MONSTER!!! x MONSTER!!! x MONSTER!!! x MONSTER!!! (Monster 4)

        It was a Chalicosaur this time, about as long as a saltwater crocodile with the height of an ostrich. They tend to spend time in the city overturning garbage bins for food, earning their local name as Trash Pandas.     I followed this one down an alleyway, the stench of rotten vegetables, fruits and meat forming a trail. Soon I spotted it.         A juvenile male, small for his species. I readied my Howa Type 89 and aimed for the head. The smaller plates around the mouth and jaw are softer than the rest of the armour.     I hit its chin. With a roar the lizard turned to face me and charged, ramming through bins and garbage bags as I fired again. This time I got it in the right eye, black blood spurting out like from a crushed mandarin.     The second shot hit the brain. It collapsed before it reached me, kissing the ground with a heavy thump. I took notes on my phone:     "Sep 9, 1999, 3:16 PM, Kura neighbourhood, Kagutsuchi District, 6 ¹/₂ miles from Toukyou. Male Chalicosaurus nihonensis, local name Trash Panda, killed by a Buddy rifle with a shot through the front of the head. Judging from its size about three years old."     There's no official recommendation for note-taking, but I'd need all the details as well as evidence of the kill to get paid. I took some pictures, called the Cleaners and waited for them to arrive.     A few minutes later a black truck pulled up, its windows tinted and original sprays painted over. Two men in standard M.O.R.S. gear approached me, got my details and wired some cash to my account.     "Pleasure doing business."     "Next time please take the body to the nearest office. Times are peaceful but we can't be everywhere at once."     "Understood."     They packed up the Monster and I left the scene. I'd killed a Sour Chilli an hour ago but decided not to report it. Alpha types don't get much pay. This job, a Gamma, got me 70,000 yen.     On the way back I spotted an Enma. It was tearing open some poor woman's car in search of seat leather, which to their kind is like beef jerky.         Judging by its complete number of limbs and heads it was a King, an adult. A risky target as the grown ones often ingest rocks containing platinum to help them grind food in their bellies as gastroliths: paired with the hydrogen produced in their gut and combined with oxygen in the air, they can sometimes spew fire.     This one seemed to be a forest variety rather than a mountain type, so the chances of it flame-breathing were slim. Still, I hesitated.     The woman noticed me in my hunter gear:     "Please kill this thing!"     I took in her aesthetic. Mid-twenties, hair dyed blonde, fashion from the late 70s, typical of many gyaru.     "If I kill it, will you grant me a request?"     "Yes, yes! Anything!"     "My name's Izanagi Kumano, by the way..."     "Kumano-san, please help! This is my father's car!"     "If I kill this Monster, would you go on a date with me tomorrow?"     A pause.     "A lunch date, I mean. Nothing romantic."     "Um...sure? Just please kill it!"     I had my motivation.     A few hours later I was at my local eatery, Susanoo, deciding to meet a friend.     "You shouldn't drink so much coffee. Bad for your health."     "I just fought a giant nine-headed bird with thirty-four arms and sixteen legs. Coffee's the mildest thing I could take."     Sally, an acquaintance of ours, takes our order:     "Gochuumon wa?"     "Karaage donburi o futatsu kudasai."     "Kono ko ga Enma-Ou o koroshita nda. Biiru o yatte kure, sankyuu!"     She leaves and I chastise the man sitting across from me:     "You lecture me about coffee but you're getting me beer."     "Never claimed to be consistent. Hell, I'm not even human."     Elagabalus is a Phantasomorph, or Vetaala, capable of assuming the form of other similar-sized creatures. This time Eragabarusu-san is an old man with a salt-and-pepper beard.     We converse in English to avoid unwanted ears. He takes a sip of my coffee without my consent and I flip him the bird.     "So who's the chick?"     "Sakura. Didn't get her last name."     "You ready for tomorrow? Have nice clothes and all that?"     "Yeah. Told her to meet me at Watatsumi's at 2:30. Got a reservation for two. For the record I'm not looking for a relationship or anything."     "My dear incel friend..."     "Not an incel."     "You celibate?"     "Yeah..."     "Is this involuntary?"     "Sorta but..."     "Inseru. Anyways, lemme know if there's anything of mine you'd like to borrow."     Sally returns. As she knows English I switch languages, curious about a Monster's dating life:     "Una mujer con buenos sentimientos, o que se mueva bien en la cama?"     "Yo prefiero un hombre."     She leaves after pouring our drinks. I open my can and pour a second glass.     "Like the city mouse or country mouse. Exciting danger or boring peace."     "Wish there was a third option."     We continue our conversation of love and Monsters till five, after which I pay for our meals.     "Tell Honoka I said hi."     "See you, El."     As I leave the restaurant all I can see are promotional posters, boards and advertisements for the Ministry of Regulating Supernature. Tenkamusou recently walked over six M.O.R.S. facilities west of here so they need new recruits.     My apartment is presentable. That's the highest praise I can bestow upon it. Not a pig sty, not a palace.     My tiny floofy tangerine queen, Bella, greets me at the door.         She's a Tanukiryuu, six months old. It's illegal to keep Monsters as pets but she's dangerous only to rats and bugs. I put a little suit on her when we go for walks to hide her wings, so all strangers see is a dog with strange eyes.     The other important woman in my life is on the couch watching a Korean drama, wearing nothing but some black panties and my sports jacket.     "'Sup, cutie."     You'd assume she's my partner, but she's actually a close friend to whom I'm as sexually appealing as a pomeranian. Honoka Hosiyama has known me for three years now and has made it clear she loves me as a brother.     "How was work?"     "Not too bad. Boss asked me out for drinks again. It was a nightmare saying no."     "You should put in a complaint."     "Nah, I'm good. This is something I can handle. How much did you make today?"     "A Trash Panda and King Enma, about 400,000 yen."     "This calls for pork ramen."     "I'm taking Bella for a walk first."     "Be back in fifteen."     "Yes ma'am."     The evening walks give me time to think and relax. The rent's been covered and we have enough for groceries. I need to make sure Bella gets to her appointment, need to buy ammunition as well.     On my usual path I spot the homeless 'prophet', Mister Mujina:     "Nostradamus foretold of it! Der Zerstoerer und der Schoepfer! La Vieille Flamme d'Ire, the Old Flame of Rage who will burn inappeasable and..."     "Yeah, yeah, tell Mike I'm busy."     When I get back I read some manga. I'm currently on volume four of Métempsycose, serialized since 1996. The series is set in a magically realistic mediaeval world where an Ombobrume, an immortal warrior, is told by the wizard Marouane that he is destined to find the love of his life, and is promptly spirited away to the country she lives in.     The warrior, Callahan, looks everywhere for her, but finds a unique obstacle in his path: the woman he seeks is an Omoe, a human who reincarnates across space and time into multiple bodies simultaneously. So begins a journey of the Ombobrume meeting with hundreds of women, all present incarnations of his soulmate, until he is united with Lady Caran's most recent form. There are elements of monster slaying, comedy, romance and philosophy. My kinda jam.     I sleep, not worrying about tomorrow and hoping I won't get nightmares.         "She's moving."     "I wouldn't call it a she."     Officers John Ethelred and Mario Draghignazzo, his intern, watch from the monitors. They along with the rest of Team 12 are three miles away in an inconspicuous black van parked in view of St. Paul's.     "You sure it's a Sampi?"     "Positive. The Dynamomeasure is rarely wrong."     "Which one is it?"     "Not sure. I have my suspicions..."     They are determined to kill or at least capture it. Eleven teams of thirty men each are stationed around the perimeter, armed with the latest weaponry including sonic cannons.     The Monster has coated itself with destabilizing frequencies that jam most equipment, making its identity difficult to discern without getting up close. This ability has never been recorded from a Sampi before: perhaps it has not been used until now.     "Team 8, move in."     The team, led by Joseph Scarmiglione, closes in on the target with weapons drawn.     "Will it understand us?"     "Probably. Anything above an Omicron can."     Locals described a person in a pair of jeans, barefoot, with a colourful Christmas sweater and cloth mask covering her face. Five Sampis are known to have humanoid forms, two of them female.     "Freeze!"     A woman with messy black hair, her eyes shut. Officer Scarmiglione recognizes this Monster. He saw pictures of it ten years ago on the nightly news: it killed his father, along with two thousand other people, while he was on a business trip in Wales. He feels a wet warmth seeping down his trousers, something he hasn't done since he was five. Nervously reaching for his walkie, his hand shaking:     "Boss...it's Figure 33."     The men in the van fall silent.     "The bloody Ghost Girl. Remain calm. Speak slowly and clearly, not too loud."     "John...I'm scared..."     "Remain calm! Stay where you are and issue commands!"     