The room was silent. There Koji was holding Z in his arms and feeling his blood. His warm blood was still on Koji but he knew he could feel that Z was dead. The tears Koji had stopped flowing, he couldn't cry anymore.
"I can't stop. I also have to break the news to everyone, I'll come back for your body, I promise." Koji got up and grabbed his swords.
He was bloody. Blood all over him. However, the place that hurt the most was his bloody, scarred back. No matter how many cuts we're on his back, none of them compared to the shame on his back. Cuts and wounds can heal, but deaths and guilt can't.
That's when he saw it, Don's heart. He looked at it, stared at it, and felt anger. He pulled it out of the body it was held in and threw it to the ground.
"Where's your insults now!? Huh!? Why don't you say something now!? You can't? Well, then that's too bad!" Koji screamed, chuckling with tears rolling down his face.
"Hey, I have a fun idea? How about I stab your heart even though you're dead? That should get rid of some of the pain!? Should we test it!? Should we?"
Koji was met with silence. That's when he clenched his blades and looked down at the bloody, disgusting heart.
"Great answer! Nothing at all! That's the way I want to hear you! Now then let's get to making things right." I know what I'm saying. I know what I'm saying is stupid, I know what I'm saying doesn't make sense. However, the more I stabbed the heart the better I felt. I can't describe the feeling, this shouldn't be making me feel any better. However, it just feels so right.
For five full minutes, Koji laughed and laughed again, stabbing the heart with tears in his eyes. That's when Koji stopped himself from stabbing even more. His hands were shaking, he didn't even feel like himself anymore. He then put his swords in the case and started to walk away.
"What happened? Where's Z?" Phoenix said to me, looking at me confused.
"Z..."
"Z?"
"Is no longer with us."
"Oh... Let's keep walking."
"Agreed."
I forgot about the boy. He was annoying to me as well, but now he's acting like a different person. Is it because he feels bad? Does he know what it feels like to lose someone? Or is it because of moral code? I don't know, yet I don't care. Two times. I lost two of my friends two times in front of me. I'm... I don't know how I feel anymore.
52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡErBwKO89La
CHAPTER 32: Hellos and Goodbyes
52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkqhjvs6D1d
"Alf!" I screamed out loud, and I realized where I was. I was on Ground 0 trying to retrieve him. I wasn't on the street bloody.
Dammit, all that pain I was concealing from using Blood Moon and just getting off that fight. It's only been two days, I need to conceal my pain better. No time for that now, get up you idiot, get up and smell!
Apollo took a sniff in the air, then it hit him. The scent of his boss, his best friend. He knew he was near, he knew he was on the final level. The scent was so far away at one point, but now it's close. So close, so close it felt like it was right in front of him.
"You're in this room. Aren't you!?" I then broke the door down and saw multiple people beating Alf down.
"Who's there!?"
"Who are you!?"
I busted in and started to knock them all down. It was easy, so easy, it was honestly unsettling but what am I to question a free way to him?
We're the last words those men made, now they're bloody.
"Apollo?" He sounded so weak, and his body looked worse than what he sounded.
"Alfie!"
"You- you came."
"Of course. Now can I just break these locks?"
"No, these have high Zoe from multiple people."
"Alright, so?"
"I- I don't know."
"No, I got too far. I'm going to break these chains. I'm going to break them."
"Apollo?"
"My ability is being able to transform into a wolf. I also can manipulate my Zoe into having the touch of a poet. My Wolf form also has three forms I know of, Dog form, Moon form, Blood Moon Form. My Zoe levels are that of 42,000,000." I then started to breathe and breathe even harder, what were the levels of Zoe, what were the levels used on these chains?
Focus, Apollo... 40,000,000. I can sense it, 40,000,000.
"That's too weak for me in this state!" I then ripped the chains off. Ripped them off so clean and caught Alf in my arms.
"You're stronger than I was expecting."
"There's too much on the line If I didn't break that chain."
"When we get back, a stake is in order for you."
"Don't forget about the vacation... I want that vacation."
"Right, rig-ht."
"Are you alright, where's all your pain?"
"It's everywhere. It hurts everywhere."|
"Alright, don't worry I'll get you out of here and make sure to tell everyone you're safe and to abandon this place."
"Alr-"
"Alf?"
"..."
"He passed out. Don't worry, I'll make sure you're okay. You won't be touc-"
"Woah, Woah. What do we have here?" Someone who was able to conceal their presence.
