[Monstrous Creature]

Monarch's body slowly crumbled in many tiny pieces revealing the body of his Sixth son. It floated down and with a muffled sound fell on the ground.

His eyes were open wide. – "I've seen it. I'll remember it, Father." – He whispered. John didn't bother with him. – "James, knock him out. We're taking him to the Church."

"Now he is too low on energy, so he no longer can control other Esprits."

"The mission here is done."

The Sixth Prince raised his eyes from the ground and carefully looked at James. He wanted to remember his face.

"Now, stop staring at Captain, lowlife."

*Bzzzz*

James's hand was already covered with lightning and he was about to hit the royal Esprit. *Booom*

Suddenly the Sixth Prince jumped and took out a small golden object. It was a taken. On its surface was carved a crowned deer surrounded by stars.

The space was shattered as a beam of golden light shot from the sky and engulfed the Sixth Prince.

James had to retreat from the beam.

John looked coldly towards it and stepped forward.

He energy erupted and the golden pillar started waiving. But it was still too late, and the Prince disappeared. – "Kleid, Roland! I want to know the coordinates. The position of this bastard!"

He was visibly angry.

Doctor and the woman were both frowning. They had thought about the same thing. 'Captain didn't manage to interrupt that translocation beam. It was too powerful.'

[…]

The Esprit's part of Gemini was in ruins, so Captain assumed the control of the city and started the reconstruction with the help of human residents. Once Kleid repaired the golem factories, Esprits, who regained their free will after the Sixth Prince defeat, also helped in every possible way.

Alexander was drinking a glass of wine in the same inn where he bought the Devil's Rose. Since it was a very useful thing, he bought other two bottles.

The owner wanted to raise the price but, in the end, after listening for all the dangerous adventures that Alexander had these days, he even gave him a small discount.

"Just survive and advertise my inn and my products!" – Was his only request.

After bidding farewell to the old man, Alexander decided to explore the part of the island outside the city. 'Captain gave us some free time so a small exploration is a must.'

The city was more lively compared to the first days since the people were somehow afraid to go out, but outside from the main gate reigned absolute stillness interrupted only by occasional singing of birds. The road continued inside a small forest.

Before going Alexander took out the living skeleton from his storage. It stood there, without moving his dead gaze. – "From now on, I will call you Bone."

The ghostly flame inside his skull trembled slightly.

Alexander suddenly understood all that people who didn't have enough fantasy to give a good name to something or someone. 'Whatever, later I will change it.' He thought. – "Follow me, Bone."

*Clack* *Clack* *Clack*

The forest wasn't particularly thick, and some rays of light penetrated through the web of branches and leaves.

*Swish*

Suddenly something quickly moved inside the nearby bushes. Alexander immediately extended his Boundless Energy.

'What a hell is that?' His face was showing a mix of disgust and curiosity.

Suddenly the creature emerged from the bush. It was vaguely resembled to a rabbit…or to some sort of mollusk since it had nine tentacles instead of legs.

On its fluffy head there was a small white horn. Two pairs of adorable huge and round bluish eyes looked at Alexander…*Piuw*…and suddenly shot a ray of scarlet energy aimed right to his face.

"What?! KILL IT!" – Alexander subconsciously shouted an order to Bone while dodging, unsuccessfully, the energy beam.

*Clack* *Clack*

In two steps Bone was already above the creature and his fist covered by ghostly flame ended its life. Alexander examined the spot where the creature has hit and found that a part of his skin was dried and dead. He touched it and the skin directly ruptured.

Some blood appeared and Alexander rapidly mended the wound with [Life IV].

He went near the bloody mess that remained after the Bone's punch and examined it. – "Hmm?" – Suddenly something shiny attracted his attention. With some disgust, he put his hand inside the creature and pulled out some object. It was a small crystallized heart. 'Just like the wolf's one from the Third Star Island.'

He immediately burned it with some of his flame, but no new abilities appeared. 'I need to experiment a bit with my powers.'

