The Birth of the Imugi
【Checking skills such as Limit Break SS, Dragon Form SS, and others.】
【Reflecting into the evolution process.】
【Selecting a suitable entity.】
【Selection complete. Beginning evolution.】
With the status window's alert resounding in his mind, his eyes began to close naturally.
Through his slowly drooping eyelids, he could see the others locked in battle.
Explosions boomed in his ears, mingled with faint screams from someone.
He forced his heavy eyelids open.
How much time would the evolution require?
There had never been a single exception so far, and the most recent evolution had kept him asleep for about four days.
It would probably be the same this time.
But could they hold out while he slept?
No.
He could say it with certainty.
They wouldn't last until he finished evolving.
【Warning. Sleep is recommended for a smooth evolution.】
【Failure to sleep may cause evolution to fail.】
He gritted his teeth against the wave of drowsiness that came with the status window's alert once more.
He couldn't sleep here and now.
"─────!!!"
Le Ganus let out a savage roar and flapped his wings to charge at him.
The surviving monsters clung tenaciously to block Le Ganus.
Le Ganus roughly summoned flames as if annoyed by the monsters.
Another group of monsters plummeted from the sky.
【Warning. Continued refusal may cause evolution to fail.】
【Sleep is urgently recommended.】
His brow furrowed at the calm voice.
How could he close his eyes so casually in this situation?
He didn't even know if he was safe right now.
[Don't worry, Nix. It'll be fine.]
As he desperately held his drooping eyelids open, a low voice came from beside him.
Lehatna smiled faintly, her face unusually calm.
[Don't worry. I'll protect you.]
With those words, Lehatna took to the air.
There was no time to stop her—even if there had been, the relentless drowsiness prevented it.
He stared blankly at Lehatna's powerful wingbeats as she ascended.
【Warning repeated. Failure to sleep immediately may cause evolution to fail.】
【This could cause severe damage to the user's body…】
Melusio took a direct hit from Le Ganus's fist and crashed into a floating island, engulfed in flames.
Lehatna filled the gap left by Melusio.
【Warning. Sleep immediately. Further delay could cause serious damage to the user's body…】
Le Ganus burned through the monsters blocking his path and advanced toward him.
New monsters took the place of those falling from the sky.
【Warning…. Further… could be dangerous…】
An unnamed monster vanished in Le Ganus's breath, not even leaving ashes.
【Warning…】
With a simple gesture, Pelte and Deabel lost balance and were swept away.
【War…】
Giryu. Lehatna. Melusio threw everything they had to block his path.
Yet they couldn't easily stop Le Ganus.
Despite their desperate efforts, Le Ganus pressed forward relentlessly.
And at the sight of them.
[This isn't working. We have to step in!]
His brow furrowed at the sudden voice from his left head.
What are you talking about?
[At this rate, we're all done for. We can't just rely on them—we have to fight! You just focus on evolving!]
Along with the left head's confident declaration—as if telling him to trust them only—a slightly different status window alert rang out.
【Using skill Soul Separation SS.】
His left head and the other partners separated as spirits from his body.
Again, there was no time to stop them.
You guys…!
[Don't worry too much, main body. You'll definitely evolve.]
[That's right! We'll make sure of it!]
[You just evolve quietly! If you take too long, we might finish him off ourselves!]
Are you trying to die?! How do you plan to fight in those flimsy bodies! Get back here now!
Ignoring his pleas, the partners departed one by one.
Stop! I said stop! What do you think you're going to do…!
[No more whining.]
Unlike usual, the right head spoke in a serious tone as it left last.
[Get stronger. Strong enough that no one can hurt you. Weakness is a sin.]
His face twisted at the sight of them vanishing completely after those words.
【Warning. Continued refusal of evolution may cause severe damage to the user's body.】
【Evolution is urgently recommended.】
Shut up.
【Wa… User's strong refusal confirmed.】
【Selecting a new entity matching the user's desire.】
Eight snakes lunged at Le Ganus.
They had no attack power to speak of, but their durability was like paper scraps.
Le Ganus swung his arm wildly.
The fifth one vanished without a trace in the sweep.
He felt like he understood what it meant for a soul to tear.
【…Selection failed.】
【Reselecting.】
They weren't mere auxiliary personalities.
Despite different temperaments, they were unmistakably him. They were one.
【Failed. Reselecting…】
His other halves fell one by one.
Each time, excruciating pain stabbed his chest.
【Failed.】
The sixth and seventh. The fourth and eighth. Then the ninth.
