Chapter 31: Tiamat's Brood

In a roiling sea, an absolutely massive landmass was moving.

This…was Tiamat. For Tiamat was more than just a 'God of the Sea'. She was the Oldest of them all, and was from a time before solid physical forms were a concept. While she'd created an Avatar to interact with others, her true chosen form was the Island itself.

Smoke and smog belched from massive chasms. But the volcano's fumes put those to shame. It was to the point where foul clouds completely covered everything around the island for miles.

Trees instantaneously grew, only to be immediately cut down by Samebitos. The process was repeated hundreds of times every single day.

Hundreds more would swarm the downed trunks, carting off thousands of logs down into the pits. For the fires of war were ever-lit.

Massive vats of molten metal, scrounged from nearly every island under Tiamat's control, roiled in the heat. Around a dozen Samebitos surrounding each vat scooped some out constantly, pouring their loads into molds.

The second the metal was solid enough, hammers came down two at a time. The ringing and banging constantly echoed all across the island. This was immediately followed the sizzling of water and turning of whet stones.

All told, hundreds of thousands of blades had already been made forged and sharpened. Yet, still more were needed.

Over the Samebitos, supervisors with whips at the ready screamed for their underlings to get a move on. They were barely humanoid, with skin pulled tight over misshapen bones. Leathery wings protruded from their backs. Their thin clawed palms tightly gripped their whips. Bloodshot eyes darted from left to right, as long tongues licked their split lips and needle-point teeth. These were the Rabisu, monsters that had long haunted the Mesopotamian peoples.

On occasion, if a Samebito was seen as being too slow or incompetent, a creature would lunge in, grab the poor worker, and drag him away.

The culprits were hybrids. From the waist down, they had the body of a panther, though double the natural size. Up above, they were humanoid males and females. Still, there was more hair on them than natural, with sharp nails and teeth glinting in the firelight. Slit eyes completed the image. These were the Lilin, evil spirits of the night, born from Tiamat.

In the center of the island, all the 'chosen' Samebitos were dropped off in a massive room. The floor was slightly slanted down, with grates at the bottom. Then, the Lilin all ran out, locking the doors behind them.

The Samebitos, all too injured by their 'supervisors', could only look up and scream.

From above, a massive dragon glowered down at them. While the head resembled a lion, the rest of the body was more serpentine, covered in bronze scales. It had four clawed limbs like a lizard's. Finally, two massive wings were folded in.

This was Ushumgallu, known as 'The Great Dragon', one of eleven beasts birthed by Tiamat herself to battle her first generation of children when they rebelled to take their place as Gods of Mesopotamia. The monsters were collectively referred to as 'The First Brood'.

"BBWWWAAA!" And Ushumgallu roared a plume of fire at the Samebitos. Death was instantaneous. The gore and blood flowed onto the floor down the drain.

Beneath the gutters were filters to catch all the solids. Once everything had gone through, another of Tiamat's 'First Brood' was done waiting. The filter was pulled out by pawed hands. The creature's shape was humanoid, standing on two clawed feet. The head was much like that of a canine. Pointed snout and ears were prominently on display. This was Uridimmu, known as 'The Mad Dog'.

While Uridimmu feasted upon what it could, the blood fell through a series of pipes, indicating that there was more than one 'processing' room.

Eventually, the blood reached the lowest room in the entire island.

There, all captives were going to be locked in.

Now, on a sidenote, something must be said to truly understand the Mesopotamian Mother-Goddess.

Tiamat hates humans. To the core of her very being, she felt nothing but disdain for the worlds of men and women. It even reflected in her choice of subordinates. Due to her prejudice, her own children far outnumbered the other elites in her army. This was only natural if she flat-out refused 'otherworlders' that were 'human'. The ONLY 'otherworlders' were those ancient beings who shared her views on the human race, along the occasional simple brute mutated far beyond human origins.

So one may ask, why is there a room full of humans?