"Now, what are you doing with our special dinner guest?" The man said starting to walk towards us.
"I'm taking him home now. Don't get in my way."
"Now, Now I don't mean to be rude. I just want to follow the rules that you should also follow. Don't let prisoners out without permission. You already broke a rule by beating down the security men, so are you trying to go against the authority here?."
"Obviously, and I'm going to make sure this man is in bed by 6 am. I will hurt anyone who wants to get in my way. Anyone."
"I see. You're being very hostile and that's not something I like. You also broke the rules, so you know what that means."
"I do... Anyways later!" I ran right past him using all the speed I had. I don't have time getting into useless fights, especially with Alf on my back. The last thing I want to do is fight with Alf on my back.
"Where do you think you're running to? All slow like as well?" He's right next to me? He caught up to me?
That's when the man hit Apollo towards the wall.
"Crap!"
Apollo then positioned his body to where his front side hit the wall and not Alfred.
"Oh? Do you care about him that much? That is something to be proud of!"
"No, it's not. I would be proud if this never happened."
"Well, well. It's not your fault entirely. We had a way in, knew when you guys were leaving, where you all were. At all times. It's unfortunate."
"It is, isn't it? Well, there's no reason to stop right?" That's when I started to run again but this time going down.
"Going down I see? I mean that's not against the rules but you're already a criminal so..." He started to run and keep up with my speed. I did my best to dodge but I would get hit here and there. His power was no joke.
That's when we hit the wall, a dead-end.
"So, you hit a dead-end what's your plan?"
"To be honest, I don't really have one. Except this!" This is a hit-or-miss plan. I then kicked the ground as hard as I could, with all my strength. Which created a hole so big that he fell right through.
"Bingo." I then started to run before I heard something I thought was impossible.
"You forgot to go down, yourself."
No way, he's already back up? This man is, on a whole nother level.
"Alright, I'm done running." That's when I put Alfred down behind some rubble, it wasn't super protection but it was going to have to do.
"So, this is it huh?"
"Yes, I won't let you get past and even touch him. You have my attention."
"Okay." That's when he dashed in front of me with a fist full of Zoe and punched me. Never in my life have I ever been hit with a punch like this. This one hurt a lot.
"Alright, let's fight," I said making my hands full of Zoe too. We then started to fight, a lot of counters and jabs. It's not clear to me that he isn't fighting to fight, he's fighting with class, fighting like it's an art. You don't meet many people who can do that. Luckily since I'm now focusing on him my detection is way more effective than before.
"You're a lot stronger than I thought. This isn't getting the fight anywhere. So, I'm going to just kill the man you're trying to protect and said that you did it and I killed you."
"You'll have to get past me and still have a life to do that."
"Oh, scary." That's when he dashed over and tried to get Alfred. There are many things in this world I'm cool with, I'm lenient with however this...
"Die," Apollo said with a cold harsh voice while punching this shit out of the man.
"That hurt, that hurt." The man responded looking at Apollo with a stupid-looking face.
"I'll kill you."
"Wow, scary" The man responded again in a stupid tone, not even trying to be intimidating.
They started to fight again but this time Apollo had a slight edge over the man. Every jab the man threw Apollo dodged perfectly. But every jab Apollo threw he couldn't dodge.
"Sir Arsenios! We're here to help!" Soldiers said coming out of nowhere.
"You soldiers stay back there! He's hurting me." The man fighting Apollo said.
"I'm glad to see you at least have respect for your men," Apollo said before kicking Arsenios away from him.
"I don't. If I did I would have made sure you folk didn't get in to start with. I made a grave error and got distracted easily instead of finding you and your other agency friends when my fellow officers did."
He's not speaking as a powerful leader, but as a man with sympathy. I am shocked to see this level-headed control and guilt. He hasn't even explained his technique and I have, the effects of that haven't run off yet. Since my brain is still putting it into Second-Hand Memory, I won't have the edge above him for long.
"Get the man under the rubble! If you have to kill him then, do so. I'll take the blame!" Arsenios said, kicking Apollo right in the teeth. The men rushed over to Alfred and pulled him out of the rubble.
"Al-" I was cut off by someone covering my mouth and holding me
"Don't interrupt my men."
Dammit, I can't get to Alfred, is this his technique? I feel like I'm being held down by a strong force.
