KiAera hit the ground hard with a bone-rattling thud, her body aching from the defusion. "Really? Now?! Right when we were winning?" she thought, scrambling back to her feet. Every muscle screamed in protest, but there was no time to complain. The Carnilash was regenerating, its massive form stitching itself together with a grotesque squelch like some unholy Frankenstein monstrosity. Her vision blurred. Why were there two…oh, no…

KiAera's head spun as the queasiness crashed her. She crumbled to the forest floor, panting. Her limbs felt heavy, and her fur was damp with sweat—or maybe it was the ooze from the Carnilash's disgusting vines. She wasn't sure. Either way, it all hurt.

Kyrawl's voice echoed weakly in her mind, still reeling from the split. "That thing's tougher than we thought. We can't take another hit in this state."

“Yeah, yeah, I know,” she groaned, pushing herself up, but every part of her felt... off. Weaker. She'd been so powerful just moments ago, practically invincible. Now, her body was back to its original Merecritt form—small, lithe, and definitely not strong enough to face an Emergent Carnilash. Her silver fur shimmered, her tail still lit with the faint blue flame, but it wasn’t the roaring inferno she'd wielded minutes earlier.

She glanced over at Kyrawl, who was crouched low, wings tucked tight against his sides. He looked about as wiped as she felt. At least he remained evolved as a Skyrawsoar. But for the Carnilash? The darn thing wasn't done, not by a long shot.

"This thing just doesn't quit!" she grumbled.

In her head, Kyrawl's voice whispered, "The Carnilash's regeneration is its strongest defense, but it comes with a cost."

"Yeah, but what's the cost when it keeps getting back up?" she muttered back, eyes narrowing. The Carnilash's maw split open, grotesque and gurgling as it prepared to unleash something far nastier than any vine lash—its Biollant Bomb. A massive, throbbing sphere of plant matter formed between its jaws, pulsing with toxic energy. KiAera's heart pounded in her chest. That thing was going to obliterate everything in a hundred-mile radius, easy.

"Kyrawl, distract it!" she barked, her brain racing as fast as her heart. She had to figure out something fast.

Kyrawl screeched in response, diving at the Carnilash with his claws outstretched. He slashed at its vines, trying to throw the monster off balance, but it barely flinched. The bomb in its maw only grew bigger, more dangerous.

C’mon, c’mon, think! KiAera staggered on her feet, panting as her strength ebbed away. Her APeX had dropped significantly from that proto-Chimera state, and she could feel it—like running on fumes. But still, she wasn't about to give this thing any satisfaction.

Think, think! What could take this thing down for good? Another head-on attack wasn’t going to cut it, not when her power was halved and her form felt sluggish compared to that Emergent high. That thing would blast her into dust before she even got close.

Kyrawl's voice echoed in her mind, 'We could combine one last time.'

KiAera grimaced, shaking her head. 'If we fuse again now, we'll both crash harder. We might not make it out.'

Kyrawl huffed, his wings shifting uneasily, but he stayed silent. They both knew the risks.

The Carnilash's maw gaped wide, preparing to unleash its dreaded [Biollant Bomb]. She could practically feel the pressure building in the air as it charged up.

"What now?" she thought, gritting her teeth, but then something flickered across her vision—a faint glow from the Chimera’s Mark on her forehead.

Without another word, she crouched low, her claws digging into the dirt. She focused everything she had left into that mark, hoping it would do something—anything.

The Chimera’s Mark on her forehead blazed, filling her vision with light. Her entire body shimmered, and the world around her slowed to a crawl. She could feel it—another evolution. This time, it wasn’t just some temporary boost. It was something deeper.

Stolen story; please report.

KiAera grinned, the thrill of it sending shivers down her spine. “Alright, let's go.”

Her body started to shift, fur rippling as it lengthened and darkened. She felt her muscles tighten, her bones stretch, and suddenly she was growing. Her form expanded—sleeker, stronger, more agile. Her ears, already large and rabbit-like, elongated even further as strange dark blue rings revolved their bases like ethereal tattoos. Her fur thickened into a protective coat of silver, and her tail became encircled by a weightless, ghostly ring of spectral fire.

She was no longer a Merecritt. Her [Emergent]-stage had arrived. The [Mearcritt]—sleek, feline, a predator built for speed and power. She could feel the strength coursing through every fiber of her being. It was intoxicating.

“I’m a Mearcritt now.” She tested her new claws, longer and sharper, and the ground beneath her seemed to tremble. This evolution wasn’t like before—she felt solid and grounded.

And her speed... oh, her speed. KiAera shot forward, faster than she thought possible. The wind howled in her ears as she dashed straight for the Carnilash, which didn’t seem to realize she’d transformed yet. Too bad for it.

