The wrath of the flesh

"Why backing away?" Akira's voice echoed in the cavernous space as he watched Makia take a hesitant step back.

"You said you want people to suffer just like you have, isn't that right?" Akira's figure loomed larger, the space between them narrowing dangerously. His eyes, filled with a deadly seriousness, locked onto Makia.

Makia struggled to comprehend the underlying intent behind Akira's words, yet he met the challenge head-on, unleashing a wave of fury towards his adversary.

The cave trembled under the onslaught of Makia's wrath. Amidst the chaos, Akira skillfully evaded the barrage of attacks, ensuring a safe distance between him and Makia's victims.

"Where am I...?"

Kazuya stirred, a dull throb pulsing in his head due to the toxin in his system.

"You guys?"

He was alone, the only one roused amidst the pandemonium echoing from beyond his location. Utilizing a magic similar to Lilith's Bubble Gum spell, Kazuya shielded his unconscious comrades before venturing towards the source of the commotion.

Through the skill of Perceptive Clairvoyance, he bore witness to the showdown between Akira and a monstrous creature, whose killing intent was akin to a beast reveling in the bloodshed. A man lost to his own savagery.

Detecting Kazuya's presence, Akira continued his nimble dance around Makia's assaults.

Without a moment's hesitation, Kazuya sprinted towards the battlefield, the monster's rampage unabated.

Kazuya unleashed a torrent of flame from his arsenal of skills, momentarily forcing Makia to retreat.

"Don't get me wrong," Kazuya tossed the words over his shoulder, his figure a blur as he plunged himself into the whirlwind of conflict. "I'm here for my friends, not saving you." And with that, Kazuya joined the fray.

"Another pest? Very well, I'll slaughter you both! And once I'm done, you'll serve as my dinner!" Makia shifted his focus towards the new challenger.

"Not so fast!" Akira swiftly moved to support Kazuya, launching a powerful kick that sent the beast reeling away. "Kazuya, do you have your phone on you?" His request seemed absurd.

"What for?" Kazuya shot back, his brow furrowing in confusion. "If you're hoping for backup, there's no signal down here, dumbass! We're too deep underground for the signal to catch."

"Believe me. I have a plan. It's risky, but it's our best chance to save everyone." Akira's smile was carefree, contrasting the dire situation.

Reluctantly, Kazuya handed over his phone. The monster, salivating with murderous intent and vengeance, was quick to recover.

Frustration etched on his face, Kazuya demanded clarity from Akira, "Just tell me what you're using it for!" He readied his abilities, aiming to stall for time.

"I'm contacting the vice general of the Green Flower Squad." Akira disclosed his strategy. "Saving everyone at once is damn impossible. There are over 2,000 people in here. All I can think of is someone with the power to save them all."

"Our priority is to get everyone to safety.

'Sides, I don't have a way to evacuate them without risking them getting buried alive."

"And the monster?"

"We can take him."

As Akira swiftly dialed the vice general of the Green Flower Squad, Selena, using Kazuya's phone, he relayed the critical information. Selena was now informed and estimated to reach them in approximately 7 minutes.

To Akira, those 7 minutes were inconsequential. He returned the phone to Kazuya, his gaze fixed on the monster.

"Braced for battle, Kazuya?"

"Don't bother asking. If you're not prepared, I'll leave you behind in the dust!"

Seizing the initiative, Kazuya unleashed a torrent of flames as he maneuvered around the beast. Makia brushed off the fiery onslaught, retaliating with a massive boulder flung in Kazuya's direction. Kazuya's Wax Magic summoned large tendrils that shattered the incoming projectile.

Akira leaped into the fray, scythe swinging towards Makia. The beast was hit and driven back, but not before Kazuya caught up and laid a hand on its back. A surge of vibration rippled through the monster's body, its flesh quivering in protest.

Recoiling, Makia kicked Kazuya away and retreated. In a fit of agitation, Makia let out a thunderous roar, causing the cave to tremble. Akira seized the opportunity, thrusting his scythe into the beast's maw, causing internal bleeding. With a swift spin, Akira flung Makia towards Kazuya.

Kazuya's fist, hardened by a layer of rock magic, met Makia's face, loosening a tooth. Together, they pummeled the beast before launching it away.

Makia retaliated, his giant arms swinging a powerful punch at Kazuya. Quick to react, Kazuya employed his Bubble Gum magic, nullifying the impact.

