The Final Selection

The Final Selection

~~~~

Fun Fact: I gave the MC a number that has some of the numbers he was originally supposed to get (9731).

A/N:

The long awaited chapter is here!

Anyway some comments:

I was on something while making this…

You know? I wonder why I didn't just make Makoto the director of this side project, not only would it decrease the risks of Tanpopo being found out, but it also would be a good time killer since the main story is twelve years from now…

From what I got, ten years before the main story began was when Makato had a successful subject out of the tens of thousands he killed. So that's in two years.

Also I should have just done a timeskip…

I'm not good enough for this sh*t to flow well…

Hmm…

Btw did you guys see the scroll bar thingy on the right, right?

Yeah…

You see it don't you!?

I made it fucking EXTRA LONG.

Enjoy. 😘

Anyways, yay! My first 10k+ chapter! (Funny enough this chapter is longer than every single chapter in the past combined.)

~~~~

Hey! Quick question, what do you think someone who over prepares for situations gets mad at?

…

Here's the answer: it's when the situation completely turns upside down and the higher-ups throw you at a small gang with guns and with said gang having around a hundred men expecting twenty-five children to wipe them off the face of the earth so that the fishies in the Tokyo bay can be happy.

Is that fair?

No, no it is not, not in the slightest.

My only regrets in this world is that I didn't stuff my face like a chipmunk with the cafeteria food before I die.

However we're going a bit off track, let's wind back a few hours.

*

*

*

Hah…

I feel like I'm taking the entire highschool curriculum in a month…

I jotted even more notes as I internally complained about how many notes I'm both writing and studying.

The notes were about the twenty-four (not including me) other contestants and their specialties.

I ruffled through my hair incessantly.

"How do I even compete with some of these…"

My head hurt even trying to think of a broad scenario where I could win.

My progress has come a long way since the first day. I even leveled-up again from skinny to mildly thin.

My punches (which from my memory still haven't done anything of use) have also gone from breaking the floor to creating a one-inch crater, which is neat.

Basically, my overall fitness and physique has gone through a rebirth.

I think I'm around the lower middle bracket in overall strength.

I would have been at the bottom but thanks to my hard work and this body of mine I was able to get to where I am now.

I've also been testing things that I wouldn't have even tried before because of the bare minimum needed for physical strength.

Like techniques for silent walking which has made me jump more times than I can count.

Except for that I've been given permission to do chemical experiments from the professor… though it's her own personal lab which is the reason I'm so worried.

I feel like if I'm there for an extended period of time I'm going to go missing, maybe stuck in her lab as a lab rat…

If you saw what I saw the one time I tried to do something… it wasn't pretty. I'm just glad that she's weaker than me physically otherwise I actually would have been stuck as a lab rat…

Moving on from a possible traumatic event, tomorrow marks the 'final selection'.

I'm pretty sure that it'll be another one-on-one battle again but I'm preparing for a free-for-all as well.

Lets just hope that my efforts don't go in vain…

…

My efforts went into vain.

I feel like my soul is about to pop out of my skull and fly to heaven.

I spent so much time… time that I'll never be able to get back…

Aaaaaaa…

I feel like a mini version of the soldiers I see in the facility. The all black outfit with the helmet, vest, pants, boots, etc…

Right now I just had my hands on my face not because of the 'mission' they gave us but because of the time wasted.

We were in the back of a large carrier copter that had us in the back. Various straps, seats, and large boxes were in here.

You would think that these kids would be in a somber mood but some of them had even taken some of the equipment off to make themselves more comfortable.

I can't tell if these kids were that confidant in their abilities or if they were plain dumb.

They were rowdy and loud, not exactly a great formula for taking down a gang four times as large as you but I guess it's better than nothing.

I looked outside the window behind me.

I think this is the first time I've seen the sky in this world…

No, wait, it wasn't the first time but at that time the sky filled with snow that I couldn't see the dark blue sky.

So this counts as the first time right?

They say the little things in life make you happy, but I want survival and good food right now.

I could really go for the cafeteria food right now…

My mouth watered and I felt my stomach more empty than before.

Hah… I wonder if anime and manga exist here? They should, right? They have all of this advanced technology so it should be a given… unless this is some alternate world where none of my previously known countries exist, which would suck…

I had priorities in my previous life but anime and manga helped me get my mind off of things…

If I survive this I should try to bring back a couple of manga before I leave Japan…

I closed my eyes and rested, this was going to be hectic I can already tell.

*

*

*

"Do I want to even ask why?" Doctor asked, looking at Technician who was in a lofty position with his legs on his clean empty table.

"Hmm, I felt like it!" He answered with a laugh.

"What'll you do if every single one of them dies? There was even the one we found who was theorized to be on par in terms of talent as the Yozakuras."

"We'll start again of course, I don't care if they die or not, if they died it meant that they were weak." Technician said in a matter-of-fact tone.

Silence encompassed the room.

Doctor, who was now sitting on a chair, thought for a few moments before saying, "Just don't do this again, while we have the funds to continue… You know I hate wasting time, right?" He informed Technician at the end with venom laced in his words.

"Hhm~ Hm~ Yes I know~! Don't worry, if everything goes fine… we might even see something interesting happen amongst the subjects…"

His former smile turned into a slight grin and his once closed eyes opened slightly to give an air of mystery.

Doctor only looked, and left without saying anymore words. To him there was nothing left to say, so any more time staying in this room would be a waste of time.

"Hmm… Well I'm glad that he's the one doing all the paperwork and not me!" He gleefully said to himself.

*

*

*

An indefinite amount of time had passed.

I felt how heavy my eyes were, so that meant that we had been in the air for quite some time.

As I scratched my head and slapped my cheeks to wake myself up I noticed how quiet it had been compared to the last time I woke up.

From the ruckus before compared to now, it could even be called 'deathly silent' due to the sheer difference it had been from before.

"Hyup!"

I stood from my seat and stretched.

Crack!

Crack!

Ahh… that felt good.

Now completely awake, I had nothing else to do but practice the technique the soldier had taught me.

I took off my helmet and now the only sounds now were my footsteps, the occasional mishap that shakes the plane and the peaceful snoring of the kids.

But except for the loud thuds once in a while, my focus never wavered. It was fascinating, I could hear the visible difference from when I had started, to now.

Thanks to my acute hearing I could hear my footsteps go at least one to two decibels lower.

All I did was correct my walking, and move in a certain way and I sounded almost silent to the average person's ears.

I loved it.

I love how fast and how I can see my improvements.

The more I practice, the more motivation I get. It was a never ending loop of improvement, it was like I was high on drugs.

