We start to walk by each other.
I looked at the person who was walking beside me. Godkiller.
"Can I get your name? My name is Beatrice Alighieri"
"I know what your name is. I know most of the things about you, girl"
He is a pervert and now he is a creepy stalker. Is anything good about this person? I have to be careful as I have to deal with this person.
Yeah, what a bastard, trying to be so friendly and casual.
The city we live in, Swayuki city. Though it is wrong to call this city a city, not due to its size but due to this city doesn't contain any town. Basically, Swayuki is both a city and a town. It is just like Australia being both a country and continent.
At least, we got districts and places. I lived in the northern direction of this city. The place is filled with foreigners. Western-style houses, where immigrants from foreign countries live.
My bloodline is from Italy but I came to Japan with my brother as my parents had already passed away when I was small. I was grown up while being under the protection of my brother but ten years ago.....in that war, I lost my brother.
"You got any idea of the town?"
He laughed with his signature prideful smile.
"Yes, I have. I already figured out everything about this city. One should know which type of field in which you are going to play. Without that knowledge, you cannot play your own game. This is a war. I should know this war zone in order to eliminate my opponents"
I have to be careful. This dude is a crazy person, man.
We walked silently without noise as we kept going on our path. I wonder where our destiny will lead us.
There is someone walking in front of us.
"Not her!"
I grab his arm and hide behind the wall. So, she couldn't see us.
"Beatrice! Who are we hiding from?!"
He questioned me but I only gave him a pin drop silence gesture.
This person.....I don't want to run into her.
She is a senior in my school. Most popular girl in my school for her looks and athletic abilities. Captain of the women's soccer team. Her family is popular in this city as they run a hospital.
She is talking to someone. That person is very tall. Taller than most Japanese men. Maybe he is also a foreigner. I couldn't see his face. He is wearing white coat. Who is he? He took a different turn after talking with her.
"What happened? For how much time do we have to hide?"
He didn't ask this question even though it looks like it. Something is weird about his style. He is saying this like he knows my next line.
"Just wait here. I will go and check"
"Sure. At least I will get a good view on your buttcheeks"
My face heats up again. This person is a pervert! We had a ten year gap. He is the biggest enemy of society. He is a harmless pervert!
"You bastard! Stop this! We will be caught if my voice gets too loud due to you!!"
He laughed at me. He is a freak!
I went out of my hiding position and told him to stay in his position.
I walk towards the senior of mine.
"Hello, Lady Bessmertny!"
I wave a friendly gesture towards her.
She jumped back in surprise. She is senior yet she acts more shy than me. I mean, I am a junior. So, by that logic, I should be shy to even say hello to her but here, it is the opposite. Junior is energetic and senior is shy.
"O-oh, hello, Beatrice. It is nice to see you here"
Now, I am sure that godkiller is probably listening to our conversation. He is probably thinking that she is some sort of ally of mine in order to backstab him but, this is not the case. I am a very popular student in this school. I am the favorite of many teachers. Another thing that makes me more popular is that I can speak and write English perfectly. Japan is the country which focuses on the language subject English more than any subject alongside PT. I mean, Japanese people are very good in any subject but in English, they are not that great. So, I am like the divine ruler of school.
"I never saw you at home during this time. I never saw you here during school time, senior"
"Umm.....maybe because you wake up late"
"——huh.....?"
I didn't expect her to answer to me in this way. She is right. I am a heavy sleeper. This is why I never saw her and the fact is that I never care about my neighbors. So, it doesn't matter.
"Are you not going to school?"
"No. I am not feeling well"
Yes. It is a lie.
"Okay. You should go and take some rest. Are you sure about not feeling well?"
"Yeah! Sorry to disturb you! I remember that I have to go to a medical shop in order to buy medicines! Hahahahaha!"
I quickly turned over on my step and walked very fast.
"Medical store is that way—"
I didn't listen to her as I went back to that wall where godkiller is also hiding. Calling him godkiller so many times feels weird in my tongue despite it being a cool title. What is his name?
"You came back? What happened?"
I looked at him with confusion. What? He is joking of course.
"Stop joking. I already knew that you were hearing our conversation. Don't try to kill her. She is just a senior of mine. We went to the same school. She is not enemy"
"I was not hearing"
"Don't joke with me. You are an assassin. I know that assassins like you care about even a single sound to even a single second object that comes into your eyesight!"
