Chapter 4:The Fated Hour
"PLEASE STOP.MAKE IT STOP SOMEBODYYY!"Red screamed in agony and pain.His skin was shedding itself. He dragged himself on the dirty floor towards Kraven in hope of assistance but the two got into a huge argument.Kibo just laid low and watched it happen.
"Why?Why me of all people?"
"RED YOU DESERVE IT."Kraven shouted,spitting in his face. He picked up his staff and tripped Red with it.
Another cry out loud that did nothing.
"YOU CANNOT BERE ONE FRAGMENT OF MY PAIN RIGHT NOW KRAVEN!NONE OF YOU CAN."He pointed towards the crows who stood nearby.
They followed Kibo.Not reacting.Sure some flinches but no action was made.The crow and lord kept on arguing.They were throwing things,shouting.Even the crows soaring the skies above were frightened by the wrath of Red and Kraven
"HAVE MERCY ON YOUR FRIEND.I BAILED YOU OUT.YOUR WHOLE ARMY.HAVE MERCY."Red ripped the burning flesh off his face. He cried tears that could fill up rivers.Red was red.His skin was red.Clothes?Red. He had produced so much smoke a burning smell was polluting the air.
"RED!STOP COMPLAINING!"
"Y-you-you…"
"Stuttering coward.I've matured.I'm growing.Developing even.This ideology of human genocide.This ideology of a rebellion against humanity.I can't Red.I just can't…"
"What?"Red looked Kraven dead in the eyes. He was VERY disappointed.VERY VERY DISAPPOINTED.
"Kraven."
"Yes?Slave to evil?"Red punched Kraven without hesitated.Blood splattered onto the floor.Kraven wiped the blood off his mask and faced Red again.
Red began to have a seizure. He slammed down on the ground onto his knees again.
"Over.And over.And over.."
"You've become more mentally ill than Kibo."Kibo didn't even react. He looked at the ground and let out soft whimpers.Covering his mouth,the poor soul was…
"NO YOU HAVE.I GOT THAT MONEY.HARD EARNED."
"It was stolen.You see?One of your flaws is hypocrisy."
"Acting like you don't have flaws too.Ever since your parents died.Your village burned down to the Genshi,to Maikeru Korinzu,you've had this deep hatred for humans.And all of the sudden you want to switch up on me?"
"Well…I've grown a white feather.I'm turning into a divine dove slowly."
"BRAVO.You may have grow but…does it really benefit you?Does it benefit us?"
"I'm tired of you trying to manipulate me.There is no US.I don't even know why I'm here.Toru tricked us. He created the crimson pact to gain our alliance temporarily. He got a good look at the island. He probably reported the information back to Maku by now."
"That's your fault for leaking our location!"
"Judging by their current state,I bet Chief Lenny had already found out about your plan.But Red I can't keep going."
"WHY NOT?AFTER EVERYTHING.AFTER EVERYTHING I DID FOR YOU?"
"I'm sorry but-"
"What?Sorry for what?One word won't change anything!"
"You can't even let me finish my sentence.Have some basic respect you evil tyrant!"
"Tyrant?KIBO!"
"Yes brother…"
"Name me all of Kraven's crimes RIGHT NOW!"
"Alright then…we have,
Murder.
Evasion from federal forces.
Evasion from taxes.
Destruction of property.
Illegal transactions.
Slavery.
Racism.
Discrimination.
Arson.
Aggravated assault
Child labour.
Manipulation,
Corruption.
Increase of poverty.
Homicide
Genocide.
Burglary.
Vandalism!"
"That's right Kibo.Now…judging by YOUR CRIMES,I think you need a little FIX UP in that brain of yours.Because I know how smart you are Kraven.All that wasted potential…all this.All this for what?For it to go to waste?We would have wasted energy,time and space on nothing. So please,for the sake of us all-"
"YOUR BICKERING RED.YOU SEE HOW ANNOYING IT IS?"Red's eyes flickered like a lantern all of the sudden.His arms tired out,resting on his thighs.Red face the ceiling and let out a weird sound.The crows heightened their senses.Something was going on in his head.
