I hold Kishimoto in my arms for a while, as I can slowly feel her catching her breath again and her heartbeat slowing down to a healthy degree.
After about another Minute I slowly let loose of my hold and leave her embrace, to look at her face.
The Tears aren't flowing anymore but the remains can still be seen all over her.
"Is it better now?" I ask her
"..Y-yeah thanks. It's just..." She seems to be contemplating everything that just happened ".... what was all that?"
She goes on "We go in front of a normal looking Apartement just to see weird Plant people smoking and then get jumped from behind by these creepy little creatures that… Didn't the Ball earlier depict them as our Target?"
I nod „ Yeah your right, they looked just like what we were shown by that black sphere, at least the little guys." I assuredly state to her
„… Do you think that maybe the black-haired boy was telling the truth?" Kishimoto questions me.
„ I think that he partly told the truth about what is happening right now but he still told obvious lies." I try to finally make it so that Kishimoto better Understands what's going on.
„ That's true this can't be just a TV show, I mean we both almost died and all this equipment, these monsters, and this technology it all seems so unreal for example…"She takes the remaining X-Gun from the Holster of my leg and inspects it. „… this Weapon has a bigger impact than any handgun or Rifle I've ever seen before. Even though there aren't any projectiles coming out of it. It also doesn't immediately take effect, its blast seems to be delayed somehow."
„ Are you some kind of Gunnut?" I jokingly ask her
She just looks a little annoyed back at me.
„ I assure you anyone could make these perceptions by just using this thing once but... I do have held a pistol in my hand before, my father works at the police."
Okay again something new I didn't expect. Another change to the original story I think.
But it does explain how she was able to wield it so confidently earlier.
„… okay I won't try to get on your bad side if the same fate as those imploding Onions awaits me." I try to lighten up the mood.
She chuckles shortly but goes on to say „ You got my point, I mean look at all the crazy stuff you and Rice were able to do with that suit." she looks over to him „ Is he…"
„No he is still alive, but I think his suit broke and he is out for the count. Nevertheless, he put up an amazing fight" I finish
„ That he did… we should let him rest" Kishimoto states but goes on to ask me more questions
„ What do you think were these creatures?"
„You remember what the ball said right?" she nods „ I think that we should trust in its description of these being aliens" I sigh but continue.
„ I know it sounds crazy but I think it wanted for us to kill them, kinda like a Task we have to fulfill. Maybe we are competing in some deranged survival game like in the story of a manga…" I finish
„ After everything that happened, I think what you're saying might be true. Nothing that was going on since we appeared in that room was normal. All this is crazy and I don't know why this is happening to us but if we didn't do anything back there we'd both be dead, so maybe your right." Kishimoto seems to believe me.
She appears to be taking all this quite easily considering how scared she just was and how she acted in the original story.
Well, Less of a hustle for me, having to babysit her through this. I also just so happen to find a woman who kicks ass and can look out for herself in these kinds of situations, way more attractive than the constant crybaby the Original Kishimoto could be sometimes.
„But Kurono, what are we supposed to do now? Kato and the rest still don't seem to be anywhere around."
!
Oh my god, I almost forgot about them with everything that happened. I just hope Kato is still alright. I don't really care for the other ones anyway…
But it has been a while, I shouldn't let him handle the Situation all alone for much longer, I mean we aren't getting teleported back so that means the alien father is probably still alive.
Let's make haste!
„ Kishimoto I think I'll follow the trail of green blood that led down the street from before. It has to belong to another one of those aliens, the rest probably chased after it. I'll hurry to make sure Kato is alright."
I am sorry for leaving you so abruptly Kishimoto but I am worried. This here isn't completely similar to the original Gantz and if more of these changes keep showing themselves, Kato could be in great danger.
I immediately super jump away with the suit, landing on the family House rooftops, and quickly spring from one to the next, to make my way back to the destroyed Apartment and the green blood trail.
As I arrive on a Residence next to our battlefield from before which is still burning, I can see two fire trucks having arrived on the scene and trying to extinguish it and make it so the surrounding areas don't catch on.
I think they are succeding but the remains of the Appartement are still ablaze and can be seen by everyone living around here.
I look around and discover the line of green substance that still shows a path down the street.
