Chapter 149 - Cryptid's Transformation

The barren lands were said to be the place where the Demon Lord Guy Crimson pacified the rampaging Dragon Princess, Milim Nava. Once a beautiful and bountiful forest, it was now a large patch of ruined land, saturated with magicules that constantly spawned magical beasts. With the addition of persistent bad weather, the area had become completely uninhabitable.

Only the giants guarding the Heavenly Tower and the countries protected by the Long Wall's barrier near the edge found the area livable, albeit barely.

Even then, Demon Lord Dagruel had set his eyes on the western nation to grant his people the long-promised resources they deserved after thousands of years of torment.

It was a place that never welcomed them, much like the humans who protected their lands from the constant skirmishes along the Long Wall.

Now, luckily for most, the barren land had become one of the main battlegrounds chosen by the massive invasions from the cryptid race. While technically not a coincidence, since the Heavenly Tower was located there, it was still a blessing for most inhabitants of the Cardinal World.

Otherwise, another region would have been ruined and transformed into a magic beast-infested wasteland.

Oma and Zaloria found themselves in an awkward situation, mixed up with the subordinates of the Primordials. Although it had been thousands of years since they last encountered each other, some familiar faces could be seen among the demons.

The oldest among them was a small, gray-haired boy leading the demons. Beside him stood other Demon Peers on the verge of evolving into Devil Lords, the pinnacle of the demon evolutionary path.

As the right hands of Obera and Zaloria respectively, they were in charge of the massive army of angels currently battling a school of mollusk squids, the spawn of their ruling-class enemy, Suiemu. Alongside them were various bird-like cryptids bearing a distinct two-headed trait, with the ability to move at high speed and occasionally use transport magic.

Though the schools and flocks of cryptids were not as strong as their rulers, they were still formidable in number. Fortunately, they were up against the angels.

Dhalis countered an incoming bird cryptid with a single swing of his sword, while Oma fired several spells in a rapid barrage of parasitic scales.

The lower-ranking angels were ordered to spread out and contain the invasion around the Heavenly Tower. Any cryptids that broke through were to be dealt with using group formations often deployed in the Otherworld.

The powerful angels, either on the same level as Dhalis and Oma or just one rank below, remained within the containment zone, bearing the brunt of the assault. Even so, the lower-ranking angels provided essential support, firing at the flying cryptids from all directions.

Oma launched a burst of flame magic, destroying three mollusk cryptids, while Dhalis easily cut down a flock of bird cryptids attempting to rush him.

Down below, Moss looked up at the vast number of angels overhead. Their sheer number was enough to block out the sun, with only the occasional shaft of light piercing through.

Glancing at the battle on the ground, he sighed. Some of his fellow Demon Peers were getting carried away in their rampage, venturing too far beyond their formation.

Spinning his signature weapon, a chakram, he casually threw it, slicing through every chimera cryptid in its path. The sharp disc flew onward until it reached a herd of behemoths trying to escape the encirclement.

Unlike the angels, who had enough forces to cover the sky, the demons numbered only in the tens of thousands. Even when arranged in an encirclement, significant gaps remained in their defenses.

The chakram moved like it had a mind of its own, flying past the herd and cleanly severing all the beasts' heads. The blood-stained weapon returned to Moss, who caught it effortlessly, twirling it on his finger before launching it again.

Veyron mowed down large chimera cryptids with a sadistic grin. Cruel laughter escaped him every time his blade pierced flesh and he heard the cryptids scream.

Esprit was far less eager than the purple Primordial's butler. She lounged lazily atop a corpse, giving orders to the demons. Her weapon was embedded in the cadaver, ready for use should any enemy dare approach.

She had no interest in fighting common grunts, leaving them to Veyron, who clearly enjoyed the slaughter. Then, with a gleam in her eyes, she stood and retrieved her weapon.

A chimera cryptid larger than the common herd, but still smaller than Kakeashi, took the stage. Even better, it brought what appeared to be the strongest pack in their entire group.

Esprit finally leapt into the fray, drawn by the challenge. Veyron also noticed their presence.

"Those two..." Moss sighed.

High in the sky, sparks flashed as a high-speed clash erupted between a two-headed bird cryptid and the greatest swordsman of the mythical era. The fallen seraph thrust both blades toward the bird, but Habataki responded with a quick teleportation.

The two heads shrieked and fired twin energy blasts at the gray-haired seraph. He severed the attack, which exploded with a force comparable to nuclear fire. The shockwave pushed him back as he raised his blades to defend against a sudden claw strike from behind.

The enemy's sharpness and durability matched his own.

"Hey, why don't you help me here?" Dino shouted as Diablo stood still, merely observing the battlefield. Any cryptids that approached him simply died on the spot, as though stepping into a death zone.

"Kufufufufu. I am helping." With a snap of his fingers, Diablo activated Death Streak. A nuclear spell that annihilated all living beings by disintegrating them down to their very souls.

"Cryptids are, after all, demi-spiritual beings," Diablo commented as the massive swarm vanished within seconds.

The two-headed bird flock and the mollusk squid school were gone. The sky cleared. Even the insect swarms that had guarded Peliod disappeared.

On the ground, the stampede of chimera cryptids had vanished too.

Still, Diablo turned to the Heavenly Tower. More cryptids emerged, replacing their fallen kin.

"That is a problem," he said. "I suppose the deaths of their Rulers would be the simplest solution."

Resting his hand on his chin, Diablo began observing the other battle more carefully.

Carrera grinned as she launched another nuclear strike magic at the behemoth chimera. Kakeashi jumped, dodging the blast, then roared at Carrera. The soundwave formed a visible shock that ripped through the air, sending the yellow Primordial reeling.