"I am not. Seriously, I told you that I was not hearing anything. I was smoking my cigarette!"
I looked down upon the ground. Smoked up cigarette. I can't believe it! All of my imagination that I made up had gone into void! This dude is just a pervert! How is this dude able to become a dangerous person in this world who had struck fear upon every heart of most of the candidates.
"Then what were you doing?"
"I told you before that I was smoking"
My face is getting red not due to blushing this time but because of anger. He calls himself an assassin…!!
"Now, what are we going to do?! Tell me, Mr Godkiller?!"
He looked at the sky with a smile. He turned his back. He started to walk.
"Where are you going?!"
The main reason why I skipped school was to find him. I found him or I should say that he found me. Either way both statements are correct in their own way as we were seeking each other for our goals. I skipped school. What am I going to do for the whole day?
"Just follow me"
He looks back at me. I follow him.
We are now heading towards the southern side of the city. It is the market area of the city. It is my favorite place in this city. I love to see all kinds of fashion and even traditional Japanese fashion. It is a mix of both traditional Japanese fashion and western style fashion. It is a haven for people like me who love fashion and clothes. It is a great place for every woman. From spa to massage to all types of clothes and fashion stores.
We now went to a silent street. The air in this place is very dark. Not for me. Dark in the sense for those who are born with common sense. I became a candidate a month ago. What is this place? Why are we going inside weird places? We reached the dead-end. I thought that until I noticed that there was a door. This door is hidden well with the color and atmosphere of this place. So, it is very hard to notice a door in this shady place.
"Why are we here? Are we meeting someone who will help us?"
He nodded his head.
"Just a boss of mine!"
Boss? You are telling me this dude works for someone? If someone like him is working for someone then either his boss is stronger than him or his boss is the richest person. An assassin will not work for anyone who doesn't match their status.
He knocked over the door.
Then a man's voice came from inside the door.
"Password"
"Roses are red. Violets are blue. I don't know the password. Now, can you open this damn door?"
What type of password is this? Poetic but straightforward password. Does he even know the password?
Regardless of that, I can hear the sound of the door. So, the password was correct.
The door opened for us. The one who opened the door was looking a ugly duckling. He has spiky hair and his nose is big like Snape. I think his nostrils got enough space to fit a small size of rock. I want to laugh at his appearance but remember what my brother always told me: don't make fun of someone's appearance.
There is a stair leading down to the basement. How big is this place?
I cannot believe this! This place is too big. No. We are in the underground of this city.
"You bring me here! The place of criminals?!"
I am an idiot to think that this dude will bring me to some important place. He is a criminal too. We are here to meet his boss.
"There are no decent people among the customers. There are escapees from prisons and military bases, illegal immigrants, excommunicated gangsters, gangsters targeted by gangsters, drug dealers being chased by the police, runaways with bad parents, and so on. It's a hotbed of outcasts who have nowhere to go in many ways"
He gave me an explanation about the residents here.
My eyes wander around the whole place. I can see several tough and dangerous looking people. I tried to think about it. Criminals. I can kill everyone here but what makes me scared is their sins. I also committed many sins but compared to them, my sins are like kids. If those criminals were candidates then I am sure that they would be above me by a huge gap.
"it may seems like a bad place when introduced like this, but there are some good things about it"
Dj is going on. Strippers dancing. Pole dance is happening. People smoking and kids taking drugs. It is a paradise of evil. I can see several gangsters having fun.....with those girls(prostitutes). I can't believe it. It is an extraterrestrial territory. Since, common sense, common ethics and the Japanese constitution don't apply here.
As we were walking on our way. People either run away or bow down to us. Even those creepy looking villains are not looking at me in that way, they look towards other girls. So, this is the aura of godkiller.
I see a black seat. It is wrong to call it a seat. It is like a throne. Throne to show superiority. This throne tells us that one who is sitting on it holds authority over the underground. No one is above him.
"This place is a best way to kill time"
"It fits someone like you for sure"
He moves towards the throne. What is he doing? Is he going to bow down or stand beside that throne? I cannot see anyone sitting on that throne.
"There is a rule that all the people who come here are each other's backers. In other words, if you get into a fight with one of the members of underground, you have to get into a fight with all of them. This seems to work quite well for outsiders. After all, there are hundreds of people who have nothing to lose hanging out here"
He laughed.
