The gargoyle rolled its shoulders, the obsidian veins across its body pulsing as if responding to its rising power. The air around it rippled, distorting under the sheer heat emanating from its form.
Ethan watched, unimpressed.
The beast crouched slightly, wings spreading wide, then vanished.
Ethan's instincts scread. He moved—tilting his head just in ti to avoid the massive claw aiming for his skull. The sheer force of the missed strike sent a shockwave blasting through the fortress, cracking the walls.
Fast.
But not fast enough.
Ethan twisted mid-air, planting a foot on the gargoyle's outstretched arm, then launched himself forward, driving an elbow into the beast's chest.
Boom!
The impact folded the gargoyle inward, its body hurling backward like a teor. It crashed into a stone pillar, reducing it to rubble.
Ethan landed smoothly, rolling his shoulders. "This all you got?"
A deep, guttural chuckle rumbled from the debris.
The gargoyle rose, red eyes gleaming with sothing disturbingly close to amusent. It wiped molten gold from its lips.
"You hit harder than before," it admitted. "But that alone won't be enough."
Ethan's smirk didn't waver. "I wasn't asking."
The gargoyle lunged again, but this ti—Ethan t it halfway.
Their fists collided, sending out a concussive blast that tore through the fortress. The floor beneath them caved in, massive chunks of stone plumting into the abyss below.
Neither relented.
Ethan dodged a swipe aid at his ribs, responding with a brutal knee to the beast's gut. The gargoyle grunted but retaliated instantly, swinging its wing like a blade.
Damn, Ethan thought, ducking just in ti. The wing carved through the air, leaving a thin cut across his cheek.
Asteria chid in. 'You're smiling way too much for soone getting cut up.'
Ethan wiped the blood from his face, his grin still intact. 'You think this is bad? You should've seen what I looked like the first ti around.'
The gargoyle didn't give him ti to recover—its tail lashed out, faster than before.
Ethan caught it again—
But this ti, the beast expected it.
The mont Ethan's fingers closed around the tail, the gargoyle twisted, using his grip against him. The montum whipped Ethan into the air, sending him flying toward the ceiling.
Alright, he thought, twisting mid-air. Clever.
Asteria humd. 'Gonna need help?'
Ethan laughed internally. 'You think this is trouble? Watch this.'
His body stopped mid-fall—hovering as golden energy crackled around him.
The gargoyle's smirk faltered.
Ethan vanished.
The next second—he reappeared directly above the gargoyle, fist already swinging downward.
BOOM!
The punch connected with earth-shattering force, slamming the gargoyle through the floor. The beast roared, its body smashing through layers of stone before crashing into the depths below.
Silence followed.
Dust and debris filled the air, the only sound being the distant crumble of broken rock.
Ethan exhaled slowly, rolling his shoulders.
Asteria's voice was amused. 'You didn't even give it a chance to breathe.'
Ethan huffed. "What's the point of a rematch if I don't prove I've changed?"
He stared down into the abyss where the gargoyle had fallen.
Then—
A deep, slow chuckle echoed from the darkness.
Ethan's brows rose. "Still alive, huh?"
The red glow of the gargoyle's eyes reignited, brighter than before.
Then—sothing shifted.
The air beca heavier, thick with an oppressive force. The fortress walls trembled—not from damage, but from sothing else entirely.
Asteria spoke, her tone unusually serious.
'Ethan… sothing's wrong.'
Before he could respond, a voice echoed from the depths.
"You're strong," the gargoyle admitted. "Stronger than before."
A pause.
"But strength alone won't save you."
Then, from the abyss—wings unfurled.
But these weren't the sa as before.
They were bigger.
Darker.
Ethan's smirk faded slightly as the beast ascended, molten veins now pulsing with an eerie black glow, as if sothing else had awakened within it.
For the first ti in a while—he felt it.
That thrill.
A real fight.
Ethan cracked his neck, flas of energy coiling around his fists.
"Good," he muttered, lowering his stance. "Would've been boring otherwise."
The gargoyle's wings unfurled fully, its obsidian veins pulsing with that eerie black glow. The fortress trembled under the sheer force radiating from the beast.
Ethan narrowed his eyes.
Sothing was wrong.
This wasn't just raw strength—the gargoyle's form was shifting, becoming corrupted. He'd fought this beast before, but this… this wasn't the sa.
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The gargoyle vanished—reappearing behind Ethan with a clawed hand raised.
But Ethan was faster.
He twisted, catching the creature's wrist mid-swing.
A shockwave blasted through the air as their forces clashed.
The gargoyle roared, attempting to break free—but Ethan's grip was like iron.
Asteria's voice was calm. 'You feel it too, don't you?'
Ethan's eyes glead. 'Yeah… sothing's ssing with it.'
The beast lashed out—wings slicing through the air, claws swiping at Ethan's throat.
Ethan didn't dodge.
Instead—he raised his free hand, golden energy coiling around his fingertips.
Then, he pressed his palm against the beast's chest.
Golden patterns ignited across his skin, spreading as they wove into intricate symbols.
The gargoyle's eyes widened in alarm.
Ethan's voice was firm. "Let's see what's hiding underneath."
The mont his words left his lips—the alchemy took effect.
