Chapter I: Broken World: Enter Kowareta Sekai City -Arc I: History
THURSDAY, APRIL 18, 2097
Everybody lived their lives as normal as they possibly could in this city and protected what was precious to them. From the milk truck driver to the business mom taking her daughter to work that day. Even the young muscular green haired boy who seemed as though he did not give two shits about anything.
A business mom and her daughter were about to enter the subway when the green haired boy walked past them. The daughter was playing with a small tennis ball and dropped it when the boy 'accidentally' bumped into her.
The ball rolled into the middle of the traffic-filled road and the little girl did not think twice to get it. She ran after it, one tiny leg at a time and the green haired boy stopped… and waited.
As she picked up the ball, a milk truck barreled down her way. The driver hit the brakes with all the force he had in that right leg of his, but to no avail. 97mph of force was about to hit that little girl. The mother screamed for help so loudly, that it echoed off the surrounding buildings.
The green-haired boy then jumped in without a care. He stopped said truck with nothing but his right index finger, leaving a small hole in the hood of the truck and an incaving dent.
The truck was still fine somehow, and the boy went back to the mother. The little girl cried as she laid on his shoulder. He seemed more annoyed. He grinded his teeth together, trying to not say anything.
The mother began thanking him with tearful eyes and as she reached for her child, he stopped her and extended his hand.
"Pay up" He said as the mother's smiles vanished in annoyance. She pulled out about $200 from her purse and handed it to him. He counted it and then gave her daughter back. He sighed as he then walked away.
"I probably should have expected that. In this world, nothing is ever done out of the goodness of people's hearts anymore. After all, it is a broken one" The mother began saying to herself as she tilted her head upwards, looking into the sky, where a giant white Styrofoam cup hovered, pouring some sort of purple substance onto the Earth.
A few blocks away, a white-haired boy awoke from his sleep. He jumped up as the scream of the mother awoke him. He had dark circles around his eyes, indicating that he slept extremely late and did not rest well.
"The hell was that about?" he said to himself as he checked the time on his phone. He then rushed out of bed.
This boy is who this entire story will revolve around. Yes, it might seem dumb how he is introduced, but hey, this is a dumb story, right?
When he rushed out, he got ready for school. You see, he does not believe in the school education system, but in order to keep his mother happy, he goes to school every two weeks to not get expelled. A little douche-move, but it works for him.
It has been two weeks so now he has to get there. It is not like he even listens when he is at school. I mean I can relate. Having an IQ of 148 in the 10th grade can be very frustrating at times.
He brushed his teeth, put on his uniform, and grabbed an apple as he headed out at exactly 06:45 am. His brother was a block ahead of him and turned around as he yawned, waiting for him.
"Felix! It is your bi-weekly school appearance, and you still want to be late?!" He shouted at him with an annoyed look upon his face.
"Yeah, yeah. No need to shout. I am right here, you numbnut." Felix said as he approached him, his schoolbag hanging over his shoulder and shirt barely tucked in.
That is one thing I disagree with. Just because you are intelligent does not mean you have to look messy all the time.
INTERRUPTION:
RODRIGO, LET ME TAKE IT FROM HERE. HELLO, READERS OF THIS LITTLE STORY. I AM AN ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE SYSTEM CREATED BY AN UNKNOWN ALIEN ENTITY. SO UNKNOWN EVEN I DO NOT KNOW WHO THEY ARE. I DO NOT POSSESS A NAME; HOWEVER, YOU MAY CALL ME… SHATTER A.I.
NOW LET ME ELABORATE UPON THE APPEARANCES AND RELATIONSHIPS OF THESE TWO CHARACTERS.
FELIX ELIJAH FLETCHER
AGE: 17
APPEARANCE: FADED WHITE HAIR OF AVERAGE LENGTH WITH OCEAN BLUE EYES. 10 PIERCINGS DISTRIBUTED ACROSS HIS EARS AND NOSE. LEAN, CUT, MUSCULAR BODY WITH A FEW SCARS HERE AND THERE.
RELATIONSHIPS: HE HAS ONE YOUNGER BROTHER AND A MOTHER. HIS FATHER DISAPPEARED WHEN HE WAS 15 YEARS OF AGE. HE ALSO HAS ONE CLOSE FRIEND NAMED DAMIAN DENVER.
HEIGHT: 5FT 10INCHES
WEIGHT: 76 KILOGRAMS
FREDERICK ELLIOT FLETCHER JR. aka FREDDY.
AGE: 14
APPEARANCE: WAVEY BLACK HAIR THAT IS A LITTLE LONG WITH DIM BROWN EYES. 2 PIERCINGS, ONE IN EACH EAR. SCRAWNY BODY, NO SCARS.
