Mato looked around. He could the sperm looking up at him, their eyes filled with worship like they had just seen their maker.

Mato’s instincts started to hum. He started to radiate life force, making him look like a paragon of glory.

“Tamo had gifted you the ability to speak. You should be thankful.”

The sperm nodded their heads in agreement. They were extremely grateful to Tamo and couldn’t help but be attracted to her motherly nature. Mato brought back the attention to himself.

“Outside is a world of danger. Where bacteria will come and try to take your life away. I’ve seen the destructive power of these creatures and if you stay as you are, you will die.” Mato uttered.

The sperm felt shivers down their spine as Mato said those words. They were just born, why would they want to die.

“But as you have made me your king, I will lead you as a king should.” He gazed at the crowd of sperm, taking his time as he spoke.

“We will band together and move as one nation,” Mato said, “A nation that is not afraid of bacteria.”

The sperm started to become agitated. Their bodies couldn’t help but move as their spirits rose from within their bodies.

“With my strength, nothing under these walls of flesh will harm us!”

The sperm were enlivened. Their bodies starting to shake from the words that were being spoken. Mato had given them life energy and now he was going to protect them, this was a true king.

“I am your king and you are my sperm, ” Mato said, “Together we are strong!”

The sperm upon hearing this started to chant.

“Long live the king! Long live the king!”

Mato nodded his head. He had taken up the mantle as king, so he had no choice but to protect them with his full power. The millions of sperm in front of him were weak. Even if they all bound together and attacked Mato, Mato could wipe them out with a single vibrational radiance. To live in this world you must have strength, otherwise, you have no choice but to follow the strong.

The sperm were caught in a fever as they began to dance. Their tails swayed to the chanting, celebrating the rise of their new king. Tamo couldn’t help herself and started to dance with the masses. Mato looked on. He could feel their dancing shake the surrounding liquid.

The sperm were young and easily impressionable. They had caught on to every word Mato uttered. Mato saw sperm dance with each other. Their eyes smiled as they interacted with each other. Their tails moved like snakes finding prey in the desert. They were happy. Happy they had found their king.

Mato thought as the sperm had begun dancing around him. Mato couldn’t help but remember the green bacteria king and his sons. The sons of the bacteria willingly gave up their lives to their king for the sake of his survival. Even though the bacteria king perished in the end, his leadership was still admirable. Will his people look up to him the same way as well?

“Enough of this revelry,” Mato said, “Let us leave.”

Mato swam toward the entrance as his brow clenched together. “It is much too dangerous here, bacteria can attack at any moment but if you follow me I will lead you to greener pastures.”

Upon hearing Mato’s words, the sperm became quiet and listened intently.

“Let’s go.”

Mato exited out of the cave. The sperm started to follow Mato, their tails swaying in the liquid. Millions of sperm could be seen trailing behind him still dancing to the beat of the atmosphere. Tamo kept to Mato’s side.

Grudd was seen in the back, the scowl on his face darkened the surrounding atmosphere. He didn’t dance with the other sperm, he was looking on from the back of the pack. Dark circles appeared under his eyes as he started to catch up with the others.

The sperm entered into the tunnel Mato and Tamo had come from and was amazed. This was the first time they were out of their home.

The tunnel before them was narrow and cramped. The group of sperm made their way forward and started exiting into the larger main tunnel.

As they exited out into the main tunnel, the liquid current tossed them down the tunnel like leaves in the wind. Mato couldn’t help it and swam forward to make sure no enemies would attack them.

The sperm continued to roll through the water unable to control their bodies. The liquid current pushed their bodies down the tunnel. The group of sperm were travelling at a brisk pace not knowing how far they had travelled.

The sperm progressed until the liquid current became bearable and they could travel by swimming with the use of their bodies.

The sperm looked forward and backward but all they could see was complete blackness. The light being emitted from their eyes couldn’t breach the thick fog in the liquid. Only when they looked forward and saw mato dazzling with white light did they calm their nerves. They had a king in front of them. A king that would lead and protect them. This thought had calmed them down and followed Mato peacefully.

Tamo was uneasy. She and Mato had taken an extreme responsibility. They were in charge of over a billion sperm. It was only then when she glanced at Mato could she calm down.

Mato’s eyes looked focused up far ahead making sure that nothing would sneak up on him. Mato could feel Tamo’s uneasiness. Being in charge of millions of sperm is no laughing matter. His speech from before came from his instincts and a moment of passion. If he really thought about it, would he be able to protect all of these sperms?

I haven’t been alive that long. Do I have the right to lead these sperm?

Their world was too large and the time they lived in it amounted to a short time. Although Mato had strength, other creatures that had more time to build up their bodies could put up a fight against Mato. It was only because of his instincts pressing him forward that he chose to the lead the sperm.

Mato and Tamo’s group continued swimming down the tunnel. Their speed was slow due to the vast number of sperm that they were following.

Mato’s swimming came to complete stop. His tail moved to his back then stopped, signalling for the other sperm to stop too.

Up ahead he saw a yellow bacteria that was large in size. Its size was similar to the bacteria king. This yellow bacteria was large but it looked like it was alone.

Mato looked over the yellow bacteria’s body, he saw hard yellow skin and a robust body. But in the eyes of Mato, it was weak. He didn’t want to fight such a weak monster so he looked over at Tamo.

Tamo saw Mato’s gaze and nodded.

