The transformation was not beautiful.

Far from it.

It was ugly and wretched, just like Garrick himself.

Garrick's body convulsed, his back arching as he dropped his sword. The empty vial fell from his fingers to smack on the muddy ground. His mouth opened in a scream, but no sound came out. Only a thin stream of black fluid that ran down his chin from his lips.

Nero took a step back, Gungnir held ready. Every instinct screamed at him to run. To get away from the horror about to unfold.

But there was no time to run, as Garrick's flesh began to ripple and bulge. His muscles swelled, growing larger and denser beneath his skin. The fabric of his shirt tore as his chest expanded, his arms thickening until they were nearly as wide as Nero's torso.

Tumorous growths erupted across his skin, the clusters of cancerous tissue pulsed faintly like a symphony of repulsion. They spread across his face, his neck, his arms. His features became distorted and defiled, buried beneath the corruption.

His left eye bulged from its socket, swelling until the pressure became too great. It burst with a wet pop, viscous fluid streaming down his cheek even as his teeth loosened and fell from his gums, plopping into the mud. All his hair came next, falling away in clumps to reveal a scalp covered in more of those horrible growths

Then spikes began to appear on his body. They pushed through his skin from the inside, sharp protrusions of bone or keratin or something worse. They jutted from his shoulders, his spine, his forearms. Each one splitting the flesh as it emerged, leaving trails of black blood.

When the transformation finally stopped, the thing standing before Nero barely resembled Garrick anymore.

It was massive, easily twice the size he had been. Its body was a grotesque patchwork of swollen muscle and cancerous tissue, studded with those horrible spikes. The single remaining eye fixed on Nero with an intelligence that was all too human— a wicked cunning and hate.

The creature that had been Garrick bent down and picked up the greatsword. In its enlarged hand, the massive blade looked almost normal-sized.

Seeing this, Obed sighed shakily.

Geor grit his teeth as he took a step forward. But Obed stopped him,

"Don't go there."

Geor grimaced, "Are you crazy?! He—!"

Obed's tone was firm,

"Don't do it. Let them fight."

Geor seemed to understand the underlying message.

He sighed then took a step back, his gaze reluctant as it went back to the battle unfolding under the grey clouds and bright flashes of lightning.

Nero had thought Garrick was fast before. Now, he had no time at all to react as the enhanced musculature propelled the creature forward with inhuman speed, closing the distance between them in the blink of an eye.

The greatsword came down in a blur. Nero brought Gungnir up to block, and the impact nearly tore the spear from his hands. He was driven to one knee, his arms screaming in protest.

The creature pressed its advantage, raining down blow after blow. Each strike was powerful enough to shatter bone, and Nero could do nothing but desperately deflect and dodge.

A fist caught him in the side when he was too slow to dodge. Nero felt ribs crack as he felt the air being driven from his lungs. He flew sideways, crashing into a tree hard enough to shake leaves from its branches.

He tried to rise, but the creature was already there. A massive hand wrapped around his throat and lifted him off the ground. Nero's feet kicked uselessly as the pressure on his windpipe increased.

The creature brought its face close to his. That single eye was wide, bloodshot, filled with rage and immense pain.

'Crap!' Nero cursed internally.

Black spots danced across his vision. His lungs burned and his fingers scrabbled at the hand around his throat but couldn't find purchase on the grotesque, tumor-covered flesh.

Obed's eyes narrowed as he suddenly released his hold on Geor and dashed forward,

"Attack him with all you have!"

As he dashed, he turned to Lucy,

"You too!"

Lucy's unfocused gaze suddenly became clear.

She huffed and then rose to her feet as she charged at Garrick.

Geor glanced at Aisha,

"Stay here."

"But—!"

She froze then nodded,

"I'll stay here."

Geor nodded then unbuckled his shield before charging forward with a loud roar.

Garrick let go of Nero and turned to face Obed who was rushing at him with his short swords held with killing intent.

Garrick roared in laughter. The laugh was terrible and completely inhuman,

"What is it now, Obed?! You finally want to bite the hand that fed you?!"

Obed was silent as he rushed forward and leapt, his blades crossing as he aimed them at Garrick's throat.

Garrick snarled as he smashed a barbed hand through the air, intent on turning Obed into a basket with a single blow.

Obed's nible body danced around the blow. As fast as lightning, his blade struck at his eye.

Garrick's wide maw snapped at his arm with surprising reflex.

Obed retreated swiftly, by Garrick was unwilling to let him go just like that and brought his leg down at him.

A kick to the chest from the monstrous Garrick would be enough to turn Obed's organs to ground mush.

In a split second, Geor was standing between them, his shield raised.

BANG!

Both Geor and Obed were flung away, a large dent in Geor's heavy, metal shield.

A large, dark tongue slithered from Garrick's maw as he let out a grating chuckle,

"Pathetic fools!"

He raised his eyes, the madness in his eyes radiating forth like a dark light,

"Can't you see it now?! I have transcended a mere mortal! I have taken the elixir of gods and become one myself! I am all powerful now! All I need is a weapon fitting of my status!"

He turned to Nero who had risen to his feet, a dark expression on his face,

"Hand me the damn spear, boy! I've had enough games!" He growled.

Nero glanced down. Gungnir still lay in his grip. The spear's shaft was unblemished and beautiful.

It hummed slightly to his gaze, as though reassuring him.

His eyes began to glow with golden light.

The light of the Heretic. He who would witness the end of everything.

Including the end of this damned monster's life.

Nero took half a step forward.

Then he vanished.

'This shit again?!'

Garrick thought to himself as his eyes darted everywhere, searching for the vanished boy.

He noticed a shift in the shadows.

'There!'

With a roar, his claw raked forward.

BANG!

He felt something. His face stretched into an ugly grin.

Then it vanished as he registered the impact.

It was not the same impact that came from tearing through flesh.

Geor grit his teeth as he tried his best to stop his hips from buckling under the immense force.

Garrick felt a sharp pain coming from both his sides.

He roared furiously and smashed his arms haphazardly.

Geor was struck square in the shoulder. He was sent flying with a spray of blood, his flesh gouged and peeled raw by the impact.

Obed dodged the onslaught, but was forced to step back as he was getting out of breath, unable to keep up with the terrible flurry of blows.

Only Nero remained, going blow for blow with the terrible being that Garrick had become.

Even when its blows hit him and tore at his flesh, drawing blood, he seems incapable of registering it as he swung Gungnir.

The spear danced like a beautiful bird on a lake.

It danced in the rain.

A bead of rainwater rolled all the way from both ends, signifying the control Nero finally had over the weapon.

Obed took a few more steps back and marveled at the sight.

What he was seeing was not a battle between monster and man.

No. These two were complete monsters.

The two broke contact only for a moment. For a second, Nero found himself lost in the litany of blows.

His feelings of pain had long since dulled out, drowned by the rain and sounds of thunder.

The fight that followed was brutal and primal. Gungnir scored deep wounds in the creature's flesh, but its enhanced strength allowed it to shrug off most of the blows that should have been crippling. Its sword opened gashes across Nero's body, but Vineheart's stamina and vitality made it so that he could keep going.

They broke apart again, this time both bleeding heavily. Through the haze of blood and rain, Nero coldly noticed something.

Garrick was slowing, his movements becoming sluggish.

He frowned as he realized something through the Heretic Eyes. Garrick's reserves of Ein Sof were rapidly being used up. Whatever the enhancement was, it was burning through his body quickly, consuming and corrupting it from the inside out.

Even if he didn't kill him, he knew Garrick was not long for this world.

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