Chapter 28: Insidious


Berli

While Nitheb had adjusted well to the continental shift, the land of Berli, which used to be isolated from rightful avengers, was now combined with other lands, now having access to these wanton fiends who reduced the poor to husks while the rich lived in luxury.

A bunch of soldiers had decided to have some of the poor be forced into situations where they'd torture their own faces, be the only thing to prevent their deaths by being unstable footholds, or the soldiers just plain use them for killing for sport.

The rich of Berli, now surrounded by the desolate wasteland born of their Orichalcum mining radiation, which poisoned the outskirts of their land that used to be their safeguard, had grown complacent. Their grandiose estates, with their gleaming marble floors and ornate chandeliers, cast a stark contrast against the starkness outside their walls. The cries of the oppressed echoed through the night, but they were muffled by the laughter and music that spilled from the ballrooms where the elite danced and feasted.

Amongst the suffering, a spark of rebellion began to form. The whispers grew into murmurs, and the murmurs into hushed conversations. The desperate and the driven gathered in the shadows of the crumbling buildings. They spoke of a legend, a hero who would rise from the ashes of their broken lives and lead them to a better tomorrow. This hero would not be a knight in shining armor, but one of their own, forged in the fires of their despair.

At the same time, an androgynous teenager with a slender frame and purple lipstick, purple lines framing the sides of their face, purely black pupils with no sclera or shine, waist-length curly blonde hair, wearing a black-white striped gown, and possessing a set of red horns that were bull-like growing from the sides of their head, a third eye in the middle of their forehead, and a long tail ending in a barb- had finished eviscerating a herculean warrior saint that would've saved said people.

Said Hero of the West.

Insidious grimaces in annoyance. They had less popularity than the other siblings despite their unorthodox idea of blending Black and White Faction ideologies- having the fearlessness of death and battle lust of the Black with the pragmatic and viciousness of the White- creating the Monochrome Faction. Yet no one in the Center Evil Being organization acknowledged this group for the moment.

Suddenly, a band of adventurers stumbled upon Insidious' handiwork along with the immense trail of innocents that they and their 14 royal guards had killed.

"You killed those people.," said a spiky-haired young man dressed in ornate armor.

"Indubitably. You're quite astute.," Insidious replied sarcastically.

"W-we were on the verge of peace. And y-you killed our hope!," the young man yelled before Insidious shucked their right hand right through the former's skull-dead center.

"Peace is something you take for granted for centuries, becoming lackadaisical in your indolence, and by the time war happens, you finally understand what peace means once you've lost it, when you regain it, and lose interest in why it's a big deal. Peace is a contradiction- it causes war yet war is needed to bring it back. It would be best if you grew up, boy. This world is defined by violence. It would be best if you had the strength to get what you want. If you don't control others, you'll be the one to be controlled. Kindness leads to death. Subdue with force as violence is the answer.," the heir explained.

The remaining adventurers, now horrified and enraged, drew their weapons. However, Insidious was unfazed. Their tail swished in the air, a silent prelude to the carnage that was to come. The purple lines on their face seemingly danced in the moonlight, their third eye glowing with a chilling aura.

"Wait, Lord Insidous. No further need to dirty thine hands on such filth.," said a peryton- a humanoid deer with feathered wings on his back wearing a monochrome striped outfit.

Cervos- Heir of the Monochome U.L.F. Evil Beings/Royal Guard of Insidious.

"Say, will Hydra be interested if I kill these bastards?" asked a green tortoise with stubby limbs and a large head with sunken eyes. They wore a monochrome striped outfit.

Turtle- Heir of the Monochrome Reptile Evil Beings/Royal Guard of Insidious.

"What do I care? We can just crush these naked apes.," sarcastically replied a tall humanoid covered in stitches, having four nail bolts emerging from their neck and a black flattop hairstyle. They wore a monochrome striped outfit.

Adamstein- Heir of the Monochrome Undead Evil Beings/Royal Guard of Insidious.

