Bolragmal could sense it.

Its mind may have deteriorated but an unknowable feeling had brought it back some semblance of clarity.

It could sense its foe waiting. Normally, it would never choose to put itself into such a vulnerable state, exposed to its enemies and much less against the being it’s currently facing.

But desperation and instinct had forced its hand to its current situation. Somehow, it understood that its nemesis wouldn’t let itself and others interfere in its final metamorphosis.

The [Fathomless] it was facing was waiting… and hunting.

Like a predator that knows its meal was already within its grasp, it simply needed to wait.

This was what the Niskari Lord could sense. It was an almost forgotten sensation, but it’s been so long since it had felt so. Not even when it was almost brought down by the forces of this plane did it feel such an emotion. The only time it had felt this emotion was when it thought of failing its master, the [Scarlet King of Corrosion].

And the only other time was when it was once confronted by another [Sovereign of the Depths].

The [Fathomless] before it wasn’t a Sovereign, of this it was sure. However, the emotion it was currently experiencing was real and felt so much worse in comparison.

The feeling that kept haunting it… was fear. But not the kind of fear one would feel when facing the superiority of another.

This was a more primeval form of fear – the fear of being devoured. A form of which that has been ingrained in all things that have gained life in all its semblance.

Could this [Fathomless] possibly be a [Devourer of Providence]? Otherwise, what could possibly explain the intense fear of one’s existence being consumed it was feeling.

The level of fear it experienced for the first time had forced the Niskari Lord to do everything it can to preserve itself. While it may seem strange to leave itself vulnerable before the presence of its hunter, this was what its instincts driven by fear believed to be the best possible option for it to survive.

Now, even if its choice had condemned it, the Niskari Lord decided to do everything within its power to increase its chances of living; even if it must destroy a part of itself to one day be reborn anew.

If the prey is forced to fight the predator, so be it! It will show this [Fathomless] who truly is the hunter and the hunted!

– - –

The changeling could sense the changes happening within the gathering cloud of red before it. The whole of existence of the being it fought is currently being laid bare.

Nothing must interfere with their battle; not even the humans and other beings that assisted it in their fight thus far.

With a growl and a beat to its chest, the changeling had instructed the primatus to surround and keep an eye on the humans as well as the elemental beings. The three Tyrants grunted in response as they moved to encircle the humanoid forces. Even the wolf twins obliged and kept a watchful eye on the forces of the expedition; letting out a snarl or two for intimidation every now and then.

Seeing the hostility of the beasts surrounding them, the expeditionary forces began to panic.

“Is this situation really happening?! Why turn on us now?” Loen couldn’t help but voice this complaint since things seemed to have been going so well until now.

Jortus remained calm as he observed the creatures and noticed that while they were intimidating them, they weren’t aggressively advancing. If anything, they seem to be acting more as wards.

“Hold! These beasts aren’t trying to fight us, they’re only serving to intimidate. They mean to wall us off from their leader and the Niskari Lord.”

After hearing this, the forces loosened their tension but they still had concerns. If they are to be barred from approaching the Niskari Lord, how are they to seal it?

“It no longer matters...”

As if sensing their thoughts, Whinereos spoke up while remaining seated on the ground still with a melancholic expression.

“The vessel that was meant to be the Red King’s prison is no more. When Neylune’s daughter made contact with the vessel, it reverted to its original purpose; that is to serve as the catalyst for the [Bestowal of Inheritance]. It has now bonded with her and can no longer serve as a prison.”

Hearing this, the expression on the others grew grave. If they cannot stop Bolragmal after all that has happened, then what was all their work and determination for?

Some of them couldn’t help but begin to resent the beast that was now facing the Niskari Lord directly.

“Now now, everyone, don’t jump to conclusions yet.” still with a face of calm, Jortus decided to voice out his thoughts, “I don’t believe our situation to be entirely hopeless. If anything, I feel it to be the opposite.”

After hearing this from the old mage, they started to wonder what crazy nonsense he was going to spout out this time. However, considering his track record of crazy theories that haven’t been wrong so far, they were still inclined to listen.

“Whinereos wasn’t there during the incident with the [Fallen Bloom] a few months back, but I’m sure those who were remember it clearly.”

Some of the members of the force twitched upon hearing this while there were those who were skeptical but understood somewhat where the old mage was going with his speech.

“We all struggled that day in figuring out how to deal with the [Bloom] that was about to become a [Disaster], but when we arrived it was already facing another creature. With our aid, that creature didn’t simply take down the [Disaster], but rather consumed it whole.”

How could those present ever forget? It was already an incredible sight witnessing the battle between the two titanic beasts, but when one of them opened its entire body to consume the other, it became a memory that left much to be desired.

