Chapter 28: There are more masks than faces. Chapter 3
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***
- It was enough to show just a fraction of the Force and you had already given up hope, Amaterasu? - A handsome young man with hair as white as snow asked while in levitation.
The Japanese Goddess replied nothing to such a defiant and insolent speech. Her red, bright gold coloured kimono was torn in several places, revealing part of her gorgeous body. Her long blonde hair was in a terrible mess after several attacks by some pathetic little man. And her beautiful face was frozen with an expression of hidden and powerless rage.
Yes, she had been defeated by a human. If the magical community heard about it, she would be ridiculed, and the arrogant man would be either killed or invited by other Gods or Lords.
But Amaterasu is certain that this person has absorbed some of the Power of the Office. And that this person is in the Chaos Brigade. It can't come from nothing some person who hasn't been heard of at all! The connections of magical beings in the human world are everywhere, at every turn. And if some 'amazing' person appeared in the world, then that would be reported... Could have kept the information, the Goddess hadn't thought of that. But it could have been preserved by someone with far more power than even the Gods...
Amaterasu didn't care about the legions that went with her to the lands of Kyoto. They too had suffered under the massive machinery of...man. He put his hands in his pockets and looked at Amaterasu's forms with a cheeky smile. Even though they are hidden under the kimono, the divine influence on humans is quite different. That's what the Goddess thought.
- I admit, you took me by surprise,' the Goddess was unwilling to admit defeat, 'You came to Kyoto - my main abode - and attacked me and my army. I may regard this as a declaration of war against all the Japanese Gods, man.....
Amaterasu was the chief Goddess of the Japanese Divine Pantheon, and thus the chief among all Japanese Gods. But she was not the strongest, that place was held by her brother Susanno. Amaterasu's brother was too hot-tempered and impatient to hold such an important position. Something he himself had often told his sister.
But this man...
How she wanted to wipe the insolent and arrogant smile off his face. How dare that worm look at Her like that! The Sun Goddess of Japan! Worthless! Worm!
- That's right,' the man smiled harder.
Amaterasu widened her eyes in shock. Intimidation didn't work. Oh, and he also told her outright that he had declared war on her! How...
- I only save people and other magical creatures,' the man in the black shirt gave out another joke, 'You Japanese Gods have forgotten that you are supposed to serve for the benefit of people, not the other way round....
- How can you...
- You even abuse your pathetic power to control the main source of your Powers - prayers. And you get most of those prayers from the temples of the Fox, where you have no full control,' the man continued with a chuckle, looking at the surprised face of the Goddess, 'So I am saving them from your oppression...
Amaterasu recovered from the shock and was even able to stand up. Amidst the dirt and smoke from the recent human attack, she still looked majestic.
- Yasaka betrayed us when she disconnected the Power Lines from our Pantheon,' The Goddess doesn't know why she started to justify herself to the human, 'We are only eliminating the rebels. That's our Faction's business...
- But you're still united with Cao Cao, even if it's your Faction's business,' the man said ironically, 'You Japanese Gods aren't as strong as you used to be. Probably not since Grandmother Yasaki took over as the head of Kyoto. And you successfully dealt with the previous heads of Kyoto by simply killing them, but now...you can't, since you're weak. Because you're afraid. Because you're afraid of losing your dignified and proud face in front of the entire magical world, because...you can't do it covertly anymore....
Amaterasu kept her cool for the time being. Although she was outwardly calm, with only the occasional twitch of an eyebrow, she was burning inside. How?! How?! Just like that?! Just like that, some person just figured out their plan? Or did not...
- So you kidnapped Yasaka's daughter Kuno with the help of Cao Cao, who was also interested in the head of Kyoto. Or was it...' the man thought for a moment, after which his face contorted into an ironic smile, 'Was it only you, Amaterasu, who did it on your own initiative?
The goddess answered nothing to that. She had already realised that this man knew too much. And letting him live was absolutely forbidden! It looks like we'll have to use this....
