Chapter 44: My mask and I (3)

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Hmmm what is this? Did I die? A cliche line I know, but right now it felt surreal. As If I'm floating. But everything else is pitch black. Did I really die perhaps. The last thing I remember is I was strapped into bed in a research institute, they're probably dissecting my brain right now. Oh well could've gone worse. I always imagine I would be dying by staring at the end of a barrel. But compared to that dying in wakaba's arm doesn't feel that bad.

As I wait for my consciousness to disappear a surreal thing happens.

The pitch black environment from before is suddenly replaced with, a city, something's wrong with it as, what I saw was a dimly lighted, gothic style architecture, with paved roads, and if the roadside is anything to go by, it's been ransacked by a mass of people, evident by the broken windows, furnitures laying around left and right, and as I looked 'up', I saw something that I never thought possible, a red moon with eyes are staring straight at me!

I feel on my butt as I meet the stare of the eyes of the moon.

"The Fuck?"

---

Suddenly a hand grabs my shoulder, with reflex I screamed.

"AAAAH!"

As the said hand later cups my mouth.

"Ssssh! You want them to hear us? And what's a civilian like you doing here! Everyone should've evacuated! Fuck it must have been that old man. I knew a bloodthirsty greedy old man like him couldn't be left in charge."

I heard a woman's voice behind me. What's this about an old man and an organization?

"*Growl*"

I heard a beastly growl

"Stay Back! Tonight's hunt will be a long one."

The woman said as she positioned herself infront of me. She unsheated her sword from the scabbard as her other hand held a flintlock pistol.

As the beast plunges towards her, a single shot of flintlock can be heard *Bang*. She manages to stagger the beast with a shot from her flintlock, and what happens next surprises me to no end. As her hand, which is slimmer than mine, holds her sword tight, then stabs towards the beast's torso, seeing the blade protruding from behind the creature, she slices upwards, and with such force, blood sprayed everywhere.

*awooo!*

"Shit there's more of them, I'm sorry but can you fight?"

"Eh? Ah? What? Yes?"

"Good, now stay close they're coming. And here! It does wonders to the beast."

She handed me a weapon, it's too well decorated to call a sword, as it looks more like a walking stick than anything.

"It's silver, effective against beasts, not so much against humans, it can extend into a whip."

Just as she said that, I found a button of some sort which turns the blade into extended parts like a whip.

"Get ready."

And so my hellish night continues.

--

"If I didn't know better I would've called you a prodigy with the blade."

"I told you already today's my first time using this… thing."

"Yeah sure…"

I finally got a good look at the woman, she wears a gothic themed male aristocratic dress. (WN: check maria's armor from bloodborne.). But I could've sworn I saw her face somewhere before. She had dark skin, and red eyes. And a few strands of white hair can be seen falling from her hat.

"Anyway! There's no time to chat, we better get moving, to central, the faster the better! A civilian like you would tie us down."

"But I can pull my own weight."

"No, my job is on the battlefield, and yours elsewhere."

She stopped talking after that as we made way to this 'central'. But to my surprise, the 'central' is my office, the government's office kansai division. Why here of all places? It is also surprisingly outfitted with the same gothic design.

A man in a trenchcoat and similar hat to the woman who's escorting me came into view, at last another human.

"Ah there you are! What's a civ doing here!? It's too late for evacuation as you've missed the last caravan."

"Huh? Well ok then. Is there any place to rest?"

"Huh… oh a place to rest huh? We got a barrack but you'll need to talk to the boss first."

The boss huh? That's a good start.

I left the woman and the man alone, as I was pointed towards this 'boss'. He seemed to have taken place on the top most floor.

--

Let me tell you living in the middle ages is a bad idea, especially if one had a tall building. Stairs are hell. When I came to the 'boss''s room. I noticed something. The building seems to have only 12 floors despite the design.

Hey isn't this the deputy commissioner's room? Don't tell me. I steeled myself as I reached towards the door.

"Ah Sojiro, you're still here huh?"

"Huh?"

Who I saw was Seishiro Munakata, my boss.

"It seems like the beasts did not do their job properly, odd. I'm pretty sure I sent you out with broken gear and beast bait."

Huh, so he is why I'm in this position?

"Ah you seem shocked? Well then since we have time I'll tell you something. You see, Sojiro, you're standing between me and the Commissioner seat. And I can't have someone who knows my secret to go free."

"Don't tell me."

"Yes, I've known you're not all that loyal. Especially after meeting that woman who was she again Wakaba Isshiki was it?"

As he said that, he simply clapped his hands together. As he did multiple monsters, looking like a floating pumpkin head with a cloak and hand mittens as hands materialize itself.

"Master?"

"Bring them to me."

As he said that I can see a figure of a woman in witch clothes. It's Wakaba. She's been tied.

"WAKABA!" I reacted almost instantly as I held my cane tight and rushed forward, only to be held back by the monster. A fist soon followed as it landed squarely on my solar plexus, taking my breath out.

"What are you doing?"

"It's a witch hunt. I should go for the family. Just - like - you- said ."

"Monster."

