Post by Disgraced Prince Nasu Hattori on Feb 10, 2015 3:07:48 GMT -5
Long ago the barrier was forged by the Gods. Sealed away monstrosities that would devour this world, stripping it to the bone and leaving it devoid of life. Billions of demons sealed away beyond the ability to reach all but the wickedest minds. With the horrors sealed away life moved on. People grew and prospered, families and communities formed and man was finally able to step out of the dark ages and into enlightenment. For millennia the human kind prospered; from the brink of extinction they became the dominant race on their planet, when they were no longer threatened with a foe they could never truly beat. And so the people grew and thrived.
Until one day Felix Faust made a deal with the devil.
Armageddon doesn’t happen in a day, and the fall of the barrier didn’t immediately end mankind, like a nuclear bomb ends a city. But with the God’s departed, when the barrier fell it signalled the end for the race of man. When first wave came and millions fell. They had caught men unaware and so the demons fell on our people like a swarm of locust on a fresh crop. In less than two hours the first of the seven cities of man fell to the swarm.
It was only through the effort of one unnamed man that the other cities were warned, ringing alarms long since forgotten and spreading the warning far and wide. Though one was caught unaware, the other six cities rose up, over the years they had been no strangers to war and the human race would not go down without a fight. Even a doomed one.
Mankind fought back the first wave of cannon fodder their armies collectively gathering for the first time since the First Great War. Foot by foot man pushed back the demons. Bombs and bullet, met claw and talon, and demons fell by the million. For every one man to fall he took with him a hundred demons, but it was still a price mankind couldn’t afford to pay. But what choice did they have? It was pay the price or surrender and the horde offered no living quarter. So the army of the all the might mankind could bring pushed the horde back to the remains of the once great city, now in ruins. Back into the tunnel and behind the opening in the barrier. But there is no wall anymore. Since that day humanity has been living off borrowed...no bought time.
But the oldest and wisest of them know. They know there are demons of far greater strength and intelligence laying low in the distance, waiting until they know it’s safe to pass through to this world. But when they come forward they will unleash a destruction greater than any weapon mankind has ever created. And someday, that is how the world will end. In fire and brimstone the age of man will fall.
*****
Nasu breathed heavily trying to catch his breath as the demons gathered up for their next push. The cut on his cheek burned and blood ran down the side of his face, but it was out of his eyes, and he had managed to take out the lizard like creature that had caused it. So for now he paid no attention to it, sword in hand, his eyes ahead looking for any sign of the next wave was coming. It had been like this for what felt like days, he hadn’t slept since it had begun. His sister’s simulator had fired up, so much different than his own. His was a blank room with only the one challenge in front of him, Kass’ simulator brought worlds to life in front of him, it was a marvel unlike anything he’d ever seen or imagined. But it had brought him into the horror he now faced. Around him he looked at the faces of men he knew were just machines. But still he had fought beside and bonded with them. What would happen when the simulation was over and they went back to being nothing but 1’s and 0’s. Was this a simulation of a real world or something his sister’s artificial intelligence came up with on the spot?
Did it really make a difference? He could no more let the men next to him die if they were real live people than a simulation, he had bonded with them. He was short on sleep, food and water but so were they, the situation might be fake but in his mind they were real and he wouldn’t let them fall without a fight. His resolve tightened as he looked ahead and his fingers tightened around his sword.
He heard a noise in the distance and every head in the shield wall snapped up. Rest had been in short supply and they had to take whatever moments they could but at the first sound legions of men jolted to their feet and stood as one prepared for whatever would come. But nothing came. The noises didn’t stop but as they stared eyes forward there were no marching armies accompanying the sounds. A whole army of demons was on the march but Nasu couldn’t make out a single figure.
Then the first one fell.
A man to Nasu’s right let out a piercing scream his gun going off in a rapid burst as the 6 foot tall lizard landed on him ripping out his throat with it’s teeth and silencing his scream in one fluid motion. Before anyone could react demons began to fall from the tunnel ceiling like rain.
They had made sure to get well past the front lines before they descended and soon the fighting was hand to hand with the back ranks unable to use their guns for fear of shooting their friends. What came next wasn’t a fight the demons fell and hell literally rained down upon them.
A beast that had the head of a snake and the body of a wolf fell onto Nasu from above but he rolled back thrusting both legs out and kicking it off him and back into the ceiling above creating a small cascade of dust as the creature lodged itself into the bedrock. Nasu swore. The simulation chamber had locked him into his weighed armor and the gravity stymied his power down to a fraction of its normal potency. If he was at full strength the wolf...snake...whatever the fuck it was would have disintegrated from the power of his kick instead a moment later it fell limply back to the floor dead it’s body broken.
Nasu didn’t waste anytime springing back to his feet, looking to the left the man beside him had been disemboweled by a 9 foot tall Godzilla wannabe. Kicking off the ground with a short burst Nasu drove his sword into the creature’s skull, but he didn’t stop there. Using his momentum he flipped over the beast keeping the creature impaled on his sword. Then with his full momentum going forward he whipped the husk of the lizard up and forward into the mob of demons still clinging to the ceiling of the tunnel. Turning towards the mob still approaching from the ceiling Nasu raised his sword and slashed it through a visible line in the air straight down the mouth of the tunnel. Quickly his gravity slash changed the direction of gravity sending the creatures all slamming into the ground hard disorienting most of them. With a supreme effort of will Nasu launched blast after blast wiping out as many of the beasts as he could in their confusion.
But still before long panic struck and gunfire was heard behind him. It was inevitable, they were good men but they weren’t saiyans. They relied on technology to save them not their fists and in their panic they cared more for saving their own lives than those of the men in front of them. Hundreds of men fell to friendly fire but demons fell too and the back ranks of men held the mouth of the tunnel as they had for years now. Eventually the horde died or retreated but the damage was done.