- And what, even so, human? - The Goddess arched her thin eyebrow, - Though your earlier words were loud, you and your allies will not be able to stand against the entire Pantheon.
- Your position in the Pantheon began to decline about four hundred years ago when Grandmother Yasaki rebelled,' the man continued, ignoring the Goddess' words, 'After I kill you, there will be a power struggle. The energy in Japan will start to get out of control and no one will stop the gods from coming to the meeting place. You're so insignificant that you won't be able to resist me even if you all gather together....
- Too loud words, worm...
- You're just another step in the construction of a new order! You are just another piece in my game,' the man's handsome face began to fade in the wind like dust, 'You are just another pawn. You're just another bug. You are just another pathetic god that I will destroy in the Name of the World....
Strong Gods don't need an artefact or Astaroth's magical vision to see the structures of any creature. That's why...
Amaterasu watched the change with horror and shock at the same time...was it human? The past face had completely disappeared, as had his clothes....
The man's cheeky smile was replaced by a creepy predatory grin, and his eyes changed their colour from black to a bright purple...
- Lamperouge,' Amaterasu stretched out in horror.
Though she couldn't stand other races besides the youkai and other creatures of Japan, she was afraid...
She was afraid for the first time in so many years...
Lelouch Lamperouge - he was the one standing there looking at the Goddess like she was some pathetic bug underfoot. And Amaterasu is sure that she is just that to him...
Lelouch chuckled:
- You can't stop me, Amaterasu,' Lelouch's voice was so harsh that the Goddess involuntarily recoiled, 'You're a huge unnecessary pimple on Kyoto's face.
- No...don't, please, please, please don't,' the Goddess fell to her knees and folded her hands in a gesture of prayer.
Pathetic she was, no doubt. But what could she do against one of the strongest and cruelest creatures in the world. Rumours of Lamperouge's deeds had reached her...
- You are just my next plan for ascension. You can be proud,' Lelouch squinted predatorily, 'for it is with you that history will begin. The story of the new Ruler of the World. The story of the God-Emperor!
Amaterasu never saw the light of day again...
She had grown too weak over the years to go to rebirth.....
She dissolved into the energy of the World and became a divine spirit...
Lelouch turned away from the corpse of the Goddess and turned his gaze towards the dense forest where the members of the Hero Faction were hiding somewhere....
- Well, Cao Cao, I'll let you make a few moves ahead, but...I can't leave you without a gift....
The dense, insanely eager to get out, Aura began to release from Lelouch...
For dozens of kilometres around, the world literally shook from Lelouch's power....
A different energy filled the entire past battlefield around....
It encompassed every part of the earth without missing even a small particle of air. Lelouch waved his hand:
- Lelouch commands,' he grinned eerily, taking his left hand to his face, 'Die!
Thousands...
Tens of thousands of small dark scarlet spheres, infused with an energy unknown to this world, headed towards the forest...
***
Sona Sitri never liked to make hasty decisions. She planned everything in advance and then played her cards. And now her whole plan was going down the drain!
What the hell, Satan, werewolves! They're gonna get in their way. Very badly. But even now, there was something to be gained from it.
He and Rias really wanted to make an alliance with the Coalition members while they were catching the criminal, destroying all the churches in the town and blaming the Coalition people for it, to worsen their relations. That was the very first plan.
Then Sona's sister found out that the Coalition people had started to move their mago troops into Japan at a rapid pace. This had already started before Rei along with Elias had come to the Academy, but Serafall had only recently informed her of it. That's when Sona along with Reyas created a second plan....
They're just going to attack Kuo City. Slaughter all the fallen here, churchmen, humans, mages - if negotiations to catch the culprit were thwarted. Then it turns out that this criminal is an experiment with werewolf and human blood. And then there's trouble...
If no one captures the lycan soon, the Coalition mages may blame the demons, whose territory he ran into, allegedly seeking support from the demons. And while the conflict between werewolves and demons is being resolved, the mages will find and pack the criminal back into the box and take him away.
