Chapter 1:

Chapter 1 -- A pain in the ass

Searching for the Unknown


Hi, I am AIO.

Thank you for embarking on this journey with me. 

My dream is for this to be made into an incredible anime one day. Wish me luck!!!

________________________________________________________________________________________


????: How would you feel if you were constantly being stabbed?

...

...

????: Horrible right?

????: And no, not metaphorically. I mean literally being stabbed 24/7 or else you die.

????: Which now that I think about it, is painfully ironic..

????: Let me explain.

...

- - - -

This stage in humanity is a unique one. A world riddled with abnormal, unexplainable diseases.

While some are grateful for the supernatural phenomena they've been blessed with, others loathe the existence of such a curse that kills the majority it touches.

Fortunately, diseases are as inconsistent as they are present - and society has developed in such a way that embodies that inconsistency.

Flaming villages, mechanical prowess, triangular waters, absurd natural euphoria; a disconnected planet unlike our own that preaches the very essence of mankind.

Who created us? Who rules us? The letters, numbers - what do they mean?

This is an adventure of searching for something greater. Something bigger than what we are.

A journey of self-discovery, exploring the darkest depths of human nature, as well as the light that upholds us.

Whether it is dark red or a beautiful rainbow, the diversity of aura is infinite. Despite commonality between us all, trivial differences prove eternally fatal.

Our story begins with a young man named Tomo - a symbol of companionship.

Consider the book opened.

...

...

...

Shall we?

- - - -

The young man walked alongside a dirt road slowly approaching a small rural town. He was of average height, in reasonably good shape, and had short brown hair.

Unsure of why he was going to the town in the first place, he noticed a wooden sign upon its entrance.

Tomo: "The Peaceful Retire: Undying..."

Minor traces of dust filled the air. The absence of any sort of gate or blockade allowed Tomo to view what was perhaps 50 wooden buildings of small scale. Where it lacked in greenery or technology, the town seemed to provide a feeling of peacefulness.

The sun slowly declining on the late afternoon, Tomo strolled steadily into the town.

Looking down at his feet, Tomo ignored the pile of dead bodies that lay stacked to the side. An act that suggested this was merely the norm.

Slowly lifting his head to look amongst the buildings, Tomo held onto the straps of his bag and continued his march.

Tomo: "Why is it called undying?"

Tomo: "I can't tell if this place is supposed to be safe or dangerous."

Hearing noise and laughter up ahead from what appeared to be the epicentre of the town, Tomo approached a traditional bar.

Tomo: "I could use a drink."

...

Tomo: Am I old enough to drink?

Tomo: Surely...

Tomo pushed open two large wooden doors in a dramatic fashion. Of what was roughly 10-20 people, a few turned their heads but the majority continued in their pleasantries. The image of people laughing and drinking helped calm Tomo.

Tomo walked past multiple tables and sat directly at the bar. Glancing from side-to-side, Tomo placed his bag on the ground next to his feet.

Tomo: The layout of this bar is very cliche...

One of two bartenders - a middle-aged woman with silver hair in a ponytail, approached Tomo.

Bartender: "Where are you from?"

Tomo: "Oh! Ah... Good question."

Bartender: ?

Tomo: "I'm not from here... But... I mean no harm."

Tomo: "Or rather, I'm not sure I could actually harm anyone if I tried?"

...

Bartender: "Haha, okay. I believe you."

Tomo: "Also, I'm old enough to drink. I swear. I mean, I'm pretty sure."

Bartender: "You look old enough. And also, I don't care."

Bartender: "So what would you like?"

Tomo: "Ah... Good question."

Bartender: This could get cumbersome...

????: "When you figure out what you want, let me know. I'll shout."

A man sat down to Tomo's left, wearing a long black and white robe-type fixture. Beautiful dark green hair draped from the man's head which was evidently well kept.

Tomo assumed a proud, smug look on his face.

