Chapter 45: My mask and I (Final)

# Can't sleep so here.

---

After beating the shit out of Seishiro. He finally confessed, he was going to off me by asking me to eliminate the Demon King, knowing I'll fail he was planning to distract the man long enough to strike. At the TJC HQ no less. I never knew he had those kinds of balls.

"I've told you everything I know, please let me go."

Said the man. Well my mercy is all spent when he decides to burn Wakaba. So, I readied my gun, and then I pulled the trigger. As I did that, a bright light enveloped my sight.

---

But to my surprise there's no Bang, no sound of blood spilling nor anything. Did I kill him? I felt the squeeze of the trigger.

"OH THANK GOD YOU'RE OK! SEE GUYS I TELL YOU IT'S ALRIGHT!"

Huh what the hell?

"Sojiro, what's this?"

My vision finally came back to focus as a picture was shoved into my face. It's a picture of a penguin.

"A penguin?"

"Fiuh, You almost had me there Sojiro! What happened when your heartbeat and blood pressure spike I thought we're losing you!"

As hands grab my shoulder and begin shaking me around. Then it's followed by a hug. Huh? I thought I was dead.

---

After a while, the researchers took a sample of my blood, and denied me any movement as they still need to fully analyze what happened. It seems that the device I was strapped into was going to scan my brain waves or something.

So after a while they finally let me go to the bathroom. In the bathroom I began to reflect upon myself. Was all I did till this point useless? It seems so huh.

"But to think that it's all a bad dream huh."

But thanks to that I finally found my resolve. Huh wait isn't that

[YO!]

Orion's there standing by the window, looking towards the sky.

[It seems that even Here I can't escape from her love.]

Huh? Suddenly I felt my body get heavier. As if there's something hanging on my back.

[Ah don't mind that, it's just Artemis showing her love. As you and I are one now, we shall share the burden. Isn't that right dear?]

As he said that, I can see a woman's silhouette, hugging Orion. I'm just imagining things right? Right?

Shit. I may need to see a doctor after this. Hallucination and fatigue huh.

---

As I tried to escape the facility from the toilet, I was embarrassingly found out by Izanmi-chan. Fuck what do I say.

"Ummm, this isn't what it looks like."

"So you've also awakened to your powers huh?"

[be careful partner she's powerful, even more so than Artemis!]

"Huh?"

"Oh is that your persona, hmmm just like my beloved, sentient. Interesting. Answer me oh warrior from another reality, what brings you here?"

[Hey partner tell her I can't answer or else Artemis will punish me. So the only way to have conversation is by you.]

I was shocked. Too shocked, it seems that Orion is not my hallucination, but what about Seishiro who i shot down? Is he also… damnit.

"Izanmi-chan, You have to warn your Fiance, he's been targeted by the deputy commissioner, there's a traitor in TJC."

"Oh he knows alright. Just answer my questions before I tell Isshiki Sensei about your 'disappearance' "

Well I have no other choice huh. Might as well speak, it seems that she knows more about all this than me.

"Well, he's under some sort of a bind as he can't talk to you or else Artemis will punish us both. "

"The moon goddess huh? I heard from Romulus that she's a Yandere."

"Huh?"

[Huh?]

"Romulus!"

As she said that, a man's silhouette appeared beside her.

[Romance ! Ooh what's this? Orion is that you! Brother It's nice to find another Roma here!]

[Ah Romulus! It's good to see another grand class. But it does not bode well.]

[Aye, if it was any other time I would've rejoiced, but it seems like humanity will soon face a problem they cannot overcome themselves. It's truly roma to have met you again.]

[Pleasure's all mine Romulus.]

Hmmm it seems that both of them know each other. If I'm not mistaken Romulus should be the founder of Rome, how does he know Orion, and what's with the grand-servant thing.

"So what are these persona, it seems that you've had one for a while as well."

"Oh this? It's a manifestation of yourself. Taken form. Mine's unique but so is yours."

"Physical manifestation huh? So what's with that dream?"

