Chapter 23 – 'Hear my roar.'

With forty feet between each other, Kuno stood in position, working his mind more than his body. Position, shape, density, pressure — he had to keep everything in check for this to work. Not only that, he had to master it to effectively use it in battle.

‘Picture it,’ JD said. ‘It’s all about your noggin – pave the way and the rest will follow suit.’

He took a breath and closed his eyes, letting the world around him go numb. ‘Take in the feeling. Capture it,’ he thought. He created the proximal poop to function as a plug, then the ammunition. He slowly filled the chamber with gas as his gut began to bloat. ‘This is the important part… Shoot your second best shot – the plug must be stronger!’

JD’s excellent senses felt the change in the air. His arms moved up just a little, just in case. And when the gate of the abyss fired in the darkness of this night, a loud bang echoed behind it.

Kuno fell forward by the recoil, sadly missing the sight of his shot as it traveled to JD.

It came fast, much faster than before. JD was able to react, putting both hands in front of his chest to block it. It felt heavy, forcing his arms to bend as it made impact. His feet moved half an inch back before JD had killed its moment and the ball fell to the ground.

Kuno swiftly turned around, proud of his progress, but the look on JD’s face dropped his smile the moment he saw it. ‘That was good, right…?’

‘Again,’ JD said, the disappointment palpable. Kuno got back into position, the awkward mood worrying him as he prepared another shot.

The sun rose, but JD’s mood didn’t. Each hit, Kuno could feel it. Each hit was a fraction stronger. He was getting better and better at controlling his ability, at drawing his power. For some reason, regardless of the progress, JD wasn’t satisfied the slightest bit. After the last shot at the dawn of light, Kuno collapsed and JD carried him back to the camp.

They already predicted Kuno’s state. Together with Webby, the frogman who took the watch, they put Kuno in a dense blanket fastened to a wooden board. They could’ve just carried them on their shoulders, but not only is it easier to drag them, it’s more comfortable for them as well.

JD didn’t sleep, which wasn’t all that odd. If the rabbit –and frogmen would question every different thing about JD, they would be here until many dawns come. The pack went on their way this second day of travel, humming the melody of their mining songs under the soft sunshine from above.

JD had gotten silence since the first day – nothing but sighs. Kuno had asked him if he was doing something wrong, to which JD replied: ‘yes. JD doesn’t feel your strength enough.’

‘What do you mean!?’ Kuno said, heavily disagreeing. ‘My shots are getting stronger and stronger each time and you know it!’

‘They are… but slowly…’ JD said, dissatisfied. ‘Continue.’

‘That’s how training works, right?’ Kuno thought. He wasn’t a novice to grinding day in, day out. Depending on the game, leveling could take a long-long time, and he was definitely doing his best. The mood was on the low, sinking deeper and deeper.

Until the third night, where JD’s patience had ended, and he believed it was time to do something.

‘After today, it’s just two more night…’ both of them thought after arriving on another field. The previous grounds were covered in poop, feeding the forest its well-deserved nutrition, with this one soon to follow. As Kuno did his stretches, JD told him:

‘JD needs you to hurt me today. Use your anger, like I told you. Find a reason to be mad and fuel your guts with it.’

Kuno tried it a couple of times over the last two days, but the whole technique alone captured most of his attention. Above all, he wasn’t angry. The only person he might’ve been mad at is right in front of him, helping him grow. In Kuno’s mind, anger wasn’t something good. He was at most frustrated, but even those feelings were always short-lived. He disregarded JD’s advice.

‘He’s tunnel-visioned. Anger might work for him, but I don’t need it… I’ll do things my own way.’

He was prepared to give him what he wanted, though. ‘You want me to hurt you… Well, I’ll gladly oblige!’

Every action gradually got etched into his muscle memory. He took his pants off and aimed. ‘Create the chamber, raise the temperature, fill it with gas and hold on…’

He shot it – this time, not even falling forward, just calmly watching his cannon ball travel in the split second it did. ‘Go,’ he thought, confident in his own power.

JD stood sideways, waiting for it to come, and when it did, acted fast and decisive. He hit the ball with his right palm, creating a shockwave that sliced the ground. For a second, it seemed like everything froze, not only JD and the cannon ball, but the grass, trees, wind, everything halted for a single frame of life.

Then, JD flexed his palm, and the ball of dung crashed straight down into the ground, half of it getting buried in the earth. ‘Of course… he’s still just playing with me… as I suspected,’ Kuno thought.

‘Weak,’ JD said on his way to Kuno.

Kuno turned around. ‘Weak to you! It’s LESS weak than the one before it! Come on, stop busting my balls. You make me feel like I’m not improving, but I am!’ he said, blowing some of the steam he had worked up. ‘I work well with praise. Praise me!’

JD put his hand on Kuno’s shoulder. ‘Praise isn’t what you need,’ JD said, the firm grip on his shoulder forcing the cortisol into his bloodstream. He tried to take a step back to see if he could leave, but JD held him tightly in his place.

‘L-Let me go,’ Kuno said, looking up into his dark eyes, most of it hidden behind his grand beak.

‘I will…’ JD said. ‘But before I do…’ He grabbed Kuno’s left wrist and bent his own legs to get closer. Kuno had a strong idea of what was going to happen, but out of habit, or maybe even instinct, began desperately asking questions as he tried to free himself.

‘What are you doing – what are you doing!? NO! JD, please stop it! No-no-no, dude, dude, I’m serious. Let me go, come on… please, don’t do this…’ Hope slowly drained as he saw the unlistening expression of the Undead Warlord. He had already made up his mind.

