Reborn As An Evolving Monster

Despite the wounds on her body, despite the bleeding, despite missing an arm from the elbow down, despite having crossed the gigantic body of water that was the Border without being able to fly, despite having fought countless Monsters on the way to get here, her movements were swift. Precise. And above all,

PUNCH-

ARGHH-

Powerful.

Mark had managed to keep her hits away from his head. But even when they landed on his stomach, he could feel his internal organs tear. When her kicks landed on his thighs, he could feel his muscles scream. 

She only had one arm left. One fist.

And yet, she managed to both block his attacks and counterattack.

Mark wasn't doing badly, but it certainly felt strange.

The Commander only had one arm. He, on the other hand, was capable of healing. Why was he struggling?

That's just how powerful she was. How strong she was.

There was a time when this would have filled him with anger. With rage. With jealousy. His insecurity making him overly aware of his weakness. Of his body that couldn't keep up.

But after everything that had transpired inside the Dungeon, everything that had transpired outside the Dungeon, there wasn't a shred of insecurity, anger, or jealousy.

The jealous and crippled boy didn't feel insecure in front of someone who could play better than him.

It filled him with excitement instead. With hope that he, too, could one day... With motivation. With respect. With admiration. With awe.

Strength is an incredible thing. A beautiful thing.

Despite losing an arm, she remains strong.

That's how unshakable her strength was. It couldn't be taken away from her, no matter what.

The strength he had always craved. Strength that couldn't be taken away. No matter if he lost an arm, if his legs refused to obey, or if his heart couldn't handle the pressure, he wanted to remain strong.

Respect. Admiration. Awe.

But why was his facial expression so sad as he exchanged blows with his ideal?

-Perhaps because he was weak.

Fighting like that with wounds? Impossible. That's why he can heal!

Fighting like that with an arm missing? Unfeasible for him. Which is why he can reattach limbs!

Being strong by himself? Having strength that comes from him? Unreasonable. That's why he must Devour. Leech on to others.

Strength that comes from him? What does that even mean?

-Perhaps because he was weak at heart.

Would he have followed an enemy the way the Commander had?

Would have crossed all this distance through the night to find that enemy?

Was his will strong enough to focus on one enemy that way?

Weak at heart.

His body disobeyed him. Incapable of controlling his own body. How pathetic. How weak. 

Incapable of controlling his own Lust. Incapable. Weak. It only took a Demon Lord's Influence for you to turn into a Beast. A mindless Monster just like the one you had gruesomely dealt with some time earlier. 

Weak at heart.

You hurt her. The one you promised to protect. The one you wanted to protect. You hurt her, then you ran away. 

Weak at heart.

You left her and Krista. You left them in a land they are unfamiliar with. You left them to fend for themselves.

Weak at heart.

You're fighting to forget about it. About them. 

'You...'

Ani's eyebrow was left twitching as her leg kick sent the white-scaled Monster rolling on the ground.

She cracked her knuckles by bringing her fist to her cheek.

"What are you doing?"

The white-scaled Monster pushed itself off the ground.

'What am I doing?' Was he repeating the question internally or asking himself?

The Commander tore the lower portion of her outfit and wrapped it tightly around her wound.

The bleeding wasn't as bad now.

Ani spat on the ground.

"That Elf hiding somewhere again?"

A weak chuckle exited the white-scaled Monster's mouth.

'Guess not... Not with that piercing his eye...'

"I'll deal with you, then with her."

"I can't... Let you go that way."

"You think you can stop me?"

How long did it take before the words left Mark's mouth? He wasn't sure himself. A second? Ten? A minute? An eternity seemed to have passed.

"I'll stop you..." A weak smile appeared on his face as he stared at the ground in front of him. "Or die trying."

"What is this the Heroic Monster?" Ani sneered as she cracked her index finger using her thumb.

Mark let out a weak chuckle once more.

Weak at heart.

