The Scumbags Guide to Enslaving Demon's

"It’clock to die time."

The War- Born answered by tearing Seven’ polearm from his hands.

The hybrid cocked the flail once, then smashed the shaft across its knee. Violet flame crackled across the bent metal before fading out. Seven wasted no time ripping after it; punching into the creatures chest in both directions, forcing it back towards the open cage.

The War- Born barely flinched.

Its shattered ribs had stopped bleeding under Nyssara’ spell, but it was still fucking ludicrously strong. It reached around and grabbed Seven by the neck, tossing him clear through two cages. The iron barrell twisted across the enforcer’ back with a crack like breaking concrete.

"Elena, my left!" Austin called.

Three arrows punched through the air almost simultaneously. The first lodged deep in the hybrids shoulder. The second snagged the chain peeking out of its hip. The last one sailed wide as the beast spun to face her.

Austin advanced with every intention of following through.

He aimed low, ramming his shoulder into the creature’s broken ribs. Kinetic Strength funneled through his legs. The collision threw the War- Born off balance, right into the root wall.

Four arms closed around him in response.

Austin could feel pulse beneath the stitches crawling beneath its hide. Fox- demon instincts pulled at his mind. Ravager instinct thrummed beneath its skin. Ember heat radiated from its chest cavity. Everything about it screamed feed.

Everything about it wanted to rip him apart.

[Alert: proximity to Hybrid bloodline matrix increasing host corruption.]

[Suggestion: isolate single limb or neutralize target through external force.]

The War- Born’ boarlike mouth pressed against Austin’ ear.

"You smell my hunger," it whispered.

"So do you." Austin shoved both thumbs into the incision under its jaw. The creature stumbled backwards. He reached for the green chain peeking out of its shoulder and yanked.

He pulled until it tore free.

Every scent in the vault assaulted him at once.

Elena’s nervous sweat. Seven’s burnt bones. Maelis emberaura. Nyssara’s blood. Rin’s fear; tangy and metallic behind cage bars.

And underneath it all he found what he needed. Direction.

The War- Born had given him a foothold.

Its heart hadn’t been implanted into its chest like a normal Bastion abomination. Had been placed elsewhere to better protect it; hidden behind the hybrids lower spine where the four bloodlines converged.

Austin dropped the chain at his feet.

The War- Born smashed him into the vault wall. Bone-Plating absorbed most of the blow but pain still seared through his ribs. He rolled out from under a second strike, crawling beside Rin’ cell.

She studied him curiously.

"You found it," she said.

"Found what?"

"The spot where they cut its heart out."

"You smell that too?"

"I smell where every beast bleeds."

Her eyes widened. "Break my chains and I’ll lead you to it."

"We’re not hurting any hostages." Elena called from behind a nearby root pillar.

"I’ll just enjoy dying at this assholes five star hotel then." Rin snapped nine tails against her ceiling cuffs.

The War- Born destroyed another cell cage behind them. A giant moth of some sort let out a keening noise as iron talons shredded the wall beside its head.

Austin studied Rin’s shackles. Three tail cuffs. One wrist cuff. A collar conected to the floor.

"A service pact." Rin grinned slowly at him. "Impressive."

"I break your chains right now, you do what I say this one time." He pulled his thumbs away from her jaw. "Don’t kill anyone in Bastion, stay out of Grand Meridian, listen to me in battle."

"And if we finish the hunt?" She stepped closer; teeth visible within her mouth.

"We never finish anything." Austin tapped his palm against her collar. "Deal?"

The fox demon narrowed her eyes at him. "You trust a fox demon?"

"No. I accept the aid of any monster that wants the same thing I do."

The grin in her pupils stretched into something far more wild.

"That makes you a better man."

Maelis’ body rose from behind Austin, fire dancing at his fingertips.

"She has to want it too."

Austin pressed a palm against Rin’s nearest chain.

"In service to Austin Feris, I vow compliance." He waited a moment before continuing. "On this hunt only."

On this hunt only, Rin of Foxclaw swore to give her absolute best to keep your big stupid heart from failing.

The System flashed in his vision.

[Service pact accepted.]

[From: Rin of Foxclaw.]

[Terms: temporary, unconditional, battlefield.]

He nodded at her.

Each green tether around Rin’s tails erupted in black smoke before dissipating away. The wrist cuff disintegrated into dust. Even the collar around her neck unraveled, freeing her from the floor.

She stepped out of her cage, unhindered.

Stood there for a moment to yawn, nine tails fanning out behind her. Each lined with red fur that sparkled under the Vaults fluorescence. Everything about her moved like a predatory beast; Limbs fine-tuned for agility above all else. She locked eyes with Austin like she remembered him; Or maybe how she wished to forget him.

"Don’t let my size slow you down human."

He wrapped his hands around one of her tails. Rin paused mid-air, eyes focused on him distrustfully. She felt softer than she looked; kitten soft. The coil of muscles beneath reminded him too much of unsheathing a knife.

"You don’t get trusted because you made some stupid promise."

She glanced away, jaw clenching nervously. "You don’t sound like you’re above taking my help."

"I’m not." Austin tugged gently on her tail. "I need you too."

There was heat between them for a second; primal and reckless. The ground shook again; devouring whatever they felt and replacing it with a threat far more immediate.

The War- Born screamed something indistinguishable.

She vanished.

Phased out of existence.

Austin located her using his newfound fox senses a split-second later: A bright red trail looping around the hybrids legs. She sprinted forward; claws extending from every corner of her feet. It swung its arms towards her, snarling with feral glee. But Rin was faster. Nine copies of her jumped around the War- Born; Nine sadistic smiles licking too close against its ribcage.

"This way!" One Rin screamed.

It barreled towards them.

All illusions dissipated.

Another Rin kicked behind its shoulder, slashing at the green chain peeking from its spine. Sparks erupted from the cord. The War- Born twisted around to face Rin, claws extended. She rolled out of the way.

"Lower back, three fingers above tailbone."

Austin darted forwards. Pivot jumped into action beside him.

It caught sight of him a few seconds too late. Four massive limbs swung towards his body but Seven blocked him from the side. The enforcer had returned to fighting condition- guess he cleaned up nicely; Armor pristine, stitched back together where it needed to be.

He wrapped both of his upper limbs around its neck.

"Kill it Master."

Austin jumped.

...Into the space between its shoulder blades. Slid a hand into the slit below its spine, Devour rippling through his veins.

He didn’t hesitate this time around.

Didn’t stop to trace any of the bloodlines hidden underneath its hide.

Austin grabbed the chain pulsing beneath its ribs.

The contracts screams inside his head echoed Malrec’s voice; kill. Feed. Obey. Grow.

One by one he smothered each command back to silence.

Left it dissipating in his mind, fading into nothing.

The hybrid twitched before going completely still.

Its midsection ripped open.

Heartbeat pulsing through infinity.

Austin yanked the spiny bulb free.

It let out a warcry before keeling over, dead.

[Target: War- Born Prototype]

[Status: Dead]

[Trait Acquired: Hybrid Core.]

[Warning: Core tainted with four bloodlines.]

He collapsed to his knees beside the corpse, chest heaving.

Dark ichor pooled around his boots, eager to soak into whatever fissures were hidden amongst the roots. Its stench clawed his growl back into his throat. No longer something he felt he could control; raw need that he had to mentally suppress.

"You didn’t eat it." Rin kneed beside him, claw pressed gently against his back.

"I know."

Her eyes seemed to shine. "Good. Now we’ll see if you’ stupid enough to try and become a monster, or wise enough to something far greater."

Behind them, the final cell door shuddered.

The beast inside finally woke.

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