Smoke churned violently across the ocean floor.
-
From within it, a head slowly emerged.
-
El-Mond.
-
His black skin absorbed the surrounding light,
as though the abyss itself bowed to him.
Each subtle movement released a
menacing pressure, dense and suffocating, rippling through the water like a silent
warning.
-
The Orca's massive body stiffened.
-
It sharply turned around.
-
Its pupils shrank.
-
"H–How is this possible…?" The Orca's voice trembled, fear leaking through despite its
monstrous form."You should be dead!"
-
Crimson light flickered.
-
El-Mond's eyes glowed red.
-
Then
-
He vanished.
-
In the next instant, his presence materialized behind the Orca, close enough for death to whisper.
-
"Remember the pain," El-Mond said coldly.
"And answer my questions truthfully."
-
His voice echoed unnaturally through the surrounding space.
-
"Where did you things come from?"
-
A deafening, anguished scream tore
through the depths.
-
One of the Orca's fins was severed,
cleanly sliced so fast
the creature hadn't even perceived the attack.
-
Blood spread like ink.
-
The Orca spun around in panic
-
But El-Mond was gone again.
-
"I'll give you one more chance,"
El-Mond's voice reverberated from
everywhere at once.
"Answer me… and I will let you live."
-
Rage exploded.
-
"YOU BASTARD!!"
The Orca roared, veins bulging.
"I'LL RIP YOU APART!!"
-
The sea answered its fury.
-
"TIDAL WAVE
WHIRL-WIND!"
-
Four colossal tornadoes slammed
into the ocean's surface, drilling downward
with apocalyptic force.
They pierced the depths,
colliding with the ocean floor and erupting
outward.
-
Water pressure and violent winds fused into a merciless vortex.
-
El-Mond was caught.
-
The force dragged at him violently,
tearing through the sea like a divine
punishment.
-
At the center, the Orca hovered
boxed in and shielded by the rotating
tornadoes.
-
A wicked grin twisted across its face.
-
"I will drain every ounce of your energy,"
it hissed.
"And at the very last moment… torture you
to death."
-
Its eyes gleamed with greed.
-
"Then I'll use your core… to enhance myself."
-
El-Mond struggled.
-
"Dammit…! I gotta swim!"
"No NO NOOOO!!"
-
His curses echoed for a full minute.
-
Then
-
Silence.
-
Ten minutes passed.
-
The tornadoes weakened, their fury slowly dissolving back into the dark sea.
-
The Orca drifted unsteadily, its massive body trembling, energy nearly exhausted.
It closed its eyes and exhaled.
-
"That skill took a lot out of me," it muttered.
"But it was worth it."
-
A pause.
-
"That bastard… was strong."
-
"…Urg." A voice Echoes from the depths.
-
A chill crawled down the Orca's spine.
Its entire body froze.
-
Deep red eyes shimmered into existence
within the fading currents.
-
"Sure took your sweet time."
"I almost died of boredom."
-
"T–YOU…!"
The Orca stuttered violently, terror overtaking
its exhaustion.
"H–How are you alive…?
W–Who… are you…?"
-
El-Mond Emerges forward.
-
Tiny scratches marked his shark-like body
faint damage etched across his pectoral fin
and armored skin.
-
"Your ability is strong," he said calmly.
"You almost broke through my diamond body."
-
The Orca trembled.
-
"You made it hard to land a decisive strike
with my current skills," El-Mond continued.
"So the only option was to let myself get
sucked in… and endure it." A low laugh
escaped him.
"Crazy, but brilliant, right?"
-
The laughter faded.
-
His expression darkened.
-
Memories surfaced
A trusted friend.
A wife used like a tool.
A betrayal unseen until death itself.
-
"…Sigh."
"I guess I died because I was easily
fooled too, huh?"
-
His eyes ignited.
-
Red mixed with pitch-black.
-
The surrounding water screamed.
-
"NO WAIT!"
The Orca panicked.
"I'LL TELL YOU EVERYTHING YOU
WANT TO KNOW!"
-
El-Mond's gaze hardened.
-
"I'm no longer interested."
-
His voice dropped into something absolute.
-
"I don't care who you are.
I don't care where you came from."
-
A violent killing intent erupted.
-
"Come what may…"
-
His form glitched, flickering out of existence.
-
"I WILL
SLAUGHTER
YOU ALL."
-
He reappeared instantly behind the Orca.
-
A thin, perfectly straight line formed
-
From the Orca's head…
To its tail.
-
A heartbeat passed.
-
Then
-
The body split apart.
-
Blood gushed violently as the Orca's
massive form tore in half, descending slowly
into the endless deep.
-
The abyss swallowed it whole.
-
El-Mond stood alone.
-
Eyes glowing.
-
Silent.
-
To Be Continued…