GUARDIAN OF THE END

Iktomi was the definition of a nightmare for anyone with arachnophobia. Even if one didn't fear spiders, Iktomi's figure will make you think twice.

The domain beast was twice the size of an average garbage truck. Its upper body was shaped like a human.

No clothes adorned his upper body and his eyes, which were hollow and empty, were fixed towards the sky.

His lower body divulged into six legs like a spider, each of them weaving a web in mere seconds. Dark crystals were present all around his lower body.

'Inspect.'

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Threat level: S rank(low)

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"Amber, I don't think we can fight that creature. We will have to take our chances and run towards the portal." Jason commented with a grim expression.

Iktomi's was two ranks stronger than Jason. Even if he combined with Hestia and used his powers alongside Amber.

"On count of three, we both dash towards the portals from opposite sides. If he attacks one of us, we will help each other. If he attacks both of us, just try to get to the portal and touch it." Jason explained the strategy.

"That seems too simple…"

"Its better than fighting him head on. Also, can you please swear a tiny oath that you won't betray me and leave me as food for the spider?"

"I swear that I won't leave you behind," Amber swore without hesitation. "Now that we are all set, should we create a distraction?"

"That will work well. Let's first try to see what his attack range is."

Jason suddenly stepped out from the bushes and took his first step into the clearing. Iktomi didn't look at his direction, giving Jason the courage to keep moving forward.

He took a dozen steps forward before stopping. Iktomi's face had suddenly turned in his direction.

The spider beast didn't look like he was about to invite Jason to a party. It looked as though he was about to kill Jason and use his head as a souvenir.

Jason hurriedly stepped back, his body buzzing with lightning. However, Iktomi didn't look interested in doing anything to him once he had taken a step back.

"That's his range. If anything goes wrong, we will have to just get out of this place and we will be fine." Jason informed.

His eyes stared at the two portals that were present a few hundred meters behind Iktomi. Both of those portals were made from a white crystal clear energy.

Their power radiated over the entire area and made the entire place feel like boss fight. In a way, it was a boss fight.

Amber took a deep breath before combining together with Flamey. The magma salamander settled on her neck and closed his eyes.

A dangerous aura was suddenly emitted from Amber's body. A few trees caught on fire, all of which was soon extinguished by her.

'Hestia, are you ready for this?'

[ I am. Just remember that once you combine with me completely, I won't be able to do anything for you. ] Hestia reminded.

She stood beside him in her wolf form, her eyes assessing Iktomi.

< Would you like to connect with your guardian? >

"Yes," Jason replied.

Hestia suddenly jumped forward and landed on Jason's shoulders. Her body glowed brightly as power leaked out from her body.

The power directly entered Jason's body, lending him hundred percent of the power that Hestia could offer.

In turn, her animal form started shrinking. Somehow, she turned into a gray woolen scarf that hung from Jason's shoulders.

'Wait…'

Jason turned to look at Amber and saw a bright red scarf wrapped around her neck. If he activated his special vision, Jason could tell that the scarf was Flamey and could even see the guardian's real form.

The silver-haired boy tested this on his own scarf and was surprised to see that he could see Hestia's wolf form hugging his shoulders.

'Back when we had fought in the tournament, I had seen Flamey around Amber's neck but I had my vision on then. To normal people, it would look like a normal harmless scarf.' Jason observed.

"Jason…" Amber's surprised voice brought him back to reality.

"What?"

"Look at yourself…"

Upon hearing the red-head's reply, Jason glanced at his body with his normal eyes. His heart skipped a beat when he saw how he looked.

White lightning flickered all around his body. Wherever the lightning struck, a small hole would be created alongside the smell of something burning.

'Dope.' Jason thought while moving his hands a bit.

The white lightning worked like his own limbs. With the slightest command, he could send it scurrying away.

'This mode will definitely have a side effect later on. There is no way that guardians can use such a power unrestricted.'

