Oblivion: Reincarnated as a space beast

Chapter 13: The Third Horn

The impact sent tremors through the alien ground, dust and debris obscuring the immediate vicinity. Atlas, his metallic form a testament to human ingenuity, lay inert beside Oblivion, a dying ember of red light pulsing from his chest. The Berserk state, a terrifying surge of raw power, had subsided, leaving Oblivion drained but not entirely defenseless. He was a Devourer, after all.

The alien landscape was a surreal scene of bioluminescent flora and colossal, pulsating structures. But the true spectacle was the sudden, deafening eruption of the pods. Dozens, perhaps hundreds, ruptured, unleashing a torrent of nascent Kaiju. Some were no larger than a dinosaur, others already monstrous in size. They swarmed, a chaotic tide of newborn predators, their eyes glowing with an instinctive hunger. This was not a time for fear, but for adaptation. He was a Devourer, and these creatures… they were a feast.

With a predatory grace, Oblivion launched himself into the fray. He moved with a fluid, lethal efficiency, his claws tearing through the smaller Kaiju with terrifying ease. Each strike, each Kaiju devoured, fueled him, replenishing his reserves. The life force of his prey surged through him, a potent elixir that invigorated his weakened form.

Onslaught, battered but far from defeated, witnessed Oblivion's carnage. The massive Kaiju, already beginning to regenerate from his wounds, watched with a mixture of curiosity and grudge as Oblivion carved a path through the horde.

Onslaught let out a low, guttural roar, a challenge, a proclamation of his own strength. Oblivion responded in kind, a defiant roar that echoed through the alien landscape. The air crackled with anticipation. The stage was set. The battle for dominance had begun.

As Onslaught increased in size, reaching a terrifying 300 meters, Oblivion felt a familiar surge of power building within him. But before he could fully initiate the transformation, a blinding flash erupted from Atlas. The cyborg, its systems finally failing, exploded in a catastrophic release of energy.

The blast, a searing wave of heat and light, washed over Oblivion, momentarily disorienting him. He shielded his eyes, his senses reeling. When he could see again, the landscape was transformed. The explosion had decimated a significant portion of the Kaiju horde, clearing a temporary path.

Oblivion, realizing the unexpected opportunity, focused all his energy on the impending transformation. A primal surge erupted within him, a surge of power that culminated in the eruption of his third horn.

A colossal, golden shockwave emanated from his head, radiating outward in a blinding arc. The wave of energy washed over the remaining Kaiju, incinerating them in an instant. As the dust settled, Oblivion stood at a towering 100 meters, his obsidian scales now gleaming with a metallic sheen, shimmering with an inner light. Bizarre, golden patterns, like lightning scars, branched out from the base of his new horn, tracing intricate pathways across his body. His previous wounds, mere scratches now, healed rapidly, the excess energy absorbed from his feast fueling his regeneration.

Weakness was a distant memory. He surveyed the decimated horde, his golden eyes gleaming with a predatory hunger. The previous struggle, the desperate dance of survival, had been replaced by a chilling certainty. This was no longer a battle. It was a slaughter.

He turned his gaze towards Onslaught. The massive Kaiju, though larger than ever, now seemed almost…small. Oblivion let out a low growl, a sound that resonated with the power of a seismic event. He lunged forward, a blur of motion, his claws extending like razor-sharp blades. Onslaught, despite his size and ferocity, was no match for Oblivion in this new form. The Devourer, unleashed, was a force of nature, a whirlwind of obsidian and gold, a living embodiment of destruction.

The battle was swift and brutal. Oblivion, with his newfound power, tore through Onslaught's defenses with terrifying ease. The Kaiju, once a formidable opponent, was now a mere plaything, his roars of pain and fury echoing in vain.

Then, with a surge of power, Oblivion's body began to expand, his muscles bulging, his scales shimmering with an intense golden light. He grew, and grew, and grew, surpassing even Onslaught's previous peak size, reaching a staggering three times his initial size.