I didn't know it but as I lost track of time a growing grin appeared on my face.

My steps became softer and I felt lighter, like I was skating on ice.

Before I could continue a loud blaring sound jogged my brain up.

BEEEP!!!

"AH!!"

The loud screaming of the children and the siren made my heart jump.

Several pieces of equipment that the children used as pillows, like their helmets, were now rolling across the floor of the plane.

Some of the children weren't all that surprised and even kept calm.

Seriously, what do they feed some of these kids to become so mature…

"Ah, Ah. Is the mic working? Oh, it is? Good, let's begin then."

"You twenty-five trash have been tasked with wiping out a small gang… I presume you already know of your mission."

"Kill everyone, don't leave anyone behind."

"Your names are now irrelevant, you will go from codenames in the form of numbers. Get in line, you will be given code names then."

We scrambled to get in line, I looked at one of the kids, he was used as an example of what can happen if you disobey from now on.

The almost silent beeping was a constant reminder and it was placed on my neck.

They were lax since a hundred kids worth of materials was a drain for almost no reason, while only twenty-five? That was manageable.

A snuggly fit collar that looked like some kind of kink toy was cold. The outward appearance was that of an extremely thin-looking black cloth collar but in actuality it was a highly condensed shock collar that could fry you alive.

I may have pain resistance for all sorts of things, but it makes no difference if I just die.

Bzzt!

"Starting from left to right is one through twenty-five, got it?"

""Yes, sir!""

The small plain black cloth badge that was already on my vest started changing.

A very white number of seventeen appeared.

"In thirty minutes you will be dropped off at the bay where the gang's base is located. I don't wish you the best of luck, rather, survive."

After that ominous foreboding the speaker gave one last 'bzzst!' and shut off.

I went and sat back down to think.

"God, that was stressful, I wonder when our families will save us?"

"You idiot! If these people were so simple then they would have been destroyed by now. You give up, there's no point in hoping, you should have realized that by the end of the first week.."

We weren't given much, pistols for the people who specialized in guns (which were now few and far between) and melee weapons for those who specialized in those. We all had a backup flashlight, taser baton and anything that could usually be found in one of these.

I chose two combat knives rather than something like brass knuckles or a baseball bat.

I hadn't actually trained in any weapons (except for the recent knives) so I was rather proficient in using knives than anything I picked during the fights.

I took out one of my knives from its holster that was strapped on my right leg, looking into its reflection, my once bright eyes had turned dull.

I think this is my second time looking at my reflection, I wasn't really paying attention to my face when looking up to the sky so I guess this counts as the first.

Black hair and black eyes, huh?

I already saw my hair since it was in my field of view but compared to the crazy hair and eye combinations I've seen, this was a rather disappointing revelation.

At least my face looks good.

I used my left hand to rub my cheeks.

Huh, it wasn't fake afterall.

I put my knife back.

"Hah… what am I doing?" My lips twitched when I thought about how narcissistic I was being.

But a knife, huh?

Man, all that studying and practicing makes me feel old (I mentally am), it felt like forever ago when I killed that cross-dressing guy.

But it's been a week. Perspective of time is pretty scary.

Hah, whatever lets just rest, I practiced silent walking too so I deserve another rest.

*

*

*

"Captain, do you really think that they'll survive?"

The man with a sharp gaze and countless scars on his face replied, "Did you even listen to me?"

"I heard what you said, but you usually don't give encouragement…"

Both the men were wearing the standard black soldier vest and equipment.

"Heh, the oldest and second oldest Yozakura, Kyoichiro and Futaba (respectively) passed the Bronze Spy Association test at six-years-old… if these kids want to compete with them, they'll need those words."

"I have no doubt the other Yozakura brats will be monsters like that child."

"We already have intel about them, all their specialties are recorded and noted. To make a monster against another monster you'll need all the advantages you can get."

Ssk!

A flame grew out of the lighter. Bringing out a cigarette he put the end in his mouth and put the ember at the other end making smoke.

"Phew, to be honest I don't think this is even feasible, those damn super-humans are the next evolution of humanity, how could we even hope to make a decent copy of what nature has given to the Yozakura?"

"Captain, please stop smoking, it's making the whole room smell of smoke and I don't want to die of lung cancer later in life because of second-hand smoking from you."

The man who was resting his face on his hand laughed.

"Haha! This is why I keep you around! You make such good jokes at times like this. But don't kid yourself, you think you'll get out of the murkiness in this industry? When you step into the darkness you can't leave to the light, even if you pretend that you are your shadow will be a reminder that you'll stay in the dark."

Under the helmet the man had a deadpan expression, he didn't want to say anything since anything that could upset his captain would make him lose control of the plane leading them and the test subjects to their death.

Besides, what thirty minutes compared to the long hours he had already flown anyway?

'Hah… why did I get into this industry again?' He questioned his life decisions.

*

*

*

Bzzt!

"We're here people, get the parachutes behind your seats and go down, the hatch is opening at twenty…"

Haha…

Fuck.

I rushed like I never did before.

Who in the world gives people twenty seconds to put on a parachute!?

I was half-way done when-

"-one and the hatch is open."

"Waaaaa!!!"

I heard the speaker say something but I was already flung out of the plane.

"Aaaaahh!!!" I involuntarily screamed.

I looked around frantically to see what was going on but the wind wouldn't let me open them going downward.

I quickly pulled my helmet that was connected to my vest and rapidly put it on.

As soon as I did I could see everything better.

From the untightened straps for the parachute to the uncontrollable children plummeting to the ground…

With my now clear vision I worked overtime.

I tightened the straps I couldn't pull on before and I put my arm back into the shoulder strap that was dangling wildly through the air.

I was safe, had my parachute ready and was fully geared up.

I got into an X position to increase my drag so that I would fall slower.

I saw at least two kids plummeting to their deaths due to their slow reaction time. I only saw them going into the clouds at rocket speed, nothing really. But maybe fate is on their side and they survived?

I used these types of thoughts to try to ignore that I was kicked off a plane several thousand feet into the air and had to scramble to put on a parachute so that I could survive and not go splat.

Also, I've never skydived so everything seemed like it would kill me.

I saw my other colleagues doing the same.

"Haaa…"

"Haaa…"

I took deep breaths.

It was like in a fight or flight situation where everything became clear as day.

As I went faster and faster to the ground a harmless cloud was on my way down to the bay.

I put my hands up like I was about to fight, but I passed right through without injury.

"Hah…" Breathing a sigh of relief I was now focusing back on my descent.

I was halfway to the ground but thanks to gravity I was going even faster, you know, physics?

