Epic Of Caterpillar

-----

"Divine Fusion Technique: Nether Claws of Death! Coiling Phantom! Phantom Destruction! Phantom Flesh Detonation! Deathly Cannon of Flesh and Bones!"

Milmeloth and Varilok fused their Divine Energy into one, shaping their phantom Divine Aura as gigantic bony claws that clashed against Kireina and her family many Skills and Spells, barely resisting their overwhelming power!

Clash! Clash! Clash!

However, the moment afterward, the giant claws turned into coiling phantom snakes, tightly wrapping around the titanic being for a split of a second!

And then, Phantom Destruction and Phantom Flesh Detonation unleashed, detonating several loud explosions all around Kireina's gigantic body!

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

Milmeloth and Varilok smiled internally, as they saw the gigantic slowly fall apart!

"Now!"

The moment after that, their last conjured Divine Technique unleashed, releasing an enormous cannon of phantom bones and flesh, like a gigantic laser of combined Divinities, it clashed back against Kireina's fallen apart body, unleashing yet another ridiculously loud explosion!

Milmeloth and Varilok quickly stepped back even further as they shielded themselves from the loud explosion, glancing down below to see the result!

"Are you done?" asked Kireina and all of her family's voice united as one, as the pieces of flesh and liquid metal that flew out of her body shaped themselves as monstrous beings, flashing towards Milmeloth and Varilok!

Flash! Flash! Flash!

"GRRYARRR!"

"GROOOAARR…!"

"GRRYRYRYRYRYAA!"

"W-What?!"

Milmeloth and Varilok bared their claws and weapons, unleashing a barrage of phantom weapon techniques to defend themselves from the upcoming attack, as they sliced off into pieces and then turned into ashes a few of these gigantic masses of flesh, but many of them reached them, sticking into their bodies, and beginning to devour them like vicious parasites!

"Unnngggaaahhh… Get off us!" roared Milmeloth and Varilok, combining their powers and cutting off the chunks of their bodies that were being paralyzed, freeing themselves from them!

"Blood Corpse Explosion, God Devour, Myriad Soul-Eating Phantom Bacteria,"

Said Kireina's gigantic body, closing their claws as the enormous chunks of flesh Around Milmeloth and Varilok shined with an eerie crimson and black light, detonating!

"T-This…!"

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

The explosions were not simply explosions, as they came charged with several effects and skills packed into them, each time the power disintegrated and burnt a part of the fused gods, that part was eaten by Kireina and her family!

Each explosion unfolded consecutively, devouring apart the fused gods like a snack!

The countless small phantom bacteria's attacked their souls as well, eating chunks of them incredibly fast, combining all of their power into it!

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

"UNNNNGRRRYAAAAAAAHHH…!"

Milmeloth and Varilok tried to escape, but Kireina warped right in front of them and then shaped the space around them as Spatial Domain!

"You're not going anywhere!" said Kireina and her family, as they shaped their gigantic bodies as enormous jaws, taring apart the fused gods as they kept trying to regenerate through their specials summon and absorption method!

Clash! Clash! Clash! Clash!

However, it was not enough!

Giant tentacles and tongues began to devour the combined Gods, as they struggled as much as they could!

Nether Claws, monstrous Bone Jaws, Devil Eyes of Phantom Death, Soul-Tearing Scythes of Phantom Bone, Fleshy Jaws of All-Devouring, Digestive Juices of Rotting Flesh, all of such powers were unleashed over Kireina and her family, as they resisted them and counterattacked them with their own combined powers.

Blasts of golden thunder emerged, frying the rotten flesh of the fused gods!

All-consuming cannons of spiritual colors and attributes suppressed their deadly phantom and soul!

Gigantic tentacles of blood and crimson thunder flashed in, exploding, and dealing even more damage, some of such blood shaped themselves as tiny parasitic bacteria, devouring everything even faster!

Emerald slicing winds surged in, slicing everything into pieces, overpowering the fused God's fast regeneration!

All devouring shadows absorbed their energy like black holes, entangling whatever was left of them and dealing even more damage into their souls!

And gigantic jaws made of Chaos Attribute Magic surged, as countless beasts made of Chaos emerged from the jaws of the gigantic flesh and metallic creature, devouring everything around them!

Chaos!

Monstrosity!

Lunacy!

Each attack was more ridiculous than the other, and the Gods did not have varied means to deal with them nor to deal with the constant weakening of their souls being devoured!

Although they were incredibly powerful to the point of resisting these attacks and intercept them with their own Divine Techniques, they were using all of their energy to regenerate their souls while also attacking!

Soon enough, despair took hold of them!

The constant pain makes them cry in agony, as their inner consciousness grasped each other tightly, talking to each other for their last moments of existence.

"Nnnghhh…! This… monstrosity…!" muttered Milmeloth.

"We cannot… win… not even together…!" said Varilok.

"Varilok… Ngh… Sorry…" cried Milmeloth.

"…It's fine… I wouldn't have been able to live knowing that we didn't try to avenge our comrades either…" sighed Varilok.

"This being… I wonder if it will one day… change this future… and this era…" muttered Milmeloth.

"I wonder as well… Milmeloth… we had… such a long life…" cried Varilok.

"Don't cry… I am here with you… until… the bitter end…" said Milmeloth.

"I love you… I will always… love you…" cried Varilok.

"I also… love you too, Varilok…" cried Milmeloth.

"Our children… I have… given them a Teleportation Crystal, they are not here anymore…" said Varilok.

"That's… good… nngh…" cried Milmeloth.

"The pain is intensifying… And our consciousness fading away…" said Varilok.

"Such a bitter death… But at your side… It is not so hollow…" cried Milmeloth.

"Perhaps one day… we might experience a better life… without such a harsh start…" said Varilok.

"Although being eaten might not… give us a second chance…" said Milmeloth.

Both of their consciousness began to fade away, as their combined wills remembered their life together, their moments together, and their last breath.

Born in a world of suffering and survival, they struggled to get by every day.

One was a living mass of flesh from a race of ancient creatures that do not exist anymore.

Another was the skeleton of a young girl, reanimated through forbidden magic who set free from its master's authority by mere luck.

Both unlikely creatures met one day.

And walked together since then.

Surviving together as one, sooner or later, they generated a codependence, which evolved later on in love.

Love?

How could such beings… hollow of any humanity even feel the love?

Love came from the soul, and any living being possessed one.

The love between undead and a mass of flesh, there was zero physical attraction, but a fervent dependence with each other, a beautiful trust, a strong bond.

Remembering those old days of survival, they couldn't help but release tears of sorrow.

"Milmeloth! I don't… want to die!"

"Varilok… me neither…!"

"I… want to live… I… want to stay at your side… forever…!"

"I also… want to stay at your side… forever…!"

"Fate… why is it so cruel?"

"Even after so many years, we are yet destined to perish…"

"Such a bitter end…"

"Death…"

"At least…"

"We'll die together…"

Both souls embraced together in a tight hug of love, as an endless shadow made by an even more fervent love and codependence emerged, devouring them, and fragmenting them into power for themselves…

"Thanatos… Whatever you do…"

"Don't let yourself be driven by hate…"

Flash!

Kireina and her family once more sensed it.

The power of devouring a god.

And their memories, feelings, emotions, sorrow, life, love, and death…

However, it was far too late to have any mercy.

They had already taken countless innocent lives for the sake of power for the selfish sake of their own survival.

Just like them.

Knowing about what they did or what they did not change anything.

However, they could not help but feel sorrow, as their story was very similar to theirs.

Especially to Kireina.

Kireina noticed Nirah, who seemed sorrowful more than others.

She might have figured out what she was through such experiences that she saw.

"Mama…" she asked.

"Nirah?" asked Kireina.

"Could there be… a way to… give them a second chance? Just like you gave to me…" said Nirah.

"Nirah… You…" muttered Kireina.

"I know now… I know it all… I was… Megusan, wasn't I?" asked Nirah, Kireina could feel her soul crying.

"My dear… You are not… You're a different person, you're you," said Kireina.

"I know it… I know that I am not anymore the same I used to be… and that perhaps Tail-chan might harbor this last will… But… Could… there be a way?" asked Nirah.

"A way?" asked Kireina.

"A way to give them a second chance? To these old Gods who had similar lives than mine?" asked Nirah.

The request of her daughter, a former demon demigod hit Kireina rather hard.

Could there be a chance?

But why would she do this?

What would she win out of this?

Could she have changed?

Maybe she had grown weak-minded and mentally unstable.

Because she wanted… deep inside…

To give others a second chance.

Something even instinctual within her very being.

Just like all those she devoured and made reincarnate as her people or even her children.

Nirah desired a second chance for the Gods whose lives were filled with sorrow and hardships, who had such bitter ends.

If the souls of people such as the ones from the Nomad Tribes within the Vast Plains were given second chances.

Hasn't Kireina redeemed herself from such evil acts?

But she was not a heroine at all.

She was a monster.

Why would she even do this then?

Maybe a simple… selfish desire.

Like the one Nirah had.

Nirah saw herself as these Gods.

And felt terrible because she was given a second chance to redeem herself, to grow in a different environment, and to become a new and brilliant person.

Why couldn't these people be given the same chance?

The truth, deep within Kireina's rage and wrath over Thanatos and his gods was that she also felt sorrow.

But she knew deep inside that doing something like this was stupid.

But couldn't she give herself the luxury of doing such a selfish thing?

Hasn't she done many selfish things already?

And even then, she had accepted and loved the reincarnation of a mortal enemy.

What was she anymore?

She didn't even know what she was anymore.

But she was sure that what she was to others.

She was someone caring.

Thoughtful.

Gentle.

Compassionate.

Benevolent.

Amicable.

Lovely.

Caring.

She was not thinking these things herself, as the minds of her family were showering her with the thoughts that they had over their mother.

None of them, not a single one of them thought of her as a monster.

The only one who thought like that was herself.

Perhaps…

She was not really a monster?

"Nirah…" asked Kireina.

"Ma…ma?" asked Nirah.

"Am I… a bad person?" asked Kireina.

"No… You are not a bad person at all, mama… You are perhaps the nicest person I have ever met… So nice that… after even knowing what I was before… you took over me and loved me like any other of your children… Sniff…" cried Nirah.

"Ahh…" cried Kireina.

"Then… I will try…" said Kireina.

"R-Really?" asked Nirah.

"Yes… Just because… you asked me," said Kireina, giving Nirah her feelings of love through their soul fusion.

"Mama… I love you…" cried Nirah.

"Even after… knowing that I killed and ate you before you become Nirah?" asked Kireina.

"Yes… Of course… You did this because you wanted to survive, right?" asked Nirah.

"I… Whenever I see you, I always regret this…" cried Kireina.

"There is no need to regret anything! Just keep striving forward… Because of what you did is that… I was born after all!" said Nirah.

"Then… Very well then," said Kireina.

"I will try…"

"I will try to do as you said…"

"Let's give others… a second chance…"

"Even if they were my enemies…"

"Even if I devoured them so I could get power and survive…"

"Let's give them… A second chance!" said Kireina.

Flash!

The titanic body of Kireina flashed with the power and divinity of Milmeloth and Varilok, as a new power surged through them.

Kireina glanced into her very soul and gathered them. All of them.

"Come forth. You have not died, but only become me. If I gather the fragments of yourselves, your reincarnation is… as easy as breathing," said Kireina.

Flash!

Ding!

[Kireina has created the [Transcendental World of Rebirth: God's Council Hall of Eternity: Level -] Skill!]

Flash!

Suddenly, Milmeloth, Varilok, Primidone, Jozrath, Apollo, Cyrene, Hephaestus, and many other Gods emerged within an enormous and glorious hall, inside a beautiful world of splendor.

"Ah… What is… this?" wondered Primidone.

"Weren't we… eaten?" wondered Milmeloth.

"I… I was defeated miserably…" laughed Jozrath.

"And I… as well," sighed Hephaestus, he was no longer driven by wrath.

"I died so bitterly… yet… there is a strange calmness in this world…" said Apollo.

"What is this… place?" wondered Cyrene.

"Milmeloth!" said Varilok, as she flew towards her lover.

"Varilok…" said Milmeloth.

"Is this the afterlife?" wondered Kabeiro.

"All of us share something in common. We were eaten by Kireina…" said Geggoron.

The gods fell into silence.

Although they had accepted their loss and defeat, there was sorrow and regret.

"Why has she brought us here?" wondered Hephaestus.

"A second chance…" said a figure, a fairy, emerging from within the enormous hall, sitting near a tall desk.

"Kireina?" asked Apollo.

"…By the request of Nirah. I have given you a second chance. Make sure to treasure your new lives, and to start anew," she said.

-----

[Transcendental World of Rebirth: God's Council Hall of Eternity: Level -/-]

A Transcendental Skill created through the power of Kireina's will be combined with that of all the soul she was fused with.

It represents a new Inner Realm Skill, where a world of eternal brilliance exists.

The wills and minds of the Gods that Kireina has consumed completely gather in here.

Their souls become 'sane' and are driven by sorrow, regret, or other feelings.

Their hatred disappears, and they become calm and soothing, being able to think more clearly.

They can choose to stay in here and become part of the council of Gods within Kireina's soul...

Or they can choose to be reborn and given a second chance.

If a second chance is given, the reborn soul will have its old memories sealed, and it will be born as a new being.

Whenever such a new being develops a mind and personality of its own, is when the memories of an old life will emerge.

This Skill is the representation of Nirah's wish and Kireina's selfish desire of giving others, even her hated enemies, a second chance.