I slowly roused myself from my slumber, finding myself confined within a vehicle, its destination a mystery. My arms and legs were bound to the bed where I lay, my head similarly restrained. I squinted my eyes to survey the dimly lit surroundings. Despite the darkness, my smudged man nature bestowed upon me the ability to see quite clearly in such conditions. I recognized the room immediately. This was the same space that had been allocated for me, save for a bed stationed in the corner and a table mounted upon the wall, devoid of any other furnishings.
The truck's movement was smooth, and I could barely feel any disturbance as it traversed the terrain. The soldiers and technicians moved about freely within the vehicle, undeterred by the vehicle's motion as they went about their tasks. Of course, I could not perceive their movements firsthand, being bound as I was. However, as a smudged man, I possessed many extraordinary abilities, but the power to see through walls was not among them. Nevertheless, I had a superhuman sense of hearing, enabling me to detect their footsteps, which hastened each time they passed my room, fearful of a sudden attack by me.
Is this the end of the line for me? Can I truly hold it against them? My memories are hazy; I can't recall the events clearly. My eyes turned green as I heard Commander Timo mention my mother, I just crushed his two assistants. I don't even remember how. then Commander Khato flung me out of the building and rendered me unconscious, and now here I am, bound to a bed in a truck. Indeed, I am quite certain that I am in route to be put to death.
Perhaps I should shed tears for my life cut short prematurely? After all, I am only sixteen and in the prime of my youth. Should I lament a future that will never come to pass, or should I feel anger, knowing that weak beings like humans are about to execute me without me being able to stop it? Yet the only emotion I experience at this moment is profound boredom, and all I yearn for is for this impending end to be swift.
I don't have suicidal thoughts; if I did, I would have entrusted my end with the Aloki rather than with humans. So why do I not feel sorrowful about this impending execution? Why does this execution feel like a liberation from everything, like a conclusion to my existence? Is there something wrong within me?
My inner thoughts were abruptly halted as a familiar footstep approached the room. I deliberately closed my eyes before the door to the room creaked open, the echo of high heels bouncing off the empty walls. The steps drew closer to where I lay, their pace unvarying until they halted beside my bed. Although my eyes remained shut, I could feel the intense gazes directed at me. I was disinclined to have her as the first person I laid eyes upon after awakening, so I feigned unconsciousness, hoping she would give up and leave me be.
I longed only for peaceful respite before my impending execution, but it appeared that Commander Bera harbored other intentions in mind. A resounding slap echoed throughout the room, its sound likely carrying outside the confines of my confinement. Thanks to the binds securing my head to the bed, my skull remained fixed in place, intensifying the pain of the blow.
"Wake up," she hissed, seemingly unconvinced of my continued unconsciousness and electing to inflict additional torment upon me before the execution. Right, there was also that thing from the seventh region.
"I know you're awake," she asserted.
I yearned to open my eyes and scream at her, to prove her wrong, but doing that would only confirm the veracity of her statement. As such, I silently hoped that she would abandon her efforts and leave me be, sparing me further torment with her hands or any other objects.
Yet, a second slap shattered my dreams of serenity as it landed with a painful thud. It seemed that the commander's anger and resentment demanded release.
"Do you truly believe that closing your eyes can prevent me from doing as I please?" And with that, a third slap landed forcefully.
Is this lunatic commander going to torment me like this all the way to my execution? Wasn't it bad enough that her brother brought about the death sentence? And now she has the audacity to ruin my final moments?
No, I will not stand for this. I willingly embraced the death sentence, but her incessant slaps are where I draw the line."
I am currently bound, and these chains are specifically crafted to restrain a monster like me. However, it would be futile to attempt breaking free, for even without these chains, the commander holds the advantage and perhaps even has the capacity to kill me. Of course, she would likely suffer significant injuries, but her strength still surpasses mine. Hence, my assault must be swift and unannounced, leaving her little time to retaliate. I simply need to patiently wait for the opportune moment.
A fourth and fifth slap echoed in quick succession, leaving me gasping for breath. "You really refuse to open your eyes, don't you?"
"Good, persist in keeping your eyes shut. I will continue this punishment until we reach the base," she whispered, her breath brushing ever so close to my face.
Back to base?! Will my execution take place at the base?! Isn't the execution meant to transpire in front of all the commanders to guarantee that everything unfolds according to plan? Perhaps the other commanders are preoccupied due to recent events or other reasons that I am unaware of. Regardless. Her face is now within striking distance, and I can ambush her now.
I secretively gathered as much saliva as possible, making sure my movements were indiscernible. I then released a burst of saliva, directly at her face, as she was blissfully unaware. Her scream echoed as I opened my eyes and unleashed a hearty laugh. The viscous liquid coated her face and hair, causing her to recoil in disgust as she desperately attempted to remove it. The sight of her struggling, her eyes filled with repulsion, was a delight to witness. As she continued to wipe away the saliva, I could almost see the urge to vomit.
"I will kill you," she sputtered, only to halt and unleash a sudden eruption of everything in her digestive system upon the ground. It became clear that the putrid odor of the spit had finally assaulted her senses. She continued to convulse, expelling the contents of her stomach, while I persisted in my merriment. I finally achieved satisfaction and am ready to die.
The commander hastily rose to her feet and scurried out of the room, to wash herself clean of the saliva and any traces of vomit that may have found their way onto her clothing. Ha-ha, this was too amusing. To rid herself of the stench of saliva, she would likely need to soak herself in potent cleaning substances for a minimum of two hours, ensuring that every trace of the odor would be completely eradicated. It seemed I had secured myself two hours of respite before she returned, armed with her imaginary weapon, to carry out the execution by herself.