Reborn As An Evolving Monster

420  Promised Death

She closed her eyes, and the Black Flames eating away at the General of Wrath disappeared.

"FUCK! FUCK! FUCK! WHORE! I WON! I WON! I'LL DEFINITELY TEAR YOU APART! I'LL DEFINITELY...!"

A confused white-scaled Monster entered the General of Wrath's field of vision.

"THE FUCK DO YOU WANT, LOSER? I'LL KILL YOU TOO, JUST WAIT! I'LL RECOVER IN NO TIME! IN NO TIME!!"

His spine and organs had been cut in two, but it was not enough for both parts to separate.

"I'LL FUCKING KILL YOU!!"

The white-scaled Monster's confusion grew.

"Aren't you glad... That she shone this brightly before...?"

"HUH? SHUT THE FUCK UP. YOU'RE INCONSEQUENTIAL HERE! FUCK OFF!! YOU CAN'T DO A THING!! EVEN THOUGH I CAN'T MOVE, YOU DON'T EVEN HAVE THE STRENGTH TO FINISH ME OFF!! SO JUST WAIT YOUR TURN AND SHUT THE FUCK UP!!"

The white-scaled Monster's eyes narrowed. He walked closer.

"You shone... Pretty brightly." Mark said as he stood over the General of Wrath. The latter lay with his back against the ground, unable to move a muscle.

"SHUT THE FUCK UP! I'M THE ONE WHO SEES OTHERS SHINE! I'M THE ONE WHO TOYS WITH OTHERS! I'M THE ONE WHO...!"

The white-scaled Monster stopped listening.

"I thought... I was going to die. I thought... The two of us were the same. But you're just like that Guardian..."

"HUH? SHUT THE..."

"You only smile... When you're winning. Faced with death... You wanted me to shine brighter but..."

"I'M THE ONE WHO..."

The white-scaled Monster lowered his hands onto the General's chest. The Monster lay on top of that General's body, and took hold of his chin with its left hand.

"You're not... Dying beautifully." Mark said as he hid his mouth with his right hand.

"THE FUCK ARE YOU GOING TO DO? EVEN NOW YOU..."

A dark Aura appeared on the white-scaled Monster's hand. No, beyond its hand. The Aura covered what the Monster was hiding with that hand.

"I'm disappointed," Mark said. He didn't need though, as his tone conveyed that more than clearly. "Shine brighter... But only for others. Once you're the one facing death-"

"I'LL KILL THE OF YOU AS SOON AS...!"

With his left hand, Mark moved the General's chin, exposing his neck. n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

"YOU THINK ANYTHING YOU DO CAN-"

A kiss was deposited on the General's neck.

A kiss that stole a third of that neck.

"YOU... YOU FUCKING...!!" The General's voice was filled with fear.

Mark's disappointment grew.

The once toothless white-scaled Monster could now bite.

"No reason to scream. You shone brightly..."

Its fangs had been replaced. Replaced with what had been found in the Undead Lich's hideout.

"Don't mess it up now."

His fangs were made using that Fang.

"That's what you told many others, right?"

The Fang of a Dragon.

"NO! NO!! I'M THE ONE WHO...!"

The General of Wrath screamed and screamed.

Bite by bite. The white-scaled Monster chewed and swallowed.

Mark thought about many things. Perhaps to keep his mind from...

He thought about the insane speed at which the two had been moving. About the Black Flames that not just swallowed the General's Lightning, but Devoured. The Black Flames had made that Lightning their own. About her dark eyes. About the Moon that had disappeared. About the Ghost-like beings...

At some point, the General's screams had stopped. Mark hadn't noticed.

The General's breathing stopped soon after that. Mark didn't notice it either.

It didn't take long before the white-scaled Monster's knees were against the ground. The mass below it had shrunk that much.

Seconds after that, the last chunk was Devoured and,

Ansgt.

The white-scaled Monster's hands moved, looking for the next... There was none.

Mark's clenched fists pushed against the ground. His trembling body bent. His forehead moved towards the ground.

He had survived.

'Why...?'

A voice made him open his eye suddenly.

"Ma... Rk." She whispered. It wasn't meant to be a whisper. It was all she could muster in her present condition.

"Come... Closer."

For no real reason, he did as he was told.

She was dying. She had protected him from certain Death three times. From Promised Death. The white-scaled Monster crawled towards the bleeding woman. He thought it should've been him.

"That was... Quite something... Huh?" Laylah whispered as he arrived by her side.

The kneeling white-scaled Monster remained silent.

Mark thought it was way more than 'something'.

"Can I... Hold... Your hand?"

He nodded.

"You can... Leave this place... Now... I'm glad..." She coughed.

A drop of blood went down her cheek.

She had a hole through her chest. A pool of blood had already formed itself below and around her. Her chin and mouth were covered by blood.

Mark thought she was beautiful.

"What happened?" He asked.

"I ran... I was going to... Get out... But then... I got scared. I didn't know... Where to go or... What to do. I was... It's stupid, isn't it?"

This wasn't what Mark was asking about. But,

"I get. I understand..."

She coughed up more blood.

"Are you... Going to... Go find them...?" Laylah asked with great struggle.

The white-scaled Monster lowered its gaze.

"I... See..."

How many times had the cripple young man thought about it? Fantasized about it amid his despair? I'll leave this room. I'll leave this hospital. Then I'll save someone and die. I'll die and save someone. The perfect excuse to die. It's way easier that way. It's easier than seeing the world for myself. It's way easier than changing, than fighting. I can't even envision a future for myself after so long. I'll die and... It should've been me.

"I remembered... Some things..."

The white-scaled Monster nodded silently.

"There was a woman... She brought me here. She... Left me... With those books..." Laylah chuckled, and more blood exited her mouth.

The woman had dark hair just like hers. Her face was covered by a red piece of fabric. A strange emblem was drawn in black on that piece of fabric. The wind had allowed Laylah to catch a glimpse of the woman's face. Her eyes had been gouged out. Laylah thought there was no reason to mention that.

"What are you... Going to do... Now?"

The white-scaled Monster couldn't answer. Mark couldn't find an answer.

"Go... See more... Of the world... Okay?" Strength was leaving her. Mark could tell.

"There's... Something... Something... You have...?"

Only at those words, did Mark notice. He pulled it out of his Inventory.

He had expected her to let go of his hand. She didn't.

With her left and free hand, she took hold of it.

"It looks... Weird. But I like... The light... Emanating from it."

She placed the Item, the 'Ancient Lich's Knowledge' on her stomach.

"See... More of... The World... Okay?"

Because she had repeated it, Mark couldn't bring himself to ignore it.

He nodded silently.

"Good..." She smiled.

Mark tightened his grip around her hand. Her hand which had been fidgeting and playing with his index finger was growing weaker.

Laylah's hand went limp. Mark clenched his teeth.

"Live... A long life... Okay?"

He took hold of her hand with both of his.

"Yeah... I will." Mark answered.

She smiled.

"Good. You still... Have a lot... To see. A lot... To do... "

He was angry.

She took her last breath.

Mark brought his forehead to her hand.

"Fuck..."

He couldn't tell what it was exactly that caused that anger.

"FUUUCK!!"