Reincarnated Into A Hell Hound - Chapter 153

The younger brother soon finds himself in a very dangerous dilemma; he is unable to land a physical attack for his brother is quicker than him, and he can’t escape the grasp of the other for he has better stamina even after battling for so long.

The only thing Huthor has on his side is his huge magic gauge, and the ability to multicast in his form.

So while one would strikes a mad dash of claws and fangs, the other would blast the ground to get his feet stuck, and use the distraction to use Fire Levitation and Heat Ilusion in unison to keep the other’s attack at bay and away from his already mangled throat, the ablaze forest serving as a screen for Hunthor to keep making illusions appear and, with the state of mind that his brother is in, he manages to maintain Thilgon in a fake battle against deceptions.

And yet even if he had just bought some time for himself his older brother did not show signs of stopping, in fact the more enemies he defeated the more he seemed eager for the next prey.

Like a tireless hunting machine.

Hunthor could not deny that he is scared; not only for himself, but for his brother as he has never seen him in a state like this. So… out of it.

“Brother, you always told me I was the dumb in the family, I know that was a joke but I’m feeling like that right… brother, come back to us, otherwise I don’t know what to do…” Dejected he is left to watch as his brother goes on a rampage, wondering if he could get him to snap out of it; wondering if would ever get out of it.

That when something, or rather, someone unexpected appears… a small figure that should have been long burned among the flames, and yet its green body stood out from the orange background, a firm and yet terrified look in its eyes as it approaches the ravaging hound.

“Momma…” A small voice comes out from its small snout, big eyes looking up innocently as if unaware of the danger he was putting himself into.

Hunthor feels his heart freeze at such image, especially when his older brother attention shifts to the small creature.

“Shu, no! Get away from him, is dangerous! Shit! Brother stop!”

And yet his pleads do not reach either of them as the distance between them diminishes, one going for the kill, and the other idle staring, unable to move.

Until a gigantic paw comes crashing down on him.

“No!” Hunthor screams, but is already too late, the soil cracking under such force as the gigantic hound responsible for it howl in joy at the new kill, unaware that he has just murdered his little friend.

“Brother, you…!” That is one of the few times that Hunthor truly gets angry at his older brother, for even him, such carefree creature, could not overlook what just unfolded before his eyes.

And yet before he can do something as stupid as launch a straight forward attack at his stronger brother, the unexpected surprises have not ceased yet and shocks him once more when, with a bright light shining under the big paw something pushes its way out from the crushing force and shots out roots that are quick to intertwine themselves with the paw, so fast that the big Terror hound has no time to react and, before it can set the roots on fire the wood seems to glow once more, green veins popping in between the wrinkles on the lumber, reaching out to the trampling creature and pulsating, almost as if… extracting something out of the hound.

And not doubt that proves to be the case when the fire that started to crisscross the hound’s skin to reach the wood diminish as if lacking fuel, and little by little an exchange is made; in one side the roots start growing thicker and bigger, and on the other the hound seems to have its paw stuck and, unable to pull it off, starts losing force, its limbs shaking and the fire flickering back to life, on and off, on and off.

Hunthor watches in silence, not only observing with extreme caution but uncertain of what he could do in this situation, or if he should try at all.

In the end, he only watched, and when the older brother hits the ground, only the paw up in the air, heavy breathing, the plant has grown so strongly that now beyond the roots stood a mushroom shaped big tree.

It is long, white wooded, and even if it has branches growing out of it the top ends with a big red mushroom cap as well as small ones along the wood in replacement for the leaves, a mixture of a tree with a mushroom.

And yet it wasn’t done, for with a caress of the wind it caps launches a white golden spore that seem to mingle with the orange flames, and yet when it reaches the soil an akin effect from the roots before happens when small mushrooms start growing all over, red and white and sucking the force of the flames and combusting themselves to a quick grown, soon enough taking over the forest and land and stopping the firestorm while crisscrossing the entire land with its presence.

When things settle down the younger brother straights up, baffled, and only comes back to his senses when Aeglos, followed by Isaac and the others, carrying Leonel on his arms, stops on his side.

“What just happened?”

“I… I’m not sure.” Even with all his pair of eyes he could not believe what he just saw.

Aeglos settles Leonel on the floor while Isaac keeps pouring energy into him and braves forward towards the fallen hound, the black gigantic figure laying down with its paw stretched out, until the roots crack and set the limb free in a loud bang.

“…Thilgon?” A twitch in response sends all of them back a step, but Aeglos does not give up and calls out once more: “Thilgon? Is that you? Are you ok?”

Another twitch, this time longer as the limbs start moving, but as if too stiff and heavy they keep getting themselves glued to the ground.

Approaching even more Aeglos can see the eyelids twitching, and once they open up once more the eyes below only stare at the front blindly.

-Warning Possessed Mode off, commencing side effects, warning…

No, no, not yet, just a little longer, I have to hold on a little longer…

“… Is it over?” I ask, feeling my throat dry from all the howling and screaming, fade memories of what I just did playing in my mind and making my head hurt, especially as the after effect of not only activating Possessed Mode starts, but worsen for having it stopped so suddenly and forcibly.

Aeglos doesn’t answer me, probably wondering what I may be referring to, and which part of this mess could I hope to have ended.

Swallowing dry I feel a weight in my paw, and as I open it up a cry gets stuck in my throat, for inside there is a small mushroom, low level and small just the way I first saw him.

“Shu, I’m sorry… I promise to get you back in shape alright? Sorry… Sorry that you had to fix my mess…” In this form he could not answer, and that lack of life almost made me howl in pain.

But I had other urgent matters to attend to.

“… And Leonel?”

Aeglos turns his face away, unable to say the words.

“Brother, he…” Hunthor says with one of his head while the others try to hide the sadness in their eyes, but I know what he means, I know what I saw.

I couldn’t accept it… I couldn’t accept that I would never see his golden kind eyes look at me ever again, nor would I feel his warm touch, see his gullible smile, he has been gone for minutes and the logging I feel already threatens to crush my heart.

I cannot have that… I would not survive that, I’m weak like that.

And I know the price that I have to pay to make things right.

And I’m willing to pay it.

“Bring him to me.”

“But-”

“Bring him.”

They put him down in front of me and I have to use a lot of strength to get my neck to straight up but I manage to have a good look at his face, dreadfully noticing the many broken bones and cuts his body is crisscrossed with, side gazing at those as I try to focus my eyes on the closed eyelids that hid the golden orbs bound to never shine again.

And I knew what I had to do… no matter the price.