If the mages find him first, the same situation will happen. If the demons find the criminal first, he won't stay with them long, the werewolves will do everything they can to get the lycan back. And they won't care that the criminal was captured by the sisters of the Lords of Hell.
In a word, trouble. Or in a word, trouble!
Sona has brought the Demons of the Sitri clan with her to protect her if the Coalition mages attack her. Serafall doesn't yet know why the Coalition is moving mago-troops, so a precaution wouldn't hurt. Except...
Rias wasn't willing to put up with the insolence of humans so easily. She found their excessive arrogance irritating. To her, they were small and funny monkeys, to whom she could wiggle her arse and they would do anything. The only authority Rias has is Sazex, her brother. And now.
Even though Sona was a Demon, she'd start praying that Rias wouldn't do something...stupid.
- Mistress, we have a problem! - Said a voice in Sona's head. That was exactly how she signalled, letting her subordinates know the progress of the negotiations. Did Rei notice it? She doesn't know...
- Which ones? - Sona asked irritably, she was still in a bad mood after the news from Rei.
Can't they solve the problem without me?
- The werewolves were attacked. Not only them, but also....
- Where?' Sona cut him off, mentally signalling in her head.
- About...the southeastern area of Kuo Park, there....
- I'll be right there,' Sona cut him off again. She knew this park like the history of Hell - perfectly.
Sona knows that this part of the park is dense thickets of different plants and trees. Why were they made there? They planned to decorate the whole park with different plants and beautiful trees, but they didn't have time, because Sona and Rias came and cancelled the project. And the work has already begun...
She teleported near the part of the park where Demon said the battle was being fought. She sensed another presence and turned around sharply, already summoning a bottle of water from her spatial pocket to spill on the ground.
She had always had trouble with controlling the Rod elemental. If in theory she was a genius, in practice she could not show such outstanding results.
- Madam! - A small group of Demons in blue Sitri uniforms immediately dropped to one knee.
- Where?' Sona asked in an orderly tone.
- The one...
Before the Demon could finish, there was a growl, the sound of gunfire, and also...magic! Sona immediately spread her wings and went into the forest.
- Mistress!' the Demon tried to call out to her, but Sona didn't listen.
She flew on, looking into the thicket and trying to see something. Sona would have kept flying like that if...
Something sharp swiftly flew right in front of her nose, catching the tip of it, from which a drop of blood immediately fell. Sona immediately stopped and folded her wings, falling to the ground. She immediately rolled over and got up off the ground, spilling water from a bottle.
Sona immediately began to create a water cocoon, pouring more mana into the water so that it would take the desired shape faster. But no sooner had she created part of the cocoon than she was attacked again. A bunch of earth spears flew towards Sona, to which she put up a protective barrier, which immediately began to crack due to the power of the attack.
The barrier continued to crack, and Sona continued to watch her death with a nonchalant face. There was a cracking sound and the barrier disintegrated. Sona closed her eyes and bit her tongue hard.
Sona opened her eyes as the earth spear disappeared, and Sitri herself was standing in another clearing...
Illusion...
Before Sona could react, she felt something hit her on the back. Sitri flew into a tree, hitting her face against the trunk, smashing her nose. The roots of the tree cracked from the force of the blow, but despite this Sona immediately got into a fighting stance.
- You have excellent training, Sona Sitri,' Sona looked at her attacker. What could she pick out about him? Ney? Nothing. Absolutely nothing. A tight black suit with a strange Aura emanating from it and nothing else,' Sister seems to have taught you a lot.
Whoever it was, she called Sona's sister by the wrong name, which pissed off the Sitri heiress. Who the hell is that.such...such...such a thing to speak so carelessly about her sister! About the Lord of Hell Serafall Leviathan!
- I'll see you again, Sitri,' the cold voice of her attacker snapped Sona out of her musings and....
What!
He simply stepped into the shadows...and disappeared!
Sona immediately sent several water arrows in his direction, but they only tore through the branches of some tree.
