Chapter Eleven: Grant Me Strength

As if it understood what Tetsuya had said, Hularnos roared ferociously, its crimson eyes locked onto Gilokas. Gilokas assumed his distinctive opening stance; unlike Tiga’s tightly clenched arms, Gilokas spread his arms in opposite directions, evoking the posture of a Chinese martial artist.

Hularnos flapped its massive fleshy wings, whipping up dust as its enormous body lunged at Gilokas. When it came to martial arts, Tetsuya would never lose to this grotesque creature. Gilokas retracted his arms, his body leaping powerfully—the black-and-red figure sprang from the ground, delivering a heavy kick to Hularnos’s back, toppling the beast to the earth.

Hularnos folded its wings, rolling across the ground to evade Tetsuya’s fist, then scrambled upright. Its enormous wings whipped the air, sending gusts toward Gilokas, but he dodged deftly with a sidestep.

Bang... bang...

Gilokas’s punches grew swifter, now facing Hularnos head-on. His fists hammered the creature’s chest relentlessly, forcing it to stagger backward under the barrage.

Boom!

Tetsuya’s greatest strength was ending the opponent’s confusion with a swift, decisive uppercut. Gilokas gathered dark energy on his arms, then unleashed a powerful punch upward into Hularnos’s jaw, stunning the beast. Following up, he chopped down hard on its shoulder with a hand blade, immobilizing it, and then drove his knee repeatedly into Hularnos, forcing it further back.

“Is that the power of the Evil God?” Sitela gazed up at Gilokas, eyes shining with admiration, though curiosity stirred within him. “Aren’t Evil Gods all madmen? Aren’t they allied with monsters?”

He paused, then added, “The Mu continent was conquered by them…”

Daram seemed lost in thought; he simply shook his head and replied, “I don’t know, but perhaps their powers are similar. What sets them apart is their hearts.”

He paused again, as if making up his mind, then turned to Sitela and asked, “If we can’t become Agents, and can’t even reach R’lyeh… then why don’t we become Evil Gods ourselves?”

Sitela scratched his head, troubled, and said nothing.

“The power of the Ancient Gods is too distant—no one knows if we can ever gain it. But the Evil God stands right before us…” Daram spoke with increasing certainty, his tone growing resolute. “If we plead with him… perhaps… this power could be within our grasp!”

“But… will we lose our own will?” Sitela voiced his deepest fear. Anyone who became an Evil God through sacrifice had their consciousness shattered by the wild energy of the Light’s Relic. It could take a long time to rebuild a wholly new self, or perhaps they would remain trapped in madness forever.

“No, we won’t!” Daram looked at Gilokas, as if encouraging himself. “That Evil God hasn’t lost his mind—he must have a way!”

“Well… alright, then!” Sitela said. “We can reclaim our continent in the form of Evil Gods!”

He hesitated, his innate timidity surfacing, and glanced at Camilla, who lay unconscious nearby, whispering, “But… what about Big Sister?”

Daram’s brow furrowed tightly, and he fell silent.

While Sitela and Daram spoke, Gilokas briefly lost the upper hand. Hularnos wrapped its arms around him, its huge wings beating furiously, then suddenly hurled Gilokas away with a burst of strength.

Boom…

Gilokas rolled across the ground and scrambled to his feet, but Hularnos was already flapping its wings, whipping up a storm that sent shards of ruined buildings flying. As Gilokas shielded himself from the debris, Hularnos charged forward, slamming him violently and sending him sprawling.

Though both had humanoid forms, Hularnos’s wings gave it an edge, making it swifter than Gilokas. With quick strides, Hularnos reached its opponent, pinned Gilokas with its arms, then raised its ugly head and sank its sharp, protruding fangs deep into Gilokas’s shoulder.

Hiss…

Dark ions seeped from the wound, and Tetsuya felt his consciousness numb and dizzy. His energy drained rapidly, as though blood were being siphoned from his body, flowing endlessly into Hularnos’s maw. The beast’s eyes grew ever more blood-red and luminous.

Ding-dong… ding-dong…

The energy timer on Gilokas’s chest began to sound, his strength ebbing away piece by piece, the timer’s alarm growing urgent and brief.

“Aaaaah!!!”

“How can I let myself be defeated by the likes of you!”

Tetsuya roared, Gilokas struggled to raise his arms, seized Hularnos’s head, and summoned his immense strength to throw the creature over his shoulder, slamming it hard to the ground. Tetsuya wished to press the attack, but a voice inside him kept whispering.

“You’re so tired… sleep for a while…”

Go on… stop fighting…

The voice carried a strange magic. With barely any energy left, Tetsuya felt utterly exhausted—his vision blurred, and dizziness overwhelmed his mind. Gilokas’s massive body managed to stand, but swayed weakly, barely able to see his opponent, leaving Hularnos to rise triumphantly.

Roar…

Hularnos roared in victory, red eyes casting hypnotic rays. Gilokas grew even weaker, the turquoise light in his eyes fading to dullness. In Sitela and Daram’s shocked gaze, Gilokas collapsed, then struggled up, falling and rising again, unable to fully assume his fighting stance, yet stubbornly refusing to fall.

Bang!

Hularnos seized the moment, rushing forward and delivering a brutal kick to Gilokas’s back, sending him sprawling once more. The turquoise gaze met Sitela and Daram’s, filling their hearts with anxiety—they even wished to become Evil Gods themselves, to help defeat the fearsome monster before them.

“Get up!”

“Go, Evil God!” Though they knew it was futile, both shouted encouragement to Gilokas.

Tetsuya’s mind cleared for a moment; Gilokas shook his head with difficulty and, after a long struggle, braced himself with an elbow and tried to stand again.

“Don’t try to challenge Hularnos. Our fury is more than you can bear!”

Hularnos grabbed Gilokas’s shoulder, lifted his head, and repeatedly battered it with his wing.

“So weak…” Tetsuya murmured, his voice barely audible.

“Give me strength…”