Her tail flicked behind her, but now it was adorned with a strange dark blue ring that hovered, rotating rapidly along its spindly length.

“I’m back.”

The Carnilash hesitated for a split second, sensing the sudden shift in power. And then it roared, launching its [Biollant Bomb] straight at her.

"Nice try," KiAera growled.

Before the attack could hit, she shot forth with a speed that took even her by surprise. She was a blur of silver fur and fire, her tail’s ring glowing as she moved. The bomb missed her entirely, slamming into the ground behind her with a deafening explosion that rattled the entire forest.

"Jeez," she breathed, skidding to a stop.

"Yo, KiAera!" the Plelepun called out from the earth. "That was insane!" KiAera spotted the Osseods were burrowed in the ground alongside it.

She grinned. "You haven’t seen anything yet."

Her ears twitched before the lashing arms of the Carnilash sprung into her peripheral.

KiAera leaped into the air, soaring toward the Carnilash. This time, there was no hesitation, no sluggishness. She blazed through the vines with ease. Her claws slashed through the monster’s limbs as if they were nothing as two-folded elemental advantage blazed through.

The Carnilash screamed in rage, but KiAera wasn’t stopping. She dug her claws deep into its body, tearing away the vines, getting to its core. The weightless ring on her tail rotated faster, and she could feel it feeding her strength, like a second source of power.

The Spectral Flames from her tail spun outward, slicing the air and wrapping around the monster’s body.

This was it.

“Burn and [Ignite],” she whispered, and with a sudden burst of blue flame, she unleashed the full force of her Spectral Fire into the monster’s core. The Carnilash shrieked as its body began to unravel, vines burning and fragmenting into ash. Not enough, more!

With a fiery push, KiAera drove her ears deep into the Carnilash’s core. The creature shrieked as its form shattered into pieces of burning foliage, disintegrating before her eyes. KiAera roared as she unleashed everything she had—the Spectral Flame blazing with both fire and ice, crashing into the Carnilash in a swirling, destructive force.

[{Spectral Vortex} unleashed!]

“CAAAAAARRRRRNNNNN!” The Carnilash let out a final, furious screech, vines writhing as the flames consumed it. Then, with a loud crash, the monster crumbled, its massive body collapsing into ash and ice. In a matter of moments, it was over. And then there was silence.

꒰ᐢ. .ᐢ꒱꒰ᐢ. .ᐢ꒱꒰ᐢ. .ᐢ꒱

★ (Emergent} Carnilash slain!

Acquired 699 Abyss Particles.

KiAera's [APeX]: 3546 Units > 4245 Units.

꒰ᐢ. .ᐢ꒱꒰ᐢ. .ᐢ꒱꒰ᐢ. .ᐢ꒱

KiAera stood there, breathing hard, watching the last remnants of the Carnilash fade into ash.

Kyrawl swooped down beside her, his massive wings creating a gust of wind as he landed. “Nice work.”

She shot him a grin, still riding the high of her new form. “Told you I wasn’t done yet.”

And then suddenly...

Her whole body felt sluggish, like she was underwater, moving in slow motion. Her knees wobbled, barely able to hold her weight. The energy drain from the evolution had hit harder than she expected. It felt taxing, a strain on her body.

“Revert or something… Can I do that for the moment?”

The Chimera’s Mark pulsed again on her forehead. Her body shrunk, reverting back to her [Fledgling]-stage. Her once-sleek form was replaced by the smaller, fluffier Merecritt shape.

꒰ᐢ. .ᐢ꒱꒰ᐢ. .ᐢ꒱꒰ᐢ. .ᐢ꒱

★ TEMP (Ze-devolution) {activated}

★ (Emergent} [Dormant] > {Fledgling}

KiAera's [APeX]: 4245 Units > 2123 Units.

꒰ᐢ. .ᐢ꒱꒰ᐢ. .ᐢ꒱꒰ᐢ. .ᐢ꒱

She could evolve anytime, but it took a toll on her reserves. For now, she’d have to deal with being a Merecritt again—small, light, and a bit drained, but at least not struggling to breath. On the other hand, it would not have been a lie that she preferred this state. She felt much more comfortable and no longer feeling icky like a leaking battery. Could she condition herself? Perhaps.

Kyrawl ruffled his feathers, catching her attention, his beady eyes watching her closely. “You okay?”

KiAera huffed, shaking her head to clear the lingering haze of exhaustion. “I’m alive, aren’t I?”

He smirked and KiAera almost mistook a faint trace of pride in his voice. “More than alive. You just took down an Emergent Carnilash. Not bad for a Merecritt.”

Kyrawl let out a small, satisfied screech, only to then nudge her gently with his beak. KiAera smiled, patting his head. “You were amazing too, Kyrawl. Couldn't have done it without you.”