Well, a ritual would soon 'rectify' that. Another of Tiamat's 'First Brood' leered at the humans through a window. Bashmu, the 'Foul', was a tan Horned Viper the size of a bus, distinguished by two leather wings and two relatively short forelimbs. She opened her mouth, baring fangs from a second mouth on the back of her head. Venom seeped out, splattering on the floor. Noxious fumes emanated from the malignant ooze.

In an instant, all the humans had been knocked out by the toxic gas.

Then, another of the 'First Brood' took Bashmu's place. Being their twin, he was also a tan Horned Viper with wings and forearms. He was named Musmahhu, the 'Exalted Serpent'.

Unlike his sister, Musmahhu instead breathed in. The air itself seemed to dry, along with the humans' themselves. And when the inhalation was done, that's when the Samebito blood dripped in the room.

Then, Musmahhu exhaled. The blood seemed to pause, and then seeped into the people. Their skin greyed, their teeth sharpened, and their hair fell out in clumps. When they woke up, they would be no longer be Human, but Samebito.

"Come sister," Musmahhu gargled. "To the next batch."

On the other side of Tiamat, the rest of the 'First Brood' were passing the time. Namely, by watching two of their own brawling.

One of the brawlers was a mighty 10 feet. His top half was that of a burly horned man, packed with muscle. The lower half was that of a bull's, though more like the shape of a satyr than a centaur. Kusarikku was his name, and he was known as 'The Bull-Man'.

His opponent was a Wolfman that stood on two legs. But at the bottom of those two legs were the talons of an eagle. His midsection seemed to be a mix of burly chest and storm clouds. He was Ugallu, the 'Great Weather Beast'.

Around them, three figures cheered and jeered. One greatly resembled a Merman, with the upper half of a well-toned tanned man, and the bottom half of a golden fish. This was Kulullu, the 'First Fish-Man'.

Another took the appearance of a woman, at least the top-half. The bottom half was that of a massive Camel Spider. She was Umu Dabrutu, the 'Violent'. In testament to her epitaph, her spider legs were tipped with dagger blades, while two short-swords were slung over her back.

The final spectator was the solitary 'First Brood' taking on a fully human appearance. He was a bearded man, wearing a red sash over a tunic. Oddly, his dark beard seemed to have sparkling dots scattered throughout it. This was Lahamu, 'of the Constellations'.

To the side, another group of Tiamat's children observed their predecessors. These were the Demon Sorcerers that terrorized Ancient China for over a thousand years, until the Eight Immortals sealed them away to rot. However, the only indication of any relation between the eight Demons were glowing red eyes, and incredible levels of Dark Chi within.

"A rather crude entertainment," a cold, sophisticated voice seemed to echo everywhere. He was over ten feet tall, dressed in the red and purple robes of a Chinese nobleman, mostly covering his light gray skin. Four arms were crossed, the lower two more resembling an insect's. His face was elongated like an anteater's, with a long tongue perpetually sticking out. A long purple ponytail seemed to sway in time with his voice. This was Tso Lan, the Moon Demon.

"Oh, you can't deny that it's still amusing," a similarly oily voice added. The speaker was a large lilac toad, as large Tso Lan. His neck was permanently puffed-up. He wore dark blue sleeves, shoes, and a loincloth. His back was covered in a dark yellow bony armor. His wide mouth appeared to be in a perpetual grin. This was Xiao Fung, the Wind Demon.

"Those trivial beasts cannot compare to us," a booming voice boasted. This particular Demon was a blue-skinned humanoid, packed with 10 feet of bulging muscle. Sharp teeth leered out from a snarling face, resembling a predatory dinosaur. He wore oriental-style armor, with his midriff bare. The atmosphere around him reeked of ozone. This was Tchang Zu, the Thunder Demon.

"Grrr…Dai Gui does not care about that. Dai Gui wants to know where Hsi Wu!" the stockiest Demon began to shout. He resembled a stone Minotaur thanks his dark green horns, but with more the face of a stone lion. His mostly red physique was accentuated with a green loincloth and gold coverings over his torso and wrists. His mighty fists were clenched in his irritation. This was Dai Gui, the Earth Demon.

