Our footsteps ring out across the seemingly everlasting hallway, the echoes rectifying their existence constantly. The lanterns stretch farther, and farther. Our hands sway side to side, as our bodies nearly move together in tandem.
"We will head straight to my father's room. I trust you can handle such a tense situation on your own, correct, Arivia?" Samuel asks, his position being in front of me and directly behind Arivia. His hands seem tense, shifting from being clenched in a fist position, to being let loose.
I glance at Arivia, who seems to be perfectly fine, no sign of tension present at all.
In fact, she looks like she's bouncing in place.
I personally find myself a bit anxious about the upcoming event. Particularly because of what just happened a few moments ago. There was a seriously concerning amount of gunfire that practically shook the entire building. We also noticed an equally serious number of grunts running down the hall, opposite of our direction.
Asking Samuel what was going on, his answer consisted of the explanation that, because of the concerning amount of rumbling erupting from the nearby Umbral Valley, along with a strange pressure that seemed to enclose Soraya, a large number of neighboring kingdoms found it a good idea to come over and check what the hell was going on.
This was an educated guess on Samuel's part, since he did not have access to mail sent to his father. According to him as well, the combat must have broken out due to some opposing force discovering Gorthro's criminal influence on the town.
The bottom line was, we had to seriously haul ass before we got caught.
I'm not sure on how the process for mercenaries goes when they're confronting their targets, but I'd imagine they wouldn't want to be caught by a government from another country. I feel like legally, it'd be an absolute nightmare to deal with, especially with Gorthro, who probably squeezed the legal limit to its brink.
"Are there any people we've got to deal with? Guards, stuff like that?" Arivia asks, her hand on her longsword. It's still bobbing behind her on its sheathe, but it's clear she's ready to whip it out at any time.
I wonder what Arivia's ability, er, function is.
"Will Kaito be able to take care of himself?" Samuel asks, shooting a glance in my direction. "I know of all the exits in this building, but in the case we get separated, I need to make sure we can handle ourselves."
He brandishes a knife in his jacket, its glint revealing its position.
"Yeah he—" Arivia begins.
"I can handle myself just fine. I appreciate your concern, but I'm perfectly capable."
"..."
"I see." Samuel concedes, turning back in front of him. "We must hurry."
Our feet begin their hastened pace, the speed of our footsteps increasing twice fold. I'm actually surprised at how large this hallway has been thus far. We've been moving for what feels like twenty minutes by now, and haven't made any meaningful progress.
"How much farther!?" I yell, exhaustion starting to set itself in my body. I haven't slept in what feels like forever, and the only thing I've eaten thus far is a granola bar of sorts. I'm not exactly in the best position to perform such strenuous activities for any longer.
The sound of an explosion rings out, causing all three of us to swivel our heads in its direction. A series of tremors rumble throughout my body, following the explosion. Wait—no. The ground is shaking back and forth.
It isn't enough to knock something down, but it is still noticeable. I think all of us chalk it to being a result of neighboring countries invading, bombing various areas. Of course, such a situation would be dire, but right now, capturing Gorthro took priority.
Finally, Samuel reaches a large set of bright yellow double doors. The patterns they've got inscribed in their forms are twisting, like a set of snakes coiling around each other. This specific set of doors is different in design than the rest of its cohorts, which would suggest importance, and authority.
"This is my father's room. Please remain inside until I utter this set of words—"
_________________________________________________________________________
Gorthro, observing the chaos outside, had a sense of impending doom stabbed into his very nerves. As the moon reflected the surrounding chaos, a strange realization began to set into his bones. Perhaps this was some cruel divine judgment aiming for him.
He had initially tried his hardest to convince other governments that nothing had been occurring within Varos's confines, but—evident by this situation—that had ultimately been rendered useless. His empire was slowly crumbling around him, his greed being outweighed by those around him.
The other vultures had smelt the carcass he had been feasting upon, and wanted rations for themselves.
Despite the vultures portraying themselves as fierce eagles, they were naught but simply that: Vultures.
A sweat drop trickled down his face as he unzipped the luggage, lifting its lid above. Within the confines were business formations documents, Tax IDs (which were often fabricated), and business checks.
He scanned across his desk, attempting to locate any leftover items that he heralded as paramount, whether legally or personally. His desk had been cleared of any items that may potentially damage his reputation—as if it had not been damaged enough—along with items that may lead to his whereabouts and personal information.
He had instructed those under his payroll to burn such pieces of information. Also, judging by the sound of shouting and explosions, his other command went through. What had been his command? Well, it consisted of his men being promised to be paid a final large sum and told to meet the oncoming enemy forces at the dock. More than anyone, Gorthro was well aware that his grunts were incapable of holding even a candle to an appropriate fighting force and would be swiftly dealt with.
This had been part of his plan as well. Of course, when promising such a hefty sum to his 'employees', he was legally required to sign an agreement, lest one of them reported him to authorities. However, if one party was to say, perish prematurely, then the contract would be null. Even if a few employees were to be captured, Gortho had been careful enough to not reveal personal information to them.
Essentially, Gorthro was tossing all his 'assets' into the ocean, and running away from the scene.
His wealth however, had been long sent across Soraya, heading towards Vultia, whose policies did not include the questioning of large amounts of funds being transferred within.
As his eyes surveyed the empty desk side, they rested on a lone picture frame.
Finishing zipping his bag, Gorthro walked over, further observing the lone image. As he reached the desk, he grabbed it, raising it to his face.
Within the frame was a small boy, no older than twelve, standing next to an overly cheerful man in his thirties. The small boy was not smiling, instead keeping a cold demeanor. His father, during the taking of the picture, had attempted to make a funny face to somehow drive the boy to laughter, but it never took form.
This boy was constantly stoic, as if nothing in the world could impress him. He had access to whatever he wanted, be it toys, food, entertainment, yet none of it amazed him. Gorthro felt a part of him turning away from the picture, to avoid the gaze of the boy within it. Yet, when he complied with that thought and lowered the photo…
The boy in the photo materialized in front of him, now seventeen.
Nothing had changed. Whether it had been the boy's demeanor, or his father's indulgences.
"Hello, father."
"Hello, Samuel. Are you ready to leave?"
"...."
"Father, can I ask you something?"
"Yes, Samuel?"
"Do you know why I am this way? Do you know why I always keep you at arms length, despite being your own son?"
"..."
"No."
"You are lying, father. You know exactly why. Allow me to articulate what you cannot put into words."
The boy gazes at a lone wine bottle, the crimson reflecting the color of his eyes.
"You are a hedonist. You indulge in whatever you desire, viewing others as mere stepping stools. Yet, despite that, you convince yourself that it's alright. You know it is wrong, yet choose to pursue such a lifestyle despite your moral compass screaming at you. Not only that, you assume that if you try to be a good father to your only son, it would somehow overwrite all your crimes."
"—No. That's wrong. I…"
A slam on the wall. Samuel had punched it.
"What's wrong? What's wrong!? The only one you are lying to at this point is yourself!! Why do you present yourself as clean despite the stains on your body!? Tell me, father! No—tell me, Gorthro! You are a walking contradiction, clearly capable of normal thought! So why do you still cling to what kills you internally!?"
Samuel's fists clench.
"Do you want to know the only reason why I remained around you, despite my every being screaming against it?! Why I still brought in women?!"
The boy points at his 'father'.
"Because I believed that the only person in my life, my 'father', would eventually get sick of it! I wanted my father to grow sick of it one day, and tell me: 'Samuel, my son, I regret my ways! I want to get better Samuel!' I saw the look in your eyes whenever you left your room. I saw the regret in your face, clear as day! I thought I could feed you until you were digusted, but you never got satiated!"
"Because of that, I also realized that even for such a reason, exploiting others like that was never excusable!"
Gorthro Volara remained silent.
"You are successful! You are famous! You have all of it externally! But internally, you are dead! You have gone to the point of boredom where you extort others! You do not need any more money at all! Has the thought of charity ever crossed your mind?! Has the thought of giving away your wealth ever crossed your mind!? Has the thought of being a good role model for your son ever crossed your mind!?"
"..."
"It has, and you know it! Did you ever consider that this would have caught up with you?! That your obstinate sense of self would soon be challenged?!"
