Segato's journey was just beginning, but elsewhere in another timeline, another's journey was ending. The deity known as Duanoshiki was hunched over in immense pain. He had 2 holes pierced through his chest, but no blood was coming out. For once, ever since his life started as a deity, he felt fear seep into his heart. The man-- no, the human monster that stood before him-- was whipping its eerie, jet-black colored aura tentacles everywhere. There was only a single thought on Duanoshiki's mind as he slowly began to dissipate into the air... How did the other deities miss such a powerful anomaly within space-time up to this point?
As if it could tell what he was thinking, a deep, distorted voice bellowed from the man within the aura.
"It's kind of interesting that your top brass sent you to die. You are considered one of their most loyal and successful subordinates. It's not that they didn't know about me, poor Duanoshiki. It is a real shame, though. I still have a deal and a time schedule to maintain. It must be upheld at all costs..." It stabbed Duanoshiki in the eyes, making him howl out in pain. It then silenced him by stabbing his throat after. "You know, it's not considered cute for a grown man to cry in society. Never understood why. Crying is a beautiful thing, regardless of which being does it. Well, that's my opinion, anyhow." It shrugged as it watched Duanoshiki completely fade away. Then it sighed. It looked... in 'our' direction.
"You may have been done dirty by them, old friend. That's why I'll be enjoying the show you are about to put on. If you can break free of the fate that shackles you, I'll be at the End of Time, as always."
It waved off in the distance, knowing that I and my host received its message.
"How rude to call me an 'it,' though. Maybe it is easier for your host to accept my presence like this. Seiga Evol."
Segato woke up in a cold sweat. That thing which was called a human monster...
"Okay. Level with me for a moment. It's just you and me in this room. We need to work on our communication and teamwork if that dream was real."
[...]
"..."
[...]
"Okay. Stop. The silence is killing me. Please just say something. Ah. Here's an easy one. Your name? Although I think it was mentioned at the end of the dream somewhere..."
[Give me a moment to try something.] As Segato patiently waited, he admired the impressive woodwork on the table in front of him. It was carved to look as if it was made of clouds, and despite the hardiness of the woodwork, it felt soft to the touch. He wasn't sure of what tree was sacrificed for this piece, but he was certain even the tree would give thanks for having created this child.
It'd go for a lot of money in my universe. I mean my former universe... I don't feel like I can get used to life here. Maybe I'm still a little homesick.
He determined that racking his brain over these thoughts was a waste of energy. Maybe he should go to the diner to refuel for the day?
"I was gonna do that even if you didn't suggest it, _____ ____. Wait. What?" He tried to speak the name multiple times from his dream, but it was censored each time.
"Shouldn't be this surprising, to be honest," another voice said within Segato's head.
"Woah! Maybe give a better warning next time? Also, you sound like me. But older. And tired. And somehow admittedly cooler. Teach me how to make my voice sound like yours."
"I wouldn't dare hear my voice misused like an imbecile. Know you place, weakling. At least for now, you can hear me inside your mindscape rather than always read a wall of text. This should help both in efficiency and confidentiality in the long run," the deeper voice said.
"At least give yourself a name so this gets less confusing in the future. By the way, I still can sense the narration of addtional words, and boy is it annoying," Segato screeched while I sweatdropped. Ah, right... the name of the narrator is revealed to be...
"Call me Ingata Hoon."
"I refuse."
"... That's what you get for letting me pick."
"You chose the name of a cursed deity that brings about misfortune, chaos, and death in my universe. Simply even mentioning that name can shorten your lifespan!" Segato shrieked.
"Oh, wow. Didn't know they ruined my friend's 'representation' in your universe. Also, he's not a deity. Apologize, ingrate." Segato pouted in response to my reaction. His eyes were now closed and his head twisted away from its original position, as if to scoff at the narrator...
"This feels weird since I can see what you narrate with my eyes closed. Can you cut it off?"
