Chapter 48: Cutting off ties
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I found myself in the same huge circular room with Deus in the centre. This was it, the moment I had been waiting for these two years! However, in honour of such an event, the "god-machine" had slightly changed the interior, making instead of a room, just hanging in the air racks for "fighters". Somewhat reminiscent of the beginning of the Hunger Games, but which part, I don't really remember.
Though, I admit, the clouds floating around us look really beautiful. It's like you're really in heaven.
Ah yes... the gods, as promised, have made me a kind of card joker. Why would I think that? Because the circle I was standing on was higher than the others, exactly opposite Deus. The rest of us were in a semicircle in front of the machine god. Heh, I guess I'm not affected by the shadow effect, since I can see everyone here in colour. To them, we're all mere 'shadows' that I created back in the day using shadow creation.
There's Yuno... extremely confused. Hmm, that's right, if it was a simple hit, I would just take the place of the First, and Yukiteru and I are very easy to distinguish. It's just a matter of height, he's about 20 centimetres shorter than me.
After a second of my appearance, the gazes of all eleven people immediately crossed on me. Laughing at the dumbfounded expressions on their faces, I turned my gaze to Deus, whose mask also read amusement.
- You could have warned me beforehand. - I interrupted the silence.
- Why? You had no trouble killing the Third anyway. - Deus parried.
- What do you mean?! - Eleventh exclaimed indignantly. - Who the hell is that?!
Deus coughed demonstratively, then calmly said:
- Since I have already told you the rules of the game, we can come to additional nuances. This is Thirteen, who will only partially participate in the game. I'll tell you right away, he doesn't have a diary. In place of this, he will be a "special" figure that will help you to win.
- But if he doesn't have a diary, how will he-" Fourth chuckled, and then continued speaking. - help?
- He's not human. - Deus replied simply.
From his answer, the players fell out, and I involuntarily thought about the pathos of the situation. Yeah...
- And... who is he? - Ninth asked uncertainly, with a hint of amusement in her voice. Yeah, Minene, and when you find out that this "monster" was harassing you as a joke, you'll be a lot less amused.
- A creature called a Ghoul. Its skin cannot be penetrated by almost any weapon, and its strength, speed, and senses are far greater and more sensitive than those of humans. It also has a special weapon, in the form of tentacles that can easily pierce through the human body.
- Aren't you telling me too much about me? - I glanced at Deus.
- They have a right to know. - The god shrugged. - Who he hunts depends on you, and only on you. Some will be lucky enough to make friends with him, and some will make the biggest mistake of their lives, by their actions, becoming his target.
- You mean he will be a weapon? - Six asked interestedly.
- No. He wasn't created by anyone and is completely left to his own devices. Thirteen is an ordinary man who once happened to gain immense power. Therefore, he will act as he pleases, do as he pleases. Live the life he wants to live.
- Well, some of you are already my friends. - I grinned. - Three, actually.
- Then I just hope I'm not on your enemies list. - Nine chuckled.
Perhaps Minena can reveal my identity. Still, her defence is something I've decided to unequivocally protect. Besides, her attack on Yukiteru should not be allowed. I like her with both eyes.
- Well..." I smirked, raising my gaze to the sky to make it seem as if my speech was meant for everyone. - One of you once wanted to shoot me, with my own weapon, in my own house. Even though I saved you from the cops and let you crash at my place.
I ran my eyes across the faces of all the players, lingering for a moment on Minene's dumbfounded face.
- Well..." Deus interjected. - If that's it, then... everyone's free to go!
***
I leaned back in my chair, looking up at the ceiling. Here we go. Should I say I'm glad? Yeah, I'm definitely glad. To be honest, I'd been bored with this world for a year and a half, and I missed Esdes and Hinami and Touka, my Touka. And I'd like to talk to Juzo or Nishiki too. Well, now I'll be back in no time, I just have to kill all the players and then go home.
