An Empty Void Or Something More

Night Two Hundred And Twenty Two

'Where... Am I...'

"I believe this is the first time we're meeting Shelly Kaen..." A voice commented making Shelly jump.

She stood in a large field of red liquid with bone like trees all around her. However as soon as she blinked her eyes it was as if the space around her changed. She now stood in a small stone bedroom with a simple wooden bed. A wooden bed with a young snow haired boy with a single ruby red eye open. His left eye. His right eye was still closed.

The boy gave her a small smile cocking his head to the side. "It's been a while since I've gotten to actually use my body to talk. I'm almost awake." He noted happily. "I should have my body back before the end of next year."

Shelly didn't need to ask who this was. Hero, and Ken, told her enough. "Row..." She said backing up slightly.

"The one and only. I'm the true one. The perfect lifeform. Son of Mother, Father, Law, and Storm. Adopted son of Piero, Mary, and Okami. Next in line to become God. Savior of the Multiverse." He announced.

"An... Impressive title..."

"You seem scared."

"Well... If what Hero, and Ken, is even half true then... I really don't like the fact that we're talking."

"Come now... I'm not a bad guy. Would you blame a King for invading a weaker Nation, if he could use that Nation to not only better his own, but evolve that Nation into something greater. Wouldn't that King go down in a History book as being a Hero who bettered his own Nation, and even made other Nations better under his rule. I look at myself like that. I'm a King. No... I'm a God."

"Lot of gloating in that statement."

Row let out a child like giggle. "Worry not. I came to help you."

"Help me?"

"Well. The girl."

"Ken?"

"Yes... She... She seems to 'like' you so using you should work. I'm going to give you something. Though it'll be up to you how you use, and if it works. One slip up... And she might remain a beast-"

"That wont happen?"

"No?" Shelly shook her head as if it wasn't even a question. "It wont."

"How come?"

"Because. I made a promise. And unlike Hero I keep my promises. Ken Red... When I saw her first use that power I snapped her out of it and I told her that if she ever uses it again I'll just snap her out of it again, and again, and again. I promised her. So no matter what. With or without your help I know that Ken will be Ken."

***

Age 1991

Gladious City...

The Snow Covered Fields...

Kitsune grabbed her hand a smirk crossing onto his face. "Hey Hero. Check this out... Fusion!"

Hero made a face for a moment as he turned to look back at Arthur, and Curro who both gave shrugs. Even the Ken beast seemed to slouch down and not know what was happening.

"Fuse what-"

'Boom!'

A massive explosion of white light seemed to suddenly rip its way out of Kitsune and Irene as the aura wrapped around their body and pulled them together. It swirled around them forming a new form.

"Oh I know this." Daughter said. "It's a better version of what I wanted to do with you Father. Daughters version kills her but Kitsune's and Irene's version is temporary."

"I see. This must be what Kitsune told me about. So he's about to become a badass- Sexy warrior!" Hero said with wide eyes as 'Kitsune' stepped out of the light. "Oh my God!"

"That's... Not what it looked like last time."

The looked exactly like Irene, but with Kitsune's red hair, and his green eyes. They were a little taller than Irene as well and had that typical Kitsune smirk. Unlike the last version that looked like Kitsune with Irene's hair color, it was Irene with Kitsune's look. "Alright!" Kitsune? Irene? Iresune? Kitrene. "I'm going to take you- Why is my voice high pitched- What the heck!" Kitsune, who was still the one in control of this form stared down at his- her body with wide eyes.

"Huh. Guess Otoko isn't the only one with a genderbending Kitsune..." Hero noted.

Kitsune's checks were a flush red as they stared down at their body. "Wait? Is it just random which body I get then?"

"I don't know why are you- Oh my God!"

Ken seemingly got tired of watching them talk as the fired forward wrapping her hand around Hero's leg and raising him up as his eyes went wide. She slammed him down into the ground several times as hard as she could, which now that she had devolved was no where near the limit that was shattering his bones. That said the force of her strikes was still more than Hero had ever faced and he grunted as he was bashed down again, and again, and again. He twisted his body slamming his fist into Ken's head and back flipping away.

Ken let out a loud hiss her mouth opening as a mass of red energy began to seep out as Hero's eyes went wide. However before she could blast him with this beam of hyper death Daughter slammed her hands together a mass of black energy firing out and forming a shark of black aura that slammed its jaws around the Bestia Macht and raised it up causing its red beam to fire into the black sky.

"Oh thank God." Hero said with wide eyes.

