Strange Encounters PT2

The moment that he saw the child in that cage, Nico's blood ran cold, his skin paling to a horrible color. All the while his brain lost control over his jaw, and if it weren't for his Mask then his jaw would have hung open. He had been so stunned that, combined with the lack of fear for his Ghoul side he had apparently discovered from his comrades, that his Kakugan swiftly activated. 'What the... ? Are they fucking serious?! I get that this is an example of Slavery just like the others, but still! A child?! A fucking CHILD?!' The teen mentally raged, raw and primal fury rising within his being. Not to mention that when he looked down towards the other guests, none of them looked surprised or appalled at what they saw. Instead, all he saw were either intrigued or curious stares, none of them showing any care about the more… ethical and moral problems here.

Furthermore, the child looked like he had gone through hell and back multiple times over, since his clothes looked to have been sliced through in multiple areas by something akin to blades. His form looked to be covered in fierce lashes and bruises, yet none of the crowd noticed or even cared. Worse still, was when he saw the look of absolute defeat and submission on that child's face, from what little he could see anyways since the child was doing his best to try and keep his face hidden from the crowd. No doubt he wanted to not see the hungry, if not ravaging looks on their faces as they eyed him like a sack of meat. No, it looked more like they were wishing to take the child for their own… and not in a good way.

"Hmmm, now THIS is curious…."

Hearing Gelmudo's voice snapped Nico out of his thoughts, causing him to blink as he glanced over to the man. His Kakugan had quickly deactivated before he could have seen though, since it was STILL a highly classified secret, his true nature anyways. It wouldn't be good for him if he just kept showing it off recklessly, not with how much he had done to keep it under wraps for all these years. What he had done for all that time would not be unravelled just from anything recent, it had been too long for something like that. Still, Nico found that the man's eyes (or from what he could tell thanks to that damned Mask), had stayed glued to the child, and his form radiated what could be considered no small amount of intrigue upon seeing the child. "It seems that these guys really have been 'saving the best for last' as the human saying goes… I wonder how things will play out this time?" The man mused thoughtfully, a similar hum escaping his lips within the confines of his Mask.

As his ears processed what he had just heard, vengeful fury roared within Nico's being as he did all he could to keep his stare level, then shifted his gaze back to the Stage. Just like the rest of the audience, it didn't seem to even faze him that there was a child, a FUCKING CHILD, being sold like a damned toy for other peoples' ends! These guys truly disgusted him in every sense of the word, not to mention that their actions made levelling this place in a sea of Hellfire all the more appealing.

'CALM DOWN, STUPID KING! YOU'LL GIVE YOURSELF AWAY IF YA KEEP IT GOING LIKE THIS!'

Just as he made to snap however, to his surprise Nico heard his own Ghoul Persona speak up this time. Something which he didn't expect, and thus Nico almost lost his cool in that moment there. Fortunately, he had managed to keep that one last strand of sanity intact though. 'Whoa, y-you?! What the hell, why are you talking instead of Biko?!' the male wondered, shrieking in his mind towards that side of him. He for one, had NEVER expected THAT to happen, maybe from Biko but NOT from his Ghoul Persona. If one was confused, then think of it like this: the times where his Ghoul Persona ACTIVELY told him NOT to give in to his instincts would be as rare as IF spending any time away from each of her Phones or not getting stressed at all from Neptune's antics.

So… yeah, call him justifiably freaked the hell out inside.

'HEY! I AIN'T TOO EXCITED FOR THIS EITHER, YA KNOW! I'D LET YOU RUN WILD ANY DAY OF THE WEEK, SADLY THOUGH THERE'S A FEW THINGS WRONG WITH ME AT THE MOMENT! YA KNOW WHAT I MEAN! IN ANY CASE, LOOK AT THAT BRAT MORE CLOSELY! TRUST ME, YOU'LL SEE WHAT I MEAN!''

Furious at the tones used on him, the Ghoul Persona ranted against Nico's thoughts, though beneath that the redhead could feel a sense of agreement between them regarding their ideals. Still, Nico could quickly figure out what his Ghoul Persona meant on 'having problems', and could not find it in himself to disagree. While largely still the same, that encounter with Mundus must have changed him significantly, hence the reason for this display of behaviour. Lastly, Nico arched a brow when he heard the last bit of what it had told him, his curiosity aroused which mixed with his prior emotions. As a result, Nico glanced back to the child and narrowed his lone eye, already taking a few sniffs to catch the child's scent. Then, just like that, Nico got it, and instantly he understood what his Ghoul Persona had been talking about.

That child… it wasn't human.

No, it had the scent of an Abnormal…

Since it WAS one.

At that revelation, Nico's fury reignited once more after a moment of shock. Shock that had been born from the fact that someone had actually DARED to bring in a live Abnormal into a place such as this. Just what were they thinking, didn't they know how dangerous that was? Didn't they think of the public's safety when doing this, cause he sure as hell didn't think so with idiotic moves like this! Things like this were freaking dangerous as all hell, and to a Spec Ops eyes, something like bringing live Abnormals into a civilised population was the very same thing as practically handing that population a DEATH sentence! He would know, since he'd seen something like it happen several times in the past.

Soon, the shock wore off, and fury reignited within his chest. Fury against the Abnormal which had been brought into the Capital, of which it no longer registered as a child to Nico but a dangerous being which could destroy everything around it. His eye fashed with this rage as memories filled his head, memories of seeing Abnormals pop up out of nowhere whenever he was on a group quest with fellow Agents (read: indirectly forced), either Guild or Spec Ops. He remembered seeing how dozens of Agents got chowed down on before they could even react, like animals being caught unawares by the predators hunting them. He remembered some of those cases happening to him, only for a quick reflexive use of his Rinkaku Kagune as in those situations, attention wouldn't be drawn to him but the monsters about to rip them apart. There was a gimmick to his Kagune, a gimmick which had almost killed Neptune back then but for now he wouldn't focus on it.

Instead, his fury took hold of his thoughts, making him want to launch his Kagune at the Abnormal and tear it into pieces before anyone could open its cage. At least then, the threat of casualties will be minimised as much as possible, though he had to restrain himself due to the nature of his Ghoul side not really being public knowledge. He had seen many Abnormals in his time, all of them varying in shapes and sizes. Ghouls weren't the ONLY humanoid Abnormals out there, unlike what people would like to believe, and he had been witness to his fair share of them. Therefore, seeing that Abnormal in that cage sent off warning alarms within his mind, making him want to act now before any damage could be caused. Not to mention that he practically forgot where he was and the people who were actually around him being the type which he despised the most.

Not only that, but he couldn't help but be furious at the ones whom had thought it a SPLENDID idea to bring it within the Capital's walls. It was like taking a wild Lion from the desert and not even training it before putting it out for presentation. Didn't they realize the danger here?! Were they REALLY as idiotic as to bring Abnormals within this premises and think that it wouldn't lash out when their guards were down?! Abnormals had varying levels of intelligence, but NONE of them could be considered anything like 'foolish'. In fact, many who go up against them have this thought process in mind, even Nico himself at one point. In his case, only his Ghoul Side had saved him from an early grave, as for the rest… well, suffice to say that they didn't have that luxury.

"Now, I'm sure you're wondering what exactly this could be, my fine audience." Just as Nico made to initiate a move, the male heard the announcer speak up. It also brought back his sense of time, making him realize that he had been lost in thought for only a couple seconds. Wow, perceptions of time really did get altered when he thinks to himself, huh? He had been so pissed off that he didn't even pay attention to anything else. "Now then, as you all can see, this little beauty here is one rare gem in this world full of Abnormals! May I present to you: A Nature Elf! Not just any Nature Elf, but its bloodline is… quite special! Special in that… it is of the ROYAL bloodline itself! The last of this kind!"

Nico arched a brow above his lone eye, confusion evident at that statement. Why did the announcer say that like it was some big deal? For the moment, his burning fury got pacified by a sense of curiosity, at least he wanted to know something about this Abnormal which would help him gauge how much of a threat it was. Not only that though, but the male nearly backpedalled when he saw a huge uproar erupt from the audience themselves. The amount of greed he felt from them practically SKYROCKETED off the rails, with an underlying hatred beneath it. That just caused his confusion to grow, and since he only had one source of info at this place, Nico glanced over to Gelmudo whom looked to be deep in thought (like he had been this whole Auction). "Say, what's with the crowd here? They're going wilder than horny male teens at a strip club."

"Oh? Been to a Strip Club now, have we? My, what ever will the missus think?" Gelmudo replied, a sense of teasing about his words which caused the redhead to glare hatefully at him. He just barely stopped his Ghoul side from lashing out at him too, even though he desperately wanted to. The only reason he knew what that looked like was because one of his Targets on a prior mission he'd undertaken had hidden inside one… It was a VERY eye-opening experience and one of the things which repulsed him. "In any case, if you're wondering what that thing is, It's called a Nature Elf, it's a special breed of Elf which are quite valuable in a multitude of ways. It's said to be as delicious as 10 5-star cooked meals in one package when eaten raw, but it's said to be even better when cooked. It's said that if one eats a Nature Elf, then their base stats gain a boost that not even a dozen Drive Skills used in one burst could provide, and you yourself must know how powerful they are. Not only that, but if one drains their blood dry, they can use that blood to forge over countless medical tablets which have the power to even get one's heart rate beating again while healing any and all injuries. If one ingests it themselves, as in a full body's worth of blood, then they will no longer have to worry about any kind of ailments afflicting them for the purity of the blood will eliminate them. Poison, paralysis, any ailment you can think of will no longer be able to affect you. But, their best little ability is locked deep inside of them, their 'hearts' one could say. They're known as 'Nature Spirit Cores' which, if one were to successfully extract one, not only would they gain a HUGE boost in lifespan, but they will also be able to become absolute geniuses in medical fields due to these Cores usng their energies and inborn knowledge of healing to ensure high quality medicine." He explained like a professor at a university. "Also, these effects are even greater if the Nature Elf is of a royal bloodline, much greater in fact. Then there's that rumour in which they can see into one's soul to see if they are good or not, but that's not very important."

