SSS-Ranked Evolution: Worlds Unbound-Chapter 40: The Final Form Pt 2

Another head had shifted and taken over. And from the evil looks on its face, it didn’t come to play.

A piercing wave ripped through the air, a sound so unbearable it felt like their skulls would shatter. Ren and Von dropped to their knees, clutching their ears as blood trickled from their noses. But it was Luna who suffered most. Her sharp wolf hearing amplified the torment, and she crumpled to the ground, whimpering in agony.

"Luna! Dammit he is hurting her!" Ren shouted, his voice barely audible over the shrill noise, fighting his own pain but concerned for his familiar.

The reaper’s tendrils surged toward them again, writhing and snapping with deadly precision. Von was the first to recover, his eyes blazing with pain and resilience. "Move!" he barked, diving to the side as a tendril slammed into the ground where he’d just stood.

Ren followed, his blade flashing as he sliced through a tentacle that nearly wrapped around Von’s leg. The two locked eyes for a fleeting moment. In that instant, Von saw something in Ren—a brotherhood forged in blood and battle. But there was no time to voice it.

They pressed forward, the monstrous head rearing back to release another devastating cry. The air around it shimmered with raw power.

"Shit! This thing!" Ren growled. "Split up!"

The scream tore through the battlefield, a thunderous shockwave that shattered crumbling structures and sent debris flying. Ren and Von darted in opposite directions, narrowly avoiding the destructive blast. Ren’s gaze darted to Luna, who had taken cover behind a massive tree, her body trembling from the pain.

"I will buy time!" Von shouted as he charged ahead, his energy crackling and latching onto the shattered remains of nearby weapons and debris.

But Ren ignored him. Sliding over to Luna, he knelt beside her, his hand glowing with golden energy as he infused it into her. "Come on girl, get up and fight for me." he whispered, his voice thick with emotion. Tears welled in his eyes as images of Dalia’s sacrifice and pain flashed in his mind. "Not again. I won’t lose you too."

Luna looked up at him, her breathing ragged but steadying under his touch. Licking his hand to tell him she was okay now.

"Friend—Incoming!" Von’s warning came just as another scream ripped through the air.

The tree Luna had leaned on exploded into splinters as the soundwave obliterated their cover. Ren pulled Luna away just in time, tumbling to the side. When they landed, Von was already charging forward, his energy sparking as it latched onto the debris around him. Rusted blades, broken spears, and jagged shards of metal floated around him, their edges glinting menacingly. 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝚠𝚎𝚋𝗻𝗼𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝚘𝐦

The tendrils surged toward him. Von’s hand shot out, and with a flick of his fingers, parts of the makeshift arsenal flew forward, slicing through the onslaught.

Ren didn’t waste the opening. He darted forward, his movements a blur as he leapt into the air. Energy swirled around him, a radiant gold aura that crackled like wildfire.

"Together, now!"

Von let loose his own barrage, the shards of energy-infused metal cutting through the reaper’s defences The combined assault slammed into the head, and for the first time, it faltered. The creature reeled, its movements sluggish and disoriented.

"Luna! Finish it! Strike!" Ren shouted, his voice cutting through the chaos.

From behind the rubble, Luna emerged, her tails sparking with electrical energy. She leapt high, her body twisting as she channelled all her strength into a single, devastating lightning bolt. The attack struck true, piercing the monstrous head and severing it clean from the body.

The reaper’s agonized scream echoed across the battlefield, a sound that sent shivers down their spines. But the victory was short-lived.

A massive tendril lashed out, striking Ren and Von with brutal force. The impact sent them hurtling through the air, crashing into the ground with bone-crunching force.

Ren groaned, struggling to his knees, blood trickling down his face. Every breath felt like fire, his ribs undoubtedly fractured. He glanced at Von, who was dragging himself to his feet, his face caked in dirt and blood.

They locked eyes again, their resolve unshaken despite the agony wracking their bodies. Giving up wasn’t an option. Not now.

The creature shifted, another head rising to take the place of the fallen one. Its hollow eyes glowed with malevolence, a hatred so fierce it burned into their souls. The battle was far from over.

"How long will you continue to fight?" Reaper asked them, their fatigue was evident to him and a shrill laugh echoed through the land, knowing it would be victorious regardless.

"Till you are defeated." Von answered for them. Within him, his resolve was renewed, he imagined a safe Karnak, and the day he would find his brother, "till the last drop of blood." Ren turned to him, taking a step forward, pointing his sword at the monster, in agreement with his friend.

"Sentiments won’t get you far." the head that had taken over has spoken, and it reared back, its mouth opening, showing an infinite darkness, preparing them for another storm of death.

A sudden whip of sound preceded the first attack—a barrage of jagged bones that shot out like arrows. For a moment, Von, Ren, and Luna were frozen, their breaths caught in their throats as they watched in horrified slow motion.

