God Ash: Remnants of the fallen.

In fact, most of his battles were chaotic dances of fangs, claws and weaponry. There was not much strategy involved with killing a giant, ten feet tall abomination.

Rather, survival, victory... usually depended heavily on who could hit the hardest, who was faster, or who could take more hits without dying.

Sometimes, it was based on numbers too...

Today, the world seemed to zone him out as he stared at the slithering abomination before him.

The {Stone-Blood Hydra Collosus} had come to resemble something closer to an eldritch god than a regular Aether Beasts.

Hundreds of serpentine heads gaping at the sky, seeking to devour all. It was a terrifying sight indeed.

At this point, words couldn't be said, because words weren't necessary. There was no need for them here.

In a battle of life and death, there was no need to exchange words, no need for complicated maneuvers.

Killing, the definition of simplicity at its finest.

A heavy breath escaped from Cain's lungs as he but a feet forward.

The next moment, the sandy ground beneath him seemed to rise by a few inches.

The dunes of sand behind him were displaced as he turned into a beam of light.

The {Stone-Blood Hydra Collosus}, having attained this monstrous form, seemed unable to hold its inhibitions back anymore.

The eyes on its many heads were filled to the brim with bloodlust as they dove for him.

To Cain, the entire world seemed to be moving in slow motion.

The many heads of the Hydra, even his thoughts...

Everything...

He watched as they slowly made their way towards him, saliva and rage spewing forth from their maws.

'Red Shift.'

He activated {Red Shif}, dodging the first one.

Then the second...

Then the tenth...

Before long, he had turned into a bolt of red lightning, zipping across the creature's body, his own form now a vague shadow.

"Incredible..." Luke murmured to himself.

Hunter nodded, "He is indeed incredible."

He turn d to the rest, "You all know what to do."

Lukas scoffed before dashing forward.

Mumbling a chant under his breath, he turned into a streak of light, dashing for the Hydra.

The rest were quick to follow suit.

The other heads of the Hydra quickly noticed them and were quick to close in on them as well.

Jumping above a head, Manny ran along its long neck, he stared at the creature's main body,

"Damn. This thing got bigger didn't it..." He muttered to himself.

The Hydra head coiled around itself, its jaws snapping at his heels. Two other heads aimed for him, planning to crush him from both sides.

Dodging them all, he continued onwards towards the main body of the Hydra.

Floki charged at the main body of the Hydra as well, hiding behind his shield each time he was attacked. His shield was unrelenting, and unbreakable.

Hunter and the rest encircled the Hydra from both sides.

Hunter's face was cold and calm. He quickly remembered the plan Cain had to defeat the Hydra.

He sighed internally. He couldn't say he was confident in the plan. If it didn't work, then all their lives would be forfeit immediately. There would be no other outcome but death.

'If it comes to that...' He thought to himself. His eyes became cold.

He dropped to all fours, his speed increases.

Lukas was practically gliding on the ground. He was fast. Faster than the Hydra could follow.

As such, the beast payed him just as much attention as Cain. Afterall, it has more than enough heads to go around.

The heads dove into the ground, swimming through the sand. Lukas moved even faster.

As they all approached the main body of the Hydra, they noticed something.

Around each neck belonging to each head of the Hydra, was a golden chain attached to it.

They were all like the golden threads of fate, dangling in the air.

While he was ducking and weaving through all the attacks of the Hydra, Cain had been attaching these chains to each one.

They were meant to serve one purpose.

As they neared the body, the heads chasing them also had chains magically appear around their necks. These chains were all linked to one another, and these links all ended in six ends meant for the six of them.

In a world like this, brute force was king.

The only way to suppress a catastrophe was to kill it. To cut its head off with a sword or stab its heart with a spear.

With a jump, Hunter reached and with his huge beastly hands, grabbed onto one of the chains, pulling it taut.

The Hydra head tried to scream, but Hunter pulled even harder.

Manny sheathed his blades as well, grabbing onto a chain as well and pulling hard.

