Somewhere within the Spirit Realm

Through fragments of consciousness Kyle witnessed the darkness that oozed around him, he watched as his mask pulled itself off his face. He watched as it hovered facing down at him, before suddenly being worn by another.

Kyle glimpsed Yokai staring down at him with a cold smile “Ahh…Hands to grab…Claws to grip…Fangs to rend…A tongue to taste with~ Ohoho and eyes to watch it all! Thank you for this body, foolish fox. I’ll take good care of everything from now on…” before it warped into a wicked wide grin “So watch as I tear reality apart! As I devour all and everything!” it chuckled “You are lost and Behemoth is changed…I am now…” Briefly he took off the mask, revealing Kyle’s face ”Yokai.”

Kyle felt weak, too drained to stand up as he watched Yokai step away, clawing open a rift before stepping through. He tried to stand up, staggering as he approached the rift. “W-wait!” Pushing his body to its limits he surged into the rift…

Kyle’s body slammed into the rift like a dead fish slamming into a wall, collapsing onto the ground right after as the rift closed before him. “Ughh…What…the hell?...” he groaned. Again he tried to stand, managing to sit up before glancing around finding himself surrounded by jungle.

Shakily he stood up…before suddenly noticing something strange. His tails were grey, not white or black. Temporarily ignoring this he pushed himself to reach a tree to rest onto.

“What just…happened?” Kyle asked himself as he gazed in confusion at the space where the rift once lay.

“I’m afraid you will not like the answer to that question, Kyle.” Said Durin who suddenly appeared next to him, grabbing his arm and aiding Kyle in staying up.

“Durin? What the…what will I not like? The fuck was that?” Kyle asked in agitation, seeing Durin’s sorrowful expression and tone didn’t help either.

“Kyle…It seems that…” Durin seemed like he couldn’t find the words to say what he wanted to, glancing down at the ground before looking up and staring solemnly into Kyle’s blue eyes “You died Kyle, that thing stole your body.”

Kyle’s eyes widened as he moved to step away from Durin, suddenly the scenery around them changed. Kyle found himself falling onto his ass, now within the Howling Forest. He glanced around seemingly panicked, before turning to look back at Durin with a weak grin “This isn’t funny Durin, what…what happened to me!?”

Durin’s gaze dropped once more “You lowered the restraints of the contract you yourself put on that creature, Kyle. I don’t know why, but I might know how. The creature must have been feeding mana into your body, affecting your mind. The being you call Behemoth is the very first devourer, the very first Spirit and the very strongest in that state. When you make a contract with a Spirit you give it a door into your body. Behemoth used that door when you lowered your defenses, and kicked you out.”

Kyle stared up at him in disbelief, shaking his head from side to side slowly “No…No I…”

“There is no denying it Kyle.” Durin suddenly exclaimed “You’re dead, you’ve lost…” he took a deep breath “Accepting it is the first step towards moving on. I know this might feel sudden son but you must accept it, it is and was sudden for us all.” Durin sternly explained.

Kyle stood up shakily, his eyes wide as he grabbed his now brown hair with both hands “No…I can’t be dead! I…I was just getting started! I need to go! I cannot…I can’t…I…” his eyes swelled up as tears began to form “This can’t be happening…”

Physical Realm

Il’tel

Wyrm Depths, City of Iron Ice.

Lilior, still taking Kyle’s form, had embedded herself into the goliath of blue slime to hide from the clingy princess that watched on along with everyone else from the side as the Golem laid it’s massive hands over the bent metal wall and began to dissolve it. Slowly the metal dissolved into the slime, forming a hole through which Lilior could see three Tundra Elves stuck beneath the metal plate.

She willed the Golem to step back as several guards rushed to aid the civilians out from under the rubble. (“Gah…why must they be so useless? So weak!”) inwardly grumbled Lilior as she willed the Golem to walk off towards another group of waiting guards. Glancing back she saw Sion staring at ‘Kyle’ in awe (“Bleh, why must they be so stupid? So dense!”) she continued to grumble.

When suddenly the Golem stopped, frozen in mid-motion.

“Is something wrong?” Sion asked moments later as she approached the goliath, stepping to the front and glancing up at ‘Kyle’s’ face through the see-through goo. Only to see a horrified expression.

