DISCLAIMER: I do not own Black Rock Shooter nor any concepts related to Black Rock Shooter. All rights, permissions, and characters are reserved and owned by Huke, Ryo and Ordet.
In a world of black and white, a hero is born…
Let us return to the beginning! These are the chronicles of Black Rock Shooter!
Black Rock Shooter Chronicles, Act Four: Catabolism
Their fated meeting, shaped by destiny. An endless permutation of results, of which one will reign supreme. Who will live? Who will die? Or did the prophecy suggest something else? Something we never thought about? Something we could never hope to dream about?
Just what does it mean for things to end?
We have no goals. We have no hopes. We walk this empty land wherever their thoughts and dreams take us. We just keep on walking.
We just keep on fighting.
Yomi was waiting. She had been waiting for the past five minutes. Yomi, however, was not impatient. She would come soon.
Yomi stood alone at a street corner, at the top of a gentle slope. Not a single vehicle was in sight and only the quiet chirping of birds could be heard in the faraway distance. She was deep in thought and stared blankly at a patch of ground at her feet.
Suddenly, the sound of running footsteps startled her out of her thoughts. She turned towards the source of the sound and was greeted by the sight of Mato running towards her. Yomi smiled in relief.
"Good morning!" Mato said animatedly.
"Good morning." Yomi mirrored the gesture cheerfully.
"Did I keep you waiting again?" Mato asked innocently, as the two girls began to make their way for the train station.
"Oh no. I just arrived." Yomi lied through her teeth. Being able to travel to school every day like this was good enough.
"I didn't make any detours this time…" Mato explained. Yomi merely chuckled knowingly.
As they made their way down the slope and past rows and rows of houses, Mato suddenly remembered something she had wanted to ask Yomi the past few days. It had just slipped her mind.
"Ah! Have you chosen your club?" Mato queried. Yomi sighed for a moment before replying.
"Not yet… Have you?" She answered nonchalantly.
"Basketball." Mato replied almost immediately. "I decided to play basketball in Junior High!"
"Really?" Yomi expressed curiously. Mato wasn't the tallest of girls after all. Yet, Yomi could see her enthusiasm when it came to talking about the sport.
"Yep! Why don't you join the basketball club too?" Mato suggested teasingly. Yomi thought about it for a little while.
"You're so tall." Mato continued, backing up her previous suggestion. Yomi merely smiled.
"I have a bit of a complex." She said a little shyly.
"About what?" Mato questioned.
"About my height." Yomi finished. It wasn't embarrassing to share these things with a friend whom you trusted completely.
"I'm jealous of your height!" Mato rebuked, partially speaking the truth and partially trying to make Yomi feel better about herself.
"I'm short. One of the reasons I play basketball is because I hope it makes me taller!" Mato continued. She hated it whenever the boys made fun of her height in Junior High.
"Then there are others?" Yomi inquired.
"Other what?" Mato replied, slightly confused at the question.
"Reasons." Yomi answered simply, to which Mato laughed abashedly.
"I guess? It's not a big deal." She reluctantly admitted.
"Come on, tell me." Yomi pressured her. All Mato could do was smile.
"Her fortress is huge…" Black Rock Shooter mused as she continued to move upwards towards where she knew Dead Master sat waiting for her at the peak.
The entire place was in ruins, though this was a pretty common sight in their world anyway. This did not make the way up any easier for her, however. Was this a ploy to wear her out even before their battle began? She did not know. Nothing was going to stop her from reaching her opponent though.
Black Rock Shooter kept her guard up the entire way, expecting traps though there were none. She used broken and fallen pillars as stepping stones to leap from, full well knowing that the structures were highly unstable and could crumble at a moment's notice.
The fortress was like a gigantic spiral, and she found herself running round in circles, though with each revolution she ran higher, and the circles grew smaller. An eerie sound whistled continuously as the wind made its way through cracks and fissures, and everything seemed foreboding and ominous, for the entire fortress was surrounded by dozens of towers which cast long and threatening shadows.
Black Rock Shooter, however, felt nothing like fear. Though she had to leap over chasms which plunged to unknown depths, or perform death defying feats of athletic ability in order to keep moving forwards, she was not afraid. Something burned in her and it filled her up with determination. It kept her running. It kept her focused.
Very soon, they would meet. Then, she would have her answer ready.
