Warning: Spoilers for Dorohedoro and gore... cause Dorohedoro.
There is a saying that one has three faces.
The first face, you show to the world.
The second face, you show to your close friends, and your family.
The Third face... you never show anyone. The last is the truest reflection of who you are.
He stared forward in horror, hands shaking as he stared at the two figures in front of him.
The teen backed away, slowly.
"W-Wha-?"
And then a hole was punched through him, his stomach opening as his innards becoming outards, red liquid splattered across the wall behind him. The teenager fell to the floor, a pool of blood growing beneath him.
His lids fluttered, bloodshot eyes looking around as his body began to die.
He was able to ask one question.
"Why...?"
He was given no answer as he felt the skin of the face tug, something ripping. By this point, the pain nerves had already given out long ago as he felt himself get lifted up by the left arm and thrown, a popping noise heard as he was smashed through the window. Glass pierced his skin, an action figure knocked out alongside him.
And then he fell, lifeless body landing onto the hard ground below.
"Damn it! Again!?" Shin yelled, eyes quaking behind his heart-shaped mask as he held his carpenter hammer. "Noi, what did I tell you!? Don't hold the bags like that! They'll break!"
Noi looked down at the mess she had made, wearing a blue gimp mask. The contents of the bag had poured out onto the marble floor, showing a bunch of decomposing and severed heads that were leftover from the Crosseye incident. "Oops. Sorry, Senpai. It's just that, these were the only bags left."
The cleaner looked down before looking up at his partner, "You're taking responsibility for that... again."
"Aww, you're so mean, Senpai." Noi said, kneeling down to pick up the pieces before noticing something. "Hey... whose Door is that?"
Shin turned to see where she was looking at. "What-"
Sure enough, there was a Magic User's door, smoke streaming from the edges to show it had been recently summoned. It was a simple wooden door, with a yellow ornament hanging off the top. If there was a name written on it, it had been scribbled beyond recognition. Shin and Noi stared at the door, perplexed. "Did En-sama say that there was a sorcerer operating in this area?"
"No... And he's keeping a close tab on the ones that are left." Shin simply responded, walking forward. Ever since the whole ordeal with Hole and finally blown over, a gigantic portion of the sorcerer population had dropped to a scant few. If there was a Magic User operating outside of En's jurisdiction...
The prospect of a possibly challenging fight made his fingers itch as Shin grinned behind his mask, lips upturning into a sadistic smile.
"Let's see who's on the other side."
Noi came up next to him, cracking her fists. "I like that idea! Let's do it!"
Without another word, the cleaner turned the knob and opened the door, crossing over from The Magic User World. Shin expected a fight.
He did not expect a body.
It was a teen, green hair stained red and filled with glass shards. He wore a teal tracksuit, now stained red with blood as his form lied on a gigantic puddle of splattered blood, with one of his legs twisted at an odd angle and an arm completely gone. As for his face... well, the defining factor was more of a lack of thereof.
"... Who the hell are you?" Shin asked. "D'you open this Door?"
He obviously did not get any response, but he did get an answer, as he spotted faint traces of Smoke, the stuff of sorcerers, coming out of his left stump.
"This young and he was already able to summon a Door?" Shin thought before Noi came up beside him.
"Wow. Wonder how that happened?" She then looked up, "Looks as though he fell from a great height." She then pointed, "But not before getting his stomach smashed through and arm ripped off." Noi then noticed, "Oh, and his face is gone too. Doesn't it kind of remind you of how Ebisu started out, Senpai?"
Shin simply shrugged before noticing something being held in the teen's hand.
An action figure.
It was covered with the teenager's blood, depicting a flexing muscular figure, with one of the blonde bangs snapped off. Shin inspected it more closely, able to discern a bright smile on the figures face. He turned his head, finally taking into account of his surroundings.
This wasn't Hole. It couldn't have been. The gigantic apartment block was too functional looking, and there were enough lights to illuminate the streets.
Also, it smelled clean.
So what the hell was this place?
Noi peeked at the Door, the frame beginning to fade. "Er, Senpai. The Door is beginning to dispell. I think he's going to die soon."
He turned to his partner, pocketing the bloodied doll before giving the order. "Heal him. We'll take him back to En's mansion and hopefully get some answers."
She nodded, "You got it!" before kneeling beside the teen's body and clicking the mouthpiece of her mask open. Smoke began to seep through the opening, the teenager's wounds regenerating at a rapid pace, arm regrowing and leg twisting back. By the time she was done, the teen was good as new, not a single sign or scratch on him. She then picked the boy up and held him on her shoulder, walking back through the Door as Shin followed, closing it behind him and leaving the bloody scene.
