[OLD] Book 1: Densetsu.EXEcution

Chapter 20 - Cold Shoulder

Chapter 20: Cold Shoulder

Ayashige growled as Midori stepped away from the clearing of the Asylum. His dark red eyes burned with hatred while he looked onward at Midori. He turned to face Shima and Kiri now, as well as the decayed body of Lyric. The girl’s body was pale, and her skin contrasted her long black hair, which was neatly bundled into pigtails on each side.

Kiri kept quiet while she looked at Lyric, studying her condition. Shima spoke up after a moment.

“It seems she’s been poisoned,” he said. “What should we do, Ayashige?”

“I’m not leaving without her,” he replied, “we don’t leave behind family, Shima.”

“I understand,” Shima said, “We can’t convey the plan either, unless we have the radiant shards, which Midori has now.”

“So you get it!” Ayashige replied, “We’re gonna get back at that bitch, hear? Even if Lyric dies…” Tears watered underneath his eyes.

“We won’t lose her,” Kiri said, speaking up, “This is war, Midori…”

“And why pray tell is that?” Midori asked, stopping and turning to look at Kiri, “Oh, I’m sorry, did you decide to grow some fucking balls?” She drew a knife from her belt. “Women aren’t supposed to have balls, don’t you know? I’ll slice you to bits!”

“I don’t care what you do to me, Midori…” Kiri said, “Anything you say or do won’t hurt me. Even if you kill me, I won’t care. I’ve lost whatever I had on the surface.”

“Kiri…” Shima looked at her.

“Well then, I guess you won’t mind being the first to die!” Midori shouted, charging at Kiri. She jumped into the air as Midori skid against the ground below her. “What the hell do you think you’re doing, bitch?”

“I won’t let you,” Kiri said softly, holding up a light blue crystal. It was the same one that Ophelia had held before the commotion began. Ice materialized on her shoulders, reforming her damaged body and freezing the blood that strayed from her veins. “If you want to fight me, go right ahead. You’ll regret it.”

“Strong words from someone who has nothing left!” Midori shouted, throwing her knives at Kiri. “Die, you bitch!”

“It’s true,” Kiri said as a shield of ice formed as a wall in front of her, “All I had left was taken away from me up there… Even if we escaped, all I have left is what I was born with.”

“The hell are you saying?” Midori asked, “Shut up and die!” The knives she had thrown collided with the ice wall, falling to the ground.

“Arashi believed Dante,” Kiri explained, “I never had a chance to object to my past. It was around thirty-five years ago too…It doesn’t even matter anymore…”

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A young Dominic Arakawa, in his 20’s, paced the iron-bandaged floors of his laboratory. A lot of heavy machinery lined the walls, and a round-shaped machine was in the room’s center. Dominic held a remote control in one hand, and the other rested at his side. “Nikolai,” He addressed his colleague who stood beside him. A young Nikolai DiVincio wore a black coat similar to Arashi’s, and a black and green checker cap. Dominic wore a long silver trench coat. As a young man, Dominic looked a lot like Arashi.

“Are you ready?” Nikolai asked in his heavy Russian accent. Dominic nodded and placed the remote control on a tray that ejected from the machine in the center of the room. “And to think, that in the year 2045, technology has already evolved beyond a point of no return. This technology was not expected, 45 years ago, for another one thousand years.”