Kill.

Her instincts said to kill.

Not the human nor his not-quite-human companion.

Kill the opposers, the warped and twisted.

Scales turning harder than the toughest diamond, she dispelled her stealth scales.

"Do you think you can cause a stir?"

Her brood father had requested she cause a distraction, so she would, even if it meant using the goofy head covering he had made for her.

Releasing the stockpiled energy within the hat and pulsing through the gem her brood father had given her, she conjured an image of power, might, and destruction.

Her sire, a monstrous calamity of a beast, a bringer of lightning and purity. She was not his lineage, but he was still her sire, so she would draw from his image in her distraction.

A shockwave of power rippled out, and the skittering inferior monsters nearby that had barely had time to react to her sudden presence were blown away.

It wasn't enough; before long, she was a maelstrom of power as she unleashed the full might of the stored power, half of it real and half of it conjured illusions.

Her distraction of might and thunder soon ended, leaving her alone in a crater large enough for herself, but only for a moment. In an instant, she had slain perhaps a dozen skittering inferiors. Still, hundreds were racing and hopping toward her as others began to free the things from within the egg sacks.

Raising herself tall, a mane-like crest suddenly flared out as she activated an ancestral skill awarded in recognition of the potency of her blood.

With her regal crest flared out, she began to envenom her aura with pure energy. The instant an inferior entered the full range of her aura, their weaker auras were paralyzed and suppressed before directly feeding her with slight traces of their own energy.

There was no chance for their inferior auras to contest her strength; they could only falter and die.

And die they did, by the droves, but there were so many. Fourth realm inferiors could not hope to match her, but they could slow her and bog her down as the real dangers, the creatures gestating within fleshy-orange egg sacks, were freed.

As the first egg sack was opened, she felt an aura radiate out, still weaker than hers, but only by a single realm instead of two.

Weak.

She would devour them whole.

The warrior-monster instantly tore out of its egg, beelining for her as it attempted to barrage her with a flurry of blows from its four arms.

Yet it never got close, her fangs flashing forward and snapping shut around its neck, directing her venom directly into its blood. It was not a mere hemotoxin, neurotoxin, or any other basic toxin. Much like her aura, which could decay the aura of another simply for being too far beneath her realm, her venom was the direct application of the same premise, an aural toxin. Flowing through its body, the venom destroyed its ability to stand, much less fight, as the very energy that ascended its flesh deteriorated.

A stronger foe, one of the same realm as herself, could have fought off the effects by flushing their system with Pneuma, but these monsters, while stronger than the fourth realm inferiors, were still a realm beneath her.

Pathetic.

She was not divine; that was the purview of her sire's pursuit. No, she was something else entirely.

The first of her kind, the origin.

The Precursor.

For a brief instant, she felt the weight of existence, the attention of the Eternal, turning upon her and judging her proclamation, only for the gathering significance to shatter a moment later.

Tsk.

She had been rebuked yet again.

It was an annoyance, certainly, but only a temporary setback. She would not be denied, for she knew within herself that even if the Eternal deemed her ill-fit to claim her rightful place as a Precursor, it would eventually see things her way.

It was her destiny. Her sire, one who sought pure divinity, her brood father, a Precursor himself who had improved upon what her sire had given her. It was inevitable, for there were none with a pedigree as noble as hers.

But it was also a goal to hunt a different day. For now, her attention turned to more of the egg sacks splitting open. The fifth realm inferiors were beginning to amass, outnumbering her ten to one, then twenty to one, and growing.

Mighty as she was, nearly a pinnacle sixth realm, there was still a quality to quantity, and with now over a hundred fifth realm void-touched monsters arranging themselves in opposition to her, there could be problems.

Pulsing power through her crest, her aura suddenly shrank inward, compressing until it layered upon her crystalline scales. Her crystal scales began to shimmer with prismatic power, a keepsake from her sire, enhanced by her brood father, the Living Rune that had woven itself into her very existence reacting.

She hungered. Hungered for their energy, their life force, and the touch of the Bane that melded itself through their very essence. She hungered with a wanton desire to consume their energy.

Hissing loudly, a deep rumble backing it that bordered a roar, she struck. The army of fifth realm void-walkers attempted to pin her down and pummel her into the earth with their numerous appendages. Still, even with her size, she was far more agile than any fifth realm, even those touched and twisted by a Bane. Merely grazing her scales was enough for her aural toxin to invade their bodies, latching onto their energy and tearing it apart before flowing traces back to her.

Her fangs would momentarily clamp down on those unlucky to avoid her strike. Yet, she was given no reprieve to indulge in consummation, forced to weave and dodge continuously.

But much like the skittering inferiors, there were simply so many. While even a touch of her scales could begin the degradation of their essence, they attacked with reckless abandon, the sheer number of slashing scythe arms slowly forming cracks in her scales, unable to avoid every strike.

Like a mighty lion surrounded by a pack of jackals, she was slowly forced back by the mere fifth realm monsters.

