Mato was travelling through the tunnel that was the only entry point of their home. The tunnel to the main cave was long and narrow.

‘It’s going to take a while for the whole army to exit out.’ Mato thought in his head.

Mato’s head began to hum his instincts were trying to tell him something.

Mato travelled down the tunnel, the closer he got to the main tunnel the more his instincts started to hum. The intensity of humming increased dramatically.

‘My head is going crazy, my instincts have never hummed this powerfully before.’

Mato was hesitant, he was now the king of a nation and he had a duty to protect his brothers.

‘I can’t just think about myself. I am now king of a nation. I have to keep their best interests in mind.’

Mato turned around to look at Ness.

Ness’ face was stern and ready to take orders. Having him being the general of Mato’s army was the proper decision.

“Ness, I want you to stay with the army while I go ahead. I’m afraid a powerful enemy is in front of us.

“My king, let me go with you. I will help you defeat the enemy.”

Ness’ body clenched up, even though the king had said the enemy in front of them was powerful, he needed to go. He needed to be there to protect his king.

“No,” Mato replied, “Our army is too new to handle this threat. My plan was to slowly introduce the concept of battle to the sperm. They are far too inexperienced to handle the threat up ahead.”

Mato talked as the humming continued to increase.

“I will go ahead and take care of the threat. Just keep on marching forward. By the time you reach me, I will already have taken care of it.”

Mato smiled with his eyes.

“Ness. It is your duty to protect the king but remember you are a general. A general takes orders from the king but a general’s foremost duty is to protect the nation.”

Ness was about to speak but remained silent.

“If the enemy is too strong and wipes us out before we have a chance to establish ourselves, I will have failed as a king.”

Ness agreed with the king’s decision. The only sperm who had combat experience was Mato, Tamo and Grudd. Grudd and Tamo were back in the cave defending their home while Mato was the only veteran in battle. The army that they assembled was too green. If they faced a strong opponent as they are, the enemy would obliterate them. The army would have to learn by facing real enemies and slowly gain experience, only then would they have the right to call themselves a proper army.

Ness bowed abruptly.

“My king we will follow your will.”

Mato looked at Ness and smiled knowing his army will be safe.

Mato burst off towards the end of the tunnel. Mato swam ahead leaving the army with Ness at the head.

Ness looked at Mato’s back as he swam ahead. Ness could see the weight of the nation on king’s shoulders.

“Take care, my king,” Ness whispered to himself as he readied his body.

Ness looked behind him and screamed to his brothers.

“My brothers! Double time! We must help our king.”

“AYE!” The sperm replied in unison.

----

Mato was currently heading to the end of the tunnel. Even with Mato’s immense speed, it took awhile for him to reach the end of the tunnel.

“Almost there.”

Mato exited out of the entry tunnel and made his way to the main tunnel.

Mato looked around and found bacteria looking at him. He looked back but all he could see was darkness.

“That’s weird my eye usually pierces through the darkness. Why is everything so dark?”

Mato’s body started to shine with light. Light came out of his body and shined into the darkness. The light reflected back into Mato’s eyes showing him a greater picture.

What he saw were numerous black bodies that formed a wall that took up most of the space in the tunnel. Their bodies twinkled as their pitch-black shell’s reflected the light coming from Mato’s body. Their beady black eyes were pointed at the source of light.

A staggering number of black bodies covered Mato’s sight. They twinkled like polished obsidian. Everywhere Mato looked all he could see were black bodies. Their eyes possessed a threatening gaze. Mato’s instincts continued to hum as he took note of his surroundings.

“Bacteria!”

Mato tried counting the number of bacteria with his eyes but they were too numerous and opted to use his vibrations to find how many bacteria there were.

“Millions…..No…...Trillions…..”

Mato probed their numbers with his vibrations. The black bacteria numbers added to over a trillion! The black bacteria made a sturdy wall that blocked Mato’s path. In every direction he looked, all he could see were those black bacteria. If he wanted to get past this wall he would have to go through them.

‘How did the bacteria find out our location? Did they somehow sense the life force I radiated when I forcefully evolved the army?’

Mato’s thoughts ran wild and his instincts urged him to think of a plan.

‘Damn it. My instincts have never warned me so greatly before.’

‘Their bodies look quite small, the only advantage they have is their numbers. I have dealt with a large number of enemies in the past. Even if they try to tire me, my life energy orb will replenish me. All I have to do is kill every one of them!’

A solemn voice came from the wall of bacteria and interrupted Mato’s thoughts. Mato couldn’t tell where it came from because of the massive amount of bodies blocking his way.

“Kill.”

