“Yaaro Ilay—”

“Come out.”

Everyone looked at the creature in shock, and then at Yaaro— who’s heart rate was quickly rising. He reined in his unsteady breathing and forced himself to think clearly:

If it could talk, it could be reasoned with.

“What are you?” He decided to ask.

The creature simply laughed in its screeching manner and put both of its unnaturally stick-like palms to the wall.

“Not… answering.”

He gulped— his gut screamed at him to run away and instinctively he realized that hiding his powers would mean death. His mind raced with possibilities and he settled on another question, “If I come with you will you spare the others?”

It opened its maw— a black void of rotten, half-serrated and half normal teeth and hissed, “Yes.”

“What is your guarantee?” He asked.

A hand grabbed his arm from behind— more gently than forcefully. It was Claire.

“Don’t even consider it!”

Yaaro shook off her hand and stared at her indignantly, “Claire are you mad?” He glanced at the thing on the other side of the wall, “None of us can defeat that… This is the best choice.”

The creature howled with laughter, screeching through its throat like shards of broken glass rubbing its voice. Yaaro stared at it laugh, and turned back to Claire. Before he could even speak, Mikhael had stepped up to stand beside her.

He said something resolutely, to which Claire translated, “He says that this is not the way of men, and that we will stand by you and fight.”

Yaaro’s jaw fell slack as Aurore and Hyphis joined the two as well.

“We’re defeating that thing and getting out of here in one piece. So don’t you think about running away.” Hyphis said with a smile, and the creature’s laugh grew even louder— it even slammed the ground in laughter with both of its stick-like arms, shaking the bridge.

Yaaro glanced at the exaggerated display of the creature and turned to face his friends.

With a deep breath, he sighed.

“Okay. If you guys are so hell-bent on following me—” He climbed to the battlements of the bridge, only a step away from the abyss below.

“Then follow me to my death.”

Every single person present, including the creature, had their eyes bulge out at his unpredictable actions.

“Yaaro are you crazy??” Hyphis and Claire asked.

And the creature howled so greatly that it convulsed on the floor, repeatedly slamming its hands on the ground, and most importantly— not paying any attention to them.

Yaaro jumped.

And immediately, platforms of blue light materialized in the air leading from the battlements and around the wall of ice. He silently landed on the platform and motioned with his hands— and no matter how crude his gestures were, his teammates instantly understood the assignment.

Immediately they too silently landed on the platforms and surrounded the thing.

And when everyone was in position around the still laughing creature—

Snap

The soft sound of fingers snapping echoed through the cliffs.

Immediately a stream of fire showered the creature from one side, and from right behind it, sharp shards of rock shot towards it like bullets from an assault rifle. Amidst the roar of the fire, the screams of the creature were muffled and barely audible.

But then the ground rippled like water from where it stood, and the stream of fire was deflected upwards— along with the shards of rock.

This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

Two planes of blue light rested on each other, forming a triangular shelter above the bloodied creature— which had its arms stretched out, holding the planes.

An ugly grimace appeared on its face and before it could even shriek, a thick black tentacle swiftly grabbed its head and repeatedly slammed it into the ground.

Yaaro watched the creature from a distance and watched cautiously as his tentacle slammed the still body of that creature into the ground. The clouds of dust that billowed slowly settled.

Everyone watched expectantly.

Was it really over? Just like that?

The unnatural body of that creature lay limp on the floor, and not a soul dared to go near it. Everyone boarded the platform and circled around the body of the creature— afraid it would suddenly jump to life.

But it never did.

And eventually, they were on the side of the bridge they had started from.

One of them— Hyphis, asked him the pertinent question, “What exactly happened back there?”

Yaaro himself was surprised by what happened, which he graciously explained.

“Nothing much… When Hyphis threw those shards of rock at the start, before the ice wall, I noticed that most of them missed. But the ones that hit surprisingly did a lot of damage.

