Anari
Several days passed at an unbearably slow rate after being thrown back into that damn cell. It felt like an eternity, sitting around and awaiting the lethal injection. My mind hadn't moved from the events I'd witnessed. Luckily, the council hadn't tried pulling me out for more experiments. But every silent day only built more unease, and I was stuck in a dungeon with a fear-stricken child taller than me. Taking care of children was never something I enjoyed, but I had no choice.
Every time I gazed beyond the bars of the cell, I saw hints of a shadow. A guard on standby.
Shin…
The words I exchanged with him echoed in my head from that day onward, at all hours.
"How can you stand there and turn a blind eye to what the council's doing!?"
"Do as the council dictates, Anari. Unless you have a suicide wish."
"How could you betray Zara!? Betray all of us!? You people kidnapped a child!"
"I never claimed to enjoy this line of work."
"W-what?"
Tyuyo was curled up on a bed, staring at the wall, while Shin stood guard somewhere beyond the cell. I couldn't get that conversation outta my head, and I watched the bars closely. Watched the shadows closely. I could only wonder what was happening outside the council's headquarters. What was Yvira up to?
It was just another day in the silver room, waiting for my own impending doom.
That was, until the shadows shifted. The signal of change.
Shin stepped into view. "It's time, Anari. I just received word. Gotta move you two to the new facility. Please don't make this harder than it already is."
What? Wait, forget that- both of us? Why do they need both of us?
Tyuyo perked up, and not in a good way. I kept an eye on him, but kept another on Shin especially.
"Isn't Tyuyo leverage? Why does the council want him taken to the lab?"
"I don't have an answer for you. I don't know what goes on in the labs. I just follow my orders, Anari."
I've already seen what these monsters will do. They're not putting their hands on Tyuyo. Not if I have anything to say about it.
Shin turned the key and unlocked the cell, handcuffs at the ready. He probably thought I'd be lifeless, like Tyuyo. In total despair. But Shin should've known by then the kind of person he was dealing with. My heart pounded in anticipation, and my glare followed his every movement like a beast stalking its prey. And Shin made the mistake of approaching me first.
He's still got his sword and shield. Also, a couple of guns. A full set to deal with any threat that comes his way. But he's got a weakness that I don't, and right now, I don't give a damn about hitting below the belt!
My brow tightened, and my irises lit up. The moment Shin got close enough, I shot up from my bed with a curled fist that crashed into his nuts!
"AAGGHFFFFFTTHHHH!"
Shin's cheeks puffed out. He fell straight to the floor, dropping the clattering handcuffs and the keyring.
Dropped in one shot!
I didn't waste a second- I knew better! I kicked Shin's head in hard enough to send him sliding toward one of the beds, snatched the cuffs up, and sprinted to lock him down. Shin had pretty much curled into a fetal position. He shakily reached for one of the weapons hanging at his waist, but I socked him again for good measure.
Blood splattered from his lips, and Shin coughed hard. He barely resisted when I cuffed his wrist to one of the bed legs.
"Sorry, not sorry, Shin! I ain't lettin' you or the council torture Tyuyo or my squad any longer! Face the inquisition of your fucking sadistic councilor gods by yourself!"
A damn shame. I was starting to really like you, too.
Shin groaned aloud. He couldn't muster a proper response as I unhooked his weapons. I stepped away after a couple seconds, strapping both pistols, extra clips, and the blade to my waist. He could've kept that big-ass shield for all I cared.
"Grab the keys, Tyuyo! We're leaving!" I laughed quietly, feeling a little evil myself. "Take your time recovering, Shin! I know you're probably feeling a niiiice pit in the stomach, heh."
I cracked my knuckles as I exited the cell with Ty. But just as he handed me the keys, Shin reached out to us.
"K-kill me," Shin stammered out. "Don't l-leave me at the council's mercy!"
"Please. You deserve to be left at the council's mercy."
"You don't know my life, Anari!" Shin shouted, raising his voice for the first time ever. I even saw an emotion on his face.
Desperation.
"I'd rather you kill me! Anything's better than what my uncle will do!"
Uncle?
I twisted away. "How convenient. You want the mercy of death, but were willing to kidnap a child and condemn him to a fate worse than death?"
"Anari, I admit I did a horrible thing! But it's worsethan you know!"
I shut my eyes and turned away for a few seconds, but basically screamed at myself internally. I couldn't quite walk away, not when my curiosity was pulling threads.
"Who's your uncle?"
"Livian. He raised me after my parents were forced to leave the clan."
My eyes fluttered. I paused to kinda register what the hell Shin had just blurted out. "Livian- no. No! I refuse to believe it!"
He's lying! He HAS to be!
"Listen to me, Anari! If you won't kill me, then you need to understand what you're about to go up against! You're not like me; the council won't spare you! They don't see any worth in your life! You're nothing but a guinea pig to them!"
