Tobiko folded his arms, compressing the pearls against his body. Rods of light shot out from his form, and the queen veiled her eyes as she shrieked in rage. Hiro and the others weren't interested in sticking around for Tobiko's transformation and used the spectacle as a distraction for their escape. Hiro was helping Milia along while Na and the captain retrieved Grisha. His large arms were slung about their shoulders, and if he hadn't been able to walk, they would not have been able to move him.
"Bear through it Grisha. We'll be on the ship soon," the captain comforted.
The light faded, and Tobiko was no longer a fish. He gazed down upon the queen, his eyes glowing a dim pink, matching the pearls that lined his arms. He had three in each arm and one on his left pectoral. Like the queen before, there was a black hole in his right pectoral where the final pearl would go. His veins around the eldritch spheres were raised and pulsing, and his muscles had swelled with the magical energy flooding his being.
The queen paddled away from him, scowling in disdain. "Your body can't contain their power. You're no magus. You will be ripped apart!"
Tobiko grinned wickedly at the queen. "I feel great! And I will destroy this dream you created before that happens."
Holding out his arms, he levitated into the air, passing through a moon window in the ceiling. He flew above the palace until he was high enough to see the circular horizons of the reality bubble. He saw winding about the palace the great serpent Cetus who he thought had been destroyed by the intruders.
"So, you're still alive," Tobiko thought aloud. "What were you before a mere eel?"
How had they gotten passed it? He wanted to change the creature back and undo everything the queen had done. Darting in front of him was Wasab, clenching his fists in anger.
"Tobiko! Return the pearls while the queen can still forgive you!" he ordered.
Tobiko narrowed his eyes at him before he held out his hand toward him. Wasab's eyes widened in panic and soon his body lit up in a pink light. When the glow faded, Wasab was hiding behind his arms no longer in the form of a fish. He lowered them, gazing upon human hands. He couldn't recall the last time he had seen his actual hands. Tears welled in his eyes, and he looked at Tobiko with astonishment. "Wh-why?" Wasab asked.
Tobiko smirked wickedly. "I wanted to see the look on your face upon remembering that you were once a man. She is no queen. She is Tsukemono, The Sea Witch. We have allowed her to obtain too much power. Tell me Wasab, are you still loyal to her after remembering what you really are?"
Wasab gazed down at the palace with a defeated look. He felt so ashamed and foolish. "No," he answered lowly.
"Then stand back and watch me rip this place apart."
Tobiko closed his eyes and splayed his fingers. The sky hummed and the oceans surrounding the island started to stir. Wasab saw Tobiko begin to strain in effort.
"What's wrong?" Wasab asked.
"The magic holding this reality together is too strong!"
"This must be why the witch wanted the last pearl. She said she wanted to expand the reality of this place into the real world."
Tobiko dropped his arms and growled, "It seems I need it in order to destroy it."
He and Wasab peered down at the palace as they thought the same thing.
Hiro and the others were fighting through humpback warriors when the queen's voice resonated throughout the halls, "Stop! Do not harm them."
Hiro turned to regard the mermaid after nearly stabbing a guard through. "What do
you want?"
She quickly swam over to them. "An alliance. Tobiko can't break my dimension without the final pearl. He has turned Wasab against me. I can get you all home if you help me."
Milia frowned. "I don't feel at all sorry for you. You created these monsters, and now you should deal with them."
Tsukemono returned a scowl. "Your friend is in danger as long as he has that pearl inside him. Tobiko will come for him."
As though on cue, Tobiko and Wasab warped in front of the five. Na looked in front of them and behind them. They were surrounded!
"And~ I'm here," Tobiko said with a grin. He then settled onto the floor and looked at Grisha who could hardly stand on his own. "You look like you are in a great deal of pain. Let me help you. I can extract the pearl painlessly."
Hiro stepped in front of Tobiko, holding his sword in his face. He was actually feeling like a bodyguard in that moment. "Stay back."