Tomo: "I get the feeling we've met before."

????: "No, we haven't met."

Tomo: Oh...

Thane: "My name is Thane. You seem a bit lost. This town is generally quite hard to find."

Tomo: "I see.. My name is Tomo. And I'm not lost, I think, but I'm probably more of an explorer."

Thane faintly smiled and proceeded to roll up his loose sleeves, revealing a bracelet made out of small black crystals.

Thane: "Not a bad life."

Thane: "Mera, one Xpletily for me."

Mera: "Certainly, Thane."

Tomo, realising he didn't bother to ask for the bartender's name, averted his gaze. Mera walked to the other side of the bar.

Thane: "Did you say it's pronounced 'Tommoe'?"

Tomo: "No, it's more like 'Toh-moh', with an emphasis on the 'toh'."

Thane: "Right."

...

Tomo: "So why do you want to buy my drink?"

Thane: "It's not you, specifically. Let's just say I'm in a good mood when I come here."

Tomo: "Do you especially like this place? It has an odd vibe. Peaceful yet a bit unnerving."

A more serious expression came over Thane's face.

Thane: "As I'm sure you know, our world is very divided."

Tomo: ...I'll pretend to know what he's talking about.

Thane: "There are those that take, and those that are taken from. Each village, town, or city operates according to its own legal system. Some are absolute anarchy, but some are clean and pure - like this place."

...

Thane: "So every now and then I come back here, as a break from my mission to enjoy the peace."

Tomo: Mission?

Mera returned and placed the drink in front of Thane.

Mera: "And for you?"

Tomo: "Uh... I'll have what he's having."

Mera: "Certainly."

Mera walked off once again, with a slight detour towards another patron who signalled for her attention.

Thane took a sip of his drink.

Sitting to Thane's left - an older gentleman with bright gold glasses and white silky hair in a middle part, chimed into the conversation.

????: "I can tell you've never lived here."

Thane: ?

????: "Do you know why this place has undying in its name?"

Tomo: "Oh, I'd like to know!"

The man removed his glasses and placed them on the bar, revealing two shiny white eyes. Looking directly forward, the man continued.

????: "The former leader of this town came up with the name."

...

????: "Rumours say it represents an undead being. One that surely exists here, yet doesn't devour us for some reason."

Tomo begun to look concerned.

Tomo: "I-I knew something was off about this place!"

Thane: "Calm down..."

Thane: "Rumours are just rumours. I've been here many times. I see no issue."

The man grinned.

????: "Would you believe that limbs are occasionally found by the townsfolk? That blood stains and flesh are discovered, yet their origin be unclear?"

...

????: "It's true. People don't die here."

????: "...But don't you think that makes it so much worse?!"

The man proceeded to laugh.

Mera returned, placing Tomo's drink in front of him.

Mera: "Old man Kail, you know not to scare our guests."

Kail: "My bad, my bad!"

Kail put his glasses back on.

Tomo, still looking concerned, attempted to down his drink and choked at the first taste.

Tomo: "Gah?! What is this??"

Thane: "It is the purest of drinks. Straight alcohol combined with water and salt."

Tomo: S-Something's wrong with this guy...

Thane, unable to move on from the previous conversation, turned back to Kail.

Thane: "Old man."

Kail: "Hm?"

Thane: "I admit anything is possible in this world of diseases. They truly break the confines of logic."

...

Thane: "However..."

Thane moved his hand towards his hip, shuffling the layers of his robe. Revealed was the white handle of a blade with a dark green lightning-esque pattern. The blade itself remained hidden.

Thane: "Everyone knows you kill the undead by decapitation."

Kail seemed impressed.

Mera whistled in response, then went back to her duties.

Tomo: "Wow..."

Tomo: "Thane, are you like, super strong?"

Thane turned back away from Kail and took another sip of his drink.

Thane: "I hope so."

The serious expression from earlier came back to Thane.