"Mad that the Reaper family are outdoing you?," asked a warrior wearing a monochrome striped armor with a massive sword on their back. They wore a barbuta helmet that obscured their face outside of their golden orbs for eyes. This managed to irk Adamstein into generating electrical discharge in annoyance.

Sanctify- Heir of the Monochrome Warrior Evil Beings/Royal Guard of Insidious.

"Let's not argue and focus on the task at hand.," said a pale-skinned woman with dark green hair and pink-iris eyes, which she wore square spectacles over. She had a set of two horns jutting upwards on the sides of her head, purple wings on her back, and a purple tail emerging from her backside ending in a barb. She wore a monochrome striped business suit.

Succubi- Heiress of the Monochrome Hellspawn Evil Beings/Royal Guard of Insidious.

"Such devotion to our messiah! Hail to eternal glory!," cheered a very odd-looking entity that was monochrome striped entirely. They had a crescent for a head with six eyes at the base of the crescent- three on each side, a sphere neck, a cylinder body, interchanging cubes/cones for arms, ovals for legs, and straight-edged wings on their back. A halo hovered over their head.

Holygon- Heir of the Monochrome Divine Evil Beings/Royal Guard of Insidious.

"That hero was nothing compared to our darkness.," remarked a sentient darkness elemental wearing a monochrome striped outfit to give them a humanoid figure.

Caligo- Heir of the Monochrome Elemental Evil Beings/Royal Guard of Insidious.

"What a purr-fect observation Cal.," praised a humanoid cat girl with wavy white hair. Her cat-like ears and tail were covered with white with black stripes respectively. They had silver eyes with slit pupils. Her hands were slightly larger than an average human hand. Her clothes were a monochrome striped overcoat with six silver buttons and cuff links, shorts, white socks with thin black stripes, and a pair of black shoes.

Tigress- Heiress of the Monochrome Beast Evil Beings/Royal Guard of Insidious.

"Asombroso! You are one fine Gato, Amigo.," said a humanoid cactus wearing a monochrome striped sombrero and a monochrome striped poncho over its monochrome robe.

El Cacto- Heir of the Monochrome Plant Evil Beings/Royal Guard of Insidious.

"Stop with this friggin' crap! God! Let's finish these guys already! Fuck!," shouted an angry, muscular monochrome striped robot with a clear white visor for a face.

Process- Heir of the Monochrome Golem Evil Beings/Royal Guard of Insidious.

"Don't be so temperamental. Relax.," said a green-haired woman with mantis insectoid eyes, a set of green antennae on her forehead, and wearing a two-piece uniform that exposed her midriff.

Manti- Heiress of the Monochrome Insectoid Evil Beings/Royal Guard of Insidious.

"Can we finish this? Wanna sleep.," complained a woman with short brown hair wearing a monochrome striped witch haf, but had no visible torso under her monochrome striped robes and had floating gloves for her hands.

Dreamy- Heiress of the Monochrome Sorcerer Evil Beings/Royal Guard of Insidious.

"We need to win with a flashy memorability.," said a monochrome striped armored red phoenix humanoid with a blond braided ponytail emerging from the back of their head.

Oepidus- Heir of the Monochrome Avian Evil Beings/Royal Guard of Insidious.

"Can I eat?" asked a humanoid shark with black beady eyes with a muscular build wearing nothing but a pair of monochrome striped swim shorts.

Squalus- Heir of the Monochrome Sea-Life Evil Beings/Royal Guard of Insidious.

The adventurers, now surrounded by the bizarre and formidable Monochrome Faction, steeled themselves for the inevitable battle. They had heard whispers of Insidious' power, but the sight of their twisted minions only served to bolster their resolve. The air grew thick with tension, and the clang of swords being drawn pierced the silence like a sharp rebuke.

They didn't even get a chance as Insidious nodded as Squalus proceeded to blitz and munch on half of the party- the braver ones including the spiky-haired young man, the others ran away with Process catching up and beating them to death.