Samuel pants, catching his breath for his next bout.
"If it weren't for me, someone closest to you… you would have never been confronted. You would have continued living, blissfully ignorant to the surrounding misfortune. The ones below you would never voice themselves, as to you, they are mere insects."
"The cognitive dissonance I experienced constantly, day by day, slowly tore at me. Yet, I still pushed on, desperate to somehow connect to the only family I had. And because of that connection…I found myself being an aid in these crimes. Something that in time, I will pay my dues for."
"But the worst part… The worst part is… to others, you are a tyrant. To others, you are a kingpin monster. But to me, you are my father. A UNFATHERLY FATHER."
At the mention of the two words, Unfatherly Father, the door behind Samuel creaked open.
The boy would never say it, but because his 'father' was his father, a familial connection that transcended personal resentment remained. The boy constantly berated his father, giving him the cold shoulder, but remained around him.
There were no rules on Samuel, and he simply could have taken a boat to a nearby country.
Yet, he never did.
Two figures stepped into the room. One boy, sporting slicked black hair who was equipped with a strange white tunic. As well as one girl, her flowing red hair tied into a ponytail, accentuated by bright sapphire eyes. The girl held a long-sword of sorts in her hand, slowly jaunting over to Gorthro's position.
"I've reached a boiling point, and I now seek to join Sable Veil. I will never be satisfied as a mere bird in a cage. Perhaps if another organization had stumbled across me, I would have joined, but Sable Veil happened to be the only one."
Normally, Gorthro would have protested against such a decision, confused as to why he had betrayed. But deep down, far beyond the recesses of the 'pig', laid understanding as to why. He could not blame his son.
Gorthro Volara gazed back at the boy in the picture. The man could feel strange, wet like substances forming in his eyes. Something that had been boiling up to this point began to surface. 'Something' traveled from the man's guts, to his ribs, up his trachea, and finally his mouth.
"....I am not your father."
"..."
The room went silent.
"Even then. That is not an excuse for you to continue being the way you are. Unfortunately, I still see you as my father."
Strangely enough, a small smile forms on Samuel's lips.
Realizing his defeat had finally materialized in front of him, Gorthro fell to his knees, the waves of karma washing over him. In a way, he expected this, yet at the same time, did not.
"-–Kh…I am not your father…"
"....I am not your father…!"
"I. Am. Not. Your. Father!!"
The man broke into a sob, his facade shattering into pieces.
"Uwaah!!"
"I'm just a thief who stole you from a woman as a ransom! The most beautiful woman I had ever seen refused to become mine, so as a result, I stole her firstborn! I stole her son! But after a while, after a while, I became attached! I wanted to change, I really wanted to, dammit! I wanted to raise this boy as my own! I wanted to raise him as an upstanding young man, unlike me!!"
The man falls to his hands, his whaling sobs emanating around the room as his tears sink into the brown carpet.
"But I failed!! I failed so badly!!" His face contorted, skin wrapping around the contours of his face.
"I deserve it! All of it, I deserve it! I still let myself go, every single time! I tried to tell myself to stop, yet my desires ignored my warnings! I'm a hollow shell of a man, there's nothing inside, whatsoever!! I just chase whatever feels good at the moment, then lament on it instantly!! I've got it all, but have nothing at the same time!!"
"I'm sorry, Samuel!! I'm sorry, I failed you!! It ate at me too, no matter how much I tried to hide it!!"
Samuel Volara walked over to the man known as Gorthro.
Samuel Volara, the adopted son of a kingpin, walked over to his father.
Samuel Volara, the adopted son who constantly was surrounded by lavishness, walked over to his father.
His father, who had taken over an entire town and forced it to pay him. His father, who had slept with nearly hundreds of women, abandoned them. His father, who had been evil, in every sense of the word.
Samuel Volara placed his right hand on the evil man's shoulder.
The evil man who sobbed uncontrollably.
"Father. At this moment, the best thing you can possibly do is turn yourself in. Perhaps in the future, some day, we'll receive the punishment we deserve. But for now, all we can do is make an effort to change ourselves. For you, your punishment would be to serve your due time. As for me, it will come."
Expecting his father to briskly reject such a proposition, Samuel clenched his eyes, preparing for the onslaught.
Yet, the onslaught never came. Instead, a nod materialized. A nod that came from a man who had constructed himself a barricade of self-gratification. A man that constantly lied to himself and to the others around him. Meaningful relationships passed by the man, as well as potentials that he never knew he possessed. All of it because of mere indulgences.
But at least. At least now, the man had finally been pulled out of his barrier, forced to seriously self reflect. He offered up his hands towards his 'son', a seemingly understanding look on his face.
____________________________________________________________________________
"Woah, I almost felt bad for a rich snob." I sigh, resting my head on my arms.
Right now, I'm next to Arivia, who aims her longsword directly at Gorthro's back, escorting him. We've still got some pep in our step, but it's not as fast as before. I'm not sure why, really. We've still got enemies around and are literally holding what they want right now.
Unable to control his indulgences? Hm, is that what all corrupt politicians suffer from? I'm not really too sure. I personally was fine with my living situation, so I never can understand how it's like to have everything you can possibly want, so I can't really understand.
"Mr slave, would you rather be rich and lonely, or poor and popular?"
"Where's that question even coming from? Also, I think we've got bigger problems to focus on right now."
Samuel's in front of us, speaking to his father about something I'm not too sure about. I don't really suspect him of betraying us or anything, given he's already gone this far. That emotional talk too, it wouldn't make sense.
"Mr. Slave, can't you just answer? I know you're the second option without the popular part, but it wouldn't hurt to answer a hypothetical."
"You don't drag someone into a conversation by insulting them! Damned bomb-pop!"
Arivia suddenly furrows her eyebrows towards me.
"Woah, I had no idea, Mr. Slave. You've sunk so deep in servitude, you can't possibly see yourself in any position than you are now."
She covers her mouth with her hand.
"And whose fault is that?!"
"The universe's."
"Does the universe have red hair and go by the name Arivia?!"
"Ah, you're right. It's Rob's."
"Who the hell is Rob?!"
I groan, rubbing my hair and craning my head backwards, staring at the ceiling.
"I do have aspirations for ascending past where I am. I've got dreams too, y'know?"
"Mhh..What would you need to achieve them? Money, status, companions? What do you want?"
Surprised at the girl's interest in my goals, I glanced at Arivia, her sapphire eyes reflecting my form. Is she… investing in me?
She's got money, right? She's a mercenary, so she's got to have some serious cash on her.
"Well for starters…" I glance at her, blinking. "Well, I'd really need to be released from being a slave. Then I'd need a pretty large sum of money to move into some city and pay someone to train me. After that–"
Arivia slaps her biceps, her tongue sticking out her closed lips.
"You've got this! I believe in you!"
"I deserve to be executed for falling into that trap!!"
Arivia giggles, before sighing. Our footsteps still ring out across the hallway. I glance at her and take notice she's suddenly pouting, puffing up one cheek. She thinks I forgot the question.
Poking the inflated cheek with my index finger, it deflates as the girl lets out the trapped air.
"So, about that question?" I ask. I haven't forgotten it.
"Oh, yeah. So what would you prefer?"
I place my hand on my chin.
"I honestly think that being rich and lonely is way better. As bad as it sounds, you don't really need to worry about others when you achieve your goals. While humans are social and stuff, I don't really see others being that important. It is important to a degree, but like, a degree. Plus, that question is kind of flawed in of itself, since everyone likes you if you're rich or strong. That's my stand point."
Arivia glances at the ground, her sword still pointing at Gorthro.
"Oh. I see. You're surrounded by people regardless."
"Yep."
She's got a confusing expression, one that even I can't read. It looks like a cross between sad and happy. Like she's sad that she's happy, or happy that she's sad. Weirdo.
As I walk, something catches my eye from the window to my left. It's a large window that reveals the outside world, which happens to contain a rising sun. Woah, did that much time already pass?
However, ignoring the rising sun over the water, a strange black object slowly grows. It looks as if it's floating through the air, the speed unknown. It reminds me of a ufo or something.
What is that?
I squint.