"What am I, a television!?" The voice angrily roars in response. "Fine. Fine. Call me Hubris. That way if you say it out loud by accident, you will look slightly less like a lunatic."
"How thoughtful and equally insinuating of an insult," Segato muttered while his face deadpanned. "So, now that we sort of established a form of communication... wanna discuss why your true name is censored for me?"
"You lack the clearance level. You didn't seriously think that Sundance upgraded you to a level even he doesn't have access to, did you?"
"Would I lose more credibility with you if I said I did?" Segato sheepishly asked while he rubbed his cheek. Hubris groaned in response.
"I swear, you are treating this whole thing like it's some kind of game-- which to be fair, life is a game. This matter, on the other hand, is on a whole different level of stupidity."
"Yes! We get it! I am stupid! I AM A MORON! Am I ever going to get smarter if nobody will explain things, though? If I can't comprehend stuff, how will the being you narrate to enjoy what you have to say about me? I'd be pretty boring, woul-"
"For the love of Saint Penelope, do you ever stop complaining?" Hubris growled.
"Who's Saint Penelope?" Segato asked as he tilted his head.
"None of your business."
"Ex-girlfriend?"
"I'll put it this way. You don't want to meet her.... or any of my friends, to be honest," Hubris sighed out. "Let's call this a wrap for now and reconv-" The conversation was cut short by a loud explosion.
"...And what was that?!" Segato exclaimed.
"I recommend you find out, as I sense Ezrah in that direction," Hubris groaned. Segato could sense his frustration at the untimely interruption, and did a mental prayer for Hubris.
We can resume this talk later, I swear... for now, shall we? ...Without further discussion required, Segato leapt out the window of his inn room and dashed towards the direction of the explosion. Meanwhile at the location of the explosion...
"Come on, guys! Can't you simmer down a little? This hoodie takes a while to get cleaned from our skirmishes!" I moan. Across from me stands a bunch of trench coat wearing broads-- normally these troublesome appearances wouldn't give me much trouble, but I got grazed while defending others from the explosion. The problem isn't the broads altogether. It's just that damn girl in the center. That admittedly strong Amazon delinquent. Her wavy, long, blonde hair, that tanned skin, those bangs covering one of her eyes, the remaining eye glowing the signature demonic red... There was no doubt in my mind that this was my violent childhood friend (and pain in the ass). "Kikai! You need to leave the city with your entourage, or else I'll have to use deadly force. You know I'll do it," I warn, readying my twin pistols. Kikai laughs at this threat of mine.
"There is no reason to listen to a washed up old man in a kid's body! We own this world! ... That, and nobody tells me what to do! I do what I want!" she howls with a frenzied grin. I know we haven't been around each other for years, but her delinquency is getting out of hand.
"Well... nobody can say I didn't try to be nice," I mutter under my breath. Bang! I shoot several rounds at the ground near the broads. The bullets then transform into slime tentacles that grab and slam several of the delinquents into the ground. I leap back, quickly dodging the metal bat that entered my previous position. The ground broke into many pieces at the point of impact. Yes, this is the real reason why I am annoyed at Kikai's appearance. Once she starts rampaging, nothing can stop her. At this point, maybe killing her is a reasonable option. I quickly fire more rounds at random locations, making Kikai wary.
"Ezrah, don't think me a fool. You never waste a shot. What the hell are you up to, now?" Kikai snarls at me. Seeing how her normally decent looking face contorts into a demonic, frenzied look, I start shivering in place.
Of all times for my bad trait to act up...! Kikai lunges at me while roaring at the top of her lungs. Her fingernails had turned into claws, ready to maim my face. I activate the bullets fired from earlier, and light chains quickly bind her upside-down in mid air. Okay, the town is safe for another day. Good thing nothing else happen--
"What the hentai did I just dash into?" a familiar voice inquired... This just got more troublesome in more ways that one.
