Online In Another World

With the Dread's rotten vessel in mind, he decided to thrust his hand forward, sending a wave of the Devil Force within him towards the being, sending the demonic curse against its body in the form of a black wind.

As it brushed against the Dread's body, it stopped for a moment, looking down at itself. This gave an opportunity to the Devilheart, who sprinted the length of the land between them in an instant as his cape of shadows fluttered behind his back.

There was no hesitation in Asher's body as he spun around to gain momentum, swirling demonic energy around the length of his blade as it left a trail of darkness around him before swinging it through the midsection of the Dread.

–I've got you, Asher thought.

Cutting the Dread in half as its rotten organs began to spill, the emotionless figure moved its hand forward in a retaliatory action, catching Asher off-guard as it unleashed that inexplicable pressure directly against his head.

"--!"

Before he could react, the ungodly force caused the wind to ripple and vibrate with a shock wave before it caused his demonic hide to crack and part while being crushed, sending him flying back as he felt his skull being throttled violently.

"Nnrgh…!"

Even after being thrown back, bouncing against the ground before coming to a stop, Asher still felt the effects of the Dread's attack as he was keeled over, holding his head as the helm of his demonic armor broke.

Blood dripped from his assaulted ears and his nose, which had been broken by the direct impact of the attack.

It was like a scream of a banshee, silent until the force met him, ringing through his ears with such volume that his ear drums were battered, causing a burning pain as the marrow of his bones was attacked by the insane sound waves.

He managed to tough through it, bringing himself back to his feet as it began to slowly whittle away, looking over as he found the Dread on the ground, chopped into two pieces.

"...I've got you…You're not going anywhere now…" Asher slowly said, regaining his breath before coughing out more blood.

As he walked over to finish it off, he came to realize something that perplexed him for a moment: the old, decrepit upper half of the Dread had crawled over to a spot on the region of black soil, reaching out towards something there.

"What…?" Asher slowly said.

Squinting his eyes, he realized what it was that the Dread had reached out for: the broken body of recruit killer, Amon. Even after being crushed by the berserk Dragonheart, the man was still breathing lightly and ruggedly, coughing up blood as his limbs were twisted around.

…I thought he was dead! Asher thought, it intends to switch vessels…! I won't let it–!

As Asher rushed forward, ready to obliterate the halved Dread, the being swiped its hand, unleashing a blast of invisible slashes that knocked Asher back, leaving him with shallow cuts across his body.

"---No!!!" Asher screamed out, still attempting to rush over.

It was too late.

The wrinkly, bony hand of the Dread gripped onto the lips of the barely alive recruit killer before pulling itself closer, forcing Amon's jaw to part.

In a grotesque fashion, the Dread's rotten vessel had its mouth shoot open, its jaw unhinging like a serpent before a pitch-black, foul force poured out, moving from it into the mouth of Amon.

Amon's body contorted and convulsed as the black, gaseous entity infiltrated his own body; the hellish transfer caused the ground to vibrate as Asher found himself falling to a knee, still feeling the effects of the shock waves against his skull.

"Nnngh…Dammit, this is the worst case scenario…!" Asher muttered.

…It's gone from the weakest possible vessel to the body of a strong warrior–even half-dead, the Dread can fix Amon…! Asher thought.

As the transfer of vessels completed, the previous body became even more shriveled, falling over as a pile of skin as absent as bones before Amon's laid down body suddenly levitated upward, staying completely still.

Slowly, a smile stretched across the lips of who used to be Amon before he levitated upward, positioning himself straight before spreading his arms out, now possessing completely blackened eyes.

"A suitable vessel, at last," the Dread, Amon, spoke.

["The worst-of-the worst of possibilities had befallen those who tried to prevent the Dread's unsealing. In the face of utmost violence, what awaited those who resisted the nefarious figure was a battle longer and more daunting than any other in their lives. What awaited was a war against a single being."]

["Death is not a possibility; it is a likelihood."]

–

The proctors of the exam were in panic at the release of the Dread, scrambling around as the man overseeing it watched from above, turning to face one of his subordinates.