"Calm yourself, Brother! He's still on his mission from Mother," a raspy female voice snapped. She was half-submerged in the water off the coast. Frankly, she looked like the lovechild of a mermaid and a gorgon. Her lower half was a disproportionately long and serpentine tail. A dark blue fin was visible on the top of her head, with writhing tentacles taking the place of hair. Said face was a faded aqua green. Her back was a vivid blue, with a gradient fading to pure white scales on her underside. Bai Tza, the Water Demon, sighed at her siblings.

"Hmm," a rumbling voice nearby seemed to rouse from slumber. Then, the mountain moved. She was a morbidly obese creature the size of the surrounding hills. Putrid green skin had speckles of stones scattered about, though mostly concentrated around the limbs. Speaking of which, they were stubby three-fingered affairs, barely able to support the gargantuan body. Her face lacked a nose, seeming to compensate with oversized red lips. Po Kong, the Mountain Demon, still seemed disinterested in the conversation.

"Is it dinner time yet?" Po Kong asked.

"No," a final male voice answered. The rest of the Demons turned, visible looks of disdain on all of them. For this was the youngest, strongest, and most treacherous of their number. He stood a proud 20 feet tall, in a vaguely humanoid posture. His form was that of a Dragon, with a mish-mash of Western and Eastern features. His scales were mostly a dark green, with the exception of the dark gold underbelly. He was known by many names…the Ultimate Evil, the Keeper of the Talismans, the Apocalypse of which Legend speaks, the Fire Demon. But his real name, was Shendu.

And despite all that, even Shendu had been forced to serve under the heel of his 'Mother'.

"What do you mean?!" Bai Tza shouted, already short on patience regarding her backstabbing brother.

"I mean that Bashmu and Masmahhu have already gotten their fangs on all the new humans," Shendu growled.

"Hmmm," Tso Lan narrowed his eyes. 'We've already bred over 200,000 Samebitos, our 'dear mother' must be worried about Cipactli's numbers,' the Moon Demon thought to himself, knowing better than to voice his observation where he could be heard.

Before the conversation could go any further, a ship was spotted approaching. It was a Trireme, favored by the Ancient Greeks.

"It would seem that the last of our Mother's…allies…have arrived," Xiao Fung mused.

He spoke of the few 'otherworlders' and opposing Pantheons that had joined up with Tiamat. To be frank, none of her 'children' trusted them, if Xiao Fung's trepidation is any indication.

OoOoOoO

Speaking of the 'otherworlders', all of them had gathered in the center of the island, where the volcano rumbled. An intricate door of Akkadian design had been carved into the side of the belching mountain. Off to the volcano's side, a incredibly large floating cube was hovering midair. Most of its surface was covered in water, but islands were scattered about the cube. On the biggest island, situated on top of the cube, a foreboding castle sat upon it. This was Cube, the old home of the Demon Guild, Tartaros.

Outside the volcano's door, the most simple 'otherworlder' was sitting criss-cross applesauce. He was huge and muscle-bound, about the size of a mighty tree. His whole body, from his hair to his skin, was jagged and pointed. His teeth had also been filed to points, with lower canines protruding out. All he wore was a loincloth to cover his unmentionables.

"It's…all for…finding…master…"

Gigantomachia muttered to himself. With virtually no intelligence of his own, he'd latched onto the first strong being who promised to reunite him with his old master, which Tiamat quickly said to gain his loyalty. Of course, it should be said that Tiamat had no intention of just letting such a powerful brute go, but he was simple enough that the thought hadn't crossed his mind.

Inside the volcano, Cube's Master had taken a seat outside of Tiamat's meeting room. He looked like a tall, lean man. His dark and wavy purple hair was mostly in a long ponytail. Dark, slanted eyes and thin lips were fixed in a smug smirk. He wore a dark black jacket with a light flame pattern, covering a frilly v-neck shirt and pants.

