In a moment of desperation, Arlo found himself on his knees, pleading for mercy. The arena, once filled with the clamor of battle, fell into a hushed silence as Sven's undead minions retreated.
Arlo lifted his gaze, searching Sven's face for a sign of forgiveness. Sven's expression was one of indifference, a reaction that oddly filled Arlo with a glimmer of hope.
Suddenly, an undead creature lunged at Arlo. It wasn't one of Sven's minions, but a creature Arlo had summoned himself.
Caught off guard, Arlo stumbled backward, landing hard on the ground. As the undead creature loomed over him, ready to strike, Arlo turned his eyes to Sven, silently begging for help. But Sven merely chuckled.
"Interesting, interesting. Undead, kill that worthless being." Sven's words were cold, his amusement clear.
Pinned under the weight of the undead creature, Arlo was helpless. He could only watch as the creature leaned in, its jaws opening wide.
Suddenly, a black window popped up:
[Crystal Egg devours the Visor Undead summoned by Player 1.]
The Crystal Egg, a mysterious entity within Arlo, began to absorb the undead creatures, including those summoned by Sven. One by one, they disintegrated into dust, swirling into Arlo's stomach.
[Crystal Egg devoured Visor Undead.]
[Crystal Egg unsatisfied with its appetite.]
[Crystal Egg woke up because Player 1's life is in danger.]
[Crystal Egg going into hibernation.]
'No, Crystal, no, don't give me hope. This is my battle, and I fought and lost it; I deserve to die,'
Arlo murmured, a sense of dread washing over him as he realized Sven had witnessed everything.
"Yoshi," Sven called out.
Arlo forced himself to his feet, his eyes widening as the coliseum arena seemed to vanish, replaced by a sky filled with dark, ominous clouds.
Sven advanced towards Arlo, a fierce look in his eyes. But Arlo felt no fear. His attention was focused elsewhere.
Sven reached out, lifting Arlo by the neck. Arlo struggled, gasping for air.
Sven roared, "Yoshi, come out. You bastard, how dare you appear before me? I'm trapped and chained here because of you. Come outside."
Sven's hand, tipped with sharp nails, moved to Arlo's stomach. "I will tear this boy's guts out if you don't come outside; I will kill your host."
Slowly, Sven's nails began to pierce Arlo's flesh.
"AHHH…" Arlo screamed in pain, his consciousness fading.
Suddenly, a massive shadow pushed Sven back. Arlo found himself floating in the air, surrounded by a dark cloud that seemed to scream in agony.
[Warning!]
[Crystal ball is hatching.]
[Player 1 host life is in danger.]
[Player 1 is dying, unable to maintain energy.]
[Crystal Egg is not ready to hatch.]
Sven unleashed a stream of fire at the cloud, aiding the Crystal Egg's birth.
[Player 1 is stabilizing.]
"BOOM!" The dark cloud exploded, sending Sven flying backward.
[Crystal Egg has prematurely hatched.]
[The Ash Bird is born.]
[Player 1's life is stabilized.]
"CAWWW!"
A bird's cry echoed through the arena as Arlo lay on the ground. Sven, grinning widely, declared, "Finally, let's kill each other, Yoshi."
As Arlo slowly regained consciousness, he sat up and looked at the bird. Above it floated a name:
[Ash Bird]
The bird was a sight to behold, with a hooked beak, sharp talons, and a long, elegant tail adorned with magnificent feathers. A small crest on its head resembled a crown, and its feathers, a mix of red and brown, dominated its appearance.
Arlo had seen more magnificent birds than this, but the aura it exuded made it clear that it wouldn't lose to anyone.
"Is that you, Crystal Egg?" Arlo asked, puzzled.
"CAWWW!"
"Finally, let's begin our death battle, Yoshi," Sven announced, bracing himself for the fight.
"CAWWW!"
As Sven and the Ash Bird squared off, Arlo watched from the sidelines, thinking,
"Will the Crystal Egg be able to beat him? No, no, I need to believe it. If it's losing, I will intervene to help."
The Ash Bird launched itself at Sven, who conjured a sword from the cloud beneath his feet.
Sven swung his sword at the Ash Bird, who nimbly dodged the attack. And then...
"BOOM!"
"HUHHH…" Both Arlo and Sven were taken aback. The Ash Bird lay next to Arlo, beaten and motionless. Sven dropped his sword and rushed to the Ash Bird's side, shouting,
"Kid, what did you do to my friend Yoshi? Why is he so weak?"
Sven grabbed Arlo's shirt, shaking him. "Damn it, how could you let Yoshi be in this condition?"
Sven moved closer to the Ash Bird, healing it with a green glow that helped it stand within a few seconds.
"CAWWW!"
"Forget about it, no need to thank me; that's what friends are for," Sven said, his tone surprisingly cheerful.
Arlo was left in disbelief, thinking, 'What is this? Why are these people being so kind now? Are they going to kill me together? Crystal Egg wouldn't do that, right!'
Sven turned to the Ash Bird, asking, "Yoshi, why are you so weak? You are one of the strongest in our group."
"CAWWW!" The Ash Bird replied while flying.
"What, this kid didn't satisfy your appetite? And you hatched prematurely?" Sven looked shocked.
Sven turned his gaze to Arlo, who swallowed nervously.
"Kid, why did you let Yoshi hatch prematurely? That's bad parenting."
'Shut up, it's your fault that this happened. How could he forget so fast,' Arlo thought, not daring to voice his thoughts aloud.
"Now what to do? I want to fight, but you are in this state."
"CAWWW!" "CAWWW!"
"Ohhhh, great idea," Sven exclaimed. Both Sven and the Ash Bird turned to look at Arlo, mischief in their eyes.
Sven conjured a knife from the cloud and tossed it to Arlo, instructing, "Make a cut on any of your fingers and draw a circle with it on the ground."
Confused, Arlo did as he was told, slicing his left index finger and using the blood to draw a circle on the ground. Sven took the knife from Arlo's hand and made a cut on his own wrist, letting his blood drip into the circle.
Suddenly, the circle began to glow red, then slowly disappeared.
Sven approached Arlo, announcing, "Well, hate to say it, but I'm your subordinate from now on."
[End of Chapter]