Segato showed up a few minutes too late to get involved. The situation is already handled by Ezrah, who Segato previously was unimpressed by--
"Okay Hubris, you made your point, get off my back," Segato whined.
"Wait, who are you talking to?" Ezrah asked, eyes now narrowed in suspicion.
"... Myself. I do this a lot. Get used to it," Segato mumbled after some contemplation.
"Uh... sure. In any case, whatever that hentai word means, this isn't that." Segato looked at the girl held upside down mid air in chains, then looks at the other girls also suspended in mid air by... slime tentacles...
"Well if that's true, then I'm a demon lord," Segato retorted and deadpanned.
"Sir Demon Lord, please help protect us from this evil man... he is planning on doing lewd things to us!" The girl in chains yelled out loudly enough for Segato to hear.
"... Wait. How can she hear us from over there? What the hell?!" Segato jumped back and yelped. Ezrah's expression mirrored that of an old man who accepted it was his time to die.
What the hell am I observing between these 2 outsiders... Is this some sort of skit from their worlds or something? he thought to himself.
"Segato, do not help that woman," Hubris warned. Once he heard that, Segato's expression hardened.
"No need to worry Ezrah, I'm just messing around. You wouldn't attack anybody unless they did something wrong. Are they the ones responsible for the explosion?" The sudden change in Segato's reaction to the situation confused Ezrah briefly. Then again, he remembered that Segato was very flippant from the first time he met him. Was this really surprising?
"I originally was thinking so, but I might have jumped to conclusions," Ezrah admitted.
"This is what we were saying the whole time! We just happened to drive by on our motorcycles when the explosion happened!" The woman in chains blurted out.
"Pure white, huh," Segato spoke as he tilted his head.
"What are you referring to?" Ezrah questioned. The person who knew exactly what he was referring to blushed.
"I'll... I'll kill you once I get down from here, Ezrah..." The air got heavy, as powerful energy poured out in waves from the girl in chains--
Seems I unintentionally escalated things somehow. What is her name? I don't want to call her 'Girl In Chains.' Imagine being called that on the credits sequence in media. I couldn't do it.
"Her name is Kikai Sett. She is the daughter of a demon lord in Flipside. The demon lord in question is an outsider, so she is half outsider," Hubris answered.
"You are like the high tech encyclopedia to existence for me, my dear Hubris," Segato sighed out in relief.
"I don't know what you are going on about, but you need to leave the area with the other civilians. Should she choose to go berserk, that bitch will stop at nothing to kill me," Ezrah spat out, his nose held by his hand in annoyance.
"Maybe I can do something, give me some time to think." Do something, Hubris! I can't think right now because I'm freaking out
Segato didn't realize that the narrator was already calculating a way out of this scenario from the moment the explosion occurred. The best case scenario can only be achieved on a gamble. It might also cause the worst case scenario.
Wait, wait, wait. If I am understanding what I just read, you want me to do that, right now? In front of everyone? Of course I am gonna die, should this fail!
The only other option was to abandon Ezrah to his fate, and Segato would never be able to live with the shame and guilt of backing away--
"I just have to do it, don't I," Segato muttered through gritted teeth. Ezrah looked shocked at the resignation Segato just shown.
"You... actually thought of a solid plan just now?" he asked.
"Ezrah. You must promise me... For the next 5 minutes, do not say a word or make any weird expression." Ezrah furiously nodded, as his new friend was going to put his life on the line for his own--
"Kikai Sett. You are a beautiful woman. So tall, slender, and graceful. Your strength is unparalleled amongst your fellow Shredders, your curves cannot be mirrored by even the greatest of art sculptures, and that despite your tough exterior, you have a delicate maidens heart within that I could recognize from a distance. You are truly a goddess walking on earth, not a demon lord's daughter. I know I only recently gotten into this world, but I am certain that if I didn't say this now, I'd regret it later (although that's for reasons I cannot say). You are an amazing woman. Would you please go out with me?"