Insignificant

They were so insignificant compared to her, yet she was being pushed back. Only the sheer strength of her scales kept her going.

Ten, twenty, thirty were dead, and still more were coming. It resulted from years of being untouched, their forces growing in size without a predator to cull their number.

She could be that predator to do so; she still had two skills she had yet to unleash, but doing so would leave her far more vulnerable.

She considered it for a moment, only to pause as she felt the flicker of a familiar aura.

The Sun-disciple rises.

The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

A bolt of sunlight flashed through the air before exploding in a wave of harsh heat within the gathered mass of the void-walkers, the not-human standing proudly. His fang-of-the-enemy crafted by none other than the brood father himself, he brandished with violent intent, staring down the lessened horde.

She felt pride swell within her. The Sun-disciple was nearly as strong as she. Still, more importantly, his strength reflected the brood father -his gravity and eminence.

We shall punish them.

Taking advantage of the momentary distraction, she struck forward, her fangs stabbing through the skull of one of the fifth realm inferiors. Her tail whipped outward, coiling around the neck of another and crushing as her envenomed scales pulverized its armor and broke its neck.

"Need some help?" The Sun-disciple questioned.

Her tongue flicked outward, tasting the feel of his words.

Anxiety. But not fear.

Good.

Had the Sun-disciple lacked faith in the brood father, it would have been an insult for which he would pay.

Preferably, she could be brought some of the firewater that the hearth-tender of their home would sometimes brew.

The anxiety was otherwise forgiven. Even the brood father often pointed out how the Sun-disciple was quick to worry.

Nodding her head once, she allowed the Sun-disciple to aid her in battle. Now, with two sixth realm combatants, the tide shifted once more as they struck a heavy blow through their gathered foes. While the Sun-disciple lacked the same strength of body and energy that she had, he was empowered by the might of his armaments, all of which were shaped and molded by the brood-father himself.

Continuing their culling, they slaughtered their foes until the earth began to tremble. Two creatures had clambered up the side from the inky blackness of the seemingly endless void, which the cliff they stood upon overlooked.

Worthy prey.

They were not mere fifth-realm fodder. No, they had the distinct feel of the sixth realm, and not low-tier either. Shaped by the Bane, there was a chance they may even prove a worthwhile challenge for her.

She looked at the Sun-disciple, tasting the air for signs of fear, signs that he was unwilling or unable to face the new threat.

Anxiety. Annoyance. But no fear. Good.

Having already dealt with much of the fifth-realm fodder, she focused solely on her newest prey. Faces like those of bats, with arms shaped from wings twisted into thickly muscled forelimbs. Their hindlegs were stumpy but not weak, like the deformed legs of a frog. Finally, their tails were long and winding, ending in pointed hooks.

"Bane-Branded Camazotz. Aren't you lovely," The Sun-disciple muttered, his words tasting much the same as the brood father's when he faced unexpected adversity.

Responding, the monsters, almost as long as she but far taller and bulkier, charged. An aura washed over them, tasting faintly like the Architect Bane's but with hints of a flavor she faintly recognized. It was moldered and rank, yet she knew it all the same.

Blood. An insult to the brood father.

Putrid, coagulated blood that the touch of the Bane had further ruined.

This must not stand.

Enraged, she shot forward, the two powerful tier six monsters colliding head-on. The Camazotz tried to bite through her scales, fracturing and cracking scales, but failing to pierce through fully. Even so, it sent a shockwave of pain through her body, like her blood was revolting and clogging.

Filthy.

While it hadn't inflicted physical damage through her scales, it had managed to drive a spike of conceptual damage through her, targeting her lifeblood.

Offensive.

A countering wave of energy flushed through her body, using her energy affinity to counter the attack. Not only was it a mockery of her brood father, but it was also a pathetic mimicry of her own envenom skill.

Coiling her body in an instant around its deformed tree-trunk-like wing, she attempted to bite down, only to be slammed into the earth and tossed aside as the monster screeched with a cry far higher-pitched than one would expect from a beast of its size.

This time, the pain she felt was purely physical. Even with her crystal scales, being slammed so hard into the ground had inflicted some internal damage.

Weak!

She would not -could not -admit that the strike had hurt more than she had expected.

She again attempted to capture the Camazotz in a crushing coil, only to be thwarted again as a spike of bone suddenly ripped out from its wing-arm, the bone sharp and sturdy enough that it managed to pierce even her hard scales, eliciting a pained hiss.

Weak!

She would not -could not -admit that the stab had hurt more than she had expected.

Disengaging momentarily, she reared up, flaring her crest and hissing a challenge at the Camazotz. Responding in kind, the Camazotz slammed its thick trunk-like wings onto the ground before stampeding forward. Again, the two collided in a frantic clash of titans. Angered at the heathenish Camazotz, she ravaged its flesh, her fangs snapping down again and again upon its rubbery body, gouts of dark, putrid blood erupting from the savage wounds.