RELATIONSHIPS: ONE OLDER BROTHER {FELIX} AND ONE MOTHER. SAME DISAPPEARANCE, SAME FATHER. HE HAS ONE CLOSE FRIEND NAMED HEATH HELLBOURNE.
HEIGHT: 5FT 4INCHES
WEIGHT: 57,70 KILOGRAMS
THE INTERESTING DETAILS ABOUT THESE FLETCHERS WILL BE REVEALED IN DUE TIME. UNTIL THEN, I CANNOT REVEAL ANY MORE THAN I NEED TO.
THIS IS SHATTER A.I. SIGNING OFF. UNTIL THE NEXT INTERRUPTION…
INTERRUPTION ENDS…
How bothersome. So rude to interrupt me like that, Shatter. Anyway, let us continue.
As Felix and Freddy walk silently to school, a series of playbacks repeated in Freddy's head. The cutting of a milk truck's brakes, Felix's school uniform neatly packed on a chair and a Granny Smith apple left on the kitchen counter. All of these crucial things to get Felix to school was a well-thought-out plan that was wonderfully executed by Freddy.
"Sure… my brother can be negligent at times, but that does not make him a bad guy. It is good to have him back after three long years, so I will do everything in my power to make sure big brother's time back will not be filled with sorrow." Freddy promised himself. Making a promise that certainly cannot be held in this town.
They went to a conjoined school. A school of all grades. From kindergarten to high school, this school was filled with the best and the brightest. This school only allowed those in it saw as fit to carry their name. I went to that school and dare I say I was its brightest student. My name is boldly written as top-student, and I do not think it is ever coming off.
Kowareta Sekai Progressive Learning Junior-Senior High School.
Long ass name, but it is worth it.
Felix was in the 10th Grade and Freddy was in the ninth. If you are wondering how this could be because of their age gap. Just hold on… everything will make sense eventually.
As they neared the school entrance, Freddy's buddy, Heath Hellbourne awaited him. Felix tilted his head at Heath. They had never met each other until now, but that is not the reason he tilted his head. What was odd about Heath was the fact that he was not wearing the school uniform, in fact, he was not even wearing a shirt. Plus, his piercings and green spiky hair made him stick out like a sore thumb.
Heath scowled at Felix as Freddy sighed.
"There something funny here, big guy?" Heath asked as he walked towards Felix, dropping his backpack in the process. A grin grew on his face, nearly stretching from ear to ear.
"Your unconventional way of appearance is funny. This is an elite school, and you dress like a gangbanger. How did you get accepted?" Felix answered staring straight into his sky blue, striped eyes.
Heath growled as he grinded his teeth together.
"Wait… You are that 'Two-Week Prodigy' kid, aren't ya?" His anger suddenly subsided as he grinned with a slight chuckle.
Felix lifted his eyebrow in confusion.
Heath then suddenly lifted his arm. Felix looked at him.
"You want a fist-bump or something?" Felix asked as he lifted his fist slowly.
Heath unexpectedly thrusted his fist with astonishing speed, aiming for Felix's abdomen, however, Felix matched his speed effortlessly and reflexively blocked his attack.
"Huh?" Felix looked at Heath's clenched fist in the palm of his hand. Heath chuckled uncontrollably as he pointed at Felix's shirt sleeve.
It was ripped from the punch's speed that created a very powerful wind from the shockwave.
"Aww man, my sleeve!" Felix shouted in distressing disappointment as he let go of Heath's fist.
"You did not disappoint, 'Two-Week Prodigy'. You are what he said you were." Heath said as he turned his back and began walking into the school gate. Freddy shrugged his shoulders and followed behind him.
Felix was perplexed that he somehow made a name for himself in school. That being said, he did not really care either way. The introvert inside him just wanted the day to be over.
He walked into the school, backpack over his shoulder and somehow was late for class. He entered the class, and everybody's eyes were on him. Whispers and murmurs could be heard as his homeroom teacher, Mr. Holmes, sighed and told him to head to his desk.
More chuckling and giggling followed as he moved towards his desk. However, at his desk sat another boy with a devilish smirk on his face.
OKAY, OKAY, MR. PRESIDENT. I'LL TAKE IT FROM HERE. HELLO, READERS! I AM DAMIAN DENVER, BUT MY FRIENDS CALL ME, DOUBLE D! WE'RE ALL FRIENDS HERE, RIGHT?
"We do not call you that!"
SHUT UP, NAKA! JUST CALL ME DAMIAN THEN. I WILL EXPLAIN HOW I LOOK. SHORT, UNDERCUT RED HAIR, TWO PIERCINGS, ONE IN EACH EAR, GLOWING DARK BROWN EYES WITH WHITE PUPILS. 5 FEET 9 INCHES IN HEIGHT. 16 YEARS OLD. AVERAGE BODY. STUDENT AT K.S.P.L. JUNIOR-SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL. ONLY NEXT OF KIN WOULD BE MY MOTHER, ALESSIA RAMONA ADKINS-DENVER.
