Number 7

"Kill them."

"Understood."

Seconds after Marcus made this order, the blue haired girl immediately sprung into action.

Her blade tore through hundreds of undead in mere moments, blood and guts flying around the warehouse as the bodies dropped like bees in smoke.

Taking a deep breath, Marcus closed his eyes as he tried to collect his thoughts.

"Seven. What is this?"

[You're being very direct with me now, Marcus. What do you mean?]

"What is your relationship with this man? Why were you speaking to him as if you knew him?"

Pressing the creature within him with these questions, Marcus took a tone which suggested no retreat from his words.

[You're wrong there, Marcus. It is not that man which I knew. But rather... the one trapped inside of him.]

With a cackling laugh, the creature overrode the thoughts of Marcus as his voice filled his mind.

[Well, you'll understand at some point. Die a few more times... and eventually everything will be made clear.]

[But for now... it is not something that you will have to worry about.]

"Why do I suddenly have knowledge of redirect?"

At the moment that Seven had said those words - something changed in the way Marcus felt.

It was not a physical change, but rather a change of knowledge.

He knew and understood the ability of redirect as if it had been instilled within him, like a natural instinct.

Yet he also knew that he could not use this ability for himself.

Why then, did he suddenly obtain such a keen understanding of the ability?

Even during the fight, he only understood the mechanics of the ability... yet right now he felt as if it had been instilled within his very soul.

[Marcus... you do not hear any voice aside from mine. No?]

"What are you-"

[What am I talking about? I see. Then it is true.]

With a laugh, Seven continued to say things which Marcus could never hope to understand.

Why was it that every time he learned something about this creature that had overtaken him that there were layers upon layers of things which he couldn't possibly know?

Every time he thought he understood it - he continued to learn the same lesson over and over.

'I cannot comprehend it.'

[I'm going to rest, Marcus. Continue as you were.]

With this statement, the creature became silent - and so too did the mind of Marcus.

Filled only with thoughts that were his own, everything became peaceful for a brief moment.

'But are my thoughts truly my own?'

This conviction alone remained within his mind.

----

"You died again... didn't you?"

Coming back to reality, Marcus focused his attention on the woman who stood before him with a snarky smile.

She was gorgeous in every manner, her sharp eyes filled with a strange amount of confidence as the man approached her.

"What of it? I learned more about what is inside me, so it only benefits us, no?"

Yet the response of the woman was enough to make Marcus grin with delight.

"I see. So that's how it is. Hah... how foolish I've been, only focusing on such immediate things... Perhaps I should focus more on the grand picture as you have."

"Yet you seem to have been riddled with holes yourself. Are you sure you're not in pain?"

"Oh, pain? Well, of course it hurts like hell. How could it not? Despite these rotting bodies, pain will never diminish. No matter how corrupted we become... that alone seems to never change."

With this short interaction, the two laughed lightly as they mocked the entire situation which they were just in.

"So? What did you learn?"

"I learned..."

However as Marcus asked this, Sylvia's expression became pale and filled with concern.

"I learned... a lot."

"I see."

"I... think I need to rest for a bit."

"We can do that."

"Will it be alright? Don't we have a lot more we need to get done?"

"Attempting to do something while exhausted will only produce half hearted results. You should know this more than anyone."

Looking around, the man realized that there were no chairs in this place.

Resting his back onto the metal container beside him, the man slid to the floor as he looked around at the scene of gore which painted the warehouse.

"Yes... that's right.", he muttered. "I'm exhausted. Aren't you?"

Taking a seat beside the man, the woman too let out a sigh.

"I suppose I am."

Glancing over to the girl who was standing at attention, awaiting orders patiently, the woman patted the space in between herself and the man.

"Sit down with us, will you?"

"If that is your order."

With this cold statement, the girl too took her spot between the two as the man and the woman both closed their eyes.

"We shouldn't fall asleep in such a place. Did we not learn our lesson before?", Marcus muttered.

"Ah... I suppose that's right, isn't it?", Sylvia responded with a light laugh.

"I will keep watch, if that is what you will.", the girl stated.

The two went silent for a few moments, and moments eventually turned to around a minute.

Nobody said a thing, and the clock ticked and ticked.

However, eventually, the man opened his eyes, glancing at the girl with a light smile.

"That would be appreciated. Please do so. But Isabella... just know one thing."

Looking at the girl with a serious expression, Marcus eyed the girl as he spoke with a lowered tone.

