CHAPTER 3: WILL YOU FINALLY BECOME THE HERO?

CHAPTER 3: WILL YOU FINALLY BECOME THE HERO?

[18:20]

The Holy Guardians HQ

*beep beep beep* 

"Why isn't Zuuri responding?? I didn't see her even at the funerals.... This time i need to really give her a pay cut!! And why the hell does every locator i put on her stops working after a while....."

Kalisradha murmured as she stepped out of the elevator and made her way deep into the hallway of the deepest underground level of THG HQ.

A man whose lower half was that of a bull, came running towards Kalisradha from the dark depths of the hallway. His footsteps similar to coconuts falling to the ground. They didn't echoed or boomed as the entire underground level was soundproofed. Just loud. 

But even after he reached Kalisradha, she didn't stop and continued forward. Which prompted the minotaur looking man to match her pace and walk back to where he originally stayed. Leaning down a little, while still walking, he asked in an uneasy voice,  

"Madam, Are you sure about this??!!", "He's the same person right??!!", "What's going to happen going forward...??!! And.. and..."

Before even reaching the end of the hallway with the massive, steel reinforced door, Kalisradha was met with a rain a questions. He was an employee of the underground lab. His black lab coat with the, THG logo, glowing with the little neon lights illuminating the hallway.

Kalisradha stopped for a second and tilted her head towards the half-bull Demi-human and asked. Her eye fixed on his eyes, as if fiercely glaring into his soul, 

"What? Did you suddenly start believing in religion? 

The minotaur Demi-human shivered with fear but still managed to ask with a shaky voice, completely different from before. The previous question had only worry about the future. But the new one had genuine fear.

"B-but.. doesn't this place belong to him... he founded it 9 years ago r-right...if he-"

However, he couldn't finish the new question. Kalisradha's stare grew as if penetrating deep inside. Her voice sounding like an impact hammer.

"Yes. It was. But not anymore. Since I've been the commander, this place is mine. And it will be mine until until i decide so." Her voice lowered a little before countinuing. But not much. It just came back to where it was. The unwavering, authoritative voice she had. 

"Something will change for sure, but don't worry about it..... Did you make them take off the stitches and heal him properly like i asked??"

"Yes madam... that is taken care of..."

Replied the employee with hesitation. But before he could add more, there little conversation came to an end. Because they had reached the massive, steel reinforced door at the end of the hallway.

Kalisradha gave the order to open the door from her eyes. Hesitant but still obligated, the demi-human employee placed face to a specific cutout in the wall. A bright green light flashed through the small gaps followed by a red light like a laser. 

A clicking sound echoed throughout the hallway. With a swish sound of air, the pressurized lock disabled. The steel beams going through the door, from both inside and outside retracted.

The air escaped outwards as a gust of wind. Making Kalisradha's bright red hair, dance as gliding in the air. The heavy and massive door became so light that even Kalisradha who doesn't even weigh 70kg was able to push it open with a single arm.

Right before Kalisradha went inside, the employee said nervously, with his voice shaking a little,

"Are you sure you want to go in alone Madam?.... there are....rumors going around.....that he can perform miracles.....I or someone from our department can come along but protecting isn't exactly our specialty....specially from divine beings...."

"Don't worry, no need for anyone, just be sure nobody enters while I'm in there. Oh... and turn off the security cameras."

After assuring him, Kalisradha entered. The door closed behind her automatically and sealed into place. Inside, a pure white color ruled over even the shadows. No corners or walls were visible. No gaps or lines were visible. Just white as far as the eyes could see. Even If you stood right infront of a wall, without touching it, you wouldn't know there's a wall.

A few meters ahead of Kalisradha, a man in white robes was binded to a metallic chair. His hands locked in place with the arm rests of the chair. His bald head in full view without the ceremonial head wear he used to wear. 

And he was healed. The stitches in his mouth and hands were gone. But the blood in his clothes remained as a lucid dream. Staining the metallic chair he was on.