The price was just too high. Normally with their superior fire power dozens if not hundreds of the creatures fell for every one man and still they advanced forward. Pressing the barrier line inching ever closer to the world of man. To the feast that lay out unprotected beyond the shield wall. Today however two men had fallen for every demon taken in the fighting and Nasu felt personally responsible. If hadn’t been so god damned tired he could have sensed them. He could have gone super saiyan, and given light that would have shown the demons approach.
But he hadn’t been able to transform in days. It had been too much of an effort, too prolonged in a fight that showed no signs of an end. He hadn’t heard from either his sister or the AI in what had to be days now in a simulation that showed no signs of ending. What was going on? Was this some new kind of test?
Normally he fought one on one with an opponent in his chamber until one of them fell then the simulation ended. He had been in his sister’s chamber for days the point the 30x gravity almost felt natural to him now. Nasu flexed stretching his back which was tense and covered in bruises.
“Fuck this.” he mumbled under his breathe and drawing a few wry smiles and a chuckle or two from the men nearest him. Standing up and stretching some more he walked off needing to distance himself from the men he knew he had failed, the ones he had allowed to die from his inability to transform.
Walking he marched in the only direction that offered him any form of privacy, it was risky but Nasu needed even a moment alone. His eyes hardening slightly, Nasu walked forward into the dark, marching further into the tunnel into demon held territory sure that his senses would alert him to any immediate danger long before anything could think to attack him.
Leaving behind his friends might not be the smartest idea but with his senses extended Nasu felt secure that he could protect himself long enough to retreat back to the front lines if need be.
With a sigh he placed one hand against the tunnel wall and leaned back. For the first time in too long the tension left his body, he wasn’t responsible for protecting anyone other than himself. He slowly slid to floor. His breath left him a rush and suddenly Nasu was sobbing soundlessly into his hands. The realization that millions had died and millions more would continue to die washed over him all at once and he knew there was nothing he could do to prevent it. He simply wasn’t enough, he was just one man, he wasn’t a legendary hero of old. He might be a super saiyan, but he wasn’t Goku, Vegeta, Gohan, the three legends had been able to stand on their own against any odds. He was just Nasu, a boy who until a year ago had spent his entire life homeless. He was a single man what could he do to stem the tide that was coming.
“Computer, stop the simulation.” he finally managed to choke out between gasping for air but nothing happened. Nasu still sat there in perfect blackness the cave walls surrounding him giving no sign anything had changed.
“COMPUTER!” he shouted a bit more forcefully this time finally having an accessible target for his rage and feelings of impotence. “I said stop the simulation!” but still nothing happened. Moments passed as Nasu waited hoping maybe the program was just large enough it required a few moments to shut down, but nothing changed. Eventually the breath left him agian. He was truly trapped, trapped in a hell of failing people that mattered to him.
Just like always.
For the first time in years his father’s words echoed in his head. “Attachments are only a weakness, they will be used against you, used to exploit you.” Nasu shook his head violently, he had proven otherwise. He had seen war, been in battle before. Attachments saved as often as they killed, people who fought for one another had a reason to keep fighting they grew stronger, his father was wrong. But as he felt the emptiness in side of him at the thought of all the people he’d failed to save he questioned the conviction behind his words.
Was he really being honest with himself or was he just trying to justify his failures?
Slumped against the wall the hairs on the back of Nasu’s neck rose in unison. Before he could so much as blink the wall itself morphs and a spike rushes through his chest piercing his lung. His hands raise grasping at the rock now protruding from the center of his chest, grasping feebly he raises the hands only for them to come away wet with his blood. Frantically Nasu twists his around his senses extended searching for the source of whatever did this to him. But he can’t see or sense anything. The tunnel was already pitch black but Nasu felt as if a different quality of black was closing in around him. He felt his body being dragged backwards, that was strange, wasn’t he just leaning up against a wall. But soon it just became too much effort to think about anything, and Nasu faded into peaceful oblivion.
Nasu woke in a long brightly lit hallway which was only a little fucked up. He remembered passing out in a pitch black cave. Putting his hand over his chest he pulled away to find blood still there but looking down he saw no trace of a wound.
“That’s new.” he said looking around trying to figure out where the hell he was. The hallway was lined on each side with pictures of him. But strangely enough they didn’t seem like pictures he’d taken in the past or of anything he remembered ever doing. Walking down the hall he saw pictures of him side by side with his sister, hovering above a planet that looked green energy blasts in hand ready to destroy the planet below. Other pictures showed Nasu hovering over a slum like planet power emanating off of him people around him bowing down to his power. On the other side were pictures of his brother Ninjin...he hadn’t thought of Ninjin since he’d first confronted Kass…
Ninjin had asked him once to look after his child. He’d trusted him, and in his quest for vengeance Nasu had ignored his brother’s request. Abandoned his own flesh and blood after all the talk in his life about how important family was he had a chance to protect someone and he ignored it.
The pictures showed him with what he imagined was Ninjin’s child, teaching the boy how to fight, watching the boy grow and protecting him, standing beside Ninjin and it looked like confronting Kass. It was pretty clear the hallway was a parallel of the choices he could make in his life.
“Are you fucking kidding me?” he shouted to what he imagined was his own subconscious. “How cliche can you get here?” Before he finished the sentence his brother and his sister were both standing in front of him at the end of the hall.
They started walking towards him in lock step and Nasu froze, his mouth suddenly gone dry. For someone who always had something stupid or sarcastic to say words failed him. What the fuck were they both doing here at once.
“Aren’t the ghost of Nasu past and Nasu present supposed to come one at a time?” he said before he could stop himself his brain working on autopilot.
