Chapter 38 - Graceful

[Aspect of the tainted activated!]

[New abilites gained while transformed!]

[Extendable Body: User can stretch out his limbs into any desired direction. While stretched, the limbs will be harder to control. Range is limited to users height.]

[Roar Of Dissaray: Your roar will cause the brain of surrounding creatures to go into a uncontrollable mode of panic. Only works on those weaker than user.]

[Hypodermic Hairs: Your hide is covered in microscopic needles. They will dig into any prey who is both foolish and weak enough to fight you head on.]

[Draconic scales: Ward of weaker magic and energy attacks with ease. Stronger ones will not be negated, only weakened.]

[Devil's enzyme: All fluids will cause foreign proteins and cells to rapidly dissolve.]

The sick family could only watch as Michael's body began to uncontrollably bulge up. His tall figure quickly started to reach a height of nine meters. The arms and legs grew in thickens and size, letting out grotesque breaking noises as they lengthened.

The destroyed black clothing covering his body began to merge with the skin, slowly spreading and turning into a mixture of dark red scales and sickly green hide.

Several more horns started shooting out of his skull. All bending in different directions, like a sort of ruined fork, or rather, a pair of ruined antlers. As the thorns firing out of his black hair balanced themselvs over the widening shoulders, the eyes began to morph. The slit pupil expanded itself togheter with the rest of his socket. Creating two void holes which allowed him to see every nearby object clearly.

The face started to slightly stretch outwards. Taking on the shape of a mixture between a werewolf and a dragon.

It did not go far, as the jaw retracted itself a little bit every time it suddenly jumped out. But when calmed down, the mouth began to bend and stretch itself like rubber, ending up in the shape of a mad smile. Fully displaying the row of red glassy teeth making their home inside.

His hands and feet grew several new fingers and toes. All having their own crooked red nails aiming down attrhe floor.

While the rest of his body shook and enlarged itself, four bone spikes were making their way out of his shoulder blades. It looked like they were going to form into an individual set of wings, but each pair slowly stopped, only sprouting limited amounts of scales and feathers onto the handles. Making them resemble four war torn lances which had been forcefully nailed into his flesh

Michael's transformation slowly made its final augmentations, fully exhibiting the inhuman abomination standing proudly before these ungrateful weaklings.

A short silence took over after the brutal cracking sounds disappeard. Allowing the image of the scaly and furry Michael to fully sink into their minds. Scanning everything from the ripped antlers, to the four different red and green spikes of bone ejecting out of his back. They aimed themselves towards the realm of the gods. Threatening to one day shatter their false kingdoms.

Michael exhaled deeply through his maw. The air current flowing out rippled through his malformed fangs, traveling over the mixture of red plates and green hair laying over his skin.

The main body retained a humanoid appearence, only hunching a little bit forwards. Mabye due to the large mucles that coiled around each of the sprouting nails.

The legs and arms were equally as massive as the rest, having the tissue underneath protected by a new type of armour.

The hands were thick and leathery. Similar to the ones you would find on a giant gorilla. Only the crooked shrapnel resting on the tip on each of his thirteenth fingers would make you think otherwise.

The nails resting on his toes were diggin into the metal floor. Marking their territory with every movement made.

"NoT bAD..."

The deformed voice almost popped the eardrums of his spectators. It darted into the depths of the room, lingering inside the stretched out metallic darkness.

Lissanna looked at the monster standing before her. Making the woman shake uncontrollably as she looked into it's hollow eye sockets.

"Don't just stand there! Attack!!"

She screamed out while starring at him. Signaling the women behind her to engage this monstrosity.

"A...Also, bring the rest of the elders here!!"

After that, she rappidly retreated behind the line made up of robed women. Pulling her two daughters alongside her as they ran in the opposite direction.

...

Michael only watched them flee with his void eyes. Not carring much as they would be dealt with eventually.

Looking back at the row of women, and of course, Branson. Something resembling a smile formed itself on his outstretched fangs.

"ANy LaST wOrDs?"

knowing that there was no longer any opportunity to escape, everyone stretched out each of their slender hands and chanted something different. Hopelessness was traveling with each and every chant said.

