Shokugeki no Soma isn't my personal property. All rights reserved to respective author, artists and company involved, especially Tsukuda Yuuto, Saeki Shun and Morisaki Yuki.
'DEGENERATES!'
It was dark, no light could be seen from one's perspective, this person by himself with no one around him, additionally he can't see anything as he could feel that something was blocking his eyes, it was something silky, presumably a thin clothe, even though it was thin but it was tight enough to keep any bright ray spread upon his eyelids.
'They got me this time! I may be get caught, but to spare my life they're quite soft or rather compromising, what do they want, I wonder. Blindfolded and gagged me to keep my voice and blocked my ears, then had all my hands and feet in bind... I haven't said anything, or rather they didn't any chances to do so.'
Then he tried to struggle, moving his limbs, hands and feet, but to no avail of solution to free himself. He tried to move his body away from his chair, but only to find out that he was tied to the chair itself, tightly binded through his neck, waist and shin.
He wanted to assert more of his dissatisfaction, but that was something that wouldn't improve the possiblity to release him.
'I have to contact someone else.'
Then he tried to remember a few things before he was in his present undesirable situation.
'I was sure that nobody followed me before. How did they seize me?' He was beginning to doubt a few things on his former environments.
'It was a small hotel, with few numbers of temporary residents. Nobody was particularly suspicious. Wait...'
He then remembered small things in his mind.
'There was a small restaurant opposite of the building, 'Green Earth' or something like that was its name. I had two glasses of coffee, the sugar was a single package, don't tell me...'
He imagined something that could lead him to this state.
'Was it someone in the restaurant? How meticulous. Don't tell me they knew something.'
Then he tried to recall a few faces he met along the way since his arrival in the city, but to his ill-fated mind only a few came in to his mind.
'There might be someone else to do the interrogation as far is they previous approach goes. I have no idea who did this to me, but I swear I'll make them pay!' He was gritting his teeth, he tried but the clothe in his mouth didn't let them touch.
He had been through uncountable oppressions to present time, and this time wasn't any exception for him to keep his mouth shut. He wasn't some amateur who would blabber after a few beats and cuts. Thinking about it there were a number of wounds on his body. He could taste blood in his mouth, his cheek, stomach, and other lower body parts were sting as well, several things happened and done to him making his head forget a few things, who knows that they were important. What is gone is gone, whether it will come back or not would be another case to think at another time.
*Creak*
His ears were clogged, but somehow he could imagine the sound, after all it wasn't like they were always been out of touch with any other stuff in the building, the air was less condensed than it was before, indicated that some opening was made in the room. His eyesight were still blocked, but it wasn't like he is trying to see from the other people who made the opening into the small space in the corner somewhere of the entire building.
Then he could feel that someone was extending his hand as seemed to be feeling his breath and then moved to the back of his head then ruffling the clothe that shut his eyes tight.
Then he could see, with his furrowed forehead and sharp eyesight, the person in front of him, more accurately a few people, there were three of them. All of them were men, in white collar, office outfit, by first glance they weren't wearing different clothes other than color, but it couldn't be said about any other details of them. Overall they weren't exactly fancy looking, could be seen that they were in one way or another if they were to blend in to big crowd, nobody would point exactly at either one of them. As he finally could see them, he took notice that one of them turned on the lights in the room making things recognizable.
He was in a relatively small room, with many boxes of stuff in them, he couldn't see what were inside of them, but he didn't really had the leeway to think about them. He spotted a few things other than package boxes, like bags carried by the newly made entrance people, bags or rather suitcases, those which were used during travels.
"..." Looking at them, his gaze weren't by any means friendly toward these people.
"-"
He couldn't hear what they said one after another but he could try to read their mouth moving. Then he saw that one of the men seemed to caught on something and then got closer to him and took off the gag in his mouth and his less-than-friendly earplug.
"..." After he got his head free of restriction he inwardly refused to start opening his mouth and made his voice voluntarily heard.