"Alf!" Apollo managed to let out as they started to pick him up. That's when Apollos saw the tears that Alfred had.
"Goodbye, I l-" Alfred started to say before the ground above them broke and everyone dodged out of the way, even the man who was holding Alfred.
"Who's that?" Apollo and Arsenios both said confused
"Ahh!"
"I'll win!"
All Apollo and Arsenios both heard but couldn't see, there was just too much debris and smoke. That's when they both felt it, the strong sense of Zoe, so strong it made them both light-headed.
"This is my chance!" Apollo said, kicking Arsenios and dashing straight towards Alfred. He then grabbed him and backflipped away from the man who was holding him.
"Why weren't you holding him properly!?" Aresenios said to the man holding him.
"I was! I was!"
"Well, then how is he outside your hands then!"
"Well... I don't know."
"Next time hold him with more of a firm grip! Or kill him."
"Understood!"
"Good! Now let's deal with the situation at hand. Who on earth are those two yelling?"
"You're strong! We've been like this for a while." The first voice said.
"Who can they be?" Apollos said until he heard the second voice.
"No, you won't sir!"
Is that... It can't be.
That's when the smoke finally cleared and they were as visible as day.
"We've been like this for a while! Give it up!" Sonny said laughing.
"Sorry sir but, my Boss is somewhere here and I won't give up until we have him!" Dion said with a menacing smirk, still clashing with the man since the start of the infiltration.
"Dion!" Apollo yelled out and got Dion's attention.
"Apollo! How's it going!?"
"Well, it's going pretty nice except for the whole, Alfred getting kidnapped thing."
"Not you! The Infiltration!"
"Oh yeah... It's going as planned! I have Alfred!"
"Nice!"
"Not for long!" Aresenios said dashing towards Dion who was clashing with somebody else.
"Dion!" Apollo said, placing Alfred down gently and dashing towards Aresenios and knocking him into the wall.
"Now get him!" Arsenio said screaming to his man to attack Alfred.
Dammit! They have me playing ping pong between the two! I need a way to save both at the same time
"Apollo! Don't worry about me! Save Alfred! I'm going under!" That's when Dion slammed his foot on the ground making the two clashing stop clashing for the first time and go deeper under the ground.
"Oh, they both went down. I wanna come!" Arsenios said, jumping down right after them.
"Oh, no," Apollo said knowing he had to get down there but he couldn't.
"Apollo!" He heard his voice get called as he turned around and saw Hesita running towards him with something on her back.
"Hestia?"
"Yes! Give me the man!"
"Alright, who's that on your back?" Apollo said, pointing to the man who was beaten up and tied up on her back with Hesita threads.
"He's... I'll explain later. Right now, that's not important. For now, give me Alfred I can take him out of here.
"Okay, thank you, Hestia!" Apollo said, giving Alfred to her and then running and jumping down the hole.
That's where he saw Dion struggling but still holding his own against the two men.
"Hey! That's my brother there! You want to fight? Fight us fairly." Apollo said, landing down and standing next to his brother, making the two men stop with their attacks.
"Oh, I'm scared now, aren't they scary..." Arsenios said with the same stupid look.
"Same, they both have that look in their eyes," Sonny said with a smirk.
"Apollo, where is Alfred?"
"He's with Hestia."
"Alright. Any injuries I should know about?"
"Nope, you?"
"Perfectly fine."
"Let's fight them, and save everyone."
"Wouldn't you want to escape? You already got your leader? You can leave." Sonny said with a smirk.
"He's as a pretty fair point, brother," Apollo said to Dion
"Well, something tells me you're not going to let us leave now are you?"
"He's as a pretty fair point number 3," Arsenios said to Sonny.
"Well... Yeah, I want to kick their asses, they also broke the rules now didn't they?"
"They did. Boss also wants us to find his brother's son."
"He's really alive after all huh?"
"Yes, yes. That man lied straight to our faces but after a little bit of beating him down he got through to us, I guess."
"Nice! You guys can kick ass! Who would have thought?"
"Alright, you two. Now that you had your daily tea talk, let's get to fighting." Apollo said dashing in towards Arsenios.
"Don't charge our top officer like that!" Sonny said, slicing Apollo in the stomach.
"As he said, that's my brother you're touching!" Dion said getting a clean cut on Sonny's stomach as well.
"An eye for an eye?"
"Precisely," Dion said in his gentlemanly tone.