Processing that info, Nico hummed before turning his head back to the Stage, his eyes shining with a calculating light. The thought of something like what Gelmudo had said intrigued him, as much as he disliked admitting it. Though, his dislike stemmed from his previous thoughts about his matter, no matter how much info he got about this thing he would NOT get over the fact that these idiots brought something so dangerous within the Capital's confines. Still, it resulted in dozens of thoughts racing through his mind, all the while the voice of his Demon Persona managed to break through that conflict and get the attention of the main aspect.

'What he says DOES intrigue me greatly, Nico. I detect no deceit from Gelmudo's words either, so his account is viable. This 'Nature Elf seems to be something of a rare commodity, if we were to take it out then harvest what remains, then we may be able to provide benefits to your Ghoul side. This Blood intrigues me there, if it were assimilated into your Kagune, you would gain a huge boost from it, especially with our lack of immunities to the elements. Remember how in the trials, we got lectured in how certain elements worked better against certain monsters? This would make it so that our body would be able to repel practically all of them, a huge boon for our defensive options. It seems to also be a passive effect, therefore we wouldn't have to worry about having to turn it on or off, and thus focus more on offensive tactics. Should we have your Kagune feast on the rest of the creature, then your Ghoul side's stats may increase to the upper echelons of the Spec Ops Agents, probably even break through the base limits of your human body. It would be wise for us if we were to attempt to buy this merchandice.'

'HECK THE FUCK YEAH, I'LL DO THE INSANE THING HERE AND AGREE WITH OL' CALCULATOR FACE HERE! FUCKING EH, THIS IS A TREASURE TROVE OF TASTY GOODNESS HERE! MAN, I'M GETTIG SO HARD, JUST THINKING ABOUT THAT TENDER MEAT IN MY MOUTH, GUSHING DOWN MY THROAT AND DRIBBLING DOWN MY CHIN! HEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHE! YOU BETTER FUCKING BUY IT, OR I'LL TRY TO FORCE YOU INTO A KAKUJA FORM TO EAT EVERYONE HERE, FUCK THE CONSEQUENCES!'

Now normally, Nico would have scolded his Ghoul Persona for that last bit, since there would be ZERO chance of something like that happening. However, the male could understand where it was coming from, since thanks to it being a part of him he could feel each and every fibre of his instincts screaming at him. Screaming and begging him to sink his fangs into that child's body and drain the blood from him. All of it too, so he could become immune to all the elements out there. Not only that, but to increase his base stats as well, strength, speed, agility, endurance etc, to the levels of the strongest Spec Ops Agents? Well, that just sounded like a freaking bonus! The Great Way of the Buddha apparently only allowed him to have increased physical strength, the other aspects of his physical abilities remained largely unaffected by it. Therefore, to have something which could possibly increase the rest to balance his stats out, well… it proved itself to be more than a little… mouth-watering.

Maybe he should do it, buy this Abnormal away from these people so he could deal with it himself. Preferably outside the City where it couldn't cause any casualties to the rest of the Capital, but if he were honest, Nico would say that the potential benefits that Biko and Gelmudo had highlighted sounded particularly inviting. Enough to clash with his Spec Ops Ideology, resulting in this conflicting feeling in his chest. Killing Abnormals was his job, he was always supposed to do that whenever he were to encounter them. Either on a normal or even a Spec Ops Quest. One less Abnormal meant lives would have been spared in the future, a mother would be able to give birth to her young in peace, a father would be able to return home to his family, all that stuff. Not to mention that while he used Abnormal flesh to… sate his hunger, Nico's body REALLY grew stronger from eating them, which had caused his superiors to restrict the amount of flesh he was allowed to digest. Mostly so that he would remain under their control and ability to kill should he go too far to be any more useful.

Then again, what those guys don't know won't hurt them… and it's not like he couldn't learn to hold his strength back, he'd proven that it would be possible thanks to restraining his Ghoul side for so long…

But then… just as Nico made to start bidding since it had been approaching that time…

His lone eye locked its gaze with that of the Abnormal's when one eye poked out and looked right at him.

And Nico completely FROZE.

All his cognitive thoughts stopped in their tracks, screeching to a halt like tyres on a car. All his previous thoughts? You know readers, about the plans he had for it as well as his anger at the others for bringing that Abnormal here and his dislike for Abnormals in general? All of it just up and vanished. Gone with the wind without any hope of coming back, thanks to the vast shock that now occupied his mind.

Why did it occupy his mind, you ask?

Simple, the moment that Nico locked gazes with that Abnormal, something that deep down he had expected to see nothing but mindless hatred, wrath and desire to destroy everything around it. Something shared by many of the bloodthirsty Abnormals around these parts, but… when he saw the look in that Abnormal's eyes, Nico saw NONE of that. Instead, all he saw was a… vast emptiness. An emptiness which could only come from someone whom had lost everything and had given up on life. Someone who had been reduced to a state where they may as well have been absolutely DESTROYED inside. It had been the look of absolute defeat, of ultimate despair and loneliness…

And for the first time in ages, Nico found himself unable to speak. Heck, he even tried to look into the Abnormal's emotional state to see if this was false, his Spec Ops mentality as well as a majority of his mind screaming that this had to be fake. Unfortunately for those parts, when he looked into this further Nico could only sense defeat, resignation and begrudging acceptance for whatever was about to come next. Nico even summoned and used the Shingan to see into what thoughts that the Abnormal was having… but he only got a blank slate as a result, and it wasn't like the Abnormal was blocking the Ring's power, either. It didn't feel like that unlike with Gelmudo at all, and THAT only served to scramble the male's thoughts even more.

Just… what the hell?

Yeah, that could sum his mental state up best right now.

'What… is this…?' Nico finally managed to think after about 30 seconds of non-stop bluescreening, although to him it felt much longer. Heck, he had even forgotten to breathe in that time, something which was essential for the body to function properly. Still, it didn't lower his internal shock values any less than what they had been before, and as he locked gazes with the Abnormal, Nico began to feel something. Something…. Familiar. Why did he feel something familiar? Even in this state, it soon dawned on him why he had felt that way, looking into that Abnormal's eyes. Although right now a small, as in VERY small, part of him wondered if he should really call it an Abnormal anymore.

He knew that look, he knew that look all too well. He had seen it before on many people who had mental problems. Problems of the mind like split personality disorder, multiple different phobias after being exposed to them for a prolonged time (a lot of those times revolving around bullies using these phobias to make fun of these victims, assholes), and even those who had been proven to be clinically insane. Hell, he'd even seen it from those suffering from PTSD like soldiers, policemen, adventurers, Guild Agents and even Spec Ops Agents. None of them had been exempt from mental scars like that, it practically came with the whole job package. Of fighting monsters and keeping the innocent from harm, that is. He had once heard rumours that rates of people suffering from PTSD from engagements with these Demonic Forces grew by the day.

But… there was one case with whom he had seen this the most… and the one case that he got reminded of the most when looking into that Abnormal's eyes…

… Himself.

Nico's mind nearly blanked out when he finally managed to admit that, trembles erupting like earthquakes from deep within his being vibrating throughout his body. Nico never liked to think about his forgotten memories, or even what was related to them. His memories carried many scars, and often enough, he would enter a panic attack which had a higher chance of triggering his Ghoul side. THAT would never be a good thing, so he had tried not to think about it too much. Even though sometimes, it would have… failed. But… seeing that Abnormal with that gaze… looking at him the way it did… It sparked one such memory from his past…

A particularly horrible one at that.

(Flashback)

"GYYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA! GYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA! GYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA! GYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA! GYYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA! GYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA! GYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA! GYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!" GYYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA! GYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA! GYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA! GYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!" GYYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA! GYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA! GYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA! GYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!" GYYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA! GYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA! GYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA! GYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!" GYYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA! GYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA! GYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA! GYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!" GYYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA! GYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA! GYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA! GYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!" GYYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA! GYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA! GYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA! GYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"

Screams. Great, horrible, agonizing screams ripped free from a containment cell deep within the Leanbox Spec Ops section of the Guild. The screams there had been super loud, intense, and particularly disturbing. They put even the most deranged of criminals swearing endless profanities to shame, and if those kinds of people, insanity plaguing their minds like that epidemic known as the 'BD' which had pretty much OBLITERATED a third of Leanbox's population way back when, heard these screams… they'd be shrivelling in their boots. Not just from insanity, but from traumatizing fear. Nobody, NOBODY would ever want to hear those screams, not when they erupted with the force and intensity that they did. They practically sounded like a mix of a wailing infant, as well as a patient in an insane asylum going through one hell of a mental break down.

