"Heh…"
He stepped forwards calmly, his hands tightened around the dagger. Blood dripped from the blade to the ground harmonious to his footsteps, the cold of the night eating into his skin as the stench of blood filled his nose. His 'victim' tried to run, but he was cornered — scrambling calmly.
"Please, I will do anything you want!" the man pleaded with tears welling up in his eyes, finally understanding his helplessness in this situation. The killer marched forward, a mask worn on their face — its shape and features looked chaotic and psychotic; it induced nothing but fear in his heart.
"10 Women, 5 Children, 23 Men. Hehe." The masked man stopped moving forward, grabbing the sides of his mask and lowering his head — bursting out into a loud laughter. The red light that shone through the eyes of the mask seemed to bore into the cornered man's soul as he spoke, "Those were the casualties of the blast. I am not the man to judge, but I am not the man to-not-judge either."
He crouched down so the man beneath him could stare him right in the eyes. The man sat there in realisation of the situation he was in, shifting awkwardly. He was frightened for his life, and never wanted to die here. Most especially by the hands of some masked fool masquerading as some hero.
"The painful fact is that I am not trying to be the hero here." The masked man cut in, almost as if he knew what the other was thinking, "There was a bounty placed on your head, and that is all that I am after. You see, what I am doing is extending a proposal. Double the bounty, and I will let you go…"
"How much is it?" The man's eyes brightened up suddenly. If it was money, he had money! Over the years, he had accumulated riches beyond expectation. If this masquerader of justice required he parted with a sum for his life? He was okay with it. Nodding he added, "I'll even triple the amount!"
"They promised me a mask for your life…" The masked man shifted closer to the trembling mess of a man before him, speaking in a cold voice, "How much do you know about masks? Especially one that does not hide the emotions of the wearer, but displays it for all to look upon? Tell me…"
There was no words after that, and all that followed was the sharp cry of a man — like that of an animal getting slaughtered. Blood spilled across the floors and walls as the head of the man rolled to a halt at the other side of the wall some metres away, and the masked man stood to his feet, without a shred of remorse in his body language — his movements cold, and calculated.
He turned around and began to walk away. He held the side of his mask, his shoulders quivering as he walked down the bloodied staircase. Dead bodies sprawled across his vision, their last moment of pain and misery plastered to their faces forever. He laughed within himself as he stepped over the bodies of male and female, most decapitated others torn to pieces.
Many worlds understood the supremacy of the law — survival of the fittest — but many scratch at merely the surface: the Persona worn by the assumed strong and weak. 'Haha!' he laughed in his heart, grinning behind the mask. The outside strength was only the tip of a bigger iceberg of power that existed in the subconscious: the "Anima". A deeper darker part of the conscious not delved into.
Until, the Chasm awoke: and monsters from other worlds roamed the earth. Gods awakened to protect their worlds, and Hell rejoiced in the massacre. Ever since the first human delved into what was thought the abyss of the subconscious, and unlocked the power of their Anima. With this facet, the battle against the Chasm grew to a standstill. The gods and demons still roam the earth.
'Sigh…' He stood before the door, calmly dipping both hands into his pockets as he stared into the door before him calmly. He raised his leg and kicked the door, sending it flying out in one swift motion. Stepping out and looking around, reeling in more of the death he had created storming the building through the front door. It was and always remains quite the experience.
He stared at the shattered glass on the floor, lifting his gaze to the shattered window — and he recalled that one of them had jumped out through that window after witnessing the futility of their struggle. Every step he took down the stairs, spinning around in a spiral as he walked down were a plethora of more bodies. He ran his hands on the railings, stopping before another door.
The masked man stood before the door as it got ripped apart before him by some invisible force before exploding in his face. He just stood there, grazed by the flying shards of wood and metal as he maintained his composure. He stepped forward into the moonlight, and his mask burned away from his face in a dazzling black flame — completely erasing from existence, like it was never there.
He pocketed his hands, and drew in a deep cold breath.
"The fresh air is addictive, especially when you take a lot after your kills." There was a voice from behind him, and he did not bother turning around to face it. The voice approached him, "How many I wonder? One can get a lot of blood on their hands in such a short time, can't they? My dear friend."
'Friend?' — he has not been called that in a long time.
He chuckled, finally turning around his cold crimson eyes locked on this 'friend' of his. It was the cold blue eyes of another mask that stared right back at him, and he frowned. His dagger slipped out of his sleeves, and he maintained a cold expression on his face, "I have no friends. Only family, and a bucket load of enemies, Nathan."
Nathan's mask 'twisted' and the face of a chameleon twisted into a grotesque human-like grin, "It has been years." He stepped forward, two dagger appearing in hand, "How much suffering and pains are you going to face before breaking like last time, Rhys?" he leapt forward, not waiting for a reply.
Sparks flew in the air as Rhys slammed hard against Nathan's blade in a fierce counter. He locked into a vicious combo after stunning Nathan, swiping with his dagger from differing directions. In that instance, blood was sprayed across the area — splattering across the ground and on the house walls.
Rhys pressed on, battling Nathan without wearing his mask. They locked in the fierce battle, their eyes locked ferociously. Rhys transformed into a blur to match Nathan's quick and vicious movement techniques, and ensured that he did not earn a single hit. Nathan grinned and leapt backward calmly.
"You are strong, but I guess that has always been true." Nathan shook his head then changed his stance. There was a loud roar, and a massive bear formed behind Nathan — an illusion that faded to his body once more. His mask shifted to that of a bear, and his muscles exploded in size, "Here is my famous Persona, and I hope you still hate battling against it?"
Rhys ran forward, changing his style of battling as well. He weaved through collapsing blows and countered with strikes of his own, spilling more blood. Instead of backing down from the wounds like any sane human, Nathan charged! He picked Rhys up, and slammed his back into the ground and the dust was sent rising into the air.
'Fuck!' Rhys cursed as he kicked Nathan away, jumping to his feet and giving chase. Before Rhys could connect an attack, Nathan transformed Persona and shifted battle styles again — the face that sat on his mask shifting to that of a lion. Flames burned on the edges of his daggers as he swiped at Rhys who weaved through the attacks calmly, stepping forward and punching Nathan in the face.
There was an explosion of sound as Nathan was picked off his feet and sent flying. Rhys did not waste his time chasing after Nathan who stood to his feet, laughing hysterically. Rhys grinned, and a vicious light shone in his eyes as Nathan adorned the face of his own mask. His grip tightened round the dagger in his hand and energies began to gather around his face.
⦗Anima: Chaos, Awakened!⦘
There are times in this world, where physical strength was never enough. Sometimes, he needed to fight the demons that haunted him with everything he had! He leapt forward and attacked Nathan, and the explosion from their clash sent rippling waves throughout the area, tearing through the land effortlessly in its sporadic explosions. The duo battling viciously around the destruction.
⦗Madness!⦘
'An Anima could never change, no matter how one twisted their Persona. It was the core of their subconscious.' Rhys slit Nathan's back, spinning around and delivering a roundhouse kick that threw Nathan into a staggering backwards pedal, 'The masks hid nothing, but revealed the greatest secrets.'
No Persona could mask it.