Chrysalis

Protectant, Guardiant, Shieldant, Defendant, Armourant and the others stood silently as the Eldest collected themself and settled to watch the three guardians fight. The purple sphere of mana had extended once again, crushing any weak monsters into the ground before they even had a chance to attack.

They felt… useless.

“Have you ever seen anything like that?” Guardiant asked, her pheromones unusually hushed. “I can’t even imagine being able to tip the balance in a fight like that.”

She spoke what each of them felt, deep in their hearts. Protectant had been speechless as the Eldest had battled against the titanic demon. The creature had been like something from a nightmare. Over thirty metres tall, it towered over them, wreathed in flame and ash, any one of its strikes would have ripped all twenty of them to pieces.

Even now, the aftershocks of that battle rattled the land around them. Stone continued to burn, or shatter. A significant area had been destabilised by the spells the Eldest had cast and parts crumbled down into the lava below, taking thousands of smaller demons into the fire.

The Eldest had warned them, many times, that they needed to evolve lest they become unable to perform their task. As a group, they had acknowledged the reality of this, but they hadn’t understood it fully.

Against a foe of that magnitude, they were worse than helpless. Even had they sacrificed themselves, all of them, it would not have swayed the battle in the slightest.

Shortly after their birth, the Council had tasked them with an important mission, critical to the future of the Colony. They had to ensure that the Eldest was kept safe, from all threats, even the Eldest themself.

As they were, it was impossible for them to complete their mission. Resolve hardened within each of them.

is not going to be enough,” Protectant said. “Not even close. Tier seven may not be enough. We have to level, mutate and evolve, as

were supposed to do?” Guardiant asked, scratching at her

shifted

exceeds that of the rest of us.

could anyone have predicted that things would come to

will operate in reduced shifts. Our primary responsibility will be to level and move toward perfect evolutions.

necessary for them to

~~~~~~~~

the ground shook, stone

fever dreams of a film director rather than something actually possible in

was overbearing in every possible way. Even standing close to the beast had singed him, despite his heat resistant demon skin. Of course, nothing matched up to Arconidem, but the Demon God was far away, whereas Torrifex had

Anthony had won. That mighty, seemingly invincible demon had retreated, actually retreated, after being fought off by an opponent he couldn’t outmatch

life and death, the former assassin had thought he had seen everything, done everything, but now, an all new world of possibility had opened up before him. If Anthony was able to defeat the three demons who still haunted his dreams, then he would