Reborn As An Evolving Monster

Why are you running?

'Shut up.'

What are you running from?

'Shut up.'

Where are you going?

'Shut up!'

You decided to leave them in the end?

Why?

Weren't you going to stay with them? Weren't you going to take them to the Elven Forest? Weren't you going to stay with Elisa?

'Shut up! Shut up! Shut up!'

Weren't you going to protect them? Weren't you going to keep them safe until they got there?

'I was!'

Then why are you leaving them now?

'Because... Because...'

Oh.

You wanted to leave them all along, didn't you?

'No! I didn't!'

Wasn't that the plan? Leaving them once you get them to the Elven Forest?

Or did the plan change?

What was your plan, Mark?

'I... I don't... I'm not sure...'

Not sure?

How can you not be sure?

You don't have a plan for your actions? For your future?

No plans?

'I had plans, I just-'

Plans?

You had ideas. Not plans.

How did it turn out? How did they turn out, those ideas of yours?

'Shut up.'

You didn't have a plan.

'Shut up.'

You never had a plan.

'Shut up.'

You don't plan anything. You don't think about it. You just go with the flow, don't you?

'I don't!'

Did you want to stay with them, or did you want to leave them?

'I...'

Did you want to go wild and fight the Berserker, or run away with them?

'I...'

Did you want to kill and be killed, or live a peaceful life with them?

'I... It's... It's not that simple!'

It is, Mark. It is.

What did you want?

'I wanted...'

What do you want?

'I...' Mark stared at the dark puddle he had just thrown up. 'I want...'

"WHAT DO YOU WANT?" A strident voice suddenly screamed at him, making him stand up straight away.

'I need to... I need to... I need to keep going. I can't stop... I can't stop...'

The white-scaled Monster started running once more.

You couldn't choose.

You couldn't choose, Mark.

The voice. Was it coming from him, something else, inside his head? He couldn't tell. What is due to the extreme fatigue? To the dagger piercing his skull?

Your love for them, or your love for fighting?

'What I want is...'

Your love for them keeps you from fighting.

Your love for fighting puts them in harm's way.

Which one do you want?

Which one do you choose?

'I...'

WHY DIDN'T YOU CHOOSE? WHAT DO YOU WANT, MARK?

"I DON'T FUCKING KNOW!!" The white-scaled Monster shouted suddenly as it ran.

You don't know?

How can you not know?

Didn't you choose her?

The Monster's eyebrow rose. It ran faster.

Didn't you choose her?

Didn't you tell her that you would stay with her? That you would be with her?

"I... I..."

Why did you tell her that, Mark?

"Because I wanted to stay with her."

Why did you lie to her, Mark?

"I didn't! I didn't lie to her! I..."

She had doubts.

She wasn't sure.

But you wanted it. You wanted her.

So you lied. To alleviate her doubts.

"I didn't! That's not true!"

You know that is it, Mark.

You lied.

"I didn't!"

Then why are leaving her now?

"I... Because... Because she... Because I..."

Because she wanted you to leave?

Because you hurt her?

"Because..." The Monster's shaky voice broke. "I don't want to hurt her."

But you did.

You did hurt her.

"But it wasn't my fault. It wasn't me. It-"

It wasn't you?

Who was it then?

"It... It..."

You felt it, didn't you?

You remember.

You wanted her.

You wanted her and didn't want to be rejected.

You wanted to kiss her. You wanted to take her.

For a while, you've felt that way. You held it in all that time.

"Shut up."

But you could only hold it in for so long.

You wanted to take her.

Despite your appearance. Despite her doubts. Despite her refusal.

"No! I never would have!"

But you did.

"I didn't..." The white-scaled Monster's gaze moved down and was glued to the ground. "I didn't mean to." 

-Didn't mean to- is right. Since you wanted it.

That's how strongly you felt about her. That's how strong your lust for her was.

"Lust? Lust... Nia. Nia said something about that." The white-scaled Monster brought a hand to his head as it tried to recall the words he had once been told. "Influence... Inside the Territory..."

Influence?

Influence, huh?

"Yes... Influenced. That's why it-"

Influenced but... That lust was still yours, wasn't it?

"No... Yes..."

It's your fault.

"It... Is..."

You hurt her.

"I did..."

The Monster fell to its knees and palms, beyond exhausted, both physically and mentally.

It raised its gaze.

It was back.