I AM THE BEST AND ONLY CURRENT FRIEND OF FELIX FLETCHER. YOU MAY BE WONDERING WHY I AM IN HIS SEAT. WELL, YOU SEE… EVERY TWO WEEKS, WE PLAY A LITTLE GAME THAT RESULTS IN ME GETTING OUT OF CLASS AND SKIPPING A PERIOD OR THREE.
YOU ARE ABOUT TO WITNESS IT, SO I JUST SPARED YOU THE TROUBLE OF READING THROUGH YET ANOTHER BORING INTRODUCTION.
I CAN TELL THAT WE'RE GOING TO GET ALONG VERY WELL.
BACK TO YOU, MR. PRESIDENT…
Thank you, Damian… Anywoogle…
Felix and Damian had a stare down, fake obviously. Mr. Holmes sighed as he bowed his head in exhaustion.
"Damian, I really do not have the energy to go through this whole entire process again. Just get out of Fletcher's seat, will you?" Mr. Holmes said with a voice of pure disapproval and enervation.
"I am sorry, sir. In the wise words of our ancestors: 'You move your feet; you lose your seat.' Ain't that right, Eli?" Those were his final words before a loud banging sound. His face collided with the desk with Felix's hand clutching onto his hair.
"Owieeee! Ah… my nose."
"Mr. Holmes. His nose is bleeding." Such an emotionless response from someone who nearly caused permanent brain damage to their only friend.
Mr. Holmes sighed, rubbing his temple with his right index finger and thumb. He pointed to the door.
"Just go, Damian. I cannot manage this crap every two weeks." He announced in a drained tone.
Damian got up slowly with a broad smile on his face, strolling towards and out the door. Felix sat down, took out a book and went ahead to stare out the window.
"One day… one day, I am going to quit this life-draining job." Mr. Holmes muttered as he got back to the board.
FORTY-FIVE MINUTES LATER IN THE CAFETERIA.
Sometimes, my younger brother questions why I prefer being alone. I nonchalantly reply by saying: 'It's just an introvert thing.'
Truthfully, it is because I do not like them. Do not read me wrong, I do not hate humanity. I just do not like other people. Mostly because I cannot trust them.
Especially this town's people.
We have wannabe-villains running around causing mayhem. We have people that perceive this as some sort of anime. They try to stop these so-called villains. Everybody is trying to prove their worth.
But for what?
For recognition? Admiration? Love? Attention?
It is quite simplistic.
In this town, everyone is born with some kind of ability. Some kind of power. Of course, the powers vary from one to another, however, that power makes everybody abnormal. It makes everybody special.
The ranking of powers varies as well. We get the Mobeiotic Stage, Beta-Stage and Artesian Stage. Mobeiotic being the weakest and Artesian being the most powerful.
Each stage has diverse levels to itself, those levels can only be defined by the person with the stage. Artesian stage can only be reached when one has an 'Awakening'.
To put it simple, Mobeiotic Stage and its levels are a ranking between E and C. Beta-Stage and its levels are a ranking between B and A. Artesian Stage is a ranking within all of S-Rank and higher.
Whoever named these stages was a genius. All of this information was documented in a book I found in the Juvenile Correctional Center.
Artesian Stage was named after 'Artesian Well'. Which is a well that has water that can only be accessed through an extreme amount of pressure.
The original name for Mobeiotic Stage was Dumb-Dumb Stage. I changed it because, well, it just sounded better.
(Mobeiotic is a fusion of the words 'Imbecile', 'Idiot' and 'Moron'.)
The point to this entire monologue is that I want out of this town. It is a hellhole of pathetic and desperate people. That is my main goal: Getting the hell out of this town.
One problem though. Whenever anybody tries to leave this town, when they touch the border, they are at once sent back. One would think that is fine, however, whenever they are sent back… they forget any memory of them attempting to leave or even wishing to leave in the first place.
All of this information is from one book. The author of this book being a person named 'D-93'. It is probably a nickname or a pen name or something.
This means I have to devise some kind of plan. I cannot get to any kind of conclusion.
I gaze upon this megalomania of fools, and I feel pity for their souls. Their God-given intelligence they waste on this pathetic town.
It is pointless.
Let me just go check on Damian.
Felix then made his way to the infirmary. The stares and gazes felt like he was a celebrity in the spotlight. The kind of attention he despises.
Nevertheless, the attention was inevitable. Not only because of his absentness or his awkwardness, but also because of his KAN.
KAN stands for Keino Area Notice.
