Chapter 622 - Hybrid (Part 3) (1/2)
Life Suppression, however, was a tougher client. It conjured a black five pointed star inscribed in a red circle which allowed the person at its center to feed on the energy the array drained from everything inside its area of effect.
Scarlett inwardly cursed as she realized that both her array and her life force were being turned against her, making the Nue even more powerful.
”Yes! I knew it! You are the key to my research.” Xacha said as the flood of nutrients made the hunger that had tormented her ever since her metamorphosis disappear.
Black flames erupted from her neck, enveloping her skull as her body started to mutate once again.
”What goes around comes around, pal.” Scarlett reacted quickly, turning her Light Sovereign into its darkness magic counterpart. Normally she would have suffered from its deadly effects as well, but thanks to Life Suppression, all of its energy was redirected to the Nue.
The black flames disappeared as the hybrid started to wither. Life Suppression injected the poisonous darkness energy directly into Xacha's cores, making it spread like wildfire.
”No! All the life force I have collected. Lost!” Darkness magic was the bane of both undead and Abominations. Xacha could feel her blood and black core weakening as the darkness magic seeped through them until it almost reached her mana core.
Her tail fell onto the ground, turning into specks of darkness before fading into nothingness.
”Look at yourself and at what you have become. Do you understand now? Abominations and undead leave no corpse behind because they are simply shadows of their former self.
”If there's anything left in you of the kind Nue I knew, let me give you a painless death.” Scarlett said, dispelling Shadow Sovereign a second after Xacha did the same for Life Suppression.
”Shut up! What good is a mother who can't protect her own children? I refuse to die!” The sky blackened and the earth trembled. A black pillar descended from the thunderclouds that were blotting the sun and enveloped the Nue.
”Do you see it? Mogar agrees with me! This is my world tribulation. The planet still considers me one of its Guardian candidates!” Dark clouds gathered and spun around the two Emperor Beasts as Xacha's form became covered in black scales.
”You're only half right.” Scarlett said. ”The black pillar is just a sign that Mogar has relinquished any hope for you. You're turning into an Eldritch and there's no way back from that. You're right about the tribulation part, though.
”Only it's not yours.” Scarlett was forced back into her bestial form and then her body started to change, doubling its size. Her fur morphed into red scales as thick as a shield and a new set of feathered wings appeared on the Scorpicore's back right beside her membranous ones.
Her muzzle turned into a mask of fire, only her eyes remained visible. Scarlett's red mane erupted into a raging purple flame, hot enough to blacken the ground below her.
The Emperor Beast roared as she attacked the Eldritch with her claws. The two creatures rolled on the ground, spraying red or black blood whenever one of them managed to wound her opponent.
Soon Scarlett realized her mistake. Her fangs and claws were as sharp as those of the Eldritch, but she lacked the deadly touch such creatures possessed. Each wound Xacha's new body inflicted on Scarlett would also drain her life force, mending the Eldritch's wounds.