Kitsune let out a sigh flipping her now long red hair. "Whatever. I'll... Figure this form out later." She said stepping forward. A wave of icy blue flames exploded out of her hands leaving a trail of ice behind her as she launched at the Bestia Macht. She spun around slamming her arms into the beast as an explosion of blue flames erupted force and the ice blasted out freezing the beast in a single burst attack. She brought her arms back as the ice formed out into a large ice hammer and she twirled around smashing it into the frozen beast and sending it right at Hero.

Hero ducked under it in a panic as it flew over his head and crashed behind him. "What the hell was that!" He yelled.

"You were supposed to punch it!" Kitsune yelled.

"Why the hell would I punch a gigantic block of ice flying at me at high speeds- Oh God not again!" Ken shattered out of the barrier her large fur covered hand slamming into his back and spinning him around as she grabbed his clawed hand and raised himself up and smashed him into the ground as hard as she could. In retaliation Hero held his left hand out as Wolfsbane suddenly appeared and he stabbed the short sword into the shoulder of Ken. She shook her body throwing him off of her and sending him tumbling through the snow and ice.

Daughter pressed her hands together her aura flaring back up as it wrapped around her body and expanded out in its large mega shark form. It let out a loud roar as it spun its body around and smashed its tail into the beast but the Bestia Macht held its arms up catching the tail with a guard. Then in a flash it fired forward bringing its arm back and slamming it forward as a burst of red energy blasted her arm forward towards the small girl.

Right before the attack could reach Kitsune flipped through the air throwing several blue fireballs down into the beast. Each one exploded into a hail of large blades of ice which spun through the air stabbing across the back of the beast and making it roar in pain. The Bestia Macht's tail flew out as it smashed into the fused girl slamming her into the ground. The beast flexed as hundreds of black spikes blasted out in all directions.

Kitsune rolled through the snow throwing her arm out and sending a jet of ice flames that froze several of the spikes while Hero threw himself in front of Daughter and slammed his right arm out sending a wave of green flames which blocked several of the spikes. Ken spun her body around and fired a beam of red energy towards him but he quickly shifted his right arm into his gun form as a beam of green energy blasted out. Both beams slammed together in a big blast sending them all back. Kitsune created an ice sword to slow her fall down, while the Bestia Macht dug its claws into the ground to stop herself. Hero wrapped his left arm around Daughter and twisted his body around landing painfully on his back but keeping the little girl safe as he grinded through the snow and ice leaving a streak of red behind.

"S... So... Who's winning exactly?" Arthur asked from over where he and Curro stood several meters away from the wild battle that was taking place in front of them.

Curro's demon armor was pulled around his body several large black tendrils slashing through the air as he blocked all manner of attacks from blades of ice, beams of energy, to black spikes, making sure to keep Arthur safe.

"Mr. Dwight?" Arthur asked.

"Hmm."

"W... Who do you think is winning exactly." He asked.

"I thought my silence from earlier would answer your question."

"S... So you don't know?"

"If I had to guess. I'd say the Bestia Macht. After all Hero's fighting on through will, Daughter while strong has no clue what's she's doing, and the weird fused Kitsune is on a time limit."

"How do you know about the time limit?"

"..."

"Mr. Dwight?"

"Please stop talking."

Kitsune got back to her feet first and looked up finding the Bestia Macht had already fully healed. From the corner of her eye she noticed Hero was slowly pulling himself up as well his back nearly gone from grinding through ice. She shook her head letting out a hiss. "I forgot how busted some Bestia Macht are... This is that stupid first fight all over again." She sighed. She rolled her shoulders getting the bones and muscles in her body to pop as she recreated a katana of ice. "Still. I'm not ready to quit just yet!" She announced charging the beast and slamming down.

Her sword stabbed into its back but Ken stood up on her hind legs making Kitsune's eyes go wide when it fell back and slammed her into the ground using its back to pin her down. Hero charged the beast throwing out a punch and getting it off of the fused girl. His arm glowed into his drilled form as he stabbed towards the beast but Ken's mouth opened wide as she caught the limb in between her teeth. The beast let out a growl as it held onto his arm with her jaws. Her eyes slowly narrowed as she stared at him.

"Woman... Don't you dare-"

Ken stood up on her hind legs throwing her head back as her teeth simply let go. Hero felt himself spin through the air as the beast open its mouth and began to charge up another beam attack making Hero curse. He had used his up during the fusion. However when his arm reverted back to normal he got his beam back but used it once again to block meaning now he had no protection from this one and he was midair meaning it was impossible to dodge.