"543."
"What?"
"That's the amount of times I've died."Kraven took a second to process all this but Red didn't hold back. He wasted no time.This rebellion was guaranteed to happen. He would make sure of it.
"But only the ILO members can reincarnate. So there's no way you've had that many lives,let alone remember them."
"Well…you may be surprised Kraven."Red stood up,chuckling under that devious mask of his.
"Red don't,don't scare me like this."Red's aura shifted and grew stronger and brighter.This was the start of the awakening.And the start of the rebellion.Red's eyes illuminated.His aura crackled and he had no fear.All that stress from regaining the memories of his past lives.
"I just remembered."
"So it is you…"
"Well I'm fully conscious of it now.And I feel the need to kill.This is the start of my awakening to fully become the overlord."The cursed crows in the background all gasped. An uneasy flow of aura spread through the room.The air felt thick and dense so it was harder to breath.One crow thought of pulling a sword out but Red already blew his head off before he could even attempt to reach for it.
"I never thought it would end like this Kraven.Kibo lets go."
He shook his head.
"No brother I-I can't.You just blew someone's head off."He tried to keep his response short but simple.Kibo didn't want to upset his brother. He leaned over a rock and threw up out of anxiety.Red grabbed his brother by his hair and leaned into his ear,
"You don't deny your lord."His voice got deeper and thicker.
Red was going to become the overlord.
"AGH!"
"What is it?Brother?"
"My memories…they're somehow flooding through my brain again…I'm growing stronger by each second!It hurts. So bad…very bad…"He clawed onto his head,trying to rip off his clothes as if they were very itchy.
Kraven had a white feather sprout out at the back of his shoulder.His spine began to hurt because his black feathers would be constantly replaced the more he titled to peace and away from Red's insane ideologies.
Kibo kept his distance.His eyes were down on the ground and his muscles tightened.His whole stance was tense.
Kraven commanded for Red to stop but he was too ignorant to listen.A few crows lunged towards Red,each throwing hands onto him.
He blocked their attacks and kicked them all to the ground.Again,crushing their heads with a strong gravitational force.Red knelt down and stuck his index finger out.
"Tastes…creamy and soft.A bit acidic though."He had licked the blood from his slain enemies.A soft groan came out of one of the dying crows.The crow raised it's hand in the air.
"What's sticking your hand in the air going to do for you HUH?It won't save you.Your life is already over."Red sat up and punctured the pair of eyeballs.
"Can't see.Can't move."Tsk. He spat on the crow's head. It was completely crushed. It looked.gooey and squishy for some reason.
An overwhelming aura arose again. As red stood up from his position,he walked over to Kibo and held his hand out,convincing him to come along.
"Let's go,brother."But Kibo shook his head. He bit his finger nails,scared for his life. He knew Red wasn't going to kill him but he could still harm him.
"Let's go.Now."
"NO."Kibo took a few steps back.Red placed his hand out to use a gravitational pull to suck Kibo towards him but Kibo carefully but quickly built a wall created of thick greenish vines.
"DAMN IT!WHY ARE YOU SO DISOBEDIENT ALL OF THE SUDDEN?ARE YOU SIDING WITH KRAVEN?"
"Maybe I am brother!I don't even know if I can call you that anymore.."
"No."Red sobbed.
"What do you mean no?"
"Kibo don't tempt his rage it will just escalate the situation."
"I'm right here."Red bawled his eyes out. He took off his mask and leaned closer and closer into Kraven's face so that the crow knew where he stood.
"You do NOT deny your lord."
"You're my brother,not my lord.Honestly,you've gotten worse over the years.Stronger but worse.
"THATS WHAT THE OVERLORD IS MEANT TO BE?DID YOU NOT GET THE SIGNS?"Kibo squinted his eyes.
