[KoJ] Chapter 92: Hate

Terr’n’s harrowing screams cut deep into Phanem’s chest. He’d fought in many wars with the woman, yet never had he heard such a sound from her. Not even those dying by his own fist ever gave such mortal howls.

The water mage, having barely made it out with her life, clutched at her face. Half her head was missing. To her own attack, no less. Her brain was exposed, and her fingers pressed against it in an unsettling effort to keep it inside. Blood gushed through her digits, spilling out from the most important organ.

Phanem didn’t know how she was still alive. She’d lost half her brain. Even at their level, with enough enhancement to keep their bodies moving indefinitely, nobody could survive without the head.

Manipulating his presence, he threw himself towards her. This battle was lost. They couldn’t fight a being this strong. Only with all their elite together did they stand a chance. Right now, he needed to grab Therr’n and retreat. Hopefully it wouldn’t be too late by the time he got to the capital for her to be healed.

When an orb of water surrounded her fingers, and pressed against the side of her head, Phanem almost felt relief for her. If she had enough wherewithal to direct her markings, then she would be okay.

At least until space ripped apart beneath her.

A wide, cavernous maw rose from where the ground had been only an instant earlier. Four massive pillars bent inwards. Fangs. But they weren’t the only teeth. Rows of sharp blades as long as his arm stretched across the edges of the jaw; all equally as deadly as the mountain of scales they connected to.

Phanem kicked the air, his control over his presence rewrote the very nature of physics to throw himself forward faster than his body — even as greatly enhanced as it was — could handle. It helped that the air suddenly ceased to exist. He crashed into Therr’n, and yanked her out from the collapsing jaw just in time for a terrifying amount of hard scales to scream through the air.

In the past, Phanem had played with the idea of how a fight between himself and a Titan would result. In the few instances of his life where he’d laid eyes on one, they’d been such hulking beings. Immense, yet sluggish. He’d thought that while he might not have been able to harm the forces of nature, survival would be easy. How could they kill him if they could never catch him.

Now, he knew that was conceited.

This serpent was massive, and yet it couldn’t truly be considered a Titan. But its movements were faster than his own. In the few seconds since they had engaged, the landscape itself had been flattened and destroyed by the storming winds crashing off its impossible movements.

“What do we do?” Arch appeared at his side. The vacuum pulling them away from the serpent was her effort. “I’ve been trying to drain its energy, but there’s no way I’ll survive long enough to be effective. If possible at all.”

“Take her and go.” He passed off the disoriented Therr’n. “We need everyone for this.”

Not waiting for a response, Phanem split off. He had no intent to die sacrificing himself or any other nonsense. Leave that to the younger generations with ideals of glory. But his Empress would demand at least a show of effort before he fled with his tail between his legs.

Though, as he watched the almost-Titan crash through the Nightfall Shroud and bite at the nightmares within, he knew that show could never be something direct. As the dark rot spread across the sky, Phanem ran for the border. Despite knowing his attacks left no marks, he continued to throw his punches across immense distances.

If he could lead the monstrosity that had swallowed Caro to the Pact Nations, then Henosis would have time to prepare. Hopefully it disappeared back to where it came from.

But as with all his plans in the past minute, it was not to be.

The serpent broke free of the Nightfall Shroud with an ease that spat in the face of the devastation wrought upon the northern lands. As the rot like growth of a starry sky spread behind the beast despite the daylight, its head swivelled between Phanem, and the other two fleeing back through Henosis. Phanem threw another punch that brought those endless eyes like shattered glass his way, and yet it wasn’t enough.

A portal appeared before the serpent, and it was gone.

Phanem dodged to the side, expecting it to appear from nowhere. Nothing. It hadn’t come for him. His attack had clearly aggrivated the creature, but instead of hunting him, it had gone elsewhere.

Before he had the chance to turn around and make his own way back, two portals appeared before him. From one, Arch and Therr’n appeared. Even Therr’n, who had half her brain held together with an orb of water, was shocked. From the second, a fang. That was it.

Despite the simplicity of the attack, both women had been moving too fast to dodge. Therr’n’s acceleration hyle had pushed them through voided air until nothing could have hoped to catch them. Should have. They skewered themselves on the tooth like a spear through the chest.

Phanem gaped in horror. Not at the attack itself, but the cruelty of it.

There had been no reason for the beast to transport them here to sink its teeth into them except to spite him. Not only was this monster far greater than anything they’d fought before, but it was intelligent. And it hated them.

The tooth slid out from the two — still living — generals chests, only for the head of the massive snake to appear and swallow them whole. Phanem could have easily been eaten as well… except he hadn’t. The jaw had crashed close only a metre before him.

The serpent was playing with him.

“Is that all you can do?”