Keino is the power that lives in everyone. (The above-mentioned power).
It is much like an aura; however, the aura gradually increases with the various stages. In other words, the Mobeiotic Stage has a KAN that is barely even noticeable. Beta-Stage has an area that is larger and more noticeable than Mobeiotic. Regular people can notice when one is in Beta-Stage. Artesian Stage has an exceptionally large area dispersion. So large that people feel fear when they are near one who is in Artesian Stage.
Felix Fletcher, however, nobody knows in which stage he resides. Therefore, people always stare at him in confusion. Subconsciously finding him odd.
"{Sighs} I'm used to it." Felix muttered under his breath. Comforting himself as he entered the infirmary.
Damian was sitting on the bed, reading his favorite manga: SIR VIVOR. A story of a group of humans battling against aliens as Earth was in a dystopian state. The main character of this manga is known as Sir Vivor.
"Come in, my brother. Come in. Let us dine on some infirmary delicacies." Damian performed as if they were in some medieval show.
Felix shook his head, walking to the bench next to the bed but decided not to sit.
"Are you healed yet?" Felix asked him, pointing at the bandage over his head.
"My momma always used to say that I have a head harder than an ox." Damian responded with a thumbs-up and a sparkling smile.
"I think she meant that you're stubborn, you idiot." Felix narrowed his eyes at Damian. Damian just shrugged his shoulders.
"Besides that, have you come up with any kind of plan for your escape?" Damian changed the subject, introducing a more serious topic.
"Not yet. There is still a lot I do not know. After I figure out what is actually happening in this town… only then can I produce an intricate plan to get out of here. I still think you should come with me." Felix responded, lifting a concerned smile.
"Nah. Everything, I live for is in this town. Not to mention the fact that we do not even know what exists outside of here." Damian announced proudly, gripping onto his manga.
"Whatever does exist outside this town cannot be worse than the chaos here." Felix retaliated Damian's statement. His face expressing a seriousness of life and death.
"Still… This chaos is kinda peacef-…" Damian tried to respond before being interrupted by screams from the outside.
"Why are people screaming?" Damian questioned with concern. Felix then signaled him to get down.
"Somebody insanely strong is here." Felix explained, rolling up his sleeves.
A loud crash then broke the wall that Felix was facing. Bricks and rumbles scattered across the room. One of the bricks hit Damian on the head before he could get down. Damian then fell unconscious.
Felix blocked all the scattered debris with his hands. A blue, steamy glow enveloped his body as he stared at the dust cloud in his path. From the dust cloud emerged a boy. This boy was around the same age as Felix.
He wore a different school uniform and a symbol appeared on his left shoulder.
This symbol was an emoji with x's for eyes, blood running down its smile and a red bowtie at the bottom of it.
The boy's face was still covered by the dust and shadows surrounding the room.
"Are you Felix Elijah Fletcher, offspring of Frederick Elliot Fletcher Sr. and maniac delinquent of Kowareta Sekai Juvenile Correctional Center?" The boy enquired from Felix. His voice was coarse and had a deep rasp to it. His hands were in his pockets and confidence emitted like pheromones from him.
"Who wants to know?" Felix responded with his own enquiry. He stood his ground, arms by his sides.
The boy's face then revealed from the settling dust. He had multiple piercings across his face and ears. A red, thick choker was wrapped around his neck, and he had a permanent scowl. He had long black hair that fell partially in his face.
"I am Michaelis Miller, leader of the Emo-Jin Clan." He answered with no hesitation.
Felix stood perplexed that one of the eight major clans within Kowareta Sekai City was after him, and a leader, nonetheless.
INTERRUPTION…
WELCOME, WELCOME… ONE AND ALL TO YET ANOTHER INTERRUPTION BY YOUR FRIENDLY NOT-SO-NEIGHBOURHOOD SHATTER A.I
THE 8 MAJOR WAR CLANS EXPLANATION WAS SENSED BY ME AND SO I HAD TO INTERRUPT.
NOW, LET'S BEGIN A VERY SHORT AND QUICK SUMMARY OF THE EIGHT MAJOR WAR CLANS WITHIN KOWARETA SEKAI CITY AND THEIR LEADERS.
EMO-JIN CLAN:
THEIR LEADER BEING MICHAELIS ORION MILLER. MICHAELIS IS 17 YEARS OLD AND WITHIN ARTESIAN STAGE. THERE IS AN ESTIMATED AMOUNT OF FORTY THOUSAND SUBORDINATES WITHIN THE EMO-JIN CLAN.
THE EMO-JIN CLAN IS RANKED AS THE #1 STRONGEST AND MOST POWERFUL CLAN WITHIN THE CITY. EVEN THOUGH ITS EXISTENCE IS ONLY THREE MEASLY YEARS.
