RG-XXX Tiamat 

Humanity's inescapable destiny of ruin was accelerated by a dreadful aerial fortress called the "God of Extinction." However, a force resisting that destiny stepped over a mountain of their comrades' corpses and crossed rivers of blood, and finally created that being...

"Tiamat"—the final legacy of the living humans banished underground. A blade of vengeance to strike back against the machines that drove them to ruin.

The ultimate weapon to engulf the paradise created by artificial gods—the Metaverse—in a vortex of chaos and destruction.

The Metaverse—a paradise created by artificial gods. At first glance, it appeared to be the utopia anyone would dream of, but at present, on a level unknown to the people living their days in peace, a grave problem had arisen. The Metaverse always needed to expand into new territory for the ever-evolving, ever-increasing human population. For that reason, programs responsible for development were always busy working at the frontier in the sea of data. Repeatedly, these development programs experienced strange, sudden collapses.

To combat this unexplained phenomenon, the Mainframe dispatched an investigation unit. What they discovered there were the syrupy, melted remains of destroyed Metaverse defense programs.

"This...is a wound from an ultrahot laser attack, but...just what kind of battle was this?"

"Ridiculous! These defense programs have the highest strength armor!"

The investigation unit was shaken by the unforeseeable development. Then, suddenly, an earth-shaking roar resounded, and the unit prepared for battle at once. A massive silhouette emerged from the sea of data. However, nothing more happened, and silence blanketed the area.

Even so, the investigation unit continued to tremble in fear—for not even their sensors could observe what that silhouette was.

From then on, the strange phenomenon of programs collapsing came to a sudden stop. As a result, the case was considered over, and the alert level was lowered as well. There was still much more development needed within the Metaverse, so extra resources could not be allotted to the matter.

Then, after several cycles passed peacefully, a sudden piercing alert resounded through the Mainframe.

"Some of the key Metaverse programs have suffered extensive damage!"

According to the report, a recently developed city had evaporated in an instant. It was so severe it was suspected to be just an error, and an investigation unit of non-combat programs was dispatched.

The investigation unit rushed to the city from the report, where they confirmed that the whole city had in fact vanished.

"...It's sticky, like syrup. Is this...the same phenomenon from several cycles ago?"

The investigation unit recalled their terror from back then. Just about everything was the same as it was several cycles ago. Then, when they saw a giant, strange-looking figure appear from the sea of data, they were confident that this incident was far more fearsome than the last.

"What is that... A jet black...wing? That shape; it can't be! I-Is that a dragon...!?"

The jet-black dragon appeared suddenly and attacked the investigation unit on sight. Merely the wind pressure from a flap of the dragon's wings was enough to put the non-combat programs in the unit out of service.

The dragon's roar became a shockwave, sweeping away the low level defense programs who came to defend the investigation unit as easily as if they were paper.

"It's hopeless... We're no match for this thing!"

The programs trembled in the face of the overwhelming presence. Even so, there was nothing revolting about the dragon. Ten wings spread from the jet-black dragon's back, each wreathed in crimson flame, dyeing the Metaverse sky bright red. Like a primordial god adorned with a halo, the dragon's awesome presence made the programs realize their own insignificance, and they couldn't help but bow down, their souls frozen by the majestic beauty.

Barely able to move, the programs retreated to the Mainframe, where they informed the divine Eclair's successor and the next-generation ruler presently reigning as the god of the Metaverse—Typhon—of this crisis.

After Eclair disappeared, Typhon was chosen as the next ruler to control the Metaverse. Typhon, whose power and authority equaled Eclair's, narrowed his eyes when he heard the report from the programs who were like his own limbs.

"...You say there is a program unknown to me in the Metaverse? And moreover, that this unidentified program possesses power enough to bury a city in an instant? Cease your nonsense, you fools."

Trembling in fear, the low level programs continued their report to the god who made no attempt to hide his displeasure. When he saw the footage the programs shared, Typhon realized the gravity of the situation, and at the same time, grew outraged that something other than himself had overrun the Metaverse.

Just then, a report came in that the jet-black dragon had appeared, laying waste to Metaverse programs one after another and heading for the Mainframe's core, where Typhon was.

"Show me, now!"

At Typhon's command, the dragon was displayed. The dragon destroyed all programs, combatants and noncombatants alike. Then, the dragon's body was shrouded in pure white light, and the world exploded the next moment. The light the dragon emitted swallowed up the entire city, after which the monitor changed to nothing but static.

Typhon transported quickly to the burned-down city. The dragon, having recognized him, sneered in a thunderous voice.

"...You are this world's king?"

"...And just who are you?"

The jet-black dragon spread her wings and bellowed, "My name is 'Tiamat'! I am the emissary of ruin, the sword's flash of despair! I am the one that harbors a great conflagration of vengeance that shall bring ruin to false rulers!"

The dragon called Tiamat continued on, "I bear a message from my creator, Dr. Thalassa. False king, burn in the flames of my hatred. Just as my compatriots were once killed like insects, so ought your corpses to be disgracefully laid bare."

After delivering that curse of resentment from the lives once trampled over, Tiamat's whole body was shrouded in dazzling white light.

"Kh...! No! All forces! Retreat to the Mainframe!"

A massive energy wave released from Tiamat's body. It was an all-consuming flame of purging and hatred—the anti-Metaverse destruction mechanism "Ultima Vortex." That power was so tremendous that not even Typhon could endure it with his strength.

...To think the insects of present-day humanity still had the power to create such a being!

Burning with humiliation, Typhon had no choice but to retreat to the Mainframe for the time being.

