Nyx was the first to speak, her voice unsteady as her gaze faltered.
"What the fuck is that?!"
Horo's expression had turned grim. He couldn't help but feel partly responsible. Would this Secret Boss have even appeared if he hadn't destroyed the armor?
To everyone's surprise, Sonata moved first.
A sharp intake of breath, then a shriek.
A compressed burst of sound, invisible and lethal, shot toward the kobold's head like a bullet.
It should have hit.
It should have dazed it if not blown its skull apart
Instead, Onikiba tilted his head just slightly.
The sound bullet sliced through empty air, brushing his fur as it passed.
Not a flinch. Not a blink.
Just that single, effortless movement.
"W-what…" Sonata breathed.
Onikiba's glowing ruby eyes locked onto her.
"Shit! Protect Sonata!"
Leo's shout rang out as he launched himself between them, shield fully deployed.
A split second later—SKREECH—the screeching scream of metal against metal echoed through the cave.
Leo had intercepted the blade meant for Sonata's neck, barely in time.
"Death…"
The kobold rasped the word like it tasted foreign on his tongue. Its voice was dry, cracked, as though it hadn't spoken in years. But its meaning was unmistakable.
Its eyes locked onto Leo's, glowing with a sticky, oppressive malice that clung to the air like mold in a sealed tomb.
'Leo. Use the Beast form. The natural weapon from that will help you beat this beast!'
Astra's voice rang out in his mind as Nyx darted in to strike with her staff. Onikiba danced away effortlessly, but didn't counter.
Instead, he watched.
Studying her. Learning.
His red eyes followed the motion of her staff like a predator learning how its prey moves.
Even so, Leo hesitated. He remembered the pain of the transformation—the way it felt like his body had been flayed and rebuilt from the inside out. He wouldn't be surprised if it had almost killed him back then.
Then Mors spoke—his voice thick, like he was talking through a mouthful of meat.
'You… don't have… to worry about… that, Boss… Transformations… only hurt the… first time… You can switch… to that form pretty much… at will now… no sweat…'
Leo gagged slightly as the rancid taste of rotting meat coated his tongue, Mors' way of sharing the flavor of whatever he was chewing on this time.
But he forced the nausea down.
No time to be squeamish.
He needed to protect his friends.
Taking a deep breath to steady himself, he closed his eyes and said three words, each one muttered with utter conviction, strength and…unrestrained bloodlust.
"[Elemental Conversion: Beast]!"
Unlike before, Leo felt no pain, yet his body let out sickening cracks as his body rearranged itself. He felt his muscles elongate and inflate while his bones grew and thickened as power coursed through his body.
The gauntlets on his wrist turned into a metallic liquid that squirmed and flowed across his body, morphing into five thick cuffs and chains that latched onto his limbs and neck, like restraints meant for a beast too dangerous to roam free.
Lily and Horo were shocked and horrified as Leo's skin started bubbling as his features changed accompanied by a peridot glow. Yet when his hair grew to waist length, Lily realized what was happening and her eyes went wide.
"Leo's using that transformation ability!"
Horo turned to look at Lily briefly.
"You mean to tell me this is the form that you were raving about?!"
Lily had a faint flush to her face as she pretended she didn't hear him, instead turning back to Luna, making sure the potions she had poured on her body and forced down her mouth were actually working.
Steam hissed off Leo's body as the transformation completed. As he moved to stand, the connection between the 5 chains snapped like they were made of paper. Standing tall, a regal yet bloodthirsty aura radiated from his body. He was bigger. Stronger. Faster. Dangerous.
Leo radiated a regal and untamed aura. Like a King of Beasts incarnate with emerald eyes that seemed to glow with a predatorial light as he glared at Onikiba.
"Shit. Shit. Shit!"
Nyx kept swearing as she began to feel a strong sense of fear the longer she fought with Onikiba. The beast was learning from every strike, she wasn't fast enough to strike it nor was she strong enough to deflect any of its own blows.
She had only lasted as long as she did because of her unique ability Umbral Embrace that allowed her to partially transform her body into shadows. Onikiba's blade had cleaved through her body over a dozen times yet she hadn't taken any damage so far due to transforming a portion of her body into shadow just before impact.
What she was nothing short of superhuman level reaction speed yet now her head throbbed from overclocking her brain and her mana reserves were running on empty. She felt a metallic taste on her lips as blood dripped from her nose.
She huffed for air, legs trembling slightly from sheer exhaustion as she continued to face off against the monster in front of her.
'Well it looks like I am going to die here…I hope the others can escape safely. I wonder what respawning will be like…"
She had resigned herself to her fate. She didn't attempt to move as Onikiba raised its blade high, the tip scraping the top of the cave with a metallic screech. Yet before the blade could be swung down, Onikiba moved to the side as it dodged another bullet of compressed air attempting to hit it.
"Nyx, retreat! Leo will take over!"
Sonata's voice dragged Nyx out of her thoughts as confusion overcame her. Why were they still here? They could have taken the time to leave while she bought them time.
'I am an outsider…Why did they not leave? Cutie..no Leo… why?…Why?…WHY?!'
Of all the people there, Leo should be the last person to stay! She felt her emotions spiraling out of control. She glared at Onikiba, ignoring Sonata's voice, refusing to blink even as the blade came falling down like a shooting star.
"Do you EVER listen to people you silly girl?!"
A deep masculine voice echoed by her ear moments before she felt a heavy tug on her tail.
"HUUUH?!"
A scream of confusion slipped from her lips as the world around her tilted; she had been thrown backwards dodging the strike in the process.
As she soared through the air like a ragdoll, she saw the back of a tall muscular man with waist length blonde hair. He was topless from the waist up, his clothes in tatters but he had an almost feral yet regal charm to him.
Just before she hit the ground, someone seemed to catch her but the person in question was unable to cancel out the momentum and ended up collapsing backwards with her landing on top of them.
"Gaaaa! Leo next time, don't throw people at the guy who just had his fucking arm reattached a few minutes prior!"
Horo complained as he laid on the cave floor, having attempted to catch Nyx before she got hurt. Nyx's head whipped back to the man at the realization that the one who had saved her was in fact Leo.
'Huh?! How is that possible? Leo isn't that tall…nor that muscular… but I do have to admit, he is kinda..'
"Hot isn't he~?"
Nyx's head whipped to see Lily glancing at her with a seriously amused expression on her face. It was as if this lazy girl could read her mind. A blush creeped up her cheeks but she turned her head away, refusing to answer Lily.
Leo could feel the power coursing through him as he faced off with Onikiba. The beast was apprehensive as it seemed to be appraising its new foe. Its maw opened as it began to… smile. There was a mad excitement in its eyes as if it found the greatest prey..a worthy opponent to slaughter!.
It raised its blade as its raspy voice called out.
"Name…Onikiba…You?"
It was as if it was an honorable warrior asking for the name of its opponent. The boss was requesting a duel!