Her body went forward. The slit of her forehead opened and her third eye had shown itself.

A red laser came out of Tamo’s third eye and went straight toward the yellow bacteria.

The laser struck its body. The hard yellow skin of the bacteria was unable to cope and immediately disintegrated leaving only a ball of life force behind.

Mato didn’t think it would be so easy for Tamo to dispose of the bacteria but she did.

Tamo went forward and got the ball of life force. She handed the ball toward Mato.

Mato looked at the ball of life force. It had a decent amount of life force inside of it. Comparable to the bacteria king.

‘Even if I consumed this life force for myself. It would hardly benefit me. It would be better for it to be used by someone else.’

Mato turned around and looked to the masses of sperm behind him.

“If anyone dares to take this out of my hand it is theirs.”

The sperm went silent. Mato’s staggering stature had scarred them off. Only one sperm had stepped forward.

“I dare.”

Mato looked toward the sperm. This sperm name was Ness, he was one of the first sperms to awaken.

Ness sprinted towards Mato. Ness carved through the water with immense speed leaving a trail of liquid vapour. He had to get closer before he could grab the fleshy ball with his tail.

“Ahhh…. Ness is so fast.”

The masses of sperm saw the immense speed of Ness and couldn’t help but praise him.

Mato saw Ness’ speed and his eyebrow crinkled upward. Ness’ speed was impressive to the prior Mato but Ness’ speed to the current him was only passable.

Ness had gotten close to Mato. His tail reached out like a whip and tried to yank the fleshy ball out of Mato’s grasp.

Whoosh!

At the last possible moment, Mato moved his tail to avoid Ness’ attempt.

The tail looked like a ghost as it dodged Ness’ grab.

‘Fast…’ Ness thought.

Ness began to try again but all of his attempts were useless.

Mato dodged all of Ness’ attempts. His tail was moving too fast for any eyes to see.

Ness began panting, Mato was too fast.

“The king is too great of a challenge for a sperm like me.”

Ness stopped trying. He knew his limits, even if he kept on trying to snatch the fleshy ball it would always result in the same outcome. Mato was too fast.

Admitting defeat he swam back towards the group of sperm.

“Halt,” Mato shouted.

Ness’s body clenched. He turned around slowly he saw Mato staring at him with the intensity of a sun. He lowered his eyes at the sight of Mato’s gaze.

“Give this to him.”

Mato handed the orb to Tamo.

She headed toward Ness, who had looks of confusion in his eyes.

“Here you go. Eat it with your tail, your chances of surviving will be higher after.”

“But my king, I had lost. I couldn’t grab the fleshy ball out of your hand. Why do you still give me this treasure?” Ness looked at the ball on his hands and then at Mato.

Mato stared at Ness.

“You have guts.”

Ness was moved. The king saw the initiative Ness had made by being the only one to step forward and rewarded him.

A sperm who had been named ‘Guts’ looked up from the crowd and quietly whispered to himself.

“The king said my name….”

Gut’s cheeks started to glow with a red hue and Ness received his reward.

Ness took the ball of life force and ate it. He felt the life energy flow through his body. The life force went through his body. Like a candle, Ness’ body lit up as the life energy changed his body. Mato saw smoke escape out of his body and being carried out by the current.

“I feel great!”

Ness started swimming around testing out the changes to his body. He looked liked a ghost as he travelled in the liquid.

“You’re much faster than before!” Tamo said eagerly.

The other sperm looked in awe. Their eyes twinkled with jealousy as one of them had just been upgraded.

Mato looked carefully at Ness. The amount of life force that sperm consumed would have been enough for Mato to complete his meridian transformation. But as Mato continued to observe, there were no traces of any meridians or a third eye.

Ness’s body had transformed. His skin was bright like silver and his body had gotten smaller.

He swam like a bullet back and forth, able to freely change his direction.

“What kind of speed is this?” Mato looked on surprised. Ness’s speed was incredible while Mato had some changes to his skin and it made him fast, Ness’s speed made him look to be on another level higher.

Tamo said, “Great. We have another strong sperm to defend our friends with.”

Mato saw this and was pleased.

“Let’s get a move on.”

Mato started to swim ahead.

As they continued swimming down the tunnel, Mato’s head started humming. His instincts were acting up. As he kept going further down the tunnel the intensity of the humming increased. When he reached another cave entrance the humming ceased.

A sense of familiarity sprung within Mato’s mind. He entered the cave and when he got inside he felt refreshed. He looked around him as saw a vast open expanse. He could see pink mounds that looked soft to the touch. He also felt that the liquid here had a much higher density of nutrients. This area was perfect for the sperm.

Mato turned around.

“We stay here.”

The group of sperm rejoiced at Mato’s words and dispersed to explore their new home.

The sperm started exploring the cave. Their bodies smashed onto the flesh as if they were pillows. As soon as they arrived they started relaxing. They started talking amongst themselves. They talked about their new home, about their new king but mostly about Tamo.

Mato saw this and also couldn’t help but feel relaxed. The entrance way to this cave is extremely narrow, so if any bacteria get through Mato would know about it.

Mato headed towards the centre of their new home and started meditating. He lit up like a bulb as life force radiated out of his body nurturing the surrounding sperm.

The surrounding sperm felt this and couldn’t help but fall into its soothing pleasure. Even Grudd started to sit down trying to suck up as much life energy as he could.