We Are A Family

Dread swept over the creature's being and gripped its heart. No, it wouldn't let that human become an Astral!

"Graaaaaaaagh!" A fist came crashing down with the might of a cannonball, and what followed a moment after was a splurge of thick viscous red liquid. A surreal sight, no doubt. The creature's c.h.e.s.t ached from pain, and it looked down to ascertain the injury.

A diagonal slash from a razor-sharp weapon. Its own blood poured out incessantly, a testament to that human's current strength.

"!" The creature turned around.

"Huff... huff..."

Klaus breathed in and out. A warm green light had enveloped his entire body. He opened his eyes and met the creature's gaze with his own and felt rejuvenated to some extent. How could this happen?

"This is the first stage of Succession—Strophe," said a soothing voice in Klaus's mind.

His eyes widened upon hearing it. He wouldn't mistake the voice for anyone else other than Viktoria herself. Before he slashed the Draugr, Viktoria had disappeared for some reason. Now, the girl was inside of him, metaphorically speaking.

Her fleeting voice cooled him and placated his belligerence. He looked down at his hands and noticed his injuries were healing by themselves, much to his disbelief.

"You defeated me, and thus, Succession is activated. The first stage—Strophe—heightens your physical abilities and grants healing ability."

"...Strophe? Hey—"

"Ah, you must be confused. Since you defeated me, I'm now a part of you. I live inside your consciousness from now onward."

She said these words like it was normal. Of course, after what Klaus had been through, the information Viktoria spilled didn't surprise him as much as he thought it would. Strophe, a stage of Succession that followed suit after Viktoria claimed her life.

The memory scrunched his face, and he shook his head violently. To win against that monster, Viktoria considered her life was but a price she had to pay. But it still bothered Klaus so much that he stood still for a few moments.

"Hey, Viktoria... You should have at least told me your plan. To me, you looked no different than a human. Your life is precious."

"..." Viktoria didn't say anything to retort.

"A Keeper or not, I despise that kind of act."

"...And I deemed you worthy of this power," said Viktoria at last. "I wouldn't do that if you're not ready, but I'm certain that was not the case. You've changed since the last time we met."

"Viktoria..."

"So, use this power I grant onto you to win this fight."

There were four stages of Succession. The first stage was Strophe, where the human would start transcending into an Astral, a superhuman fused with a Keeper he or she had defeated. The second stage was Ciacona. When the transcending human reached this stage, their senses became sharp, surpassing even that of an apex predator living on earth.

"Graaaaaaaaaghh!"

A cry of rage reverberated throughout the space Klaus was in, and it stood to reason that the Draugr was the source of it. The aberration's bloodshot eyes burned with contempt. How dare a lowly creature—a weakling at that---humiliate it like so?

The sheer audacity of him. Thinking about it boiled the creature's blood.

"Faust." Pure malice filled the creature's voice, and what came along with it was a surge of wicked aura threatening to drown Klaus in it.

There was no way around this. Klaus had to deliver the fatal blow before it was too late.

"Graaaaghhh!" Klaus responded to the Draugr's bellow with his own, his aqua blue eyes shone brightly as he entered the third stage of Succession.

A green light flashed and cut through the Draugr's skin like butter. Three more attacks of the same nature launched at it without missing a beat. It raised both arms to block them, but that maneuver did nothing to stop its flesh from being shredded. Warning bells didn't stop ringing inside the creature's heart.

"Grgghh!" Its Faust should be without any flaws, and yet it took this much damage from that human's sword? Then again, that weapon had indeed devoured its right arm, so this feat was neither miraculous nor superhuman.

A feat possible only because of the sword's ability—taking up a mass of living and non-living objects voraciously and using it against its master's foe.

"Urgh!"

The Draugr took a few steps back as a multitude of slashes struck its body from every side. That human was too fast! No, it could still overcome the boy!

Fist roared like a cannonball towards Klaus, and he was caught off guard by it. His senses were heightened to the point where he did see the attack coming, but he was too focused on going on the offensive that he couldn't put a brake to his actions at a moment's notice.

He took the attack head-on. The raw force fueled by the Draugr's undiluted d.e.s.i.r.e pulverized his torso in one go. Klaus felt he had passed out in a split second. That punch was akin to a speeding truck, which collided with him, the unlucky bystander.

"Grakhh!"

Klaus flew a dozen meter high up in the air. The Draugr jumped and brought its fist down to follow-up its previous counterattack. Klaus responded rather quickly.

He spun in mid-air and avoided death. His dagger shot towards the Draugr, the momentum it carried was enough to perforate the lump of flesh's stomach. That action could be interpreted as meaningless, at least from the Draugr's perspective. What sort of outcome the human hoped to achieve by riddling it full of holes?

It had no effect. The creature wouldn't perish—

Then, it met the boy's gaze. He gritted his teeth as he fell down to the floor, but his arm was behind his back for some reason. It was as if he was about to swing his—

"Graaagh!" A green light exploded, and a violent surge of pure energy blasted the Draugr's upper body, turning it into cinders in the blink of an eye.

"Argh!" Klaus could feel his bones creaking and internal organs screaming from being crushed when he landed. It was luck that saved him. Had he not dipped his soul into the Succession process, he would've been dead from the strike that launched him into the air.

A warm light enveloped his being, healing his injuries within seconds. Yes, he was grateful for Viktoria for saving his life repeatedly.

"Worry not. With me by your side, your composure will be that of a statue—firm and unyielding."

The way Viktoria worded her statement was unnerving. He understood that in his current state, he would always stay calm despite being clobbered by the aberration. Another merit that one could reap from the Succession process.

"..." Klaus watched on as the Draugr, who had its top half blown off, fell to the floor with a loud thud, causing fissures to form. He was wary of its corpse. Had his final strike sealed the deal for good?