Apotheosis

I don't know what's happening to me, but I'm not gonna complain, cry, or run away. This power was gifted to me for a reason, and I needed to use it to protect not only myself but also my family.

The uncanny creature struggled to bring itself back to its legs, but once it did, it rooted itself in place, staring at me with its blank expression. It didn't make any subtle movements but only stared.

I stared back at its eerie face, slightly nervous, but nonetheless ready to fight against it with all my might.

"Well, what are you waiting for?! Are you scared?!" I shouted at it, brazen as ever.

It kept still, so I kept taunting it with my words and body movements.

"Bring it on! I'm not afraid of you. Did you think I'd run away?! Ha! Give me a break… I'm down for a fight!"

I was bluffing. I'm not actually down to fight, I rather have it run away. But if I was left with no choice, then so be it.

"…"

I quietly observed the creature… it wasn't doing anything, just looking at me.

I slowly walked to the left, and its head followed me, creaking its bones with its movements.

Creepy…

"If you aren't gonna fight, you may as well just run away."

My legs were shaking, it was obvious that I was scared.

Could it sense fear? I was terrified right now. But I held my ground and kept bluffing.

I could hear myself gulping, eventually reaching my car.

"Go back home, I don't have time to deal with you."

I was about to go back inside the car, but soon as I stepped foot inside, it came running on all fours.

It was finally attacking me again.

"Oh, shit!"

I was obviously taken by surprise. It pounced at me, but I dived to the side, evading its strike.

Landing on my front side, I turned around to see it jumping at me again.

It was hopping like a bunny rabbit at this point.

"Please, work!" I relied on my glowing right arm, punching the creature back with all my might.

This time I put my back into it.

The initial blow was powerful enough to shove it backward, giving me time to stand up on my feet.

"Haaaaaah!" I charged at it.

I actually charged at it!

I wasn't backing down. If it was putting up a fight, then I was gonna do the same.

"Try this on for size!" A cliche remark, but one fitting for my nerdy ass nonetheless. My fist drove towards its body, however, I forgot about one thing.

This bastard had the range, and I didn't.

Its arms were longer than mine…

"Crap!"

It reached its elongated arm forward, grasping my shoulder, and picked me up.

"Wuoooahh!"

I looked beneath me, realizing my feet weren't touching the ground anymore. Before I realized it, the creature slammed me into the pavement with all its force.

"Gaaaahhh!" My eyes were bulging red as the bones in my body felt like they broke into a million pieces.

I twitched, lying there in shock.

But the monster didn't care about my pain.

It picked me up again by my shoulder, throwing me across the parking lot. I bounced against the ground, tossing and tumbling like a tumbleweed in the desert.

Cuts, bruises, and gashes appeared against my body until I rammed into a telephone booth.

My body felt like it was hit by a truck… how was I still alive? Any normal human should've been dead from the amount of times I hit my head against solid concrete.

Perhaps it was this arm.

Maybe, just maybe, it enhanced my physical characteristics and durability.

If that's the case, then I can continue fighting.

"…I really wish I had a cannon so I could blow you away!!"

As if God, fate, or whatever you wanna call it, heard my prayers, my arm started to transform. The blue flames twisted and altered its size, creating a literal cannon around my arm. I couldn't believe my eyes.

Holy shit, this is cool!

"A cannon? Seriously?"

The same creature started dashing towards me again, but this time, I was prepared.

Lifting up my arm, I pointed it in the monster's general direction.

"Maximum power!"

The cannon on my right arm began to charge some weird energy. It looked yellow. Whatever this was, it was gonna shoot out, and I was ready for it!

"Take this!!!"

Holding my right arm with my left hand, I launched the empowered blast, completely destroying the sound barrier.

Its recoil pushed me back, indenting the telephone booth.

The uncanny creature tried to evade it, but it was too fast. It blew straight through its body like a pencil through paper, and continued onwards.

…Crap.

I screwed up!

"Oh no!

I watched in terror as the empowered blast of energy exploded in the distance, destroying a large factory. At least it looked like one from where I was sitting.