Tobiko glanced down at the sword and chuckled. As much as he wanted to mock the swordsman, he refrained knowing it wouldn't get him what he wanted. He instead held up his hands harmlessly. "We are on the same side. We both want out of this dimension, and we both don't care for that witch. If you allow me to have the final pearl, then I will destroy this dimension for good."
"Not in your-"
"Take it," Grisha said desperately. "Please."
Na and the captain regarded Grisha in shock. They knew he was suffering, but they hadn't known it was that bad. "Do you really trust him?" the captain asked in disbelief.
"No," Grisha said with a solemn frown. "Him than her." He motioned with a nod to the queen behind him.
Tsukemono hissed, "You will regret that decision!"
"Quiet bitch," Milia growled.
The katana shook in Hiro's hands. He didn't like any of this, but they were stuck in a hole with no way out. "Argh! Damn it!" he exclaimed. He lowered his sword and stepped out of Tobiko's way. He hated the smug look on his face as he walked over to Grisha. Na and the captain looked at Grisha nervously as though expecting the giant any second to go back on his decision, but all they saw was pain and exhaustion in his eyes.
Tobiko held up his right hand and the orbs along his right arm began to glow. His whole right arm then became engulfed in a whitish-pink aura, and he slowly lowered his hand to level with Grisha's stomach.
"You're a fool to trust him," Tsukemono warned before Tobiko thrust his hand into the Saiyan's abdomen. Grisha's eyes shrank as that horrid light burst through them. His arms swung out, casting Na and the captain onto the floor. The two grunted and looked up to see Tobiko’s hand impaled through Grisha’s gut. The Saiyan’s mouth opened with an agonized scream as a pink beam of energy shot from it. It appeared as though the power of the pearl was escaping him.
“I knew it!” Hiro yelled before he charged Tobiko with his katana raised to sever his arm. Wasab jumped in Hiro’s path and raised his leg to catch the edge of the blade against the sole of his shoe. He glared at Hiro, while the swordsman pressed his attack. “How tough are those damn shoes!?”
Milia, Na, and the captain charged Tobiko, and with his free arm, Tobiko waved it to send out a ring of energy to knock them all back including Wasab and the queen. “Stay out of my way!” he yelled.
Grisha’s hands suddenly grasped Tobiko’s forearm in a strong grip. Tobiko smirked at him and chuckled, “You think you can harm me.”
The smile then left Tobiko’s face as he felt Grisha’s grip rapidly increasing. He started to feel a pain in his bones that was gradually becoming more intense. Baring his teeth, Tobiko snarled as he reached deeper into Grisha’s guts until he felt the hot orb. His hand grasped it as though his life depended on it. “I have it!” he exclaimed in hysteria. “I have the pearl! Ha, ha, ha!”
One of the pearls on his arm suddenly rolled down it to vanish inside Grisha’s stomach. Tobiko’s eyes grew in disbelief. “Wh-what?”
The others were transfixed in awe. They watched as the pearls continued to pass through Tobiko’s arm, traveling from one location to where his hand was lodged in Grisha. The giant began shaking as the veins about his arms, neck and face started to swell like tree roots. He bared his teeth as his muscles started to slowly expand. The heat that had filled his stomach filled his entire body then. Grisha shakily folded over, resting a hand above where Tobiko’s hand was lodged.
“No; no; no! Give them back!” Tobiko screamed as the last pearl entered the Saiyan.
A powerful gust repelled Tobiko and blasted the others. They raised their arms and squinted through the gale that swirled around the Saiyan. Grisha threw back his head, screaming up at the heavens as pillars of pink energy extended from his eyes and mouth. His stomach closed up and started to swell.
“Oh shit! He’s gonna explode!” Hiro screamed in terror through the gale. This wasn’t how he imagined he’d die.
The Saiyan Metabo FactoryThe factory manager was gazing at the photo of his father, while the factory was melting down around him. There were fires. Workers were running for their lives. There was an immense force that was bending the bay doors. He had done everything he could to grant the others time to escape.