"Doesn't seem to be any major changes on his face, or rather did anyone touch him on the face?" One said, this person was one of the entry, his voice was not too low but definitely not high, but sounded like a junior military workforce with firm position.
"That seems to be not the case, I'm not the one who observed the procedures prior to this, in the entire event, what about you?" Another voice came out, this time wasn't much different, but he sounded to be a bit more of a less observant as he only looked at the hostage for a few seconds.
"Doesn't matter, even if he's comfortable with his face. I don't think it would be the same state about the rest of him." The third person wasn't exactly one who cared about wounded person especially who wasn't friendly.
"..." The last man wasn't saying anything, in fact his face didn't change a milimetres of his face, the skin on his head was like a mask with full facial fitures.
There were four people who came in, three were voicing their thought except one, who were keeping his eyes on the breathing hostage, their faces weren't pictured in a clear way as his head wasn't in a right mind in a way. He didn't feel pain around his head, this confused him.
"..." This quiet uninvited guest were still eyeing him, from the top to the bottom, then silently came forward then walked to his back. Silently stretching his right hands' fingers on the neck.
"...!" The hostage's face made a small twitch, showing a response for the first since unknown men were in the room.
"He does feel something. The treatment wasn't meaningless. Shall we begin?"
"I definitely in for this, but is there any possibility for his to make a sound at all? Other than painful voices previously, he didn't make any other. We also had little intel on him."
"Still he belongs to the Blaze, doesn't he?"
"How far is it that accurate? It's true that he had his dealings with them but, he didn't work exclusively for them."
"Isn't this how a merchant do things? Other than Blaze, which people he had in contact with?"
"Fitzpatrick, Hetzel, Ketsler, Bridgehurst and a few more."
"Hetzel, Fitzpatrick... Aren't they weapon dealers?"
"Yeah, especially Hetzel. We even had a few from them, or more accurately they are the main supplier of the central road's."
"Ketsler, as a technological renown pillar is well spread... but Bridgehurst?"
"Bridgehurst are a muscle in a sense, but also the brain. Who wasn't a victim of theirs?"
"Those people aside, what about Blaze what do we know about them?"
"Unlike their name indicates, they barely show any track in their business. What makes me curious is, why someone who does deals with them could be easily caught, like this guy here?"
As the discussion went on and their eyes went to the captive, the question himself didn't say anything but get his eyes less intimidating, who knows what they really meant whether it's a pity or helplessness, and who knew what else in his mind.
*Swish*
Suddenly there was a movement from behind the captive's head.
"UGH!"
The hostage receive a damage in the back of his head, his nose was forced down 90 degrees down from the previous position. Unquestionable the one who did it was the silent associate of the interrogators.
"How about you say a few things?" Seeing that the less than healthy man was keeping his silence, got hit, one of the unknown men began asking him.
"..." Questioned, but he didn't seem to be swaying in any way, but then he moved his tounge silently then moved it around his teeth seeming to be searching for something.
After a few seconds...
"HUH!?"
"OPEN HIS MOUTH, STUFF IT AGAIN!" Someone finally made a quick command in a very hurrying manner.
"SHIT!" One of them then hit the unhurt face directly as hard as he could. But...
*GULP*
The hostage then swallowed something as he made a wide smile, while refusing to open his mouth even though he could taste more of his blood in his mouth, there might even a few teeth in it.
"GODDAMN IT!" One of them getting even more irked as he saw the smile, he then pounded a few more blows on it.
"Stop it." One of them then restrained the hands of the irritated friend of his.
"He still got his mouth shut. Whatever he had in his mouth already in his stomach. Should we let it just like this?"
"We have no idea what it is, but it might as well poison."
As soon as he said it, the hostage finally opened his mouth.
"He-he-he..." He looked and seemed to be very contented.
"...Definitely something bad for his internal organs."
"Look at this face of his, mission accomplished?" As if another regular questioning routine, he casually asked.
"..." The smile wasn't wiped away, it got even wider.
"...What should we do about this?"
"Doesn't seem like an immediate effect stuff. We may got more time before his end."
"Well, we might as well-" As the last man in the middle of his words.
