The beast let out a throaty chuckle, blood still dripping from his fanged maw.
"So… it seems Mydeimos, the Cursed Emperor, hasn't fully awakened. That's good..."
I blinked, my body still surging with mana—but my mind snagged on that name.
"...Mydeimos?" I echoed, confused.
The crocodile-like creature reached behind him and pulled out a small, spherical object glowing with a faint, icy aura. It radiated unnatural cold, the kind that bit at my skin even from a distance.
A chill crawled up my spine.
"What's that—"
Before I could finish, he shoved the orb into his mouth and crunched down.
CRRRRRACK.
A gust of freezing wind exploded out, howling like a banshee. Blue fire erupted from his body. His eyes turned a piercing, almost blinding blue. His aura distorted space itself—like winter had possessed a demon.
Blue flames coiled around his head like a crown. He was no longer the same monster.
"Aghhhh—YES! This is it! This power—this wrath—!"His voice was layered now—twisting, cryptic, and hollow. Like something ancient was speaking through him.
Then—
He vanished.
No warning. No sound. Just—gone.
And then—
BAM!!!
A freezing punch shattered through my ribs, blasting me through five buildings like paper walls.
I crashed into the ground, rubble swallowing me whole. My vision spun. Blood rushed to my mouth. I groaned, barely able to move.
Footsteps echoed. Heavy. Final.
The monster stepped through the wreckage, his aura freezing everything around him. Snowflakes formed mid-air and disintegrated against his pressure.
His voice, cold and low, slipped into my ears like daggers:
"You're strong. Strong enough to endure that much damage and still breathe.""But not strong enough… to fully wake up Mydeimos."
My eyes fluttered open, blurry. My breath was shaky.
"Wh... What are you talking about...?"
He knelt down slightly, locking eyes with me. His face twisted into something between reverence and hatred.
"The prophecy speaks of the Fallen Crimson Child—Mydeimos, the boy reborn from blood and ruin. If you awaken, the world ends… for us monsters.""So forgive me, young heir of ruin—but I have to kill you now… before destiny does."
I wanted to move. I wanted to scream.
But my body wouldn't obey.
He raised his claw, blue flames dancing along its edge.
"Goodbye, Mydeimos—"
Then—
CRACK.
A sound shattered the air like a thunderclap.
The crocodile froze.
His eyes widened.
A shadow stood behind him—tall, calm, almost eerily quiet. A man. Black hair. One hand tucked into his coat pocket. He hadn't said a word.
I strained my eyes, blinking blood away.
The man slowly pulled his free hand out. Then, with a single finger, he pointed at the monster's head.
No aura.
No movement.
Just a finger.
And then—
BOOOOOM.
The world turned black.
The last thing I heard was the monster's body rupturing apart in a sound like a collapsing mountain, and the voice of the man, whispering through the darkness:
"Sleep for now."
I fell unconscious.