Cervos took a step forward, his feathered wings unfurling gracefully. "Allow me to show you the true power of the Monochrome," he announced before unleashing a barrage of arrows that were tipped with a substance that looked like it was made of pure malice. The surviving adventurers were skewered, their screams muffled by the sound of their own flesh ripping apart.

"Good work. You quirky fellows.," Insidious remarked.

Holygon raised a hand to the sky, palm up, and suddenly, the very fabric of reality around their fingertips began to warp and distort. "Let us hasten this affair," they said in a solemn tone that seemed to resonate with the very air around them. With a flick of their wrist, a flurry of geometric shapes- squares, triangles, circles, and everything in between- began to coalesce from the ether, each one a weapon of untold destruction.

"The enemies have been eliminated. Shall we go to the base, Our Divinity?," asked Holygon as they opened a square-shaped rift in space, allowing the group to enter into the capital.

However, they were instead warped into a village of poor people much to their shock.

Insidious turned to see a man who was half grotesque on the left side with a bulging lidless yellow eye with green skin with his mouth having no lips, exposing the teeth, and the other half being a handsome man. He wore a suit that was half dark on the left and half white on the other side.

Jekyll Hyde- Right-Hand Man of the Kaiserin.

Process then turned to the left to see a bored-looking, middle-aged man with short-brown hair and wearing regal attire.

Browning- Kaiser of the Berli Kingdom.

"We're kinda angry your dad up and ditched us despite him aiding us for centuries. Time to remind you that we own you.," Browning explained.

Insidious smirked, the corners of their purple lips lifting as they replied "Ah, the naked apes thought we went in as pets? No, this was always a temporary alliance. And I have to talk to the real leader now."

With a subdued snarl, Browning charged at Insidious, his fist cocked back and brimming with the fury of the betrayed. But Process, ever the loyal guardian, stepped in to intercept. The robot's monochrome striped arm shot out like a steel piston, catching the Kaiser's blow with a resounding clang. The force of the impact echoed through the desolate street, knocking debris into the air. The robot's white visor remained impassive as if the assault was nothing more than a mild inconvenience.

"You're stronger than I thought. I guess you Freaks are capable of wit and power after all. This will be a nice workout for me. Come at me, brat.," the man said.


Earlier

Quasimodo's corpse lay on the ground as Hyde cleaned his hands, having done the deed.

"The signs are obvious. Even without those Freaks intervening, our Kingdom is bound to collapse. We're surrounded by enemies that now have the resolve to kill us and nothing left to lose.,"

"What a lie. I can change this situation around with our Majinibutsu we just discovered.," the Kaiserin, a bob-cut-haired woman with dark hair and vermillion iris eyes retorted. She wore a mink coat over her two-piece black Chinese dress-inspired attire with red high-heels. She was referring to the Mecha that had been summoned earlier by Solar-Flor's machinations.

Shelley- Kaiserin of Berli.

Browning looked at her with nonchalance, seeing her being in denial of what was to come, punishment for their sins.


Present

The longer this drags out, the more troublesome this is for me., the Kaiser thought.

"I'm just good at a straight-forward fight. No tricks or gimmicks.," the Brown-haired Kaiser replied, admitting to be just tough for a human.

"A straight-forward fight is fitting for saints, but not for Devils like us!," Procress yelled as he punched Browning's eyes out.

As the Kaiser fell to the ground, Process proceeded to kick him furiously and also sadistically.

"You're going to regret the day you decided to cross us.," the robotic guard said, each kick sending a crunching sound into the night.

Insidious looked around, the village now silent except for the occasional whimpers of the survivors. The Monochrome Faction had shown no mercy, leaving a trail of destruction in their wake. The black and white striped minions stood tall, their twisted forms a stark reminder of the power they wielded.

"Let him go, Process. He's not worth it.," Insidious said, their voice a chilling calm in the chaos.