Ninjin beamed at him while Kass scowled. She had never appreciated his sense of humor.
“We’re here to decide who the hell to send for the ghose of Nasu future.” Ninjin said with a small lopsided grin.
“Well that seems like an internal discussion,” Nasu said still a little bit dumbstruck. “You guys take your time and get back to me.”
This time it was Kass who laughed. “It’s not that simple little brother. You haven’t decided yet which path you’re truly going to take.”
“Well you’re clearly both my subconscious so figure it out and let me know.” he said “I’ll wait.” sarcasm, good old sarcasm, it was giving Nasu a chance to get his feet under him again.
Ninjin moved faster than Nasu’s eyes could follow racing up to an inch in front of him and punching him across the face. Hard.
Nasu went flying into the wall but unlike a normal wall it didn’t break instead Nasu’s body splattered against it and he ragdolled to the floor.
“No fair, I definitely feel like I should have been the one to hit him.” Kass said glaring at Ninjin.
“No you already got the chance to deck him at our Council, this was definitely my turn.” Ninjin responded. Kass’ eyebrows furrowed together in minor frustration but eventually she nodded slightly conceding the point with the grin never leaving Ninjin’s face.
Nasu slowly began to push himself to his feet. “The fuck? What ever happened to sticks and stones can break my bones but subconscious hallucinations of my family can never hurt me?” he said and this time both members of his family glared at him.
“Don’t be a smartass.” Kass said. “It has to be a conscious choice.” she finished completely ignoring his quip and getting back to the matter at hand.
“You clearly still feel guilt over abandoning me and your nephew.” Ninjin said glaring at him no less sternly now. “And that is holding you back from what you could be. Your mind is clouded and unsure of what you need to do. You’re not at peace with yourself.”
“Hell.” Kass cut in, “You’ve never been at peace with yourself, not since you first met this prick here.” she said pointing a thumb at her eldest brother. “But you can’t let this hold you back anymore. You’re at a crossroads Nasu Hattori, and it is time for you to make a choice.”
Finally fully righting himself Nasu rubbed on his cheek where Ninjin’s blow had connected. “Anyone ever tell you you’ve got a hell of a right hook?”
Ninjin smiled slightly. “Yes.” he said simply. “But that won’t stop this, Akassa is right, you have to choose, or it will tear you apart.”
“I can have both.” Nasu said trying to verbally walk the line he’d been pacing in his mind for weeks now. “Ninjin you’re off in deep space who the hell knows where. Kass has rightfully avenged my mother and taken the throne as the eldest Hattori, I can support both of you!” he said it almost pleadingly.
“You know that won’t work.” Kass said quietly. “I will defend my claim to the throne.”
“And I’ve been crown prince since I was born.” Ninjin finished.
“This will only be settled one way.” They concluded in unison.
Suddenly behind them the hallway split, two doors appearing in front of Nasu one behind each sibling.
“You have to choose.” they said in unison again.
“There has to be, isn’t there anyother way?”
“Of course.” Ninjin smiled again this time pointing behind Nasu.
Nasu turned his head looking behind him for the first time. The hallway that had seemed to stretch to infinity no longer stretched out behind him. He could see perhaps 50 yards back before the hallway ended in blackness.
Suddenly one of the lights went out and he could only see 40 yards back. Turning back to his family he gulped, “Well that seems pretty finite”
“Well duh.” Kass said with no sign of a smile on her face. “Look at your chest.”
Looking down Nasu remembered the puncture wound in his chest putting his hand there it came away completely covered in blood.
Looking back there were only 20 yards or so left of light.
“Do I have to?” he said desperation creeping into his voice.
Neither one of them answered, they had both said as much a few times now and neither were fond of repeating themselves for the benefit of morons.
10 yards…
Nasu gulped, he had made his choice. With that he stepped forward through the door.
****
Pain flooded his body he took a deep breath.
“Good you’re alive.” a raspy voice said from somewhere off to his side.
Nasu tried to rise to look at for the source of the voice but found he was tied down, he couldn’t so much as move.
“Oh no, none of that now. We’ve seen your strength over the past few days, we won’t be having you do anything foolish with your body isn’t that right?” the voice seemed to be talking to something other than Nasu, extending his senses he couldn’t feel any other power levels but he could somehow feel like he was surrounded by hundreds of eyes watching him. Hungry eyes ready pounce on the first sign of weakness.
The eyes seemed to agree with what the man said, drawing slightly closer at his comments.
“Oh no dears, this one is mine.” he said and the eyes seemed to back off slightly, but still not as far away as they had been originally.
Finally he heard footsteps and a weird metallic sound and a moment later a man stood over him.
“My name is Faust” he smiled grimly. “And I will be leaving this hell in your body.” he said it all so simply as if it was already decided for a moment Nasu seemed sure this was something inevitable that was going to happen. He snapped out of it a moment later.
“Like hell you will.” he spat.
“Like hell…” Faust seemed to consider the words for a moment. “Yes like hell. That’s what this is you know. Hell. When I made my deal I wanted power, the power to change my lot in life and in exchange I sold my soul. I got my power,” he grinned manically, “all the power of the barrier.” he laughed at a joke only he seemed to understand.
“The power of the barrier is the power to lock up and to contain. And that’s exactly that fucking devil did to me! I can’t leave this damned room! I haven’t left since the start of the barrier wars. Even after this planet fell and the demon kind ravaged the land raping and wiping out every last shred of human existence I was still here. Trapped.” he smiled again. “In my hell.”
Nasu was confused for a moment, before shock hit him. “You mean the line fell?” he said sickly.
