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Chapter 146

Swanson Talks

Later on that day, I arrived at the Akane Resort after a long, painstaking journey to get there. The place had hardly changed at all over the seven years; it still being lively and booming with people. There were a couple of things that were new to me here and there like some attractions as well as some rides, and as always there were lots of people going around enjoying themselves without a care in the world.

Seeing all of this made me think back to the time that I came here with Mira. Now that I thought about it, I did have a lot of fun with her, and made me wish that I was here with her, and not under these circumstances.

I walked through the theme park, heading for one particular location, the casino. Sure enough, after walking past a couple of the rides, I saw it, which was a tall building with flashing lights with the words Casino on them. I went towards the building and entered, and upon entering, I couldn't help but feel surprised.

There were tables with people playing poker or some other games I didn't know, a mechanical horse that bucked and thrashed around trying to throw its riders off its back, and even a strange machine filled with orbs that picked random numbers for a winner. There was also a roller coaster that seemed to snake around the entire place, rumbling and shooting along its track, while the people riding screamed with delight from the thrill.

"This place is like a theme park only on the inside. It makes me wonder if there's something like a fighting club behind all this jubilee. All right, then. Time to find this Swanson guy. Although, I wish I'd ask Beard Boy what he looked like before I left. I suppose I'll have to look around and hope that I'll spot him as soon as I see him."

I then started to walk around, checking all around the casino, trying to see if I could spot Swanson. Everywhere I looked, I could see nothing but people dressed up in fancy attire from suits to dresses. It made me feel a little bit self-conscious walking around with what I was wearing, which was my usual attire with my hood up. It wasn't exactly the best disguise, but then again, this was the first time I've ever been to a place like this, so I figured it would be okay as long as I kept my face hidden.

I walked all around the casino, looking at the tables, the games, and even the roller coaster, but I couldn't see anyone that fit the name of Swanson.

"Damn. With all these people around, and to add the fact that I don't know what this Swanson guy looks like, I'm at a loss here. There has to be some way I can find him."

Then, just when I was about to start asking around, I caught sight of two people a few feet away, a smartly dressed man in a blue suit and a young woman wearing a green and red mini-dress which showed quite a bit of skin from the top. Aside from the two being close to one another, they appeared to be acting strangely. The male seemed to be glancing around tentatively as if he didn't want someone to follow them, while the girl didn't seem to mind or care.

Feeling a bit curious as well as a bit suspicious, I started following the two as I kept my distance so that I wouldn't be detected. The couple walked around for quite a little while until the two finally came to a hidden part of the casino, which was down a dark hallway. While making sure they didn't see me, I watched as they walked down the hall and soon came to a door, entering it. I waited for a few seconds; then, I quietly and quickly went over to the door, opening it slowly. The door led to a staircase, which seemed to reach deep in the lower levels below the casino.

I carefully made my way down the stairs while not making a sound while keeping my eyes on the couple as they made their way down the stairs. Soon, the two came to a metal door at the bottom. They walked up to it, and the guy in the blue suit dug into his pocket and then held up a card of sorts in his hand. He waved it across the door, and it magically opened, allowing him along with his girl to walk inside.

As soon as the door shut, I carefully walked over to the door to inspect, and saw that it had a familiar picture of a sledgehammer held by a fist. When I realized this, I dug into my pocket and took out the card Beard Boy gave me. No sooner than I did, a magic circle appeared on the logo and heard the sound of a click. I then opened the door, and peeked inside, expecting a big and spacious room filled to the brim with people raring to fight. But, to my surprise, I found the place to be empty.

"That's odd. I could have sworn I saw that couple go in here. Where did that couple go?"

Feeling confused as well as baffled, I walked into the room wondering if I was in the wrong place or maybe just seeing things. Then, suddenly, I heard the door shut behind me, causing me to look back towards it. After that, a large magic circle suddenly appeared below my feet, colored emerald green with a mask design in the middle. At first, I thought it was some kind of enemy attack and prepared to fight my way out, but as quickly as the magic circle appeared, it slowly faded away until it disappeared.

Then, just as I began to wonder what just happened, I heard something—the sound of cheering and yelling along with explosions. I also could hear some music playing in the background as well. I walked over to the door opening it, and my jaw slacked open in surprise.

The hallway where I came from was now a large spacious room filled to the brim with cut-throated, vicious, mean-spirited, and tough-looking people that could sell you out for a jewel in a second, men and women alike. Female dancers were entertaining the masses, people drinking at bars, and most of all, there were at least one or two pairs of people slugging it out with each other, desperately fighting with the means to kill and survive.

"That room I was in must have been rigged with some kind of teleportation spell with the card I was given being the trigger to activate it. Either way, I managed to find the fight club. Now all I have to do is find Swanson as quickly as I can, while blending in."

I dug into my pocket, took out my falcon mask, and put it on my face, while making sure my hood was on. Then after taking a deep breath, I entered the forboding yet overwhelmingly chaotic atmosphere of the fighting club.

To say that things were insane as well as loud was the biggest understatement of the year. The music was blaring with the wail of a riffing guitar, and the rapid and booming thunder of drums. The people were just as loud, cheering for the participants in the fights to kill one another or just beat them to a pulp.