.

"Earth Magic: Stone slugshot!"

"Earth Magic: Rock bullet!"

"Earth Magic: Edged impaler!"

.

"Sand Magic: Sand Binding!"

"Metal Magic: Metal restraints!"

"Earth Magic: Earth Sink!"

.

All kinds of flashy dirt attacks hit his body with loud booms. A sound similar to several boulders being crushed resonated into the barren area, while at the same time causing the dust particles generated from each impact to slowly cover his body.

Not seeing any movement from within the airborn dirt particles, one of the girls nervously muttered.

"D..Did we get him?"

But from within the smokescreen, a weak, yet powerful laughter caused the metal beneath their feet to painfully vibrate. Hurting their bones as it climbed up their legs, and up to the head.

"hahAhAHAHA"

Hearing this, no one bothered to attack again, some even straight up passed out or urinated themselves.

"iS tHaT tHE BESt YoU GOt?"

A large black spear with several crooked blades was launched out of the dissipating fog. Impaling several of the people standing there.

Not even taking a moment to retract his grotesque arm, Michael then swung it up in the air, letting the victims be dragged down by the air flow. He then halted the ascent, proceeding to slam his hand back down to the floor. Turning the girls attatched to his fingers into a dense liquid while the rest sunk into the metal. Creating a large slap imprint where he hit. Forever signify that he was the one responsible for this clan's downfall.

The rest of the women watched as their friends and sister turned into pasty mud. And it removed the remaining luster of hope in their eyes.

However, their condolences were unimportant, as Micharl once more stretched his arm towards a bunch of panic stricken girls. Hurriedly collectiong as many as he could into the palm of his expanding hand, and then press down with a large smack. After crushing the air particles apart, a bunch of crackling sounds filled the area. And they were followed bg several beams of red that wildly shot out into every direction like a malfunctioning fountain.

Looking at the scene before them, the remaining clansmen began to run away into the darkness. Wishing to flee this abomination.

However, there was no escape.

"NoT sO FAsT!"

Michael quickly retracted his arms like two rubber bands, then shooting them out again to his sides like two whips.

And as they reached their limit, he then flung them together, scooping up every one of the running fools into his embrace and smashing them into bits.

Pulling his arms back, he watched the gory scene laying before him. Noticing that the only survivers had either passed out or gone mad with fear, trembling where they sat.

To those who regained some sanity and tried to run away, Michael shot out boulder sized clusters of spit at them. And after getting hit, their bodies would start to quickly dissolve into jelly.

Of course, he did not forget Branson. And right after dealing with the ones who chose to move, he turned his twisted face towards his shaking figure.

Seeing the beast turn in his direction, Branson began to stutter and beg while a wet puddle flowed out down from his knees.

"W..Wait, Marss! I..I will tell you anything you want!! Please spare my life!"

The familiar deformed smile found it's home on his stretched jaw again. Forever growing more powerful as he heard the lingering of the mans voice in his ears.

"ThEN LeT Us sIT DOwN, BrANsOn."

....

Lissanna was currently opening a large metal door on the other side of the room. Both her daughter were panting heavily, exhausted by the sudden marathon they had to participate in.

After arriving here, several anguished screams and mad laughters echoed towards their location. Further sending the trio into panic.

While their mother madly fiddled with the last few mechanisms on the door, Firnell tried talking to her through her exasperated breathing.

"M..Mom, what about father?"

She did not turn around, only madly shouting at her while clicking her finger into the compact steel.

"You two are my first priority, and that will always be as such!"

After finishing, the door began to vibrate. Seeing this, she breathed a sigh of relief, and turned towards her daughter to talk properly.

"I don't know who that kid is, but we definitely messed up this time. Firnell, you must know that I do not blame you. However, we must inform the elders of the clan at once!"

Firnell looked at her mother's serioues expression. Tears of worry began to fall down her rosy cheeks.

"O..Ok. B..But you a..are coming with us. R...Right, M..Mom?"