You think this would mean anything? You think dying here would change anything? You think dying for them has any meaning? None of these change what you've done. What you are.

"I killed him. Lin. And I Devoured him. I ate him. His flesh, his muscles, his bones... I ate all of it." Mark explained as veins started appearing all over Ani's body. 

"How did that feel? How did he taste, you sick fuck?"

"Sick fuck, huh?" Mark whispered as he raised his gaze up to the sky. "It is sick, isn't it? Ominous... Ominous... When was the last time I thought about that? Did I even really think about it at any time?"

"I don't have time for this shit. Pull that out, now."

"Pull... What out?"

"Your eye. I stopped the bleeding. So it's only fair."

Mark's eyes widened for a bit.

He realized why he had fought the way he had. Why he had lowered his arms before she had noticed him. Why he hadn't attacked right away. It made sense now.

"Right. Forgot about this." His hand wrapped around the Timeworn Elven Dagger. He slowly, slowly, pulled it out of his eye, which didn't fail to make Ani wince.

"Can't feel pain or something?"

"Pain... Is weakness leaving the body."

"Huh?"

The whole blade was pulled out, but the current amount of Mana Points he held was not enough to heal a thing.

Mark stared at the Timeworn Elven Dagger for a bit.

The next second, the piece of cloth, now with a hole through it, slowly unwrapped itself and started falling off.

The instant he noticed it, he moved to grab it as fast as he could. Before it could touch the ground, before it could fall any further, as if his life depended on it.

"What the fuck...?" Ani whispered to herself.

Mark stared at the piece of cloth and at the Timeworn Elven Dagger for a bit.

"Store... In my Inventory." 

The two disappeared from his hands.

"I'm not waiting for that to heal." The Commander proclaimed while pointing at his injured eye.

Mark smiled weakly and lowered his gaze to the ground.

I hated doing that-

What did you think of her-

So you liked her too, huh-

Even after telling her that he had Devoured Lin's carcass.

Even after he had killed someone she cared about. Someone she had traveled for. Someone she had fought for. Someone she had fought to avenge.

Even after fighting her.

Even after losing an arm.

Even after crossing such a distance through the night.

Your eye. I stopped the bleeding. So it's only fair-

"I'm not waiting any longer."

Mark raised his gaze to meet her.

A large smile on his face.

"Let's do it."

She was perfect.

The perfect Monster.

Kill or be killed.

If I lose Elisa and Krista, if I don't see them again, if I don't follow them, if I truly lost them...

If -kill or be killed- is all I have left, if I will end up killed by a Monster, then...

Don't talk to me. Don't make me think. Try to kill me. And I'll do my best to kill you-

Kill because we are too Monsters. Fight because both of us refused to run away. No other reason is necessary between Monsters-

Because I hurt you, because I hurt someone you cared about, because I killed him and took even his corpse for myself...

Kill because we are too Monsters. Fight because both of us refused to run away. No other reason is necessary between Monsters-

The smile on his face surprised her. Nevertheless, the two leaped towards one another.

If a Monster will kill me, if I will die fighting anyways, if I can't see them again, 

Punch-

Block-

Kick-

Dodge-

I wouldn't mind dying to you. Or rather, if a Monster is killing me, then I hope it's you.

Punch-

"What the fuck are you doing?"

Mark's eyebrow twitched.

"What... The fuck..." The veins covering Ani's neck thickened. "Do you think I'm here to let you down easy or something? START FIGHTING SERIOUSLY! YOU'RE THE ONE WHO KILLED HIM, AREN'T YOU??"

The white-scaled Monster scratched its nape.

Revenge. Struggle. Suffering. 

She didn't want him to die.

She wanted him to struggle. To feel pain.

Perhaps to break his shins. Perhaps to break his fingers and his wrist. Perhaps to dislocate his shoulder on one side, and tear his arm on the other. To gouge his eye and pierce his vocal cords.

"Mm." Mark nodded. "It's only fair, right?"