Ancestral Lineage

Ethan took a deep breath, his smirk widening as he let his Aura Control fade. The silver glow around him vanished, and instantly, the Deathfang Hellhound's six glowing eyes snapped upward, locking onto him like a predator that had finally sensed its prey.

BOOM!

The moment their gazes met, the ground below the beast exploded, sending shards of rock and black fire into the air. The Cerberus unleashed a deafening roar, shaking the very fabric of the abyss. Its burning mane flared violently as it launched itself into the air, closing the distance between them in an instant.

Ethan barely had time to react before the rightmost head lunged at him, its massive jaws lined with serrated fangs dripping black flames. He twisted mid-air, narrowly dodging as the beast's bite snapped shut with a thunderous clap, the sheer force of it distorting the air. But before he could counter, the leftmost head struck, spewing a torrent of searing purple flames.

FWOOOSH!

The firestorm engulfed Ethan, swallowing him whole. The abyss quaked under the sheer heat, the surrounding dead trees disintegrating into ash. Maverick flapped away, avoiding the blaze, his golden eyes reflecting worry—only for them to widen as something stirred within the inferno.

SHRRIIING!

A blinding arc of silver light tore through the flames, splitting them apart like a blade through fabric. Ethan shot forward, his body now clad in a luminous silver aura, his golden eyes burning with battle lust. The Deathfang Hellhound barely had time to react before Ethan slammed his fist into its middle head's snout.

BOOOM!

The impact sent a shockwave blasting outward, shaking the abyss as if an earthquake had struck. The beast hurtled back, its colossal frame crashing into the blackened mountains below, shattering them into dust and rubble. A massive crater formed from the sheer force of its landing, but the Cerberus wasn't down yet.

With an enraged snarl, the rightmost head snapped its jaws open, summoning dark chains of death energy from the void. The chains lashed forward like living serpents, twisting through the air at blinding speeds. Ethan's eyes narrowed.

CLANG!

He deflected one with his bare arm, but another wrapped around his left wrist. Then another. And another. Within moments, Ethan was snared, the chains tightening with each passing second, draining the vitality from the air around him. The Hellhound's six eyes glowed with sadistic glee as it began to pull, dragging him toward its gaping maws.

But Ethan only chuckled.

"Nice trick." His voice was calm, despite the chains eating away at his aura. Then his golden eyes flickered—and the abyss itself trembled.

CRACK!

A burst of raw energy erupted from his body, shattering the chains like brittle glass. Before the Hellhound could react, Ethan appeared above it in a flash of yellow lightning, his hand raised high, golden-white energy condensing into a massive spear in his grasp.

"Let's see you handle this," he muttered, his voice echoing with power.

And then, he threw it down.

The spear tore through the air, its tip spinning like a drill as it collided with the Hellhound's back.

KA-BOOOOOOOM!

The explosion was cataclysmic. A pillar of golden light erupted into the sky, splitting the abyss in two. The force of the impact sent shockwaves rippling outward, shattering mountains, leveling dead forests, and reducing everything in its radius to absolute ruin.

Even Ethan had to shield his eyes as the raw energy dissipated. Maverick flapped in the air, stunned at the sheer destruction his master had just unleashed.@@novelbin@@

When the dust settled, the battlefield was unrecognizable. The Deathfang Hellhound lay in the center of a massive crater, its once-powerful body charred, cracked, and barely clinging to life. But despite its weakened state, its six eyes still glowed with stubborn defiance.

It wasn't done yet.

With a final, defiant roar, the Cerberus rose again, its body trembling but its spirit unbroken. Purple flames reignited around its three heads as it prepared for a final, desperate assault.

Ethan smirked. His muscles tensed, golden energy crackling around him like a storm.

"Not bad," he said, rolling his shoulders. "But let's finish this."

And with that, he charged.

The abyss trembled as Ethan launched himself forward, a golden comet streaking toward the wounded but unyielding Deathfang Hellhound. The beast's three heads snarled in unison, the flames around them blazing brighter, casting monstrous shadows across the ruined battlefield.

BOOM!

The Hellhound struck first. Its middle head unleashed a shockwave of pure destruction, an eruption of black flames and death energy that warped the very air as it surged toward Ethan.

He didn't slow.

CRACK!

A single punch shattered the wave of death energy into oblivion, the sheer force of the impact sending ripples through the abyss itself. But the Hellhound was relentless—the left head lunged, its fangs elongating like spears, aiming straight for Ethan's heart.