"Yeah? And what makes you so valuable?"
Shin bit into his glove and tore it away, revealing a diamond-shaped curse seal. My eyes widened.
"W-why do YOU have a curse seal? I thought Livian despised curse wielders!"
"It awakened when I was a child, and I've kept it hidden ever since. A byproduct of my bloodline. My mother had a curse seal. She had to abandon the clan or face execution, and my father wouldn't let her go it alone. He left me with my uncle. But no one was aware of my seal."
My whole face twitched. "So, why does this make youso valuable?"
"I've spent my life hiding my true self from my uncle. When I was ordered to capture Kozuna and Nikai, Livian also had me nab Tyuyo. I thought he'd just meant to use Tyuyo as leverage, but yesterday, I overheard something I wasn't supposed to. Livian and Isakai have been sitting on a theory for a while now, and they're ready to test it. Today."
"W-what's this theory?"
"They believe blood relatives of curse wielders will possess a natural compatibility with the pseudo seal injections. Do you understand what I'm getting at!?"
I staggered back, gritting my teeth. "You don't mean-"
"They plan to inject Tyuyo as their next test subject!"
I snarled and leaped at Shin again, grabbing him by his collar. I was ready to beat his fucking skull in. "AND YOU WERE JUST GONNA LET IT HAPPEN!?"
Shin shook his bleeding head. "No, of course not! I was devising a plan, and I was hoping you and I could work together to stop him!"
I don't think he's lying about Livian's intentions, but I doubt he's had a change of heart.
"Thanks for the warning, but you can stay locked up here, Shin. There's no way I can trust you."
Shin's brow twisted in. He breathed out and curled his left hand into a fist. I watched his curse seal begin to glow and emit dust, even within the anti-curse fields of the council's headquarters. I took a couple steps back, cocking a pistol in hand.
How is that possible!? Even Nikai's overpowering transformation won't work!
"I've mastered my curse enough to resist the anti-curse fields, Anari." Small spheres of grayish-black senten released from Shin's wrist and burst, instantly shattering the cuffs into shards. "If I wanted to kill you, you'd already be dead. You don't need to trust me, but please work with me! I couldn't let you out of the cell early or speak to you about my plan- there are cameras everywhere!"
Cameras don't matter anymore. If anyone's watching, they've probably already sent guards our way. I don't like this. Do I even have a choice?
I scratched at my hair with an over-the-top groan. "Ugh, FINE! We'll work together! But did you even think of a working plan, or are we playing it by ear?"
"Listen, I know this labyrinth like the back of my hand. I grew up here." Shin stepped ahead of me as tiny spheres of senten revolved around his wrists. "We'll head for the central command center. From there, we'll have total control over the facility. We'll disable the anti-curse fields and enable the energizer fields. Then, Kozuna's and Nikai's curse seals will come to life. They'll be able to free themselves and wreak havoc. Livian and the other councilors will have no choice but to try and stop them."
"What about us?"
"We'll have to track them down. Livian shouldn't know about my curse yet- that's our secret weapon. Kozuna and Nikai will hit the council from one side. You and I will hit them from the other."
"Annd when things inevitably go sideways? What if Nikai goes berserk?"
"If he does, it works to our favor. You just gotta take the child and run like hell," Shin coldly answered, marching onward. "Let's move. We've got maybe a minute or so before the soldiers swarm this section."
I slyly handed Tyuyo one of the pistols before moving forward. I was not happy about the turn of events.
For now, I'll do what I need to do.
***
This time, I'll save everyone.
According to Shin, we were under-fucking-ground. Not inside some restricted facility within public view like I'd first thought. Shin, Tyuyo, and I hurried throughout the chrome passages on our way to the command center. I hadn't wasted a single bullet- every soldier we came across was promptly blown to fleshy bits by Shin's fragmenting senten projectiles. I was kinda shocked at how quickly he betrayed both sides. However, thankfully, he wasn't lying about knowing the labyrinth well.
We arrived at an enormous set of black, double doors at the end of a hall. They were inscribed with a geometric pattern of lines glowing a vibrant blue. Also hummed, strangely enough.
"Here we are," Shin muttered, his fists trembling. "A-are you ready, Anari?"
Is he really frightened?
"Outta my way."
I pressed an arm against the doors and pushed them wide open. We were greeted by a cold gust of wind and an entirely different environment from the rest of the maze.
Black columns perpetually populated the spacious command center. Geometric lines traced the floors, walls, pillars, and ceiling. Each one glowed the same blue as the door. There was also the large, square platform in the center of the room. Four sets of steps divided that area into four separate corners, each filled with computers, consoles, desk chairs, and other office stuff. Finally, there was but one person awaiting our arrival at the top of the steps.
The lone councilor Gio.