*Clink**Clink* Something was rolling down their floor and show something familiar.
"This-!"
*CSSSSSS**CSSSSSS* The object was hissing, and producing large amount of thick white gas out of its two corner.
"SMOKE...!"
"NO, THAT'S NOT ONLY THAT, THIS IS-!"
As soon as they realized what was it that, they rolled to the side and cover their mouth and nose with their coat forgetting about anything else.
"What the hell is it this time?!" The hostage had lost all hope and gave up all the inner resistants about the situation he was in, and started to close his eyes, and screamed with all he had in his throat.
As he did that, someone else came in and went to his side and took a look at this captive who barely kept his consciousness, and half-closed eyes that still coming down, at this he didn't have anymore energy to talk or complain in his head.
"-Doesn't seem that this person is going to die very soon-." The person said in a less urgent voice looking at the person who were not free at all to keep himself from the chair he was in, the captive only heard so much before his eyes no longer kept open. Seeing that the rest of people went down on the floor, there are a few reason for him to keep his consciousness, leaving it to a few ideas to everyone else who noticed his presence. Then, the unwell man's day in the room came to an end without his knowledge.
Hours past the time as the captive saw his last scene in a room with a few people who were trying to make him open his mouth.
He could feel nice and comfortable breezes went against his face, if one didn't used to the situation, it would seem to an unexpected sense of relaxing environment to them, like the present time.
Captive were struggling to open his eyes, they were trembling which could be seen on his eyelids in front of a few more unrecognizable men. Then he opened them in an abrupt way, waking him up from his temporary sleep, even though no one told him how much time went by at the time.
"...Ugh!" He let his first words showing his present state of physical condition.
"...He's up." He could hear a new unrecognizable voice going into his brain through his hearing sense. He, with this open wide eyes, were taking in the sights in front of him. The first thing he saw was a man, young one that was, looking at him in return in an interested manner.
"How do you feel?" This young man who was a brown headed straight faced man, with no clear expression to tell him whether he was actually having a touch with the rest of the atmosphere around him. Crouching, adjusting his face to see him in the eyes, in a straight eye to eye contact.
"Why... alive?" He was struggling to let out the rest of the words but the main point was clear to be heard.
"Oh you mean the poison? Someone neutralize it before it's critical point of decomposition, it was happening but he could do something as far as it didn't completely happen and affecting your stomach too much. Well I'm not exactly one who knows what he's doing but he's an excellent doctor, that much we can tell by general standard."
"..." As he took in the information he was inwardly relieved at the point, by then he started to comprehend more of his surrounding. He was no longer in an unpleasant position, but similarly he's still on a chair with wheels, his body was covered in bandages, including his legs, arms and other parts of his body.
"This place is...?" He looked around where he was.
"It's a box, nobody comes in except being authorized with my permission. Your entire body was and by mean time is still in treatment in this place. This isn't a meeting room for obvious reasons."
He was referring to the small space they were in at the moment, the place was relatively in a considerably illuminated, but not too much, enough for eyes to reach. In the room one could see one set of bed a chair, and a wheelchair which was still in use by the patient and a small table with a few medications on it. By first glance it's hard to tell that whether the room was completely shut or there was any entrance anywhere, not by his average eyes anyway. He didn't seem to be elaborating more of the topic, the patient didn's seem to be trying either.
"How long...?" He was wondering about something else.
"Since the team retrieved you, it's four hours, since your treatment it's one." The other person answered in a light tone, as he got up and got closer to the wall and took out a small device from his pocket. His clothing which was mostly black, turtleneck, dark jacket, gloves, long trousers and all of those which had the similar shades on his shoes, didn't seem to match very well with his small bright coloured device, a phone or might be a tablet. He got busy with it as the time passed.
"...You are...?"
"Me? Hmmmm... Your temporary lookout, overall, my job is to see any development on your present case, who knows what will happen to you if nobody keep an eye on you at this time."
"No... That's not..." He wasn't seemed to be asking this kind of answer.