Thane: "You would have noticed when you came in."

...

Tomo: The dead bodies..

Thane: "But it's normal, right?"

Thane: "This world, plagued with those rotten diseases, is insufferable."

...

Thane: "There's only two options for disease-holders. Either die, or become a scumbag drunk on power who forces others to die."

Thane: "Everywhere you go it's the same. It doesn't matter if it's light or darkness, water or fire..."

...

Thane: "They just take."

Thane softly exhaled in an effort to calm down.

Thane: "That's why I like this place. It has no wretched disease-holders."

...

Tomo, unsure how to respond, contemplated having another sip of his drink but quickly abandoned the idea.

Hesitatingly looking upward, Tomo spoke.

Tomo: "...My brain... It's... A bit funny."

Thane: "Hm?"

Tomo: "It remembers some things, but forgets others."

...

Tomo: "We all hear rumours about amazing diseases. Ones that actually give you the power to make a difference."

Thane: "Don't call diseases amazing, Tomo."

Tomo: "The ability to spawn something out of nothing. The power to crystalise matter. The way to change form or shape or manifest an unworldly creation."

Thane: "I'm not joking."

Thane, becoming more agitated, begun looking directly at Tomo.

Tomo maintained his upward look in a philosophical manner.

Tomo: "I know what you mean though. Some diseases probably can't be called human."

Thane: ?!

Tomo: "I heard about one strong guy, he had horns and looked like the literal de-"

Whack.

Thane sends Tomo flying through the wooden wall with a strong backhanded fist. The entire bar is overcome in a stunned silence.

Tomo, barely able to comprehend what just happened, finds himself tumbling in the dirt approximately 20 metres from the bar.

Tomo: Wh-What just happened?

...

Tomo: My face... Hurts like hell!!

The sun now practically set on the early evening. Tomo, hunched over, begins coughing aggressively.

Tomo: Is this... My blood?

Step... Step... Step...

Thane, now standing over Tomo, looks down on him with cold eyes.

Thane: "Don't say any more."

...

Kail: "H-Hey... Th-"

Thane immediately glares at Kail, who stops talking.

Looking back at Tomo, Thane continues.

Thane: "Diseases are not a blessing but a curse that breeds chaos."

...

Thane: "Do you know how many fucking innocent people have suffered because of diseases?!"

Tomo, too scared to act, merely sat, listening to the ultimatum.

Thane: "I will rid this world of all disease-holders. That is my mission."

...

Thane, holding onto the handle of his blade almost subconsciously in an act to prevent himself from using it, slowly turned around.

Thane begun to walk away.

Tomo: "But, Thane..."

Thane peers his head back towards Tomo.

...

...

...

Tomo: "I'm also a disease-holder."

In that same instant, Thane reveals a pristine black blade and plunges it downward towards Tomo's chest.

BOOM.

...

...

...

A gulf of dust slowly arises from the scene.

The onlookers remain in speechless anticipation.

The silhouette of a man steadily comes to form.

Thane, having moved several metres, is wildered by confusion.

Thane: ...Huh?

...

Thane: Who is... That?

Tomo, now laid on his back with tears in his eyes, was just as confused.

Standing in front of him revealed a man with medium black hair. He spoke in a low, calm, monotone voice.

????: "This seems... Unreasonable."

The man wore a cream long sleeve shirt that demonstrated his slim yet muscular build. With it he wore black pants that weren't quite full length, as well as brown laced boots.

Tomo: "...Who?"

...

????: "It's okay.. There's nothing wrong with who you are."

Tomo: ?

????: "But he is right... There's a lot wrong with this world."

The man turned to look at Tomo. Unlike Tomo and Thane whose eyes were brown and green respectively, the man had fully pitch-black eyes that taunted the depths of darkness.

Tomo, almost surprised by the kind nature of the face that clearly unmatched its eyes, begun to relax. Instinctively, Tomo felt he could trust this man.

