THE HERO
CHAPTER 10
CELL BLOCK A
Day 10 kekkan is still unconscious. He has gone thin so I can begin to see through his stomach. It growls so much it almost makes me hungry.
I know we don't have much time till the raid. I pray he comes back soon. It doesn't help that he lays in a broken down rusted bed. I sit on the chair overlooking him, I can tell he doesn't have long left.
I myself have not eaten in the same amount of time. But I'm used to harsh conditions. I can survive on nothing, but kekkan needs food and water to survive.
He hasn't as much as twitched in 10 days. But he still has a pulse and he is still breathing. I must save him. I must care for him while he guides himself back to the plane of the living. I believe in him. However the others may come soon and this place won't last forever so inevitably he will need to move.
Seeing kekkan like this breaks my heart. He is such a strong and capable boy but he himself doesn't see it. I wish one day I can show him how we all see him,
my goal is to protect so that is what i must do. Sitting around on my ass all day isn't going to help him. I must take action. I jolt myself up, I gently push open the door carefully to not cause a ruckus. There are still many threats outside.
I place a plank of wood under the door handle. I grip my sword in my holster. The sword could cut through anything, even metal. Only one man was capable of rivaling my strength. And I'm afraid he could come for my head.
Every day a supply run was necessary. I'd be lucky to even find a rotten apple core most days. The corridor is damp cold and reeks of misery, the voice of the puppet master echoes around like a broken toy.
I know she was here seeing the doll she sent. It is her memo, but whether she returned back to base or is still here is a mystery but I can't be too careful.
I hold my sword as I venture through the corridor. The one area I have not explored is down this way. The forbidden hallway, everything about it was eerie. The creaking noises and the screeches of children made it my last destination.
The Choir typically travels in pairs of two. From my recollection the puppet master is the only one I have confirmed to be true. I had fought one of her creations to save kekkan so she wouldn't be anything I was not familiar with, her partner is the one I had to worry about. I enter through the path of no return into the forbidden corridor.
The first sight I'm met with is two human bodies hanging from the ceiling. Their skin lay in a pile on the floor. No blood had drip[ped from them.
Once humans had not only been flesh hung up by multiple strings. Perhaps they were failed experiments of the puppet master. She must be trying to make human dolls now. What a sick bastered.
Just as I was about to walk past I was met with a surprise
. ???: [cut the strings]
I glance back to find one of the humans begging for me to cut them down. If the puppet master already got her hands on them he could be compromised so I continue walking.
???: [she will be here soon.But your a crafty fucker i know you will escape before that. So il do everything to hold you back]
before he has the chance to jump me, throw my sword like a javelin and dislodge his head from his torso. The string snaps and the meat puppet explodes on the ground. All of its chunks scattered around the floor.
I take my sword from the ground. And point it up at the other one.
:The Hero [give me her location]
he snarls at me and struggles trying to detach himself from the string. He succeeds and sends himself plummeting towards me. I slash my sword upwards. Penetrating his entire body sending chunks of him flying. I pity these people.
Those who were once human with dreams now are nothing but puppets for the devil. Caught in her strings, ending them now was a form of mercy.
I wipe one of the chunks from my eyes and proceed back down where I was heading before this fiasco. The hallway was held together by strings, she made this place her territory.
My new mission wasn't to find supplies but to catch her off guard and find her partner before they found me. Due to the fact these puppets aren't very strong it would be safe to assume she was on the move and not stationary.
The room I found myself in was an old abandoned Victorian style prison. Dozens of string puppets hung from the ceiling
. There were even several pinned to the bars of the cells. I was in cell block a but what the fuck was a prison doing in the middle of this place.
No matter this place was conjured up by something so none of it had to make sense. Personally I would have had something else then a bland prison block.
I hung my sword to the side, I walked through the cell block like normal but to my surprise none of the puppets attacked me at all. However one of the strings shot towards me. I weaved to the side and carved the string. Another one shot at my leg.
I sprung up into the air, twisted my leg clockwise and landed on top of the strings.
For the next string I carved it in half and tossed it up wrapping it around a metal pipe.
I dangle off the string and scale it upwards. When the next one comes my way I sway the one I'm using to narrowly avoid the one pursuing me. I kick it with my legs and roll my legs up wrapping the string around it. I leave a tiny bit uncovered then cleave the bit off.
the string begins to slide off the pipe, I begin sinking down the string, I jerk the remaining string from my leg. I clench my feet together and leap off the string.
