Born in Blood



Shard of Earth looked bestial.

His breathing looked unstable and steamy, exhaled through clenched teeth. His nose was cracked to the side, one of his eyes reduced to a narrow slit.

As serious as the situation was, Liam hid a smile at how badly he damaged a Zenith.

But didn't want to piss the many any further than he did. At the same time, he felt a restriction around his abilities, while being glued to the ground.

It was like his prowess had been steered entirely to a defensive mode. Liam couldn't attack with his offensive abilities, but he could use them to guard himself.

And that's what Liam did. 

Transfiguration acted quickly. 

Liam's bones split off and spread to the outer layer of his skin, while his muscles squeezed in the gaps and weaved together with them. 

In short, he was reversing the positions of his bones and muscles!

At the same time, he began a semi-transformation. 

With his structure changed so dramatically, he couldn't make a proper transformation, but his skin could. 

This combination undoubtedly allowed Liam to absorb the attack rather than bluntly suffer significant damage.

Meanwhile, Shard of Earth heaved a long, steamy breath. As his anger dimmed, it was replaced by an insatiable urge to murder his opponent.

Vibrating ripples bounced off of the Shard. Pieces of earth circulated around his figure like a violent asteroid belt. 

There was no exaggeration on his size, but to Liam's eyes, the man's aura burst wildly like a surging stream.

Liam was no stranger to pain. 

Now, it was his life he was worried about.

Shard of Earth prepared his attack. 

All the little asteroids merged and condensed together around his fist. 

It had turned into some funny looking boxer's glove, but it looked unstable and volatile.

'...It's gonna explode on impact, isn't it,' Liam scowled deeply, but clenched his teeth and strengthened his body even further.

The knightly armor still guarded his body, with the chestplate growing thicker and stronger.

Shard of Earth crouched slightly, his gloved hand cocked to the side. 

It was comi—

It struck him deadcenter, sending him flying. 

For a moment, he felt like his vision had flipped upside down, as though he'd been shoved inside a washing machine as it swirled violently.

Well, that's what was happening.

Liam had been blown away like a ragdoll.

There was a disconnect between his muscles and bones. Like they'd gone numb and pretty much died.

Most of the pain stemmed from the center of his chest. 

The hardened, blood-made chestplate shattered like glass under the man's force, plunging deeper into his chest and breaking a few of his ribs in the process.

Liam's lungs were instantly vacuumed of their air, while his heart suddenly stopped beating. 

Had Liam not used his Transfiguration in time, it would have instantly been crushed by the sheer force alone.

Eventually, he crashed onto the ground.

A pang of pain shot through his nerves and made him groan in pain as he continued tumbling and rolling.

Liam felt like something was horribly wrong with his body.

He stumbled for a few minutes before coming to a slow stop.

Liam spent two minutes straight steadying his consciousness and breathing.

If his lights went out, he'd lose.

And Liam would not have that. 

Coughing a mouthful of blood, Liam painfully sat up.

He creaked his neck below.

His stomach had a fist-sized hole in it, spurting with blood and grime.

Well… that was not good.

In fact, it was pretty bad.

Liam coughed up another mouthful of red.

His chest convulsed wildly.

Anyone else would have died as soon as the punch connected.

But Liam was still alive… if not swaying a little towards death.

Slowly, though, the wound was healing.

The hole was getting patched up with layers and layers of flesh, reforming in real time.

Shard of Earth watched incredulously.

Not even he regenerated that fast, and he was a Zenith!

Starting with one foot, Liam stood up.

Followed by the second foot.

Liam growled in pain, but he took it on. He accepted it with open arms.

Then he fixed his gaze to the Shard.

As the wound healed, Liam would lose all the strength in his body.

All of his Blood was rapidly being siphoned to heal his wounds, after all.

When that happened, he'd lose consciousness and lose.

If that happened, Liam might as well kill himself.

'One last attack.'

Liam's Chaos Pearl surged with energy and shot through his aching muscles. Power returned to him, and the gruesome wound in his stomach stopped bleeding.

Shard of Earth was horrified. His eyes were as wide as they could be at Liam's sight. 

The six arms, the gauntlets, the etchings on aurate skin.

…The pure wrath.

It wasn't forced, either.

As soon as Liam transformed, he wanted to rip and tear the Shard apart. Both his pride and anger as an Ashura started to surge like a wildfire, and it showed on his face.

Letting out a guttural growl, chaos burst on Liam's right hand. It churned loudly, screeching as it grew and grew. 

By now, the Shard's anger melted away, replaced by panic and fear.

He needed to live!

He needed to tell the others the reality of what this demon was!

The Cursed by All!

…But the restrictions held him still.

And he couldn't even admit defeat.

He was caged inside the lion's den, and there was nobody to save his poor soul.

Liam put his heart and soul into his fist.

Everything.

Nothing was spared.

Liam stopped thinking. His primordial instincts took over him and his body acted on its own. 

At times, human beings enter a state of flow, where all their actions and thoughts are in harmony with one another.

It rarely occurred, but when it did, one could find that their most arduous actions become mundane and easy.

As of now… Liam had entered that flow. 

His Blood Shadow and Transfiguration – which usually didn't work with the Ashura Form – transformed and wrapped around his fist.

Liam let out a misty breath, and by the end of the exhale, he… disappeared.

The punch struck the side of the Shard's head instantly.

His skull caved in like a hammer to an egg.

Right after, his brain was ravaged as chaos dug its way through his mind.

Shard of Earth's head… well, it no longer resembled a head, but a popped flesh-balloon filled with viscous liquids.