"Lord Mard Geer!" a nasally voice called out to self-proclaimed 'Underworld King'.

It was a short, round creature, golden in color. A single eye glowed under his helmet and armored shoulders. His spindly arms and legs had red stripes. His large mouth and protruding tongue showed a cheerful grin. Finally, he used a small rod in place of a cane to walk.

"Ah, Franmalth, how is my garden?" Mard Geer asked his Armored Demon Gate.

"Cube is flourishing!" Franmalth laughed.

"Good."

"My Lord," Franmalth asked. "Has there been any word on the other Demons?"

"The only concrete evidence was White Zetsu sighting Jackal after the Battle of Tamatoa's Horde, along with Ezel being bound to Ares' service" Mard Geer put a hand to his chin. "Beyond that, there's been no word."

"I see," Franmalth said.

"And the new recruits?" Mard Geer got the conversation back on track.

"The Samebitos are reacting well to the Demonization process," Franmalth revealed.

The Guild Master got up. "This pleases me." Still, he frowned. "It's quite a shame that Tiamat has seen fit to limit me to mere grunts…oh, if only she could see the benefits of allowing me greater subjects."

The room slightly rumbled. While Franmalth's grin instantly fell to a more fearful look, Mard Geer simply chuckled.

"Message received, your Majesty," Mard Geer casually raised his voice and bowed his head.

The rumbling stopped.

After a second, Franmalth regained his composure. Sometimes, new underlings tend to forget that Tiamat IS the Land. Any word uttered, any action taken here…she would know.

"What's this? Such talk of Tiamat, how rude," the original White Zetsu emerged from the walls.

"Indeed," something scuttling in the shadows chuckled. When coming into the light, it resembled a gargantuan centipede, but legs only present in the front and hind areas. A sizable stinger twitched at the end, while 8 pincers seemed to grasp out in front of the creature. It turned to Mard Geer, revealing a face similar to a Noh Mask. Then, in the blink of an eye, the face was pulled in with a sickening 'SQUELCH', instantly replaced with a screaming Mandrill. "RAH!"

Mard Geer's smug grin didn't even shift an inch.

Koh, the Face-Stealer, laughed as the face of a wizened old man came forth to speak for him. "Hahaha…perhaps one day, I can add 'the Definitive Demon' to my collection." The old Spirit scuttled about.

"Excuse me," an incredibly high-pitched voice called out. "Are we interrupting?" a much deeper voice finished the sentence.

From the end of the hallway, two more 'otherworlders' approached the Demons. One appeared to be a tall, muscular man. His fair hair was reached to the middle of his back, obscuring two small horns. All he wore was a simple loincloth. There was also a tattoo under the corner of his right eye, resembling part of a gear.

The other was a far more strange figure. He wore the White of Hueco Mundo. However, unlike other Hollows, he concealed his face with an elongated mask, with eight holes. His garb more resembled a frilly nobleman's coat, with white gloves to complete the image, completely covering the Arrancar.

"Ahh, Santana, Aaroniero" Mard Geer chuckled. "You surprised me. I was wondering how you even managed to get in. Oh, that's right…Tiamat's clouds completely cover the sun. So no worries for you."

The Pillar Man kept quiet, glaring at the Demons.

Aaroniero Arruruerie, the 9th Espada, also remained silent. Despite both 'heads' being irritated, the Hollow knew that a fight with Mard Geer was beyond his capabilities, even disregarding Tiamat forbidding fights in her palace.

"Has your master assembled with the other Generals?" Mard Geer continued, his gaze turning to Santana.

A long silence.

"Yes," Santana answered.

"There…was that so hard? WOOHAHA!" Franmalth giggled.

"Hmm…"

OoOoOoO

In the exact center of the Volcano, Tiamat's Throne Room was currently occupied by two beings. The brick walls were painted gold around designs of ancient battles, containing a room the size of a football field. Heat emanated from the walls, floors, and ceiling thanks to the lava flowing throughout the Goddess's lair. The floor was mostly bare tiles. In front of the back wall, a throne was elevated 30 feet over the rest of the room. It was an ornate affair, with gold plating over the legs, arms, and back. The head of the throne had five Dragon heads sprouting from the headrest, each colored black, blue, green, red, and white.

