Chereads / Delusional Fantasy / Chapter 13 - Chapter 13: Hypocrisy & Idolization

Chapter 13 - Chapter 13: Hypocrisy & Idolization

Metsuma and Cyra, having gone Northwest from where they were, are opening and looking through books as they move, trying to find any answers.

"So, progress at all, all these books aren't useful at all."

Metsuma thinks to himself while flipping through the pages of a book he is holding.

"「We are getting nowhere. 」"

Cyra told Metsuma.

"I know, I know."

He said while digging his face into the book's pages.

"This is impossible."

He said his face still in the book.

Metsuma just sits on the ground for a while, doing nothing. Cyra throws the book she was reading and crawls towards him.

"「 You're going to give up already? 」"

Cyra asked while throwing her arm over his shoulder and rubbing his head.

"I don't know."

He said, his voice being muffled by the book.

The Shinigami appears once again holding a book in her hand, reading it.

"Just ask the Index already."

She said,

"Fine."

Metsuma said, taking out the book and asking again.

"Where is the book I am looking for?"

He waits for a bit, and then it snaps open and reveals, In The Hands of your Enemy

Metsuma pays attention to this information and is a bit confused by what the book means, the book snaps shut.

"The hell does that?"

-10 minutes pass-

Metsuma goes to a rest zone to relax for a bit, having spent a while searching for the knowledge he wanted but with no success. He closes his eyes for a bit to get a bit of rest, however after opening his eyes, he sees a strange-looking guy standing above him.

He jumps out of the bed and to the wall of the room, shocked by this man's sudden appearance after only closing his eyes for a couple seconds.

"WHO THE HELL ARE YOU!"

He screamed, getting a good look at the man, he wore baggy pants with buckle shoes and thick socks, his upper body and arms were covered a strange marks, and he wore a mask that covered his entire face that has a silly face on it and his hair is a bit spiked with it lean down on the sides but hair sticking up at the front.

"Hey man, sorry, my name is Klaus Zelos, and I need help but since you were awake, I thought of maybe asking you for help."

Metsuma stands there in silence for a bit, knowing that his behavior so far is already weird but does try to rationalize it.

"Sure, that was weird, but maybe he just really needs help, I'll be cautious just in case"

He thinks to himself, doing mental gymnastics to rationalize the clearly weird situation.

"Sure, I can help you, just lead the way."

He said to the man.

"Oh, thank you, follow me."

Metsuma follows him out the door but not before taking a pen inside the room with him for self-defense but just before he leaves the room, he sees the same glowing cross in the room but ignores it. Metsuma follows him to a darker corner of the library.

"So how old are you, because you seem to be very knowledgeable?"

He asked while walking and not looking at him.

"I'm 5 years old"

He responded.

"Really?! I thought maybe you were 10 or 11 looking at you, you're quite large for someone who is only 5, had a growth spurt or something?"

He asked.

"Yeah, I guess, but never mind that, what are we looking for?"

He asked, still on guard.

"Up there"

The man points up at a book.

"I need that book, but I couldn't find any ladders and I have no skills that help with this kind of thing."

Metsuma looked up at the book and thought to himself.

"Skills, I saw something about that when I was searching for the specific book."

He thought to himself.

"So, I assume you're going to pick me up for some extra height so I can grab the book right."

He asked the man.

"Yeah, if you're fine with that of course."

He replied.

"Sure, I can do something like that."

He moved closer to the man and the man picked him up but strangely, he grabbed the skin of his body minted of just doing it above the clothes which made him feel weirded out. The man lifted him near the book and he was about to grab it but then he felt a sharp pain on his sides, he looked down to see strange colors on his sides.

"H-HEY PUT ME DOWN!"

He kicks the man in the mask, which causes the man to fall back and drop him but he feels his skin dissolving and it becomes hard for him to breathe.

"Sorry bud, but I have to kill you, you're in my way."

He says this while revealing 2 books in his hand. One of them is another World Index but the other one seems like a regular book.

"What, AH, DAMMN IT."

He tries to feel his sides but realizes that there are holes in them.

"W-WHAT THE-"

But before he can steam again, Klaus puts his hand on his face.

"You were looking for this book, so I'm gonna have to kill you since I have my reason for it as well."

He says this while a bacterium is leaving his palm and starts eating at his face, he tries to resist but Klaus punches him on the left side of his face, killing him. 

Metsuma wakes up on his bed after the painful death, he quickly gets up and holds his side and rubs them. He gasps heavily and just sits there for a good while.

The perspective switches to Accelerant as he wakes up, now in Kira City, he gets up quickly and puts on his clothes, wanting to explore the city.

"Hold on now, not yet."

Bal said to him.

"What, come on, I wanna explore this place already."

He said frustrated.

"You will but you will have to meet someone first, someone who knows the city and can help you explore."

Bal replied, now putting on her clothes.