The Hydra he was running across jerked back, its neck now tightly held by the chain.

The purpose of these chains was simply to bind all the heads of the Hydra.

Once all six chains were held, all the heads of the Hydra would be completely bound. All that would be left, would be to sever them with a single stroke.

However, the Hydra, for what it was worth, was a rather stubborn beast. It would sit there and wait for its execution.

It would struggle, and bleed even, just to it could live.

A piercing wail pierced through the sky.

Within this sound was endless struggle and chaos.

Hunter gritted his teeth,

"What the hell!"

Lukas struggled to hold onto the chain in his hands growled,

"It's trying to drag us all under!"

Floki stabbed his shield I to the ground and grabbed onto a chain as well,

"Then pull!"

Rollo got his hands on a chain as well, dragging with all his might.

The same went for Luke as well.

They all pulled with all their might.

The heads of the Hydra were pulled towards one another.

Under the strain of so many fleshy heads, the chains were beginning to creak and groan.

It was only a matter of time before they all snapped.

"Cain!" Hunter called out.

The red flash of lightning that Cain had become spared into the sandstone swelling in the sky.

It was hot and cold at the same time.

The world seemed to be filled with only red.

However, that would change soon enough.

Cain gripped down onto his weapon hard.

Right now, he could barely feel its weight.

He had become strong. Stronger than he ever thought he would become. However, the burdens he had to bear were also heavier.

.

He had to cut more than a thousand heads off at once.

The {Stone-Blood Hydra Collosus} was a mighty beast. Cain didn't think he woul have been able to handle it on his own.

He was lucky enough to have comrades he could share this burden with.

The blade in his hands exploded into a pillar of black flames, snakes of crimson lightning wrapping around it.

The {Black Dragon of Crimson Sky} was the name.of his evolved sword technique.

It signified what his blade was.

A sword of darkness that cut through, staining the world in blood.

There was no liberation in his sword. Only judgment and death.

Demon Matter flowed through his body. His already inhuman form seemed to turn even more Demon-like.

His frame enlarged. Scales appeared on his body, and horns jutted out of his temples. Wings seemed to spread out from his back, a strange rune appearing on his forehead, and for a moment, the sky was dyed crimson.

The illusory form of a dragon of darkness appeared in the sky, its maw filled with horror and death.

The many heads of the Hydra stared up at the dragon in the sky.

Both entities seemed to peer deep into their souls.

Then they lunged at each other...

The {Scale of the Abyssal Flame} reached its limit. Under the strain of such power, there was no way it could last long.

However, it was enough. More than enough, in fact, for only last slash.

A roar that came from his soul as he swung his sword down.

The dragon in the sky plunged down, and the {Stone-Blood Hydra Collosus} snapped up, its many heads intending on tearing the dragon to shreds.

But the dragon didn't truly exist.

It was merely an illusion created by the manifestation of raw power Cain had released.

The rule of the world was so.

Fist against fist.

The one with the stronger fist would be the winner.

There was no space, there was no opportunity for wits, or intelligence in the face of pure, unadulterated violence and unholy madness...

The black blade crashed into the heads of the Hydra, turning it all into blood paste and debris.

A crater was formed in the sand as the force from the explosion spread in all directions.

The blade of the {Scale of the Abyssal Flame} including Cain's hands disintegrated into bloody dust, the force sending him into the sky.

All the heads bound by the chains were destroyed.

Cain heaved a sigh of relief.

Suddenly, he saw something worm its way out of the sand.

His eyes widened in horror.

It was a head of the Hydra, its serpentine eyes filled with mirth staring right at him.

Despair immediately clouded his soul.

To think the snake would have the foresight of hiding one of its head in the sand beforehand.

With this, every single one of the heads would grow right back, with more.

So many would be too much to handle. They were done for.

BANG!

Cain heard a loud gunshot sound reverberate through the air.

The last head of the Hydra was turned into bloody paste.

{Congratulations to Host... You have slain the Tier 1, Deadly Grade Aether Beasts, Stone-Blood Hydra Collosus}.