I shot forward, talons extending in front of me to rip the savage beast’s face off. It whinnied, prancing to the side and making my fly past it.

I curved in the air, whipping around to face it and continuing to claw at its face in an attempt to wound it. It pranced away yet again, and it seemed… annoyed? As though I wasn’t even a threat and it was just playing with me.

That made me angry. So very, very angry. I had been teetering on the edge of a cliff, my mind barely being contained and not just becoming a savage beast that couldn’t think for itself.

But now I succumbed to the anger, the pain, and the madness that had been waiting for me with open arms. I watched in horror as I felt like I was in the backseat of my very own brain, my serpentine body slamming into the Night-Mare with a fury that would be difficult to match.

I felt my body shake as the Night-Mare slammed its body into mine, but I didn’t budge.

I wouldn’t budge even if the sky itself fell down on me.

Dao of Immovability comprehended!

Dao Seed of Teamwork: +10 STR, +10 WIS, +10 SOUL

Max daos gained! Initiating rank up…

You have ranked up! You are the first person to do so. All stats +100

I felt a power course through my veins, to the point where it was almost painful. My body swelled, growing a few inches in each direction, my teeth grew sharper, and my claws became monstrosities of lightning and ice. I looked at the Night-Mare with a wicked grin playing across my razor sharp teeth. “You’re dead.”

The Night-Mare glared at me. “Oh? Is that what you think?” There was a *thrum* of power and the Night-Mare suddenly swelled, growing just a little bit, but enough to be noticeable. Fire raced up its back and its nostrils flared. “I think it is you who will be the one dying around here, and then your friends soon after.”

I scoffed. “Whatever you think I guess.” I suddenly lunged forward, lightning gathering around my claws instinctively. I felt a deep connection to all of my daos, storm most of all. I danced with the horse, but eventually we both pulled away, scanning each other for weaknesses.

Speaking of Storm, he stood not too far away from us, side flowing blood. As I watched, however, his body also began to change, growing bigger, faster and stronger. Lighting crackled all over him, and bone rose from his back like spines, conducting the lightning with a casual grace that the lightning around my own claws couldn’t hope to match.

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Slowly, the wound in Storm's side mended itself together, little rivets of lightning acting like stitches. The Night-Mare began to look frightened. As it should be, these were going to be its last moments.

Storm and I acted as one, each of leaping at the Night-Mare. It let out a colossal whinny, but it was too late, both me and Storm crashed into the Night-Mare, sending blood flying in long, dark jets.

The Night-Mare screamed in pain, but we didn’t let up, ripping the monster apart. My new surge of stats had made my body stronger, tougher, and just overall better. It was quite amazing how graceful my new body felt now. Instead of feeling like I was in a clunky machine it had been, it now felt like my own true skin.

After a few more moments, the Night-Mare let out its final breath, fire gathering in its heart. It felt… anticlimactic. We had tried so hard to become strong enough to face off against it, but when the time finally came, we had killed it with ease. Granted, it had taken a mighty increase in stats and a rank up, but those things weren’t important right now.

Layton was gone. I found her body not too far away from where we had fought the Night-Mare. Her body was mostly intact, but her heart had been ripped out savagely.

Brock found me not much later, the rest of the gang with him. I had fallen to my knees in front of layton, and was a mess of emotions. Why her? Why had she died? If only I had known sooner. Maybe…

I felt a pair of giant hands grab my face. Brock was above me in his full giant glory, 15 feet of pure muscle. “Snap out of it. There was nothing you could have done.” He turned to Layton’s corpse, eyes leaking, “We should bury her. It’s what she would have wanted, to finally be at peace, she wasn’t built for this like we were.”

Part of me wanted to rise up, screaming at him that he shouldn’t taint her name further, she had been through enough. But deep down… deep down I knew that she had hated being here, the only reason she had survived was because of us, and the only reason she had smiled was because of us. She was an extrovert, being so lonely had hurt her. If only she hadn’t died all alone, hoping that someone might find her.

We buried her later that day, Plikt had done the honors of digging the hole, needing to do one final act for his queen. We had buried her stuff with her, except for her ring, keeping it as a memory of her.

I let a tear fall from my face. We would grow stronger. Strong enough to shatter the very bands of hell and meet her again, I vowed to myself.

***

Kent smiled, closing his journal and setting it on the see-through counter of the star ship he was flying on. They were going to the planet where the deceased went to rest. He was going to meet Layton again.

It had taken 5 years to reach this spot, he had killed tyrants and demons, heralds and gods, but he was here, going to meet his friends again. They had all fallen at various times during the climb to the top, with Plikt being the last to fall.

He had killed Calamity, the god of the end, and saved the system. If only he hadn’t needed to do it alone. At least he had Storm. He patted the ship happily, “How are you buddy?”

“I am quite well, but I do wish that I didn’t need to take on this inelegant form, I wish I could just be myself.” Storm grumbled in his mind.

“You’ll be fine.” Kent said with a laugh, heading to one of the many windows. “I can’t wait to see them again.” He whispered staring into the cosmos.

He couldn’t even imagine what grand adventures they would have once again, he would need to help them grow in power, but that was doable. He was a monarch in over a quarter of the system's worlds after all.