Chapter 43: Possession.
Cassandra stared the three super resonators down before taking a few steps forward.
Hiro sneered at the woman before saying. “Make sure you don’t get too close to her. Divine spirits can’t affect things beyond thirty metres of them.”
“Understood.” Okimodo slowly stepped back while measuring the distance between Cassandra and himself. The exact distance between him and her was around one hundred and eight metres. This meant that he was in the clear for now.
“Don’t think that keeping your distance will save you, I still have my speed!” Cassandra roared before blasting straight towards them.
Okimodo only had one resonance ability at his disposal that could affect spirits. It was perhaps the most famous resonance ability the Azurai where known to have. It was called “Heshea’s roar.” He had already used it against Belnus back on the great bridge. It was also the technique Bhudboidingas used to overcome Dupin.
Okimodo grinned as the skin on his face stretched pulling his lips all the way back to his ears. His teeth grew razor sharp and long as his jaw unhinged.
At the next moment Cassandra was hit directly by a dense blast of light and kinetic energy. She felt her undead soul tremble under the force as she was sent flying straight back into the wall at the end of the corridor.
Both Hiro and June were astonished by the sheer might of the Azurai youth.
As she was pressed into the wall Cassandra grinned before fazing through it.
Okimodo quickly stopped his attack before his face returned to normal. He then palm thrusted the wall to his right blasting a human sized hole through it before looking back at Hiro and June.
“I’ll deal with her on my own, both of you just search for Benjamin’s wife.” Okimodo instructed before quickly vanishing through the hole.
“Wait.” Hiro reached out for him but was stopped by June.
“It’s for the best.” June said. “Kidnapping Benjamin is why we’re here.”
Hiro sighed. “Fine.”
Outside Okimodo circled around the building as he flew higher and higher looking for the divine spirit.
“WHERE THE HELL DID YOU RUN TOO SWEETY!” Okimodo yelled in a mocking manner. “DON’T TALK TUFF AND BACK OUT NOW.”
Cassandra then suddenly appeared behind him sending a bunch of threads his way.
Instantly Okimodo blasted her with another serving of Heshea’s roar causing her to be blown far away towards the city in the background.
Okimodo flew up to the tallest ward’s roof where he flew stationery.
At the next moment many of the windows could be seen shattering back down at the smallest ward.
Countless mangled corpses leapt out from the various windows and converged at the base of the ward he was currently on.
He instinctively sensed Cassandra reappear behind him before he swung his head around and blasted her again. She was once again sent flying away with her form becoming visibly less tangible. All Okimodo had to do was blast her whenever she got too close and she’d eventually be done for. While it may have seemed rather lazy to only use one attack again and again it was his only option when it came to spirits.
The various corpses ascended the building slowly rapidly with their four limbs and before leaping up on to the roof to attack Okimodo.
Okimodo simply flew higher to avoid them not even bothering to waste his proto atoms on them. That’s when his body suddenly fell slack as he felt several of Cassandra’s strings reach him. He fell hard on to a tree that was growing in one of the ward’s rooftop farms.
“You’ve got to be kidding me…” Okimodo sneered as he lay on his stomach on a tree branch in the rain. “Those corpses were a distraction?”
“They sure were.” Cassandra said as she appeared standing on the ground beneath him.
Okimodo began to ponder. It appeared as if she could control his body but not his mouth or breathing as he could still talk freely. This meant that he could still hit her with more of Heahea’s roar. The main issue was that doing that over and over again would cause him to lose way too much proto atoms which would ultimately cause him to become virtually crippled for a time.
Okimodo began to berate the spirit immediately. “You say that the puppet king wants me dead? Who the fuck is the puppet king? There’s only one god I fear and his name is not that.”
Okimodo was a pious young man and he intended to keep things that way until his dying breath. To him there was only one true god in this world and that was none other than lord Heshea, the eldest son of empress Diana. Even if he was about to die why the hell would he fear death? What was death compared to the might of an almighty god who transcended it? Okimodo spat at the translucent woman beneath him.
Cassandra snapped at him. “You little...”
Hiro and June had descended to the ground floor where they explored the various halls and waiting rooms within the ward ultimately finding nothing but a few more dead super resonators.
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Hiro couldn’t help but fear for Okimodo’s safety. Even the Azurai weren’t invincible and an entity capable of killing so many super resonators wasn’t to be taken lightly. Regardless all Hiro could do was focus on her own business for now.
June who was browsing a series of empty incubators nearby turned towards Hiro and said. “This is indeed the maternity ward. Benjamin’s wife should be here somewhere.”
Hiro shook her head. She had scattered her death seeds throughout the ground floor and failed to detect any living people besides June and herself. The more Hiro thought about the implications of this the darker her expression became. It became increasingly evident that the woman who had returned as a spirit likely killed Benjamin’s wife and potential new born child.
To think that her lust for money was so strong, it made Hiro sick to her stomach. She didn’t know much about Benjamin’s wife but she knew that there was nothing the baby could have done to deserve that.
“I think we should just hide and wait for Benjamin to arrive.” Hiro said. “There’s no point in continuing to look for something that isn’t there.”
“Hold that thought.” June said as he placed his hands on the ground. “There are a total of ten people directly underneath us.”
This was one of his school’s resonance abilities, it allowed him to sense vibrations in the surroundings and track people’s movements while remaining hidden.
Hiro looked at the young man in astonishment before asking. “Really?”
“Yes.” June rubbed his chin as his expression became puzzled. “They appear to be in a bunker of some kind. How the hell are we supposed to get in?”
