A throbbing heart-shaped purple crystal rested on the creature’s chest, pulsating in an uneven rhythm. Around it were dozens of clusters of vein systems transporting glowing blood to and from it to the rest of the body and vice versa. The crystal, though having a beautiful design and look to it, was unnatural and completely out of place. The Granians were more than familiar with what the creature was experiencing. They too, like many other species, attempted to insert crystals in themselves. Whether beast, naturally occurring, or plant-based crystal, they attempted to harness their power in their bodies but failed. Every experiment ended in the premature death of the subjects or destruction to everyone around them. ’It’s a miracle that this one’s standing.’ Grim glared at the creature, which raised its ugly, small head and roared. Another wave of powerful soundwaves travelled outward in every direction, creating another dust cloud that clouded the beast’s bulky form. The black-scaled Granian, instead of waiting for the creature to make a move, darted full speed with his sword grasped firmly. Disappearing into the dust cloud, Grim set his sights on the creature and began his attack. Instinctively, he thrust his sword upward, deflecting a tail strike aimed at his head and at the same time dismembering the appendage. One slice and the creature’s tail was cut off, causing it to roar in agony. Even though he couldn’t see his enemy clearly, Grim dodged, deflected, and countered every attack thrown his way. Now that the creature was aggravated, it was easier for him to lure it out into the open, away from the dust cloud it hid in. The creature roared, the volume of its cries vibrating throughout Grim’s body. Thankfully, the Granian was protected by his armor. Had it not been for it, he most surely would have taken more damage from the sound waves. "Grim," the pilot communicated again, offering a solution to the Granian, "this ship can kill the creature with only one shot. Why don’t I do that instead of us wasting time? What if this is a tactic from the enemy to distract us?" "If it is," Grim answered while dodging attacks at the same time, "we’ll still handle whatever they have plan..." At that moment, a shot was fired at the Granian, only narrowly missing his head. As he tried to search for where it came from, another followed, then another, and then several. At the same time, the creature continued with its onslaught of attacks, not allowing Grim to give his attention elsewhere. A slight rumbling followed shortly after, and then came loud screams that grew louder with each passing second. The Granian and Cyclitharan soldiers, who were already familiar with that, readied themselves to battle. It turned out that the pilot was right because in the seconds that passed, a decently sized army of Rayan soldiers attacked, accompanied by YYrejite mercenary clones. They all wore protective armor, carried two sets of traditional and modern weaponry, and travelled with military vehicles leading the front lines. "Damn it," Grim cursed, agitated by the Rayan’s sudden surprise. He and the rest of his kind did not anticipate the peace-loving creatures to attack, but they weren’t afraid to fight back. He commanded as he resorted to using his Eneraflux energy to aid him in battle. The black-scaled Granian’s body started to glow as a mist-like energy escaped from him. With one stride, the Granian thrust his body upward, aiming for the creature’s throbbing crystal. It sensed Grim’s intentions and immediately shielded its chest with its large forearms, but they were of no use. Grim pushed his sword through the creature’s forearms effortlessly as the momentum from his leap continued to thrust him forward. His sword, still moving faster than the creature could react, eventually scratched the crystal’s surface until it eventually broke through. Immediately, a surge of violent energy burst through the crystal, overwhelming both the creature and its attacker. While that happened, the Granian and Cyclitharan soldiers advanced as well, meeting the Rayan soldiers in the middle. A full-out war broke out with both sides slaying each other as quickly as they could while avoiding having any casualties. So far, the Granians were at an advantage since they used their superior body sizes and combative skills to overwhelm and overpower the Rayans. The only ones who made the Granians struggle were the mercenary clones, a species that were conjured by the YYrejites to battle against said Granians. Every aspect concerning the clones was specifically tailored to rival that of the Granians. Their scale compositions were thick enough to deter penetration; their bodies were well designed for strength and agility; and their minds were wired to focus solely on killing Granian soldiers and whoever allied with them. Their existence was one of the influences that drove the Granians to make their own clones, a task that was proving more difficult than they wanted to admit. "Anya, Jim," Grim called, still struggling to deal with the creature, "step in and involve yourselves where you see fit. I’ve called for reinforcements, but it’ll be a while until they get here. In the meantime, kill as many clones as you can. Focus only on them, ignore the Rayans." "And you?" Jim questioned mid-transformation while Anya ran headfirst as her limbs morphed into blood blades. "Do you need our help?" "NO!!" Grim barked with a hint of struggle in his tone. Even though he didn’t want to admit it, his body wasn’t handling the energy surge seeping from the broken crystal in the dying creature’s body. "I CAN...HANDLE IT..." "No, he can’t..." Helda spoke to Jim, emerging from where she was resting not too long ago. The Granian was evidently pregnant, her body nearly two times thicker than it was. Her womb had gotten too big for her to ignore, and it became more of an inconvenience for her to walk. The once agile, aggressive female Granian warrior was humbled by the child growing within her, forcing her to only watch instead of aiding in war. "...please, help him. His stubbornness prevents him from accepting the help he so desperately needs. Hurry, before the clones take him as their primary target. Read complete versıon only at 𝖓𝖔𝖛𝖊𝖑~𝖋𝖎𝖗𝖾~𝖓𝖊𝖙 The two Blood Knights ran into the battlefield, their bodies already transformed into their ghastly forms. However, before either of them was able to fight.... [Blood Acolytes Jim and Anya have begun their evolution]