Speaking of those two years. Not much changed during that time, I decided not to get close to Juno, but with Touka... who turned up missing after 4 months of our relationship. Of course I was sad, but I didn't take revenge on Yuno. Why was it her? She saw me and Touka on a walk 2 days before she disappeared. Coincidence? I don't think so.
Also, Minene visited me 5 times. The first was in December 2010, the second in March 2011, the third in June, the fourth six months later in December 2011, and in February this year, she visited me for the fifth time.
Okay, it's time to start the game. I got up and left the room, immediately going to Yukiter's room. He was lying in bed with a wild look, clearly thinking about how he was going to survive in this game. He doesn't have to worry about that, though, because I'm here.
- Hey, brother, what's up? - I chuckled, "Why do you look so wild? And you're all sweaty.
- I-I-I-I was running. - Yukiteru answered me with his slurred tongue.
- Huh? - I glanced at the boy. - Where were you running from? And most importantly, from whom?
- W-what are you doing here? - He smiled strainedly, not admiring me in the least with his acting.
- I wanted to talk to you about something. Shall we go for a walk?
- Where?" he asked fearfully, crawling back into the corner.
- What are you doing? It's me! - There was no response. - Are you sure you're all right?
- Y-yes... I just... I had a bad dream.
- It happens. - I nodded. Let's go, we need to talk about our family.
- I'm coming. - Yukiteru nodded, carefully getting up from the bed and following me.
***
- Tell me, what do you think about our family? - I asked Yukiteru, who was walking next to me, while looking at the sunset. We were walking through the park, which was practically deserted today. There were no people around, only an elderly couple sitting on a bench in the distance.
- Why?
He had already calmed down, though he was looking around quite a bit, searching for a potential killer. Heh...
- No reason... for example, I hate my father.
- Why? - the boy wondered.
- To begin with, if you threaten him, he'll easily kill mum or anyone else for his credits. Even you!
- He would never do such a thing! - Yukiteru answered me indignantly. - What makes you think that?!
- You know, Yuki... sometimes, people die..." ignoring his questions, I continued to speak. - They die, they die... and then they rise up. Remember when I was hit by a car two years ago?
- Y-yes.
- That's when I became the Thirteenth.
"BZHSCHIK."
Yukiteru blinked as he looked at me. A trickle of blood slowly dripped from his open mouth.
- I never liked you. - I smiled slightly, looking at the setting sun again. - A whiner, without character or will.
Yukiteru tried to inhale, but failed.
- And now... it was time for blood.
The tentacle of my kagune squelched out of the boy's chest, immediately returning to the kakuho. Yukiteru fell to the pavement with glassy eyes. Smiling slightly, I squatted down and slammed my fist sharply into the ground. Having torn off a couple of small pieces of asphalt, I threw them with all my might at the fleeing grandfather and grandmother, who were sitting on the bench.
- Now all that's left is to clean up the evidence. - I grinned, ripping open Amano's body and pulling out a couple of tasty pieces of meat.
***
A day later...
I took off my headphones, pausing mass effect 3, which came out a couple of months ago.
- I'm home! - I heard a scream that belonged to my mother.
Smiling weakly, I picked up my USP pistol from the table, pulling the bolt. Throwing a glance at Yukiteru's mobile phone, which was lying on the table, I looked into it, reading a couple of inscriptions.
"17:36. Amano's house. Mum's back, and Minene's also popped in. Damn, bad timing!"
Whoops... Yeah, that diary that was still functioning as well, showing everything that would happen around himself. Quite a useful thing...
Getting up, I leisurely followed to the exit. Once down, I immediately found Mum at the front door, with Minene standing next to her. Moreover, standing with a folding knife in her hands and behind Rhea's back.
- Hello, son! - Rhea grinned brightly at me. - And I see you got a girl while I was away? Shame on you for hiding such a thing! Besides, such a beautiful ....
"BANG"
The woman immediately fell to the floor with a flat hole in her forehead.
- Hello, Minene. - I sighed sadly - I take it you've come to visit?
The girl stood with her mouth hanging open and her eyes bulging frantically, staring at the dead Rhea.
