25 The last March

*BOOM

In the same barren wastelans where they originally started, a figure could be seen smashing into different places.

They had been going at it for almost 8 hours. And Marss kept getting pummeled each time.

He had been hit and damaged so much, the once incredible defence was now nothing more than a lump of rubber. He stopped screaming after a while too, refusing to let Michael try to persuade him to switch.

The king would always wait for him to regenerate and then crush him. Letting the blood flow everywhere. This cycle would repeat itself every time he staryed to move, completely shattering his will to fight.

The golden monkey was now standing in front of the completly broken corpse which was Marss, looking down as it twitched. He had already covered a large part of the surrounding earth with the beasts blood. Now, he was waiting for it to regenerate again.

...

Inside Marss's head sat a golden eyed boy next to a fading figure. It seemed to once have possessed brown hair.

Looking down at the almost broken Marss made Michaels heart twitch a little, as they looked very alike.

"Why did you not switch out with me? I already told you I can win.."

only half of Marss's body was stilk there. The rest was turning into hazy golden fog as they spoke.

"I...I wanted to...Bring mom back..myself"

"I...I don't want to be weak anymore."

Michael looked down at the pitiful boy, continuing to question him.

"Letting your instinct take control only means you are weak, Marss. Besides, we will eventually get her, so you don't have to.."

He was planning on continuing, but a small tear fell down from the more translucent Marss.

"I...Whenever mom asked me to help..(sniff)..I would sometimes tell her no, and we would argue...(Sniff).. One time, when Fenrik and the others hit me, she came to help...but I also screamed at her then..(sniff)"

Michael looked down at the boy, not interrupting.

"I....I feel like we are somehow the same..Even before the fusion...But...I am much weaker than you..(sniff)...I bet mom would want a son like you bringing her back..."

A strange feeling began to fill Michael's heart. Something he had not felt since the time he was very young.

"I...(Sniff)...I don't want to be here anymore...I was the worst child a parent could ask for...I never had any friends...and no one cares about my life. I don't even think dad would miss a failiure like me."

A heavy stream of water ran down his remaining brown eye. Turning into gold light as it hit the bottom of the shiney void.

"I hate myself, Michael. Now that I know how pathetic and weak I really am. How much of a disgrace I have always been. I probably persisted because I wanted to apologize sooner."

A weak smile formed on the remaining half of his mouth, he looked towards Michael while his leg started to fade.

"Hey, Michael..."

He still had his trademark poker face on, but a deep wave of mysteriousness kept waving in.his heart.

"Yes, Marss?" The bubbling feeling kept getting stronger as he sat there.

"I....Can I leave saving mom to you?"

His mouth trembled, starting to smile back at the dissipating boy.

"Sure you can. Isn't that what good brothers are for?"

Marss smiled even wider. Wanting to say something before he was gone.

"Knowing that you did not hate me in the end makes me kind of happy...."

The boy faded, sending a white glow into the body of the sitting Michael.

As he sat there, something which had not happened in 10 years of his life once more showed.

Looking at where Marss had disappeared, small tears rolled down his cheeks.

"Killing yourself only because you feel guilty.."

He started to sob.

"Dammit...that's not a choice you get to make.."

Now alone once more, he kept letting his new feelings out. For although he had not know the young boy for long, It was the first person except his family who did not try using him.

.....

The king looked down at the fully regenerated body. Seeing that the abomination was unconscious, he began to talk to himself.

"I am getting rather tired of this..I will let you say your final prayers before ending this."

But unexpectedly, the black monster said something back.

"...Michael..."

He heard this, showing a very questionable expression when the monster tried to crawl up again, while slowly shrinking it's body.

"Michael? Is that the name of another weakling like yourself?"

The black body started to shrink, turning into a well buildt, two meter tall humanoid monster with black spiked hide as skin, human facial features, and thick red hair with four horns sticking out. As for the hoves and claws, they were all still there, only looking more humane now. The armour and silver linings also looked much more noble while like this.

"...'No, you shit throwing chimp..."

It answered? So he still was sane after all. The monky king smiled, letting it shine like the golden armour.

"Then who is it then, beast?"

The human shaped black devil opened its regularly shaped eyes. Shoving two red vertically slit pupils resting in a black sky.

"It's the name of the man who will beat you half dead."

...