Forsaken By The Gods, I Made A Contract With the Demon King

The monstrous bird moved with a terrifying grace, faster than something of its size had any right to. One moment it was looming above him, and in the next, it was upon him, its massive talons crashing down like a hammer.

Levi barely dodged, rolling to the side as the ground exploded where he had been standing. He lunged forward, driving his claws toward the creature's side, aiming for a weak spot between the layers of armored feathers. But his strike bounced off with a metallic clang, barely scratching its hide.

The Black Wing whirled on him, its beak snapping forward like a spear. Levi ducked just in time, but the beast was relentless, pressing him with attack after attack, each strike coming closer to ending him.

"Shit," Levi cursed under his breath, his mind racing. His attacks weren't strong enough.

He was outclassed, and he knew it.

But he couldn't stop.

He wouldn't stop.

Levi leapt back, narrowly avoiding another swipe of the Black Wing's talons. His back collided with something solid—one of the hulking, twisted pillars of stone that littered this cursed battlefield.

He was trapped.

The Black Wing knew it too.

It reared back, letting out a deafening screech before diving forward, its massive form intent on crushing Levi beneath its weight. Time seemed to slow as Levi watched the monster descend.

He could feel the raw power radiating from it, the bloodlust in its eyes. This was no mere battle. This was a slaughter.

But Levi refused to die like prey.

With a roar that tore from the very depths of his being, Levi activated Lunacy, not on the massive bird but on himself

Suddenly, the world around him slowed to a crawl as his senses expanded.

He could feel the shift in the air, the subtle vibrations of the monstrous bird's movements. And in that moment, he saw it—a small opening, a brief flicker of vulnerability as the creature committed to its attack.

There were two small areas in the legs of the monstrous bird where its talons and legs connected and that part was not covered in the thick hide that formed on its body.

Levi moved without thinking further, diving forward, under the Black Wing's massive body.

His claws lashed out as he rolled, aiming for the joints in its legs. This time, his attack found purchase, slicing through sinew and bone. The Black Wing let out a blood-curdling scream, staggering as its leg buckled beneath it.

But Levi wasn't done. He sprang up, driving his claws into the beast's side, ripping through its feathered hide below its wings with brutal precision.

Blood gushed from the wounds, staining his hands as he tore deeper, searching for the vital organs beneath.

The Black Wing thrashed wildly, its massive wings flapping in a desperate attempt to dislodge him.

One wing caught him across the chest, sending him flying backward into the stone pillar with a sickening crunch.

Pain exploded through his body, his vision blurring as he struggled to stay conscious. But he forced himself to his feet, spitting blood as he glared at the beast.

It wasn't enough.

It would never be enough.

The bird was of Fallen rank—a whole two ranks higher than Levi's base form. Even with his Demonic Transformation activated, Levi could only compare himself to a mid-Vile rank monster, and that too only in terms of physical strength. His heart pounded as the realization sank in.

He had no actual offensive abilities except for the Demonic Transformation itself, and that was a serious flaw in his current situation. His transformation granted him tremendous physical power, but it lacked the specialized techniques or skills required to deal significant damage to a creature like this. And, as the battle dragged on, Levi could feel the toll it was taking on him.

His essence and energy were draining rapidly. The longer he stayed in his demonic form, the more vulnerable he would become.

"Dammit,"

Levi muttered through gritted teeth, but there was no time to rest. The Black Wing was already recovering, its leg dragging slightly, but its eyes burning with fury. It wouldn't let him get close again.

The horde of lesser Black Wings were still persistent as they pressed in, their screeches filling the air as they dove at Levi with ferocity.

Levi was forced to fight defensively, his claws lashing out in desperate arcs, but he was being overwhelmed.

The second skin which had held against the attack of the essence monster finally fell through as the vines started to wither back into the pendant - it seemed like there was a limit to the amount of damage it could take and Levi wasn't a bit amused to know this right now!

Talons raked across his back, beaks tore at his flesh. His vision blurred, and his body screamed in protest, but he couldn't stop.

Not now.

"Use it." Levi's voice was calm, though a storm brewed in his eyes.

From the shadows of a nearby gnarled tree, a small figure emerged—Noir. The raven-like creature, very different from the rest of the Black Wings, flapped its wings silently as it rose into the air. Unlike the frenzied horde that surrounded them, Noir's presence was a chilling stillness in the chaos.

Just as the creature crossed into striking range, Levi's and Noir's voices seemed to overlap, a single command echoed in both of their minds.

"Lunacy," they both activated the [Lunacy] in unison.

This time, Levi didn't just activate it within himself. He pushed it outward, forcing the dark, chaotic energy to erupt from his body in a wave.

Levi was tired and was low on essence - using Lunacy again was risky and Levi knew the cost. But he also knew there was no other way.

With a grim nod, Levi let go of his restraint. He reached deep inside, drawing on the madness that pulsed within him, the chaos that lurked just beneath the surface.

---***---

Mass Release - 02 (Three more on the way)