• Chapter #57: [HIRO… AGAIN?]

Beneath the dark world lay smoke and blood, covering the traces of white in crimson and grey. Sparks of flames and thunder claps would sometimes appear, accompanied by the grating sound of blades clashing.

“You damned peasants! You think you could get away with harming a Noble?!”, A man in expensive white clothes yelled angrily, though his body was mostly covered in grime and blood.

He grinded his teeth in rage and hopelessness. They had been ambushed and most of them were incapacitated, the chances of escape now were nothing but miracles.

After the men had went inside the paintings, the alarm system immediately triggered. Although they had an ample time to prepare, they never expected the enemy to see through it. The enemies were also oddities, having an unusual look and fighting style. Their magic is also different and more potent than theirs, while their auras were one of immense power and supremacy, like they were standing before the King.

“Just… Who are you people…?”, Groaned the elder noble, who lay on the ground clutching his arm.

“That’s none of your business. But still… For you all to build this shitty organization and code of belief just to steer away your guilt…”, He stopped, before continuing. “Or should I say, satisfy your ego and ease your minds?”, He sneered at them, before adding. “That’s just disgusting and pathetic.”

“Heh… Talk all you want… One of us has already been long gone…”, One of them smirked.

The Black Zodiac members looked on the direction of the voice, seeing most of the Nobles’ Obliged smiling.

“It’s too late, reinforcements will arrive soon.”

*Sigh*

“You don’t know when to give up don’t ya?”, A Zodiac spoke exasperatedly, before taking off a scroll container within his pocket. Opening it, a scroll which he gently rolled open came, it’s runes glowing in ominous purple.

[Plotter’s Discernment – Advanced: Active]

The area around the man was traced by mana, before it fluctuated and formed into figures of persons and objects, creating a vague vision of the past. However it was unknown to everyone but the man, as he’s the only one who could see it.

The environment that the man gazed upon shifted a final time, before he quickly closed his eyes. The purple glow from the cloth finally died out.

Immediately, he signals another member, and the Nobles looked upon him in confusion.

“Yustas. They’ve gone to Yustas, and most of the stones were carried by them. Some are still locked in the illusionary world behind this garden painting.”, He said in detail. The subordinate nodded at his information, while the Nobles only widened their eyes in shock.

“What… Are you…”, One of them mumbled, before unconsciousness hit him as the Black Zodiac knocked them out.

“Do we get rid of them?”, One asked.

“We can’t, we’re not hoppers who’s capable of interacting with fate and destiny in another worlds… Also, it seems that another Hopper is in Yustas.”, He explained to him, the man going quiet after the statement.

Even though Zen had brought them into the world, they cannot interfere nor touch the factors that are held by the fates and destiny of the world, such as souls or objects that are connected to the world’s divinity. Only a Hopper could do such things.

“Let’s proceed now. Destroy the stones and all traces of it… Now that I have witnessed it… And the fact that the rabbit wants to use it, it may be good for power, but not for us.”, He furrowed his brows, narrowing his eyes to the painting.

They eventually enter the Garden of Illusions. Despite the painting’s lovely look, what lay behind was a place full of hollow darkness and disgusting aura. It appears that the stones and whatever they had been doing here had seeped into the place.

Opening another door, what greeted was various equipments and storage units which housed the stones and their liquidized forms.

Beyond another gateway, what lay was much more horrific. Various individuals stored upon experimental cells, their veins blackened and visible. Some of the tar-like substance was even flowing out of their orifices, as they were stored like preserved organs.

“For the Prestige?”, The acting leader said, his eyebrows raised.

He was met by the silence of the unconscious Nobles.

*Sigh*

“Seriously, how idiotic you can be…”, His partner sighed, before raising and opening his palm at his front.

[Inventory]

All of the subjects suddenly disappeared into nothingness, their bodies fading away like thousands of cracked glass shards.

With all of the subjects gone, he spoke. “There.”

The Zodiac then attach all of the tied Nobles together, intent on locking them away into the illusory world. The man then took out a strange device, and pressed something.

“If this was Earth, you’d all be dead.”, Was his final words, before the device emitted a bright light and devoured them and his companions.

•—•—•—•

[South Korea]

Hiro and his group had been busy for the past several days. He and his group, had departed into a quest of finding a possible way to remove the curse that had been inflicted onto 2 of their members during the LightWays Media invasion.

“Really? That ordinary looking guy’s a Hero Candidate?”, One rookie pointed out, as he stared at Hiro’s Tyrant Blade with eyes full of wonder.

“Yeah and apparently, he’s also the heir of the most prominent Japanese Household, the Kazuto.”, Another one spoke, lifting his glasses up with his fingers.

“Uhhh… Sorry to interrupt, but who are you?”, The rookies asked to the boy in glasses, who merely smirked and picked something from his pocket.

“Me? Ofcourse, I’m just a Predator!”, He proudly showed off his badge to the rookies, who swooned at him. Meanwhile, Kogi who heard him merely sighed.

