Chapter 23 -- Monster

AIO: Strive to avoid forgettable days!

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Two dark brown figures towered above Ishi. Maybe five or six metres tall.

A mix of soft and hard mud.

Light brown eyes with imposing white pupils.

One had caramel lines on the skin around their eyes. The other yellow and white.

Clothes torn and scattered.

No signs of hair or nails.

Two large, antagonising, frightening, teeth-ridden... Smiles.

More than 80 teeth.

Distributed across multiple rows.

Ishi: "Disgusting."

Ishi shook off a trace of mud.

...

Thorn: "So which one is Gatriox?"

Reach: "Mm.."

Reach: "Not sure, but they could be siblings. Or twins."

Thorn: ?

Reach: "It's one of the many things I learned from Dad."

Thorn: "Oh?"

Reach: "They're disease-holders... With what looks to be the same disease."

The one with yellow and white lines spoke.

Their voice - deep alike Ishi.

Gatriox: "We did not want it to come to this."

Gatriox: "However, it is unanimous."

Ishi: ...

The one with caramel lines plunged their fists into the ground.

A series of muddy spikes burst forth - creating a single circle around Ishi and each Gatriox.

A deadly pit, designed for battle.

The spikes hardened and stopped in place.

...

A second voice - deep yet fickle.

Gatriox: "Heh."

Gatriox: "We've been able to deal with every rogue that's entered this town..."

...

Gatriox: "Except for you... Ishi."

Ishi hadn't moved from his spot.

He responded coldly.

Ishi: "You two... Are the rogues."

...

The yellow and white Gatriox spoke.

Gatriox: "You haven't seen this before, have you?"

He flexed his abominable state.

Gatriox: "It's a shame the others had to die."

Gatriox: "Vork was an idiot, but useful."

Gatriox: "It was easy to manipulate him."

Gatriox: "I of course spoke to him in a perplexing manner."

Gatriox: "The goal was to make him think for himself."

Gatriox: "I would play mind games with him."

Gatriox: "Then traumatically punish him no matter what answer he gave."

Gatriox: "So he probably never felt like he was doing anything right."

Gatriox: "And another thing..."

...

Thorn: I've never heard a monster speak so much.

The caramel Gatriox interrupted.

Gatriox: "Gatriox..."

They went back and forth.

Gatriox: "What, Gatriox? You illiterate."

Gatriox: "I am not illiterate."

Gatriox: "Wrong."

Gatriox: "We together fight. Now."

Reach: ...

Reach: I see.

Thorn and Reach spectated from beyond the spiked circle.

Thorn: "What's wrong with them?"

Reach: "A lot... Probably."

Gatriox: ?

The caramel Gatriox gazed upon Thorn.

Gatriox: "After Ishi... You..."

Gatriox: "Strong woman...?"

Gatriox: "Heh... Heheh..."

Thorn clenched her blade.

Reach: "Hold on."

...

Reach: This is not our fight.

Reach watched the yellow and white Gatriox shapeshift into a menacing apostle of war.

A demonstration of the versatility of his mud-based disease.

A large square armour-like head.

Two tall shields sprouting from his feet.

Numerous sharp instruments running along his arms - each pointing in a different direction.

His voice even deeper than before.

Gatriox: "Vork was nothing... Compared to us."

Another row of teeth seemingly appeared.

Reach showed a sign of hesitation.

Reach: ...

Reach: This is not our fight, but...

...

Reach: ...Can Ishi beat them... Too?

...

...

Reach: Well, I'm sure he can, but...

Swish.

Reach entered the circle.

Perhaps out of eagerness, or perhaps subconsciously wanting to contribute.

Gatriox: ?

The creepy smile of Gatriox returned.

Gatriox: "A terrible move... Visitor."

Reach stood in front of Ishi.

Reach: "I'll fight them, Ishi."

Thorn: "Oi."

Thorn disagreed.

Thorn: "Double standards, Reach."

Reach: "I haven't fought in a little while. It's my turn."

Thorn rolled her eyes.

Reach: "Either way, this should be fairly-"

Reach was cut off by a deathly presence.

Not from the front, but from the back...

..

.

Ishi: "Move."

.

..

Ishi placed his hand on Reach's shoulder, and strolled past him.