Joe takes a deep breath. His men rely on him.     "Get on your knees. Put your hands behind your head."     "You human funny. So easy scare."     Some languages are confusing for Monsters, especially English with its conjugations and plural forms.     "I won't say it again. Get on the ground and put your hands behind your head."     She raises one hand and an officer fires. The bullet ricochets off an invisible forcefield, falling at her feet.     The Monster holds open one eye:         It utters words in an unknown tongue:     "Eko, eko, azarak, eko, eko, zomelak: bagahi laka bashahe, lamak kahi ashabahe karrelyos, lamak lamek bashalyos, kabahagi sabalyos baryolas, lagozatha kabyolas, samahak et famyolas harrahya."     The radios lose their signal. When they reconnect all that can be heard are the screams of dying men. Cries for their mothers, pleas for mercy, chaotic gunfire, otherworldly growling.     In six seconds there is silence again. None of the teams on foot are responding.     Knowing his men are the last ones standing:     "Get the Horse."     "W...what..."     "The Dark Horse, dammit!"     Mario searches his files, finding a slip of wrinkly blue paper given to him by his superior, a code hastily scribbled on it in black marker:         "Input it."     "You sure?"     "We can't stop them. We can only get ahead of this before they make their next round."     He is one of four people to be trusted with a copy of the code. Hasty sweaty fingers type the string into a laptop in a silver briefcase and he hits the ENTER key.     "No turning back."     "I'll take full responsibility if this goes to shit. But I think it already has."         When I wake up my gums hurt. I brush my teeth and clean out my nostrils, my throat feeling phlegmy.     "God...seems I'm sick."     Hunting is thankfully an open-schedule job. I have a minimum quota of one Monster higher than Beta and I have the whole day to find and kill it.     I have some microwaved breakfast, get my gun and head out to buy bullets. After slaying some Alphas I go for my date with Sakura. The government lets lower-level Monsters roam around freely until animal control services pick them up and put them down.     Lunch is fun. We talk about our jobs, the economy, and the recent news that the Dark Horse has been used, the first time in nearly a decade.     "Another shuffling."     "I don't even know where I'd go."     Shufflings happen every time the Horse is input. A mass evacuation and relocation of thousands of people from all major cities across the world, numbering in the billions. This is to avoid the path of the Sampis when they make their rounds.     Not wanting to stress myself with uprooting, I switch topics to family. Sakura's father is a member of the Zealots of Monstriferous Beings in Earthly Society, a not-for-profit that seeks to encourage co-existence with Monsters rather than the current policy of killing most of them. I tend to agree with some of their beliefs, especially with Bella in mind, but find their religious elements a bit extreme.     "And your family?"     I probably won't see her again, so I decide to vent a bit:     "Don't really have one. Haven't seen my mum in a while and I think the rest of them are dead.     We moved here when I was ten, adopted Japanese names and integrated relatively smoothly, but my home situation wasn't ideal. My dad was a decent man who did his best, but carried many burdens from his own childhood: his grandfather neglected his father and his father beat him. In turn he would verbally, emotionally and psychologically abuse me and my sister, finding no other way to express his emotions healthily. His behaviour led to my mother leaving us when I was about six. As a child I hated him, and carry some of that anger to this day, but by the time I forgave him it was too late.     Jigoku no Maou walked over our city. We were separated and I was forced to the streets, unable to keep up with the shuffling. I signed up as a hunter for finances, and maybe so I could get a girlfriend, and eventually made a bestie and found a dog who'd been separated from her flo...pack. Life's been pretty decent since."     "I lost my uncle in Maou's recent round. I'm sorry."     "Don't be. Life's too short to dwell in darkness."     The rest of the date is a bit lighter. We talk about video games, our favourite spicy ramen, manga and the latest movies.     By the end of it, I've made a decision: I won't have a second lunch date with Sakura, but I enjoyed this one. She's a good person, and would be great as a friend, but I have yet to find this so-called 'One.' Or maybe I don't ever want to.     We exchange numbers and go our separate ways. Later on in the day I find and kill a Nuppeppou, a Beta which gets me 40,000 yen.     