The night sky was filled with smoke and dust. The beasts and birds in the woods were silent, not daring to come outside after experiencing the shockwaves from explosion before. They patiently waited in fear for Kiba and others to leave this area.
The revolutionaries were rooted on spot, their jaws slacked to the ground. Their eyes were as wide as saucers with an absolute look of disbelief on their faces.
The world has evolved and the generations have changed. There was no more racial confrontation, at least not on the surface. Everyone had the right to love and marry anyone they wanted without caring about cast, race or even gender. Society was now more liberal with concepts of love and sex.
Despite this, the revolutionaries felt nausea and a vomiting sensation as they witnessed the first kiss between Count Viper and cobra. They wanted to believe they were not racists but seeing the kiss made their blood cold.
If the reaction of the spectators was such then the reaction of Viper could be imagined. Due to earlier shock, his mouth was wide open, and before he would close it, the mouth of Cobra on him... they were kissing!
Cobra’s tongue made a slurping sound in his mouth. Viper felt bolts of lightning coursing through him. Normally, such response was from excitement but he knew this was from horror.
The rock spikes continued to lock him in one spot but he could no longer bear this kiss of his date. The scales on his body shot out like blades and broke through the spikes.
"How dare you!"
Viper shouted in absolute fury. He was a revolutionary and for him, honor was everything. The respect of his subordinates mattered to him the most.
But now, he was humiliated in the worst possible way. Death was just momentary but the humiliation of today’s episode was something that would live even after he was no more.
Just how can he look in the eyes of his subordinates knowing they have witnessed such a shameful episode of him?
What truly terrified him was the possibility of others learning of this kiss. How would he be able to face the world knowing very well the comments they would make behind his back?
’Isn’t he the revolutionary who made out with a cobra?’
’I know his facial features resembled a snake but he is a human! How can he kiss a snake?!’
’Maybe he has a fetish or something.’
’Well, love is blind.’
’To be honest, I have heard rumors of him making out with snakes but never believed them until this episode.’
Hundreds of such imaginary comments run through Viper’s brain. He was sure people would talk more about his kiss than the contribution to the revolution. This thought made his blood boil in anger and frustration.
Viper roared furiously and pounced on the cobra. His entire body was filled with protruded scales in the form of armor.
"Die!" Viper’s nails turned into steel claws.
The cobra was frightened. It was just a level II beast and it stood no chance against a Level IV mutant like Viper.
"Hey, your date gave you the first kiss of her life," Kiba’s voice entered Viper’s ears. "And here you are being violent instead of thanking her. You are making us men look bad with your lack of manners."
Kiba moved the cobra out of Viper’s reach.
"You know she trusted you and yet you..." Kiba shook his head in disappointment. "I never took you for abusive husband material."
Viper was devoured by madness. Kiba’s words were arrows piercing through the remains of his honor.
"You are lucky we are in not civil society otherwise she would have pressed battery charges on you," Kiba concluded with a sigh.
Viper clenched his teeth so hard that they make a breaking sound. In his life, he has never felt so anger. All he wanted was to wipe out the shame he was feeling.
He twisted in the air and lunged on Kiba. His scales shot out first with a screeching sound, breaking through the air, leaving trails of shadows.
Kiba waved his other hand and the scales stopped in front of him. He made a twisting motion and the scales shot back at incoming Viper.
Viper made a summersault in the air but a few scales struck him. The armor on his body prevented any injury but the fury in his eyes burned more strongly.
"Kill him and that snake!" Viper commanded loudly. There was no more rationality left in him.
Kiba’s lips curled up in a smirk. He could have defeated Viper easily but he didn’t. Viper’s scheme has harmed the person who mattered the most to him so how can just a simple death be enough? He wanted to humiliate and degrade Viper in the worst possible way. Only then would his thirst for vengeance be quenched.
The revolutionaries leaped on him from all sides. Kiba threw cobra like a ball and it passed through revolutionaries like a bolt of lightning. The revolutionaries jumped to catch it but failed badly.
Cobra was startled. A few minutes ago, it was resting on a tree and then it in the hands of a human. The next moment, the human forced his mouth on a snake-like man. And now, once again, it was returning to the woods.
Just what was going on today?! It was angry of course but it knew the world followed the law of jungle. The weak got no right to complain.
Cobra was thinking this when a crimson pill appeared in front of its eyes.
"Thank for your help. Here is the reward."
A strange voice ringed in its mind. Cobra was stunned but its eyes were filled with genuine happiness. The scent from the pill rejuvenated its body, making it feel stronger than ever.
Without thinking further, it devoured the pill. Cobra felt a force of evolution coursing through its body, making its insides powerful. It was sure in a day or two it could advance to the next level.
The cobra was more than just happy. It has reached its nest but it wanted to return again.
Just a job of few seconds gave it such a miracle pill. Then what would happen if it did what it did for a few minutes?
"Humans are sure eccentric," Cobra thought. "I hope I meet that snake-like man again."
This time Cobra would be more than willing to touch its mouth with that snake-like man...
***
An enormous air blade sliced through the torsos of four revolutionaries who were jumping on Kiba. Blood spluttered like a geyser as their corpses crashed on the ground, dying the grass with fresh, hot blood.
Chris appeared behind Kiba. Hundreds of jaws shot out of his body, filled with hook-like teeth.
Ted opened his four muscular arms wide before he lunged at Kiba. White, energy balls appeared on his palms, after which he clenched his fist tightly. His hands were engulfed by blinding flash as he punched at Kiba’s vitals.
"You guys just don’t know when to give up."
Kiba moved his body such that he was standing in the middle of two attackers. He stretched one hand towards Chris while others towards Ted.
Ted shot one powerful punch after another at explosive speed. The air was filled with sharp sound as it twisted under the might of his punches.
Kiba raised his index finger to tackle the punches. As one punch was stopped, his finger moved at lightning speed to stop the other punch.
Ted was horrified. Every time his fist made a contact with Kiba’s finger, a destructive force would sweep through him. His muscular arm would expand rapidly like a balloon on the verge of breaking.
One after another, his arms exploded in a shower of blood and flesh. It didn’t even take ten seconds before he collapsed on his knees, letting out a tragic scream.
Chirs was in no better state. Hundreds of jaws were about to clamp on Kiba when he flicked his finger.
A terrifying wave of energy swept out, directly colliding with the hook-like teeth, shattering them into pieces. The energy wave showed no sign of stopping after it destroyed the jaws, and it then crashed on him.
Like a kite with a broken string, he flew through the air while coughing up blood. His body spasmed for a while after which he fell down on the ground.
Three revolutionaries were about to launch their best attacks when three energy beams pierced through their heads. They collapsed on the ground with a loud thud sound.
Kiba lowered his hand before looking at Viper and his two remaining followers.
"You leave me with no choice but to use my desperate measures."
Viper gritted his teeth with absolute hatred. After the loss of so many subordinates, he has gained some clarity.
He recalled the responsibility given to him by the honorable Elders and he knew he couldn’t afford to die here. Much depended on him and he refused to give up due to his hatred.
Viper tapped on his storage ring. Threads of smoke emitted from the ring which transformed into a treasure box.
Viper opened the box and took out the dark flute he was granted by the Elders. The snake-like runes on the flute released a powerful archaic aura.
"This aura... Impossible!" Kiba’s pupils dilated in shock.
He was far too familiar with this aura. In fact, to guard the owner of this aura, he has spent a fortune to construct Section IV below his Dream Rise House.
Princess Scarlet Leila De Rose!