Chapter 4 | Not so Tough Anymore

I'm... pretty hungry.

I stare out into the hellish landscape, winds whipping rocks around to unimaginable speeds. There was an invisible dome around the entire place keeping the area safe from mother nature. I watch as a rock starts speeding like a bullet right into my face, only to bounce off harmlessly from some sort of invisible wall surrounding the place.

I was sitting behind a boulder that concealed me from anyone looking from the inside. I've made it my home for the past two days, and so far nobody has found me.

I've been racking my brain on what to do this entire time. This place is like a prison. Even if I tried to tough the weather out with my mask, I don't know where I'm supposed to go. The windy landscape could stretch out forever for all I know, and then eventually my stamina will run out, and then I would die. Well, in any case, something like that would be a last resort if I couldn't find a way to escape this place.

There are also the people that seem to be living here, including that Rudeus guy. I haven't fought somebody who could match my strength and speed ever… No, I still don't know if he was holding back or not. I simply got the jump on him, he might be even stronger than me with my mask on.

Time passes as I continue to do nothing, I place a hand on my mask. I have to take it off soon before permanent consequences arise, but then I won't be able to tell if anybody will get close. I'd be defenseless for a good three hours before I recover.

I was in a situation with seemingly no correct answer out of it. I drop my hand in resignation and continue scanning the area around me, placing my hand to the ground and carefully probing the ground for the smallest vibrations that would indicate another presence.

Another hour passes.

Footsteps! There is a person relatively near the rock I'm hiding behind. However, from the sound of it, the person doesn't seem to notice. Just in case, I began to hold my breath, unmoving, producing absolutely no sound.

I had had my mask on for the past two days. The longest I've ever had it on at a time. I've been focusing the mask's power on my ears and fingertips. Hearing the smallest sounds, feeling the slightest vibrations. If somebody was getting close to me I would know, and then I could prepare to bolt at full speed if they ever detect me. However, if I could do this, there's no reason why the people here can't do it either. Hence why I was holding my breath, keeping dead silent right now.

The person seemed to be practicing his or her fighting right now. I could hear the cracks of wind from kicks slicing through the air. I could tell without even seeing them that they were outliers in terms of strength and speed.

Alright. Just do what I always do. I'll keep still until the person goes away and I'll continue hiding, continue biding my time until I see an opportunity to do something. If I come out right now, I would not be able to beat this person. There is no doubt about it

…

I reel away as the boulder shatters into a hundred different pieces, nearly flinging me just outside the invisible dome just barely touching the rainstorm of sharp rocks and violent winds.

What happened?! I thought that person was still doing their own thing? How did they get all the way over here?

"Ah, I thought I felt someone hiding behind here." It was a female's voice, a voice so packed full of confidence that I instinctually knew that I wouldn't be able to run away from her.

But I have to try anyway! I funneled all of the mask's energy into my left knee and ankle in an instant. I would spring off this foot with a speed I've never reached before. A mix of adrenaline and fear pushing me to greater limits.

However, as soon as I kicked off the ground. I went nowhere, a millisecond later I realized that I was falling. The girl had closed the distance between us and grabbed my feet as I sprung off the ground and threw me to the ground.

I immediately braced the back of my body as I manipulated the power in my foot to disperse and spread across my entire backside like a droplet of water on a flat surface.

Crack! The ground drives all the wind out of my body as my head whips back and strikes the ground with a deadly force. If I hadn't reacted in time with the mask's power, I would have died for sure.

However, I've been hit by cars, thrown to the ground, and shot by guns enough to maintain my focus even with my body screaming at me.

I immediately diverted all of my power into my eyes. Time seemed to slow to a complete halt around me, the stones zipping around the windy landscape at terrifying speeds had ground to a complete halt, yet I still could barely react to the punch that was coming at my face with an unexpected speed. I instinctually drove all the power in my body into my forearms and the back of my head to block the oncoming punch.

But it never came to my head. Instead, I felt an insane weight dig a hole straight into my stomach. My vision flickered black as I slammed into the ground cracking the earth underneath my back. My ribs gave way immediately to the intense force, as my eyes rolled into the back of my head.

"Ah! Sorry! I didn't mean to hit that hard! I just got a little excited! You can forgive this cute and beautiful little lady right?" The girl immediately panicked.

My head drifts from side to side as the girl pulls me up off the ground. She was saying something but I wasn't conscious enough to comprehend it.

"Besides, in a way, this is partially your fault! After all, I only reacted to you trying to run away. You really shouldn't make your windup so obvious. I could immediately tell that you were gathering Anku at your legs."

Blood came sputtering out of my mouth, staining the interior of the mask.

"Oh let me peel this thing off you, wanna see what's under that mask."

"no~ don't~" I let out an inaudible whisper.

As she took off the mask, A sharp wave of nausea rippled throughout my body and a splitting headache tore my head apart. I felt as if a blade was flying around in my skin tearing everything apart.