Kalisradha took a few steps forward, and reached him. Leaned forward a little and asked a simple question. With her face as stoic as ever. She didn't shout or scream. Just a single word.

 "Why?"

Suddenly, his head rattled a little. He came to his senses from the consciousless state he was in. The extreme physical pain caused his brain to short circuit. Even if he was healed, only Saeli could heal and soothe the brain. Other healers could only heal the wounds. And it too, took them everything they had. 

As soon as he woke up, he started barking orders at the person infront of him.

"Free me at once! How can you do this to me??!! I'm AllCathedral!! I am the AllCathedral!! That damned hero of yours is crazy. Look what he did to me. Doesn't he know who runs this organization??!! Keep your fucking pet on its leash, useless trash."

 But unfortunately for him, the person infront of him was Kalisradha. After pressing a button from her mobile, a piece of the floor disappeared and a black chair appeared from within it. 

After the chair was set, the piece closed without leaving a trace. No creases or anything indicating any sort of underground activity could be seen. Only the smooth surface of a never breaking floor was left behind.

After sitting down on the chair with her legs glued together, and arms resting on them, she started. Professionally as usual.

"I'm very sorry for what happened your highness, I'll free you at once-"

However before Kalisradha could finish, the young looking old man started barking again.

"And i demand a public execution for that hero!! I act in the name of Gods. I'm their messenger. Doing something like that to me is the same as doing it to them. Get to it Kali-"

*swish,thruht* 

"AHHHH....AHH...KAHHHH", screamed the young-looking oldman with blood gushing from his left hand and spilling to the pure white floor. As the first ink drop spilled into a blank canvas.

The pen which Kalisradha took from her pocket still in her hand. And that hand was above the AllCathedral's hand. What rested in-between them was a pen. Which had passed through the skin and bones of the AllCathedral and connected to the metallic chair he was in. The sound of the metal tip hitting the metallic chair, echoing amidst the screams.

""What did you do?? WHAT DID YOU DO, YOU FUCKING SHITHEAD??!! Have you gone crazy too?? Answer me??!!! ANSWER ME YOU STUPID MORTAL??!!

Kalisradha sat back down. Crossed her legs and rested her arms on the arm rests. Amidst the barking of the AllsCathedral, she started to speak. As if she never got up from her chair. As if the AllCathedral's hand wasn't used as a pen holder. 

Which made the AllCathedral too stunned and confused to speak over her. Which after seeing the nonchalant expression in her face, made it only worse. 

"As i was saying, I'll free you at once....After you answer some questions for me. Starting with what did you do and why did you do it?!"

"Ask you crazy hero you useless piece of shit. He's the one who abused me and took me here!!!"

This time the young-looking old man waited until she finished to scream. While Wriggling on the chair in an attempt to free himself, which did absolutely nothing.

Ignoring the old man, Kalisradha continued,

"Currently the hero isn't in a position to answer questions due to what happened to his friends. But as the way you were brought, I'm sure you can tell me all I need to know"

"A small Gul appeared in the AllsCathedral and the saintess was a victim of it. I was the one who defeated it. She only protected me. Yet your mad dog saw the scene and came at me... that's girls participating it's a war, casualties happen... even if not today, she was going to die anyway. Sooner or later....why is she so special anyway....special enough to attack ME!?!!.."

The AllCathedral blurted out his anger infused statement. However in the nonsense he spoke, there were some words stood out. Kalisradha flinched a little as she heard those words. And then, they began to echo in her head.

However what made her really cold were the next words spoken by the AllCathedral. As a barking dog, the AllCathedral barked, making Kalisradha drop a cold sweat running down her spine.

"Those who are to die, die. Those who are to live, live. All is as the gods will!!"

The later was a statement used often by the AllCathedral. However, only after hearing both the nonsense together, did she realize a simple fact.

Even barking was a form of communication. Only, the residents of Earth.8 didn't understand them. They were smarter. Used advanced languages. So they missed it. She missed it. The barkings they completely ignored, were actually telling an incredibly important story.