The black blob grows larger.
Larger.
Larger.
"Hold on, Samuel, what is that?" I point at the blob.
The man stops, turning his head to the left.
Arivia stops as well, glancing at the source of our interest.
The blob's ten times its size now, as compared to the start. I squint closer, unaware of its true nature, until my eyes widen. I see two large limbs that look akin to hands, extended outwards. The blob zooms forward—
"—-!"
The world goes dark, like a tv getting unplugged.
____________________________________________________________________________
"Kghhkk… Crunch!"
"Crunch! Kshkhkkk—-Crunch!"
"Crunch! KShhkkukk…"
My eyelids drift open.
The world regains its color. However, something is vaguely different from before. Yes, before, the world had a multitude of colors. Blue, green, yellow, red. Yet now, there is only one dominant color—gray.
As my eyelids half open, the gray slowly morphs into angular shapes, details slowly carving themselves onto the monotone color. My eyes absorb more and more information about my surroundings the more I open them. The blur slowly sharpens.
The smell of embers and iron puncture the air, sailing into my nostrils.
Strange sounds fill the surrounding area, further driving my confusion.
After a few more moments, my eyes snap open.
The slow pouring of information has finished and has fully washed over me.
I raise my head, which feels like a stone, upwards, gazing around me. Around me is a multitude of rubble, stone, and torn cloth. The roof has fallen inwards, as well as the walls collapsing. Lanterns, which previously held flames within, are scattered amongst the ground, adding to the chaos. Rays of sunlight pour into the room through the rubble, which tells me that it's daytime now.
What happened?
I look to my right.
My arm's covered by rubble.
Clenching my teeth, I quickly tug at it. It pops out surprisingly easily, despite being under a rock.
Attempting to stand up, I set my right hand on the ground. But strangely, I find myself falling down. A noticeable twinge reverberates throughout my body, urging me to gaze at the arm.
It's broken.
Ah, it's broken.
It's also purple.
I think it's rotting off.
I honestly feel that, if enough forced was applied, I could tear it off.
Likewise, I'm not sure why I'm not screaming in pain at the moment, but I'll gladly accept it.
Everything is really fuzzy, and it feels like I'm in a dream.
If I could describe how I'm feeling, I'd say it's similar to putting plastic wrap over my head.
Switching over to my left hand, I push myself off the ground, my dead limb dangling uselessly.
Now on my feet, I clutch my broken arm, glancing around. My left arm's full of abrasions, however, but it seems functional enough. My shirt is not torn, but seems to bear dry blood on its right side, perhaps from when my arm was broken. My head feels as if someone's pounding it with a hammer continuously. Trying to think coherently about thoughts in the past feels like trying to grab at the air and knead it—It's too blurry, too foggy.
Something tells me that any longer, and I would have been an amnesiac—I've clearly got a concussion. At least I know who I am and where I am, so that's okay.
There's a small corridor in front of me that seems mostly unblocked by the surrounding rubble. It's also the only way out, so I guess I'll head that way. Despite all this information slowly pouring into my mind, one thing continuously gnaws into me.
"—-Kghhkkkh… Crunch!!"
"Crunch!"
This crunching sound.
It's been ringing since I woke up, not stopping in its volatility— sound wise.
It sounds like someone stuck their hand into a barrel of eggs, crushing them while playing around with the resulting yolks. The sloshing noises aren't particularly loud, but are still quite noticeable.
These sounds also seem to originate from the corridor as well.
With nowhere else to go, I walk towards the corridor, clutching my arm.
Pain starts to set in, spreading through my body.
As I walk, I only keep my gaze in front of me, as attempting to avert in any other direction strains my neck, which causes it to hurt further. I'm only looking forward, so when my foot collides with something, I'm surprised.
The object feels particularly heavy, and I'd say it feels akin to kicking a watermelon. I feel around with my foot, attempting to measure exactly what it is. Surprisingly, it's got bumps and my feet seem to sink into it slightly.
Well, I guess I've got to look.
Craning my body downwards to inspect the mystery object, my eyes widen.
Gorthro Volara's decapitated head lies on the ground.
Blood pools around it, as if pooling the peachy object in the center. It seems the decapitation was a messy job, as strange thread-like objects poke out the bottom of his head, along with a pinkish tube of sorts.
His right eye has popped out his socket, attached to an ocular nerve. Actually, it seems like his head had been literally knocked out of its socket, as upon closer inspection, the right side of his face is a deep purple and seems to be deformed, with some strange transparent liquid leaking out, mixing with the blood leading to a pinkish formation. Some of his muscle is exposed, forming a strange mesh of sorts. Some of his teeth also have been destroyed and were firmly rooted in the recesses of his mouth, as if knocked there.
As for how I can see that, his face seems to be stuck in a screaming position, but it's hard to make out what emotion he was conveying as one eye is facing the other way.
How am I observing this so normally?
Whatever was within the contents of my stomach suddenly shoots upwards, forcing itself into my throat as I double over. I attempt to stop the juices with my hand, but it's useless, causing me to hurl chunks all over my hand. My hand is now stained with yellow chunks and green liquids, dripping onto the ground.
"—Hgkh!!"
I hurl until the only thing left is a thin string of saliva, bobbing up and down.
I feel much better, but this pit in my stomach doesn't seem to be heading anywhere.
Wiping my hand on my clothes, I raise it to my mouth, wiping away the liquids.
Damn it. I need to get out of here. I'm not sure on how Kors'll react to this turn of events, but right now, survival is the priority.
Gathering my resolve, I take a step past the head, choosing to avoid the hellish scene in front of me.
As I walk, the crunching sound grows louder, as well as a new noise accompanying it.. It's more rhythmical in nature, with what seems to be instruments. Is this music? I advance further down the corridor, the small cracks of sunshine disappearing completely from view.
All that's left is the dark corridor, occasionally being lit up with the flickering embers belonging to torches. I can still see the rubble, however the visibility has been reduced substantially. My visibility decreases with every footstep I take, forcing me to squint my eyes.
The instrumental sound besides the crunching grows louder as I realize what it actually is.
It's my ringtone.
This upbeat song with a girl singing in a high-pitched voice.
It's my phone.
What is it even doing here?
I turn a corner, the sounds incapable of growing any louder at this point.
And there…
There…
—Is Arivia.
The top half of her back is strewn over a fallen stone, crimson red framing her body. The rest of her body is on the ground, cuts and damage visible all around. My phone, its ringtone selection screen open, is resting on the right side of her chest. However, what catches my attention the most is…
What is that?
It's large, nearly covering her entire body. It's clearly got a humanoid shape, but its upper half seems to be proportionally larger than its lower half. I can't make out the details, but I can vaguely see grafts of skin as well as metal plastered on its form. There's also what seems like canisters inserted inside its back.
"Aa…a…"
I try to call out her name, but find myself unable to. Whether it's from fear or a collapsed throat, I cannot tell.
Right now, I seem to be incredibly calm despite the circumstances. I might have suffered serious brain damage which has seriously affected my brain's processing of this situation. I'm not sure if that's exactly what happened, but judging by the constant fog forming around my cranium, it's a large indicator.
My eyes slowly travel to what the creature is doing exactly.
Ah, I see.
It's got her right arm in its mouth.
The music crescendoes. It's upbeat, completely betraying the hellish scene in front of me.
The crunching is a result of her arm bones being smashed into bits by its maw. The squelching is a result of it moving its teeth around, tearing open the flesh. She doesn't seem too keen on allowing this to go on however, so she's using her free arm to bang her damaged fist against the creature's head, slowly. It's a very intense, yet slow scene. Her resistance still exists, refusing to be extinguished.
Her hair blends well with the crimson blood against her figure, hair strands melting along with the liquids.
Her face is mostly intact, but there's clear signs of damage across its previously clean form. Arivia has clear skin, so when there are scratches and burn marks, it's really noticeable. As for her facial expression, it was somewhat stuck between a tired look and a painful one. Her eyes are squinting, as if attempting to see something far away.
Her mouth is muttering something I simply can't hear, evident by her lips separating from each other periodically. There's also blood running down her mouth, so perhaps she's just choking. As I observe her, she looks at me, her sapphire eyes dragging along to focus on me.