In the throne, Tiamat was slouched, giving a dispassionate gaze to her 'guest'. It was the final 'otherworlder' in her army. It was a new addition, so she using this opportunity to find this being's measure.

"So tell me…what would you do in this situation?" Tiamat asked in a level voice.

To an outsider, it would appear she was merely talking to a flask. To the sharper eye, they would notice a shifting black gaseous mass inside the flask. Eventually, it resembled a sphere, with two miniscule arms swirling around it. Then, a single purple eye opened wide. Underneath, a wide toothy grin stretched.

"Well, your Majesty…I'd send a probing force that would draw out Cipactli's brutes." The being spoke in a high voice. "Then, I'd have a few of your children spread out for indiscriminate attacks, spreading Cipactli's forces thin. Once that has been achieved, that's when you move in and deal with Cipactli directly."

"How perceptive," Tiamat gave a rather droll smile. "You really are a clever one, Homunculus."

The 500 year old being kept his earsplitting grin on. "Your praise is more than I deserve, your Majesty."

"How humble," Tiamat laughed, "for someone who called themselves such prestigious names as 'Father' or 'Philosopher of the East'. Perhaps your old name of 'Dwarf in the Flask' would fit this attitude of yours more."

For the briefest second, the corner of Father's smile twitched.

"Let's not pretend, my dear," Tiamat leaned closer to the flask. "Never forget that I'm the only one with the means and know-how to restore your old power. Don't tempt me in altering our deal."

Father's smile faltered. "Very well…your highness."

"Good," Tiamat relaxed back in her throne. "Rest assured, when this war is done, and if the alchemy you provide is worth my time…then your body shall be restored."

"I'm looking forward to it…my Queen," Father lowered his head.

"Alright, your advice shall be taken into consideration. That'll be all today," Tiamat commanded.

"Enter!" the Mesopotamian Goddess's voice echoed throughout her palace.

The door opened, revealing Mard Geer, Franmalth, Santana, and Aaroniero. White Zetsu and Koh remained in the hall.

"Take Homunculus back with you to Cube. When my meeting is complete, I will send out my orders," Tiamat quickly commanded.

"Yes, your Highness," Mard Geer quickly bowed as Franmalth grabbed the flask.

The 'otherworlders' were gone as quickly as they came.

Then, Tiamat's 'Generals' entered. These were mighty Gods and monsters from other Pantheons that had decided to join the Mother-Goddess. The only reason she agreed was because she knew their strength and knowledge would be invaluable when going up against the other 'Gods of the Sea'. From day one, she'd had no intention of upholding her bargain with Poseidon and the others. Hence, why she'd gone so far as to seek out some of these deities who would give her an edge on her peers.

One by one, her Generals entered. The first was a genuine giant, standing at a mighty 30 feet. He wore a simple woolen robe, with a single great-sword slung on his back. Unusually, he only had a single eye that was sewn shut. On his shoulders, two disfigured humanoids had webbed hands holding the ends of the rope sewn in, ready to pull it out at a moment's notice to unleash that terrible weapon in their master's skull.

This was the once-King Balor of the Fomor, the enemies of the Tuatha De Dannan that eventually ruled over the Ancient Celts and Emerald Isle. He had agreed to join Tiamat so he could one day have a chance at revenge against one of those pivotal in his first death, The Morrigan. To Tiamat, he had brought hundreds of Fomor, each as strong as 10 Samebito.

Next, two mighty beings walked forward. Both wore simple togas, with Hoplite swords at their side. One was more muscular at 20 feet tall, with dark slicked-back hair, stone grey eyes, and tanned skin. Said eyes had a look of cold pride, regarding everyone else present with disdain.