WHOOSH!

Ethan twisted mid-air, narrowly evading the razor-sharp bite, but the rightmost head was already there—its maw widening beyond natural limits, revealing an endless void of annihilation inside.

"ENOUGH!"

A burst of pure battle intent exploded from Ethan's body, the sheer weight of it stopping the beast in its tracks for a fraction of a second—a fraction too long.

SHRRIIING!

A blinding silver blade formed in his grip forged purely from his condensed aura. With a single slash, he struck the leftmost head, sending a crushing force through it that made the beast recoil in agony.

BOOOOM!

The impact sent the Hellhound crashing into the abyss, the ground beneath it fracturing into massive craters. Black ichor dripped from its maw, but its defiance still burned in its glowing eyes.

The Hellhound reared back, its two remaining heads roaring in fury, gathering every last ounce of its power.

BOOOOOM!

An apocalyptic surge of black and purple flames erupted from its mouths, forming a maelstrom of destruction that tore through space itself, aiming to consume Ethan in its wrath.

He didn't dodge.

Instead, he charged straight in.

FWOOOOSH!

The flames engulfed him, but the moment they touched his body, they were ripped apart—devoured by his aura as if his very existence rejected destruction itself.

Then, he thrust his hand forward.

SHHHHRRRRIIIIING!

A massive seal of golden-white energy exploded into existence, encasing the Hellhound in chains of pure suppression. The beast howled, struggling against the restraints, but the more it fought, the tighter they became.

CRACK!

The abyss itself trembled as the seal activated, forcing the Deathfang Hellhound's energy into submission. Its heads thrashed, but its movements became sluggish, the once-raging inferno of its power now a flickering ember.

Ethan hovered above it, his golden eyes glowing as he tightened his grip on the seal. "You put up a hell of a fight," he admitted. "But it's over."

The Hellhound let out a final, defiant growl—but then, as the last of its strength left, its form slumped. The flames around it dimmed, the burning fury in its eyes replaced by weary acknowledgment.

Silence.

The battlefield, once roaring with chaos, stood eerily still. The abyss was unrecognizable—reduced to nothing but ruins and void.

Ethan exhaled, lowering his hand as the silver glow around him faded. Maverick flapped in the air before landing on his shoulder.

"That was overkill," the gargoyle muttered, ruffling its shaking its head.

Ethan smirked. "It got back up, didn't it?"

Below them, the Hellhound's six eyes flickered before finally closing. It had been subdued, its monstrous power sealed—but not destroyed.

Ethan landed lightly atop the Hellhound's massive middle head, standing on its broad snout as if it were solid ground. His golden eyes burned with intensity, locking onto the beast's own, which flickered weakly before slowly opening. A deep, guttural growl rumbled from within its chest, vibrating the air with lingering defiance.

Ethan sighed, shaking his head. "You really don't know when to quit, do you?"

"Grrrr…" The Hellhound's flames flared weakly beneath him, blackish-purple embers crackling in protest. Even in defeat, it refused to submit.

Ethan smirked, placing a hand on his chin, as if deep in thought. "Now… what should I call you?"

Below him, the flames sputtered again—a final, desperate attempt to burn him away. It had failed countless times already, yet the beast still tried.

"Tch. Stubborn." Ethan snapped his fingers. "But this is easier than I thought."

A golden sigil ignited above the Hellhound, intricate runes spinning and shifting as divine energy surged downward. A smaller sigil manifested on its middle head, right between its glowing eyes. The beast let out a snarl, struggling against the unseen force that wrapped around its very essence.

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"Grrrr!"

Ethan tilted his head, his smirk widening into something almost manic, a glint of challenge in his gaze. "Just accept it and be quiet. Don't make me force you."

Something about his tone sent a chill through the beast's massive frame, a fear far deeper than pain itself. The Hellhound hesitated—then, slowly, its heads lowered, releasing a series of weak whimpers as the sigil branded itself into its flesh.

Ethan patted its massive snout, satisfied. "Good boy."

Then, he exhaled, his expression softening slightly. "Now, your name…" He tapped his fingers against his arm, considering. "Ah, I've got it."

He knelt slightly, placing a hand between its middle eyes, where the sigil still glowed faintly.

"Stygian." His voice carried weight, a finality that echoed through the abyss.

The Hellhound stiffened at the name as if something in it had resonated with its very being.

Ethan grinned, his golden aura crackling around him. "My fiery, temperamental Stygian."