Unsatisfied curiosity
"Oh, It is really you."
One a girl with coal-black hair. Her very skin was pale, with not a single imperfection of colour in place. She bared the same formal uniform as the rest of her companions.
"Satori was it? I thought you had died well. What a surprise indeed."
Another a boy, He bared an undeniable resemblance to the girl. Is this one of those occurrences? Twins?...no upon closer inspection, they vary on many minor aspects of their appearances but overall, they do have the correct similarities to be assumed as twins.
"No, brother, he looks unnaturally unscathed."
"Interesting."
"Sa..satori,wh... what's going on? Who are these people?"
Looking at these two, I had nearly had forgotten the one I'm carrying on my back, Emika. Well, you cannot blame me even for my own body. She felt extremely light!
"Hey, sis...Satori, what's taking you so long!...what's going on here..."
Daiki also rejoining the scene...
"Wait a minute...are these your siblings...no... as a sibling myself... a twin no less I can tell you have no relation with the kid over there and this woman before me, how peculiar, what are they to you?"
"Brother, I think we should introduce ourselves. It's only humble we do that before expecting an answer, don't you think?"
"Oh right...I am Masashi Sakai, and this is Mizuki Sakai. We are both from the East and members of the government reformed imperial army!"
They did not hold back in their introduction and revealed their identities very easily. Was it surprising? Well, is there any point in hiding something from an individual who posed no threat? But that was not the case...
"Satori, I'm quite interested in you..."
"Brother, you need to lose the habit of yours, being too curious."
These people...I see they are different...just like Hiriko.
"Wait, the reformed imperial army?....are you serious...Satori?...you aren't with them, are you...Satori?"
"Huh... what's up...Daiki?"
"Unhand my sister right now..."
"Wait, but if I do..."
"RIGHT NOW!"
"Daiki...its alrigh...."
"No, it isn't, sis! have you forgotten? How they abandoned us! How they treated us! How they treated you!"
Daiki was despairing.
Why?
Where did I go wrong? What happened?
It looked pitiful as I lay the immobile Emika on the floor of the frosty unpigmented snow. But even more so as the nine-year-old Daiki struggling to carry his sister away from the scene.
"Stay away from me and my sister, scumbags."
Daiki shed tears. As they left towards the distance...
"Oh, and there they go..."
"So they were poor folk, your quite the saint, aren't you, Satori."
"Brother, can you not shut your big mouth for once, Satori... What he meant to say is, why do you insist on feeling pity for something so common in this world?"
Common? Oh right, this stuff is always common...I'm alone again...no. This is ideal. This is what I want, right?
"If you're looking for a means to live on, I say forget about that. This part of you is a bit pathetic. If I'm honest, it makes me lose complete interest in you straight away."
Oh, right, I forgot you're the curious guy who seemed to be interested in me.
"Your right. Can I ask you a question? Why are you so interested in a minor being like myself, Masashi..."
"Come join us for lunch. That's fine with you, right, sis?"
"Whatever..."
I visited an inn with the two pale twins...
"Order anything you want, Satori...for the trouble..."
Logically I took it in my hands to order as much as possible...for the trouble..indeed, you will pay.
It was a mistake...I could barely eat the substantial amounts of finely cooked meat and not to mention all the expensive side dishes.
"Satori, you are seriously..."
Go on say it...
"Never a bore!"
What? Is there something wrong with his head?...well, whatever...
"Satori...this world...these events...the white mist...abilities...the dark army are all subjects that stimulate the inner curiosity within me, and if I'm honest, I personally could not care less about this tournament. I just want to further my knowledge."
I think I'm in love...I would have liked to say but seriously, jokes aside, out of everyone, I could understand him the most...
"And you the sister?"
"The sister? I have a name, you know...I am here for one thing...to come out number one."
Come to think about it; she did ask a question if a female was allowed to take up the power of the empire during the meeting of the participants.
"Oh yeah, that reminds me, Masashi, for an awfully loud guy, you sure did stay quiet during the meeting; I thought you would be piling questions on Benjiro."
"Well, I was distracted, or should I say amused, watching the beating and suffering of a cute little lamb."
I take back my words from earlier this guy is insane.
"Benjiro...? Naming him so outright and familiar?... interesting."
"What?"
"Oh, nothing at all."
For twins, they really did have opposite inner characteristics, one who seeks only knowledge and the other who seeks only power, not to mention their different personality traits.
"Satori, this newly transformed world, is surely interesting everyone had seemed to be granted a "power" of sorts but....how about a newborn? Right now, infants born before the mist can portray their powers naturally, even in their unfocused states. What about ones born in this era, this new world? Believe it or not, they are powerless!"
"So what you're saying..."
"Yes, indeed this shows us that maybe after the end of the current generation of humans from before the mist...this world may revert to its state before not in setting but to society. No more powers, no more hierarchy...this is why the current government power that remains is trying to take advantage of to prepare for the restoration of society. However, this is all still theory after all this worlds mysteries are endless."
..."Wait, it just hit me...Satori...what are your powers?...no to be fair, I already have an unconfirmed idea...Satori, I observed you during your beating, and I'm going to be straightforward with you...are you...an immortal?"
"Wait, brother! that isn't possible. Are you saying he's an immortal? Everyone knows there's only one being who is immortal in this world that is the one that no one wishes to speak off!..."
"I know! But it's only an assumption. Satori, the only one who is immortal... he goes by as the dark army's "immortalised slasher", so I will ask you once again what is your ability?"
How was I supposed to answer? I did not know myself like Granpa Hayashi had stated my powers did not naturally occur to me...I always thought I was just a victim, but when I discovered my rapid healing and reformation of my injuries...am I suddenly special? No, this ability doesn't play nice it heals you from near-death states just to reintroduce you to the same suffering over and over again, not allowing you the peace of death.
"No, my ability allows me to heal very fast...that's all."
"I see. Well, that is most likely the case immortality and self-healing can be considered two different concepts if compared side by side, that clears everything up; thank you, Satori."
I had to be careful. Masashi was sharp...he took his time to observe my ability instead of focusing on other matters.
But I would really have loved it if someone could answer this one question. How does my ability even work! What is it exactly?
"As much as a great ability self-healing is if the individual is a weakling such as yourself...what are you in this tournament for? Don't tell me you thought you could win just from a little healing? It all makes sense the only reason you managed to survive the attack for the reduction..."
"Enough, Mizuki!...don't discriminate; you are embarrassing yourself...but Satori, after observing you...you know I have taken a liking to you, and I would want to see you again. Do you really need to throw your life away? We have our reasons...but you..."
"Thanks for all the food...I will take my leave now..."
Again pity, they were normal, not monsters like initially identified. But like Hiriko, they sickened me with their half-hearted sympathy.
"Oh right, next time we see each other, it's as enemies."
"Brother, we need to get going as well...Hiroki, Oda and general Genkei are waiting for us..."
Hiriko, Oda, Mizuki, Masahi, and not to forget their superior general Genkei.
These five who come from the former government imperial army from the East...what is their true goal? With the exception of Genkei, their ages were similar to my own...why did the former government send them here? And finally, Daiki and Emika...what truly happened...they were abandoned?
I don't have time to ponder!
And I can't trust anyone...
As tomorrow is the last day before the tournament begins...
-Do you believe?-
To be Continued in the Next Chapter...