The robot obeyed, the red lights in his visor dimming slightly. The Kaiser lay on the ground, groaning in pain, his body bruised.

Browning got to his feet as he struggled to stand.

"We're bad people, but you're actual Devils. Sounds cliché, but I can't let you roam free.," the man said.

With surprising speed, Browning lunged at Insidious, his fists ablaze with a fiery determination. However, Process was one step ahead. The robot's monochrome striped arm swung up like a sword, blocking the attack with a metallic clang that rang through the desolate street. The force of the blow was enough to send a shockwave through the air, knocking dust and debris into a small tornado around the combatants.

Insidious watched with a smirk as Process and Browning exchanged blows, their fists, and robotic limbs moving in a blur. The Kaiser's strength was impressive, but it was clear that Process was holding back. The robot's mechanical precision and sheer power made it clear that the Kaiser was outmatched. Each hit the robot landed was like a hammer blow from a blacksmith's anvil, resonating with the crunch of bone and the sickening thud of flesh against metal.

The villagers watched in horror, huddled together in the shadows. They had seen the Kaiser's wrath before, but this was something else entirely. These creatures, these monsters, were a different breed of evil. Yet, as they watched the brutal dance of destruction, a spark of hope began to flicker in their hearts. If even their oppressor feared these beings, perhaps they could be turned to their side. Perhaps the Monochrome Faction could be their salvation.

The battle raged on, the clangs and grunts of exertion echoing through the night. Browning's face grew contorted with pain and anger, his fists bloody and bruised. But his resolve never wavered. He was fighting for his people, for his land. Meanwhile, Insidious remained ever the spectator, their third eye gleaming with amusement at the spectacle before them. The smell of burning metal and flesh filled the air, a testament to the brutality of the fight.

Finally, with a guttural roar, Browning swung his fist with all his might at Insidious. But Process was there, his forearm a blur as he caught the blow. The force of the impact caused the ground to crack beneath them, sending the Kaiser flying.

"You chose to die, foolish human.," Insidious said as Process charged up an Ira.

"We've done research on your Ten Hell techniques. A flashy beam isn't gonna-," the Kaiser said before seeing Process condense the beam into his arms and then punch him through several buildings and several mountains till he landed on the edge of his original land.

"We managed to get the aid of the Tyrant Dragon and Lion King. We can now adapt to withstand Orichalcum and regenerate endlessly. But more importantly, I thought that since Ira was power, I decided to imbue my body with this power to enhance it. We're not like the Whites that are orthodox.," Process explained.

"I guess this is what I get for being so spineless.," he murmured to himself.


Kaiser's Past

Browning was the son of one of the many Nobles of the capital. He was known for his immense power even as a child.

"Browning, one day you will rule over all of Berli!," his mother would say as she watched him train tirelessly.

The young boy took those words to heart, pushing himself to be the best he could be. His mother had always been a firm believer in the idea that power equaled happiness, and she had instilled that belief in him from a young age. He didn't personally believe in those words, believing that power existed for the sake of others, but he repressed those desires for the sake of his family.

Years passed, and Browning grew into a man of strength who could be used as an enforcer. He became the embodiment of what his mother had envisioned, but it came at a cost. His childhood sweetheart, the Kaiserin, the heiress of the country, had seen his potential and had used him to secure her own power. They had ruled together, but it was clear that she was the one pulling the strings.

He had also seen Dragula and Nefarious along with the other Evil Beings, which had greatly surpassed him in the power he took for granted. And something inside him subconsciously resented them for this.

More importantly, he resented their innate freedom to do whatever they wanted while he had to obey the people around him despite being the ruler of the country. But he was never truly the ruler, just a figurehead for others to use.


Present

Guess I'm free now., the brown-haired man thought as the Kaiser faded to nothing.

His death wasn't even worth a mention as Hyde was faced by Tigress who generated a blinding flash of bioluminescence, extended her claws into sharp weapons/released energy claw slashes as the former warped via his Majinbutsu, a tophat with a single eye on top.

