Greetings people! Just as I promised, here's the chapter that reveals another key aspect of the mysteries that have been going on behind the scene. I don't think it's been too obvious, but the first scene in this story and a few of the celestial pianist's mutterings will start to make a bit more sense. I also managed to include a nice little reference, so make sure you try and find that! Anyway, let's go!
Super hero time!
Shuujin: Issei, keep your mind in the game as you deal with this menace! We're both people who can call upon others and lend their strength, use that power!
Issei: Shuujin, you've got a deranged priest and a killer fallen angel to deal with right now! Let them see the true power of a cerberus!
Shuujin: I won't be beaten by a stereotype. Allow me to show the original's power to the masses!
Issei: And nothing will stop me now, not when I've got the culprit right in my hands!
S + I: Break the chains! Phone up the future!
"What, did you think I was just messing about with the controls without thinking about what to do?" Issei questioned with a smirk, spinning the screen that he had been looking into with a small flick, the image of Ophis as well as the person behind her looking straight back at them. Why Ophis had yet to move from her place, the boy didn't know, but he wasn't going to question it; she could definitely look after herself if things got hairy. "It had taken a bit of time to get the routine right, but as long as I kept myself talking, it just looked like I was messing about as I scanned the room. Now, how did you get in here?"
"Well, it was pretty easy." Stepping out of the shadow, the intruder threw back brown hair as they moved forward, a cautious movement to their step after their discovery. A boy no older than ten, he held a surprising amount of confidence for being trapped within a room with people who clearly had the advantage; or at least that was what they believed it to be. "After all, you don't really know when you're being swayed, do you? I'm quite lucky my friend is preoccupying your girls; they've been blowing stuff up for an unreasonably long time now, haven't they?"
Issei couldn't help the wince that escaped at that thought – so there was a reason why they had yet to return. He had merely thought that there was just a little too much fun to be had in the destruction business, but if they had managed to fall under the same circumstances as everyone else as the boy implied, things could end up being very touchy.
"I wanted to speak with you actually, so when I saw what you were doing, I thought it would be a good opportunity. As your friend said before, I hope you return everything you took." The boy stated, a serious undertone that didn't belong on one of his age. "But onto more expected questions… why do you want to return what we've done to how it was? Do you truly want the cesspit of crime to return? The place where only the dark and stained can sustain themselves? Where perfectly good people are torn apart from young? Is that what you wish for?"
Answer honestly
There was a slight niggling pain at the back of his head, Ophis too gently wincing at the small intrusion that entered her head, even if it was easy to remove for the girl. so this was what it was like when you were placed right next to the original source of what was doing the brainwashing… the young boy hadn't moved at all when he spoke, not a single clue as to what he could be doing let loose as the desire to speak honestly was brought forward; Issei was fortunate that he was going to speak what he thought already.
"Because this isn't normal. This isn't right!" the brunette insisted, a hand slamming down on the console, the metal releasing a great clang at the collision. "You've gotten rid of the crime for now, but what of people who decide to do what we're doing? What of the people who decide to take advantage of the people you've left weak and aren't so willing to keep the limitations we have? What you've done is basically make them dolls; they won't act out, but what of people that simply waltz past them and destroy them without mercy?"
"And what of the people that would die with their own control?" the boy answered, a slight hitch of anger entering the youthful tones. "There are people who will be even weaker as they were before, prey to their own naivety, greed, anger, emotions! They'll fight, pick on those they think are weaker, argue and take away all semblance of peace. Besides, there have been none who have done what you've done. It was simply you and now that we know that there truly are scum who would do this, we will defend from it."
There was a pause as Issei let a breath escape him. Was this what he wanted to deal with when he said he would help Yasaka? He felt that this mission alone was having him debate such a point far too much, but it truly was getting to be too strange. Regardless the boy turned a brown gaze onto the younger boy, a small point directed his way as Ophis was suddenly beside her father, a similar gaze entering those blank grey eyes.
"You know what? It's a good thing you're a kid, because anyone else saying that would probably already have had the thought slapped out of them." Issei remarked, the boy's eyes widening at the strange statement. "What you want is weakness to cure weakness. You're not making the weaker people any more superior. You're just a making a bunch of new weak people. A bunch of new weak people who will inevitably end up being taken advantage of just as you don't want. You have to let people get stronger if you want to stop abuse!"
"But this way, once we have our peace, there will be none to take advantage of the others. They will live in perfect peace. We will make sure of that!" the boy spat back, a ferocity entering his speech. "It's only when people like you try and mess with the peace! As soon as you're gone, everything in Mozaik will be alright!"
