3 Rebirth.

The cocoon tore open at one side, revealing the figure of a crystalline skeleton sitting half-submerged in a pool of golden blood.

A skeletal hand rested on its bare chin, a smile of mockery could be felt on its face, even though no skin was present. A small black sphere was suspended within its chest cavity, which siphoned in the golden blood.

The flesh regenerated and mended at a pace visible to the naked eye. New skin formed on its diamond-shaped face and the rest of its muscular body until the whole pool of golden blood dried off.

Azure specks danced in its empty eye sockets and slowly moulded themselves into a set of eyes.

Its body seemed to be something sculpted by the very gods themselves as the world turned silent in reverence.

The cocoon sprinkled into drops of blood and dispersed in the wind when the figure walked out.

"Vincent!" Selena's eyes were ecstatic as she ran up to him.

Nathaniel stretched out his hand to her but stopped midway; his eyes were mired in dejection.

"Finally, a body which won't rot every time I go all out, " Vincent smiled in satisfaction and clenched his fist.

Boom! Air exploded within.

"Even though you told me before, I still got scared!" Selena embraced him tight. "Please! Don't do this ever again!"

"The gamble paid off," Vincent patted her head. "At worst, I would have just died."

"What would have happened to us!" she said.

"That old fool is too soft to hurt his own daughter," he turned to the small cocoon on the side. "Not to mention he became a grandfather now."

Countless limbs broke free from the small cocoon, and a long segmented body with an exoskeleton crawled out. Multiple azure eyes opened on its face with tentacles wriggling out from the sides. Fleshy wings pushed out and unfurled from its back. It raised its centipedal frame off the ground and gave an ear-shattering screech.

Then, moving its countless limbs in a rhythm, it ran around Vincent and Selena in a circle.

"Never knew I had a daughter this damn ugly," Vincent lamented.

It dropped its head, eyes revealing an expression as if being in the wrong. Then curling itself into a ball, it shed off its exoskeleton. Eventually, a puddle of blood accumulated underneath as the flesh moulded and rearranged itself to form a figure resembling a six-year-old girl.

"Give me that!" Selena walked up to Nathaniel and pulled on his cape.

"No! This one is something like a family heirloom," he protested.

"Oh? Here I thought you would do everything to make me happy," she teased.

"Alright!" he gritted his teeth.

Selena dashed towards the little girl, covered her with the cape and took her in the arms, "My little girl! How did you grow up so fast!"

Celeste looked up at her mother and mumbled out incoherent words.

"She is still a day old. Just get her inside the cave. I will handle everything from here on out," Vincent said.

"I shall escort them back," Nathaniel suggested.

"You really are considerate, Nathaniel," Vincent chuckled.

Nathaniel's body tensed up as he looked into his deep-set of azure eyes. Finally, he shook his head and led Selena and Celeste back inside the cave. The nearby soldiers did not interfere and retreated into the distance, leaving behind Vincent and Hertha in the desolate battlefield sewn with corpses.

"Hertha! Find me something to wear," Vincent commanded.

"Y..es," her face turned beet red at the sight of his naked body.

She returned with a relatively clean set of armour and leggings that she stripped from a headless corpse.

"Help me dress up," he said.

"Yes!" she replied with a cheer.

"Why are you this happy?"

"Nothing in particular," she smiled and strapped the armour on his body while her breath became ragged.

He put on the leggings halfway before being stopped by her.

“Wait, let me do it!" she said.

"Too late for that," Vincent flicked her forehead.

Stomp! Stomp! Stomp! Hulking men in full plates of golden armour set foot on the battlefield.

"The Golden Legions!" Hertha gasped.

Vincent tapped her cheeks, "Don't overthink. Just support me from behind, then it will all be fine."

"Bu--" she said.

"Shhh," he placed a finger on her lips and smiled.

The Legions shouted and stomped their feet in unison. The rune patterns around their armours revolved and beaconed with golden light until they resembled statues made of pure gold. Then, runes lit up one by one on their swords and halberds; they moved forward in a tight formation resembling the regiment of an army.

"Get ready," Vincent said.

Veins popped out around his arms; he stomped forth and threw out a punch. A lone golden legion broke off from the formation and threw out a punch to match his own.

Bam! The legion flew back and crashed with the others, breaking apart the formation like a domino.

"You did it, Vincent!" Hertha said, jumping in joy.

"Too early to celebrate, don't you think?" Vincent asked.

The legion slowly stood back up with the others; they stumbled back and forth before finally joining the ranks, mending the breach in their defence.

"I demand a duel!" Vincent strolled forward with open arms.

Another legion broke off from the formation with a greatsword in tow and made an overhead slash at him. Vincent made a hand chop at the side of the greatsword, shifting it away as it gouged deep into the ground. Then, he jumped into the inclined greatsword and delivered a solid kick at the legion's face.

Bang!!! The legion was tossed back within the formation, leaving the greatsword behind.

"Not bad," Vincent picked up the greatsword with his two hands. "Hertha! Do your thing!"

Hertha's black hair danced in the windless night. A vortex circled around her. She tapped her foot and hovered a meter above the ground. She stretched out and opened her palms; air orbited and condensed, forming blades shrouded in white mist.

Then the blades shot out of her palms, blending in and masking themselves within the air, before finally besieging the enemies.

Bang! Bang! Bang! She broke into a frown when the blades only bounced off their golden armours.

"Vincent! I can't break through their armour!" Hertha said.

"As expected of the elites of the Empire," Vincent said. "It won't be easy."

The unarmed legion rushed at him again. Vincent made a cleaving motion at the side; the greatsword hacked in slightly until it was stopped by the golden armour. The enemy clasped its arms around the blade and secured it tight.

Vincent released the greatsword, curled up his fist and threw an uppercut.

Crack! The helmet flew off, revealing the face of the aggressor.

"Kendall, so you finally decided to fight," Vincent said.

"Just give up," Kendall said.

Three more legions flanked him on all sides.

A faint smile curled upon Vincent’s face; the small black sphere within his chest lit up and revolved.

"Let's find the limits of this divine body," Vincent declared.