42 Chapter 42: Raiju

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Author's Note/Warning!

This is gonna seem like a long chapter since I will be adding the evolutions of a few of the 9 in here but only the first 1/2 or even 1/3 will have information not about what evolutions people will have the option of going into while the last small amount will tell you about the few who can evolve.

TLDR:

More about what they learned about evolutions from their experiments. Mordred short talk about the Raiju. We see his evolution choices. We see evolution choices for the others. We start talking about some who might evolve now and others who will wait to evolve.

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Mordred did not even have to open his status to know what his spirit animal was. He felt it in his bones the moment it was awakened.

Raiju! The thunder beast companions of the old god of thunder before he was said to be killed by his children in an uprising.

These creatures were said to be mighty and comparable to peak SSS existences with some even being said to breakthrough into the mythical X rank.

Mordred did not look at his status page but instead decided to open his evolution list. While he did plan on only evolving after he used the first 3 serums, he could only do it if the evolution did not have a large visual change.

Another thing learned from the experiments: Evolving, then evolving again would yield better evolutions.

Take a human for example again. When conducting the experiments, two of the humans were made to evolve into a goblin and wood elf respectively.

While each lost the chance to evolve into more diverse races, they had been given the chance to evolve into a higher level of a goblin or wood elf that surpassed the initial options of others who did not evolve even after taking all 3 serums.

The group realized that by using all the serums before evolving was stupid. They would miss out on the chance to gain powerful and unique evolutions.

So they decided to evolve 3 times. The first, after the first 3 serums. They had a much higher starting point than the other races so their first evolution was already going to be much more powerful than others who would evolve into C or B ranks.

The second would be after taking Esper to see if they could gain any rare variants or to see if it was even still possible. The final time would be after taking Titan since it was the best and provided the largest amount of points.

[

Mazoku Oni: SSS rank: The superior form of the Oni. Elites among the elites who have the power to compete for the position of the Demon Lords.

Body/Physical changes: Minor: Increased healing factor, facial markings

Innate Ability gained: Tier 1/9 Passive Skill: Heartless: User's heart no longer exists and therefore is no longer a weak point. Attacks through the heart are no longer fatal while blood will continue to flow on its own without the need of the heart. Immune to offensive based abilities.

Daiyokai: SSS rank: A true lord amongst all demons. Stands at the peak and is considered an alpha of their race.

Body/Physical changes: Minor: Increased healing factor, retractable, dark element claws, tail

Innate Ability gained: Tier 1/9 Passive Skill: Ruler: User stands above those in his race. Users can form a faction of demons loyal to him. Loyalty is undeniable and unbreakable. User is able to view the status of those under him

Beast Asura: SSS rank: Beings born and bred for combat and war. At their peak, they can even compare with gods in combat. The main weakness of asura is their pride and their berserk mentalities causing them to be their own worst enemies. Many Asura takes on the traits of beasts and uses them to enhance their own natural abilities

Body/Physical changes: Major: gain additional 2 faces, 4 arms, nasty tempers, blue hair, wolf ears, elongated nose, retractable claws

Innate Ability gained: Tier 1/9 Passive Skill: Thunder Rage: the user is usually calm even if they have a bad temper. However, when this skill is activated, the user enters a berserk state while covering their body in divine lighting. Stat boost of 500% for 1 hour but unable to leave the form until the time is up.

Storm Giant: SSS rank: Giants that have command over the very oceans and sky, leaving only the land for others to call safe. The smallest of them are 5 meters tall while the largest can be up to 20 meters tall. Known for their immense strength and power.

Body/Physical changes: Major: grow 5 meters in height while the rest of the body grows in proportion to match the height, almost impossible to use normal weapons besides polearms.

*Warning. Lose all previous race skills for new ones.*

Innate Ability: Tier 9 Passive Spell: Natural Water Magic: the user is able to manipulate the world's water itself to use for defense, offense, support, or whatever else their mind can think of. The amount that can be controlled at once is limited by the mind stat.

Innate Ability: Tier 9 Passive Spell: Natural Wind Magic: the user is able to manipulate the air and wind itself to use for defense, offense, support, or whatever else their mind can think of. The amount that can be controlled at once is limited by the mind stat.

Oni (Raiju Variant): SSS rank: An Oni with the bloodline of the Raiju flowing through his veins. Known for their fast speeds and immense strength. 'Move with the lightning and strike with thunder,' as the legends say.

Body/Physical changes: Minor: Increased healing factor, lightning tattoos that will become visible and glow when racial abilities are used, skin becomes dark blue in color, hair becomes silver, horns become dark blue at the base and electric blue at the top

Innate Ability gained: Tier 9 Active Skill: Raiju Form: Users can transform into a Raiju, a large silver and blue wolf with a lightning aura, similar to a Lycan or a False Dragon can transform into their other forms. Increase in stats by 250%, can manipulate natural wind element (lightning only), and can unleash sonic roars.