"You only have one life. And losing it would mean a far greater loss to me than anything else. Therefore... even if it means abandoning us to death, ensure that your life is given absolute priority."

And with these words, the man closed his eyes and fell into the realm of sleep.

----

Isabella sat between the two, unsure as to whether or not she should move.

They were both asleep.

'I suppose enduring such wounds will make a person exhausted...', she thought as she gazed around her.

Everything was quiet now.

No longer did the zombies that had been accumulated in this warehouse groan, nor did the machinery make any form of noise - for all activity in this place had ceased.

Yet despite the silence around her, the girl did not allow herself to let her guard down for even a moment.

'Even if everything is silent... that only means that the enemy is doing a good job at concealing their movements.'

She did not move, for doing so may only disturb her masters whom she sat between, yet she remained prepared to move out at any given moment.

Closing her eyes, the girl listened as she tried to pick up even the slightest sound.

She pressed her hands to the cold concrete below her in an attempt to feel the most insignificant vibrations.

She breathed in slowly, in order to smell the slightest change in the atmosphere.

'Nothing.'

Opening her eyes, she gazed about once more.

'There is nothing.'

Coming to this conclusion, the girl remained in her position.

She waited and she watched, like a dog protecting its master.

'Yet.'

----

'There's something... no... someone.'

'Two people.'

'No... three?'

'Two... three... two... three?'

Why could she not tell?

Why did it seem to flip back and forth between those two answers?

'Which is it?'

Slowly, the girl slid out of the arms of her masters, gently laying them down as she tiptoed her way towards the entrance to the warehouse.

'Two... no... three... no... which is it?'

Closing her eyes for just a moment, the girl breathed in as she hid behind a crate, opening her eyes as she glanced over to the door.

'Three.'

Final answer.

'Enemies? Are they allies of the man we killed? Or perhaps those who are looking to take advantage of the chaos by showing up after the battle has ended?'

The girl held her breath as she watched the door.

'Ten meters... five... three... they're at the door.'

Bang!

The door burst open with a loud sound as a man waltzed into the warehouse without restraint.

"What are you doing, barging in like that? Are you trying to make a scene?"

"Oh, that? Well, you know how women can be. She likes to be the center of attention and all, so I'm giving her the spotlight."

"I have no idea what you're talking about, as usual."

Two.

Why were there only two?

Certainly, the footsteps matched.

Yet throughout her years as an assassin, Isabella had developed something beyond mere senses which allowed her to feel out how many presences were within a given area.

And without a doubt... there were three.

'Is the other one hiding?', she thought as she glanced over to her masters, thinning her eyes in a serious manner as she took on the cold expression of a killer.

'They must be skilled... extremely skilled. But even if they're skilled enough to hide their physical presence... they can't fool my intuition.'

What should she do?

Never before had Isabella encountered such a situation.

Without a doubt, the protection of her masters was her Number One priority.

The creatures within her masters were not obligated in any manner to save them, and given that they would revive from being killed, they didn't seem to mind the death of their hosts in the slightest.

Yet this too was another source of torment for Isabella.

Should she use the fact that her masters could die as a factor in her calculations?

No.

Such a thing would be betrayal.

They experienced pain from their own deaths, therefore even if such a thing had no long lasting repercussions, it was still her duty to protect them.

But most unexpected of all was the fact that Isabella sensed a different number of people than she saw.

'The physical hints have always matched up perfectly with my intuition... why is this time different?'

Was it truly that she had encountered someone so skilled?

Yet if such a person existed, would they not then be able to deceive even her intuition?

"So? What do you think happened in the parking lot back there? It was like a meteor fell."

"Ah, that. Well... I don't quite know myself. But if I had to fathom a guess..."

Isabella watched as the two approached her, slowly sliding her hands down as she took hold of each of the knives at her side.

The first man had red hair, and he carried himself in a nonchalant manner as he spoke casually.

"Well, the Lady thinks that it was one of her friends."

"You know, I think this was my mistake. It was my mistake to team up with a psychopath and think that something good could come of it. So? Who is this "Lady" that you keep on talking about?"

"Ah."

The man with a buzz cut seemed to be slightly irritated as he questioned the other, however the red haired man held out his hand as he stopped the other from walking any further.

"It looks like it's not just the three of us."

'Three.'

As the red haired man uttered this statement, Isabella confirmed her suspicions.

There were three of them.

She did not know where the third one was, but without a doubt there were three.

However, she didn't have any more time to think about this - for her position was exposed.

