>>5370036“Heh. Nice try.” Karn says, once again proving just how dangerous his new armor technique is. Your lances actually did pierce into it, just barely. But not only is it less than an inch of penetration, now your limbs are actually <span class="mu-i">stuck</span> in his armor! You try pulling free, even bringing a second body over to try and pull that one free. He smirks up at your largest body, and without breaking eye contact reaches back behind him, grabbing both arms and pulling you free of him. But then he flips around, twisting and crossing that you's arms over themselves several times while orienting on that you in his grip. Then with a malicious smirk he throws both of his arms wide, spinning both of the yous over and over with a roar. “HAAAAA!”
“Waaaaaah!” the two yous shout in surprise, spinning counterclockwise over and over and over again rapidly. Then before either of those yous can reorient themselves, that Karn closes in and hits both of them with a simultaneous charging clothesline. “Gyuuuaaah!”
“Gotcha!” he roars, slamming the two yous together back-first. They both splatter in a spray of Abyssal Dark, mangled bodies dropping through the air. As they do, they're caught by the three who'd been sent down into the sea first. The rest of you return to your open palm, the large you absorbing the tiny yous back into yourself. “What, done already?”
“I've still got one trick left. Let's see how you like THIS form!” you declare, and transform once more. Your body shrinks in on itself, darkness folding deeper and deeper within yourself as you reach back, brushing against the fullness of the being you once were. Long, long ago. Digging deep as your body shrinks down further and further, you begin to tap into the truest essence of what you are. You can feel it, as you always have, but this time something's different. The impenetrable wall that was blocking you before is just gone, finally allowing you to take on the form of your progenitor. Massive bone horns lined with eyes sprout from your head, left arm extending and ending in a giant hand with a void in the palm, legs shaping more bestial than humanoid The form of primeval man, and originator of the Dark itself: Manus. “Thanks to that dragon's power, I can now finally tap into the pure essence of who I was: Manus! Progenitor of the Abyss!”
“So that IS who that was.” Karn says, your jaw dropping to the ground at this. No way, he, he's actually SEEN the true form of Manus before.
“How? When?!” you ask, shocked. “That's impossible! There is no way you could have faced this power before and survived!”