- Y-you...
- Calm down. - I smiled slightly, walking over to the twitching Minena... and kissing her ajar lips. - Mmm... been wanting to do that for a long time. Here.
I shoved the gun into her shock-weakened hands, which barely managed to hold the weapon.
- I'll be right there. We need to hide the body. - I waved my hand at the girl, who was opening and closing her mouth in shock.
I already knew where to hide Rhea. A hole had been dug in the backyard yesterday, all that was left was to load the object into it, and that was it, mission accomplished.
***
I walked into the kitchen, throwing a glance at a shaken Minene, who was clutching her gun. I shifted my gaze to the weapon, then chuckled, abruptly flying over to the girl and roughly snatching the gun, taking a couple of steps back.
- Look. - I said briefly... after which I shot myself in the temple.
Minene watched in shock as the crumpled bullet fell to the floor, which a second later I picked up and placed on the table in front of Minene, handing her the gun again.
- So... you...
- Yep. Thirteen, in person! - I saluted the girl with an empty mug, into which I immediately poured a handful of coffee.
Minutes of silence followed, interrupted only by my asking Minene if she wanted coffee. She nodded silently. Within five minutes, we were sipping the beverage... although that was more for me. Uriu didn't even touch the hot cup, and she wasn't calm.
- Ask. - I said briefly, seeing the look on the girl's face.
- Who are you?
- What were you doing listening to Deus? - I snorted, glancing at the fridge. There's nothing in it... I'm an unkillable creature who can tear anything apart. To tell you the truth, the first thing I did after starting the game was to stab Yukiteru. My brother was the First, and my love didn't extend to him at all. And to be honest, I was waiting for you to come. I didn't think it would be so soon, but still... I thought I'd finally be alone in this house for a couple of days, but no, you came with Mum.
- You killed your mother and your brother..." Minene said already more calmly, which I liked. She's the kind of person who takes things as they are and doesn't make things up. For that, she's a plus.
- They're not my family. - I shrugged. - I still had some feelings for Rhea, but I had other goals in mind. Sooner or later, she'd realise that you were a TV terrorist, and then the plans would be dead. And you can do anything you want now, even orgies.
A second later, I realised exactly what I'd said.
- Oh, hormones. - I rolled my eyes, staring at the ceiling.
Hmm... because in this world, I'm not a virgin anymore... had a couple of times with Touka before she disappeared.
- You killed your family.
- Well... you and I have different worldviews, different races and all that... But don't worry, Ninth, you're right up there on the list of people I'd kill for.
There was a silence, during which Minene stared at me, while I sipped my coffee.
- So you really are... Thirteen? - she chuckled, looking at the brick-face I'd set up. - How long have you been a monster of another race?
- Well... a long time ago. - I grumbled, setting the empty mug aside. - A long time ago. Long before I met you.
- Huh! And I wondered why you were so crazy. - Minene said in a much more confident and calm voice, to which I just shrugged my shoulders. - Well... what are the plans? You know the names and faces of all the players, right?
- How can I tell you... - I smiled slightly. - No, and yes. I don't know the names of many of them, but I know where they are, what they do, and their faces.
- Will you tell me?
- Are you kidding me? - I chuckled. No, of course not. I don't want you to run off to kill them and then die in some back alley. They'll come running sooner or later, you can be sure of that. The game will make them-- well, or me.
- You mean you care? - Minene snorted.
- No one does anything for nothing. I'll have my own reward at the end of this game. In the meantime, you can take my brother's room, we'll go to the shop tomorrow morning, because the fridge is empty, you won't have anything to eat.
- Shouldn't you be eating? Anyway, can you tell me what that power that idiot god was talking about?
- Hmm. I'm on a different diet. And anyway... no, I won't tell you.
- Eh... - suddenly, Minene got up, walked over to me... and gave me a slap.
- Why? - I asked in surprise, feeling a slight tingling sensation.
- You shouldn't have slobbered on me! - snorted the girl, walking away up the stairs to the top of the stairs.
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