As he was about to store the heart…

*Clack* *Clack* Bone made some movements. Alexander turned to look at him. – "Do you want something?"

"Clack." – Bone voluntary made a sound with his lower jaw hitting the upper one and pointed towards the heart in Alexander's hand. – "You want this one?"

"Clack."

Somehow dubious he still decided to give the heart to the skeleton. Bone carefully took it and dropped it inside the flame in his skull.

The dimension on the heart quickly diminished until it was completely consumed by ghostly flame. – "You eat them?" – Asked Alexander.

"Clack."

The flame inside the skull became slightly bigger. – "You became more powerful by eating…these hearts?" – He asked another question.

"Clack."

Even though the answer was always the same he still could guess what his strange follower wanted to tell. In his mind the usefulness of Bone skyrocketed. 'If he can strengthen by consuming creature's cores…'

"Let's find other…beasts like that!"

[…]

'[Curse II]' The greenish cloudy flame eroded at least half of the bunny's tentacles before being extinguished by the creature. But it was too late since the bony first already loomed above its head.

*Splash*

Blood and pieces of bones flew everywhere.

"Nice! That's the seventh!" – Commented Alexander. – "This one goes to you, Bone."

"Clack!" – The skeleton ripped out the heart and immediately ate it. His flame grew a bit more and its color from nearly transparent became a little bit whiter.

After the fourth creature they found, and mercilessly killed, Alexander finally acquired some strange ability for his flame: [Moon I]. Still he had no idea what it did. His purple flame remained the same then he activated it.

'At least now I know that I need to burn some examples of energy to acquire it…Maybe it's connected to the power of the creature? These monster rabbits are very weak.'

*Brum*

Suddenly the ground under their feet trembled and not too far from he saw some trees falling down.

*ROOOOOOOOOOAR*

A huge shadow suddenly appeared on the ground right in the spot where he and Bone stood. Alexander looked up just in time to panic and jump aside.

*BRUM*

A huge, two meters tall creature, fell directly from the sky. Nine tentacles wiggled around its massive and large body. There was no fluffiness like in the smaller ones but only bare and primal, as the bulging muscles of the creature, ferocity.

Between two rabbit like ears there were three, following each other, horns.

Three pairs of bloodshot eyes stared at Alexander at the same time and the creature bared its sharp claws. Some drool dropped from behind lightly exposed fangs. – "ARRRG." – Obviously it didn't come with some peaceful intentions.

The bloodlust was clearly written on its muzzle.

The creature didn't wait any longer and crawled at an extreme speed towards Alexander. Before he could even react three tentacles were already aiming for his head.

He jumped back and took out the dagger.

Bone, who was sent flying towards the opposite direction by the creature's fall, stood up and slowly tried to go near the monster without attracting its attention but…

*Swish*

One tentacle caught him and sent flying even further than before. He crashed on some tree but with some enviable tenacity started running back.

'This is bad…Really very bad!'

Before he could even formulate a complete thought, a huge shadow appeared right in front of him and a tentacle hit him right on the chest.

*Crack*

Event before the pain arrived Alexander was sure that some of his bones were broken.

'[Life IV]'

He quickly recovered and dashed towards the creature and slashed the incoming tentacle. The dagger deeply penetrated inside its flesh.

Some blue blood spurted out. *ROOOOOOOOOOOAR*

This was a mix of pain and rage! The next moment the creature raised its head and opened the mouth.

A dot of bloody red energy appeared above it and enlarged quickly.

Suddenly a white shadow dashed towards the creature but was attacked by five tentacles. – "GREAT JOB, BONE!" – Shouted Alexander while the tentacles dismembered his unlucky follower.

*Crack* The skeleton was broken in two pieces.

He jumped above the creature's head, and easily evading the four remaining tentacles he directly slashed the blob of blood-red energy.

'[Life IV]'

Before the explosion completely engulfed him, he activated the healing flame and prayed to every deity in this world that it would be enough to survive!

*BOOOOOOOOOOOOM*

A flash tinged the forest in red.