The man continued in a softer tone, almost mumbling to himself.

????: "...Maybe we should do something about it."

Thane stood up straight and recollected himself.

Thane: "Who the hell are you?"

...

The man turned to Thane, looking directly at him.

Tomo starts pushing himself backwards in the dirt to create distance.

...

Thane: "No response?"

...

Thane: "Fine. I'm not sure where you came from, but I'm sure you heard."

Thane: "That man carries a disease, and therefore he is going to die."

????: ...

Thane: "You may be trying to act like the hero, but I want you to name one massacre in the history of this world that wasn't caused by diseases."

...

????: "You may... Be right."

Thane: ...

????: "But even so..."

????: "This, right here and now... Is wrong."

Thane, snapping, darts towards the man at incredible speed.

SLASH.

Thane's black blade comes striking down, the man barely sidestepping in time. The land ruptures in a quake, dividing the next 10 metres or so.

The man quickly responds with a side kick to the head which Thane ducks, driving his blade now upward towards the man's head who swiftly backflips in evasion.

...

Everyone shocked, simply spectated.

Tomo: "...Wh-"

The two dart back at each other, trading attacks in quick succession that are both equally dodged. The man jumps into the air and plunges downward with a tightened fist. Thane blocks it with the side of his blade using his non-dominant hand as reinforcement, the impact creating another maelstrom of dust which blows Tomo further back.

Tomo stumbles to regain focus of the two.

Tomo: Th-They're too fast... I can't... See a thing...

Thane: "Who are you?! Why are you intervening?!"

Thane continues to attack in a sharp rage. The man, swaying his body in response, remains void of damage.

Crouching under a particularly menacing swipe to the neck, the man punches Thane squarely in the nose which topples him onto his back.

Standing up almost immediately, Thane spits blood off to the side.

Thane: "You know nothing of the demons born of disease."

Thane: "The prime evils that consume all defiant life."

...

The man simply stood, awaiting Thane's next rageful attack.

Thane, composing himself, took a deep breath and closed his eyes. Sliding off the black crystal bracelet from his wrist, Thane tied up his hair in a ponytail.

Thane returned his black blade to the concealed fabrics of his robe, firmly holding onto the blade's white handle with both hands.

...

Thane: "You need not understand."

Keenly opening his eyes with a serious expression, Thane springs towards the man at supersonic speed.

Tomo: Na-?!

Before the man could react, he finds his left torso and shoulder completely sliced off.

????: ?!

Blood oozing out, approximately half of the man's upper body fell to the ground.

Thane sighed in conclusion.

Thane: Now... For the other one...

SMACK.

Thane is sent flying backwards and falls on his back.

Thane: H-Huh?

Sitting up, Thane instinctively touches his now-bruised chin.

Thane: An... Uppercut?

The man runs at Thane with horrific speed, matching Thane's supersonic dart from before.

Thane stands instantly and begins swinging his blade. The two erupt in an immense brawl at overwhelming speed with somehow neither taking damage. The crowd at the bar starts being blown away from the enormous impacts.

Thane: How...

The man manages to land a kick to Thane's ribs.

Thane: How can this man...

The man punches Thane in his dominant shoulder, rendering his blade useless for a moment.

Thane: How can this man still fight?!!

The man, taking advantage of the slim opportunity, goes for a knockout blow with a punch to the face.

Before it hits, Thane drops his blade.

????: He-

Crouching incredibly fast, Thane barely avoids the skull-shattering punch. Thane picks up his blade with his non-dominant hand and cuts off the man's right leg.

Thane: "Don't underestimate me!!"

WHACK.

Kicked to the side of the head, Thane goes flying off to his right.

Thane: Huh... Again?!

Thane struggles to stand up and spits blood once again.

Thane: What is... This sensation?

The man runs to the side then directly towards Thane.

Thane: An illusion? No...

The man goes for a left kick.

SLASH.

