"Father… are we going to die here?"
Chained to a mossy, stone wall, Gabriel called out to Father Laurence, who was bound by a series of chains, restraining his aged body.
Prior to this, back when Yuso had departed, Laurence and Gabriel were forcefully taken to this particular cell that they currently reside in. His Torikesa Reta Token was ineffectual against Imawashiki's fire. No matter how much magic Laurence expelled, the overwhelming flame of his former test subject encompassed both Gabriel and him. And with these chains, Laurence no longer held the power to activate the curse.
Now, neither of them could say exactly how long they'd been held captive.
"Don't lose faith, Gabriel. With the will of the gods, we'll find our escape." Laurence assured the blonde-haired boy.
Just by glancing in Gabriel's direction, Laurence's demeanor was saddened. Bloody, bruised, and shackled. Although his entire body wasn't confined by rusty chains, the boy couldn't control the entire right side of his body; Yuso's spikes dealt too much damage, practically piercing the bones in Gabriel's arm and legs.
Gabriel's survival was a miracle, especially after he had utilized so much of his Aura Sense in such a short period of time. Any warrior would've dropped dead from emitting such dense magic alone.
What's more, they had lost Rosalina; the stoic but appreciative lady that has been by Laurence's side for years. She didn't deserve such an ignominious death.
*CRRNK!*
The sound of the barred cell door sliding open rang in both Gabriel and Laurence's ears, prompting the two to steer their glances—fearfully and curiously—toward the entrance of their cage-like room.
With a solid gaze, Imawashiki stood tall, his brown eyes piercing through the dim cell.
Father Laurence challenged Imawashiki's gaze, staring right back at him with his withering eyes. "What do you seek from us, you beast!?"
Imawashiki chuckled at the hostility in Laurence's words. The atmosphere was ominous; his sounds of amusement sounded dark, desolate of mirth. This was mildly different than the original Imawashiki.
"That brings me back," Imawashiki said, full of nostalgia. "But, that isn't how you should talk to your own creation, is it?"
Laurence's throat rumbled with an indignant grumble, his yellowing teeth mashing against one another. "You were a failure, a mistake."
Imawashiki closed his eyes gently. "Well, we don't ever get what we want in life, do we?"
"You weren't created to have a life—you were meant to serve the people of Adonai!" Laurence barked, his chains rattling with every erratic movement.
Imawashiki's eyes opened slightly, becoming half-lidded. "Was that the reason?"
Imawashiki suddenly took a step forward, lowering himself to Laurence's level. Imwashiki's eyes were intense, almost as if the fiery abomination was staring directly into the elderly man's soul.
Laurence, on the other hand, looked at something much different. Staring into the eyes of Imawashiki was like gazing at an inferno. The boiling rage that was ever so still, waiting to tear down Imawashiki's nonchalant conduct.
"I remember being made to kill the previous rulers of Adonai, to give all of the power over to you. Don't act as if you were acting heroic or committed heinous tests out of being good-willed!" Imawashiki exclaimed, his once half-lidded eyes shooting open dangerously.
Gabriel could only look on in fear, but a scowl quickly formed on his face. "Father wanted to establish a better society! He didn't mean to harm you or your friends!"
Imawashiki blinked, craning his head to the side to spot a quivering Gabriel. The fiery abomination slowly trekked over to the blonde, each step echoing throughout the cell.
"So you know?" Imawashiki asked, only curiosity was present in his tone.
Gabriel breathed in and said, "He told me about his past. He told me how he wanted nothing but the best for humanity and that the Takuetsu Dynasty caused nothing but harm. However, he also told me about his methods of creating a new Tansu—one that could hopefully subvert the ruling power!"
Imawashiki merely stared at the golden blonde-haired male before him. The torches that hung off the walls flickered subtly.
"Think about it: would your friends from back then want to see what you have become? Remember what you stood for!" Gabriel hollered, his left arm pulling on the chain that was clasped around his wrist.
Without warning, Imawashiki kneeled. Upon spotting the face of Imawashiki, Gabriel's countenance shifted from its determined expression to one of horror in a matter of seconds.
Imawashiki's visage was truly terrifying, varying from its typical smug smirk to the blankest set of eyes Gabriel has ever seen. The man's face appeared dead, even more so than the bodies of the fallen warriors that he had to see throughout his life. It was as if Imawashiki wasn't… human.
