Chapter 17: The Corruption of Chaos

Dino screamed out in pain as crystals erupted and crackled across the ground around him. One after another erected from his body like blistering boils running out of control.

Megumi could only brace herself as she witnessed as the crystals powers Dino once controlled with ease completely consume him.

Slowly the black crystals field he made that still lingered around, disintegrated into nothing. This included the crystal that held Cider captive leaving him slumped on the ground, unconscious.

Noticing Cider, Megumi turned away from Dino and rushed by Cider's side. "Cider! Cider!"

Cider crept open his eyes, and looked around in a daze. It was clear that he was having trouble registering the increasingly dangerous situation.

A rush of wind blew from behind as Dino's consumed body picked itself up. The crystal exploded onto his arm, his leg, then his body. They protruded almost like an uneven suit of armor all around him.

His blonde and handsome face suddenly erupted with the crystals that covered his face, mimicking that of a monstrous face with jagged teeth that clamp together into what looked to be a gnarly mask. His white narrow pupil's in his black eyes pierced through the crystal armor, crazed and hungry.

Dino had entered the chaos state!

He roared out loud like a beast ready to hunt. He rushed over like a wild animal with his newly clawed hand posed and ready to strike. Megumi was paralyzed with fear, unsure what to make of what was going on with this once normal looking man.

Dino swung his clawed hands but was suddenly blocked by a sword with a long hexagon shaped hollow center. It held strong against the man now consumed with chaos. The now demonic Dino try to exert more pressure in vain.

Finally, Liang gave a sigh of relief. "Whew. That was close. Consider this free of charge."

With great ease, Liang pushed back, sending him Dino crashing into the far-off black crystal wall that now started to slowly dissolve away.

"W-what's going on?" Megumi's eyes dilated, still shocked by the sudden and horrific transformation he underwent.

"He's in a state of chaos." Liang answered. "And a forced one by the looks of it."

Dino dug himself from that wall, ready to charge in. He growled like a mindless beast.

"It won't be long until he completely transforms into a full demon. And there's no telling if he'll gain his sanity if that happens."

Megumi glanced at Cider, thinking back to wall the beast that chased after her all this time.

"Did… This happened to all those other demons… including Cider?"

"Yeah." Liang said. "Once a normal person is completely consumed by the chaos within them, they could lose all sense of reality and who they were. It's rare for a demon to keep a grip on their own psyche like your friend here. But its not uncommon either."

The demonized Dino charged in to attack Megumi and Liang. Acting quickly, Liang grabbed both Megumi and an unconscious Cider jumping far away from the latest attack.

Dino roared with anger, creating pillars and spikes of crystals around him, creating his own crystal prison. He began breaking and cracking through the crystal with his newly found brute strength.

Liang, without a second though began to make their escape with both Megumi and Cider in hand.

"Wait! W-we can't just leave him like this! There's got to be a way we can stop him from transforming!" Megumi shouted out, her face now laced with concern.

Liang stopped and glanced at Megumi. She released herself from Liang's grasp, determined.

"You actually want to save this guy?" He smiled a little amused. " Funny, Not only did he try to kidnap your friend, but he also tried to kill you. And now you want help him?"

Megumi gazed back at the demonic Dino that was still breaking through his own crystal prisoner to attack them again.

"Y- Yeah. I know what it's like to be used." Megumi's thoughts shifted to the memory of her life before purgatory. "I had a family that adopted me when I was young. But they only did it to attain money from the government . They used me for money and in return I lived in there basement and a caged life."

Megumi balled her fist, remembering his initial reluctance to hurt her and then of that mysterious women's voice the spoke and taunted her. "I think he's being used too...."

"Beside... Didn't you say it yourself that someone else was behind all this."

"It was just a speculation." Liang said.

The collar that was once on Dino's neck suddenly snapped off by the continuous crystal still growing on him. Liang took note of this, Looking at it intently. "But one that seems more fact than fiction now."

Liang turned to look at the demonizes Dino and pondered. he looked back and forth between Megumi and Dino for speaking up.

"Are you sure it isn't because he's handsome that you want to save him," Liang teased.

Megumi balled her fist in frustration. Liang immediately held his hand up defensively "Relax, relax I was joking."

His demeanor immediately shifted. He grabbed Megumi and jumped out of Dino's charge, far away from him.

"That was close. Got a little distracted there." Liang said.

Megumi, back on the ground, took a deep breath, calming back down.

Suddenly Liang spoke back up. "We don't have much time to work with But there's a way we can save him. But it's a race against time. I reckon in the next ten minutes his transformation into a demon will be complete and by then, it'll be too late."

"Well, how do we stop it?" Megumi asked.

"We'll have to kill him and revert him back to his core. By doing that it'll put an end to the chaos state that he's in… I can easily put an end to this…"

Without warning Liang pushed Megumi forward. "But I'll let you handle this." he chirped.

"H-huh?" Megumi's confusion turned to shock by his boldness. "Hey wait! Why does it have to be me!? Aren't you an expert in this?"

Liang's eyes gleamed with mischief "Oh, are you saying you'd like to hire my services? I have no problem with that, I charge a very, very low price of five-hundred thousand opals. Hehehehehe"

"H-hey! wasn't it fifteen thousand before!?"

Oh. "I don't know what you're talking about" Liang averted his eyes and spoke with puckered lips.

"LIAR!" Megumi could only stare coldly at his blatantly obvious fib. Not long after she looked back, and watched as Dino suddenly leapt into the air, ready to attack.

"Good luck." Liang jumped away with Cider, to Megumi's surprised.

Huh!?" She glanced from Dino to Liang, dumbfounded by her new predicament.

Reacting quickly, she her left hand with the blade curving from within it, and blocked Dino's attack.

With the sharp end pointing at Dino, his hand got sliced off in an instant. Megumi could only look on in shock by the sharpness of the strange blade.

Without a care in the world, Dino attacks with his other clawed hand. Nearly hitting Megumi, she backed away, finding that Liang atop a tall building watching from safety.

"You jerk!" Megumi shouted.

Liang sat himself on the edge of the building with his feet crossed. "Pay attention now."

He pointed back at Dino who was already attacking. Megumi dodged and swerved through the first few attacks and blocked the last. She was being overwhelmed by the sheer strength Dino had, but by some miracle, she held him off.

Crystal spouted forth from the ground, nearly hitting Megumi's neck, making her jump from surprise. "Eep!" a cold sweat ran down her face as she tried to hold back against Dino.

"H-he's too strong..."

"You can beat him." Liang shouted nonchalantly. "Don't lets his tough looks distract you."

Megumi was becoming more annoyed by his antics, and shouted back. "Th-that's easy for you to say!"

Even more crystals erupted around her and the sliced hand, Dino's one hand grew back as if nothing had happened to it. He aimed to attack with his newly grown hand, forcing jump back.

Dino smashed the ground hard send smokes of ash all around.

as the smoke dissipated she could see Dino's body contort and and grow even more crystals on his body. He eyes twitched around violently, unorganized and crazed while looking around like a chameleon. 

Liang spoke up once more. "Trust me, you may not see it yourself but you've already won this battle. You just have to insert yourself."

His eyes focused at once darting his eyes back at Megumi with his cocked head. He gave out a war cry dash at Megumi, his claws outstretched and ready to rip her to pieces.

Megumi faltered, blocking much more clumsily. "I-insert myself!?" he hit hard, then he struck at her blade again and again as if to break it from her very palm.

loud sounds of clanging reverberated loudly through the air, of the supposed metal blade and crystal hand went at war.

"C-crap! crap! crap!"