"I'm just an underling, if you want to know more, you'll need to see the my supervisor. If that person will ever come here, that is." Slight understanding, he said further as he didn't expect to make anyone find out anything further.
"..." The frailer man on the scene was giving up as he heard the last part of the sentence of the other one. He then thought of things past few hours, seemingly a bit different to his frequent routine in his daily 'vacation' period.
"So did you see anyone there?" the young man, in his late teens or his early twenties by estimation, in turn questioned him.
"I... am not... sure... could be... I did... a few men." He was full of doubt in his words but his expression and memory was not the same case.
"Do you remember their appearances?" The other man was stopped at his own device and looked at the patient immediately.
The fragile man then slowly described everything he could recall in his brain, all that was related to those sinners in his mind. He brought out his unpleasant feeling recalling the sharp memory of his experience in a small room, his pains in every way he could. He was totally open about his encounter, there might be some or even many unnecessary information but nevertheless, the brown haired man kept on listening to him and didn't interrupt even once. Until at one point he fully stopped. By then the questions and answers exchange was started, until no more questions came up.
"..." The young adult was holding his chin with his palm thinking hard about something, presumably the descriptions of those who were involved in this matter. Seconds turned to minutes and so on, until...
*Bzzzt*
Something was buzzing, unaware that he had nothing with him, he looked around his seat, thinking that his health support device was working just fine after hearing the sound, after he was done the patient looking at his only visitor at the time, as he did so, the other man get himself off the wall and turned around facing the wall. Then he put up his left hand and place his palm on it, then...
*Bzzt*
Another buzz was echoing the room. As it did, the wall was moving sideway to the right and someone else came into the dimmed scene, the man, a young one at that, brought his feet, one after another to their direction. As this person came in, the room was noticably getting darker in a way, but the unfit man was no longer attentive to such thing.
The man was shorter than the brown haired man, who seemed to be less than a hundred ninety centimetres making the former shorter than the other. The patient himself was confident than he was taller than the latest entry of the space, he himself was more than 180 centimetres in height which was still the second tallest man there, the average height was lowered quite a number with this person in front of the first visitor. He couldn't make of something more of the person, he could only see his shadows, but he was certain than his eyes were red, the darkness couldn't hide the glittering bright pair of irises.
"...You're shorter than I thought you would, especially that night four years ago." The bored taller young man was a bit astonished, realizing who was standing in front of him.
"I didn't exercise very much."
"...Honestly, I think you're not being truthful. But, you are being alive is certainly a good news more than anything else."
"...What do we have?" He red-eyes youngster then put his gaze on the less-than-healthy man on the wheelchair.
"You were not in the scene?"
"I was, but I didn't get my eyes and ears on many things."
"...Uncomfortable?" The taller man asked in a slight less than serious manner.
"In a lot of ways."
The shorter man and his friend then talked in lowered tones. Not much could be said since the last sentence, but it could be said that they were less than relaxed as the silenced topic went on between them. The scene was ongoing for a few minutes, the two were excluding the patient of the discussion, the patient himself didn't think much of it in the end. He felt weird as neither of these people asked who he was, his name, or any details of his roots, but they did inquired things related to his being a captive, but those weren't exactly could he put in details either. But to see that the two were discussing those details could be in a urgent manner, maybe what he thought to be less than accurate information could be useful for those two.
After a few minutes of thinking himself, he took a look at the two again and saw that one, the shorter man, of them walked in a steady manner to him. The red eyes was locked on to his own, even when their distance were shortened to two steps away.
"...You know Maurizia Leitzke?" The youngster questioned brought the patient's focus on him to the utmost.
"..." He stared at the other person, hard, as if he would be doomed if he said another word about someone that the other person mentioned. He formerly intended to ask this person, who he assumed that at least someone else that could discuss his ongoing affair, but hearing the question, all of thoughts about that were quashed without any trace, he went to raise his guard.
"...Is she fine?" The youngster didn't mind the attitude, which didn't appreciate his words. The question made the patient even warier than before.
"...Who are you?" He couldn't freely moved, but his frown showed he didn't really want to be around this shorter man.
