Thousands packed the stone plaza, their voices crashing together in a deafening roar. They waved banners and signs scrawled with insults toward the fallen Zoners and the extinct animal tribes, slurs painted in crude lettering, mocking the dead. Laughter echoed where mourning once should have lived.
At the center of it all, seated high upon his throne, was King Mr. Green.
A wide, satisfied grin stretched across his face as he observed the chaos below. To his right stood Debora the Parasite, her posture relaxed, eyes cold.
Beside her waited Edgar the Bacteria, silent and unreadable. And near them stood Maegan, the Barrakudo Converter, her presence sharp and calculating.
Mr. Green rose from his throne.
"People of Green City," he declared, his voice amplified across the square. "The time has come. The age of corruption is over. The age of purity begins now."
The crowd erupted.
"The animal traitors have been exterminated!" he continued. "The El Bacteria have been erased! The land is finally free to be reclaimed, reshaped, for the true inheritors of this world!"
The cheers intensified, voices overlapping in violent enthusiasm.
"No more Els!"
"No more animals!"
Another shouts 'Whose the pink hottie."
Mr. Green spread his arms wide. "This land belongs to you. The superior race. The future belongs to us."
The roar of approval shook the plaza.
Behind him, Debora smiled faintly. "Humans are so simple, as long as they feel they won they don't even care about someone like me standing right infront of them" she murmured. "It's like chicken and rice fighting on my dinner plate over whose superior."
Maegan nodded. "Soon, they will."
Later, deep within the royal tower, the atmosphere shifted.
The celebrations faded into distant noise as Mr. Green entered his private chamber. The moment the doors sealed shut, his form shimmered, his human fa?ade dissolving. His body shifted, reshaping itself into his true form.
Higan.
He turned toward Maegan, his expression sharpened.
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"I can't believe how easily they fell for it."
Maegan lowered his head. "Yes, my lord."
"You don't need to address me so formally," Higan replied calmly. "We are equals."
She hesitated. "With respect... you are not. You commune directly with two of the Five Kings. That alone places you above us."
Higan considered this, then nodded. "Very well. Then listen carefully. I want all military vessels deployed to the Animal Forest. That is where the island's core lies. Once it is breached, the entire landmass will collapse. Only then can I ascend and claim my place as the sixth king."
Maegan's eyes widened. "A sixth...? I wasn't aware such a position was possible."
"It was not," Higan replied. "Until now."
He bowed deeply. "As you command."
Higan turned his gaze toward Debora and Nini. "Did you eliminate the remaining animals?"
Debora paused. "Yeah. All of them."
Nini hesitated, then added quietly, "If any escaped, it would have been before our arrival."
Edgar remained silent, his expression unreadable.
"Very well," Higan said. "You have all proven yourselves worthy enforcers of the new order. Even without your full abilities restored, your loyalty has not gone unnoticed."
One by one, they bowed and departed.
In the corridor beyond, Debora glanced sideways at Edgar. "You've been quiet. Still thinking about that fight?"
Edgar's jaw tightened. "That damn bear... ever since then, my body hasn't been right. The electricity inside me won't settle."
Debora scoffed. "Give it time. Two weeks ago my power was barely five percent. Now I'm already climbing back. You'll recover."
Nini tilted her head. "I already have."
Nini's Abi 112,000%
Debora stared at her. "What?"
"All of it," Nini said calmly. "Every bit of my power returned."
Debora's eyes widened. "That's impossible..."
"Maybe," Nini replied. "But it happened."
Meanwhile, back in the king's chambers, Higan sat across from the massive screen displaying King Igris of the Puppet Dominion.
"You have done well," Igris said. "You managed to kill all the animals, even though the forest itself was said to be guarded by angels. You even eliminated the threat of the El Bacteria. Remarkable. You will make a fine king on the surface."
"I am honored to hear you say that," Higan replied.
"And there are no reports of Visionaries?" Igris asked.
"No," Higan said. "Not a single sighting."
"You must be sure," Igris warned. "Half of the Zoner district still exists. One survivor could change everything. Do not grow lax. Finish what you started."
"I will see to it," Higan said.
"Good," Igris continued. "Because the surface needs a ruler like you. But remember, if your secret is revealed, everything will collapse. You must be prepared."
Higan nodded. "Understood."
Igris's gaze hardened. "And remember, Sephiss is not to be underestimated. He is from the age when humans still walked the earth. He knows things beyond your understanding. Make sure he is dealt with."
"I understand," Higan replied.
The transmission ended.
Higan turned toward the massive window overlooking the city below. Fires burned in the distance. Crowds cheered in the streets, celebrating the fall of the animals and the Zonors.
A slow smile crept across his face.
"I can't wait," he murmured, "to watch you all suffer."