I walked carefully around, avoiding any person that I felt would punch me in a second if I so much as bumped into them as everything seemed to be happening around me at once. As I went about my way, I could feel some of the people giving me stink eye, keeping their eyes on me as if they were waiting for the chance to pounce if I looked at them funny.

"Whoever this Swanson guy was, he got to have a will of steel harder than Gajeel's if he was working in a place as chaotic as this. Heck, Gajeel, along with Natsu and the other boys would probably love to be in a place like this."

I soon came to a bar in the back of the place, figuring it was a place as any to start. I took my seat amongst a couple of the tenders already there, all of which immediately gave the stink eye, but I paid no attention as the barkeeper came to take my order, who was a female wearing a white, black, and blue suit.

"Excuse me," I called out to her. "Mind if I ask you something real quick?"

The barkeeper then came over and gave me a quick up and down glance, frowning a bit. "Aren't you a bit young to be in a place like this, kid?" she asked.

"I'm old enough to tell you that I'm not as young as you think," I replied. "Now, I'm looking for somebody in this place. A guy going by the name of Swanson. You know this person by chance?"

"Who doesn't know who Swanson is?" the barkeeper replied. "But what do you want with him? Looking to join in on a fight or something?"

"Nothing of the sort," I said. "Word on the grapevine is that Swanson knows some things, and I want him to tell me whatever he knows."

"Well, let me clue you in. Swanson's the kind of person that knows a lot of things," said the barkeeper. "But, pardon for saying so, you sure you want to talk to someone like him? You don't exactly look like a guy that could hold a conversation with him, and quite frankly, he don't like to be disturbed."

"I'll take my chances," I told her. "Now, if you'll be so kind as to point me in the right direction, I'll get out of your hair."

The bartender sighed as she stuck out her thumb to her left, causing me to turn to the right. Just a few feet away, there was a door in the corner of the club. I gave the bartender my regards and then walked up to the door. After giving it a few quick knocks, I entered the room. Inside, a lone man sat on a table, busily at work counting stacks of money on his desk, cackling as he did. He was a bit skinny, had a bushy beard, and had a strange wig on top of his head.

"Who dares enter my room without permission?" asked the man without looking up. "I swear if it's-" He then looked up at me. "And who are you?"

"Just someone's that's been looking for you, Swanson," I said. "I've got a few questions to ask you."

The skinny man then huffed snootily. "And why should I answer anything you have to say?" he huffed. "First, you barge in here unannounced, and then you have the gall to talk that way to me, Swanson, the owner of the Hammerfist Fight Club? I should call security and have you-"

I then dug into my pocket and placed the vial of toxin ooze as well as the card Beard Boy gave me on the table in front of him, cutting him off. The moment Swanson saw them, his mustache practically perked up in surprise as he gasped.

"Where did you get these?" Swanson asked.

"A friend of yours that runs The Vulcan's Head," I told him. "I'm told that you're the guy that has information I need regarding a certain someone. He goes by the name of Silver Beard."

Swanson's face seemed to stiffen upon hearing the name. "Wh-What do you want with him? I-I mean I don't know anyone by that name!" he stammered. "I have no idea who you're talking about!"

Immediately, I clenched my fist, cloaking it with water, turning the water into a tendril. Then, as I gave a sharp crack like a whip, I straightened it, making the sharp point hover dangerously over Swanson's throat.

"I apologize for being rude, but I don't believe you one little bit," I said coldly. "I came all this way because your friend said you would know what I need to know, and I don't like having to waste my time. So I would suggest that you tell me everything that you know about Silver Beard now. Otherwise, you're going to end up breathing through a hole in your neck."

Swanson looked at the tendril and then back at me, seeming to swallow a mouthful of air. Then he took a deep breath and conceded. "Alright, then. Despite your demeanor and rudeness, I suppose I'll accommodate my associate's wishes as well as yours. So, please put that away before someone gets hurt. Particularly me."

I glared at Swanson for a few seconds; then with a wave of my hand, I dispersed my tendril. Swanson took a few moments before he resumed talking.

"Well, in this club, that man's pretty well known, by many names, but the name that stands out above anything else, is Silver Beard," Swanson said, as he held up the vial in his hand. "I heard on the grapevine that he was once a well-respected biologist as well as a wizard. However, that changed when the guy started to research on something that not only caught his interest, but also made him obsessed. The Black Wizard Zeref and the demons he created."

"And how exactly do you know this?" I asked.

Swanson glanced around as if he was making sure no one was around before responding. "Before I started running this place, I used to be a scientist myself before things went down the toilet, but that's another story," he said a bit sheepishly. "Anyway, ever since then, the guy's gotten involved with the crowd if you know what I mean, and because of that, he got discredited as well as expelled. Then he got involved with the Bureau of Magical Development, and began started his job on experimenting on humans."

I clenched my fists at the last bit, knowing full well that the last part he said was the truth. After all, I just so happened to be one of his little experiments, but I said nothing.