Throughout this, the creature has now begun gnawing on her shoulder, her entire arm within its stomach. Its teeth sink into her delts, drawing more blood than before.
As its lower jaw moves forward, it tears the skin and muscle, then drags it inward into its maw. Strangely enough, it seems to bite away at the phone direction. Every time it takes a bite and stirs off into a set direction, it adjusts it's mouth to chomp away at the path of the ringing phone, which was located on Arivia's chest.
I can tell she's kind of surprised at my appearance, but the expression wears off as her face wears its previous expression again. She's in too much pain to really register anything fully.
I think that these two are heavily injured, and are still desperately trying to kill each other.
—---------Crunch.
—---------------Thud.
—-------------------Crunch.
—--------------------------Thud.
The fog around my brain increases further, my vision flickering in and out. With each sound, it spikes, visibility lingering.
A ballad of pain.
—-------------Crunch.
—------------------Thud.
—------------------------CRUNCH!!
—--------------------------------CRUNCH!!
—---------------------------------------Crunch.
All that's left is the crunching noises now.
Arivia's head is gone, her body twisting in the direction of that thing's maw, almost being vacuumed inwards. Where her head once was, is just viscera.
Arivia is gone, too. There's only a corpse there, now. There aren't any humans in front of me.
I watch as the thing chews through the rest of her body before stopping at her ribcage, it's sickly, human looking teeth getting dried crimson blood splattered on them. The fog in my brain intensifies more and more, obscuring to the point where my brain cannot even register those in front of me as 'people' any longer.
There is only a large black blob sitting over a small red blob.
The black blob arises.
I cough up blood, the toll of my earlier injuries now revealing itself. The blob jerks in my direction, as if it heard the sound with pinpoint accuracy.
It takes one step towards me.
Then, another.
Another.
The blob is directly in front of me.
I can feel something dripping on my face.
It's red.
Something is moving fast towards me.
It's an arm.
Then—
POMPH!!!!
Something strikes my head.
A pop.
╔════════════════════════════╗
L I F E E X P U R G A T E D
"BLUNT_F0RCE"
╚════════════════════════════╝
_______________________________________________________________________
The sounds of bones cracking, melding together. A heart beat. A heart beat. A heart beat.
My eyes snap open.
I gasp, taking deep breaths. No, I can't even inhale at all. I just stumble all over, failing to even perform the act of breathing.
My eyes shake in their sockets, threatening to pop out.
Just now…
Just now, I died, didn't I?
Damn it, it's too hard to remember the exact details of my death. I think I had a concussion, so I couldn't really process what was going—
——-DOOMPH!!!
"Bgahh!??!"
—-------------SCHLK…!
I can feel my stomach caving in, something entering it. The adrenaline in my nerves explodes towards my brain, my body pushing into overdrive.
Then….
PAIN.
It isn't clear at first, only feeling like a small line that can't stay straight. Then, slowly, the line begins ramping up, becoming more and more uniform. My stomach starts cramping like never before in my life, as well as being paired with a sensation of it being on fire. I can feel something inside, rearranging my guts like some kind of puzzle. I gaze up—-
PAIN. PAIN.
Everything feels like it's turning into the color white. It feels like I'm going numb. I can feel bile rising in my throat.
My eyes, despite the agony they're in, manage to take note of what's going on in front of me.
Seon-woo, his gold eyes piercing into mine.
"YOU BLINKED." He hisses.
He pushes his hand forwa—-
PAIN. PAIN. PAIN. ELECTRIC. HOT. LIQUID.
I heave back and forth, my body trying hard to retch.
"Kaito!" Ariva shouts, unsheathing her sword in a wide arc.
Was Seon-woo's attack so fast she couldn't register it at all up to this point?
Aghh, just save me, Arivia. I don't want to—
PAIN. PAIN. PAIN. PAIN. PAIN.
The area under my shirt feels warm, like liquid escaping from a bottle. It trails down my body. Whether it's all blood or piss, I can't tell.
Something grabs something important. I can tell because of a sharp, cramp-like feeling that just erupted.
Arivia pushes forward, her sword's edge poised towards Seon-woo's head.
Clang!
Biri meets her assault halfway through, his large odachi deflecting her strike away, sparks emanating from the point of contact. He's so fast I can't even tell how he even managed to end up in front of her.
Arivia's arm is swayed away due to her momentum being focused elsewhere.
Gritting her teeth, she cuts her finger open, chanting: "Umbryos-3, Se–"
An object the size of a phone flies across the air, a trail of crimson following it.
It's her hand, her hand's been severed.
Along with her hand, the long sword that had previously been clutched has also been knocked away, colliding with the floor with a loud clang.
As a result of this act of severing, the spell seems to malfunction. The resulting shadow that casts in the form of a hand quickly loses its shape, morphing into an indecipherable blob as it retreats into its origin.
Arivia staggers back next to Samuel, who seems more shocked than anything.
Usually, I'd expect someone, no less a girl, to start screaming in pain after such an attack. However, this is not the case, as Arivia seems to pay it no heed, and switches to unsheathing a small dagger with her left hand.
She then—
Just as I slowly was getting used to this painful sensation in my stomach, the foreign object in my system rips itself out, dragging an organ out in the process. It's akin to someone revving up a generator of sorts, trying to get it started.
The held back liquids in my throat that had been stopped begin overflowing.
I stagger back, my hands uselessly attempting to put back inside whatever had been removed.
I'm still heaving back and forth, attempting to scream, but it never comes. Not only that, but I'm just walking backwards, attempting to somehow run away from this circumstance. I can feel organs slowly spilling out, their previous molds being shattered.
My vision flickers in and out like a low batter flashlight. I'm trying to focus in front of me, but it's getting too blurry once again. The previous white-hot pain is slowly morphing into a dreary black.
"Man." Seon-woo sighs, running his hand through his hair. "You looked so cool earlier, what happened? All those creases on your face make you look old now."
"Hahh… Hah…" I gasp, falling on my back, my legs giving out.
I won't die, right?
No, I won't die.
'E' Will save me, right? That's what he did last time. Tyrox tried to kill me, and E saved me. E can save me right? No, no, I'm going to die again. I'm going to die again.
"Hgahhh…."
Blood is dripping down to my chin, mixing with saliva.
"Kaito!"
Stop yelling my name you stupid bitch, come and save me. You're some kind of super wizard mercenary right? Save me. Get rid of these two.
My eyes drift shut, the sounds of a scuffle being the last thing I hear.
╔════════════════════════════╗
L I F E E X P U R G A T E D
"TRAUM3TIC PERF0RAT1ION"
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My eyes fling open.
The sounds of bones cracking. A heart beat. A heart beat.
Wait. WAIT. I have a checkpoint here! That means in any second, I'll be attacked. What the fuck is this checkpoint, why is it set here?!
I instinctively jerk my body to the left, somehow slipping out of Seon-woo's grip on my face.
Maybe, just maybe, I'll avoid another death—-
A hand grabs my left shoulder, yanking me towards it.
"---?!"
"Kshhh!!"
Something punctures my throat, the pain spreading throughout my body, as if struck by lightning. I can't even process the attack before the blade slides out my throat like butter. The attack has an insane level of professionalism to it.
"Gakhhh—!!!"
"Kaito–?!"
Shit, shit, I got stabbed again. I'm going to die again. No matter how many times it happens, I can't get used to it. This feeling of my mind separating from the rest of my body. This feeling of my eyes losing all color on their edges. This feeling of adrenaline that spikes across my body. This feeling of immense dread.
"YOU BLINKED."
I stagger backwards, grabbing at my useless throat, which is spurting blood all over my knuckles like a faucet.
Seon-woo raises his elegantly shaped dagger above my head, then brings it down onto my face. I can vaguely feel something entering my cranium for a split moment before the world goes dark.
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||L I F E E X P U R G A T E D
"TRAUM3TIC PERF0RAT1ION"
╚════════════════════════════╝
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Bones cracking.
Heartbeat.
My eyes open.
Am I going to be stuck here forever? Am I going to—NO! I need to move! I need to get out of the way!
