spell.
Kalaraja pointed his remaining arm at the Hero group, “You may have cut me off from my spells but I’m far from defenseless. My next attack will leave you senseless! Magic Fire!”
He fired his trademark attack, forcing the party to scatter.
Gram stated, “Slate, I need your help! Give me the power of Stone Cutter!”
He summoned his Earth Spiria, which channeled a large amount of energy into Gram’s sword, causing it to be coated with sharp rocks and doubling in size. Slate then fused with Gram to rest. Gram charged in, jumped, did a flip, and slashed down at Kalaraja, creating a sizeable slice down the Magician Demon’s front. Kalaraja howled in pain before focusing on Gram.
“Summoning your Spiria in order to attack me, you little worm!” he growled. “I’ll enjoy making you squirm! Magic Saber!”
He transformed his remaining arm into the sword and clashed blades with Gram, whose sword had returned to normal after his previous attack. However, Kalaraja’s strength was pushing Gram back. At the time the rest of the group had finished defeating the remaining monsters and turned their attention to Kalaraja.
Celtic started to channel energy, “This’ll help! Aura Boost!”
Everyone was coated in powerful energies, increasing all their stats. Thanks to the boost Gram started to push back against Kalaraja’s blade, creating a more balanced stalemate.
“I’ll save you, Sir Gram!” May shouted. “Hydro Tower!”
She slammed her palm down on the ground, causing the pillar of water to appear and race toward Kalaraja. Kalaraja was unable to move away because he was locked in a blade stalemate with Gram. The Hydro Tower struck him, making him howl in pain. This attack gave Gram the opening he needed and allowed him to push back with all his might. He ultimately overpowered Kalaraja, forcing the Magician Demon back. Heatblast then raced in and slammed his talons on Kalaraja’s face, pinning him to the ground.
“Get off of me, you overgrow lizard!” Kalaraja yelled as he struggled to remove Heatblast from him.
Heatblast started to open his mouth in order to deal the final blow but suddenly his attention was directed elsewhere, much to everyone’s confusion. He started to snarl, embers leaking out of his nostrils, his eyes narrowing, and his teeth bared.
“What’s got Heatblast’s attention?” Eric asked.
“And at such a critical time, too,” Jerry added.
Suddenly, Heatblast jumped off Kalaraja and attacked something else, causing an invisible target to become visible, revealing it to be Infinator. Infinator barely managed to repel Heatblast, forcing the Weyr to land next to Celtic.
“Of course,” Zuzu stated. “Weyrs were bred to fight Galvaton Demons, remember? So it’s natural that Heatblast would be able to detect Infinator before we can.”
Kalaraja looked hopeful, stating, “Master, you’ve come for me! Please, crush these fools like fleas!”
Infinator merely closed his eyes, saying, “Kalaraja, I’m disappointed in you. Even with monster minions you still struggle with these lowly creatures. But rest assured that I still have some use for you.”
He then gained an evil smirk as he raised up his tendrils and lashed them out at Kalaraja, impaling him and injecting his paralyzing poison. Kalaraja’s eyes widened in horror as his body became locked in place. Infinator then raised Kalaraja up via his tendrils and started to drain the Magician Demon of everything, horrifying everyone else present. Before long Kalaraja was reduced to bones which Infinator casually dropped, causing them to shatter to dust as they hit the ground.
“Thank you for your service, Kalaraja. Rest assured that your purpose has been fulfilled. And your powers will further boost me. Consider it an honor to become part of a superior being.”
Lucas sputtered, “H-How could you!? He was your loyal General! How could you just devour and dispose of him like that!?”
Infinator merely huffed, “Feeble minds need not concern themselves with the thoughts and actions of superior beings. Spear Hero, you need to remember something: demons eat other demons. Kalaraja is a Mid-Tier Demon while I’m an Advance-Tier Demon, thus it falls into one simple concept. He is my prey, plain and simple. He outlived his usefulness, so his power and nutrients will go to empower a more worthy being in me. And I’ll clue you into something… the same fate has befallen Seth and Caym after you defeated them. Seth was much more flavorful than Caym was but they were both very filling, nonetheless. I suggest you keep that in mind, Heroes, that just like Kalaraja, you are also my prey. And I intend to devour each and every one of you. But I’m not quite ready for the main course so our next lunch date will have to wait. But rest assured that you will become nothing more than nutrients to further strengthen my body. Until then. Teleport.”
He vanished in a flash of light, leaving the Hero group behind. They were all shaken at what they had just seen.
“Infinator… is pure evil…” Ryan shivered.
“Yeah…” Rupert said. “While that’s always been an established fact of him, I never would’ve thought he’d devour his own allies so callously like that. They served him willingly and he rewards them with a fate worse than death. Disgusting.”
Zuzu grimaced, “I used to live by those rules before joining Celtic’s party. It was considered perfectly normal to demons. But thanks to being part of this group it’s allowed me to see just how horrible some demons can be when they use the demonic food chain as a means to cover up their cruelty. Now the thought of devouring one of my own demon kin repulses me. Morality is a strange thing. I knew that Galvaton Demons were the worst of the worst when it comes to demons. But even I wasn’t prepared to see Infinator dispose of his loyal minion in such a cruel manner, merely describing it as part of our nature. It is technically true, but even so, Kalaraja, Seth, and Caym didn’t deserve that fate, to be so callously discarded by their master in the most brutal way possible. Infinator must be stopped at all costs or all worlds, not just Zakota, will become feasting grounds for him.”
Celtic nodded grimly, “Agreed, Zuzu. And this is why I never indulge in the concept of eating other demons despite my species, Shadokor, being the top link of the food chain. The fact that Infinator justifies his cruelty as being part of the circle of life just makes it all the more horrible.” He took a deep breath before saying, “Well… as disturbing as that was, it does help motivate us in our mission to stop Infinator once and for all. Heroes, I suggest we have our Legendary Gear absorb some of the monsters we defeated today. While the Flame Vampires have already been added to our list of powers due to our Soulavore-based Gear, we still have others to take samples from. And let’s divide up Kalaraja’s remaining arm between us. It won’t be pleasant, especially after what we just witnessed, but we need every ounce of strength and power we can get in order to win this war.”
The other Heroes nodded grimly as they took samples from the downed monsters to add to their Legendary Gear powers. Celtic then sliced Kalaraja’s remaining arm into segments, allowing him and the other Heroes to absorb them, creating new abilities. Celtic also packed the Cumulus Cloud Krill and Red Shadow Bison into his Tek-Pak, knowing they were a breed of edible monsters. With heavy hearts the party continued their quest to the next planetary energy vein. They were deadly determined to end Infinator once and for all before his cruelty could reach new levels.
Next Chapter: A Determination to War
And that's all for today. Tune in next time to see what our Heroes face.