STRAND CLAN:
THE LEADER OF THE STRAND CLAN IS A PERSON KNOWN AS SCYTHE STRAND THE SECOND. HIS KAN STAGE IS UNKNOWN. THE MEMBERS OF THIS CLAN CAN BE INFINITE AS STRAND CONTROLS AND CREATES MOST OF HIS SOLDIERS.
THIS CLAN IS RANKED #2 MOST POWERFUL CLAN IN THE CITY. IT HAS EXISTED FOR AN ESTIMATE OF SIX-HUNDRED YEARS.
SKULL CREW:
THIS CLAN HAS TWO LEADERS. THEY ARE KNOWN AS THE DUO OF THE DEAD, STEFAN 'SKULLY' SILVER AND JACOB 'JAKE' JONA. MUCH IS NOT KNOWN ABOUT SKULLY AS HE IS BARELY SEEN, HOWEVER JACOB IS KNOWN FOR HUMAN TRAFFICKING. HE ALSO RESIDES WITHIN BETA-STAGE. THEY ARE BOTH AROUND THE AGE OF 19
THIS CLAN IS THE #3 RANKED MOST POWERFUL CLAN WITHIN THE CITY AND HAS EXISTED FOR ABOUT 8 YEARS.
BLOOM CLAN:
THIS IS A FAMILY CLAN THAT HAS EXISTED FOR GENERATIONS WITHIN THE BLOOM CLAN BLOODLINE. THE LEADER IS A PERSON THAT GOES BY 'THE REAPER'. NOTHING IS REALLY KNOWN ABOUT HIM, NOT EVEN HIS KAN STAGE.
THIS CLAN IS RANKED #4 MOST POWERFUL CLAN.
THAT IS ONLY FOUR OF THE EIGHT.
NOW TO EXPLAIN EACH OF THEIR ABILITIES OR, SINCE I'M GREEDY, JUST GIVE YOU THE NAMES OF THE ABILITIES EACH POSSESS.
EMO-JIN CLAN ABILITY: CONQUERING CRUSH
STRAND CLAN ABILITY: PERMANENT CONTROL
SKULL CREW ABILITY: SUPER STEALTH
BLOOM CLAN ABILITY: ABSOLUTE HEAL
I'LL LET YOUR LITTLE PUNY HUMAN MINDS FIGURE OUT THE REST.
SHATTER A.I REMNANTS.
INTERRUPTION ENDS…
"What business do you have with me?" Felix was curious and attempted to get the information from Michaelis.
"If you truly must know… I was sent here to kill you." He responded with little-to-no emotion. He then pointed at Damian's unconscious body on the ground.
"I cannot have any witnesses. If you wish to spare his life, then I suggest we take this to a different location." He turned around, signaling Felix to follow him as he exited through the hole in the wall.
Felix followed.
They made their way to an empty schoolyard. Many lifeless bodies were distributed across the schoolgrounds. Felix clenched his fist angrily. Michaelis stopped, then turned back around to face Felix.
"Who sent you?" Felix questioned Michaelis.
"I do not know. I also do not plan to answer your questions continuously. So, let us just get this hassle over with so I can get to bed." Michaelis responded, removing his school blazer slowly.
This frustrated Felix even more.
"You're too cocky for the leader of the most powerful clan in the city." Felix tried to hit a nerve.
Michaelis appeared unfazed.
"Well, it comes with the territory." He responded with a yawn.
Before Felix could utter another word, in the blink of an eye, Michaelis's knife was against his throat. He froze at once. His mouth shut and his eyes wide, staring over the shoulder of the Emo-Jin leader.
"You know what my street name is, Fletcher? The name given to me by those who fear and hate my prospects and antics? Hmm?" Adding pressure to the neck of Felix, Michaelis asked him a question… gazing into his soul.
Felix just stood there, unable to answer because of the fear that froze him so. Many things taking place in his mind.
"They call me… The Easter Bunny. The reason is quite simple. It is because when I do what I do, which you are probably quite familiar with, I leave what they like to call 'Easter Eggs' behind. A symbol of marked territory if you will. My symbol. The symbol of the Emo-Jin, drawn and painted with the blood of my victims. So… I want to make this abundantly clear… you are going to die today. That is set in stone, chiseled with the chisel put in its place. However, before I take your life and add it to my collection… I will mutilate and torture you until you beg and plead for my mercy. Do you know why, Fletcher? Because the Easter Bunny likes to have fun as well." All of this he declared with a face straighter than a one-dimensional line.
Felix then suddenly pushed his arm away from his neck and jumped back. With great speed, Michaelis was already back in his face and Felix shot to the ground face first. Michaelis jabbed him in the jaw. However, just as he landed on the ground he jumped back up and wiped the blood that dripped down his nose like a leaking tap.
