Parallel (A Virtual Gamer's Story) [Vol.1 - Vol.4 Complete]

Chapter 217: Little Su

Redmont, Serisis.

8:29 p.m. 19th Banem 1092.

CRACK!

The ballroom descended into abject silence as the Maggots stared at Kashi in shock and disbelief. A horrendous smile curled up the edge of the daeben's lips as he looked at the limp Lunette, whose hands dangled lifelessly by her side.

Kashi... er no, Suzuki broke the stunned silence, "You got what you deserved."

"KASHI!" Shadow's crazed roar drew Kashi's attention to the young man trapped by his left hand. "I'll Kill You!" The assassin screamed as he stabbed his daggers into Kashi's arm.

Suzuki, however, did not flinch as he looked at the daggers. "That's fair," he said, and then nodded, "I'll give you that one."

"You!" Shadow shouted and pulled on the daggers, intending to pierce a nerve with the next strike. However, to his shock, Shadow found he could not pull out the daggers no matter how hard he tried. His expression turned violent with rage and despair when he saw scales growing along Kashi's arm.

Whoosh! Clang!

Suzuki's gaze turned harsh as he turned to glare at Shokō. The swordswoman's gaze grew heavy as she looked at the dragonified arm. Even her sword couldn't cut it off. Just how powerful was this freak's defense?

"Are you crazy?" Suzuki chided as he glared at Shokō. "You could have cut his arm off."

"You're the crazy one!" shouted Shokō with rage. "You killed her!"

"She deserved it," retorted Suzuki, but then added before anyone could speak, "[Resuscitate]"

The Maggots once again looked on in disbelief as a bright light burst out of Kashi's hands and then enveloped Lunette. Within seconds, her expression brightened as her neck snapped back in place.

The songstress's eyes fluttered open, and then she violently coughed as she awoke from her brief slumber. Lunette looked at Suzuki with panic, fear, and confusion as he relaxed his grip around her neck. With her first breath, she asked, "Why?"

"Why?" muttered Suzuki with a raised brow. "You don't want to live? I can oblige you that," he said, even as he released the siblings. The daeben's cold eyes held a hint of amusement as he regarded Shadow, who had run over to Lunette to protect her as he glared at the daeben. "So... you're supposed to be Suzuki's replacement?" A smile tugged the edge of his lips as he acknowledged, "Now, I see the resemblance." The smile, however, dried up as he turned his attention to Lunette.

"You are supposed to be Ruri? Was Ryumaki really this daft?" Suzuki questioned as he squatted in front of the siblings. "I suppose that's why you are so perfect at everything. Up till the end, he only saw her good side." His glare grew hard and threatening as he spat, "He never noticed Suzuki's hell." He paused as a thought struck him. "Or, who knows? Maybe he did and chose to push it to his subconscious. Either way, it's impossible to know the truth now that he's dead."

Suzuki silently examined the terror and guilt in Lunette's eyes, and then, as if satisfied, rose to his feet. "It doesn't matter now." He looked around at the Maggots, a peculiar shade in his eyes as he took in their confused and hesitant expressions. Turning back to Lunette, he said, "To answer your question, It was never my intent to kill. I may be many things, but I'm not stupid enough not to understand cause and effect. You have no more blame for Suzuki's death than a rope shop has in a suicide."

"Then why!?" roared Shadow as he helped his sister to her feet. "And who the hell is this Suzuki?"

Suzuki ignored Shadow's second question but answered the first. "Because you both needed to feel Suzuki's pain, even if for a brief moment. You might not be responsible, but that kind of logic does not stop the rage I'm feeling right now." Flames burned in the daeben's eye. "I really want to tear you both apart, find whatever server you're stored in, and burn it to the ground, but..." He tapped his head and then said, "There's someone in here who cares a lot about the both of you." Glancing at Lunette, he said, "Especially you. You have potential. One day, you might become his reason to live. I cannot destroy that. No. I will never destroy anything that makes Kashi happy."