He took the throne. He sat upon the throne. What is he doing?! Isn't this seat for his boss?! Isn't the reason why he brought me here?
He raised his arm. Everything stops at his command. A guard appeared from behind and put a cigarette in his mouth and another guard lit up his cigarette.
He sat with style like a king.
"Welcome to the underground, Beatrice Alighieri. My name is Nakajima Yusuke"
Whole coward erupts in laughter and joy. What is happening?! All people cheering for one person. Now, I get it. He is the boss. The Godkiller is the boss.
"You are the boss. Umm....."
"Yeah"
"Why did you lie to me then?"
He took out the cigarette from his mouth.
"I didn't lie. You met my boss. I am my boss of myself. In this world, no one can control me. I am beyond everyone. I am the boss"
He laughed so much.
——
I woke up from my sleep.
"Umm——I wake up early today"
I yawn as I already knew that school is over because I can't see anyone. Sun is still in the sky. Normally, I wake up in the evening when the sun is going down. For some reason, my sleep broke in the afternoon. I want to sleep again.
As I head down again to sleep again but something is weird. My sleep is gone. I am feeling uncomfortable. I am feeling weird. My heartbeat is rising so high like something is wrong.
"What is wrong? What is happening? Why am I feeling uneasy about going to sleep?"
Is it because I will dream about a fire incident? Or that nightmare? That voice.
"Don't think about it. Everything is fine"
No. Everything is not fine. My body is screaming. It is telling me that something wrong is about to happen. What is wrong? I never feel this uncomfortable. I am feeling weird like my whole body wants me somewhere else. What place?
Today is a great festival. I ate good food. My brother teased me. We celebrate this festival together. Me, brother and Sakura——
Senpai!
I forget about senpai and all. She was very worried from the morning. I don't know what happened to her. Should I check on her? I think I should go to check if she is fine or not.
I took my bag and left my classroom.
This building is a three story building. From first year to last year. Each floor belongs to one highschool year. First floor or in British English, ground floor where first year classrooms exist. So, it is okay to assume that which is the correct assumption that the final floor before terrace is of course for third year.
I climb stairs to the final floor.
"What was her classroom? I think it was 3-B. I don't know. I remember that she is a biology student. So, let's see if my gut feelings are right or wrong"
I looked for class 3-B. After trying for 10 minutes. I finally found it. Is this building huge and wide? I don't think so. Then, why did it took me 10 minutes to be precise? I am lazy.
I slide the door of class. Classes are over. So, all the teachers had gone to the staff room or they went to club activities. It is hard to find a teacher in class at this time.
"Senpai, are you there? I didn't see anyone here. Maybe Senpai had gone to her club. I think, I should go to club to check upon her"
As I start to go back.
I step on something. I look down upon what I sat on.....no way!
"Senpai!"
I saw Senpai lying on the ground. What happened to her?!
I picked her up from the ground. She is in my arms right now. I had picked her in a bridal way. Her body is hot.
"Senpai! Wake up! Wake up! Please, wake up!"
I yell loud at her.
Damn it!
"Is there anyone to help!? I think I should take her to the nurse!"
"Kazuya——"
I looked down. My gaze towards her. She is opening her eyes.
"Are you okay?! Wake up!"
"Kazuya.....why are you holding me like this?"
My face burned up. I mean, literally. I want to die. I am happy to see her coming back to her senses. But, she opened her eyes at the wrong time.
I can see her blush too.
"Are you going to keep holding me like this?"
I blush.
"Sorry"
I put her down on the seat.
"Are you okay? How do you get faint? Your body is hot!"
"What?"
I blush as I realize what I said in the last.
"I mean that, your body is hot!! I mean——do you have a fever? I think your health is not good. You should call your parents"
"I am okay"
I looked at her. I don't think that she is okay. How can you say that?
"I can see your body emanating those heats without touching you. Your face is also not looking good"
"You cannot understand a woman's heart despite your talent is to judge people"
"Huh?"
"I can't put my words for you. Is it wrong for you to understand people from their heart? Why can't you understand me? Is your understanding not deep or is it related to the fact that you don't want to understand many things?"
She looked at me. Our eyes meet each other. Our gazes are trying to hide from each other.
Answer to her question, it is both statements.