]

Mordred let out a whistle of appreciation. Asura had changed once again along with Giant while he had gained a new race that seemed very powerful as well.

'That's the one. That is what I will evolve into. This Raiju inside of me is telling me that this is the best one.'

Mordred decided then and there that he would evolve into the Raiju-Oni hybrid. It seemed like it was the weakest out of all of them in terms of raw abilities but it also seemed to have the most potential.

'All of the others seem like they have already reached their peak and will not have another powerful evolution after it.'

Mordred knew that he was taking a risk but felt like it was worth it. He looked around and noticed that Persephone was smiling while everyone else was taking their next Serum including Nyx who seemed like she had succeeded in taking the Magus and was ready already taking the Chimera.

"Got something interesting?" asked the Oni. The Witch returned a small and triumphant smile as her answer.

"Of course. I got a few that are interesting but this one is what I plan on going with since I can already see the potential.

The Magus serum gave my Light and Arcane elements a boost to the Divine level while the Chimera gave me a Firefox spirit animal.

Although it is not a very powerful creature, it did give me some nice abilities while also giving my Fire element a boost from Grand to Supreme.

Thanks to that, I got a great race to evolve into. Check this out."

[

Fox Miko: SSS rank: A woman natural gifted with a talent for magic and with distant bloodline traces to the legendary mystical fox yokai.

Body/Physical changes: None

Innate Ability gained: Tier 9 Active Skill: Purification: User is a Miko and should have the basic abilities of one. The user is able to use purification to kill/ heavily injure undead or spirits with attacks. May also be used on environments, buildings, or areas to create a natural barrier that weaker undead/spirits can not enter or pass.

]

Mordred could already see where the Persephone was planning on evolving after she shared with him her next race. It was a legendary race that has only had 3 recorded in all of history, with each one causing waves that changed the entire world.

Kitsune!

Mordred would have felt jealous before but after he got his Raiju, he no longer would care about something like that.

'Become a little fox. I will become a master of lightning and technology.

Even the strongest Kitsune was only known for being able to match gods. I will be able to assassinate an entire pantheon by myself.'

Mordred decided to share his evolution but Persephone did not seem too impressed which was understandable. Raiju were rare creatures who did not have much information or many stories about themselves written.

Only someone like Mordred who enjoyed collecting books on rare and unique creatures would be able to tell what it was off the top of his head.

The pair discussed other matters for the next few hours while they waited for everyone to finish all their serums before evolving.

They wanted to ensure that no one was left unprotected when they tried to evolve. Even if they were in the safe zone of the dungeon, there was nothing wrong with being cautious.

It took another 3 hours after Mordred and Persephone finished first before the last person, Hades was finished. It took Hades 4 tries before the Chimera serum fully worked on him.

It also seemed like everyone had unlocked a subtle evolution that fits with their personality as well or that they thought would lead to something much better down the line.

While they were still waiting on him, the more impatient members of the group, Kali, Satana, and Supay wanted to begin their evolutions.

So those 3 along with Nyx all evolved before the vampires, Niya, and Persephone evolved together.

The last to evolve together were Hades and Mordred since Mordred was not too impatient and wanted to study the others' evolutions.

Mania evolved into a rare vampire type called a Vetala while Bast became a Shinso.

[

Vetala: SSS rank: Vampires who have embraced the true form of darkness. Darkness is not evil but a necessary existence in the universe. These creatures live in and see through that very darkness.

Body/Physical changes: Eyes show magical circles when using [Eyes of Prophecy]

Innate Ability gained: Tier 9 Active Skill: Eyes of Prophecy: User can look into the future to determine the outcome of an event or consequences of an action. Must know what they wish to view in order to see it. Can only see up to 5 years in the future. Can only activate the ability 3 times per year.

Shinso: SSS rank: The strongest of vampires, also called the alphas or true vampires. They have all of the powers of a normal vampire enhanced to a higher level with none of the weaknesses.

Body/Physical changes: None

Innate Ability gained: Tier 9 Active Skill: Psuedo-Immortality: User is no longer truly mortal. They heal from light to moderate wounds instantly, severe wounds thousands of times faster, fatal wounds, lost limbs, and lost or damaged organs heal quickly. The only way to be killed is to be beheaded.

]

The two princesses got massive boosts from their new evolutions. Each became unique types of dragons even Mordred had only read the smallest amount of information about.

Each of them got a race that melded well with their elements and helped cover the weaknesses of their classes. Satana became a Tannin while Kali got the Juggernaut Dragon.

[

Tannin: SSS rank: Large dragon-serpent hybrids who rule the seas and the sky above them. These creatures are known for their large bodies, twin tails, and feathered wings.

Body/Physical changes: Humanoid form: None, Dragon Form: Loss of limbs, gain two tails, wings are feathered

Juggernaut Dragon: SSS rank: A species of dragon that is vicious and is a force to be reckoned with, as they are experts in combat and are incredibility strong by having powerful armor around them through natural means.