"What…signs?"
"They were obvious.I can see them now."
"So the whole time…you were the overlord.Ever since you were born into..this life.You only regained your memories of the past lives now?You regained consciousness now?"
Kraven questioned.
"Yes.I suppose so.I have full control.Well not yet.This is only the beginning of my awakening.I need something emotional to happen to me.I only have rage.I need more humanity.I need something to make me more angry!I don't feel complete yet."
"You're scaring me brother!Don't make me…"Kibo threatened to fight Red but he shrugged it off.
"I could fight you any day of the week,any time,any place,any circumstance.Even if I was NEAR DEATH.I WOULD beat you brother."
"I don't want to find that out Red. So calm down and we'll figure this out with Kraven."
"I'll be leaving by myself then!"Red shouted in fury. He stomped out of the cave of Terrence Oblivion and stole Kraven's boat.
"WAIT!"Kraven bolted after him but Red was already gone.There was no point in flying as that would have wasted energy as well.
"What's all this complaining about HUH?I'm trying to sleep here!"Isura rubbed her eyes and crawled out of her sleeping space.Kraven faced her and with no hesitation,
"Red's the overlord."Isura stopped in her tracks.
"WHAT!"She screamed so loud it woke some other serpents up.The situation was explained to all of them.And they were left hopeless.Red had already stolen Kraven's boat.Kibo was left slaughtered on the inside.His social anxiety grew worse. He was distancing himself from everyone else.
"Why my brother?Why of all people…"He sniffed in misery.Kibo just day dreamed and looked at the soft sand of the beach.All he could hear was the bristling wind against his ears.
"Kibo…"A figure in front of him called.
"What?"
"Look up."It was his mother Lady Applejack.
"Mother?!I haven't seen you in so long!"
"Same goes with you Kibo!Wait…!"
"Yes Mother?"
"Where's Terrence?"
"Oh he changed his name now to Red."
"That stupid tyrant always caused mischief. He obsessed over red and I knew it.Blood moon.Caused by him.Blood.Assosiated with him."
Kibo looked at the ground again.Applejack lifted his chin up.
"You were a good child Kibo.You obeyed me."
"I did?"
"Yes,you did."
"This doesn't feel real…"
"It isn't.I'm not real.But we'll reunite someday.And I'll make up for my sins-"She vanished and a voice in front of Kibo called out again.
"MOTHER!"
"KIBO!SNAP OUT OF IT!"Kraven slapped him on the back of his head.
"I saw my mother!"
"No.That was an illusion probably.The overlord…or Red. Or your brother…whatever you want to call him,he's going to cause trouble and we need to take action fast.
"I-I.."
"What?"
"I-I….I-"
"I know you're scared. If you weren't stuttering you were probably going to say that you don't want to go against your brother.But…let me ask you this.Would you kill your brother to save the world or kill the world to save your brother?"
"Why are you asking me?Ask him. He's more complex.I don't even know if he wants to side with me anymore."
"I'm asking you.From your heart,what would you choose?"
"That's a hard question y'know!If I chose the first option I'd be disobeying my brother obviously but I'd save the world from his wrath.But the second option would be to follow his insanity and let him destroy the world.But would it be the sake of me?Or would he do it for himself?You see Kraven,that might just be the most complex question I've EVERY been asked in my entire life. So…I still don't have an answer because either choice has a good and bad benefit."
"That was the exact answer I was hoping for Kibo.You're smart.You have potential despite your mental problems and your evil brother. We'll grow together.Along with the sea serpents.Isn't that right Isura?"
"As long as you two don't turn on me then I'm fine with it."
"It's settled then. We also need the police force and Genshi to work with us. We'll keep this island for the sea serpents to grow and we'll stop manipulating people anymore.Truth comes first."
"I never thought you would switch up so fast Kraven.Red was too much for you,for us. Am I right?"The two laughed and Kraven nodded his head.
"It's everybody against the ILO."