"-And where did you find him?" En questioned, rubber gloves and gardening apron on as he squirted moisturizer on his newly regrown mushroom garden.
"That's the thing. I wasn't entirely sure." Shin spoke, Noi standing next to him. They had returned to En's mansion after dropping off the trash bags. "It definitely wasn't the Hole, and it wasn't The Magic User World either."
En paused for a few moments, taking off his apron and turning around. A skeletal red mouth-piece covered his mouth as his browless eyes showed off a menacing glare. "Whatever. He'll tell us as soon as he's awake. And if he refuses to talk,-" En shrugged, "-then I'll have him tortured. Simple."
There was a brief pause before Noi asked a question. "By the way, who's watching him?"
"I sent Fujita." En simply replied, taking off his rubber gloves. "As a precaution, that unknown sorcerer could be dangerous."
"Ah, I see."
"Can you see that? He's already saved a hundred people! And it hasn't even been ten minutes!" They then heard it, "He's laughing!"
The great Hero laughed, carrying loads of rescued in his giant arms. "It's fine now. Why? Because I am here!"
And he did it all with a smile.
He slowly awoke, eyelids opening.
The first sight he was greeted with was that of a skull. He wordlessly flinched back, back bumping into a throne-like chair as he came to realize that it was a person, a person wearing a skull mask with two horns on top.
A few moments passed, as he noticed another figure standing at the end of the room, looking around.
"Y'know, now that I think of it, the guest room is actually much nicer than my own room?" The young man was wearing a mask that resembled a Tengu, but only cover his eyes and nose, wearing a t-shirt as well as a Ushanka and cargo shorts. "In fact, even your room is better than mine Ebisu, and you're just an honorary member. What's up with tha-"
The skeleton masked pointed at the boy just as the young man turned around.
She spoke.
"Shit's awake, yo."
"Gah!" The young man yelled before lifting his right arm and using his left to support it, pointing his finger in a threatening manner. "He's awake! Why didn't you warn me, Ebisu!?"
"I just did."
The boy looked between the two of them, confusion writ on his face. He then realized that his arms were tied down by a bundle of wire. He didn't have any time to contemplate his whereabouts, as the door to the room opened, three more figures entering.
The first one was a man wearing a heart-shaped mask, complete with aorta and vena cava openings, wearing a messy business suit with stained with bloody red marks as his hands and arms looking as if they were stitched together. The other was a muscular person wearing a blue gimp mask bearing skeletal mouthpiece as well as a tracksuit, duct tape wrapped around the person's calves and wrists.
As for the last man, he was wearing formal attire and a red mask around his mouth that showed a crimson jawline and teeth, red hair spiked upwards. He walked with a narcissistic elegance, demanding order.
"En-sama!" The young man yelled, abandoning his combat position.
"Fujita." The red-haired man asked. "Has our guest awoken yet?"
The young man wearing the Ushanka, now identified to be Fujita, spoke up. "Er, yep. He's awake, En-sama."
"Good." En turned, facing the chairbound boy. "You are either a brave or foolish, operating behind my back... so we'll keep this meeting short and simple. Where was it that you were, and who are you working with?"
A few moments passed.
The boy finally spoke, stuttering as if finally refinding his voice.
"I-I-"
The bomb dropped.
"I don't remember."
"Right." En then leaned back, sighing behind his mask. "Then it looks like we're proceeding with the next step." He then paused, "Wait..." And then turned around, "Is the torturer still alive?"
Everybody there seemed to rack their brains, Fujita scratching the back of his head, "Um, no. Sorry, En-sama, but I think he died because of the Rain. Quite a while back actually..."
"Whatever, he sucked at his job!" Ebisu added.
"Oh." En then turned to the gimp mask. "Then you do it Noi."
The person seemed insulted, a feminine voice speaking out. "What? Me? Torture? What do I look like to you? A maid?" Noi then shrugged, cracking knuckles. "I mean, I guess I could try it. But you know I prefer it when they can fight back."
"Yes, yes." En dismissed.
The boy leaned back in his seat, eyes wide as Noi moved closer.
And then the heart mask spoke.
"Wait."
The man stepped forward, exposed eyes showing off a calculating look.
"Let me ask him something."
Noi obliged, walking to the side. "Oh, alright, Senpai."
En seemed annoyed. "Really Shin? What makes you think he'll answer you if he didn't answer me?"
