#139 – Reklauzolth Incarnate

Monommy
Chapter 139: Finalis Proelium

The skies darkened in the presence of the colossal Chaos-type. In its mouth, a faintly glowing enormous Monommy hung limp. It was Kaijumy, and she was clearly dead.

The beast swiped its gargantuan head and Kaijumy’s body went flying into the distance, the sound of her body landing being drowned out by the overwhelming sound of the earth cracking and twisting, splitting into muscle, blood, and fat. Merely by existing, the beast rends the very earth upon which it was built.

Its main head was surrounded and protected by a legion of smaller heads that weaved through the flesh-earth with ease. The smaller heads scanned the area, looking for the helicopter they had just downed. When they saw it, they struck at it, ripping it up into the sky above the main head. The main head opened its mutilated jaws, the flesh and bone falling down its neck as it stretched its enormous mouth. Tiffany, Magicimy, and Marcus fell from the helicopter as it descended into the maw of the massive anomaly. With a quick snap of its jaws, their lives ended instantly. The helicopter exploded as the beast chomped down, but it seemed wholly unphased by the explosion.

Kane wiped the blood from his eyes, and stared up at the monster in disbelief. Did they really lose so easily?

No.

A spark of hope. The team’s communicators began emitting static, interspersed with what sounded like Glenn’s voice. The quality was awful, but they could tell it was him.

“Glenn’s still alive,” said Ember. The slightest blip of relief splashed over them. This was quickly dispelled by one of the giant Chaos-type’s smaller heads setting it gaze directly on them.

Warpmy opened up a portal and tackled Od and Ember through it. Kane, Bunpopmy, and Virusmy leapt in after them.

Through the portal, they arrived on a damaged rooftop.

“Not the safest spot but we’re alive,” Warpmy remarked. “Od, we gotta keep eyes on  everyone. That thing’s so big it-” Warpmy turned and saw Od curled in a fetal position on the ground. “Od!” She grabbed onto her partner’s arm. “Are you okay?”

Od responded with a pained moan. “N-no.”  She held her head in her hands tightly.

Ember knelt down and gently held her hand over Od’s, softly pulling her hand away from her face.

The wound Od had sustained  from their encounter with Bestiemy was an alarming shade of dark red.

Ember’s heart sank. The blood that had washed through Od’s portal had gotten into her wound.

“Let me get to her!” Virusmy shouted, pushing past Ember and Warpmy. She held her hand mouths over the wound and began nipping away at it. Od cried out in pain. It was stimulating every nerve in her body with each tiny bite from Virusmy’s hands.

“I’m sorry I know it hurts,” said Virusmy. “But this should keep the C Zero blood from spreading more than it has.”

Od passed out from the pain.

“Fuck,” said Ember under her breath. “You’re sure she’ll be okay?”

Virusmy looked down at Od. She was breathing, and the anomalous blood was being held at bay. She wasn’t an expert in human biology, but she was pretty sure she had only slowed it down.

“If I didn’t do that she’d be dead already,” said Virusmy. “We’re lucky it wasn’t instant.”

Kane stomped his foot down, cracking one of the roof tiles. “This is bullshit! We did everything right and now this happens, how is that fair?”

“Life isn’t fair,” said Bunpopmy. “But she’s alive for now, let’s focus on finding Glenn, right? Do what we can?”

“I’m so sick of only doing what I can,” Kane spat.

“Just focus,” said Ember, her voice cracking as she tried to hold back her tears. She pushed a button on her communicator. “Glenn, do you r-read me?”

“Sshhk -nd clear. We’re in the truck,” the sound of Glenn’s voice was again relieving, at least a little bit.

Ember peered over the destroyed edge of the roof, and she could see Glenn’s green pickup truck in the driveway. They weren’t far at all, but they were in clear sight of the massive anomaly.

“Glenn, get out of the truck and meet us behind your next door neighbour’s house. Do you copy?”

“SSSHHHHK-clear.”

Ember punched the brick chimney she was hidden behind, scraping her knuckle. She looked down at the tiny cut that was now on her hand.

“Fuck fuck fuck,” Ember cried as she fell to her knees. “I’m vulnerable now too… Fuck fuck fuck fuck FUCK!”

Kane grabbed Ember by the shoulder. “It hasn’t happened yet. Don’t think about it.”

“We don’t have time to panic,” said Virusmy. “Look, Glenn’s got the girls!”

Kane Ember Warpmy and Bunpopmy looked over the roof’s edge again and saw Glenn, Toastmy, Maia, and Dana cautiously making their way out of the truck and ducking through the bushes towards the others. There was no sight of Rozermy nor Icezermy.