I judge people from their outer personality. Each person wears a different persona(mask) in their life. Each persona(mask) is different for each person. They change that persona(mask) for each person. You can say that humans wear so many persona(mask) to the point that we cannot see their true root(origin).
She held my hands in her palm. She looked at me. She wants me to understand her. I can't.....I don't want to. What is she trying to make me understand?
Should I stay with her? Should I go? My choice will affect my destiny.
"Sorry! I have to go somewhere! We will meet at home!"
I shook her hands over mine and ran away.
I know that I am a bastard for breaking a girl's heart but I am not ready. I cannot tackle this emotion. I can't understand it! Why is my heart feeling heavy?
——
It is night. Everything went into silence. It is time when demons will wake up from the grave and hunt humans. Maybe it is the time where battle will happen. I cannot believe it! The place where the first clash would happen.....is my school.
"Are you sure that one of those candidates will come to school?"
I looked at godkiller whose real name is Yusuke.
He nodded to my question.
"How do you know this?"
He looked at me with a smirk.
"I have a big communication network. From what I know is that this city was built for only one purpose and that was for massacre"
"What?!"
"Yeah. This city is created by not citizens but a single magician. A magician from the past who had lived too long. He is trying to bring the age of gods again when gods walk with humans and magic was common thing"
This information is out of bounds. Gods. Magicians. Magic.
"Wait! Hold up. Are you telling me that gods exist?"
"I don't know. I am not from the past. This city functions as a war zone. All the places got their own war zone. This school is built upon a very high energy ley line. So, this makes this place as inevitable battlefield"
Ley lines are basically from what I read in my brother's books, are powerful points in the Earth. One says that in ancient times, people worshiped everything from nature to stars because they hold life forms. They energy to change the laws of nature. I don't know if it is true or not but this is just a short explanation from what I know. I don't even know about this subject that much.
"What are you brats doing up here?"
"——!"
We both look at the source of voice.
His grin is wild and I can see his murderous intent leaking.
"Nowadays, brats like you should go back"
My heart stopped beating for a second. His voice is quiet but the tone in his voice is dangerous.
His silver-white hair flowing in the air. They look like the light of the moon. He is giving off the vibe of a demon.
His density is so strong that I cannot breathe in his presence. I can sense! His mass is so big! He is one of those candidates.
"You have killed over 20,000! You devour their souls. I cannot put it accurately due to density"
The demon laughed. Whole school was shaken off. Building was cracking from his laugh.
"So, you guys are candidates too!"
He started to take steps towards us. His aura is so sinister.
My whole body is telling me to run. I don't want to die! His presence is too much for me.
Before I can think of anything. A hand comes behind me and grabs me.
"We can run anytime when we want!"
Yusuke laughed as he threw something towards our enemy. Whole area got smoke. A smoke bomb.
He carried me in his arms and jumped from the cliff of school.
"You cannot run away! You brats!"
We hear his voice.
We landed safely on the ground.
He put me down.
"Were you scared or something, girl?"
"Yes. He is too dangerous. I cannot believe that our first opponent is someone who is far above league than us"
That chill came back. The same aura. He is here.
"Tell me your name, kid! You can't even fight! Hahahahaha!"
My eyes widened. He is in front of us. He is looking down upon us.
"I am just handsome man"
He took out his gun and shot at him.
Not even his glasses are broken from that bullet. He knew how to use the concept so well.
"…All right. I don't like it, but now we've met, we'll just have to fight"
"——huh"
He laughed. Yusuke is mocking him?! What is he doing? I get it that he is godkiller but this person is beyond us. I don't think he even encountered anyone like him in his life. Also, he is not in his prime anymore.
"You fucking bastard! Are you mocking me?!"
Yusuke starts to close the distance between them.
"Did we meet before? I don't remember but I still remember this moment. Nowadays, my mind is going wild. Hehe"
"Don't try to fool me! I will kill you, bastard!"
He halted his steps.
"You think so?"
He took a deep breath as air around him start to change.
"Huh? Can't you see? I am just a handsome man passing by. Yetzirah(formation)——Azure(wild hunt)!"
The formation of weapons is complete. Two guns appeared in his hands. I couldn't see it properly but they are of course weapons of high caliber.
He pulled the trigger! Two flash blasts emanate from the gun. It looks like a blast rather than a bullet. But when you expand on your vision, only for those who are candidates, those are actually bullets but covered in flames.
