Somewhere within the abyss...

"ABSOLUTEEEEEE!!!!!!" A tiny creature could be seen flying furiously through the treacherous environment of the abyss.

Its tiny tuxedo had been ripped to shreds.

Blood stains clothed its tiny figure from head to toe.

Its breathing coming in labored gasps as it seemed to have difficulty breathing.

WOOOOSHHHH!!!!

A massive claw came swiping from the side.

"FUCK!" The creature swerved desperately. Succesfully dodging the attack.

Crashhhh!!!

But it couldn’t avoid the gnarly tree that had sprouted out of thin air.

"Damn... damn it..." Paku groaned as he pried his tiny figure from the tree.

Grrrrrr....

The hungry growl successfully roused the tiny creature as he raised his head.

"You fucking bastards..." gritting his teeth so hard they creaked. He leveled a deathly stare at his assaulters.

They were two.

One. A panther-like creature with six powerful legs, six ember-like eyes, and three barbed tails that swayed with unsettling precision. Dark brown scales ran in jagged bands across its ashen-grey hide, while the space around it warped subtly, as though the creature itself could never truly remain still.

The other was stranger still.

It looked like a tree that had learned to hate.

A towering humanoid of blackened bark, its trunk split by glowing crimson fissures that pulsed like living veins. Thick roots writhed beneath it like a nest of serpents, while dead branches reached from its shoulders as twisted, claw-like limbs. Where leaves should have been, dull grey crystals hung in silent clusters, shedding ash with every movement.

At the center of its trunk...

A single crimson eye stared back at him.

Yet, the most troubling thing was their auras.

The panther radiated a presence no weaker than a Late-stage transformation stage expert.

As for the treant...

"Fucking law stage bastards... just my fucking luck." Paku grumbled. Tearing himself free from the blood-drinking trunk.

He couldn’t help himself as his mind drifted to how he had ended up in this situation.

They’d just stepped through the gates. He had already readied himself for whatever stood after that damn tear, for even within his own clan that was far removed from the affairs of the world, the abyss was still a notable name.

But who would’ve thought?

"That bastard brought me here. Just to up and leave me to fend for myself." His rage spiked as he recalled just how much he’d been roughed up by these two.

He had tried. But what was he to do against Something that moved before movement itself? Something that was fast enough to be where you were if you weren’t fast enough to not be there?

And not to get started on that fucking tree...

The little chipmunk’s eyes slowly bled crimson as he looked at his withering arms and feet.

The culprit being that essence sucking godforsaken tree.

Grrrawww...

The panther roared. The sound a mix of something foul and grating.

No longer interested in the stare down. It moved.

SLICE!!!

Three massive claw marks appeared on paku’s body before he could even react.

ARRRRGGGGGGG!!!!

His body was sent flying into the waiting wall of gnarly roots behind him.

"Fuck. No you don’t." Righting himself just in time, he vaulted over the wall of roots, but..

WOOOOSHH!

Another claw strike swiped across his face. Taking chunks of flesh with it.

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!

He collapsed in writhing pain.

The wound on his face visibly decaying.

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!

His screams of pain intensified as tree roots burst out of the ground. Entangling him thoroughly as they burrowed through his tiny figure, feeding on what little essence remained.

"Fu... fuck... FUCK THIS!!!!"

ROOOOOOOOOOOOOARRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!!!!!!!

In a fit of rage. He let go of his inhibitions. A terrifying roar tearing through his throat as his body.. GREW!

"YOU MOTHERFUCKERS!!!" The massive silhouette of a behemoth overshadowed the two creatures below.

"FUCK THE CONSEQUENCES!! YOU FUCKERS SHOULD JUST DIEEEEEE!!!!!!"

Paku let out a thunderous roar as a paw the size of a truck came crashing down.

BOOOOOOMMMMM!!!!

The earth erupted as massive roots burst out of the ground, tangling the descending claw.

ARRRRRGGGGGGGGGGG!!!!!!!

A pained roar burst out of paku as the roots dug deep into his arm.

Yet before he could react...

SWISH!

