From the Mouth of the Beast

POV: Yuzan Hellfire

My mother always told me that I was different from all the other kids, and I suppose she was right because I don't know of very many nine-year-olds who can watch their classmates be murdered and feel nothing about it. I had known that girl for only a year, and I never really bothered to remember her name; she was always annoying. So, when I received the news that she had been killed, I didn't feel much of anything. After all, why should I feel sympathy for someone I had barely known? But as I grew older, I started to realize that these sorts of behaviors weren't typical and that the adults around me were starting to catch on to the fact I wasn't a normal kid, so I began to imitate their behaviors and emotions to put on the facade that I was someone I wasn't. But enough about useless rambling, let's continue the story.

It's been two years since the Abyss Prison Massacre, and security has become tighter than it ever was in the past. These fools have been looking everywhere for me, yet they're too incompetent to do anything useful. Immediately after escaping from the prison, I took on a new face and went to my home country of Ulyshia. It's a peculiar little place situated on Atlantia, which sits between South America and Australia, but it has its charms, or at least it used to. What's peculiar about this place is there is some magic dome over the whole country that came about as a result of some legendary battle between two powerful Phoenixes, which resulted in the place being permanently shrouded in complete darkness and a never-ending winter.

As I went to my office job, I noticed two water fountains, one for whites and another for coloreds. How pitiful! Ulyshia used to be this thriving empire rivaling the Romans in the glory days. Now, it's been reduced to where Ulyshians are second-class citizens in their homes, forced to appease their new masters from the Arman Empire. But who cares about something as superfluous as a water fountain, so I just continued in my fancy suit and tie and wasted the day at the office until 5 PM came for the place to shut down.

After work is where my actual day starts. I got a text from an associate of mine asking me to meet up with her at our usual spot, a cafe by the edge of town. This should be interesting. When I got to the cafe, I saw the face of said associate, lovely little Mallory, at the corner of the shop. She had short, curly blonde hair, a small frame, and lovely little green eyes.

"Seems like you've been itching for some action, Mr. Rieper," she told me as I sat at her table.

"Oh, you have no idea how bored I've been at this office job; it's almost enough to make a guy go crazy."

"Well, it's good that I have a big job for you. There's someone I'd like for you to meet." Mallory then snapped her fingers, and we were immediately transported to some dark hideout where a rough-looking older man with white hair and a prosthetic arm greeted me. I recognized him; he was Vladimir Alexeev, the leader of the Red Claw, a nationalist group for a neighboring country that the Arman Empire also occupied. He sat on his makeshift throne with his usual stern look while he discussed with a nearby advisor. Upon noticing me and Mallory, he dropped his cold act and greeted me with the face one would make upon seeing a close friend.

"Mr. Yuzan. You have inspired me and every other Red Claw member for decades now. It is a pleasure to meet you."

"Trust me, I have plenty more inspiration to give you, Sir Alexeev. Now, what is this job you have for me?"

"I'll keep things short for you; I would like to propose an alliance between the Yuzanists and the Red Claw. But I can't just make this alliance without any favors from you first. Tradition states that you must help me first to make this alliance. There is a list of names I want you to take care of to aid me. The paper lists several Armani officials and other problematic individuals who have taken refuge in your city. These officials have killed a number of my men and fled from our territory to escape us."

"Very well, I will aid you in your endeavors. Hand me the list, and I'll take care of it." Upon seeing the list of names and faces to identify said targets, I recognized a good deal of some of the faces and was left confused when I saw another note at the bottom of the list requesting me to deal with the serial killers roaming Ulyshia for some reason. "What makes you so keen on getting rid of some wild killers?"

"They've been giving us trouble. This might not be part of some grand plan, but some of our men have been found dead in the areas where these killers are active. They've been a thorn in our sides for some time now."

"Very well, I can have these thorns dealt with. Now, I think we've talked for a long enough time. I'll get to work immediately." After saying my goodbyes, Mallory snapped her fingers again, and we were back at the coffee shop again. The baristas were so high off whatever new drug the Armani introduced that they didn't even notice we were gone.

"Would you like me to call up the crew to aid you in your job?" Mallory asked me before I told her not to waste their time on something I could do myself. I kissed dear Mallory's cheek goodbye and made my way out of the cafe. Now, the fun could commence.

I walked into a nearby ally and changed my face to that of Yuzan Hellfire, ensuring no cameras were around. I then used my Phoenix ability to harden my skin and form a few layers of metallic skin around me that would hide my face. The armor around my skin was without human features as if I were a large slab of human-shaped metal without a face. I looked at my list of targets and settled on the name of Antonio Armando, the leader of a nearby mafia syndicate. I didn't hold any particular grudge against the man; he was the closest to me so long as you excluded the mystery names whose whereabouts were unknown. Upon leaving the alley, I looked up at the narrow alleys of this snowy, dark hellscape and appreciated how beautiful it could look under the proper lighting. But I didn't have any time for sightseeing; I had a job to do, and I intend to do my job in the most efficient manner possible.