Sona didn't even feel the masked stranger disappear. Only now, when the adrenaline had subsided a bit, did she remember that he...she...was wearing a mask....
A sad black smile and large eye holes that didn't show anything to hold on to.
Sona immediately dismisses her thoughts when she hears gunshots. They come from completely different directions, as if multiple people were firing. Sona hears screams of pain, as well as barking...but unusual, as if....
Sona immediately casts an illusion over herself and goes into the shadows. In the clearing where she heard the gunshots, there are many corpses, among them the Demons who were the very first to greet the Mistress. Sona pays no attention to them, instead concentrating on her surroundings.
She considered herself a good sensor, so she thought she could detect at least someone among these thickets with magic. But again, nothing...empty....
Even the natural energy that is felt everywhere is completely different here. It's like it's in this place...suppressed? Sona doesn't know, she doesn't understand the feeling and carefully steps out into the clearing. It's a risk, of course, but she must examine the dead. Maybe there will be survivors among them?
Sona has already visualised in her head the barriers she would use first if she was attacked. Just as she started to approach, she heard someone cough. She turned her head and saw a person on the ground.
Though no, it wasn't a person. Its right arm had partially begun to transform into a huge furry paw, unique to werewolves, and there was a huge hole on its chest. Sona immediately realised that it was only through a miracle that he had survived.
Because he was covered in blood, as the wounds were monstrously brutal, she couldn't tell exactly what he was wearing. Only that he had white hair and pointed teeth that he was constantly licking.
Sona didn't say anything to him. She simply stretched her hand forward and a box immediately appeared in front of her. Sona mentally opened the box and Figures appeared in front of the werewolf. Figures of Evil.
The werewolf did nothing. Only to stare with impotent anger at Sona, who looked at him as if he were an insignificant bug that should be grateful for being rescued. But who likes slavery? After all, that's exactly what the Figment of Evil did to other beings - turn them into obedient slaves...
- I, the High Demon, Sona Sitri, command you. From now on, you are my servant...
As soon as Sona put the Rook Figure into the werewolf, she immediately felt an incredible pain in her chest. The process of transforming into a demon paused, and Sona fell to the cold ground.
Sitri breathed heavily and listened to her sensations to see what was causing the pain.
Sona closed her eyes. A second passed, Sitri's pulse quickened.
A second passed, Sona started breathing through her mouth.
A third second passed, tears flowed from Sona's eyes. It must have been the first time in her life that she was genuinely crying with grief....
- Saji... Saji,' Sona continued crying, covering her face with her hands.
She never had time to admit that she wanted him by her side....
Always...
No matter what those old geezers in the Sitri Council say....
***
Even though it was daytime, it was dark in here. Very dark. Not a single ray of bright sunlight could penetrate the thick grass that seemed to have grown in an instant. And if any light came through the thicket, it was gone.
A decrepit old man was running through this mysterious woodland, which not so long ago had been an ordinary park. Although he had never been outside his laboratory, he knew where and how he would be working, so he knew some important landmarks. And this forest had definitely not been there before.
His long brown and greasy hair kept sticking to his eyes as he ran, blocking his view. He tossed the newly formed fringes aside each time and continued running.
A white dressing gown, which from dirt and soot could no longer be called white, grey shorts, which used to be trousers - that was all this old man was wearing.
A shot rang out.
The old man immediately fell to the ground, grabbing his shot knee.
I'M IN PAIN! BLOOD! BLOOD! - the old man shrieked in a nasty voice across the clearing. But the fleeting flash of pain had passed and now the wound was whimpering nastily.
The old man cast a simple healing spell and then spread his wings. Black feathers fell to the ground, which only one kind of creature of this world has: the fallen.
He tried to fly up, but another shot rang out.
- A-A-A-A-A-A-A!!! BITCH! DO YOU FUCKING KNOW WHO I AM! COME ON. - A second shot rang out, A-A-A-A-A-A-A-A-A-A-A-A-A-A!!!!!!