"It appears that you've located me. Therefore... I suppose there is no longer any purpose in hiding myself."

Stepping out without a care, the girl showed herself before the two men.

The brown haired man looked at the girl with confusion, while the red haired man seemed to grin with a chuckle.

"I see. A girl, eh? Hm? It isn’t her? Ah, I see. So who is this one then?"

The man seemed to be having a conversation with... someone.

"Ah... I see."

Nodding in understanding, the man merely shrugged his shoulders as he stepped forward - as if to walk straight past the girl.

"Nobody."

Yet as soon as he did so, he was met with a blade at his neck.

"Where do you think you're going?", Isabella said calmly as she pressed the weapon to the man, drawing a drop of blood with the tip.

"Well, I was going to head in that direction. And yourself?"

Pointing towards the direction where the masters were sleeping, Isabella whispered into the ear of the man whom she was currently wrapped around like a snake.

"I can't allow you to do that."

"Why not? Hm? Ah, she's just a kid. It's alright! No no, that won't be necessary yet. Ah, alright, I get it. Hey, kid. The Lady doesn't exactly like the fact that you're so close to me. Would you mind getting down?"

In that instant, Isabella felt something shift.

When did it happen?

She did not know.

Yet at some point, the man had grabbed the very knife she held to his throat, and now pinched its tip between his fingers.

"Yes, I agree. We should warn her. Mhm."

Unable to press it forward, Isabella found herself unable to kill someone for the first time in her life.

Jumping off the man, she reeled back as she let go of the knife, gripping her other one as she eyed the man with a sharp glare.

'What is he?', she thought.

"You're just a girl, so I'm going to give you a warning.", the man stated as he threw the knife over to the feet of the child.

And then, in another instant - he disappeared.

And reappeared.

His hand was on top of the head of the girl, and she could do nothing as this man seemed to teleport before her very eyes.

With a sad expression, he looked to the ceiling as he spoke to the girl who was unable to comprehend what had happened.

"Don't point a weapon at me. Because if you do happen to injure me..."

In that instant, the girl swung around, aiming the blade once more for the back of the man's neck - yet this too was caught in between the tip of his fingers.

"The Lady will always get her revenge."

----

How was this possible?

No... perhaps she understood - yet she refused to accept it.

'This man... is similar to my masters.'

They held strange abilities which surpassed human understanding.

Never before in her life had she witnessed such abilities.

Until this point, even the toughest of fighters were like mere flies before Isabella, who was trained to kill.

Not only to kill, but also to negotiate and threaten.

She was able to use leverage over her opponents in every possible manner, easily obtaining whatever her brother had asked of her.

Yet right now, the situation had changed.

The world around her was different.

Monsters covered the landscape, yet it was not the undead who posed a threat - but rather the monsters who seemed to spring up in all parts of this world.

'How do I deal with... being weak?'

This was the question Isabella asked herself as she let go of her other knife, drawing herself back as she now stood weaponless before the man.

However as soon as she thought this, the man spoke - however his voice was not that of a man.

But rather, that of a female.

[How easy it is to be powerful... every action you take is met with success, and every endeavor that you pursue ends in satisfaction... so we all run around all our lives, chasing this power whatever it may be... only to make everything else easier on us.]

The mouth of the man moved in a way which was not quite consistent with the top part of the man's head, as if it was controlled by a different person altogether.

[But if we achieve something because it is easy to us... then does that not undermine the entire achievement altogether?]

With a haughty laugh, the woman who spoke from the body of the red haired man took the attention of both Isabella and the brown haired man as they widened their eyes in shock.

"You... who is talking?", the man who wore the outfit of a policeman said as he backed away.

[I am speaking. And you are not.]

The feminine voice responded as such, and even though the body did not make any notion of glaring, the brown haired man felt as if the one who spoke was doing such a thing.

[Little girl... you are one who was once so strong... and yet because you were forced to become strong... you became weak.]

With a snide laugh, the red haired man approached the girl, at which Isabella could do nothing more than watch.

She felt as if she should get away, yet she did not do so.

She did not move.

Why did she not move?

Was it because perhaps... she was curious?

At what this woman... or man... whoever this was, had to say?

[Because it is only when we are able to defeat those who are more powerful than us... that we can truly say we are strong.]

In that instant, the entire body seemed to shift.

The red hair of the man grew, and his entire physique seemed to change form.

The whites of his eyes became black, and his features soon became feminine.