He teleported around rapidly as he mocked the cat,

"Guess I'll be talking all of your nine lives to the Kaiserin! Hope your skinning isn't the result of your curiosity!"

Tigress, with a feline grace that belied her monstrous strength, darted forward, her eyes gleaming with the malicious joy of the hunt. Her claws, now elongated and sharpened by the power of the Monochrome Faction, sliced through the air, leaving trails of light in their wake. Each step she took was a silent promise of pain for the grotesque man who dared to challenge her.

She wasn't aiming blindingly, but like a predator, she was stalking for the right opportunity to catch prey as a real tiger would.

Her movements were swift and silent, a stark contrast to the heavy stomps of the hulking monstrosity that was her opponent. As the fight continued, the villagers watched with a mix of terror and fascination. They had never seen anything like this before. The creature that stood before them, a blend of human and beast, was a living nightmare, yet she moved with a grace that seemed almost...beautiful.

This immediately was subverted as she impaled several of the gaunt near-corpses of the citizens with her extended claws and flung them at Hyde.

"We're Devils, not saints, Meow.," Tigress remarked.

Her words hung in the air, a chilling purr echoing through the village. Hyde, unfazed by the display of power, simply twisted his head to the side, his neck popping in an eerie manner. The projectiles of impaled bodies flew through the air, each one a macabre testament to the cat girl's brutality.

"This hat- Houdini's Mistake, is able to distort dimensions. I was able to change the trajectory of your travel earlier via my Majinbutsu and attacked the dimension strings holding these rats together.," he explained.

"Ratking wouldn't like hearing that, Meow.," she replied, referring to her White Evil Being counterpart.

"Oh a rival? How does it feel to be the third place compared to the previously established order?," asked the man as he generated dimensional warps to summon mutants.

"I'm sort of an alchemist. I experimented with my body to draw out the evil in me to balance out the good. I will achieve it- Perfect Balance.," Hyde explained.

"I kinda doubt this is it. It's more like your evil finally half-unmasked. We're the ones who follow a being that is truly both good and evil.," replied Tigress.

She then thought back to when she first met Insidious.


Monochrome Faction's First Meeting

A tall Evil Being woman appeared in front of each potential prospect, she had previously been tortured for half of a millennia, but she had quickly recovered-

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.

Her purple-iris eyes look at her fourteen selected candidates.

Lilith- Wife of Nefarious.

"Your ladyship.," Sanctify spoke as they kneeled before this individual. Suddenly, the fourteen individual's clothes generated black stripes on parts of their segmented clothes.

"This suits you guys more. It's hard to tell who's Evil or Good by just minor details. This is more direct. Like Zebras.," Lillith said.

"Why do this, Reina?," asked El Cacto.

She spoke in a candid, snide manner in response-

"For 500 years, my sister and I were imprisoned while a weed jackass ruled in our King's place. We can't have a mistake like that happening with this generation."

She then offered her current toddler version of her child for the others to see.

"Me and Eve are rivals. Meaning that the loser will have to be the prime minister of the King. It's a game I intend to win. And I know you'll be loyal to him.," Lillith explained.

Tigress looked curious.

Over the next five months, he matured into a young teen as they continued to admire his progress.


Present

A massive mecha appeared behind Hyde as the fight escalated-

A grotesque dull yellow skeletal creature with bulging eyes red irises and black pupils, the bones covered in reptilian slit eyes, massive skeletal wings on its back, and the lower half being an array of tentacles.

"Ultimate Majinbutsu: Echidna. Don't compare this to the Primus Imperator or the Ala of the South.," the Kaiserin declared from within the robot as she charged up purple energy orbs from each eye and spat demonic bats from the skull's mouth.

"Looks like we're finally resolving this annoying hindrance. To think those bitches that fatass whined about gave birth to such annoying brats.," Hyde gloated but then noticed Tigress and the other 13 dashing away with fear in their eyes.