The old man's been shot in both wings, and it'll take a long time for them to regenerate. He won't be able to teleport away because of the barrier. His pathetic words about who he is were obviously not heard or taken seriously. And that means...
The end.
- You better not be squealing, pussy. Your squealing annoys me,' came a voice so cold from behind him that the old man shuddered and pressed his nose into the ground.
He saw the man's black robes out of the corner of his eye, but he dared not look up. There was a rustle, and then something amazing happened, something the old man had never seen in his ninety-odd years of life.
Chains came out of the ground and wrapped around each of the old man's limbs, pinning his back to the ground. And the old man immediately noticed that the chains were unusual, they were...absorbing his energy!
The fallen man's body tries to resist, not letting the energy be absorbed so easily. Even so, it's not doing much good. If it continues like this, his spells that he used on his own body will immediately disappear and the old man will die a very...very, very painful death....
Such is the fate of all the scientists of the Grigori Institute...
The fallen man squeezed his eyes shut in fear, but he heard the faint rustling of bushes. If the old man's instincts were correct, there were two men in the clearing now. And the other one, the one who had fired the shot, was hiding somewhere.
- Now, listen to me carefully, sucker,' the same cold voice continued to say, causing the old man to sniffle, 'We don't have much time, and if you're cooperative, you might live. If you keep pissing me off, I'll beat the information out of you by force. Do you understand me, you lowlife?
- Y-yes,' the fallen man immediately replies in a trembling voice. He knows what they want, a project for which Azazel himself has employed all of his best scientists, -D-don't kill me, please...
- Stop mumbling, sucker,' the old man shuddered again, 'You're starting to annoy me even more.
The fallen man swallowed. The power of the spells on his body had already weakened, so the excruciating pain was about to begin....
- Speak! What is Azazel studying in this city?
- I-I don't know,' the fallen man mumbled, but then he mentally slapped himself. He didn't want to say that, it's the magical bookmarks that speak for him...
Which could be about to break if they keep siphoning energy out of him....
Silence fell on the clearing, and the old man swallowed again. And in that resulting silence, he hears either a name or a nickname:
- Ritwing...
A creature dressed in the same costume as the one who spoke approaches the old man. He bends down towards the old man and says in an orderly tone:
- Look at me.
The old man felt that a little more and a puddle would form under him. And it wouldn't be long before the spells would fly off his body....
The Fallen slowly opened his eyes and saw the mask. A black and white mask with a plain black mouth and slits for eyes.
Brown eyes with steel in their eyes looked directly at the old man, who once again flinched. Saliva flowing, the blood rushing to his temples, his lips quivering uncontrollably.
And then...
The iris, along with the pupil, disappeared, leaving only a white sclera.
The old man opened his eyes wide in horror and trembled violently.
Rietwing closed his eyes and immediately opened them. Bright golden eyes with a black vertical pupil were now staring at him, and the fallen man felt mortal danger.
He had never felt such a thing before. Not even when Azazel himself had unleashed his lust for murder before him. And now...
The old man now knew how he would describe animal fear...
- What was Azazel studying? - The pressure on the old man was increasing with every second, making him completely unaware of what was going on around him.
All he could think about was dying.
And these creatures can provide that...
How good it would be then...
The old man was frightened by his own thoughts, but immediately dismissed such a pathetic prick of reason and began to move his lips in the hope that his words would be understood.
The pressure intensified...
The spells from the old man's body came off....
- 'Shuri,' were the last words of the fallen man before he drifted off into the world of eternal sleep.
Now it was Shadow's turn to be surprised at the news from the fallen man....
***
Kimimaro searched for the meaning of life - he found it. Kaguya began to serve his new Lord and father in one person - he was glad. Kimimaro continued to fight, continued to kill humans and other creatures at Lelouch's behest - no longer as fanatical as before.
The war between vampires and werewolves was finally over. Of course, the magical community doesn't need to know this information. Gasper and his sister had taken care of everything from puppets on the OWLs to planted spies in the lower classes. This war has ended in great loss of life.
