Touji touched his hand to his cheek as blood began to trickle from his chin to the floor. He had dodged it. Somehow. Not even intentionally. He was just in that position when the knives wisped by. Three to be exact. His eyes refocused on the opponent in front of him. Two more waves of surgical knives were heading his way. He twisted his body, his shoulders leaning forward, his stance low.
-I must protect my heart and head.
Maphori's eyes were piercing, her shoulders squared and her stance firm already reaching into her sleeves with her other hand for more as she reeled back and forth from each throw.
Touji covered himself with his arms as the metal spikes pierced and entered his shoulders and thigh, blood flowing down his elbows and knee.
"Stop!" He cried out. "We can talk this out." Although he knew this was a futile request.
Her feet did not stop. She came at him showing no hesitation or indication of ceasing her attack. He watched as her blood shot eyes came closing in on him like an owl seconds before it grabs hold of its prey. A look filled with so much overwhelming intent to kill was almost entrancing as he embraced for the pain.
"FOOOOOOOSSSSS!!!" He yelled.
Suddenly his body was jerked from his feet, and was hurtled against the stone wall, the force knocking the wind out of his lungs. He peered up at the girl whose hands were outstretched and fingers splayed. Her eyes were glowing red and her hair was a mess, the strands dangling in a dysfunctional mess over her face.
"Stay the hell out of this!" She bellowed.
A metal arm suddenly made contact with the side of her neck, her body sinking to the ground unconscious.
The sounds of the inner workings of minuet mechanisms clicking and the exiting of gas of some sort of cyberpunk like device became apparent as Touji's body was hoisted up.
Draken pulled the knives out of Touji's flesh. "I think it's long past time we address your suspicion."
Fairial stood beside him, her expression unchanged. "I knew there was something wrong with this. But the beasts are waking. The demon is making its moves. The empire is actively seeking immortality. The silver haired girl and the search for the marked. Whatever she saw, we will have to face that sooner or later. And Naegi is in the center of it all. I suspect he is the answer to this war as we were told but I also suspect that he will be bringing the true players in this world to us and we won't stand a chance."
"..."
"I want you to keep an eye on him. I would not be surprised if he had something to do with your amnesia. For now, bring him to the infirmary."
"Yes ma'am." Draken replied, saluting awkwardly with the metal fingers touching his forehead.
"Oi, I have somethings to tell you." Touji spoke up weakly, still hanging off the man's shoulder.
Fairial looked peculiarly at him. "I thought he was under. Oh well might as well hear our thoughts. I will accompany you after I have taken care of Maphori."
She approached the girl's crumpled body, her knees hitting the ground. "It's okay. I'm not going anywhere." Fairial consoled the sleeping girl, embracing her tightly and tenderly. Her breathing was quickening, weak and feeble, her eyes quivering and her body shaking.
Fairial continued to stroke her violet hair, "I'm right here." Till in the dim light her hands met with the wet liquid which flowed from the girl's arm. She rolled up the blood-soaked sleeve.
"What is happening?"
The shape of the black flower tattooed over her arm continued to fluctuate, convulse, and thrash about as it began to violently change colors from black to a bright red.
"Draken, quickly get another medic. Maphori! Keep it together! Whatever it is, don't let it take over!" She began to squeeze her arms around the now defenseless girl. The healer that could was not able to heal herself.
A loud siren sang throughout the halls and corridors. "What does that mean?" Touji questioned after being gently placed back on the ground by the muscular green haired individual.
"There's an intruder." The worrier replied, "But what is this presence? It's powerful enough to kill me."
***
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This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.
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"Hello there. Sorry to interrupt the chapter but I just thought I'd say hi before I made my entrance. See things were going a little off track and I've got to set them straight before they get confusing. What do I mean? You know, drop a few plot points, some foreboding, even a little foreshadowing. To be honest this was a little last minute and I wanted to have a slow mode entrance but that would only work in film, am I right? So, without further ado, I'll give it back to the writer."
***
A black cloaked man stood in the alleyway, the darkness and shadows only broken by the faint glimmer of the moon and the flickering flame of a candle as the figure passed them by. A small and slender silhouette, with two green eyes glaring throw a white mask.
There were to other figures who inhabited this particular space, well guarding is the more accurate description, though you really wouldn't be able to tell them apart from the average city hustler. They remained situated overtop of the entrance 247 to the underground, a small metal hatch the only access point crudely covered by a minor earth spell.
"Excuse me. But I am going to entering."
The two men seemingly unaware of his presence until the moment he spoke jumped to their feet and drew their knives.
"How? You shouldn't be able-"
"Oh, you're one of theirs, huh. Your killing intent is so potent and beautiful I can practically taste it."
The two men dashed forward, the black shadowy figure taking a step back.
"We won't even give you a chance."
"Is that so?" The man responded. The guards while still meters away toppled to the ground in pieces, their bodies exploding outwards.
"Now would be the time to say something edgy," The cloaked man stepped forward, his feet squelching in the pool of blood and viscera, his cloak trailing behind him, blood stains clinging to the fabric. "If you were on the right side of history, you could've been sleeping peacefully right now but that was your choice."
He lifted the latch and stepped down into the tunnels below the streets.
