Chapter 8

The halos came as a storm bearing the fierce fall of a sky of lightning as Edzak watched expectantly as he envisioned the Aegis exploding into flames, but he was disappointed on seeing the Aegis still sailing proudly after the flames had died out..

"Ok Kied", he said to himself, "if this is how you want it, then so be it."

Those ideograms etched themselves on his palms creating a series of symbolic configurations. Edzak's cages tore open, unveiling those blackholes which unleashed those cosmic beasts, enflamed wolves charging straight for the Aegis.

Those five flaring circles emerged from Kied's being, their burning edges whirring, they tore through the distance, cutting through the enflamed hides of the beasts, sending them howling as they burnt to ash which faded into the air. The flaring circles returned to their wielder who smiled on, satisfied by the outcome of his action.

"You think you're the strongest Kied", Edzak growled, "just because you can take down one wave after another successfully doesn't mean you can handle them all together. I'll make sure you buckle under pressure."

An army of cosmic beasts howling the astral skies arose, making it quake and quiver under the influence of their turbulent assault. Fierce in spirit they attacked with fire and lightning in their eyes.

"Hypernox, I'll admit that today you've met your type", Kied said to an already growling Hypernox now standing on all fours, "but not your match."

The cosmic skies began to quake as those dark waves converged into a single core, creating an astral whirlpool which transformed into a massive blackhole who's fiery eye flared of a cosmic depth of lightning.

"Hypernox soar !" Kied ordered.

Already heated for the moment, Hypernox howling, launched himself to the sky, his being becoming enflamed, tore its way through the distance, making the atmosphere shatter into flaring shards. Boring into the blackhole, Hypernox immersed himself into that cosmic sea of radioactive flames. Those pillars of lightning fell from that whirlpool of fire as they crashed upon each other, infesting their destructive flare into his being. And when it came, it came as a tornado, the howl shattering through the infinite expanse of this cosmic plain.

Lifting his arms to the sky, those radioactive flares condensed into enflamed chains which tore straight into the blackhole. Kied pulled, those enflamed cracks etching themselves all over his body making the high heavens quake within that fiery sea of lightning. Hypernox's howl tore through the cosmic skies once again, making Edzak's being tremble. He knew Hypernox was capable of transforming into a cosmic beast, but his evolution had never been so terrifying. Gazing at Kied's enflamed and crack ridden being, Edzak wished this monster would burn away on the spot. Unfortunately, his wish wasn't granted as Kied battled on with the chains.

"Wolf Hypernox", Kied called, his thunderous voice ripping the heavens asunder, "gore !"

Hypernox descended, now an enflamed and colossal wolf - a cosmic beast. Burning his way through the distance, his fangs tore out from his jaws and his claws bore themselves. He was twenty times the size of each beast Edzak controlled, towering above them, he sliced and crushed them mercilessly, dwindling their advancing ranks which filled the sky. But he was the sky and their defeat was the fire glowing in his eyes. Hypernox's being became an armour of enflamed lightning, transforming him into an energetic storm of destruction, howling to the skies, he charged at the resurfacing army of wolves, his presence alone setting them ablaze. His fangs and claws bore through scores in one blow, the single horn on his forehead rammed them out of his way, he was a warlord and the lord of this war. Howling furiously to the sky, thanks sea of flames arose from the core of his being, consuming the entire army of cosmic beasts, he set them ablaze in the glory of his flames.

You think that is all I have Kied", Edzak yelled, "I have more !"

The cages of Edzak's fleet lifted their bars once again, creating those blackholes which released those cosmic beasts from their turbulent depths. They were fiercer, bigger and faster, gorilla-like creatures, their massive fists and three pairs of arms bore mighty claws. Roaring to the skies, they charged at Hypernox as an army, they played a game of blood and fury, but Hypernox didn't just fight with rage alone, he had a mind of his own, a mind worth being called a master strategist. Instead of charging into the heart of the army, Hypernox attacked them from their flanks, taking them down from every corner, he maintained an unmatched momentum.

Kied needed not bother himself about Hypernox, but he had something else on mind, wanting to teach Edzak that Hypernox was no ordinary cosmic beast, he was going to carry out his plan.

"Hypernox", called Kied, "soar !"

Hypernox used his horn to make a clearing through the centre of this army, taking scores of them down in the process, before finally soaring to the sky.

The blackhole became even fiercer, its enflamed waves rising higher and those pillars of lightning becoming even larger. Hypernox's howl rang across the cosmic plain sending shivers running down Edzak's spine. What was Kied up to now ? He wondered, knowing that Hypernox was going to descend far stronger than before.

The blackhole's massive core quaked as those two chains bore into it, locked onto Kied's grip, as he pulled with all his might, those cracks deepening farther into his being making him yell out of the strain of evolution. Hypernox's howl echoed too resonating the thoughts of his master, also holding on to his evolutionary ascension.

"Hang in there Hypernox, your wolf state isn't what I need", Kied said, " I need something higher."

Hypernox's voice tore out of the blackhole, this time it wasn't a howl but something more powerful, it was a mighty screech. Kied pulled harder, falling to his knees in the process, his eyes enflamed and his being raved, raving of that depthless surge of a cosmic sea of infinite power.

"Phoenix Hypernox", he summoned, "gore !"

Hypernox descended heralded by a sea of enflamed halos which struck through Edzak's army of cosmic beasts, wiping them out rank after rank, sending them burning to ash.

Edzak's fists tightened as he stared at Kied whose hypnotic gaze was still in him, grinning and daring him to bring more. And truth be told, his entire army of cosmic beasts had been wiped out, all he had left was his fleet. He nevertheless wasn't backing away so soon.

"Attack !" Edzak ordered.

The first wave of battleships charged at the Aegis, ready to take it down.

Hypernox now an eagle landed on Kied's shoulder, staring fearlessly at the assaulting army.

"Well done Hypernox", Kied said stroking his head, making him coo.

"Equivax", Kied summoned, "hail and blades."