The hole in the wall led to a section completely different, but still the same at its core. Pillars that took the form of spines ran from the ground to the roof, the walls coated in veins and bones--it was repulsive all the same.

"This all feels like a fever dream."

"If only it was something we could just wake up from, huh?"

I knew it from the random encounters with monsters up until now, but he's strong. That Butcher guy honestly instilled some real fear into me...I'm not sure what would've happened if I was alone, but he handled it almost like it was easy, Macheo thought.

It was a thought plaguing his mind now as he looked at Ren in a slightly new light.

Walking cautiously through the quiet, organic domain, a sudden tremor unleashed itself, coming from beyond the large, open door at the end of the chamber of bones.

"Was that…?"

"It's them! I know that mana signature! Come on!"

Without any caution or second thoughts, Ren grabbed Macheo's arm before pulling him forth at a speed he wasn't prepared for.

"...Wait, wait, wait!"

Dashing forward, the agility which Ren brought them both through was enough for the boy to feel his cheeks become numb, being pulled forward blindly until they came to a sudden halt. It was directly beyond the darkness veiling that which stood behind the enormous door. The four companions they had been separated from, however, something else was there with them. In fact, they were amidst a combat of their own--fighting a harrowing beast resembling the form of a dragon, molded together by the repugnant, familiar patchwork style of flesh.

"Iris!"

Calling out happily despite the presence of the enormous beast ravaging the large hall, Ren smiled brightly.

"Wha--? Ren?! Macheo?"

Iris stopped after flinging a blade of light against the flesh dragon's hide, her eyes widening with disbelief at the familiar sight of white, snowy hair.

"In the flesh!"

Filled with unstoppable determination upon finding her once more, Ren released his hold on Macheo's arm, who stumbled forward dizzily.

Removing Belus from its sheath, the radiant sharpness felt as if it could cut through anything in this moment.

All of it. Those dark, dull feelings inside my heart--they disappear the moment I see you, Iris, he thought.

"Give me a boost!"

Calling out without hesitation to run forward, Ren sprinted as platforms carried him into the air by the merit of Macheo's compliance.

"Stop bossing me around! I've got you covered without you telling me what to do!"

"Yeah, yeah!"

Feeling like a million dollars, Ren leaped freely with full trust in his blonde, sharp-tongued companion as platforms manifested beneath his soles, bouncing from spot to spot within the air, occupying it alongside the enormous beast of stitched-together flesh.

"Watch out! It uses blood breath!"

Calling out from below, Aiko's warning came just in time as Ren launched himself from the midair platform before a crimson beam propelled itself towards the spot which he once stood. Instantly, the platform was reduced to nothing but particles under the acidic aspect of the blood breath.

"Breath?! That's more like blood vomit!"

"Sorry I didn't come up with an adequate name for you, mister nitpick!"

"Oh, spicy today, are we?"

Inhabiting a new frivolity, Ren landed beside Aiko, flipping his blade between his fingers as he watched Hongse send a massive swing of his hammer into the meat dragon's kneecap, blowing it into smithereens.

Closing his eyes for a moment, once he parted his eyelids once more--it felt like he had washed away all of the stress clinging to his shoulders.

Man, I'm feeling elated right about now. Honestly, it's kind of weird. I don't feel like myself--I feel so damn good, Ren smiled.

"Uh, Ren?"

"Yeah?"

Turning to look down at Aiko, she had a curious, confused look in her amethyst irises--the same expression amplifying as his eyes met with hers.

"What's up with your eyes?..."

Running his digit around his eyebrow, he casually repelled the incoming swipe of the fleshy, patchwork dragon's paw with a smooth roundhouse kick, turning his attention back to the girl. The force from the simple kick was as if a cannon had just blown against the beast's arm, sending its claws blowing off into chunks of scattered meat, raining down upon the ivory chamber.

The exhibited power sent Aiko into further confusion, feeling the shock wave generated from the kick ignite a tremor within the ground.

"What's wrong with them?"