Inside that cell, one could call it an empty, blank slate. There was next to NOTHING in this room, not any windows, decoration, just grey tiles everywhere one looked. A fitting design for something meant to contain someone who had been proven exceedingly… dangerous, and even that word would be classed as an understatement. The only thing in that room aside from the tiles, was a single, small and hard-looking bed with a single sheet and hard-looking pillow. Not something very ideal for comfortable sleep, but then again that wasn't what this bed was made for. There was a lone male occupant sitting on the bed, holding his head while it hung downwards.

That male…

Well, his hands were where his eyes would be, and judging by their movements, they looked to be tearing at something. His bony, fickle-looking hands, heck every spec of skin looked pale as hell, as if he hadn't seen the sun in days. He wore a set of raggy clothes like he had just escaped the hospital and had wandered the wilderness for months before being forced into that cell. Droplets of blood constantly fell from his face and down to the floor below, creating a puddle at least 30 meters in diameter. The sounds of grotesque flesh tearing resonated throughout the room gave a PRETTY good indication of what had been going on in that cell… none of it good.

Just then, the figure's actions got interrupted when he heard the sounds of footsteps, and when his ears twitched in response to this, he heard the sound of something sliding along the ground. Almost instantly afterwards, however. He began to smell the smell of something… delicious, something tasty and juicy and better than any five-star meal anyone could ever have cooked for someone before. That… only sent chills of terror and dread down his body at the implications, implications that sent his mind off the rails that dictated its frail, unstable sanity.

Just INSTANTLY after the sliding sounds stopped, the sound of flesh extending erupted within the Cell and something lashed out, slashing the thing which made the sliding sound to nothingness. Nothing remained of this as the male lifted his head, his messy hair as white as snow hanging wildly over the bandages which covered his bloody eye sockets. Gave an even BETTER idea of what his hands had been doing there, didn't it? "AAAARGH! I DON'T NEED THIIIIIIIISSSSSSAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHH!"

His screams, louder than any speakers ever could produce, and also as mind-jarring, sounded throughout the room. Not to mention they lacked anything HUMAN about them, like they were more along the lines of screams a monster would make. His voice sounded so… frantic, panicked and horse, like he had lost the ability to do anything else but scream at the top of his lungs. Even if his lungs had been burning in agony and intense stress from his constant shrieking, it would be doubtful that the guy would even notice… or care, for that matter.

BANG- BANG-BANG-BANG-BANG-BANG-BANG-BANG- BANG-BANG-BANG-BANG- BANG!

In an instant, he was at the door to the Cell, repeatedly banging on the door to the corridor which would lead outside of this containment area like one of those furious crimson zombies whenever they locked on to the smell of prey. His fists slammed against the metal door so hard that it caused these fist-sized dents in the metal, although it didn't give way. Heck, sparks flew from that door, since it had been reinforced with an electric charge strong enough to cause a brain to implode in on itself, although the male's actions didn't cease one bit. It didn't seem like he had even noticed the slowly-forming burns on his flesh nor the pain that wrecked every cell in his arms during his mad slamming. "LEMMEOUT-LEMMEOUT- LEMMEOUT-LEMMEOUT- LEMMEOUT-LEMMEOUT- LEMMEOUT-LEMMEOUT- LEMMEOUT-LEMMEOUT- LEMMEOUT-LEMMEOUT- LEMMEOUT-LEMMEOUT- LEMMEOUT-LEMMEOUT- LEMMEOUT-LEMMEOUT- LEMMEOUT-LEMMEOUT- LEMMEOUT-LEMMEOUT- LEMMEOUT-LEMMEOUT- LEMMEOUT-LEMMEOUT- LEMMEOUT-LEMMEOUT- LEMMEOUT-LEMMEOUT- LEMMEOUT-LEMMEOUT- LEMMEOUT-LEMMEOUT- LEMMEOUT-LEMMEOUT- LEMMEOUT-LEMMEOUT- LEMMEOUT-LEMMEOUT- LEMMEOUT-LEMMEOUT- LEMMEOUT-LEMMEOUT- LEMMEOUT-LEMMEOUT- LEMMEOUT-LEMMEOUT- LEMMEOUT-LEMMEOUT- LEMMEOUT-LEMMEOUT- LEMMEOUT-LEMMEOUT- LEMMEOUT-LEMMEOUT- LEMMEOUT-LEMMEOUT- LEMMEOUT-LEMMEOUT- LEMMEOUT-LEMMEOUT- LEMMEOUT-LEMMEOUT- LEMMEOUT-LEMMEOUT- LEMMEOUT-LEMMEOUT- LEMMEOUT-LEMMEOUT- LEMMEOUT-LEMMEOUT- LEMMEOUT-LEMMEOUT- LEMMEOUT-LEMMEOUT- LEMMEOUT-LEMMEOUT- LEMMEOUT-LEMMEOUT- LEMMEOUT-LEMMEOUT- LEMMEOUT-LEMMEOOOOOOOOOOOOOOUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUT!"

More shouts rang throughout, erupting from his mouth like bullets from a machine gun with the ferocity to match. Hell, his ranting didn't stop even as his throat looked to be shredding itself apart from all the stress, blood spewing forth and down his jaw. If anything, it just caused him to go at it all the more as he repeatedly bashed the door containing him here, screaming and raving like a broken record. Near the end of his rant, which lasted over 30 minutes and consisted of non-stop banging, the male slammed both bloodied fists onto the floor and began to receive constant sparks from them. Electricity surged through his arms and charred the already damaged flesh around them, yet he remained undeterred. "PLEASE, LEMME OUT! I NEED TO GO, I NEED TO FIGHT, I MUST FIGHT I MUST FIGHT-FIGHT-FIGHT! PAPA WILL KILL ME IF I DON'T-PAPA ALWAYS SAYS TO FIGHT!" he yelled, pressing his fingertips on the door so hard that his nails were forcibly separated from his fingertips and then bent backwards, completely down to their bases.

"AAAAARGH…! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRGH….! I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I…!"

After what felt like an eternity however, the male's insanity-driven strength began to wane, fatigue finally taking hold over his mind. His mind, body and soul to be frank, as his hands finally fell from the door. Their flesh had been seared in the most horrific, grotesque fashion with the smell of charred flesh filling the room. Though, if he were sane to be frank, it would be much more preferable than smelling the sweet, delicious taste of raw flesh. There was no blood dripping from his hands thanks to the tissue having been hardened from all the sparks racing through those hands, the burns extending all the way up his forearms.

As they hung by his sides, the male already felt the tell-tale signs of self-healing begin their work… although, he didn't have the energy to care about that at this point. The sounds of shifting liquid made him commence looking down at the smaller pool of blood which had formed during his rant. There, as his wearies self-gazed down upon the puddle itself, he saw his own reflection stare back at him, a reflection he… surprisingly found was his exact one, and not what he usually saw.

His eyes stared down at that reflection, which stared up back at him, mimicking the emotions which his eyes portrayed. He could somewhat make out his own eyes through the bandages covering them. Nothing but blank voids greeted him, a look of utter nothingness and blankness staring back at him. Ever heard of the saying: stare too long at the abyss and the abyss will stare back'? Whelp, that could be applied here, as it reflected the current state of being he felt himself in.

At long last, his remaining strength faded away, as he fell onto his back and out of consciousness into the sweet realm of sleep. All the while, his body began its usual repairs to his bruised, battered form.

(Flashback END)

Blinking as his mind returned to the present, Nico's lone eye shone with conflicted emotions as he stared down at the Abnormal below him. Yet, the more he used that word in his mind, the more Nico found it harder and harder to do so. It was like he had been staring at a clear mirror, this Abnormal… it perfectly reminded him of a time when he himself had THAT EXACT SAME LOOK on its face. Glancing downwards after barely mustering the strength to break away from the gaze which caused his spine no small number of chills, Nico gritted his teeth and clenched his fists. Just… how…?

How can an Abnormal make a facial expression like that?

None of the ones he had seen made that facial expression before. None of them, ever.

It oddly enough, reminded him of a few of those 'Fishmen' creatures which he had fought against in the Water Trials. Some of them, seeing his powers and prowess being something that they could never have surpassed, had just looked at him with those eyes although he had been too caught up in his slaughter to notice. He'd just cut them down swiftly like all the others. Now though, now that he was thinking about those looks on their facts, putting them onto that child's features and finding ZERO differences, it caused Nico to think back. Think back to what 'that guy' had once told him regarding the Fishmen.

(Flashback)

"A monster is only defined by their actions, not their biology."

(Flashback END)

Lone eye blinking several times, Nico soon found himself returning back to reality. The surroundings once again distorted and shifted, transforming from that horrid, nightmare-inducing containment cell to the sickening, oppressive atmosphere which came from this Auction he had attended. Still though, Nico found himself still reeling from the flashback he had to the time during those trials where that guy had explained to him what he felt about 'discrimination' as he called it. Back then, Nico didn't get what he was trying to say, or rather he COULDN'T understand, since he had never seen Abnormals as anything else but that.

But… seeing what he was seeing right now… those words suddenly felt like they were containing much more weight to them.

Now that he remembered those words, looking at the Abnormal down below, Nico could only feel a series of complicated emotions. Not just anger this time, but confusion and curiosity, as well as a struggle to form one coherent opinion about this. To be frank, Nico could hardly call his mental state stable right now, in fact conflict and chaos reigned supreme within him, behind his blank expression. Just… what was he supposed to feel in this situation? On one side, should he still remain angry? Should he still see this Abnormal as that? Or, should he do something similar to what Castiel seemed like he would do and get this thing out of here? One thing was for certain however, and THAT had been made apparent to him several moments into his confusion-based debate:

That… was that he could NOT let anyone else have this thing.

