On a barren mountain-top.

A spectacle was going on. Primitive people wearing skulls, either hanging around the neck or by the hip were cheering loudly—because a fight was happening.

“Go Haco!!” Cheered a tall girl, alone, on the young man fighting for the right to be the next leader. Taking the position of the current, Weneg.

In the beginning, the fight was more or less equal. But as time went on, it quickly turned in Haco’s favor, and the girl hadn’t stopped cheering for a second. She was very happy that her friend’s dream can be accomplished despite everyone disregarding it.

But like in any fight, the outcome can be unpredictable. Especially in a supernatural one.

With both of Haco’s legs transformed into talons and his arms into wings, his speed increased greatly. The feathers shined in the burning sun when he kept attacking at fatal spots, more specifically, the head and heart. He was going for an instant kill, as he knew inflicting minor injuries would be adverse.

Having spent his whole life preparing for this fight, Haco kept pushing his opponent toward the ledge, adding more mental pressure which might make his defense slip.

The crowd had stopped cheering, except for the tall girl. She didn’t hold back and kept screaming: “Kill him. Rip his heart out!!” She was very agitated as she began stomping and swinging punches around. Those weaker around sweat dropped and sought to create some distance.

But they soon noticed the girl froze, her expression dull. So they turned their attention back to the fight which they thought had ended with an inevitable result.

The young overtaking the old.

The result left them stunned. It had all happened so fast that they missed it. Most held their breath, but the closest person to the girl, couldn’t help but let out a satisfied giggle—which was his last.

It was only for a split second, but it seemed like Haco experienced muscle cramps. His opponent, Weneg, took the chance and drove his fingers through the center of Haco’s chest. Everyone could smell the blood in the air. It flowed like a waterfall down his stomach and further down his legs. A pool of blood quickly gathered at his feet.

The girl swung her arms with momentum before she stormed into the fighting ring. In a momentary moment of anger, she broke the giggling guy’s neck with a hard hit on the forehead, using the underside of the fist.

Right now. Everyone that stood in her way to save her friend, was an enemy. Her great height made her look like a giant stomping people down. Shame, not everyone was weak, so she eventually met resistance. Wasting time she didn’t have.

A long snake tail had snaked around her angle. Following it, on the other side it connected to the upper body of a bob-cut girl who emotionless stated: “It’s over.”

Oblivious to what she was being told, the tall girl went into a frenzy when she watched her friend being dragged, by the hole in the chest, to the ledge before being thrown off. Discarded like trash.

Free-falling into the valley of sand, Haco looked at someone with clear hostility. Hate.

Just before accepting his death, he made eye contact with the only person he could call a friend. The only person alive that was supporting him in his idealistic endeavor. The person trying to save him.

With his hostility gone, Haco made an apologetic expression before gravity began pulling him down, into the valley.

Collisions against the ridges reverberated. Much louder in her mind. It was the sound of meat being torn to shreds.

She couldn’t differentiate between echos or the actual collisions. Not that it mattered anymore. Whatever it was, it very quickly ate away at her sanity, piece after piece. Until, only a carnivore, born to kill, was left.

Her skin had turned into multi-colored scales from the moment she acted, hands and feet into claws, and grown a long, vertical flat tail. She still had the eyes of a human, but now…

They were that of a beast.

It just kept getting more frightening for the weaker or younger people, when her long and slender limbs kept inflating with muscle.

The snake tail holding her leg was ripped apart like ripping a leaf.

**Roar!!**

Letting out an inhuman roar that drowned the snake girl's agony.

The higher-ups finally sensed the danger and sprung into action to protect their leader. The duel had ended, so going against the rules like this, was an act of betrayal.

A man appeared with tentacles as arms and bound her tight. But the struggle just kept pushing her to more power.

So another attacked. With powerful insect legs, he sprung forward and kicked—the person he considered a betrayer—on the cheek with both insect legs. It was not intended to kill but to knock out.

Still…

Being kicked had next to no effect in stopping her. Instead, it seemed like the opposite.

The girl’s round head began to morph. Her eyes stayed glued, but her mouth and nose began moving away. Turning into a long snout. The already jagged mouth with sharp teeth began turning cramped even more.

The insect guy jumped away from the jaws that smelled of death. His instinct was telling him to get away. A bigger predator was here. But his comrade was not so lucky.

Those jaws began feasting on the restraining tentacles. It led the owner to abandon them. They just detached and new ones eventually appeared.

“So the madness of the Secret Art has consumed her. Pity.” Mumbled Weneg after calming down. After this fight, he was more than ever, determined to take better care of his aging body.

The insect guy interjected: “Should we kill her leader?”

“No, let’s catch and put her where my brother is. It would be a shame to kill such a strong woman. We need stronger Gravekeepers.” He denied it while thinking how ridiculous Haco was. Changing their ways? Giving the weak a chance?

‘No way. How foolish. This is how we Gravekeepers have always been, and should be. The weak are useless and should just go to the afterlife and apologize to our god for having failed in the Secret Art.’ Thought Weneg with unshakeable belief.

He quickly took command and coordinated the attacks to tire out the mindless beast. Still, some were killed, but it was worth it. They were weak, meaning fewer mouths to feed.

The cheerful girl couldn’t be seen anymore. Instead, she looked like an animal, pinned to the ground. Wounds had built up around her body. Still, her personality was gone with her friend. The scales under her eyes were darker than the rest, after having been watered with tears.

Although her body had no power left, her gaze at least wanted to kill the person standing on her snout, while she was getting chained and muzzled, before in the end, being dragged away.