"They're...golden. And shapes like wheels."

Hearing this, he felt everything freeze for a moment before a smile began to naturally take place across his lips, running his fingers through his snowy locks as his heart began throbbing with such excitement he feared it might explode if he didn't move.

"Ah...I see. That explains it."

So, that's how it is, huh? Just coming and going whenever you please, what a troublesome ability...Still, I'm glad, Ren smiled.

"...Explains what?"

"I'm enlightened."

It was as if recognizing it fully awakened it; feeling a weightless sensation run over his body before a warmth followed, a strength not previously known flowing through his veins with a readied heat.

"Manjushri."

Calmly uttering the word, his held blade became engulfed in a majestic flame. Though Aiko stood close to the vibrant fire, only a gentle warmth was felt against her skin as she watched, bewitched by the new sight before her.

I'm in control this time. I can do it. I can take this power for my own. It's mine. Mine! Ren thought.

The illuminating flame that engulfed the chamber in its golden radiance drew the attention of the lifeless, dragon-shaped pile of meat towards him.

"...Ren? What's going on? Are you alright?..."

"Better than ever. Just watch me."

It's flickering; this power isn't going to last long. Unfortunate, but it's a miracle it even came to be right now, he thought.

As he reared his sword-wielding arm back, the flame intensified even further as a tremendous wind generated around his form.

"Swing and turn the defiled to ash, Manjushri."

Silently whispering these words, swinging the blade enchanted by his own mysticism forward unleashed a massive, daunting wave of energy that directly found itself pressing against the lumbering beast, pushing it back against the wall as the tangible inferno of retribution held it tightly.

"Hot! Hot! Hot!"

Standing near the point of impact, the warrior panda retreated, sprinting without any elegance as the warmth brushing against its rear propelled it forward.

"Get over here, idiot!"

Lending a hand to her companion, Valerie assisted Hongse in getting to a safe distance, managing to lift the round, dense demi-human and place him near Iris, who was watching Ren with eyes full of questions.

"Ren...Is this your ability?"

He wasn't lying...It really is something transformative. This heat, the confidence radiating from him, it almost feels like a different person that I'm looking at, Iris thought.

Whispering to herself, the smile she saw plastered across his lips was more worrying than assuring. The initial strike managed to gravely injure the put-together dragon, leaving it stumbling and groggy as its body of combined flesh began to dissolve under the damage. Its acidic blood seeped out from its pores and torn open sections, leaving a puddle of the steaming liquid of crimson beneath its step.

"Grahhhh--!"

A massive, harrowing roar unleashed from its barely stitched together maw, directing its booming yell towards the white-haired, golden-eyed young man.

"Did I make you mad? Sorry, but not all are born equal. That's just how it is; I'm too strong--way too strong for you."

Hearing the toxic confidence spewed from the radiant, light-infused man's lips, Aiko still found herself confused by the sight; she questioned if who was standing beside her was the man who saved her.

"Hey, take a few steps back. I'm going to put this thing down right now."

Issuing a warning to the girl beside him, Ren's exuberant irises slowly turned, the wheels spinning themselves slowly but surely. It was a gaze of divinity, one that didn't leave room for her to argue as she found herself stepping back.

Giving the beige-haired Akitein girl a smile, Ren turned back to face the franken-dragon as the pure flames continued to coil the length of his blade.

"I don't know whether or not I respect or despise this about beasts like you. Fighting on-- even against overwhelming strength--it's either brave or stupid, I can't decide which. Either way, this is the end of the line for you."

Going for an underhand swing, the blade seamlessly cut into the ground beneath as if there was no resistance beneath its reach, carrying with it the heavy, suffocating weight of the divine flames of judgment.

Burn away.

The reach of his blade was nowhere close to the form of the towering flesh-dragon, yet its sharpness reached it all the same as the heat coated the spatial rend, bisecting it straight down the middle before it exploded into a mass of the divine flames.

He mentioned it a bit to me, but this is way different than what I had in mind. Where the hell was this? Macheo thought.