It could have been avoided - all Lelouch had to do was use Gias. He could subdue all these creatures with a single word and it wouldn't have happened. Why? Why? Does he really care about some vampires and werewolves? Or is there another reason? More and more a prickling in Kimimaro's chest. With more force, demanding at least some action from him.
He was now in the main hall of Tepes, where Gasper Vladi sat on the throne. and behind him sat his non-native sister, Valerie Tepes. Nothing was now left of the boy who had once dressed in child's dresses.
He had moderately strong muscles for his small body. In the pools of his bright scarlet eyes you could see a slight disdain and arrogance - all Vampires seemed to have that attitude towards other creatures. His noble robes looked ridiculous on him, if you remembered what he was like before - it was unusual. But it was worth getting used to.
Standing next to him was Valerie Tepes. The half-breed's gentle smile made the corners of her lips twitch involuntarily, and her crystal red eyes looked with warmth. Her sand-coloured blonde hair was braided into many pigtails that dangled as she walked. The nobleman's robes looked perfect on her. If you took into account Vampire blood - and they were all unimaginably beautiful - and human blood, you had the perfect image of a beauty.
- Kimimaro? - Leila asked him from beside Gasper's throne.
Kaguya flinched in surprise. He was standing a few steps away from the throne and had been standing with his head bowed the entire time. Ha, had the robot creature noticed his mood? Something like that made Kimimaro laugh a little, but he didn't show it outwardly.
- What?' asked Kimimaro in a slightly harsh tone, ignoring the vampires slightly surprised looks.
- You look...different than usual. What's wrong? - It might have seemed like the first time Leila had asked someone sincerely in all this time.
No, it's fake! It's just my perceptions!
- No, it's fine,' he replied dryly with a hint of irritation, 'I need to leave.
- Kimi...
He teleported away, leaving behind only particles of his mana that continued to hover in the air. Gasper and Valerie looked at each other. Vladi turned his attention to Leila. Her face was still, but somewhere in the blue pool of her eyes he saw sadness and pain.
- He'll be here soon,' Gasper didn't know why he said that, 'He needs to be alone.
Leila didn't answer, just closed her eyes for a moment, and then opened them, revealing herself to be the same soulless robot.
- All right,' she said in a calm tone and walked over to Valerie.
Tepesh teleported them all to only one place they knew.
Kimimaro found himself in a small forest by some obscure lake. He didn't pay much attention to where he was or why he had chosen that particular spot. He just...remembered something and that was it.
Kaguya breathed heavily, the pain in his chest continuing. This was a disease. A disease that could destroy our very essence from the inside out - mental illness.
His eyes swam. Once again he could not hold back the tears. For the second time in these long emotionless years. Or was it the effect of the Lelouch Figure within him? Is it suppressing his emotions? Stop, no, once again he was back to blaming his Master. Over and over again, this feeling keeps burning something inside that makes him want to start crying again.
When was the last time Lelouch's strongest Figure had cried? Just recently. And before that...there was no such thing. Never. Kimimaro had always equated crying with weakness. Is he weak now? Kimimaro would tell himself that yes, he was weak.
The moisture of tears covered his eyes, the cold wind blowing under his thin white shirt, sending shivers all over his body. Kaguya staggered to a tree of some sort. He leaned against it, catching his breath. It felt better. He headed straight for the lake. Something was drawing him there. But what?
Should he just jump in there and it would be over? Kimimaro shuddered. Yes, he was weaker now than ever before. Now he could be killed by a mere Inferior using nothing more than physical strength.
Kimimaro walked to the edge of the lake. He saw that drops of water had begun to fall on the watery, crystal clear surface. It looked like it was going to start raining soon. Kaguya sat down on his knees, gazed up into the sky and weakly said:
- Why? - Just a single question, but carrying so much in it right now for Kimimaro.
After asking the question into the void, he fell face down on the ground.
And fell asleep.