Before descending downwards I fling the newly acquired string to the pipe. And clutch onto it. The old string begins to plummet so I take a sideways slash. And grab the string and cover my sword with it. It might come in handy later.
I scale the string rapidly. More strings begin shooting at me, the first one I slice downwards. The second one pierced me with a straight stab. I'm nearing the top so they become more frequent. I slash to the right. Then I hack to the left. I repeat this action until I haul myself onto the pipe.
I sit with my legs up. One by one the meat puppets tear from their strings and rush towards me. Around five of them attempt to scale up the string. I wait for them near the top then I cut the strings downwards. They all crash on top of each other like dominos.
The bottom one is crushed to death by the weight of the others. Hoards of them rush into the wall. Bashing and slamming their heads attempting to make the pipe fall. It wobbles to the side but I stand tall, and keep myself stationary
. The ones behind the cells come rushing out to join the frey. One of them tossed the cell bars at me. I cut the first one downwards and the second one sideways.
Then left then right. Then as the last one came towards me, I kneeled down and slit it sideways. One of them pitched their comrade at me.
I drew my sword back and stabbed into his gut. He clawed at me but I threw my head backwards. When he attempted the same move I drew my blade down on his hands. And dislodged it from his arm. He stumbled back and I delivered a blow to his cut with my knee. I jolted myself airborne and hurled myself like a tornado.
I cut him into exactly 58 pieces. His body parts rained down on his friends. In a fit of rage one shot himself into the air in my direction.
He formed a fist and sent it flying towards me. I pushed down onto the pipe. I lay down on my back, and with one single up slash I decapitated him. I hurled myself back up to my feet.
The pipe began to break down. I swayed to the side struggling to keep my balance. The rest of the meat puppets were still charging forward out for blood. Contrary to my previous belief they still had feelings which is demonstrated by the fit of rage the one who just attacked me had. It makes me wonder just what the puppet master does to them.
And gives me more doubts about killing them. Are they still human? Are they influenced by her? Or is it simply a desperate attempt to dispel sympathy for me.
But in the heat of battle there was no time to think about morality, it was a time to rack up your body count. I remember every single face I've taken from the world
. I don't take pleasure in it but it's easier to justify it when its not human. But one thing for certain: I will not show the puppet master mercy. She will be struck down by my blade. I tear the string from my sword. I frantically look around to see where I can connect it.
I find a place just above the cell where there is another pipe. However this one is not in reach to climb on top of. Which means I will have to dive deep into the action.
I toss the string like a lasso and swing through the air holding onto it. I swing my legs back and forward, careful not to look down at the hoard of meat puppets below me.
I close my eyes, take a deep breath and plunge into the belly of the beast. I grip my sword with two hands and deliver it straight down into one of the meat puppets' skulls. I lever it up and open my eyes to reality. Time slows down and I can feel the wind. Of the strikes, the breath of my opponents.
I know their next move, the quantity was never a problem. All who face my wrath will perish under my blade. When I draw back my sword time returns.
I hurl my sword around in a whirlwind stance carving up any meat puppet that touches my blade. I send a flurry of attacks so many I can no longer see through my own vision. It's obscured by the dozens of meat chunks in my eye. I keep going until I hear no more movement.
I wipe my weary eyes off the chunks. The texture of the floor can no longer be made out amongst the chunks of flesh. No blood, just flesh. I fell to my knees in an instant, they had no choice but to attack. They felt rage, they felt sadness.
I could see it in their eyes as I cut them down, well the first few at least when I still retained my vision. The cell block is empty, only I remain and I don't feel sorrow. I feel empty. Nothing, have I killed so many that I've become numb to guilt.
It's my nature, the reason I was brought into this world, to protect kill to protect kill to survive kill to cleanse kill to find purpose. But perhaps it was an act of mercy to cut them down.
They lost their humanity, they lost free choice, maybe now they will live in the afterlife and reunite with their loved ones. But I don't believe in an afterlife.
So who's to say, all I know is I must kill the puppet master. I haul myself up using my sword as a walking cane, I use the chunks as a pathway, to the end of the block. I enter cell block B.
I glance over my shoulder to find a horrifying sight. They are connected to all the pieces. The string brings them together, it jolts them over and merges them into one being.
A monster made from their meat and flesh. It does not have the figure of a being. The parts don't compliment each other, it has no face, small arms made from flesh. It is nothing but a failure.