“Oh no, not yet.” Faust replied shaking his head grimly, mockingly. “But it does, you see I know this is only a simulation. A recreation of events long since past. Even after mankind fell. I was still trapped, with only my pets as my link to the outside world, my only taste of freedom.” at his words the unseen eyes seemed to surge forward hungry, till they were at the very edge of Nasu’s peripheral vision swarming over one another eager to get to get him.
Faust’s face became one of rage. “NO! he shouted “This one is mine!” he put a hand possessively along the side of Nasu’s face and the presence backed off till it was once again gone completely from Nasu’s vision.
“You see.” Faust said again turning back to Nasu holding up his wrists with manacles on them. “I can’t leave here, but you can. I will make a deal with you boy.” he said it and once again his voice was honey smooth and for a moment Nasu wanted to accept without even hearing the terms. Instead Nasu just nodded quietly. “What deal?” he said barely above a whisper.
Faust’s face lit up. “GOOD!” he crooned. “Good good you can be reasoned with. You see I now have all this power.” His hands began to glow bright bright white to the point Nasu had to look away, but before he turned his head he caught site of the cuffs for as bright as Faust’s hands were, the cuffs were equally black. They seemed to absorb the very light the wizard tried to emit. As quick as it came the light was gone and Nasu turned back to the old man spots playing before his eyes.
“So much power,” he said. “But I’m trapped. But we could make a deal boy. You’re dying right now. And I will not let this simulation end. I will not let the computer hear you or so much as sense you pain if you don’t agree. I would give all this power and more to you. Ability beyond your wildest imagination all at your finger tips. And I would merge with you, guiding you every step of the way, showing you how to use your powers. Showing you how to control it.” Nasu marveled at the man’s words. Nasu was one of the strongest people in the universe but the sorcerer held him down with ease. Granted Nasu was wearing his weighted clothing and was in increased gravity but still...His power was incredible and he wanted to give it to Nasu, in exchange for his freedom? Was that too much to ask? “How to bind it!” The sorcerer continued and a fierce light came. Nasu on the verge of agreeing paused.
The creature’s powers were binding, and suddenly he knew. He knew if he agreed to this deal Nasu would be gone, bound down and away under Faust’s power, if there was one thing the man could do it was bind someone. Faust seemed to realize he had said too much at the same time Nasu came to this realization, it must have shown on his face because instantly a hand plunged down into his chest.
“Your body will be mine!!! I will escape if I have to tear your soul out of you myself!” he shouted frothing at the mouth.
Nasu hadn’t felt pain like this before. It was intense, it was invasive, as if his whole body burned internally, as if ants were crawling over every inch of him but beneath his skin and inside him too. Nothing was safe, his body felt violated. He needed to repel whatever this was to reject it. But he was so weak, he needed to be stronger.
Electricity began to crackle around him and as his back arched in the air. “I WILL BE FREE OF HERE AND YOU WILL BE THE ONE TRAPPED!” the former man exclaimed shouting now at the top of his lungs. Nasu ached but he reached for the well of power that had come to him when he needed it most. When he was at his lowest. Suddenly his hair shot golden and his eyes transformed into a deep blue. Lifting his arm he caught hold of Faust’s wrist.
“ITS NOT POSSIBLE! THE BINDINGS ARE ABSOLUTE!” he shouted but Nasu ignored him sitting up, With a twist and a quick motion Nasu broke the man’s arm. The sorcerer seemed to regain something of himself, the pain of his arm snapping and the sound bringing him back to reality. He launched a wave of blue gas at Nasu it hit his arm and instantly the arm became so heavy he could barely move it. The man began to laugh maniacally with no signs of stopping. Waving his good arm wildly blue gas appeared all around the room and began making a beeline straight for Nasu. For a moment Nasu froze unsure of the best move to make, before using his free arm to pull out his sword, finding a visible line in the air Nasu slashed sideways redirecting gravity the move all but wiping out Nasu’s reserves of energy. The gas never even slowed.
“Fucking gas why don’t you move!!” he whisper shouted to himself as he kicked off the ground rapidly flying around the room trying to avoid a gas that was instead just slowly expanding to fill the open area leaving him no place left to run.
“Fucking smart gas!” Nasu cursed. Why couldn’t his enemies be morons, stupid enemies were way way the fuck better! Faust began to laugh again, Nasu noticed that the area surrounding him was free of gas but the gas had blocked off the path to get to the wizard. Making a split second and probably moronic decision Nasu charged the wizard with every burst of speed he could. As soon as he hit the gas his body went numb feeling like it was weighed down beyond his ability to move. Still his momentum carried him forward and with a grin of his own Nasu lowered his head as he smashed directly into Fausts chest.
The blow connected driving them both back sending the wizard slamming head first into the wall stunning him. Instantly Nasu could move again and looking around he noticed the gas filling the room was gone.
“Well that was lucky.” he mumbled before taking the wizards remaining good arm in his hands then with another motion he broke the arm and both his legs for good measure. The screams were loud enough they had to tear Fausts throat and burn his lungs to make that much noise. All things considered Nasu was not a kind person. Finally his job done, Nasu turned to leave.
“WAIT!” Faust shouted. “I can still help you! I can give you power, power beyond anything you could imagine.”
Looking down Nasu almost pitied the man, almost. “Clearly,” he said contempt reaching his voice finally. “I don’t need your power.” he turned away smugly. “Well he’s all yours!” he shouted to the watchers he could still feel on the edge of his senses.
“No!” Faust shouted desperately. “You stay where you are! You’re my pets! MINE! I’m your master!!” it wasn’t darkness so much as blurriness that closed in on Faust, Nasu was forever grateful he couldn’t make out what it was that took the sorcerer but he still heard the scream, the long, long scream as he turned away. Suddenly the room was white all around him and he was back standing in his sister’s simulation chamber with gravity returned to normal.