"...Good question."
"You two knew each other before, so a friend?" The young adult suggested.
"I'm not sure, but a friend might be the closest term to that kind of situation. So childhood friend, if you think it's noteworthy."
"Child-?!" He wasn't ready to know this kind of person, especially related to the person that this person mentioned, he cut his own sentence without hesitation.
"Am I suppose to believe you?" His face wasn't so calm, his blood was hotter than before.
"..." Hearing the doubt red-eyes youngster was stumped, then went into his own world for a moment, thinking about something as he tilted his head for a few degrees to the right, with his both hands folded on his chest, looking at the disgruntled one. But in the end he didn't really mind about the unfit man.
"...Hm... If you returned to the Leitzke Order, please pass on a message, whether it's her, her parents or even siblings, that-" The youth in front of the unwell man lessen his voice sound and told him something directly to his right ear in a close proximity.
Few seconds passed, he withdrew and looked at the face in front of him for a short time, then turned his back on him.
"..." The unwell person was bewildered, as he looked at the person who was walking away from him. He wasn't sure that this message was supposed to mean something to those people he was thinking of giving the message to. He didn't get to know anything about this youngster either. He was lost on his own mind.
"...You're done?" The taller youngster asked the shorter one. He was switching his gaze at the patient and his associate for a few times.
"I think we are now." Red-eyed youngster was sure of his words.
The two walked away from the room together.
"What do we do next?" Once again he looked at the man on the wheelchair, as the door was closed again, he adjust himself to the person next to him, they were going further away at the same time.
"We'll take him to Leitzke's domain. He should know where to go afterwards." As if it was the natural thing to say, he remarked further.
"Does he even believe you?" Flashes of misgivings ran across the older associate's face.
"It doesn't matter. Her condition is their responsibility. Not that I can 'support' her or anything."
"Yeah, it's true that's the case, but..."
"I didn't think you would be bothered about this, relative is still a relative?" Amused impression appeared in the younger man's countenance.
"Don't say that, you know very well that I don't want to be known as their relative." He was seemed to be changing as he heard the susceptible word.
"...How are your parents?" Going through his own self mental assessment, in less than convinced voice the shorter man inquired, which took the taller man attention away.
"They're busy as always. Why do you think I'm here?" Less irritated, he responded.
"So you're not always here?"
"The question is when exactly I'm not here. I see their faces other than public medias, it would be home, every Christmas."
"Well, that's one positive way to say it."
"..."
"What is it?" The shorter man noticed the change in his associate's expression.
"What do you think of today?" Another vague topic was raised.
"...The consignment sure will be time-consuming." Instinctively the young companion reacted verbally.
"Why did you getting involved? I thought you would never be here." Subtle confusion in the other's tone.
"They found me on my school trip."
"More like trapped, you know what I mean."
"Trap? Was Kyoto one of the open networks?"
"Japan or rather the East Asia was in the plan since the very beginning. Didn't you see the map five years ago?"
"Five years, is it? Old man sure is composed. For your information, I didn't see anyone in the past five years."
"Rather than composed, isn't he having a good time out of this?"
"Can't say for sure. But, because of him I had my time in the kitchen."
"Are you really interested in that? You're good, sure, but it wasn't like you had to do it. Magnus old man is a gourmet in a way, but definitely not the same category as you are."
"My world was and is still expanding."
"World, is it? ...Did you meet anyone new?" A weird tone was brought up in the conversation.
"Is that even a question?"
"Well, some people clearly still remember you. So it's definitely not out of question." Brown-haired young adult was pressing his voice, somehow it was unknown what the intonation was.
"..." The red-eyes young man was keeping his mouth shut.
"Worried?"
"I'm not sure, but if they're well, it would be the best." The younger one showed a faraway vision to his straight passage, at this time his iris was visibly trembling, although it was barely happening for a split-second.
"I hope so, we all hope so. But, you're getting soft, be careful."
"..." The other person was silent in his reciprocation.