And Nico had the PERFECT way to both retrieve the Abnormal as WELL as execute his wrath on these assholes.


"Alright ladies and gentlemen! Time for the bidding, now because of the specialty and rarity of this prize, we will be starting with a particularly high price! The starting price will thus, be 800,000 Credits! Alright, whose up for a once-in-a-lifetime divine good meal tonight?!" No-Face bellowed into his mike with much more enthusiasm than someone of his profession should be showing. Not something that could be picked up by the casual observer, but those with trained eyes and senses would DEFINITELY be able to see it.

Almost immediately, the entire audience went nuts, huge cries of excitement, greed and hunger filling the air. None of them seemed to care about the more 'moral' dilemmas of the actions they took, something which could be said for a lot of people actually. It actually made the child locked inside that cage like an animal, whimper a little as a small flame of fear rose behind his eyes. He began to tremble, then seemed to try and retreat deeper into himself by curling back into a ball and burying his face into his knees, as if to try and escape their hungry gazes.

Quickly the bidding process began, starting with 900,000 credits just as No-Face had proclaimed. The first bid came at 910,000, and soon enough people all over the room began to bid, offering the required sum to try ad outbid the other Nobles. Heck, even Gelmudo joined in on the bidding action, easily beating the other Nobles by offering up to 980,000 Credits right off the bat. The males who bidded wanted to simply have a grand meal unlike anything anyone else had ever eaten before, some even already began ravenously licking their chops in ager anticipation for what would be coming their way. As for the female bidders, some of them had similar intentions to the males but the majority of them just wanted something they could… vent their frustration on, if one could catch the meaning in those words.

At this point, Nico found himself deciding to make a move NOW. His Archdemon Urthemiel was in position, hiding above the clouds for the order to strike that its creator would give it. Once he gave the order, Nico's Archdemon would descend down and 'bring an end' to this little fuck fest by having Urthemiel crash through the roof and incinerate the entire Auction in a pool of Primal Fire. Then, during the distraction, Nico would Warp in, grab the Abnormal (damnit, why the hell was that becoming harder and harder to say?) and then Warp out. At least then these assholes would pay for this shit, plus some few less Nobles in the world wasn't entirely a bad thing in his opinion.

But just as Nico mentally made to initiate the order for the attack to begin…

FWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!

Instantly, Nico found himself nearly gasping, all of the air in his lungs quickly leaving him when he got exposed to a WHIRLPOOL of pressure. A pressure which felt similar to having to tank some of the strongest Abnormals head on, and even that felt like an understatement. In that moment, it felt like gravity itself had extended a hand and grasped onto him, leaving only his head able to move at all whilst is body remained completely paralyzed. 'Ugh, what the…?! Wait, this oppressive feeling…!'

However, his mind quickly registered the familiarity that the feeling possessed. He knew this feeling, he felt it ever second during this entire auction! Right freaking beside him no less! Turning to the source, Nico noticed Gelmudo looking at him, and not just sideways glancing like he had been for a while before, but ACTUALLY looking at him. Nico felt like he had garnered the man's full attention now, something that hadn't been the case beforehand. "Y-You…!"

"Heh, apologies my good man, but I'm afraid I'm going to have to stop you right there…" Gelmudo drawled, lowering his head while tipping his hat forwards, practically mimicking a gentleman's bow. However, Nico didn't even think for a SECOND that was what he was truly feeling inside, not with what he could sense from his emotional state right now. "For you see, this Auction is actually all fair and balanced, much fairer than most of the other things that happen in this world. Not to mention that its sponsored by some of the Guild and Basilicom's higher ups. Even some of the Spec Ops members are involved, therefore I don't think I'll allow you to do what you were about to do, boy. It'd be stupid of you to try anything."

'Wait, what?!' Nico thought, his lone eye widening as he barely suppressed his Ghoul side from manifesting its Kagune. Simply put, even the slightest amount of anger could set it off, and with the current state of things Nico knew that unleashing it wouldn't be a good idea. 'Are you freaking KIDDING ME?! Why the hell would they do something like this?! And here I thought these guys couldn't get any lower, whelp guess I was freaking WRONG! You know what, why am I even surprised anymore, those fuckers are all assholes hands down. When this is over, I'm going to be paying more than a FEW visits to certain people…!' He yelled in his mind. All the while, outwardly Nico merely scowled behind his Mask, a dark sneer escaping his mouth. "You're not kidding… damn them, do those fuckers realize how hypocritical that this is? Bringing dangerous items here is one thing, but bringing the very beings we fight on a daily basis? These guys truly know no idiocy…!"

At these words, Gelmudo sighed as he put his had back on his head, straightening up before shaking it derisively. "Wow, it honestly impresses me how narrow-minded and naive you're sounding right now. Not to mention you're being hypocrite too considering your behaviour in the past and through this Auction." He stated, sneering right back at the Spec Ops Agent. It took a LOT of Nico's willpower not to spear him with his Kagune at that moment, but Nico pulled it off. Even so, the man continued to push his buttons, like a parent disciplining a child.

"I'll be blunt then, so you can understand: everything in this Auction is very much normal and acceptable among society. We each get what we want, the customers get special items they can't get anywhere else with the least amount of risks involved, and the revenue built up goes to the economy. The Military, the medical facilities, Mercenary groups like the Guild and the Spec Ops Program. All of them need the money for the efforts against the Abnormals and Demons this auction is a very normal thing and the revenue is used to equip agents everywhere to fight against the Abnormals and demons." He explained, and much to Nico's horror when he tried to think of something to counter this, he couldn't.

Therefore, he kept his mouth shut as Gelmudo, whom had noticed his actions and couldn't help the slightly smug tone which bled into his next words, continued. "You should know this better than anyone, but researching and developing new technologies isn't cheap, the costs for everyone's weapons, armour and other supplies HAS to come from somewhere. And besides, at least this way we can know who has what item, which allows us to keep tabs on people with more… dangerous items. Pretty genius system, if you ask me."

'B-But…!' Nico tried to think of something, anything, to counter what Gelmudo had been saying. Sadly, for him however, just like before the words wouldn't form in his brain. Especially since, thanks to his experiences as a Spec Ops Agent, Nico knew that the man was talking sense. Money HAD to come from somewhere, that was true enough. And if one's economic resources were running low, they had to take drastic measures. Taking advantage of human greed and desire for money, power and glory was simply one of those ways, and just look at how effective it was in this Auction. Even with all this however, it didn't stop him from wanting to utterly rip his hair out to vent this frustration building inside his chest. 'Well, the fuck can I do now? Urthemiel won't attack unless I give the order, something which is likely going to be impossible right now. Not to mention that it seems that Gelmudo won't let me commence anything while he's here, plus this place apparently has protection from the very people I'm with! Fuck, this shit really makes me want to rip everyone apart! What the fuck else do I have right now…?'

'Nico, calm yourself. We still have one option available to us. We can still obtain the Abnormal there…'

Just then, the words and presence of Biko intervened, washing over his mind and filling his mind up with themselves. However, the words he gave did have their intended effect, as they caused Nico's lone eye to shrink back to normal when I had been in a panicked state prior, then it narrowed when something dawned on the male. Biko was RIGHT, there WAS something that he could do. It wasn't something that he found himself favouring very much though, not one bit. Though, considering his options, no not leaving the auction that was a stupid thing to think about, there really wasn't much else that he could do. If he wanted to get that child-like Abnormal away from here, and possibly prevent anyone else from getting their grubby mitts on it, then he had no choice.

Gripping his fists, Nico told Urthemiel to hold fire for the time being, before he lowered his aggressive stance and relaxed himself. This caused the pressure on him to recede, Gelmudo having noticed his diminished intent to cause trouble. "There we go, now why don't you join in? All you have to do is bid, and that prize could be all yours. Though, I bet you won't be able to beat me with whatever measly funds you might have. I've got a noble on my side after-"

"2,000,000 Credits."

Silence took over the room when the number that escaped Nico's mask-covered Mouth reached their ears. Shock, bafflement and confusion filled the minds of every Noble that had attended the auction, even No-Face looked like he had tensed up upon hearing that number. Everyone then turned towards the source of the voice, finding themselves looking upon the platform of which Nico and Gelmudo had stood looming over the proceedings like two hungry animals. Though many of them had bee to Auctions like this, none of them recognized Nico like they did the male's companion since they'd seen that hat-wearing guy before, so they all figured Nico as the one who spoke.

"Who the hell is he? Some noble's son?"

"If he has that much money, he has to be way up there in the rankings."

"What's up with that Mask? Hardly befitting of any Nobleman here. Does look quite intimidating though, like he's about to murder everybody…"

That last one nearly made Nico's bloodlust ignite again. Oh, how they didn't even realize how fortunate they were. If only Gelmudo wasn't here… these scumbags had dodged a particularly painful bullet.

Still, his words had definitely impacted a whole load of people just now, and it wasn;t like he was bluffing either. After all, it had been said several times throughout the story, but Nico's fortune from years of service to the Spec Ops Program had gifted him with quite the stipend. He could bet even 10,000,000 and it would only make a tiny dent in his wallet. Even wit that shopping spree on medical items. Most of his fortune came from selling anything he had deemed not practical for missions like treasure, gold, jewels etc to the authorities while also reaping the rewards of his Quests. He'd done this for YEARS and hadn't spent a lot of it on much of note, so forgive him if his fortune was a bit much right now.

