Do or Die: The Three-Way Deadlock...

The Sinner opens Her eyes and looks into her palms while the wolves fight...

It's all background noise to Her...

Her twisted smile borders on orgasmic elation when she outstretches her arms and gazes at the glowing crystals high above her...

A beautiful scene to reawaken to...

Eve is so happy...

"Heh heh heh..." The Human can't even laugh as hard as she wants because she's so overwhelmed with joy that she's speechless. At first, the noises escaping her throat are more like whimpers, but they quickly evolve into ecstatic laughter. This is the greatest high She's ever had, and She's murdered Gods before...

"I've finally reawakened!" Eve screams in happiness while ignoring the ravenous dogs fighting far from her. She doesn't care about mangy mutts fighting in the background; SHE'S FREE! "I'M FREE! HAHAHAHAHA!!!!" She can't contain her emotions, and arcs of her energy lash out like steel-carving tendrils around her figure. The happier she gets, the more violent her energy becomes. Sparks of Scarlet Lightning jump between Her fingertips as those corrupted eyes gaze upon this crackling plasma in awe. Eve's never felt stronger; It's time to test out this vessel of Hers.

"It's been so long since I've felt anything! The air against this skin, the breath in these lungs, the ground beneath my boots. It's more stimulating than the void of nothing I hibernated in!" Eve screams at the top of Her lungs before looking at the two animals trying to kill each other nearby. Fenrir and Garmr's fight would look like the most vicious altercation ever to a weak Human, but Eve stares at them like they're harmless animals. The young woman huffs in amusement as she steps off toward them with her hands at stomach level; Scarlet Lightning crackles until it's searing her fingers. Such chaotic magic warrants injury even to Gods and Goddesses...

Eve condenses the Scarlet Lightning into her index finger, then points it at the two warring beasts.

"Bang!"

A spark of red predates a sonic boom that turns into a vast cone of chaotically destructive Lightning Magic. This torrential blast of energy swallows Fenrir and Garmr in its wake, the recoil alone sending waves of displaced air in every direction and shaking the cave itself. A thick cloud of dust decorated with dancing wisps of electricity settles, and Eve casually lowers her arm, furrowing her brow at the sudden silence surrounding her. Did the two dogs stop fighting, or did she kill them already? A flashing annoyance creases the woman's Dark Angel beauty.

"You two better not be dead," Eve says with an irritated tone, her growing disappointment painting stolen facial features. The vessel looks slightly different under Her influence, with longer and messier hair trailing to her hips instead of shoulders, and thick bangs of hair framing her face. She looks so eerily similar to Them...

A flash of energy follows a savage howl, and Eve's eyes widen when Fenrir hits the ground with a tumble and slams into a large boulder adjacent to Her. The God-Eater tries standing up, His bulky form largely unharmed, but His energy is heavily disrupted. Fenrir eventually collapses, but the Hellhound then steps out of the clearing smoke with eyes full of hatred set on Eve, who grins back at the Wolf-Beast in nostalgic mockery. Fenrir is weak to the debilitating effects of Eve's Karmic Lightning while Garmr is resistant. It's the Traitor and Her Hound now.

"Oh, how I've missed you, Garm!" Eve correctly says Her favorite pet's name, seemingly knowing that Garmr is the typical spelling everyone else uses out of disrespect for Her Hound. "It's amazing how the Legend of Vladimir birthed a tradition of giving ill omens names ending with an 'r'," she chuckles amused even while casually gesturing at the hateful Hound like it's a docile pet. Garm starts pacing around Eve, who stands firm and lets the monster see her backside as she keeps nonchalantly reminiscing.

"The Bloodthirsty Vladimir, Father of Vampires & Consort of Historia. I wonder if They call Him Dracula like I do?" Eve sighs, forgetting her earlier excitement; Her energy is a lot calmer and tranquil, too. It's so scarily at ease that it almost feels inviting in a sense. Perhaps that's why Garm hasn't attacked the Human yet? Eve slowly pivots, resting a hand on her hip while admiring Her vessel.