Using all the strength I could possibly use, I force it down into my legs, propelling me backwards. If I create distance between the two of us, hopefully I'll have enough time for Arivia or Samuel to defend me.
I leap backwards, but to no avail, my face remains in the grasp of my murderer.
The moon, framed in the night sky, briefly loses its yellow shine. A figure's shadow blocks it altogether. The shine that had previously been omitted quickly resurges again, this time in front of the figure.
"Wait! Wait!"
"YOU BLINKED."
Something enters my forehead.
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||L I F E E X P U R G A T E D
"TRAUM3TIC PERF0RAT1ION"
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Bones crack.
Heart beats.
Eyes open.
What the fuck is this?! I barely have time to think!? I can't think at all!
He keeps saying that I keep blinking before he kills me, so does that mean whenever I use DD, I reflexively blink?!
Damn it, trying to think straight right now feels like balancing a ball on my head. I'm too stressed, and I feel like running away at any second. I'm sweating profusely, and my teeth won't stop chattering.
How do I stop myself, How do I stop myself?! I'm going to die again, too—I just blinked. This feeling, this feeling of knowing of my impending death. I'm unable to stop it, no matter what I do.
His hand is on my mouth, I'm within his grasp, literally.
It's not like I can adapt to his moves either, he's just too fast. No, no, shut up Kaito. You're just justifying yourself for being a spineless piece of shit.
You're just scared of dying. No matter how many times it happens, you can't get used to it. You can't adapt, you can't get stronger. Just accept your death.
The walls laugh at me.
No, NO! I DON'T WANT TO! IT HURTS! I DON'T WANT IT TO HURT!!!
What hurts? The faces everyone makes at me, or the physical pain?
I'm not weak! I'm special! I'm stronger! I'm a genius!
No. You—-
"YOU BLINKED."
A piercing feeling injects into my chest. The world goes dark.
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||L I F E E X P U R G A T E D
"TRAUM3TIC PERF0RAT1ION"
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||L I F E E X P U R G A T E D
"TRAUM3TIC PERF0RAT1ION"
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||L I F E E X P U R G A T E D
"TRAUM3TIC PERF0RAT1ION"
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||L I F E E X P U R G A T E D
"TRAUM3TIC PERF0RAT1ION"
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||L I F E E X P U R G A T E D
"TRAUM3TIC PERF0RAT1ION"
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___________________________________________________________________________
Bones crack. A heart beats.
My eyes…
They remain open.
They need to remain open.
If they don't remain open, I'll die again. I don't want to die.
I have to use everything I possibly can to keep my eyes open.
I have to pretend everything is okay.
I have to look perfect.
I have to fix my perception.
Because if I don't, I'll fall, and won't get back up.
Is this the 'original' timeline? How many dead Kaitos are there? Is this real? Is my perception of reality false?
I stare at Seon-woo. His pale skin accentuates his golden eyes. They're both drills slowly forcing me to expose █████, not Kaito. No, no, I'll stare back. I'll show him I'm fine. That I'm me.
His fingers tighten on my jaw as I stare back.
The hypothetical ball on my head is balancing on the mountaintop, somehow. Impossibly powerful winds push against it, attempting to cause it to fall. No, I need to keep it balanced, no matter what.
My face tightens.
The ball gets dangerously close to the left edge of the mountaintop.
My eyelids open further, staring.
The ball rolls to the middle once again.
Each second feels like millennia.
Sweat beads down my forehead, leaving a salty trail behind.
The ball rolls to the right.
Damn it, damn it.
The feelings of being stabbed reverberate against the walls of my brain.
The ball continues rolling.
It's going to fall off! I'm going to blink! I'm too stressed out!
I take a deep, yet shaky breath, my eyes remaining rooted in their positions. Still, it's not enough to stop me from blinking. Stress increases.
The banging in my head increases tenfold. The sounds of metal sinking deep into my skin, perforating my muscles, keeps ringing across.
My eyelids start to close.
The ball is halfway over the edge.
No, NO!
"Seon-woo, stop!" Samuel yells.
"---Pah?"
Suddenly, the vice-like grip on my mouth is quickly released, allowing me to finally, after all this time, to go free. I gasp loudly, finally blinking. The act itself feels like an action bestowed by heaven itself.
"I'm joking! Joking!"
Seon-woo laughs, his voice traveling against the hallway. He then claps his hands, as if a mere monkey was finished putting a performance for him. He laughs, like the snake he is, at the misfortune of me.
I say nothing. I just keep staring. I keep staring back. Why? I think the answer should be obvious now. He won't ever find out why, but I do. The knowledge will remain with me forever, but for him, he'll walk away like nothing ever happened. Well, in a way, it never did happen.
His laughter swiftly comes to a close as he averts his eyes from me. Taking notice of my expression, his previously gladful eyes have morphed. He sees something strange. Yes, the boy he killed over seven times, staring back at him.
I don't know the exact emotion I've got on my face at this moment, but I'm sure it's not one—
I don't care. I don't care about anything right now.
I'm alive.
I'm alive.
Running his head through his hair, the man sighs. The murderer sighs.
"Man, I'm pooped." He chuckles, turning to his companion. "Yo, Biri, let's head to this bar I heard about. Apparently, Varos has got some great drinks."
Biri nods, seemingly agreeing with his companion.
Seon-woo spins on his heel, leaving behind his victim. His body walks with utmost perfection, casualness seeping into every atom of his body. He walks as if finishing a useless conversation that only took a few moments of his time. After a few moments, he and Biri are already out of sight, their forms leaving the hallway. I just stand there, continuing to stare.
You damned bastards. You damned murderers! HOW?! HOW?!
How can they just walk away like nothing ever happened?! Why can they just go along with their day and leave this weight for me to bear for the rest of my life!? Does it just end like that?! Their actions going on without any kind of repercussions!? Why can they walk away?!
Well, at least I'm alive. I'm out of that hellhole. I'm not there anymore.
But, there's still something left.
When the two leave my sight, I turn towards the wall.
Then, I lift my fist.
____________________________________________________________________________
Kaito's fist collides with the wall, a thud closely following in the process. It's actually with such volatility, that if it were to collide with my face, I'm sure it would have broken something. I understand that he was just in a dire situation. His life was just within the hands of Seon-woo, a powerful Gazer. But his reaction seems unbefitting of what just happened.
"Set the checkpoint!" He yells, perhaps at himself.
Kaito raises his fist once again as he leans against the wall.
"Set it!!"
His face is full of creases, as he seems to age the more anguish consumes him. If I were to describe his emotions, it would be akin to seeing a crazed lunatic.
I gaze at Arivia, who is approaching the boy. She's got a concerned look on her face. Arivia does seem to be his friend, so naturally, she would be worried from such a visceral reaction. I personally have not known Kaito for a long time, so I'm unaware if such reactions from him are commonplace.
"Set it!!" His continuous yelling repeats, enunciating every word with a strike against the wall. It's as if the wall has engaged in a heated altercation with him, silently cursing him. I've never seen someone so angry, yet fearful in my life before.
His previously slicked back hair begins falling upon his face, hiding his eyes away from the world. It's as if there's a completely different person in front of me. Whoever is in front of me is no longer Kaito, but 'something else entirely.'
Arivia extends a hand towards the boy.
"Kaito!" She begins with a smile on her face. "I get you want to look cool and all—"
____________________________________________________________________________
I slap it away.
This hand. It's meant to destroy me. This hand is trying to rip off my skin. It's trying to expose me to the world.
"Woah, you're so pathetic." Arivia giggles. "Look at you, like a little baby crying. I thought you were cooler."
I quickly shift my head towards her. She's smiling. Don't look at me like that!
The ball rolls off the edge, plummeting towards the ground below.
"Gh–!"
"SHUT UP, YOU STUPID BITCH!! SHUT UP, SHUT UP, SHUT UP, SHUT UP, SHUT UP, SHUT UP, SHUT UP!! SHUT YOUR STUPID FUCKING HIGH PITCHED VOICE UP! THAT'S WHY NO ONE WILL EVER CARE ABOUT YOU! THAT'S WHY YOU'LL BE FORGOTTEN LIKE EVERYONE ELSE! THAT'S WHY YOU WON'T EVER AMOUNT TO ANYTHING IN ANYONE ELSE'S EYES!! DON'T ATTACK ME, DAMMIT!!"
