20 Minutes Later
July 16, 2075
1830 JST
Luke Miller's Point of View
You are a sorceress.
“Were you holding back versus me?!” I ask Nala.
“A lady is entitled to her secrets,” she replies with a chuckle and a wink as she guides us to her village. “I’ve earned a Ph.D. in ass-kicking, and I also consider myself to be quite an interesting, inquisitive, intellectual. I’ve asked my other personalities, and they’ve agreed. However, they also suspect that our lives are bound by strange, written, predetermined fates, and that everything we say, think, and do is out of our control. According to them, we’re just playing horrific roles of a story, but hey, I don’t listen to them anymore because they’re cray-cray,” she says as she inspects Nina.
“Can you explain to me what Nina does?” I ask.
“She kicks ass,” Nala badly explains.
“But how?! I-I don’t know how I lost,” I say.
“You’re fun to tease,” Nala laughs with a devious look in her eyes.
“Oooh,” Rachel blurts out in a childish tone as Aayushi, and I gently carry her. “Sonya won’t approve of this, Luke.”
“Sonya Grey?! Black Scorpion, Sonya Grey? The Invincible Sonya Grey?!” Nala exclaims with a look of excitement in her eyes.
“How do you know so much about everything?” I ask.
“Because I’m me, and I’m amazing, as Ruby Redheart would say. I gotta get her autograph. Also… I’m in possession of a Hephaestian communicator,” Nala says in confidence as she shows off her communicator. “Sadly, I can only listen to some of their conversations, and can’t communicate back,” she says in a somber tone.
“How did you get a communicator from them?” I ask.
“Sigh. I’d love to tell you, but something tells me that we’re limited on film,” Nala pouts. “Don’t be too disappointed, though, because I’ll tell you all about it on our second date,” she says with a sly smirk.
“Huh?” I say.
“Shame, Luke,” Rachel and Aayushi say in synchronized disapproval.
“It’s not like that! She’s-,” I say.
“Just a friend,” Rachel and Aayushi finished with a harmonized eye-roll. “That’s how most relationships start.”
“Ok, I’m done tormenting you,” Nala snickers. “Excuse me for being such a suspenseful flirt, but it’s only logical, given my lonely life of solitary. Inpu is a wonderful kingdom with many problems and few solutions,” she says with a somber look in her eyes. “This kingdom is very small in terms of size and population. Humans tend to fear the unknown, which is why we’re the “Deadliest Kingdom.” If Olympus’s form of protection is The Styx River, then Inpu’s natural form of defense is “The Wall of Angels.”
“The Wall of Angels?” The three of us ask in unison.
“You don’t want to know. Also, if Veronica Shinka and the Deathbringers are Olympus’s not-so-secret super-weapons, then Galvatrost is Inpu’s equivalent of a hell-raiser,” Nala badly explains.
“You’re very vague,” I say.
“Anyhoo, that’s all I can reveal for now, and what a coincidence! We’re here,” Nala informs as we enter the village. “Welcome to Alnitak!”
Nala was right. This is a very small kingdom. Down below is a valley that’s filled with colorful structures and several Inpuians. A massive dome, made of what appears to be numerous amounts of metal chains, encases Alnitak from the end of the forest, to far beyond the horizon!
“What the hell is that?” Rachel asks in a delirious tone as she points at the stargazing phenomenon.
“Oh, I almost forgot about him,” Nala acknowledges as she continues to escort us down the dirt road that leads to a heavily guarded six-meter-high stone wall. “That’s Zeta Orionis. He’s pretty cool.”
“Nala!” A young male guard exclaims as he approaches us with a look of tense hatred in his eyes. “What in the world are you doing here with that forbidden technology, and with outsiders?!”
“They fell from the heavens, brother! The leaders were correct! Shit is about to go down!” Nala explains in haste. “They are members of The Mighty Squad Zeus! The ones I tried to inform you and Father abo…”
“Enough! Outsiders and technology are forbidden!” Her brother fires back in anger. “You are naive, overconfident, and weak to deception, Nala! Your youth brings recklessness, which is why I expect you to repeat your mistakes until you grow up!”
“Don’t yell at her!” I say.
“Silence, foreigner! Anyone who’s not an Inpuian is an enemy to me,” Her brother says.
“I don’t know who shit in your cereal, but you shouldn’t talk to your family like that!” I say.
