I Became A Zompirewolf

The moon hung low in the midnight sky, casting an ethereal glow over the desolate battlefield. Ashton and Astaroth stood side by side, their swords gleaming in the pale light. Before them, Rood twirled his thundering Trident with an ominous grin as if swinging the Trident would save his ass.

The air crackled with tension as the trio sized each other up. Ashton locked eyes with Rood, while Astaroth was itching to mimic Rood even more, but Ashton stopped him.

Suddenly, without a word, Rood lunged forward, his Trident slashing through the air like a bolt of lightning. Ashton parried the attack skillfully, the metal clash ringing across the battlefield.

"He never learns, does he?" Astaroth sighed and went back to action.

Astaroth swiftly closed the distance, delivering a series of lightning-quick kicks to Rood's midsection, where he had hit the Xyran before. The relentless attacks made Rood stagger back, but he soon retaliated with a powerful swing of his Trident.

Ashton and Astaroth moved in perfect harmony, which wasn't a surprise as the two had spent years in the same body and knew what each other was going to do next before either had thought about it.

Their movements synchronised as they dodged and counterattacked. Sparks flew as the clash intensified, each strike leaving a mark on the barren cityscape.

"Is that all you've got, Rood?" Astaroth taunted, his eyes gleaming with confidence.

Rood's laughter reverberated through the air, a sinister sound that made them uncomfortable. "You underestimate the power bestowed upon me, fools."

With a sudden burst of energy, Rood unleashed a torrent of lightning from the Trident, sending Ashton and Astaroth flying backwards. The duo rolled to their feet, gritting their teeth against the searing pain that coursed through their bodies.

He didn't know about Astaroth, but Ashton was sure he had dodged the strike. Yet he was hit by the thundering wave. It confused him, and Astaroth shared the emotions with him.

"You too, huh?" Ashton said, his voice firm as the jolting pain subsided. "I was hoping you had a plan this time..."

"Me? Nah," Astaroth scoffed. "But we definitely need to get that trident from him."

Ashton nodded in agreement, as they regained their footing. Without wasting a moment, they closed in on Rood and threw a barrage of attacks on him.

The trio engaged in a fierce exchange of blows, the air pulsating with the clash of steel and the dead sky above them cackled. It felt like the long, desolate planet was responding to their conflict... either that or Rood was on to something.

Meanwhile, Astaroth's movements were a blur as he seamlessly transitioned between punches and kicks. Ashton's sword, with precision, deflected Rood's Trident strikes and protected Astaroth simultaneously.

However, despite being pushed back, Rood seemed to revel in the chaos, his laughter echoing through the night. Ashton thought of summoning his soldiers for a moment but decided against it for two reasons.

Firstly, his summons were back on earth, protecting his family, which was more important than ever because if Rood could betray them, the remaining Xyrans were no exception.

Secondly, calling the summons would be useless as they likely would serve as distractions, and one hit from the Trident would be enough to eliminate them.

"Oi, Ashton! Stop dreaming, will you?" Astaroth yelled after protecting him from Rood's attack.

"You're persistent. I'll give you that," Rood sneered with a glint of madness in his eyes. "But it's useless... No matter how hard you try, you're not winning this fight."

"Yeah? We'll see about that!"

The battle raged on, each side pushing the limits of their abilities. Astaroth's fists met the electrified surface of the Trident, sending shockwaves through his body. Despite his agility, Ashton struggled to evade the relentless onslaught of lightning-infused attacks.

"We can't keep this up," Ashton grunted, frustration etching his features.

Astaroth nodded, his gaze unwavering. "We need to find a weakness, exploit it."

As if hearing their conversation, Rood's laughter grew louder, a cacophony of madness that fueled his strength.

"My weakness? There's no such thing!"

Suddenly, Rood's form changed, his body morphing into a grotesque, monstrous version of himself. The ground beneath him cracked as he grew in size, the Trident now a massive, thundering weapon that seemed to channel the very essence of the storm.

Ashton and Astaroth exchanged uneasy glances, realising the tables had rolled twice before turning against them. The once confident expressions on their faces now masked a growing concern.

"What in the heavens is happening?" Ashton muttered, his grip on the sword tightening.

"I was hoping you would have an answer to that, being a Precursor and all..." Astaroth said while scratching his head. "When should we start running?"

Ashton's voice echoed from a distance, "Who the fuck are you talking to there? Get a move on, you chicken legs!"

Now a hulking monstrosity, Rood swung the colossal Trident with devastating force. Thankfully, Ashton used his aura to push back against Rood, but even then, he could feel his aura wasn't as strong as before.

"That motherfucker did something!" Ashton yelled to inform Astaroth. "I can use my aura properly!"

"Well... fuck me-"

"Not the time or place!"

"Shut it, you dim bulb!" Astaroth yelled while raising his fist as they rushed towards the ship.

"You thought you could challenge me?" Rood's monstrous voice boomed, laughter echoing through the battlefield.

"No disrespect, but... we were thinking of killing you!" Astaroth yelled back. "Just so you know, we still are!"

"Jester... till the end... huh," Rood rolled his eyes as he chased behind the duo.

"Rood knows more about Precursors than I do! Facing him like this is useless," Ashton mumbled. "I need to do something. Something Rood wouldn't expect a Precursor to do..."

While Astaroth distracted Rood, Ashton came up with a plan worth testing. But for it to work, he needed to catch Rood off-guard.

"Before all that, I need to know how he messed with my aura," Ashton mumbled. "I bet it's that Trident... Wait a minute... that's it!"