Outside the front entrance to the maternity ward the entire convoy had arrived and departed their vehicles. Everyone made their way towards the entrance with Ivan leading.
A figure suddenly descended from the sky to intercept them. This youth had long black hair, pale skin and a charming disposition. It was none other than Okimodo who had come to greet them.
“Boy!” Ivan’s eyes lit up at the sight of his rivals youngest son. “What the hell are you doing here? Weren’t you supposed to go home.”
“That’s not my style” Okimodo smiled warmly, his androgynous features confusing Benjamin. “I always make sure my employers are well served.”
Shipo couldn’t help but find his brother’s sudden kowtowing to be strange. He was probably just eager to see that piece of garbage called Benjamin die miserably. The very moment Benjamin stepped inside of the hospital this fever dream of a job would be done and him and Okimodo could sit back and watch as Hiro executed him. Ivan probably wouldn’t try too hard to protect Benjamin anyway.
Judus looked at Benjamin before saying. “My job is done right? I’ve protected you up until now so I think our little contract is over.”
Benjamin turned towards him before saying. “I haven’t reunited with my wife yet. Until that happens our contract is still valid. As the rest of you bodyguards, you can stay here and wait. Only Hiruru can come with me and the family.”
Judus and Rosa both scowled at him. Just who the hell did this bastard think he was to be putting them through all of this.
The bodyguards all nodded awkwardly before leaving.
Shannon felt her mother’s hand grip hers tightly. All she wanted was to wake up from this nightmare and watch Benjamin burn in hell. As a child hatred was not a concept she could grasp too well but the sight of such a loathsome and cowardly man boiled her five year old blood.
Okimodo motioned for them all to continue on inside with him which they all did. Ivan retrieved another thick cigar and began to smoke, he was pretty sure that smoking was banned in all hospitals but right now giving the slightest shit about that just wasn’t something he could muster. Beside him his wife Sharron hummed quietly as she held his hand.
As the last of the group entered through the entrance doors something truly unexpected happened.
“What the…” Ivan suddenly observed his body and said. “I can’t move?”
“Shit!” Beside him Sharron had met the same predicament. “What the fuck.”
Shipo also noticed that he was paralysed in place before immediately looking over at Okimodo who had grown suspiciously silent.
“What’s going on?” Rineamodo asked beside him. “Can you not move?”
“No.” Shipo replied with a snarl.
At the next moment laughter could be heard coming from Okimodo before he suddenly spun himself around to grin at everyone. This had worked perfectly for her. Not only was Cassandra able to take over Okimodo’s Azurai body, but she now also had Benjamin exactly where she wanted him. With the three strongest individuals now subdued all she had to do was kill Benjamin and run away with his corpse. After that she’d have to find away to sever Okimodo’s astral cord and create a new astral cord for herself to take over his body permanently. That would essentially kill two birds with one stone by killing Okimodo and creating a new body for herself. As for Okimodo’s dick and balls? Well, there were plenty of ways to change one’s sex, and besides the boy already looked like a hot chick to begin with. Once those two tasks were completed she’d collect her delicious cash reward and return to her original life and continue to ascend the ranks of the maple puppet school with a new stronger body.
“Come on Okimodo.” Ivan sighed. “How could you let yourself be taken over so easily.”
“What are you talking about general Ivan?” Cassandra chuckled. “It’s me ok, I just think it’s beneath you to protect garbage like Benjamin Norton.”
Benjamin’s heart sank instantly. He wondered just what the hell he could do against an Azurai? Even if the first of the upcoming attacks is redirected to Judus’s daughter that would only give him a few extra tenths of a second before she dies and he’d be finished off by the second blow. He would have to announce to everyone that he was holding Judus’s daughter hostage in order to appeal to the emotions of whoever was occupying the Azurai boy’s body. But that would essentially be him over relying on the possibility that this assassin wanted justice for the west islander woman. While she was able to kick up enough hatred for him to be the target of numerous assassins, most of them were simply in it for the money with a minority being concerned with revenge. People like that probably were like himself in their nature and wouldn’t let the life of a random child get in their way. This was actually much more desirable as these people could simply be paid off.
Before Benjamin could open up his mouth to say anything Okimodo attacked suddenly swerving from around Ivan, Sharron and Shipo towards him.
Rineamodo immediately intercepted with a sweeping kick that Cassandra easily ran under. Cassandra spun around and blasted the masked man in the back with a kick that sent him face planting into Shipo’s back.
She then pounced at Benjamin who quickly whimpered behind Hiruru. Judus also jumped in and kicked Cassandra in the chest sending her tumbling across the floor before she jumped back up and began to circle around.
“OKIMODO!” Ivan yelled out. “SNAP OUT OF YOUR DAZE AND TAKE BACK YOUR BODY!”
“You got styled up pretty badly.” Shipo laughed mockingly as Rineamodo regained his stability.
“Shut up!” Rineamodo yelled. “He just got a little lucky.”
Rosa held Shannon closely as she looked around frantically for a place to hide. Shannon on the other hand had all of her attention directed at her father. She yelled out. “Dad why are you protecting that bully?”
Judus turned to look at her briefly as Benjamin whimpered behind Hiruru near to him. For a split second he felt conflicted on what to say and that was a fatal mistake.
Cassandra used this opportunity to strike like a fox.
Shannon watched on in terror as her father’s head got sent flying amongst an explosion of blood. Rosa was simply speechless, her husband and the father of their child had just died.
End of chapter 43.