Suddenly Dino brought both hands together, slamming them onto her, leaving with blocking as her only option. He pinned her even harder to the ground. she felt as thought her very feel was plugged into the ground.

Slowly, she could feel her legs weakening under the pressure of Dino's large monstrous crystal arms. And the heat from his breath as he leaned closer as if to observe her.

She looked into his very jaws seeing nothing but a black void the sent her into a stunned silence.

"Don't tell me your already giving up." Liang blurted a chuckle. "And here I thought would be the perfect opportunity for you to prove yourself."

Megumi's lips shook. she clenched her teeth as he continued to speak.

"But in all seriousness... If you truly want to save that man, you need to put a little more faith in yourself. You're still shaking, because you don' want to kill him, right?"

Megumi stopped, noticing that her hand was indeed shaking. She didn't realize it herself, but she was indeed hesitating.

"I... Isn't there another way? I don't..." Megumi continued the hard struggle against the demonic Dino.

"No... Killing him is the only option you have Megumi. In purgatory it's no different from the living , where it's kill or be killed..."

Megumi brought her head down, still barely holding off Dino.

But don't forget..." Liang continued. "Here in purgatory, it's a lot harder to die. So don't hold back for one bit!"

Suddenly, Dino grew even bigger along with his strength.

"Oh." Liang watched this happen. "It looks like he's changing faster then expected. So make you choice now." he announced.

Megumi stiffened her resolve. "D-damn it."

Megumi gazed back up, upon Dino more determined.

"Alright, fine! I won't let you turn into a monster on my watch!"

Megumi with all her strength pushed and pushed, surprising the now mindless Dino before her. And in a swift movement pushed Dino off her and sliced both his hands off!

Dino stumbled back leaving himself wide open.

Megumi went on the attack, thrusting her blade in her hand into him. She twisted the blade, making Dino screech out in pain.

"Sorry, but this is for your own good!"

Dino's hands grew back out and gripped her hand. He ripped the hand blade from his stomach and tossed Megumi halfway across the destroyed area.

He stomped hard on the ground and sent a row of clustered crystals erupting for the ground at Megumi. She dodged, getting scraped by some of the crystals.

She looked back at Dino, finding that he vanished, she glanced up, finding him posed to attack with his claws.

She blocked the blade. But this didn't stop Dino from attacking Megumi relentlessly. He swung and swung, regrew his arm and swung more, putting Megumi on the defensive

She tried looking for an opening but each one she saw felt like a feint ready to happen.

Suddenly he lifted both hands, ready to crush her beneath the weight of his attack again. She used this prime moment to slash at his stomach.

Dino didn't flinch, instead, his crazed white narrow pupils looked at her and curved, what looked to be a smile and instantly healed the wound.

"C-Crap!"

She reeled her blade back to block but was crushed from beneath his mighty attack!

She coughed out something resembling blood, practically confusing her,

Dino tried crushing her again, but she brought her blade back in time, and with its sharp end ready.

Without hesitation Dino continued the attack, slicing his hands off before he could reach her.

Megumi made her escape from beneath Dino and readied herself or more.

"T-that was close-!!"

More crystal pikes were sent through the ground!

Megumi nearly avoided it. Another one quickly came her direction. Then another and another after that.

Dino with an amused creepy smile, sent spikes of crystal through the ground again and again.

Megumi was forced to dance through the relentless attack, all before Dino closed the distance between them again

He swung his clawed hands at her, forcing her to dodge! She blocked the second attack and then the third.

He stomped his feet on the ground sending a crystal spike erupting from beneath Megumi to her shock.

She dodged back, avoiding the attack in time.

Shortly after, even large crystals had erupted from Dino's body, making him appear even more monstrous than what he had already appeared.

His black eyes got covered and a jaw even wider. He even gained a snake-like tongue alongside crystal-like horns that poke like a crown on his forehead. A tail made of crystal grew from his very body.

It became obvious that there wasn't much time left. She had to defeat him there and now.