The massive bacteria wall started to inch forward. Inch by inch they swam toward Mato, knowing full well he had no room for escape.

Mato continued to stare as the black bacteria pushed forward.

“Trillions of black bacteria. I see millions of bacteria the same size as the bacteria king. It was a good call that I went ahead, our army wouldn’t stand a chance against a force this large.”

“I must kill these enemies before my comrades arrive.”

Mato started to spin in place, slowly building speed until the water started churning around him.

“Vibrational Whirlpool Screw!”

The liquid churned as Mato created a whirlpool beam with his body. The whirlpool beam went forward and was like a food processor. The suction and vibrations created by the attack pulled their bodies to Mato as they were being ripped apart.

The power behind this attack was immense. It hit the black bacteria and churned their bodies into a paste. The weaker bacteria were thrown into the whirlpool and never seen again but larger bacteria kings took a while for the attack to destroy them.

Mato constantly shifted his body to aim his attack in different directions but he wasn’t killing them fast enough. The black bacteria continued to inch forward not caring whether one of their fellow bacteria had died. The distance between them and Mato was shortening.

Mato looked like a needle in a haystack. He was fighting with all he had but he knew that this one attack won’t kill them all.

“Guess, I must use this move….Vibrational Radi….”

A voice from behind the wall of bacteria came echoing out.

“Quickly.”

The black bacteria flew into a frenzy and burst off in order to stop Mato from completing his move. The order that came from behind the wall seemed to turn on a switch in the minds of the bacteria as they no longer inched forward but sprinted. One bacteria managed to make it to Mato’s body, hoping to tackle him with its capsule-like body and interrupt whatever move he was planning.

“Too late.”

Mato didn’t need to say his move to finish using it, saying it was only a formality and formalities can be broken.

Waves of vibrations started to echo out with Mato at the epicentre.

The vibrations started off small but they soon overlapped with each other. The nearest black bacteria’s body couldn’t help but shudder involuntarily as it’s body stopped moving. The other black bacteria had caught up and were close enough to hit Mato but before they could reach him, their bodies disintegrated into nothingness.

The trillions of bacteria kept of charging into Mato. But Mato was like a blender, and when the bacteria hit the blades they couldn’t help but be destroyed. The bacteria didn’t care about their lives and continued throwing it away as they charged into Mato. Millions of bacteria continued to run into Mato, not daring to disobey the orders of the voice coming from beyond the wall.

The vibrational radiance continued to kill them but it wasn’t all-encompassing. Although vibrational radiance is an attack that goes in every direction, vibrations can be absorbed.

The vibrations passed over the bacteria like waves but waves can only hit the shore. The vibrations could only get to the bodies in front and could not go past them. There was no space between the bodies of the bacteria so they could not go through, the density of their wall formation was too great.

Mato had no choice but to keep on using vibrational radiance, slowly reducing their numbers. If he stopped now he might get overwhelmed by their numbers.

Mato continued to kill. Each wave of vibrations killed millions of black bacteria. Their bodies were destroyed and only their life energy was left behind.

Mato continued to kill. The millions of casualties slowly added up to billions but billions amounted to nothing in front of trillions.

Minutes passed but to Mato, it felt like days. Mato had killed billions but he lost count after the first ten billion. When he used his vibrations to probe their numbers he counted over a trillion but ‘over a trillion’ could be two trillion. Maybe their numbers could reach one hundred trillion, Mato had no way to find out. His vibrations could only extend so far.

A solemn voice came from beyond the wall.

“Retreat.”

The black bacteria stopped attacking and they retreated backwards.

“How much bacteria did I kill back there?”

The black bacteria continued to retreat backwards no longer making a wall to cover Mato’s sight. One by one the black bacteria retreated uncovering what was speaking throughout the battle. The black bacteria were like a curtain unveiling what was hidden. Slowly, an image of a titanic body appeared within Mato’s field of view.

A titanic body of black mass appeared in front of him. His body was thousands of times larger than Mato. The titanic bacteria had an immense torso and a single giant arm. This titan was almost big enough to block out the entire main tunnel. On its single arm were gigantic veins that slithered like snakes. The muscles on its body looked hard enough to crush steel. This titanic bacteria had a body like a bodybuilder. Placed on top of his torso was a chiseled neck holding up a giant bald head. It’s bald head reflected the light that was coming off of Mato’s body.

He examined that titan bacteria and couldn’t help but shudder. His instincts ran wild and began to hum dangerously. He felt like his head was about to explode.

‘This is what my instincts must’ve been picking up as dangerous. It wasn’t the trillions of bacteria but this single titanic bacteria.’

