A New Form

The battle was going about as well as it could when the monster rex was up against the Loki Familia. But nevertheless, it was still a boss monster and the Loki Familia now was much smaller and weaker than their canon counterparts. So even though the Familia had three level fives in it, the monster rex was still able to put up a lot of resistance especially when it was in its own element.

A group of terrified adventurers threw their weapons and jumped off their ice platforms as one of the dragon's head surfaced beneath them, intending to swallow them whole. The head broke the surface, chomping down on the ice it had caught hoping to taste the blood of adventurers but found none to its disappointment.

The Loki Familia turned their heads to a booming sound as they watched a dark blur fly straight towards the head that had broke surface. The blur they had come to know as Lyze, whom they were extremely grateful for as he divebombed the head and a large shockwave burst out from the point of impact as the head jerked backwards and slammed itself against the rock.

Lyze cursed as Excalibur failed to cut the monster's throat open. He'd been hoping to cut off the head that blew the mist because it caused too much trouble for the magic users. But the scales of the monster rex were extremely hard and he did not have the strength to cut right through them, no matter how sharp his sword was.

He flew under the other head and rose up in the air as he hovered over its backs. It was not like they hadn't done any damage at all. Gareth alone had dislodged so many scales with his axe and had made so many deep slash wounds in its body. But it was hard to hit its vital spots since you would have to go for its belly and to do that, you needed to dive into water that was infested with more monsters.

"I don't get it!" Lyze muttered as he came to rest on the rooftop and hung upside down like a bat, watching his Familia attack in yet another wave as Amphisbaena dived beneath the water again. "How was Ouka able to slice its head off? He was just a level 2...Was it just because of Welf's axe? Or is it something else?"

Lyze saw Finn descend upon the monster rex trying to run it through with his Fortia but the monster rex flicked out with his tail, clipping the Pallum and sending him straight towards the ceiling. To prevent his captain being splattered against the branches, Lyze flew over and caught Finn by his spear. The Pallum's body came to a stop as he hung suspended over the basin.

"Good catch Lyze." Finn praised before looking back at their foe. "I don't understand it though. It's awfully aggressive this time around."

"You mean things aren't this bad when you usually fight it?"

"No. As a matter of fact, the monsters as a whole seem to be so much angrier, more frantic and more difficult to kill. Let's not forget the sheer amount of them that have spawned so far. Why is this dive so different?"

That information did not sit well with Lyze. The fact that these anomalous difficulties Finn spoke of coincided with it being Lyze's first ever expedition into the dungeon did not seem so much of a coincidence. And considering how many times Lyze had outright challenged the Dungeon itself and overcome the trials...even he would be pissed too. 

But he had secret weapons too...

"Perhaps it's time." Lyze said to himself.

"Time for what?" Finn asked with a raised brow. "Are you going to let me down soon or what?"

"I'll let you down." Lyze promised. "But can you do something for me captain?"

"What?"

"Can you ask the rest to retreat back to shore?"

Finn gave him a funny look. "You intend to face this thing alone? Are you certain of victory by yourself when together, it has taken us this long and it still has not expired."

They were interrupted by another shout from Riveria as she and her mages let loose another barrage of magic onto the side of the monster where no adventurers were located, but the left head came around and breathed its mist again, dispelling the magic with its red mist.

"THAT is the reason why I ask to face it alone. Riveria and her team can't completely get their spells past the dragon's defence...but I have a power that can. I need you to trust me captain...please?"

Finn stared at him for a few moments before sighing.

"You have one chance. Make full use of it because if you don't, I'm pulling all of YOU back and Gareth and I will cut loose."

"I won't let you down." Lyze said before he gave Finn a cheeky smile. "Oh wait, yes I will."

Lyze let go of Finn's spear, allowing the Pallum to free fall to the oblivious monster's back. The Pallum just shook his head fondly before he landed softly on his feet, and run up Amphisbaena's back. The right head reared back, ready to bathe a few adventurers in its blue flames but Finn took aim and flung his spear in its direction. Fortia made contact with the crystal horns and and knocked the head to the side as the flames were blown into the water, roasting the monsters inside.

"Retreat!" Finn ordered. "Back to the shore. Keep clear of the water!"