【Failed.】
Finally, even the left and right heads vanished in Le Ganus's grasp.
【Se… Selection complete.】
【Evolution time drastically reduced to match user's desire.】
His emptied soul felt profoundly hollow.
【However, this is an incomplete entity compared to previous ones.】
【Abilities may be somewhat lower than previous entities.】
【Proceed with evolution?】
His answer was set at the calm voice.
【User's intent confirmed. Beginning evolution.】
This time, he didn't resist his closing eyelids with the status window's alert.
He simply accepted it quietly.
Through his slowly shutting eyelids, he saw Le Ganus charging and Lehatna and Giryu blocking his path.
He wouldn't worry about them anymore.
He just hoped that when he opened his eyes again, he'd have the power to tear that bastard apart.
Le Ganus lightly tore one of Giryu's wings blocking him and effortlessly blocked Lehatna's furious breath.
"Grrr..."
Le Ganus growled like a beast and seized Lehatna by the scruff of her neck.
[Guh… Let… let go─!]
Lehatna struggled, but Le Ganus didn't release his iron grip on her neck.
[Hand over the Dragon Heart… the Dragon Heart!]
Was he trying to devour her just like he had lusted after their father's remains?
Lehatna squeezed her eyes shut as Le Ganus's maw gaped wide.
Thankfully, the dreaded agony she awaited never came.
Instead.
Whoosh───
A blinding light erupted with a massive shockwave.
Le Ganus released his hold on Lehatna before the intensity.
Lehatna hurriedly put distance between them after barely escaping his grasp.
Even as she fled, Le Ganus showed no interest in her.
His attention was fixed elsewhere.
Slither...
Something impossibly long, its end impossible to discern.
Its body was densely covered in deep black scales.
Lehatna, who had escaped Le Ganus's clutches, stared at it blankly as well.
A… dragon?
No, it was too incomplete to call a dragon.
But too complete to deny it was one.
Something between complete and incomplete.
A serpent that failed to become a dragon.
At the sight of the Imugi, Lehatna's mouth fell open quietly.
"Grr..."
Le Ganus growled lowly at the Imugi that suddenly enveloped the area.
Unlike his previous threatening roars, this was a growl to hide his shaken emotions.
Le Ganus, lost to madness, might not realize it, but he was feeling fear.
While Lehatna sensed only a slight uniqueness without much else, Le Ganus could clearly feel it.
The vast difference between himself and the Imugi before him.
Unlike his incomplete self, it was complete.
It stood one step higher than anywhere he had reached.
Fear born of that gap.
To hide his emotions, Le Ganus roared savagely.
"Kraaaah─!!!"
With the ferocious roar, Le Ganus unleashed his breath.
The destructive breath that had incinerated countless monsters engulfed the long serpent.
Yet not a single scratch marred the serpent's scales.
[A-amazing!]
Lehatna murmured in quiet admiration, while Le Ganus growled lower, his fear intensifying.
The serpent, silently watching them, slowly raised its head.
"Hiss───"
Slither─ Its head emerged from between its coiling body.
Le Ganus moved urgently at the sight of the quietly flashing red eyes.
As if to hide his fear, he charged savagely.
The Imugi's long body quietly but swiftly coiled around Le Ganus.
"Kraaaah─!"
Arms and legs. Hands and feet. Wings and head—every part was tightly bound without escape.
By the time he realized it, there was no room to move; Le Ganus thrashed wildly.
The black-red flames surging from his body couldn't even scratch the long serpent's scales.
"Hiss────"
The Imugi raised its head quietly and met the eyes of the struggling Le Ganus.
Le Ganus shuddered at the pair of red eyes gazing at him once more.
No matter how long Le Ganus had fought and how exhausted he was, the overwhelming power gap was undeniable.
He finally understood why Giryu had said the current Le Ganus paled compared to the Dragon King in his prime.
The difference between a true SSS-rank and one that wasn't was immense.
The long serpent—Nix, now evolved into an Imugi—flicked its tongue quietly.
[─Le Ganus.]
"Grr─!"
Le Ganus only growled lowly, offering no reply.
Was it too late for conversation?
There was much he wanted to say, much to settle, but with him in this state, it would bring no satisfaction.
This bastard wouldn't even remember what he did.
With lingering regret, Nix flicked his tongue again and slowly opened his maw wide.
Then, with all his might, he engulfed Le Ganus's head in one gulp.
Crunch─
The serpent that failed to become a dragon devoured the maddened dragon.
The long battle finally ended.
It was a victory with far more losses than sweet rewards.