Maybe the gods will, does impact this war. Maybe they really choose who dies and who lives. Angels had descended before, but never a god. Never before the damage was already done. Maybe the gods, didn't want Earth.8 to survive. 

*ding *

The green tones of her black choker flashed with a warm red. Kalisradha took out her phone and checked the video she received. A single tear rolled from her left eye. Looking at the man infront of her, she calmly said, 

"You know....I've always found it uncomfortable that you didn't allow any security cameras on the AllsCathedral grounds. Yet i couldn't do anything about it because The Holy Guardians are a part of it and is sponsored by it. Looking back, We were mere servants of it."

As she was talking, a black Shadowy figure emitting an obnoxious smoke started rising from underneath Kalisradha's chair. Ans soon the humanoid figure started advancing towards the AllCathedral as Kalisradha still continued without batting an eye. 

"However you still made me commander of it. You see, I don't like not seeing things. So I should thank you for that. As the commander, I was able to get a camera in Space. Which was able to see through dense materials. Like walls for example. And I was able to angle it towards the AllsCathedral."

"Gahh... what is this? What is this thing... keep it off me!! KEEP IT OFF ME!!" As the black figure made it's way near the AllCathedral, hovering just a few millimeters away from his face, the AllCathedral screamed in fear, nearly wetting himself.

"You are right. Those who are to die, die. I've watched over millions die in my home country alone when the Khaos incident happened. I've watched thousands of soliders die fighting against the khaos. Under my command. In these past 9 years, I've counted more than a billion lives lost altogether. It may sound surprising but It pained me. It really did. But I was able to continue. A tear never appeared from my eyes. They were red because to the anger in me."

She stopped for a minute, as wanting for the AllCathedral to sink all that in, and continued with a firm voice. 

"But I continued. I continued to send them to their deaths. Because I wanted for this war to be over. I just didn't want to survive. I wanted to win the world back!!! Win my world back!!"

Another tear rolled down her face from her right eye. Another from her left, again another from her right. Until the number of tears were uncountable, tears rolled down her face. Yet her expression didn't change.

"You see...I was going to die back then too, but Saeli saved me. She healed my fatal injuries and smiled. And then she said to me in an angelic voice, "You are going to be okay, believe me!!". Magalt carried me to safety with a satisfied expression while Vezyne went ahead to face the Gul. Looking back, they were just children then...."

*thrushdd *

An eerie sound, like an elephant stepping on a watermelon and crushing it was heard from Kalisradha's phone. But due to the angle of the video, it wasn't seen. All she could see was Saeli crawling on the ground towards the floor and the AllCathedral walking upto her. But she saw one thing very clearly. No Gul, small or big, entered the AllsCathedral premises from the outside. 

"Gahh.... It's going to strangle me... it's going to strangle me!! I don't care about your past or the past of some useless human... take this thing off me.. I'M THE ALLCATHEDRAL....I ORDER YOU TO SAVE ME!! I'M THE MIRACLE CHILD!!! Ahh ...Gahh..."

Screamed the AllCathedral as much as his throat permitted and a bit more. Already having wet himself, squishy sounds could be heard as he agitated in the chair in another useless attempt to get free. But ignoring it completely, Kalisradha continued as if a Shadowy blend thing wasn't infront of her, ready to become one with the man she was interrogating.

"In these past 9 years, Saeli and Magalt saved many lives, from both physical and emotional injuries, smiled with us, laughed with us, ate with us, slept with us."

The tears kept rolling down her eyes, yet her expression didn't change. She couldn't afford to change it. 

"You know, i like altruistic people, that's because they are easy to manipulate. But personally, I don't like to be around them. They are a pain and require a lot of maintenance. Yet I didn't mind being around them. Their kindness had no limits. Their genuine smiles had no bounds. It was contagious."

Leaning forward with her teary face, Kalisradha spoke with her usual voice. However the anger which normally isn't there, was clearly audible now.