"Because he might not know who you even are. Or where he even is." Shin replied, producing something from his pocket. It was an action figure, depicting a super-hero looking figure. "Is this yours?" The man asked, the boy staring at it.
"I'm not sure... but I think I recognize it."
"What's your name?" The man then asked.
The boy hung his head down, trying to find the answer. After a few seconds, a word finally came up."My name...-"
He then looked up.
"I think my name is Deku. But that's all I can really remember."
There was a brief pause.
And then Ebisu broke out into laughter, the mouth on her skeleton mask opening. "Gwahahaha! Deku!? What type of stupid name is that?!" Ebisu continued to laugh, Fujita attempting to shush her. She finally stopped, Shin turning to face En.
"He seems to barely remember anything. En, this boy... he has amnesia."
"Ugh." En massaged his forehead with his hand. "How annoying, but you might be right." He then waved his hand, "Alright then. I guess there's no point in this. Untie him."
Noi obliged, untying the wire and setting Deku free. He rubbed his wrist as he slowly stood up from the chair, looking amongst the group of personalities. By this point, thousands of questions were swimming in Deku's head, with one of them forcing him to ask impulsively. "W-What is this place?"
Shin responded, standing next to Noi as En idly looked away. "You're in En-sama's mansion, in The Magic User World."
"The Magic User World?" Deku asked.
"Yeah. Can you recall what happened to you?"
Deku scratched the back of his head, scrunching his eyes. "No... I really can't."
Noi chipped in, "We found you in a pretty bad condition." Noi then began to list, "Your left arm was torn off, your stomach had been brutally punched in by someone, and on top of that, your face was gone." Noi then seemed to remember another detail, "Oh, and it looked like you were tossed out a window too, a very high window. None of that ring any bells?"
He shook his head, albeit slowly as he took it all in. All of that had happened to him? Just how was he even alive?
"Well, I'm stumped." Noi huffed, Deku perking up.
"But... if I was like that, then..." For some odd reason, a sadness took hold, Deku looking down. "Why did you even bother helping me?"
"Because you're a Sorcerer like us, you were a potential threat to me."
The answer didn't come from Shin, or Noi, or even Fujita and Ebisu.
It came from En, the red-haired man giving off an imposing visage. "You were able to open your own Door from a non-fixed location, that already shows you have a high quantity of Smoke circulating through your veins."
Although Deku didn't understand what he meant by a 'Door' and 'Smoke', he did manage to pick up that these aforementioned terms were supposed to be abilities of some sort.
En shrugged, "Anyways, I suppose that means we're done here. He's clearly not in the right state of mind, but with so few sorcerers left, I'll take what I can get." He then began to leave the room, pointing toward the young man on the way out. "Fujita, give Deku a brief tour of the place, and since he's also lost his memory, give him a refresher on how to use his Smoke. I'm going to go take a bath."
Fujita stood to attention, just as En left the room. "Yes, En-sama!" Fujita then turned to Deku, "Alright, come with me, Deku. I'll show you around the place."
"Yeah, c'mon stupid name." Ebisu added.
Deku was about to follow the two before Shin stopped him, handing the action figure to him. "By the way, I think this is yours. You were holding it when we found you."
The boy nervously nodded before bowing his head as if on instinct, "Thank you..."
He then silently left.
As soon as the room was empty, Shin sighed, taking off his mask and running a tired hand down his face. "Damn, I could really use a nap right now." He felt a hand slink on his shoulder, Shin turning to see a smiling Noi, her mask off now off as well.
"Then let's go get some sleep."
Shin smiled, "That, I can agree with." The two of them leaving the empty room behind.
"Um, uh..." Fujita looked around the renovated corridor, a hand on his chin. "Was it...? Or, maybe it was this way...-?"
Deku silently stood next to Ebisu, the two of them staring at Fujita. The latter then spoke up, "You got us lost, idiot."
Fujita seemed to lower his head in embarrassment, "Gah... cut me some slack Ebisu. En-sama's mansion is really big, and I haven't been back since forever."
"Idiot." Ebisu simply responded.
Deku simply watched the two argue, his thoughts beginning to wander regarding his situation. Just what did he forget? He had a vague sense of displacement, a simple knowing that he had left something behind. But what? Deku would have pondered further, but he noticed that Ebisu and Fujita were staring at him.
Ebisu then pointed, "You were saying some weird shit."
Deku blinked, "Was I?"
"Er, yeah." Fujita confirmed, "You were muttering a lot."
He blinked again, question whether or not there was something wrong with him. And he didn't even have a second to think of it, as Ebisu hugged him, Deku's eyes widening as his face turned red.
"This is great! Do you know what this means!?"
