Epic of Caterpillar

The Abyssal Blood Soul Blades descended at a rapid speed, about to slice everyone below into pieces. Within that moment, the girls rapidly considered escaping! Kireina had given them a special accessory, a one-tuse ring to teleport directly inside of her World Realm. Unlike her, they were unable to easily teleport and move through space, and the density of space in this area was much heavier, the ring was their last resort.

However, would that be enough? Their pride was warriors stopped them from escaping, if they did, wouldn't Kireina be disappointed on them? She trusted them, so they believed that it would only disappoint her if they simply escaped when she was putting her life on the line!

"RESIST!"

Altani quickly conjured as many barriers as possible, her Golden Winds condensed into big, thick dragon scales. The blades started rapidly grinding through them, shattering them into tiny pieces over and over again.

"D-Dammit!"

Charlotte's powers concentrated fully into defending, huge force fields were conjured, becoming barriers made of electromagnetic neon cosmic lightning, which barely held off!

"Yggdrantia, together!"

Faylen combined her powers with Yggdrantia through their spirit contract, several shields of Yggdrasil wood were made, but quickly shattered over and over again.

They were all desperately trying to fight, all while Nephiana was consuming her cosmic elixirs one after another, the process of absorption was rather slow as they had little tto fully get used to their powers.

"You won't make it in time, fools!"

Demiurgus laughed as suddenly, a hundred spears appeared.

Then everyone's eyes widened.

"See? There's no hope! WEAKLINGS! DIE!"

As the spears descended, the barriers shattered within seconds.

Tseemed to be going slowly for everyone in that moment.

The spears continued descending, even faster than the swords.

Soon to pierce their bodies, drain their energies, and weaken them even further.

However...

BOOOM!

The wooden cradle where Redgaria was suddenly exploded with phantasmal and black nether flames, as Redgaria surged amidst the battle, everyone's eyes suddenly were directly to the origin of the explosion, seeing the Necromancer's new form.

His form completely different, his body now made of countless bones aligned together, resembling an armored titan, a king with a crown of black bones, and a dark blue cape.

A scythe materialized in his right hand, as his deep, phantasmal blue eyes looked sorrowfully at the world, and at Demiurgus.

And his Cosmic Aura... it had changed.

It possessed the s"Essence" that Maxima Summons possessed.

In specific, of Phantasmas.

"You'll pay for taking her away from me..."

"You're alive?!"

Demiurgus could only speak those words before Redgaria stepped forward, space itself bending before his presence as everyone could swear they saw hundreds of specters and skeletons grab his body and force him to move in between the empty space.

"W-What is that movement ability?!"

Altani was the first to notice it, her sharp dragon eyes could not miss what she saw.

It was as if Redgaria's Undead could now move anywhere, becoming pseudo-ethereal beings, and as the touched him, they could also move him across space just as they could do.

However, to much slower eyes, it seemed as if he had teleported in front of Demiurgus.

"I've had enough… of losing everyone I love…"

Redgaria's entire presence had changed, it was as if he had undergone a completely different transformation.

It wasn't the ssnarky, cynical Necromancer everyone either hated or tolerated at best, but which Kireina always kept around for sreason.

It was as if right in front of them, there was a true incarnation of a Cosmic Being that embodied Death and the Undead.

"You think a new appearance would intimidate me; you utter fool?! I'll shatter every bone you're made of!"

Demiurgus was not amused! He quickly attacked Redgaria, conjuring a dozen giant hands made of his Abyssal Blood Soul and his own hand as well as beams from his eyes, the full package of attacks at once.

"You'll pay for what you did…"

Redgaria's crimson eyes shone behind his black skull-shaped helmet, there was the strong emotion of hatred… but also of sadness.

Of hollowness.

His scythe moved faster than Demiurgus could predict.

SLAAASH!

A wave of nether and cosmic energies was unleashed as his weapon slashed through Demiurgus attacks and his arm, cutting them all cleanly!

"W-What?!"

The Recessed couldn't understand what happened before his other arm was already sliced!

Yet that wasn't all.

The spears that were about to hit everyone down there were already stopped, Charlotte, Faylen, Altani, and Nephiana watched as hundreds of undead combined together into a dome, protecting them.

"Redgaria, that lguy did all of this?" asked Nephiana, raising an eyebrow.

"That's not the Redgaria we know anymore…" Altani said, looking towards the battle above.

"He has definitely changed, something happened…" Charlotte said. "Is it because of the dead of his Maxima Summon? But that's… It is as if his own Authority evolved? Is that possible without a surplus amount of Cosmic Power?"

"It seems there are indeed other ways… Perhaps…" Faylen muttered. "I can sense within him, a great amount of sorrow and hatred, but also, acceptance of himself? Perhaps Cosmic Authorities can also develop, evolve, or even unlock new powers as the wielders evolve and transform as people too…"

The revelation of Faylen's words quickly ccrashing down on the girls, such a tremendous power could also dwell in everyone else, yet because they lacked resolve, or because they had simply not found, or accepted themselves, it was locked away.

Or perhaps there were also other hidden conditions they had absolutely no idea about, it was a series of both specific events and emotional turmoil that provoked what Redgaria had becnow.

His presence evolved, and his powers combined, evolving with his endless army of Undead and his Cosmic Energy.

[Your Unique Cosmic Skill: [Primordial World-Conquering Evil Necromancer Authority: [Bones]: Lv2] has fulfilled all Awakening Conditions and has awakened into Unique Cosmic Skill: [Lone Necromancer King's Cosmic Authority: [Undead, Souls, Bones, Death]: Lv3]!]

The loneliness he felt, it becan expression of the power he acquired.

"Just what are you?! You couldn't possibly be just a Vampire?!"

Demiurgus kept losing his unholy blood as his wound would simply not regenerate.

"…"

Redgaria moved forwards, without saying a word.

But his hatred and loneliness were palpable.

SLAAASH!

And it bechis power.