Demonic Evolution
Kir awoke from a dreamless pain.
He opened his eyes to darkness, the gray of the stone towers, and the hint of stars.
He was laying on his side. His whole body felt heavy. Sore. Like he'd spent an entire day running with weights strapped to every part of him, especially his tail, which he could feel sluggishly scraping the ground.
He didn't want to move, but he knew he had to.
Inside he felt a familiar heat, but oddly, no pain from the constant assault of excessive mana. Just everything else.
Searching his memory, he recalled what he had done.
What he and Stella had been up against at the portal to the next room in the dungeon.
Wait... Stella!
Kir forced himself up all at once, calling out her name, "Stella!", and was surprised when his voice boomed, lower and more growly than it had been before.
"Watch the tail, boss!" Stella's voice called out from the side.