Chapter:111
Title: Collapse and Ascent
The ground quaked beneath Marcus' body as he pushed himself up from the shattered remains of the building that had caught his fall. Dust clung to his jacket, and blood trickled down the corner of his mouth. He gritted his teeth, his vision blurred with tears and rage.
Seymon's decapitated body still flashed in his memory—so sudden, so brutal. And then there was Quagmire, his brother, taken from him in the war against Draven and The Ten. Two people… both gone. His last anchors.
His hands trembled, not out of fear, but from the immense weight of loss. His jaw tightened. The pain was unbearable, his breath uneven. And then—he laughed.
It was wild, echoing through the ruins of Washington D.C. His cracked lips curved into a grin, but it wasn't joy. It was the kind of laugh pulled from the pit of despair, when the soul had nothing left to bleed. The kind of laugh that came just before the break.
Across from him, Anuman the Great Monkey—tall, feral, his fur singed in parts from earlier blasts—twirled his staff casually from finger to finger. His red eyes narrowed, confused.
"Why laugh…?" Anuman growled. "Nothing… is funny."
Marcus didn't answer. His head lowered, his mind spiraling through silent flashes of the past. Then suddenly, Anuman's form blurred.
WHOOOSH! The monkey reappeared inches away, his massive staff arcing downward like a divine hammer meant to flatten mountains.
But before the impact—
FWWWWWSSSH—
Marcus' body distorted, colors tearing from his skin as if reality itself rejected him. His form pixelated into glitch-like strands—cyan, violet, neon green—until he simply wasn't there.
BOOOOOM!!
The staff obliterated the street where Marcus had stood, sending six buildings into cascading collapses as the shockwave tore through them.
Marcus rematerialized behind Anuman, several meters away, standing tall. He pulled his silver blade from its sheath and raised it high.
SHING!
He slashed.
But the nimble monkey dodged with instinctive grace, flipping through the air with a grunt.
Then—it happened again.
Reality stuttered.
Time rewound—not for the world, but for Anuman alone. The scene replayed Marcus standing, blade raised. Anuman staring. Only this time, Marcus' blade came down faster—too fast.
SLIIIIIIIICE!
The blade caught a chunk of Anuman's long black hair, cutting it clean off.
For the first time, Anuman froze. Fear. A flicker of doubt.
"Your power… it's dangerous," the monkey muttered. He grinned, but uneasily. "You would make a strong ally. Come, join us. The Monkey Warrior Tribe will welcome you. My king—"
"I'll kill your king," Marcus interrupted coldly, his voice hoarse and dark. "And I'll kill you."
Anuman's eyes sharpened, mouth opening to retaliate— But Marcus had already extended his right hand.
The air rippled.
Anuman's body began to twitch—then distort. His limbs twisted, pixels detaching and floating like fragmented memories.
"No… what—what is this!?"
"You've been glitched," Marcus said calmly. "And now…"
He clenched his fist.
"Delete."
FWWWWWOOOM—
Anuman's form shattered into pure data, dispersing into colored static.
Silence fell.
Marcus dropped to one knee, sweat pouring down his forehead, blood staining his teeth. His hand clutched his chest.
"My ability…" he muttered, "is a sickness."
His body began to flicker again—error lines running across his skin. His systems were failing. The delete technique had worked—but only on an opponent who couldn't resist his will. Now, he'd pay the price.
He collapsed, his blade beside him. Glitch lines blinked across his eyes as he lay motionless, consumed by his own unstable power.
Seoul – The Black Hole Breach
"Keep them back!" Madagascar's voice echoed through the frozen chaos of the Seoul frontline.
Tito hurled himself at a flying monkey, only for it to burst—KABOOM!—midair, launching him back with blood splashing down his forehead.
Mori darted through the swarm in his cheetah form, moving with blazing speed. His legs kicked out like whips, sending monkey bodies crashing into rubble.
Vincent stood unnervingly calm. One monkey knelt before him, caught in an illusion—but it suddenly blinked, smiled wickedly—
BOOOOOOM!
An explosion lit up the scene.
But before the blast could consume him, a red ribbon lashed through the air—SWOOOOSH!—grabbing Vincent by the waist and pulling him to safety.
"That was too close," Chiro muttered, her eyes flickering with crimson focus.
The group regrouped, scorched and bloodied.
"They're kamikaze types now?" Madagascar growled, freezing another monkey in midair with a flick of his palm. "Exploding monkeys with wings… What's next?"
Just then, VRRRRRRRMMMMMMM—
The portal pulsed.
From its swirling heart, something massive emerged. A shadow, then limbs… A giant monkey, towering over 500 feet tall, stepped through. Its eyes glowed like molten lava, and its skin radiated volatile Shen energy.
Everyone froze.
Even Madagascar took a step back.
In the Lannister headquarters, Mujin watched through a projection screen. His fist tightened as the reports streamed in.
"If that thing explodes…" he whispered, "Seoul is gone."
Without another word, he stood.
"Tobu."
FWOOOOOSH!
He vanished into thin air, leaving only a swirl of dust behind.
Akebi, startled by the gust, dropped her glass.
"Mujin!!" she yelled, bending down to pick up the shards. "Damn it! You idiot!"