"Ahh, don't throw up right now! Hey, don't die! ahh... that's... a lot... of... blood." My body could no longer handle the pain as I slowly drifted away. There was a reason that I avoided keeping my mask on for long periods of time. When I take off my mask, there's always a wave of pain and nausea

Rudeus

"Oi! Anyone out there who knows how to use Sanaku? Anybody? Heeeey, Toriiiika are you thereee~"What's that girl doing now, just wandering around carrying a corpse? Did she fight somebody and nearly kill them as usual? I don't know anyone here sane enough to have a fight with her though. I wonder why anybody would do something like that...

"Ah." I couldn't help but let out a noise as I see who that girl was carrying.

"Hey Rudeus, you know where Torika is? I found this boy hiding behind a rock and he seemed suuuper strong. His strength and control of anku were both pretty nice. But then you see, I miiiight have punched him, and he miiiight have just started dying."

"By any chance, could you give that boy to me?" I asked, already knowing the answer.

The girl flashes a huge grin at me, behind her eyes shined a new light, previously diminished, "Nope!"

I sigh, "Torika is inside her room, taking a nap."

"Thank you!" Then without a second glance, that girl started skipping around leaving behind a trail of blood that was dripping off of Taiga's face.

She was the absolute last person I wanted to see to come in contact with Taiga.

Taiga

"Hello hallo, hello hallo, hello hallo, hello hallo."

Ugh, I have a bad feeling that I'm going to regret opening my eyes. I had just stirred from unconsciousness, and could feel a massive presence only inches away from me. I start thinking. If they haven't done anything yet, then I guess I'll just continue pretending to sleep, then when they go away I'll sneak out. I don't need to care about locating my mask since it'll inevitably return to me anyways.

"Hello hallo."

…

"Hallo?"

The voice drones on for the next twenty minutes. But this girl... is not leaving me alone! She pokes at my cheek repeatedly. Well, I guess I'll just have to put up with it until she's bored.

"Hello hallo."

Thirty more minutes pass. "Hello hallo." I can't believe a person like this could even exist. "Hello hallo." Are you not bored of this!?! I internally scream out in my mind.

A couple of seconds pass... No-nothing? Is-is she gone?

"Heeey, when are you going to stop playing dead? I wanna have some fun with you."

I didn't respond, I recently fell for the exact same bluff and I wasn't going to go down that road again.I then felt her fingers around my face. Wandering around, until she suddenly pushed my eyelids apart.Her face was incredibly close to mine. She called herself cut and beautiful, but now that I've seen her face. She was definitely beautiful, but not very cute. She then moved her head closer until it was practically touching mine, opened her mouth, and... licked my cornea.

Every part of my body was screaming at me to react, do something, but I wrestled my mind into control and stayed dead still.

"Huh, guess he really is still unconscious, guess I'll come back and check on him some time later." She then dropped my eyelids back down. I heard the ruffling of clothes as she stood up, then the pitter patter of footsteps as she left the room.

Finally. She's gone. It's felt like forever but I can finally try to find an opening to escape. I squint my eyes hesitantly to check around, she was an unpredictable personality so there was no certainty, but it looks like she's truly gone, so I then quickly try to sit up but then my forehead flies into something hard while sitting up.

"You shouldn't lie like that you know."

I turn around, the thing that I bonked my head into was the forehead of that girl. That particular girl. The girl who had been poking at me for the past 30 minutes, the one who licked my eyeball, the one who almost assuredly left the room.

I coldly glared at her, unspeaking. I searched the room through my peripheral vision. The mask should be somewhere close; it's always close.

"For some reason, I feel like a really bad person. You know? I feel like I kidnapped you or something. You treating me like this." She made a pouty face.

"I even patched you all up. There was a lot of blood coming out of your holes."

She stared at me with wide open innocent looking eyes. She really was beautiful, tall, perfect long black hair, an unapproachable looking person.

"I get it! You're just being shy, it must be hard talking to a person as notorious and beautiful as myself, I'm sorry for not noticing sooner. Let's introduce ourselves shall we? Then you might find it easier to talk to me. I'll go first, my name is Celestia, and my hobbies are fighting, and the reason I came to the eye was to fight some strong people! Now you go!" She enthusiastically fans at me.

I keep my mouth shut, uncharacteristically annoyed at the the blatant display of mockery.

"Not very talkative huh? Alright, I've decided. Your name is Jorby for now on!"

"My name is Taiga." I spoke coldly. To be honest there was no reason for me to speak up at this time. But my name was something different, something I had to speak up on. I was done with fake names.

"Taiga! What an interesting name, I think Jorby sounds much better though, so I'll call you Jorby, and what the hell? You do know how to speak!"

"My name is Taiga!" I snarl.

"I know, you just told me. Think of it as a little nickname alright?"

"Nickname?" I've never heard of that word before.

"Ah I'm sorry! I didn't know that you didn't have friends growing up. You know- like a nickname!

Something people close to each other call each other."

"We're not close though." I was speaking incredibly bluntly.

"We are now! I've already made the decision, we're best friends!" There was something in her head that had stopped functioning apparently.

"I don't have a say in that? What are you-" I quickly stop talking as I realized that she had lured me into a conversation.

The sides of her mouth curled up slyly.

