Chapter 8 – Change

「Change.」

The thought hammered in my mind as I plummeted, the ground rushing up far faster than I could comprehend. The cold air howled in my ears, whipping at my face. But none of that mattered. Change. That's all I needed—some way, any way—to avoid the inevitable splatter waiting below.

I severed the bond with Yuki, if only for a moment, to focus entirely on the horrifying reality of our free fall.

I could see it—death, sharp and jagged, rising up to meet us. My mind raced, frantically grasping for a solution. But what could I do?

"What the hell do I do?!" Panic clawed at my thoughts. "I can't stop in mid-air, there's nothing to grab! Maybe I could soften the landing with water magic? But I don't have enough mana, and I don't know how to picture it fast enough!"

Memories flashed—crafting clay to fight the shelf spider, repairing the stone bath—but none of that helped now. Not in a fall like this.

Then, suddenly, an idea struck like lightning. "Weathering... stone into soil, into clay! The air's moist here—maybe I can break down the rock before we hit!"

It was insane, but it was all I had.

My diamond-shaped pupils flared blood-red. "Yuki, I need your brain for this one," I muttered, desperation thick in my voice. I tapped into our bond, borrowing her mental processing power for a spell I had no time to perfect.

The stone below us began to shift, faintly glowing. Beams of radiant light flickered across its surface. Two seconds left. One second.

Crash.

I slammed into the ground. Hard.

Pain detonated through my body, everything shattering on impact. My limbs snapped like brittle twigs, bones splintering as blood pooled around me. My skull hit the ground with a sickening crack, spinning away as if my body were a grotesque, broken doll. I lay there, crushed, a mangled ruin of blood and gore.

Yuki had managed to leap onto my back just before we hit the ground, but even she was flung across the cave from the force of the fall. She landed in a crumpled heap near one of the jagged stone spikes. Her small body trembled as she tried to stand, a soft squeak escaping her. Blood stained her once pristine white fur, and her legs shook as she looked over at me.

There wasn't much left of me to look at.

"What should I do now?" Yuki's inner voice trembled with fear, panic slipping through her years of experience. She limped between the stone spikes, her small form darting through the cold, damp cave. In the distance, she could hear the heavy footsteps of the Iguana monster stirring, woken by the crash.

It was coming.

Her sharp eyes caught sight of the King Spider's corpse, impaled on a massive spike. Its body was lifeless now, its legs twitching in the last spasms of death. She flinched at the sight of its blank eyes, but then, something clicked.

"Tatsuya's undead." The realization came quickly. "He shouldn't have died this easily—not even after a fall like that. He's not conscious now, but... he's still one of us. A monster."

Her eyes darted to the Spider's corpse, still rich with mana, power seeping from its flesh.

"If I consume the flesh of something this powerful... maybe I can evolve. Maybe I can save him."

Yuki didn't hesitate.

In one swift motion, she sank her sharp teeth into the King Spider's flesh, tearing into it without pause. The taste was revolting, but she forced it down, her tiny body trembling as power surged through her. Her eyes widened as the transformation began, the bond with Tatsuya sparking something deep within her.

This was evolution.

Her body convulsed violently, blood pouring from her eyes and mouth as her form shook uncontrollably. She collapsed onto the cold stone floor, her vision swirling. In her mind, three paths appeared before her. The Blue Path—a direct evolution, a stronger version of what she already was. The Red Path—self-evolution, a chance to mold herself into what she most desired. And finally, The Black Path—an evolution fueled by Tatsuya's ideals and their shared blood bond.

Yuki's heart wavered. Part of her wanted to choose something for herself, to grow stronger on her own terms. But she knew it wouldn't be enough—not here, not now. She chose The Black Path, placing her trust in Tatsuya and the bond they shared.

The Iguana monster lumbered forward, its massive body moving closer, forked tongue darting out to taste the air. It caught the scent of Tatsuya's mangled flesh—rich with mana—and its mouth opened wide, preparing to devour him whole.

But before it could take a bite, a black stone dagger drove deep into its hide, twisting as it sank into the thick skin.

The Iguana bellowed in pain, its tail thrashing violently, shattering spikes around the cave.

Yuki stood atop a rock, transformed. Her long, silky white hair flowed down her back, her skin pale and glistening under the faint cave light. She looked human—but not entirely. Her large, twitching rat ears and slender rat tail betrayed her origins, yet her new form radiated power.

"This form... it feels strange," she muttered, gazing down at her hands. "But I can feel its strength."

With a swift leap, Yuki launched herself from the rock, the black dagger flashing as she charged at the Iguana. Her speed was incredible, her movements weaving between the creature's legs like a blur. Each strike left deep gashes in its thick hide, the dagger cutting through flesh with ease.

The beast roared in frustration, swinging its tail wildly, smashing spikes into dust in its attempt to hit her. But Yuki was too fast, too agile.

"This isn't enough," she growled, narrowly dodging another strike. "I need something... final."

Her eyes flicked to Tatsuya's broken body. "Maybe... it's time to test something."

Yuki dashed to Tatsuya's remains, cradling his mangled torso in her arms. The Iguana, enraged at seeing its prey taken, lashed out with its tongue, wrapping the slimy appendage around her waist.

Her eyes widened as she was yanked toward the beast's open mouth, still clutching Tatsuya close.

"Please let this work..." Yuki gritted her teeth as the Iguana's jaws snapped shut around her. She struggled to keep its mouth open, her hands pushing against its powerful jaws, while Tatsuya's body slipped deeper into the creature's throat.

With a fierce grin, Yuki whispered, "Don't bite the hand that feeds you."

The Iguana's body erupted in black and purple flames, the fire engulfing its form in seconds. It shrieked, thrashing in agony as the flames consumed it from the inside out, its flesh burning and cracking. It stumbled toward the cave entrance, but its movements slowed, its body withering and aging rapidly.

By the time it reached the courtyard, it had shriveled into nothing more than a pitiful, gray husk, no larger than a horse carriage.

Yuki tore her way out of the Iguana's corpse, gasping for air as she collapsed onto the stone floor, covered in slime and blood. She lay there for a moment, staring up at the first rays of sunlight breaking over the horizon.

"I... won," she whispered, her voice barely audible as exhaustion overwhelmed her trembling body.