Chapter 34: King of Monsters
Abandoned City District
Lubaralish generated threads to generate a rising platform to insert the bystanders into the buildings while Misheryu stood guard.
Misheryu and Lubaralish felt fear beyond what they ever felt in their life/afterlife, the ultimate end goal for their mission, Nefarious was right in front of them. And their 5 months of training and completely fooled them into thinking they ever stood a chance.
"Death is what completes a person. It gives a summarization of who they are as individuals, culminating in either a grand finale or a pitiful whimper. Which do you fall into?," asked the towering humanoid with a crown-shaped crest on his head with a purple orb in the center of the crown protrusions, black sclera eyes with red irises, a black bio-mechanical set of ornate armor with elongated pauldrons with horns emerging from it, a long purple tail emerging from his backside with a mace at the end, draconic wings emerging from his back, and a grizzled face of a well-built muscular human with a purple goatee. His body was covered in scars from his enemies over his millennia of battle.
"Sorry, but we don't intend to ever get our names in the history books.," Lubaralish replied nervously. Lubaralish was a combination of Lubbock, Daidara, and Dr. Stylish- an odd trio indeed. Lubbock's green hair with blonde/black streaks fluttered in the breeze, with the fur-trimmed hood of his jacket now integrated into the form of a cape. His red goggles had morphed into a single, monocle-like piece that hung over his right eye, which glowed with an eerie blue light. The rest of his attire remained a bizarre fusion of his former components: a lab coat adorned with mechanical limbs, the yellow vest of Dr. Stylish, and the blue shirt and tie peeking out from underneath the green fur. The massive boots that had been a part of Daidara's attire clomped against the ground, leaving a trail of destruction in their wake. His form was a blend of youth, masculinity, and adult- resulting in a handsome, toned young man.
Lubaralish- Human Saviors.
"I'm about ready to kill a bitch.," said Misheryu. Misheryu was a combination of Mine, Sheele, and Mine- having Sheele's slender yet curvaceous figure with long purple hair with Seryu's ponytail on the top and Mine's pink twin-tails on the side. She wore a combination of Sheele's revealing, sleeveless lilac cheongsam with detached lilac arm sleeves and white boots; Seryu's green military outfit with green mini-skirt, metallic lower arms, and white leggings and green boots; and Mine's tied shawl with a high collar, a pink, long-sleeved shirt, a gown, and black stockings with pink shoes. Overall, a multi-colored-haired bombshell.
Misheryu- Human Saviors.
She fired High Output Blast Blade from her right index finger- a pink blasting beam so overwhelming that it could act like a giant blade, which had previously killed both Seryu and Budo, but it didn't damage him at all, let alone budge him.
"Was that you hitting me as hard as you can?," asked Nefarious, a bored frown playing across his face as he remained unfazed by Misheryu's powerful attack. "I wasted a thousand years to finally see what your pinnacle would amount to."
Misheryu clenched her fist, her eyes blazing with a fiery determination. "This isn't over yet," she said, charging towards Nefarious with surprising speed. She threw a flurry of blows, each one a concentrated mix of her three forms' combat styles, but Nefarious deflected them with ease, his mace tail swiping through the air and sending her flying.
Lubaralish changed into his orient dragon hybrid form as he attempted the same internal Energy of the Soul attack that had defeated Gladiator, the White Warrior King, but Nefarious didn't even acknowledge it, let alone show signs of it damaging him.
"I came out here for nothing," Nefarious said with a disappointed sigh. "If you have anyone to blame for your weakness, blame yourself for not committing to achieve absolute strength and enjoyment in battle."
Misheryu pushed herself up, bruised and bleeding, but her spirit remained unbroken. "We're not here to entertain you," she spat, her eyes narrowing into slits. "We're here to save everyone you've trapped."
She changed into her Berserker form courtesy of Seryu's dog Teigu, Hekatonkheires/Koro, turning a dark-red furred anthropomorphic dog version of herself. Her eyes were a mix of Mine's and Seryu's, a fiery orange that burned with the desire to protect
"Is it because I merged the five continents together? Teleporting is such a hassle. Having a single kingdom in one land is easier for me.," Nefarious remarked. "But you still haven't answered my question. What's the grand finale of your pathetic existence going to be?"