Body/Physical changes: Humanoid form: None, Dragon Form: Becomes bulkier, some scales seem to turn metallic, wings are now covered in heavy scales

Innate Ability gained: Tier 9 Active Skill: Invincibility: The user is able to become invincible to all damage against them for 5 seconds. Skill may be used 3 times per day. The skill does not stop residual effects that last outside the initial 5 seconds such as flames still burning or poison in the air. Skill only temporarily stops damage from attacks or effects already in effect for a period of 5 seconds and they will resume afterward if they are meant to.

]

The Supay and Nija had managed to evolve into races that suited their combat styles and personalities. Supay, the Mad Herald as he was nicknamed, evolved into a Zabaniyah while Niya became a Rakshasa.

[

Zabaniyah: SSS rank: An angel who has lived in Hel for too long and has been mutated by the environment that goes against their very nature. Originally those who were meant to watch over and control the demons of Hel, they instead became some of the demons' best weapons against their enemies.

Body/Physical changes: loss of wings and tail, gain illusory wings that may or may not be shown when the user wants

Innate Ability: Tier 9 Active Spell: Hellfire Prison: the user is able to create powerful cubes of magic that contain the properties of Hellfire. Those that try to touch the prison without the user's permission will receive severe burns that affect not only the body but also the mind and soul.

Rakshasa: SSS rank: A humanoid being or unrighteous spirit that are notorious for disturbing sacrifices, desecrating graves, harassing priests, and so on. Their fingernails are venomous, and they are shapechangers, illusionists, and magicians.

Body/Physical changes: retractable poisonous fingernails, gold snake-like eyes

Innate Ability gained: Tier 9 Active Skill: Shapeshift: The user is able to change their body shape into different forms. There is no limit to the form as long as the user can imagine. The user retains all their physical and magical abilities as they are no matter what they shapeshift into, ex: becoming a dragon will not grant them elemental breath, powerful scales, or great strength.

]

With all their current forms, even if they did not evolve again, they were forces to be reckoned with.

Each one of the demons became a being that others would fear or follow instinctively if their true races were revealed to them. Luckily, no one had obvious changes that others would suspect.

At most, some would think that Mordred just dyed his hair and horns while Supay had lost his wings and tail in an accident or simply kept them retracted at all times.

But the biggest change happened to none of the 9. It was instead Nyx who surprised Mordred the most.

Instead of the pale little girl that Mordred had grown used to, he instead saw an incredibly beautiful woman who looked as if she could kill armies. She was stunning in a fierce way.

Looking at her from top to bottom would take a person an instant to realize what made her different.

Her face looked normal but one could see the large black wings behind her that seemed as if they could carry not only her but 10 others in the strongest of storms.

Going down her naked body, one would see hands that seemed to be covered in armor-like talons up to her wrists. Going further down, they would also see her legs were similar, covered in talon armor from the foot to the knee.

Mordred walked over and passed his partner some shorts and a sleeveless shirt before rereading the evolution the former sylph had decided on.

[

Storm Harpy: SS rank: There are 4 common types of harpies. Beast Harpies are more bird than a person and are usually the grunt of a flock. Harpies are half beast and half woman and make up the stronger members of the flock. Superior Harpies who seem more like angels except with the wings of a predatory bird and lead entire flocks. But then there are the Storm Harpies. These Harpies are the ones who lead multiple flocks in wars against other races.

Innate Abilities gained:

Tier 9 Active Skill: Life Song: The user has the voice of a great angel. The voice can heal allies, lift curses, or reduce the negative effects affecting allies.

Gained from Storm Harpy Evolution

Tier 9 Active Skill: Death Song: The user has a lovely voice that can kill. Their voice can place curses on enemies, cause physical and mental damage, or even kill others if the difference in power is too great

Gained from Storm Harpy Evolution

Tier 7 Active Skill: Wind Blade Storm: The user is capable of firing a large number of powerful and sharp wind blades to cut apart their enemies.

Gained and morphed from Sylph

]

Mordred and Hades evolved last. Both entered their evolutions at the same time but Hades awoke from his first. He looked the same but gave off a very intense feeling.

[

Ifrit: SSS rank: Living embodiments of fire. While spirits can be said to be embodiments of elements, they can not reproduce naturally so most od not consider them living. This is not the case for an Ifrit. These are powerful demons who have merged the fire element with their very cores.

Body/Physical changes: Can set eyes ablaze if they wish to, can reveal glowing tattoos on their body that show their closeness with the fire element.

Innate Ability gained: Tier 9 Passive Skill: Flame Embodiment: Most others can simply control the elements but still become damaged by them. The user is the opposite. While they may not have full mastery and control of the fire element, they can no longer be harmed by pure fire element abilities

]

Mordred took a short while longer to awaken but when he did, lightning shot off from his body and burned several of the branches near him while almost striking Mania with one of them.

This was not Mordred revealing in his new power but simply it is unable to be contained immediately.

Mordred however realized what was going on and brought all the lightning back inside of him.

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