"You're kind of scary, I don't like people who scare me," Arsenios said to Dion
"Well then, how are we going to solve that issue?"
"By your death."
"So be it. Apollo, let's win this! Apollo?" Dion said to an angry-looking Apollo.
"Then let's finish this quickly Dion, I don't like them already nor could I ever respect them."
"Apollo?"
"They almost killed Alfred..."
"Right, Let's beat them down for that."
"One more thing Dion..."
"Mm?"
"They... own slaves. Children. The slaves are children."
"I see, let's beat them down so bad their skulls crack into two then."
"You'll have to touch us to do that! Specialty Zoe! Taffy!" That's when Sonny's full body turned into taffy.
"Now prepare for death!" That's when Sonny looked at Dion and Apollo's faces filled with disgust.
"Why are you looking at me like that!?"
"Eww." They both said at the same time.
"Huh!?"
"Taffy is gross!"
"Too gross!"
"Are you crazy, taffy is great!" Arsenios said, looking at them confused.
"All of you stop talking about my ability and die!" That's when Sonny dashed forward and smacked Dion in the face.
"I'm not done yet, since the taffy sticks to your body, how about we go on a ride!?" That's when he threw Dion in the sky and jumped up towards him and punched him again then stuck him to the taffy, brought him in, threw him in the sky, and punched him again. That's when he tried to do it a third time but Dion maneuvered his way to cut the Taffy and then cut his stomach again.
"Didn't I tell you I didn't like taffy?"
"That's fine, because that cut you thought you left on my body was taffy. Don't you get it? We're out of your level! Simple cuts like those aren't effective."
"One Sword Style, Gentleman's Gamble!" That's when the Dion that cut Sonny's back disappeared and Dion was on the complete side of Sonny.
"When did you get over there!?" But before Sonny had the time to place taffy in front of the cut Dion cut his whole side.
"You didn't think I anticipated that? Sir, this is a fight, please expect everything that comes to you." That's when Dion grabbed his body and threw him down to the ground.
SLAM! The ground made a loud sound for the man that landed down with heaviness from the kick.
"Sonny, don't lose to such lightweight now."
"Shut up!"
"Hey, you two, who are you calling lightweight?" Apollo said kicking toward Arsenios and he dodged and sighed.
"You're way too slow."
"No, you're not thinking."
"What-" That's when he got cut in the back by Dion.
"One Sword Style, Gentleman's Slash!"
"Chief!? Damn bastards! That's it!" That's when Sonny grabbed both Apollo and Dion with the Taffy and started to choke them and shot them towards the sky and held them there.
"Thanks, Sonny.":
"Anything for you captain! Now you two, how much do you love your lives? If you two make a deal to join us, then you don't have to die. In fact, you can get off almost scott free! The further this goes, the further your punishment is."
"Join you guys? Punishments? Have you lost your minds? My pride as a man would never stoop down to the level of ignorance and lack of a soul of that of you men. The fact you know their children are slaves in here and none of you have done anything to save them. You're a disgrace to all of mankind!" Dion yelled at them with a fire in his eyes he rarely did.
"Shut up! You don't even know any of those kids anyways, why do you care?" Sonny said with a disturbed face.
"Anyone who kills the dream of a child before they could make them, deserves to burn in the hottest place imaginable. No one should ever be put in that position." Apollo finished as his eyes were opening and closing.
"You're already passing out aren't you!?"
"N-"
"What was that?"
"No. I'm far from passing out!" That's when Apollo screamed laughing like a lunatic.
"Nice, Brother!" Dion said with fire in his eyes.
"We're not dying here," Dion said starting to break out of the Taffy, Apollo doing the same.
"No way!"
That's when they dropped to the floor and both dashed towards them.
"You get the annoying bastard, I'll get the unhinged one!" Apollo said dashing toward Arsenios and Dion dashing towards Sonny.
"Don't you ever try to send your men to hit Alfred ever again!" Apollo said, punching Arsenios square in the face.
"One Sword Style, Gentlemen's Slash!" Getting a clean hit on Sonny. That's when Arsenios eyes started to have a fire behind them.
"Chief! Don't get so mad..."
"I won't, however, I don't like being punched this many times in one day. You know I don't like it. Now you fools, have to pay for it."
"Dion, is it just me, or is he speaking entirely different?"
"He is." Dion and Apollo both whispered to each other.
"Specialty Zoe..."
52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsrMHXxOAeY
