Live To Atone

Hutogi, After seeing the horrific scene of Alex smeared with a bloodbath, the sweat dripping down from his head as he walked forward.

"Alex, it's okay now. Everything is over, you can rest easy now." At the same time Hutogi was speaking, Alex dropped to the floor as he vomited the food he had eaten earlier. Alex is on all fours and tries to get up. But the blood was slippery making him drop to the floor again.

His arm, his knee, Alex lost all feeling as if his energy was being drained away from his body. As his face fell flat on the floor, he met face to face with Jeren who was on his death door. Even then, he still could muttered a few words to Alex.

"Why do all this for my sake?" The voice slowly faints every word that comes out of Jeren's mouth. Alex then smiled and said...

"I didn't do it for your sake Mr. Jeren. All of my actions, were simply because of my wrath. I'm grateful for this power that was given to me. But at the same time, I feel like I shouldn't be given too much power. I... can't bear to handle the responsibility for what I've done."

"Even so, you've done well. To avenge the fallen souls of those bandit's victims."

"No! It's not enough, Mr. Jeren! Even if I were to be given this powerful power, In the end, it's useless if I couldn't even save you..."

"It's fine, my life is worthless to be saved anyway. I might as well kill myself when I had a chance to. Listen to this, Alex. When in life, make the decision you won't regret. Someday, you'll find out your reason to live." 

At the same time, Hutogi walked inside the bloodbath hallway, and some of the blood dropped on him. As he arrived at the two who were on the floor. He unattached the scabbard that was tied on his hips and smacked the floor between the two with the tip of the scabbard. 

"No, Not yet, Jeren Monty. Your time in this world is yet to be ended."

"W-What are you..." Jeren is confused by Hutogi's action. Hutogi on the other hand, only standing in front of him. The closed eyes soon reveal one of them, Hutogi opened his right eye.

"Devil Eyes: Exchange." Jeren couldn't remember anything as he looked at the symbol from Hutogi's eyes. But the next second he regained consciousness, and the pain from his wound was gone. When he realized it he would be able to stand on two feet.

"W-What did you just do?!!" Jeren grabbed Hutogi's collar as his action interfered with his will to die in peace. Hutogi then answered...

"The afterlife won't be happy to accept you if you were to go right now Mr. Jeren. For started, you could atone your sins for as long as you live."

"What did I have to do to atone the sins I've caused?! Even if I were to serve the society for the next century, I doubt I would be forgiven for all of that!" And then, the voice coming from the floor tried to reach Jeren's ear.

"Don't worry, old man. I'm sure we can find the way for you." Jeren started crying as Alex said that. But the voice of crying is interrupted by a certain figure who just came out from her prison.

"You think this toy can trap me forever?!" Sunny, as she came out from the iron statue, grabbed one of the weapons and charged at Alex specifically. Alex tried to command the weapon Sunny was holding but he couldn't mutter any word. Jeren tried to protect Alex with his body.

And Hutogi, decides to stand in front of Sunny's way.

"GET OUT OF MY WAY, YOU PESKY PEST!!!" Sunny screamed as she sprinted, but in the next second, she realized she'd been cut into many pieces. Every piece passed the three. Alex was speechless by what he just saw. Hutogi cut Sunny into pieces in one second, maybe even less than that.

"Y-You're strong, Senior Hutogi!"

"I wouldn't call myself strong, I have a lot to learn." At the same time, another victim who was a death row inmate all along started gathering the three from both sides.

"T-They killed Boss Karo!!! Avenge him by killing all three of them!!!" The sound of a roar becomes louder as it soon starts to become louder as they're about to reach them. Alex tried to get up, but his body wouldn't let him as his hand trembled a lot from what he had just done a while ago.

"S-Senior Hutogi, I'll help too!"

"No, you've done well, Alex. Now, leave the rest to me..."

...

The pink line that barriers the room disappeared when Line got shot by Zoey.

Ryuma, looking at Line whose hand has been blown off. Even so, he still won't let his guard down. Line was on her knees as she was trying to prevent the blood from coming out as she held her blown-off wound arm. Jin tried to interrupt them, but then realized his head had been aimed by Jamis who stood outside the room.

"Now, Line. It's time to tell us everything. Why are we invited to this school specifically? It was no coincidence that Rio, Kiyo, and Mika also was invited here. Please Line, could we just know the truth?" Ryuma looked into Line's eyes, the tired eyes as she sighed. Line's eyes were deviated to Jin and then back to Ryuma.

"*Sigh* I don't know the whole thing. But apparently, you all have been targeted by a certain organization." Ryuma's eyes widened as she said that.

"Targeting us? What for?" As Ryuma questions Line, Jamis interrupts him from behind.

"It's probably about Unique. Their main target is probably isn't us, but our Unique."

"How do you know that?"

"Just a process of elimination. I couldn't think of anything else why they were targeting us, except she was lying. But if what she was saying is right, they'll probably going to take us alive regardless if we were to struggle or not."

"Then Jamis, let's think of the opposite, what if their main reason is to kill us?"

"What for? What's the point of targeting 20 different people who live far away from each other?" 

Ryuma is thinking as he looks into Line's eyes.

"If I were right, could you have the same objective as them, Line?"