Chapter 5 Annihilation Maker part 2

[Danger detected. Host's life at risk. Initiating emergency activation of Sacred Gear: Annihilation Maker.]

Sacred Gear? Annihilation Maker? Asahi had no idea what those words meant, but he didn't have time to think about it. He felt the power building inside him, wild and untamed. It was like there was a storm in his chest, all lightning and thunder and raw energy.

[Sacred Gear activated. Annihilation Maker online. Awaiting user input for monster creation.]

Monster creation? In that split second, as the devil's claws got closer and closer to his face, Asahi's mind raced. He needed something powerful, something that could fight this devil. Almost without thinking, he pictured a creature in his mind.

It felt weird, like he was sculpting with his thoughts. The power inside him responded, taking the image from his mind and making it real. Asahi felt a drain, like the creature was being pulled out of him. It wasn't exactly painful, but it wasn't comfortable either. Kind of like that feeling when you stand up too fast and get dizzy, but all over his body.

The air in front of Asahi shimmered, and suddenly, a massive form appeared between him and the devil. It was a beast unlike anything Asahi had ever seen outside of video games or anime. Standing taller than a basketball player, its body looked like it was made of swirling shadows and flames. Its eyes glowed red, like the devil's but not as creepy somehow. It had a face that kind of looked like a dragon's, with wicked sharp claws that scraped against the concrete.

The devil stumbled back, its confident grin replaced by a look of shock and fear. "What... what is this? A human with a Sacred Gear?"

Asahi stared at the creature he had somehow created, his mind blown. The shadow-flame beast turned its head towards him, like it was waiting for him to tell it what to do.

[First monster creation successful. Designation: Infernal Shadow Drake. Current status: Combat mode engaged.]

The voice in his head was back, sounding all clinical and detached. Asahi had about a million questions, but survival came first. Pushing himself to his feet, he pointed at the devil, fury and determination burning in his eyes.

"Tear it apart," he commanded, his voice cold and hard.

The Infernal Shadow Drake roared, the sound so loud it shook the air around them. It lunged at the devil, moving way faster than something that big should be able to.

The devil, snapping out of its shock, snarled and met the drake's attack. What followed was like something out of a crazy action movie. Claws clashed against claws, shadow against shadow, in a battle that Asahi could barely follow.

Asahi watched, feeling a mix of amazement and vindictive pleasure as his creation held its own against the devil. Every time the devil tried to attack, the drake countered. When the devil used its shadow powers, the drake's own shadow abilities shut it down.

As the fight went on, Asahi felt... weird. Maintaining the Infernal Shadow Drake was tiring, like he was running a mental marathon. It wasn't painful, exactly, but he could feel his energy draining. The longer the fight went on, the more tired he felt. But he gritted his teeth and focused, channeling all his fear and anger into the creature.

The devil, realizing it was in trouble, tried to run away. But the drake was relentless, cutting off every escape route. In a final, desperate move, the devil turned to Asahi.

"Wait!" it cried, its earlier confidence gone, replaced by fear. "I can offer you power, knowledge! You're clearly special, with a Sacred Gear like that. Join me, become a devil yourself!"

For a moment, Asahi hesitated. Power? Knowledge? It was tempting...

But then he remembered the terror he'd felt, how this creature had hunted him for fun. His eyes hardened.

"Sorry," Asahi said, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "I don't make deals with things that tried to eat me."

With a thought, he commanded the drake to attack. It felt strange, like flexing a muscle he never knew he had. The drake responded instantly, its form growing larger, its flames burning hotter. Asahi felt a bigger drain on his energy, but pushed through it.

With a roar that Asahi felt in his bones, the Infernal Shadow Drake unleashed a torrent of shadow-infused flames.

The devil screamed as the weird fire engulfed it. The sound was terrible, but Asahi felt no pity. Only a grim satisfaction. He watched as the devil literally turned to ash, feeling a mix of relief, exhaustion, and a weird sort of excitement.

As the last echoes of the devil's scream faded, Asahi collapsed to his knees, feeling like he'd just run a marathon. The Infernal Shadow Drake turned to him, its fierce look softening as it approached.

"Holy crap," Asahi breathed, reaching out a shaky hand to touch the drake's snout. Despite how it looked, its touch was warm and almost comforting. "We actually did it."

[Threat eliminated. Infernal Shadow Drake awaiting further instructions.]

........

stones?