Daisuke was stunned, his eyes wide as Lekton's horrifying transformation unfolded.
"What the hell?"
"M-Monster!"
"What the heck did he just feed him?"
"Haxks! Shouldn't we run away?"
While the children recoiled in fear, Adrian guffawed, deriving pleasure from Daisuke's evident shock. "Looks familiar, doesn't it? In that case, you'll absolutely love what I have in store for you next!"
With a snap of his fingers, a wall slid away, revealing a blind, reptilian beast lurking in a hidden chamber. The children's eyes widened in bewilderment as, just like Adrian, Daisuke's expression suddenly became dark.
Emerging from the shadows with a deep growl was a monstrous chimera—Reginald's mother, forcibly twisted into this abomination. Yet, Daisuke's fury eclipsed any sympathy for her past humanity.
All he could focus on was the bitter truth: this fiend, now under Adrian's control, was the very one responsible for Sheba's death. It had survived—and Adrian was using it as his second trump card.
Daisuke sneered as both creatures, oblivious to each other, turned their full attention on him—the source of their shared agony. That moron, he thought bitterly, does he even realize that thing's his own stepmother?
With another snap of Adrian's fingers, both monsters unleashed a thunderous roar, bolting forward like a pair of Formula One cars. Deep claw marks tore through the cavern floor and walls as the beasts ricocheted across the chamber, moving with terrifying speed.
Even as a slash carved a bloody arc along his cheek, Adrian's ominous laughter echoed through the cave, his hands raised high like a scientist gone mad.
This bastard, Daisuke's features contorted into a scowl, it doesn't seem like he has full control over the monsters.
Garrett and the rest of the children huddled together in terror as the chaos closed in around them, invisible claws and fangs slashing through the air just inches from their bodies. Each near miss only deepened their dread as the rampage threatened to engulf them.
"Zephyr!" Daisuke shouted, his tone sharp with urgency as he settled into his familiar battle stance, the Lipanthyer's Fang held in a reverse grip.
CLANG!
Daisuke raised his dagger just in time to intercept the lethal swipe of a claw, sparks flying as the sharp nail scraped along its edge. Time seemed to slow to a crawl, the sparks casting brief light over both his and Zephyr's steely expressions. Without hesitation, they launched themselves into the chaos, matching their foes' speed with fierce determination.
Zephyr darted across Lekton's massive frame like a relentless flea, his mana-charged fangs and claws tearing into the creature's rough skin and flesh. Daisuke's dagger mirrored Zephyr's speed and precision, slashing in radiant arcs that stripped away layers of the chimera's flesh.
Adrian looked on nervously, his once neatly groomed hair now unkempt. No! He exclaimed inwardly, his expression grave as he bit his nail through his glove. They didn't tell me he would be this strong! At this rate, the monsters will be defeated! Tsk!
In a desperate bid to turn the tide, Adrian called upon his powers as a Trickster, summoning a powerful gust of wind. As the children cried out and shielded their eyes from the whirlwind of dirt and debris, the vile beasts vanished, shrouded by a thin veil of mana that rendered them invisible.
"It doesn't matter how strong you are!" Adrian bellowed with a malicious grin. "If you can't even see the enemy, what good is all that power? Fools—you're finished!"
Daisuke's lips remained a tight, calm line, his expression cool and composed. His pupils darted mechanically as the Eye of Verity tracked the agile movements of the loathsome chimera. Meanwhile, Zephyr relied on his keen sense of smell, honing in on his prey.
As Daisuke relentlessly chipped away at the creature's armored scales, memories of his past filled his mind—how, at the manor, he had merely been a distraction, buying enough time for April and the others to escape. Then he had fled for his life, barely managing to survive. This time, however, there was no fear or despair—only the searing flames of hatred and vengeance surging through his veins.
Sheba's smile, her enchanting gaze, her charisma, and the tender affection she had always given to everyone—all of it surged within Daisuke, a powerful force that bolstered his strength, speed, and determination.
Her tears, the memories of her sorrow, were like fuel coursing through him. The Lipanthyer's Fang clashed against the chimera's hardened scales, each strike struggling to break through, but Daisuke's tenacity was unyielding. Slowly, piece by piece, the scales began to fall away, worn down by his sheer will and drive.
WOOOSHHH!
The pungent odor of singed hair filled the chamber as Lekton—or the monstrous fiend he had become—staggered backward, its charred skin crackling from the aftermath of Zephyr's Emberstorm. Smoke drifted from its maw as it tilted its head back, the once-formidable figure now scorched black and trembling from the searing flames.