Just as I want to jump down and follow it, I can hear a thud next to me.
"Wow! Who could've guessed using this suit was so easy? It also softens your fall."
I look to my right and see Kishimoto with a little bit of sweat on her face and her legs kinda shaking.
"What are you doing?!" I ask her a little shocked
" Well I know that back there I seemed a little bit out of it but I assure you I'm not done yet and I'm not letting you possibly fight more of these 'Aliens' on your own." she proclaims heroically
"... Okay but keep the Pistol, im not letting you follow me unarmed." I worriedly say to her.
" I'll make sure I won't be a liability, i promise" she says as she looks down onto the fiery scene and all the corpses that are still lying around.
" It seems like the firemen don't care about the remains of these creatures, how can that be?" Kishimoto questions.
" I think they aren't able to see both us and the Aliens, before you came here I was sure someone must have noticed me but I think we are just invisible to them." I say bending the truth a little.
I'm just trying to make it so she understands faster.
"... Well okay, then let's follow the trail, we don't have time to waste!" Kishimoto says and jumps down to quickly follow the trail to its end.
I charge up my Jump a little more and make it so I instantly Land next to her, to not lose sight of one another.
After some seconds of running, I happen to realize something.
"Did you just leave Rice alone?" I ask Kishimoto
" I hid him in a really secret Spot, I am sure no Alien will be able to find him" Kishimoto says with a smile
While I am sure that some of the Aliens that appear later in these missions would be able to do so, I'll just leave Kishimto in her belief. I don't think there are many more Aliens alive other than the Onion Father. I just nod along.
"You did recover pretty easily from your emotional breakdown you know?" I say to her
"While I was scared... I wasn't completely devasted about what happened, it all just seemed so fast and the shock is what mostly got to me. Don't worry I am stable right now and not afraid to see more Blood splattering."
Well, I hope you are because you're probably going to witness the brutally killed Bodies of like 4 People.
Again Kishimoto kinda got a Character change, I don't know why that is but I kinda like it. Maybe she got aged up like Kato and me and that changed something?
I'm just spitballing here...
While we are still running Kishimoto continues "... I just really didn't want to see you go alone... if I was just by myself back then I think I wouldn't even lasted a minute and I don't think splitting up is a good idea." Kishimoto says worried
"So you don't want for me to leave you alone? Well, no problem I won't leave your side." I say to her with a smile on my face
"W-wait I didn't mean it like that, I think you got the wrong ide-..."
Before she can finish we have arrived at our destination which is where the other ones originally killed the Alien Boy and that seems to be what also happened here a while ago.
As I and Kishimoto gaze at the scene that presents itself before us, we both have to ignore our gag reflexes once more.
First, there are the two pieces from the Yakuza who tried to rape Kishimoto, which are separated from the arms down. Next, there is the Teacher who has been separated from all of his limbs, his eyes are wide open but he doesn't appear to have any life left in him anymore. And While the last two bodies of the other Yakuza and the blonde aren't as brutally massacred and are just laying to the side, there is still blood, gore, and Organs of them spread all over the scene.
"... Think you can take it?" I ask Kishimoto
"..."
*gulp
I look over to her and while she doesn't say anything she slowly nods.
Everything probably happened just like in the Manga in this scene with the Onion Boy's remains also being seen to the side.
But there is one new Body. It's also Alien and it is lying on the ground face first so I'm not able to make out fully how it looks, but from the back of it, it appears just like the Onion Father from the Original. With the same-looking Head and Jacket. There is a huge green Blood Puddle under it and it also isn't moving, so it's definitely dead.
So were they able to Kill him? But who is the last Alien then? What happened?
"AAAH!"
Before I am able to continue my thought process there is a loud cry of Agony heard that seems to come from in front of us.
We both sprint in the direction of the noice and look down a hill where at the bottom there is Kato getting pummeled into a wall by an Alien that seems to be the same Adult Onion Father.
What is going on?
"Kishimoto don't get too close I'll handle this."
I take a few steps back and try to jump down the Stairs like Kurono did in the Original.
*woosh
As I land down below I gaze back in front of me and better see what's happening.
The Alien is definitely the same last Onion Alien as in the Original, it looks just like it.