"Dream? Oh that, you must've slipped into someone's mind. You weren't supposed to dream, we are just testing your brain activity while reading you subconscious massages. It shouldn't have allowed you to awaken a persona but you did. And I believe I sensed your consciousness drifting elsewhere hence you slipped into someone's mind."

"Slipped into someone's mind, how does that happen?"

"There are things that even I do not know."

"Fair, you're still a kid anyway."

[Oh partner how wrong you are on that?]

Wait what?

"Anyway, about slipping into someone's mind, how does that work, I was in a city controlled by my boss. With beasts everywhere and the only safe place was his fortress. What's with that?"

"Oh that. My darling told me before, about people's mind, it's a subconscious projection of how they view the world. So what you see is how he perceived the world."

"What a sick bastard."

He thinks that he's the savior of some kind? And what's with those witch hunts. Ah things are strange. I manage to put them in the back of my head.

"So it's their mind right? Will there be any permanent damage if I ransacked the place?"

"Ah, surprisingly there is, if you kill the person in their mind, they will die in real life."

Huh? Did I just kill someone?

"But rejoice. As somehow, I manage to yank you back to your body before you are harmed."

Hey… it's not that I'm ungrateful but I've killed someone you know? What with this feeling. It's not pity nor is it disgust. There's just something that made my mind heavy. Confusion huh.

"You humans are a funny bunch. Imagine if you can kill one, to save a thousand, will you do it?"

"Huh?"

"Kill one to save a thousand, will you do it?"

"Yes, of course without a doubt."

"But what if that person was Wakaba?"

"Huh?"

Now that's a different matter entirely. If it's Wakaba… then….

"See in a dilemma right? But that's why you are given power. A power not to choose but to make a new choice, never present before." as she pointed towards Orion's silhouette, who is messing around with another silhouette.

"Ah I understand."

"But unlike your other endeavours, this will be more dangerous as it's not your life that's in stake."

"I understand."

"Will you proceed forward knowing that ---"

"Yes, I will Izanami-chan, no Izanami no Okami, that's you right? "

"HAHAHAHA! You're the second person to figure out my identity."

"Whose the first?"

"My soon to be husband."

"Then with the power you bestowed me I shall defend humanity from the looming threat."

"I beseech of you then, a friendly reminder, I'm not the only divine being in the world. Nor am I the last. You'll need to go on a journey. Find allies, seek refuge in your bonds, as they will to you."

I felt something inside me getting created, a card? As I was still in shock of what had happened Orion slams my shoulder with his huge hands, almost making me fall with the force.

[God's right? You can't seem to get what they're thinking.]

You're the one to talk.

[So what now partner?]

We prepare. I need to clean house. Something I should have done a long time ago.

[Ah! You remind me of Jason! Hahaha!]

I dialed 'forge'.

"Hunter here."

"Yes, what do you need?"

"I'll start cleaning house, where's the boss's last position?"

"Ah he's still in the love hotel I think. What's with the change? I thought you're all buddy buddy with him."

"He's setting us up. He wanted to eliminate us, by pitting me against the demon king, knowing that he will track all of us down and eliminate us."

"Well shit."

"Yes, shit."

"So how do you want to handle it. By killing him it would be traced back to us."

"I have a plan, do you keep the receipt of all his purchases?"

"Of course. How do you want to do this?"

"Be ready to release them all. I'll call you when I've done my part."

---

As I arrived in front of a love hotel, I could feel there's something wrong with it, but I couldn't put my finger on what it was. As suddenly I saw a ghostly door, with the same gothic design, standing in the middle of the walkway as people just pass through it without minding it. It seems that only I can see it huh.

[There's a way in from here.]

Well it's now or never. I placed my hand on the handle.

---

Surrounded by the familiar gothic design, It seems that I'm back inside Seishiro's mind. Now then, it's time to finish this. I said that but now I'm panicking inside not knowing what to do. Calm down sojiro let's see what I bring with me…

Wait, my clothes turn into a trenchcoat, with boots that are easy to move in, and a hat resembling those hunters from the other day. What's with this getup. Won't people be suspicious?(WN: maria's hunter set for male from bloodborne.)

Oh well, I can't complain. Let's do this.

[Right behind you partner!]