Liberation #3

Clang!

Steel clashed with bone, the edges of metal smashed against sharpened projections, and the blade quivered under the stress it was being put under. Still, with a grunt Akiro cleaved the projection in half. Shing!

“To think I’d see that thing again, color me surprised.” The assassin looked at the pieces of the spirit floating back to their summoner, the hero party’s Tamer. “The Insane Cave’s Lunar Wolves– they were a massive pain.”

The undead corpse looked at Akiro wordlessly, lacking both flesh and lungs to speak. Instead it’s mouth only clattered as the teeth came together to mimic speech. Once again, the spirit of the Lunar wolf came together in front of him, walking proudly as if it were alive.

“Ryuta was an animal lover, so his powers of harnessing the powers of animals seem fitting.” Akiro smirked at the wolf that bared its fangs. It was larger than any wolf he had ever seen, on earth and in this world, even in the dungeon this wolf was larger than most. It was called a Lunar wolf because of its most distinct features, its moon-like eyes.

Lunar wolves are blind from birth, and traverse the darkness of the caves using echolocation through sound or through smell, some variants use their touch by using vibrations of the earth. It’s a monster that’s nearly impossible to sneak up upon, and an incredibly successful ambush predator. “The alpha of the pack, I expected nothing less from you.”

The deceased hero lurched forward with the speed of the Lunar wolf, its bite strength channeled through both his hands. Ryuta slammed his palms together, the bones ringing like the fanges represented by his hands, and a large wave of ten vertical slashes erupted from the action.

Despite everything however, Akiro only smiled as the attacks came for him, the speeds thereof slowing down because of his acute visual prowess. “She can enslave your body, chain your soul to the land of the living, but she can’t change who you were when you were alive.”

“An animal lover who volunteered for every shelter in the city at least once, and was so deeply loved by those that he cared for, it couldn’t be any more perfect that you harnessed the spirit of those that you nurtured.”

The assassin steadied the sword in his hands, repositioning his arms so that the blade was horizontal. “I should stop it with the theatrics, this isn’t the time to grieve. I can always do that when the dust settles.”

“I have gathered all of you here today, to discuss the imminent threat.” The class of heroes stared at the Scavian Princess. They were inside the throne room inside the castle of the eastern country, with only the ones present inside being the two princesses and the otherworlders. “I bear both good and terrible news, which one would you like to hear first?”

Ayama looked at Princess Sume, then to Otome who was holding his arm, her hands shivering with worry. No one in the room wanted to speak, with the events of the past day being the worst it could ever have been.

“The royal family has been rescued from the terrorist attack.” The news made many of the people present exhale, with many tense shoulders relaxing at the long awaited goal. But a handful of them braced for the latter. “They are in critical condition… our physicians don’t expect them to survive tonight. As for the protocol, the royal family’s new head will be declared publicly in the town square.”

“I…I’m sorry for your loss…” Haruto managed to get out, his teeth sinking into his bottom lip as his hands were curled into tight fists. “If I only realized his strange behavior sooner– They would’ve–”

“Hush, now.” Sume shook her head, “Now is not the time for tears, but the time for action. I will soon be declared as the next Queen, but I already have the authority, not the name.”

Ayama watched her with his full attention, “I will summarize the report from our Head Scientist, Keisha. Akiro is dangerous.” The name made the room fall to a deathly silence, “It is but the most… regret I say this, but it is undeniable that he is now public enemy number one.”

“Tomorrow my decree would address this issue, but time is no longer on our side. Akiro Hiroto has been charged with these crimes: The Highest Level of Treason, the murder of the Earlshide Royal Family, the attempted murder of the Scavian Royal Family, the Genocide of hundreds from Private Military Corps and adventurers, the Slaughter of approximately three thousand soldiers, crimes against humanity, war crimes under international law, and Blasphemy against the church.”

Ayama’s mouth opened slightly in shock. What has happened in three months? This was not the friend he remembered fighting along beside. This was a monster.

“We have extensively reviewed every record we have of the criminal, yet we cannot pinpoint the reason behind his insanity. We can only theorize that he has been possessed by the demon you all…defeated in the labyrinth.” Sume sighed with great fear, “By chance, is there perhaps a reason as to why he would do such a thing? Anything would shed light into this dilemma.”

A few heads slowly inch towards Masashi, only enough for their eyes to see him in the corner of their peripherals. It was known amongst them how poorly he treated the fallen hero, but it did not make sense for him to do so much against everybody except his abuser.

“The fuck are you all looking at me for?” The berserker scoffed with a turn of his head, a drop of cold sweat falling down his chin. “I don’t have a clue.”

“Well you are also correct, I find your lack of remorse towards an issue you may have given influence to appalling.” Takumi shot back with a bitter frown, “We know what you did, and I know why he let you do so unopposed by the law.”

Suma turned to the magician with interest, “What do you mean?”

Takumi looked at Ayama, who only gave him a regretful nod of approval. “It is not my story to tell, but in light of the dire circumstances, I must do what is right.” He closed his eyes and put down his glasses, “O-Our enemy has suffered greatly, emotionally and physically back on earth, from the death of his father from under incredibly bogus circumstances. He was left as a shell of what he once was, only recovering months before we were transmigrated here.”