Kuno began hitting JD in the face. ‘LET ME GO!’ he shouted, punching his cheek as JD held Kuno’s elbow with his left and his wrist with his right. Kuno put his thumb on JD’s left eye and tried to push it in, but to no avail. Even his eyes were out of his league, feeling like an iron marble in a steel socket.

‘Put your trust in me… Please,’ JD said softly.

‘YOU DON’T UNDERSTAND!’ Kuno shouted to stop him.

But his words fell on deaf ears. JD did what he believed in, and after a whisper of ‘I’m sorry,’ he snapped Kuno’s wrist, breaking both his radius and ulna.

‘ARGHHH!’ Kuno shouted, taking a deep breath along with the pain. He blew his cheeks up and pushed the air out of his pursed lips. JD let go of his arm and when Kuno grabbed it, it was hot to the touch, swiftly swelling as the tissue filled with blood. The bone hadn’t poked out of his skin, so he wasn’t losing blood to the outside world, but his head did feel light as his pale skin turned paler.

Kuno gave JD the look he wanted. ‘Good,’ JD said. ‘Despise me… use it to get stronger…’

‘You’re a fool, JD…’ Kuno said, the fury in his eyes dimming. ‘All these years you have over me… How did you manage to accumulate so little wisdom…’

JD fell silent, standing straight again and taking a look at Kuno’s crown. ‘You’re growing too slow. You’re going at nowhere near the pace of Alcott… At this rate, you’ll die before being of any use to us or them… You have to trust me, Kuno.’

‘Shut up,’ Kuno said, the adrenaline numbing the pain.

‘Our hatred has kept us alive. If it wasn’t for that, we’d still be slaves under your species… I’ve seen it all. Don’t doubt my methods. Hate me and you’ll grow-.’

‘SHUT UP!’ Kuno shouted, causing JD to flinch. It wasn’t a shout of anger. It had too much phlegm for that, too wet, too… caring. Kuno deceived the earth under him, making them think it was raining. He shook, he coughed, all in a way JD didn’t expect him to.

Kuno lifted his head up, showing him the suspended tears on his jaw, along with the trails they took to get there. ‘H-How, JD? How am I supposed to hate you… while your face is like that!?’

He hadn’t noticed due to his feathers, the nerveless feathers of his humanoid duck body. He was made to ignore these feelings, but apparently they had a will of their own. When he put his hand under his eye, startled by his own emotions, he caught a tear and stared at it. ‘I’m crying?’ he thought.

‘How am I supposed to hate a man who is willing to go so far for his empire… and me?’ Kuno said, standing up. ‘I’m sorry, JD… I’m going to do better.’

‘I just broke his arm… what is he saying?’ JD thought.

‘He just broke my arm… what am I saying?’ Kuno thought. ‘Stockholm Syndrome…?’

‘Quaha…quahaha…’ JD tried to laugh, with not a hint of spirit in it. ‘Y-You’re supposed to hate me… I guess I should break your other arm too…’

‘You’ll only be hurting yourself,’ Kuno said, after which JD abruptly smashed the floor with his fist, creating a huge dent in it as the trees shook from either the tremor or fear.

‘Damn you…’ JD said. ‘Have you any idea what you’re up against? I thought you just needed a push…’

‘It’s just the third day, JD…’ Kuno said, sniffing his snot up.

‘I-I know…’ JD said, dropping to the floor, taking a deep breath. ‘JD is strong… but JD can’t end this war…’

Kuno sat down in front of him, supporting his dangling arm.

‘Alcott is a genius,’ JD said. ‘But it’s been decades, and he’s not even near…’

Then, JD spoke directly to Kuno’s heart, piercing through his soul with his words of desperation. ‘I almost killed you, but now… I think… We need you… Kuno. I believe you’re the one to do it…’

Never had anyone spoken like this to him. Not his family, his friends, his teachers, no one. Because of that, Kuno learned to believe in himself, and he did. Hearing JD, someone of such high status, and someone Kuno respected, say those words to him, awakened a torrent of emotions he was unfamiliar with.

He stood up, now looking down at JD. ‘Get ready,’ Kuno said. ‘This one will hurt.’

The confidence in his voice prompted JD to rise. ‘Let me heal your arm first.’

‘Leave it for now… I don’t want to lose this feeling. Hurry.’

JD’s feathers spiked up as he stood in position, watching Kuno get into his. The air was gentle, but dense – like a warm hug from a friendly giant.

‘I feel no shred of hate right now – only honor. I have been called,’ Kuno thought. ‘To this world in need.’ He closed his eyes as he got ready to fire. ‘Here’s my answer, Terra Two.’

‘Hear my roar.’

The forest bowed down to the stranger, recognizing him now as a savior. His thundering roar echoed throughout the area – waking up sleeping frog –and rabbitmen. ‘Holy crap. What are they doing…!?’

Fleeing workers of the Empire turned to the sound – as well as invaders from Regnum.

‘What was that…?’ Cara asked, with Sarah following up with: ‘I wanna see…’ her voice like that of a child in a car passing a theme park. Xiuying didn’t want anything to do with, knowing it came from the south. ‘That might be troublesome…’ she said, giving Cara and Sarah a slap on the back to get them moving.

He had slept well, but now the time had come to join the woken.

When Kuno opened his eyes and turned around, he fell silent. He felt his power, but the result was greater than he had expected, much greater.

On the ground lay two trails, straighter than a razor’s edge, leading the way to none other than the Undead Warlord. With his back crashed into the bark of a tree, he gave Kuno the smile of triumph he deserved as he held a dark brown cannon ball with both hands – the steam still rising from it.

‘Welcome to Terra Two – Shitman.’