Those bullets directly hit him. A blast occurred when bullets came into contact with the enemy. All one can see is smoke in that area. I think everyone should have been woken up by now because this blast sure can be heard by whole foreign residents.
"I know that you are not dead! Just get up"
Smoke starts to get clear. I see that his arm is gone! What the hell?! Is he holding back or is Yusuke really that much dangerous?! I couldn't say which one is true.
He inhales and exhales as his arm starts to regenerate back to normal. It doesn't look like a regrowing arm from the souls you devoured so far. It looks related to blood. Is this his Assiah(Activation)?
"You are damn right, brat!"
Both of them started to laugh.
"Introduce yourself, brat. Don't you even know the etiquette of battle?"
"Sorry. Sorry. But, shouldn't you give me your name? From the amount of souls you got, I am sure you are older than me. I am just a kid compared to you. Elders should take steps towards children. Not me!"
He laughed maniacally as his laugh shook down the whole area. Just his laugh is shaking the school despite us being on the ground.
"You sure know how to move that tongue! Yetzirah(Formation)——Kazikli Bey(Imperial King)!"
Suddenly, the blood drops that were on the ground that I didn't notice get in motion. It is like they share the same mind. The blood floats in the air. It started to take shape.
"I am Count Imperial! I am Dracula!"
The blood shot in a long range weapon projectile towards Yusuke.
I thought that he is finished but——
"That's all you got! Mr allergic to garlic bread!"
He laughed as he started to dodge all of them. It looks like he is not even trying. No. More accurately, he is doing that like it is a passive thing for him.
He got close to him and put his gun on his head.
"I am able to harm you thanks to these bullets' property to ignore your soul armor. It pierces through your core!"
He pulled the trigger. A blast happened at close range. This one covered the whole body of that demon.
But this time, Yusuke dodge quickly as air pressure passed through us and made a hole in the school building. Not my class!
"What are you?"
He pointed towards Yusuke.
"I am just handsome man passing by"
"I don't give a crack about that. I want to know how you are able to dodge all of my attacks?"
"About that? Since, we are enemies. I cannot tell you that much except my magic work like this. Past me seeing the future me and present me taking action. It happens at the same time. It is a passive thing. So, I cannot stop that"
It makes sense why he was able to dodge those attacks. The explanation is simple. He sees the world in a different perspective than us. He is of course a three dimensional being but he now added time in his vision. His sight has expanded to the point where he can see past, future and present at same time. So, he doesn't have any actual experience with his magic as his hobby is that of assassin——reckless assassin. He doesn't care about those things. This is why he wasn't able to master his ability.
"What did you just say?"
"I don't know myself"
"Who gives a fuck to this!"
The blood took the shape of long sharp spears.
"You are in my trap"
Both me and that demon were shocked to hear.
"What?!"
"Look below"
The scenario shocked me. He was in the center of a trap. Landmines in the spherical way. How was he able to get him there?
"I spread this trap in the morning. This ground belongs to the soccer club and today, soccer practice didn't happen. No one had come and seen this place. It hides well. I always shoot you in the face in order to blow you in the air, so you didn't set your foot straight into the landmines. So, it was my plan from the start"
He fired another bullet but this time in low. It hits the landmines.
KABOOM!
The explosion's sound shattered the windows of the school.
"What will we do now?!"
I asked him in worry. He couldn't be killed. He is immortal. He is truly Dracula. If he can regenerate from soul destroying bullets then I am sure these mortals' handwork can't even harm him.
He took me in his arms.
"What are you doing?!"
My face got red.
"We are going to run in a roundabout around the school"
"What? Are you not going to fight him?"
"I am fighting him, girl. The thing is that I cannot defeat him"
These words shocked me. Not even godkiller can kill him. This is a big problem now.
"Even if I bring a bigger gun(nuclear bomb), he will survive. This is the fact. He is a monster on different level compare to my rusty form"
The spear shoots up. The blood. They are now acting like shields and sharp mind controlled weapons. Those sharp blood starts to expand its territory.
Yusuke starts to run while carrying me in his arms and dodging those projectiles and blood attacks. Those blood had taken the form of even tentacles.
How much blood he had sucked from his victim? Alongside with the souls.
"Our battle would be legendary! Hahahahahah!!"
A beastly laugh.