In front of me, the blue panel glowed. I stared at the youngest man of Platoon E while the system message flickered:
[Do you wish to Decompose and Recreate him?] [Yes] [No]
My mind raced for a second. What would the decomposition of a human look like? How terrifying could this power be in someone's hands? Lost in dark thoughts, I was pulled back by Number 4's voice:
— Hey, man, are you okay? You look like you're a million miles away.
I shook my head. I refused to take a life now. I selected [No], and the panel vanished. I locked eyes with 4 and said:
— I have a plan, but I'll need everyone's help. Can you help me?
He stood up with a serious expression. — Tell me the plan first. Then we'll deal with the hard part.
I explained the strategy. Number 4 listened intently, nodding. The challenge now was to convince the others. 4 positioned himself in front of the group:
— Attention! I know we are weak and hopeless. But our new member, Number 5, is going to get us out of here.
The other three men ignored him. 4 persisted, touching their deepest wounds: — 2, don't you want to find your daughter, Anna? And you, 1, would your wife want to see you like this? 3, your brother is still out there!
Number 1 snapped back, full of rage: — How can you be sure? We're going to die anyway. You don't know that woman's real power... her flaming whip! You know nothing!
I stepped toward him, face to face. — You might be right. But I learned something at seventeen. My mother died young, and at ten years old, I could do nothing. My father was an alcoholic who beat her every single day. She never fought back; she just smiled at me while I watched, powerless.
I paused, feeling the weight of the past.
— From that, I learned that silence protects no one. I watched my father decompose my mother's soul day after day. I learned that a man's structure can be as fragile as glass, but as sharp as a razor. My mother died smiling in the hospital, and that smile taught me that kindness without strength is nothing but a useless sacrifice. I will not be a sacrifice.
The man broke down in tears and hugged me. — Please... if you survive, find their daughter and brother for us.
— I'm going to make you find them yourselves — I replied with an encouraging smile. — Because I'm taking everyone with me!
[A few minutes later]
— Everyone in position? We start now — I whispered to 4.
But first, I pointed to my face. — 4, what exactly did you see in my eye earlier?
— It looks normal now, but before, it was glowing blue. Instead of a pupil, there were programming codes scrolling at high speed.
System upgrade... so that was it. I focused hard: "System!". The panel appeared:
Name: Arata Henjiro | Age: 17
Class: [The Recreator] | Willpower: 10
Class Skills: Decomposition, Warehouse, Architect's Eye.
Current Condition: Fatigue 60%.
I accessed the [Warehouse] and selected the "Iron Bar." I concentrated. A bluish mist swirled in my palm, weaving matter with rapid codes. The cold weight of iron materialized in my grip.
[Notice: The object will disappear after 15 minutes]
I handed the bars to each of them. The goal was clear: disarm "The Mistress" before her whip caught fire. Number 1 looked at me, perplexed: — How did you do that? Where did this iron come from?
They couldn't see the system. When I asked about classes, 4 whispered: — You are an... Awakened.
They explained that there were common Awakened and unique mutations, like me. I felt the weight of responsibility: I was the pillar of this escape. The silence in the cell became suffocating until the sound of heels on concrete echoed.
Uiyiki appeared. Orange hair, leather jacket, and that sickly smile. The black whip dragged across the floor, snapping impatiently.
— Alright, hounds! Time to entertain the audience.
The key turned. Click.
— NOW! ADVANCE, PLATOON E!! — I shouted.
Uiyiki recoiled, surprised. Number 4 lunged to crush her hand, but she reacted with inhuman speed. The sound of the impact was bizarre—a violent stretching sound. Uiyiki's arm turned into rubber, absorbing the blow and hurling 4 against the bars. The whip lashed across his stomach, making him spit blood.
Fear flooded back. She was an Awakened too.
With no chance to reach her, I dropped the iron bar. — You filthy pigs! — she hissed, regaining her posture. — Did you really think you could hurt a beauty like me? Do you think I'm stupid enough not to notice such a dirty plan?
All the motivation I had built seemed to turn into fragments lost in the air. We were brutally tied with ropes and dragged to the luxurious hall. The mechanism of the dance floor opened, revealing the "Abyssal Pit." We descended the stairs under the sadistic stares of the women in the galleries. I saw bloody handprints on the walls.
We were left in the center of the abyss. Uiyiki stepped back toward the exit, cracking her whip. — Let's start the show!
The women cheered above. That piece of trash faction enjoyed our pain. I looked at my platoon. We were defeated, but I still had a trump card.
— I know, it feels like the end — I said. — But there's still a way out. I just need to finish her. Give me time... just a little bit.
— We'll all be dead by then because of you! — Number 3 screamed in pure despair.
I had to think. What did I have within my reach? How does a Recreator beat the protection of rubber? I had to save everyone. And it had to be now.