I looked at the side of my goggles showing the built in altimeter.

Wait…

5000…

Wait…

4500

Wait..!

Now!

I opened my parachute at three-thousand meters.

From then on I safely glided down and reached the bay area.

I heard gunshots firing in the air but none of them aimed at me… I wonder why?

Tut!

The hard concrete absorbed my fall.

Thanks to my (now) well built body These kinds of impact have very mild effects.

From where I landed I spotted the large warehouse in the distance.

Tap, Tap.

"Ah, Ah, Can anyone hear me? I spotted the target, where did you guys all land?"

I used the mics built in the helmet. I just realized how useful these helmets are, I wonder who built them?

*

*

*

Back at the facility.

"Achoo!"

"Sniff… Is someone talking about me?"

"Are you talking about you sneezing? The superstition that when people talk behind your back they talk to you, that one?"

"Yes, that one Knowledge… Is your nose itchy too?"

"Hmm, it is indeed a bit itchy…"

"See…?"

"However, it is more likely that we have a cold or fever, I don't believe in those stupid superstitions, if they don't have logic then they make no sense."

"...I forget that you're like this sometimes… whatever. I'm going back to work."

"Type softer Virus, you're interrupting my tea and book time."

A vein popped out of Virus's forehead.

"T-That's everyday though?" Her voice was starting to shake.

"Even so, type softer, it breaks my concentration."

"You little-!"

*

*

*

Ssskt!

"I'm near the mission, report, who is it that I am speaking to?"

A smooth and concise voice was asking.

"I'm number seventeen, tell me your coordinates, I'll come to you."

"No need, also I am in the middle of a fight with a few of their goons. I'll respond after I'm done, ciao."

Bzzst!

"Wa-!"

"..."

I mumbled, "The audacity of these kids…" My lips twitched with annoyance, but the reason is acceptable.

I started gathering the parachute to fold back into the backpack. My current location was the container part of the port.

"Hm…?"

It was faint, but I heard someone walk.

I turned around, expecting someone to be there.

My senses went haywire and I turned around already having my right knife out and blocking a strangely shaped metal.

Fwip!

Ting!

"Ohhhh hohhh? You actually noticed me?"

After the small exchange he dashed back.

The unknown man asked. He looked like someone who you wouldn't want to get involved with, to be more specific he looked like a snake.

"Are you one of the ones who runs the gang that controls this port?" I asked with a cold tone.

"Hmm~? Ammm I or am I noooottt? Haha…"

Thanks to the night-vision in the helmet I was able to see perfectly fine.

"...I'm going to take that as a yes…"

Tap.

Tap.

Tap.

As I ran, I brought out my left leg knife.

Fwip!

Woosh!

"Hey~ You're pretttty goood, huh?"

Slurring his words? He's drunk?

I remembered a point during the grueling long presentation about random facts with the facts about the enemies mixed in.

"...You'll have to fight two elite fighters on their side… Anyway, the mitochondria is the powerhouse of the cell…"

"So you're one of the 'elites' I heard about…"

"Hmm…?" He tilted his head as if questioning what I was saying.

"So are you the 'Dragon' or the 'Tiger'?"

"Ahhh, they still call us by those stupid nicknames?"

Their nicknames came from the Chinese idiom, 'Crouching Tigers Sleeping Dragons.' Basically, don't mess with them.

"Ah, those stupid Triad bastards gave us those damn nicknames and it just keeps on coming back…" He crouched down and sobbed into his legs.

"Anyway my name isn't 'Tiger' it's Tora (虎 Japanese for Tiger)."

Isn't that the same thing?

"Well I don't care how you got the name, all I know is that you need to die."

"Hah, what a rude child, I'll let you know that I've been alive for quite some time now!" He puffed his chest out like it was something to be proud of.

Woosh!

Tap.

Tap.

Tap.

Ting!

It's this thing again…

Everytime he blocked me, he used some type of weirdly shaped beer opener.

"You like it? I got it custom made from the Mushiro Company!"

"Hah… I'm so glad I got this… Ryu had his twin machetes and I finally got my own weapon!"

Tora rubbed his cheeks at the weirdly elongated bottle opener while shedding a singular tear.

Woosh!

I need to get out of here, he blocked me too easily. I need backup.

Tap, Tap.

"I found one of the 'elites' that was mentioned in the presentation. Come to my cords now." I quickly said before I heard someone in front of me.

"Ah, no, no, that can't be done, you know?"

Skkk…

I came to an abrupt stop.

In front of me and on top of a container was Tora himself, casually sitting like it was nothing.

His slurring completely stopped.

"Man when I heard that people were raiding us I thought it would be the end, but who knew that these dumbasses sent children against us…"

He held a bottle of Yozakura Blizzard and poured some into a small porcelain cup.

What the hell is that?

"Gulp! Kyah! Man, I told Ryu that I would share some of this with him but who would have known that sake could be this good~!"

"Maaaannn I'm soooo tired…"

"Hahhhh, I'm sleepy, I should just kill you and be done with it…"

"..."

Where is he!?

I felt a tap from my shoulder, beads of sweat felt like they instantly condensed on my forehead.

"Boo."

Fwip!

Ting!

Fwip!

Ting!

I endlessly barraged him with precise stabs and slashes but each one of them were parried or dodged.

While he looked like a beautiful swan, dodging each strike and parrying them like a beautiful dance, I was like the ugly duckling. I was rough, and used too much force.

"Bwhahaha!! This is so much fun! It's been a while since anything interesting happened." He exclaimed with a flushed expression.

I analyzed his moves, while we used different weapons, I learned from his footwork.

While the adrenaline kept me going, the (not) imaginary fatigue was taking a mental toll on me.

"Hah… Hah…"

This helmet… it's annoying…

I roughly took the helmet off of my head, Tora looking and drinking with amusement.

"Ohh~ Hey, you would be a pretty good model in the future… Hahaha!! What am I saying, you won't even get out of here alive, how would you be a model in the future!"

"Phuuu…"

I took a deep breath, I used the few seconds to recuperate and digest the information about the footwork.

Crunch.

I could feel the gravel under my shoes. My eyes had adjusted to the darkness and I could see clearly.

Shing!

Ting!

"Huh, who are you? I thought I sent three of those no-goods to deal with the rest of you trespassers."

The metal scraping against each other wasn't a pleasant sound, but that was the least of my concerns right now.

"They did, I just killed them all."

Tang!

As they left their small skirmish the blonde haired boy stood beside me.

"Are you seventeen?" He gave a glance before keeping his eyes on Tora again.