It was that space of time between arriving at school and the first period. The class was in disarray as most of the students weren't in their seats and had made their way all over the level to visit other friends or all over the class to gossip. Mato and Yomi were at their places, though only Yomi sat in her chair. Mato was sitting on her tabletop in a most unladylike fashion and Yomi was preparing her text for the first lesson.
"What's your best subject? It's gotta be English right?" Mato felt inspired to ask.
"Not really." Yomi felt obliged to clarify. "German is entirely different."
Mato's mouth made a comic "O", only partially understanding what Yomi was getting at.
"I don't think I'm particularly good at it, but I like math." Yomi stated humbly, as a response to Mato's initial question.
"Doesn't it seem like most people like math? I'm surprised." Mato expressed in mild amazement.
"What about you? What subject are you best at?" Yomi decided to return the question. Mato gave Yomi a mischievous look.
"Well, I guess… I'm gonna find out!" Came the comic reply, as Mato placed her hands on her hips and lifted her head proudly. "Right now it's gym. Aside from that, all subjects are about the same!"
A moment passed and before long, both girls had broken out in fits of laughter.
Black Rock Shooter's pace had fallen to a steady walk. She was here.
She paused for a moment right outside the ruined chapel and gazed at its twin towers which appeared to pierce the sky. Her gaze then fell to the massive double doors which the colossal structure framed and she continued walking. Beyond those, she was waiting.
Black Rock Shooter felt her heart thumping rapidly and every footstep seemed heavier with each passing moment. Destiny called out to her from behind those doors…
… Little did she know that far away from where she was, more gears had begun to move, setting into motion another clock which would ultimately play a bigger part in everything.
There, though there was no visible sun, the entire landscape was bathed with a bright and warm orange glow. Massive, rocky protrusions reached out of a lake that stretched as far as the eyes could see. There were numerous cliffs and steep hills surrounding the lake, though some were so far away that all one could see were hazy outlines.
Atop one particular cliff stood a grotesque female figure. A harbinger of tragedy. She was skinny and had a tiny frame. Her face was obscured by a black hood and she had a metallic tail which continuously wagged back and forth like a pendulum, counting the seconds to doom. What made this figure terrifying, however, was its unnaturally large, machine-like arms. White Rock Strength had arrived.
A mixture of shouts, laughs and the pattering of feet, punctuated once in a while by the squeaking of rubber on polished wood, resounded through the sports hall. All students in Ryoushi Middle School had to take a compulsory co-cirricular activity, and for Mato there was no other option besides basketball. At that very moment, she was heavily involved in a try-out game, and was giving her all in order to show off her prowess in the sport.
Mato called out for the ball, and found herself on the receiving end of a splendid pass. She took the ball and with her usual skill, dribbled flawlessly towards the hoop before setting herself up for a throw. With a flourish, she tossed the ball high and saw with satisfaction that the net had embraced the ball.
Cries of "nice shot" echoed from all around her and a whistle was blown to indicate that points had been taken. The team captain then shouted for a time out. Yomi was standing patiently at the sidelines watching the game progress, a small smile etched on her face. Mato wasn't joking when she had bragged of her skill with the basketball.
The captain of the basketball team, as well as several of the more senior members had approached Mato, and it was rather comical to see Mato surrounded by several girls, all noticeably taller than her.
"Wow you're good! Have you played before?" The captain asked, obviously impressed.
"Yeah! I used to play with the boys in the park." Mato replied enthusiastically.
"Mm! That would be it then!" The captain nodded in approval, signifying Mato's entry into the school's basketball team.
The captain then called for the game to continue, and everyone echoed in agreement. Yomi, meanwhile, continued to stand at the sidelines, though her attention was diverted to another game taking place across the hall.
"Volleyball doesn't seem too bad..." She found herself thinking unconsciously.
She, had been waiting. The most powerful being in the entirety of their world. She, Dead Master, had been waiting. Waiting far too long.
She waited within the confines of her chapel, which stood at the precipice of her massive fortress. The interior of the chapel was predominantly green, and its roof was supported by towering pillars hewn out of emerald stone. Chains of cold, unforgiving metal hung haphazardly from wall to wall, pillar to pillar, ceiling to floor. It was a spider web of certain doom.
Then, she sensed it. Her head moved ever so slightly. Finally, the child had come.
The massive double doors of the chapel opened, revealing just what Dead Master had been waiting for all this time.
Black Rock Shooter.
