The masked man raised his long katana, poised to strike. Yet, his stance was curiously non-threatening; I sensed no murderous intent emanating from him.
And then, he spoke a single word.
"Deactivate."
Suddenly, my mind went blank, just like before. Once again, I thought that I had met my end. But this time, it was different. After a few moments, the emptiness faded away and my eyes opened.
What I saw before me was a prison of some sort. The walls and floors were constructed of rough gray bricks, stacked neatly and evenly, but still retaining their jagged texture. The only light source came from a handful of torches, which surprisingly illuminated the room quite well.
"Huh, finally!" a voice uttered from behind me.
I slowly became aware of my surroundings, realizing I was seated on a chair, a noose hanging from my neck and my limbs tightly bound behind me.
"Sorry but you'll have to die~" the voice continued.
Suddenly, I felt the rope around my neck tighten, but I acted quickly and broke the chair with a sudden burst of strength. Moving the atoms, I then tore the ropes apart, freeing myself from the restraints.
I quickly turned to see my captor.
"Wha..!"
There stood a small girl, she was small, wearing a black frilly dress. Her black hair descended down her back in thick, silky waves, contrasting with her pale skin. She wore her hair in twin-tails, adding a touch of innocence to her appearance.
Her eyes were the shade of verdant, bright and piercing like an emerald in the dim light of the torches. Her dress hugged her petite frame perfectly, with frills and lace decorating the edges of the fabric.
"Grrr…" with a low growl, the girl curled her fingers into feline claws. "You shouldn't able to do that...!"
Without any other options, I focused and began to manipulate the brick's atoms into a weapon. With a sharp crack, I shattered a few bricks and deftly maneuvered them into place, defying their rough texture to shape them into a crude sword.
The clinking of the bricks as they merged together filled the air, and I could feel the weight of the makeshift weapon in my hand, the rough edges digging into my palms.
The rough edges and jagged points might not have been perfect, but they would suffice as a means of self-defense against the girl's unpredictable moves. All in less than five seconds, my weapon was ready.
The girl's eyes widened in disbelief as I demonstrated my ability to create a sword out of the rough bricks. She stumbled back, her cat-like hands now held up defensively.
"Y-You can do that???"
I didn't waste any time in idle conversation, instead, I charged forward. The distance between us closed in mere seconds, my sword lifted and poised to strike.
"Wai-!" The girl cried out in protest, but it was too late.
My sword sliced through the air with a whoosh, aimed straight at her petite frame. But just as it was about to make contact, my sword shattered into pieces, leaving me with just the handle in my hand.
My senses immediately went on high alert, as I realized that there must be someone else in the room. Without wasting a single moment, I swung the hilt back in the opposite direction, towards the girl's eyes. This time, I wasn't aiming to strike her with the blade - instead, I shaped the handle into a sharp, pointed knife, aimed to deliver a fatal slice.
The sound of flesh being sliced filled the air, followed by the splattering of blood as it sprayed out of her eye, causing her to grunt in agony.
"Aakh!!" she cried out, her hands instinctively flying to her injured eye, blood flowing freely between her fingers as she sank to her knees.
I quickly stepped back, preparing to make my next move as I tossed the makeshift knife away. The sound of the brick hitting the ground echoed throughout the room, accompanying the pained grunt that escaped the girl's lips.
"Pretty weak huh, even for a girl," I commented coolly, looking down at the small, wounded girl writhing on the ground before me.
"L-Lucifer...Lucifer!!!" she screamed, her high-pitched voice grating against my ears as she cried out for help.
Without warning, a figure materialized out of thin air behind her. It was the same masked man from before, clad in black armor with his long katana resting at his waist.
"K-Kill…that..guy!!!"
In response, the man drew his katana slowly, and I scrambled to create another sword out of the bricks, shattering them in the process.
As I focused on the task at hand, I couldn't help but notice the blurry square object in the man's other hand, its appearance eluding me.
"Activate."
The man's command sent a shockwave through the bricks, causing them to crumble and clatter onto the ground. I was surprised as I watched my weapon and defense fall apart before my eyes. I tried to regain control, but it was futile.
It was like trying to grasp onto the air.
Realizing that this object was the cause of my sudden weakness, I clenched my fists tightly as I lifted them up, getting ready for a fight. Is this hand-to-hand combat or… hand-to-sword? It's kinda funny to think about.
Nonetheless, I braced myself for the upcoming fight, eyes fixed on the masked man as he drew closer.
He charged towards me with his long katana, the blade slicing through the air with a swift hiss. Our surroundings were cramped, giving me an advantage in close combat. He made the first move, swinging his sword towards my right side, but I quickly sidestepped, evading the attack. Capitalizing on the opportunity, I lunged forward with a right hook aimed at his chest, but he deftly sidestepped it and raised his katana high.
I turned to face him and charged forward with all my might, but he vanished from my sight and reappeared behind me in an instant. A searing pain shot through my back as his blade left a vertical gash, and I stumbled forward. I spun around just in time to see him poised to thrust his sword into my throat.
I quickly dropped to the ground, dodging his attack as the blade sliced through the air above my head. As I tried to strike his hands with a punch, I missed and felt the pain in my back intensify. I had been relying heavily on my back in my earlier movements, and now it was paying the price.
I fell to the ground and rolled away as he slashed downwards, destroying the ground with his razor-sharp katana, the sound of bricks being destroyed echoing through the room.
I could feel my clothes getting wet as my back started to bleed profusely. I got up and saw that he had sliced the bricks vertically, leaving a trail of destruction. His katana wasn't stuck in the ground, but it sliced through it like it was butter.
I could feel the wetness of blood spreading through my clothes and the pain in my back growing more intense by the second.
I noticed that that girl was still around, and I thought about taking her hostage since the masked man seems to care about her.
…honestly, that's a pretty good idea.