Ashton stood over the fallen Deacon, a victorious grin on his face. The Deacon, on the ground, pointed towards his humanoid creatures, commanding them to attack.
"My children, attack the one standing before you. Show him the true power of my creations!"
With a wave of his hand, the creatures lunged forward, snarling and snapping their jaws.
"Is that all you've got?" Ashton replied, looking at the creatures. "Pity..."
"You cannot defeat them all, Reaper. My army is too powerful for you to handle-"
"Watch me," Ashton replied, his smile never leaving his face.
He snapped his fingers, and his summoned soldiers immediately appeared, weapons ready. They charged towards the creatures with fierce determination, cutting through them like a hot knife through butter.
The Deacon's eyes widened in shock as he watched his creatures fall one by one to Reaper's undead army. He struggled to get up, but Ashton placed a foot on his chest, holding him down.
"You really should have picked a better army," Reaper taunted, a wicked glint in his eye. "My soldiers are undead, but they know how to fight, unlike your creatures. Those sickly things were mere playthings to them."
"So cool..." Alina said the words inside everyone's heads.
However, not everyone was pleased with Ashton's heroics. The Deacon glared up at him, his face twisted with anger and frustration.
"You'll never understand the power of the Great One," he spat. "You're just a mindless puppet, a slave to your own desires."
Ashton's eyes narrowed.
"I am no one's puppet," he growled. "And I'll never bow down to anyone, especially not to the likes of you. Now tell me whatever you know about your shitty Cult-"
"Hahahaha!"
The Deacon's laughter echoed throughout the abandoned facility as he stood up, his body undergoing a grotesque transformation. His skin stretched and twisted, becoming a sickly shade of green, his eyes turning black as they glowed with magical energy.
"You fools!" he cackled, his voice distorted and inhuman. "Did you really think I would let you capture me so easily?"
The crew backed away, their weapons trained on the Deacon as he continued to taunt them.
"I have been experimenting on myself for years, perfecting my abilities. And you, Reaper, are the perfect opponent for me to test them on."
Reaper remained stoic, his expression unreadable. He knew the danger that the Deacon posed, but he was also confident in his abilities.
Ashton stood before the transformed Deacon with his arms crossed over his chest. He could feel the energy radiating from the Deacon as his body mutated and shifted into unrecognisable shapes.
"Funny to think you'll transform in front of me." Ashton laughed.
Having had enough of Ashton's rebuttals, the Deacon let out a guttural growl and lunged at him. Ashton sidestepped the attack and spun around, delivering a roundhouse kick to the Deacon's head. The blow knocked the Deacon back, but he quickly recovered and charged again.
After sparing with Mazton on the regular, jokers like the Deacon were of no danger to him. However, the same could not be said for the rest of the Ghosts.
As the Deacon charged, Ashton waited until the last moment and leapt over the Deacon's head, landing behind him. The Deacon whirled around and swung a clawed hand at him, who ducked under the attack and punched the Deacon in the gut. The blow landed with a sickening thud, but the Deacon just laughed.
"You think that's going to stop me?" he sneered.
"Hm... I guess not." Ashton replied before signalling Laihud and the rest to back up a bit. "But then again, I'm just getting started."
If Ashton wanted, he could have ended Deacon with ease, but it was a rare opportunity to face someone from the Cult. Thus, he intended to have fun with the Deacon in his way.
"You're not the only one that can transform."
With that, Ashton's body began to shift and change. The transformation started deep inside him, a twisting, writhing sensation that felt like fire and ice all at once.
His vision began to blur and darken, the colours of the world around him becoming more intense, more vivid, even as they turned more alien and strange.
The first thing everyone noticed was his fangs - sharp and deadly, emerging from between his lips as his canines elongated and sharpened.
The second was the fur sprouting up from his skin in a rush of black, velvety hair that coated his arms, chest, and legs.
It felt like electricity was coursing through his veins, making him feel alive in a way that was impossible to describe.
Then came the claws, ripping through the tips of his fingers as they elongated and grew thicker, curving into lethal weapons he could use to slice and dice his enemies. His senses sharpened, allowing him to see in the dark and hear the slightest sounds around him.
Finally, his spine twisted and contorted, the bones cracking as they realigned into a new shape. His body grew and expanded, his muscles bulging and rippling as he grew stronger and more powerful.
With a howl of primal fury, Ashton completed his transformation, becoming a Zompirewolf. He felt like a god, an unstoppable force of nature that could crush anything in its path. And he knew he was ready to take on anything the Deacon could throw at him.
As Ashton transformed into his Zompirewolf form, the crew stood in awe at the sight before them. Alina and Jay's eyes widened, and they both stepped back, unsure of what to do. The Xylopians that had accompanied them stood with their weapons raised, ready to defend themselves if needed.
Laihud and Vimur stood their ground, having seen Ashton's transformation before. Ashton let out a low growl, and the Ghosts could see the change had not affected his mind. He remained in control, his focus unwavering.
"Is that really you, Reaper?" Alina asked, still in shock.
Vimur chuckled, "You're just seeing his true form. Reaper is much more than he appears to be."
The Xylopians looked at each other, unsure what to make of the situation. They had never seen anything like this before.
The Deacon's eyes widened in shock as the Zompirewolf charged at him. The Deacon tried to defend himself, but the Zompirewolf was too fast and powerful.
Reaper's claws tore through the Deacon's flesh, leaving deep gouges in his skin. The Deacon tried to strike back, but his attacks were weak and ineffective.
"Argh!"
Reaper continued to pummel the Deacon, his claws and teeth tearing into the Deacon's flesh. The Deacon's body convulsed with each blow, and his once proud form began to wither and shrink. Finally, with a last, pitiful groan, the Deacon collapsed to the ground, barely breathing.
"Laihud!" Ashton yelled as he transformed back to his human form.
"On it!" Laihud rushed to heal the Deacon, but something was off.
The seemingly lifeless Deacon sprang up to his knees. As the Deacon got to his knees, Ashton could see the fear in his eyes.
He looked like a man who knew he was about to die and was desperate for salvation. To everyone's surprise, the Deacon began to pray, his voice trembling with fear.
"Oh, Great One," he said, his voice barely audible. "I beg of you, show me mercy. Forgive me for my sins, and spare me from the fate that awaits me, Ack~!"
The Deacon then looked up at Ashton, his eyes wide with terror.
"It's inside me," he said his voice barely a whisper. "Something is inside me, and it's coming for me. Please, you have to help me-"
Before Ashton could even comprehend what was happening, the Deacon's head busted open, revealing a centipede-like creature who chopped the Deacon in half before turning into dust itself.
The source of this c𝐨ntent is fre𝒆w(e)bn(o)vel