The evening is as usual. A walk, some manga, some TV and dinner. That night I feel my cold getting worse and decide to sleep early.     I have a bizarre dream. I stand in a rose-pink world, endless in all directions, with a person I've never seen before standing in front of me. I have no body, she is the only thing I see.             She eyes me with disdain.     "Stare at the calcium-cannons again and I'll break your jaw."     "Sorry. Um, who are you?"     I abruptly wake up, my head aching. But when I close my eyes, I find myself back in my dream with the strange woman.         "He's waking up!"     "Finally. I'm surprised it worked without incident."     A body emerges from the cryo chamber, a potbellied man in his early fifties with a Carthusian ring of grey hair on his balding head.     "Get him some clothes."     They fetch some robes and begin to clothe him as he wakes up.     "Mhmh...dgdjgd...dkjakgak...ahhh..."     "Director! Welcome back from your long sleep!"     "Mmm...who...are you?"     "Oh, of course. It'll take some time for the memories to return. Let me provide some explanations until then. May I?"     He holds out a hand and the old man feebly takes it. He is led like a child through the facility, being offered some answers by Professor Dhisaanaayaka:     "In 1947 they first appeared. We call them Monsters, but in reality they're no different from other animals, minus some outliers. They exist as thousands of species across the globe, all sharing black blood as a universal trait, and we have developed a separate taxonomy for them."     He leads him to a chart outlining the classification of Monsters.     "Epikrateia is the biological domain Monsters fall into, like Bacteria and Archaea for other creatures: all Monsters are in the domain of Eurynomoe, along with possibly the Aliens that sent them. Basileia is a Monster's kingdom, which is Daemonia. Phulon is a Monster's tribe, which can be Herpeta, Peteina, Cete, Tetrapoda, Theria or Ctene.     Homotaxia is a Monster's class, such as Mesperyianoidea which is the largest. Taxis is a Monster's order, such as Diaboli. Oikogeneia is a Monster's family, such as Theotheria. Genos is a Monster's genus, such as Pseudosaura. Eidos is a Monster's species, such as Maximus or Minimus variations."     "M...Monsters?"     He is still dazed, but it seems some memories are returning.     "In 1966 you cryogenically froze yourself and left your sons with the management of America's M.O.R.S. facilities. The year is currently 1999."     "So I've been asleep for thirty-three years?"     "Yes. In that time we have learned more about Monsters than what we knew when you were frozen. For one, a type system has been developed to categorize Monsters according to the danger they pose. There are twenty-seven types from Alpha, the lowest, to Sampi, the highest."     "And these 'Sampi Monsters', how dangerous are they?"     "Possibly world-threatening. Unlike other Monsters, these just 'popped' into existence. They appeared from thin air as if teleported from somewhere else. They also possess powers other Monsters don't have, such as magnetism manipulation.     There are sixteen Sampi-level Monsters we know of: Atomsmasher, F.U.B.A.R, Higgs, Clustercluck, Nithhewer, Kanghuei, Figure 33, Nembrotto, Giopadre, Eisenzahn, Hundthal, Jigoku no Maou, Tenkamusou, Reeriyakaa, Shaarvara and Shyaama. What's intriguing is that they all seem to have manifested near large bodies of water. Five near the Missouri River, one near the Chang Jiang, one near the Severn, two near the Po, two near the Danube, two near the Shinanogawa, one near the Mahavaeli and two near the Ganges."     "Why did I freeze myself?"     "We're not sure, Director. You never told us your reasons, but we all trusted you. And still do."     "What's this about?"     He points to a map with lines drawn across countries of the world.     "The rounds. Each Sampi, for some reason, is mostly benign. They seem to have no natural aggression towards humans, and simply walk around. Like cattle grazing in a field, aimlessly strolling about, they move at the pace of colossal snails and make their way around the world in semi-predictable patterns. As if they are machines with predetermined paths of movement, only fighting if attacked.     They don't eat anything, either. From our observations it seems they somehow get nutrients from the sun like plants. They have various shapes, but almost all of them are large enough to reach the troposphere with their heads. Figure 33 and a few others are exceptions, but are still as powerful as Sampis like Atomsmasher. Too strong to kill, stop or contain, we can only try and avoid them when they pass through."     "And...why have I been woken up now?"     "Because it seems there's a seventeenth Sampi on its way."         "Call me Angelia. That's a nice name."     "Uh...Angelia, who are you?"     "This form you see is a projection of your subconscious mind. Consider it your psychological shadow."     She is conventionally attractive but smells worse than a male Beetle Bear.     "Feminine and assertive, tall and imposing, sexy and stinky, basically everything you're not."     I'm starting to put it together.     "I see you when I close my eyes. Are you a Nymph?"     Icelomorphs are close relatives of Phantasomorphs, the difference being that rather than assume the form of other creatures, Nymphs appear as microscopic tapeworm-like parasites that drift through the air in search of hosts. When inhaled they make their way to the host's brain, and from there will assume a hallucinogenic form while living in the skull.     If it had assumed a form and was communicating with me, it was already somewhere in my blood-brain barrier, feeding on the cellular waste passing from the brain to the bloodstream. Removing a Nymph at this stage of maturation would involve a risky surgery with a 15% survival rate.     "This explains my 'sickness.' When did I inhale you?"     "While you were walking your dog. If it offers some consolation our meeting was entirely coincidental."     "You speak pretty well for a Monster. Sorta like a friend of mine."     "My previous host had a mutually-beneficial relationship with me. You could say we were...friends. Sharing knowledge and other things."     "Angelia, I don't want you living in my head."     "Not like you have a choice. The only time I could detach from you would be at the moment of your death. Try any other option and I'll turn your brain to jelly."     I'm beginning to panic, but decide to play it cool.     "So why have you decided to talk to me?"     "I'm here to warn you. A Sampi-level Monster is making its way here from Russia, and I want you to circumvent its trajectory."     "A Sampi? Which one?"     "Not sure. But this one is different. I can feel its aggression from here. Most of us can."     "Us?"     "Monsters. Not sure if you've noticed, but times have been relatively quiet. The smart ones have begun a mass migration to avoid this Sampi. This one's gonna end the human world."         Many year ago Doctor find I in large hole, under many garbage. Doctor find I, Doctor feed I and Doctor call I 'Belyjbog.'     Doctor love I and teach I many human word. I learn and I grow and become very strong. All I injury heal. I have friend, good friend, and I very happy.     One day some bad human come, bad human with black suit and many gun. Bad human take Doctor from I. Bad human kill Doctor and put I in cage. Bad human hurt I with light-fire and big needle, feed I very little and laugh when I feel pain.     Many year later in One-Nine-Nine-One I escape, and now eight year later I very big. So big I can destroy many city. I no care many human become hurt. Pain all I feel. And all human, good and bad, must die.         "I want you to begin preparations for the shuffling. When it happens, you are to go in the opposite direction to everyone else. Capisce?"     "Why?"     "This one's gonna target areas with a high density of humans. Unlike other Sampis it is aiming to kill as many as it can, and is bigger and stronger than any Monster man has seen before."     "We should warn everyone..."     "No."     "Are you telling me to just leave millions out as bait while I flee?"     "Their lives are insignificant. My only priority is my preservation, and that involves protecting my host. Unlike you sentimental apes we don't feel sympathy."     "I've gotta warn my friends at least."     "Fine. One or two won't make a difference."     I call El and let him know the situation. It seems he had previously felt the impending rage of this world-ending Monster, but had assumed it was just indigestion.     I next tell Honoka. At first she doesn't believe me, but comes to accept it when I start listing off the first thousand digits of Pi, provided by Angelia.     "Yeah, normal you wouldn't be smart enough for this. No offence."     She's more relieved than scared.     "I finally have an excuse to quit that damn job. Well, it was gonna come eventually but it seems this shuffling will be more chaotic. Gives us a better chance at starting over somewhere else."     Bella had been nervous during our evening walks. Not all Monsters can communicate but I still feel bad for not picking up on the vibes.     "Was Mister Mujina telling the truth, then? He was rambling about something wicked coming this way."     "He probably has an Icelomorph in his head. Would explain the insanity if it's an aggressive one. Reality's just the accumulation of ominous prophecies come to life, anyways."         "They're calling this one Perun, after the Slavic god of thunder. Different nations give their Sampis names they consider appropriate, with some like the Z.O.M.B.I.E.S. even worshipping these beings as deities."     "How big is it?"     "Going by recent satellite images its head could reach the stratosphere if it reared up. Though blurry the pictures show something resembling a giant white ox or horse."     "When did the last Sampi appear?"     "The ones we know all appeared within a year of each other. This is the first to have shown up in...God, I can't even remember."     "Professor?"     "Hmm?"     "Why is it doing this?"     "Would you like a scientific reason or a personal theory?"     "A personal theory."     "In my culture there is a sacred term: Dhamma, the Pali word for directive, duty, merit or righteousness. It is hard to translate, but essentially is the thing that must be for the universe to be balanced. A lion's dhamma is to hunt for food, a spider's dhamma is to spin webs. I think these Monsters are acting on directives that are either natural or from whatever sent them."     They walk the halls in silence for a while.     "The next shuffling is in a few days. We'll be heading to our facility in New Mexico."     "And what should I do until then?"     "Try and jog your memory. We need strong leaders in times like these. My father believed in your cause, and so do I."         We begin packing. All the essentials: clothes, weapons, food. My fur-baby will have to subsist on crackers for a while.     I take her for our final walk in this neighbourhood. Along the way I spot an Imoutogami feasting on a slice of watermelon, a gift from some stranger.         'Little Sister Gods' get their name from the fact they are always in groups of at least seven. This one's alone.     I take a seat next to it, knowing they're as harmless as pigeons.     "Decided your time is up, little lady? I sometimes feel the same way. But if I went out by my own hand, the people who put me in this dark place would win. Life feels like a bottomless well of shit sometimes, but just by living I am scoring a victory. It's a bad day, a bad month, a bad few years, not a bad life."     I get up, not sure if it can understand me.     "See you at the next shuffling, maybe. Sayonara."     I have conversations with the parasite in my head. Eyes shut for hours, we talk about plans for the shuffling and other stuff.     "Why does this Monster want to destroy humanity?"     "Dunno. Even if I did I probably wouldn't tell you."     "Would you have told your past host?"     She thinks.     "Yeah. She was special to me. And I've had many."     "The Z.O.M.B.I.E.S. call the Sampi Monsters 'Kami no Tsukai.' God's Messengers."     "They seem to have the right idea. We are objectively superior lifeforms."     "For an 'objective' speaker you sound quite arrogant."     "And you believe humans are worth the oxygen they steal from this planet?"     "I believe we are a species that got lucky with evolution and developed sentience along with sapience. Yes, we are fundamentally emotional primates who hold grudges and start wars, burping, farting, shitting and pissing like other creatures, but we are also sophisticated animals that create art, music, poetry and philosophies. I believe humans are more good than evil, even in our darkest moments."     "Those nice words won't get us far either way if we don't avoid this world-ender."     The shuffling will be in a few days. We prepare and pray.         We've got everything packed and ready. I rush to the pharmacy to get tampons for Honoka.     "What brand?"     "Aroriphrasis. Get the big dark pink pack."     "Yes ma'am."     While I'm there I also get some diva cups. On my way back I stop by the ammunition shop and later Bella's clinic.     "The date for her next appointment is in these documents, Mister Kumano."     "Thanks."     The stores are thankfully not as disorderly as I'd imagined. It seems many had been prepping in the days leading up to the shuffling so there are not as many fights as last time.     We don't have a car, so the journey will need to be made on foot. At 5:00 PM we leave, our apartment feeling less real the further we walk from it.     "Will miss the place, but at least I had space for most of my manga."     "Shame you had to leave That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Penguin and Fell in Love With a Cardboard Cutout Waifu. Thirty volumes is a bit much though."     After two hours we make it to the shelter. From here trucks and other government vehicles are being used to lead armies of scared people from one location to the next. Those that can drive will follow the trucks at the front, those that can't walk will be carried on stretchers. Children crying, dogs barking, the autumn air surprisingly pleasant despite the scythe of doom hanging over us.     There seem to be some Monsters here as well, tamed ones used by the military and sometimes police. Iwasaku for fighting, Nesaku for forming riot barriers, Iwatsutsunoo for first aid, Mikahayahi, Hihayahi and Takemikazuchi for fixing computers and radios, Okami for aerial transport when vehicles are scarce and Kuramitsuha for ground transport.     