The explosion was huge! I couldn't believe that someone like me did that.

"Oh my god… oh my god! Did I just kill innocent people?!" I covered my mouth with my left hand, crying on instinct.

What have I done?

What the hell am I?! Some sort of monster?

"Monster? No. Far from it. There were no people in that factory."

Huh…

Did someone just talk to me?

"I can hear your thoughts, Emmeline. We are one."

What in the fuck? My freaking hand was talking to me!!

"Eek!" I squealed as I stared at some face that fabricated itself on the back of my hand.

It looked demonic as hell, talking to me in a feminine voice.

"What the hell are you?!" I looked away, closing my eyes.

Ew, gross, gross, gross!

"I am who you think I am, child."

Eh?

I looked back at my hand, slowly… realizing something.

Could this be…?

"Are you Apotheosis?"

"Fuhuhu, yes, I am. The Final Element of Ether that was lost in the fabled age of mankind, during the Great War between Humans and Phantasms."

"Uhm… Phantasms?" I asked.

"Indeed. Phantasms are creatures born from humanity's fears, rumors, urban legends, and myths. The one you fought and killed was part of their abstract race, but now they're gone, completely erased from the collective consciousness."

"Erased from the collective consciousness?"

"Yes, child, whatever is killed by Ether will be permanently erased from the collective consciousness of humanity. Their name, identity, history, and concept will perish, as if they've never existed in the first place. Such is the power of Wizards."

"…Holy cow! Something like that is… unreal."

"Ether is an energy that is forbidden outside of the Magus Association. This association has existed ever since the Fabled Age, though its name was different long ago. Their job is to hunt Phantasms and bring an end to the evil ones."

I smiled, huffing a sigh of relief, "Oh good, so we have people fighting these things? Thank god."

Looking on the bright side of things, there seemed to be good phantasms as well, considering apotheosis said that only the evil ones are hunted.

"S-So… uhm, Apotheosis."

"What is it, child? Ask me anything you desire. My knowledge is unlimited. I have existed for ages. Hahahaha!"

"Well, it's about… what just happened. First of all, why are you in my arm?"

"Ah, I see. Well for starters, I take many forms. Ages ago I took the form of a sword that only a chosen hero could wield, after that age, I became a spear, then a bow, and many other items and weaponry. However, this is the first time I have fused with a human."

I widened my eyes, hastily responding, "R-Really? Then, was it some kind of mistake?!"

"No, no mistake at all. I wanted to try something new and be closer to my wielder. I chose you for a specific purpose, Emmeline."

"Uhm… why someone like me?"

"Because you're trustworthy. Out of all the humans I have seen on this earth, you by far, are the most trustworthy of them all. You don't wish for power, wealth, or domination, you merely wish for knowledge of the unknown. I'm here to bestow you that knowledge and fight by your side until the end."

"I'm, trustworthy? Me? Emmeline Farewood?"

I believed it was nonsense, I had this look of "yeah right" plastered on my face. I didn't believe a single word.

"I don't even trust myself sometimes. You chose the wrong one, sorry. Can you switch to someone else? I don't want the fate of the entire world to rely on my hands! That's a lot of stress, and honestly, I want to live a normal life."

Apotheosis sighed as if they knew what I was gonna say.

"Child, you cannot live the life you want if this entire world perishes, be logical."

Oh… well she wasn't lying.

"Ugh… Damnit! That's total blackmail!"

"No, it's simply the truth. You have the power to save this world, so use it. Use me to defeat the creatures beyond the drapery."

"Alright… alright, alright!"

Damnit!! Damnit all! This was a pain in the ass. I wanted to rip out my hair right now and curse Absceline for some reason.

"Tell me, how did you change into a literal cannon after I wished for it? Is that some ability you have?"

"It's our ability, not just mine. Whatever you imagine, can be brought into existence, Emmeline. My power knows no bounds, it's all reliant on your imagination."

All reliant… on my imagination?

What sort of freaking power did I just get?!