“In his depression, he sought self-harming distractions, allowing himself to be beaten by our resident berserker. I doubt the routine helped, but it was enough of a distraction.” He continued after glaring at Masashi one more time, “His father, and many other firefighters were engulfed in a pillar of flames that rained down from the heavens of Sengoku Middle school.”

“I see,” Sume nodded, her eyebrow slightly twitching at the comment about a pillar of fire, “That does not help, but it gives us insight on his personality.”

“I object,” Ayama clicked his tongue, “I’ve known him since before the death of mister– since the death of his father. One depressing life event cannot give us anything about him. We’re completely in the dark.”

The princess frowned at her fists as he lowered her head, “Then we’re at the worst possible scenario.” She grit her teeth, “So it is then. Like I said, time is not on our side. In one day’s time, a double eclipse is going to happen, according to our astrologists. Akiro’s power is drawn from the moon, and although it is dormant during the day and present at night, the solar eclipse will theoretically allow him to have complete power during the day; and the Lunar Eclipse after it will amplify his power tenfold.”

“A double Eclipse?! What even is that?” Masashi shot up, “That has to be a made up word– that’s not scientifically possible! Even I know that.”

The outburst caused many to turn back to Sume, who only shook her head, “On your earth perhaps, but not in ours. You see, ancient scribes have deduced that our solar system is in the same configuration as a clock.” The princess pointed at the one present in the room. “Twelve hours, the twelve zodiac Stars, the hour hand, the sun, the minute hand, the moon, and our planet at the center– Once every two-hundred forty years, every single major heavenly body will align, like a clock at Midnight and Dawn– a double eclipse.”

“This is some bullshit–” Masashi cursed, “Of course something like this happens when it’s convenient! I want to go back home, Fuck!”

This time Ayama raised his hand, “Your Highness, weren’t we summoned a year ago? If I guess correctly, wouldn’t something as astronomical as that be the method in which we were summoned?”

The question made the princess flinch, but she nodded nonchalantly, “You are incorrect, for you are summoned through something else, something incredibly ancient even I know not of. When I am crowned queen, the proprieties will follow. Still, even then, I don’t think I’m allowed to disclose it.”

“I see,” Ayama looked hard at the clock present in the room, visualizing a picture in his mind. “At twelve, ‘the hour hand’ and the ‘minute hand’ will form a Solar Eclipse, and at six, it will form a lunar eclipse. However you slice it, this is a situation only achieved by either bullshit-timing or the hands of… yeah, the latter is the more acceptable answer.”

“Why were we summoned to this world, what are we supposed to accomplish that they would go so far?” The blonde hero only shook his head. “So does this mean that two of each eclipse will happen on the same day?”

“Unfortunately, yes.”

“It’s still an incomplete technique, but that much raw power is enough to close the gap between inexperience and results.” Akiro noted to himself, looking down with great satisfaction, baring his canines at the groveling scientist “Wouldn’t you say? Keisha?”

“H-How is that possible– That…t-that is not something that can be done!” The woman reeled, retching on the ground, her lungs filling up with blood, but she still forced out a question. “Y-You— what are you!?”

“Are those really your last words? For someone as smart as you, you sure are stupid.” Shink!

The scientist opened her mouth to scream, but blood had already plugged her throat and the silent screams of pain couldn’t be heard. Akiro wouldn’t have paid her any mind. “You know, I promised that I would make you suffer through the punishment of not feeling the release of death, but I’m not a hundred percent sure that I’m able to follow through, word for word.”

Her eyes strained to turn to the Hero that kneeled in front of her, “I’ll cut to the chase,” He grinned at her, “I can control space, and only through my magic power can I traverse the space in-between this dimension and the next.”

Her eyes watch the shadow underneath his booths quiver, her iris begging him not to kill her. “Needless to say, that magic is incredibly dangerous to me because… what if I run out of magic power in-between my trip? I would lose my anchor and footing to this plane.” and they began to inch towards her slowly. “I haven’t tried putting anyone else through it, but if I did without my magic– what would happen then?”

Keisha’s eyes flicker with genuine fear. Her lips moved, quivering with genuine plea, No! No! No!

“Time flows differently there, it's painfully slow, maybe even completely stopped to preserve everything that’s inside it– allowing me to make near-instant surprise attacks if done correctly.” Akiro laughed as the shadows began to wrap around her limbs. He held a potion in his hands, “Oh don’t worry, you won’t die, I won’t let you.”

Keisha tasted the sweet taste of strawberries on the red liquid, and she could feel the blood of her body multiplying, her wounds sealing, and her vocal cords being unsealed. “You’re going to fall perpetually, and live impossibly long without food or water because of the potion in your stomach. You’ll be conscious, but frozen, and you’ll be driven insane alone, forever.”

“No! Please God no!” Keisha heard her words leave her mouth, her whole body sinking into the bottomless abyss. “Please! Please, just kill me! Oh god, what did I ever do to deserve this? Let me die, just let me die–”

“You do believe in god, but he isn't your god now–” Akiro chuckled as she was fully encased and absorbed by the gate opened by his shadow. 

The assassin rose up from the ground and looked at the sphere the scientist dropped, watching it roll to the middle of the whole room cleaved in two, the space between her original position and his current one brought closer.

And so the door she was covering was only a step away, with only the twist of a knob was enough to unlock it. “I am.”