Yomi was busy revising her school work during lunch break when she was startled by Mato suddenly pouncing upon her from behind
"Hey Yomi... Let me copy yours..." Begged Mato as she put her head on Yomi's shoulder. "Next time it'll be my turn." she pleaded pitifully. Mato was never one for being studious, despite her excellence in sport.
Yomi smiled understandingly, but decided to play along for a while.
"If you don't do it yourself, you'll never learn." The more mature of the two replied.
Mato let our a whimper which could have melted anyone's heart. Yomi decided to give in and proceeded to gesture for Mato to look at her completed homework.
Mato's face immediately lighted up and she proceeded to cuddle Yomi.
"Thanks Yomi. I love you!" Mato exclaimed gleefully. Yomi let out a stream of giggles as Mato continued to cuddle her.
"Cut it out Mato! That tickles!"
Before long, Mato was rapidly copying Yomi's work, her face screwed up in utmost concentration. Yomi sat across from her, and gave the impression of a mother looking after a naughty child. Moments of silence passed between the two, only interrupted by the sound of pages flipping. The silence was finally broken by Yomi.
"Mato."
"Hm?" Came the reply, though Mato didn't look up from the piece of work she was copying.
"I've decided." Yomi continued. These words caught Mato's attention and she looked up briefly to hear what Yomi had to say.
"Not basketball, but something similar." Yomi finished, and Mato realized before long that Yomi was giving her an answer to the discussion they had about co-cirricular activities several days ago. Mato merely wondered what Yomi had chosen, but this was shortlived as the bell for the next period resounded. Mato immediately gave a startled cry and proceeded to continue copying homework at top speed. Yomi merely chuckled.
That afternoon, Mato was having basketball practice, and she was pleased to see that Yomi had joined her; though they were seperated by a net, for Yomi was on the other side of it with the school's volleyball team. Yomi hit a fantastic serve, much to the volleyball captain's approval. Mato felt pleased that they shared the same venue for their clubs, as this meant that they could always come for training sessions together. As each girl continued with their routine, their eyes met and both flashed a smile of understanding. Yet, they were inevitably separated by a net, so that neither could cross to the other side.
The sound of rapid footsteps echoed off the chapel walls. Black Rock Shooter made her advance towards Dead Master, with a new intention in her heart. Enough fighting. Enough killing. She was here to end this, but not with the usual methods that their kind so often employed.
Dead Master sat upon her throne, set high atop an intricately carved pillar which resembled an altar. Chains draped the structure, giving it an ironic sense of entrapment and despair. Behind the throne hovered two massive skulls, with eerie green glows in their eye sockets. They made no sound but one could tell that if Dead Master was provoked, these skulls would show no mercy.
However, the most terrifying of all was Dead Master herself, for she was beautiful. Black Rock Shooter had never seen another so beautiful. Yet, she knew that it was a facade. That it hid the monster within. Arrogance was etched upon Dead Master's ghostly white and pristine face. Her emerald green eyes pierced the very soul and seemed to look down upon all within her gaze. Though she sat there, unmoving and unfeeling, Black Rock Shooter could feel malevolence and fearsome power emanating from her very presence. Yet, Black Rock Shooter was not afraid. Unafraid of the horns that adorned the devil. Unafraid of the sickle wielded by death herself.
Black Rock Shooter finally came to a halt, and she looked up into her destined foe's face. Green eyes met blue and they stared at each other for the longest time. Both sought to find something in the other, though nothing was exchanged. Seconds passed. Silence hung like a deathly cloud all around them. The two skulls continued to hover, awaiting their master's orders.
This was the moment. Everything had been done for this. Their showdown. Did they really have to fight? Black Rock Shooter had decided.
No. If I kill her. If she kills me. We'd be no different from each other. No.
Black Rock Shooter reached a hand out to Dead Master, but she did not say a word. She used her eyes to send a message instead.
"Enough is enough. Come with me. Find the truth."
More time passed. Black Rock Shooter waited for an answer, her hand outstretched in hope for a new resolution.
It never came.
With one swift motion, Dead Master rose up and swung her scythe, and the two sentinels, her skulls, flew with astonishing speed towards Black Rock Shooter. With almost no time to react, Black Rock Shooter leapt up high into the air, just as one of the skulls crashed into the ground where, just moments ago, she had been standing. However, before she could do anything else, she realized that the second skull was approaching rapidly with great malice.
"This can't be good."
As the fourth act draws to a close, the deathly serenade has begun. It's the beginning of the end.
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