Maria's POV....
I bombarded Pat with a string of deadly attacks.
At least I thought they were deadly.
Only for all of them to miss.
As we jumped from one side of the moon to the other, I expected the scale of this battle to be greater than it was now.
Every punch, every kick, every headbutt proved ineffective against Pat, who simply moved out of the way slightly when an attack got too close.
Until...
I finally got a hit in. After who knows how long it took, I finally hit him. On his face, no less.
And it did nothing.
I stared in horror as one of my most powerful attacks did no damage to this guy's face.
How was that possible?
This guy was clearly human. Known to be one of the weakest races in terms of physical combat, but how?
"Is this the limit of Lizardian fighting? It is clear you all know nothing of martial arts, girl!" he said to me as he grabbed my keratin fist and laid it gently on my belly.
Sending me crashing through several nearby domes. Domes? Are those people's houses? Now that I mention it... some residue got in my mouth. And it tasted like coconuts.
I tried to get up after suffering such a powerful attack, but it seems my body was betraying me.
What was worse was Pat was coming my way.
"Hmm. I decided not to name my attack so it wouldn't cause any fatal damage. Perhaps test your power a little. Disappointing, to say the least," he said as he got closer and closer.
While I could barely stand. Come on, healing factor! Help me out here.
"You Lizardians think your strength is everything. In fact, most of the other races think the same. Might makes right. The strong rule the weak. That is nature's way. If that was the case, then why is the Capitolian Empire, a human empire, in fact, the most powerful empire in the galaxy?"
Lucky for me, he started some kind of rant. This was my chance.
"Simple, martial arts! Let me ask you. What would happen if the collective desire of billions of weaklings came together to form something physical? A power beyond physical, in fact! And what if there was a way to harness this power through one's body and mind? That is martial arts! Something your crude race won't understand as long as you continue to believe in the power of your genetics!"
I didn't really give a dang about his speech, but it was long. Long enough to buy me enough time to launch a counterattack.
I summoned two gauntlets made of keratin to cover my arms. Last time I used this attack, I leveled a whole city. Now I'm leveling this guy.
I would say nothing personal, but a piece of shit willing to murder children like him didn't deserve that luxury.
He didn't bother to dodge or block. He took the attack head-on. Big mistake, asshole.
Maybe I made the mistake. My attack landed, but just like before, it did no damage. Like, what the heck?
He grabbed my hand once more and got a good look at it. I tried my very best to break free of his grip, but it was pointless.
"As I said before, disappointing. Come on, you're out of options, child. Here's an idea! How about showing me that feral mode your people are known for!"
That's when I got the strength to break away from him.
"NO!!! I won't ever release that monster again! You hear me?! I'd rather die before I..."
Before I could finish my sentence, he was right in front of me.
"What a shame."
He brought his hand slowly to my chest again. I knew what was coming but didn't have any chance to counter it.
"Feel the sting of real martial arts."
And just like that, it was over. With just the gentle swipe of his hand, he sent a shockwave so strong it could be felt all over the moon itself, sending nearby domes and coconut trees flying in all directions and making a giant crater in the ground.
I lost.
As I fell to the ground, a memory flooded my mind. I don't know why, of all times, it decided to show up, but at this point, I needed a distraction from the immense pain I was feeling.
I was in court. For what, you ask? Trying to kill my father. I looked at the disapproving faces of the old Lizardian judges above me in their pedestal, looking down on me like I was some monster.
I looked at the citizens who came to watch the trial. They were over a thousand. I wasn't really surprised since it had been a hundred years since this had happened.
A Lizardian unlocking her feral mode.
They looked at me in what I could only imagine was fear. Could I blame them for being afraid? The existence of the feral mode was a powerful weapon for my people, but it ended up being a double-edged sword.
Cities would fall as several feral monsters ran rampant across the planet, killing each other in brutal fashion. And then suddenly it vanished. The horrors were over, and our society became a safe haven for our solitary yet peace-loving race.
That's the long speech one judge gave before handing out his verdict.
"For attempted murder and release of the taboo, we sentence you to exile! You will not step foot on our peaceful planet again!" he said. My head bowed down in shame. I didn't deserve it.
I didn't deserve this.
I didn't deserve to live after what I had done. When I looked up at the people, I realized something.
My mother wasn't there.
I had only met her once in my life. When I was just a baby. I always tried to convince myself that maybe, just maybe, she had a little love for me.
Now I knew for sure I was just deluding myself.
Suddenly, my father burst into the gigantic courtroom...
...demanding I be sentenced to death.
I agreed. I didn't deserve to live after what I had done. In my feral state, I murdered a family of innocent humans who were only visiting our planet.
But still, for my own father to grant this request, it hurt. And yes, I knew he didn't love me. Not in the slightest.
But it still hurt.
The judge denied his request because he said in my state I defended our home from human invaders. Technically, I was a hero.
Invaders? I...I didn't speak. I knew they were only tourists, but I didn't speak. I believed I deserved to die, but deep within me, I didn't want to.
Hate me for it. Please do. Because I hate myself for being silent every day.
My feral mode cost me my home. Heck, it almost cost me the new one I was lucky enough to find after my exile.
With the memory over, I stood in a white room with that very same feral mode.
More precisely, a more rabid, insane version of me locked in a cage.
And I was holding the key.
I had to make another choice. Whether to let it free, and it probably defeats Pat but kills every single living thing on this moon, or die in a crater of my own shame
.
I hate choices.
I looked at the creature with a cold sweat running down my face and edged closer. The closer I got, the more rabid it became.
I already made my choice.
I was opening the cage. I didn't care.
Whether Pat killed it, I didn't care.
Whether it killed Pat, I didn't care.
What about the villagers, you ask?
M...maybe Spike survived being launched into the core of this moon? Maybe he could save them just like he did before.
Or maybe, deep, deep down, I didn't care.
At this point, I didn't want to choose.
The end... FOR NOW!