"Eh? What the hell?," asked the Kaiserin as she saw a looming, colossal figure emerge in the distance- a massive crimson dogu entity with half-closed, large, coffee-bean-shaped eyes, stubby arms, a sphere where the mouth would be, and a crown on the head.

"Vanitas: Amatsu-Mikaboshi.," Insidious declares as this entity releases an outer-space void onto Hyde, which causes his blood to boil/freeze up as his body expands till it bursts.

"Like some brat is gonna do me in!," the Kaiserin screamed.


Kaiserin's Past

She was born to the heiress of the Berli Kingdom, which had been in decline morally from the start as the founder, who had discovered immortality, had become bored with eternal life and went to his Divine One to end his life. This left the Empire in shambles as he had ruled for 500 years. A long life was not meant for Humans. And his heirs lacked his innate cunning and political savviness.

Except for Shelley.

She had a screw loose since birth, torturing small animals, having child servants executed, having subjects tortured, and Browning being essentially infertile and for his raw might, he just a doormat.

She also disliked how the Evil Beings respected her cruelty, but looked on her being Human. And how Solar-Flor undermined her.


Present

As the dust settled from Hyde's explosion, the crimson dogu-like creature known as Amatsu-Mikaboshi hovered over the battlefield, its void-like eyes devoid of any emotion. The Monochrome Faction watched in awe as the creature, a symbol of their master's power, surveyed the area.

Shelley's mech had been crushed by the intense gravity of the outer-space but was not ready to give up.

She was ready to blow up the machine to cause the populace to have residual radiation from the explosion as a last act of spite.

Insdious then looked down at her, she looking in contempt as they said with some admiration-

"Your malice...I find it cute. Be my first wife as an Evil Being."

Shelley was shocked for a moment, then blushed.

"You can't be serious," she said, her voice crackling through the damaged speakers of the mech.

"You have a spine, which I find admirable. Your cruelty is something I admire.," they spoke.

She was overwhelmed by this honesty as others saw her as a nuisance, bringing her to tears as the mech opened as the outer space went away. He floated down and kissed her, his essence causing her ears to become pointy and her pupils to become slits. Turning her into an Evil Being.

The villagers watched as their once feared and hated leader turned into something more terrifying than they could have ever imagined.

"Your daughter will be my second wife.," Insidious said as Dragula summoned his daughter- a voluptuous, well-endowed vampire girl with light blue-gray skin, crooked fangs, and long, midnight black hair that reached to her feet wearing a black two-piece outfit.

Carmila- Heiress of the West Evil Beings.

Dragula reluctantly bowed as he knew the power gap was too wide.

"Her name is now Sinisterly.," Insidious spoke as "Shelley" smirked.

"You're going to be interesting to spend an eternity with.," said Sinisterly.

Carmilla then hugged Insidious' other arm.

"I got them first.," she said before Sinisterly, the seemingly older woman kissed Carmilla to her shock.

"We can share them equally.," the now-Evil Being princess replied as Carmilla blushed.

The villagers stared in horror and disbelief as their once-human ruler had been transformed into something otherworldly. The Monochrome Faction watched with a mix of amusement and curiosity as Insidious claimed the former Kaiserin as one of their own. The atmosphere grew eerie as the crimson light of Amatsu-Mikaboshi's eyes pierced through the darkness, casting an unsettling glow over the village.

They prostrated before their new god.

Insidious smirked at this victory.


Next Chapter: Pure- The Eldest of the four children goes to Wakoku to remove the previous ruler, Amanozako. Unlike the other three, Pure is very different.

Author Notes: If this was Akame and her allies, Shelley would be killed no questions asked, but since she's facing the Evil Beings, she's found to be interesting and converted into an Evil Being.

Jekyll Hyde is based on Jekyll and Hyde and the names of the Kaiser and Kaiserin are based on the director of the first Dracula movie and the writer of Frankenstein.

The Monochrome Evil Beings are less craven than the White Faction, but less noble than the Black Faction.