I blink.
The world shifts.
What is in front of me is not an unfeeling bully that's trying to make fun of me.
Rather, a clearly hurt girl, clenching her hand which had been slapped away, tears seemingly inches from welling up in her eyes.
Wait, but didn't she just make fun of me? That was her, right? Arivia just tried to ruin my reputation. Right? I'm not in the wrong for blowing up like that, right? I'm the one whose right, right?
No. No… she never said anything. She just asked If I was… She asked if I was alright.
I come back to my senses. It's like I've been splashed with a bucket of water. The world loses it's bleak colors. Wait, why is everyone looking at me like that? It's my reputation. It's going to be destroyed. I've got to save it.
My stomach drops, the realization sinking within. A mere fragment of the impending sun rises slowly, framing the girl amongst the backdrop.
"W-Wait, C'mon Arivia…." Our eyes meet. Mines are full of regret, hers are full of 'something.' Her lashes seemingly grow in size, covering her previously large eyes. I can notice her bottom lip quivering.
"You're not actually hurt, right? You're a hard-boiled mercenary, there's no way you actually take damage from this. Look, I'm just stressed out, that's all…"
I extend a hand towards Arivia.
She can understand, right? I didn't mean it. I promise, I really didn't.
The hand never reaches its target.
It only uselessly grasps at the air as the girl walks away. It lingers, alone. Just a moment ago, there was something to grab. Yet now, at this very present, 'something' has turned to 'nothing.'
"Arivia…"
"I-I think I understand what happened between you and Navi."
"Kh! No! I was just stressed out—I didn't mean—"
She grabs the poncho around my shoulders, yanking it off as she equips onto her own body.
"We need to hurry." She interrupts, walking down the hallway. Her footsteps are quiet, yet ring loudly against the walls of my heart.
The sounds of bones cracking. I set a checkpoint. DD activated.
Fuck.
I grit my teeth against each other. Wait. Samuel's here. He's witnessing this entire mess single-handedly. He's looking at me. I'm the clown to him.
I quickly spin towards him, a desperate look on my face. A face that communicates a single message—to never speak of whatever happened here. I probably look crazy, I look crazy, don't I? I don't want to look crazy.
A look of contempt is slightly noticeable on Samuel's face. But upon heeding at my own facial features, his expression softens.
The world has lost its sound. Shadows laugh at me, the walls grow eyes.
Samuel's finger twitches.
"...I have not known you for long, so I do not know much about you. But I believe with due time, you two will make up. It's normal for people to argue, especially those close like you two."
But…
No. It's okay. It's okay. She can leave if she wants. After all, she's one of the people that contributed to my current circumstance. This collar on my neck. If she wants to make up, she can come to me. But for now, I'm not going to chase her.
My goal isn't making everyone happy, it's becoming the strongest. That's the reality I'm going to live. If someone gets in my way, I won't break my back trying to appease them. I'll just walk around them, on this river's current. If they fall in the water, they fall.
I've already got my destination set out in front of me. I can fight this current alone.
But…
I nod, wiping the drool from my face. I then push my hair back, exposing my forehead.
"Alrighty, let's get going."
Samuel shoots a surprised look at me. This is the first time I've ever seen such an expression from him.
What? I'm not going to be all gloomy just because of one sour interaction.
____________________________________________________________________________
Samuel has finished yelling at his father again, and the whole emotional debacle is over. However, we've still got to get out of here while avoiding whatever the hell that creature was from earlier. We're running back from Gorthro's room, a little hurriedness present in our steps. The sun rises in the back, shining and illuminating the chaos in the town below.
Chaos in the physical realm and within the recesses of my mind.
No, I'm fine, actually. Despite the hellish torture that just happened to me, I'm still myself. I'm still Kaito. It's not crazy to be completely fine after going through that. It's normal. Right, it's normal in this world of monsters and magic.
I glance at everyone else.
I have to tell them that there's a giant unknown creature that'll shatter the windows and kill all of us. Well, it won't matter if I do, since they'll ignore me or just won't believe me. It's all because of this stupid Recreant Truth curse. It's like a personal 'fuck you' from the world. I've got knowledge of the future, but I can't tell anyone else.
My best bet here is to call out what I see, as soon as I see it. An immediate reaction from my behalf is paramount to our survival. I don't think we even need to fight it too, we just need to get the hell out of here. I'm not sure how strong it is, but I can assume Arivia can more or less handle it given the first timeline. When I saw its form, it was full of scratches and signs of visible damage.
Everyone else has got their eyes in front of them. But I've got mine lasered on the windows to my left. I'm not dying. No matter what, I'll never die again. I can't get used to it. No matter how many times I die, I can't get used to it. The feeling of suffocation, of your body being crushed inwards. Your breath being sucked inwards. I'm not dying.
Thirty seconds later, I catch a glimpse of a small black dot lingering in the distance.
"There's something coming!!" I yell, pointing at the encroaching black dot. I act surprised, as if I wasn't standing in front of the window, staring.
Everyone's heads swiftly turn towards the source, a shocked expression overtaking their expression. Within a few moments, I dash forward, where the windows end, saving me from a potential head on collision.
Ariva unsheathes her longsword, the blade glinting in the light.
Then—
Crash!!
The glass shatters into a thousand fragments, all glinting in the light, each one as sharp as a needle. The black blob is now inside, crunched over. It's the same humanoid as before. The same one I saw in the previous loop.
It rises upwards, revealing its full form.
It's got a single eye in place, glowing a bright red, reminiscent of a cyclops. It doesn't have any lips, but possesses gums and teeth, both shining their respective color, being surprisingly clean. Its body is clearly taut with muscle, however, it's a sickly purple, seeming rotten in comparison to the rest of its features. However, putting aside its build, perhaps the most striking aspect of the creature was the vast amounts of machinery instilled inside its body. It was as if the thing was a mockery of nature, created by man in a sickly attempt to replicate what was around them. Cylindrical containers full of strange liquids constantly pumped gas into the creature. Grafts of skin were seemingly holding it together, as if it were to collapse any moment.
It lets out deep, hoarse sounding breaths, like some kind of demented horse.
Scanning the room, it examines me and the rest of my companions, who are all scanning it back as well. We don't dare to move a single inch. None of us do.
With the hiss of a canister being administered inside, the creature suddenly jerks in Gorthro's direction.
The man winces at the movement as well.
Suddenly, Arivia brings down her long sword on a canister, the item shattering into pieces, allowing the trapped liquid to roam free. With that 'cause', the 'effect' slowly follows, which is in the form of the creature turning in her direction.
It lets out a deep rumble, clearly angered at such an attack.
"Get out of here. I'll take care of this thing." The girl declares, eyes narrowed, readying her blade for an attack from the creature.
Nodding, Samuel and Gorthro waste no time, scattering down the hall. "Please be safe, Ms. Arivia!" Samuel exclaims, his voice fading away–slowly being replaced with the sound of his footsteps.
The creature quickly shoots a left jab in the girl's direction, who avoids the attack by deflecting the momentum with her long sword. It's fast, really fast. So fast in fact, the attack looks like a blur from my perspective. It's like when you shake your hand in front of your face, except 'your hand' in this instance completely loses its form, and morphs slightly.
I can feel the air blowing against my hair.
Arivia spins her body around, and finishes with a thrust towards the side of the creature's head. She's obviously aiming at the giant glowing red eye, as it's quite clear that it was the monster's only avenue towards vision. If said avenue was disrupted, dispatching it would become substantially easier.
The creature, taking note of such an attempt, jerks its head slightly to the right. It doesn't outwardly dodge the entire attack, but only barely manages to avoid being struck in its vital point.
I have knowledge of what happened prior.
I know that Arivia ended up dying to this thing.
She did do a lot of damage, yes, but she still lost her life to it.
Okay, I need to remember other details about that last timeline. I can't just ruminate on the fact that she died. Come on, I need to try and think about all the details. Think. THINK!
Now that Arivia's on its right, the creature uses its already extended arm to swipe at the said direction, attempting to swat the girl away. However, Arivia takes note of this, and crouches down, avoiding the strike.