The beam fired out spinning through the air at a high speed as Hero hissed and shifted into his shield arm but he knew it wouldn't be strong enough to block that attack. This would likely kill him-

From out of nowhere a blue beam of energy slammed into the red beam throwing it off course as it blasted past Hero and flew high into the air exploding with enough force to slam Hero down. "Whoa..." He said.

"Nice one Hero!" Kitsune yelled.

But Hero just frowned. "That wasn't me..."

Over on the arena Jester, aka the real Hero Law stood, her right arm in its own gun form a blue energy seeping out. Her lips barely curved into a smile as she turned away slipping a glass clown mask back on. "Consider that my birthday gift to you son. After all in just a few more days you'll be 17. I might not consider you my child, but if you die, what would happen to Row... Besides. If that bimbo slut of an Empress is telling the truth and the Gens of the mother are in you..." Her smile seemed to grow. "I'll need to inform Mr. Hyde of this right away..." She said stepping forward.

Hero, Daughter, and Kitsune, all got ready to push forward even more in their fight with this beast but before any of them could move there was a quiet groaning as Shelly slowly set up letting out an 'ew' when she saw the slime that clung to her body.

"What the hell did I miss?" She asked her eyes wide. For a moment her eyes glanced to the red haired woman with flames coming off of her. "Whoa. Who's the hottie? And that was a fire pun before anyone starts..."

"Shelly!" Hero said alarmed that she was awake.

Shelly stood up letting out a groan as she shook her head. "I take it Ken hasn't turned back?" Shelly asked.

"Nope." Kitsune said.

"...Seriously who are you?"

"Kitsune fused with Irene."

"Weren't you a boy when you did that?"

"I don't get it either."

"Now that you're here though we can beat down Ken for real this time!" Hero announced.

"Yeah-"

Kitsune and Hero went silent when they saw a pink aura begin to slowly seep off of Shelly as flames began to spark around her and she gained a look in her eyes. "Beat... Her... Down..."

"Oh shit."

Shelly slammed her hands down as the ground under Hero and Kitsune exploded and golden chains began to seep out. She glared at them both for a moment. "No wonder she's still like that. You've all been trying to brute force your way and force her to revert back to normal haven't you."

"Well..." Hero let out a hiss. "Whoops. More importantly... What are these chains Shelly... This energy is... Something else."

Kitsune was gritting her teeth trying to break out of them but didn't seem to have any luck with that.

Shelly reached her hand out patting Daughter on the head. "Your father can be a fool sometimes." Shelly said.

"Ms. Shelly?"

"So go to him. Take care of that idiot." Shelly stated. She let out a sigh. "I got to go take care of my idiot now."

"Shelly what are you planning?" Hero asked.

Shelly ignored the man as she gave a small smile. She turned to him for a moment. "You know. I don't know how you do it."

"What?"

"I don't get how you act so brave when you're about to throw yourself at something that could kill you. I can't stop shaking." Shelly admitted staring down at her hands. "I'm terrified."

"What the hell are you planning-"

Shelly took off full sprint at the Bestia Macht as she took a deep breath. "Ken you idiot!" She yelled out as the Bestia Macht jumped at her stabbing out with its claws.

The ground underneath her exploded as pink flames and golden chains spilled out wrapping around the beast as it stabbed out. And to Hero, Daughter, and Kitsune's shock Shelly was to close as the claw of the beast thrusted through her stomach and right out her back. Either Shelly didn't notice or she didn't care as the chains around the beast began to grow tighter and Shelly wrapped her arms around the body of the beast even as blood spilled down her chin.

"You really piss me off sometimes..." Shelly hissed. "Always acting like an idiot. You're an over hyper battle whore, who never thinks things through. If you couldn't heal you'd be killed so many times. You also complain about so much whining over and over again. It pisses me off and somedays I just want to tune you out. But... I don't... Because... Because you called me a friend. But... It was more than that wasn't it. That day with North. I had been chasing after Master Eins so much for saving me. Then you came. And saved me from North. You were going to kill him for me. You even turned yourself into something you hate for me. And I just... Never got it. I never understood why. And I never understood why I cared."

The chains began to squeeze tighter around the Bestia Macht as a light hiss could be heard and Shelly pulled herself further onto the clawed hand more blood pouring out of her.

"So... So revert back to normal you idiot. And help me understand."

***

Meanwhile...

In a strange realm with pure white liquid, and pitch black sky, Ken Red rested laying submerged as she stared up at the sky.

"I think..." A voice said as someone hovered over Ken. It was a girl with long black hair, with a red stripe, and red eyes. Ken Lancelot. Daughter of Lancelot. The first Ken. "We need to talk."