Azathoth went forward, tearing through the void in pursuit. His speed split the air, and in moments he reached the place where Ryu's presence had last flared.
But the spot and sourrounding was empty. Just a plain greenland.
The air still trembled from Dragon's energy signature, but there was no dragon in sight. No scent. No heartbeat.
Azathoth's eyes narrowed.
This was not mere concealment.
Ryu had slipped beyond his reach entirely—vanishing into a different dimension.
The devil's claws flexed, and a ripple of black-crimson mana distorted the sky. "So… you think you can hide from me? Let's see how long can you hide. "
Meanwhile, inside the Fusion Lab, Ryu's gaze remained locked on the image of Azathoth's still form beyond the dimensional veil. His brows were drawn tight.
"This bastard… truly tenacious. I swear, I'll make you suffer exactly as you made me suffer," he muttered, sweat tracing down his temple.
"My Lord, should I go and kill him?" Grakar's deep voice rumbled from his side.
Ryu exhaled sharply, sitting cross-legged with a look of exasperation. "This isn't the time for jokes, Grakar. You know full well that if you step outside, he'll devour you whole."
Grakar's expression didn't waver. "That may be true, My Lord… but if I had to sacrifice myself for you, I would not hesitate."
Ryu turned his head slightly, a sidelong glance cutting toward his companion. "Is that so?"
"Yes, My Lord. Just give me your order," Grakar rumbled in his deep draconic tone.
Ryu fell silent. His gaze drifted to the side as he pondered. The crisis loomed like a shadow over his mind. That monster would not leave so easily. If Azathoth remained outside, they could be trapped here forever.
His thoughts spun in circles, searching for a way out. No help would come. Not from the dragon kind who had sent him here. Not from the mysterious being watching him from another sky.
If he stayed too long, the devil might eventually notice Venus and the others. They were far away, but the risk was there. He could not let that happen.
He had to think his way out of this at all costs.
Then his eyes settled on the piles of Hollow corpses in the corner. Hundreds of them, neatly arranged, their bodies stiff and cold. Some had their chests torn open where Grakar had devoured the Hollow cores.
A slow, cunning light lit up in his eyes.
It was not much of a plan. More of a gamble. But it might be their only chance.
Without hesitation, Ryu strode toward the towering mountain of Hollowfied corpses.
Dracina's voice echoed in his mind, heavy with concern.
[ Host, whatever you are about to do… it could be beyond dangerous. ]
"I know," he murmured, his tone low and resolute. "But it's the only choice I have."
Grakar's deep rumble followed, laced with unease.
"My Lord, what are you going to do?"
"Stay back, Grakar. I have to take this step. There's no way around it."
"But my Lord… I, I can.. No I am still useless…" Grakar's voice faltered, the weight of his emotions seeping through each word.
Before his eyes, Ryu's draconic form was swallowed by the heap of corrupted carcasses. The stench of death and tainted energy rolled through the Fusion Lab, and a sickly glow pulsed from within the mound.
Then, a voice thundered through the space — cold, absolute, and leaving no room for doubt:
[ Command Received. Initiating Self Fusion... ]
The corrupted corpses writhed beneath Ryu's feet as he pressed deeper into the mountain of Hollowfied remains. His golden eyes gleamed with cold determination.
A thick, black mist of abyssal mana began to seep upward, curling like living smoke around his limbs. The air grew heavy and suffocating, filled with the stench of decay and dark power.
One by one, the hollowed bodies twitched and stirred, tendrils of dark energy weaving through the air, linking them to Ryu like a web of shadows.
Then, the corpses and his dragon form dissolved into a massive Fusion Orb, pulsing with an eerie, otherworldly light.
The process continued relentlessly. Monstrous howls ripped through the Fusion Lab, devilish cries echoed off the walls, and ghostly whispers crawled through the air like cold fingers.
Even the Abyssal Fire Dragon, Grakar, recoiled in fear, his massive form trembling.
His lord was no longer just a man or a dragon. He was transforming into something terrifying—something that clawed at the edges of nightmare itself.
Azathoth's patience was wearing thin, each second gnawing at his temper. He knew that damned lizard would not just crawl out on its own. Another method was needed.
Then the thought struck him. That dragonborne had made some human friends… and their presence still lingered faintly in his senses.
"I'll go and kill them."
A slow, cruel smile spread across his face. If he used them as bait, that creature would have no choice but to abandon its hiding place.
The idea alone made his blood hum with anticipation and bloodlust.
But then, something stirred.
Azathoth paused, his senses sharpening. Slowly, he turned toward the disturbance, only to see a massive six-headed, dark-scaled Hydra Serpent materializing out of thin air.
It stretched nearly 30 meters in length, with a height of 10 meters when fully uncoiled. Now, it curled in on itself, its towering bulk lowered to half that size. Every scale shimmered with an ominous sheen, and the air around it swirled with a suffocating density of Nether Energy.
Azathoth's brow furrowed. He had not sensed a single fluctuation before its appearance.
"Who are you?" Azathoth demanded, his voice like rumbling. "Where did you come from?"
The dark-patterned serpent lowered all six heads at once, each one trembling before the Void Lord's oppressive presence.
"Hisss...Void Lord," it hissed with reverence, "I am but an insignificant being before your boundless might. I was one of the summons assigned to eliminate that dragon spawn… but I was captured by him in a strange, sealed space."
"Oh? Is that so?" Azathoth's eyes narrowed, suspicion glinting in their depths. "Then tell me—what is the name of your superior who sent you here?"
The question was clear. He wanted the name of his dead subordinate. It was a test.
But… did Ryu even know that name?