Uncomfortable sparks flickered by.

Reach: ...

...

Reach's initial impulse was to argue.

However, he did not feel strongly enough about the situation to do so.

...

Ishi looked up at the two continuously-morphing figures.

He had the same dark red eyes.

Hostile. Bloodthirsty.

Ishi: "Why don't we end this now?"

.

.

.

.

Each Gatriox sends out long cubed extensions of mud.

They stretch high into the air and rain down upon Ishi.

Ishi moves in zigzag pattern, dodging each plummeting block.

Dark red lightning follows his path.

The surrounding spikes shatter from the consecutive impacts.

Reach leaps back next to Thorn.

Ishi instantly arrives at the yellow and white Gatriox.

Gatriox: ?!

Gatriox combines his two shields in defence.

His arms curl around from either side, lined with sharp instruments.

Gatriox: "Go right ahe-"

BANG.

Ishi penetrates the entirety of the mud, inflicting a crunching blow on the gut of Gatriox who is sent flying.

Gatriox smashes into a faraway building and coughs up blood.

Reach: So their flesh is inside.

Ishi cracks his fingers on his left hand.

The caramel Gatriox comes to support - creating two enormous crescent shapes with each arm, intending to squash Ishi.

The shapes clamp together as Ishi jumps above and grabs Gatriox by the head.

Ishi rotates mid-air to fling the caramel Gatriox into his distant counterpart.

Boom.

...

...

The two adversaries slowly begin to collect themselves.

Ishi: ...

Reach scratched his head.

Reach: Maybe the stupidest thing I've done today...

...

Reach: ...Is worry about Ishi.

The caramel Gatriox and the yellow and white Gatriox stand up.

They spawn a gigantic shield together - the size of a building.

Its colour a spiral blend of various browns, yellows, and whites.

Ishi slowly walks forward.

Ishi: "What's that?"

Ishi: "Another shield?"

His deep voice mocked them.

Ishi: "Aren't you going to attack me?"

Ishi: "Scum?"

...

Neither Gatriox responded.

Step.

Step.

Step-

A quick third step flashes Ishi forward - impacting the gigantic spiral shield with a double punch.

CRACK.

GUSH.

The shield breaks immediately.

Wind propels forward.

Ishi: ...

Yet they are nowhere to be found.

Ch.

Chh...

A quiet crackling-type noise.

Reach: ...

Suddenly they spring from the ground behind Ishi and lunge at his neck. Each Gatriox coated in a thin layer of hardened mud - the opposite of their large earlier displays.

Gatriox: "Now-"

Ishi seemingly warps behind them.

Thorn: So fast. Just like me and Reach.

Ishi: "I told you."

Gatriox: ?!!!

Ishi: "Useless."

Bang.

Ishi drives both their faces into the ground.

Their noses break and their teeth get crushed.

The thin layer of hardened mud provided no protection whatsoever from Ishi's wrath.

...

They cough and panic - desperately trying to create distance from Ishi.

Ishi: ...

Ishi looked down on them with intentional disrespect and disgust.

They weren't even opponents to him.

Simply beings... That existed to get stepped on.

The yellow and white Gatriox - half-reverted to normal form, began to scream in frustration.

Gatriox: "Why!!! Who the fuck made Ishi mad?!?"

Gatriox: "You idiotic fucks!!"

Gatriox: "Fuck!"

He hit the ground repeatedly. His voice getting higher by the second.

Gatriox: "I said-"

Flunk.

Ishi kicks him in the chin, sending him flying through three buildings.

A stream of blood follows the soaring body.

The caramel Gatriox enlarges himself and throws a strong right fist at Ishi.

Ishi sidesteps, this time punching the caramel Gatriox in the gut - sending him skimming along the surface into another building.

Thorn and Reach hear distant shrieks.

Reach: ?

Reach: I don't think that's Gatriox.

Reach attempted to get Ishi's attention.

Reach: "Hey, Ishi!"

Reach: "Watch the destruction!"

Ishi jumps into the air and crashes into the same building.

Reach: He's not listening.

Reach kept an ear out for signs of distress.

Reach: Well, I don't think anyone got killed...

The loud noises continue until two deflated bodies return - laid out on the ground in front of Thorn and Reach.

Bloodied, bruised, struggling to breathe...