"I don't live to die. I live to live.," she said as she released a powerful roar meant to stun her target, but it didn't affect him. "Lubaralish, we're going full power. We can't hold back any longer."
He's not taking the fight seriously. This is our chance., thought Misheryu. Lubaralish nodded in agreement, his eyes gleaming with a newfound resolve.
Nefarious fired a Limbo variation: a small flicker of flame from his left index finger. It was innocuous, seemingly, and floated slowly towards them. However, Lubaralish's passion quickly faded into a horrified revelation.
He pushed Misheryu out of the way as it collided with a building and released a city-wide mushroom cloud of destruction. The heat washed over them, the force knocking Lubaralish back to his human form. His clothes were torn, his hair was messy, and the monocle lay shattered on the ground. The blast had taken a toll on his body, but his will remained unshaken.
"You've been reborn again and again. What's death to someone like you?," asked Nefarious as he generated slightly more effort as he summoned a Limbo technique in the form of a crimson phoenix with demonic motifs, clawed hands, and golden accessories.
"Limbo: Garuda.," he declared as it honed in on Lubaralish, the latter responding by generating several layers of walls to slow down the impact. He also summoned his own homing weapons- floating wire-based axes to launch onto the king of monsters, but they bounced off whatever invisible barrier was protecting Nefarious.
Misheryu, now in her Berserker form, saw the incoming danger and lunged forward, using the last of her speed to tackle Lubaralish aside, taking the brunt of the Garuda's explosion. The ground shook as the buildings around them crumbled into dust, and a shockwave rippled through the air. When the dust settled, Misheryu was nowhere to be seen, leaving only a large crater in the city street. She regenerated quickly and breathed heavily.
Nefarious then appeared in front of her as he charged an Ira purple blast at point black range with Lubaralish unable to get there in time. Suddenly, Misheryu was saved by a familiar ally-
A well-endowed woman of above-average height with long indigo hair, and heterochroma eyes with the right being red and the left being blue- both having cross-shaped pupils. She wore a dark overcoat over her dark bra and toned feminine body. She had draconic wings on her back and a silver tail emerging from her backside.
The fusion of Akame, Esdeath, and Tatsumi- Murasaki.
She drew the dual blades of a katana and a rapier to strike at Nefarious, moving with a grace that belied her fiery power. "You're going down," she said with a smirk, her voice a blend of Akame's calm confidence and Esdeath's regal command.
"Sañjīva: Kandata Thread.," she declared as she summoned a red noose to potentially drag Nefarious into a hell of eternal revival, but he managed to break loose.
"Kālasūtra.," Murasaki spoke as she summoned a demonic bird to drag him into a hell where he'd fall into a boiling pot perpetually, but he used Proditio to freeze it.
"Saṃghāta.," she invoked as she summoned a demonic tree intending to put him into an illusion, but he used Avarita to compress it.
"Raurava.," Murasaki said as she punched Nefarious, causing his organs to rupture as hellfire burst out. Unfortunately for her, Nefarious regenerated.
"I have the allegiance of the Lion King. I can regenerate endlessly," he explained.
"Mahāraurava.," he said as he summoned a hellfire snake, which Murasaki dodged as she stared in shock.
"Those are the 16 Great Hell techniques known by the royal family of the center continent. Not sure how you came across them, but you're an amateur.," Nefarious remarked.
"Tapana.," he declared as he summoned a fiery tornado covered in molten spears to lunge at her, which she used an ice shield to deflect.
"Pratāpana.," Nefarious spoke as Murasaki began to have her flesh melt off, but through her sheer willpower, she regenerated.
Nefarious then clasped his hands with the Enma Palm Sign as the space gained a red filter and the mood became ominous.
"Avici- Punishment of Three Quintillion Years.," Nefarious declared as he summoned seven iron walls and seven iron nets and in each corner, a huge bronze dog with eyes like lightning, fangs like swords, and teeth like mountain knives was positioned. Below there are eighteen forests with sharp leaves. There are seven walls and banners from which flames are shot out within the walls. Moreover, placed here are eighteen cauldrons out of which molten bronze flows and some snakes spit venom and fire everywhere. The sounds that they make are like a hundred thousand thunders that attract iron balls from the sky. Other animals that reside here are worms that spew fire.