“I was quiet before since I needed to be sure, but now I’m convinced – that beast facing Bolragmal is the same one that fought and devoured the [Bloom].”

Upon hearing this, the others’ expressions suddenly changed. The only ones who remained confused was Whinereos and those who weren’t present at the time.

“As we all know, the [Fallen] are fragments of entities from beyond the [Materium]. Possessing all kinds of strange forms and powers, yet despite that, they all share one thing in common – Nul energy,” explained Jortus as he pointed towards the changeling and Bolragmal.

“The Niskari were once regarded simply as one of these [Fallen], but when their presence became deeply embedded in our world, our ancestors and the fae named them from an old word that meant “Nightmare”. Yet, even with their dominant powers of [corrosion], they still give off this foul energy of the Outrealm. The same can be said for that beast.”

All the others’ attention has now been fully focused on the changeling.

Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

“However, back before it devoured the [Fallen], it gave off no such energy. Now, however, it does, which can only be explained by exposure or contact with a creature of the beyond. You can argue that it could have simply been a hidden [Fallen] that had [Bloomed], but what are the odds of that happening so close to the Faewood and Bolragmal’s prison where the [Materium] is at its strongest due to the enforcements made?”

Jortus gave off good points, but others who are in the know of the workings of the Outrealm could still see his arguments being quite weak. The old mage, however, still had to try since he didn’t want the situation to devolve any further than it has.

But they all had to set this discussion aside since fortunately, or not so fortunately, the agglomeration of power that was happening in the center was finally ending.

Further out across the field, the Niskari have all turned into [Red Mist] and are now being fully absorbed.

Those who held off the mist could finally feel relief from being freed of that immense pressure, but now a new sense of dread had replaced that tension as they fully understand what it also entailed.

At the cost of all its forces and resources, the Red King – the Niskari Lord, Bolragmal, is now fully revived.

As the red glow of the transformation began to subside, its form was finally revealed.

Mirroring the changeling in size, the form it took was similar to its reptilian humanoid state, but this time it was much bulkier and had an appearance as though its flesh was flayed.

Muscle and bone were exposed, but in a strange twist, the bone overlayed the muscle giving it an impression as though it were armor. Its body was also covered in reddish brown patches that looked like rust, making it seem like it was corroding away.

It had no visible eyes, ears, or nostrils making the upper half of its elongated face like a featureless surface of bone that extended towards the back of its head into two large horns that split pointedly and evenly in the center.

From the horns, small vein-like tendrils extended out all over as though they were roots reaching out into the air.

And from where its mouth should be, a vertical slit could be seen lined with rows of what appeared to be the rusted edges of metal that seemed to imitate teeth.

The Niskari Lord had finally fully revived after decades of imprisonment.

Yet, it could sense that its power is still merely a fraction of what it once was. This battle had simply taken too much. But even if it wasn’t at its prime, it still possessed as much power as it once had upon having “Bloomed” into a "Disaster" on this world.

It turned towards the changeling, or at least it seemed so since it was hard to determine with its lack of discernible features.

Before anyone could blink, the creature was gone as if in a blur.

The changeling turned to the side and barely avoided its raised claw that was meant to stab at its face.

It seems its physical capabilities had been raised once again as the changeling could feel it had received some slight damage despite it avoiding the direct attack.

The creature turned towards the changeling once more and tilted its head.

From there, the changeling understood. This enemy is no longer as simple as it once was.

It could still sense a certain “mindlessness” about it, but it was no longer acting with reckless abandon. Its actions now feel like they were… “guided”.

The Niksari charged again, but this time the changeling moved at the same time.

The fight between the two had now truly started.

Perhaps sensing the surge of powers behind them, the Tyrants were momentarily stunned as they felt the terrible exchange that was happening and turned to look.

Seeing their watchers distracted, the others found an opportunity to witness the fight as well. At this time, everyone’s focus was on the battle before them.

CRASH

The two titans clashed causing a surging wave of power that shattered the very earth.

Sensing the oncoming shocks, Jortus put up a hastily-made barrier of wind to redirect the wave rather than brace against it. With the barrier now protecting them from the shocks and debris, the fight was laid bare for all to see.

“Hmm?”

As Jortus put up the barrier, he couldn’t help but notice several silhouettes that showed up in the distance.

“That’s… – !!”

But before he could make them out, another torrent of power had struck the wind barrier.

Unable to focus, Jortus decided to ignore them and concentrated entirely on the fight.

Fast and powerful – blow per blow, the changeling and the Niskari Lord kept throwing attacks uncaring of the damage either received.