“Subject found.” the system said. “Simulation completed…” and with that Nasu fell forward and blacked out.
*****
Done with my first solo in months!! M1Y1 is going to be posting shortly after me but it's going to be a separate post I wont be responding too. So for now can I please get PL...juicy juicy PL!!!!
Thanks!
Until one day Felix Faust made a deal with the devil.
Armageddon doesn’t happen in a day, and the fall of the barrier didn’t immediately end mankind, like a nuclear bomb ends a city. But with the God’s departed, when the barrier fell it signalled the end for the race of man. When first wave came and millions fell. They had caught men unaware and so the demons fell on our people like a swarm of locust on a fresh crop. In less than two hours the first of the seven cities of man fell to the swarm.
It was only through the effort of one unnamed man that the other cities were warned, ringing alarms long since forgotten and spreading the warning far and wide. Though one was caught unaware, the other six cities rose up, over the years they had been no strangers to war and the human race would not go down without a fight. Even a doomed one.
Mankind fought back the first wave of cannon fodder their armies collectively gathering for the first time since the First Great War. Foot by foot man pushed back the demons. Bombs and bullet, met claw and talon, and demons fell by the million. For every one man to fall he took with him a hundred demons, but it was still a price mankind couldn’t afford to pay. But what choice did they have? It was pay the price or surrender and the horde offered no living quarter. So the army of the all the might mankind could bring pushed the horde back to the remains of the once great city, now in ruins. Back into the tunnel and behind the opening in the barrier. But there is no wall anymore. Since that day humanity has been living off borrowed...no bought time.
But the oldest and wisest of them know. They know there are demons of far greater strength and intelligence laying low in the distance, waiting until they know it’s safe to pass through to this world. But when they come forward they will unleash a destruction greater than any weapon mankind has ever created. And someday, that is how the world will end. In fire and brimstone the age of man will fall.
*****
Nasu breathed heavily trying to catch his breath as the demons gathered up for their next push. The cut on his cheek burned and blood ran down the side of his face, but it was out of his eyes, and he had managed to take out the lizard like creature that had caused it. So for now he paid no attention to it, sword in hand, his eyes ahead looking for any sign of the next wave was coming. It had been like this for what felt like days, he hadn’t slept since it had begun. His sister’s simulator had fired up, so much different than his own. His was a blank room with only the one challenge in front of him, Kass’ simulator brought worlds to life in front of him, it was a marvel unlike anything he’d ever seen or imagined. But it had brought him into the horror he now faced. Around him he looked at the faces of men he knew were just machines. But still he had fought beside and bonded with them. What would happen when the simulation was over and they went back to being nothing but 1’s and 0’s. Was this a simulation of a real world or something his sister’s artificial intelligence came up with on the spot?
Did it really make a difference? He could no more let the men next to him die if they were real live people than a simulation, he had bonded with them. He was short on sleep, food and water but so were they, the situation might be fake but in his mind they were real and he wouldn’t let them fall without a fight. His resolve tightened as he looked ahead and his fingers tightened around his sword.
He heard a noise in the distance and every head in the shield wall snapped up. Rest had been in short supply and they had to take whatever moments they could but at the first sound legions of men jolted to their feet and stood as one prepared for whatever would come. But nothing came. The noises didn’t stop but as they stared eyes forward there were no marching armies accompanying the sounds. A whole army of demons was on the march but Nasu couldn’t make out a single figure.
Then the first one fell.
A man to Nasu’s right let out a piercing scream his gun going off in a rapid burst as the 6 foot tall lizard landed on him ripping out his throat with it’s teeth and silencing his scream in one fluid motion. Before anyone could react demons began to fall from the tunnel ceiling like rain.
They had made sure to get well past the front lines before they descended and soon the fighting was hand to hand with the back ranks unable to use their guns for fear of shooting their friends. What came next wasn’t a fight the demons fell and hell literally rained down upon them.
A beast that had the head of a snake and the body of a wolf fell onto Nasu from above but he rolled back thrusting both legs out and kicking it off him and back into the ceiling above creating a small cascade of dust as the creature lodged itself into the bedrock. Nasu swore. The simulation chamber had locked him into his weighed armor and the gravity stymied his power down to a fraction of its normal potency. If he was at full strength the wolf...snake...whatever the fuck it was would have disintegrated from the power of his kick instead a moment later it fell limply back to the floor dead it’s body broken.
Nasu didn’t waste anytime springing back to his feet, looking to the left the man beside him had been disemboweled by a 9 foot tall Godzilla wannabe. Kicking off the ground with a short burst Nasu drove his sword into the creature’s skull, but he didn’t stop there. Using his momentum he flipped over the beast keeping the creature impaled on his sword. Then with his full momentum going forward he whipped the husk of the lizard up and forward into the mob of demons still clinging to the ceiling of the tunnel. Turning towards the mob still approaching from the ceiling Nasu raised his sword and slashed it through a visible line in the air straight down the mouth of the tunnel. Quickly his gravity slash changed the direction of gravity sending the creatures all slamming into the ground hard disorienting most of them. With a supreme effort of will Nasu launched blast after blast wiping out as many of the beasts as he could in their confusion.
But still before long panic struck and gunfire was heard behind him. It was inevitable, they were good men but they weren’t saiyans. They relied on technology to save them not their fists and in their panic they cared more for saving their own lives than those of the men in front of them. Hundreds of men fell to friendly fire but demons fell too and the back ranks of men held the mouth of the tunnel as they had for years now. Eventually the horde died or retreated but the damage was done.
