Selphira retreated, surprised by Kharzan's sudden release of power, but was already preparing her next attack.
On the ground, Valdris's body lay motionless, having paid the final price for decades of unwavering loyalty.
Kharzan's roars of pain over Valdris's death resonated across the battlefield, but something deeper was happening. Pure emotion, unfiltered rage, had broken not only the ice chains, but also the last barriers he maintained between himself and abyssal power.
The transformation was more complete than anything he had experienced before, not just physical enhancement, but the absolute abandonment of everything that had once made him think as a human.
Kharzan let himself go completely.
He allowed the beasts to take his body, fusing at a level that transcended simple symbiosis. His form reconfigured, muscles and bones flowing like malleable clay while six creatures became a single perfectly integrated entity.
The process was beautiful and horrifying to witness.