"Aye!" They all called back. Those who still had ground either fished their comrades out of the water or started heading back as Finn ran up the neck of the left head, drawing the attention of the right head as it shook itself of the its disorientated state and caught sight of the Pallum running up its other neck. The right head lunged at the neck of the left but the nimble little Pallum slipped through its jaws as its teeth sunk into its other neck.

Both heads snapped their jaws open as they roared in pain, and Finn used that moment where it opened its mouth to vault off the snout and into the air, not worrying for himself. Not as Lyze caught him by the arms and flew him to shore even as Amphisbaena swiped at them. Finn dropped down on his feet and watched as the last of the Loki Familia made their way off the water.

"Well? What now?" Finn asked.

Lyze cocked his head and held a hand out at the basin, focusing with his telekinetic powers as the water rippled a bit before Fortia came shooting out of there, into Lyze's hand. Finn gave him an impressed nod and took back the offered spear.

"You'll see." Lyze said. "You've already seen my Dark Side. Now, it's time you saw something else."

"Don't do anything reckless Lyze." Riveria warned him.

"Of course not." Lyze said exasperatedly before he rose in the air and turned to face the monster rex, which had now regained composure and looked at the crowd surrounding the edge of the water bath, focusing on the hovering boy. "First we slow it down." Lyze said as he stuck both palms out.

Two streams of lightning hit the water and the basin was filled with arcs of energy as Amphisbaena screamed, feeling its muscles spasming and seizing for a moment. As well as that, all the aquatic monsters that dwelt under the shadow of the monster rex died as their brains were fried, and their carcasses floated to the surface.

"And now for the main event." Lyze said as he completely relaxed his body, focusing his mind as he let go of any dark emotions broiling inside him.

Within his soul, the Darkness of Chaos was pushed back from entering his body anymore and was quashed by the rapid increase of Light entering its vessel. The Loki Familia watched as motes of golden and white light, like snowflakes of warm, pure magic began to form around him. Slowly, more and more formed as they began gravitating towards the boy's body, which began to glow with immense light.

Lyze hugged himself as he bent and folded his body into a foetal position, as if to draw more motes of light into himself as quickly as possible as surely, the soothing and warm glow around him grew brighter and brighter. The motes of light continued to gather until a membrane of sparkles encompassed his body before he threw his limbs outwards and from his body exploded what seemed to be endless light, like he had become the sun in that Floor.

Amphisbaena ducked its head around and the mortals threw their arms over their eyes to shield their eyes from the sudden glare of the light that now filled the room, and from its source, they could feel what felt like a heartbeat. Pulsations rang in the air as more and more power collected to form what would emerge moments later.

---

Up on the surface, within Orario, every god turned their heads to the ground as for a small moment they felt a flicker of something distinctly like them. Something light and holy, of purity and of what they called godhood. Light Magic with its holy properties beckoned on their senses, and for a moment they felt like they had just sensed the birth of a new god within the Dungeon.

It was not like their Arcanum...it was something different...yet similar. Something with the potential to be like them...but so much stronger. Yet so fleeting and brief was the sensation that they discarded it as a product of idle thought or distraction and returned to their respective duties, tasks and endeavours.

But what felt that little spark of something akin to the divine for certain was the Dungeon. She knew better than anyone else the contents of her belly, and she knew where it was. She growled for a moment, the Water Temple rumbling in the presence of this new Emergence, but held back her pursuit. She already had her plans laid out. She just had to wait until this challenger, who had so brazenly insulted and called upon her in vanity, was deep enough in her floors where no help could come for him...even from the god that sat in the throne above her.

Not even that old fool would get in the way of her plan, of dealing with this Abomination.

---

The Loki Familia dropped their arms as the light died down and they braved a glance at their comrade whom they knew to still be afloat above them. And what they laid their eyes upon was something they could not ever imagine, for they would never have expected to see their brother in that light (no pun intended).

There floated Lyzof Keele, but not the one they used to. For although he was no longer like a blazing lamp, he was still enveloped in holy light which hung around him a transparent aura, yet daunting enough that they knew it to be not just mere light but magic itself down to the last mote.

Lyze's hair had become completely white in colour, which complimented his pale skin quite well. Golden particles of magic hung around him like little fireflies offering him tribute and the air around him had become warm and comforting, a stark contrast to the cold, dreaded horror Finn felt from the dark form that Lyze had.