Eventually, the announcer regained his ability to speak, shaking his head to clear the cobwebs of his mind in order to return to reality. "O-Oh my, a silent bidder? My, now that IS interesting! Well then, lets see…The man began, taking out a holographic attendance board and looking up the name of that person. "Hmmm… oh my, how INTERESTING! Looks like this person's claims are legit everyone! 2,000,000 is it? Well then, lets continue with the auction now, everyone! Can anyone top that? Come on, don't be shy!"

One Nobleman stood up while holding a hand out. "2,000,100!" He yelled. He looked to b in his 30's, yet also inspired to be a sumo wrestler with how… large, he looked. He evenm looked to have a dick for a head in terms of head shape, as well as a mocking gaze towards Nico. His eyes just screamed arrogance, likely thinking Nico would not be able to top that offer he had just made. The identities of the customers weren't allowed to be public knowledge, only the Auction Staff were privy to them. Therefore, their identies were safe as long as they remained in here, not to menition that Mask told the Noble that the guy was likely from the military. Hence, his assumptions of Nico not being able to do anything.

"3,000,000!"

… Only, for Nico to go even further byamping up the price beyond that Noble's expressions. His cold gaze never changed for even an instant, like whatever that Noble would do would end up being completely insignificant and pointless in the end. Even if his frtune wasn't small, Nico didn't like the fact that he was using it in an underground auction like this, especially with what was circling through his head right at this moment. Therefore, he would start off small then work his way up to that 10,000,000 mark. Still, the look of utter bafflement on that Noble's face just now felt practically divine, so internally Nico couldn't help but erupt into hysterical laughter.

Hah, in their faces!

… By the Goddesses, he didn't realize hw fun it was to knock these assholes off their high horse.

Nor did he realize how fucking therapeutic it was.

One more Noble, a young woman who looked like she belonged in a brothel or something similar, stood up then and held her hand out. She looked almost crazily at the announcer as she did this, her eyes those of a demented patient whom had just entered an insane asylum. "3,500,000!" She bellowed, spit flying fromher ruby red lips. Her eyes filled with arrogance and pride, just like the previous Noble as she thought that Nico wouldn't be able to go any further based off his clothing. Unlike that Noble however, she had some idea as to who Nico was really, as that Mask reminded her of a certain Agent whom had worn such a Mask during a quest interview her husband once issued out.

"4,000,000!"

Sadly for her, she underestimated Nico's bank account, thus she paid dearly when Nico raised the stakes even higher. The woman shifted her gaze from one of pride to one of complete stupification, looking back up at him with those eyes and her jaw dropped open. She almost looked like she would become catatonic as she fell back onto her seat, all the while Nico's cold gaze ignored her like the insignificant bug that he saw her as.

"4,000,000? Alright, that's the current bid. Anyone else? Anyone? This may be your only chance to get a Nature Elf, are any of you as eager as this young man to get a taste so exquisite that they will be in pliss for eternity?" No Face called out once the man had seen the woman step down, both onto her chair and in defeat. He could practically FEEL the aura of shame exuding from her form, so he figured she wouldn't be bidding any time soon. If ever.

Since nobody else dared to bid, not even Gelmudo (who looked like he was regarding Nico in whole different light compared to before), which then prompted No-Face to proceed onwards. "Very well, then the final bid is 4,000,000 Credits, congratulations young man! You are now a proud owner of the likely last ever remaining Nature Elf of Royal Blood. He is all yours now."

At this, Nico mentally exhaled in relief. Thank god this shit was nearly over so he could move on from it all. Nico did NOT feel good about this, not one bit. Not only did he take part in an auction, but with that Abnormal having a gaze so similar to one he used to wear in a time he'd rather not remember, Nico's mood looked particularly sour. He wanted to get this over with quickly, so he could just move on and get other things done, such as training and possibly exploring a bit to see if he could find anythingeven REMOTELY similar to the treasures in Zelretch's dimension. The Lexicanum had told him that there were dozens of aretfacts, Satanic Treasures, Bloodlines long forgotten, and so much more hidden throughout Gamindustri. Remnants of the DPU Era which made them all monstrous powerhouses. If he were to get his hands on some of them, maybe even enough to help his comrades get stronger, then he could perhaps… rely on them a little more.

In addition, he could feel the resentment and other intense dark emotions boiling beneath the surface within doozens of minds around him. Glancing about, it didn't take a genius to notice how, as Nico hopped off the platform, landed by the back of the room and walked down to the Stage, each of the Nobles were giving him rather dirty looks. Looks which conveyed EVERYTHING they wanted to say to him, but didn't. He didn't even NEED to use his Shingan to determine what their thoughts were, since he already had a good idea of what they were already. 'Seriously, if these guys were in a Demon's stronghold, their negative emotions would fit right in.' Nico couldn't help but think to himself.

'Do not pay them any heed, Nico. They are merely 'salty' as the humans would say, that you were the one to take the most special prize this Auction had to offer. Typical behaviour for these mortals.'

Biko's words reverberated through Nico's head, making the teen mentally nod in agreement. The saltiness in the air was so thick that he felt like he could liquify it and store it in a cup then drink it… he'd probably say it was delicious, too. Drinking in their salt also felt IMMENSELY satisfying, and it took a lot of willpower not to smugly smirk in their direction just to rile them up even more. Finally, Nico reached the stage and approached the cage where the announcer was. He noticed how the child-like Abnormal was shaking in place, looking up at him with all sorts of emotions. EmoitIons which Nico didn't put much stock into for the time being as his priority was to get out of here as fast as possible.

As he approached, the announcer held up his tablet in which Nico held up one of his Bracers. There was a few moments of silence, before ean audible click was heard, which seemed to please the man as he proclaimed the following. "The amount has been transferred, so your ownership of the prize is now complete. If you wish to stay, please return to your seat, if not take the exit over to the left. Happy gambling now."

… Did this guy try to make a cutsy face right now?

Nico shuddered and did his best to remain expressionless, a feat he barely succeeded in as he gave a sharp, curt nod before the Cage opened. The Child, seeing what was going to happen to him, obediently stumbled out and followed the redhead male out into the exit. Leaving the Auction at long last.


Outside of the Auction, Nico made sure to continue walking until the male had existed the southern District and out of the Capital itself. During the trip, the two of them would have encountered thievs, bandits and other 'unsavoury individuals', though with just a burst of Killing Intent from Nico each of them got driven away. Not even those who got contracted to do so by foreign Nobles who wanted the Prize Nico had won for themselves managed to get close, in fear of the absolute mauling that the redhead's aura promised them. That, and that well… it would be fair to say that the male held a bit of a fearsome reputation in these parts. He WAS known as the Black Reaper after all.

'Say, Biko. Back at the auction, you said that you had some information about the Demons, right? Well since my aura's preventing those idiots from getting close since none of them have a death wish. You said you have some information that you wanted meto remind you to share some time.'

'Indeed, I do. Now, as you have seen, Demons are malevolent, otherworldly entities born from the deepest and darkest emotions of all mortal creatures. They are also born from either Coitus/creation from a DPU, though no matter how they came to be they all remain demonic energy beings in essence. They constantly roam the outer spaces of the Devildimension, waiting for their chance to cause utter carnage and chaos. When the time finally arises, these demonic entities seize upon the opportunity to break through the Seal aurrounding Gamindustri, greedily spilling forth to rampage and slaughter. Demons mainly fit into 4 categories: Lust, Anger, Magic and Decay. These emotions and thoughts fuel the main four Chaos Gods: Slaanesh, Khorn, Tzeench, and Nurgle respectively, which is how the DPU of Life designed them to be. And before you ask, yes the DPU of Life was responsible for the Chaos Gods coming into being.'

'…You know, that last part isn't that surprising to be honest. I'd expect those assholes to be like that if Mundus was any indication. Continue, please.'

'As you have seen, these Demons have their own specifications: Daemons of Khorne are muscled and brutal, driven to slaughter and murder, whilst those that serve Tzeentch are whimsical and devious, shunning physical combat in favour of the sorcery that Khorne detests so. Nurgle's daemons are by far the hardiest of their kind, if somewhat moribund in thought and deed, whilst Slaaneshi daemons are lithe and whip-quick, as delicate in form as they are vicious in temperament. However, there is much more to Demons than just this, as I just found out.'

'How so?'

'Demons exist in a huge variety of forms, appearances and abilities, similar to the Abnormals plaguing Gamindustri. However, if a powerful Abnormal of today's standards fought a Demon, they would more than likely lose to them, as Demons are inheritly stronger. Even so, it appears that even with their versatile appearances, Demons are classified in terms of power as well. Ground Class, Sky Class, World Class. To begin with, Ground class Demons are the weakest class, as in they are the 'footsoldiers' of the Demon species. DPUs and other races refer to them as 'Lesser Demons' as a result. They are not that strong like I said, but when I do say that I'm taking DPU Classes into account. They are below the weakest DPUs, but the toughest Abnormals will find themselves hard pressed to fight them. Bloodletters, Minions, Traumas, the Defiler so far you and I have encountered mostly this class of Demons. Therefore, do not underestimate them if you do not wish to pay for it.'

