Metamorphosis: Seven Sins X - Pernicious Planning

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Chapter 10 - Pernicious Planning

Five Years Ago

Deserted Island was truly deserving of its name. For many thousands of years, it had been home to two famous and prospering human villages. The inhabitants of Moga Village and Yukumo Village lived peaceful, quiet lives on opposite ends of their little landmass, trading with one another and the cities on the mainland.

But as of now, no humans lived here anymore. The disaster that had happened fifty years ago, caused by a couple of terrible and ancient beasts, had wiped out both villages, leaving no survivors.

If there had been any other, minor villages set up on the island after the elder dragons attacked, the recent hurricane would have certainly destroyed them. Now, only hordes of ferocious monsters roamed its forested hills and mountains, living without fear of oppression from human beings.

Or at least, that would be the case, if the centuries-long war between monsters and humans hadn’t already ended.

In the moonlight that illuminated the rocky beach, and the salty waves that lapped at its edge, a shadowy figure silently and impatiently walked along the coastline. The humanoid being had been waiting for his comrades for almost an hour now, but there was no sign of any of them.

Have they any sense of time? he demanded inwardly. ''Or have they gotten lost? Or were they… perish the thought… unable to escape? Oh, I hope that is not the case.''

Feeling uncomfortably warm, the being shed his cloak, allowing his true form to be illuminated by the moonlight. Any monster that walked by at that moment would have recoiled in horror at the unnatural sight. The figure resembled a monstrous combination of a human and a Dire Miralis, the legendary beast that was said to have birthed creation. The smooth skin of his face gave way to rocky, ridged features at the edges. Miniature volcanoes sprouted from his head, and a thick tail dragged along the ground at his feet. Beneath his clothes, internal rivers of lava could be seen flowing across his chest, legs, and arms. The disgusting sight was made complete by the volcanic wing plates that extended from his shoulder blades, belching smoke and fire into the sky.

The Miralis-man turned his twisted face towards the water. He thought he detected a stray ripple on the surface, one that wasn’t caused by simple tides. It’s probably just a passing Epioth, he thought dismissively. ''Or a Lagiacrus. There are many more monsters here on Deserted Island, now that the humans have been… dealt with, war or no war.''

His face clenched distastefully. He had heard rumors that the human-monster war had ended, but had never believed them to be true until now. The thought of humans and monsters, two very different types of creature, actually making peace with one another made him want to throw up.

Monsters are strong, cunning, and fit for survival, the Miralis-man thought. ''Humans are nothing but sniveling, scrawny cowards. And yet, they still played a part in our defeat… my comrades and I, all those hundreds of years ago…''

Another suspicious ripple appeared on the surface of the bay, but the Miralis-man paid it no heed. It probably wasn’t anything worth concerning himself over.

But he was proven wrong right then and there. In a sudden spray of briny water, a figure just as monstrous as the Miralis-man emerged from the surf and waded towards shore. He was a boy that looked to be in his late teens, with thick, tangled blonde hair matted with seawater. All he wore were a monocle over his right eye and a pair of baggy pants. On his bare chest and abdomen, a series of bioluminescent markings glowed blue. The horns of a Ceadeus emerged from his head – the right horn was normal-sized and didn’t cause him any harm, but the left horn was much larger and grew over his eye. A long, fluked tail swished back and forth behind him, stirring up frothy waves in the water. “It has been a long time, Superbius,” said the Ceadeus-boy. “I was beginning to wonder if the call to escape would never come.”

The Spirit of Pride nodded. “I apologize for not having completed my plan sooner, Ace,” he said. “However, perfection takes a long time to achieve, and that is exactly what my plan is – perfect.”

Superbius smiled at the grotesque sight of his companion. Once, Ace had been an ordinary human being – indeed, so had he, and so had the others. But the evil nature of dark magic had dire consequences for those who practiced it carelessly. It twisted the heart of the sorcerer, quenched his morals and saturated his very life force… and turned him into a demon.

“Says you,” Ace yawned tiredly, scratching his glowing chest. “I might be a slacker, but even I think a millennium is too long.”

The volcanoes adorning Superbius’ head and wings erupted in unison for a brief moment. “You don’t know what it’s like to be trapped in the confines of the strictest cell in the underworld and subjected to the vilest punishments imaginable. The security placed upon you was a lot less severe!”

Ace snorted. “It’s always about you, isn’t it?” he muttered. His shining markings flushed an angry red in annoyance. “You need to learn to swallow that enormous pride of yours.”

About to snap at his comrade, the Spirit of Pride suddenly stopped as the ocean breeze picked up significantly. But something wasn’t right about this wind – it felt ominous and tinged with danger, like the soft wind that heralds a devastating storm. His eyes narrowed, but Ace allowed a soft smile to cross his face.

Another gust of wind picked up, this one much stronger than the last. Then, before their very eyes, a teenaged girl floated down from the sky above and landed lightly on her feet. Instead of resembling a monstrosity like her companions, the girl was extremely beautiful – she had silky, waist-length hair and flawless skin, and wore nothing but a flowing skirt and a band of fabric that was barely enough to cover her well-endowed chest. Her arms and head were adorned with elegant fins that blew in the breeze, and she seemed to hover rather than stand. Two golden, curving horns extended up over her forehead, and the serpentine tail of an Amatsumagatsuchi grew out from her attractive rear.

Inwardly, Superbius was grinning. He couldn’t help but feel a jolt of pride whenever he laid eyes on the Amatsu-girl, the one who had returned to her home of Yukumo Village so that she could lay waste to it once and for all.

The Amatsu-girl smiled widely as she regarded her two allies – and one in particular. “Hello again, handsome,” she whispered to Ace, slipping her slender arms around his neck. Her tail reached out and tenderly coiled around his arm. She giggled and added flirtatiously, “Just as strong as I remember.”

“You flatter me, my dear Luxi,” he murmured with a soft smile, lightly gripping her uncovered middle and drawing her closer to him. “I don’t even work out.”

“Yes, because we were all locked up in those nasty cells of ours for centuries on end,” she said sympathetically, pouting. She lightly ran her clawed fingers through his tangled hair.

“And because he’s a complete sloth,” Superbius coughed on the sidelines.

“But at least our confines weren’t as bad as some of the others, were they?” Luxi continued, ignoring him. She took her hand away from Ace’s head and started stroking his chest instead. “We managed to escape for a while around fifty years ago, didn’t we, Acey?”

Ace smirked at the memory. “I remember that night well,” he replied. “Our last date. Didn’t we destroy the villages here on this very island? I sank Moga Village, and you scattered Yukumo to the winds. Sweet justice on the settlements that banished us in ages past.”

A broad, bloodthirsty smile twisted the Amatsu-girl’s otherwise lovely face. “Oh, the destruction,” she snickered. “There’s no music quite like the sweet sound of terrified screams, now is there?”

“Not at all,” the object of her affection replied. “Except the sound of your voice, that is.” The eye uncovered by his horn twinkled as he leaned closer to brush his nose with hers.

“You’re far too kind to me, sweetheart,” Luxi breathed lustfully, leaning in until she was only a lip’s distance away from him. “Now why don’t you and I find somewhere secluded so we can pick up where we left –“

Before their romance could go on any further, the earth trembled beneath them. The three beings only had a second to get out of the way before the ground exploded, throwing up rocks, dirt, and water up as far as the eye could see.

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