The glow from the beast's veins flickered—the black corruption writhing violently against Ethan's magic. The gargoyle let out an inhuman screech, its body convulsing.
Then—
The darkness peeled away.
Stone-like flesh cracked, breaking apart like shedding scales. The obsidian glow dissolved, revealing sothing softer beneath.
The beast shrunk.
Its monstrous fra collapsed inward, the jagged features smoothing out.
Grey skin replaced black stone.
Golden eyes flickered open.
Long, curved grey horns extended from a more human-looking face.
Ethan's grip remained firm as he watched the transformation complete.
And then—his breath caught.
His fingers twitched slightly against the gargoyle's wrist.
He knew this face.
Asteria exhaled. 'Well, that's… unexpected.'
The young gargoyle before him—no longer monstrous, no longer corrupted—stared up at him with wide, unguarded eyes.
For the first ti since the battle started…
It looked afraid.
Ethan's jaw clenched.
mories flashed—of another ti, another battle. Of soone smaller, looking up at him but with a much more mischievous expression.
His grip loosened.
The young gargoyle hesitated, then whispered hoarsely, "You…?"
Asteria's voice was gentle. 'Looks like you found your history.'
Ethan exhaled slowly. "Yeah…"
His golden energy flared one last ti—sealing the young gargoyle's movents, ensuring it wouldn't lash out again.
The fight was over.
And now, the real questions began.
Ethan stared at the young gargoyle—no, the last Barix, the only direct descendant of Babel. His golden eyes narrowed slightly as he processed the information.
"You can talk now, huh?" Ethan said, crossing his arms.
The gargoyle, smaller and far more humanoid than before, nodded. "It was part of the evolution."
Ethan's gaze swept over the ruined Hive. The place was different from what he rembered—darker, more twisted. And the other gargoyles he had fought? They were more beast than human.
"So how did this happen?" Ethan asked. "This place seems off, and your kind… they aren't like before."
The gargoyle's expression darkened. "It was the work of the elders. After you defeated them last ti, they used a forbidden ritual, sacrificing themselves to ensure this transformation. It was ant as a trap for you, in case you ever returned."
Ethan frowned. "Defeated? I didn't defeat them—I barely escaped."
The gargoyle exhaled. "Regardless, I was part of the ritual. My essence was used to fuel it. That's why I wasn't completely corrupted like the others."
Ethan's gaze sharpened. "You were used?"
The gargoyle nodded. "I am a Barix, the only direct descendant of Babel left. Without , they couldn't have completed the ritual. And now… they are all dead."
Ethan clicked his tongue. "Then it's a miracle you're still alive."
"More like a curse," the gargoyle muttered.
Ethan's fingers flexed at his side. "Is there a way to revert everything?"
"Yes," the gargoyle said, "but it requires Curse magic or at least the affinity for it."
Ethan's mind imdiately turned to Asteria.
'Asteria? Is it possible?'
'Yes,' she responded smoothly. 'Fortunately, you do have the Curse affinity.'
Ethan blinked. 'Eh? Since when?!'
Asteria's voice held the faintest amusent. 'It was part of the affinities you received from Uncle Nethrix. He rged it with Necromancy, so you wouldn't notice. You just need a trigger to awaken it.'
Ethan exhaled slowly. 'Well, I guess this guy is the trigger then.'
'Yes,' Asteria confird.
Ethan turned his attention back to the gargoyle. "I have the Curse affinity, but I'll need you to sign a deal with first."
The gargoyle tilted his head. "What kind of deal?"
"A Spirit Beast contract." Ethan's tone was firm. "It ans you'll be bound to permanently. You can never leave unless death separates us."
The gargoyle's golden eyes glowed faintly. "Will I have to leave the Hive?"
"Yes."
"Then I'm in."
Ethan raised an eyebrow. "Huh?"
The gargoyle gave him a weary look. "This place is suffocating. I have no reason to stay."
Ethan smirked. "Good answer. What's your na?"
The gargoyle hesitated. "I… never had one."
Ethan humd, then said, "Then from now on, your na is Maverick."
The mont the na was spoken, energy surged between them. Golden sigils materialized in the air, circling the two. Ethan extended his hand, and Maverick placed his palm against it.
The contract ford.
A pulse of energy shot through Maverick's body, solidifying the bond. The lingering traces of Curse magic within him stirred—and that was all Ethan needed.
Golden and black energy swirled around Ethan's arm, consuming him for an instant.
His Curse affinity awakened.
Asteria's voice was calm. 'There you go.'
Ethan exhaled, the power settling into his core like an old friend.
"Now," he said, "let's end this."
With Maverick as the dium, Ethan unleashed a grand ritual. He wove his newfound Curse magic into an intricate spell, fusing it with his Alchemy. Black sigils expanded across the Hive, entwining with the corrupted energy that lingered. The ritual took hold, purging the corruption, breaking the spell that had twisted the Hive and its inhabitants.
The air grew thick, reality itself seeming to waver. The gargoyles scattered throughout the Hive let out distorted cries as the forbidden magic unraveled.
But Ethan didn't stay to watch.
The mont the ritual was complete, a black portal ripped open behind him.
Without hesitation, Ethan stepped through.
Maverick followed.
And then—they were gone.
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