The flames everywhere pierced, burned, severed the tendons, and cracked the body of Murasaki. Her body twisted in pain, but she refused to give in, drawing upon the collective strength of her three souls. Lubaralish and Misheryu watched in horror, knowing they had to find a way to help.
"Arbuda.," Murasaki declared as time reversed as the red filter was replaced by a blue one, the iron walls, nets, and beasts vanishing into thin air.
As Murasaki prepared for another attack, Nefarious clapped his hands and began to walk away to her confusion. "You're interesting," he said over his shoulder. "You should try and refine it more. Maybe then, you'll be worthy of being my entertainment."
"Huh?," asked Murasaki.
"I've seen a glimmer of potential. You've got time till I go to the next phase of my plan. I'm not trying to manipulate you into thinking this is what you want and your values. It's my whims that you're allowed to live out this third reincarnation of a 500-year cycle of rebirth till I decide to end you.," the Akujin King explained. "Or I could just end you."
Nefarious emitted a black aura that seemed to envelop the entire planet as it was felt globally to prove his point. The ground trembled, and the very air grew thick with a sense of dread. The bystanders watched in horror, understanding the gravity of their situation.
Misheryu, Lubaralish, and Murasaki all relented, watching as Nefarious vanished into the shadows of the city, his sinister laugh echoing through the ruins. The gravity of their failure weighed heavily on their hearts, but they knew that they couldn't give up just yet. The world was still in danger, and the people they swore to protect needed them.
Misheryu shifted back to her human form, her chest heaving. "He's... insane," she murmured, her voice trembling. "And powerful. So much more powerful than we ever imagined."
"We were cocky to think 5 months would be enough. Even if we trained for the rest of our lives, we'd never match up.," Lubaralish said as he looked down.
"That's sadly the case with you two. But I feel like I'm closer to that level.," Murasaki acknowledged, her voice strained from the battle. "Do what you can to deal with the White Kings while I figure something out."
The trio nodded as they leaped away from their location.
Nefarious' Throne Room
Nefarious reappears as he sees two ladies leaping to hug him
A buxom tall blue-skinned woman with long blue hair, blue iris eyes with red pupils, wearing a two-piece black bio-mechanical outfit and having curved sheep horns of azure emerging from the sides of her head. She has an uncanny resemblance to her daughter and the eldest child of the heir quartet, Pure.
Eve- Queen of the Center Evil Beings.
A tall, purple-iris-eyed Akujin woman who had a more cynical look compared to Eve. She had lavender skin, a dark facial mask to obscure her mouth, back-length blond hair, a long lavender tail, and a double pair of wings on her back- one set leathery and the other feathered. A set of six curved horns- three on each side- grow from the temples of her skull. She wore a midriff exposing two-piece ornate attire that was black and white striped.
Lillith- Co-Queen of the Center Evil Beings.
They were his lovers, equal in affection and power. The room was grand, with a throne at the center made from the skulls of his enemies, the very essence of their fear embedded into the structure to fuel his power. Nefarious returned to his throne, his expression unreadable.
"I was so worried. What if they killed you?," the blue-haired woman asked in concern. She was Eve, the Queen of the Center Evil Beings, and her love for Nefarious was as deep as the oceans that once separated the continents.
"Who put the idea of you going to them to settle a peace treaty?," asked Nefarious, referring to the 500-year-long imprisonment that both Eve and Lillith suffered at the hands of the Empire. Leaving him in a pit of despair and only going back when he sensed things were going to turn for the worst for the Evil Beings.
"It was Nessus, the White. King. We had been forced to live underground in the West Continent of Berli where our kind was dying of Orichalcum poisoning. And we kept throwing lives away over the centuries. We went to the more moral members, but they proved to be just as duplicitous as the normal population, treating our torture as the right thing.," Lillith explained, her voice laced with anger.
He released a subtle angry wave of energy in the throne room, his suspicions of the White Faction trying to undermine him was something he suspected for centuries, but realizing that they hurt his loved ones and by extension denied his children the ability to be born for centuries till the time finally allowed it, caused him to feel a sense of betrayal despite their opposite mindsets.