Akira aided Kazuya, propelling him towards the regenerating Makia. He was a blur of motion, too rapid for Makia's healing to keep pace.

Kazuya, airborne, channeled a formidable amount of power into his skill.

[Energy Magic: Photon Blast]

The burst of energy aimed to obliterate the monster. Makia's flesh seared and sizzled under the intense heat, and his healing ability significantly slowed. Akira moved in for the kill.

[Blood Magic: Giganta Blood Hammer]

The blow landed with a crushing impact, demolishing the cavern wall.

"(Why can't I win? They're too fast... too strong... If only...)" Makia was on the brink of defeat when...

Makia's flesh began to expand, reaching for the unconscious victims.

"Damn it!" Akira sprinted towards the endangered group, but Makia's flesh was faster. It absorbed the surrounding rocks, forming a brick wall to shield itself. Akira retaliated with a mighty Blood Blade attack, shattering the barrier.

Makia was closing in on the unconscious Raishoun gang, his intent to consume them thwarted by a resilient bubble gum barrier.

Undeterred, Makia shifted his focus to the remaining victims. Before he could reach them, giant roots sprang from the wall to the ground, impaling the sprawling flesh. The flesh attempted to absorb the roots, but a toxic secretion melted it away.

"Who dares?"

Makia returned to his original form, a colossal monster ready to face this new threat.

Akira, sensing Selena's arrival, breathed a sigh of relief and flashed a smile.

"Thank you for the call, sweetie. Your hard work will not be in vain." Selena had arrived.

"A vice general won't stop me! You'll all die right here!" Makia unleashed his fury, violently demolishing the surroundings in a desperate attempt to bury them all alive.

However, Selena swiftly countered his destructive rampage by invoking a powerful spell. She fortified the entire area, rendering it resilient, while simultaneously employing her Plant Magic to create a protective shield around everyone.

With the immediate danger averted, Selena skillfully guided all the victims to safety. She conjured a massive opening above them, transforming her plants into a makeshift elevator, facilitating their ascent back to the surface.

All of Makia's efforts were reduced to naught...

He was left and overwhelmed by stress and anguish. He screamed in frustration, clawing at his face in a frenzy. Tears streamed down his cheeks as he realized that all his struggles had been in vain. He remained trapped as a wretched monster, unable to achieve any further growth or strength.

Selena unleashed her lethal botanical tendrils, commanding them to ruthlessly eliminate Makia...

..however...

Akira stopped her by protecting Makia...

"That's enough."

"H-hey! Don't be naive, you idiot! This guy killed people and drained their mana away! This man is a monster!" Kazuya was in disbelief at how foolish Akira acted.

"Yeah, but... I couldn't detect any monstrosity... Just human emotions like hatred, sadness, and wrath..." Akira attentively absorbed the man's tale, the narrative of his tragic transformation into the very thing he despised. The weight of his words resonated deeply within Akira, stirring a profound understanding of the man's struggle.

Selena, struck by the revelation, found validation in Kitsune's earlier insight into Akira's inherently gentle heart. Aware of his stubbornness, she couldn't help but be overwhelmed with joy upon discovering Akira's true nature, which filled her heart with immense happiness.

"You have my respect over your decision. Very well, I won't kill him, but he'll have to be sentenced to prison."

"Why!? JUST KILL ME ALREADY! I'VE DONE MANY BAD DEEDS! JUST LET ME DIE AS A MONSTE-."

Akira placed his fist on Makia's chest, near his heart.

"Shut up. Behind all that, I can still feel the strive of humanity in you. Use this opportunity to change, will ya? Rather than staying a monster, be human again."

"What do you know of me!? LOOK AT ME! A MONSTER BEFORE YOUR EYES!"

"Is that what you really wanted to be? Devoid of change?" Akira's eyes filled with seriousness over his words.

"A monster?"

"I..."

Makia's eyes widened in dread as those words echoed, evoking painful memories of his wife's tragic demise at his own hands. In an instant, his flesh began to liquefy, reducing him from a towering giant to a emaciated humanoid figure, devoid of sustenance and vitality.

"I give... I want to repent."

Kazuya was quickly amused by how the monster now wanted to repent for his own actions. Even Selena was quite shocked upon hearing him.

And thus, Makia the Carnage...

...admitted defeat.