''Do you...seriously wanna keep going'' Sylphs says, the words echoing in the mind of Double.
Double suddenly opens his eyes. He wakes up inside of the gloomy area once again, everything had remained the same, the dead plants, and the rain pouring on both of them.
"What do you mean? Why am I here..." Double asks.
"We could...not wake up, we could die right here. They would think that maybe you died due to injuries they hadn''t suspected, maybe anything else." Sylphs says.
"Sounds like a fun concept, but I''d rather live my life to see my goal finished. What makes you..." Double says.
Suddenly, a tear begins to fall down Sylphs left eye, Double''s eyes widen as he had made a daunting realization.
"You''re scared..." Double says.
"Rightfully so, maybe the realization hasn''t hit for you, but it damn sure has hit for me. We don''t have any special talent, we weren''t born with exceptional talent. That Sakusei you have, it may have blessed you with power that guarantees you a destiny, but what if that destiny isn''t what you think it is." Sylphs says.
The words from Sylphs make Double''s astonished expression go to an angry one.
"Then I''ll reform it, it''s that simple. Look, I know why you''re scared. I forget you''re a little kid sometimes. Remember, I''m gonna protect you, I will keep you safe, I promise Sylphs." Double says.
Double smiles, and begins to head towards the house in the gloomy area, as Double begins to turn around, and walk away from Sylphs into the home. Sylphs takes a deep breath, and begins to walk forward towards Double.
"What if it isn''t you! What if...you aren''t the one who''ll fix the mess that the world is, and what if you die along the way. In your last moments, then what''ll you say to me." Sylphs says.
Double stops.
The words Sylphs had shared triggered his deepest fears. The fear of confronting Death had haunted Double''s mind for so long, and now, with Sylphs'' words, that fear crept into his thoughts once more.
"What''s wrong with trying? Sorry, I can''t help but be optimistic. But...you don''t have a choice, you''re stuck here with me anyways. Speaking of which, let''s enjoy our time here...we''ll be knocked out for a little while longer." Double says.
Meanwhile, Joki continues walking, Seikatsu walks in front of them, as they get closer to their destination.
"So...what gives, I can''t imagine that everything has been good over there. The world has bred even stronger people that I know you''ve had trouble dealing with. How the hell can you keep that kingdom standing?" Joki says.
"It''s rude to assume that weaklings could get the better of me, Joki. Besides, strength isn''t just physical; it''s in here too." Seikatsu says, tapping his temple.
As the chill settled in, Joki''s hands trembled, burdened with the weight of Reima, Double, and Kazu. Each step grew heavier, his breaths turning labored with every passing moment.
Suddenly, a child runs by, he holds his hand out attempting to charge some sort of beam from his hand.
"Hey! I...I don''t wanna do this, but our food has gone low. Please, my mom and dad are in a run-down building. They are both starving, I...I''ve never done something like this before, my dad is usually the one protecting us, but I snuck out because I wanted them to eat, just this one time." The child says, tears running down his eyes.
Joki looks over at him, and his eyes widen as he sees the kids pockets. The boy had a necklace, but the necklace had two feathers on it, that would be worth nothing.
"Hey kid, listen...my hands are tied here. I won''t hurt ya, but I will tell you that you need to get back home to your mom and dad. They may be starving, but I just know they have a plan for you." Joki says.
Seikatsu smiles, and walks in front of the child. Seikatsu slowly takes the boys'' hand, and gently drags it down.
"Young man, are you scared?" Seikatsu says.
"Y-yes...I wanna see my mom and dad, I just want them to be okay." the child says.
Joki stares helpless, sweat begins to pour down his face. He feels concern for the child, but remembers the deal he made, and he thinks about Double, Kazu, and Reima
"I see...Baku will be pleased to hear that." Seikatsu says, a wicked smile forming across his face.
Joki''s eyes widened, a surge of realization flooding his senses. Panting frantically, sweat cascading down his brow, he grappled with the impending inevitability of what was about to unfold.
"Kid run! Seikatsu stop this!" Joki says.
The wind blows, the yelling stops, and the area becomes once again, quiet as a mouse. The kid had been completely gone, not even a trace of him to be found.