Zaloria launched forward with his sword. The many eyes and the eight serpents forming the chimera's tail noticed his approach. They extended toward him, chasing the angel.

"Deliverance Bombing."

Obera appeared from above, unleashing a massive slash of energy from her blade, Beast Slayer. Formerly known as Planetes Bombing, the technique had been upgraded using a newly acquired Ultimate Skill, one granted by Ciel to replace her previous ability.

Lord of Redemption: Moses.

This skill allowed her to absorb and redirect magicules using her blade, whether from slain beasts or spells cast at her. All that power was redirected through her own will.

The serpent tails hissed and moved to escape the incoming energy. Most evaded the strike, but two were severed. The pain made the dragon head scream as it shifted its focus from Carrera to the angel in the sky.

With power in its legs, Kakeashi leapt toward Obera, sprinting through the air. Its eyes flared with rage. She was the first being to ever inflict this much pain on it.

Although intelligent, the cryptid was still a creature ruled by emotion and instinct. Ivarage had infused her children with her own negative emotions, making them irrational and violent.

It ignored the angel and demon appearing beside it.

Zaloria covered the behemoth's body with holy magic. "Sanctuary Disintegration."

"Nihilistic Banish."

As the sacred light faded, Carrera released a spell of opposite nature. Her magic summoned the underworld's essence from the deepest abyss.

Among all the Primordials, Ultima enjoyed fighting the mollusk squid the most. At the very least, Testarossa was fully committed to her relentless Napalm Burst barrage on the squid's tentacles, while Gracia stood guard, blocking the incoming parasite scales aimed at the white Primordial.

Ultima began spreading a mist of poison into the air. She glanced at the behemoth chimera cryptid and found its usage of poison, amplified by its roar, to be fascinating.

Though such a primitive technique was beneath her, it was still interesting to see a usually mindless cryptid attempt something so subtle. Silently, and even secretly.

Suiemu, the mollusk squid, began to spasm. Its tentacle-like tendrils curled and moved rigidly. Its once vibrant colors shifted into the purple primordial's favorite hue.

Testarossa saw her chance and landed on the creature's hardened shell without being noticed.

"White Flare."

A small, palm-sized flame appeared on the mollusk's body, quickly igniting it in white fire. The technique did not burn the surrounding area. Instead, it caused unbearable heat far greater than that of nuclear flames. The fire would not extinguish until the life of the target had been completely snuffed out.

(Kyahahaha, my children.)

The childlike voice echoed inside the minds of the three cryptids.

(I have observed everything through your eyes. I find their fighting style fascinating. Let me give you all some gifts.)

In an instant, the three cryptids, Kakeashi the chimera behemoth, Suiemu the mollusk squid, and Habataki the two-headed bird, began to transform mid-battle.

The transformation was not long. In fact, it was almost instantaneous. Barely a second passed before it was complete.

The first to notice the change was Diablo. His smile deepened as the silhouettes of humanoid forms began to appear, not only on those three but across the entire herd of cryptids.

With wide eyes, Dino suddenly found himself clashing with a two-headed, anthropomorphic eagle. Habataki retained its beastlike traits but now stood upright on two legs, with wings spread wide across its back. Its newly formed hands tightly gripped blades crafted from its own feathers.

Imitating its enemy, the two-headed bird let out a screech as it swung its twin feather-blades at Dino.

"What the hell?!" Dino exclaimed, blocking the strike as he realized his own techniques were being copied. "Hey, Diablo! Do something other than just watching, you stupid demon!"

Testarossa recoiled in disgust as she watched the mollusk's transformation. Its head had become a shell, spewing tendrils from its center. Its body was now formed from tentacles, fluid and viscous in shape. The parasitic scales had hardened, glowing a vibrant dark blue, and forming armor across its body.

"That is the most disgusting thing I have ever seen in my life," Gracia said flatly, echoing Testarossa's own thoughts.

"I don't know," Ultima tilted her head, firing several poisonous energy blasts at the cryptid. "It seems kind of cute to me."

Testarossa and Gracia turned toward the purple primordial with visible disdain.

Carrera's excitement grew as Kakeashi stood tall before her. Though it once moved on all fours, it now towered over the battlefield, standing as tall as the true height of Demon Lord Dagruel. With a dragon's head and a tail of eight serpent-like appendages, it unleashed venomous mist across the battlefield. Its roar amplified the effect, spreading the poison far and wide.

"This is more of Ultima's department," Carrera muttered casually, then dispelled the mist with a wave of her hand. Her eyes turned toward Zaloria and Obera, who were preparing their weapons.

"Gravity Collapse."

Her magic detonated as a signal. The two seraphim launched forward, unleashing their own attacks.

The battle intensified. What had earlier leaned in favor of the angels and demons, thanks to centuries of experience fighting the cryptid race, was now beginning to shift. The transformations, combined with the never-ending flow of reinforcements from the Heavenly Tower, were turning the tide.

Normally, the seraphim and primordials could have exterminated the cryptids with relative ease, especially given that they outnumbered them nearly two to one. Yet the cryptids not only survived for hours, they had also managed to claim the advantage at times.

This shift was due to Ivarage's forced evolution. The cryptids had begun adapting to their enemies in real time. Just as Habataki had grown skilled in Dino's swordsmanship, Suiemu had become more resistant to Testarossa's death magic and Ultima's poison. Kakeashi's body had become tougher, more durable against both nuclear spells and the mythical-grade weapons wielded by Obera and Zaloria.

The balance had reached a dangerous stalemate. A single push could collapse the entire frontline.

And the first to give that push came from someone long forgotten by all.

A/N: Has anyone ever thought of the fact that L/R for japanese are interchangeable so Peliod can also be pronounce as Period. Just a random thought.