The price was just too high. Normally with their superior fire power dozens if not hundreds of the creatures fell for every one man and still they advanced forward. Pressing the barrier line inching ever closer to the world of man. To the feast that lay out unprotected beyond the shield wall. Today however two men had fallen for every demon taken in the fighting and Nasu felt personally responsible. If hadn’t been so god damned tired he could have sensed them. He could have gone super saiyan, and given light that would have shown the demons approach.
But he hadn’t been able to transform in days. It had been too much of an effort, too prolonged in a fight that showed no signs of an end. He hadn’t heard from either his sister or the AI in what had to be days now in a simulation that showed no signs of ending. What was going on? Was this some new kind of test?
Normally he fought one on one with an opponent in his chamber until one of them fell then the simulation ended. He had been in his sister’s chamber for days the point the 30x gravity almost felt natural to him now. Nasu flexed stretching his back which was tense and covered in bruises.
“Fuck this.” he mumbled under his breathe and drawing a few wry smiles and a chuckle or two from the men nearest him. Standing up and stretching some more he walked off needing to distance himself from the men he knew he had failed, the ones he had allowed to die from his inability to transform.
Walking he marched in the only direction that offered him any form of privacy, it was risky but Nasu needed even a moment alone. His eyes hardening slightly, Nasu walked forward into the dark, marching further into the tunnel into demon held territory sure that his senses would alert him to any immediate danger long before anything could think to attack him.
Leaving behind his friends might not be the smartest idea but with his senses extended Nasu felt secure that he could protect himself long enough to retreat back to the front lines if need be.
With a sigh he placed one hand against the tunnel wall and leaned back. For the first time in too long the tension left his body, he wasn’t responsible for protecting anyone other than himself. He slowly slid to floor. His breath left him a rush and suddenly Nasu was sobbing soundlessly into his hands. The realization that millions had died and millions more would continue to die washed over him all at once and he knew there was nothing he could do to prevent it. He simply wasn’t enough, he was just one man, he wasn’t a legendary hero of old. He might be a super saiyan, but he wasn’t Goku, Vegeta, Gohan, the three legends had been able to stand on their own against any odds. He was just Nasu, a boy who until a year ago had spent his entire life homeless. He was a single man what could he do to stem the tide that was coming.
“Computer, stop the simulation.” he finally managed to choke out between gasping for air but nothing happened. Nasu still sat there in perfect blackness the cave walls surrounding him giving no sign anything had changed.
“COMPUTER!” he shouted a bit more forcefully this time finally having an accessible target for his rage and feelings of impotence. “I said stop the simulation!” but still nothing happened. Moments passed as Nasu waited hoping maybe the program was just large enough it required a few moments to shut down, but nothing changed. Eventually the breath left him agian. He was truly trapped, trapped in a hell of failing people that mattered to him.
Just like always.
For the first time in years his father’s words echoed in his head. “Attachments are only a weakness, they will be used against you, used to exploit you.” Nasu shook his head violently, he had proven otherwise. He had seen war, been in battle before. Attachments saved as often as they killed, people who fought for one another had a reason to keep fighting they grew stronger, his father was wrong. But as he felt the emptiness in side of him at the thought of all the people he’d failed to save he questioned the conviction behind his words.
Was he really being honest with himself or was he just trying to justify his failures?
Slumped against the wall the hairs on the back of Nasu’s neck rose in unison. Before he could so much as blink the wall itself morphs and a spike rushes through his chest piercing his lung. His hands raise grasping at the rock now protruding from the center of his chest, grasping feebly he raises the hands only for them to come away wet with his blood. Frantically Nasu twists his around his senses extended searching for the source of whatever did this to him. But he can’t see or sense anything. The tunnel was already pitch black but Nasu felt as if a different quality of black was closing in around him. He felt his body being dragged backwards, that was strange, wasn’t he just leaning up against a wall. But soon it just became too much effort to think about anything, and Nasu faded into peaceful oblivion.
Nasu woke in a long brightly lit hallway which was only a little fucked up. He remembered passing out in a pitch black cave. Putting his hand over his chest he pulled away to find blood still there but looking down he saw no trace of a wound.
“That’s new.” he said looking around trying to figure out where the hell he was. The hallway was lined on each side with pictures of him. But strangely enough they didn’t seem like pictures he’d taken in the past or of anything he remembered ever doing. Walking down the hall he saw pictures of him side by side with his sister, hovering above a planet that looked green energy blasts in hand ready to destroy the planet below. Other pictures showed Nasu hovering over a slum like planet power emanating off of him people around him bowing down to his power. On the other side were pictures of his brother Ninjin...he hadn’t thought of Ninjin since he’d first confronted Kass…
Ninjin had asked him once to look after his child. He’d trusted him, and in his quest for vengeance Nasu had ignored his brother’s request. Abandoned his own flesh and blood after all the talk in his life about how important family was he had a chance to protect someone and he ignored it.
The pictures showed him with what he imagined was Ninjin’s child, teaching the boy how to fight, watching the boy grow and protecting him, standing beside Ninjin and it looked like confronting Kass. It was pretty clear the hallway was a parallel of the choices he could make in his life.
“Are you fucking kidding me?” he shouted to what he imagined was his own subconscious. “How cliche can you get here?” Before he finished the sentence his brother and his sister were both standing in front of him at the end of the hall.
They started walking towards him in lock step and Nasu froze, his mouth suddenly gone dry. For someone who always had something stupid or sarcastic to say words failed him. What the fuck were they both doing here at once.
“Aren’t the ghost of Nasu past and Nasu present supposed to come one at a time?” he said before he could stop himself his brain working on autopilot.
Ninjin beamed at him while Kass scowled. She had never appreciated his sense of humor.
“We’re here to decide who the hell to send for the ghose of Nasu future.” Ninjin said with a small lopsided grin.
“Well that seems like an internal discussion,” Nasu said still a little bit dumbstruck. “You guys take your time and get back to me.”