A roundhouse kick sent the chimera crashing into the homunculus, their bodies slamming together with a bone-jarring impact. Before they could recover, Daisuke ensnared them both with his Magic Chains, locking them tightly in place.
Retrieving the glaive from where it was lodged in the cavern wall, Daisuke hurled it with all his strength. The weapon tore through the air with a deadly whistle, and with a dark crack, it pierced both monstrosities. Their combined roars of pain echoed through the chamber as they writhed in agony, helpless and impaled.
While they were immobilized, Zephyr sprang into action for the overkill. His fangs and claws blazed through the air in a dazzling arc of light as he circled the fiends, shredding them with fierce accuracy. Just as he withdrew, a bolt of cerulean blue lightning streaked down and struck the glaive, unleashing a torrent of electricity that ravaged the pinned creatures.
For a moment, time seemed to stand eerily still, and a chill ran down Daisuke's spine. As the chimera's malevolent life-force faded, an ethereal light emerged from the darkness, manifesting as a ghostly apparition of a woman. She bowed with a sincere smile of gratitude before vanishing as suddenly as she had appeared.
DING!
[Haxks has slain the Chimera Hidden Boss «Malistra Wrathshade».]
DING!
[The homunculus Lekton has been defeated!]
[138,700 Experience Points have been acquired.]
[Level Up!]
[Stormcleaver Glaive has been acquired.]
[Aethercore Ring has been acquired.]
[Reinforcement Tablet x2 has been acquired.]
[Celestial Cube (White) has been acquired.]
[Celestial Cube (Blue) has been acquired.]
[Anneliese's Letter has been acquired.]
[Medium HP Recovery Potion x2 has been acquired.]
[Homunculus Serum (Residue) has been acquired.]
[Serpent's Tendon x3 has been acquired.]
[Chimera's Scales x8 has been acquired.]
[13803 gold has been acquired.]
Adrian's jaw hung slack, his shock palpable at the scene before him. Yet, he was the first to regain composure, his mind spinning as he tried to comprehend what he had just witnessed.
Against all odds, despite being hunted by two monstrous creatures, the boy he was tasked to capture had not only escaped but done so with a startling level of precision and efficiency. The realization hit Adrian hard: if he had any hope of capturing the enigma known as Haxks Starfrost, he would need far more than his current forces—he would need an army and a much deadlier arsenal.
The moment he spun to flee, Daisuke appeared before him in a flash, moving faster than the eye could track. A swift backhand sent the handsome bastard sprawling across the ground. Adrian groaned, pressing a trembling hand to his bruised cheek, only to find Daisuke crouched in front of him with a cold, condescending gaze.
"Sure, I skimmed a few books during my short stay at the manor," he began, "but that's nowhere near enough time to grasp something as complex as alchemy. You're probably more knowledgeable about it than I am—honestly, anyone who knows the name Cedric Oswald Percival should be leagues ahead of my basic understanding. So, why not recruit one of them instead?"
Adrian managed a nervous smile. "Contrary to popular belief, alchemy is about more than just formulas, perfect circles, and natural resources. My father, grandfather, and the generations before them often cited Cedric, who said:
'If you can't truly see the natural world, then how do you expect to interact with it?'
I believe the reason Cedric was able to conceive, develop, and apply alchemy the way he did is that he possessed a natural gift for seeing beyond the veil into the true essence of the natural world."
A muscle worked in Daisuke's jaw as he contemplated the uttered words. The natural world? He thought intensely. What exactly does that mean? How exactly does one interact with the natural world?
He sighed inwardly, frustration gnawing at him. It seemed that for every step he took toward understanding alchemy, he ended up taking two steps back.
Oswald had promised in his grimoire that the secrets of alchemy would be revealed to him if he used the knowledge for the benefit of others, yet it felt like he was not getting any closer to that goal.
While he was momentarily distracted, Adrian's fingers twitched, and his legs tensed, poised to spring into action. Before he could push himself to his feet and flee, Daisuke plunged his dagger into his thigh with an unflinching expression.
But, instead of gushing blood, a caterpillar wriggled from the wound, and in an instant, Adrian's entire body transformed, bursting into a vibrant swarm of butterflies that took to the air, fluttering gracefully away.
Daisuke clicked his tongue in annoyance, his eyes narrowed to unenthused slits. This makes the second time he's managed to fool the Eye of Verity. Not exactly sure how I feel about that.