"Such a nice body. It's almost like I'm in my original one again. Well..." She suddenly grins ear to ear, as if knowingly alluding to something just to raise curiosity. "The Descendant's nowhere near the strength I need her at, though; She's not ready to be what I need her to be yet..." Eve talks as if Garm understands her, and maybe it does. The woman examines her nails, those corrupted eyes scrutinizing every individual digit. Garm still hasn't attacked her yet; Why?

The Hellhound knows better than to take obvious openings...

"I guess this means I'll have to surrender this body back for a little longer..." Eve says in a rather indifferent tone, like she's not even concerned. Her mood swings match her aura, going from tranquil and indifferent to ominous and EXCITED when she raises a hand toward her face as if preparing to rip it off. Flashes of black and red paint the air around her fingers when she grips the fabric of reality and speaks all the same in an anticipating tone accompanied by a sly grin.

"Let's see if I hasten a Descendant's cultivation, yeah?" The Traitor says, donning a mask as she chants...

"I am the Harvester of Sins..."

Eve dons the Horned Demoness Mask of Black and Red, a splash of energy swelling around Her.

It's such an EVIL aura...

"I am Karna: The Goddess of Karma and Harbinger of the Abyss..."

A swirling rush of the most beautifully dark shades of scarlet dance with wisps of the Abyss, enveloping Eve within its obscured embrace. Garm's rage sparks into a brighter inferno upon the sight of Eve's new transformation; that familiar Omen. A tall, lithe, and athletic female figure with a picture-perfect form silently stands across the battlefield beneath the glimmering crystal lights. Her once-long black hair is now short, messy, and choppy, and her skin is paler than porcelain. Her Horned Demoness Mask has a single eye hole for the left one, with a subtly glowing eye peering from an abyss of darkness. Drab wrappings contour to a half-naked figure and a wicked-looking scythe that looks oddly familiar idly rests in a braced position across Her back, and she takes a stance...

Whatever this thing was...

It wasn't Human anymore...

She never says a word either before attacking...

Garm blinks and Karna slices out a chunk of His flank as punishment, her blade cutting deeper than Fenrir's claws and teeth. Garm roars in agony, but quickly retaliates with nearly the same speed; He can kill Gods too. He slashes at Karna with a ferocity matching his speed, and his claws ignite the air. A trail of burning slashes misses their mark but creates needed distance, which allows Garm time to heal his injury and build his rage to its breaking point. The Beast snaps, something nobody ever believed possible for such a hate-fueled monstrosity...

Garm slams his bestial fists into the ground with enough force that he shatters the stone, then viciously snarls at the waiting Karna with such intensity that his body convulses. The glowing red cracks decorating its black fur expand and brighten, and Garm's body starts visibly increasing in mass. He's Enraging...

Bulk Up...

Frenzy...

Increased Attack...

Rapid Regeneration...

Garm rushes Karna like a rampaging bison, His size rivaling Kraven's but his attributes far exceed that dead dog's abilities. He's on the scythe-wielding woman in seconds, and the air rapidly sparks and burns amidst aggressive clashes of claws with arcane metal. Karna and Garm are stalemating in their battle to out aggression one another; neither is losing ground. They counter every swing and slash with equal killing intent and momentum until a song of ringing impacts rattles the air around them. Garm swiftly breaks the stalemate and overpowers the puny Goddess. A Beast will never lose to a Human.

The Hellhound catches Karna's swinging scythe in his jaws in a sudden and surprising lunge, then violently jerks and tosses the woman with her weapon across the cavern. Karna quietly corrects her posture while airborne before carving through a Fireball that's moments from touching her. The scythe slices through the flames like a knife through butter, but the following surprise explosion still engulfs the Goddess. She hits the ground in a smoking mess unable to stop tumbling, and digs her scythe into the stone to slow her momentum, the blade sparking and grating as it effortlessly slices the rocks. When She finally regains her footing, her singed flesh heals as an afterthought, and a swirl of reddish-black flames burst to life as she twirls that scythe through her hands. She's about to attack again.

If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

Garm rapidly swipes the air in front of him, sending off projectile slashes of Hellfire in sets of four toward Karna. These high-speed moving masses of elemental energy sear everything they touch, distorting the air and melting the ground in its path. The Hellhound doesn't stop there, though. No, the Burning Beast follows its long-ranged attacks in a speedy gallop; He's going to kill Karna the moment an opening presents itself. Karna's expression is hidden beneath that eerie mask, but one can sense the excitement in the creature.