There is also, to my surprise, a Jouga, or Moon Spirit.         Rare Monsters of the Nu type, said to have precognitive abilities. The ones proven to be 'good' are brought along as occasional assistants to generals and high-ranking officials. Experienced Jouga can see years into the future. This one was on its own, its handler discussing the migration plan with his comrades.     We had only come here to see where everyone was going and then move in the opposite direction, but I was curious. I approached the Monster, careful to not step over the green NO PASS tape on the floor.     "Hello there."     She had spoken to me telepathically, but her voice sounded as if she was right next to me.     "Um, hello," I said in my mind. "You look very pretty."     "Thanks!"     "Your wings are so glossy. You put oil or something on them?"     "My routine's secret, but I'm glad you noticed."     The sweet-talking was meant to get me answers. Jouga are more collaborative when you get on their good side.     "My name is Izanagi. What's yours?"     "Kou Gei."     "That's a nice name. Famous archer."     I continue the small talk till I get to what I really wanted to ask:     "What do you know about this Sampi threat?"     "It's making its way through the Nihon-kai as we speak. Coincidentally this shuffling was ordered due to the threat of a completely different Sampi in Europe, but the occurrences seem to have overlapped."     "How many will die?"     "I can't give an exact amount, but around five hundred million. A large swathe of Japan plus a dozen other countries. Thankfully this shuffling will save many."     "You sound sympathetic towards humans. Which side are you on?"     "I am not capable of sympathy, but I'm on the side that wins. It will be the Monster side if you're curious."     "How so?"     "Eleven Sampis will appear after Perun, serving as his soldiers along with the others: Chaoskampf, Kalu Kumaarayaa, Mahasohnaa, Kernunnos, Herodias, Pahua-Nui, Shatiel, Tzurel, Sasq'ets, Ycnagnnisssz and Zenmetsu no Kami. The twenty-eight apostles will cleanse the planet with holy fire and create paradise."     "A paradise for Monsters?"     "And for all the other creatures oppressed by the hand of humanity. For too long your kind has raped the Earth and slaughtered itself along with other animals. Now the Anthropocene is ending and the Monstrocene will begin."     "And me? How will I die?"     "You really wanna know?"     "Sure."     "Your balls will explode on October 21, 2043, at 5:36 AM. Don't ask for details."     "At least I go out with a bang."     There have been many theories, but I want to ask someone I feel knows the truth. Someone willing to tell me.     "Where do you come from? All Monsters, I mean."     "They sent us to purify the Earth."     "They?"     An image is flashed in my mind for less than a millisecond.         "Was that...an Alien?"     "They want this planet. That's all I can tell you."     Before we leave I ask one last question:     "Which direction will this migration take?"     "They will be led north."     "Thanks."     I take my group south, more confident about the future. Honoka is nervous but I assure her we'll be fine.     "Could've asked more questions, but I don't think time's on our side."     "Where are we going?"     "Not sure. But we'll get there when we get there."     I call El and tell him to meet us at a town we're approaching, a former M.O.R.S. base long abandoned.     So that's where I'm at right now. A dog and friend in tow, a strange woman in my head, and a death that will probably outlast this attack. I'm not sure of anything else. But the beauty and certainty of life is that it's uncertain.         Céfiro Agares looks out on the peachy sand, taking in the heat of the day. He knows this is where they live, those whose Name is so sacred that to utter it will earn their consuming fire. He is taking a gamble, but hopes they will spare him until he presents his request.     With a deep breath, he calls them:     "Invoco a los Yee Naaldlooshii."     A raging storm of shadow drifts across the desert at the speed of death, the screams of past victims like a symphony of destruction played on whistles of forgotten memory.     One of them presents itself, an amorphous tornado that threatens to tear him apart, his entrails jammed in its motor of chaos. They continue their palaver in Spanish:     "What is Thy name, holy one?"     "Koyotl."     "I am Céfiro son of Jeremías. I have a request that demands the assistance of an Omega-level Monster. In exchange I will offer up my body to Ye all to be consumed."     "What is your request?"     "There's a boy I need dead. Name's Izanagi Kumano."