"I am, what's your number?"

"I am number Five, pleased to make your acquaintance."

Why does he talk like that?

"You said that this one was one of the 'elites'? Which one."

"He's Tora the Tiger." I answered.

"Tiger Tiger? What a strange name…"

"Ah…"

At this point there's no point in resolving this misunderstanding.

"Huh!? Did I just hear you say Tiger!? How outrageous! My name is Tora! Not that bullshit nickname the Triad gave us!"

"Ah, I see…" Five looked almost disappointed that this was the same person he just crossed paths with.

Five used a katana, he was the one who could cut rocks and whatnot.

I whispered, "Let's rush him."

"Agreed." He answered in kind.

Tora was just dangling his legs and having a good time with his sake just waiting for us to move.

As we rushed at Tora he just disappeared, leaving behind the white porcelain cup filled with sake.

Behind!?

No, up!

Ting!

"Trying to take out the weakest link? Sorry, but I'm not so weak."

While I said that, it was a bluff. In actuality I was using most if not all my strength In order not to be crushed by both his weight and attack.

Woosh!

Five came and saved the day. The sudden loss of weight and over-exhausting my body made it fall.

"Are you alright?"

He held the katana with both his hands.

"Yeah…"

I got up trembling.

My hands shivered, and my knives were uncontrollable.

It was a mix of fear, body shock and a little dose of everything else.

"Let's go!"

We rushed at him again.

*

*

*

"Hahaha!!! Is this the best you guys can do!?" The boy smiled wildly.

On the other side of the port were the small boats and privately owned boats.

A boy with shark teeth and red hair wearing a black vest, and brass knuckles slammed the outer metal of the brass knuckles back at the already unconscious goon's face, breaking their cheek bone even further to the point of it being beyond repair with modern medicine.

"Tch, such weaklings… What a waste of time…" His smile eventually turned into a large frown.

He grabbed the helmet latched on his back and put it on.

Bzzst!

"I found one of the 'elites' that was mentioned in the presentation. Come to my cords now."

A short and brief statement was made on the universal comms system given to them.

'Hmm? This seems interesting right?' The smile came back with even more ferocity than before.

As he leisurely made his way to the dot on his field of vision he couldn't think about how disappointing everything was so far.

Being forced to obey some weaklings because of something like this collar.

He casually touched the collar giving him a shock throughout his entire body. But that didn't stop him from walking, rather he endured it with relative ease.

'I'll kill them… Those weaklings… The people running this experiment…'

A vein popped on his forehead when he thought about how he felt like some type of dog that could be thrown out at a moment's notice.

'I'll definitely kill those bastards…'

He thought resentfully, swearing to kill them.

He successfully made his way through the boat section and into the 'container ship' section of the docks.

The dot on the HUD of the helmet fluctuated at random times sporadically.

'Is that guy having fun without me?'

The thought of someone hogging the fun and having fun fighting to the death with someone else made his blood boil with rage.

He no longer took the leisurely pace and started running.

It had been around ten minutes to get from his previous location to the current one. As he got closer and closer to the cords of the helmet, the more the dot moved faster and faster. At some point he had already seen the general direction of the location and took the helmet off.

He had a keen smell, so even from twenty meters away he could smell the strong stench of blood lingering in the air.

The tiny sounds of metal clashing were now mind deafening.

'One more container…'

Only one container stood between his way and the bloody fight he wanted.

Bam!

He jumped and climbed the container in one go.

His felt chills go down his spine, the six people fighting all took a glance before continuing the fight.

Three people felt especially different, they were monsters… monsters like him.

*

*

*

I didn't even notice it.

I have seen anime and even manga describing a feeling where people basically become superhuman…

It's a state of hyperfocus, 'Flow'.

The state where even a wrong thought could end the state, it broke the boundaries of extreme focus and into the new realm of hyperfocus.

Pain was negligible, combat state was fine and I was performing like a dancer in this battlefield.

During the course of the battle more and more kids joined, I think six joined… I don't remember.

My tunnel vision only had one thing in its sight, Tora.

As the synergy between me and Five increased in Flow, we became like water.

Seamless and flowing.

His sword and my knives.

Tora and his metal bottle opener.

We all engaged in a dance called 'Death'.

If the kids who joined us were the side dancers then we were the main course.

The longer the battle went on the more injuries we got. Tora was able to push all of us back, it was a testament of his inhuman strength. But in return he was also injured, in the same if not in a slightly worse condition than me and Five.

In the state of Flow I was digesting the footwork of Tora at lightning speed, everything seemed to be speeding up or slowing down. I even unconsciously used Silent Steps in my every move.

Woosh!

As we rushed at Tora, Five started the attack by trying to slash at his chest.

Dodge.

Left…

No, right…

Possession would be the closest thing I could describe the Flow state. I make use of everything, sometimes my tunnel vision suddenly expands to show me a rock or a stick I could use as a distraction or I use the gravel on the ground to try and blind Tora.

The applications were limitless…

I could tell that the three behind me and Five were also slowly going into Flow. They started making better decisions, became more emotionless and made it seem like they were controlling their bodies like avatars in video games.

Bang!

I took a quick glance on the top of the container where Tora was drinking at the start.

A boy with shark-like teeth and flaring red hair looked at the battlefield like a hungry beast.

Not only were we going into Flow but Tora was already in Flow by the time me and Five were completely absorbed in it.

He is also like his name and not at the same time.

He fights straight-up, hard and fast like a tiger would, or he would use his unique movement technique to try a sneak attack, like a snake…

It would be appropriate to call this type of fighting style a 'Chimera-Style' then anything else.

Under…

A punch…?

He used the crescent shape of the bottle opener to its advantage by swinging it's sharp pointy side to my chest and a punch to my face.

I would have made the decision to block the strike to the chest if I was alone… but I'm not.

I watched as Tora retreated.

"Thanks Fi-"

Bang!

The ground shook.

The one inch diameter punch I did before didn't feel so special anymore.

The shark-teeth kid saved me and dug a meter hole into the ground.

My Flow State shook.

I momentarily looked away from the hole and at Tora.

Now opening his eyes, he kept a small smile - that before would have looked sly, but now it was just a mask to hide the abyss that were his eyes.

The Flow strengthened and I rushed at Tora again, hearing Five's steps behind me I knew he would have my back.

Fwip! One swipe.

Left. Dodge.

Woosh!

Fwip! Second strike.

Shhkk!! Hit.

Down. I can't dodge it.

Ting!

Five blocked the absurdly durable metal bottle opener.

As we switched out, I now covered for Five's attacks at Tora.

