Ch. 5: Schizophrenic Assault

(Arturo POV): Picking up Akira, his family, Makimura's family, and Miki Kuroda has gone without a hitch. Nothing went south yet but I was a bit worried and cautious so packed some heat just in case. Before joining in, I was hunted for a quite a while now and I carried my 1911 pistol whenever I go somewhere. But this time, it feels different because I am confident that my friends can carry out the tasks as I did. Continuing to drive down the viaduct, we were not approached by any soldiers or gangs or someone who has a vendetta, except for the recently ramped up security checkpoint. We passed with ease and luckily not one soldier recognized us from days ago. I think I am stretching my luck here a bit. After passing that checkpoint with Makimura following, I radioed in, "Makimura, any signs of trouble? Over."

"No signs of trouble. Over."

"Gracias. Over." I put down the walkie-talkie and Kuroda apologizes to me, "Sorry for the chokehold."

"No worries. You're a strong woman! You could be a good use for help in my later missions."

"Like what kind of help?"

"Mostly breaking in and being my bodyguard. Señorita, my body is already drained of life so please help me out," I said with a joking manner while blushing in red.

She looks at me with a slight smile, "You're blushing. Do you have feelings for me?"

I was surprised by her answer and replied with a quick no with a greater blush. She replied, "You're in love with me, aren't you? You really enjoyed my chokehold."

Akira jumps in, "Arturo-san! Really?"

I admitted to Kuroda, "Ok yes! I love you and I love big women! Is there something wrong with that?" While I was still blushing, she laughs
with joy, "I'll admit. You do look deserving. I do love you."

While Kuroda and I talked, I see Akira in the back seat looking at the derelict buildings and the misery outside; his expressions were a mix of awe and sadness. Akira asked me, "How could you live with this injustice every day? So many innocent lives are lost here."

"I know," said nonchalantly, "At first, we asked for help, but over time we lost hope after help has never come for years. Hope," I said while creating a V-sign with two fingers moving up and down, "is such a cliché. Don't call me pessimistic; rather call it realistic. It's been like since before I was born."

His father jumped in the conversation, "That's quite depressing. Akira-san, consider yourself lucky that you were born in Japan, even when we didn't have everything." His mom joined in as well, "Arturo-san, you're such a brave man."

"Gracias but," I sighed while thinking of my past, "I lost myself a long time ago and now a spark was lit and I think hope is coming back. That's the first time I felt a bit optimistic."

Akira continued to look outside and asked me, "I saw how the government seems to be paranoid about themselves. I mean, look," Akira points at the police officer and a gangster exchanging bribes, "How crazy is that?"

"I know how you feel, but once you get to know this country, then you'll accept it."

"Accept it? No, I want to save these people."

I laughed at his answer, "¿Por qué? Why would you save these hijos de puta? (sons of bitches) You couldn't even save your friends!"

"Watch it, fucker. You don't know shit what he put me through."

"Put though? My ass, I was running from the cops when I was a cop, student, kid, and baby! I'm doing you a favor by giving you shelter to kill that motherfucker!" I heavily sighed and apologized, "I'm sorry for my temper. I'm sure your friend had ulterior motives, but sometimes to get a rid a pest, you must kill it, not befriend it. Don't pet your former friend, sometimes you gotta kill it."

"Before I was killed, I gave this answer to my, well, former friend. You know him as Satan. I said to him, 'the strong must protect the weak.' He was very cold about life in general and decided to burn the world over in my universe. When I saw his tears over my decapitated body, I won the battle over his heart because he did not open up his own."

"I don't get it."

"Listen. He found out the truth of life in the most ironic way as possible. He won a pyrrhic victory at the cost of my life."

"I see. Well, thanks for the life lesson," I said in a confused manner.

"I'll tell you later about it."

"Sounds about right. With some beers," I pulled out a Dos Equis beer, opened it, and drank it.

"Sure."

Akira's dad butts in, "Son, don't you drink any fucking alcohol or I'll burn you. And you," pointing at me with his flaming right hand, "don't you fucking drink and drive.

"Come on dad! I'm Devilman. Besides, you are the ghost rider and mom's an onryo are immune. He's already immune." We laughed until
something happened.

