Dance

The guards froze, watching the bizarre scene unfolding before them. Just a few minutes ago, Meatball was nothing but a wild beast driven purely by instinct. But now... it was speaking like a human, asking questions, questioning its own existence.

"Are you... my father?"

Those words hung in the air. As Yosukez and the soldiers watched Raviene conversing with Asogi, an uneasy feeling crept through their hearts.

"What... what kind of nonsense is this?" muttered one of the guards, wiping the sweat off his forehead.

"If it can speak... does that mean it has consciousness?" whispered another.

"Consciousness? That damn thing only knew how to eat! When did it start talking like a human? I just don't get it!"

Asogi stepped forward, approaching the white table in front of the castle. He walked out of the circle, moving toward Raviene.

The guards hesitated, stunned by the creature's actions. Yosukez didn't take his eyes off Asogi. His body kept shifting—muscles swelling, skin rippling, limbs changing position. Whispering voices rose from within him, as if multiple people were speaking at once.

Then... the laughter began.

At first, it sounded like a faint whisper.

"Heh..."

Then a high-pitched cackle joined in.

"Ahaha..."

And then another.

"HAHAHA!"

Suddenly, every mouth on Asogi's body erupted in laughter, each one with a different tone and pitch.

"Ahahaha! Ahahahah! AHAHAHAHA! HAHAHAHAHAHA! AHAAHHAHAHA!"

It wasn't human laughter. It was the sound of a mind surrendered to madness. The guards flinched, some taking an involuntary step back.

Yosukez clenched his fists.

"We're not giving this damned thing any more time," he said firmly, his voice a sharp command. "Prepare yourselves. We're ending this here!"

The soldiers immediately tightened their stances, raising their swords.

Asogi kept laughing, but his eyes were scanning the soldiers one by one.

"Father..." he muttered, looking at Raviene. "I'll kill everyone causing trouble here."

And at that moment, the battle began.

The first guard raised his sword and lunged at Asogi, slashing toward his chest—yet the blade didn't cut flesh. Just as it touched the skin, Asogi's chest liquefied into a void, causing the weapon to strike nothing but air.

"Actually... I can kill you like this, too."

The void on Asogi's chest morphed into a massive mouth, snapping shut around the guard. A scream pierced the air, followed by a crunch! Blood and bones scattered across the ground.

The second guard let out a frenzied battle cry and charged forward.

"DIE ALREADY!"

But Asogi's body shifted again. His right arm transformed into a long, sharp blade that sliced through the air with deadly speed, severing the guard's head cleanly from his shoulders. The head flew up and tumbled to the ground.

Seizing the opportunity, two other guards attacked simultaneously—one aiming for Asogi's back, the other targeting his legs.

But the creature just smiled.

His back suddenly hardened like steel, deflecting the sword and causing its wielder to stumble.

"That didn't quite work out, did it?"

Then a claw sprouted from Asogi's back, crushing the guard's skull like a walnut.

The fourth guard tried to escape, but his legs were gone. He collapsed to the ground, howling in agony. Asogi's feet had turned into massive jaws, biting off his lower limbs. Another mouth opened where his head should be.

"Shhh... No screaming."

And the head disappeared down the gullet.

Four guards, dead in mere seconds.

The remaining soldiers stood paralyzed, horror etched on their faces. But Yosukez didn't waver.

"No retreat!" he roared. "This thing must have a limit. Keep going!"

Two more guards attacked from different angles—one slashing from above, the other thrusting a spear from below.

But Asogi split in half—literally dividing into two as his body turned to liquid, causing both attacks to miss. The two halves seamlessly merged back together.

"Haha... That was unexpected, wasn't it?"

He extended his right hand, and a blade-like bone shot out, piercing the fifth guard's face, who collapsed backward.

The sixth guard tried to flee, but Asogi's arm transformed into a whip, ensnaring him and pulling him closer.

"Don't be scared..." he whispered. "It won't hurt too much."

And with a single bite, he tore the man's head off.

Only ten remained, including Yosukez.

Taking a deep breath, Yosukez muttered, "It seems like this thing has no damn limit..." Then he addressed his men:

"No more running. Either this cursed creature dies here, or we do!"

The soldiers assumed their final positions, eyes filled not just with fear but with a desperate glimmer of hope.

Asogi just smiled at them.

"You like fighting, don't you? Then... let's have some fun!"

The air was thick with tension, the scent of blood clinging to the wind. The guards fell back, but Yosukez moved forward, his shoulders tense and his gaze locked on Asogi's grotesque form.

Asogi tilted his head, that manic glint in his eyes intensifying. His grotesque grin widened.

"Do you want to dance, Captain?"

His voice echoed from every mouth on his body:

"Do you want to dance, Captain? Huh? Dance? Let's have fun!"

Yosukez didn't respond. Instead... he took a breath.

And his body reacted.

His muscles swelled, chest broadening, arms thickening. His skin transformed, hardening like stone, forming an armor of pure muscle and rock. As he inhaled, his body became even denser, shoulders growing wide enough to dwarf his head.

His height increased, spine stretching like a dragon's back. His legs thickened, maintaining a solid, stable stance. There was no distortion—only raw, immense power.

Raising his head, Yosukez now stood eye-to-eye with Asogi. His gaze conveyed a single, unspoken message:

"Let's see... if you can really dance."

Raviene leaned back comfortably. The half-filled teacup on the table remained untouched. His eyes stayed fixed on the confrontation, and his face bore an odd expression—a smile... but cold, detached, almost disturbing.

At that moment, a dragging sound echoed nearby. Jiho was hauling the massive Fauriel across the stone floor, the man groaning weakly.

"Young master," Jiho panted, "what should I do with him?"

Without looking, Raviene spoke in a cold, indifferent tone:

"Throw him in the dungeon."

Jiho bowed his head. "Understood."

He dragged Fauriel off, and Haldvir, regaining his senses, looked around in confusion. When his gaze landed on the battlefield, his pupils dilated with fear.

He wanted to run, but Jiho's icy voice stopped him.

"Come with me."

Reluctantly, Haldvir nodded, realizing resistance was pointless.

Now, only two remained.

Asogi and Yosukez.