This time it was Kass who laughed. “It’s not that simple little brother. You haven’t decided yet which path you’re truly going to take.”
“Well you’re clearly both my subconscious so figure it out and let me know.” he said “I’ll wait.” sarcasm, good old sarcasm, it was giving Nasu a chance to get his feet under him again.
Ninjin moved faster than Nasu’s eyes could follow racing up to an inch in front of him and punching him across the face. Hard.
Nasu went flying into the wall but unlike a normal wall it didn’t break instead Nasu’s body splattered against it and he ragdolled to the floor.
“No fair, I definitely feel like I should have been the one to hit him.” Kass said glaring at Ninjin.
“No you already got the chance to deck him at our Council, this was definitely my turn.” Ninjin responded. Kass’ eyebrows furrowed together in minor frustration but eventually she nodded slightly conceding the point with the grin never leaving Ninjin’s face.
Nasu slowly began to push himself to his feet. “The fuck? What ever happened to sticks and stones can break my bones but subconscious hallucinations of my family can never hurt me?” he said and this time both members of his family glared at him.
“Don’t be a smartass.” Kass said. “It has to be a conscious choice.” she finished completely ignoring his quip and getting back to the matter at hand.
“You clearly still feel guilt over abandoning me and your nephew.” Ninjin said glaring at him no less sternly now. “And that is holding you back from what you could be. Your mind is clouded and unsure of what you need to do. You’re not at peace with yourself.”
“Hell.” Kass cut in, “You’ve never been at peace with yourself, not since you first met this prick here.” she said pointing a thumb at her eldest brother. “But you can’t let this hold you back anymore. You’re at a crossroads Nasu Hattori, and it is time for you to make a choice.”
Finally fully righting himself Nasu rubbed on his cheek where Ninjin’s blow had connected. “Anyone ever tell you you’ve got a hell of a right hook?”
Ninjin smiled slightly. “Yes.” he said simply. “But that won’t stop this, Akassa is right, you have to choose, or it will tear you apart.”
“I can have both.” Nasu said trying to verbally walk the line he’d been pacing in his mind for weeks now. “Ninjin you’re off in deep space who the hell knows where. Kass has rightfully avenged my mother and taken the throne as the eldest Hattori, I can support both of you!” he said it almost pleadingly.
“You know that won’t work.” Kass said quietly. “I will defend my claim to the throne.”
“And I’ve been crown prince since I was born.” Ninjin finished.
“This will only be settled one way.” They concluded in unison.
Suddenly behind them the hallway split, two doors appearing in front of Nasu one behind each sibling.
“You have to choose.” they said in unison again.
“There has to be, isn’t there anyother way?”
“Of course.” Ninjin smiled again this time pointing behind Nasu.
Nasu turned his head looking behind him for the first time. The hallway that had seemed to stretch to infinity no longer stretched out behind him. He could see perhaps 50 yards back before the hallway ended in blackness.
Suddenly one of the lights went out and he could only see 40 yards back. Turning back to his family he gulped, “Well that seems pretty finite”
“Well duh.” Kass said with no sign of a smile on her face. “Look at your chest.”
Looking down Nasu remembered the puncture wound in his chest putting his hand there it came away completely covered in blood.
Looking back there were only 20 yards or so left of light.
“Do I have to?” he said desperation creeping into his voice.
Neither one of them answered, they had both said as much a few times now and neither were fond of repeating themselves for the benefit of morons.
10 yards…
Nasu gulped, he had made his choice. With that he stepped forward through the door.
****
Pain flooded his body he took a deep breath.
“Good you’re alive.” a raspy voice said from somewhere off to his side.
Nasu tried to rise to look at for the source of the voice but found he was tied down, he couldn’t so much as move.
“Oh no, none of that now. We’ve seen your strength over the past few days, we won’t be having you do anything foolish with your body isn’t that right?” the voice seemed to be talking to something other than Nasu, extending his senses he couldn’t feel any other power levels but he could somehow feel like he was surrounded by hundreds of eyes watching him. Hungry eyes ready pounce on the first sign of weakness.
The eyes seemed to agree with what the man said, drawing slightly closer at his comments.
“Oh no dears, this one is mine.” he said and the eyes seemed to back off slightly, but still not as far away as they had been originally.
Finally he heard footsteps and a weird metallic sound and a moment later a man stood over him.
“My name is Faust” he smiled grimly. “And I will be leaving this hell in your body.” he said it all so simply as if it was already decided for a moment Nasu seemed sure this was something inevitable that was going to happen. He snapped out of it a moment later.
“Like hell you will.” he spat.
“Like hell…” Faust seemed to consider the words for a moment. “Yes like hell. That’s what this is you know. Hell. When I made my deal I wanted power, the power to change my lot in life and in exchange I sold my soul. I got my power,” he grinned manically, “all the power of the barrier.” he laughed at a joke only he seemed to understand.
“The power of the barrier is the power to lock up and to contain. And that’s exactly that fucking devil did to me! I can’t leave this damned room! I haven’t left since the start of the barrier wars. Even after this planet fell and the demon kind ravaged the land raping and wiping out every last shred of human existence I was still here. Trapped.” he smiled again. “In my hell.”
Nasu was confused for a moment, before shock hit him. “You mean the line fell?” he said sickly.
“Oh no, not yet.” Faust replied shaking his head grimly, mockingly. “But it does, you see I know this is only a simulation. A recreation of events long since past. Even after mankind fell. I was still trapped, with only my pets as my link to the outside world, my only taste of freedom.” at his words the unseen eyes seemed to surge forward hungry, till they were at the very edge of Nasu’s peripheral vision swarming over one another eager to get to get him.
