Chapter Text
"Montrapod, please, you don't need to spend this many Magic Stones! You went through all of the effort to get those, so why—?!" A female voice pleaded.
The self-proclaimed “Supreme Centipede Summoner,” Montrapod, is merely a petty, selfish, low-life thief. They’re a nuisance, and they've consistently admitted to simply being evil whenever they're caught! All they’ve ever wished to do is to take over the world, and to enslave everyone who lives in it.
Despite what one may think, this fact has always been true—ever since they were born. During their childhood, Montrapod sought to be the top dog on the playground, but was painfully aloof when it came to their studies.
To give them credit in their endeavors, however, for what Montrapod lacks in both basic self-control and knowledge, they make up for massively with their street smarts. Montrapod's survival instincts are surprisingly good for how much of a blockhead they are, often allowing them to cheese their way through battles they probably shouldn't have won through any means just by sheer willpower.
Along with that, after realizing they saw themselves as a sort of "other," Montrapod rejected the title of being a "boy" in search of a more grandiose title that fit their destiny more cleanly.
Thus, after "passing" (cheating) through the Summoner Confirmation Exam at a surprisingly young age, Montrapod ran away from their old home—of which, they've long since forgotten—to the dismay of their parents. Seeking to be the strongest in all the realms, Montrapod set off on a journey to take over the world.
...But, however, at the moment, they're blankly staring into the distance, wondering what they should be doing—whilst ignoring the pleas of their companions.
"—Hmmmm... Do I really need another loyal subject? This machine is really straining my evil budget..." Montrapod looked at the golden gashapon dragon with weary eyes. They had done this procedure many times before, but so far, nobody who came out of the contraption had really caught their eye (or were particularly useful to the evil, insect-like summoner.) For a moment, they had considered saving their budget for later use.
However, like the gambling addict that they always were, Montrapod simply repressed their doubts, and pulled the claw of the REM after depositing a Magic Stone into the dragon's mouth, as if it were merely standard procedure.
"Ker-chunk! Brrrrr..."
"...Pop!"
What came out of the dragon's belly was a crystallized egg with sharp, angled edges and a transparent rainbow core.
Wait a second... A rare egg finally popped out of that stupid dragon! Yes, yes, yes! This'll actually hatch into something good!!
Upon realizing the fact that they had actually gotten a 6-Star egg, Montrapod quickly rushed for cover; the hatching process for a rare egg is usually quite... explosive, to say the least. After a minute of rattling in place, the egg started to shine with a brilliant, yet extremely bright light. The onlookers, of whom were the few monsters that Montrapod favored (of which, being a dying Brachys and one of the Gem Princesses, Sheen) were forced to look away upon catching even a slight glimpse of the dazzling glow.
This light faded quickly, and the egg suddenly exploded afterwards, sending crystal fragments flying everywhere. These crystal shards were moving at speeds comparable to actual real-world bullets, though Montrapod themselves probably wouldn't know what a bullet is. After this not-quite-a-bullet storm subsided, Montrapod looked from behind their cover, a conveniently placed rock, to finally ogle at their prize.
“Ahhh... Wait, where are we—?!” The man who was born riding a bird and with fire spewing from the top of his head had his focus bounce around many points within his surroundings, in a mix of shock and horror. He and his steed, an ever-reincarnating phoenix, quickly took up defensive positions, ready to try and fight off whoever had brought them into this world.
Montrapod steps out from behind their rock. Despite their prior reaction from after their emergence, Valen and his phoenix felt a mysterious wave of dread wash over them upon seeing the insect-themed summoner, as if the two of them knew in their hearts that they had to give up their hope here.
“Well, well, well. You seem like a strong one.” Montrapod said, whilst making a clicking noise and walking uncomfortably close to Valen. “What's your name, ‘ey? ‘Been a while since I got someone... competent from that useless lil’ machine!”
Valen hesitated a bit, but felt compelled to answer anyway. "Oh, uhmm... I'm Valen, the Phoenix Rider. And you are...?"
Montrapod blankly stares at Valen, seemingly dumbfounded. "Do you not already know my name?! I am the Supreme Centipede Summoner. Bow before me!"
"...Yeah, sure, whatever, Mr. Centipede Summoner."
Montrapod didn't take too kindly to Valen's comment, stating, "—H-Hey! You will only refer to me as your master! Why aren't you listening to me...?!"
And as the sun set deep into the night, they continued to bicker on and on, to the point that Montrapod had to practically drag Valen along on their journey. Neither Valen nor Montrapod knew that this single act of reckless gambling would significantly change the course of their journeys in their entirety.