Shadow Slave: Immortal Ice

Raijin crashed to the ground like a thunder god, crackling with electricity. With a quick nod, he seized the high collar of Eirwen's damaged armour, being careful not to touch his skin, and propelled him into the air with incredible speed and strength that didn't quite match his physique.

Eirwen soared through the frigid air, eyes wide with shock at his so-called ally's sudden move.

"You motherfuck—!" he started, only to have the words punched from his lungs as he slammed into a hill, crashing down a dozen meters away from the Nightmare Creature.

Quickly swiping the snow off himself, he pushed up furiously -his muscles aching horribly from overextending his body. Before he could stand up a deafening screech tore through the air, reverberating across the whole area.

'Great, let everyone know we are here,' Eirwen thought, rolling his eyes - ignoring the fact that he had summoned a pillar of flame the size of a building just twenty minutes ago.

The screech faded, replaced by the sharp clash of metal which could only mean that Raijin and the Nightmare Creature were already at it. He had to hurry and help, but there was something he needed to do first.

'Essence!' Eirwen reminded himself of his real problem, his thoughts focusing on what to do.

In a second he formed a plan in his mind. It was really the only thing he could do anyway...

He would devour the two corpses he had left behind, thus restoring his Essence and getting back into the battle with at least some Essence to spare.

Just as he decided his plan was perfect, the Spell echoed in his mind, confirming it.

A grin tugged at his lips as shimmering Runes materialized into existence before him.

[New Deal!]

Quickly opening the Runes he skimmed through them. There was no time to admire whatever the hell was written in there.

[Devour all three monsters in the next five minutes and He promises to grant you a new power. Fail and He shall punish one of your companions for your failure]

[Accept the deal?]

[Yes] [No]

"Yes!" Eirwen spat through gritted teeth, not caring in the slightest about the punishment.

With a burst of energy, he shot to his feet and raced toward the nearest corpse, pushing himself to the limit. Exhausted, yet still moving as fast as possible, Eirwen was nearly as fast as a car.

Kicking up a trail of snow behind him, Eirwen's ears tuned into the chaotic battle nearby. The thunderous clashes were the only thing reassuring him that his companion was still alive and fighting.

Sooner or later, Seraphiel and Andromeda would show up too.

Tch, 'if they're not already dead,' he thought with a sharp irritation, sliding to a stop next to the decaying humanoid bird -the first Nightmare Creature Eirwen had killed after landing in the Dream Realm.

Immediately grabbing it by the neck -his thin gauntlets digging into the mangled flesh- he lifted the creature up and opened his mouth.

His lips stretched wider and wider, the flesh of his cheeks tearing with sickening snaps, until his face became nothing but a gaping chasm.

Something deep within his Cores and Soul twisted, and a growl -like the roar of a wrathful storm tearing through an ocean- rumbled from within him.

Pulling the dead Nightmare Creature closer, he nearly inhaled it. The size was no longer an issue as it vanished into him.

With a groan, he snapped his mouth shut, a disgusting taste lingering on his tongue.

[You have Devoured an Awakened Monster: Decaying Bird]

[You grow stronger!]

A surge of alien Essence flooded his Cores, quickly spreading through both of them.

For a split second, a grin stretched across his face, the bright light gleaming off his sharp canines.

With Essence at his disposal, he wasted no time. Blurring forward, he aimed for the next carcass, now closer to Raijin and the remaining Nightmare Creature.

Crashing onto the rocky ground -the thin layer of water already evaporated by Raijin's power- he took a second to check on how his teammate was holding up.

The boy, his light azure hair flashing with every movement, was locked in battle with the six-winged monster. Raijin wielded his spear with such blinding speed that the silver pole seemed to blur, while blue tendrils of electricity coiled around it like thunderous serpents.

"Seraphiel is close! Stay away!" Raijin roared as soon as he heard Eirwen crash a dozen feet behind him.

Eirwen ignored the shout, charging straight for the massive corpse. Without hesitation, he quickly repeated the process, leaving nothing behind of the fallen Nightmare Creature.

And just like before, a surge of Essence poured into his Cores, flooding them with power.

[You have Devoured an Awakened Beast: Decaying Bird]

[You grow stronger!]

With both the Unholy and Sacred Cores filled to more than half, Eirwen now had enough Essence to dive into the fight.

The maniacal grin spread back onto his bloodied face as the flesh on his cheeks began to knit itself together.