"You… You haven't seen the aftermath of his deranged tests. You didn't witness the suffering that happened all those years ago. Because of Father, the lives of children were ruined. Children with lives full of potential, happiness, and love." Imawashiki spoke, his voice eerily calm.
"You tell me to 'remember who I am', but how am I supposed to do that if I don't know who I am in the first place?" Imawashiki questioned, confusing Gabriel.
"What do you mean?" Gabriel huffed out, sweat pouring down his cheek.
Imawashiki stood up once more, his face concealed by the shadow of his hair. Then, the fiery abomination's right hand rose to clench his netted shirt, from underneath his cloak.
"I don't know who I am—not my name, not my family, nor do I even know who to become. I transform from a disgusting, bloodthirsty killer, to a man who acts like the world is at peace. I'm conflicted, and it's all because of the same old man who has told you lies your entire life." Imawashiki breathed out, his lifeless gaze diminishing, regaining the small amounts of color that they once held.
"Fortunately, once Lord Regashi's plan comes to reality, my troubles, as well as everyone else's, will be solved. Then we can all succeed in nations where there are no penalties; nations where all we feel is acceptance; nations where even a lack of humanity would not prevent someone from being excluded." Imawashiki continued to drone before exiting the cell.
Gabriel observed as Imawashiki quietly stepped outside the cell, wrapping his hands around the barred door before sliding it shut. Who was this man? He really does feel like a completely different man compared to the one he spoke to just a few moments ago. Was that all because of what Father had done?
"Wait," Laurence called out to Imawashiki. "Before you leave, I must know: where are we?"
Imawashiki grinned, shifting his upper body to look at Laurence more clearly.
"We're in the number one village of Adonai, Furusato village!"
Laurence's eyes widened.
XXX
"Meow."
Tanjo sighed, plopping down onto his bed with a soft thump. Next to Tanjo, Kit lay on the bed with droopy eyes, drowsiness encompassing the small, black kitten entirely. After Old Man Nozomu had gone and collected cat food, amongst other necessities for Kit—such as kitty litter and toys—the kitten had begun to relax. Its ribs still poked Tanjo every time he picked Kit up, but that would soon be fixed.
Looking out his window, Tanjo could watch as the sun slowly fell, the sky darkening with every passing moment. It was moments like this where Tanjo could finally breathe; all of his thoughts arranged themselves for the boy to assort, letting Tanjo collect himself as a whole.
So much has occurred since the beginning of the year. Tanjo, in his mind, has grown, became slightly experienced—but not strong, nor experienced, enough. He didn't believe that he was anywhere close to being as strong as he hoped to be.
With the recent revelation of his Aura Amalgamation, Tanjo had to do a series of reflections on his capabilities. He had finally conjured up a Genso-Kyu—quite successfully, at that; he now has the opportunity to keep up with his class in terms of using magic, and he now has to accept the fact that the gods had allegedly chosen him for something drastic. As to what that was, Tanjo didn't know.
As the saying goes, "Only gods know what was going on."
"Meow."
Kit meowed again, breaking Tanjo out of his stupor. The teenager cupped Kit gingerly in his hands, lifting the kitten into his chest and proceeding to softly brush his hand back and forth across Kit's back.
Tanjo felt so much joy just by looking at the serene expression of the kitten before him. Just earlier, the same kitten was frightened and starving, left to be forgotten. But, with his help, he had managed to save this kitten from an unfortunate end.
Although it was a small act of kindness, Tanjo could only relish in the feeling of being helpful—slightly resembling a true warrior; saving lives. Tanjo could only imagine what it felt like to save multiple people at once, like the big guys!
After all, Tanjo also couldn't afford to screw up anymore, either. Losing Mizuki had mentally destroyed the jet-black-haired boy. But, it won't be long until Tanjo becomes strong enough to prevent that from ever happening again.
To make everyone in the world feel safe, by saving one life at a time!
"Just you wait, Old Man! I'll prove to you that becoming a warrior wasn't just a silly dream of mine!"
XXX
Quite the series of events, eh? I really do hope that you enjoyed today's chapter. It's quite layered if you could tell. A lot of thought went into each sentence. Not like I already don't do that every chapter, I suppose—but you know what I mean! Stay tuned for more!
Have a Great Day!
Peace - Cr1ticalz_