Back at the Border between Sloth and Lust.

The mass of darkness in front of him pointed.

The body of water started suddenly moving.

An explosion occurred under the water.

Or at least, that's what the force made it seem like.

Dozens of Monsters exited the water with that explosion.

But they didn't have their eyes on the white-scaled Monster.

What lay at the center of the mass of Monsters was...

"ARGHHHH!!"

Her body was covered by wounds and blood.

Her muscles were not as large than they were earlier.

"ARGHHH!!!" Ani shouted, her left arm imprisoned between a Krishen's fangs.

Her eyes were completely white.

From her heated muscles, steam was being let out.

Burning with rage.

"ARGHHHH!!!" The Commander pulled, leaving the mass of Monsters, landing on the ground leaving the body of water, but also her left arm in the process.

The being shrouded in darkness next to the white-scaled Monster pointed.

"How does it feel to be back? Your one decision was a lie. You couldn't decide, so the world decided for you." The white-scaled Monster slowly pushed itself off the ground. "Kill and be killed. Devour and Evolve. Swallow everything. Everything you come across. Your enemies, your allies, your past, you sins... Swallow it all."

The white-scaled Monster stumbled, but it managed to stand.

It extended its arms towards the fallen Commander which was coughing up blood.

Ani's severed arm was, of course, bleeding heavily. But so were all the other wounds over the body. The blood coursing through her body is accelerated manyfold by her Berserker trait.

She was breathing heavily. A short break in her rage-filled hunt.

Suddenly, her head moved.

Her gaze connected with his.

And rage took over her body once more.

The white-scaled Monster lowered its arms and leaped forward, just like the Commander.

The lowering of its arms made the being shrouded in darkness click its tongue.

How had Ani survived?

How had he crossed the gigantic body of water that was Border?

Had she swam? Had she hopped from Monster to Monster, crossing the Border in its entirety this way?

Mark did not know. And he didn't think about it.

Right now, all he wanted was to fight.

To punch and, perhaps even more, to get punched.

"Found you... Again!" Ani shouted as her fist landed on his cheek, sending his body spinning in the air.

That hit. That punch.

Mark realized something.

'I can... Think clearly.'

Getting hit, getting punched, Mark didn't hate how those felt.

Her hit had calmed the storm that was residing inside his brain.

His body spun and he landed on all fours.

The disruptive thoughts stopped.

The darkness had disappeared.

The storm had passed.

His mind was clear and calm.

He could think.

Only when fighting, is he this calm.

Only when fighting, can he think this clearly.

-Kill or be killed-

A dark purplish Aura started oozing out of his body.

[Your Title "Devourer" stares at the "Commander of Sloth".]

[Your Title "Evolving Monster" stares at the "Commander of Sloth".]

Mark didn't even read the messages.

'Bleeding... Wounds... Arm severed... Her speed... Her strength... Compared to before... Yeah...'

Forget about it.

Forget about everything.

Think about now.

The past doesn't matter.

The future doesn't matter.

What you did doesn't matter.

What you could have done doesn't matter.

What I should do, where I should go, why I am here.

Why was I brought to this world?

Nothing matters.

Forget about everything.

Focus on the fight.

The only thing that matters.

'I'll fight. I'll fight you. I'll fight a Commander. A Commander stronger than other Commanders. Fight. Fight. Fight. Let's fight.'

The ground cracked below his hands and feet as he launched himself forward.

Once the distance was closed, she swung her arm.

'Don't talk to me. Don't talk to me. Don't make me think. I don't want to think. Let's fight!'

A simple swing that he had dodged by pulling back slightly.

The air pressure from her punch was extraordinary.

He could feel his body being pulled by the wind.

Nevertheless, his leg kick found its way to her injured side.

She rapidly circled around with her arm, holding his leg in place.

He quickly jumped off the ground, straightening his whole body so as to be parallel to the ground. The leg she had taken hold of spun ninety degrees and so did his whole body.

His foot kicked the side of her face, making her stumble.

She let go of his leg and he fell to the ground.

He spun further so as to land on his hands and feet.

Her leg kick missed his head, and landed on his collar bone instead.

His body rose into the air before it had even touched the ground.

Collar bone, shattered.

He landed about seven steps further.

Mark took a deep breath in, and raised his fists.

Fight.

Because why not?

Because what else is there?

Because I don't want to think.

Fight. Kill. Destroy.