Atlas, the Titan of Endurance, begrudgingly knelt before Tiamat. "Your Highness." His booming voice reverberated around the room, befitting his title of Titan General. To Tiamat, he had brought 100 fearsome warriors known as Spartoi, skeletal warriors grown from dragon teeth covered in blood, who would not stop until they found their prey.

Beside him, another Titan stood at around 10 feet. Despite his more slight build and shorter visage, he seemed to give off just as much power as the larger Titan. He had a dark beard and tanned skin as well. While Atlas gave an impression of brute strength, this Titan put more people on edge, due to his more relaxed demeanor cueing people up to the fact that he was unphased in the presence of people like Atlas, Balor, and even Tiamat.

This was Oceanus, the Titan of the Sea. And he was Tiamat's 'Ace in the Hole' for when she eventually moved on Poseidon. To battle, he brought 3000 sons, and 3000 daughters (currently all being watched by his wife, Tethys). The sons were known as the Potamoi, each a God of a River or Stream. The daughters were the Oceanids, Sea Nymphs known for both beauty and strength.

He didn't say anything to Tiamat, simply bowing his head no more than standard courtesy dictated.

Beside him, the final Greek representative walked in. Like Tiamat, she was a mother to a plentiful brood. Her children included such charming figures as the Hydra, the Sphinx, the Chimera, the Nemean Lion, and countless monstrosities that plagued Greek Gods and Heroes for centuries. Her upper half was that of a beautiful middle-aged woman, with dark hair and a full figure. Her lower half was a green serpent.

She was Echidna, Greek Mother of Monsters. She had brought all her children she could find for a shot at bringing down the Greek Pantheon once and for all.

Tiamat gave a genuine smile as the Greek matron knelt before her, recognizing Echidna as a kindred spirit.

The next figure stepped forward, kneeling down. For the moment, he had taken the form of a tan man, standing at a humble 6 feet. His cotton clothing only covered from his waist down, ending in golden pointed shoes. His bare chest and arms were well-toned. Golden bands wrapped around his wrists, while gold earrings added to his regal image.

This was Vritra, Prince of the Asura (Warmongering creatures that had long opposed the Hindu Gods of India). He was known as 'The Enveloper', and the personification of 'Drought'. To the army, he had brought 108 Asuras, more than enough to compose his own elite fighting force.

However, none of the previously mentioned 'Generals' would be as prominent in the coming war as the final figure. He was a green-skinned man that stood at a shorter-than-average human height. He had goggle-eyes, a cleft lip, and fangs protruding out of his mouth. He wore a light blue loincloth, and matching long cape that enveloped his whole body. Finally, he wore the feathered headdress of a chieftain.

He was Tlaloc, the Aztec God of Rain. He was a terrifying god that had demanded sacrifices of the hearts of crying children, and had unleashed a 'Rain of Fire' when displeased. He was the one who'd 'convinced' Santana to submit to being his subordinate, seeing as he had none before joining Tiamat.

"Now, let us begin," Tiamat declared.

"Your Majesty," Echidna asked in a aged voice. "If I may be so bold as to ask where our final General is?"

"Granted," Tiamat gave a nod. "He has already been sent out, and shall message us when he makes contact with Cipactli's forces. Now, Tlaloc…step forward."

The Aztec God nodded as he did so.

"Before we finalize our plan, I want you to tell the other Generals what you told me about your Pantheon's Spells, Cipactli, and the Chest of Cursed Gold."

Tlaloc let out a long sigh. "Very well."

"And to help in this process…COME!" Tiamat's voice reverberated once again.

This time, a single figure entered. It had the form of a black barn owl that stood over 20 feet. It's white face unnaturally turned around, as owls are wont to do. In its claws, it held dozens of old scrolls, texts, and various writings.

"I've had Wan Shi Tong here gather everything he could on Cipactli, 'Wa-Ay', and your kin," Tiamat gazed at Tlaloc. "Before we leave this room, you and I are going to make sure this island is ready for that abomination. With your expertise, and my 'Sahar' levels, I'm sure we'll find a way."

