Reform

Chapter 9: A Dream of The Past

    Tatsuya opened his eyes to see a sky full of gray clouds, the color green replacing the blue bright atmosphere. As he got up, the damaged sidewalk felt light. Tatsuya looked around and all he saw were buildings in ruin. Fire and smoke were omnipresent, and no signs of humans were seen. Tatsuya stumbled as he tried to walk, he realized he wasn't in his Procul mode. He calmly closed his eyes and relaxed every joint, every muscle, and cleared his mind. Tatsuya only focused on a young woman named Akio Fudo. Bit by bit, his black shirt and white pants changed into a black jacket left unzipped, a white shirt, and black pants. The sleeves of his jacket were rolled up to expose his wrists and armor cuffs. After his attire changed, he moved forward towards a corner on the desolated street. Everything was the same across the entire city. Behind him, smoke started to gather in one place. Tatsuya felt the wind started to get more violent. He looked behind, and on the destroyed road was Kazios.

"I would think twice before hitting me. Of course, I'm an illusion, everything here is an illusion of the past. I've lived through this and it was like this 30 years ago." Kazios said in a distorted voice.

"This was the world 30 years ago, how?" Tatsuya asked as he observed the entire city anew.

"There are things you can't know yet, but I'll assure you, at this point in time, he doesn't exist," Kazios said.

"And I thought he was old, I saw the skill he had. To me, it seemed like it took him longer than 20 years to master all those moves," Tatsuya said in relief.

"Well, I guess I better grant your wish." Kazios sighed.

"Grant my wish? Aren't you a lot meaner, like 'I'll kill you!' mean." Tatsuya mimicked Kazios as he asked.

"Hey! That's low, I'm not entirely about killing. I have regrets and feelings. I also am doing this out of obligation. You were a good opponent although it had to end quickly. Yeah, that's right, Mm-hmm." Kazios nodded as he assured himself.

"I'm getting the feeling that you're making an excuse." Tatsuya sighed.
"Anyways, what do you want to show me?" he asked Kazios.

"The death of the Arbitrators, you wanted to know, right?" Kazios asked.

"Yeah, but I'm not so mad about it now, plus you're acting nicer." Tatsuya smiled.

"What about Aloysius?' Kazios asked.

"I'll kill him," Tatsuya said as he quickly put on a death stare.

"Let's just get back on track and witness the death of the so-called 'legendary' Arbitrators," Kazios said.

"Well that was mean," Tatsuya thought as they walked through the town.

"You see that rock in the sky?" Kazios asked Tatsuya as he pointed at the sky.

"Yeah, what about it?" Tatsuya replied.

"That's where the Arbitrators live, they live in the sky, each one with their own pillar," Kazios explained.
"Now come on, we're going to miss the event," Kazios said as he pulled Tatsuya by his shirt.

    Kazios snapped his fingers as soon as they got under the rock. The location and their surroundings took a transition from green and ruined, to dark and cold. Where they stood was inside the tower of the Arbitrators, they were up in the sky.
As they accustomed to the sudden change of areas, footsteps started to echo in the empty tower. Kazios went into camouflage while Tatsuya hid in the dark. The incoming people were the Arbitrators who were conversing about something.

"That mischievous person should've thought twice before setting that bomb of anomalies." Master Biblia brooded.

"I agree, the amount of destruction that occurred wiped out the entire population, although the Trinity Seven are deceased, I feel a weird disturbance that makes me scratch my head." Master Liber commented.