Nightscale wasted no time, coiling swiftly to deliver the final blow."Mashel, Jaeck," Eziel whispered to himself as time seemed to stretch. "I'm coming for you, you scoundrels!" Eziel made his peace as the jaws of Nightscale drew closer, threatening to tear him to shreds.
****
Terror gripped Aether. The monstrous serpent Eziel battled loomed large, its presence a terrifying incentive for escape. In his past life, he'd been nothing but trash, an outcast. Here, however, he'd found love - from his mother and the very society he was born into. Eziel was a cornerstone of his happiness in this new world. But Aether was powerless, not even Awakened to support Eziel. Memories echoed from the cave, Eziel's words ringing clear: only a master could defeat such an intelligent beast. The battle raged, a dazzling dance of light that defied human comprehension. Eziel fought valiantly, but the tide seemed to be turning against him. Aether knew, with a chilling certainty, that Eziel was losing.
Aether's mind hammered a single, desperate word: RUN! He whirled around, ready to flee and accept the sacrifice Eziel had made. But before he could even take a step, tears welled up and spilled down his cheeks. "What am I doing?" he choked out, the question echoing in the vastness of his cowardice. A second chance, a life of love, and he was still the same weakling he'd always been. Aether slammed his fist into his own face, a brutal attempt to quell the trembling fear. Logic screamed that anything he tried would be suicide. "Think, think!" he hissed at himself, his voice raw with frustration.
Then, a spark. Hope flickered in his chest. Aether took a ragged breath, forcing himself to calm the storm within. He had to change. This was his chance to break free from the shackles of his past. "Forget everything you know," he whispered fiercely, a new resolve hardening his voice. "Senses, breath, sight..." He plunged into meditation with a desperate fervor. But before he could delve deeper, a scream tore through the air – Eziel's.
Aether snapped his eyes open to see his mentor frozen, the monstrous snake poised to strike. A surge of raw emotion coursed through him. In that instant, Aether did the unthinkable. He blocked out the world's perception.
A metallic voice echoed in Aether's head, a jarring intrusion amidst the chaos. [Initiating...] it droned. [Due to your rapid grasp of magic, The Fractal Firmament has awakened...] A harsh crackle interrupted the message, replaced by a frantic error tone.
Aether barely registered the words. His mind was a whirlwind of terror and desperation, fixated on Eziel's plight. The voice continued, [ERROR... User needs Awakened status to utilize 'world's will.' Restrictions placed.]
Confusion battled with a surge of defiance. The world's will, according to the voice, had acquired awareness triggered by Aether's unique accomplishment, the "blessing of no god." It was all gibberish to him, but one thing was clear - this entity offered a way to help Eziel.
A primal urge to protect his mentor overrode everything else. The voice spoke of restrictions being overridden by the "world's will," a strange sensation blossoming within him. It felt like... awakening?
Suddenly, another voice cut through the internal chaos. [Analysing user's state of mind. Analyzing user's objective. Assessment is complete.]
The metallic voice resumed, its tone urgent. [Optimal user outcome necessitates partial mana bio-integration with the Fractal Firmament for maximum precision. DO YOU ACCEPT?]
Aether didn't understand, didn't care. This unknown entity offered a lifeline, a chance to save Eziel. He wouldn't let logic stand in the way. "Yes!" he roared, the desperation raw in his voice. He would take any risk, endure any transformation, if it meant saving his friend.
Aether's world went numb. The voice in his head faded, replaced by a cold, detached sensation. His vision lurched, shifting to a view as if from above his own body. A horrifying realization dawned: he was no longer in control. The bio-integration had taken over.
A cold analysis flooded his new perspective. [Taking over host body is successful,] the voice echoed within him, devoid of emotion. [Analyzing best outcome to face 'Eunectes murinus', Emberhod class: Nightscale.]
Aether felt a shift within his very being. His eyes blazed ember red, his hair faintly glowing white. A searing pain erupted throughout his body; a harsh price for wielding this borrowed power.
A monotone voice spoke, his own, yet somehow different. "Authority: instantaneous walk." The world blurred. With an inhuman speed exceeding both Nightscale and Eziel, Aether materialized beside his mentor. A single, glowing palm pressed against Eziel's back. Then, another blur. They vanished in an instant, leaving Nightscale's snapping jaws empty.
****
Eziel braced himself for the inevitable. The gaping maw of Nightscale filled his vision, a horrifying image he expected to be his last. But then, the world twisted. In a blink, the horrifying scene vanished, replaced by…somewhere else.
"Teleportation? No!" Eziel thought frantically as he felt a warm hand on his back. He whipped his head around, jaw slack with disbelief. There stood Aether, transformed. His eyes glowed with an unnatural ember light, his hair faintly white.
Relief washed over Eziel as he realized they were safe, but a new concern bloomed. Nightscale still loomed in the distance. Panic surged as he saw the monstrous snake slithering towards them. Just as it seemed they were doomed, Aether raised his hands. With practiced movements, he drew a intricate circle of glowing mana in the air.
Eziel wanted to fight back, but Aether held him firm. He wanted to protest as the snake drew closer, but then a strange thing happened. Nightscale, moments from striking, hesitated. It paused, confused, then let out a frustrated roar before slithering past them.
Eziel watched in disbelief as the giant serpent vanished into the distance. The moment it was gone, Aether lurched forward, a violent cough wracking his body. Reacting instinctively, Eziel caught his friend before he could hit the ground. "Aether!" he cried, his voice thick with concern. "What just happened?" The question hung heavy in the air, a chilling counterpoint to their narrow escape.