This is a game to Her...

Karna dodges and weaves past the flying slashes with ease, holding her two-handed scythe with one hand and proceeding to dance and dodge through Garm's physical assault. The Hellhound is too predictable; all it does comes at the Goddess. Her smaller frame and higher agility let her easily evade every attack to the point Karna deliberately only dodges; She's taunting her vengeful Hound without words. This mockery further angers Garm...

Hellfire Ignition...

Garm's entire body lights ablaze in Hellfire, turning the Beast into a living Inferno. Every step melts the stone under His feet, every breath raises the temperature around Him, and every growl releases puffs of Hell's Flames. Garm's monstrous Beast Form is nigh-invulnerable in this state. He rushes Karna again, faster this time much to the Goddess' surprise. But as She braces for another exchange, a distant howl catches their attention, followed by a brilliant shockwave of Primordial Energy as Fenrir stands again...

Moon Rage...

The shackling patterns on Fenrir's silver-white fur shatter like glass, unleashing a towering torrent of Primordial Energy that engulfs the God-Eater's form. This energy bursts like a bubble outward a few moments later, showering the cavern and its combatants in aether like falling raindrops. When the energy dissipates, Fenrir stands in a bipedal gait, his already intimidating aesthetic even more frightening now. His teeth are larger and stronger, capable of tearing through iron and steel-like flesh. His claws are larger and sharper, putting even a Sabertooth to shame, and a prominent ridge of muscle runs along His spinal column, giving the Beast noticeable shoulder humps akin to a Bear.

Karna immediately ignores Garm and dashes at Fenrir as if He's a bigger threat, and Garm quickly pursues; She's not escaping His wrath! Fenrir snarls and slams the ground with an arm, digging his claws in and surging energy into it before ripping them out along with the ground. Tyr's Coffin rumbles...

Bestial Rend...

Slashes of energy erupt outward toward the rushing Karna and the pursuing Garm like shark fins breaching the sea's surface. The sharpened masses of Primordial Energy measure meters in height and carve toward their targets at breakneck speeds, leaving a collapsing rush of broken debris in their wake. Karna dodges the first slash, which slams into Garm in a concussive explosion leaving Him left behind. The Goddess sidesteps the second, cuts through the third, and vaults clear over the fourth in rapid succession before landing in a crouch and vanishing in a flash of darkness. She did all of this within four seconds.

Karna appears behind Fenrir, cocking her scythe back and going for the Beast's head, but the weapon passes through the Divine Wolf as it turns and retaliates, like it's a ghost. Fenrir's claws tear through Karna's last-minute guarding with her arm, shredding the woman's limb to ribbons, but fail to do lasting damage. Karna's already out of Fenrir's reach before he can get her, and the two briefly square off. The Goddess mentally questions if what happened actually happened: Fenrir's Phantom powers. She then flourishes her scythe in silence, taking or more threatening stance with her unorthodox weapon.

Eve isn't the only one that managed to traverse time in some way...

Fenrir's vessel must be Lycian's ancestor...

The two deities face off for a few seconds before Fenrir attacks, hounding toward the bracing Karna with His jaws and claws bared; it's a fearsome sight. The God-Eater's monstrous howl shakes the cavern when it lunges full force for Karna, the woman's scythe arcing for the Monster's snout but never carves it; Her weapon phases through the white-furred Beast much to her surprise, and she's effortlessly pinned beneath the ravenous Wolf-Beast. Fenrir snarls at the woman's masked face, his robust teeth drenched with drool that drips onto the Demoness Mask, and his fearsome voice awakens someone inside the Karna...

Aerin...

Fenrir freezes. Someone stops Him.

His eyes see into the soul behind that mask, nearly drowned in the Abyss...

That faint glimmer of emotion...

Aerin... Garm first...

Fenrir and Karna silently stare at one another, but the connection within links, even though it's faint...

"Fenrir..." Aerin calls out inside the depths of the God-Eater...

Earning His Gaze again...

"Protect Mona."

