Changes

A scream echoed through Svadhisthana as the air heat up and took the form of a small flame. As Empusa burned from the attack, Serph quickly took the opportunity to thrust his right sharp bone through the heart of his enemy. He had a strange feeling as the blood started to leak from the wound, dripping through his bladed bone and reaching his hand.

"It's… warm…" He thought to himself, as he could feel the beating of his enemy's heart slowly fading. There was "fear" on its eyes as life was fading from it.

"You…you bastard… H-how… could you… Urghaaa!"

"Serph, look out!"

Snapping out of his thoughts after Argilla's scream, Serph noticed that his enemy had lifted its arm and was going to thrust its claws on him. He quickly took out his right arm and beheaded his enemy with a swiftly vertical slash from his left arm. The head had fallen to the opposite side of the body. The strange feeling got stronger.

"Heh… Not bad… leader." He heard a voice from one of his teammates.

He looked back and saw Argilla, who was going towards his way, stopping suddenly. She put her hands on where her mouth would normally be. While her face on that… form could hardly show "emotions", for some reason he could easily see the "horrified look" on her face. Heat, on the other hand, would probably have an "approving smirk" on his face.

"I call dibs on this one's heart. Since Argilla probably won't eat hers, I'm taking this one, too. Or do you want some of it, Serph? You could probably cut it in half, since your claws are pretty sharp… or I can tear it in half myself, too, if you want. I'm pretty strong, y'know? Here, lemme show y-"

"Stop it, you sicko! That's disgusting! It's people you're talking about!" Argilla couldn't take it anymore. Hearing Heat sounding so "excited" after doing what he did was too much.

"They're the enemy, Argilla. We won, so we get to decide their fate. I don't know how it happened, but this is our new situation, and unless you adapt to it, you're going to end just like this one." Heat proudly held up the lifeless body of the Empusa he killed before, like a trophy to be admired. There were claw marks everywhere. The woman felt like throwing up.

"Heat, it's true that they are the enemy, and that they've lost. But that doesn't mean that you should tear their body apart just for the fun of it." By the tone of his voice, it was clear that something was bothering Serph. He had a strange feeling, but it wasn't "disgust" like Argilla or "excitement" like Heat.

"Well, you plan to swallow them whole, Serph?" There was a "mocking" tone on the two-headed member of the group.

"I plan to eat them quietly, without toying with their bodies. And if you're going to eat them, you should do the same."

Heat let out a sigh. Arguing would only take time, and the meat wouldn't be as tasty as it should be. So he just muttered a "fine, whatever" and began to bite violently at the body, making a mess as he devoured his fallen enemy. Argilla reverted back to her normal self. The "disgust" on her face was clear now. She couldn't even comprehend how Heat could devour someone so… casually, if not "happily". Her thoughts were interrupted by a feeling she never felt before… "Hunger".

She didn't know what she seemed to crave, but she felt that it was slowly growing. "It couldn't be… could it?" She knew that she would never be able to dev-to consume someone else. The very thought make her feel "sick". It was impressive how Serph seemed to maintain his calm composure even with everything that happened. He was silently ea-consuming his fallen enemy. She would need to ask him later how he kept himself "cool" like that.

"This taste will stay on my mouth…Dammit… What is this feeling…? "Excitement" to be devouring someone? Or is "nauseating" for being able to do it?"

Serph couldn't get rid of the same feeling from before as he devoured his enemy. With each bite, he felt his "hunger" diminishing, as he felt "satisfied" and "sick" at the same time. The feeling from earlier… Was it "sadness" for the death of someone? Was it "happiness" for the death of an enemy…? Or it was… "guilty"? No, it couldn't be. Guilty was an unnecessary feeling for the battlefield they lived in. There were no rules about "guilty". As there were no rules about "happiness" or "sadness". If there were no rules for it, then it wasn't important. They must follow the rules. Nothing else mattered. To conquer the Junkyard and reach Nirvana. Nothing else is needed, as there is nothing else beyond that…

"Then why I can't dismiss it? Why I can't ignore this feeling? Was it always that easy… to kill someone?"

Serph remembers the past. How things were a lot more simple back then. He remembered how he once cut the throat of the old Embryo Leader and he began to choke on his on blood. He pulled out his handgun and fired a shot right between his enemy's eyes. The old Leader had fallen lifeless on the ground. The cut would've killed him, but it was better be safe than sorry. After that, he was recognized as the new Embryo Leader. Now, when he thinks about it, he finds himself impressed for being able to do it. He feels… "sad" for not being able to remember this person's face.

"If this is some kind of side effect of this power, then we shouldn't use it without thinking…Heh…" He let out a chuckle as he reverted back to his normal self. He felt that what he just thought was "ironic", whatever ironic mean.

"Huh? What it is, Serph? Is there a problem?"

He simple looked to his female friend and shook his head. Her response was a nod with a "worried look". For some reason, he felt that he should've "smiled" when he shook his head. She also seemed somewhat weak, tired. Heat approached the couple, cleaning his mouth.

"Well, if you've finished, Serph, then I suggest that we continue. Hopefully, the next meal will be something a little tastier." Heat ignored the "sharp look" he got from Argilla and went ahead. "C'mon, you saw how Harley was scared. He might run away if we stall too much. Then this whole trip would be meaningless, right? Well, 'cept for the few snacks, that is."

"Cut it, Heat!" Argilla felt "anger" rise on her. She came close to transform and attack Heat, which she would've done so if Serph hadn't put a hand on her shoulder. She looked back with menacing eyes, but he just shut his own and shook his head, as a sight of "ignore it". She let out a sigh and "calmed down".

"Yeah, yeah, whatever. Let's just find a way to lock him on some corner, 'kay?" Heat gestured casually as he spoke on a monotone, if not "annoyed", tone. Argilla twitched a little, but crossed her arms and began to walk forward.

Serph sighed. Things sure were easier before, but for some reason, he "felt" it was better this way. He made a mental note to remember to talk about the changes with Gale, and if possible, to summon an audience in the Karma Tower. He "felt" that things wouldn't go too well if they were left unexplained as it was. He sure was "feeling" a lot of thing lately… Well, at least for now, he decided to trust his feelings, even if there was no rule saying anything about it.

And that would become his first step to break free from the Junkyard.