13: Asmodeus

Nu's muscles began to bulge as the rest of his body grew in size.

His golden strip of fur started to glow as golden protrusions began emerging, starting from the crown of his head and running down his tail.

Upon witnessing the ongoing transformation, the bear's instincts began to scream out warnings of impending danger.

Without wasting another breath it began charging at Nu in hopes of defeating him before the transformation was complete.

Because Nu's body was still in the midst of the growth process, he found himself unable to move around with ease and was, in essence, a sitting duck.

Or so the bear thought.

The massive tail of Nu split open, revealing two large fangs. Above the fangs, slits appeared, revealing reptilian eyes.

Before the Obsidian Blood Bear could react it was hit by a golden beam of Nova from the maw of Nu's tail.

BOOM!

The bear was sent flying backwards crashing back into the forest behind from where it had originally emerged.

"NURAI!! WHY DO DISSSSTURB MY SSSSLUMBER?!?"

"Asmodeus you know I can't move during my transformation, I needed you to protect me."

Nu, still in the process of transforming, told the grumpy reptile.

"Conssserve your energy I will handle thiss. You wasssted too much nova healing that cub, and it'ssss impeding your recovery."

"Thank you, Asmodeus."

Heeding his companion's words, Nu halted his transformation.

Asmodeus, the mighty creature, opened his enormous jaws and drew in Nova. 

As he did so, a brilliant golden sphere began to take shape, emanating an intense glow that illuminated everything around it. 

The sight was both mesmerizing and terrifying, as the sheer magnitude of Asmodeus' power was on full display.

The massive Obsidian Blood Bear, which had been caught off guard by Asmodeus, was still struggling to recover from the effects of the surprise attack. 

As it lay there, dazed and disoriented, it tried to shake off the confusion and pain that had clouded its senses. 

Despite its efforts, the bear could feel its instincts kick in once again, alerting it of the approaching danger. 

The bear knew it had to act quickly and decisively if it wished to not become the prey of the two beasts before it.

Learning from its previous mistake of charging in the bear turned tail and ran away this time, abandoning the pride of a forest spirit.

"Hey Asmodeus, look it's trying to run, blast it before it gets away."

Asmodeus turned to his partner with a frustrated expression and raised his head, firing off the brilliant golden beam of light from his mouth.

 The beam crackled with energy as it shot forward, tearing through the dense forest with incredible speed. 

Trees and boulders alike were obliterated by the sheer force of the beam, leaving nothing but a trail of destroyed debris in its wake.

As the beam approached the towering form of the Obsidian Blood Bear, Asmodeus gritted his fangs and focused his power, channeling all of his nova into the attack. 

The beam struck the bear with a deafening roar, engulfing the massive beast in searing flames that quickly reduced it to ashes.

 Only one of the creature's massive paws remained intact, a testament to the creature's size and strength.

Despite the immense power of the attack, the golden beam continued unabated, carving a path through the forest that stretched as far as the eye could see. 

As the beam finally began to lose energy, it dissipated into nothingness, leaving behind only the echoing sound of destruction and the smell of burning wood.

"What happened to energy conservation, Asmodeus?"

"SSilence Nurai, I sssstill have twicsse the nova accumulated than you do."

Nurai and Asmodeus were two mysterious beings that shared the same physical vessel. 

It was unclear how their souls came to be intertwined in such a way, but their existence was a marvel to those who witnessed their true form. 

Asmodeus's consciousness resided in the right side of Nurai's brain, while his body took up the lower half of the shared form, occupying the spine and tail. 

Despite their unusual arrangement, the two were able to communicate with one another, and their thoughts and actions were often in sync. 

The two beings were able to complement each other's strengths and abilities while also covering for the other's weaknesses, creating a powerful and effective team.

However, the nature of their bond was a mystery, and they wondered what fate had brought them together in such a unique way. 

"Hurry and take me to your cub so I can heal him."

Although Asmodeus had been dormant, he was aware of the situation with the boy. Since they shared a mind, Asmodeus knew his partner's feelings about the child.

Nu grinned.

"Don't misssundersstand I am only doing thisss becausssse if you keep wasting nova we might regresssss again."

"Thank you, Asmodeus."

Nu and Asmodeus were once revered as immensely powerful beings, far beyond the comprehension of mortals. 

They had reached a stage in their existence where they were on the verge of transcending their current form and ascending to a higher state of being. 

They were on the cusp of becoming separate entities, with incredible abilities and knowledge that went far beyond their current limits. 

But, unfortunately, their progress was impeded by a close friend who betrayed them. 

This act of treachery caused them to regress, leaving them stranded in their current form with all their potential unfulfilled. 

The betrayal was a devastating blow to them, and they were still struggling to recover, especially Nu.

.

.

.

After finding the unconscious Icarus, Asmodeus, the serpent, recognized that the boy was severely injured and needed immediate help.

With no time to waste, Asmodeus quickly swallowed Icarus whole and transferred his own powers to heal the boy's broken and tattered body. 

The incredible healing process took a toll on the serpent, leaving it weakened and with a diminished physical presence.

"Nurai, I shall resssst now take your cub to ssssafety with that bear gone all the ssssmaller beastsssss will flock back to thissss area."

The serpent began to glow as it reverted back into a normal tail, this time smaller than it was before from the use of nova.

"Thank you again, friend."

Nu leaned down and grabbed the boy in his massive jaw carrying him off to the riverbank.

Testing the water with his paws Nu shivered from its icy cold temperature.

'faster than walking through the forest carrying the child.'

With a swift movement, Nu used his strong tail to lift the boy up and securely wrapped it around his waist twice before taking a giant leap into the rushing rapids of the river. 

The water splashed around them as they glided through the currents, with Nu's tail providing a strong and steady grip as they navigated through the tumultuous waters.