But the most dramatic difference of all lay upon his back. 

Four great wings, with feathers of the purest white they had ever seen seemed to be the source of the light he emitted, and with each flap, showers of little sparks of holy magic. The superior pair were much larger than those lower on his back, but each wing looked to be thousands of times more beautiful and precious than that of a swan.

This was Lyze's mimicry of the Goddess clan, the mortal enemies of the Demon clan, and the clan that shrouded itself the most in obscurity despite its supposed benevolent nature.

"What is that?" Gareth dropped his axe. "What am I seeing?"

"Is that truly the brat?" Tsubaki gasped. "He looks more like an Angel than a human."

"That's him alright." Riveria said. "I suppose this was what Loki meant when she said that his dark form was but one of several. If I were to wager a guess, this form would be the anti-thesis of the dark one."

"He's about to attack." Finn said as Lyze pointed Excalibur at the two headed dragon. "Let's see what he's going to do."

The monster rex, unlike the adventurers however, did not feel the same comforting light as they did. Instead, it suddenly felt the threat level of this boy spike dangerously and it completely ignored all the rest as it set its focus on Lyze. Both heads leaned forwards and roared in defiance and challenge at him before they lunged forwards like snake heads.

Lyze's image blurred for a moment before he flew from his position to behind the dragon in an instant, faster than even the executives expected. The dragon's jaws snapped shut and both heads looked around confused at where he had gone.

Lyze lifted a hand and around him formed several sharp looking projections of golden coloured magic. He waved his hands and allowed them to free fall and rain down upon the dragon. 

"{Holy Downpour}" He said as the arrows of holy magic made contact with the dragons hide and a series of explosions carried out across its body.

The dragon screamed in anguish as fragments of its shattered scales blew about everywhere, revealing raw pink flesh beneath its armour. Lyze channelled his new magic into the holy sword and it lit up with golden magical energy.

He flew downwards suddenly, creating a sharp draught of wind that hit the adventurers on the shore. He thrust out with Excalibur into the side of the monster rex and contrary to what happened last time, the sword stuck in deep past the scales and into the flesh. He flew, dragging the sword with him as he cut a large wound right across it body between the scales of the hide and the scales of the belly.

He manoeuvred out of the way of the swiping claws and pulled out Excalibur under the deafening roars of pain from Amphisbaena. Flying upwards, the left head opened its mouth to breath out its red gas as it recognised the magic. But Lyze had none of it as he stuck his arm out.

"{Ark}" He chanted and a blast of Holy magic buried itself with in the left head's throat. Shortly afterwards, there was large burst inside and the head exploded in a showers of scales, brain matter, teeth and bones as the left neck went limp and the right head roared at the shock of losing its left head.

Lyze gave it no respite though as he focused on the large wound he made in its side.

"{Disaster}"

The screams of pain were cut short as this time, Amphisbaena went into shock. The wound on its side violently burst and opened its body as guts and intestines spilt into the water. The right head lulled and fell upon a rock as its mind went numb from the sheer agony it was feeling. The blood that came with this horrible violation attracted more aquatic monsters that spawned in the basin and like sharks the crowded around the body, feeding off of the nutritious meal that had so generously presented itself before them.

Not even realising that it was being eaten alive, Amphisbaena lifted its remaining head and breathed outs its blue fire as a final act of desperation. But a glowing shield formed around Lyze which blocked the fiery breath from ever reaching him and instead, the flames diverged around him until they dispersed into nothingness. 

"This has gone on long enough." Lyze said as he looked down at his comrades. "Finn, get everyone away from the edge as far as you can. I don't want you getting caught in the blast."

"Do as he says." Finn ordered and the Loki Familia retreated as far as the Floor allowed them from the water. They were used to Lyze's destructive magic at this point to know whatever was coming next would be large and devastating enough that they put enough distance between him and then, so as to watch the spectacle safely.

Lyze took a deep breath as he sheathed Excalibur and lifted a hand above him.

"{Cruel Sun}" He shouted as the familiar solar projection appeared in his palm. Bigger and bigger it grew until its was bigger than he was and once again the cave was awash in intense, punishing light. Though this time there came with it a searing heat that prickled the skins of even the toughest adventurers and they understood this to be no ordinary fireball. Most enthusiastic and intrigued of all by this miracle was none other than Riveria herself.