Lilior’s chest had suddenly grown cold (“S-something is wrong!”) she felt deep within that something was off (“Master! Master is in trouble!”) suddenly the Golem moved once more, it’s previous slow steps replaced with long leaps as Lilior willed the giant to its limits (“Must find midget! Must find Dwarf! Master! Kyle is in pain!”)

Spirit Realm

Crystal Kingdom of Kori

Minutes later

A rift tore open into the very centre of the city, out of it suddenly rushed out a small blue-haired fairy. She seemed in distress, glancing around and spinning about whilst fidgeting with her dress “Hurry! Hurry!” Lilior shouted at the Dwarf as he stepped out of the rift behind her.

“I’m coming damnit! My short legs allow me to move only so fast!” exclaimed Soren in annoyance.

“Then come this way.” Said Durin as he suddenly appeared before them, raising his hands before just as suddenly all three of them moved elsewhere.

Soren and Lilior glanced around, finding themselves in a large foggy forest, vines hanging down from the tree tops far up high were barely visible over their heads.

“I’ll leave him to you then, because he won’t another speak a word with me.” Durin sighed before disappearing.

Lilior immediately fluttered around, bursting from side to side with incredible speed as blue light flashed out of her wings “Master!” she exclaimed, spotting Kyle standing at the edge of a lake, gazing down at the water. She rushed towards him, gripping his left shoulder tightly as tears of happiness streamed down her face “Master is safe! Safe!”

But Kyle did not react, even as she smiled up at him he remained frozen, gazing down at the water. “Master?...”

“Yo Kyll, what’s up?” asked Soren as he approached them, standing to their right he followed Kyle’s gaze into the water. Seeing his friend’s hollow and swollen eyes, Soren immediately knew something was wrong. “Kyll?” Soren asked once more but again Kyle did not react “Oi!” Soren now exclaimed, elbowing him hard in the side.

Kyle gave no resistance, he fell to the side before even feeling the full brunt of it. Down onto his ass he now sat, he glanced at himself. Now covered in mud and water from the fall, he still said nothing. Only gazing down at his muddied hands.

“Leave Master alone stupid midget!” exclaimed Lilior as she appeared in Soren’s face, glaring at him angrily.

Soren’s eyes focused as he gently moved Lilior out of his face with his left hand. He had felt zero resistance from Kyle, not even a slight chill when his elbow hit “Kyll, what happened? You never called in on how it went.” Soren kneeled down before him, suddenly noticing what he couldn’t before due to the fog.

Kyle’s hair was brown, his ears and tails grey and his eyes a light blue yet none of their usual glow. “What…” Soren immediately inspected him, his eyes widening at what he saw.

{Spirit} Kyle Dean Soultail [Classless] ({Holder of the Frostfire}) Level 1

“Kyle how…What the hell?” Soren mumbled out as he rose back to his feet, surprised and confused.

“Funny isn’t it?” finally spoke Kyle, his hollow eyes glancing up at Soren “I thought I had it all under control, I thought…I’m sorry my friend…I failed.” Kyle pulled up his legs, hugging them close as he rested his face into them “It…It took my body, my power…”

“It?” Soren asked “What did?!”

Kyle chuckled emotionlessly “Behemoth…I was a fool, I thought I could…control it.” He clenched his hands onto his arms, his claws digging into his skin but no blood leaked out “But it was affecting me all along…pulling my strings…I was just puppet, as always just a puppet.”

“What the hell are you talking about man!? Stand up! We need to deal with this shit right now!” Soren exclaimed angrily “Come on! We need to tell the others!” Soren grabbed Kyle by the collar as he willed a burst of Spirit to shoot out of his hand, tearing a rift open before them.

Soren forced Kyle to his feet, an easy task with the difference in their level. He pushed him into the rift but…Kyle collided with it, as if having been pushed into a solid wall. Soren and Lilior only stared at him in disbelief as Kyle glanced back at them, his eyes red with tears.

“I can’t you fool, I’m dead. I have no physical body anymore!” Kyle exclaimed in annoyance, pushing away from the rift and turning towards them. His breathing was out of control, his expression rising with rage “It took it all! My levels! My titles! My classes! My skills and spells! My body and face!” he practically screamed at them, red-faced with fury as Frostfire burst alive all over his body.

Kyle’s gaze suddenly lost all emotion once more, as it fell down to the ground, as his clenched fists almost fell limp beside him “I’m just another dead man in the Spirit Realm…Chaoz’s last Spirit Beast…I’m sorry, I can’t help anymore…I’m sorry Durin, the people of Kori are extinct with my failure…I’m sorry…I can’t help with Chaoz anymore…”

Soren couldn’t believe his ears “So that’s it? After…” he grabbed Kyle by the collar once more, forcing him down to meet his bearded face “After everything!? You’re just going to give up!?”