Her sword scrapes the ground, causing a slight grating noise. Upon hearing said noise, the creature swiftly attacks in that direction, as if the slight sound was some sort of auditory assault.
She's not going to survive this. I could run away right now, but I can't let our only form of protection die.
Come on… Think, think.
The sound of a ringtone.
My eyes snap open.
When the monster had initially been chewing on Arivia, I noticed it was only specifically trying to go for the ringing phone. It was slowly chewing on her because it was most likely too damaged to actually get up and turn it off or destroy it. It also only killed me because I coughed.
If I'm right, this thing is similar to a Kobold.
"Arivia throw me my—"
My phone is already hurled in my direction, albeit slightly upwards.
"?!"
Focusing a burst of energy towards my feet, I kick up and leap, catching the phone. Returning to my original position, I glance at my phone, which I haven't had for about nearly two weeks, and open up the ringtone selection screen.
It's somehow on 70% despite all this time.
The sounds of combat blast out in front of me as I fumble through settings.
I see the ringtone selection screen, tapping hard with my index finger.
The first ringtone I see is listed as 'Masked Ego.'
I tap on it.
The instrumental begins, louder than Arivia's attacks against the creature. At the sound of the electric keyboard, the creature turns it's attention towards the phone. The following actions resulting from the monster consisted of a large leap in my direction, as well as it rearing it's right fist back.
"---!?"
"Aeronis-1, Gust." Arivia chants, her voice seemingly zooming past the words.
A gust of wind, seemingly getting created out of thin air, explodes in the creature's direction. The blast of wind possesses enough force to push the creature to it's right, hurling it in the path of the window, causing it to fall outside.
The glass shatters, glimmering in the emerging sunlight as it falls to the ground. A ray of sunshine manages to spill into the room due to the lack of glass at this moment and casts itself on Arivia.
Damn it, I'm so stupid. What the hell was I expecting, playing a loud sound when I knew that thing was attracted to it? What was I trying to do? I should have put more thought into it, instead of rushing head first—-
Arivia dashes past me.
I turn.
And she's gone.
Everyone's gone.
There's only Kaito and me.
____________________________________________________________________________
We're outside now, and the sun's finally fully outside, exposing itself to the world.
The monster seems to have been distracted by the other enemies around us and has stopped chasing us ever since it fell out of the building. In a way, a part of me silently laments the fact that I could not enact revenge on it. I was killed by it after all. Still, we don't have time to hang around in such an environment.
The street we're on is clad with damage and corpses. Hanging streetlamps, kicked in doors, stone rubble. Smoke erupts from every corner, gently merging with the souls of those that lost their lives as it rises upwards.
We're nearly out right now, I recognize this area. Just a few more steps away, and I'll see the ZVPs.
Explosions continue as soldiers run past us, ignoring us entirely. This is due to the Umbryos spell that Arivia conjured: Cloak. In return for her biting down on her finger, a veil is conjured over all of us.
"Kaito, you're grabbing my shoulder a bit too hard."
"Haha sorry, it's kind of dark."
I don't like the dark.
Some soldiers wear strangely steam-punk like armor, holding surprisingly advanced looking guns and weaponry of sorts. Some soldiers wield giant blades, hammers, and spears, as well as grand-seeming armor.
It's as if soldiers from different genres of fiction are all clashing in this specific town, a crossover of sorts. However, the one thing that connects all of them is the sense of urgency and panic.
"Volaria, Atomos, Lagomia. Why are all these kingdoms and empires clashing here, father?" Samuel asks, his voice echoing within the cloak.
"Because of the Umbral Valley to the north of this place. Such lands are exceptionally rare. Some theorize that the origin of Void Zones linger deep within, perhaps even the origins of Aberrations. These kingdoms wish to capitalize, not just financially, but mystically. That is one of the reasons I had moved here, however due to my self-indulgence issue, I could not make significant progress."
"Void zones?"
Everyone turns to me, except Arivia, who is in front.
"You are not aware?" Samuel asks.
I shake my head.
"I'm from really far away."
"I see.
"The Void, also known as the Hunger by some, is an incomprehensible 'fog' of sorts that is slowly eating away at the world, killing celestials in the process. Aberrations are somehow connected to it as well, but that is not relevant. The Void is slowly eating away at kingdoms, albeit incredibly slowly. It morphs celestials within into Devils, forcing themselves into grotesque amalgamations of what they once were. Umbral Valleys are—as my father just said—considered to be 'vents' that leak this 'fog' into the world."
"Woah, that's real bad."
"It certainly is. However, such drastic world events are not for those like us to stop. They are for those higher than us. We can only wait."
Speak for yourself. I'm not going to sit around.
"We're here." Arivia declares, lifting the veil over us, the light from the sun now covering us. I squint my eyes at the sudden brightness. My eyes travel around my surroundings as I take them in. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't glad the veil was lifted.
We're back at the entrance of Varos, evident by the large gate, with both the ZVP's on its sides. There are a multitude of things that are different this time, albeit. To start, the ZVP's are both destroyed, the upper portions collapsed inwards. Metal rubble collects at the bottom as smoke masks the rest of the damage. Both were presumably destroyed by explosions.
As I'm observing the destroyed structures, a voice calls out: "Hey, you four!"
We turn towards the source.
A helmeted soldier, his helmet akin to an ancient Greek Corinthian one. Despite having clear spartan influences in his armor, his body is covered with leather and metal armor, still following that 'Gothic' aesthetic.
He wields a long spear, pointing directly at Arivia's throat.
Just a few moments ago, Samuel mentioned Atomos as being one of the empires or kingdoms that were invading. That sounds like a Greek word, so by logic, the soldier in front of us—-that looks like a spartan—-would be an Atomosian soldier.
The Atomosian soldier inches closer as he jerks his spear further and further. He's clearly targeting Arivia the most, as she's the one that's clearly armed.
"All of you, if you don't want to be hurt—-"
Something is suddenly thrown at his throat, piercing within.
"Khagkk!?"
Blood begins pouring out the bottom of his helmet as a smell of iron pierces the air. With a thud, his spear collides with the dirt on the ground. His hands uselessly grab at his neck, attempting to remove the helmet as well.
He gags, stumbling backwards.
Arivia walks up to the man, her steps as casual as someone picking up a ball that they threw too far. Walking past him, she grabs the dagger, and swiftly removes it as a thin line of blood follows behind it. The action is done swiftly and with little difficulty.
The man crumples to the ground.
That is not Arivia, but a mercenary. Or perhaps that was always Arivia.
"Stop staring, let's go." She mutters, cleaning the dagger in her bicep. She spins the knife and quickly sheathes it.
Me, Samuel, and Gorthro all stare at each other, shock present in our eyes. I haven't seen Arivia kill anyone up to this point, let alone in such a brutal and efficient manner. I get it, she's mad, but does she really have to perform such extravagant actions? She's a damned mercenary, someone who's got to deal with killers and monsters constantly, so why is she throwing a tantrum like a little girl? All because someone yelled at her?
I shake my head as we follow behind Arivia, the bleeding corpse serving as a reminder of the sheer brutality that resides within individuals like her. I wince at the sight, but ultimately continue downwards.
We've now passed the checkpoint, the field of grass we previously walked through greeting us once again. The cool wind blows against it, giving the impression of waves in water. The sun is now halfway in the sky, casting a brilliant orange glow. We've escaped the hellscape and have caught a glimpse of heaven. However, our journey isn't over yet.
We've still got to get to the forest at the end of this long pathway. We're also in the wide open, so if we get spotted—
BOOM!
A cloud of dust and smoke explodes in front of us. I throw my arms in front of my face, attempting to shield myself from the onslaught. My clothes flicker back and forth, threatening to rip off from the sheer velocity of the gust.
Once the dust has settled, I open my eyes.
The same creature as before has dropped down in front of us, ready to finish its objective.
Its teeth seem to form a smile of sorts despite lacking any lips. Its single eye squints at us, as if prepared to give its utmost effort. Its fingers furl and unfurl, ready to attack at any moment.
It then swings its arms along with its body forward, before retracting them back to its sides and opens its mouth. A metallic roar, akin to metal grating against steel, unleashes as it exposes the insides of its mouth.