'Hmmm… Ground Class Demons, huh…? I guess Primordial Demons would have to exist somewhere in that classification too…' Nico thought to himself whilst glancing behind him, looking towards the child Abnormal he had bought. The Child looked to be keeping his head low and followed him a couple steps behind. He couldn't sense any intent to try and rebel against him, so far, so that was at least something. Still, judging from what Biko had told him, if this kid fought against a Demon then it would no doubt get itself killed. Guess there really was a difference between Demons and Abnormals after all, he would not lie and say part of him hadn't been wondering if that was the case.

'Correct, but I will get to THEM later. The next class is Sky Class. Also being referred to by DPUs and other races as 'Greater Demons' These Demons have power levels that rival Continent Class DPUs. These Demons can have strength which blows away continents, reducing everything there to rubble, but do not have the power of destroying planets. That is not within their abilities, but what they DO have is strong Souls. Souls in which, if THAT GUY we met in those Trials were to put his curses on them when they are at full power, then they would simply last a couple seconds before they are burned away by the chaotic Demonic Energies coursing through them. They are nigh immune to any kind of attack on their Souls, save for the absolute strongest of them. It would take several Agents of the stronger calibres to take these ones down, Agents like the ones which retrieved us after the Halo Mountain incident. The beings known as Bloodthirsters, much like the one which the girls encountered during the Gala, are one such creature.'

… Huh, interesting. So there WERE stronger Demons than the ones he had encountered up till now, he just hadn't met them yet. Nico had also been wondering about that at one point, since he had killed so many Demons and Demonic-possessed people like the Northmen and the World Eater Legion. He had started to wonder if these Demons weren't exactly all that, but now that he knew THIS information... it honestly filled him with eager excitement and great anticipation for when he eventually fought these stronger Demons. Also, since these Sky Class Demons rival the weakest of the DPUs, then that would mean that the upper classes could potentially be even greater... made getting stronger all the more important. Also, if he had been killing so many 'lesser demons' then could greater demons be rarer to encounter? Or was the weakened Seal involved?

Something that, as much as a growing part of him began expressing conflicted thoughts about, this Abnormal behind him had qualifications for.

'Next, is the World Class Demons. Now, a World Class Demon CAN destroy planets just like a Chaos Class DPU can, however it takes much more out of them and it is not as easily achieved. DPUs of the Chaos Class find this much easier to accomplish, not something these Demons can emulate. Even so, Demons of this class are not to be trifled with as even Chaos Class DPUs don't underestimate them, even if they don't rival such powers and are more in-between Multi Continent and Chaos Class. In addition to this, they have absolute immunity to anything related to Mind and Soul attacks, so if we had used any such attacks against them, then they would have failed before even reaching them. Not to mention that, some of them have an immunity to death, if they were to die their souls would live on and their bodies would reform. Either that, or they become Devil Arms or leave Spirit Bones behind. These are their fates should they fall in battle. Demon Princes are such Demons.'

Now THIS information intrigued Nico greatly, especially the fates of these types of Demons. The fact that they became Devil Arms, while not as strong as their original forms, meant that the base Devil Arm's power would likely be at least compatible with the Sky Class Demons. Something Biko then confirmed with him a moment later. Thus, when they became Archdevil Arms, thus beginning their journey to regain their full powers from when they were pure Demons, then they could pretty much become planet busting weapons... Oh geez, and Nico had several of them... the strain they must have on the soul must be MASSIVE. Could it even be possible that if he wasn't strong enough to handle it...

Even if he had strong confidence in his fortitude and endurance, but perhaps finding something which could help strengthen his Soul resistance might make things just a little bit easier...


After a while of walking, Nico and the child Abnormal were at least a hours worth of walking away from the Capital. Fortunately, the child hadn't been walking away from him, simply followed behind him without any thought of rebelling or attacking. The male himself, during that time, had been pondering the information that Biko had explained to him whilst keeping mental notes on the child's emotional state. He had said that Primordial Demons were a classification of World Class, essentially a sub class which were much stronger than the DPUs. Though, there weren't nearly as many of them as the other Demon Classes, and most if not all of them had been dealt with in some way BY the DPUs, making them a seriously OP Race of Warrior Gods. Still, even with all that information being somewhat difficult to process, Nico couldn't help but find some form of familiarity to it. A sensation which honestly he would have fondly smiled at if he were on his lonesome or with his comrades. The familiar feeling of Biko sharing information with him, information in nearly too much quantities, felt much more appreciated than normal.

Some familiarity in all this madness felt pretty freaking good. Almost like seeing a familiar face in a foreign environment. It was a form of comfort, not something which could often be found in this world.

Once the two had reached the point Nico felt that they could talk without being observed, Nico whirled around towards the child, about to release his Kagune. However, the moment that he noticed the Abnormal's gaze, Nico stopped just like before. Within the darkness of the night, the many stars illuminated the youngling's features. Thanks to them, Nico saw how the younglings' eyes shone brightly just like those stars, emitting a dazzlingly brilliant green glow. A glow which the Abnormal had NOT been in possession of when all this first began. A complete contrast. In fact, all Nico could see was this... sense of 'life' to him, life and innocence which would not be unfit for someone of its shape and age. "Um... thank you very much, sir..." it spoke in a soft, pure and innocent voice which made Nico find it all the more difficult to see it as an Abnormal.

In that moment, Nico's gaze glazed over, and for that moment those words reverberated within his mind. Did... an Abnormal just... thank him? Shaking his head and regaining his mental faculties, Nico's unmasked eye narrowed into a dark glare. "You HAVE to be some sort of idiot. Do you really think I would spend so much on you just to save your life?" Nico questioned, a fierce blade-like edge to his voice as memories of his prior battles with Abnormals filled his mind. They don't talk, they were his enemies and he shouldn't see them as anything else, right? Nico almost cursed himself when he didn't feel as convicted as he usually was.

Yet, even so, the child's eyes didn't lose any of their clear glimmer to them, nor did they lose that spark of life they held since this conversation began. If anything, after a few seconds of staring into his own angry ones, the child's eyes almost shone even brighter. A wide smile, one not unfit for an innocent child, suddenly spread into existence. "Its okay, I'm sure I'm right. Cause I know you sir, are certainly a good person." he exclaimed with no doubt or anxiety in his voice.

On the other hand however, in contrast Nico's lone eye widened slightly in surprise. Well, surprise didn't quite fit right, more like pure bafflement than anything. He honestly didn't expect this, what the hell was going on here? In seconds however, that bafflement turned into indignation... well, more like that among a mix of other emotions, ones that felt, well... indescribable to him. Anger? Annoyance? Rage? He wasn't quite sure, and the more that he looked at it, the more Nico found himself conflicted. Just... what the hell, what the fuck was going on here?! Was this thing messing with him?! Just looking at this thing made him question his resolve! If that wasn't enough, then there was the fact that this thing's damned eyes looked so... pure, wholesome and innocent. Way more than anything he had ever seen. Nico never thought something non-human could have such eyes, just looking at them made his tension ebb away into the breeze. Just... how the hell could something like this-NO!

Shaking his head, the teen stopped those thoughts from continuing any further, since they would not serve any potential purpose. 'This thing has GOT to be more naive than logically possible if it thinks that about me!' Mentally, Nico wrapped up these thoughts into a bag and locked them away, instead opting to give nothing but the fiercest glare he could muster. "Me, a good person? Hah! That's rich! The amount of blood on my hands is would fill up an entire ocean, brat. I'm so bloodied that my clothes would have been drenched in it if it were possible. There's only one reason why I even bothered to get you out of that damned Auction..."

As fast as a flash, Nico's Rinkaku erupted from the back of his waist. All 6 Tentacles burst out in an explosion of gory, crackling splendour, their forms completely visible thanks to Nico's will. 2 Tentacles lunged forwards and, faster than the child could react, 1 wrapped around the Abnormal's neck and the other wrapped around the waist. They then set about lifting the Abnormal right off the ground, holding him just above it so that it couldn't escape. As for the other 4, they each poised themselves to impale the Abnormal from both the left and right sides. "Is so I have the pleasure of ripping you apart with my bare hands! Then, you won't be able to cause any more damage to the city!"

What he didn't say was that he also planned on feeding this child's corpse to his Kagune, since through that he would be both digesting a whole corpse's worth full of blood which would make him highly resistant/nigh-immune to pretty much all elements. At least then, his defences would be much better than before so he could focus on dodging and attacking his opponents. He could have mentioned it, but he got the feeling that he didn't have to, since the child likely would have known just by looking at him.

Something he became even more certain of, when he saw how the Abnormal's face contorted into fear and panic. His body tried to shrink back and retreat, but he must have forgotten what just happened right now for his Rinkaku held him in place. Something he quickly remembered when Nico's 2 Tentacles began to constrict slightly. "I... I... Please no, please don't do this." The child-like Abnormal begged with its gaze filling with tears. "I know you're a good person! Please, don't do this... Please let me go. I'll do anything you ask of me, even give you my most important treasure!" he pleaded. In response to that, the Tentacles around his neck and waist constricted tighter, forcefully cutting off his air supply and making him gasp.

'That's not the face a child should make...' part of his brain commented to him. Although, that part was now the size of a hand whilst it tried to wrestle control over Nico's thoughts away from his killer instincts. However, The redhead Spec Ops Agent, even as his heart clenched at the sight, crushed that part of him into nothingness. Even if he was beginning to have conflicting thoughts about this, there was no getting around the facts: he was a Spec Ops Agent, and this was an Abnormal. As such, these two HAD to fight, and the loser would bend up being killed in the end. It had been this way for over 500 years now, so why should this be any different? At its core, it wasn't anything THAT different... right?