I remember when I survived that damned spicy chicken, the factory manager looked over to the doors. His eyes were squinting through the sweat that stung his eyes. It was sweltering. All he saw was some strange pink light, peeking through the opening that was ready to burst.
If it hadn’t been for the milk, then I probably would have died that day. I don’t think I’ll be so lucky this time.He opened a bottle of scotch and poured himself a shot. Before setting the bottle down, he took a quick swig of it. It was cheating, but he didn’t give a shit in his last moments. Grasping the shot next, he held it up to his father and cheered, “I’ll see you soon, Pops.”
Knocking it back, he slammed the glass down before standing from his chair. “Aaah~” he breathed, releasing the alcoholic burn. Slapping his cheeks twice to psyche himself up, he rested his hand upon a pressure release lever and boldly faced the incoming threat.
“Come on you pink sons of a bitches!” the factory manager heroically screamed. “I’ve seen this big bastard eat some strange shit, but if you think you’re destroying this factory, then you’re in the wrong digestive system!”
The pearls crashed against the bay doors, bursting them wide open and bathing the interior in a bright pink light. The factory manager’s body turned into a black silhouette as he screamed, “FOR THE FACTORY~!” Before he yanked down on the lever.
A concerned look suddenly flashed on Grisha’s face as he felt the pressure abruptly release on an impressive wind. Everything left his ass in a blinding glare. It was pure white, and then shifted into pitch-black, and then white again. Everything in the light began to crumble and become swept away in what seemed like a destructive blast. All sound was absorbed by the explosion. The queen’s mouth hung open in a silent scream as her body was reduced to ash. The white light flashed to pink. A dome billowed and the sound was released in a deafening roar like thousands of bombs rapidly bombarding the earth. The twilight sky had white cracks rapidly appearing all over it before it shattered, raining twinkling dimensional shards that vanished before hitting the ground.
The dome retracted into a tiny orb, sucking all debris and smoke into it. Grisha’s tail flagged in the breeze, while the others gripped the stone floor in their desperate effort to not get sucked in. The vacuum lasted for only a few seconds before the orb shrank into nothingness. Surviving debris from the castle pelted the area. Ash tumbled like pillowy snow about the ruins of an island that appeared as though a meteorite had destroyed half of it. An orange, glass-like shard tumbled from the sky to bounce off Grisha’s head. Absently, the Saiyan held out his hand and caught it.
Hiro opened one eye, fearfully gazing around at his surroundings. When he realized they hadn’t all perished, he sighed in relief, “Thank Kami we’re alive!” He then proceeded to kiss the floor without a care if it had been dirty.
Tobiko gazed up at the blue, normal sky. Tears glimmered in his eyes as he saw clouds and seagulls swirling overhead. “We’re-we’re free. The dimension was destroyed.”
Wasab was marveling at the sky and closed his eyes as he savored the warm sun against his face.
“I thought it was the end of the world,” said the captain as he gazed at the destruction behind Grisha. Black towers of smoke were still rising from the sky from the charred remains of what used to be a palace. It looked as though everything he been completely erased as though it never existed.
“Wait a second. How are we still alive?” Milia curiously asked. “Wasn’t Grisha about ready to explode and destroy us all?”
Grisha felt a cool breeze across his backside that made his tail perk straight up. He turned a grey eye over his shoulder before whirling around in shock to see the aftermath of…The faces of the others darkened in disturbance to see the back of Grisha’s clothes completely incinerated down to his bare back and ass. Hiro frowned. “No…was that…”
Na shook his head. “Don’t even say it.”
Even Tobiko and Wasab refused to comment.
“What happened to the pearls?” the captain asked in a droning voice as though his brain couldn’t comprehend what had happened.
The five stared at Grisha’s bare ass and their faces hardened with further disgust. Could they have still been inside? Were they destroyed along with the dimension?
Hiro clapped a hand to his face. His eyes couldn’t take it anymore. “WILL YOU TURN AROUND!? NOBODY WANTS TO SEE YOUR ATOMIC ASS!”