Kato who is right in front of it appears to be heavily injured and his Suit also seems to have just gotten broken.
He doesn't seem to want to fight back and let's it happen while having a sad expression on his face.
The Onion Alien stretches one of its hands back and extends its claws from it to swipe down on Kato.
I try to make it over as fast as I can but there is a guardrail in my way which I first have to smash through.
I think I won't make it in time, Kato is gonna die if he doesn't do anything!
„Kato dodge!!" I scream
He seems to get knocked out of his mood by hearing my voice again.
Just as I arrive behind my Opponent he strikes down on Kato but he is able to dodge last second to the right side.
Altough, he can't fully avoid it as the Onion still hit's his left Arm and cuts right through it.
„AAAAAARGHHH!!"
Kato's left appendage falls to the ground while he cries in Agony.
Oh, you're gonna pay for this.
I fold my hands into one Another and hit the side of the Alien with them to knock it away.
*Bam
It immediately flies away down the road and only gets stopped by hitting the ground multiple times.
I jump after it and don't let it get back up by delivering to it the same beating Kato before received by him.
*Bam Bam Bam
He seems much weaker than the two 'Stoners' from before.
"Oraah! Gebu! Grehf!!"
While it cries out in Agony and spits out green blood, I really don't care. This is what I have to accept if I want to survive in this World.
I deliver one more punch to it that sends it down on its knees and again knocks it a few meters away from me.
"F-forgive m-m-mee" It gurgles out with a damaged voice.
I don't care that you killed these dumbasses from before but I am not gonna forgive you for almost slashing the head off of Kato.
*Pew
*Bzziip
*clonk
As the Alien slowly tries to get back up, there are multiple wires fired into it that sling themselves around him. Attached to them are barb-like devices that firmly cement themselves into deeply into the ground with some advanced Technology. Making it so the Alien is completely unable to move.
*Bzzzzp
As Nishi makes himself visible again from down the road where I originally jumped down here, he grabs Kato and drags him towards me and the immobilized Alien.
" Kurono was your name, right? I saw both you and the Girl handled yourselves quite well before, but I think one of us has to still accept the rules of the World." Nishi says in his snarky tone
He drags Kato to him and thrusts another X-Gun that he had hidden in his Jacket into his remaining Hand.
"Come on man you did it before, killing these things isn't that hard you just have to press both triggers on the Gun. It'll make you feel good after he killed all those other guys." Nishi presses him
Kato still isn't getting his head up and seems to almost pass out.
"Why don't you do it!? He's not Human. He's like some kind of Livestock." Nishi says annoyed
"Umm, you know he is missing an Arm right now? I don't think he has enough strength to even properly Stand up." I say to Nishi
"Tssk. He is still obviously breathing, he is just unable to embrace the dark side of him as much as you and I can." He says to me
Can I Please avoid the ramblings of a psychopath that come next?
He looks back at Kato
" You realized it right? Isn't that Suit great? It makes you feel strong and powerful. It feels good to destroy things."
Now he draws himself back to me.
"It's fun looking at pictures of dead bodies, isn't it? I could tell from your eyes... The Moment I saw you in that Room. You're just like m-"
Before Nishi can continue his Psycho preachings the weapon in his hand is taken away from him and immediately used on the Alien that Stands before us. The Alien gets scanned and sent away just like every time Gantz works its magic and we all look in shock at the Person who just did this.
"Huh. So this one works differently from the other?"
The Person who did this revealing herself as... Kishimoto!
"And you!" she says addressing Nishi "Stop your creep talk and let Kato rest for God's sake. And also stop comparing yourself to Kurono to make him feel bad! Kurono is a caring Person you are a fucking Lunatic!"
Nishi can just hear the end of it as he looks confusedly at her before he begins to get sent away.
"So you think we finally did it?" Kishimoto says to me in a calmer tone
"Yeah, I do but we still have to press that Boy on more information. Stay on guard."
"Yeah!" Kishimoto says encouraged
"And Kishimoto... Thanks for backing me up here, the Boy got me for a second."
"No Problem. Although... you can maybe thank me later by-..."
Before I can hear more of what she says the Gantz Room with Nishi still standing there slightly dazed, falls back into my Vision, not long before the rest of my body is completely transfigured.