A crooked smile grew on Tlaloc's face at the prospect of getting rid of that Aztec nightmare. "Then how about I begin?" he asked in a slippery voice.

OoOoOoO

To the East, at the edge of the Mother-Goddess's territory, her final General halted his advance.

Normally, the island was subject of a tropical climate. But today, Winter had come. A snowstorm had engulfed the entire landmass. The stream had frozen over as grey clouds loomed overhead.

The wind and cold emanated from this imposing figure. And he was indeed imposing at well over 10 feet tall. His skin was a pale blue, with a mish-mash of scars, ridges, and tribal markings over his muscular form. He only wore a slight green armor to cover his nether-regions, along with guards for his shoulders, elbows, and knees. Cunning red eyes looked over the island.

"My King, what is our next move?" A similar-looking humanoid asked, kneeling before him.

King Laufey of the Frost Giants, Lord of the Jotun that had ruled the Cosmos before Odin's time, exhaled a cold breath. He leveled a steady gaze at a settlement that he'd buried under literal tons of snow.

"These human homes were already empty by the time we got here," Laufey revealed. "That means…"

Laufey abruptly stood. "MEN! Prepare for battle."

In an instant, 400 Frost Giants had fallen into formation, materializing Ice Swords at the ready.

"RRRREEEEEEEEOOOOOWWWWW!"

Then, an unearthly shriek shook all the Frost Giants to their very core.

And there it was…the cannibalistic abomination itself…The Wendigo. Its gangly limbs flailed as it made its way forward on all fours. Rotten flesh and gore sprayed out of its disjointed mouth.

"So…Cipactli's monsters have been let off the leash," Laufey muttered to himself. "So be it."

"UURRGGHH!"

But the Wendigo wasn't alone.

"Sire, it's the villagers!"

The aide was correct. But they'd been completely covered in ice. Furthermore, fangs, claws, and horns seemed to protrude from those who were once human. Acting without any semblance of reason remaining, the horde followed the Wendigo's charge.

A ways off the shore, a single galleon looked on, towing a now-empty barge. Perched near the front, was a masked Sabertooth Tiger, smoking a cigarette.

Who's Who scowled. "I hate using that insufferable Queen's Ice Oni plague bullets…but Cipactli's orders…"

Back on the island, Laufey raised his own sword made of ice. "FORMATION!"

Every Frost Giant moved as one as they fell into a line, ice swords at the ready.

"EEEEEUUUUUGGGGHHHHH!" The Wendigo simply screamed.

"Hold!" Laufey held his free hand up.

The charging mass was now a mere 100 yards away.

"NOW!"

All the Frost Giants shot their swords in unison. The volley utterly demolished the first row of 'Ice Oni', either blowing out their chests or pinning them to the ground.

On the other hand, the Wendigo simply tanked half-a-dozen shots. They all bounced off an incredibly tough hide. It didn't even slow down.

"FORWARD!" Laufey and his troops all instantly reformed their Ice Swords, and charged.

The Wendigo shrieked and leaped right for Laufey, somehow sensing that he was the greatest threat. It bared its claws and jaw!

Grunting, Laufey swung his chilled blade.

BOOM! Blade met claw!

Everyone within a hundred yards was blown back by the sheer power of their clash. The whole island rumbled, tidal waves emanated from the epicenter.

The war had begun.

OoOoOoO

Omake: Happy Belated Holidays!

Kisame and Halibel were leaving the SoSC Cast Christmas Party. They were stumbling a little bit, since Jinbe opened his present of high-quality Sake for all of them to enjoy.

Halibel was all snuggled up. The Ninja had gotten her a black winter robe. She laughed that he was the first man who'd given her clothes that actually covered her up!

"This isn't the way home," she realized.

Kisame, who just finished putting his new headband from Halibel on, simply grinned. "I know. I've got a surprise for you coming up."

"You shouldn't have," the Hollow blushed. "You already got me this," she wrapped her thick sleeves around the Ninja.