Phanem collapsed to his knees. So much presence and intent flowed through his body that it was impossible to move. Even without the pressure weighing him down, he would have fallen all the same.

He was dead the moment this being first laid eyes on him.

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I wait, hoping my prey will show more of that odd presence. He doesn’t. Kneeling beneath my overwhelming might, he quivers. The reek of terror rolls off him. This albanic has already accepted his death.

It is disappointing. As enraged as I am, I can hold back my desire to crush this being enough to give him enough room to fight back. His presence, as lacklustre as it is, exhibits effects that I have never seen. Neither here, nor the Other Side. It is something I believe only a sapient can accomplish.

Those punches of his used presence to narrow the power of his strikes so that despite the distance, it did not disperse. He could treat the air itself as if it were solid ground to walk on.

I want to see more. To that end, I got rid of the others. He is the only one with abilities of interest. He is the only one I can learn from. Yet the moment I get him alone, and give him a reason to strike at me, he gives up all hope.

If I hadn’t already been furious, the wilful abstinence from what I want to see the most would certainly send me there.

My blood boils as glare down at the albanic. He doesn’t even try to run, so defeated has he become at our difference in strength. For a moment, I consider whether I shouldn’t have killed his teammates. Especially in a way so provoking. If I had pretended to be weaker, he might have tried. He might have shown me what he could do.

But looking at him now, as terrified as a young bilby facing a tiger, there is none of that fight.

In a fit of rage, I snap forward, swallowing both the albanic, and a swathe of earth along with him. The annoying taste of rock only swells my irritation. My body demands to strike out; to unleash this pent up energy. After the pain and frustration inflicted, these Henosis deserve everything coming their way.

I turn my gaze the way they came. Hole after hole, my massive size slithers forth.

Buildings crumble. The earth churns. Annoyances strike at my scales, yet nothing leaves a scratch. Another bomb comes, and I send it back. My sense of time crumbles as I consume all in my path. Warrior castes last less than an instant. Entire hives disappear in moments. And many that flee die simply by by hearing my presence. It slams through their weak bodies and tears them apart by the very fibres of their existence.

It isn’t until I’m coiled in the ruins of a city larger than any other hive I’ve seen that I finally garner some control over my mind. My fury simmers into something I can throw reins on.

This isn’t what I wanted.

I would have enjoyed participating in this war simply for the opportunity to learn, but not for this indiscriminate slaughter. The pain from those bombs still lingers, so I cannot fully calm my anger, but sapients are individuals. Despite how much these species resemble ants, they are not. I have already seen how different one sapient can be to the next.

Sapients can make strange, completely distinct actions under the same circumstances. I am no different. They are unique, and while one might be truthful and act in a way I would expect, others will deceive. Until now, I’ve not seen a reason to look for falsehoods in the words spoken to me. Why would anyone lie? It doesn’t make sense.

But now that my mind isn’t fuelled by fury and the desire to lay waste to all ahead of me, I have to face what I’ve been ignoring.

Ceph has misled me.

Her actions and words have always been odd, but I’ve tossed it up to her unique personality. But the oddities only grew stronger as we approached the war. Her sudden reason to head towards battle when she’d been trying to keep me away for so long had been strange. What was stranger, was her desire to take me to the front line.

A distraction? Exactly who’s attention did she want to pull our way? I somehow doubt the warrior caste would come towards us when it takes the unenhanced so long to move anywhere.

My mind trails back to the conversation Ceph had with Albin. She wanted to know how to gain the attention of the Titan Killers. What I now know to be a terrible weapon. Something that shouldn’t exist.

Ceph knew how to get the Henosis to send those bombs, and actively tried to encourage them. If it had been just that, I might not have seen anything sinister. A stupid plan, but not one intended to harm.

Except she left me.

She left me to continue the effort to attract the bombs while she went off to save herself. Ceph claimed she’d gone further south to be a second distraction, but now I see how unlikely that is.

Ceph lied to me.

Not only that, she set me up to be the target of the Titan Killer. Either she wanted me dead, or this was all a plot to send me after their enemies… as has happened.

My burning anger cools off. As I glance back the way of the Pact nations, a frozen wrath settles in my heart.

I’ve never felt so… betrayed. Ceph was supposed to be a kind sapient that knew all the ins and outs of the sapient’s world. She was my connection to it all; the one who calmed over the fear of the citizens and allowed me to interact with so many new things. Had this always been the plan? Was her entire purpose for showing me the surface so she could direct me at her enemies and be done with it?

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From the burning remains of Henosis’ capital to the furthest reaches of the Titan Alps of the Pact nations’ west, a low, quiet hiss sent shivers down the spines of every living creature. Hate. Total and undeniable. 

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