Nico soon got the feeling he was trying to make excuses for himself behind this façade.

'AWWWW, DON'T FUCKING THINK ABOUT ALL THAT SHIT, KING...'

Just then however, Nico's lone Kakugan eye shifted erratically as he felt the phantom cold feeling of his Ghoul Persona's hands gripping his shoulders. Quickly, Nico realized he was beginning to hallucinate, and tried to fight against it, although to his horror, none of his usual coping methods worked. He had thought his hallucinations would have stopped when he managed to reveal his Ghoul side to the girls in his party, so why the hell were they happening now?! What the fuck was going on, what-

'HAH, LIKE I SAID, YOU DON'T GOTTA THINK SO HARD ABOUT IT... JUST LET THE BEAST INSIDE FEAST... YOU KNOW YOU WANT TO. IN THE END, ITS ALL LIKE YOU JUST SAID. YOUR AN AGENT, AND THIS IS A BEAST. IN THE END, YOU HAVE TO SLAY IT, RIGHT? WHAT'S SO BAD ABOUT THAT? ITS THE NORMAL THING TO DO, RIGHT? YOU'VE DONE IT SO MANY TIMES ALREADY, ONE MORE ISN'T GOING TO MEAN ANYTHING. EVERYTHING ELSE IS JUST A BURDEN, SO WHY NOT JUST SEE THINGS AS THEY ARE? YOU'RE NOT JUST AN AGENT, YOU'RE A PREDATOR. THIS THING IN OUR GRASP IS OUR PREY. #SNIFF, SNIFF# AHHHHHH, DOESN'T THAT MEAT SMELL JUST... DIVINE...? THAT ANNOUNCER WASN'T KIDDING... THIS PIECE OF MEAT REALLY DOES SMELL DELICIOUS. HOW GODLY WOULD IT BE IF WE COULD JUST... SIMPLY FORGET ABOUT EVERYTHING AND EAT? LIKE WE WERE MADE TO. YOU WOULD LIKE THAT, RIGHT...?'

As his thoughts spiralled into chaos, Nico heard-no, rather he FELT, his Ghoul Persona start whispering into his ear. His ear, and the back of his mind as well., practically speaking to EVERY part of him. As it did so, Nico felt the grumbling and growling noises coming from the beast within. His Rinkaku began to tremble whilst his prey helplessly flailed about like a fish caught on a hook. Just by looking at it, Nico could feel himself slipping, slipping into the madness of the monster he held deep inside. It was worse because his Kagune was out, which means his Ghoul Side would be much more active than previous times, like that time before the Hellverse incident when he nearly attacked Compa. THAT wasn't something he particularly liked, nor would he ever like it. Yet, even as he tried to struggle, tried to contain the urges as his Rinkaku slowly but surely got closer and closer to its goal, his mind began to teeter over the edge...

… Maybe, his Ghoul side had a point. After all, all this stuff which he had been thinking about recently really did stress him out, and its not like he had any ways of arriving at an answer any time soon. So, why should he worry about it? Why not just do what his instincts tell him to and devour? He was a predator, and this was his prey. Why should he think any more than that? There was simply no point, no need, to do anything else like that. All he needed to do... was kill. Kill, rip, tear, shred, gorge himself upon the innards and fresh flesh of his enemies. To tear open their bodies and shred through their organs, feeding their innards to his Kagune, going on mass genocides on a daily basis, helping himself to whatever he wanted. That sounded like so much fun... so much... bliss…

His Kakugan eye slowly, but surely, lost its grasp on sanity as did Nico's mind. All his moral dilemmas, everything that had lead up to this point became a blur to him, to the point where all of it pretty much became unrecognizable. Even the faces of those he had recently met like that guy with the hat (?) and that weird masked guy with that... suit, was it? He didn't know anymore, nor did he find himself caring all that much. His breathing gradually got heavier, like there was this weight that suddenly landed on his chest with the only way to relieve it being right in front of him. His mouth began to drool a little, all the while his Kakugan shrunk and grew along with his heavy breathing. The beast inside roared in its urging to follow the instincts which guided them. Instincts which told him to ignore the flailing and cries of his restrained prey in order to dive in for what he REALLY wanted. Not to just KILL this piece of delicious meat, but to savour the sweetness of the iron-like taste from thick, crimson blood that gushes through this prey's veins. He could feel it pumping, rushing through its body like a flood with the Tentacles around its neck. It felt... enticing, intoxicating even. Like a drug, and he himself felt like an addict just a second away from getting his fix...

Yes... Yes, this will be what he does.

He could hear the prey within squealing like a pig right now, its tiny little limbs which looked way too pathetic to be of any use, grasping his Rinkaku to try and pull it away from his neck and waist in a desperate attempt to break free. How amusing, how very amusing... it honestly made him chuckle in a mocking manner as 2 more grabbed onto his wrists and held them apart, making him look like some guy whom had been impaled on a cross. What was that guy's name again? He forgot, and honestly didn't care much for right now. Yeah... right now, the only thing his mind, filled with voracious hunger and dripping with an ocean of thick, heavy and cloudy bloodlust as it was, registered was that he wanted to take a sample of this delicious meat he'd caught in his grasp... then, he'd DEFINITELY devour it post haste should the flavour prove as divine as his senses were telling him.

Slowly, Nico had his Kagune bring the prey closer to him, hearing some mad laughter echoing within the confines of his mind. Whatever that was, Nico wasn't in any state of mind to care, his sole Kakugan eye simply focusing on the prey that he had caught. Thoughts of the sweet ecstasy he would soon feel upon tasting the jelly that was inside this creature filled it instead, making the beast inside roar joyously as he brought the boy's shoulder to his lips. As he did so, Nico slowly opened his mouth, exposing his teeth whilst drool cascaded down his chin like a waterfall thanks to all the thoughts swirling within his head. One bite would be all it would take for him to get this done... one bite...

And yet...

...

"#SOB#,#SOB#... Mama... Papa... #SOB,#SOB#... big sis... I'm-I'm... so... so sorry...#SOB#'#SOB..."

Words? Did his prey just speak right now, even though he had restrained his windpipe? Now that he checked, Nico felt that his Kagune had lessened somewhat unknowingly around the prey's neck, allowing it to speak once more as well as breathe. Annoyance filled him at this, how dare its prey dare to speak and ruin what would be a divine-class meal for him. He should shut it up by biting its lips clean off so it can't speak no more! Yeah, that sounds promising, he remembered that the mouth and the tongue was where the greatest concentration of blood was, so they'd make perfect appetisers. Thus, with that goal set in mind, Nico gradually lifted his head up in preparation for the biting off of the prey's lips and tongue, thoughts of their juicy fluids only spurring him on...

When he saw the prey's face... and instantly all his thoughts screeched to a halt.

Tears. Tears of despair and loneliness. They fell down the prey's face like waterfalls, gushing forth from its tear ducts like exploding tides. They released droplets from his chin down to the ground beneath him almost like a steady stream themselves, as his arms and legs hung themselves limply, not a single strand of strength used on them. Almost like they were discarded dolls, their use having been expanded a long time ago. If it weren't for the Tentacles holding his wrists, then Nico would assume them to be hanging by the preys' sides. But... the most important thing for Nico right now, lay in the prey's eyes. Amidst the loneliness and despair... was resignation. Resignation to a fate which it seemed to understand would not be avoided, for he wouldn't be able to escape no matter how hard he tried.

Green eyes became peach coloured,

Green hair became peach coloured,

Facial features became more feminine,

Body features became feminine,

Their surroundings warped and shimmered, becoming a deserted town bathed in flames that lit up the night sky.

and all Nico did at that moment... was stare in absolute shock, then horror, and them mortification. His brain having finally rebooted and dispersed it's previous state just from this hallucination alone. Heck, his face had moved away to about 10 inches between them just to analyse the expression more, though right now he sorely regretted that option.

All the while, everything that had happened previously came back to him in a mad rush of thoughts, images and emotions, nearly overwhelming him. Just... what the hell had he almost done just then? Had he just nearly did... something which he had sworn never to do again? Did he just nearly discard all the morals of which he followed just to satisfy his own inner cravings? This Abnormal... this CHILD... He... he just tried to eat this child, a child whom had been a victim of slavery and had just gone through a horrific trial in the form of that horrid Auction. Right now, even, it looked like he had gone some rough family issues as well, mentioning that he was likely the last of his bloodline, meaning that his family... his family had...

Oh shit...

What had he almost done?

Shit... shit, shit, SHIT!

DAMNIT! GOD FUCKING DAMNIT!

All that horror quickly got replaced with anger and hatred, all targeted at himself as he quickly reinstate his control over himself, retracting his Kagune back into him faster than the speed of sound, unintentionally dropping the child onto the floor like a sack of potatoes. Yet, he didn't notice as he took a couple horrified steps backwards, clutching one hand over his mostly-Masked face with his eye, now back in its human state, trembling violently as images played out in his mind. Fortunately, or unfortunately depending on one's point of view, he remembered everything that he had been thinking at that moment, that moment where his inner beast took hold over his mind. He remembered ALL of it, especially what he intended to do just then. In his opinion, that was NOT a good thing, but worse... was the hallucination he just had, a hallucination which PAINFULLY reminded him of something that had happened in the distant past. Something he sorely regretted and had hoped to never recall again.

...co...ico…NICO! Thank the nine hells my connection is back! Are you alright?!'

'B-Biko...! What happened, was...!'