"Well… well maybe it will be alright. We would shove off and you would have your 'peaceful Mozaik.'" Issei suggested, calm serenity pushing the boy's resolve slightly. After all, who would expect someone to just so casually agree with them when they had been fighting so hard before? "So when you've got your perfect city, when you've got everyone acting their part with their puppet strings undisturbed, what do you think it's going to be like? Will there be fun? Will people be able to tease one another? Will lovers get to jokingly argue with one another? Will rivalries be allowed to exist? Will there be a need for rivals? Tell me, because I really want to know!"
There was silence as the boy stood back, the shadows falling over his body. There was no denying that the smallest influence he held before over them, the slight advantage that could've possibly ended this all had been completely lost in this… scolding. This mocking from Issei as his partner agreed wholeheartedly, even if she didn't truly understand what was being spoken about. Perhaps it was just the idea of someone trying to brainwash her that had Ophis so opposed, but it didn't matter; it was definitely not friendliness that was reflected in those eyes.
"Oh, you don't actually know do you? Why's that then? Let me tell you, it's because just like every other child in the entire world, whoever you are, you don't know what's going to happen! You get an idea, a stupid idea, an idea that makes a whole world of sense to a child, and forget about the consequences that come with that sort of decision!" Issei pushed, every step taking him closer to the boy, back against the wall as he desperately tried to meld into it. If the terror reflected in the child's eyes had any chance of pausing the irate Issei, he didn't let it come to fruition, his slow clamber up the stairs accentuating his words. "Let me ask you this then. If you somehow manage dto get your perfect Mozaik as you wanted it, without any chance of it getting abused, what would you do with the people like you? The troublemakers. How are you going to protect your lovely little game changer from the next one?"
"W-we'll make sure to beat them! We'll win!" the young boy declared, the righteous fury from before returning in full force to his motions regardless of how close Issei was to him right now. The idea of someone trying to change his perfection had been completely foreign to him. Any of the people who came into Mozaik had fallen under his abilities without question. For someone to try and come and change it, it would be… exactly as these people were doing, and while his partner had seemingly been able to do well with the other girls, the story within the Starway Rider was completely different.
"So you do end up winning. I can accept that. You win. Once. But that doesn't last forever; break the cycle and return everything to normal!" Issei begged, the boy shaking his head with a calm that had suddenly returned.
"Don't think that your little scare tactics will work on me." The boy stated, a slight glow entering the brown orbs looking towards Issei's, a sigh escaping the grown boy. "Why are you still trying to do this to me? You can't stop it."
Answer honestly. Give in.
A sudden weight bore down on the boy's shoulder, Ophis placing a small hand upon his shoulder as grunt escaped Issei. A thought of just gathering Rider and Onihime and leaving, giving up on this absolute waste of his time passing through his mind, at least until a small roar shot past his lips, head bursting up as he looked towards the boy with tired eyes.
"Because I'm trying to make you see, and I can tell you're almost there." Issei insisted.
"Well I won't stop. We have a power that can make the world better and with a few words, we can make things better for everyone." The young boy stated strongly, a hand held to his chest in pride as a moment of silence passed through the Starway Rider.
"…And we're off! All you have to is press the button and get your prize! Turn the crank, insert your coin, what prize do you think you're going to get?" Issei suddenly declared, even the black haired girl beside him stepping back at the perhaps a bit maniacal yell erupting from the boy.
"Don't treat me like a kid! You're acting like this is just a game!" the boy accused, a finger pointing forward that was quickly retracted, or it would've been if it hadn't have been for the fist that wrapped around his own, Issei glaring at the child with his full height.
"That's because this isn't a game, yet you're treating this like one." The brunette stated to the younger boy. "You've got your happy ending, but what is this for everyone else? Do you really think this is going to be the same for everyone? Listen, I just want you to think about what you're doing here. Do you know what thinking is? It's a fancy word for changing your mind."
"I, have looked into their mind." Ophis added, the first words she had spoken for the entire time. "They, know what has happened to them. If, you released them, they would revolt. Do, you still think that you're peace is almighty? That, there is nothing wrong with what you're doing?"
"If they know what's happening, then they'll be happy knowing that they won't be hurt! That there isn't anything that can ever cause them pain now!" the boy countered, the frustration from his failure bleeding into his words. If he had taken a moment to calm his mind, perhaps he would've noticed how the explosions stopped, how the others had yet to voice their counters, but his anger was too great. He had been able to do so much for this place, yet even with every single one of his commands blazing, the two showed no further mental issue that could mean a chance of them bending. Everyone was meant to be able to be commanded! An entire city was able to do so, why wasn't these people being just like everyone else!? A sudden rage filled the boy's being, a primal rage filling him as his hand furious brushed away at the paper he pulled out, thrusting it towards Issei.
Give in. there's no use fighting anymore. Just give up and return home. You don't have to fight anymore.
