Ash couldn't believe himself by the time he saw the Demon King tore the fabric of reality and emerged from the rift. Standing tall in the sky, the Demon King's aura surged, instilling horror to everybody's mind.
"Sanctum Ad Infinitum!"
Sir Bolton soon sprang into action. After he deployed the Holy Shield, the golden aura spread outward, creating a dome-shaped barrier to protect everyone from the Demon King's maddening aura.
However, the Holy Shield couldn't stand a chance against the Demon's King power. The golden aura dome shattered into thousands of pieces, effectively killing Sir Bolton instantly due to the spell backlash.
"Sir Bolton!" Ash's pupils shrunk, utterly horrified when he saw Bolton's body smashed into a meat paste. The strongest defensive spell known to mankind was easily shattered just like that.
"You'll pay for this!" Hiro shouted to the top of his lungs, brandishing the Heavenly Sword. "Ascend!"
Unlocking the limiter, Hiro's powerful aura soared high to the sky, borrowing the power of the goddess from inside the Heavenly Sword.
"Omnislash!"
With just a kick to the ground, Hiro dashed towards the Demon King at neck-breaking speed. He was almost as if merge himself with the light itself due to the sheer velocity.
Lillanna, meanwhile, silently casted the strongest spell in her disposal to follow Hiro's attack. The thunderstorm howled out of nowhere by the time Lilanna had finished reciting the spell.
Ash was agape, his eyes were wide open, it was like a fever dream for him as everybody moved in slow motion. And then, loud booming noises reverberated in the sky. The shockwaves were so powerful, obliterating the landscape at once.
As the weakest among the others, Ash couldn't do anything but hold onto a tree with his dear life.
Slowly, Ash opened his eyes and was shocked to death!
The Demon King was simply too powerful for this group of youngsters. What was in the Pope's mind when he summoned the Hero unto this world and told Hiro to fight the Demon King who's akin to the literal God of this plain?
Even Hiro's strongest attack was easily deflected by the Demon King with just a flick of his wrist!
Hiro fell from the height twice as fast, creating a massive crater upon landing. Luckily, his high constitution and vitality saved him from imminent death.
"Hahaha!" The Demon King's devilish laughter echoed in the sky once again. "You think you can defeat me with just a few years worth of training?! Hah! You are lightyears away from putting a scratch on my nails!"
"Ugh! No way! This is impossible!" Hiro tried to stand but to no avail. He was already hanging on the last strand of his life-force. "He... he is far stronger than me."
"Hiro-sama!" Lilanna trudged down the crater with tears on her cheeks. Cradling Hiro's head in her embrace. "Please, don't die on me!"
Regaining his senses, Ash followed the Ice Princess down to the crater to help Hiro. Despite Hiro's uselessness, Ash still couldn't let Hiro die lest he would be accused as a traitor if he ought to desert the party.
"Come on." Ash propped Hiro's arm around his shoulder. "We need to get you out of here."
Lilanna casted a healing spell onto Hiro's body, and then she said. "He's right. We need to reach the nearest Church to heal your internal wound."
Knowing that it would be practically impossible to flee from the Demon King with his current state, Hiro opted to use a spell which was deemed as heresy even by the Holy Church. The most despicable spell to ever exist...
"No. It would be only me and you, Lilanna."
"Mana Purge!"
Ash coughed out a mouthful of blood when Hiro embedded his finger into Ash's abdomen. Ash couldn't even muster a word due to the immensity of the pain when his Mana, and Life-force were being drawn out of his body.
Soon, his face turned pale. He was as good as dead. The only thing that remained in his body was just the soul that was still reluctant to go to the afterlife.
"Sorry, Ash. I need your mana. Your sacrifice will forever be etched in history and all of your sins shall be forgiven." Hiro said coldly.
With the new profound Mana and Life-force in his vein, Hiro grabbed the Ice Princess on his right hip and used the Thousand Shadows Step to flee from the battlefield.
Glowpaw flew from the safety and landed on Ash's chest, licking his face.
The Demon King, however, was already standing on Ash's side without a notice. Even Glowpaw's sharp sense couldn't detect his arrival.
The little black beast growled towards the Demon King fearlessly.
The Demon King snorted. "Hmph! Even a dog has a better sense of loyalty and honor!"
Grrr...
Glowpaw pounced towards the Demon King's ankle, biting him relentlessly. Soon, the Demon King picked the little beast up. Strangely, there was no malice radiated from his eyes. Just curiosity.
"Good boy..." The Demon King praised Glowpaw's fierceness. He then put the little black beast asleep, momentarily.
"What did you do to him!" Ash was furious, he tried to get up.
"Don't you worry, I will take care of him in your stead."
"No! Don't you dare turn my pal into a monstrosity!" Ash hissed at him.
"Why would I? I love Magical Beast, Beastkin, Beast Girl and all non-human beings on this planet! Man, I thought we are on the same page here!"
After paying close attention to the Demon King's face, Ash was surprised when he found out that the Demon King was smiling like an angel who accompanied him before he went to heaven.
"Tsk! Stop playing and kill me already!"
"As you wish. Before that, however, I would like to ask you," said the Demon King. "Say, Ash Flameheart. If you believe in reincarnation, who or what do you wish to be reborn as? A King? An overlord? Or perhaps, a demon?"
As his life gently ebb away after he muttered his last word to the world.
"Nah, I wish I could be reborn as a bird, soaring through the skies and beyond."
"Very well."
With a gentle downward swipe across Ash's face, he died peacefully with a smiling face.
"May thy wish be true."
Afterward, the Demon King summoned his army, hunting the Hero and the Ice Princess. He is determined to end the Sacred Timeline that has been imprisoned on this planet for eons long by killing the Hero to begin a whole new era of this world.
***
An eternity later, Ash opened his eyes and found himself encased in a dark space.
Beep!
[Beast Master System has been installed into a new host]
[Calibrating the Host...]
[Name: Ash Flameheart]
[Species: Heavenly Phoenix]
[Growth Stage: Hatchling Phoenix]
[Cultivation Arts: Heavenly Beast Taming Art | Feather Swords Gather Array (Not Not Yet Learned) | Eternal Blood Flames(Not Yet Learned) | Ten Thousands Faces Mantra(Not Yet Learned)]