Eve looked concerned for her lover as did Lillith. They knew the pain that Nefarious was feeling and they knew it was a silent storm before the calm. Nefarious took a deep breath, his eyes glowing a darker shade of red, "We will have our vengeance," he said firmly. "But first, we must assess our strengths and weaknesses. We cannot let our emotions dictate our actions. We will find a way to ensure the survival of our kind and the freedom of the world for the Anima."
"And the White Kings?," asked Lillith. Her eyes flashed with the memory of the masterminds behind her tormentors.
"Aside from Dove and maybe Viser. These Teigu users can deal with them while I maintain our code of not killing our fellow Akujin.," Nefarious explained. His gaze was distant, but his mind was racing with strategy.
Eve looked reluctant but felt it was justified as she said, "They continue to murder their own kind for their hedonism. It's not for avenging our losses, but to ensure the populace survives."
Nefarious felt a weight lifted off his shoulders as he then asked, "How are our children doing?"
"Vile is teasing his spouse, the South Great One's daughter Malik Gatshan, Insidious is following in your footsteps in sharing his lovers- Sinisterly, formerly the Kaiserin- Shelley of Berli and the West Great One's daughter Carmilla. Malice is courting the North Great One's daughter, Angrboda; and Pure is going on a date with the East Great One, Tamano no Mae.," explained Lillith.
"They're growing up so fast.," he cried with joy as Lillith and Eve hugged him on the sides, both feeling the warmth of his love and his power. His children were the future of the Akujin, and their alliances would ensure their survival in the ever-changing world of their race's politics.
Everything had stumbled for half a millennia, but now things were back on track, and Nefarious could feel the tides of power shifting in his favor. "We must ensure our legacy continues. Summon the Great Ones and prepare for the next phase of our plan. We will not be forgotten," he declared, his voice echoing through the chamber.
Papillion's House
The White Insectoid King, Papillion's house was a gaudy white skeletal-based mansion with pink butterfly motifs. Inside the walls were covered in a collection of Akujin and Humans hung up like a butterfly collection, dissected by the owner for his sick obsession.
A flamboyant male resembling a human man of average height with curly black hair who wore a rather risque outfit consisting of a tight white suit with a corset-like front puffy, white with silver diamond-shaped shoulder sleeves, and a disturbingly scant crotch region that has a purple butterfly pattern along with ornate butterfly wings emerging from the back.
Papillion- White Insectoid King.
His pure purple irises with no light or pupils stared as he sensed the intruders. Papillion was not amused. "How dare they," he thought, his mind racing with how to display his displeasure.
"Upset because we took down Solar-Flor, Ignis, Marli, Boxer, and Divination?," asked the voice of the intruder.
"His name was Gladiator. Boxer was just a nickname. In any case, show yourself.," the bug demanded.
A young androgynous man with silver hair with black streaks worn in a long ponytail wearing glasses, wearing a trenchcoat over a zipped-up jacket, a vest, a tie, and a long skirt. He was both well-endowed with a bosom and toned like a boy- being a hermaphrodite.
Ginatawo- Human Saviors.
Papillion licked his lips lecherously as he eyed the youthful figure before him. "Ah, the one who dares to try and kill me," he hissed, his antennae twitching with malice. "You're a peculiar blend of flavors, aren't you?"
Ginatawo stepped forward, their expression a mask of cold determination. "You will pay for your crimes against innocents," they said, their voice a harmonious blend of masculine and feminine tones.
Papillion generated a cocoon to defend himself from Ginatawo's Trishula spear as it lengthened and struck from all directions. The walls of the mansion trembled as the spears pierced through the thick cocoon, their tips coated in a corrosive venom that could melt through steel. The cocoon shuddered and cracked, but Papillion emerged unscathed, his smile never wavering.
He then scattered into countless butterflies to avoid a direct hit from Ginatawo's spear, but the latter then switched to Flying Mace: Sharur, a bronze mace capable of telekinetically redirecting and honing in on targets. The mace smashed through the wall of butterflies, but Papillion had vanished once more.