But Kyle glanced away, unable to meet his eyes. Soren’s expression burned with anger as he suddenly pushed Kyle back, sending him toppling over once, twice and thrice before he landed tumbling onto the ground.

“Master!” exclaimed Lilior, snapped out of her confused daze she now rushed to her master’s side.

“Then stay here damnit!” Soren exclaimed furiously “I’ll tell them myself and we’ll clean up your damn mess ourselves!” he turned away, stepping through the rift alone before it closed behind him.

Kyle lay there in the mud, back to the ground as he gazed up at the hanging vines. Lilior sat on his chest, gazing down at him with worry “Master…”

“I’m sorry Lilior…My…Our adventure ends here it seems.” Kyle said softly as he raised his right arm to cover his own eyes, only covering himself in more mud as he clenched his hands and gritted his teeth “I messed up badly this time…didn’t I?” he asked, his voice choked.

Lilior said nothing more, not sure what to even respond with. She was too shocked, it was all happening too fast and she didn’t know how to even react. Cry in sadness? Scream in anger? She couldn’t even begin to fathom what Kyle felt.

Minutes passed by as they both just lay there, Kyle faced with his conflicting anger and depression.

“You were so close.” Said a voice as Kyle sensed a familiar presence next to him, briefly moving his arm he glimpsed Celica standing above him “And now here you are, faced with the same dilemma as before. And just as before, all you can think about is giving up?” she asked, sighing while staring down at him.

“What are you talking about? What are you even doing here?” Kyle asked as he looked away “I’m dead, I lost. Shouldn’t you be returning to the Spirit Realm back home?”

Celica smiled as she crouched down next to him “It seems like you’re the only one who has given up. Just as we speak your friends are preparing. And what I’m talking about is, exactly why are you sitting around here doing nothing but sulk? Boohoo you got played again, first by Void and now by Behemoth. Are you really such a sore loser Kyle?”

“Shut up…” Kyle mumbled out, almost in a whisper.

But Celica did not, only raising her voice as she continued “Void ruined your life as a child, took away your family, friends and loved one. This pain you feel now, isn’t it just the same as back then?”

“Shut up…”

“Behemoth took away your life as an adult, it will destroy your world, kill your friends and loved one. Yet all you can do, is lay around and sulk like a child.”

“Sh-SHUT UP!” Bellowed Kyle as he slammed his arm down into the mud, summoning forth a pillar of Frostfire that burst upwards. The fog, vines and branches parted as the pillar of white-blue flames rose up into the sky. Before slowly dissipating, leaving behind a chill that turned to snow. It slowly fell, spreading about all around them.

“You think… You think I didn’t try!?” Kyle exclaimed as tears finally gushed out “I thought it through but there is nothing I can do! I’m level 1 with no body! I’m stuck here in the Spirit Realm and it is out there! With all my power! All my strength!” he slammed his fist down into the mud once more, this time only raising a few blobs of cold wet earth “It is everything I was and more!”.

“You still have your Frostfire don’t you?” Celica solemnly pointed out.

Kyle turned to glare up at her “And you still have your fire, but what can you do?” he just as quickly glanced away, both in shame and annoyance “We’re just ghosts, incorporeal beings with no real power over the physical!...”

Celica opened her mouth to speak but no words came out, closing back up as she found nothing else she could say. She sighed, and glanced down at him. She could sense his anger, his sadness and sorrow. She could sense Kyle’s fury and regret.

But just as he said, there was nothing either of them could do now. But watch.

Ruk

Grand Fae City of Orion

Royal Palace

Within the very top of the palace, was one luxurious bedroom. One Night Elf and two Devils stood inside. Reyna watched over Liliana as the sickly Demi-Goddess slept, her skin pale, her long breaths grasping. It pained her to see Liliana like this, her body unable to contain the power of a deity’s soul.

“She’s getting worse…” whispered one Devil, she had short green hair and dark-brown skin. This was Merihem of the Greed legion, elder sister of the twins.

“She’ll get better.” Plainly stated Lilith as she clenched her scythe “She has to.”

The moments passed as they watched over her, the two Devils tasked with guarding Reyna as she insisted on staying nearby Liliana.