Reach: I'm not sure if Ishi is the type of person who can be... Controlled.

Step.

Step.

Step.

Ishi slowly walks back.

A darkness to his step.

...

The two known as Gatriox... Were undeniably...

Outclassed.

Gatriox: "Gh..."

...

...

Gatriox: ...

The yellow and white Gatriox subtly lifts his finger to craft three people made out of mud.

Three clones, if you will.

Reach: ...

A last-ditch attempt.

The clones stood between Ishi and his prey.

...

One clone was Reach.

One clone was Thorn.

Ishi: ...

And one was Ishi.

Gatriox: "Th-These are my mud-cratonns!"

Gatriox: "My ultimate creation!"

Gatriox: "They are animated soldiers that-"

Thwap.

Ishi rips their heads off in a single motion.

They decompose.

...

Gatriox: "Wh-"

Ishi: "Play all the games you want."

Ishi stared at Gatriox.

Ishi: "There could even be a thousand of you."

...

...

Ishi: "You'd never beat me."

.

.

.

.

Neither Gatriox could find the nerve to speak.

Gatriox: Wh...

Gatriox: ...What is this... Monster...

They began to shiver.

Ishi: "You hurt people. Mock them. Torture them. Defile them."

...

Ishi: "Innocent... People..."

Ishi thought back to the woman at his hut.

Ishi: "Look at you."

Gatriox: ?

Ishi: "So unaware of the harm you cause."

Ishi: "You could have helped so many people with your abilities."

Reach: ...

Ishi grew angrier.

Ishi: "Die. And make our world a better place."

The caramel Gatriox began to pray - an ironic act.

The yellow and white Gatriox began to cry - an act of hypocrisy.

Gatriox: "B-But..."

His final, saddened words reached the surface.

Gatriox: "...I never got to-"

Ishi: "No one cares."

Gatriox: ?!

Ishi: "Your words... Mean nothing."

Ishi crouched down.

Ishi: "Enjoy your painful death."

Gatriox: "N... No..."

The yellow and white Gatriox tried to scream.

Ishi grabbed his head with both hands. He forced his fingers into the centre of his skull.

Reach and Thorn watched on.

...

Slowly. Painfully.

Ishi divided his head vertically.

...

A truly gruesome spectacle.

Reach: This is... Karma...

Ishi split all the way down to his chest before stopping and moving onto the caramel Gatriox.

The caramel Gatriox was still praying.

Ishi grabbed the back of his head with one hand. He drove a rock through his forehead with the other.

The rock pierced through his praying hands before entering his skull.

Screams unlike the other Gatriox... Filled the air.

...

At this point it was hard to tell... Who the most ruthless was.

...

Ishi: ...

It took a moment for Ishi's brain to deviate from 'kill'.

Ishi: "I forgot to ask them."

He remained angry.

Ishi: "Where is Veronica? I'll kill her too."

Thorn: ?

Surprisingly, Thorn had the answer.

Thorn: "That woman? She's dead."

Ishi: ?

Thorn: "I killed her."

Ishi glanced at Thorn... Then to Reach..

Both their facial expressions were sincere, nonchalant.

Ishi: She... Killed her?

Ishi paused.

Ishi: "Is..."

Ishi's red hair began to fall.

Ishi: "Is that so..."

The flickers of his dark red lightning... Became no more.

He exhaled, closing his eyes.

Reach: ...

Reach: He's calming down.

Ishi's voice softened.

His eyes opened - revealing their former black.

Ishi: "So they're all..."

...

Ishi: "...Dead?"

Ishi returned to his reserved, quiet self.

Entirely approachable, as opposed to before...

Reach: ...

Reach walked over. He patted Ishi on the back.

Reach: "You're pretty damn strong, you know that?"

...

Reach: He might even be stronger than me.

Ishi scratched his head.

Ishi: "Th... Thank you..."

...

Reach: "You could probably hold back a bit though."

Ishi: "Y-Yes..."

Ishi: "Sorry..."

Reach grinned - a rare sighting.

Thorn smiled, too.

Reach: "Okay. Let's get back to Tomo."

Ishi nodded.

Ishi: They left him alone?

Ishi: Could he possibly be...

...

...

Ishi: ...The strongest of these three?

[Chapter 23 -- End]