"We have an intruder." One of the members of the rebellion cried, as the sounders were activated sending ear piercing shrieks into every corridor.
The man continued on his way, the screams echoing off the walls as he proceeded further into the compound.
***
"Oi! What's happening?" Touji muttered under his breath.
Draken took a step forward, his cape whipping behind him. "Don't move. This presence... we are up against-no maybe the aforementioned beasts is approaching."
The flame of a touch could be distinguished in the distance as the masked figure made his appearance. He was holding something. Someone.
"Foss!" Touji leapt to his feet but then suddenly finding that he could barely move. He was afraid. But more like he was forced to be as his body began to ignore his pleas to move forward. "Fairial, who is that?" A light clatter of armor was dashed over the floor's surface. "Oi! Fairial. Draken. Get up." The two did not wake, but lay over the stone paved floor, eyes open and consciousness no longer present.
"Wake up!"
"..."
"I don't want this. I don't want this! Why am I always the one alone in times like this! What am I supposed to do! Fairial! Draken! Get your damn heads up."
A dark shadow fell over Touji as his head snapped upward, the hooded figure standing over top of him. A black smoke seeping out from under his white mask, "I'm not your enemy, boy. I just did a little cleaning and purifying of the place." The figure extended his hands, laying the unconscious Foss at Touji's feet, "Don't worry they are not dead. I am simply upholding my promise. I said they would never see me again. But please do understand, I wanted to see you, I'm just not here for you."
"W-wwhat?" Touji stammered, his voice quavering.
"Well, what I mean is, I have some more dusting to do." Touji could hear the man's voice chuckle beneath the mask.
Touji's eyes narrowed, the sweat running down his brow. "Who the hell are you? Tell me. How do you know me. Why do you know me? Did you bring me here?"
"Shhhhhh," The man placed his finger over the place on his mask where his mouth would normally be. "You will be able to move again once I've made my way out of the doors I entered. Until then, you will remain in this circle." He raised his fist and gradually opened his palm, suddenly Touji had been surrounded in a sphere of lightning, as electricity jumped and danced from the roof to the floor. "Now is not the time for questions I will not answer." He past him by, slipping his hands into his pockets casually as if he was just going out for a quick afternoon stroll. "It was good seeing you in person, Touji Naegi."
He made his way to the sweat soaked body of Maphori, which lay helplessly against the wall. He paused and stood still. Kneeling beside her, he reached down and removed her sleeve. A shriek emanated of an unearthly sound screamed from the healer's arm. The tattoo whipped and slashed about as if responding to the stranger's presence.
"What the hell are you doing?" Touji yelled, his voice bouncing off the walls.
"Ah, this is a pain." The man growled. "Well, I don't think I need this anymore. I'm going to need her awake for this." He snapped his fingers and the girl's eyes gradually opened revealing a tormented expression. She seemed confused for one second then terrified the next.
"What a pretty face." With one hand he nestled his fingers around her thin neck and began to squeeze.
Her gasps and wheezing were the only sounds audible. She weakly grabbed hold of his hand with hers, desperately clinging on his fingers, her nails digging into the glove.
Touji stared on at the horrific scene. A girl. He was watching a little girl get strangled in front of him. Her face was turning blue, her skin pale and her eyes wide with vassals inflated, blood trickling down from her nostrils. Flashes of a girl with long pink hair began berating his mind.
-Claria?
Another scream was heard in the hall, except this time it was Touji's. He forced his hands through the electricity, his muscles tensing and his body shaking. "Let her go dammit!"
"But I'm simply doing you a favor," the man replied. "Besides, she had just attempted your life right before I walked in."
"PUT HER DOWN!!!" Touji's arms were burning. Multiple holes had been bitten into his skin and the nerves were screaming. The man stopped the pressure as he stared back at the boy. Releasing the healer's neck, her body dropped to the floor, her back sliding against the wall, her head sinking towards her chest.
"You can rest easy now. She isn't dead."
"She better damn not be you bastard."
"She isn't. Also, she was never going to be. Unless of course I didn't end up with the response I came for."
The man removed his glove and touched the tip of his thumb to the rose. "You have had your fun." The blackened petals shriveled and died away as the beating and decay of the girl's body ceased at the same moment. The crimson lines and red color faded. The veins sunk back into the flesh.
The figure then turned, "The same as I have stated in the past, as sure as the moon will rise tomorrow, you will change the course of the war, and in the same manner this flower will one day re-awaken. When both those times come there will no longer be a choice but one outcome. And that time is near. That will be your next turning point. As the story continues, you're falling and rising will also continue. Until the tops of the mountains have been leveled and there is nowhere to fall or rise from."
As he passed by Touji the arclight spell was finally deactivated as he muttered under his breath "Six full moons from now. Remember that date. I will not repeat myself." He then brought his thumb up to Touji's forehead and pressed it firmly against the skin.
"My time here is done. Fair thee well, for temptation will follow you as luck will not."
The man then slowly walked into the darkness of the hall, his footsteps fading till all that was heard was the echo of the heavy breathing of the remaining unconscious members. Touji was released from the invisible force that held him captive in fear and dropped to his knees in exhaustion.