“You are both brave and stupid!” He says as he drags Nala away and gives a signal. “Kill them,” he orders his archers.
“Stop, Abasi! The boy is…” Nala cries out.
No!
“I have to pee!” Rachel exclaims in horror as Aayushi takes full support of her body.
Create a shield… and protect them!
I-I can’t keep doing this. Damn it, Veronica! Nobody sees me as a human anymore, all because of you. Everyone tries to execute me on sight, as they should. I’m a monster, and… monsters deserve to die.
This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author's work.
“Veronica Shinka’s protege,” Nala explains as her allies’ eyes widen in disbelief at the sight of my mutation.
There’s the stares again. I can’t believe it either.
“Abasi, take the girls to the infirmary,” Nala orders in haste. “I’ll take the boy to his guardian. Something tells me that he’s the only one who can stop the she-devil from unleashing Armageddon,” Nala announces as she holds my now-normalized hands.
“Thank you, Na…” I say.
“I’m dragging you three out of here as soon as the pink-haired girl makes a full recovery,” Nala interrupts in a serious tone. “Outsiders are nothing but trouble,” she finishes as she wipes her eyes.
*
5 Minutes Later
Alnitak Mountain
Veronica Shinka’s Point of View
There, there, Akemi. This will all be over soon. Hmm. Overseeing the phenomenal valley from this fortress is almost enough to bring me to tears.
“Mrs. Shinka,” Chief Akils says as he approaches me from across the podium.
Ah, yes. I almost forgot about my final piece of the puzzle. Technology is very awe-inspiring. The combination of machinery and human ingenuity has allowed hundreds of Inpuians to kneel before me inside this stronghold. Yes! As I stand atop this altitudinous podium, I can see the unaccomplished structure of The Old World, the resplendent light-green lanterns that illuminate this room, as well as my new fellow subordinates that will aid in my conquest. Sherane should be making her final preparations against the Hephaestians, Kentaro should be guarding safeguarding my most prized possessions, K should be beyond frustrated with his extended stalemate, and the soft targets should be in Zasha’s care by now! Yes! Everything is going perfectly according to my calculations.
“We have agreed to your terms,” Chief Akils announces as he kneels.
As predicted.
“As I’ve explained before, Chief, this is it. Now, take my hand and stand with me.”
The show is about to begin.
“Arise, my subordinates!” I yell. “The Age of Zombies and the oppression of the Royal Government shall all be ancient history soon! With Chief Akils’s truce, I have unified the Mintaka, Alnilam, and Alnitak tribes in the pursuit of a common enemy. Olympus, Athens, Scorpius, and now Inpu have agreed to join me in my crusade. Sarpedon, Prometheus, and Gaia are all sworn allies to the Royals, which is an asinine decision that they will regret soon. And I have recently learned that the Hephaestians have betrayed me, as they have chosen to side with the Royals. Fear not, for your rival kingdom will soon experience what happens when you go against me. I am aware of the fables that have been told about me, and I assure you… that they are no mere fables. I am exactly what people say about me; however, I do not care about irrelevant people’s notions. You’ve all been informed of my goal, and I assure you that your kingdom will not need to do anything of great risk for now. Once the fighting begins, I hope that you all keep your promise in the same way that I always keep mine. Additionally…”
It can’t be!
“Luke Miller, what in the world are you doing here?!” I ask.
“What the hell, Veronica?!” Luke asks as he angrily stomps towards me. “You owe me an explanation! Now!”
Oh, dear! This wasn’t a part of my calculations. However, I may be able to use this unfortunate situation to my advantage.
“You and your friends should be in Prometheus by now!” I say.
“Don’t change the subject! Explain!” Luke roars as his eyes begin to glow red.
“Luke, everything I did and do was for you. I saved your life, in case you forgot! You’re eighteen-years old now, so it’s about time you behave like an adult! Throwing tantrums won’t get you anywhere!”
“Veronica, I know how you operate. Stop… playing with my head… please,” Luke pleads as his eyes revert back to brown.
“Sigh. Very well, Luke. I used your first mission as an opportunity to escape from the Royal spies in Olympia. I’m not sorry for keeping it from you because it was for your own good.”
“You can’t be trusted.”
Bastard!
“Luke, I saved you, you ungrateful… you would’ve died if it wasn’t for me!”