The constant flowing of trading in and out was something that even Tora had a hard time handling.

I figured out that Tora needs a bit of room and comfort in order to pull off that movement technique, so long as we keep up the pressure he can't escape and we will wear him down through endurance.

"Rah!!!"

Both me and Five moved out of the way as the red head threw a punch at Tora that resulted in a sickening crunch on his face.

Crunch!!!

Boom!

As Tora's back hit the metal container causing the metal bend into the shape of his back, he staggered back up.

"Everyone attack!!! This is our only chance!!!"

I screamed.

He was back up but much more heavily damaged than before. He must be dizzy, that amount of force can do some nasty things to your brain after all.

Sshhhhkkk!!!

One knife was stuck in his intestines, the other now in his heart.

Countless weapons from a katana to a pole arm were stuck in his body.

"Cough… Cough… Ha… Ha… I c-can't believe I'm going to die like this… And to think this was all because of y-you…" He closed his eyes back to their slit-eyed form and pointed at me weakly.

He was right. I improved so much that with only Five I was able to somewhat hold him back. I had grown explosively. It was crazy how just fifteen minutes ago I couldn't even lay a hand on him…

I was fully out of Flow, my concentration dipped and everything hit me at once.

It hurt but not as much as burning alive, but this would definitely put me out of commission for some time.

"I want that movement technique." I declared. I wasn't actually hoping for anything.

Not only was it useful but one of its disadvantages is that you can hear where the footsteps go (though because of how fast Tora is when using it, it doesn't really matter). Therefore if I combine Silent Steps and this weird teleportation movement technique then I'd be much stronger than I am now - If I got it of course.

At first Tora had a surprised expression before saying, "Haha! Go to hell you shitty brat, I'll be waiting for you there!" With one last push he smiled and threw me the middle finger.

I saw Tora's body go cold, I wasn't really bothered with his death, our goals conflicted and so one of us had to go.

I just stood there for a moment reminiscing, unable to accept that all had just happened. It was unbelievable afterall.

I looked around, from the original six only three of the kids survived. If we count the two who had most definitely died, then… we're already down five kids… a fifth is already gone.

"Hmm… we're already down by quite a bit… Five what are your plans?"

He may be a kid but he was far more mature than the three currently resting.

"I say we look and save the other numbers, that'll increase our survival rate… there's still one more?" I heard him mumble the last part.

There was still one more boss monster before this 'mission' was complete… actually mythologically speaking, a dragon is more powerful than a tiger… right?

…

I really hope that he isn't stronger…

And I just jinxed myself…

"Hey!" I called out to the hot head.

"Huh? What do ya want!?"

"What's your number, I'm Seventeen…" I was exhausted to the point of passing out.

"I'm number Twenty."

"I see, thanks for your help earlier…"

Though Five would have blocked it but still, I wanted to give my thanks.

"Heh, heh no prob!" He answered me with a large grin.

I wonder how teeth even grow like that?

A wandering thought, a sign that I had completely let go of wariness. I stopped my body from shutting down though.

"I'm not going to be able to do anything, you guys will need to save the numbers on your own."

I lied, if I wanted I could go on for another five minutes fighting.

But I wasn't lying about being exhausted, this is the first time I've ever felt like this. It was like trying to keep a fog whole so that it can't dissipate into the air.

"Hmm… Alright, then I'll lead these three and save the other numbers!" Twenty exclaimed.

I stole a side glance at the three who were injured but could still go on, "Alright good luck." I gave them a smile.

I could hear the grumbling of the other three as they followed behind him.

"Five you're not going with them?"

"Do you think that I am in any position to fight right now?"

I guess not, he is basically the same as me right now.

"Hey… This might be a weird question but, could you tell me more about this world?"

He gave me that confused look again, "What, do you have amnesia or something?"

"Something similar…" I vaguely answered.

Five just looked at me for a moment, most likely to see if something about me was wrong in any way. We were sitting next to Tora's dead body, leaning onto the metal container.

So enough Five started telling me all sorts of things, The Spy Association, Teiou Academy, Spies, The different countries, just anything and everything he told me about that came to his mind.

This wasn't my world, or maybe it was and I was so oblivious to politics that I never noticed all these politicians disappearing left and right.

We were eventually caught in a harmonious silence. I didn't sleep but I fully relaxed my body letting it recover.

"Five, I think we should move."

I was worried about the strong stench of blood attracting any enemies nearby.

Call me paranoid because if there were any enemies they would have joined in on the fight but they didn't. However, that lingering sense of danger just doesn't go away.

"Hmm, I guess it would be the more logical thing to do. Alright let's move"

Agreeing with me we went and staggered our way to our (still) stuck weapons in Tora's body.

As we were taking our weapons out of Tora, I saw the small glean in the bottle opener that Tora was using.

Since he didn't give me his Movement Technique I can take this right?

"Hah…"

The constant bleeding was getting annoying and my head was getting light.

"Wait, Five let me treat my wounds before we go any further."

"How? They did not give us anything, did they?"

"They gave us a roll of bandages in our third right pocket on our vest."

He looked at me like I was a lunatic for even knowing that.

The bottle opener I was holding had a crescent shape where the opener part was located. It was scary sharp, enough to even cut through my vest like it was butter.

Rather than a bottle opener it was more like a weirdly shaped spear with an addition of the bottle opener as an extra.

As I treated my wounds I watched Five do the same.

*

*

*

"Boss, I brought one of them." A man with a large stature and with a cleanly shaved head said to the man sitting on a wooden crate.

"They were annoying, but I caught one."

"Ahh, I see… Thanks for your help but go and find Tora for me will you?" Ryu said.

"Sure thing Boss."

He dropped the kid like a sack of potatoes and left the warehouse.

"You annoying little bastards caused quite the ruckus didn't you?"

Ryu hopped off the wooden crate and pulled on the kids' hair so that they were eye-level.

"Hah, are you ignoring me right now? Hey! Get one of the tubs ready, we need to wake this bastard up!"

""Yes boss!!""

Their business had been booming.

Thanks to their control over this port it had been easy for people to ask to use this port as a popular site to both escape and bring in things.

Of course they had to have the strength to keep this place from being taken by some other gang, and both Tora and Ryu were equivalent to lower and low Bronze Spies respectively.

Now thanks to this new trouble some of their calls and meetings had been interrupted.

'Nobody messes with the Tiger Dragon Gang…'

Both Tora and Ryu had started this gang up from the ground and they weren't going to let some trouble makers make everything into a mess.

In a few moments a large tub of water sat in front of Ryu.