I twitch as well.
This thing is clearly enraged at us.
You aren't the only one, buddy. You turned my head into mush. I think I've got a bit more on my plate than you.
It pushes its back leg, ready to leap towards the source of its anger—Arivia.
Then, a single shot rings out.
The bullet cracks through the air, colliding with a canister. It explodes into fragments, destroying it completely. The creature staggers, seemingly gasping for air.
"DOOM & GLOOM."
Korshak Von Vilheim says, his voice as slick as butter.
The staggering by the creature ceases as it retraces its body's original movements, returning back to its initial position. It's as if someone hit the rewind button on a remote.
It stops moving all together.
Kors walks in front of the creature, which had been covering his body. On his back rests Asakawa, who is clearly unconscious and boasting various amounts of wounds. His feet collide with the grass, giving a faint rustling noise.
Wait.
Is that Kors? He looks completely different. What I believed to be a skeleton person is now a man who looks to be in his twenties with spiked wavy jet black hair. His eyes are a verdant emerald, and he's wrapped a strange headband with a skull insignia attached to it onto his head.
"Arivia!" He calls out, equipping a sleek revolver out of seemingly nowhere. He then tosses the one in his dominant hand to Arivia. This is due to him holding Asakawa on his back, unable to utilize both. The tossed firearm soars through the air, spinning due to its heavy weight.
Kors quickly empties his revolver— releasing the cylinder— which drops the rounds to the ground, each one letting out a silent thud. With intense speed, his hand reaches into his back pocket. In between each finger, he holds four bullets. He then inserts the bullets and flicks the cylinder in place.
The creature still cannot move. It has only been four seconds after all.
Arivia walks over to the creature, and shoves her respective revolver barrel inside the creature's open mouth. Kors pushes his own barrel against the right side of the creature's skull. Both weapons are incredibly close.
—And with that, both repeatedly press down on their triggers.
BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!
—What is left is not a 'head', but a mass of metal, bone, and blood.
The creature's head is utterly pulverised, liquids pouring out of whatever small hole they could find. With that execution, it falls to the ground, utterly incapable of being in the state of 'life'.
Arivia tosses the revolver back to Kors, who swiftly reholsters it. He then reholsters the second.
"A Graft. How inhumane. The Volarian Empire truly has no limits." He coldly snarls, assessing the corpse. "Such a death would be honorable to such a creature."
Kors adjusts himself, bouncing Asakawa's slipping body upwards, allowing him to host her body on top of his better. His emerald eyes then turn to Gorthro and Samuel.
"I see, you have managed to capture Gorthro. If he is not equipped with any shackles of sorts, he must be coming with you all willingly." He then glances at Samuel.
"And you are?"
"Samuel Volara, sir."
"His son?"
"Correct. I was looking to join Sable Veil."
"Hmph, at the moment, as you can see, further questioning you would further jeopardize us. The situation at this moment is dire."
Anyone could tell that it was a serious situation. Whether it was the chaos in the town behind us, or the unconscious girl on Kors's back. The wight, no, man, turns to me and Arivia.
"Kaito, Arivia, do you trust Samuel?"
Both of us nod.
"All right then. We'll go into the depths of things when we situate ourselves properly." He turns.
"I-If you turn me in, please turn me into the West Norovia Penitentiary! I have—" Gorthro suddenly says, but is momentarily cut off.
"Silence. I said we will go into it later. The citizens that you have forsaken and taken advantage of linger in that forest, waiting to return to the lives that were taken from them prematurely."
The man gazes downward, complying with the mercenary.
"All right, we must hurry."
As I walk past the Graft, I notice a small item attached to the underside of its arm.
A blue teddy bear.
____________________________________________________________________________
Navi Highergald drops the severed head of the Graft on the ground. This particular one had attacked her and the remaining refugees within the confines of the forest. As the creatures head rolls, Kalcifer picks it up with its jaws.
Grafts were easy to deal with.
All one had to do was to constantly heat it up. They consisted of metal, so with enough Pyraethon-type spells, they could be swiftly dispatched of. The component that made up more than seventy-five percent of their body would heat up, in turn boiling the liquids that were trapped within the canisters that provided them with 'life'.
Grafts were mostly damage types that could not withstand too many attacks. If one simply watched themselves when engaging with one, they could be easily dealt with.
It was a bit surprising however, to find a red teddy bear amongst the monster's corpse.
Gasps followed as Navi turned around, scratching the back of her head and sheathing her sabre.
Those around her were both shocked at the sudden appearance of the Graft, and how quickly Navi managed to dispatch of it.
At this moment, Navi felt a mild annoyance. She had been waiting for the past seven hours, to allow the people to get entry back into Varos. But just when she had thought it couldn't get any longer, the whole damned city explodes into flames.
Clicking her tongue, the girl leans against the carriage as the murmurs between those around her encapsulate her form. Kalcifer gnawed on the Grafts head as she leaned.
Right now, she could only think.
Think about what happened between her and that person.
Think about why she chose to open herself up.
Think about the repercussions that followed.
Think about the fact that nobody was truly genuine to themselves, and only presented themselves as such.
But Navi did not like to think.
The sound of rustling bushes suddenly erupts, prompting the girl to open a single eye. The first of the incoming figures she notices is Asakawa, her eyes closed. Asakawa had been sprawled over Kors, who at the moment resembled a human. It was that time for Kors, it seemed.
The next of the figures was Arivia, a strangely distant look on her face present. Whenever Arivia was present somewhere, her sapphire eyes seemed to shine brightly, reflective of her personality. Her body would also seemingly bounce up and down as well. So seeing such a demeanor from the girl was quite unorthodox.
What happened to her?
The third figure was a boy around Navi's own age, sporting golden shoulder-length hair. His eyes were a brilliant red. Navi could not tell who this man was, but the rest of her partners seemed to have to issue with him being around, so he must have been an ally.
The fourth figure was…
Gorthro.
That damned fatso.
A barrage of insults, originating from the townsfolk found themselves directed towards the Kingpin. 'Piece of shit', 'Scum bag', 'heartless monster'. All of them pierced the man's body, sinking deep within. It was clear he was uncomfortable with the circumstances, but something strange was occurring. He lacked the face of a man that held a high ego.
Still, Navi did not want to gaze at him for any longer.
And the final figure.
Navi turned away, focusing on her attention on Kors, who began yelling.
"Everyone! We have located our target, Gorthro Volara, and have captured him! Our contract has been completed!"
"---But what about our home!?"
"---Where'll we go now?!"
"---Please help us, don't leave!!"
"---We will pay you extra!!"
The townsfolk, processing the circumstances, clearly conveyed their intentions to be safely redirected to their livelihoods. They wished to return home, to avoid this needless conflict. However….
"I am sorry…" Kors solemnly mutters. "But your town has been completely compromised, and it is entirely out of our hands to deal with."
Silence overtook the world.
The job of a mercenary was not to help people, nor risk their lives for free. It was a job at the end of the day, and morality was simply an added bonus. It was optional. It was not within Sable Veil's obligations to help out these people. As much as one would oppose this view point, that was simply how the world worked.
Yet, something beckoned at Navi to help.
"To the southeast of Varos, there's another town. It's named Xyltan. You'd all fit in just fine. After all, there aren't much of you." She said.
"..."
The people of Varos stared, dumbfounded.
"Do you guys really wanna die here or live?! What the hell are you all staring at?! GO!!"
With that, the people of Varos formed a de facto Caravan, and all stampeded to the northeast of the forest. Their footsteps were like thunder, but surprisingly uniform. The members of Sable Veil simply watched as they all cowered in the opposite direction. Of course, the urge to help them reclaim their city back lingered in the air, but the scent of chaos was far too strong.
Some would die, but unfortunately, Not much could be done.
Turning back to the carriage, Navi takes note of everyone already assuming positions. That 'Person', as well as the blonde boy Gorthro, and Asakawa were inside, while Arivia and Kors assumed the reins.
There was no time to speak. Words were for later. Right now, they had to secure their target.
At least they had secured it.
The carriage takes off, leaving behind a trail.
The explosions in Varos continue.