Two hours drifted by in a haze of tension and uncertainty, each passing minute weighted with the ominous anticipation of what was to come.
"Joki! Were finally here, what do you think!" Seikatsu says.
Joki looked defeated, a dreadful, empty look in his eyes. Joki walks forward, and completely ignores Seikatsu.
"How rude! Did you not learn manners while you were growing up. Well, I can''t blame you, my father was never around either." Seikatsu says.
Joki''s eyes widened in a burst of outrage, his lips pressing together so forcefully that they began to bleed. Yet, despite the rush of emotions surging through him, he stood perfectly still, his composure unwavering as he contained himself.
"Let''s keep moving, Kazu''s wounds are not getting worse just yet, but they will." Joki says.
Joki walks past Seikatsu, and in front of him is the place they had been trying to get too. Joki''s jaw drops, as if he had seen this place before.
"It''s huge...it''s way bigger than it was before." Joki says.
"Well, of course, allies come a long way, and people helped us rebuild this place better than ever. It''s truly beautiful, isn''t it?" Seikatsu says.
Without wasting any time, Seikatsu and Joki enter the kingdom. In the heart of the kingdom, colorful banners fluttered in the breeze, heralding the arrival of a festive celebration. Amidst the bustling streets, adorned with intricately carved stone buildings and flower-filled balconies, the joyful chatter of locals mingled with the lively strains of music, creating an atmosphere of vibrant merriment that enveloped the entire realm.This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.
"This many people, and you invited them in just like that. I know you well enough to know this isn''t just some facade, but how did you manage to get all these people together?" Joki whispers.
Seikatsu leans forward to Joki.
"...Influence." Seikatsu says, as he begins to laugh under his breath.
"Sir! do they need medical assistance, we have doctors in the area at the moment. We can be of assistance," a civilian says, bowing his head down to Seikatsu.
"You have such great timing, heal these children up to full health, and my man right here Joki will also take some healing." Seikatsu says.
Joki looks over with a look of surprise all over his face.
"No, I''m fine, I don''t need it as much as they do. I''ll manage." Joki says.
"No, no, we have more than enough equipment, go get yourself healed, and we''ll discuss everything when you get back." Seikatsu says.
Joki tries to respond, but the civilian grabs his shoulder gently, and guides him over to the doctors who had been close by.
Seikatsu continues walking into the distance, Joki turns around and looks at him with sadness in his eyes, but quickly turns back in the direction of the hospital.
''The same hell everyone continues to try and live through, the same cycle, it''s been happening for years. Sympathy is something that anyone his age should be rid of, it''s not possible to have a heart in a world like this.'' Seikatsu thinks to himself.
Seikatsu begins to spread his arms out, and takes in the breeze that''s flowing through the air. He takes a deep breath, as all the thoughts in his head clear.
"I know what is in each person''s heart, no one needs to tell me about human nature. I know what is good for this world, and the people who inhabit it. I''ll prove it." Seikatsu says.
Meanwhile, Kazu is being rushed in by multiple people, his breathing dulled, and his face looking slightly pale from blood loss, but nonetheless he is still alive.
Double, and Reima had already been in a room secluded from everyone, while Joki sits alone to himself. Too overwhelmed, Joki had chosen to be away from everyone, to clear his mind.
"Are you awake?" Reima gently nudged Double, who had been in a slumber for what felt like ages, coaxing him back to consciousness with a gentle sway.
Double wakes up, and looks around, noticing he''s in a hospital room. Trying to get up, his hand is quickly grabbed by Reima.
"Hey, before you leave, I feel we should at least talk just a little. Would that be okay?" Reima asks.
"What is there to talk about! Kazu''s in the other room badly hurt, I need to check on him." Double says.
As Double stormed off into the distance, Reima followed closely, her face etched with concern. She noticed Double''s expression, a mix of anger and frustration, impossible to miss. Determined, she trailed after him, her thoughts now consumed with finding Kazu.
"Why are you following me?" Double asks.
"Because I don''t wanna be by myself." Reima says.
