Chapter 147: Danse Macabre, Part 3

Silence began to brew between them, with the roaring fire being the only source of sound. Despite his statement, Harvard was given no information. He wanted to know what happened to him: What happened with his Skin, What happened with his body, What happened with his mind, even. He could tell just by the Hat Man's blank stare that no information was going to be given unless he goes out of his way to learn it from wherever this world is. He'd begin to approach him, setting up a set of appendages to fight back, with one of them wielding the chains that were off of Publiq's neck, spinning it around and ready to use it as a whip to strike at the Silhouette. Publiq merely followed suit, with the Dragons watching his every move and ready to strike if he ever did anything. Silence still lingered, even as they stared towards one another. Without hesitation, they'd make their move.

Thwick! Thwick!

The Hat Man would approach with set memories of the Monster's Harvard has wielded, molding into one conglomerate, an amalgamation of mass, fangs, and eyes, a form that Harvard hasn't seen in a long time. The boy would cast forth a slew of spells through the usage of the appendages: Ice, Fire, and Lightning, as well spinning the chain and doing quick strikes to the Hat Man's hands to prevent the attack. The Sun and Moon Dragon also made their move, charging and blasting down their own respective ray, precise enough to damage the land and pin down Publiq once more, yet the Hat Man was expecting such. He'd have the amalgamation take ahold of the rays, letting it disintegrate while he angled himself to be caught by the frost, allowing the attacks to be sealed and be given a proper shape. He'd then mold such memories further, allowing it to spawn out a set of tendrils that jabbed directly at the ruined land, picking up and curving his body to evade the rest of the strike. Harvard was starting to piece together quickly what he was doing, and grits his teeth when he prepares the appendages to block.

He was creating his very own monster. A Frankenstein's Project being woven before his very eyes.

The Monster was finally given a proper state as the Hat Man unleashed it before the likes of Inti and Quilla: A Beast with multiple eyes scattered across its body, some reptilian, some humanoid. The Monster seemed to take the shape of a snake, however it was growing out human-like hands in its side, sharpened nails and pulsing blue nerves made across its metaphorical black miasma of skin, something just like Publiq's real body. Its mouth had multiple rows of teeth, with some being shared between his monsters, as well as one extra set to be near identical to the Shadow People. Whiskers were also visible; long, slender ones that looked longer than the body itself. A true monster, woven out of literal thought from the demented mind of its very creator. Publiq would have the beast be lunging forward, with Inti and Quilla recognizing its speed is near identical to its own. 

SHIKK!!

A gash made across the Dragon's body, erupting out water and fire as its equivalent of blood, with the Dragons stepping back and evading any further strikes, watching it react out of complete instinct. Harvard was almost shocked that the monster went for such a move, even more so when he knew they were aware it was made out of this world's very sun and Moon. Had they been destroyed, they would've been met with absolute annihilation. the Card Magician would step up, setting up a spell while having the appendages block out its quick movements, his eyes now beginning to glow a solid color. The Hat Man recognized it being another trick, and so would try to save his creation by spawning a mass of people out from the very mouth of the beast, crawling out as if it was an entrance and lunged forward. Harvard would be forced to have them under his trance first, their eyes now glowing a solid gold with a symbol to be shown they were under its illusion, with the Card Magician smacking them away and climbing them up, using them as a footstool to reach further to the beast. Inti and Quilla still made use of their situation, despite being wounded, by firing such rays once more, aiming to blind and weaken it.

The Monster, however, was still faster.

It weaved its body in outlandish motions, almost as if it doesn't have a skeleton. It bends and contorts itself to try and evade the blasts, before it would issue its own in the form of a black ink-like ray to counter the beams of light and gravity, watching the four explode the area in nothing but tar, ash, and fire. Harvard would still remain close by, despite having a high chance he could be harmed by his own friends, solely to set up the Illusion spell and stun the beast long enough for a direct hit. The Hat Man, however, continued his flurry of Shadow People to take the spell, a cycle that the two would be forced to dance. After a few moments of such a dance, however, The boy was successful in landing it and provided his Draconic creatures a chance to snipe it down and damage it severely, a strong wound carved across its neck and through its body. The wound, however, gets healed once the Hat Man stepped forth, creating more bodies to serve as a wall while healing his creation. "It's odd...." he'd begin, the beast slowly coming back to its senses, with Harvard stepping back and being alongside his stellar allies. "....I actually never thought it would be possible. To create a new memory....a new shape....a new form. I suppose warping my very mind to fit such a description is what gave way into making it. Yet.....it's still human. It's still alive."

"It has an actual mind of its own..."

The Child remained quiet as A. N. Noh continued his speech. "This.....is something unheard of. I forged a new memory, just by the old ones that existed....I warped my perception enough....to bring it into existence. I don't even think it's supposed to be in this shape, yet here it is, right before my eyes..." The wall of Shadow People lowered as the Serpentine-like amalgamation stood itself up once more, coiling around its creator, with Publiq giving a strong grin. "A False memory....a False beast....now permanently ingrained into my mind...All done with a matter of fusing such creatures together...That is something you'd DREAM of....isn't it....?" As he'd finish, he'd notice that the boy's face remained unchanged, his hair still collected as it flowed along with the flames, yet sees one key difference: He was smiling.

"Nah..." He'd began. "It isn't. I'm pretty sure I can do that as well.."

The Hat Man gained intrigue at such a response. "You....can fuse your own monsters?" The boy simply nodded, which only resulted in Publiq gaining a wider grin. "Show me..."