She then pulled back, skull mask staring at Deku.
"We're brain damage palls!"
"... What?" Deku asked, Fujita scratching the back of his head.
"Ebisu's died a bunch of times, and on top of that, she has a positivism hair clip in her brain." Fujita paused, "It's a long story."
Although he had no idea what a 'positivism hair clip' was, Deku definitely understood the 'died a bunch of times'. For some reason, he felt he should've been more shocked at the mention of her multiple deaths, but in all honesty, he felt sorry... and a tad bit curious. Such a thing sounded awful, but just how was she alive then? Perhaps another question that could be answered, he was just glad that he got to know Ebisu a bit better.
Deku then turned to Fujita. "What about you, Fujita-san? What's your story?"
"Hm? Me?" Fujita then scratched the back of his head, his Ushanka lifting slightly. "Er, nobody's ever asked me that before. What can I even say? I'm just-"
"He's the errand boy around here." Ebisu cut in, Fujita's face turning red.
"Ebisu-!" He then sighed, a defeated look on his face. "Yeah, I guess I'm kinda am, despite after all that's happened..."
"All that's happened?" Deku asked, tilting his head, "What has happened?"
Fujita and Ebisu turned to him, the former speaking up. "Wow, you really have lost all your memory. But then again..." Fujita shrugged, "I overheard Shin and Noi saying they found you in some weird place that wasn't The Magic User World, so maybe you didn't even know beforehand?"
Deku's eyes lit up, "Then do you think I can ask them? Ask them where I came from?"
The young man shrugged again, the group walking on. "I guess. But I would do it when they're-"
Fujita then paused, Deku turning to where Fujita was staring as a shirtless muscular man wearing a black bird mask and armored leggings rounded the corner. Fujita smiled, "Oh, hey! It's Chota-san! He probably knows the direction around here. Chota-san!" Fujita called out. Chota seemed to notice them walking toward them to meet up.
"My, my! What are you two doing here?" Chota then pointed at Deku. "And who's this?"
"This is Deku. Shin and Noi picked him up from somewhere. He can't remember anything." Fujita explained.
Deku instinctively bowed his head, looking back up. "Please take care of me."
"My, quite well mannered. Welcome to the En family, Deku-kun." Chota commented before leaning closer to the trio. "By the way, have you three seen En? I wanted to speak to him."
"I think he said he was gonna go take a bath-" Deku absent-mindedly answered before Fujita put a hand on his mouth. It was there Deku realized he had made a mistake, as Chota seemed to drool behind his mask.
"E-En, in the bath!?" He then made a shrill yeep, "Then maybe I can sneak away some of his bathwater this time!" Chota ran past the trio, arms outstretched. "I'm coming En!"
There was a long pause, seconds passing before Ebisu finally spoke up. "That's nasty."
Deku was liable to agree, admittedly unsure whether or not he should apologize as Fujita sighed. "Oh jeez, En-sama's gonna be in a really bad mood later."
A new voice then spoke out.
"He won't be,-"
And then a figure simply popped out of thin air, mask consisting of wrap-around cloth and outfit being a collared shirt as an aura of Smoke dissipated around him. A magic wand held in his wrapped hands.
"-'cause I just erased Chota's memory. You can thank me later."
There was a long pause, Fujita seemingly struggling to remember the man's name before finally recalling. "Ah, Shou-san!" He then turned to Deku, "This is-"
"Deku. I know already, I've been following you three since you left the guest room." Shou explained, Fujita staring at the wrapped man with a hint of disbelief.
"Then why didn't you help us before?"
Shou shrugged, "Because it was entertaining, watching you three get lost." He then looked at Deku, an inquisitive look on the boy's face. "So, how are you holding up, Deku? It looks like you wanna ask something."
"Yes... Shou-san." Deku admitted, now familiar with the man's name. "Just now, when you suddenly just appeared... was that magic?"
The wrapped man nodded, "Yep." As if to show off, Shou lifted his arm, black Smoke engulfing it. Suddenly it was gone, Shou straining his shoulder to indicate that he was moving said arm. "As long as you got a Devil's tumor, then you got magic. Everyone has a different type. Mine is Invisibility magic-" Shou twirled his wand, "-and memory erase you saw back there."
Deku turned his head to Fujita, the young man holding a finger up as wisps of Smoke sprouted from the tip. "And mine's destruction." He then hung his head down, "But it's pretty weak. I don't have a lot of Smoke capacity."
"So Sorcerers have different types of magic, and the strength of their magic is determined by their level of Smoke?" Deku noted. "And you also need to be in possession of some kind of tumor? Why does this seem familiar but so... distant?"
