Deviant: No Longer Human

"..."

"..."

"So many…"

Aurora arrived, her expression serene, though her sharp eyes narrowed as she took in the swarm of Shuras encircling them. Their numbers blackened the skies, each warrior radiating an aura of power that rivaled immortals like her. Yet there was something profoundly unsettling about them.

"They don't have immortal souls," she murmured, "Just the strength to mimic one."

At the heart of the encroaching army, the Shura King stood atop his colossal bat. The beast's leathery wings stretched wide, their shadow swallowing the faint light.

His obsidian armor shimmered with a sinister energy, his eyes two gaping voids fixed coldly on Wang Xiao.

The Shura King spoke, his voice a symphony of grinding syllables. "Rraakh-toh'shh… Ul-karesh…!" The alien tongue reverberated, its harsh tone like shards of broken glass scraping against stone.

"What's he saying?" Wang Xiao didn't bother hiding his indifference, his gaze flicking briefly to Aurora.

She gave a small shrug. "Probably something like, 'Kneel or die.'"

"!!"

The Shura King snarled, roaring another command in his incomprehensible language. "KLAHHH-VOR'SAHH… VORTHH!" The alien sounds slammed and his army surged forward at once.

FWOOOSH! Their movements tore through the sky, wings beating with a thunderous WHUMP-WHUMP-WHUMP as they readied for the kill.

Before they could act, Hei Lian, hovering nervously nearby, tapped the Shura King's shoulder.

"What?" he snapped, his voice filled with irritation. "Two people. What can they do?"

Hei Lian's lips trembled as she pointed downward. Her voice cracked. "Look… around…"

The Shura King's head snapped toward the horizon, and his eyes widened.

"!!"

From the shadows of the earth and the mist rolling off the far mountains, countless glowing eyes began to emerge.

Kekek...

Hundreds—no, thousands—of them. Cold, unholy light pierced the air, and the silhouettes of monstrous figures began to take form.

Humanoid shapes, and unnatural, with movements as fluid as shadowed smoke and as silent as death itself.

RUMBLE… The sky shook beneath their presence.

Their auras pressed down like a leaden fog, making even the powerful Shuras falter.

"Not good…" The Shura King's voice cracked.

Wang Xiao's lips curved into a grin, his tone mocking. "Didn't anyone tell you? When you hunt, make sure you're not the prey."

WHOOSH!

The shadows surged forward, a tide of black rage that collided with the Shura army.

The first wave of Shuras screamed as they were torn apart. "AAAAHHHH!" One soldier's chest caved in with a CRUNCH as a clawed fist ripped through his ribcage, blood spraying in crimson arcs.

Another warrior's bat shrieked as shadowy talons shredded its wings mid-air, sending it spiraling downward with a high-pitched—KEEEEEE!—The moment it hit, shadow creatures pounced, tearing flesh and snapping bones.

SNAP-CRACK.

"ARGHHHH—"

"Ugh...sa—!"

Their cries of desperation dissolved into blood.

Above the massacre, Aura transformed, her massive draconic form towering over the battlefield. "ROOOOAAARRR!" The deafening roar shook the heavens, and her mouth opened wide.

Torrents of ice flame erupted with a searing FWOOM that reduced Shuras and their mounts to vapours in an instant.

BOOM! A bat exploded mid-flight, its rider's charred remains tumbling into the bloody mess below.

Hei Lian hovered above, paralyzed by the scene before her. She'd never seen anything like it. This wasn't a battle—it was a slaughter.

Her gaze flickered to Wang Xiao. Back when she'd faced him in Hollow Earth, she'd thought him powerful—untouchable, perhaps ten levels above her. But now? Now he was untouchable in a way that defied understanding.

If that Wang Xiao was ten levels above, this one stood a thousand above her reach.

She laughed bitterly, her voice trembling. 'I really thought bringing battle-hardened soldiers would give us a chance.'

Below, the Shura King howled in frustration, his fury boiling over. "GRAHHH! VRAL'KOTH HHHAKH!" He stomped on his bat, which screeched in response, spitting streams of molten fire.

He raised an obsidian spear crackling with dark energy, ready to unleash its power.

But before he could act—

BOOM!

A sonic explosion erupted as Wang Xiao launched upward, moving faster than the eye could follow. In one fluid motion, he seized the Shura King by the face, his grip like iron.

"RRRRRAHHHH!"

The King screamed as Wang Xiao's fingers dug deep into his flesh, blood spurting with every movement.

The Shura King's bat disintegrated into a mist of blood and gore, raining down on the battlefield in a gruesome shower.