"To the side!" Eirwen spat, his legs suddenly brimming with strength as he blurred forward, the ground beneath him cracking from the force.

With a sharp whistle, Hydra's Choice sliced through the air, cutting the wind until it landed perfectly in Eirwen's outstretched palm.

Raijin listened, setting aside his personal hostility toward Eirwen and instead deciding to trust his comrade. With a swift step to the side, he ducked, spinning his long spear around his waist before thrusting it upward, the shaft pressing against his armpit. The triangular blade aimed toward one of the bird's red, glowing eyes.

Clang

Only a few steps away, Eirwen watched as the bird-like monster raised two of its wings to shield its avian head. Raijin's spear collided with the hard, nearly metallic wings, sending sparks flying on impact.

Eirwen cursed under his breath, forced to redirect his sprint with a sharp kick to the ground, now that the front was impossible to hit.

'Let's see how you protect your rear then,' he groaned, his wide, golden eyes burning with pure focus.

Eirwen lost only a trickle of speed, quickly regaining it as he blurred into existence behind the Nightmare Creature. Without hesitation, he seized the hilt of his sword with both hands and slashed upward, his attack aimed straight for the creature's back.

His eyes furrowed in confusion as the bird shifted another pair of its long wings to shield its back. Hydra's Choice slammed into something just as hard as Raijin's spear had, the impact ringing out with a loud, metallic clang.

"Back off," Eirwen hissed loud enough for Raijin to hear before kicking off the feathered wings and flipping backward, landing a few feet away.

'Two and a half minutes left, child,' Leviathan reminded him in his mind with a sinister voice, one that didn't match his usual tone.

Spitting onto the rocky ground, Eirwen spun the longsword in his hand, eyes locking onto Raijin across from him.

'Why is this fucker so calm for a Nightmare Creature?!' he thought -annoyance practically oozing from him- as he shot a glare back at the bird-like nightmare.

As if to answer Eirwen's question, the four wings folded back into place, moving slow and calm.

Then, in an instant, it snapped into motion.

Eirwen's face was painted in confusion and anger as the Nightmare Creature vanished from its original position. Reacting instinctively, he raised his sword, ready to defend himself.

A blink later, its massive body sliced through the air with a sharp screech that threatened to rupture his eardrums. Just when it was nearly on him its curved beak opened wide, snapping at his head.

Not even having time to curse, Eirwen whipped his arm forward, trying to deflect the incoming attack.

'Don't fear getting harmed,' he reminded himself, jerking his head to the side, just in time for the beak to strike his shoulder. Meanwhile, Hydra's Choice grazed the Nightmare Creature's long neck, drawing a trickle of blood.

Its sharp, needle-like teeth tore through the armour -meeting only a second worth of resistance-, the beak sinking deep into his flesh.

Groaning in pain, Eirwen gritted his teeth. His wide eyes began to glow, shifting to a faint teal as he activated both [Kraken's Grasp] and [Pressure].

Eirwen was ready to go all out, even if it meant spending all of his Essence. As long as he killed the fucker everything would be fine anyway.

The bird thrashed with its beak, tearing through metal and flesh alike from his shoulder and neck. Two of its wings swept back, effortlessly blocking another strike from Raijin, while its talons dug into the ground, anchoring it firmly in place.

"Eat this, you fucker," Eirwen spat a mouthful of blood onto the creature's white fur, his eyes burning with fury. In the next instant, he willed thick tendrils of flesh to erupt from the spot where the bird-like Nightmare Creature's beak had sunk into him.

It had no time to react as the thick, teal tendrils shot out with a sickening squelch, wrapping around its head and holding it in place. The beak still buried deep in Eirwen's shoulder.

Raijin used the moment.

Ignoring the two wings that shielded its back, he spun in a half-circle, [Silverfang] whirling around his nape and shoulders until it landed firmly in his other hand.

The Nightmare Creature thrashed violently, its screech muffled by Eirwen's flesh, while one pair of wings was pinned down by the tendrils, along with its head.

Eirwen's Flaw fought desperately against his intentions, slowly regenerating the wound and forcing the bird's beak out of his flesh.

"NOW!" he roared at Raijin, who was already right next to the Nightmare Creature's wide-open side.

The two of them struck in perfect sync; one driving the longsword deep into its throat -Pressure already activated- while the other aimed to bisect its limbs with the triangular blade of his spear.