Chapter 2682: Final Form Talaro was not only revived in an instant—he had been reborn. His new form was a blasphemous fusion of celestial perfection and abyssal corruption, the lithe, elegant physique of a higher being now twisted into a vessel overflowing with the Law of Death. His aura rolled out like a suffocating tide, every breath of it heavy with decay. Even in his formidable primal form, it took Emery every ounce of strength to break free from the writhing, grotesque mass of corpses that surrounded him. The amalgamation moved like a living ocean—sections sharpened into long, spear-like spikes that struck with relentless precision, while others became viscous waves of blackened flesh that clung to him, pulling and binding. Each time he tore himself free, more surged forward, crashing over him like the tide. With a snarl, Emery called upon his innate spatial movement, vanishing and reappearing at different points, weaving through the storm of flesh in search of an opening. His beastly eyes locked on the source, Talaro himself. The newly born lich was savoring his transformation, studying his skeletal hands as they crystallized into jagged, bone-white blades. He smiled, sharp and cold, then turned to greet Emery’s approach with a single decisive swing. BAMM! The impact was like two worlds colliding. Beast’s claws against crystallized bone saber—both forces so evenly matched that the explosion of power blasted them apart, each sliding backward across the battlefield. The primal beast roared, fangs bared, and charged again with savage speed. Talaro simply stepped aside, fading in and out of shadows like smoke, his movements unnervingly calm. But Emery’s primal instincts were honed beyond deception—he twisted, blocking the lich’s sudden reappearance and counterattack. CLANK! The crystalline saber rang against his claws, sparks of dark energy spraying from the clash. The two locked in a brief contest of strength, eyes burning into each other. Emery felt the pressure building in his arms—he was actually being pushed back. Then, from behind, the corpse mass surged again, forming jagged limbs and blades. HOWWLLL! The primal beast erupted with fury, shattering the bindings with brute force—only to take several spear-like stabs across his flank. He blinked away with spatial movement, reappearing a dozen meters back, ichor-dark blood spilling into the air. "Kekeke..." Talaro’s voice slithered across the space between them. "The true power of the Death Gate... merged with the body of a celestial. Your devouring beast will not win." His skeletal face split in a twisted grin, blue eye-flames dancing with glee. But Emery was far from finished. Khaos energy roared through his veins, pouring into his claws until they shimmered with a lethal darkness. He was just about to strike when the air fractured. Multiple spatial rifts tore open around him. From each one poured another wave of grotesque flesh, an unending flood of teeth, claws, and black sinew. They came from every direction, snarling and grasping, each one an extension of Talaro’s will. It was clear now: this lich form did more than just enhance Talaro’s physical might—it preserved and amplified his spellcasting. His undead body also has no essence to devour. It was a perfect counter to Emery’s star-devouring beast. Within seconds, Emery was swallowed by the tide. His limbs were bound in sinewy chains of blackened muscle, his shoulders pinned by clawed growths that dug into his hide. The primal beast thrashed, snarling, but the mass tightened around him like a living vice. Across the writhing battlefield, Talaro advanced, his crystallized bone blade catching the faint light as it angled toward Emery’s throat. The moment hung razor-thin. Then Emery’s beastly gaze narrowed. Now! His jaws tore open, primal energy spiraling between its teeth. The air warped, trembling under the pressure, until a beam of condensed annihilation erupted point-blank. KA-THOOM! Talaro’s face shifted—no mockery now, only cold calculation. He twisted aside, shadows coiling around his frame, but the beam still tore through him. From neck to shoulder, half his body simply vanished in a spray of bone dust and withered flesh. The bindings slackened under the force, and Emery lunged, claws outstretched to finish it, but the remaining tendrils constricted at the last instant, slowing his killing blow just enough for the lich to vanish into the darkness. Talaro reappeared at a distance, his expression colder now, the eerie blue light in his eyes narrowing. Already, the missing section of his body was knitting back together, bone and sinew spiraling into place. "I was careless..." his voice echoed hollowly. "But not again." He raised his skeletal hand, and the void ripped open once more. Even more spatial rifts tore through reality, vomiting forth an even greater tide of undead flesh. Each one twitched to life under Talaro’s command, his blue eye-flames burning hotter. Yet even as the battlefield swarmed with horrors, the primal form of Emery did not waver. That last attack had been devastating, but he never truly believed such a desperate strike would end Talaro. No—he had been preparing something else since the moment Morgana stepped into his domain. "Are we ready?" he muttered—not to the lich before him, but to his other self. High above, the light Emery hovered over the canopy of the Elysian trees, his gaze fixed across the dark waters to the isolated island where the Star Devouring Beast awaited. Preparations were complete. "Killgragah... It’s your turn." From the depths of the hub, the massive dragon stirred. it growled. Another voice cut in sharply from the neighboring chamber. It was the other guardian, Chututlu, the current source of the primal beast’s awakening and Emery’s transformation. Reluctant or not, the dragon obeyed. A second wave of raw Khaos energy erupted, flooding the island in black radiance. The darkness surged through, and the Star Devouring Beast shuddered—then roared—as its power flared to a terrifying new peak. VIA’s mechanical tone cut through the chaos: [Integration: 48%... 50%... 52%] The surge gave Emery’s primal form sharper claws, heavier strikes, and a speed that cut through the undead mass tide like lightning. But the gift came with a price. The beast inside him, its hunger stoked by the Khaos infusion, began to pull away from his will. It thrashed, rampaged, its presence rattling the entire domain. The five-tower pagoda, the soul power constructed to keep the monster contained, splintered under the strain. A memory flashed in Emery’s mind—how the Star Devouring Beast had gone berserk on the dark elf planet. He could not allow that to happen again. This time, he was ready. The light Emery’s hands blurred, weaving sigils in rapid succession. A ring of spell runes blazed to life in the air, each glyph humming with ancient resonance. Arcane runes bloomed in the air, multiplying until hundreds of luminous strands poured forth, reaching toward the raging beast. The Fey ancient technique—the legacy of the Daywolf. [Jade Thread Bindings] The threads wrapped around the beast, glowing brighter as they sank into its hide. Runes—beautiful, intricate, and impossibly old—etched themselves across the primal form. The chaotic darkness merged with the verdant glow, and the air itself seemed to bend under the surge of new power. [Integration: 58%... 62%... 64%]