"You overdosed."
The truth made the child grow pale, the flower wilting and the flora stunted as he understood what the Guard meant, yet he still allowed him to talk. "When you used the monster on yourself, I noticed its original purpose. It was fueling you, wasn't it? When the trees and grass grew, so to did your energy input. I was able to taste that growth myself from the apples you sprouted out. Normally, it would supply you with a steady chain into a collective attack, whether through your beasts or your magic."
"That is, of course, without factoring the area it takes place altogether."
"Duh...Da cah...Der cunduh..." Harvard blubbered, to which Criollo nodded as he'd check up on the child, seeing the nerves and blood pulse like mad thanks to the amount of energy he took in.
"Exactly. The sweets within this House can cause a dopamine rush. Naturally, it's why we refrain from eating anything too much, less the energy intake makes it an addiction. Because of how your beast works, however, it was taking that sugar directly through the body. Whether its through the bloodstream or your nerves, you were doubling your amount the longer you remained in this state. It's probably why you paused after a few seconds: It sunk into your mind and you never looked back. With the amount of sugar and dopamine you were taking in, it would result in an exponential hell, and when that happens..."
"Ai duh."
"Precisely. You die." The Guard pets the child's head as he checks up on his vitals, feeling his pulse beginning to weaken, his magic dimming. "Death or not, however, you don't seem to be capable of functioning properly as a human anymore, much less a participant in our 'tag.' Because of your now shriveled state, I believe this game is now officially over, and with my tag on you, you are not allowed to meet with the Goddess. We may need to prune out this forest, but I'm sure once you recovered, your efforts would be greatly appreciated-"
"Nuh."
A pause. The Guard would be quick on taking his cape back, staring down at the child as if he offended him. "No?"
"Nuh!" The boy's tenacity was as visible as his brain damage, as Harvard shimmied his body over, letting him get a proper adjustment to his head. "Nuh yubbh! Nuh uh....Uhphill I..."
"Child. I don't think you understand this predicament, but your heart has physically stopped. Your mind is nothing more than a mere soup of matter. Whatever pride or formalities you would have, you can drop it. You're going to be dead soon. Your energy is sinking at a rate unheard of. There is still-"
A card was casted. A spell was triggered, one that lets Criollo see a visible light from the child's center. Even though all of his bodily functions ceased to properly function, something was burning within him: His very soul. The man was quick on taking the card, but it was little use. The spell quickly disappeared as it came, its name visible, albeit briefly: Evolution. At that very moment, Criollo saw the child's soul sparking such flames, slowly coursing across his system like serpents. His blood changed to the blue heat, his mind slowly boiling into lava, his body rising, and the flower quickly burning up. He could see the child's body began to split, his lower body morphing out into the beast in question, a tiger-like monstrosity, once in such green, with the same claws and jagged teeth as Harvard's own hands, now burning alongside with him. A detail that Harvard haven't taken account for is the factor of Evolution applying on any monster in him, including his own. A guttural roar was made as the flames blasted out into the sky, the flames strong enough to break through such limitations of the House, even incinerating a whole hole through the roof and the black box, stunting Lupina and Adel from outside. A beacon of blue, as Harvard's new form came.
Exactly like the Nuckelavee, with Tomberry's body and head acting as the horse, and Harvard's own being infused into it, both being scorched into oblivion to meld the combination together, his soul visible as a matte black compared to the light colors. The child's face became one with the flames as his head, any type of flora burnt down into soot and twigs, a skeleton of Tomberry left alone, yet still remained alive. The forest began to burn down, as Criollo saw the child take it a step further, a Fusion and a Summon, letting a second monster take up his human half, seeing his upper body change again, his arms and body adorning the black thorns, tying around his heart like an IV bag.
Eve.
"You know you're going to die if you do this, right!?" Criollo yelled, fear visible in his face after such a long time of calm.
"You don't think I know that!? I've pissed off Death so many times, He put a Bounty on me!!" A joyous shout back, as Tomberry moved, its speed faster than before, time feeling still with every movement it took, the House crumbling with every dash it took. If this boy kept up such pressure, he could accidentally destroy the House itself altogether. Such was what Criollo thought, as he bore witness to the second monster that inhabited Harvard. The monster that lets him remain human, and the very monster that is synergized alongside the Devil of the Sea.
The Headless Horseman.
The Dullahan, a monstrous human without its head, with Harvard acting as its rider, his long arms still visible, as the vines quickly grew out and tried to strike at Criollo's legs, attempting to snare him and slam him across the burning forest, the child's body straightening itself to properly ride his new mount with as much fire as the land he steps in. The Guard was quick on dodging and snagging back his axe, watching the tree begin to melt down, the heat being its own style of magic, liquifying it into a gooey substance. A personal trap to slow down the Guard as he'd try his escape once again. "We still got one more go! I just need to tag you one more time and its game over!" Harvard shouted, ash acting as his mouth, white flames as his eyes.
Criollo braced himself, as he watched what he felt was that very Death before him. "Then let's keep playing!" He'd holler back, his spirit just as unwavering as the Card Magician's.