Arc 6. A seemingly endless loss
Road to a Hero:
Three Chances in Another World
Chapter 51. Trying not to get sent home on hourly pay
While Soku spends her time slicing up those strange pink zombies, Rosemary tries her best to lead all of the monsters to the park, away from civilians, Gray sits around not doing much. Julius along with Ganga helps all of the panicking people into the two office buildings, strangely avoiding the mayor’s office. With nobody charging the area, and Gray’s knowledge of how the Sect likes to avoid killing people, he feels like he could be doing so much more than guarding people who won’t be attacked.
Gray {I’m like an hourly worker trying not to be sent home…this joke would be funnier if I said it out loud…and if I ever had a job to reference…WHAT AM I DOING!?}
Gray jumps up, shakes his body, and heads toward the main gate. He pushes past hundreds of people running as fast as they can, trying to get out of the battlefield.
Gray {Most of the Walgonia raid lasted about twelve hours, and this has been going on for about an hour…so if Constant is only about the size of two districts…it should go faster. Okay, thinking time, Rosemary taking out the Sects' muscle, Soku’s taking out a bit of their army, and the guards are stopping the Sects' living troops…Julius should be good to continue here, So I’ll check on the south side of the city. I know Greta’s down there, but I don’t know how strong she is, I guess I’m Constal’s god of war…Jong’s troops better show up.}
Once Gray gets to the main gate, he’s met with a strange group of people. Only human men dressed in glossy silver armor, which is made more in parts than a fully enclosed suit, make their armor stand out from the normal Valatrositce style. Then on their chest, a golden wrench.
Gray: “Um…what or who are you guys?”
Officer: “We are the Montogomery’s private army! We were stationed in one of Rupert Montgomery’s smithing buildings just for an occasion like this! We are here to help!”
Gray gets a wave of realization washed over him, making him both mad as well as hopeful at the same time. Gray balls his fist puts his hand on his side, flings his fist into the air, and lowers it to point at the leading officer.
Gray: “ALL OF YOU!... HOW MANY OF YOU!?”
Officer: “TWO HUNDRED!”
Gray: “ALRIGHT! NICE ENERGY…Um…quick math hold up…SPLIT INTO FOUR GROUPS OF FIFTY! THEN SPLIT UP INTO THE FOUR SIDES OF THE CITY!”
The officers split up and go to leave, but Gray stops them.
Gray: “WAIT! Can like, twenty-five of you stay here, you can just take a few people from each group. NOW I’M OFF!”
Gray speeds off, about to swing with his cloak, but with a failed swing and embarrassing remembrance of his lack of such cloak. So, he’s forced to run to his destination, which is Rupert's underground bar. The city is dreadful, dark, and hurt. The people are still running for their lives, from their homes, stomping over each other, crying and screaming, causing Gray to begin freaking out. His mind begins backtracking, confusing him, placing him back in another treacherous moment. The people constantly bumping into him knock him over, causing him to get trampled.
Gray curls up into the fetal position covers his ears, and trembles from the fear, panic, and severe pain coming from his OD, feeling as if it’s burning to a crisp. With everything going against him so quickly the only thing he can do is whisper to himself.
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Gray: “...it’s gonna be okay…I just gotta stand up…what is this…the cloak…I need the cloak…I could zip to a building…cover myself…please stop stepping on me…it hurts…it burns…please…Rosemary…”
He hears the sound of flames burning people to a crisp, buildings collapsing on themselves, and ash in the air, it’s all too familiar. It gets louder and louder, enveloping him with the sounds of horror that is war, then nothing. Then he springs up but is dumbfounded to see no one. He has a few brushes, but overall he’s okay. The buildings don’t look damaged, the crowd of people is long gone, and he’s all alone.
He tries his best to get over what had just happened and charges into Rupert's bar. Instead of running in the streets, he quickly scales the wall and begins free running towards the river. He seamlessly dashes from building to building under the cool veil that is the night sky with the river in sight. He only sees a few Anarchists around, all being taken down pretty easily by the guards, Gray even runs into a few on the roofs, who he quickly takes down.
