The Corrupted Draconic Spawn erupted from the shadows, smashing through the hut's charred remains, sending wood, ash, and debris high into the air.
"...!" Akane's eyes widened as she spotted it. "That's it!" Amidst the debris, spinning in the firelight, the Black Stone tumbled upward.
Her chest clenched.
'The energy that thing holds… It's the same as this Monster's!'
The muscles all over her body contracted as she understood.
'That thing…' Akane's fists clenched powerfully. 'Is what the Hobgoblins were exchanging me for!'
The strength held in that object was obvious enough. The Mana emanating from it was enough to make her skin curl.
'If it takes that Stone…'
Akane immediately understood that she couldn't afford to let that happen.
'I'm not letting you!'
Flames roared from her body as she launched herself forward. Her superior agility and explosiveness allowed her to close the distance in a blink.
The ground below her cracked as she jumped upward, but the Spawn was already rising beneath the Black Stone, its jaws unhinging, the abyss of its throat waiting to swallow.
"I'm not letting you have it!" Akane shouted, her eyes burning.
It was a race. A very close one. She reached towards the Black Stone with her left hand, while the Corrupted Draconic Spawn waited for gravity to make it fall into its mouth.
Meanwhile, Amon, whose arm had been freed by Akane moments earlier, had his arm pulled back.
In his eye flashed memories. Visions of past actions.
He remembered it twitching and trembling for the first time. His hand transforming into an amalgamation of flesh to engluf a Horned Hare's body.
Then, to engulf a Goblin's corpse.
Then, a whole Black Wolf's body!
And, finally, some time earlier, before facing the Corrupted Draconic Spawn, before evolving into an Elite Beastly Hobgoblins… He remembered his hand twitching, transforming, and spreading. Spreading and spreading far enough to cover the bodies of 5 Hobgoblins, a dozen Goblins, and dozens of Enraged Beasts!
'Remember…' Amon told himself as he swung his arm like a pitcher about to throw. "That feeling!'
As his arm reached the end of the swinging motion, his hand convulsed violently, skin splitting into writhing tendrils.
The "Palm of the Devourer" Skill activated.
His arm, from his elbow down, became an amalgamation of flesh that shot forward like a whip, stretching, wriggling, and straining!
"Wha…?!"
"...!"
Akane and the Corrupted Draconic Spawn reacted at the same time. Shock and surprise mixed as stretched-out flesh shot passed them, and wrapped around the Black Stone!
Before either hand or jaw could reach it, the Black Stone vanished into Amon's grip.
"Yes!" He grinned, yanking his arm back, causing the stretched flesh to quickly snap back to him like a recoiling serpent.
Both Akane and the Spawn landed heavily, ash scattering around their feet. They turned toward Amon, and froze.
The hardened corruption previously coating his body and keeping it in place violently quivered, before rising into the air, and streaming into Amon's palm.
"Amon…?" Akane gulped.
Suddenly,
"AGHHHHH!!" He screaming, back arched with pain.
Veins along his arm bulged grotesquely, and spread. Rapidly, his shoulder, chest, neck, and other arm were covered by the bulging veins, which, then, started darkening … Until they were pitch black.
His muscles spasmed as though trying to tear themselves apart, the corruption crawled up his neck, spider-webbing across his body.
'Using the Palm of the Devourer forces me…' His thoughts were shattered, frantic. 'To devour it!'
The Corrupted Draconic Spawn, despite lacking eyes, could tell exactly what was happening.
Fury made its black blood boil as its precious treasure was being consumed by another!
A shriek that rattled the burning ruins echoed, and steam started violently exiting its body!
[The Corrupted Draconic Spawn has entered an Enraged State!]
[Agility Stat increases by 50%!]
[Strength Stat increases by 50%!]
[Vigor Stat decreases by 30%!]
"A… Kane…!" Amon snarled through clenched teeth.
She barely managed to tear away from Amon's body and to turn, when the Spawn's tail struck like a siege weapon.
WHOOOOM!
The impact thundered across the battlefield. Akane's body flew, colliding with smoldering wreckage. Amon staggered, his corrupted veins pulsing, his body locked by the agony.
"Argh…!" He groaned, barely able to sit up and raise his arms to stop Akane's momentum.
Crashing into him, both were sent rolling on the ground.
"Akane!" He shouted through the pain.
"It's… Alright…" The seemingly unconscious Fox girl muttered, her body shaking as she slowly rose to her knees. "I can still… I can still… Fight…"
"Akane! You need to r…"
Amon's words trailed off, and the bulging dark veins covering his body moved up to cover his head.
The trembling Akane pushed herself off the ground.
'Whatever it is you've just done,' She thought, staring at Amon's unconscious body. 'It must be the same thing… That altered your scent.'
The Corrupted Draconic Spawn turned in her direction. As long as she is gone, gaining the Black Stone will be a dozen times easier.
The black, corrupting liquid that had been splashed all over the village started moving, forming a great spiral that rose up before crashing down onto the Corrupted Draconic Spawn's body.
"Amon. I'll…" Akane muttered, wiping the drop of blood off the side of her mouth with the back of her hand.
The Corrupted Draconic Spawn inhaled, the entirety of the black, corrupting liquid worn as an armor of spikes. Then screeched, sending those spikes with great speed in Akane's direction!
"Buy you some time." Flames burst forth as her fist collided with the spikes, burning the liquid off-
"ARGH!"
The flames' burst had suddenly created a shadow behind Akane, which had allowed the Corrupted Draconic Spawn to circle around her underground, and land another tail flick.
Her body was launched away, and the Corrupted Draconic Spawn,
Screeeeech-
Had closed the distance. The unconscious Amon and the Black Stone lay only a couple of meters away.
Salivating, the Corrupted Draconic Spawn knew.
It had won.