"Nice speed, Easter Bunny. You will need more than that to kill me though." Felix said with a cocky glimmer in his voice.
However, he knew full-well that this was a fight he could not win.
"You know you are lying to yourself right now. Nevertheless, if you want to leave this Earth with pride… who am I to stop you?" The Easter Bunny uttered with spewing confidence.
He rushed toward Felix with tremendous speed, unparalleled to anything Felix had ever witnessed before in the Juvenile Correctional Center. In a blink of an eye, Michaelis' fist was buried in his nose, and he flew.
The force was so powerful, it created a shockwave that shook the ground beneath them. Felix flew, spinning in the air before he was stopped by a sudden new member who decided to join the party.
He was caught by this character. His green, flowing hair glimmered in the light. Michaelis raised his brow in confusion at the odd male, who held Felix in his arms.
Felix's nose was broken in many places and his school attire was ripped up by the wind resistance.
"Aye, Emo kid! You are wrecking my school! Buzz off before I break your legs!" He threatened Michaelis as he placed Felix's near unconscious body on the ground.
Michaelis laughed at the boy's bold statement. The boy had an angry grin on his face. The wrinkles on his face caused him to look more malicious as he stepped forward. Without a sound and without warning, whilst Michaelis was laughing maniacally, the boy appeared in front of him, gripping onto Michaelis' throat, lifting him off the ground as he applied pressure.
"You were saying, Emo kid?" He stared deep into Michaelis' eyes, gazing into his soul as fear set into Michaelis.
Sweat dropped in a haste down his forehead while he was choking. And after his disbelief in what just happened, came panic.
Felix opened his eyes halfway to see the boy who held Michaelis with ease in the palm of his left hand. The boy was Heath Hellbourne.
His muscular build seemed as though it was continuously growing and bulging. Michaelis was helpless. It was almost as if Heath himself brought an undeniable feeling of fear with him when he fought. The feeling of death itself.
Heath then, with unimaginable speed, slammed Michaelis' into the ground. His head hit the floor, creating a small crater in the ground. Michaelis had a concussion. Heath then lifted his left arm gently and broke it, snapping his bone in two.
Michaelis screamed in pain, squirming to escape. Heath sighed in disappointment.
"Next time you attack my school, make sure I ain't here." Heath announced before picking up the near-unconscious Michaelis, swinging him, then tossing him away.
Michaelis flew like a ragdoll in the sky and out of the schoolyard.
Heath's body then seemingly shrank to its original size, which was still massive for a fourteen-year-old boy.
Felix then fell unconscious in that moment. Heath noticed a slight blueish glow coming out of Felix's nose the moment he fell unconscious.
"Weird." He commented.
Heath proceeded to lift the unconscious Felix over his shoulder and take him to the school nurse.
With the damage done to the school building, it seemed as though it would be closed for reconstruction. Some students celebrated this, and others mourned the deaths of their classmates and friends who were struck by the commotion.
"Finally. A break from these little monsters!" Mr. Holmes celebrated to himself with joyful tears and a relieved expression.
On the other side of the city, a tall man with white hair was strolling down a street. He wore a black suit, which had stitched all over it. On his neck was a symbol. This symbol was three diamonds.
He had a wide smile which stretched from ear-to-ear as he played with a knife in his hand. He hummed to himself as he walked into the city bank.
He greeted the security with a special handshake that they had. They seemed to be friends.
He then walked up to the counter.
"Good afternoon, Mr. Strand." The woman at the counter gave him a warm greeting with a wide smile.
"Rebecca, please. We have known each other for what? Three years now? Strand will do." He responded with a slight chuckle.
Rebecca giggled as she began filling a bag full of money. Strand then took the money as he gave her a kiss on the cheek. She blushed as she turned her back.
"I'll see you same time next week." Strand greeted everyone. A crowd returned the favor as he exited the building.
As Strand exited the bank, another crowd awaited him. However, this crowd was quite hostile.
"Scythe Strand the Second! This is Lieutenant Brad-Lee Major of Kowareta Sekai Police Department! This little shenanigan of yours has gone on long enough! Drop the money, step forward, get on your knees, and place your hands above your head! I am placing you under arrest for numerous crimes you have committed over the past seven years! Of course, there are hundreds, if not thousands, more. However, I am afraid we will have to cover that at the station!" The head of the squad surrounding Strand shouted as he glared at Strand.
Strand sighed as placed a hand in the air. A plethora of stitches enveloped the air and tore a hole through reality. He then tossed the bag of money into the hole within the sky before it closed. He then looked back at Lieutenant Major.
"What money?" He questioned before bursting into laughter.