"You're muttering again." Fujita pointed out, Deku blinking.
"And mine is reptile!" Ebisu yelled before her form seemed to shift into giant scaly monster, head comprised of a reptilian skull. Her maw then opened, throaty laughter echoing through the hallway. "UWAHAHAHA!"
Deku flinched, but it was more from surprise than fear. In all honesty... he was beginning to feel amazed. Sure, there were questions, but he could do something like this?! Immediately, Deku felt a sense of familiarity resurge.
A sense of awe and fascination.
"A-All of your powers... t-" He stuttered, "They're all so cool!"
Fujita smiled at that statement, Ebisu turning back as Deku shifted his gaze between the trio.
"W-What's mine?!"
Shou shrugged, "Only one way to find out."
En sat down, reading an old magazine whilst sitting next to the window of his bedroom as he calmly nestled a cup of mushroom tea, Kikurage nestled in his arm as one of his mushroom familiars redid his drooping hair.
He turned a page before looking up at the window. To call his 'mansion' a mansion was a bit misleading, as it was more of a gigantic structural amalgam, capable of storing a large city inside itself. But ever since the Rain incident, the place was a practical ghost town with so few Sorcerers left.
So he knew it was a rare occurrence to see people on the other end of it, En honing his gaze to realize that it was his subordinates, and the newly introduced Magic User, Deku.
He took a sip of his tea, an annoyed look on his face. "What in the world are they up to?"
"Have you tried opening your mouth?" Fujita shouted from the end of the hallway.
Deku nodded, a concentrated look on his face as he thrust both hands forward, expecting to see the digits emit Smoke. Yet he was met with disappointment. Shou called out, "How about try unclenching your buttocks! It's rare but I heard some Sorcerers-!"
"Think of killing someone!" Ebisu roared.
He shook his head, abandoning his stature. "I don't think this is working..."
The three looked at each other before abandoning the safety of distance, walking up to Deku. "Alright, well, we do know for a fact that you're capable. You did open a Door after all." Shou said supportively, "So I'm sure you'll rediscover it in time."
Deku remained silent, nodding before he felt his stomach growl. There was an awkward pause, before Fujita spoke.
"Um, uh... You wanna get something to eat?"
He nodded again.
Shou then gestured a thumb back, "The dining hall is this way." They then left without another word, leaving the hallway behind. However, unbeknownst to them all, a small figure had been accidentally left behind, having fallen out of Deku's back pocket after flinching.
It was the action figure.
A few seconds passed after they were gone, complete silence.
And then it stood up.
The group arrived at the dining hall, the tables being set up by...
Gigantic humanoid mushroom people.
Deku stared at the beings with shock, realizing that the faces beneath broad caps were similar to En's mask. He paused for a moment as Fujita turned around. "That's just En's mushroom magic." Fujita then turned back, a hint of adoration in his voice. "He can do a ton of things with it, and that's why he's the most powerful sorcerer of us all."
"... Woah..." Deku whispered, sitting down as Fujita and Ebisu sat beside him.
Shou had disappeared off somewhere. Apparently, the invisible caster ate alone, Chota too (but it was highly likely that En didn't permit the obsessive sorcerer to sit at the table).
Two more figures entered the room, Deku recognizing their outfits as Shin and Noi but without their masks, which also lead to another startling conclusion.
Noi was a woman.
He supposed that made sense, judging by the pitch of Noi's voice from before. However, more of his focus was surprisingly on Shin, the formerly heart masked man now wearing a pair of glasses and sporting a relatively young face, a complete contrast from his intimidating mask. Shin sat across from him, looking forward at Deku.
"How are you holding up?"
Deku didn't expect the question, but he did answer. "I'm fine... Fujita-sama and the others were trying to teach me how to use Smoke."
"Hm." Shin nodded in understanding, "It was hard for me the first time too. I had to cut off my arms in order to unblock my Smoke veins."
"... Oh." Deku responded, now knowing why Shin's fingers and arms looked stitched together.
Because they were.
Shin then shrugged, "But I guess you're not that much different from me. Your left arm was torn off, and that's probably what opened your Smoke vein."
Smoke vein, another factor to magic production that Deku quickly surmised. "T-Then can I ask something, Shin-san?"
The man nodded, Deku continuing.
"Where did you and Noi-san find me?"
Shin opened his mouth only for Noi to answer first, leaning forward against the table with her head turned to Deku. "No clue! That's what we were hoping to find out through you."