The air split apart as..

Slice! Slice! Slice!

An innumerable number of claw strikes marred his body.

PSSSSSSHHHHHHHHH!!!!!

Blood burst forth like a fountain. His massive form turned crimson in mere moments as the monsters continued their assault.

"FUC..."

The more damage he received.

"FUCKING...."

The angrier paku got.

His blood covered fur started steaming.

The blood evaporated slowly.

The more the monsters attacked. The more his body heated up until eventually..

"FUCKING BASTARDS!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

ROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRR!!!!!

A furious roar tore the entire place apart.

WOOOOOOOOOOOOOSHHHHHHHH!!!

A baleful aura exploded out of him. The force so powerful it shattered every root like tendril attached to his body.

The panther like creature being sent flying.

RRRRAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!!!

Paku’s eyes had turned a crimson red. His fur stood on end as his body grew.

20-meters.

40-meters.

80-meters.

.....

200-meters...

He only stopped growing when he became a 200-meter tall monster.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOHHHHHHHHHHHMMMMMMMMMMM!!!!!!!

His roar sent the chaotic atmosphere writhing.

Woooooshhhh!!!!

A claw strike still came. The panther being relentless in its attacks.

Yet.

The moment its claws met Paku’s hide...

Shatter!!

They exploded into countless fragments.

"YOU AUDACIOUS BASTARDS!! DIEEEEEE!!!!!"

CRAAACK....

THOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMM!!!!!

The world shattered as a country sized crater was blasted into the earth the moment paku’s claw made contact with the earth.

The shockwaves spread wildly as the world shook and shuddered.

The panther like creature. The tree like monster. All gone. Not even a single bark being left behind.

One move. That was all it took.

RAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

A triumphant roar burst out of him as he turned his gaze onward.

His eyes pierced through an uncountable number of miles as a manic grin split his monstrous face.

"You bastards thought yourselves hunters? Monsters? Predators?"

The mere sound of his voice sent a massive quake through the earth.

"Well then. Allow me to show you just what a true monster looks like."

Taking a single step. His massive frame crossed miles of land as he appeared above a mountain range. His form casting an ominous shadow over the entire place.

"Don’t worry. Once I’m done with you guys. I’ll be sure to give that damned Absolute a piece of my mind!"

His voice thundered through the mountain range, successfully attracting the attention of every single infernal within.

CROOOOOOAAAAAAAA...

GAAAWWWWWWWWWW...

A cacophony of sounds erupted from the earth below as multiple terrifying auras burst out.

Paku’s grin only increased as he felt the multiple threatening auras coming directly towards him.

"Alright you bastards. Now you’ve got me excited..."

".... HAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!"

A massive claw dropped down from above in response to the approaching monsters.

CRACK—BOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMM

The entire mountain range flattened instantly as a massive battle between titans erupted within this part of the abyss...

......

Meanwhile.

Far away, where another unfortunate soul had been unceremoniously abandoned by the Abyss...

"Kekekekekekekeke... yes. This is how a king should be welcomed."

Malachi grinned as he came face to face with his first abyss walkers.

"Outsider... what do you seek?" One of the creatures asked. Its tone dismissive.

It had black hair.

Ashen-grey skin.

Tall and slender frame.

Had Dante seen them. He would’ve recognized them immediately.

"Oh.. nothing much. I just need you two to answer a few questions of mine.." Malachi’s grin widened...

"You wouldn’t happen to be Abyss Walkers, would you?"

The atmosphere changed the moment those words were uttered.

"Outsider... you dare reduce the Veyr to that filthy name?" One of the creatures growled. Murderous intent rising.

"Heh." Feeling the killing intent rising from the two.

Malachi’s grin turned into a full blown maddened smile.

"Seems I was right. You are Abyss walkers. Ohh... this is going to be fun."

The moment he completed those words. The creatures...

..... Moved.

*************

A/N: Malachi is learning rage baiting from Dante, isn’t he? And damn! Paku is going feral. Isn’t there any normal person amongst this bastard’s friend group?

Anyway...

*************

Thanks for reading...