It was not without recourse as the Camazotz screeched in pain, slamming down on her lower body and sending tremors of pain through her. Bones broke, waves of pain radiating out, and in her rage, she finally quit holding back. All at once, the crystalline scales changed, her entire body taking on the appearance of a warbling field of plasma, her form dematerialized.

Made of pure energy, she was on a time limit. Striking forward, she shot through the body of the Camazotz, traces of her dematerialized body remaining within like an invading army. The Camazotz attempted to strike back, but in her energy form, her speed had been heightened twice over; the Camazotz was like a sluggish cow in comparison.

Again, she struck, and the Camazotz felt the pain evermore. There were no singes or burns as one would expect from something like lightning or electricity, for she was neither. She was energy in its purest conceptual form. Much like the Sun-disciple, she'd traded her physical body for something else, a body of pure energy. As potent as the form was, she could still be wounded, even if injuries wouldn't appear on her body until she re-materialized.

However, that was only if her opponent could land a hit on her.

With the flow of the battle drastically swinging in her favor, the Camazotz turned frantic, pummeling the earth in a desperate attempt to strike out at the immaterial serpent.

For its efforts… Nothing. It was awarded nothing. Effort and anger weren't enough to catch her; she was like a living bolt of light.

Staggering under the murderous assault, the Camazotz dropped to the ground, unable to support its weight as her aural toxins destroyed the energy within its body from everywhere at once. Panting, clumps of nearly black blood-tinged foam frothed from its mouth as she finally re-materialized, lording over its fallen form.

Unable to defend itself any longer, she coiled herself around its bulk, pinning its meaty wings to its torso. Slowly, she wrapped herself upward until she had utterly immobilized it, coils of her body wrapping around its neck.

No point in dragging out the inevitable; her wicked fangs snapped close, perfectly aimed to pierce through the Camazotz's eyes.

There were no final death throes as it died instantly. An instant later, she felt the rush of ascension energy, the significance of slaying a potent sixth realm enemy not lost upon the Eternal.

The timing couldn't have been more perfect, as she felt her body begin to weaken considerably. Her energy form was powerful, but it drained her vital energy, leaving her barely able to move afterward.

Could she have slain the Camazotz without relying on the form? Likely, but her anger at its blatant mockery of the brood father had pushed her past calm rationale.

Turning her head elsewhere, she focused on where she'd last seen the Sun-disciple engage the second Camazotz. Their battle was clearly nearing its own end, the enemy monster filled with weeping puncture wounds from where the Sun-disciple's fang-from-the-enemy had continuously stabbed through its rubbery flesh. It wasn't the only injury it had suffered; its tail had been cleaved to a stump, as had one of its back legs.

The Sun-disciple was unmarked, but such was never a helpful gauge of the difficulty of his battles. When the Sun-disciple fought, physical injuries never appeared; he would simply vanish upon taking lethal amounts of damage, only to reform within the brood father's territory. His armor, unlike his body, had been heavily marked with red stains so dark they were nearly black.

"Damn annoying, all of you." The Sun-disciple growled, prowling closer to the heavily wounded monster. It attempted to swat at the Sun-disciple, but he flowed around the blow, appearing directly in front of it before striking with a forward punch.

She momentarily felt like the sun was shining upon her as his fist glowed, feeling the warmth radiating outward. His armored fist wasn't a single attack either; no, it was overlaid with countless copies of his fist, each giving the impression of the faint sunbeam that would shine through a few scattered gaps between the canopy leaves.

Unable to avoid the strike from the Sun-disciple, who had appeared close and personal, its entire head exploded as the sun-cloaked fist-of-many-fists punched straight through its face.

"Real damn annoying," The Sun-disciple muttered as he shook his armored fist downward, flicking off the gore that now clung to it. "Sun nullification. Bullshit."

Noticing her gaze, the Sun-disciple gave her a nod.

"Beat me to it," The Sun-disciple said, panting as he pointed to her dead Camazotz. "To be fair, these things apparently got some of the anti-solar adaptations of their master, though not nearly as potently."

Blinking her eyes once at the not-human, her message was clear.

Excuses.

"You take too much after Rory; anyone ever tell you that?" The Sun-disciple said with a sigh.

Blinking once, she turned to look further away, toward the peninsula where the brood father battled his heretical foe.

"Oh, Rory?" The Sun-disciple said as he caught her meaning. "Honestly, I don't think we are in good shape to help. I may not look it, but my anima is tapped out. And by the feel of your aura, you're not much better yourself."

She wished to counter the point and boast her limitless strength, but she held back as she felt the ache in her body.

That, and more abstract communication was made more difficult when you couldn't actually speak.

"Anyway," The Sun-disciple dropped onto the corpse of the Camazotz, using it as a seat. "I wouldn't worry too much."

There was a glint in his eyes, the satisfaction of being aware of something others were not.

"He should be finishing up soon anyway."

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