"Eh…it's worth it either way. You'll see," Kisame promised.

Around 5 minutes later, the couple had sat down on a snowy bench. Kisame pointed to a house. "Show's about to start."

"Kisame…what did you do?" Halibel tried her best to sound chastising.

OoOoOoO

Sōsuke Aizen slept soundly in his bed, snoring away in his pajamas.

"BOOM!"

"NOT MY TEA! Oh…never mind…" Aizen abruptly woke up. "What's going on?"

"CRASH!" The door to his bedroom was kicked down, whacking the Soul Reaper.

And Madara Uchiha was standing before him.

"Where did you put it?!"

"What?!" Aizen wondered in absolute bewilderment.

Madara slammed a hand-written note on the wall.

"My poor misguided Ninja,

In the spirit of the season, I have given a gift to you. The gift of the knowledge of your inferiority. Enjoy your holidays.

P.S. Your shampoo and conditioner will be put to far better use than that mane you call a hairdo.

P.P.S. Ninjas all suck. You suck.

Sincerely, Sōsuke Aizen"

The Soul Reaper just gave a blank stare at the note. "I didn't write this."

Madara looked incredibly unamused. "My Sharingan can tell that this is your handwriting. And besides…" He slammed his Gunbai through two walls, revealing a bathroom full of shampoo and conditioner, and a kitchen filled with sake. "And that is all MINE!"

Aizen's eyes went wide. "Okay, I might be able to still handle this."

Then, a massive blue dragon appeared from on high.

"AIZEN! GIVE ME BACK MY BOOZE!" Kaido roared.

The Soul Reaper broke into a cold sweat. "Well…this is problematic."

OoOoOoO

"…and then I had Itachi copy Aizen's handwriting…paid him in Dango," Kisame finished his story.

"So…your idea of ending the night was showing me a man in sheer pain and agony…" Halibel raised an eyebrow.

"Well…not just any man," Kisame laughed as Aizen was being treated like a baseball between Madara's Gunbai and Kaido's clawed hands.

"Kisame…" Halibel gave an intense look. "This is the greatest thing I've seen this year."

"Hehehe…I try," the Ninja smirked.

The couple simply watched until the fighting wore down. Kaido flew off with his sake, Madara with his hair product not far behind. Aizen was knocked out in a crater, doing his best 'Yamcha Pose'.

"Tia…Merry Christmas."

"Merry Christmas Kisame. Now let's go home and…'unwrap'…your last present."

A.N.

Wow! Happy New Year! Least I managed to finish in time for THAT!

Alrighty…so, Tiamat's Army. I wanted to go with a theme of 'the old generation' with her and her Generals. You know, those who used to rule before being destroyed by younger Gods, like the Titans, Fomor, and Frost Giants. So yeah…get all those 'Boomer' jokes out of your system! LOL! Funnily enough, if I stuck to that theme early on…that means 'Cipactli' would've been the one with these folks! How IRONIC! And yeah…Cipactli and Tiamat have a LOT more in common than they want to admit!

And as for the 'First Brood'…I did want to give some spotlight to some cool Babylonian myths…hence why I included so many of them.

And yeah…I know 'Jackie Chan' isn't Anime…but that was my childhood! I simply couldn't resist bringing in the Demon Sorcerers! LOL! And yeah…they've all gotten a boost…so they can keep up with all the 'S-Class' as it were! That'll be FUN!

As for the 'Otherworlders'…I did want to emphasize through them just how much Tiamat hates humans…hence her being all too happy to include people like 'Father' and Mard Geer.

And yes…I'm officially bringing in JoJo's…now that I've finished Part 4 and see time to binge Part 5 soon in my future. It'll be…Bizarre…EH-OH!

As for that Omake…I swear I won't make this much fun of Aizen in canon SoSC! I promise he'll still be the 'magnificent bastard' Kubo created when I get to him…at least for a while.

Alright…that finishes the 'Prep'. Next up…the Khemenu Arc begins!

Til Next Time…Have Fun! Stay Safe!