One palm strikes the head and they’re down then so on and so on until he reaches the other side of the river. He wipes off the sweat falling from his forehead before he looks over at the bridges, finding them all destroyed.
Gray: “These guys are not Anarchists, they’re just terrorists and annoying ones at that.”
Gray then looks at the gondolas, getting a good idea. He takes a deep breath before he leaps off of the stone railing, puts on foot on the gondola, and leaps to the next. After five consecutive leaps, he makes it to the other side. Now, in front of the cold iron door, he lands a mana-charged palm strike, blasting the door down the dark hallway behind him. He begins charging into the main room, and no one is inside.
It’s cleared out, but to make sure he pulses a wave of spiritual mana to check for any life, and he finds something. His eyes lock onto the room above, so with one swift jump, he blasts through the thick glass into Rupert’s overlook, then nothing.
Black, nothing to hear, smell, touch, see, or taste, absolutely nothing. Drenched in complete nothingness, he begins to panic, but he can’t hear his own thoughts. Though his ears do chime in, then his sight, then his touch, then just to check, he swallows his spit to check his taste. Though everything other than himself is pitch black.
He hears a distorted voice begin to echo throughout the room, so without any way to see him, he begins waving around his sword.
Gray: “HEY! COME OUT! I SMELL HORROR MOVIES! THIS IS HELLA CREEPY!”
Voice: “Calm down boy, I gave you all you need, but sight isn’t one of those things. Listen to my voice echo through everything while I give you some knowledge.”
Gray: “Yeah, that everything is connected blah blah blah. I know this shit is planned, probably around us to make me join the Sect while everything else is moving. Rupert, the Sect, something’s up with Julius, and now you. Oh, can’t forget the Revolutionaries, if those guys are even here. You’re either some new dude or one of those randos I’ve met trying to get ahead.”
Voice: “Well…It’s much bigger than you think.”
Gray: “That’s what she said.”
Voice: “HUSH NOW BOY!”
Gray feels himself falling, but doesn't feel anything else. He hits the floor hard, and yet, nothing.
Gray: “Did I hit a nerve, at least show me your ugly mug before you kill me or whatever.”
Voice: “Those Revolutionaries are here. They’re right outside and want to speak to you. I was only looking for anything Rupert may have left behind, but he cleans up well.”
Gray: “That’s what she said.”
“Look, I’m just here. I assume somebody within Rupert’s crew has gone against him, and he’s realized this. Times are changing, so rise to the occasion…hehe…get it? Rise?”
Gray’s confused, but suddenly realizes he can’t breathe. He holds his throat, sloshing around in what he assumes is water, but he doesn't know up from down.
“If I had my cloak I could save myself.”
Gray: “Wait? Did I think that?”
Before Gray can confirm his question, he’s pulled out of the water and his senses return to him. He watches as the metal chain unleashes from him, and holding the chain blade is Crimson Zhao. Gray crawls back, fearing for his life.
Zhao: “Calm yourself, I’m not going to act. Whether you like it our not we must act together to win, being the Truth of the matter."
Gray: “And your Revolutionary buddies?”
Zhao: “That was greatly exaggerated, those people were just bounty hunters I hired.”
Gray: “Pretty strong bounty hunters.”
Zhao: “They’re from a group called the Hunters, I had a favor that they repaid. But know that you’re on their radar now. Summit and Massif. Ones a Dark Elf who loves hunting so much it's gonna get him killed, and the other is a damn barbarian who only cares about a good fight.”
Gray: “Oh, thanks for that, very cool. So why are you here?”
Zhao: “In one hour and thirty-one minutes Shioreta the Black Flash will appear and I must stop her from attacking you. You and your friends must win this battle, so for the next five and a half hours, you need to win. But I need you to go back when Shioreta gets here, and until then you must stay around here and save as many people as possible.”
Gray: “What can you see in the future or something?”
Zhao: “I see the Truth.”
End of Chapter Fifty-one