Fenrir suddenly snarls again; His voice is as vicious as ever. The monstrosity slashes Karna with his claws, but they don't physically damage Her, which confuses Karna. Instead, something else happens: Fenrir's claws tear out a chunk of Karna's energy, weakening Eve's control over Mona's body. Karna realizes this is Lycian's power, and discharges Karmic Lightning from her body in an omnidirectional explosion. A thunderous boom fills the air, accompanied by a flash of Red Lightning, and Fenrir flies backward in a chaotic tumble. However, the Beast stands up this time; He's not going down again to such weak attacks.

Garm's vicious roar snatches their attention when He rushes Karna from behind, lunging with jaws open, teeth showing, and fire-infused claws ready. Karna raises her scythe and flourishes it in preparation for a coming counter, but Fenrir fires a blast of energy from his jaws, the projectile mass intercepting Garm midair with a powerfully chaotic explosion that splashes energy everywhere like falling embers. The God-Eater flows into an immediate gallop toward the recovering monster, ignoring Karna when he passes her and tackling the awaiting Hellhound. The two engage in another animalistic onslaught of claws and teeth, their attacks sparking off each other like swords. Legendary Beasts will always be far stronger than their typical counterparts.

This is a battle between Deities, not Lycans...

Karna silently watches the two fighting monsters from afar, tilting that masked head of short and choppy black hair in mild interest. Then, she raises her free hand to chest level in front of her, opening her bandaged palm and turning it skyward. A sudden orb of swirling black with dark red outlines amasses in her hand, the edges of this visible energy barely contained to a spherical form. It starts no larger than a bug, but quickly progresses and cultivates until it's too large to hold, and hovers over her open palm. This mass of Karmic Energy collapses into a long and symmetrical spear. The crackling wisps of Lightning dancing along the energy weapon's tangible form chirp like thousands of birds. She aims the Karmic Spear at the fighting dogs with one hand and her scythe idly braced in the other. That one-eyed mask hinders nothing as She takes point.

Gungnir...

No!

A voice from within halts Karna's attack and the Karmic Spear's energy ruptures, turning into wisps of blue. That singular visible eye behind the Demoness Mask births specks of growing color, an internal war of attrition thanks to Fenrir's intervention. Karna suddenly grabs her mask against her will; it's a tug of war of wills now. Eve's not ready to go yet; what's happening shouldn't be possible.

Mona's regained herself before she should've thanks to Aerin...

"Trying to rip control from me so soon? You'll die the moment I'm gone. Let me stay a little longer!"

"I never let you out because of fear. I did it because I needed your strength to keep my promise to Him..."

"You're a fool if you think a Goddess is unaware of what your intentions are..."

"That dog will betray you just as Adam betrayed me. Fenrir holds no allegiances..."

"My allegiance isn't to Fenrir. It's to His Chosen."

"..."

"I will keep my promise and protect them all. And to do that, I need your power just as much as Adam's..."

Karna's screaming while slowly ripping the mask from her face. The mask resists so much that it feels glued to Mona's face; it feels like it's ripping the flesh from her face as she pulls it, using both hands now after dropping her scythe. Waves of aether lash and whip outward, and gusts of wind blow across the cavern. Mona and Eve fight for control while Fenrir and Garm keep tearing each other apart. Karna doubles over, falling to her knees after finally ripping off the top right portion of her mask, revealing Mona's blue eye stained with corruption; Eve's not letting her break free so easily.

"You poor, poor child..."

"You really don't understand anything, do you?"

"... ... ..."

"Fine. I have no qualms about waiting a little longer. Heh heh heh..."

"What's so funny?"

"You don't understand how the world works..."

"Your righteous heart will lead you down a road of despair just like mine did..."

Karna's mask gives way as if submitting to removal, and Mona rips the last fragments off with ease. A burst of energy disperses from her form, her features all her own once more. However, that tinge of Scarlet Red submerged in the sea of color in her eyes remains. Mona blinks, her strength fully restored and a sense of vigor beyond anything she's felt before. When she stands and summons Adam's markings on her body, Eve's fleeting warning rings in the back of her head; it's a warning that'll haunt her forever.

"There are no winners. Only survivors."

"I will make sure that you survive long enough to permanently take your body..."

"So fight to live, Mona. Hehehe..."

"Because I'm going to take it all away from you in the end."

Next Chapter: Beauty & The Beasts...