CHAPTER 18 – T-minus (4)

"You can go on your own to one of the building's. It is your choice," I say to Psyand, right after we step outside.

Psyand flinches, and I smirk at her.

"What? You wanted to go alone, no? Hence why you whined at your mom. Where is that?" I ask.

Psyand frowns, and gets grumpy. "You are rude! And I shall prove to you. I will go to building 3."

I just laugh. Probably was best to teach the kid some real life. Even after her failure, I could convince that building.

It was getting darker, every moment. Since it was a building further away to the Exterior-Beings, probably they can't sniff out the stirring plan.

"If anything happens, run, and scream my name. Even if bad guys can hear you," I say.

"Well, if they can hear me, wouldn't it be…" Psyand says.

"Yes, it would be. It would be a feast for me," I smirk.

"By the way, you are all red. Is that normal?" Psyand asks.

"Bye then," I say and giving a pat on Psyand's back, I walk faster, towards building 4.

As I reach building 4, I find the entrance blocked with a metal gate, which wasn't a complete one though, so I see people look towards me, as I reach the gate. And two flashlights fall on me.

"Stay away," a lady clicks her gun towards me.

"That won't do a thing to me. But please don't shoot. I'm brittle as I am," I sigh.

"You are one of them aren't you?" she asks.

"Uh… there are like, MANY of… THEM. So you gotta specify which group you mean," I ask.

"Those examiner or what-"

"-no," I interrupt.

The lady just stares at me. "Perhaps someone who helps them."

"Still, no."

"Someone who plans to help-"

"-no. Come on. Not related to them at all," I groan.

"…help us," the lady says.

"Uh… there is some chips packet. What was it called?" I ask, trying to remember.

"Lays?"

"No. The one which could mean hurray, in this context."

"Uh… Bingo?" a guy suggests.

"Ah, yes," I say, giving a satisfied smile. "Bingo to that too."

"We can't trust you," the lady says.

"Okay," I nod.

I start walking away, towards Psyand's-

"W-wait," the lady says, and I do, and turn back. "At least show us that you are… you know. Strong enough to protect us."

"Oh, that," I say, and think. "Would you believe their suggestion? The examiner or whatever."

The lady stays silent.

"Well… I'm one of the people they want. One of the shapeshifter. And if they want me… I guess that vouches me as a great candidate," I say, casually.

"…I-I... see," the lady says. "I shall talk with the building. We shall give you an answer."

"We have like five minutes before some monsters are released. So we better group up as one, soon," I say.

The lady presses a button.

"Don't make…" I say, but no sound is heard. "What was the purpose?"

"Ah, we know not to make noise. It was a silent alarm," the lady says. "Some will wake up and wake everyone up, and gather in few minutes."

"Ah, smart. Besides. We have about ten minutes. So, I just exaggerated to increase process. You took it well," I clap my hands, as the lady gives a dumbfounded expression.

Many people gather and horde to the lower floor, and the lady explains to them, that we want to stick together.

"Ah, you are done too?" Psyand's mother's voice arrives to my ears, and I find her approaching me.

"Too? Who else?"

"Your partner," Psyand's mother says.

"…Scelesthe?"

"No Psyand. She said that you dropped her off there. Could have been dangerous, but… she seems happy that you motivated her," Psyand's mother says. "And she furiously got two buildings, even building 6."

"Two? How?" I ask.

"Ah, the two buildings were kind of acquainted. And so Psyand is just getting everyone to join. We are going to 8, by the way. It is indeed the biggest so…"

"She got two building already?" I ask again.

"Yes. All thanks to you. You took the right choice, Witch. She was so happy," Psyand's mother says, and smiles.

She got two buildings.

*

"Everyone here?" I ask, looking around.

"Yeah… thanks to the message by TBC," Rusk sighs.

"Huh, to you too? Why is that?"

"Let us talk about that later. I guess Lost-Bird's team must be here soon. They are last," Rusk says.

Right, all seven were here, but Lost-Bird.

I look at myself and adjust my armour, making sure it is proper on me.

Another crowd joins us, and in few moments, Lost-Bird appears.

"They are ready to fight," Lost-Bird says.

"We are fighting?" someone asks, stuttering. And the crowd gasps and speaks.

"Only the powered-individuals," I say.

Lost-Bird speaks in another language, and the talking stops.

"Okay…" I say. "You can speak, or I could say something and you could translate."

"I guess I'll add a few lines to yours," Lost-Bird says.

"Okay. Let's do that," I say, nodding.

"Ah, one moment," Feather says.

Feather steps ahead and places one hand on the back of my neck (touching my armour), and other on Lost-Bird's.

"What?" Lost-Bird asks, and it comes out very loudly, not screaming, but… somehow enhanced.

"Ah," Rusk says, and swooshes his hand in air, probably a sound barrier. Could he make such a thing? I wouldn't know.

"We all are here tonight as one. We need to act as one. Before we can do anything at all," I say.

Lost-Bird seemingly translates, and the horde silently and calmly listens. About nine-hundred people, give or take, just listen.

"There are ten of those. And thousand of us. Maybe hundred less. Maybe two hundred less. But that makes eight people per monster."

Lost-Bird translates.

"But there are some extra people inside, in here. Who shot a friend of ours. We won't be letting that happen anymore!"