"Yes she is. And now for the execution."

As suddenly the surrounding wraps into what seems to be an execution platform. As suddenly people popped out of nowhere and are all standing below the platform. I'm right beside Seishiro, kneeling.

"Brothers, here I have found another witch."

Said Seishiro, now wearing aristocratic clothes and standing tall on top of the platform, Wakaba is tied onto a wooden pole, with fire woods below her, shit don't tell me.

"This witch has corrupted my dearest friend Sojiro."

As he pointed his hands to me.

"For that I sentenced the witch, to be cleansed."

A round of cheers from the crowd.

"Cleansed by Fire!"

He said as he threw a torch towards Wakaba.

"NOOO!"

I screamed on top of my lungs. As the world seems to lose all it's color.

I Heard my heartbeat.

*dum dum*

[Really? That's the best you can do?]

Huh who's that?

[That's the best you can do to protect those who are dear to you!?]

[You know that you could do more.]

[But excuses are what I've seen from you.]

[To protect Wakaba He said. HAHAHA! YOU CAN'T EVEN PROTECT YOURSELF? YET YOU DARE TO SAY YOU WANTED TO PROTECT THE OTHERS? YOU COWER BEHIND THOSE WHO ARE POWERFUL YET YOU TALK ABOUT SHIELDING THE WEAK, HOW IRONIC.]

HaHAhaHAhAHahA! You're Right I'm a fool, I've been hiding behind strong people hoping they'll protect and shelter me if they found me of use.

What a fool I am. But Incompetent I am NOT! I shall take it all BACK! I've LOST EVERYTHING ONCE NEVER AGAIN!

[Finally, we can see eye to eye.]

[People who take advantage of others, who treat others as stepping stones, cowering against the strong, stepping on the weak, you are once like that. Shackled by your own Incompetence.]

[But now, here you are standing before me, if you have the will to break free from the shackles of incompetence you only need to call my name.]

Fine.

The world's colors suddenly return, as the flames of the stake are getting bigger still. I'm done being weak, I'm done cowering around waiting for a hero.

"HUNT, SHOOT THEM ALL DOWN! ORION!"

[I art thou, and Thou Art I]

A silhouette of a huge man materializes behind me. With a trench coat and hat similar to the armed men from before, but having a light born leather color, a twin sword in hands, a belt with 3 shining jewels in his torso.

"What are you waiting for? Kill him!"

Seishiro shouted as people turned into monsters with different shapes and sizes, most of them had tentacles as body parts. Just like that everyone came rushing towards me.

"ORION!"

[Charge!]

Orion combines both his blades into a bow. As he charges his strength. By doing so I feel a heavy load suddenly manifest itself physically surrounding me cracking the grounds, flattening everything within the kilometer. Including buildings, the monsters everything except Seishiro.

"TCH, I GUESS I'LL HAVE TO END YOU MYSELF!"

Said Seishiro as his head turns into a squid's head, his hands turn into tentacles and so do his legs. (WN: Think of it as a handsome squidward …. You know what nvm he's a mindflyer.)

"COME TO ME MY MINIONS!"

As he said that an army of the trench coated hunters, men, women, children. Materializes in front of him. What an asshole hiding behind the public. And he say's he'll deal with me himself. *sigh*

"ORION!"

[THREE STAR SHOOTING]

As energy gathers in his bow, Orion materializes an arrow. Pointing it towards the sky, he releases it after pulling the bow, almost snapping the strings. With a smooth *sweew* the arrow glides across the sky.

.

.

.

"HAHAHA! Is that your best move? It didn't even ---"

As I waited for 5 seconds I almost wanted to complain before, suddenly a barrage of arrows came. Each arrow that landed on the ground creates a massive explosion. Similar to a bombing run.

The destructive power is immense as it creates craters. My only complaint: what a lame name.

[Well, can't argue with you there, I just want to sound cool, but it came out wrong.]

"EVERY ONE OF YOU ARE USELESS!""

Just as I thought we're done, a voice resounded from the crater as the monster Seishiro had come out of the rubble. Man, can't you just stay down.

Do you think you can fire off more of those shot?

[sure thing, but where's the fun in that? Here let me teach you how to have fun]

Said my persona. Huh why did I call him that? As I follow along behind him.

[This is how a real man fights!]

Shouted my persona as he stripped his clothes and took a boxing stance. Now I can finally get a good look at him, he's built like a bear that's for sure, but his face … let's just say he looks young, way too young.(WN: Super Orion from FGO)

[HAHAH! KEEP UP!]

He said as we continued rushing towards the monster. When we're in melee range the monster sent a tentacle towards us, hoping to pierce me with it, but Orion's there to intercept, as he just punched it away with an [ORA!].

Not wasting any time, I close in towards the ugly bastard as I hit him square in the jaw.

"ORA!"

Orion may have rubbed off on me.

[ORA!]

ORA!

[ORA!]

ORA!

[ORA!]

ORA!

[ORA!]

ORA!

[ORA!]

ORA!

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#cliff hang no jutsu. I didn't know how it ended up like that forgive me.