"You think this is some kind of joke, huh? FIRE AT WILL, MEN!" Lieutenant Major shouted in annoyance and anger before his men heeded his order and began firing a barrage of bullets at Strand.
The bullets pierced each part of his body, from his head to his toes. He was outnumbered 200-to-1. The squad stopped firing, breathing heavily. Strand's body then began fixing itself, stitching every hole, cut and open wound back together. He then began walking forward.
"How many men do you want to lose, Brad-Lee? You do the same thing every two weeks, like Clockwork. It's been three years, Lieutenant. Sometimes, you need to learn when to quit." He stopped in his path, lifting his arm as a large, black scythe appeared in his left hand.
"Scythe Swing: Defibrillation." He spoke before swinging his weapon. Nothing happened for approximately five seconds. Then, all two hundred of Lieutenant Major's men's hearts stopped. They dropped like dominos. All except Lieutenant Major.
Strand then tossed the scythe in the air as it then disintegrated and blew away in the wind.
Before he could turn his head to face Lieutenant Major, the Lieutenant kicked him in the chest. The kick had so much force, it created a concaving dent in Strand's chest and sent him flying into the bank wall behind him.
Strand coughed, getting up slowly. Lieutenant Major had a green glow on his body. A strange aura that everyone within a kilometer radius could feel and an undeniable sense of murderous intent.
"So, you finally achieved it, huh?" Strand question the Lieutenant with a growing smile on his face.
"Indeed. It took me an extreme amount of training and pain to undergo the Awakening, but I finally achieved it. Artesian Stage." Lieutenant Major replied as he took his battle stance.
He then jumped toward Strand. His speed was so immense, it was as though he just teleported and appeared in front of Strand.
"Now, you will be the first to taste its power. I do not want to kill you, though. So, let's try and make this quick… JUSTICE PUNCH!" Major thrusted a glowing green punch toward Strand's jaw. The punch's force was powerful enough to tear and rip the air around his arm.
"You forget that you are not used to this power, Brad-Lee. STRAND BARRAGE!" Strand announced as a barrage of stitches blinded Lieutenant Major.
Major jumped back out of caution and by the time he could see clearly, the stitches had all disappeared, as well as Strand himself.
The Lieutenant grunted in frustration as he punched a crater into the ground, leaving a shockwave with it.
"Scythe Strand the Second. Mark my words. I will find you and I will apprehend you, if it is the last thing I do." Major declared proudly, the green glow slowly evaporating from his body.
INTERRUPTION…
SALUTATIONS, ONE AND ALL. I, SHATTER A.I., HAS RETURNED WITH YET ANOTHER INTERRUPTION JUST FOR YOU. DO NOT WORRY, THIS IS THE LAST INTERRUPTION FOR THIS CHAPTER.
NOW, LET US DIVE INTO THE HISTORY OF SCYTHE STRAND THE SECOND AND LIEUTENANT BRAD-LEE MAJOR.
SCYTHE STRAND II
SCYTHE STRAND II WAS BORN APPROXIMATELY ONE-THOUSAND-AND-ELEVEN YEARS AGO, IN THE YEAR 1086. HE WAS BORN AND RAISED IN A VILLAGE NAMED STRUM VILLAGE. HE WAS OF THE STRAND CLAN. THEY WERE THE VILLAGE'S ROYALTY, AND HE WAS NEXT TO SIT ON THE THRONE.
ONE DAY, WHEN STRAND WAS THIRTEEN YEARS OLD, HE WOULD EXPLORE THE FOREST DEPTHS AS HE WOULD USUALLY DO. THIS WAS HIS DAILY CHORE THAT HIS FATHER GAVE HIM. NORMALLY, HE'D RETURN WITH FOOD THAT HE EITHER GATHERED OR HUNTED.
ON THIS PARTICULAR DAY, HE STUMBLED UPON A POOL OF SPARKLING WATER. THIS WATER HAD A TINT OF A LIGHT BLUE COLOUR BENEATH IT AND WAS TRANSLUCENT AT THE TOP.
BEFORE HE COULD TOUCH THE WATER, HE WAS STOPPED BY A YOUNG GIRL AROUND HIS AGE. THEY FOUGHT FIST-TO-FIST FOR THE WATER.
A MAN THAT WAS NEARLY THE SIZE OF A GIANT CAME AND BROKE UP THE FIGHT. HE WAS THE YOUNG GIRL'S FATHER AND THE GUARDIAN OF THIS POOL OF WATER. HIS NAME WAS ARIOCH.
HE EXPLAINED TO STRAND THAT THIS POOL OF WATER WAS NO ORDINARY POOL, OR RATHER, ITS CONTENTS WAS NOT ORDINARY. IT WAS CALLED THE POOL OF IMMORTALITY.