'I know, I know don't worry. Phew, its good that my connection has returned, it means your mind is stable once again for the time being. I must apologize, it seems like I was unable to be of much assistance this time. I only noticed just seconds before it happened, but the chaos born from these conflicting opinions within your mind made it easier for you to... well, you know what... it just happened, you losing control over your Ghoul side. Since you were actively using it to restrain this Abnormal, it meant that you couldn't use your Demon powers. The Powers of the Ghoul and the Powers of the Demon are separate, and because of your current opinions it is impossible for them to co-exist. At least to a point where I can stop it from going out of control like that. In battle, you wouldn't be able to use both the Ghoul and the Demon in you against your opponent because of our current states. Essentially, what many people have been telling us in the past is the truth... we are unable to access our full potential because of this 'status quo' between us.'

'Y-Yeah... I know...'

Hearing that did NOTHING in soothing the horrendous guilt that flooded his mind right now, and Biko didn't feel like he could say anything to help either. Only to explain what had happened on his end, and though he didn't show it much, he DEFINITELY had panicked when this had happened. Its always so sudden and spontaneous when his mind acts like this and his Ghoul side takes advantage. While he could normally suppress its activity, something he had been doing for a while under Nico's request, if Nico's mind got too chaotic and became unstable, then his Ghoul side had the chance to 'breath through' those chains and wreck utter havoc. Even with him around, the dangers of that happening were still there, something Nico had been INTIMITELY aware of. Still, not like he could do much about it, as according to Nico this used to happen much more often in the past before he became a DPU. Biko could only imagine what Nico had went through, even if he could see his memories.

On Nico's side of things, the teenage soldier felt like the worst person on the earth, much worse than the most cruel of criminals Nico had caused the downfalls of in the past. Now, the male couldn't help but see the being on the ground before him for what it really was, though right now he felt too... well, emotionally compromised to actually say it in his monologues right now. Even so, the weight of what he had been about to do just then... it hit him harder than a shower of bricks used to build skyscrapers. Because of those times when he failed to quickly rein in his Ghoulish nature, many lives had been lost. A lot of them innocent too. Heck, right now he had almost done that exact same thing, something he had sworn himself to prevent as much as possible. Even now, Nico could sense the sheer terror coursing through the Nature Elf right now, and since it wasn't fading away nor was it doing anything, it was safe for him to assume that the boy was rooted to his spot on the ground. Unmoving in case something were to trigger him, like an animal one second away from erupting into a berserker rage.

After a while passed, that while being filled with the most intense, heart-gripping, pulse-rising silence one would ever feel, Nico looked into the terrified being's eyes and shifted his gaze to the side. His fists fell to his hips whilst clenching themselves so tight that, if they were normal, then they would have bled. "You... retreat from this location, effective immediately!" Nico eventually yelled, and yet despite the cold and harsh look on his face, the male couldn't help but feel relieved inside.

At least.. things didn't end up like what happened back then...

On the kid's side of things, after he had landed on the ground in the most unceremonious of mannerisms possible, the child had taken a moment to catch his breath. or rather, he had no other opinion but to let his instincts take over, which forced him to do that instead of moving away. Away from the danger of death which had almost claimed his life. His hand held his throat where several marks could be seen, red mars to indicate what had nearly happened to him, whilst he entered a coughing fit to force much needed air back into his lungs. Once he got back his ability to breathe though, the child looked up at the one who had almost killed him with the widest eyes anyone could ever see on a child. A look of shock and curiosity erupting onto those green orbs of his. "R-Really...? You'll let me go...?" he asked, unable to stop the trembling of his lips.

Nico however, kept his gaze away from the child-from the SIN he had almost committed. He couldn't even look at him in the eye without recalling what he had almost done and the bullet he had barely dodged in time. Even so, this new clarity soon allowed his previous thoughts of conflict to resurface, pushing away the ones which thought of the child s that, a child. What the hell was going on with him? He was a freaking monster, so why the hell did he stop doing what his instincts told him to? No, Nico knew the answer to that one, but he just didn't want to address it. Especially with a stranger. Even so, Nico aimed a one-eyed glare at the child whilst putting all his effort into resisting the hallucination that would have happened. "Go... Leave here, before I change my mind and gut you where you stand, Abnormal." he snarled.

He figured that would force the Abnormal to leave him be, so tat he could focus on reining in his chaotic emotions once more then head off to forget everything, but...

"I... I knew it!" The boy exclaimed, the prior expressions on his face fading away. Instead, joy and relief filled his eyes as a wide smile formed on his lips. Raising a and, the boy made to wipe his tears away, brushing his arm across his eyes. He wasn't afraid of dying, no that wasn't what he had been crying about. He only cried since by dying, he'd essentially be dooming his entire race to extinction. That to him, was way worse tan merely kicking the bucket. "I knew it. You really are a good person...!" he exclaimed whilst stepping backwards, his eyes never leaving the male. He had just came close to death, and had seen how the guy had snapped himself out of that 'state' he had been in at the last second. Something which, unlike a LOT of people in his situation, the boy couldn't help but feel gratitude towards him for.

Good Person.

Those two words reverberated throughout Nico's mind, causing the redhead male to nearly explode into laughter like that time in the tent between him and Lucy. Him? A good Person after what had almost happened just now? How stupid was this thing? How could it call someone like him, whom had just tried to eat it, a good person? Also, the more that those words repeated themselves in his mind, the more he began to get a sense of familiarity to them. Soon enough, the teen remembered something which Gelmudo had said to him when explaining about the Nature Elves.

(Flashback)

"Then there's that rumour in which they can see into one's soul to see if they are good or not, but that's not very important."

(Flashback END)

'Ugh, that guy... don't even know him, and already I want to kill him. He could have at LEAST given a little more info on that part of their abilities.' Nico thought to himself with a wave of irritation. Seriously, he felt like the man knew more about these creatures than he had been letting on, simply from how the guy seemed to have an extensive knowledge of their biology. Especially what happens if one harvests them right. Heck, just thinking about that made him feel disgusted with himself for some reason. If he DID know more about this ability to tell who is good or not, and didn't tell him... Oh, he'd be having words with him when they next meet.

Whilst Nico immersed himself in a bout of self-scolding, he heard the steps of the child Abnormal getting fainter and fainter away. He figured that it was leaving the area, and honestly he felt glad about that. At least he could put all this shit behind him and move on with his life. Something anyone would want to do in his situation. But then, the steps stopped getting distant, and he could still smell the Abnormal, as its voice rang out. "Um... Sir? Is it alright if I ask you a favour?"

Ugh, seriously? The moment that Nico heard the Abnormal speak, the teen resisted the urge to let his Kagune back out again. The male did NOT feel like going on an escort quest right now. "Really? You're really asking me that when I was just about to rip your stomach open and feed on your innards?" he retorted sharply, once again sporting a blade-like edge to his voice.

Of course, hearing that brought out the sharp tensing from the Abnormal, and Nico's sensing of dark emotions didn't help either. Still, the child took an intake of air and swallowed his fear. What happened may have been life-threatening, but it showed him much about the person who had almost done the deed. Thus, he felt like this guy would be trustworthy for what he wanted to do. "I... I know it is an odd thing to do, request the aid of someone who tried to kill me, but still.. could I ask your assistance in accompanying me home?"

Now THIS made Nico arched his lone unmasked brow. "Your home?" he questioned in confusion and befuddlement.

The child Abnormal nodded at this before proceeding to explain. "Yeah. Um, I know the way back there, but its quite the distance and, sadly, I'm unable to fight any enemies myself. Its what lead to my being captured by those scary people. But, if you accept, I'll be more assured that I'll be brought back home. I'll even do anything you want if you're wondering about a reward." He explained, before lowering his head in a bowing gesture. "So please, please help me return to my home village."

Humming, Nico scowled behind his mask as he ignored his indignation for the time being, in favour of pondering what to do next. Whilst all he really wanted to do was to leave all this behind him, Nico also admitted begrudgingly to himself that, thanks to this encounter, he had... more than a few questions that he wanted answers to. Answers which he could acquire by accepting this unofficial quest request. The fact that it was an Abnormal which was requesting this of him plus the twisted irony that came alongside it was not lost on him, either. 'What do you think Biko? Should we do this?'

'I would say go for it. Normally, I would not do so since A: this is an Abnormal and B: I share your desire to move on from this, however these events have... given me much to think about. Also, I do not say this often, but this child... he intrigues me. It is not often that a child his age is brave enough to act around you like he is, it has piqued my interest. In addition, I calculated our odds, and unfortunately if we don't accept then chances are we may never get the answers we want. Not to mention that your Ghoul Side's being... distracted for the time being by killing the monsters in here, which spawned from your suppressed lust-based desires.'

… Honestly, he really didn't want to talk much about his Ghoul side, but knowing that for the time being it won't be acting up felt like a damn blessing. 'Alright then, thanks.' he replied, cutting off the link before fully turning back to the child Abnormal. "Alright then, lets go. Oh, you may want to introduce yourself, and as for me call me DEATHSTROKE." He didn't say his actual name, since it was more of a formal, professional relationship right now.

The boy nodded, a huge beaming smile erupting onto his face once more before he responded. "Its He Lin, and thanks for the acceptance, Sir-I mean, DEATHSTROKE!" He replied, and with that the boy soon began making his way away from the Capital, with Nico pocketing his hands inside is Trench Coat and following suit.

At least he would be getting away from that damned auction, the redhead couldn't help but think to himself.