Despite having expected many things, I didn't expect her to recklessly charge towards such a powerful demon head-on ! Damn it, if she dies, I won't be able to face her father! I moved quickly, my body barely reacted to me, I suddenly felt as if an enormous weight was pushing my body down into the floor.
Suddenly, I saw the flames of Chris clash against the demon, as they constantly pestered him. His body was naturally resistant to the fire, so he was easily able to resist the damage of Chris flames, but the damn kid was continuously bombarding the demon to not let him act. But there wasn't enough MP in this kid to allow him to infinitely stall for time.
If he gets too close, the demon will easily kill him.
"Erika is not alone here…!" Chris roared.
"You damn kid, I am going to smash your skull into the ground- Ungh?!"
And then, vines emerged from the floor and entangled the demons' legs, rushing towards the rest of his body and attempting to bind him on place. These vines were from Eric! Did this cowardly kid truly came to help as well?
"T-These damn plants… you think you can stop me with this?!" The demon roared, easily ripping apart the vines, only for more to grow from the ground that attempted to stop him.
"I-I will fight too… Even if I am scared…!" Eric cried, he truly didn't wanted to be here, but forced himself.
Why? Why are they wishing so much to die? This is… so foolish! Yet… it is somehow motivating me so much to fight as well. But the burden in my body… it was stopping me. I wanted to move as much as possible, but my body simply didn't move.
I wished for it to move but it was not reacting.
Was this the burden of having made my body exceed its limits too much? I had constantly refilled my own stamina and vitality through Blood Ki, so now it's time to receive the burden… If I fall unconscious now, I won't be able to fight that damn demon and get his total EXP value…! And well, that damn Erika will die too.
After I let all of my subordinates die in my previous life… While I am still alive, I cannot let them die again!
I'll have to push myself… even more.
"Eleanora, use your Blood Threads and fuse them to my ligaments! I'll infuse Blood Ki into you so you can make my body move like a puppet…" I said.
"Eh?! But that's… I can't…" She muttered.
"DO IT!" I roared, as Eleanora quickly obeyed me. Filled with my Blood Ki which I could share with her thanks to our connection as master and spirit, she suddenly generated dozens of blood threads, each one pierced my body, reaching my nerves, muscles, and bones, and fusing with them. Connecting my mind with her, we suddenly reached a synch we had not reached before.
Wait, this wasn't merely Eleanora's Blood Puppet ability at all!
"T-This is…!" Eleanora suddenly realized something, as she walked to my side, her spiritual body suddenly merged with mine, as I felt like she was possesing my body, yet I still had my own free will… No, she was helping me move my body but my mind was also commanding her actions. How strange! Is this…?
"I can't believe it…" Ellergest said in shock, looking at the two of us. "That technique can only be done by Rank 3 Spirit Masters…! Not even I have even managed to do it perfectly and you do it in your first try?!"
"What… what do you mean?" I wondered.
"Can't you realize by your change of appearance?! This is… Spirit Fusion!"
Ellergest enlightened me, as the Grimoire promptly showed some strange notification.
[Your soul and body have temporarily merged with your Spirit]
"So this is the next stage… Spirit Fusion?" I wondered, looking at my own body. I had suddenly grew taller. My hair had turned red like Eleanora, and was long, my nails grew into sharp red claws, and my clothes turned into a black armor, while there was a black crown above my head.
"My lord… I have never felt so close with you than ever before…!" Eleanora said, as I felt completely in synch with her.
"Me too… Let's quickly end this before these kids end up killing themselves."
Ellergest opened the light barrier, letting us run out of it as I suddenly realized that two bat-like wings made out of Blood Ki emerged on my back, easily allowing me to fly as much as I wanted! Is this also a part of the Spirit Fusion ability? However, I believe this has a limit, as much as my Blood Ki and Mana reserves can keep it up.
"Stupid and foolish children, I will devour you! Human flesh, especially from children, is the tastiest!" Laughed the demon, ripping apart the vines from Eric and then flying straight towards Chris while ignoring his fire attacks, he pointed his claws at Chris, only for the sword of Erika to stop him in place.
"D-Don't worry Chris, I am here!" Erika said, as Chris dropped into the floor, too afraid to even move due to the enormous pressuring aura of the demon, which only Erika could withstand somehow.
"YOU! You're weird… Are you even alive?! I don't smell any flesh on you… A puppet? Scram off!" Roared the demon, pointing his sharp tail at Erika's head.
However, we reached just in time. Instead of hitting Erika's head, he hit my hands. The Demon's eyes popped out of his face as he glanced at my figure, as if I had grown back to my adulthood, I was completely unrecognizable.
"I wouldn't recommend you hitting her head, it is extremely hard." I said, as I suddenly realized that my physical strength was on pair, or perhaps even stronger than the demon.
"B-Blake?!" Erika asked in shock.