"This magic..." She breathed. "...it feels, different. All of it, so potent and so powerful. Is this what his true powers are like, the true extent of his magical reach and prowess?"

"I still cannot for the life of me fathom why this human bears such magic." Kalos said. "What quality about him did the gods see fit to grant him this power before they granted him a blessing?"

"One that we have no right to cast judgement upon Kalos." Riveria scorned, having grown tired of this talk and partly because he was disturbing the show. "If you wish to be wise, remain to observe and learn. If you choose to be ignorant, then remain silent and do not speak except at my bidding."

"...Yes, Lady Riveria." Kalos said as the heat intensified.

Lyze threw down the ball of judgement upon the half-dead Amphisbaena as he once did upon Ottar but unlike the greatest of the current generation of adventurers, the monster rex could put up no resistance, not as the fury and light of the sun descending upon it reflected in its eye, and ingrained within it a fear that would remain even in its next incarnation.

The sun collided with the body and forced it beneath the water as it exploded and the cavern was washed in fire, heat, steam and water as a tsunami raced towards the gathered adventurers.

"{Via Shillheim}" Riveria managed to chant in time as barrier magic formed around them and water parted around the dome of protection without flooding the Loki Familia as the entire Floor shook and rumbled with the impact.

...

When all had settled and Riveria let down the barrier, they were greeted by the sight of molten rock running down into the pool as clouds of steam rose from it too. Smoking monster cores and drop items were scattered around everywhere on the floor, and no corpse of any monster nor monster rex could be seen anywhere in sight.

The water in the basin had been reduced to perhaps about half of its original volume as it bubbled and boiled still with the aftermath. In place of Amphisbaena, now floated a giant monster core and a giant dragon liver, two items of great fortune even if they were too hot at the moment to retrieve.

But it was an image of utter destruction and the executives could not help but worry as they approached the pool and saw no sign of the boy in sight.

"Lyze!" Finn called out.

"Right here." The boy instantly answered as he descended in front of them.

But the moment his feet touched the ground, something strange happened. Moss began growing on the rock from his feet touched and it travelled to the edge of the water which was nothing but sand and soil. From that soil sprouted pink and white flowers that spread across the expanse of the banks and the molten rock instantly cooled as a wave of holy magic washed over the area from Lyze merely landing.

It was as if life was being enticed to sprout from his presence, like this new life gave birth to life itself.

The Loki Familia gathered before him and marvelled at his appearance. Up close, he was even more majestic than when he was in the air.

"You are just..." Riveria said. "...what are you Lyze?"

"Yeah, what's with you rocking those wings?" Gareth asked. "Do they do anything besides help you fly?"

"Yes they do actually." Lyze said as he flapped them and a shower of golden sparks covered the Loki Familia. Instantly, every adventurer felt every wound close and every scratch become smooth as the fatigue seemed to disappear while broken bones mended themselves and torn ligaments knitted themselves back together. "They can heal if I like them to."

"Just...amazing." Tsubaki breathed as she held out a hand. "May I?"

"Go ahead." Lyze said as he unfolded his wings and drew them out for her to touch.

She began palming it, and then grabbing fistfuls as she rubbed her hands deep into his wings.

"So warm, and fluffy." The half-dwarf said smiling. "Can you feel me doing this?"

"Yes I can." Lyze stated. "Don't pull out any feathers please."

Riveria followed suit as she too rubbed his wings. One by one, all the females in the gathering walked up to him and begun swooning over his angel wings, to the extent of rubbing their faces in it to derive pleasure from the softness.

Dain elbowed Noir whole grinning.

"He's a natural, eh?" The dwarf gruffed jokingly. "These youngsters, always finding it so easy."

"No, I simply believe that he is special." Noir said. "And women like small, cuddly, soft things."

"Wouldn't make much of a difference if he was grown up though, would it?"

"On the contrary..." Noir said as he focused on Bara who was also taking pleasure in groping Lyze's wings. "I'd say if he were older, there'd be a world of difference. With power like that...Bara would be trying to wrestle his seed out of him."

"Quite inappropriate conversation there." Finn chided.