A fog lifts in the room. It engulfed the place to give a misty setting. The floor is still covered in chunks so perhaps it didn't consume all of the dead. It is my duty to put it down,
so I step back into the cell block. It heals in agony the pain of a thousand men. Reduced to an abomination. I will grant it the death it deserves. The abomination charges forward. It catches me so off guard it sends me flying into one of the cells. It claws with its tiny hands.
I parry it with the edge of my sword. It swings and I dodge. Its pattern is very telegraphed. It claws to the left, it claws to the right. Then it charges forward.
When it charges forward. I sidestep and I draw my sword up sideways and give it a faint cut. It comes back around and claws to the right. I parry it with my sword.
It tumbles back onto its side and lets out that scream. I slowly walk up to its face. And stab right into its eye. I step back awaiting its next strike. It tumbles forward and I feel pressure on my back. As I get crushed beneath it.
It rolls across the room in a slow manner. I dodge to the side and cut up its side. It goes around a second lap. Scales pierce out from it back. And it rains down meat chunks on me. I backstep and weave. I slice upwards to cut the remaining ones. While I'm distracted it picks up speed rapidly and rolls towards me.
I leap upwards and turn my Back. a carve off some piece from the side. I'm going slow in this fight out of pity. I don't want to kill it but at the same time I need to. When it comes speeding towards me again I decide to end the fight. I scaled up the Abomination and slammed my blade down on his head.
His roar sent me flying into the wall. Still with my back to the wall I glanced up to see her.
A woman with a patchwork cloak. Loomed above the cell block planted on a steel platform. Her face was engulfed in darkness. Her white stitched up hair only went down to her shoulders then she called out to me.
???: [Hero Hero Hero. you never learn do you]
she shot her head backwards. To the abomination I had just slain. I roared out to her.
The Hero [damn puppet master. I was looking for you, and now you finally show yourself. I killed your damn abomination so come down and play, so you can join the chunks of meat]
I propelled myself up to my feet. And held my sword up high.
The Hero
[or i can come up there. Im far more oppressive on the pursuit]
She gave a faint smirk.
Puppet Master [and I've been looking for you, my puppets kept you here long enough for my arrival, but now that I'm here I have another idea]
I stare down at her unimpressed by her comments.
The Hero [Go on do tell]
she shoots her hand under her cloak and pulls something out from under it. She raises up a marionette control bar. Strings dangling from it. The Hero [i dont have time for you puppet show]
she chuckles Puppet Master [this will be a one of a kind show. And I've got front row tickets]
I grip my sword and charge with all my might towards her. She lifts her palm and I feel something pulling me back. She holds a second marionette control bar in her hand.
The Puppet Master [All strings are on you]
I twitch around looking for the strings. They are right above my head and shouldn't be too hard to slice off, if i do go for it she could use it as a distraction to catch me off guard as she takes my life.
Puppet Master [you could just cut the strings, im not foolish enough to think that The Hero isn't capable of cutting the strings. But I can't let you interrupt my talk here]
she raises up the opposite control bar and jolts upwards.
Puppet Master [You think i would make a weak opposition force without a failsafe]
The Hero [The abomination is dead]
Puppet master [maybe you are rather stupid. You fail to realise the abomination is under my strings] she pulls up the bar and the abomination returns to life.
The Hero [il just kill it again you're not getting anywhere] she lets her guard down and covers her mouth. I push my entire body forward and tear the strings off.
Puppet master [oh you broke the strings. How unfortunate silly me letting my guard down. Though i wonder can you kill me before the improved abomination gets you.]
I continue my pursuit of the Puppet master. I shoot myself up airborne and raise my sword ready to take the Puppet Master's head, pressure builds on my neck and I'm hauled down onto the floor. I'm being dragged across the floor bashing my head on every movement.
I turn my body to realise the abomination has me in its grasp. Giant tentacles from its body break into every corner of the room and it towers over me. I stab my sword into it.
And then again and again. The vein is quite durable. I pierce it with a sidewords cut. Then bring my blade straight down, and atlas I'm released from its grasp. The puppet master calls me.
Puppet Master [i do believe you can kill it, you have killed worse. But I doubt even you're immune to fatigue once you're done and you come for me. I can take advantage of that debuff]
I shoot my head back to the abomination but still speak out to her.
The Hero [you won't live to see the sunset]