Still holding onto the boy he dunked his head into the water tub.

"Aragh!! Glug!"

"Oh so you're awake now? Why didn't you say so?"

Upon pulling the boy's head out he tried and struggled to tear Ryu's hand off his hair.

"Ohh~ A feisty one aren't ya?" He commented with a slight grin.

"Hey kid if you tell me where your friends are then I'll let you go, how about that?"

"Cough, Cough, I don't know where they are! Let me go you bitch!"

A vein popped out of Ryu's forehead, "What did you say you little shit!?"

As he shoved his head back into the tub of water, countless splashes showing struggle slowly died out.

"Cough… Cough…"

"See? Just tell me where they are and I'll let you go…"

"I… don't… know…"

"B-Boss…"

"What!?"

Ryu turned around and saw one of the henchmen asking.

"We need the helmet… it self-destructed everytime we killed one of them…"

"Ohh~ I see… So that's what we need…" He turned back towards the child.

"Hey kid… put the helmet on…"

Ryu threw the kid to the ground.

Bang!

"Cough, Cough…"

"I SAID PUT THE DAMN HELMET ON!"

Bang!

Ryu kicked the test subject in his guts.

"Did you get that!?"

Squirming in pain he replied, "Cough… y-yes…"

He hurriedly put the helmet on as fast as possible.

"So? Where are the rest of you guys…"

Ryu threateningly asked.

"T-There's one dot…"

"WHERE!?"

"O-Over that way…"

He pointed in a certain direction.

'Isn't the container section where Tora went…? No, no, I must be overthinking… There's no way a bunch of kids could kill one of us…'

"You guys, take this kid and finish off that bastard if he lies, also kill the one he's pointing to… got that!?"

""Sir yes, sir!!""

"Good…"

Ryu went back and sat back on the wooden crate.

*

*

*

It's been about twenty minutes since our fight with Tora.

During that time Twenty and the three (whose numbers I haven't gotten), found four others and now we're resting inside one of the countless containers.

"So, are we gonna keep searching for other numbers?" Twenty asked while chomping on some pasta.

Somehow the people at the facility put MRIs into one of the pockets and so we're eating our dinner…

"No, I think we should stop." Five answered.

"What about you, Seventeen?" Five turned and looked at me.

"I think the same."

In less than five minutes everyone was done eating.

This isn't really bad, but I still regret not filling myself to the brim with the cafeteria food.

I put my helmet on briefly and checked the time.

4 a.m.

It's been about close to an hour since we got here…

Tap.

Tap.

Tap.

"Where are they!?"

A brash and harsh voice asked.

"O-Over there…"

"Huh?"

I heard Twenty but my attention was on the people coming over.

Countless, and I mean countless goons were coming this way. From just a glance there were at least forty if not more coming in our direction.

I frowned, I saw the kid who was one of us giving them directions to our - no my location.

"This isn't a very good situation is it?" Five remarked.

"It really isn't" I whispered to myself.

Banging his fists together Twenty asked, "So how are we going to kill these guys!?"

"Huh!? Over there!"

One of the goons spotted us.

God damnit Twenty…

"I'll try to lure them away, they're using one of the numbers to my location! Come and find me after you guys are done!"

"Ciao." Five said his goodbyes and left, killing any of the goons in his way.

"See ya!"

Soon I was on top of a container and I heard the numerous steps the goons were creating.

"Hah… Hah… so you bastard finally stopped, come here and we'll give you an easy death."

Wow… so scary…

I just gave them a disappointed look before walking to them.

"Oh, you're smart, you see the other ones we killed struggled and it was annoying to kill them but you? I can see that you're sm-"

The moment he was in front of me I used Tora's spear and cleanly cut his head off.

"Wai-!"

I started slaughtering them, unlike Tora who was genuinely strong, these goons were just street thugs latching onto their thighs.

Also the data was wrong, from this alone I knew some of it was wrong. There were far too many goons and this wasn't said in the report.

I guess they grew rapidly and got more thugs to join them.

"Phew…"

In the end I counted twenty-two thugs that died at my hands.

This 'thing' is pretty good.

Usually spears are used to stab to cause more damage but because of how sharp this was, it could take more unique shapes for the head, like the crescent shape on this one.

"Ahww… You took them all out, I was going to tear them apart but you beat me to it."

"You're done Twenty?"

"Yup, man these guys are such weaklings compared to that other guy." Twenty said with a cheerful tone.

Five came next and said "I see you two are also done."

It took some time but within a few minutes the other seven of the numbers made it to my location.

"Now then… what do we do to you~?" Twenty gave a large smile.

"Y-You guys don't stand a chance against that monster! You'll all die!!"

Hah…

"It's better to die trying than not trying at all, isn't it?"

I just gave the kid a wry grin.

"Besides what choice do we even have at this point, it's between a rock and a hard place so we might as well choose the one where we can survive, right?"

"Yes, I suppose that's correct." I saw a slight smile on Five's face.

"Hah~ This is boring, let's go and kill a dragon!!"

"Ah but I'm going to kill you since you snitched us out, okay?"

Boom!

Using his brass knuckles, Twenty quite literally made this number's head into paste in a single punch.

The body slumped down frozen in its position before his death. It's pretty gory but I've already seen multiple bodies so it doesn't make me queasy anymore.

I went through the kids vest and found one thing I wanted to take with me, his healing serum. This was actually the reason why I was able to move so easily after the fights in the past.

We started heading towards the warehouse and along the way we discussed strategies on how to take out Ryu.

In our ragtag team we had a fist, katana, knife, polearm, gun, needle, and other things.

We decided on the front liners, me, Five, Twenty and three others to rush in while the girl with the gun and the kid with the needles to provide backup for us.

This was the best strategy for us and since we all had backup electronic batons the girl and guy can defend themselves.

Soon the warehouse was getting bigger and bigger and we were right in front of it.

"Lets gooo!!!"

Bang!

Twenty led the charge and we all followed right behind him.

The goons were hurriedly picking up their guns and weapons when they all died with a gunshot or needle in their brains.

Some of them were smart enough to hide behind the wooden crates scattered through the place but that didn't stop us from killing them.

Woosh!

Sshkkk!!

I cut another man's head off.

I spotted Ryu just watching every occur without batting an eye.

When his eyes landed on me he vanished.

I felt a strong grip on my head, almost like he was trying to squeeze my head like a balloon.

I dropped the 'spear'.

He took his hand off my head and I took out my knives aiming for his chest.

Shhk!

I got two clean hits and backed away.

"..."

I watched as the man ignored his injuries and slowly picked up Tora's spear.