********

Annabelle, who was observing the fight, was mesmerized by the amazing transformation Dino was undergoing.

"I should've turned him in much sooner. That hunter had an amazing potential to be a Sin's servant like us."

The other demon right beside her kept silent, watching the fight through the orb on the table.

********

Dino roared even louder with the black crystal walls finally completely dissolving away. The Reapers that surrounded the area became shocked seeing the demon made of crystal.

Dino looked around, practically drooling seeing the other Reaper's that looked upon him much more fearfully.

"W-watch out! He's in his chaos state!!" A reaper warned.

Dino charged straight at the yelling reaper, ready to attack.

Megumi clenched her teeth. She ran and blocked Dino's path, facing him head on. "Y-your opponent is me!" Megumi proclaimed.

Dino didn't discriminate and attacked. Megumi. He attacked, slashed and clawed at her while she dodged and blocked trying to find an opening.

Suddenly she was struck in the gut and sent flying. She fell to the ground tumbling.

She got to her hand glancing back in time seeing that Dino was attacked with a much more powerful attack in his hands.

She dodged out the way in time seeing the ground glowing a bright blue, blinding everyone around.

Shards and spikes of crystals erupted from the ground all around them. They busted through the streets, the buildings, even some of the reaper's were nearly killed by this huge attack.

Megumi was left scratched and bruised, breathing heavily. She was left unsure if she could actually beat him.

Suddenly, his hands reached out from the crystal, terrifying Megumi. She sliced it off immediately and backed away. Then even more of the hands sprung forth from the crystals. She dodged and cut away at the hands and watched as some of the reapers got pulled into the crystals against their will.

Liang seeing this became more serious. But stood patiently watching Megumi.

Sinding somewhere safe she looked around, trying to find Dino, but he was nowhere to be seen.

"Where is-"

A dread filled her. A pure sense of danger that was coming from behind.

She ducked and saw Dino's body whizzing past her like a bullet and into a crystal.

Her eyes widened from shock.

She looked at all the crystals that surrounded her, even more concerned. And as if on cue, Dino shot from another crystal!

Megumi dodge again and could only watch on as he entered back into another crystal.

He shot past her again. And again. And again, an even faster, rapid succession.

Megumi whipped her head around, trying to keep up with the sheer speed he was going, as he kept shooting past and around her, laughing demonically as he did.

It was clear that she was being toyed with now. Slowly, she started to lose hope.

"Don't give up now! You can do it!"

Megumi glanced back to where Liang was, seeing a heavily wounded Cider was up with his hands pumped to his chest. He looked determined as he spoke. "You can beat that guy!"

Liang watched Cider, a little amused.

With this small bit of encouragement from Cider, Megumi steeled her resolve.

Completely surrounded by what looked to be several afterimages of Dino, Megumi stood still, concentrating. She concentrates all the power into her arms, then her hands, and then the blade within.

Sensing his impending attack, Megumi tried to sweep out of his line of attack but was slashed through the stomach. She bit her lips bearing with the pain and slashed up and through his neck!

The monstrous face inked out its dying cry, being killed in one fell swoop. The body and head struck the crystal it aimed itself at and slowly dissolved into ash.

Megumi fell to her knees seeing that the fight was finally over. She looked down at the gash, seeing nothing but a crumbling body and a pitch-black void within her.

"Oh yeah… We're just souls here…." Megumi's exhaustive breathing became even heavier.

She watched on weakly, as Liang and Cider made their way to her side. Not only that but the reapers that were captured just seconds prior were all freed from the contaminants, all just fine.

Liang fished inside of Dino's ash picking out his core that turned from a black cloudy mist to pure white.

He smiled, throwing Dino's core to a Reaper. "Congratulations Megumi. Looks like you did it."

"T-thank… God…"

Cider wrapped her arms around his shoulder, all before the smiling Megumi slumped her head down in complete and utter exhaustion.