The man finds his left leg floating in the air with a poetic stream of blood.

WHACK.

Thane is sent flying to his left this time. Slowly standing and coughing in what seems to be a repeat pattern.

Thane: Oh...

The man charges again at surreal pace. Thane aligns his blade in response.

Thane: I see...

The man, already within touching distance of Thane, propels a powerful punch forward. Thane cleanly slices the arm off.

Thane: This man...

Having passed the momentum of Thane's blade, the man's arm instantly grows back and punches Thane between the eyes, toppling him downward.

Thane: ...Is unkillable!!!!

Tomo, further out but still within viewing distance, looks upon the limbs scattered around the battlefield.

Tomo: What is going on?

...

Tomo: ?

Tomo: What is that humming noise?

Tomo notices a small device, vibrating next to the man's original left torso and shoulder. The device - small and black, had numerous tiny spikes and a unique ring-shaped feature that seemed to pulse.

...

Thane, having accumulated too much damage could barely stand. The man paused for a moment.

Breathing heavily, Thane looked up with bloodshot eyes.

Thane: "A... Disease..."

????: ...

Thane: "You're... One of them."

...

Thane, composing himself, took a deep breath and closed his eyes.

????: This feeling...

Thane returned his red-stained blade to the concealed fabrics of his robe, firmly holding onto the blade's white handle with both hands.

Thane: "I told you not to..."

????: It's that move again.

Thane: "...Underestimate me."

The man charges at phenomenal speed to prevent what is about to come. Thane readily opens his eyes and meets the man halfway.

Now prepared, the man flings a kick forward in what would likely be the final blow.

Thane feints the same upper body strike from earlier and seemingly teleports behind the man, moving quickly enough to leave a detailed after-image.

????: Behind?!

The man goes to turn around and finds his head completely sliced off.

...

Whap.

The head brutally falls on the ground. Blood seeping from its innards.

The members from the bar now stumbled back enough to witness this climax.

Kail: How... Gruesome...

...

Tomo onlooked in vivid concern.

Thane gasping for air, collects himself and declares in somewhat of a victory announcement.

Thane: "Everyone knows you kill the undead by decapitation."

Thane grins with bloody teeth in satisfaction.

THUNK.

The body of the headless man intentionally flips downward, connecting the heel of its right foot to Thane's chin in a devastating uppercut.

Blood spouts from Thane's mouth as he's sent flying backwards into the air.

Falling painfully on his back, the whites of Thane's formerly-green eyes no doubt signal unconsciousness.

Tomo's mouth is found uncontrollably gaping in response.

Tomo: "Wha-?!"

Kail in particular fell to his knees. Mera remained dirty and worried.

The man's body, somehow moving without a pilot, props itself back up and begins dusting off its mostly-torn clothes.

A new head starts to emerge from the body as it walks towards its original left torso and shoulder.

Kail: Ah...

...

Kail: It all makes sense now...

The head already grown back, the man calmly crouches with lifeless dark eyes looking upon his own flesh.

Kail: The former leader of this town lived on the outskirts. He raised a kid with a disease there.

The man locates the small device that Tomo noticed earlier.

Kail: Seen once or twice maybe... Over many years...

...

Kail: That kid that didn't socialise with anyone.

The man picks up the device and stands up straight. His once skintight cream shirt barely holding together.

Kail: How long has it been? What was his name again?

The man's visible left torso and shoulder seemed healthier than ever, and just below it several abs came into sight.

Kail: Ah... That's right...

...

Kail: His name was...

The man smacked the device onto his outer left shoulder, a drop of blood now streaming down his bicep. Looking up to the stars in what was undoubtedly a celestial night.

Kail: "Reach: The Undead!!!"

- - - -

...

Reach: As for my disease?

Reach: Well, it's mostly just a pain in the ass.

[Chapter 1 -- End]

Rowan_Burns
icon-reaction-1
Author: