Abyss Draconis

With a wide-open mouth and hanging jaw, Antares witnessed it all.

He watched as the sole figure sitting on the sofa slowly opened their eyes.

His heart pounded rapidly as the illusion descended upon him—

The illusion that he was being looked at, not by one, but by two people.

Within Ryuk's simmering, purple eyes, half of it was now covered in piercing blue—the same blue he remembered Isha possessing.

[Congratulations, Host has achieved 90% Perfect Fusion with Isha!]

The system announced.

Ryuk raised his arm toward his face.

On his body, he could see ice scales blooming outward—some even covering his cheeks—and his memories drifted back.

{A/N: Back to Chapter 63,}

That time when he had needed more skills, and the system had said:

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[The second way is for the Host's bond with Isha to increase.]

[If Host gains enough affinity with Isha, then there are limitless possibilities for growth.]

[At the peak of Host's bond with Isha, Host's soul and Isha's soul will eventually merge as one.] The M|V|^LE$&M^P^Y+R te.am% worke&d h!ard+ on t.hi^s c*h$apter^.

[Host will even be able to fuse directly with Isha to become a single entity, and in such a state, Host will become a Half-Ice Serpent, and all of Isha's skills and abilities will be under Host's control.]

________

He had done it. He had achieved something that he had been told was so rare and difficult that even imagining it had seemed impossible.

But... it wasn't just him.

'So... we fused,' The voice echoed directly in Ryuk's head, but it didn't disturb his train of thought.

It all just fit, as though it was meant to be there from the very beginning.

It was Isha, and by how she had guessed the situation right, Ryuk could already tell she could hear his thoughts.

'It's… amazing!' Isha screamed out in his mind, as Ryuk's second hand lifted, twisting left and right under her control.

'So… so much power...' she muttered, staring in awe at Ryuk's hand.

'So... cold.' Ryuk also muttered as he raised a single finger and watched the ice begin to spread forth.

The very fabric of space around them began to ice into a sheath of white—but before it froze the entire room over, he stopped.

"Isha..." Ryuk called out, closing his eyes for a few seconds before finishing.

"You're far too simple," he said with a smirk, and Antares watched as a pink hue appeared on Ryuk's cheeks.

'Why… why did you say that?' She asked in a whimpering voice.

"All you really have in your head is just staying by my side, and your greatest wish is... protecting me from all harm?"

'Hey! Don't go to my deep area!'Isha cried out, and Ryuk grinned wickedly.

"Hmph. Then I'll check yours too..." She said, as Ryuk's wicked grin immediately faded.

'You... you're so complex!' She screamed in shock.

Right now, deep within Ryuk's consciousness, was a figure clad in a frosty gown.

This figure was none other than Isha.

Before her stood a dozen large doors.

Eleven of those doors bore no markings, but one of them did. And above that door was a simple name: "Ryuk."

Isha grabbed the knob and pulled.

It was heavy—ridiculously so—but she pressed on, and eventually succeeded.

When she stepped in, her jaw dropped.

Before her floated millions of fragments suspended within a purple void of space.

Each of these fragments represented a part of Ryuk:

His purposes. His motivations. His beliefs.

There were so many that it rendered her immobile. She didn't even know where to begin...but she also never got the chance.

She felt a force pull her from behind, and she was suddenly flung out of the door.

When she opened her eyes again, it was to the side of Ryuk—his eyebrow quivering.

"You should have asked for permission before doing that," he grumbled.

She turned away from him and sat on his legs, her face turned to the side.

"You never asked for mine before you checked either," she said with a spoiled pout.

"They separated?" Antares observed, noticing how Isha had physically appeared once again.

What he had just witnessed… was something he'd never even heard of.

A beast tamer—Ryuk—fusing completely with his own beast to become one?

That wasn't just rare. It was legendary.

'He might just be beyond most Beast Tamers in this universe… at least beyond all the ones I've ever seen,' Antares muttered to himself, a small smile growing on his lips.

He picked up his device and began tapping away, even though his heart was still thumping loudly from the wonder he had just witnessed.

"But still, Ryuk… I can confirm you're not mad at me," Isha said, turning back to him.

Of course, if he had held even a grain of anger toward her, their fusion never would've happened.

"I'm happy," she said, hugging him deeply once more.

It lasted too long.

Once again, they both began to sink into each other, until Isha eventually pulled away, a pink blush on her cheeks.

'So… It's activated with a hug, huh?'Ryuk muttered to himself before a light crisscrossed in his eyes.

'While not many hours had passed, it should already be approaching dawn in that place...'

"Hey, Isha?" he called, and she blinked.

"Hmm-hmm?"

"I'll be going off to sleep," he said with a wry smile—one that even drew Antares' attention.

He couldn't help but notice something, and that was that Ryuk's sleeping habits had become strange lately.

Even during battles with invaders, Ryuk had been tied up and snoring like a baby.

Antares wasn't petty enough to blame their abduction on Ryuk, but it was definitely eye-opening how often the guy had been asleep.

"Are you okay, Ryuk?" he interrupted, turning toward him.

"All this sleeping and slumbering... It's a bit worrying and really unlike you, if I think about it."

When he had first met Ryuk on Endearth, he had never seen him sleep—not even once.

He was either cultivating or planning something. Sleep was never a part of Ryuk's world.

But now, especially on this journey, he was constantly dozing off.

Any time there was a group discussion, he was usually absent—because he was asleep.

It wasn't normal, and Antares felt compelled to ask.