“We can save her with The Grand Mother,” said Kane.

Ember’s eyes lit up with determination.

Bunpopmy lifted Od on to her shoulders and the group climbed down from the roof.

Ember kneeled down and kissed Od’s forehead, being sure to not touch any blood. “I love you. I’ll see you soon.”

They saw Glenn shimmying his way over, using his wide body to shield the girls. If they were seen by the giant Chaos-type, it would only see him. It would have to go through him if it wanted to get to his girls.

But Reklauzolth didn’t need to see from the Providence Herald’s perspective to see the wishmaker.

A massive set of jaws rushed past them in a blur, twisting up in the air and slamming down into the group with reckless abandon before any of them could react.

A strange purple glitch clouded Kane’s vision. He blinked but it remained, no matter how many times he tried to see, there was nothing. He couldn’t feel anything, either. It was like he’d been removed from reality.

The Chaos-type colossus swung its many heads and gnashed its teeth as fighter jets rocketed towards it, pelting its fleshy body with a barrage of missiles. The missiles struck on target, exploding with fierce power, but the creature was unphased. It sprouted toothed tentacles and slashed through the planes as they approached, annihilating anything that dared try to oppose it.

—

After several minutes, Kane was finally able to open his eyes to see the entire neighbourhood had been transfigured into swirling masses of tentacles, blood, bone, and flesh. The sky was blood red to match, with swirling blood coalescing into dark red clouds. The dim light of the sun barely made it through the blood clouds.

To Kane’s left he could see Od, who was now sitting up. Her arms were held tightly to her chest. The area of her face where her scar had been was now glowing green. Her veins could be seen under the surface of her skin, faintly glowing green as well.

“What happened?” Kane asked, a sudden intense headache zapping through his brain.

Od jumped, startled by Kane’s presence.

“Christ, man,” she exclaimed. “Where’d you come from?”

“Was I not here the whole time?” he asked.

“No,” Od shook her head. “At the last second there, Warpmy reacted with a portal. That thing pushed us through, but Warpmy…” Od swallowed a lump in her throat, her eyes once again welling up with tears. “Sh-she’s dead.”

Kane could feel his face turn cold.

“She um…” Od sniffed. “She died midway through casting it. That’s what Ember said anyways. She found me here, I think the failed portal spell split us up.”

“Where is Ember now?” asked Kane, getting to his feet.

“Looking for the Monommy, you and Glenn,” said Od. “And the girls.”

Kane looked at his charm bracelet. The Grand Drop charms were still there.

“We can still fix this,” said Kane. “Which way did Ember go?”

“That way,” said Od, pointing. Ember was standing on a roof in the distance. Od waved her hand, but no portal appeared. She looked at her hand in disappointment and grief.

Kane was about to run to Ember, but stopped.

“Warpmy’s Drop! I know she won’t remember but we can still have her make a portal. If we see Glenn we can go straight to him and perform the ritual with Maia,” said Kane.

Od stretched her arms out, revealing Warpmy’s Drop. It was completely greyscale, and its eyes were closed. It was unmoving, but looked like it was having a bad dream.

“Look up,” said Od gravely.

Kane looked up and saw, albeit faintly, that amidst the gory sky, the Earth, if one could still call it that, now had a ring like that of Saturn. An organic Soul Restraint Ring.

“The Grand Mother can fix it,” said Kane.

“I hope you’re right,” Od replied.

Kane ran.

Ember looked out at the gory ruins of the neighbourhood. It no longer resembled the calm suburban town at all. It looked more like Hell.

Ember held her hands over her ears as soldiers, tanks, and jets released their endless assault of bullets and missiles. The giant beast tore through the tanks and soldiers as they approached it, shredding them like wet paper. Jets fell out of the sky, exploding as they collided with the ground, only to be pulled in to the Earth by tongues and teeth. Ember’s eyes were filled with smoke, dust, and tears.

Kane caught up to Ember, panting.

“Ember! Have you seen Glenn? Maia?”

Ember looked up at Kane. “I saw Virusmy, I think.”

“That’s great! Where is she?”

Ember pointed up at the blood soaked sky. “Just a little blue light, I’ve seen it streaking around. I thought – hoped it was her.”

Kane looked up at the bloody sky.

“Can you try summoning her?” Ember asked, her voice shaking.

“Oh, right,” said Kane. Virusmy had been at his side since he met her, he’d never needed to summon his pact partner before. He pulled on the tiny signal symbol and Virusmy’s Drop plopped out of his charm bracelet.