"W-Where did you get this!?" I could audibly hear his teeth gritting and his neck fully tensed up.

"Tora? He is dead, I killed him."

I gave a half truth.

"I see…"

His grip on the spear tightened and clenched his teeth.

"Oh is this the infamous Ryu I kept hearing about!?" Twenty asked a rhetorical question excitedly.

"Hmm… He is stronger than Tora, I don't know if we'll be able to win this Seventeen."

"Well we better die trying…" I muttered in response to Five's question.

Ryu slowly turned towards me, he dropped the spear and disappeared again.

The adrenaline was sparking my Flow back quicker than before.

Boom!

Ryu punched me and I flew to the other side of the warehouse.

"Cough!"

I caught some of the blood that I coughed out in my hand.

My ribs are broken, that's for sure…

"Oraaa!!"

Boom!

"Who are you supposed to be?"

I looked to find Twenty attacking Ryu.

"Ohh~ Did I hear a crack? I guess you aren't so invincible afterall!" Twenty said with an almost unnatural smile and a flushed expression.

Boom!

Boom!

It didn't matter if Ryu kept dodging or not, he kept sending these punches like they were nothing.

Woosh!

Ting!

"Why are there so many of you little pesky bastards, ah!?"

Five retreated.

I took out one of the healing serums and used it.

"Huu…"

I could feel my ribs mend themselves slowly, it was uncomfortable like an itch you can't satisfy but it was bearable.

When I felt that I could move I picked up my knives and rushed at Ryu's unguarded back.

Fwip!

Ting!

"Oh so you're back you little bastard!!"

I could feel Ryu's anger at me.

With both his machetes now out he started his barrage of attacks at us.

With each attack I felt closer and closer to death.

The spark had now fully ignited.

My Flow was back and used to my full advantage.

From dodging to silently sneaking up onto Ryu's back I did everything to kill this man.

Five and even Twenty went into Flow as well.

Woosh!

Ting!

Boom!

I watched Ryu back off.

"Haha… I see why Tora died now… You kids are some tough bastards aren't you?"

"Boss! I'm back!"

"Oh Kumakiri you're back!"

Shit!

"Take that red kid and the blonde one away from me!" Ryu ordered.

"Yes sir!"

"Uooahhhh!!!"

I watch as this stupidly large man charge at Twenty and Five.

"Seventeen we'll try to come back as soon as possible! Keep Ryu busy!"

Twenty said as he went further away from me.

"Now it's just the two of us now… you scared? Cause I'm gonna rip your head off!!!"

Now without the constant pressure of three people threatening to kill him he used his movement technique and vanished.

Now in Flow I used the sounds to my advantage. I pinpointed the location of Ryu.

Left!

Ting!

"Haha impressive!" Ryu said with gritted teeth.

He was like me except everything was to his advantage.

Ignoring the bloody x-shaped scar I left for him and the punch he took from Twenty, he was a better me in every sense of the word.

Tora was manageable in Flow, but Ryu was too fast, I relied on my instincts more than my control over my body to nimbly dodge and block his relentless slices.

Ting!

Down!

No, up!

Ting!

My tunnel vision narrowed even further, my peripheral vision was blocked entirely and all my focus was on Ryu.

"You should be proud to be fighting against me for so long. Not many have fought with me for so long." The pride was almost tangible enough to feel.

Woosh!

My Silent Steps are now passively activated at all times allowing me to confuse Ryu.

Bang!

Ting!

Ssss…

"A gun? I should have made Kumakiri take every pest out…"

I rushed back in.

One!

Fwip!

Ting!

Ryu turned his attention back on me.

"I'm going to kill you…"

He declared.

"Go ahead and try."

As we clashed to the point of losing track I became more and more adapted to him, I didn't need to see where he was going anymore I could just predict it instead.

It was like playing a rhythm game with your life on the line.

Gradually without me noticing, a small smile sprouted on my face.

My eyes were completely bloodshot and my muscles screamed like they were prisoners of hell but I kept going.

My stamina went to the negatives and I broke the limits of my body over and over again.

Like a perpetual loop I kept fighting and rushing back to Ryu.

I was no longer a master controlling a puppet, I was a force of nature that guided my body's every move.

My Silent Steps became even more perfected and with the pressure from the back throwing in the occasional needle and bullet I went even further.

Bang!

He flung me for the second time.

I got all sorts of gashes and large scars from this fight but so did he.

The small smile had sprouted into a large grin as my hands went to the pocket with the healing serum.

I stabbed my leg and injected everything before throwing it away.

"Haha you are one freak of nature!"

Ryu didn't even care about the backline's support and we went back to it.

BeforeI even realized it, Five and Twenty were helping me kill Ryu.

"We're back Seventeen!"

Twenty exclaimed with his absolute manic smile.

Five just kept quiet, putting every ounce of focus into Ryu as he walked towards us.

We all rushed at him, the backlines had finally cleared all those seemingly immortal thugs and came to help us.

From the pole arm to the girl with the gun we all fought against Ryu.

Ryu flung most of the weaker members but with us being the main force that didn't matter.

Rather than being water, this time became fire.

Unforgiving and unrelenting.

If it was just me and Five then it would have become water but with the addition of Twenty the strategy became for him to land those ruthless punches with us distracting Ryu.

From the back to the air Ryu took many hits and he was still standing. His durability was much higher than Tora so it once again became an endurance competition.

Ryu may have landed several hits on us wearing us down but just like Tora the stamina of us three was greater than his one.

"Hah… Hah…"

We all breathed heavily, my body felt like an unchangeable lead, unable to move or twist.

The Flow may have helped me ignore most of these problems but when it's too much for even it to ignore, then I feel the full brunt of it.

Bang!

Woosh!

Both a bullet and needle flew to their target.

Ting!

Ryu blocked the bullet but the needle passed through his nearly broken defenses.

Ssshhk!!

It pierced into his flesh but not by much, maybe only a centimeter at best.

He pulled it out and we continued our dance.

Not even a minute later Ryu suddenly flinched and we took that opportunity to deal more damage.

Boom!

Ssshhk!!

Sssshhk!!

When we blacked away Ryu kneeled and coughed.

"Cough! Cough! Poison."

I see… the needle was poisoned…

We simultaneously ran at Ryu.

"Arrgahhhhh!!!"

Thanks to the poison Ryu was eventually at his death.

Ryu went completely berserk and fought with even more ferocity than before.

Left!

No.. Right!?

His attacks became unpredictable but his defense was completely gone now and we dealt the finishing blow.

Sssshhhk!!

Five's katana went through his heart and out the other side of Ryu's body.

