Prologue 5.2
Hana Takahashi POV.
"What's wrong Stella Reginae? Can't keep up?" The annoying bastard screeched as he swung his blade in a sloppy motion.
*Broom! Clink! Broom!*
Trees toppled over at his rapid stampede. The only reason he is even threatening at this point is because of 2 factors.
1. My mind is mainly focused on Kiyo. The thought that he is dead is not something that I want to entertain.
2. This rabbit dog had a sudden spike in magicules.
He himself is not aware of it, but his magical capacity is definitely rising. It's as if he is a bomb that is loading up before implosion--I ducked, barely avoiding the ax that struck.
The nature underneath my feet broke, crumbling under the pressure of his magical energy. "Huh? That's... A deal of a lifetime! I accept pt! Do with me what you will!" Those are the words he said before his magicules skyrocketed. Judging by his phrasing, he was
most likely talking to someone-
"!" Clinck! Artemis blocked the ax again. The strength of his attacks increased by the second. He has long since exceeded my physical strength.
'This is bad!' I attacked him. My sword continuously assaults him at every opening, yet, despite that, he just mindlessly swings his ax as if I'm not doing a thing.
*Swoosh!*
I ran back. Right now my priorities lie in checking if Kiyo is safe. Making my way into the forest, I duck, avoiding a flying ax to my head. Turning back, I see his right on my tail. His limbs are grotesque as the overload of magicules is starting to take effect on him.
'He looks like a human bomb about to go off.
'
"Tch! Nobody likes persistent bastards. So piss off!" Using causality manipulation, I crossed the distance between us and beheaded him.
Reality was forced and made to do my bidding. I lunged at him, therefore his head fell off. His head fell off, therefore I must have lunged at him. I forcefully manipulated the law of cause and effect in hopes of ending this. For extra measure, I used
'If what Kiyotaka said about our connection is true... Then his...' Shaking my head of morbidthoughts, I followed the trail of magicules as fast as I could. The smell of blood lingered in the air, this only served to increase the sense of dread in my heart. Trying desperately, I used I connection again. Still, to my sense of foreboding, was able to sense nothing.
'He can't be dead... I refuse to believe it-' my instinct screamed at me to dodge, using
"Where do you think you're going?" A deranged voice called out to me, my eyes wide as plates, I see the man who I decapitated walking to me with his head barely sticking on by the tiny flesh that remained on his neck.
It was a disgusting sight.
"What so special about that explosion!?" He hour the ground with his bare hands in a barbaric manner. He had long since foregone the need to use a weapon.
*Groom!Boom!BOOM!*
He kept flailing his arms around, throwing haymakers as to try and hit me. Using my footwork, I barely dodge each hit, and that's while I am using
"Why run!? You're dying with me, Hana! All for the sake of the emperor!" He screamed like a
fanatic worshiping a cult. Realizing that his most likely going for a suicide bombing, I realized my next choice of action.
Being tired of constant fleeing, I lunge at him. Arm, eye, tendon. My blade cut through all these places with deadly precision, blood spewed from his wounds. All this did was make him look more monstrous.
"!" I struck at him again and again, ignorant of the deadly wound on my side. Artemis moved him in an attempt to mutilate him. His arm flew off, his legs disconnected, his head rolled onto the floor.
I stepped back, looking at the gruesome sight. I'm not in the right state of mind, but it doesn't matter. I need to find out what happened to-
*Broom!*
magicules exploded from the corpse, filling it with a disgusting amount of magical energy. Shortly after, he reappeared, just a lot more monster-like than before. He let out a howl before charging me again.
*Clink! Boom! Clink!*
my sword kept intercepting his fists as he swung like a wild monkey. The shockwaves of our exchange destroyed our surroundings as we clashed, blood lust leaking. However, there is something I've noticed.
'This is abnormal! People can't increase their magicule count like this! The only way to evolve massively like he is... Is to directly strengthen the soul. And his words... That means somebody is drowning his soul, giving him a large amount of magicules.'
This must mean whoever is doing this has some sort of
'So he really did want me gone. What a shame.' I thought a wryly.
My analysis did not deter me from him however, he still violently struck out while I kept countering.
'This can't go on for much longer,' I looked at the deranged smoke on his face widen. He must have talked to whoever this mystery person is.
"He's dead, you know." His words struck me like a knife. My thoughts froze, I momentarily froze in fear of his implications. He took advantage of this and struck me in my side
"Kuh!"
A pained noise escaped me as he sent me tumbling back. I continued to fly until I hit a tree that didn't break on impact, causing me to shakily stand on it for support. His body looked shaky, the dread in my stomach from my theory sunk in.
"He was killed by Tatsuya Kundou, you know? That explosion, was him dying. Like, Splat!" He laughed as blood leaked from his mouth, even though he's dying( and died multiple times), he was so happy.
Tears trickled down my face, a whimper escaped me as the reality of what he said sunk in. Whimper turned to sobs, from there, I broke down.
Nononononononono! No! No! NO!NO! IT CAN'T! It can't be! He's Ayanokouji! He's one of the strongest in this world! He can't... He can't... He just can't...
My head was tilted down in a mechanical manner. One last time. I tried to feel my connection with Kiyo, desperate for even a sliver of a response.
"Kiyo, *hic*, Please...*hic*... Answer me..." My pitiful pleas were met with empty silence that ate away at my very soul.
'Kiyo, he really is-' I was grabbed by the grotesque thing in my melancholy. My dull eyes looked into his crazed eyes as his body started to glow.
"Don't worry Hana~chan! Me and you will reach enlightenment together! FOR THE SAKE OF THE EMPEROR!" His body glowed, blood leaked out from every pore, he was self-imploding. A kamikaze.
I just looked upwards, my heart heavy. "I'm so sorry Kiyo..." My broken heart sang a sad melody--
*BOOM!*
The forest was consumed in divine light.
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And cut!
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