"Tyuyo. Take cover and don't come out until I say," I mumbled, keeping my gun at the ready.
I didn't even bother exchanging looks with Shin as I slowly approached the command center, my footsteps echoing in that large, almost empty room. However, Shin remained close to my side, even if I didn't want him there.
"So, you're the first on my chopping block." I lifted my gun and aimed straight for Gio's head. "Hold still for me. I promise to make it quick."
"I wouldn't try that," Gio solemnly answered, unsheathing his black blade. "You're in over your head."
Is that thing glowing? No, I must be seeing things.
My voice dropped to a monotone. "Yeah, sure."
I pulled that trigger without hesitation, but instead of a skull bursting open and a body hitting the floor, my bullet whisked to ash. Electricity arced from Gio's blade at the slightest of tilts, frying the bullet and illuminating the area. And that was when I noticed it. The deep blue, fluid-likeflow riding the edge of the blade without ever dripping away.
It resembled the liquid senten of a curse, whirlpooling inside the black borders. The same thing I'd seen within Kozuna's and Nikai's seals.
What… just happened?
"Fuck." Shin's glare narrowed. "Isakai's already produced the prototypes."
Prototypes?
"Indeed, Shin. A shame you'll never have the honor of wielding one of these weapons. Livian was excited, too. Had a special giftplanned for you."
Shin's entire face scrunched up and quivered. It was hard to read him, as usual.
"Shin, this is the sorta thing you're supposed to tell me about. What kind of prototype is that?"
Shin opened his mouth, but Gio yelled out, "Why don't I just demonstrate!?"
We both glared at Gio as he heaved his weapon around for a forceful slash. The liquid senten coating his blade expanded and released, amassing crackling thunderbolts that raced across the room! He wasn't even remotely close to us!
But the distance didn't matter for him.
Our faces lit up immediately in a vibrant, shocking blue. Shin and I had no time to dodge- we were engulfed in electricity and sheer, thunderous force. Neither of us could hold ground, either. We were blown clear off our feet, smashing into the wall spine-first. And then, we slid to the floor, each twitching to different extents.
My concentration hadn't waned for a second. I shook my head and frizzy hair, suddenly parched and smacking my lips. My eyes opened wide at the revelation.
I recognize that sensation! That was Kozuna's lightning- but weaker!
After a beat, a devilish smirk reshaped my lips. I chuckled to myself, creepily and quietly, catching Gio's attention. He observed as I pressed my forearms and fingertips against the floor and pushed myself to my feet. I noticed an almost bewildered look on his face. I was the one rising- an eighteen-year-old who wasn't even five feet tall. Not the all-powerful curse wielder twitching to my right.
No matter the odds, I absolutely refuse to back down. These councilors disgust me to my core. To lock people up, steal their powers for evil, and to kidnap people as lab rats? To kidnap children!? They need to be purged from the clan. And Gio will be the first to go.
My heart pounded nonstop, and my laughter burst out. I couldn't hold it back.
"Was that REALLY all you had, Gio!?"
Heh, NOW I'm getting into it!
Gio's head cocked. He stared at me strangely. Almost curiously. "How in the hell are you not dead!?"
"I'm not gonna pretend to understand how you councilors managed it, but I know one thing, and it's so damn simple!" I wiped some blood from my lips, shining my gleaming grin at Gio. "I've been hit by the real deal before and lived to tell the tale! Your blade's nothin' but a poor imitation!"
A poor imitation of Kozuna's power!
Gio kinda paused for a moment there. "Intriguing. Although Shin's down and you're still standing, this is still useful field data. I wonder if your body has begun forming a resistance to the effects of senten?" Gio licked his lips. It looked like a lightbulb went off in his head. "You may just be more valuable than the average test subject after all, Anari!"
Looks like Gio's raring to go, too, now. But Shin?
I half-glanced over at Shin. It looked like he was seeing stars, if anything. Barely conscious at all.
Useless. But he doesn't get to take the easy way out, not after betraying everyone and kidnapping Tyuyo.
"Shin!" I flared my sword aside and stomped toward Gio, prepared to face him alone. "If you can hear me, stand your ass up and FIGHT! You wanna redeem yourself? You wanna put an end to your uncle!? This is your one fucking chance!"
"That was uninspiring," Gio mumbled, unbuckling his silver cloak from his neck.
He tossed it aside. All that remained was an outfit of all black and a pair of exposed, pale brown forearms. His skinny appearance was deceiving. Somehow, Gio managed to lug around a huge sword with one hand.
"Before we begin, Gio, I've got just one question for you. Feed my curiosity."
"Speak."
"You councilors aren't human, are you?"
"Such a curious question." Gio struck his blade against the floor, dragging and scraping it as he inched closer. "What exactly constitutes being human, Anari?"
Exactly the response I expected.