We all backed away.

Ryu, realizing what just happened, walked over to a wall and got in a comfortable position.

He breathed out his last words, "Cough! Cough! Ah fuck… all that time for nothing… I guess I'll meet Tora on the other side…"

And with that, the mission was complete.

*

*

*

Crunch!

"Ah! They did it!?" Technician said in a surprised tone while eating some chips.

"Yup I just came from Virus' room and I came to tell you that they did it…"

Combat lazily answered.

"Haha! See, it wasn't a bad idea after all? We got the right amount of kids and they completed the mission that I gave them!" Technician was over the moon with the news Combat had just told him.

Wrrr!

Wrrr!

"Code Green, I repeat Code Green, this is not a drill, there is a Code Green."

"Ah? Which one of those morons made a Code Green?" Combat briefly looked at the speaker before going back to his phone.

"Technician, it's your job this time… you lost a poker game and the punishment was you taking the next 'Code', remember?"

'Shit, why does he always remember things like this!?'

"O-Of course, I will." His lips twitched in annoyance as he thought about the work he had to do.

*

*

*

"H-Ha… Hahaha!!!"

"I finally did it! Finally… after ten long years I finally completed this project…"

A man with dark circles and a lab coat sobbed as he realized he finally accomplished his lifelong dream.

In an almost complete dark lab he cried for a minute before wiping his tears.

"N-No… 'They' will take my accomplishment… I-I can't allow that to happen!"

He walked over to a mic and talked into it.

"D-Don't worry… You'll be safe here…"

He said while touching the glass peering into an isolated room full of gas.

"Hahhh~ Are you done yet?"

The man turned around quickly.

"T-Technician!? H-How did you get in here!? The doors and security systems should have stopped you!!"

"Ah? Virus turned them off of course. Did you forget that we have one of Teiou Academy's most illuminated alumni here?"

"H-Haha…" The man lost the power in his legs and kneeled down.

"Give us your research and you can live and start a new project." Technician leaned his back on the wall right next to the door.

"N-No! Just for you to take my accomplishments!? This was my masterpiece!! I'll never let anyone take this from me!!"

He brought a vial out from his back pocket and threw it onto the ground.

Crash!

The liquid now in contact with oxygen quickly turned into a gas and filled the room with it.

Now wearing a gas mask the man yelled, "How do you like it!? This is my most prized neurotoxin that I built and can do almost anything you can think of!?"

"Hah…" Technician just sighed with disappointment.

"Did you really think I would come in here without a gas mask knowing the type of research you do?"

"A-Ah?"

Technician brought out a syringe and put the contents into his right arm.

The arm rapidly mutated and grew to abnormal levels.

Woosh…

Technician slowly pulled his large arm.

"A-Ah! P-Please I'll accept the offer let me li-!"

Woosh!!

BANG!!!

The scientist who was whole just a prior was now all just a paste.

In addition, the whole area where Technician punched and now cracked and compacted, leaving the room looking like something had just been dropped from a tall height.

Tap, Tap.

"Ah? Knowledge? Ah, yeah, call the clean up crew to fix this…"

Technician's arm had swelled back to its normal size and said, "... minor inconvenience… What!? What do you mean I made a mess again? How outrageous, name one time I did something like that."

"W-Wait… S-Stop… Okay I get it… P-Please…"

"Ah, right. Close the ventilation vents connected to this room and make a route to the outside to release the fumes in here."

"Alright~ Got it."

*

*

*

"Hahh~"

"I'm so tired…"

Twenty randomly said.

"Stop complaining, we're almost back."

Five interjected.

"You mean five more hours left to go?"

This bantering continued and I just watched everyone in a cheery mood.

I rubbed my eyes involuntarily.

I guess I can't help it anymore…

The fatigue caught up to me and I slept until we got back.

"Haahhh~ That was a nice nap…"

I talked to myself.

We headed back into the facility.

Pop!

"Congratulations! You guys completed the mission I gave you!"

Tooot!

Confetti and party blowers were thrown at us.

I saw a man with black hair and deep red eyes…

The unnerving part was that there were swirls in his eyes constantly rotating like it was an abyss…

"Before you completely pass, I have one last mission for one of you…"

"Follow along now Seventeen~"

"Huh!?"

I looked back to see the soldiers guiding the rest of the surviving numbers back to the dorms.

"Follow along~"

I heard him repeat.

I had no other choice so I caught up to him.

"Who are you…" I cautiously asked.

"Hm~? Oh, me? My name is Technician, I'm the director of this place."

The director!?

If I kill him now… No… That would be stupid…

I just turned away and looked straight.

"Oh~? Not surprised?"

I am!

"I thought you would ask questions, but I guess you're too smart for that aren't you?"

My eyes twitch a bit before stopping.

"Haha, you're quite to mess with, but anyway we're already here."

In front of me was a door.

"I'll just tell you now, there is a living human experiment that has succeeded beyond this door, there are no right or wrong answers, I just want to see what you'll do~" The man, Technician, explained to me with a coy smile.

"Will you kill them? Spare them?"

"Haha, but go ahead, open the door."

I just looked suspiciously at him before turning the handle.

*

*

*

Okaa-san…

Otou-san…

I'm scared… please… help me…

A girl cried in her head.

She didn't even dare to try to speak, the scary man would just hit her until she stopped saying anything.

Time was a blur for her, for someone who was trapped in this black gassy prison, she just cried and called for her parents in her mind.

Okaa-san…

She… felt different… there was something new in her that her child brain couldn't understand.

Krrr!

She just dully looked up seeing the door open. She had inexplicable emotions coursing through her.

When she saw the surprised look of the person who came here, she just quietly shed tears as she knew was different from other kids.

"Hey, do you want to be my little sister?" He asked with a bright smile.

Crying even more she just replied, "Yes!" With an equally bright smile.

~~~~

A/N:

Ay! It's late and I should have posted this a bit earlier but I wasn't done with this chapter and some stuff came up so…

Anyway! I kept my promise this time!

Also comment on some of the misspelling you noticed or grammatical errors because I'm sure in this 10k+ word chapter there's bound to be a few.

I'm going to revise the chapter then upload it again, if there aren't any mistakes (Which is unlikely) then this stays as is.

Anyway, praise me!

Send me power stones and whatnot.

Also just for shits and giggles I'll add the word count of this chapter (Not counting the title or A/N's): 10,592

Also tell me your opinion on those small changes (like the pilot and the captain and the conversation between Knowledge (No I did not base her off Project Touhou) and Virus)

Also last note: I Will Live A Better Life is peak!