Garden Knight: Year Zero

Paradise Part 3

Hope turned his attention to the crab. Picking up his cane and sighing. "I wish I could've prevented this May." He muttered before taking a shaky step forward, a summon sword bounced off the crab's shell as it turned to the other. "Just you and me, round two," He narrowed his eyes.

"In my monochrome musings, the moon is a deep silver, as if she were a rock alone in space, turning pirouettes for no applause. Yet when I look for real and open my eyes that tiny bit more, I see an orb with the company of the sun, reflecting light, not silver, but with a buttermilk glow. She is there, close to our Earth, keeping us company while she may. Mother, guide me," He charged the crab rushing towards it.

Standing in the dungeon cackled Van Horn as he walked up the stairs and onto the field. "Worthless bugs, they never see the big picture," He growled. "I'm saving my island and with that the forest," He was seen growing a second set of eyes as he looked at the corpse-filled battlefield. "We took a twin-track approach, allowing the virus to spread naturally among those expected to show a robust response, and took measures to isolate those more vulnerable. This had the effect of building herd immunity at the fastest and safest rate possible," He grabbed the corpses fusing with each and every corpse he could. "I will become something the world will see as the true God," He continued fusing. "Each and every last one of y-" He grew 6 arms before looking to the bleeding body of his queen bee. He walked towards her and looked at her. "You're still breathing, You'll help me won't you my love," the masked purple man stood over her all 6 arms grabbing her.

Around him was the swirling brown blur of dust.

The creature was huge and grotesque with matted hair and huge twisting horns protruding upward into the dark midnight sky. The contorted figure eclipsed the moon. It stood on it's knotted haunches and stooped as it's wrinkled face stared at them. It gave off an aura of pure hate and evil expressed in its dull black eyes. "What the fuck is that!?" Sammy shouted as she looked up at it.

"You can call me beastly, devil, or any name you want. It is in the nature of a beast to be a beast. It's fun too. Don't you love the thrill of the kill? Don't you love to chase an animal only to snuff it out? Why deny your nature? It is the first nature any beast gets - survive, hunt, kill. There is joy in power, in dominating, in making others subservient to your will. Don't you want that? A beast is just another of nature's fine animals. Morals are for the weak, those not strong enough to seize power for themselves. They await a Godly force to save them or inspire them to a bloodless victory. Even that is a tool for me, how simple it is to inspire them to kill in the name of God. Perhaps that makes me their God, perhaps it is the beast they want." The beast swung towards the group only for a blast to send them all back. "I kill for a purpose, not god, nor bug," Claws plunged into a body as the smoke cleared.

Where there had been smooth skin was torn muscle and blood, as raw as any carcass at the butchers. On the claws spat and coughed up blood. The queen used Warhammer to push them all back. Blood slid down her arm and soaked the cloth material of her uniform, but yet, even though pain fluctuated on her face, the defiant stance and angry crease through her forehead indicated she wasn't about to go down without a fight. Warhammer activated again and stabbed through the beasts matted fur and pushed down to his bones. "You...You'll die before reaching the mainland."

"And who will kill me?"

The sudden thumping of a crab made the group turn to see Hope with his cane stabbed into the crab using it as a joystick. "Van Horn!" He shouted.

"Him,"

The beast merely grinned and threw her into the air, opening his mouth and eating her in one bite. The blood spilled and exploded out of his mouth, her legs hit the ground as did her stinger. He started walking towards the crab. "Hope, You'll fall before my migh-" The crab claw clamped and cut the horn off him as the ground erupted in spikes.

Below him, Pilo had at his mom's stinger and stared up to him. As spikes stabbed and plunged into him, sending him into the air as the claw was brought down, carving into the beasts head. Blood spilled down his claw as the other claw pinched his side and slammed him into the ground. Hope could be seen growling. "He's not the beast, he's inside it controlling it!" He shouted. "I've seen the queen use this before," He shouted before a sudden spike ripped through the crab. A large spike made of hardened fungi pierced the shell hitting directly through it.

"Mom!" He shouted to Venus. "Get everyone off this island!" He shouted before jumping off the crab. Using his cane to stab into the beast.

"What about you!?"

"Don't worry about me, I can handle this!" He shouted stabbing his cane into his head over and over.

Caro picked up Pilo who was crying as June, Sammy, and Venus rushed to the boat. "Not happening!" The beast growled as hardened fungi shot towards them. Dust was thrown blowing the fungi to smoke. The full moon shined over the two as Hope landed on the ground and looked up at the bleeding beast.

The Knights got on the boat sailing for the mainland.