Chapter 41 – To Kill a Child

A few minutes earlier, from Mito's perspective:

Well, that wasn't too difficult. I expected the collar master to be a treasure user, but she was just an elementary midst trainee. If that's the case, how did she control the collars?

I look down at the unconscious woman I've just tied up. Luckily, she was weak enough that I didn't have to injure her seriously. What's this?

On her wrist, I find a band with various buttons. Each button has a symbol which I've never seen before. A foreign language and unfamiliar technology... What exactly is happening behind the scenes here?

These are all questions for later. I shake the woman until she's barely conscious.

Mito: "Hey, wake up! Which of these buttons release all the prisoners."

She limply raises her hand to indicate a button, but I grab her hand just before she has a chance.

Mito: "Don't even think about lying to me. If you are, I'll find out shortly. When I do, not only will I kill you, but I'll also kill your precious Lord. I might not even stop there, so consider your next moves carefully."

Out of breath, she can't utter a reply. Finally, she gulps in anxiety and moves her hand to a different button. I'm glad I threatened her. One of these buttons would instantly kill Adachi. I press the button she indicated in full faith that she had told me the truth.

The cheers from inside immediately go quiet, and I know I've pressed the right button. Then, the ground begins to vibrate as hundreds of the building's occupants come sprinting outside. Adachi must have been freed from his collar.

The only people left in that room are Adachi and the Lord. I have faith that Adachi can secure that man by himself. For now, I should bring this prisoner back to the Dojo and inform the others of the mission's success. This woman's testimony should be enough evidence to-

Just then, an impact large enough to shake the city erupts from beneath the building. I'd better leave her here and check it out...

Meanwhile, in Hell's Arena:

I flip over the Shapeshifter as he crashes headfirst into the wall. He doesn't seem too coordinated in this form, so I may be able to use his weight against him.

Then, the mutant pulls his head from the wall with exceptional speed and begins to charge me again. He's tough.

I see Mito descend from the staircase and into the arena out of the corner of my eye. The moment he lays his eyes on the beast before him, he goes pale.

Mito: "What in the..."

Adachi: "Little help here?!"

Mito quickly recovers from his shock as a professional should and begins to make his way towards me. The Shapeshifter, in a blind rage, hasn't yet noticed Mito. If I can delay the beast's speed enough, Mito can deal a detrimental blow.

I switch from dodging to defense. Turning my weight to its maximum, I brace myself to stop the Shapeshifter in his tracks. The Shapeshifter crashes into me at full speed. Even at my top weight, the blow takes the wind out of me, and I feel my ribs crack once more. This time, it's serious. Despite the painful injury I was just dealt, I manage to grab the Shapeshifter by its head and pin it in place.

With no words exchanged between us, Mito takes full advantage of the opportunity I've just given him. First, he pulls out two blades, each long enough to kill the creature. Then, he flies into the air with the speed that I'm accustomed to seeing him use and plunges each dagger into the back of the beast. Finally, using his downward momentum, Mito guides both blades down through the back of the Shapeshifter as if he was cutting butter.

The massive pressure of the monster pressing into me dissipates, and I allow the beast to drop to the ground. I breathe a sigh of relief, but my body has reached its limit. Upon reaching the peak of my breath, piercing pain shoots through my ribs to my spine. Both of my arms automatically shoot to my chest in an attempt to hold my ribs together.

Just when I think I'm getting a break, the beast moves. He shoots forward in an attempt to kill me before he dies. Kina taught me not too long ago that broken ribs can pierce vital organs if you're not careful. I block the blow with my forearms, as a blow to my ribs could end up being fatal. I skid backward, then shoot forward once more. The faster we put this woeful boy out of his misery, the better. I strike him square in the head, and he loses balance.

He falls toward Mito, who has his blades at the ready. Using the Shapeshifter's weight against him, Mito allows the beast's head to fall onto his blades. The dagger's sink softly into the boy's skull without much resistance at all. His skull must have already been broken from his painful transformation.

Mito pulls his blades out of the Shapeshifter's head and takes a step back as its body collapses to the ground.

Mito: "What the hell? Adachi, what is this thing?"

I consider my answer carefully. Though Mito could likely handle it, I shouldn't tell him that this thing he's just killed is actually a young boy who's been manipulated.

Adachi: "It's one of Lord Gishie's soldiers. He has a Shapeshifting ability given to him by a treasure."

Mito steps forward to get a closer look.

Mito: "Well, whatever it is, nothing survives being stabbed in the brain."

He leans down to close the beast's eyes, and I can't help but be surprised. I suppose Mito is a lot kinder than he seems.

Just then, it occurs to me that the creature's treasure is its left eye, and Mito is about to touch it.

Adachi: "Wait a second, Mito! Don't-"

It's too late. Almost like a magnet flies to metal, the beast's treasure flies into Mito's hand. It wants a new host.