“Wait, why don’t you summon Bunpopmy?” he asked as he held the Drop above his soul sync ring.

“I will if she’s about to be hit by that thing,” said Ember. She motioned towards the giant anomaly.

Kane looked at the monster and saw at its base, where it became one with the Earth, there were thousands upon thousands of red tendrils, stretching out and spreading across what little non-flesh land there was. It was spreading itself. It was growing. But Bunpopmy was there, using her sonic shrieks to slice through the waves of tendrils. At her side was Cactmy, putting her muscles to good use, watching Bunpopmy’s back.

“I guess that’s a safe plan,” said Kane.

“It’s buying us a little time. Like the army. It’s… barely hurting that thing, though.”

Kane splashed the Drop on his ring, there was a flash of light, and Virusmy appeared, floating above his hand.

She opened her mouth to speak, but-

The house they were standing on exploded violently as one of the monster’s heads burst through the Earth. Kane and Ember were pinned down by the force of the monster’s momentum… It opened its jaws.

Kane and Virusmy were immediately pelted in the side by a fast flying entity. Kane opened his eyes. It was Bestiemy, and it was rising high up in the air. Kane looked down as the tendrils on Bestiemy’s chassis began to constrict his chest.

Kane had looked just in time to see the mouth close down on Ember. The entity’s teeth then exploded out of its mouth and it collapsed on the destroyed remains of the house. Ember jumped out of the creature’s mouth just in time for it to rear its head. She unleashed another sonic attack, pelting the side of the creature’s head. A loud crack could be heard amidst the gunfire.

The tendrils squeezed down on Kane tighter and he heard crunching coming from inside his body as Bestiemy carried them higher and higher.

Virusmy managed to wiggle free from under the constricting coils, and latched her teeth down on Bestiemy’s head. She took bite after bite, ripping out chunks faster and faster until finally Bestiemy released Kane. He began to fall.

Virusmy flew into Kane and grabbed him by the back of his shirt, trying desperately to fly them both to safety, but her little body wasn’t strong enough to support both of their weight, and she barely slowed them down. As they continued to plummet to the ground, Kane grabbed Virusmy and pulled her in close, turning away from the fast approaching ground. Then, they heard a scream, and were propelled by an unseen force.

Ember slowed their fall with a well placed sonic attack, and Kane landed on a deposit of fat and sinew that had grown out of the ground, softening the fall further.

Kane immediately got off the disgusting body parts and saw that Glenn was hiding behind his garden shed, which was somehow the only structure left of his home. He was crying, and holding one of his kids.

Kane and Virusmy quickly approached Glenn. Kane felt sickened at the relief he felt when he saw that the child Glenn was holding was Maia.

“Where’s Dana?” Virusmy asked as Kane quickly grabbed the Grand Drop charms off of his bracelet.

Just as Glenn was about to speak, Bestiemy swooped in and grabbed Maia, slicing through Glenn’s chest with a newly formed bone blade as it did so. Glenn fell to his knees as the blood gushed out from his torso.

Kane swung his head towards Bestiemy, who was now flying directly up just as it did before.

Ember came running and slid down on her knees behind the shed.

“Was that Maia?!” she asked in a panic.

Glenn opened his mouth to speak, but coughed up blood instead.

They watched in horror as Bestiemy flew up. The clouds in the sky parted, and behind them was a massive eye.

Then a flash, and a bright white light. The eye flinched and closed. A beam of white light penetrated through Bestiemy and with incredible speed, turned towards Kane, Virusmy, Ember, and Glenn. The light got brighter and brighter until suddenly it vanished, and in its place was an angel, holding Maia close to her chest behind a round shield. It was Guardiamy.

“Thank you, Kane,” said Guardiamy as she placed Maia down. She knelt on one knee as if to bow, and Dana, with Toastmy in tow, climbed down from behind her wings.

Kane just stared. “You’re welcome?”

The two girls immediately ran to Glenn, hugging his arms.

“I-I’m fine, girls,” Glenn coughed.

Toastmy leapt up on Glenn’s shoulder and hugged his head. She looked down at the blood pouring out of his wound.

“No, no!” Toastmy leapt down and held out her hands. “No, you’re not fine! Maybe I can cauterize it-“

“Allow me,” said Guardiamy, gently nudging Toastmy to the side. She turned to Glenn and a soft glow began to emanate out from her. Glenn’s wound sealed shut and he fell back with a relieved sigh.