"Calm it you little virgin." Dain smiled. "You're equally as guilty as the kid is."

"He's got you there." Gareth sided with his fellow dwarf. "Why don't you go have a bit of fun? Find an Amazon, they're especially good and they'll never stop coming after you, vying for your attention. All you do is just knock them down and they'll be at your heels all day every day."

"Not my type." Finn answered. "And besides, I'd prefer a woman of my own race."

"Tch." Dain clicked his tongue. "That's the problem with this generation. No balls in them whatsoever to go and explore new things."

"And we are getting side tracked." Finn responded as he banged his spear on the ground. "Okay, enough is enough. We need to keep moving. Lyze, retrieve those items please."

"At once." Lyze answered, glad to be free of the fawning women as he flew into the air and downwards into the lake to get the monster rex's core and drop item.

""Awwwww"" came the collective response of many of the females.

"Come now, I think you've traumatised him enough." Finn said. "Time is of the essence. Let's pack all this up and get moving to the next floor."

...

Lyze hurled the core onto the shore and picked up the dragon liver, ready to lob it over as well into the awaiting hands of the dwarves. But before he could, he sensed large movement...quick movement...too large and quick for him to register properly, let alone react properly.

Everybody jerked in alarm and surprise as a giant green tentacle covered in round suckers, and thicker than the largest tree burst out from beneath the water and wrapped round Lyze and the drop item. The tentacle squeezed Lyze close to the drop item, his back crushing against the liver as his wings snapped, the bones snapping into several pieces as Lyze let out a shriek of pain, forcing himself to drop his Goddess form.

Panic erupted amongst the adventurers as they witnessed this new phenomenon. They watched as the green tentacle clenched even harder around the level 3 before pulling him and the dragon liver under the water.

"LYZE!" Riveria screamed in horror. So fast it had happened that even the executives had barely any time to react.

...

Down and down Lyze was dragged, deeper than he believed the basin to be as the light of the surface became gradually smaller. It was not long before he realised that whatever Cephalopod monster had hold of him was taking him down the mouth of a tunnel located at the bottom of the basin's bed.

The weight and pressure of the water crushed down upon him as he felt the air being squeezed out of his lungs, which was little to begin with as he had not had enough of a breath to take down with him. As he had been breathing in before the inevitable plunge, he'd been dragged underwater and so water had entered his nose and into his head, causing him immense head ache and delirium as he only barely registered what was happening.

Finally, the creature broke free from the tunnel and into an underwater cavern filled with water and no place to speak of where he could take a breath. The grip loosened on him as he was let free and the Dragon Liver was grasped by another tentacle and brought closer to the source of all those appendages.

As Lyze groggily focused on the perpetrator, his mind was blown away but what he saw. Now very used to this trend, and now used to this pattern, he instantly recognised the Beast that had dragged him down to its water lair.

A giant green squid, complete with a hood and bulging giant yellow eyes. It parted its tentacles apart under its body to reveal a giant beak that snapped down on the Dragon Liver. It became apparent to Lyze that the drop item had been the main target after all. He had been an unfortunate freebie side dish in this meal.

The squid finished its snack, only then to realise what it had done. The giant yellow eyes focused on Lyze as he kicked to stay where he was in the water and not be dragged down. 

What caught Lyze's vision though, that even though it was pitch black and he could see perfectly with Chaos Vision, the Beast had not been the only thing present in this chamber. The floor of this cozy little pocket was covered in stalagmites and sharp rock formations save for a few large areas where there was flat area, places he assumed the giant squid rested.

Upon the highest and pointiest formations rested a familiar artifact he found only in his books in his last life. And sure enough, as both the Golden Chainmail and the Golden Breastplate independently appeared on his upper body, he could only confirm what it was.

A might golden helmet, decorated in the feather like patterns of the golden armour. The helm was in the shape of an eagle's face with the beak acting as the visor. The Golden Helmet, the piece that bestowed greater sight to mortal eyes, and though inferior to Chaos Vision, was needed for him to gain the full powers of the completed set. 

Putting that aside though, he returned his attention to monster that had dragged him down here. The guardian of this treasure piece whom he would have to defeat in order to claim it as his own. A creature of evil, a servant of a dark wizard and a blight upon the oceans of its homeworld.

'Zepha, the monster squid.'

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