Faust’s face became one of rage. “NO! he shouted “This one is mine!” he put a hand possessively along the side of Nasu’s face and the presence backed off till it was once again gone completely from Nasu’s vision.
“You see.” Faust said again turning back to Nasu holding up his wrists with manacles on them. “I can’t leave here, but you can. I will make a deal with you boy.” he said it and once again his voice was honey smooth and for a moment Nasu wanted to accept without even hearing the terms. Instead Nasu just nodded quietly. “What deal?” he said barely above a whisper.
Faust’s face lit up. “GOOD!” he crooned. “Good good you can be reasoned with. You see I now have all this power.” His hands began to glow bright bright white to the point Nasu had to look away, but before he turned his head he caught site of the cuffs for as bright as Faust’s hands were, the cuffs were equally black. They seemed to absorb the very light the wizard tried to emit. As quick as it came the light was gone and Nasu turned back to the old man spots playing before his eyes.
“So much power,” he said. “But I’m trapped. But we could make a deal boy. You’re dying right now. And I will not let this simulation end. I will not let the computer hear you or so much as sense you pain if you don’t agree. I would give all this power and more to you. Ability beyond your wildest imagination all at your finger tips. And I would merge with you, guiding you every step of the way, showing you how to use your powers. Showing you how to control it.” Nasu marveled at the man’s words. Nasu was one of the strongest people in the universe but the sorcerer held him down with ease. Granted Nasu was wearing his weighted clothing and was in increased gravity but still...His power was incredible and he wanted to give it to Nasu, in exchange for his freedom? Was that too much to ask? “How to bind it!” The sorcerer continued and a fierce light came. Nasu on the verge of agreeing paused.
The creature’s powers were binding, and suddenly he knew. He knew if he agreed to this deal Nasu would be gone, bound down and away under Faust’s power, if there was one thing the man could do it was bind someone. Faust seemed to realize he had said too much at the same time Nasu came to this realization, it must have shown on his face because instantly a hand plunged down into his chest.
“Your body will be mine!!! I will escape if I have to tear your soul out of you myself!” he shouted frothing at the mouth.
Nasu hadn’t felt pain like this before. It was intense, it was invasive, as if his whole body burned internally, as if ants were crawling over every inch of him but beneath his skin and inside him too. Nothing was safe, his body felt violated. He needed to repel whatever this was to reject it. But he was so weak, he needed to be stronger.
Electricity began to crackle around him and as his back arched in the air. “I WILL BE FREE OF HERE AND YOU WILL BE THE ONE TRAPPED!” the former man exclaimed shouting now at the top of his lungs. Nasu ached but he reached for the well of power that had come to him when he needed it most. When he was at his lowest. Suddenly his hair shot golden and his eyes transformed into a deep blue. Lifting his arm he caught hold of Faust’s wrist.
“ITS NOT POSSIBLE! THE BINDINGS ARE ABSOLUTE!” he shouted but Nasu ignored him sitting up, With a twist and a quick motion Nasu broke the man’s arm. The sorcerer seemed to regain something of himself, the pain of his arm snapping and the sound bringing him back to reality. He launched a wave of blue gas at Nasu it hit his arm and instantly the arm became so heavy he could barely move it. The man began to laugh maniacally with no signs of stopping. Waving his good arm wildly blue gas appeared all around the room and began making a beeline straight for Nasu. For a moment Nasu froze unsure of the best move to make, before using his free arm to pull out his sword, finding a visible line in the air Nasu slashed sideways redirecting gravity the move all but wiping out Nasu’s reserves of energy. The gas never even slowed.
“Fucking gas why don’t you move!!” he whisper shouted to himself as he kicked off the ground rapidly flying around the room trying to avoid a gas that was instead just slowly expanding to fill the open area leaving him no place left to run.
“Fucking smart gas!” Nasu cursed. Why couldn’t his enemies be morons, stupid enemies were way way the fuck better! Faust began to laugh again, Nasu noticed that the area surrounding him was free of gas but the gas had blocked off the path to get to the wizard. Making a split second and probably moronic decision Nasu charged the wizard with every burst of speed he could. As soon as he hit the gas his body went numb feeling like it was weighed down beyond his ability to move. Still his momentum carried him forward and with a grin of his own Nasu lowered his head as he smashed directly into Fausts chest.
The blow connected driving them both back sending the wizard slamming head first into the wall stunning him. Instantly Nasu could move again and looking around he noticed the gas filling the room was gone.
“Well that was lucky.” he mumbled before taking the wizards remaining good arm in his hands then with another motion he broke the arm and both his legs for good measure. The screams were loud enough they had to tear Fausts throat and burn his lungs to make that much noise. All things considered Nasu was not a kind person. Finally his job done, Nasu turned to leave.
“WAIT!” Faust shouted. “I can still help you! I can give you power, power beyond anything you could imagine.”
Looking down Nasu almost pitied the man, almost. “Clearly,” he said contempt reaching his voice finally. “I don’t need your power.” he turned away smugly. “Well he’s all yours!” he shouted to the watchers he could still feel on the edge of his senses.
“No!” Faust shouted desperately. “You stay where you are! You’re my pets! MINE! I’m your master!!” it wasn’t darkness so much as blurriness that closed in on Faust, Nasu was forever grateful he couldn’t make out what it was that took the sorcerer but he still heard the scream, the long, long scream as he turned away. Suddenly the room was white all around him and he was back standing in his sister’s simulation chamber with gravity returned to normal.
“Subject found.” the system said. “Simulation completed…” and with that Nasu fell forward and blacked out.
*****
Done with my first solo in months!! M1Y1 is going to be posting shortly after me but it's going to be a separate post I wont be responding too. So for now can I please get PL...juicy juicy PL!!!!
Thanks!