“You’ll need to rest, but you’ll be okay,” said Guardiamy. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I have work to do.” Guardiamy flew to the sky once again, towards the giant monster. As they watched her fly, they saw that the gargantuan anomaly had set its sights on them.

The ground below them, in a fraction of an instant, turned to blood. They were wading in a sea of crimson red. And it began to rise.

Glenn quickly lifted the girls up on top of the shed. It was much harder than usual to lift them. As he tried to lift himself, he fell back, and a liquid tendril wrapped itself around him, pulling him down. He tried to ignite his arms, but the blood instantly extinguished the flames. Toastmy, perched on Glenn’s shoulder, attempted to burn back the encroaching blood, but it was just as ineffective.

Ember was pulled back by the liquid tendrils. She screamed but all it did was make ripples along the surface of the blood. It yanked her hands in, then her chest. She could barely struggle to keep her head above the blood.

Virusmy was instantly pelted by several tendrils, and she was pulled underneath the surface. Kane instinctively went to pull her out, but stopped himself. The Grand  Drops were still in his hand. His legs were submerged and he couldn’t move. He aimed carefully below his feet and cast a deletion spell. It worked, and the blood just under him was destroyed. The gap in the blood quickly refilled as he lifted his foot. He repeated the process over and over until he had made it to the shed. He lifted the Grand Drops up towards the girls.

“The ritual!” Kane screamed. Right as he did, the ground burst up once again in a bloody explosion.

Time slowed. The shed was obliterated. In no time at all, what little had remained of the unconverted world had turned to flesh. Kane, Dana, and Maia were launched hundreds of feet up, and the giant Chaos-type had all of its heads trained on them, ready to strike.

Kane reached out, swinging his arm desperately trying to get the Grand Drops to Maia. Dana reached out and grabbed her sister’s hand, then stretched as hard as she could, trying so hard to grab Kane’s hand, but he was just out of the way.

Guardiamy swooped in and grabbed the girls, but Kane continued to fall.

The sticky blood rose. Bunpopmy and Cactmy were fully submerged. What remained of the military forces were drowning. Glenn was forced to watch the horrors unfold above him as his vision was clouded by red, the blood level rising further. Od closed her eyes, accepting her fate as she was pulled in.

Ember stared up at Kane, and at Guardiamy. She took a deep breath, and just as the blood began to take her face, she screamed at the top of her lungs, as hard as she could.

The sonic waves travelled through the air, propelling Kane upwards. He grabbed Dana’s outstretched hand and slammed the four Drop charms into it. “Do it now!” he screamed as the sonic waves ceased and he descended towards the blood below.

Dana swung her hand up across her sister and splashed the Drops onto her soul sync ring.

The monster’s heads rocketed towards them with outstretched jaws.

Maia looked down at Kane with a horrified look. She had forgotten the ritual.

“SYNC AND ASCEND! AMALCHEMY! EVISTROMY! CHRONOKINMY! COSMOKINMY! I SUMMON THE GRAND MOTHER!” Kane screamed, hoping desperately that Maia could hear him.

Maia closed her eyes and held her glowing soul sync ring to her face. She whispered the words into her ring.

The colossal Chaos-type’s main head lurched towards Guardiamy and the girls, opening its mouth.

Suddenly, it was pitch black dark. Nothing could be seen.

All became silent.

No static. No noise.

Nobody could feel, see, smell, taste, or hear.

But they could think.

All there was, was the consciousness they had been sharing. It came flooding in, impossible to understand. More intense than it had ever been before. Minds and voices of all kinds, all languages. Sights, sounds, memories. All thought at once, a cacophony of minds, as overwhelming as it was loud. It was no longer focused or limited by physical distance, now it was everywhere. Everything. Every person.

Then, the storm of thoughts began to die down, faster and faster, bit by bit. Voices were shut down and erased. Every thought coming to an end. Eventually, there were few enough to understand. They were dying, and they all knew it. Every human being on the planet.

The combined consciousness grew quieter and quieter as more and more lives were assimilated into Reklauzolth. Kane could just barely make out Maia’s thoughts. She was worried she said it wrong. Worried this was all her fault.

By focusing carefully, Kane narrowed in on his friends’ thoughts.

“At least I got to be with her again.”

“I couldn’t protect them.”

“I should’ve stayed by her side.”

As these thoughts echoed through the ruined world, Kane thought to himself.

“Come on, Celesmy… Please…”

All thought ceased as deific transplantation came to its fruition.

Air became flesh.

Water became blood.

The universe… fills.

“Finally.”