Double stops, and turns around to face her with an infuriated expression on his face, the look makes Reima jump back in fear.
"Listen...I have known Kazu for a long time, and no offense, but your father hurt my friend, and It makes me wanna hurt you as well. So move." Double says.
Reima stood frozen in place, her features locked in a mask of utter astonishment. Meanwhile, Double pivoted on his heels and strode purposefully toward Kazu''s whereabouts.
Finally, Double arrives at the room Kazu is being held in, and as he opens the door. His eyes widen in shock as Kazu''s body had been completely fine. Not a scratch on him at all, but Kazu''s eyes are blank, with fear written in them.
"Kazu! You''re in way better shape than I thought you would be. Let''s look around this place, and see what''s going..." Double says, but immediately gets cut off by Kazu grabbing his arm.
"Something isn''t right with this place, those weren''t doctors...they were monsters, all of them were monsters." Kazu says.
Meanwhile, in a far off world, completely different from the one known to everyone else.
''I don''t think he can find me here...I''ve traveled so far out, it wouldn''t make sense...'' The weary traveler''s words faltered as sparks crackled around his trembling hand.
Water splashing from footsteps can be heard in the distance, as if someone had been walking through a puddle. A man with a hood, a dark black shirt, and red markings around his eyes, had arrived to step in front of the man who had traveled far out to escape him.
"Have you ever thought about what would happen if you died in hell? The concept of what would happen if you were erased, it wouldn''t feel like a deep sleep, you''d just be gone. If you know what''s good for you, then you''ll tell me the location of the ruler." the enigmatic figure demanded, closing in on the traveler.
"I told you! I don''t know anything, now please, will you..." The traveler says, but his words are cut short as a hole opens up in his chest, and blood becomes to come out of his mouth.
"See, you would have been alive right now had you told me the truth. Everyone knows his location, but no one has the balls to actually tell me." The enigmatic figure says.
This world is called Parseon, in other words, the hell one goes too after death. Only those with malice, or those who would dare choose to go, can stay.
Similar to the actual world, nothing good happens in Parseon, but there happens to be someone who entered Parseon. A person so overwhelmingly strong that the attention of everyone in Parseon shifted to him.
"That''s another man you''ve killed, you are already aware what happens to those who die here. With no remorse at all, how could you?" The man trailing the cloaked figure spoke with a mixture of accusation and incredulity.
"Those who decide to protect a false king deserve death, besides, he should have faced me like a man instead of running away after seeing me, like a bitch." The cloaked figure says, wiping blood off his hands.
The man next to the cloaked figure laughs, as he does, he begins to walk forward alongside him.
"This is hell, but you treat it like it''s some paradise. You''re nonchalantness could be the reason you die, can you seriously just go on spouting this bullshit." The man''s words rang out as he maintained pace beside the cloaked figure.
"How about you stop running that mouth of yours, and bring me to who I''m looking for. Unless, you''d like to fight me and end up just like him." The cloaked figure says.
Walking through Parseon had been a man so overwhelmed by his beliefs, that no person dead or alive could convince him otherwise. The second candidate to be the ruler of hell has arrived.
As the scene transitioned from the world of Parseon, Double, Kazu, and Reima had been outside. Kazu''s face filled with anger, alongside Double, who had been frustrated.
"Truth to be told, I don''t fully understand what Joki was thinking bringing us here. Did he just forget what happened the last time we trusted some random guy?" Double says, balling his fist.
"...he knows." Kazu says.
Double and Reima both turn to face Kazu, whose face continued to show nothing, but anger, and a slight sense of betrayal.
"When I was being taken to the hospital, I may have been badly hurt, but I gained consciousness and overheard Joki''s words about this place. Double, I wasn''t kidding when I said these people were monsters, but we have to keep a low profile. It doesn''t matter what happens, if you want us all to live, then you have to go along with everything." Kazu says.
"Why can''t you tell us what you heard now?" Double asks.
Kazu stands frozen, and with a face that shows he was completely unwilling to answer Double''s question.
"If I tell any of you, it puts your lives at jeopardy, it''s not time yet. The only thing I can tell you is that this place is called...the Monark Regius." Kazu says.