"Sir, what do we do…?! If the Dread is unleashed, then…!" The subordinate said in a panic.

The man with the silver mustache remained composed, watching from his above spot as he looked down upon the valley from the unseen room, "It's not just the recruits that will die, but many others–including us."

"Then?..." The younger man asked.

"It's time to send in the Nihilum Core," the head of the trial said, "Who is available in the region, currently?"

Standing beside the silver mustached gentleman, a woman wearing glasses adjusted them, answering his question, "Right now…It seems that there are just two members of the Nihilum Core close by."

"Who?"

"Scarlet and Briggs," the hazel-haired woman answered.

Stroking his mustache, the wizened man nodded, "Summon for them."

–

There was no comparison; between the initial vessel and the new one it found itself in, the presence the Dread gave off was suffocating, contorting the atmosphere around the valley into one of horror as it darkened.

Bursting upward, Asher summoned a wing of darkness around his blade, swiping it upward towards the newly-born Dread, unleashing an array of abyssal feathers that shot up towards the figure.

Before any could land–

"Ghh–!"

Asher found his throat gripped by the Dread, who didn't even look at him, still holding that malignant smile as he levitated above the ground.

"I can feel the blood coursing through your veins, rushing in desperation–you're from Ennage. Perhaps you'd serve as a greater vessel," Dread said.

Just as the grip on his throat tightened, the Devilheart sharply raised his knee against the Dread's chin, freeing himself from the grip, but just as he went to fall back down–the demonic-armored man found an overwhelming force slamming into his stomach.

"Getting ahead of yourself, are we?" Dread whispered.

The brutal blow knocked Asher back into the ground with a thunderous impact, causing him to vomit up blood as his insides throbbed.

It was undeniable now, Asher experienced it firsthand as he looked up, wincing as he saw the figure hovering just a few inches from the ground, as if too high and mighty to walk on the same soil: the Dread had reached the point of no return.

…My fight with Dragonheart took a lot out of me…No, even still…I doubt it'd change anything, Asher thought, as it is now…the Dread is too strong.

As the Dread hovered there, it flexed its new body, causing an emission of ominous energy that unleashed a wind-breaking shock wave throughout the region, rustling the tattered bushes in the display of overwhelming strength.

"He's not going to make it…!" Melisande called out.

"That damn thing…Urgh, I didn't think it would be this strong!" Everett gritted his teeth, "It doesn't matter! At this rate, even if I die doing it, I have to help him–!"

Though as Everett jumped to his feet, he realized something as he looked down at his arms, realizing he was holding nothing.

"Err…" Everett let out.

Yuna looked up at him, ducking beneath a tree trunk still, "What is it? Wait–"

The cat woman's eyes widened in unison with the shielder's as they both realized what was going on, and soon Melisande realized as well.

"Where's Emilio…?" Melisande asked, perplexed.

"Hold on…what the hell?" Everett said, looking towards the battlefield.

They all looked in the same direction, stunned by what they saw, brought to a still by the unexpected development.

As Asher managed to pick himself up to his knees with his entire body trembling from the aftershock of the harsh blow he'd received to his already worn body, he could feel the animosity of the Dread building up.

This is it? This is as far as I go? Well, at the very least…I can take it down with me, or at least hinder it enough for them to escape…Asher resolved.

Taking in a breath, the Devilheart prepared himself as he condensed the devilish force within him, summoning a refined darkness, birthed in destruction and eradication.

["The Seven Layers–"]

Before he could fully manifest the ultimate manifestation of his resolve, Asher was brought to a pause as he found a familiar figure in front of him, unseen previously and unfelt.

"...Emilio?" Asher said.

Standing between the Devilheart and the Dread was the one who should've been unconscious, and unable to move so nimbly, at that.

Though there was something different about Emilio as he stood there; he was silent and held a look in his eyes that remained unmoving on the enemy ahead.

He's…Asher realized, unconscious? No, that's not quite it…

Something else had occurred within the young Dragonheart; a development born from within, spurred on from the threat of death and the necessity to survive.

["The Zone"]