Most Extraordinaries in their current location were Rookies, having ranks of Warrior, General, and Lord. Only few whom level was Novice, and even rarer for ones that are on the Middle Ranks, such as Predator. Due to that, Hiro and his group had quickly established being the strongest here.

Kogi approached the currently resting Hiro, of course still surrounded by the girls.

“The quest is to acquire an item from a plane. This one should be easy”, Kogi patted Hiro’s shoulder in reassurance.

“Yeah… It’s just… I’m worried about the situation of the twins…”, Hiro sighed. Kogi sighed at him in slight frustration, although Hiro’s kindness was well appreciated and was one of his best features, sometimes it was just too much.

Sighing one more time, he sat besides Hiro.

“Now I wonder what the guy back at school’s doing.”, Misa thought out loud.

“You mean Hori Kaide? The ring’s still on him, and it appears that he’s still at school. Probably, he’s continuing to be bored on everything.”, Emilia said.

“Yeah, we’ve been childhood friends. I’m pretty sure he’s just been lazing around since then, being disinterested at everything.”, Kurumi said, massaging her temples.

“Wait, you know him?”, Hiro dumbfoundedly said, looking at Kurumi. Now she had everyone’s interest.

“Yeah, didn’t I tell you of this before?”, Kurumi became confused, and so did everyone. She remembered her time with Kaide back when they were children, though strangely not that much.

“You never mentioned that he’s your childhood friend though?”, Emiya raised an eyebrow.

“How was he when you were young?”, Kogi regarded curiously.

“Hmmm…”, Kurumi thought, trying to remember. Maybe because she was young, that she forgot most things. “Well, I don’t really remember much. But I’m pretty sure that he’s wasn’t like this before.”

“Wait, what do you mean?”, Hiro asked her in cconfusion

“Well… I remember him always smiling. He’s quite good with sports too, easily gets along with most people he met, and is always courteous to others…”, Kurumi said, and immediately realized on how big Kaide had changed.

“What?”, Were the only reactions made by the others, shocked and confused on how the seemingly irritable and gloomy man was once lively and extroverted.

Then, Kurumi jolted, as if she remembered something.

“Now I remember! It was 3 years ago!”, She cried out in realization. Everyone was again all ears, and she added. “That was when he started acting like a loner.”

“Maybe something happened?”, Ayumi said.

“Hmmm… We know that Hori Kaide has the power of [Plotter’s Discernment], an ability directly connected to–“, Kogi said, before he was interrupted.

“An Ancient God”, Hiro finished.

“Maybe he got that power 3 years ago?”, Kogi concluded.

Suddenly, one of the assigned guards for Hiro appeared, it was Suzuki Hayami.

“This is just speculation but…”, She begun.

“Hmm?”

“3 years ago was also the time when the Black Zodiac Leader had tried to contact the 6 Evil Gods, but had resulted in disastrous failure. The site they were performing the ritual on then was investigated, and it turned out that they were instead trying to wake the Primordial.”, Hayami explained. This was also one of the reasons on why the Black Zodiac was deemed as an extreme threat.

“So you’re saying that Kaide might be related to that incident?”, Kogi surmised.

“No… As I said, it’s a mere hypothesis without base. But still… A man with no background and a power directly connected to an Ancient God, the Union has required an investigation since they weren’t even able to track him until now.”, Still, Hayami had doubts in her mind. The Union usually solved matters like unknown Extraordinaries quickly, as they never know who they’re allied to. For the Union to disregard this matter…

Perhaps it was because of the recent attack. However, Hayami’s mind begged to differ, as if the teen’s existence was obscuring everything that gazed into it.

“Let’s just talk when we get back, we have a mission to do.”, Kogi said, ending the conversation. With that, the group decided to continue later and then headed out for their mission

•—•—•—•

In another world, a small town were in display. People lived about their daily life, nothing out of the ordinary. However, there was an unsettling feeling on the scene that one wouldn’t be able to put their finger into.

Suddenly, a woman sweeping leaves outside stilled and begun murmuring, her eyes becoming hollow and devoid of anything.

“Existence has left you…”

As soon as she said that, an eerie silence overtook as all the people in the town also stilled, their eyes filled with the same void that the woman had. Together, they began to murmur in unison. Louder. Louder. And louder.

Eventually, it pans to another city, where it’s inhabitants were also lifeless and also murmuring something. With no time, an entire country, an entire continent, and eventually, the whole world became eerie, as the voice of the entire population resounded throughout.

“Existence has left you…”

.

“Existence has left you…”

.

“Existence has left you…”

.

“Existence has left you…”

.

The world were saying one single phrase over and over, synchronized as if they were robots.

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“I will try to get it back…”

.

The world had become ghastly quiet again, and it’s inhabitants who hollowly chanted continued what they were doing…

Like nothing just happened…

[•END•]

Revised by BaNaeNae.