Ryuji felt lost, his mind shrouded in darkness. There was a feeling of impending doom as he tried to grasp at the nearest mory. It was all a blur, and no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't make sense of it.
The sensation of sothing hard against his back caused him to turn over, and he realised he was lying on a concrete floor.
[Prepare yourself. This transformation won't be anything like the last.]
A gentle voice sounded from his hazy mind before he felt like soone stabbed him repeatedly with a hot iron brand. His entire body burned, the sensation of a thousand needles poking into his skin causing him to gasp in pain.
"No..."
He groaned, his fingers digging into the ground as he endured the agony, the flas seeming to sear his very flesh.
No matter how much he tried to resist or gather a defensive thought, the pain wouldn't let up, and the heat continued to grow until he was certain that his skin must have lted.
"It's too much... I can't..."
Ryuji's mind was so overwheld by the searing pain and the sensation of being torn apart by an invisible force that he felt as if his mind might fracture.
His thoughts raced, desperately trying to hold on to the things that comforted him, his mories of his mother, Yumiko, Erika, and Liana all flowing through his mind, even Alan's smiling face, its feeble attempt at comfort shattered the next mont.
His eyes snapped open as the heat finally subsided, replaced by a strange and foreign sensation. The pain didn't disappear, but it beca bearable, like a dull ache.
Ryuji breathed deeply, a wave of cool air rushing into his lungs, the sensation of the cold ground before he tried to wipe his brow, only to find that he couldn't move his arms. No, a monster tore his arms off... and that monster with a face like that painting hovered at the edge of his vision, munching on them.
Ryuji felt terror like he'd never known, the beast staring at him with a grin on its face, its dark eyes shining. It was too much to process. Everything was happening too fast, and Ryuji couldn't do anything about it.
"No!"
The beast chuckled, tossing one of his severed arms aside and crawling a little closer.
"I'm sorry... You just taste so delicious. I want to keep you alive and eat you for all eternity~ your scent is so nostalgic that I want to destroy you, crush each bone, and then savour your delicious flesh!"
The beast whispered, its tone mocking, caring and passionate at tis.
"S-Stay away from !"
"You can't escape, little human. This place is my domain, and your body is my toy. I'm going to have so much fun breaking you."
Ryuji scrambled, trying to crawl away from the creature, his severed limbs flailing uselessly.
"Don't worry, I'll keep you alive as long as possible. I can't say that I'll always succeed, but I'll do my best." The monster grinned as its sharp, deford arm gouged Ryuji's abdon, scooping out his organs.
"AAAAHHH!"
Ryuji's voice filled the cave, echoing off the walls. The beast seed to enjoy his cries, its tongue flicking out to lick at the bloody at, the monster's claws tearing through his flesh like paper.
And the mont his mind almost broke, when he almost surrendered to the madness... Nothing.
The world turned black, the monster vanished, and his pain beca just a dull, distant ache.
It was a familiar feeling, like that ti when he was in a coma. He didn't understand it. It was like he was in a dream.
"I'm so sorry, Ryuji... *Cough* Mother can't be there... She needs to visit soone and might be a long ti *Cough*."
The image of his mother, in darkness, a spotlight around her body as she knelt on the ground, her lips stained with blood each ti she coughed.
"I'm sorry... I know you don't understand, but... you'll be okay once you go there... she will take care of you, and we will et again."
"What? No! I want to stay with you!"
Ryuji begged, his young self struggling in his mother's grip.
"Ryuji, you'll understand soday... and I'm sorry, I have to do this, but it's the only way. You have to survive, no matter what happens."
"I'm scared, mother... I want to go with you. Please, don't leave here!"
"Ryuji, I'll co back for you... I promise, and you'll always have her with you, no matter where you go...Even if she speaks with an arrogant tone, know that she was responsible for your birth... from eting your father to us escaping alive... that stupid eternal virgin of a fox will not let you suffer."
"Mother?"
"I'm so sorry, Ryuji... Please, don't forget ... or the promise we made."
Ryuji watched himself embrace his mother, her body frail. She was sobbing, her tears staining his shirt, and then she vanished, leaving him alone in the darkness.
"No... I won't lose anyone ever again... not like this."
"Ryuji?"
Then Yumiko appeared into her beautiful white appearance with nine white tails, the wind blowing against her, causing her lovely silvery white hair to dance, cascading over her shoulder as she looked back at him.
"What's wrong, Yumiko?" A deep, demonic voice, Ryuji's transford voice.
"No, what have they done to you?"
"What?"
"It's too soon. We weren't ready!"
"What do you an?"
"We must leave. Those bastards will kill us, and we mustn't die yet. I can't let them kill our precious treasure!" Yumiko stroked her stomach. It was then Ryuji, in this strange dream, noticed her slightly inflated stomach, and the place they stood... the ruins were Grigor!
"We need to get out of here. They're coming, and they won't stop until they have our heads! Ryuji, we must leave now!"
"Where are we going? How do we get out of here?" Ryuji's mind still felt fragnted from the pain earlier before a haughty voice sounded from behind the pair.
"Oh? If it isn't the demons bitch and the enemy of our goddess!" The voice was Sheila, and beside her were several others, all flying with golden wings and aura.
"Yumiko, we need to get out of here now." Ryuji insisted.
However...
"It's too late, they found us... I love you Ryuji, eting you was the best thing in either of my lives." Yumiko's eyes narrowed as she kissed Ryuji's lips. Then, before he could react, thousands of golden spears penetrated her body... killing her on the spot.
"YUMIKO!"
"So, the other demon survived? How interesting."
Sheila, a wicked grin on her face, stepped forward, her golden wings and golden spear glowing with power before she faded into smoke, once again leaving Ryuji in the darkness.
"KILL THE DEMONS! KILL THEM ALL!"
A voice cried out, and before Ryuji could do anything, he watched as Alan and Anne fought the horde of monsters, their bodies covered in wounds, and Alan... no longer had the glow of a hero. He was just a normal warrior...
'He's still so powerful...'
Then the monster appeared before Ryuji noticed her; Anne was already dead, her upper body eaten. Alan was still struggling, but it was clear he was losing the battle.
"You... monster, how could you do this to the people of Grigor. I will kill you, even if it costs my life."
Ryuji wanted to step forward, only for a soft hand to grasp his.
"My love, we cannot fight... you must leave you are the only hope for revenge for us to survive!"
A red-haired beauty looked into his eyes with an affectionate gaze. The woman looked like a more adult and sexy version of Liana...
"Wait... is that you Liana?"
"Please, my love. You must live on, and I will always be by your side."
"No... not you, too!"
"I love you, Ryuji..."
The beautiful witch vanished; her body appeared beside Alan with eight flaming arms extending from her back and crimson flas that wrapped around her body as she attacked the monster.
'Alan... Liana...'
Then, the monster's claws moved to Liana, and his vision went dark, his ears filled with screams.
"Please, wake up, Ryuji!"
"Why did you have to co here? Why did you have to fight the Demon Queen?" Erika looked older, her armour full of damage and marks. The sudden loss caused filled her with sadness.
"What? Erika, what is going on?"
"They killed everyone... They killed everyone... Yumiko... Liana.... Alicia... Alan....
Velvet... The entire Royal family is dead, the people who were like sisters to . They were all slaughtered."
"No, it can't be!"
"Why did you co here, Ryuji? Why did you have to follow this path? Couldn't we have all lived happily in the beast kingdom together?"
"Erika..."
"I can't bear to look at you, not after all that's happened. I'm sorry, Ryuji, but this is goodbye."
"No, don't leave !"
Before he could stop her, Erika's swords penetrated her stomach, and blood bubbled from her gasping mouth as the sound of her choking filled his ears.
'What is this...?!'
"Ryuji, it's not your fault. I don't bla you. I'm sorry, and I'm glad we t..."
"Erika!"
"I'm sorry... I'm not as strong as you or Yumiko. I cannot bear to have lost our child... forgive , I am too weak."
"Erika, please, don't leave alone!"
"Ryuji, I'm so sorry... I love you."
"No..."
Then Ryuji watched the monster, with the appearance of the goddess, approached. However, it wasn't Lumina who he thought...
It was Serena, with a body full of deep wounds, her beautiful white fur now tainted and covered in filth and blood.
"I'm sorry... I couldn't keep the promise I made..." Serena's eyes were wet with tears as she reached out and touched Ryuji's face, her body beginning to fade away.
"No... not you too..."
"I'm sorry, but this is the end... I can no longer protect you, it seems that I underestimated her..."
This ti, there wasn't another image or scene; instead, he stood in the darkness. There was no sound, pain or sorrow, but there was no happiness either.
"What happened..." He asked the void.
[That is the future of your current path, though there are infinite paths... This path leads to death.]
"Why?"
[Because you remained human, you couldn't beco a Demon King]
"..."
"—Then..."
"If I accept, and beco one. Can I save them, will things change?"
[I do not know, but that future will not co to pass at least]
"Why did you show ?"
[Isn't it obvious...]
"No... it's not."
[I have been watching you since before you were born...You are a precious child, Ryuji.]
He felt there was more to this, yet he didn't want to push further because he was growing fond of this voice who was like a second mother to him.
"I accept—what do I need to do?"
[Fuse with that crystal in your chest, take it and replace your heart]
"I see..."
[Rember, there is NO going back... Not even I know what will happen if you choose this now of your own accord instead of being forced to do it later.]
"Can I save Alan?"
[Maybe]
"Can I save Yumiko, Erika, Alicia and Liana?"
[Maybe]
"A maybe is better than no... Please, do it. I will accept the consequences."
[Warning!]
[The host is attempting to sacrifice portions of his remaining humanity to convert them into Demonic factors!]
[Warning!]
[The Process cannot be reversed!]
[Proceed?]
[Yes] [No]
'...Yes."
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