I heard an explosion twelve cars in front of me. A loud crash, boom, and pop. People were screaming and getting out of their cars. Gunshots were fired. Police officers were even running away, even though they are the frontline of defense. Makimura radios in, "What the hell happened? I'm coming out with my family." Then, I head a yell. I looked through the rubble and smoke and saw a man, wearing a ski mask and a shirt with a red crusader cross. I radioed back to her, "Makimura, stay there and protect your family," I looked at my passengers, "Stay here," I told Akira, his family, and Kuroda.

"No," Kuroda said firmly, "You want to be your bodyguard? I'll go with you and besides you're providing us with a lot of resources."

"Me too," said Taro. His parents also agreed to go with me. I grabbed my pistol and walkie-talkie and loaded with ammo. I waved my pistol to signal them to follow me. They came out of the van and walked with me towards the center of the action. There were body parts everywhere: decapitated heads, mangled bones, blood pools, and twitched arms. I found a barely alive soldier with his legs missing, "What happened?"

He explained, "The Templars just bombed a bus and the viaduct bridge collapsed. They're still here," he gasped his last breath before finally dying in my arms. Makimura and her family arrived with us. I told everyone, "Guys, find the Templars. They're these fucking cult-like lunatics that are killing everyone in their paths. Go fuck them up!"

"Yeah!" everyone said. We split up. I went with Taro and Kuroda while Akira went with his mom and dad. Makimura went with her family. I saw Taro and Kuroda transform. Kuroda started to appear arachnid humanoid while Taro becomes like a Ghost Rider. That was fucking amazing! I crouched behind a car and saw a Templar gangster walking back and forth. I said to Kuroda, "Show me what you can do, love."

She smiled back, "Roger that." Her eyes turned yellow with glee. Her back grew spider appendages and grabbed the man off guard. The gangster was struggling and screaming for help. Someone screamed for backup, but Kuroda immediately tore the gangster in half. I told Taro, "Hey, there are three more coming. Show me what you got."

He nodded and transformed into some kind of caterpillar/centipede creature. His transformation was phenomenal: he grew from a kindergarten height into a enormous ferocious demon. I was fascinated and even jealous of their abilities. He ran towards them and started to chop these gangsters up. One of them tried to crawl away with a missing leg, but Taro got in and ate him alive. I head the bones crunching and blood spewing from Taro's mouth. I came out of hiding, "Wow, you guys are fucking awesome! I never felt happy about-"

A bullet struck my right leg. I came falling down and screaming for pain. A man with a missing eye shot me. Then a flaming chain came across me and rolled up the gangster's head. I looked and followed the chain and it was Akira's dad. His voice was deep and ferocious, "Don't you fucking kill my friend!" He pulled it and decapitated the gangster. "A little help please," I begged.

Akira's dad came over and picked me up, "You're going to be alright. Honey," his wife an Onryo, "Stich him up quickly."

Akira's mom comes to my aid. She puts her hands on my leg, "Arturo-san, this will hurt a bit."

I was screaming in pain. That wasn't a bit painful. "Mierda!" I screamed but the wound healed by her touch. I looked around while still limping, "Anyone out there, putos?" I saw a Templar gangster surrendering in front of me: her face was covered with tattoos of God and some false saint, "I surrender," she cried. I whistled at Kuroda to take her to the van, so we can interrogate her. (End of POV)

Over the distance, there was a battle that was coming to an end. Makimura transformed into the Onryo Runner and dragged a gangster across a pool of blood and ripped body parts. She put her hand across the gangster's face. "Please don't. I'll die from my boss!"

"I'll be the judge of that," she said. She initiated the judging as the gangster screamed in pain and terror. The soul from the gangster showed events from his first day as a gangster to ruthless killings of innocents and his family members. After ten seconds, his eye sockets were gouged and burned out, his mouth drooled, and his heart stopped beating. "You are guilty." She lets go of the body and her parents are finishing the job around her. Her father burning his last victim while her mother grabs her hand out of a gangster's throat. Makimura looks down at her pale arms covered in blood. She smiles with satisfaction, no more. She grabs the walkie-talkie from the pocket, "Arturo, how are you doing."

He replied, "We're just about done. Let's get to back to the van before the dust clears. Someone must've planned this schizophrenic assault for me." He and the rest promptly went back to the van and Arturo turned on the car and drove to the viaduct exit. The van behind him follows Arturo's van as well. "Guys, let's go the Idaho house. It's time to celebrate." This country and city can be saved, Arturo thought. And so the adventure begins.