The Monster Inside

I stood by Himeko's bed and looked at her. She rested silently. I closed my eyes and clenched my teeth then turned around to walk off. Himeko grabbed my arm.

"Yoshida. I know you're angry, but this is the one time...anger can not solve your issues. Orimi is somewhere getting tortured...I want to save her, but I can't plus those Primordial Monster Hunters are roaming around...it's gonna be a hard road ahead. Take this.." Himeko said and summoned her sword.

I looked back at Himeko and noticed her sword in her hand. "Himeko...I can't take your Blazing Moon Blade. It's yours and your key."

Himeko looked at me and smiled. "Come closer."

I looked at her then got closer. She set her sword down then held my cheek. She gently kissed my lips and smiled. I looked at her and blushed.

"Don't worry about me...Your sister is all that matters. I know you would destroy Earth for her. After you save her, you have only two choices...stand with us against the Monsters or go back to Apeiron and stand with her against us. After all...the saying is if you can't beat them...join them." Himeko chuckled softly then picked up her sword then gave it to me. "I'm gonna be down for the count for a while. You are the only one who can stop Bachiko...the only one who can kill Bachiko. Do it not for me, not for Naora, but for your sister."

I looked at the Blazing Moon Blade in my hands then back at Himeko who had already gone back to sleep. I closed my eyes and walked away. I walked out of the room and down the hall. I went to sit outside to look at the night sky. I sat down in one of the lounging chairs and just stared at the sky. I sighed hoping Orimi could hold off a little longer until I could save her.

The next day.....

"Alright everyone. We are on a mission to retrieve Orimi. We lost our best fighter and we are down in power. Not only do we have to deal with Bachiko, but we have to deal with Apeiron's forces. Amongst those fighters, are women Yoshida needs to get-"

"I'll kill them. I will go after their inverses. Orimi is my first priority. Nobody else matters." I said and everyone looked at me. "All who stand in my way, will die. I advise everyone even you, Naora, to stay out of my way. I don't care enough to worry about anyone elses safety."

"He's changed...his spirit is no longer Tranquil." Melody said and watched me walk off.

"It's understandable, but his anger will get him killed.." Yan Mei said.

"Yoshida..." Rimuri looked sad.

I walked out the door and summoned the Blazing Moon Blade. Ochiyo noticed the sword and rose an eyebrow then watched me dash off.

"He has Himeko's weapon." Ochiyo said.

"What..?" Naora asked.

Ochiyo looked at the door and closed her eyes. "Himeko gave him her weapon for whatever reason. There isn't enough time to find out.."

I used my aura to try to track down Orimi and Bachiko. I heard a few books behind me. I stopped and looked back.

"Stop there Yoshida Asato! Ape-" The Man groaned as a dark spike went through his neck.

"Get him!" The woman yelled and dashed to me.

I dodged their attacks one by one and killed them one by one. I twisted the handle of the sword and it began to rev up. I slashed down and sent a massive flaming cutting wave at them. They groaned as they were hit and cut in half.

I ran off again and searched around for Bachiko and Orimi. A woman followed me while running on the roof of different buildings silently. I sensed her, but ignored her presence. She threw a tiny wooden ball at me and I looked up. I glared and jumped up and made my way on the rooftop. She stopped and looked surprised then dodged my slashes.

"Wait! Yoshida wait!" The woman said as she kept dodging me. "Please listen!"

"Shut up!" I yelled and Namiyo stopped me by grabbing my arm.

"Yoshida." Namiyo looked at me.

I looked at Namiyo then pushed her off me and lowered my arm. "What do you want?"

"I know...where Orimi and Bachiko are. I can lead you to them. We need to hurry though." The woman said.

I glared, but calmed down as she was the only lead I had. "Alright. Take me to them."

She nodded and ran off and I followed her. Namiyo watched and looked at her hand.

"He's never pushed me off him before..." Namiyo said then closed her eyes and sighed.

"How did you find my sister and that bitch?" I asked.

"Bachiko's dungeon is in a forest. I have Plant Manipulation so using the trees and talking to them, I was able to locate Bachiko and Orimi." The woman said.

"Who are you?" I asked.

"I am the Archon of the Plants. My name is Flora." Flora said. "Right now I'm in my human disguise."

"Archon...that means you're the strongest Plant Manipulator ever." I said.

"Yeah." Flora nodded.

We jumped off a roof and landed inside of a forest then I followed Flora through the forest. She stopped me and stopped to listen. I looked around and heard footsteps and twigs snapped, leaves crunching and all.

"Primordial Monster Hunters." Flora said then transformed into her monster form which consisted of purple hair, dark green eyes and a body covered in vines. She pointed and vines emerged from the ground, wrapping around the necks of the hunters and choking them to death.

"Apeiron really has it out for you...What will you do after saving Orimi? Will you kill Bachiko or.." Flora looked at me.

I didn't know to be honest. On one hand I want to kill Bachiko, but on the other hand I still liked Bachiko. Half of what I said was out of rage, but one thing I knew for certain was she needed to be stopped.

"I'll let you think about that when the time comes. Come on." Flora ran off and I followed her.

We finally made it to a ruined temple, where Bachiko hid and had Orimi captured. Flora stood outside and looked at me.

"I'll stay out here just in case the hunters come." She said.

I nodded and walked inside of the ruined temple. I looked ahead seeing Bachiko sitting on a throne and Orimi was chained to the ground. "Orimi!" I yelled and ran to her.

Orimi was unresponsive and I held her cheeks. She was still breathing, but just barely.

"Bachiko!" I yelled and my monster aura went berserk.

"I'm glad you made it. Just in time too. I was getting bored with her and was about to dispose of her by killing her permanently." Bachiko smiled and stood up from the throne.

I stood up and looked at Orimi. I've never seen her beaten up so badly. Seeing Orimi like this didn't just make me angry, it made me want to use the full abilities of my monster side.

"Senpai~ What's the matter? Surely you should've seen this coming. It was in my destiny to kill Monsters. I am known for it after all. Why not start with the top?" Bachiko laughed and walked down the stairs.

I held my head and my heart began beating quickly. I yelled and my aura surged wildly. Bachiko looked a bit surprised. Flora turned back feeling my aura.

"What the-" Bachiko started and took a step back.

I looked back and my eyes were white. I let the monster side of me fully take control of me. "You hurt Orimi!" I yelled and dashed to Bachiko like a wild animal.

She grunted and summoned her naginata then slashed at me. I vanished and appeared behind her. She looked back then I kicked her against the wall and she groaned loudly. I yelled and summoned multiple voids above the ruined temple. Bachiko opened her eyes and glared at me. She dashed to me and stabbed me with her blade then noticed I felt nothing. I punched her face, sending her crashing into the wall again then I snapped my fingers and dark ice spikes were shooting out of the voids. She looked up and stopped time and dashed to me. I dodged her attack then kicked her away again and pulled her naginata out of me. I snapped my fingers and time resumed.

"You won't live to see another day." I said and summoned Himeko's sword. I dashed to her and threw her naginata at her.

She caught it then blocked my attack. She grunted and slid back a bit. I roared and slammed the blade of the sword against her weapon. Bachiko grunted and pushed me back using a gravitational force. I slid back and held my hand out pulling her to me using a gravitational pull. She looked surprised as she was being pulled to me.

"Spatial Push." I said then released a powerful repulsive force of energy, blowing everything and everyone away from me.

Bachiko groaned loudly as her back hit the wall again then a sword of light stabbed through her chest. Orimi's chains broke and she hit the wall as well.

I walked to Bachiko and began pushing the sword deeper in her body and she screamed in pain. "It doesn't feel good now does it..?"

Bachiko coughed blood and fell to the ground after I pulled the sword out of her. "How...are you stronger than me..? I am Complete. How..?"

I kicked her cheek and she groaned. I then kicked her stomach and she gasped and groaned. I grabbed her hair then rose her up then kneed her face. She groaned and I let her go then kicked her cheek, causing her to lose a tooth. Flora watched in terror as I ruthlessly beat up Bachiko. Bachiko panted and tried to stand up.

"For each second you tortured my sister.." I said then kicked her stomach and she groaned, coughing blood. "I strike harder..and harder."

I grabbed her hair and punched her face. She groaned and coughed. I tossed her aside and walked to her. She tried to crawl away and grab her naginata.

"Yoshida.." Flora said softly.

"For each time you killed my fragile sister. I strike harder and harder!" I yelled and stomped on her back.

She groaned loudly and grunted. I kicked her away and she hit her back on the wall. I yelled and kicked her face and she grabbed my leg. I looked at her and noticed her was bloody all over. I calmed down and turned normal. I made her release my leg then walked off.

"Yoshida..." Bachiko started. "We...have a common enemy...we can work together to kill Apeiron.."

I stopped and looked back. "You are my enemy now. Hurting Orimi is beyond my forgiveness."

"Come on.." Bachiko said as her wounds slowly healed. "We are the only two...who can break the Hierarchy. The only two who can...stop her."

I glared then closed my eyes and walked to Orimi then healed her. "I'm not working with you. You still plan to kill me and my friends and family. You are a liability. A threat."

"I promise...I won't kill anyone you care about. I won't touch them at all." Bachiko said and slowly stood up.

"Tch. You're only saying that because I beat the shit out of you. You could barely touch me. This was a one sided battle when I let my monster take control. Now you wish to change. It didn't stop you from killing thousands of other families!" I said then looked at Orimi. I stood up and looked at Bachiko. "If we are working together...we are going to do things MY way."

"What do you mean?" She asked.

"I'm working with the Tree of Death. I am joining the Inverses to put an end to this once and for all." I said.

"Yoshida no!" Flora yelled.

"Great choice." A woman laughed and appeared sitting on the throne. She had on a demon attire, carried a scythe and her horns and wings were black.

"Lilith." Bachiko said.

"Lilith. Take me and Orimi in. If I want to make a safe world for her, sometimes it takes playing the villain role to achieve it." I said.

"Me and Thalamel will take good care of your sister while you are on your mission. We will find a way to get her in contact with Cosmia from the Tree of Life, but you do realize...You will no longer be Heroes in the eyes of the Tree of Life right?" Lilith said.

"I was never a hero to them in the first place." I said want walked up the stairs to her with Orimi in my arms.

"Yoshida! You're...joining the side of darkness! You'll be branded an Inverse! A Witch! They will destroy you..!" Flora yelled.

"I'd rather be a Witch than a constant target of my biological mother. I'd rather play villain than remain hero and constantly get fucked over by the world. I'd rather keep my sister safe more than anything no matter what I have to do. If you wish to stop me...go ahead. Come forth." I said and turned around.

Bachiko looked at Flora and watched her walk backwards. She closed her eyes then walked up the steps to Lilith. "I'm joining Yoshida. Apeiron needs to be taken down one way or another."

"Well the majority has spoken. My love would be pleased to meet his niece and nephew." Lilith smiled. "I'm glad to be united with my niece and nephew...Don't worry about thinking we will betray you, all the Inverses are happy and healthy. We only have one rule however, don't try to target Thalamel. He will kill you no matter what."

"That won't be an issue. I have only one target in mind and I need to get all the power I can to reach her power." I said.

"Well. We set off! To the Monster Realm we go!" Lilith said then we all vanished into a dark portal.

Melody watched from the sky. "Commander Naora. I'm going to the Monster Realm." Melody said then opened a portal and flew through it.

"What?! Melody! What did- Melody?! Shit I lost connection." Naora said.

"What's the matter?" Ochiyo asked.

"Melody went to the Monster Realm." Naora said.

Everyone went silent. Himeko looked at the roof while laying on her bed.

"Whatever you're doing Yoshida...be safe..." She said then closed her eyes.