"Dear Mr.Omniante Thulq, i will not ask again, WHAT DID YOU DO?! AND WHY. DID. YOU. DO. IT.??!!"

"H- how do you know that name??!!! I'm t-the AllCathedral. Call me that. You hear, I'm ALLCATHEDRAL!!! Free me at once and I'll close an eye this time for all your and your dogs crimes. FREE ME-"

However the AllCathedral's shouting was short lived. Kalisradha signaled the Shadowy figure to continue by nodding her head to the side. The black obnoxious smoke wrapped around the AllCathedral's body and entered inside his body. Small trails of black smoke violated his nose, eyes, ears and mouth until every last inch of the black smoke was inside of him. 

"AHHHHH....WH- WHAT- GAHHHHH- TAKE IT OFF ME!! TAKE IT OF-"

The AllCathedral screamed, or rather begged but the gushing sounds never stopped. As a hydraulic press smashing a chicken, the sound of bones, flesh and everything else inside being squished, echoed in the pure white room. 

Suddenly, blood or rather a reddish substance with a tone of black was squeezing out of his nose, eyes, ears and mouth. His breathing was rough. Almost as, in every breath he took, his lungs and wind pipe was being scratched by a thousand nails.

"P- ple...se hh..el..p me...." begged the young-looking old man. As the morning sunrays, but in black, the smoke left his body. The AllCathedral looked surprised. He looked relieved. But it didn't last long. 

Kalisradha nodded her head again. The shadowy smoke couldn't even get one centimeter away. As a haunting ghost, the smoke re-entered immediately inside. Same as before. Looking directly into the AllCathedral's eyes, Kalisradhasaid calmly. 

"Wrong answer"

Just before the smoke was fully in, Kalisradha mumbled under her breath, "Don't kill him..." And let the shadowy smoke on its way. 

[18:30]

"Pl-ple...se... eno...ugh..." Begged the AllCathedral.

"Wrong Answer." Calmly said Kalisradha.

The inside of the AllCathedral's mind was beginning to break.

<Where am i? Why is there blood in my mouth? What is this smoke around me?>

[18:40]

"En-enou...ghh.. re....leas...mee....p..le...ase..."

"Wrong Answer. "

<Who is this infront of me? Why does my body feel hot? Who is screaming?>

[18:50]

"I-in th..e na-nam...e o..f.. g...ds..f-fr..ee... mee....."

<It's dark. I can't see. I can't hear. I can't....>

[19:00]

"G-god...s...go...ds...s-sav...e... me.... go..ds...go...ds..."

"WRONG ANSWER AGAIN!!"

<Gods. Gods. Gods....>

Kalisradha reached her phone and contacted the minotaur looking Demi-human employee.

"Send a group of the best healers available." Her call didn't last even a few seconds. Yet before she could put her phone back in her pocket, the massive reinforced steel door behind her opened.

The healers rushed inside. As if they were already waiting on the other side. Ready to barge in. They didn't need to know who needed treatment. Because no matter who, both of the those who were inside were the main reason Earth.8 was still a habitable planet.

One protected them physically while the other protected them mentally. Or so was believed for the past 9 years. However, the structure has started to shake. 

"Heal him" said Kalisradha with her usual, authority filled voice. Now, the tears in her face dried yet her eyes still red.

After healing the AllCathedral, the healers left. Three female healers and a male pilot who specialize in rapid healing. All wearing white with the 'THG' emblem stitched on it.

A human, an elf, and a rabbitkin were the female healers. The male pilot was a avian type birdkin with wings as large as him. However none were priestesses or priests. They were employees affiliated with the underground lab. Which remained a secret to most including the AllCathedral.

The massive door closed behind them. The sound of air pressurizing and the steel beans fixing in place echoed in the seamless white room. And soon the AllCathedral came into his senses.

"Huh!! Huff..Huff...Where am I? What am I doing here?"