Lost-Bird translates, with same energy. Probably he was also angry on Saturn Organisation, after what happened. I would be killing these fuckers tonight.

"There are many powered-individuals. People who can fight. Or people who have lost their will to fight. But irrespectively, even with reasons, we can still fight! And must!"

Lost-Bird translates.

"Stand aside. Assist us. You know some of us personally. Some you may have only seen. Some you may even fear. But when you stand here, when you are still standing, we will put our lives for you!"

Lost-Bird translates.

"If you still trust them, you can just go."

Lost-Bird looks at me, and I nod. He translates.

"Yes. The survival of fittest. Or whatever they call it. When will they put you through it again, once you step out here safely. Do you still think you can trust them?"

Lost-Bird happily translates.

"Yes. And we are here. We may betray you. But remember one thing."

Lost-Bird sees me pausing, and translates. Wrong choice of pause?

"They are the ones who are dividing you. Making you pick a side. Here we ask us to be one. So if we disregard it, kill us too! Use the strength we ask for you to use on them!"

Lost-Bird translates.

"I know. You fear to fight… because you want to live. But here, that is the only chance! Together even!"

Lost-Bird says.

"I don't care if I die. But I shall die protecting you. And hope no one dies."

Lost-Bird translates. I promised I'd do better, and I shall.

As I don't speak a word, Lost-Bird looks at me. He just says something else, and everyone lifts their head, and stiffness their body.

"What…?" I ask.

"If we shall, we shall step into the year with freedom. And end the bind on us, by this battle," Lost-Bird says. "Happy new year."

The thirty-first of December being today… this would be the last battle of the year. A new year.

"To one final battle of the year!" I yelll, lifting my sword.

Without Lost-Bird translating, everyone cheers on. But the cheers die out, once growling resounds out.

"They are here," Rusk says.

With the crowd gasping, I concentrate… we were surrounded.

Everyone points in different directions, at different creatures looking at us, from above. I spot an archer, at a higher floor. I simply turn behind and push deeper inside the crowd, whispering.

Roars resound out, as a warning. But people stay their places. Powered-individuals cover the front, with everyone who could fight, and the ones possessing no powers too, stand beside them.

The last battle of the year. Now it knells.

The creatures pounce to the ground, without aiming at any one. I stay there, between everyone, as the creatures run this way and slash, as every stays their ground. Right as the creatures slash towards their designated victims… they stop.

"Wow, you do great mimicry," I say, to the only person standing in a distance.

"It took a bit out of me. Could you fight?" Feather asks, laughing.

"Teasing. Are we that close?"

Feather laughs. "Fair point. But I saw you naked today."

"Doesn't really matter to me: I have seen Scelesthe naked. And other way around too," I say.

"Ah, I see," Feather says, and looks around. "We should probably address the elephant in the room."

"Right," I say and look around.

Everyone had just disappeared, leaving only me and Feather behind, as we were real here. And the Exterior-Beings looked shook.

"Illusions. That's you answers," I say. "As for your question… weren't you ten in number?"

There was only one lesser actually. But that still gave a marvellous expression on the Exterior-Beings' faces.

"Couldn't take care of all your friends? That is a bummer," I say. But even with one gone, there are nine more, and two of us. "You still want to keep fighting us?"

Before they move, two people appear ahead of us. They both push each other away, especially the girl with pink hairs seems to push the guy off.

The guy was holding a dagger in his hand, with blood on it. He plays with his dagger, and looks at his surrounding.

"Ah, where is this boring place?" he asks.

The girl was in some extra-detailed fancy armour. Something out of a fantasy or something, unlike the armour I'm wearing, of Scelesthe.

"What the fuck did you do, Razor?" Pink-haired-girl-in-fancy-armour asks.

"I just merely wanted to get to a place… woah," Razor(?) says and without even moving his feet much, reaches Feather, as Feather steps back. "What an interesting being this one."

Pink-haired-girl-in-fancy-armour knocks Razor away from Feather, and Razor falls beside me.

"Oh. Primevel warrior attire, but a wonderful being. I get my hand on one of them. Just one. That is all I ask," Razor says.

"How about I cut off your hands instead?"

The two start fighting, and pink-haired-girl-in-fancy-armour quickly retreats, and comes besides me.

"You are a Primevel warrior, no?" pink-haired-girl-in-fancy-armour asks.

"No, and shouldn't we-" I look around, and we both are in some dark forest.

"Huh, where this is I wonder. Anyways, don't worry, this is… timely. It is one of my ability, I'm using to talk to you. Your friend I couldn't talk to. Don't resist," pink-haired-girl-in-fancy-armour says.

I don't answer, and just stare at her.

"Myself Drego. The queen of dragons. And I'm requesting your alliance," pink-haired-girl-in-fancy-armour says.

"Myself Witch. The other person is Feather," I say. "The other creatures… we were planning on scaring them."

"Ah, easy-peasy-lemon-squeezy," Drego says.

"What?"

"I thought you humans say that a lot. Anyways, the guy will try to find your sensitive spots and cut you. I just want that razor away from him. Trust me, that is the biggest and not an easy problem," Drego says.

I shake hands with her, and find myself back between the buildings. Pink light fills my vision.