ITS POWER WAS SOUGHT BY MANY NATIONS. HOWEVER, WHAT THESE NATIONS DID NOT KNOW IS THAT THE POWER OF IMMORTALITY COULD ONLY BE GIVEN TO THE SWORN GUARDIAN AND PROTECTOR OF THE POOL. ANYONE WHO WOULD ATTEMPT TO STEAL ITS POWER WOULD SACRIFICE THEIR OWN LIFESPAN TO THE POOL.
ONLY THE GUARDIAN COULD CHOOSE THE NEXT GUARDIAN.
STRAND WAS AMAZED BY THIS AND WAS TAKEN UNDER ARIOCH'S WING. HE WOULD SPEND DAY AFTER DAY WITH HIM AND HIS DAUGHTER. HE WAS EVEN ALLOWED TO TAKE A BOTTLE OF THE IMMORTALITY WATER AS A GIFT. EVEN WITHOUT IMMORTALITY AS A FACTOR, THE WATER HAD MINOR HEALING PROPERTIES. HE ALSO BECAME VERY FRIENDLY WITH ARIOCH'S DAUGHTER, BELLA.
UNTIL ONE DAY, HIS VILLAGE WAS ATTACKED. EVERYTHING WAS PILLAGED AND RAIDED. THE MEN IN THE VILLAGE WERE BEHEADED, THE WOMEN WERE RAPED AND SLAUGHTERED, CHILDREN WERE EITHER KIDNAPPED OR BEATEN TO DEATH.
STRAND WAS UNFORTUNATELY PRESENT THAT DAY. HIS ENTIRE CLAN WAS SLAUGHTERED BEFORE HIS EYES. HIS MOTHER WAS VIOLATED BEFORE HIM AND HIS FATHER. HIS FATHER BEGGED AND PLEADED FOR MERCY, BUT TO NO AVAIL.
STRAND COULD JUST WATCH AND CLENCH HIS FISTS. AFTERWARD, THEY BEHEADED BOTH HIS FATHER AND MOTHER BEFORE HIM. THEN, THEY PROCEEDED TO KICK, STOMP, STAB, AND BEAT HIM TO THEIR HEARTS' CONTENT.
THROUGH IT ALL, STRAND VOWED TO HAVE HIS REVENGE.
AFTER THE ATTACKERS LEFT, ARIOCH WENT INTO STRUM VILLAGE WHERE HE FOUND A BEATEN STRAND, LAYING ON THE GROUND AND BLEEDING OUT. NEVERTHELESS, HE WAS STILL ALIVE.
ARIOCH CARRIED HIM TO WHERE HE RESIDED IN THE FOREST. HE TRIED HIS UTMOST BEST TO HEAL STRAND. HOWEVER, NOT EVEN THE IMMORTALITY WATER COULD SAVE HIM. SO, ARIOCH WAS LEFT WITH NO CHOICE BUT MAKE STRAND THE NEXT GUARDIAN OF THE IMMORTALITY POOL. AND SO, HE DID.
WHEN HE DID, THE POOL SUDDENLY TURNED RED AND REEKED OF PURE HATRED AND EVIL. ARIOCH REALIZED HE MADE A MISTAKE, BUT HE COULD NOT BRING HIMSELF TO REVERSE ITS EFFECTS. SO, HE LET IT BE.
YEARS WENT BY AS STRAND CONTINUED TO LIVE UNDER ARIOCH'S WING. HE AND BELLA FELL IN LOVE… DEEPLY IN LOVE. HOWVER, HE COULD NOT LEAVE THE PAST BEHIND.
HE EVEN FOUND THE PEOPLE WHO PLUNDERED HIS VILLAGE. THEY WERE A CLAN KNOWN AS THE FLETCHER CLAN.
ARIOCH PASSED AND STRAND AND BELLA LIVED TOGETHER, GOT MARRIED, HAD CHILDREN. STILL, STRAND WAS IMMORTAL, BUT HIS FAMILY WAS NOT.
YEARS, DECADES, AND CENTURIES PASSED. STRAND CREATED THE STRAND CLAN, A WAR CLAN. HE KILLED AND REIGNED OVER NATIONS FOR YEARS. HOWEVER, NONE OF IT COULD BRING HIM TO FIND PEACE WITHIN HIMSELF.
NOW, HE HIDES WITHIN A MOUNTAIN. ROTTING HIS IMMORTAL LIFE AWAY.
AND THAT'S IT FOR NOW, DEAR READERS. ON THE NEXT INTERRUPTION, WE WILL LEARN OF THE HISTORY OF LIEUTENANT BRAD-LEE MAJOR. BUT FOR NOW, IT IS THE END OF THIS INTERRUPTION AND THE CHAPTER. UNTIL THE NEXT.
SHATTER REMNANTS
-ARC I END-