Ginatawo sensed the air thicken with a sweet, cloying scent. It was Papillion's pheromones, trying to cloud their senses with desire. But they were prepared for this. They had trained under the stern guidance of their teammates, learning to resist such tactics. They took a deep breath and focused, their eyes narrowing as they felt the seductive whispers of the pheromones recede.
"Your mind games won't work on me," Ginatawo said, gripping their spear tightly. He spun his spear as the pheromones dissipated. But the fusion then felt queasy, the pollens had toxins sprinkled in. The remaining pollen then exploded, detonating the room.
Papillion then returned to normal as he loomed over Ginatawo, summoning his ten commanders- a cockroach, a Titan Beetle, a flea, a Botfly, a maggot, a Baphomet Moth with bulging, tentacle-like appendages protruding from the abdomen, a Kissing Bug, a Water Bug, a wētā, and a Scorpionfly. All to potentially have his minions feast on the youth.
Papillion then noticed the floating orbs hovering on the ceiling- the balls composing the Teigu: Big Leaguer Storm Orb, which creates a large whirlwind, Explosion Orb, which causes a massive explosion, Flame Orb, which incinerates the victim on contact, Ice Orb, which freezes any opponent it touches, Lightning Orb, which stuns opponent with an electric jolt, and Rot Orb, which causes whatever it hits erodes.
Ginatawo, feeling the effects of the toxins, could barely stand, but they were not one to back down so easily. They threw the Flying Mace: Sharur with all their might, the weapon spinning through the air like a meteor aimed at the heart of one of Papillion's most loyal and terrifying commanders- the Titan Beetle. The beetle, noticing the incoming threat, raised its shield to block, but the mace's telekinetic abilities allowed it to bypass the defense and smash into the creature's carapace, sending it flying across the room.
The other commanders swarmed, but Ginatawo's instincts took over. The orbs propelled and burst through the insects, causing them to be electrocuted, eroded, frozen, burned, exploded, and torn apart by winds, much to Papillion's immense displeasure.
"What's with the room?," asked Ginatawo. His vision was blurred, but the pain was subsiding as he managed to get back on his feet.
"I have a quirky habit. I kidnap hicks and turn them into part of my collection. Even lesser Akujin are nothing but an addition to my collection, you uncouth tranny.," Papillion replied as they went for a kick, but Ginatawo sliced off their leg forcing the butterfly to use Haeresis to stitch back on.
"I hate bugs. It has something to do with how I died.," Ginatawo said as he referred to his Gin aspect.
The moment Ginatawo's fist connected with Papillion's chest, the room was engulfed in a cacophony of fluttering wings. A tornado of butterflies swirled around them, the very fabric of reality seeming to bend and twist with each beat. The walls of the mansion trembled, and the air grew thick with a sense of impending doom. Ginatawo felt a strange pull, as if the very threads of fate were being tugged at by an unseen force.
Papillion then activated his Gula: Possessivum to turn into a hideous gray butterfly humanoid with wings with yellow eyes generating tentacles to wrap around Ginatawo lecherously.
"Be my pet and I'll consider not making you stuffed.," the demon said, but then noticed the Rotting Sphere touching his forehead. Papillion proceeded to rot away even with his pathetic attempt to generate his Hubris dimension of a sewing factory.
"P-please spare me.," the butterfly begged, but Ginatawo looked with indifference. "You've lost," they said, and with a swift motion, they thrust the Trishula spear through Papillion's torso, the corrosive venom seeping into his body.
Papillion then thought of his past and his fascination with collecting insects, which warped into a desire to make bystanders into his collection. He lamented not being able to do more.
Papillion faded away seemingly, but Ginatawo wasn't fully convinced. He speared a larva version of Papillion within the pollen dust, a last-ditch attempt to survive and an additional trump card. The butterfly truly died this time as the fusion left the now crumbling estate.
Next Chapter: Soulless Robot- Cyber is the next target for the Teigu users to face.
Author Notes: Nefarious shows off why he's so dangerous and setting an endgame threat. Papillion is based on Papillion from Buso Renkin while given some lecherous traits. Ginatawo takes their revenge for being abused by insects.