“So this.” Suddenly spoke a cold voice that enveloped them all in its chill, freezing Reyna and both Devils in terror. “Is the most powerful being on Chaoz?” asked a voice as a dark masked creature appeared out of the room’s shadows. “How…delicious.” He gazed down at Liliana, his black eyes gazing through his mask. “How…” he suddenly surged, now leaning over the bed as he caressed Liliana’s chin “Fragile.”

He surged back as a shining bright blade of light lunged through his previous position, wielding the blade was Reyna as she glared at him. She now stood between the creature and Liliana, wielding her silver blade and suddenly wearing a full suite of bright white plate-armour.

“Get away from her.” Reyna warned, as her aura enveloped Lilith and Merihem shaking the two Devils out of their daze.

He chuckled coldly “Get away? But then how am I supposed to eat her?” he asked with a wicked sneer.

“E-eat mistress?!” asked Merihem in confusion as she summoned forth a mage’s staff into her hands.

“Who are you!?” hissed Lilith as she twirled her massive weapon before her, ready to lunge at any moment.

The being giggled maniacally “Who? I’m free, that is what I am. Yet who? I have many titles but not one my real name…Hmm I’ve thought about it but I cannot come up with anything better…How infuriating!” he did not seem angry, if anything he looked amused “Oh well, guess we’ll stick with that one for the moment.” He shrugged…

And suddenly he appeared before Merihem “Call me Yokai.” his hand changing to a blue goo and morphing into long bladed claws which Yokai quickly stabbed into the Devil’s gut.

Merihem couldn’t even react as the claws dug into her body, petrified by fear as she gazed into the creature’s pitch-black eyes. Unable move as it spoke “Mhhmm! The sound! The feeling! Ohh how have I missed it!” exclaimed Yokai in pleasure, before suddenly black flames burst out of his claws and engulfed Merihem whole “But nothing compares! Nothing compares to this! Hahaha!” he laughed, as the Devil screamed in agony.

“You!” hissed Lilith as her scythe’s blade cleaved through Yokai’s waist, she watched in horror as the cut flesh changed to slime and melded back together. As if nothing had even happened.

Yokai’s head spun around, a whole 180 degrees as he sneered at Lilith “Oh please wait your turn! I’ll get to all of you don’t worry!” he then turned his whole body, slowly pulling his claw out of Merihem’s now limp body still aflame “There is no need for haste…I for one will enjoy every moment of this!”

Lilith moved to retreat away but was too slow, as out of Yokai’s body lunged out dozens of tentacles of blue slime. They pierced through her armour and body, riddling her with holes. She could only stare emptily at Yokai as blood bubbled up in her mouth and leaked through her awe-struck lips.

Yokai chuckled “I’ve always wondered…” as suddenly he willed the tentacles to move apart, Lilith screaming in agony as they pulled her skin, flesh and bones away from one another “What does a Devil look like on the inside!?” he exclaimed with a squeak, as his tentacles tore Lilith apart.

Reyna could only watch in absolute horror as the creature burned up and tore apart the two Devils, gazing in frozen fear at the pile of still burning ash and pulled apart corpse pooling blood on the floor.

(“It’s too fast…What…Too strong!...what can I?...”) Reyna trembled as she watched Yokai approach her, her heart was pounding so fast she thought it would burst. But as Yokai’s left hand passed over Reyna’s left cheek, she felt her heart stop cold at the sheer pressure which was brought down upon her. As Yokai’s aura fully focused on her.

“It’s your turn-”

“Step away from my chosen you vile abomination!” Yokai turned to the sudden bellowing voice, witnessing an awake Liliana as she raised both palms towards him “Orion Surge!” The entire room burst with blue light as out of her palms gushed out a ray of raw mana. The sudden attack blasted right through Yokai and the wall behind him, the concentration of mana surging out of the palace and onwards for a distance before slowly dissipating.

Liliana lowered her arms as she collapsed back into her bed, breathing heavily.

“L-Liliana!” exclaimed Reyna as she rushed to her side, grasping her hands “Are you alright?!”

“Idiot…” said Liliana as she glanced off at the window “It’s…getting away.” She weakly pointed at it.

Reyna follower her hand to barely catch a glimpse of the slime that oozed out of the shattered window, disappearing from sight.

Liliana pulled Reyna slightly to regain her attention shocked as she was “Alert…Asmo…” was all she could manage before passing out.