When Kylan joined the mission to find Eridani, the spinal cord-devouring dwarf, Ferric and Pitch Blade were already on the hunt. Everyone was on high alert, waiting for Eridani's next move. As predicted, Eridani emerged, and in a matter of moments, Ferric, Pitch Blade, Cosmic Man, and Kylan surrounded him. Eridani smirked, his eyes glowing ominously. With a touch of the ground, he conjured a giant hand that demolished a building across the battlefield, leaving many injured and some dead.
Cosmic Man, enraged, charged towards Eridani, delivering a powerful punch that sent him reeling. Ferric and Pitch Blade tried to calm Cosmic Man, urging him to follow a plan. Eridani, unfazed, utilized the same technique, creating a giant arm that threatened Kylan. Pitch Blade, quick to react, pushed Kylan out of harm's way and donned his lead suit. He charged towards Eridani, summoning Cosmic Man. Cosmic Man invoked Pegasus, and a swarm of Pegasus appeared in the sky. Pitch Blade, riding one of the Pegasus, managed to grab Eridani.
However, Eridani's eyes glowed with an eerie intensity, causing Kylan to sense something amiss. Kylan swiftly swooped down and snatched Pitch Blade from Eridani's grasp. "He's creating a circle," Kylan warned. Eridani swiftly drew a circle around himself, transforming every human within its perimeter into mindless giants. The transformation was instantaneous and terrifying. Children, adults, and the elderly alike rampaged through the city, their monstrous forms causing widespread destruction.
The battlefield spread far and wide, and chaos reigned. "What is this?" a collective gasp echoed through the decimated town as the mindless giants laid waste to their homes. Amidst this pandemonium, Eridani vanished without a trace.
Ferric, utilizing his magnetic powers, unleashed a colossal cyclone that pierced through three of the mindless giants, their hearts pulsing with metallic elements. "Are you killing them? They're still citizens of Deca Deca Town," Cosmic Man protested.
"Do you think I'm a fool?" Ferric retorted. "I sensed the concentration of iron within their hearts. When I pierced them, I saw their real bodies slumbering within these monstrous forms."
Pitch Blade, arriving on the scene, acknowledged the daunting task of extracting the citizens from the giants' hearts. Cosmic Man devised a plan: "Kylan and I will pursue Eridani while you, Ferric, and Pitch Blade liberate the Deca Deca citizens from these monsters."
As a giant attempted to crush them with its massive hand, they dodged its attack and leaped away. Cosmic Man and Kylan embarked on their pursuit of Eridani, while Ferric and Pitch Blade confronted the remaining giants. Ferric, summoning every metallic element within his vicinity, formed a colossal ball and crushed the giants' heads.
Additional reinforcements from the Savior Society arrived, and Ferric carefully extracted the citizens from the giants' bodies, sending them to the hospital for treatment. Pitch Blade, clad in his lead suit, scaled buildings with agility, leaping onto the shoulder of a giant. With a mighty blast from his sword, he emitted a deafening sound, drawing all the giants towards him. Pitch Blade soared above the horde and with a single, powerful swipe, severed the heads of all the gathered giants.
As Ferric and Pitch Blade completed their mission, Cosmic Man located Eridani attempting to escape. Cosmic Man, summoning the speed of a dragon, seized Eridani's flier, causing it to explode. Cosmic Man, employing the power of the Scutum constellation, conjured a shield to protect himself from the blast.
Kylan, concerned for Cosmic Man's well-being, inquired about his condition. Together, Kylan and Cosmic Man engaged Eridani. Eridani, enhanced with unnatural agility, evaded their attacks, wreaking havoc in mere moments.
Kylan's suit sustained damage, its hoverers malfunctioning, causing him to plummet towards the ground. Eridani, seizing the opportunity, prepared to strike Cosmic Man. Cosmic Man's suit pulsated with energy, his appearance transforming into that of an ancient entity. His suit blazed with fire, its design morphing in an instant. "The Power of Nakshatra," he proclaimed, dividing his body into six distinct forms. Four of these entities confronted Eridani, repelling him with a barrage of attacks.
Eridani, undeterred, stood his ground. Cosmic Man observed spikes slowly emerging from Eridani's body, transforming his entire form into a formidable weapon. The battle raged on, the fate of Deca Deca Town hanging in the balance.
Eridani, fueled by the dark energy coursing through him, embraced the surge of power that transformed his body into a formidable weapon. The spikes protruding from his back elongated and sharpened, giving him a menacing appearance. Cosmic man, despite his powerful transformations, faced a formidable adversary in Eridani.
As Eridani rose from the ground, the spikes on his back unleashed a barrage of deadly projectiles towards Cosmic man and the celestial entities created by the Nakshatra power. The projectiles moved with incredible speed, piercing through the defenses of Cosmic man. The ancient entity found himself overwhelmed as the spikes relentlessly targeted him from all directions.
Kylan, still recovering from the damage to his suit, watched in horror as Eridani's newfound abilities proved to be a match for Cosmic man. Despite their efforts, the combined force of the Nakshatra powers couldn't withstand the onslaught. Eridani, now a towering and menacing figure, closed in on Cosmic man with unmatched agility.
Cosmic man tried to summon the power of constellations for defense, but Eridani anticipated every move. With a swift and calculated strike, Eridani impaled Cosmic man with one of the bone spikes, sending shockwaves through the battlefield. The ancient entity writhed in pain as Eridani's dark energy coursed through his body, overpowering the celestial forces within.
Kylan, witnessing the dire situation, attempted to intervene, but Eridani's focus remained on Cosmic man. With a sinister grin, Eridani unleashed a surge of energy that engulfed Cosmic man, disintegrating his ancient entity form. The Nakshatra powers faded, leaving only remnants of celestial energy in the air.
As the dust settled, Eridani stood victorious over the fallen Cosmic man. The once-heroic figure lay defeated, his celestial powers extinguished by the overwhelming force of Eridani's dark abilities. The battlefield, now eerily silent, bore witness to the triumph of the spine-chilling villain as he prepared to unleash further chaos upon the world.
(Next chapter will mark the climax of KYLAN's BACKSTORY)