Lissanna saw her daughter's tears fall down from her glittering eyes. Only mildly smiling at her while directing her voice to the eldest sister.

"Fiorell, you are now responsible."

She did not answer, only sighing while looking at her increasingly more tearful younger sister.

"NO! MOM, PLEASE COME WITH US!"

The small tears turned into small waterfalls. Her eyes reddend and her face paled. Not seeing why her mother had to stay here.

"Take her and go to the carrige in front of the house, Fiorell. I cannot risk that thing chasing the two of you to delil city..... You must tell the clan everything that happened here, is that clear?"

She threw a small pendand to her, then pushing them both out of the half open door.

Feeling her mother's push, Firnell cried harder and tried to struggle against her.

"NONONO! I WON'T LEAVE WITHOUT YOU!"

She tried to fight, but her elder sister began to pull on her robe. Dragging the little girl alongside her. Watching Firnell so sad, she also started to feel tears build up inside her eyes, and forcefully exited the door.

Seeing them both leave like this, Lissanna smiled while a drop of water crawled down her cheek.

She closed her eyes, and heavily slammed the door shut. All the mechanisms clicked back togheter when it stopped moving. Leaving her alone with the beastly creature.

After starring at the door for a while, a set of elegant footsteps grew louder as they came in her direction. Forcing her to turn around.

She looked into the deep dark while pulling up her leather suit once more. Making it fully tighten around her body.

After seeing that it sat properly, she opened the palm of her left hand while silently whispering something to herself.

"Silver Magic: Cursed beast's bane"

A beautiful metallic cross sword slowly formed in her hand. As it took shape, weak silver sparkles swirled around the blade. Forming a giltering halo which lit up the surroundings.

When the light covered her figure, a delicate set of footsteps closed in on her location, and she slowly got to see the approaching figure.

A tall man wearing some black clothes was unhurriedly walking towards her. As he came closer, the two large horns on his head became more increasingly more discernible thanks to her glowing weapon.

Lissanna steeled her expression while watching out for any sudden movements.

Finally, the figure was fully visible, making her narrow her sharp yellow eyebrows togheter.

The once small Marss seemed to have grown exponentially from last time. Even dwarfing her by almost a half a meter.

Unease and fear slithered up her determined face. And as it slowly did, the demon before her softly began to smile.

The sudden change in his expression caused her to lightly jump backwards while trembling a little. Not knowing what he was planning on doing.

"Oh, Lissanna darling. You don't have to worry. It's just me, your dear Marss!"

She backed away until hitting the door behind her. Only capable of readying herself with the blade.

"You will never get my daughters!"

Hearing her aggressive and determined statement made him stop in place. It also further strengthened his smile, allowed the sharp white teeth to reflect back the silver glow.

He took a small step forwards while at the same time stretching his muscular arms out.

"Oh, Lissanna my dear. I don't care about them right now...."

His frame suddenly dissapeard from where he just stood like a yellow flash. Leaving her alone with an increasingly panicked feeling that rooted itself into every fiber of the fearful body.

Looking around the darkness, she was unable to find anything.

However, as Lissanna leaned against the door, a black shadow teleported in front of her. Slamming a part of itself against the ancient metal.

The loud noise generated by the impact rang all the way to the end of the deep room and back.

The wide eyed woman trembled as she looked up from the black clothing leaning against her. Seeing a well built arm resting near her head. It was steadily sinking into the magical steel that made up the only entrance to this place.

Tilting her shaking head further up, she saw the demonic grin containing all the jagged teeth, only standing a couple of inches away from her forehead. Two gold lanters eyed her down as the weak breath blew her hair behind her head.

"How about we have a gooD lonG taLk, oR wHAt dO YoU SAY...?"

The deep voice grew more deformed and unreadable while the body twisted and contracted itself.

Clearly registering what he said, Lissanna's pupils started to shrink in fear as she watched the two golden eyes steadily disappear into some sort of black hole. Consuming every color found in the two growing voids.

While the light emitted from her blade was sucked away, she tried to say something, but her sanity corroded away before she could hear any answer.

"P...Please spare me.."