As he reached this new pinnacle of his form, a potent energy began to coalesce within him, emanating from the newly formed third horn. It pulsed with a blinding golden light, growing in intensity until it unleashed a devastating beam of pure energy. The beam, a torrent of raw power, swept across the landscape, incinerating the remaining Kaiju in an instant. The ground itself buckled and cracked under the sheer force of the blast, the very fabric of the alien world shuddering under the onslaught.

The surviving Kaiju, their brethren reduced to ash and dust, were thrown into a frenzy. They charged, a howling, screeching mass of fury, their attacks a desperate, futile attempt to bring down the being that had decimated their kind. But Oblivion, now a towering behemoth, was virtually impervious to their attacks. He swatted aside the smaller Kaiju with contemptuous ease, their feeble claws and teeth glancing harmlessly off his hardened scales.

With a chillingly deliberate movement, Oblivion turned his attention to Onslaught. The massive Kaiju, still reeling from the devastating energy blast, tried to rise, but his movements were sluggish, his strength sapped. Oblivion, with a predatory grace, moved beneath Onslaught, his claws extending like the fangs of a serpent.

With a single, fluid motion, Oblivion seized Onslaught's massive head in his right hand, his claws sinking deep into the thick hide. He then proceeded to drag the struggling Kaiju across the alien surface, his immense strength tearing a deep, gouging furrow in the ground. Dust and debris erupted in a chaotic cloud, obscuring the scene. Onslaught, his roars turning into desperate, guttural gurgles, was dragged across the alien terrain, a living testament to Oblivion's overwhelming power.

Oblivion ripped upwards, his claws sinking deep into Onslaught's massive frame. The Kaiju let out a deafening, agonized roar, a sound of pure, unadulterated terror. With a sickening crunch, Oblivion ripped through Onslaught's flesh, tearing out a massive chunk of the Kaiju's spine.

Finally, with a mighty heave, Oblivion hurled Onslaught aside, the impact sending tremors through the entire landscape. The massive Kaiju lay motionless, his lifeblood staining the alien soil.

Oblivion rose above the battlefield, his body shimmering with an inner light. He no longer needed the aid of his wings. He had discovered a new ability, the ability to manipulate the electromagnetic forces around him, allowing him to defy gravity and take to the skies.

He hovered high above the battlefield, surveying the carnage. Below him lay the battered remnants of the Kaiju horde, Onslaught's lifeless form a stark reminder of his absolute dominance. The precursor city, once a symbol of an alien civilization, was now a shattered ruin, a testament to his power.

With a focused intent, he drew upon his immense power, channeling it through his third horn. The air around him shimmered and distorted, the very fabric of reality beginning to fray. Before him, a miniature black hole began to form, a swirling vortex of darkness, growing in intensity with each passing second.

Oblivion watched with a mixture of awe and apprehension as the black hole consumed everything in its path. The precursor city, the fallen Kaiju, the very ground beneath his feet – all were swallowed by the insatiable maw. The alien landscape, once vibrant and teeming with life, was now a desolate wasteland, a void where once a thriving ecosystem had existed.

He hovered above the abyss, the silence broken only by the faint whispers of collapsing spacetime. He had unleashed a power beyond his comprehension, a power that could reshape the very fabric of reality. The Devourer had become a force of cosmic destruction, a being capable of altering the very landscape of the universe.

He looked towards the horizon, a vast expanse of alien terrain stretching before him, now marred by the gaping maw of the black hole.

A chilling sense of power, a newfound confidence, settled over him.

He looked towards the horizon, a vast expanse of alien terrain stretching before him. What now? What was his destiny in this strange, new world? The answer, he knew, lay somewhere within the depths of the anteverse, hidden within the mysteries of this forgotten realm.

And so, Oblivion began his journey, a lone predator in a strange and alien world, his future uncertain, but his resolve unwavering. He would survive. He would thrive. He would conquer.