While Akumaru approached the demon, the terrifying smile adorning his face began to slowly fade, as if it were melting like wax. A black aura rose from him, making me feel as though my bones were dissolving under the weight of that darkness. Blood began to ooze from my mouth and eyes, and the pain I felt was beyond the limits of words.
Suddenly, a surge of dark energy erupted, causing my skin to slowly erode, starting from my jaw that had already melted in half. This energy was enough to make the black mountain surrounding us disappear as if it had never existed.
As I screamed from the intensity of the pain, I felt the skin on my hands melting too. I looked around and saw a creature completely different from the demon that had stood before me moments ago. It had sharp black horns, its narrow eyes held a deep coldness, and its giant black wings soared through the air.
The smile had vanished completely as I too began to hover in the sky. The demon spoke with a mocking tone: "You... you are truly weak. It seems you have nothing to motivate you to evolve."
How can I evolve when I had only awakened moments ago? I wished I could respond with those words, but I couldn't. My lower jaw had disintegrated, and the pain I felt now was unlike anything I had ever experienced. I wished I could burn to death; at least that would be less painful than this hell I was living.
"Akumaru, every time you falter or fail to complete any task, the punishment will be worse than this."
I wondered to myself, what is this thing saying? Why can't I feel my left eye?
Suddenly, before Akumaru could finish his thought, he saw his left eye roll toward his hand.
Ahhh~
"Do you feel the pain, Akumaru? Remember, you will wish to feel this pain for the rest of your life for the horrors you will witness if you fail."
Your first task: "Defeat all the monsters in the forest."
What is this? Where am I? I slowly opened my eyes, struggling to do so due to the bright sunlight. What! Wasn't I just in front of that demon moments ago? How did I end up here?
As I began to rise, I looked around. Trees surrounded me on all sides. I think I'm in a forest.
Wait, the last thing I heard from that demon was that I must survive the monsters in the forest! Damn, that means there are monsters nearby.
What is this? Is that black sword still here? How can this happen?
Ahhh! Screaming!
What was that scream I heard moments ago?
Akumaru turned around to find a giant monster, its massive muscles covering its body.
As Akumaru gazed at the giant creature, conflicting feelings of fear and determination washed over him. The monster's massive muscles glistened under the sunlight, as if challenging his existence. But he had no time to retreat; he realized that survival required him to confront this terrifying being.
The monster lunged at Akumaru with its powerful legs, trying to grab him with its sharp claws. At that moment, an unexpected surge of power ignited within him. He gathered his courage and charged forward, narrowly dodging the claws. The ground shook beneath his feet, and he nearly lost his balance, but he managed to leap to the other side, exploiting his speed.
Akumaru advanced toward the monster, wielding the black sword that still felt like a mountain in his hand. He swung the sword through the air, attempting to strike the monster in a weak spot. But the monster was smarter than he had anticipated; it suddenly turned and deflected the blow with its claws. The sword struck its body, producing a deafening sound, but the monster was not significantly affected. On the contrary, it let out a thunderous roar that made Akumaru shiver.
Akumaru knew he couldn't give up, so he began using the environment to his advantage. He hid behind a massive tree, avoiding another attack. But the monster was not oblivious; it started to track his scent, as if it had a supernatural ability to sense his presence.
In a critical moment, Akumaru leaped from behind the tree and attacked the monster with all his strength, but the monster had anticipated this. It lunged at him with its leg, causing a deep wound in his arm. Akumaru screamed in pain, but he did not relent. Instead, he continued, determined to attack again.
The two exchanged blows, with moments of courage and failure. The monster struck him with force, while Akumaru countered with all he could muster. He felt exhaustion creeping into his body, but he was resolved to keep going.
Seizing a moment of calm, Akumaru began to plan a new attack. He decided to use his jumping ability, darting from tree to tree, trying to confuse the monster. Suddenly, he leaped high, aiming to deliver a powerful blow to the monster's head.
But the monster was faster; it cleverly ducked, causing Akumaru to lose his balance and fall to the ground. The monster seized the opportunity, opening its massive mouth in preparation to pounce on him.
Akumaru, feeling his blood boil from fear, realized he needed to muster all his strength. With great effort, he gathered his energy and charged at the monster, striking its body with the sword.
They exchanged blows once again, and the fight grew fiercer. The monster became angrier, and with each strike from Akumaru, its reactions turned more violent. In one moment, Akumaru summoned all his energy and launched a powerful attack, but he was unaware that the monster was waiting for this very moment.
The monster lunged at Akumaru with its claws, gripping his neck. Akumaru felt himself choking as his breath became shallow. In that moment, he realized he might be at the end of his journey. He tried to fight back, but the monster was far stronger than he had imagined.
Akumaru did everything he could, but he was nearing the end. With a resounding roar, the monster delivered a fatal blow. It crushed Akumaru's head, and he felt darkness pulling him away.
The battle was over, and Akumaru's head fell to the ground, while the monster stood victorious, breathing heavily but feeling powerful and superior. Everything had changed, but Akumaru was not finished yet.