"Souma Yukihira needs to die, as long as he could." The atmosphere was getting heavier as the older fellow mentioned something.
"Did he die too then, Horatius Sieber?" In correspondence, the shorter man faced the other one.
"...He did and still does, except for Christmas... Now we're all dead." Lighter air was came upon them, even though their words weren't light at all.
They fell into silence. They were walking straight with little to no signs of light on their way. The passage was clean and silent, for most part, except there were sounds of mechanical device in the entire area. This continued for some time, and they weren't opening their mouths in those times.
Souma Yukihira's eyes still bright in the darkness. It was little to no explanation that the iris shade of human being to permeate. But this seemed to be so natural for both men on their way to different location, or they might not even care about this at all. For this part of the scene it was illogical, to those who knew Yukihira beforehand in another social circle.
"...Did you see the old man before coming?"
"No. But I did see Buzzell and Baltodano."
"I see. Those two were the escort, superb crew for the occasion... Or in other mean it's outlandish, in some other people's words. Who went on and did the greeting?"
"Buzzell. For some reason he was more... energetic this time."
"Ha ha ha, energetic? Somehow I get that from you it wasn't exactly the preferred energy he showed you?" Triggered, he revealed a short giggle.
"There was no more than some sweat is something that I can appreciate." The partner's expression was hinting a helpless gesture.
"Hooo, you're getting stronger then. That's a good news... good news indeed."
"..."
"I'm surprise that you're not deteriorating." Peeking at the one beside him, evaluating him with his eyes.
"I had my chances of exercise."
"Then those exercises which you mentioned wasn't much, is worth it." He was much more chatty than man who talked to the patient, even though he was still the same man.
"..." Somehow lost in mind, the younger one.
"So, what do you want to know?"
"...Did anyone leave?"
"Which 'leave' do you mean?"
"Both..."
"One constant, one approved." Sieber thought a little with his hands ruffled his hair for a few seconds.
"Who are they?" Further questioned the shorter man.
"Konrad Graner, constant, Ferenc Lazar, approved." Putting down his hands and put them behind, Sieber elaborated.
"What are the prompts?"
"Graner, while shadowing Little Sorensen, ensured her retreat to the branch in her visit to Area 9. Two bullets went through his neck, other three in either of both arms, deep wounds in thighs, by the examiners' word, they were those of blades and numerous of them on his body. What fatal was... what was it again... he didn't get any nourishment in more than two weeks of torture, I think. Apparently they were 'done' with him entirely." With a straight face, Sieber revealed the fact of less than refreshing to an imagination of a human being's conditions.
"..." The information didn't surprise the other youngster.
"Lazar, unspecified future reassignment, he's taking care of his grandfather's assets as his father... wasn't exactly professional in handling them." This time, Sieber's mouth was twitched.
"..." Couldn't be said that Yukihira was in a different line of thinking.
"There was a proper funeral for Graner was... three weeks ago I think... I'm not sure what is happening with Lazar at the moment, though." Uncertainty following low-spirited countenace which was covering his visage.
"How about you? What's the plan?"
"Me? I don't take permanent role, I'll do what I like." Didn't thought of it very much, he let it out immediately.
"Fair enough."
"Rather than me, how about you?"
"I'll see what's coming."
"Nothing really changes, same pattern for most of the time. But I'm not expecting that it will be any restraints."
"..."
"I don't think you'll stand quiet, without any preparations, though."
*Sigh* Breath came out of the red haired young man's mouth, the shades of his red locks was darker as the time went by.
"Ready or not there's no way back now." There was no room of indecision in his own entire being.
The two was walking to the end of long passage of unknown location, but it's not far from the previous room they were staying. There was a wall that was waiting for them, unless there was a direct contact with the wall, it was hardly visible in an area without a trace of radiance. But they were not worried about that as they put one foot to mark their arrival, facing the unseen gate.
"I don't expect any 'way back' for me or us..." Trailed the brunette.
"We all only know the fact is that..." The wall set off and was moving, the light behind the wall was enveloping them one after another.
"We're all sinking." It was the time to leave.