“How?! I would’ve been better off without you!”
That hurts…
“You brat! I… I… changed you in order to save you! I kept a promise to your mom, and I damn well intend to keep it! I’m not sorry for what I did! Luke, don’t you understand?! You’re… you’re practically invincible. In time, you can be a walking superweapon like me if you choose. You’re immune to bites, and no harm should ever reach your head. Observe, Luke.”
Aim at his head with my pistol and fire!
As predicted. You’ve outdone yourself, Veronica, but perhaps… you’re doing it again.
“Veronica?” Luke cries out as his forehead rehumanizes.
“And there you have it, ladies and gentlemen! My ultimate creation! My protégé, Luke Miller, is the preeminent form of life! An invincible hybrid between angels and humans! My crusade will not fail; however, I will admit that the future can be unpredictable at times! Therefore, Luke Miller is my final ace in the hole! A being capable of annihilating the angels with ease! A weapon to eclipse Azrael! I give you my word, with him as our trump card, our victory is all but assured! Only when the kingdoms unite against a common foe can our children live in a world without angels and a tyrannical government! Assist me in my Revolution, and I will lead you all to victory!”
“REVOLUTION! REVOLUTION! REVOLUTION!” The crowd roars with energy.
Mmm. Succession truly is the ultimate form of satisfaction.
“This is music to my ears, Luke,” I say to my nephew.
“I hate you,” Luke says softly. “I thought that I was a monster, but now I realize… that the monster is you,” he explains with an intense look of hatred in his brown eyes.
Stop.
“Luke, you don’t mean that. Please… don’t say that. Y-you’re breaking my heart.”
“Everyone was right about you, Veronica,” he continues as a stream of tears drips down his cheeks. “You’re Veronica Shinka, the cold, ruthless, and cunning she-devil of this world!”
Stop.
“Luke, I believe that you’re the only person in this world who doesn’t believe that, and I know you’re only hurting me out of spite.”
“I don’t care about you or your crusade,” he responds in a monotonous tone. “I’m not helping you with anything. My squadmates and I are getting as far away from you as possible, as soon as Rachel’s health normalizes. You’re an evil woman, Veronica, and I wish I killed you back at the gym.”
Oh. This… this hurts…
“I see. I-I shall accept your wishes. I’m sorry for troubling you. Ahem. My Promethean friend is an excellent tracker, and I predict that she’ll arrive here within a week or so. She’ll take you and your friends to Prometheus for… safekeeping from the upcoming events, and you will never have to see me again. Think of it as a parting gift. Luke, I’m going to take my exit now.”
“Wait!”
“Sigh. What now?”
“During the mansion incident, the red syringe made me…a hybrid, but I-I don’t know what the blue syringe made you. You’re the smartest human being to have ever existed, which means you have the skills to acquire anything you want. Veronica, what did you gain from the blue syringe, and how did we escape from the mansion?”
*
Four Days Later
Present Day
July 20, 2075
1800 JST
The Angel’s Den, Near Alnitak
Luke Miller’s Point of View
“The forest that surrounds Alnitak is known as The Angel’s Den,” Nala explains as we observe the sky from atop her treehouse.
“Thanks for the clarification, and the water,” I say.
“Don’t forget about the food, shelter, clothing, and most importantly, entertainment,” she says with a smirk. “I’m teasing, but seriously, don’t stress out too much because you’ll pass out again,” she pleads in worry. “The Angel’s Den is a great place for hunting, but… I wanna know what life is like outside Inpu. I wanna see it, and not just vividly imagine it through radio talk.”
“It’s terrible.”
“Oh, give me a break. I don’t think it’s time for your emo phase yet, Luke,” she replies with an eye-roll.
“I miss Veronica,” I say.
“Luke!” A blood-soaked Sonya calls out from down below.
“Hello, welcome to Inpu!” Nala waves.
“Luke, get your ass down here, dude! We’ve been had!” Ruby yells.
What?!
“Don’t ignore me!” Nala yells out in frustration.
“There was a snake in our grass!” Sonya cries out in distress.
No…
“Such interesting figures of speech,” Nala says as she jots down something into her notepad.
“Uh, oh.” Nala realizes in horror as her communicator spazzes out.
“Angela Blackwood and the Death Angels are about to breach through the giant fucking wall of zombies that surround this kingdom!!!” Sonya exclaims in horror.