The titanic bacteria swam forward.

Ness and the rest of the army started to exit the entry tunnel and into the main tunnel.

“My king we have arrived!”

Ness and the rest of the army swam out of the entryway and found the titanic bacteria staring at them.

“My king we will destroy that beast!”

Ness was about to dash forward and attack the titanic bacteria but Mato stopped him.

“Ness….Retreat. Go back into the cave….”

Ness was flabbergasted.

“My king, but why…”

Ness had just arrived and was aching to do battle.

“You have no chance to defeat it. This beast is too strong for you. I’m not even sure If I’m able to defeat it.”

Mato’s body clenched up, his body was failing him. The pressure exuded by this titan felt like the world was toppling over him. Every stroke the titanic bacteria made with his flagellum made Mato feel like he was about to be crushed by a mountain.

“Retreat back into our home. The entry tunnel is too small for this beast to enter through, there you will be safe.”

Mato swam forward.

“Vibrational Destruction!”

A wave of vibrations went out of Mato heading for the titanic bacteria. The vibrations churned the liquid as it arrived on the titanic bacteria’s body.

The vibrations hit their mark but the titanic bacteria’s chiselled form felt nothing. The titanic bacteria stopped moving for a second. To him, Mato’s vibrations felt like a massage.

‘My vibrations had no effect on it I will have to get close to it.’

The titanic bacteria started to make his move. The muscles on his arm slowly flexed together. His veins grew like bursting pipes as power was being compressed into his muscles. Veins appeared all over the titanic bacteria’s body as power travelled from his pecs and abs. The titanic bacteria concentrated all of his power into his fist.

The titanic bacteria spoke.

“Punch.”

The titanic bacteria executed a basic punch. It’s arm released the tension that was build up by its body and let it loose.

His fist exploded forward like a meteor coming down from space.

Mato was swimming forward one second and could see the entirety of the titanic bacteria but at the next moment, his vision was consumed by this all-encompassing punch.

Mato’s body tightened with fear, his body wanted to run away but his pride felt otherwise.

“DAMN IT! WHIRLPOOL SCREW!”

Mato executed his move and met off to attack the titanic bacteria’s fist. Mato moved liked a missile flying through the air.

The punch and Mato’s body connected.

BOOM!

A large explosion caused the surroundings to shudder. The titan’s fist and Mato’s body met as the sound of the explosion expanded out travelling throughout the tunnel.

Mato was thrown back like a rag. A trail of liquid followed him his body was struggling to stay together. He travelled through the liquid only to be stopped by hitting the fleshy wall of the cave. Mato’s body crashed into the wall like a meteor, creating a crater the size of the titanic bacteria’s fist.

Mato’s body was torn apart. His body was almost cut in half by the collision, it looked like a grenade had exploded from the inside his body. Various wounds opened up and life force was leaking out of him like a faucet. The light within his eyes started to dim. Mato tried to speak but he couldn’t as too much life force was leaking out of him.

The black bacteria stared at Mato showing no emotion.

“MY KING!”

Ness came rushing forward to meet Mato, tears coming through his eyes.

“My king don’t worry. I will get you to safety!”

Mato tried to force himself up but more life force poured out of his wounds.

“Ness….Take care….of...my people…..”

Mato struggled to talk as the light in his eyes slowly disappeared. His eyes turned black as the light of life force disappeared from his eyes.

“No. My king, you cannot die!”

Ness was propping Mato’s body up, trying to bring him out of the crater but it was too damaged. It was like trying to pick up a soggy noodle. He tried yanking him out but he felt like Mato’s body would fall apart.

Mato’s army looked at Mato as tears started flowing in their eyes.

The titanic bacteria was watching them and laughed.

“Ha.”

The titanic bacteria signalled to his subordinates.

“Kill.”

The black bacteria started to march toward Ness and Mato’s bodies. There were still billions of black bacteria left.

Ness clenched his brow, pushing down the sorrow that was coming from his soul.

“First army, protect the king!”

Ness shouted through the liquid with all his soul. Desperation was heard in his voice.

“Protect the king!” The army repeated.

The first army met Ness’ resolve and sprinted forward, meeting the black bacteria in battle.

The battle waged on as both bacteria and sperm were engaged in deadly combat. Sounds of anguish and desperation echoed through the liquid as both sides suffered losses. The individual strength of the sperm was larger than the black bacteria’s strength due to their evolutions, but the number of bacteria they were facing was too large.

Casualties increased on both sides until a slender white body was seen exiting out of the entrance tunnel.

Tamo came out, her eyes scanning the battlefield only to see Mato’s body plastered into the wall.

“Mato!”