Grisha tensed and quickly faced the others. Still gripping the shard in his fist, he touched his back, feeling no cloth. His face flashed red and his tail stiffened in horror. The back of his clothes had been burned completely off! Sheepishly, Grisha smiled and bowed some in apology.
Hiro rubbed his scalp, trying to rid his brain of the mindfuck. “I think it’s time we head back. This sucks! We come all the way out here, nearly die, and find no treasure. Was there any treasure on this island anyway?”
Wasab crossed his arms and informed, “The sea witch had a chamber filled with treasure, but it’s probably…” He glanced at the crispy crater.
“ARE YOU SERIOUS!?” Hiro shouted.
The captain groaned as he felt a wave of sympathy pain, “I’m heading back to the ship.”
Na, the captain, and Milia stood as they exhaustedly turned to leave the remains of the castle. Hiro marched over to Grisha and yelled, “YOU ASSHOLE! YOU ALWAYS RUIN EVERYTHING! YOUR EXPLOSIVE BUTT DESTROYED THE TREASURE!”
A sweat bead rolled down the side of his face as he forced a smile through his embarrassment, “I try to hold it, but could not. Too much power.”
“I lost my paycheck; the pearl; and now enough treasure that could have made me a modern-day prince!”
“Grisha no take Cherry Boy money. I win. We alive. I am happy.”
Milia immediately turned as her blonde brows rose in surprise. “What did he just call you?”
Hiro’s shoulders shrugged up to his ears in disturbance. Milia was the last person he wanted to hear that name.
She laughed, “Did he just call you Cherry Boy!?”
Hiro abruptly faced her and roared, “SHUT YOUR MOUTH!”
Milia clutched her stomach as she continued to laugh, “It’s so true though!”
The swordsman’s face flushed. “You don’t know that!”
Grisha sighed in relief—true relief. Things were back to normal. His insides felt a little strained, but the euphoria he was feeling made up for it. He pocketed the shard while Milia was teasing Hiro.
Na noticed that Tobiko and Wasab were walking with them and without looking at them he irritably said, “If you think you’re getting a ride with us, then you’re mistaken.”
Tobiko smirked. “Oh, come on. Wasab and I haven’t left this island in years. We want to see what the world is like.”
“You tried to kill us.”
Tobiko blushed and grinned sheepishly. “I wasn’t trying to kill you guys. It was my plan all along to double-cross the sea witch.”
The captain’s eyes narrowed. “Then what was that with Grisha?”
“I know right? Wasn’t that crazy how those pearls were just being sucked away?”
Wasab’s own eyes narrowed as he thought,
You were always so full of shit…“That’s not what I’m talking about.”
The captain then noticed a shadow fell over him and stopped. He and the others looked up to see a giant flying serpent.
Tobiko blinked and arched a brow. “Cetus? Cetus survived?”
The creature’s snake-like eyes darted between all the trespassers. Its hood then flared as it hissed.
“It can’t recognize us,” Wasab informed.
“Does it know that the sea witch is gone?”
Hiro blinked his half-lidded eyes at the creature. He then drew his katana and pointed it at the sea serpent. He tilted his head toward Grisha and said, “I bet my paycheck you can’t eat that giant serpent.”
Grisha’s mouth expanded into a wide grin as he brought his hands together and started cracking his knuckles.
“ARE YOU FREAKING SERIOUS?!” Milia exploded as she angrily turned to Hiro. She shook in rage for a moment before she sulked in exhaustion. She irritably muttered, “Just don’t eat any strange pearls, rocks, or anything that isn’t food.”
The captain turned and pointed a sharp finger at Grisha as he stated firmly, “If you find anything valuable, it’s mine.”
“Fuck off old man. This is my bet!” Hiro growled.
Beads of sweat rolled down the sides of Na’s, Tobiko’s, and Wasab’s faces as they watched the serpent’s maw part in a threatening manner prepared to snatch any of them up. Hiro, Milia, and the captain were bickering. Raising his fists, Grisha leapt off the ground toward the serpent beaming happily. Here they go again.
WC: 3,122 | 19,471