[Ah... thank you, darling. It was quite cramped in there, and I know that you couldn't do this while we were in that cell. But now that I'm able to breathe the air of this world... I suppose I can tell.]

Turning around as she analyzed the area, the woman nodded a few times before a large grin drew itself across her face.

[Seven was the one who did this.]

----

'This doesn't make sense.'

'I need to return to the Master and the Mistress and inform them of the situation.'

'I don't have a moment to spare.'

With these thoughts, Isabella bolted off, rushing past the red haired woman with a speed that would shake even a soldier skilled in combat.

Yet her movements were watched perfectly by the blood red eyes of the woman, who merely smirked.

[Feel free to inform them. I have no intention to stop you. After all... I don't have any intention to harm any of them. However...]

"Ugh!"

As Isabella ran, she slammed into what seemed to be a brick wall - yet it was the very woman who she had just rushed past.

As if she had teleported, the woman immediately appeared right in front of Isabella.

'How... did she move so fast?', the girl wondered as she slowly backed off.

Running her hands through her slightly disheveled hair, the woman let out a light laugh as she looked back.

[Do understand that I am not something you have the capability to deal with. Darling. I've seen enough for now.]

With this statement, the body of the person once more shifted as it once more took the form of a man.

The hair seemed to shorten, the features became more masculine, and the eyes of the person once more became their natural color - the blackened sclera returning to their original white shade.

"Is that so? You don't want to spend a bit more time outside?"

With this question, the man seemed to nod to himself as if he understood something.

"Ah, I see."

Turning around, the man faced the girl, whose navy blue hair was highlighted by the dim lighting above them.

Bending down so that his face reached the level of the girl, the man looked her in the eyes with a serious expression.

"Words from the Lady."

As the man closed his eyes, Isabella found herself frozen as she wondered what this man whose body seemed to defy logic was about to say.

"You have grown accustomed to winning. Perhaps early in your life, you experienced a number of losses... and as a result of such losses you were forced to train yourself and resolve yourself to become obsessed with winning. And as a result of that... you have never lost."

Standing tall, the man turned around as he slowly stepped forward, continuing to walk all the while.

"Yet it is because you have continued to win... that you have forgotten what it means to lose."

"I don't understand.", Isabella said calmly.

Were the words of this man supposed to aggravate her?

No, that didn’t matter.

Right now, she needed to find out exactly what the situation was.

Just as Marcus and Sylvia had given their lives to analyze and defeat Redirect, so too she should find out what was necessary in order to defeat this opponent.

"You don't seem to be prone to aggravation... which is a sign that my words do not impact you."

With a slight nod, the man chuckled to himself.

And in that instant, tentacles shot out from his back.

These tentacles wrapped themselves around the girl in the matter of moments as Isabella found herself picked up and unable to move as she was constrained.

'I... couldn't do anything.'

'I couldn't see them.'

'I couldn't react.'

Keeping her calm all the while even as her situation became all the more hopeless, the girl awaited her death as she watched the man to try and find out his true goal.

"I see... it looks like you've accepted that you cannot beat us right now... and have given up on even struggling."

With a satisfied nod, the man spoke up with delight.

"Isn't that wonderful?"

At that moment, the girl found her entire world turned upside down as she was brought above the man, hanging from the tentacles as her eyes now met with the crazed eyes of the man.

"More words from the Lady.", he stated as the bindings tightened on the girl.

And then, just the face of the man shifted in such a manner as to become the face of the woman - eyes blackened and hair lengthened once more.

And with a feminine voice and thinned eyes, the woman spoke.

[It is never the one who wins all the time that you should fear, for a single loss is all it will take for the tower of lies that they have built themselves on to crumble. Rather, the one who has lost their entire life... this is the one you should truly be terrified of.]

As the woman spoke these words, an emotion stirred within the heart of Isabella which she could not describe.

And emotion which she had never felt before.

It was not the same as what she felt when she was concerned with displeasing her brother or her Master.

It was something completely different - something completely unknown to her.

Drip.

A tear fell from the eye of the girl - for she was terrified.

She wanted to plead for help, but she could not even let out a squeal.

For it was at this moment that the girl truly realized that the existence before her... was a monster beyond her comprehension.

[Will you stop teasing the child already, Three?]

Yet as the fear welled up in the girl, a voice spoke out with an arrogant tone.

[Since when did you care about human children, Seven?]

The woman responded in this manner as the man appeared out of the shadows.