"Are you hungry? I'll get you something good, they've got a whole farm with tons of animals that they raise in this place. Oh, by the way, your mask thing will come with the food. So no escaping before then alrighty Jorby?"

I scowl as she leaves the room. It was a strange feeling but I couldn't help but feel like I wanted to be called Taiga. Even though it would be better to just go along with it.

Now. There's really only one thing left to do. I got up off the ground and made my way towards the window. I looked around outside. This place was really beautiful. Delicate looking trees with soft pink pedals lined the paths made up of smooth and opaque pebbles. Small streams with water as clear as glass while exotic looking fish drifted through them. It was much cleaner of a place than anywhere I've seen in New York...

I don't care about the mask, it'll make its way back to me in some way even if I leave it with that girl. So I'll jump off here escape before she comes back, and then...

My train of thought slams into a mental wall. And then what? I'm stuck in this prison of a place without any idea on how to get out of here. If I go outside the bubble who even knows if there's a world outside of that hellscape. Not to mention, I wouldn't last a second out there if I don't have my mask with me….

Actually now that I think about it, I don't think I could do anything even if I had my mask. I can't suddenly change how much I weigh, how did I even end up in this place? Did someone carry me?

But... What's the alternative? No, I know what the alternative is. Seriously, despite the fact that I still don't know how strong these people are, these people are still just, people, and I can do what I've always done, get what I want and then leave. I am, after all, a thief. If I couldn't handle a little bit of uncertainty, then I would have never made it this far.

"Enjoying the view?" I quickly swirl around in surprise to see that Red-haired guy I first met when I came here. What was his name... eh, Rudeus?

"It's amazing you know, thousands of years ago this place was a fortress for the Tetsudo. Even though they are all gone, the remnants of what they've done still persist even until now. The soil is always full of nutrients, the weather stays perfect, an amazing ecosystem of animals, all in the middle of this completely inhospitable storm-"

"And why are you a part of it?" I cut in unexpectedly.

"...It's pretty dangerous to share your reasons for coming here you know." Rudeus said with a strained grin.

"Well, I'm... curious. I've been thrust into a whole new world unexpectedly, in the first place, I didn't even know that there were worlds other than Earth where I came from. So could you tell me a bit more?"Rudeus looks at me in surprise from my sudden change in heart.

"You know, if you were going to be like this in the first place why did you have to act so difficult when you first came here? Seriously, I know my initial impression was bad but I really honest to God have nothing against you."

"It's been a while, I've had 2 days to calm down and think about the situation. For now on, I won't run away, but still... I can't trust you until I know why you've been acting so interested in me. You know something about me don't you?"

"I do. But the information isn't free; I'll only tell you if you agree to my terms." He said cautiously.

"And I have zero reason to trust that you actually know anything about me."

"It's up to you to trust me; however, all I will say is that you're not the only person I've known with a mask like that."

Just as I was about to ask some further questions, the girl known as Celestia burst through the doors carrying a whole roast chicken in her hands, just dangling by the leg, dripping grease on the floor.

"Oh hey Rudeus, when did you get here? And I got you some chicken Taigy."

"What happened to Jorby?"

"Oh that name? I decided that I didn't like it on the way here, you wanted to be called Taiga right? So I compromised and decided to call you Taigy, I'm so nice aren't I?" Unlike Rudeus, Celestia seemed to take my sudden change in attitude in stride.

"You... How did you guys become friends so fast." Rudeus put his hand on his temple and sighed.

Celestia then sat down right next to me and began munching down at the chicken, seemingly forgetting who she got it for in the first place. But just looking at that juicy piece of meat reminds me of just how hungry I've gotten over the past 2 days, beads of saliva pops in my mouth as I unconsciously stare at the chicken.

The sensation of food suddenly fills my mouth. I quickly look up and see Celestia, her hand on the end of a drumstick feeding me by hand.

"My bad, my bad, I just got a little carried away and couldn't resist." She beamed a smile.

I begin munching down. This is... actually pretty average... A little dry around the edges, a little too slimy near the middle, not the best chicken I've ever eaten, there were far better pieces of meat I've managed to get myself. But I guess everything will taste good whenever you're hungry.

"Now, I guess it's time to get the main event." Celestia reaches out behind her back. "Man, You really are an interesting person, seriously! I wanted to try to put on your mask myself, but the closer it got to my face I got this strange sensation of impending doom. I woooooould do it regardless, but can't take that many risks when I'm this young you know? Still got a full life ahead of me."

She then grabs the mask throws it up the air. Then the air distorts around the mask and a large boom rings across the room. I stagger backwards, but then quickly look back to see the mask wedged between her two fists.

"And to top it all off, the mask seems to be virtually indestructible."

Alarms blare in my brain, every fiber of my body was telling me to run away. These people aren't normal humans, they were similar to me with my mask on, but it was an inherent part of their body. Every moment I spend close to them without my mask on could be my last. I won't be able to react, I won't be able to do anything, and I would die in an instant.

What is this feeling?

Oh, right.

It's Fear.

Huh, that's strange, I don't remember the last time I felt this.