Jason's confidence had soared through the sky after combining with Hestia. He knew that he still couldn't defeat Iktomi, but the chances of outrunning the domain beast were much higher as compared to before.

"Three… two…" Jason started the counting as both of them got into position. "One… let's go!"

Both Jason and Amber released their auras, using all of their power at once. The white lightning danced around Jason's body, allowing him to overcome his limits for a short period of time.

As soon as they stepped into Iktomi's zone, both of them upped their guard. The domain beast was already staring at them with a cold expression but hadn't attacked them yet.

It was only after they had crossed him that the domain beast start moving.

Jason and Amber felt chills running across their backs. Both of them turned back at the simultaneously, their eyes locking on Iktomi.

"You shall not pass me. I will guard the portals until only one of us remains standing." The spider beast released his killing aura.

Since he was at the S rank, the power emitted by his aura made Jason and Amber cough a few drops of blood.

[ Let's run! ] Jason shouted, using the connection of their guardians as a medium to talk with Amber.

Both of them turned into the other direction and took off again. Iktomi, whose body was emitting a killing aura, finally released his attack.

"Come forth, beasts of this region. Come and serve me, the king of this domain!" Iktomi's voice rang clearly in the forest.

All the beasts who had ran away felt a strange pull in their bodies. Despite the distance between them and Iktomi, they felt the need to respond to his call.

As soon as the thought entered their minds, webs appeared below their bodies and teleported them to Iktomi's location.

"Go ahead and attack those two!" Iktomi commanded while shooting multiple webs towards the duo.

It was at this moment that Jason realized two things. One, Iktomi wasn't a good fighter or else he wouldn't have called upon the horde of beasts.

Second, their chances of reaching the portal had temporarily descended into negative value.

The webs shot by Iktomi had been accurate and despite the duo's amazing speed, they had managed to stick to their legs.

'Not only that butt he beasts are obeying his commands so easily. He also managed to teleport all of them without a sweat…'

Jason remembered that when the children had been kidnapped by Hecate, the adults who had come to rescue him needed to band together to create a teleportation spell giant enough to teleport all of them at once.

It had required over a dozen people to do so yet Iktomi had done the same thing without breaking a sweat.

"Go ahead and burn the forest, my beasts! Defeat those two!' Iktomi chanted again and again.

The fire type beasts released all of their powers at once. The trees turned to ashes and the ground was charred black.

It was only Amber's magma shield that managed to save the two of them from becoming roasted human meat for Iktomi to enjoy.

[ Jason, we will likely be able to maintain this form for the next ten minutes. The only thing we can do is kill the nearest low leveled beasts and dash towards the portals. Iktomi might not be much a of a fighter considering how he has to rely on these beasts. ]

Amber had managed to reach the same conclusion as him, just a bit late. Better late than never.

[ Let's do it. ] Jason agreed.

Ever since he had unlocked his powers of lightning, Jason had never let them out completely. He had carefully learned to control the destruction that could be caused by his lightning.

And if he was using thunder, things would turn even worse.

[ Amber, create a protective shield around yourself. ] Jason suggested before taking a deep breath.

Amber was about to ask for her details but something stopped her from doing it. She saw the lightning around Jason's body vanish.

The silver-haired boy called all of his lightning back. Amber immediately summoned her magma element and surrounded her body with it.

Once Jason had confirmed her position, he rushed forward towards the nearest beast, which was barely ten meters away from him.

As soon as he was one meter away from the beast, Jason's eyes started glowing. His body started burning with powers as tendrils of lightning shot out all around him.

'Amber, remember one important thing. If someone stands in front of you and uses his or her powers to fight, make sure that you protect their back. Many great warriors fell because no one covered them from behind.'

Amber summoned up as much magma as she could. Her eyes glowed a bright shade of orange as she stared at Jason.

Together, both of them would finally get a glimpse of true devastation. A devastation that they would create using their own powers