"Oh really, then I can wait."

He says this, now fully dressed as well as Bal and they walk out of the hotel.

They both walk around the city for a bit, looking at the billboards and seeing the different shops, selling rather adult items and content. They both stop at the front of a bar and walk in. Bal talks to the bartender.

"Can I have Sawn back please?"

She said while giving the man money.

"You sure, she normally talks ill about you."

The bartender said.

"That's fine, I'm not going to be here long anyway."

Accelerant takes notice of this and wonders what she means.

"SWAN, YOUR FREE FROM THE JOB."

The sound of footsteps is heard behind the curtains of the stairway behind the counter and soon, Swan comes out, she also has a ball-jointed puppet body, wears a light blue dress and a white regular blue t-shirt, she wears a light cyan small jacket with a dark cyan shoulder cape, tied together with a ribbon at the center, she wears white saggy socks with brown court shoes with a strap at the top. 

"What do you want?"

Swan says clearly not liking Bal's presence.

"I'm not going back to live with you."

She said,

"No, that's not what's happening."

Accelerant just remains silent, watching the two look at each other.

"You're going to travel with my little friend here and show him around."

Bal says while putting her hand on his head.

Swan looks at Accelerant and inspects him for a while.

"Are you a mana user or Blessed Buffone?"

She asks while still inspecting him.

"Apparently, I'm a transmitter."

He replied.

"Oh, that's good, but why are you with her?"

She says while looking at him seriously.

"She found me and so I lived with her for a few days and now I'm here."

She says, smiling happily.

"So what are you expecting me to do huh, show him around then just go back to working here."

She said, frustrated at this idea of being some guide just to work in this place again.

"No, you're gonna show him around and stay with him, just the two of you."

Bal says. Accelerant looks up at her even more confused now.

"Wait, you're separating from me?"

He asked, confused.

"Yes, I am, I wasn't going to stay with you forever, especially since you said you want to take the Adventurers Exam, and I felt this was a perfect opportunity to give Swam a travel partner so she's not alone."

Swam looks at Bal in shock, realizing that now she's free from this city.

"So, I'm finally going to be free from you huh, thank god"

She said, smiling but saying mockingly.

"Mock me all you want, I understand why you would hate me, so this is the least I could do for you."

Bal said, crossing her arms.

"Very well, you will be my partner."

Accelerant just stands there, smiling and giving her a thumbs up, he goes to look at Bal but she appears to have disappeared.

"Huh, where did she go?!"

Accelerant says, Swan also looks around, not having noticed that Bal is gone.

"She left while you two were talking for a short amount of time."

The bartender replies to them.

"Oh, so can you show me around?"

Accelerant asks.

"Before that, tell me your name."

Swan asks, crossing her arms.

"Well, I'm pretty sure my name is Ajax but I did some thinking while walking with Bal and I decided to change it since Ajax is just a name, I thought of due to reading a book about so, Saikyo Enzes will be my name now."

Saikyo said while smiling and giving a thumbs up.

"Sure, okay, you already know my name so that makes us friends"

Swan said.

"Oh, sure, let's be friends forever, pinkie swear.

He sticks out his pinkie for a pinkie swear.

"A pinkie vow, we just met."

Swan says.

"Pinkie Vow? Don't you mean pinkie swear?"

She asks, confused by his statement.

"What's wrong?"

He asks.

"Pinkie vows between 2 people are serious and when you do, it essentially forces someone into a kind of contract both people must obey."

She says while tapping his head.

"So, let's still do it."

Saikyo says while holding out his pinkie once again.

"Fine"

Swan says, now holding out her pinkie as well. The two lock pinkies and Swan notices the strong grip that his pinkie has and questions if he is really just a transmitter. 

"I swear to be your friend until the end and if I go against our friendship, I shall pay the price."

She says while her pinkie starts glowing a reddish pink aura.

"I agree with the statement, so my conditions are the same."

Saikyo's hand also starts glowing a white aura and soon the aura creates weird line worms that connect to each other and eventually a bright light envelops the room. After the light dies out, everything seems normal.

"Well, Saikyo, the vow was made, so now we are both under this contract of being friends until death."

She says smiling at him.

"Yeah."

He says, not understanding the actual weight of the vow that was just made.

The two leave the bar and start exploring the city, looking at the different stores, restaurants, services, and the large tower at the center of the city.

"Wow, what's this tower at the center?"

He asks, he turns to face her but he sees that her face is filled with disdain and hatred.

"Umm, you good."

He asks Swam, slightly concerned for her.

"I don't like that building, that's all"

She replies.

"Why thou, it's just a building."

He says, not understanding her emotions.

"It's nothing, let's move on"

She grabs his hand and drags him elsewhere, with him following along.

A woman behind a building looks at the two walking elsewhere.

"Two victims, perfect and ripe for the killing."