The man nodded in agreement, "And since you were near death, we had to leave before your Door dispelled. All we know for sure was that it wasn't Hole."
"Hole?" Deku asked.
Shin nodded, "Another world..." Shin then grunted, "It's a shithole, but it's where I'm from."
"And we have good friends there too!" Noi added.
Deku looked down, thoughts troubled now that his only possible link to knowing was severed. If anything, the response only provided more questions. Just who was he? Where did he come from? Why was he found at near-death? And more pressing, who was responsible for leaving him in such a state?
At this point, he just really wanted to know.
He was broken from his thoughts as a bell rang, indicating that dinner had begun. One of En's mushroom familiars bought out a tray full of food, alongside a person... wearing a roasted turkey on their head.
"Dinner is served!" The person then looked around, "Hey, where's En?"
Shin shrugged, Noi crossing her arms. "Can't we just start without him, Turkey?"
Fujita spoke up, "Er, I don't think we should do that. En-sama wasn't very happy last time."
She shook her head, "I don't give a shit about what my cousin thinks."
"Yeah, don't care what the boss thinks!" Ebisu agreed, banging her fork and knife against the table and scaring Fujita as she yelled out in english. "I'm hangry!"
Shin sighed, as Deku simply sat there, an awkward look on his face as he stared forward. Thankfully, the situation defused as En arrived, holding what appeared to be a... masked pink furred cat.
"Settle down. I am here."
Deku paused, for some odd reason the phrase sparked a sense of deja vu as he put the cat down, allowing it to roam off on its own.
En sat down, "What will be for dinner, Turkey?"
"Pork loin roast with mixed vegetables and fine gravy."
"Ooooh." Noi turned her head to Shin, "That sounds pretty good, right Senpai?"
Shin nodded as the meals were served by En's mushroom servants. A plate was passed to Deku as he looked down at his meal, the delicious scent serving to remind him of how ravenously hungry he was. He looked around to see everyone else eating, so with a shrug, he dug in. The food was beyond delicious, the roasted pork is a fine texture and the vegetables soft but flavorful with the juices. It was a meal from heaven. He diligently cut off another piece of pork before feeling something brush against his leg.
He looked below, the pink furred cat now beneath the table and looking up at him with its scribbly eyes.
"Nyah, nyah?" It meowed, tilting its head as a long forked tongue slithered from its mouth. A pointed tail, almost like that of devils, lazily drifted behind it. Deku stared at the creature, Fujita taking notice as well.
"That's Kikurage. She's En's pet and kind of our mascot I guess."
Ebisu turned her head, mask off to expose her purple hair and young face. "But I thought I was the mascot!"
"Honorary member." Fujita responded, "It's not the same thing, Ebisu."
Deku stared at Kikurage, "I think she wants some food. Is it okay to-?"
"Yeah, go ahead." Fujita motioned, "She loves table scraps. In fact,-" Fujita leaned closely to whisper, "I think she much rather prefers it over the stuff En gives her."
"Boss gives her mushrooms." Ebisu whispered before giving off a fake gag.
Deku nodded, tearing off a piece of pork and feeding it to Kikurage. Kikurage meowed in delight, devouring the pork in an instant. He hesitantly reached out and ran a hand atop the creature's mask, patting her irresistibly fluffy ears as Kikurage mewled. "Wow, she really likes you." Fujita continued eating, "That's good. It might come in handy for you."
He turned his head to Fujita, "Huh, why?"
"Cause Kikurage has revival magic." Fujita explained, "And she only uses it on people she likes."
"Revival magic? Y-You mean she can-"
"Bring back the dead, bitch!" Ebisu answered at Deku before picking up Kikurage and rubbing her face against the creature's back. "Yourz so fluffy Kikurage!"
Kikurage seemed to not mind the treatment, idly staring upward as Deku silently watched. At least that now answered his question on how she cheated death in the past...
His attention was then turned away, hearing a clinking sound. Shin had lowered his plate, not a single scrap of food left atop it.
"Done."
Deku's eyes widened, realizing he hadn't even finished halfway through his own meal. Noi spoke up as if sensing his discontent, "Oh, don't worry. Take your time to eat. Shin-senpai just eats really fast."
Shin nodded, licking his stitched fingers. "An important skill you pick up from Hole-"
"Deku."
The teen turned his head, realizing En was demanding his attention, the red-haired man calmly sitting at the head of the table.
"Have you rediscovered your magic yet?"
Deku paused, looking up from his food. "N-No... Sorry, En-sama."
"Save your apologies. I'm not the one who needs to progress." En spoke in apathetic fashion before turning to Shin and Noi, "I want you two to show him to his room after he's done with his food."
