The moment everyone in the Shatterstar mech saw Ethan's appearance, a wave of relief swept through everyone. His earlier state had been terrifying enough, the mech's systems had estimated only a fifteen percent chance of recovery, a number that had chilled them to the bone. Then, before they could even process it, he did something that startled them even more: Ethan vaulted into the air and landed squarely atop the Gate of Ascension.
"Transform... Ancient Demigod!" he roared.
A shockwave rolled outward.
High above, his form erupted into a blinding metamorphosis. On the thousand-meter-high structure, Ethan's body reshaped into a colossal, armored bird with a rotund, almost regal bulk. Deep blue plates of starlit armor encased him, his body expanding until he matched the gate's towering height—and even stood half a head taller than the Shatterstar mech itself.
"Forbidden: Starfall Barrage... Tear this rotten, artificial world apart... Die!"