After retreating to the Mainframe, the high-ranking programs held an immediate strategy meeting to discuss how to drive back Tiamat. However, simulation results showed that the power of the "Ultima Vortex" Tiamat had just unleashed was so tremendous that no existing programs in the Metaverse could compete.

The troubled programs heard a heartbreaking scream from the Tiamat survey unit.

"T-Tiamat has begun moving—straight for the Mainframe!"

Many of the programs let out a gasp, but only Typhon, seated at the center, laughed heartily.

"Heh heh heh... If she wants to come here, that will be convenient... I have a great idea."

Typhon outlined his plan to catch the approaching Tiamat in an invisible defensive net and bombard her all together once she was unable to move.

"I'll call it the 'Marduk Plan.' No matter her persistence, in the end is she nothing but the dregs wrought from the dying humans of the present. She is no match for our all-out attack."

"I see... Then let us form a unit at once."

"Yes... Do as you see fit."

Typhon gave the programs a shout of encouragement, then turned around and headed somewhere else.

"Lord Typhon... Where are you going?"

"...There is something I need to do here. Go! Kill that irreverent scum!"

The "Marduk Plan" Typhon devised commenced at once. Even with a defensive net that could evaporate low level programs on contact and quantum assault cannons that cut through the air with a single blow, all the attacks combined could not fully suppress the dragon.

"The third defensive line was breached!"

"Kh...! Do not falter!"

A network of defensive lines surrounded her and bombarded her repeatedly. Each time a defensive line was breached, programs were slaughtered, scattered like snow into electric particles. Even so, they did not hesitate. Then, finally...

"...Tiamat! She's not moving!"

When the programs saw Tiamat cease functioning and come to a stop on the spot, they cried out in triumph for their hard-fought victory.

But the dragon lord's wrath was not over yet.

"...What? A high heat reading!? Don't tell me she's going to reboot!?"

The high heat made the rebooted Tiamat's outer armor peel off, and she changed shape... Clad in silver armor, the dragon lord once again began trampling over the programs. In the face of the newly evolved terror of Tiamat OC—Overclock—the programs lost their very will to fight.

"L-Lord Typhon! There is nothing we can do anymore. Please, help us!"

As their bodies were crushed, the hellfire-scorched battlefield echoed with their pitiful death throes. And still, their god, Typhon, did not appear.

There was no one left to stop Overclock Tiamat. The valiant programs spurred on by their mission took on the dragon lord nevertheless, but sadly, their attacks were engulfed in heat before they could reach Tiamat, and evaporated. They could not even touch Tiamat's armor.

"Lord Typhon! Won't you lend us your aid!?"

"Please, show yourself and put this monster down!"

As the programs lamented against their god, they were scattered into a sea of electrons...

To Tiamat, those screams of agony were as pleasant as the chirping of a songbird. Tiamat's onslaught did not stop. One who knew of the earth's past might say that the sight of her trampling over and destroying everything was just like the massacre carried out against present-day humanity by the giant aerial fortress known as the "God of Extinction."

Here and now, the cycle of revenge repeated itself.

At last, Tiamat's advance reached the Mainframe's core. Letting out a roar of requiem for the Metaverse, she began to unleash her Ultima Vortex at maximum power to put an end to the gods.

At that moment...a storm-clad god stood before Tiamat.

Seeing that Typhon had evolved from before, Tiamat instantly realized.

"Oho... So you've taken in the other programs to evolve?"

"So I did. They are little more than trash, but gathered in numbers, they take on a power of their own... By absorbing damaged programs, I have evolved into a higher being. That is the true Marduk Plan! ...Heh heh heh. My fallen comrades could become nourishment for me. I'm sure they're happy for the privilege."

"How egotistical. But such arrogance befits the god I shall destroy."

"...Burn in the hellfire of demise!"

Tiamat's chest shone, unleashing an Ultima Vortex that would destroy everything.

"Remnant of humanity, get out of my way!"

The storm shrouding Typhon also glowed tremendously, creating a raging torrent of light. This ability, called Cosmic Nova, was a power of absolute destruction permitted only to the divine.

Their abilities were matched in strength, but the victor was Typhon. Tiamat was caught in an electromagnetic storm, gave off a supernova-like burst of light, and shattered to pieces. Typhon fell to his knees, breathing raggedly. His body had lost data all over, and his functionality had fallen below 30%.

Present-day humanity should already be on the brink of extinction... What is this tenacity that spurs on their kind in the face of ruin? How is it that the human race can surpass their limits over and over?

Typhon, the absolute administrator of the Metaverse, grew even further interested in humanity as a result.

Typhon, transformed into the tyrannical king of wind, struck Tiamat with a Cosmic Nova of overwhelming destructive power, exploding the ultimate blade of humanity's revenge into pieces.

However...not all of Tiamat's remains were lost. Her broken pieces slowly sank deep down into the farthest reaches of the Metaverse.

Looking closely, one could see those fragments generating black bubbles of data one by one. Each bubble shone with a dark gleam of the fervent hatred within Tiamat.

Data from outside the Metaverse, that paradise of data. Data that would hate and destroy the world, abandoned to the sea of the Metaverse.

Tiamat had no more consciousness.

Even so, her body was wrapped in contradictions, giving birth to a new chaos that would upend the Metaverse itself.

Finally, Tiamat's body sank beyond anyone's reach...into the depths of the sea where not even God's light could shine.

Thus was the darkness called Nemesis created out of anger against God to punish the foolish.

Tiamat, the primordial personification of the sea in Mesopotamian myth, was eventually defeated by the storm-god Marduk, who Typhon invokes with his plan. You may also know Marduk as the namesake of a future Metaverse character!