WHOOSH! In the blink of an eye, Wang Xiao shot into the heavens, dragging the Shura King like a ragdoll.

The sky tore open as they broke through the atmosphere.

Wang Xiao's flight ended on Mars, slamming the Shura King into its rocky surface with earth-shattering force.

CRAAAAAASH!

The impact split mountains and sent shockwaves rippling across the planet, clouds of red dust spiraling upward.

The Shura King's body skidded across the ground, his blood painting the barren land.

Wang Xiao landed softly, his steps eerily calm as if he hadn't just hurled an immortal across the stars.

His voice was cold, devoid of emotion. "You came to fight. So fight."

The Shura King groaned, his armor cracked, his vision blurring. But his rage burned hotter than ever. With a roar, he activated the orbs embedded in his armor.

"VLOR'SAKH-RAHHHHH!" Dark smoke erupted outward as the orbs surged toward Wang Xiao.

______

Meanwhile, back on Earth, the massacre continued.

"AHHH—!"

"ARGHHH!"

The once-proud Shura army was reduced to chaos, their bodies obliterated by Wang Xiao's shadow beasts or incinerated by Aura's flames.

Hei Lian remained motionless, her face complicated. Even Aurora, who rarely showed surprise, watched the battlefield in stunned silence.

Her lips parted slightly as her gaze followed Wang Xiao's figure vanishing into the stars.

Her voice was soft, almost inaudible, as she whispered, "... He handled it all by himself."

Aurora had thought about calling for backup, maybe even assembling a whole damn army. But then she saw it—Wang Xiao ripping through the Shura forces like they were made of paper. She couldn't help but shake her head.

"An entire army of immortals," she muttered. "And he's shredding them like weeds."

Her sharp gaze flicked upward to where the Shura King had stood moments ago. "That commander's probably on Yuriko's level... except he doesn't have her scars or her years. No battle history to back it up."

She sighed, her lips curving into a faint, bitter smile. Somewhere deep down, she felt a pang. It wasn't jealousy—it was the cold realization that she wasn't needed anymore. Wang Xiao had outgrown her, climbed far past where she stood.

"You!"

The sudden shout pulled her from her thoughts. Aurora turned, her calm demeanor unshaken as Hei Lian stepped forward, flames crackling around her like a sun about to explode.

Hei Lian wasn't thinking anymore—she didn't have time to. Shit had hit the fan, and the plan, whatever the hell it used to be, was long dead. They weren't supposed to attack Wang Xiao. Hell, they weren't supposed to attack anyone. But the Shura King had screwed it all up, and now there was no fixing it.

Her target? Aurora.

Not as strong as Wang Xiao, not surrounded by his hellish shadows, just... there. Easy pickings.

Flames surged around Hei Lian, their heat roaring with her desperation. She had to act. Now or never.

Aurora raised an eyebrow, her sharp eyes meeting Hei Lian's. A faint smile played on her lips. "Not the decision I'd make…"

"..." Hei Lian hesitated for a fraction of a second, scanning the chaos around them. The shadows were still busy tearing the Shuras limb from limb, Wang Xiao was gone, and there was no immediate threat.

Perfect.

WHOOSH! WHOOSH! WHOOSH!

Just as Hei Lian's flames roared toward Aurora, the air behind the latter seemed to split open.

BAM!

Whizzzzzz!

Golden swords. Millions of them. They materialized like a sea of stars, each one glowing with a divine radiance that turned the sky into a dazzling inferno. Together, they formed a colossal shield, the sheer brilliance of it casting light so bright that even from the ground, thousands of kilometers below, people shielded their eyes and stared in awe.

Hei Lian's flames faltered. Her confidence cracked.

And then 'she' appeared.

Athene.

Stepping forward like the queen of some ancient battlefield, Athene didn't hesitate. No words, no grand proclamations—just a wave of her hand, sending the entire swarm of golden blades hurtling toward Hei Lian.

WHOOSH!

Hei Lian flinched, but she wasn't about to fold. Flames surged from her once more, burning brighter than the sun.

Power exploded outward, meeting the oncoming storm head-on.

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But power wasn't enough. Not against Athene. Hei Lian had strength, sure—she could burn down mountains if she wanted—but she didn't have the scars, the instincts, the battle-worn rage of someone who'd fought for countless eons.

WHOOSH!

She braced herself for the clash, for the storm of blades that would undoubtedly overwhelm her. But then...

Something cold.

The sensation slithered up her neck, sharp and icy, making every hair on her body stand on end.

"You wouldn't wanna move~"

The voice was sweet, too sweet, like honey with poison.

"!"

Hei Lian froze.