A man wearing the suit of a businessman, laced in holes as it was, styling his black hair as if preparing himself for a presentation.

[Oh come now, Three. I have no such concerns. It is merely that... the human right there happens to be an important piece which my host is utilizing.]

Placing the girl down, the woman seemed to shrug her shoulders.

[Very well. Ah, but things have changed quite significantly since we last met, have they not, Seven?]

As the woman said these words, the girl rushed to the side of Seven.

'I need to protect the body of the Master... yet...'

As she stood next to him, she could do nothing more than tremble.

Because for the first time, she realized that she was surrounded by monsters.

[Oh... I am certain they have. Yet your hatred for that man... it does remain the same, does it not?]

[Yes. That is true.]

[I see.]

With a nod, the monster in the body of the businessman pointed with a finger over to the policeman who was watching the entire scene with terror, having fallen to his knees with his mouth agape.

[And what of that human?]

[Oh... that one.]

Looking back to the man, the woman known as Three merely laughed.

[Well, I suppose he is someone who has treated my host with... kindness. Therefore he is someone that I would prefer to be given permission to exist.]

[I understand. With that being said... we do have much to discuss, do we not? Come with me. Humans. Remain here for a time. One is sleeping... but I'm sure she won't mind being woken up for such a thing.]

With these words, Seven made orders which could absolutely not be disobeyed.

Despite the desire that Isabella had to follow Seven and protect the body of Marcus, she could do no such thing.

The two left, heading over to where Sylvia had been sleeping, and Isabella was left alone with the policeman whose teeth were chattering in fear.

'I... lost.'

'My Master... and the Mistress...'

'Certainly, they will be disappointed.'

'And yet...'

Closing her eyes as more tears fell, the girl continued to feel an onslaught of emotions which she had not felt for years.

"Ensure that your life is given absolute priority."

This statement alone stopped the girl - for she knew that going against the orders of those beings would mean her death.

And this was the one thing that her Master had ordered her to avoid.

----

Volume 3 Epilogue:

[Three... is that... really you?]

As she laid her eyes upon the red haired woman who stood before her, Number One found herself taken aback.

As if she had seen a ghost, she seemed slightly scared - yet that fear was soon overcome with a smile.

[It's you. Even if you look different... I know.]

Rushing forward, One wrapped her arms around the woman, who merely watched calmly.

Then, wrapping her arms around One as well, Three slowly stroked the back of the experiment within the body of Sylvia.

[You haven't changed a bit, One.], she uttered as she closed her eyes with a smile. [However... I have to admit that I've changed quite a bit.]

[Come. We have much to discuss, don't we?]

Interrupting the reunion between the two was none other than Seven, who motioned for them to walk along as he approached an elevator.

[There should be a meeting room somewhere around here. We should sit down and take our time to talk things over.]

[Ah... I suppose that's right.], Number One said as she wiped a tear from her eye, backing away from Three with a nod. [Sorry, Seven.]

[There is no need to apologize to me. I simply want to ensure that we all share the same goal, and to go over the plan from this point onward. And I'm sure that we need to catch up with one another, no?]

Motioning with his hand as the elevator let out a ding, the man stepped inside as the two followed.

[Of course. Ah... but Seven, if I had to hazard a guess... revenge isn't your only objective. Am I wrong?]

As the elevator doors closed, the three began to ascend as the lights flickered from floor to floor.

[You are correct, Three. I suppose this is expected of the one who received the rune of revenge.]

[I happen to be well versed in the subject.]

With a ding, the doors opened as the three stepped out into a hallway, making their way to a conference room nearby as they spoke.

[So? What is your goal then with all this? The zombies... the disease... they are all from you, are they not?]

As Three asked this, Number Seven seemed to stop in front of the door to the room, his eyes darkening as his expression became grim.

And then, speaking up with a deep tone, the creature's words reached the two with a profound determination.

[I am going to turn this entire world upside down.]

Opening the door without so much as turning the handle, the wooden chips of the frame seemed to crumble as the man gripped with an unbelievable strength, letting go only to leave a scrunched piece of metal where the doorknob once was.

Holding the door open for the two as he motioned for them to enter, the two took their seats at a large table with three seats on each end - at which Seven took his spot at the head.

Folding his hands like the businessman whose body he had overtaken, a horrible grin overcame the face of the monster as his eyes filled with an overwhelming desire.

[And then... I will redefine everything within it.]

Number 7: Volume 3 - The Entrepreneur of Death - FIN.