"After that, I heard that the Bureau was destroyed by someone and left Silver Beard for dead," Swanson continued. "Since then, he hasn't been seen or heard of, but some say he's been picking up dark wizards off the streets and using them as lab rats to not only further his research, but also make himself stronger, too."

"So, you don't have any idea where he is now or if he's still alive?" I asked.

"I don't. Although people will tell you that he's joined up with some people that have been providing him more fodder for his experiments," said Swanson. "Since then, that toxin ooze has been going around various distribution channels to anyone willing to get their hands on it. There's even a couple of people using the toxin to boost their magic powers to win fights in my club, but I can't ask where they got it because you know, people clam up and junk. Plus, it's not any of my business."

"You know, your friend's told me the same thing about not knowing anything else," I asked. "You sure you ain't saying more because you want to protect someone?"

"Of course, I ain't. I may have known the guy, but I wouldn't protect him for nothing," Swanson said. "The guy's crazy. He'd probably sell my soul in a heartbeat, or worse, make me one of his subjects. Trust me; I'm not protecting him. Any more questions?"

"Just one more," I said. "Do you know anything about a particular someone that goes by the name of "Mistress"?"

"No. I do not," Swanson said curtly. "Now, if you're finished asking questions, then please leave. And don't let the door hit you on the way out."

I stared at Swanson, wanting nothing more than to pressure him for more info, but I picked up the vial and the card, and turned towards the door, but not before looking back one last time.

"I appreciate your time, and I'm sorry to have wasted your time. I'll take my leave, but if I find out that you're withdrawing information from me, I will find you, and you won't like it when I'm angry."

I then left the room, shutting the door behind me. I had a gut feeling that despite everything that the guy told me, he was hiding something that he didn't want to say anything to me when I asked him about the Mistress. However, not wanting to stir the pot, so to speak, I had no choice but to go with what I learned. It seemed that I was getting more questions rather than answers, but I wasn't about to give up now.

"My gut's telling me that Swanson's holding something back from me, but he didn't seem to know anything else. But one thing's for sure, Silver Beard seems to be the center of this whole toxin ooze being made, and most likely involved with what happened to Finn. Which means I'm going to have to find him."

I made my way towards the exit, not wanting to stick around this place any longer than I should have.

I soon exited the fight club as well as the casino, and was heading for my ride home. At this point, it was night, and the Akane Resort was starting to wind down. Some of the rides were closed for the night, and there were a lot fewer people than before. It kind of gave it somewhat of an ominous feel as I walked through the park.

The sea wind blew and whistled across the area, blowing about some debris, carrying them away. Large shadows cast over the ground, distorting in shape, giving them the likeness of strange creatures.

Despite me being a trained wizard, and even though I most likely looked intimidating myself, yet I couldn't help but feel tense as I pressed on. I wasn't scared per se, but I couldn't help but feel a bit uneasy. Not only that, but I felt a little stuffy with my mask on, so I felt the need to take it off to get some air. But then, just as I was about to remove it, another unsettling feeling crept into my bones, causing me to stop walking and glance back.

"Someone's following me."

I looked around at my surroundings, wondering where this unknown someone was hiding and if there was more than one. I could see nothing but the remaining people going about their way, and the dark, abandoned attractions as well as stands, closed up and silent.

I then kept on walking while making sure that there was no one around, sensing that there was going to be trouble. Then, I turned around, conjuring a pair of water swords in my hands while taking a stance.

"All right. Come out. I know you're there. If you have a problem with me, then come out and show your face."

No one answered. I walked back the way I came, my muscles tensed up and my body ready, as I prepared myself to fight. Then, just as I sensed, someone in the shadows from behind a corner coming towards me. I was about to pounce, but when the figure stepped into the light, nothing could have prepared me for what I saw.

The person was a male, roughly about in his mid-thirties, pretty average build, and had street clothes for his attire. His body was covered in blood, gashes, and bruises, seeming to be on the brink of collapsing as he held his arm while limping on one leg, his face filled to the brim with fear. When he saw me, he staggered towards me, his voice filled with desperation and terror.

"Please! You got to help me! Help me!"

The male stumbled and fell the ground, unable to stay standing due to his injuries. I was about to walk over to the guy, hoping to help, but then something shot out of the shadows wrapping around his body, and before I could even blink, the poor soul was dragged away into the darkness letting out a scream filled with terror. I then heard the sound of cracking, liquid splattering, and sound of the guy screaming, if not louder than before. Then the sounds ceased, and everything was quiet.

The smell of blood how hung in the air, enough to make me feel sick to my stomach. I wanted to go over and inspect what happened, but something inside of me was telling me to turn back and run away. However, my feet remained rooted to the spot, frozen with uncertainly.

Then, there was the sound of footsteps that came from the direction where I smelled the blood and saw the guy disappear. They grew closer and louder until someone else stepped into the light. This time, it was a woman.

She was young, had a long ponytail of green hair with blue eyes from what I can see. The girl stared at me, her eyes blank and expressionless as well as her face. A few seconds later, her mouth curled up into a sadistic and psychotic smile as a few cackles riddled with bloodlust and madness escaped from it.

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