"Yes, En-sama." Shin and Noi droned in boredom, Deku lowering his head.
Deku looked at the window as he walked along a masked Shin and Noi. If his thoughts were a troubled stream before, now they were a whirlpool of (dis)stress.
His mind was wrenching, pulling at itself in hopeless attempts to recall.
Often, three questions were what Deku began to ask himself.
Where did I come from?
Who hurt me?
And what should I do now?
None of which he had answers to. And to top it all of, the odd sense of deja vu occasionally floated to the surface, only to disappear as if taunting him. He walked forward a few paces, hand trembling.
And then he came to a halt, scrunching up as he hugged his knees against his chest.
Shin and Noi stopped, surprise in their eyes. "Eh? Deku? What's wrong?" The latter asked.
They both then heard it.
Quiet sobbing.
"I-I-" Deku's voice was muffled before he looked up, red puffy eyes peeking out from atop his kneecaps. "I don't know. I-I just... feel really bad that I don't remember anything... just what have I forgotten-" He stopped, "And who am I?"
Noi and Shin looked at each other before looking back at Deku, both of them sitting on a respective side and leaving Deku between them. They then took off their masks, a few moments passing before Shin finally spoke. "... You're overthinking things."
Deku blinked, a few stray tears leaving his eyes.
"Close your eyes for a moment." Shin ordered, Deku obliging as he closed them. "Now I want you to take a deep breath." Deku breathed in, "And then release it." He did so, feeling the compressed air leave his lungs.
Shin stared at the wall in front of them, facing away from Deku.
"I'll be honest with you, I have no idea how you're going to regain your memory. For all I know, it's probably lost forever." Deku reacted to those words, slowly hanging his head down.
Noi chipped in, nudging him in the shoulder. "But in the meantime, you've got us!" Noi continued, "Why not think about what you want to do now rather than worrying about what you did before?"
Deku paused for a moment, thinking. "I really do want to know what my magic is..."
"That's the spirit!"
He paused again, "Wait..." Deku then felt his back pocket, "It's gone!"
"The action figure?" Shin guessed.
Deku nodded, Shin slowly standing up and refitting his mask. "Then Noi and I will go find it. You go get some sleep."
"Really? But-"
"No buts! Leave it to us!" Noi commanded as she stood up, putting her mask back on. "You had a long day today, Deku-kun." She then pointed, "Just go to the end of the hallway and turn right. The first door you see will be your room."
Shin walked off, Noi turning away to follow him. Deku watched them walk down the hallway before calling out. "Shin-san, Noi-san! I'm sorry for causing you trouble..." He then lifted his head, "I'm sorry for being useless!"
The man turned his head ever so slightly, eyes peeking from behind his heart mask. "Whoever said you were?"
And with that, they turned the corner and left, leaving Deku on his own. He stood there for a few moments, hands clasped closely together.
For some odd reason, that simple rhetorical question alone made Deku feel a lot better about himself as he yawned, realizing his drowsiness. "I guess I should do what Noi wanted me to do and get some sleep... I'm gonna need it."
He then turned around, following Noi's directions. He turned the corner, spotting his door.
And spotting the action figure he had lost.
Walking toward him.
He froze up, it's little legs steadily clacking against the ground. It then stopped, looking up at Deku as Deku stared back down at it, his eyes wide. "W-Wha-?" Deku paused again, before giving a nervous wave. "Er... Hello?"
It waved back, responding to the friendly gesture.
So many questions were bubbling inside his head at this point. Was this... his magic? However, his priorities came first, realizing now there was no reason for Shin and Noi to search for the action figure now that it had found him. Turning around, he ran back the way he came.
"Noi! Shin! I found my-"
Only to be greeted with the sight of a hooded figure climbing through the window, marble mask adorned on their face.
"What, who are-?" Deku asked, only serving to alert the figure of his presence as they raised a hand, a wave of Smoke shooting out from the figure's palm and passing his leg. Deku suddenly felt unbalanced, falling to the side. He blinked, a stinging sensation traveling up his shin. He turned to see his shoe on the ground...
And an ankle sticking out of it.
His foot had been separated from his leg, a pool of blood growing from the stump where it used to be. By this point, Deku was too shocked to have even comprehended what had happened, nerves undecided on whether it was info or pain it wished to pass.
It decided on pain first.
Deku didn't even scream, it was more of a seething yell, his teeth gnashing together as his two hands clasped around his knee in some hopeless attempt to relinquish the indescribable agony, but to no avail.
Finally, info.
