Queen Kimbu

Space was a rather fickle element or concept or whatever you wish to call it. Together with time it formed the primal cage of chaos, bringing order and stability. They are the base for what we call reality.

Time was first, an unbreakable force that flowed throughout the chaos. It could be bent, pushed, stopped, and even reversed but never be broken.

Space came second, a stable force that created room for physical beings. Unlike space it was the pillar that held reality and could be broken.

What would happen if reality broke?

A fissure would appear within the grid protecting us and ancient, primal chaos would be released. Only beings that had surpassed divinity could safely withstand the chaos.

But enough of all that theoretical knowledge. As I had been saying, reality broke under the strain of the spacial fluctuation and chaos emerged. Well, what I thought was chaos emerged. I'd never seen chaos or anything close to it and had no way of verifying it.

It was impossible to describe, if I had to I'd say it looked like liquified void and stars.

Like a spring it poured out above the jade snake dowager and submerged her. Akin to a ravenous beast the chaos began to rip into the triple domain, demolishing it within seconds.

Quickly, space mended and the chaos was banished and replaced by reality once again. Then, with a glorious bang, the ball of fluff descended onto the snake's head burying it a few meters in the ground.

"Kimbu!"

'I assume you want the life enlightenment fruit, don't you...'

"Kimbu! (^•.•^) (~•.•~) (>•.•<) Kimbu!"

With a charade of absurd faces it grabbed the apple and ate it with relish. Meanwhile, the jade snake dowager raised her head out of the dirt it had been buried in. Contrary to my expectations she looked even more furious than before.

"How dare an insignificant mouse with wings step on my head! Do you know what happens to mice like you? I devour them whole, crush their bones, and make them suffer!"

"Tsk tsk (*•.• ) Kimbu!"

A small paw extended from the fluffy ball and gently waved. Two circles appeared in mid-air, one before the paw and one in front of the jade snake dowager's head. As the circle moved towards her head and touched it her head reappeared out of the other circle in front of Kimbu's paw. The circles functioned as gates.

The paw then advanced with astonishing speed only to deliver a faint tap onto the menacing-looking head.

"Was that supposed to hurt! Are you mocking me you shitty rat?!!"

Poor choice of words was all I could say. Another elegant wave of the paw swept through the air and the gates suddenly disappeared.

Without the spacial tunnel between the gates, the connection between the jade snake dowager's head and body also vanished and she was decapitated. Just like that, a divine beast that had been the apex predator of this world was killed with easy by a slightly enraged Kimbu.

The imminent threat was gone and I could fully concentrate on healing the large gashes in my body.

Kimbu gave a sad groan and created another rift in space and disappeared through it. I was kind of sad to see it leave so soon after saving my life and eating my enlightenment fruit. But I understood, Kimbu was a creature from another world and lady Aurelia seemed displeased if it left its world. Wouldn't want to anger a being that can crush us all like bugs.

"Roaaaar!"

And up my trunk an enraged Rat came running. Standing on the branch where the enlightenment fruit had been growing the squirrel struggled to muster a pout. Its clumsy attempts at acting cute were clearly aimed at me. I wanted a life enlightenment fruit for itself.

'You couldn't even take down a threat that was wanting to kill the tree you are supposed to guard. Why do I even keep you around?'

"Squiiiick!"

I admit my resistance to cuteness had faded over the years and I couldn't bring myself to deny the furry critter. A few minutes later Rat was happily skipping around before taking a nap to aid digestion.

'Now give me that sweet sweet corpse. Can I grow a divine beast?'