He had forced as much power as he could into the paper, every letter practically alight with strength. Ophis easily batted away its influence, but the childish smile grew upon the boy as he looked to Issei's entranced eyes. Just as he wanted.
Give in. there's no use fighting anymore.
You don't have to fight anymore…
"You don't have to fight anymore!"
It was certainly not a voice he had heard before in his life, yet the anguished yell rang with an intense familiarity. Who was this woman, screaming towards him? The two small people were unprepared for the yell of Issei as he clutched his head, falling to the ground with a primal roar. None of the other people who had fallen under the spell had reacted in that sort of way! They also didn't… start glowing?
A golden light overtook Issei's features, flowing off like a river to the sea. Every inch of skin had the same golden sheen, the aura like water as it burst off of his body, unsure, Ophis pushed the boy back, regardless of her father's feelings towards him; her father would be allowed to do what he wanted, even if it meant making sure that the boy remained unharmed until then.
A sudden lurch had him offering his hand to Ophis, a gentlemanly smile overtaking is features as an accent most British took over.
"Tell me lady, have you ever wonder what it would be like to become one with m- Argh!" the sudden roar had him turning away to the boy, recoiling as Issei shook a finger in his face with more than just a patronising tone.
"It's not just called combining powers! It's called Du-a-li-zing! It'll be incr- no, what is this!?" Issei roared, a brief moment spent in what appeared to be a girl's voice interrupted by his pained scream. The glow refused to pause, seemingly gaining in intensity as the boy looked to his work in abstract horror; this was not the peace he wanted, watching blindly as the boy kept flashing through various personas, his face growing more haggard and pained each time, even if it was being forced into a wide variety of different expressions.
"What's happening to him?" the boy asked frightened to Ophis, the girl merely giving a blank look as she stood in front of him.
"Whatever, you did."
"This phone, the summon cell, it can do amazing th- No, stop it, that's not you!" Issei growled, the amazed voice juxtaposing immediately with the withered anger of a boy unsure. Thrown to the side, he wasn't even speaking to anyone as he grasped invisible lapels, age suddenly appearing upon a youthful face. "There are many dangers we face. We must combine our po- Look, there's no time to explain, I'm just going to use my phone to- You look like a smart one! How about we mix into something ama- Why is this happening to me!?"
He forced himself onto his knees, pulling away from the lights as they freaked out under the power that flowed off of Issei's body, his glow being the only luminescence needed to light the entire control room for the frightened boy and passive girl. Ophis' eyes narrowed as she looked into the body of Issei, a startling realisation being voiced in one of the most deadpan voices the girl probably could've mustered to represent surprised curiosity.
"He, is not he. Father, is many." The boy in all of his fear didn't think it any more, the sheer absurdity of such a statement certainly not doing much to help either male in the room, tears flooding Issei's mind as his hand weakly gestured wildly like a mad man, even with the glow that took his body.
"No, no, no the whole thing's absolutely rid- Stop it… just make it stop…" the boy sobbed, falling to his knees, yet once more did his voice change, a burly tone that didn't belong to Issei's thin frame at all. "So you're telling me that there's a bloody tower we have to go through!? Don't fu- the tower of Ai, a place where nine blessings lay… it certainly seems inter- So all we have to do is get to the top of this tow- Urgh!"
But that small part had been enough to intrigue Ophis. There was no denying that those few lines, whoever had spoken them, were related. With a hand gently glowing green to Issei, she drew her ear close, ready to catch anything the tortured boy said that might be remotely of interest.
"Please, just take one of the biscuits. It may be one of the last you have." A hand was held out casually, only to be flung back into Issei with a great violence that was most likely not intentional, the boy crouching inward as red eyes looked around the room frightened. "The tower of Ai… that's got to be a tr- Whether being drowned in ever raging sea – Hell fire was my destiny!"
Now that was something the girl wanted to remember. As the female voice gave to another softer one, that of a girl who gave up as hands clutched his head in agony, Ophis watched as Issei seemed to fully succumb to the glow, a combination of different speakers seemingly coming without break.
"Suffering in a drought and falling on my knees… Trapped in darkness forever, never be free – swallowed and eaten by the earth! Being stricken by lightning forever mor – torn up by winds that endure – being frozen inside up into the core – crawling through the fires – there will be – a –oracle… that's me?" the last part was said in Issei's voice, the confusing being the last thing he felt until the bliss of unconsciousness claimed his body, Ophis quick to catch the falling boy. Her eyes turned unto the one responsible, a gulp escaping the young child.
This would be fun.
...Well that was weird. Maybe that just left more questions than it actually answered. Well, next time we'll see how the girls are dealing outside with their demolition efforts and maybe start wrapping this part up! Just remember two things if anything, okay?One is that this story has a very special influence I mentioned before, and the other is that there are a number of vocaloid references. Now what could that mean?