The Power of Beasts

"Coming back through here, it's quite different. Asahi, you've already hit your cap again. Why work so hard?"

Asahi flexed her fingers, slowly allowing her feathers to grow over the skin.

"Chi... you saw that amazing weapon. I want one too! Maybe I'll get something special and fun to use! It'll really help when we actually need to fight. I mean, even Suriza hit her cap."

Suriza looked up from the ground, panting softly. She hopped to her feet, scales glistening in the torchlight.

"Aren't you happy, Asahi? You got arms! I got legs! According to Fubuki, we should get a core on our body, the weapon and slightly stronger."

Asahi flicked wind at Suriza, the lamian woman vanishing before reappearing behind Chisana.

"Hey, no playing around. We all need to evolve one more time, so try to get there for Mina. She might even pat our heads!"

Asahi rolled her eyes.

"I'm kinda mad. I've been with her so much longer, but I'm still so small and weak. Am I even part of her party? Inferna and Fubuki are so strong and cool, but I'm just... a tittering mess. Just yesterday, I forgot my way out of here again!"

Chisana placed her hands on her hips, her demeanor changing.

"Shut it! You talk like that again, I'll tell the others! You'll get such a stern talking to, your feathers will fall out!"

"N-no! Not my feathers! I wanna show them off to Mina!"

Suriza popped out, her eyes narrowing down the corridor.

"Skeletons are respawned. You two ready?"

Having grown, Suriza became more confident and serious about combat. Her ability to fade from sight has made her more devious, while also giving her an escape route. Between feet and her tail, Suriza will switch to her tail for more power and increased speed while using her legs for lower postures and quicker reflexes.

Asahi, now having hands, has become capable of grabbing and holding. She has grown slightly more confident in combat as she can keep her feathers hidden away, keeping them undamaged. She can control slight wind using her wings, while her electric power has gotten an upgrade when her feathers are absent.

Chisana hasn't reached her next evolution, but her maturity is at an all time high. While younger than Asahi, she's taken an older sister roll for Suriza and Asahi. Keeping them in line, as well as making sure they aren't breaking down. She's nearly reached her next evolution, however she worries about the other two when she finally needs to sleep through it.

"Alright. Let's go."

Asahi began to hold an electric charge, fusing it into her fingertips. Her feet quick, she dashed towards the bones. Every last place her fingers were placed, bone fragments burst. Shifting between them, she also caused many internal accidents between the skeleton soldiers. Breaking themselves, exploding and even being straight up broken as Asahi zipped through them.

"Chi, she's gotten really quick. That speed is unheard of for bird types on their feet."

"Suri, look closely. She's not just fast, her footwork is on par with the best humans. I swear, Mina would truly be impressed by this."

Suriza had a cute little smile on her scaley face as she allowed her legs to fuse and become her tail once more. The room they were in was rather large, so she could go all out. It was also enhanced to hold massive forces within it that respawned quickly. Suriza slithered forward, catching the attention of the soldiers. Many hollowed eyes watched her as she approached, suddenly vanishing before they could strike. Looking between themselves, many soldiers were lifted through the air as Suriza's scales glimmered back into the light. Just as soon as she appeared, she vanished again leaving behind a strange greenish-black ooze. Many skeletons were shoved and knocked into it, dissolving quickly as the substance was a form of Acid Magic, upgraded Poison Magic.

"Heh. They're having fun."

Finally walking into the combat herself, Chisana stretched slowly. Her immodest body jiggled softly up until she burst forward. Her leg extended, three skeletons were blown apart. Chisana jumped up, her batlike wings extending as she sent down small black orbs into the crowd. Many skeletons burst under the attack, but she quickly dropped back down as a wild smirk spread on her face.

"Dark Spike Eruption!"

Asahi and Suriza gave Chisana a wide berth as she shouted. She fell to her knees as the skeletons swarmed around her, many flying or exploding as a mass of Dark Magic surrounded Chisana. A moment later, black spikes burst outwards. Many skeletons were sent flying back sheer force, yet they didn't rise again.

"Without her Dream Magic, she's actually scarier."

Asahi and Suriza giggled to themselves as the last of the skeletons were felled, leaving Chisana in the middle. She had an absent look on her face, almost as if she were asleep.

"Huh?! Shit! Suri, throw down acid around her! Chi was instantly forced to evolve!"

The two girls were immediately beside Chisana. Upon closer inspection, they were right. Puddles of acid were made around her as Asahi made a cage of lightning around Chisana. The two girls stood outside of the cage, but within the acid.

"Keep your eyes open Suri! The long rest just passed, so we've got two more massive waves coming!"

As she finished speaking, skeletons began to appear as if they had been there all along. They creaked as their bones moved, some instantly falling into the acid and dying. Asahi's wings began to flap, gusts lifting the acid into the air and raining down on the skeletons. Suriza, opposite Asahi, had long claws extend from her fingers. She kept her legs, ready to swivel around and dodge if need be.

--

Thank you,

JScott and croix!