They would bite, tear, punch, kick and claw their way into each other – even wounds as severe as a torn limb were instantly restored in the blink of an eye, and yet neither of the two showed any sign of slowing down.

The Niskari Lord’s power that contained all its accumulated essence since its arrival on this world brought it to a whole new level of strength that pushed the changeling’s current abilities to their absolute limit.

Being locked to one form was truly a great bane for it, but rather than wallow in its forced weakness, its mechanical mind focused its all into weathering the torrent of attacks it was currently receiving while finding the optimum opportunity to retaliate.

As the fight went on, the differences in the nature of their aggressive combat were starting to show.

While the Niksari Lord wasn’t attacking mindlessly, it still focused on pure aggression with its sharp and heavy attacks. The changeling in return focused on the most least damaging way to receive blows while returning them with as much power as it could, even if it meant taking on a dangerous attack.

In a battle of attrition, normally the one that has to expend more in the process would be the first to fall into a disadvantage. In this situation, it would seem that the changeling would fall under such conditions due to the mental burden of its fighting method, but this wasn’t actually the case.

By design, while the changeling didn’t possess a single mind, it also wasn’t limited to the primary programs that govern its thinking and mental capacity. As necessary, it can replicate mental processes and programs in order to quickly analyze any situation it may encounter based on the amount of biomatter it has stored.

All the cells in its body also possessed the means to house its primary egos due to its nature in being able to reconstruct itself even from a single cell. In theory, that meant it was capable of replicating its mental processes to be housed in each and every cell that it possessed, creating a truly powerful supercomputer.

However, this process causes a tremendous burden for its cells that house a mental processor, especially individual ones. The amount of energy required to duplicate a mental processor or [mind] is at a level that it can cause the individual cell to burn itself out and die quickly. This is true even if it were to combine multiple cells to form organs that function as a brain.

This was why it was dangerous for the changeling to use this ability in longer periods while replicating many programs.

However, this has completely changed after the old human mage had awakened its mana.

The mana coursing through its body nourished its cells and further enhanced them to the point that they didn’t break down even after multiplying the mental processors several-fold.

With the temporary sacrifice of being unable to shift forms, the changeling became capable of calculating processes that allowed it to manipulate and circumvent its opponent’s actions before they even occur.

It was to the point that it bordered the realm of being able to predict the future.

As if to prove this point, the Niskari Lord became more frenetic in its assault as time went on. It didn’t tire, but that didn’t mean its mind didn’t wear down. This was the main factor that determined the ultimate inevitable end of their clash.

Sensing this, Bolragmal tried to change the way it fought several times, even targeting the others watching the fight in hopes of distracting its opponent, but the changeling was always several steps ahead and intercepted its path whenever it tried to change the flow of battle.

Every move it made was calculated and every action received an appropriate counteraction. There was no distracting the changeling; its focus was absolute.

The Niskari Lord could feel it more intensely the further the fight went on. It was a sense of foreboding dread that couldn’t be explained. It was in a state where it shouldn’t have been able to feel anything as its body was currently possessed by a tendril of will from its master.

But then why could it feel as though something was creeping underneath and within its mind?

Gradually, multitudes of eyes began to slowly open across its body. Except the featureless mask that seemed to be the upper part of its face, all the eyes that awakened stared towards the creature it was facing against.

It was then that it saw it; a scene most wretched and vile. One that could make one cry out in disgust, horror, and apprehension.

A moment in time during their fight where it slowed so much that they were directly in front of each other.

Full of anticipation, delight, and desire… the beast it fought was –

Smiling.

It was from this point on the Niskari Lord’s mental faculties… had finally cracked.

SHRIIIIIIIEEEEEK

Letting out a long ear-shattering cry, the many eyes across its body fully opened along with a gaping maw that ran across its entire torso.

Full of panic, it made a desperate move to devour the creature before it. To curb its sense of dread, it relied on its drive to assimilate matter unto itself in the same way it devoured one of the Cyclical Lords of the Fae.

Strangely, however, rather than defend or evade, the beast it fought moved towards it with open arms as if it were welcoming it in an embrace.

This rang many alarms in its mind, so it suddenly decided to stop and turn away, but it was too late.

The changeling’s body “opened up”.

If the opening on the Niskari Lord’s body could be described as a maw, the changeling’s own could be considered an “opening of the void”.

In its moment of absolute glee and welcoming of its prey, the changeling had unknowingly manipulated its body to shapeshift despite the mana coursing through its pathways.

Its entire body, without thought, subconsciously desired to consume the prey before it, hence it instinctively changed to the most optimum form to devour it fully.

With a snap, the Niskari Lord was received in its “embrace.”

***