"My foot!" Deku could feel tears well up in his lids, "MY FOOT!" That sheer shock was like a gut punch to the brain, that sudden realization of now lacking a body part as the unknown sorcerer walked forward, speaking out.
"Huh, it's odd actually. I cut off your foot, and you don't even bother to use a counter-attack? Is it possible that-?" The hostile sorceress reached out, hand clasping around Deku's neck as she lifted him up with ease. "That you actually can't use Smoke?"
Tears were now trawling down his face, tears of pain as he was inflicted with the inability to respond.
"What's wrong, Kid?" She then shook him violently, "Devil got your tongue?"
He gulped down a strained breath, "W-Why-?"
"Why? Hmm, where should I begin?" She then shrugged, "I dunno. I guess now that 99% of the sorcerer population is dead, it's the perfect time to kill En and take over." She then raised her other hand, pointing it at Deku. "And since you're one of his lackeys, I guess I'll be starting with you-"
A clack was heard.
They both looked down, the action figure launching punch after punch against her boot. A few seconds pausing, the sorceress looking back up. "Wait... don't tell me... That's your magic!? You can control a little doll?!"
She then began to laugh, kicking the action figure to the side. It skidded across the floor, bumping against the wall.
"You're useless!"
Deku became silent, blinking as his pain was temporarily forgotten. "I-I'm not-"
"Yes, you are! Never in my entire life have I seen such useless magic! Why the hell would En even hire you?!"
"I-"
"Absolutely useless!"
Something awoke inside of him, causing his arms to quiver, his head rapidly beginning to pound with a fit of unknown anger. He knew she had only said 'useless' it three times.
Then why did it feel as if he had been called that his entire life?
"Oh well." The sorceress seemed bored, "I guess I'll kill you and be on my way. Any last words?"
Deku mumbled something, the action figure stirring as it sat up, unbeknownst to the sorceress.
"What? Sorry? I didn't hear that?"
He looked up, eyes unfocused and filled with adrenaline. "I'm not-"
The action figure jumped into his grasping hand, Deku closing his fingers around its legs to hold it like a weapon as the sorcerer only just realized what was going on. Deku spoke the next word with gritted teeth.
"-USELESS!"
He swung with all his might, the action figure flexing to form the shape of an improvised mace as he slammed it against her cheek. Deku saw the bottom half of her marble mask get smashed into bits, blood and teeth shooting from her mouth as her jaw made a breaking sound. Her head whipped to the left as she let out an ugly sputter, letting go of Deku as he fell to the floor. She stumbled away, finding support against a wall with her head turned away.
"H-How did I-?"
She turned around, Deku's eyes widening at the fact that her jaw was hanging open like a suspended cradle. She spoke, or perhaps more accurately, gurgled something before raising her hand.
Deku didn't have to understand her noises to know that she was preparing a retaliation, Smoke building up in her palm.
And then the strangest thing happened.
While clutching the action figure close, Deku began to see differently. The broken jaw was outlined like an x-ray chart before his very eyes. He could see how her right ramus suffered from a comminuted fracture, and as if on instinct, Deku held his hand out. Yet they did not produce Smoke, rather, Smoke gathered from nowhere around the broken area, forming a miniature cloud and engulfing her jaw as her eyes widened.
He swung his arm up, an invisible force pushing her upward by the jaw. She barely had any time to scream in both pain and surprise before the top of her head met against the metal ceiling... hard.
Deku lowered his hand, a splotch of blood and hair leftover before he did it again.
And again.
And again.
Finally, he relinquished, lowering his hand, her body falling to the floor. Deku looked up at the ceiling, red blood dripping down. The top of her head was caved like a crushed can, Deku clearly seeing that the skull was fractured, and how those bits of parietal and coronal bone were now embedded inside her brain.
And with that in mind.
Deku threw his head to the side and puked before flopping down, landing face-first into the puddle of his own vomit. He idly hoped that the reason was due to shock and not blood loss.
What we learned from the first chapter:
1. Deku is a Magic User.
2. En like's mushrooms (a lot).
3. Deku hate's being called useless.
And what you will learn from the second chapter... That's still a mystery.
That is... Welcome to Chaos!
Okay, so I bet a lot of you who haven't read Dorohedoro or watched it are wondering... just what the fuck did you just read? To tell you the truth, I'm having trouble discerning what I just wrote...
...
I don't really know what else to write except how much I love the characters in Dorohedoro, especially everyone in the En Family. I hope you enjoyed the first chapter so far.
And with that, I'm out. Hopefully I spotted all the spelling mistakes.