I thought that maybe this thing was a glass cannon—”

“I’m sorry, a ‘glass cannon’?” Claire asked.

“It’s a term for something fragile with a lot of power.” Seeing Claire and Mikhael exclaim in understanding, Yaaro continued, “There’s nothing much really. When I realized it could talk, I tried to stall for time and build up those platforms you saw. And… Do you have those moments when you laugh so much you forget the world around you?

Well… I bet my life on the possibility it would do exactly that. And it did… Threatening to jump was apparently that funny.”

A laugh not only came from Yaaro, but from everyone else.

Yes.

Everyone else—

Even the body that was lying limp on the ground.

It stabbed its unnatural limbs into the ground, and slowly stood up straight to face the horrified group. It stretched a spindly arm forward.

And stabbed its own heart.

Not a single word was exchanged— not a single word could be exchanged. For everyone stood rooted to their spot in fear. They watched, frozen, as the creature pulled out its own pulsating heart and crushed it.

Blood splattered from its hands and a soft blue fog exploded from its hands, rushing behind and in front of it— coalescing into glowing blue planes of light on either end of the bridge.

It flung the crushed remains of its heart into the abyss and spoke with a deep, dignified voice that was completely uncharacteristic of its gaunt body.

“Ah… Finally, I am freed.”

The thing’s stature was completely changed. No longer did it stand with a horse stance like a martial artist, but it stood like a King:

Domineering, pensive and bestial.

“It is a strange feeling— rebirth as a summon” Its eyes were no longer purely black— but had become human-like, staring into the distance with a wandering gaze, “But this life too, will shortly perish. And so will you, warriors.”

Somberly, he spoke.

“Were it my choice I would let you brave ones live. But as a summon, I am bound to the will of my Master Darius von Straaten.”

Amidst the shocked revelation, it— no, he stood with its arms out like a grappler.

“I am Epehelian Loux.”

“I will go all out, so I advice you to do the same.”

“Warriors!” His voice boomed, “Give me the fight of a lifetime!”

He said, and immediately jumped into the air, slamming down in the middle of the group in a cloud of rock and dust. Yaaro was unfortunately standing right in front of him and he lunged at Yaaro with wide arms— open like the maw of a lion.

Without time to react, Yaaro was grabbed and shot into the air.

Layers upon layers of invisible mana armor covered him as his legs were caught by the beast— who had leaped into the air. With a forceful throw, Yaaro was brought down and slammed into the ground, leaving a web of cracks in the ground.

A fiery blade sliced into his back and sharp shards of rock pierced his face and blinded his eyes.

Regardless, he crouched and exploded towards the source of the shards of rock— depending solely on his remaining senses.

Before he could grab the person, something cold and writhing grabbed hold of his arms, pulling him backwards as hard as possible. He resisted the force as much as he could and then suddenly let loose, shooting backwards like a rubber band and crushing the person who had bound him.

Ice had encased his feet, which he vehemently broke free of. He raised a single leg, and before he could slam it to the ground, a tentacle had grabbed hold of his feet and pulled hard, making him fall on his chest.

Immediately a weight was upon his back and curled around his neck, strangling his stick-like neck. And another weight had stabbed into his arm, and another into his leg. And a rock-like heaviness had slammed onto his back.

Knocked out of breath, he trembled and a low growl escaped his mouth.

And with a roar and an explosive burst of energy, everything holding him down had been flung away.

“Hyphis!” Someone cried out, followed by another voice, “Aurore!”

His opponents were momentarily distracted.

Foolish warriors they were, for who told them that they could look away in a battle?

With a crouch and a roaring leap forward, he grabbed the remaining three of them tight— his spindly arms locking those shocked warriors like the thin roots of an unbreakable tree.

And then he leaped into the abyss—

Finally ending the last battle of Ephelian Loux, with him ultimately, the victor— for he had achieved the goal his Master had set for him.

All his opponents had been defeated.

And when the dust settled, there was nobody left on the bridge.