"Run!" Ren shouted, breaking the spell, just in time for the three to scatter. The bones struck the ground where they had been standing, shattering the earth into splinters of rock and dust.

"What is this thing?" Von muttered, his voice tight with disbelief. This was by far the scariest thing he had ever seen and fought in his life.

Ren’s gaze swept over the scene, dread gnawing at him. If this head could do this, what horrors did the other ones hold? But there was no time to dwell. Their strategy remained the same: daze the active head, and Luna would deliver the killing blow. Yet as the next wave of bones rained down, it became clear this head was a far more formidable opponent. The sheer volume of projectiles left them with almost no openings to close the gap.

Von cursed under his breath as he raised his hands, summoning a cluster of sharp, glowing kunai. When another volley of bones hurtled toward them, he hurled his barrage to intercept. The projectiles clashed mid-air with a sharp clang, neutralizing most of the attack—except one. A single bone sliced across Von’s arm. He hissed in pain, clutching the wound, only to feel a burning sensation sear through his veins.

"Poison." he realized, coughing suddenly, blood speckling his lips.

"Von!" Ren’s voice cracked with panic as they dove into cover, a crumbled wall barely shielding them from the chaos.

"I’m fine," Von grunted, his expression pale but resolute. "Don’t worry about me. I can still fight."

"Von, you’re—"

"I said I’m fine!" Von snapped, his fiery eyes meeting Ren’s. For a moment, silence stretched between them, heavy with unspoken fear. But then the wall around them shattered into rubble as another blast of bones ripped through it.

The three scrambled out just in time. Ren, despite his dwindling energy, unleashed a flurry of golden projectiles at the monstrous head. They collided with the incoming attacks, shattering bones and slicing tentacles, but each shot drained him further. He felt his limbs grow heavier with every movement.

Then came Luna’s whimper—a sound that froze his blood.

He turned, heart pounding, to see one of the monstrous tentacles coiled tightly around her leg. She thrashed and snapped at it, her teeth sinking deep, but the tentacle refused to let go.

"Luna!" Ren shouted, racing toward her, leaving everything to save her.

With a desperate swing of his blade, he severed the tentacle, freeing her. She staggered to her feet, but before they could move, Ren’s eyes widened in horror. A massive storm of bones was hurtling toward them, fast and unforgiving.

There was no time to think. Acting on instinct, Ren threw himself over Luna, shielding her with his body.

"Friend! No!" Von’s scream tore through the chaos as the storm crashed into them. Bones shattered the earth, sending shockwaves through the battlefield. Dust and debris filled the air, obscuring everything.

Von’s heart sank, his body trembling as he stared at the cloud of destruction. "No... no, no, no..." His voice broke, and for a moment, he thought he’d lost them. Hurriedly he made his way to them, even though his vision was obscured, and he was hurting.

But as the dust cleared, a faint glow pierced through the haze. Von’s eyes widened.

A translucent, silver shield enveloped Ren and Luna, shimmering like moonlight. They were alive.

Ren, disoriented and aching, opened his eyes. He felt a strange warmth radiating from his chest and looked down to find the jade amulet Kiyomi had given him glowing with an ethereal light. The energy surged through him, wrapping him in a silver-blue aura that seemed to whisper ancient power.

The shield dropped, but the light didn’t fade. Instead, it spread, engulfing Luna. Her body trembled as the energy consumed her, reshaping her. She grew before their eyes, her form stretching into that of an enormous wolf, majestic and terrifying. Her fur glistened with an almost celestial glow, her piercing eyes crackling with power. The three tails she once had were now six, fanning out behind her like banners of lightning.

Ren stared in awe, unable to comprehend what he was witnessing.

A low, resonant howl erupted from Luna, shaking the ground itself. The sound echoed through the battlefield, and in its wake came an army of shimmering silhouettes—spirit wolves, glowing with the same silver-blue light. They charged at the monster, their howls a symphony of vengeance and fury.

As the head struggled against the spectral onslaught, Luna let out another thunderous bark. Her six tails whipped upward, crackling with energy, and then lightning tore through the sky, raining down in blinding arcs. The strikes severed the monstrous head cleanly, along with several of its writhing tentacles.

A deafening roar of pain erupted from The Reaper as its massive form recoiled, writhing in agony.

Von, still clutching his wounded arm, could only stare, speechless. "How much power... does he have?" he whispered, half in awe, half in disbelief. Never had he seen anyone with this amount of power, not even the beast tamers the empire wanted so badly could do this.

The only one he knew capable of evolving beasts was his brother. But Ren couldn’t be his brother, could he?

Ren, though battered and weak, managed to stand, his eyes fixed on Luna. For the first time, Ren allowed himself a small, weary smile, his steps slowed and unsteady, towards her. When he reached her, he dropped to his knees, she was even taller than him now. Excitement laced his blood as he reached out to pet her.

"Luna, you evolved..."