Upon seeing Kalisradha he remembered. He remembered the black smoke. He remembered the torture. He remembered.... His body being torn and squished from the inside. He started screaming.

"Let me go!! Let me do!! I swear the gods ire will fall upon you if you don't stop!! Let me go!!!! You can't do me this.... I'm the AllCathedral.... I AM THE MIRACLE CHILD!!"

The Shadowy black figure rose again from underneath Kalisradha's chair. It approached the AllCathedral's and coiled around him. It stopped just a few centimeters apart from his nostrils, ears eyes and mouth. As if waiting for an answer. Or rather a command.

Kalisradha leaned back. Relaxed on the steel chair and crossed her legs. She looked the AllCathedral directly into his eyes. As staring into his soul and said calmly. 

"Call whoever you want. Angels or Gods. I don't care. But I need answers. So....Let's do this again. WHAT AND WHY?! Let's see if even the gods can save you from me!"

[19:50]

With a swish of air, the massive door of the white room opened again. As Kalisradha stepped out, she was met with a worried Targen, the minotaur looking, Demi-human employee.

"Is everything all right, madam?" He asked. Requesting a team of healers multiple times when she was inside, didn't exactly diminish his worries. But rather multiplied them. As he couldn't get a reason from Kalisradha he could only wait and got l hope for an answer.

Fortunately, he didn't have to wait that long,

"Everything's fine, send the team of healers inside and heal him again. We need him alive afterall. After go get some rest. We are going to be busy soon. Very busy, very soon."

Targen stopped following as Kalisradha walked towards the elevator. She tapped her choker and sent a voice message to her secretary.

"Zuuri, contact Vezyne."

☆☆☆

[20:00]

The gravesite was lit with artificial lightning from the poles around it. Vezyne was sitting beside Saeli and Magalt's graves. Renuaq was leaning against a pole, facing the graves and Vezyne contemporary.

*TAK TAK TAK*

A figure appeared from the dark. Golden lines glowing from the human resembling figure. It was the yellows vines in her suit. Kalisradha stood before them. Vez and Renu lifted their heads and faced Kalisradha.

She didn't say anything for a few seconds. She just stared at them. Specifically at Vezyne. Then she opened her mouth. Her usual authoritative voice surrounded them. And said unwaveringly, making Vezyne flinch for the first time.

"VEZYNE, ARE YOU STILL GOING TO PLAY BEING THE HERO OR WILL YOU FINALLY BECOME THE HERO?!"

Vezyne stared at her for a while and stood up. Going forward and standing face to face, Vezyne spoke. Her voice sounding mechanical due to the filters in her mask. It was a firm sound which Kalisradha had not heard before.

"LET'S GO"

After replying Vezyne passed her and went forward until she disappeared into the darkness. Kalisradha looked in Renu's direction which made him come a few steps closer. Taking something out of his pocket, Renu handed it to her. 

"Here it is, please don't make me regret my invention and the decision to give it to you!"

As she took the small rectangular chip from Renu's hand, Renu disappeared from sight too. Now she was left alone. In the dimly lit gravesite of very first subordinates she recruited after the Khaos incident. But going forward, they were more than that. They were soldiers. They were adjutants. But most importantly, they were part of her family, even if she never admitted it. 

She took a few steps forward and stood directly infront of Saeli and Magalt's graves. With two tears rolling down from both her eyes, she looked down and stared into their graves in a neutral expression. She couldn't cry or be sad. Because she had given up that privilege a long time ago. 

"Both of you did the absolute best." She started slowly and gradually increased the weight of her words. 

"Both of your names belong in our past, present and future victories. Please rest now. We will create a world where the future generations, your future generations can be free." 

As the tears rolled down her face and dropped onto their graves, she declared, as a lion roaring into the vastness for a magnificent forest. As he proclaimed himself the king. 

"I guarantee it by my name, KALISRADHA KUNARI RAJASUNAATH, COMMANDER OF THE NEW HOPE OF THIS WORLD. OF MY WORLD!!"