《Master of Cards. *Reborn*》Chapter 13: You're not expendable.
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By the time Kael was done with her, Chairman Cyan was reduced to be nothing but a woman of insanity. Kael disconnected the right piece of the lower jaw part of his skull mask. Letting him put a cigarette to his lips. The blood over his boots, the blood over his hands. The blood over the mask. These things combined together added to be a recipe for fear to those that saw Kael. It was not because he was strong or overpowered. It was because they all heard the screams of Chairman Cyan over the radio.
The soldiers gave up, fear had already won over them. Some of them shot themselves in the head because it was easier than hearing the torture their chairman went through. The rest merely cowered in fear, even Kael's footsteps were enough to throw them into turmoil. This may be perhaps to how Chairman Cyan was viewed to be like an unwavering woman who was determined in her goals. Or perhaps due to her iron fisted rule. Yet, she was put down in her place by a single person within just a few days. Kael was going to leave Allensphere to its fate. It will be up to the people to decide what to do next. The entire thing with Chairman Cyan torturing a young woman to power the city was all that was seen by the crowd. Then seeing the state of Chairman Cyan in the condition that she was in? The fact that Chairman Cyan was cowering and sucking on her thumbs like an infant?
It merely added fuel to the fire for the residents of Allensphere. The magic barrier that stopped them was gone, the corpses of the many people involved with Chairman Cyan's work had their corpses hung over the buildings. Their crimes written in blood by Kael's four swords. Police officers, SWAT and even the army soldiers made their way to the scene. Pointing their guns at Kael who kept smoking his cigarette. The four swords returned to his side, floating as they were ready to fight.
"Lay down your weapons and surrender!" The leading officer spoke. Kael raised his left hand then he pointed upwards. It caused all of them to float up, unable to find their balance. Kael continued on his walk, this time looking at the tallest building in Allensphere. The Cyan Corperation's tower and then he was looking for a spot that was somewhat close in height but more natural. Seeing a mountain that was roughly the same height just a bit off by give or take a few hundred meeters. He walked past the police, SWAT and the army soldiers then he put them down. The four weapons just kept floating by his side.
"Master are you angry?" Baihua asked, she said those words so innocently that Kael couldn't be mad or even snap at her.
"Yeah. Radiant got hurt. She was badly hurt... The kind that we met for the first time. So after I told Symphony to bring her out... I just had to let loose all of that anger." Kael said to them.
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"Master... We're just... weapons." Kuro Hana said.
"You're not just weapons. You're living weapons. You think. You feel. You have emotions. You feel pain. It's not simple. You're not a nameless weapon that is not alive. You're alive. I told you four before. I treat you like my friends. You are my friends. I care about you. Every living weapon or weapon spirit that joins me. It will always by their choice, never did I force them to come with me." Kael raised his voice, the four weapons kept their silence. Perhaps they started to realize his anger, meant care and that him raising his voice. It was to get it through their thick skulls.
Kael walked up to the nearby mountain, where he found Black Symphony comforting her sister, Radiant Sonata.
"Master." Black Symphony greeted.
"How is she?"
"She's stable but... You can still see she's not strong enough to keep her form." Black Symphony looked at Kael her eyes were watering, Kael wiped her tears away with his fingers.
"Symphony. I won't let your sister die." Kael held Radiant Sonata in his hands, where she reverted back to her weapon form. A white longsword with a fancy crossguard. He could see the cracks show up on the blade, on the crossguard. Kael stared at the Cyan Tower, he was feeling the rage culminate into his veins. His eyes were glowing violet, leaving streaks of violet in the air. Kael was readying his swing, Radiant Sonata had a weird weight fluctuation. It was heavier than he remembered.
Kael readied his swing, seeing the tower's top floor be sliced right off but leaving the rest of it in once piece. Radiant Sonata was sharp but it was lacking its true strength from before. Clearly the damage was one thing but it seems that her confidence as a blade is lost. Which affects its damage.
"Symphony. Let's leave your sister in her blade form for a while." Black Symphony nodded to Kael as the others reverted back to their weapon forms. They slotted themselves to Kael's hip carefully, where Kael sheathed Radiant Sonata and holstered it to his back.
"That should be enough chaos for now." Kael said as the clothes and weapons vanish. Radiant Sonata was now wrapped in a thick cloth. Think of it as a way to keep it warm. Kael remembered how cold she felt in his hands. Even after prolonged periods, the grip of the long sword was not getting warmer. It was getting colder. This means that if Kael has to spend time with Radiant Sonata, and he can't put her away because she might freak out.
Damaged Living Weapons need to cared for like a sick patient. It takes a lot of time and effort by the wielder to help it. This isn't like a gun where you can just swap the parts out and you're all dandy. Kael headed back to his hotel, hearing the chaos all around Allensphere intensifying. It seems that the people were in the midst of a riot. There were hooded figures that were wielding firearms and wore a shirt 'Rebel Against Cyan.' Kael could not blame them at all, they threw rocks. They were making make shift riot shields out of crude metal. This was an interesting development, Kael thought as he headed to his hotel. Seems like they boarded everything up carefully. Kael just went inside heading over to the cafe side of the area. Where there was no one present, Kael then typed stuff out in a receipt. Put money in the cash register as he grabbed a box of cream puffs and a bottle of iced tea.
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A guilty pleasure. Kael just sat back in his hotel, switching on the TV.
'We are live from Allensphere Metropolis. An unknown attack has caused the Cyan tower to be damaged. The top part of it was split in half. We also found word that people are showing their anger to Cyan and the Allensphere Defense forces because of what had been done to the homeless. There is also word that...' The reporter kept speaking, then hearing gunfire that caused them to run off.
The destruction was soothing to Kael, gunfire. Smoke in the air. Perhaps because he was used to being the cause of such things, the misery and fear within the ones involved. The human determination to kill one another, these minor details help to build the entire list of things Kael has to keep himself in check. They were part of the many things Kael had indulged in during his time as an Avatar of Destruction. Though now, Lucius does not require Kael to destroy everything as part of his duty as the Avatar.
Technically Kael is still the Avatar of Destruction but there was also something he had found. Kael heard more explosions, sounds of glass breaking and he was looking for things on his phone.Searching for another interesting detail. Which was a series of murder case. The finer details were quite specific to be written out.
Specific organs had been taken out. Bodies were carved with miissing organs on their body. One or two bodies had been skinned alive and Kael caught a glimpse of some of the corpses that were being vividly shown. No wonder the article had more than a dozen trigger warnings at the top. Kael was trying to think if this was a cult or a ritual of sorts. Kael left his room, heading downstairs to see hotel staff giving a refund for the guests that want to leave. Kael took whatever he could get back. Maybe half of the money but still better than nothing.
Kael stepped out of the hotel. Watching pickup trucks drive past him with masked figures wielding homemade weapons. Some of them carried guns they purchased prior or even procured from some of the soldiers. Kael went on a walk to the bus station, the chaos that was occurring all around him did not stop bother him. Walking through a shopping mall. Watching a Defence Force member be shot in the head, the people celebrating their kills. A humvee appeared from the front with a machine gun on top, Kael ducked as the machine gun unleashed its hail of lead that destroyed the cover that most of them had relied on.
The chunks of their cover was flying everywhere with dust spreading in the air. Kael kept close to the ground, literally crawling as he heard the gunfire zip past his head. He looked up to see a girl wielding a bazooka. She fired at the humvee which caused another set of explosions while she tumbled from the recoil. Kael literally just went inside a corridor and lit a cigarette. Seems like the entirety of Allensphere has turned into an actual warzone. The gunshop that was across him was being opened. The owner passing guns to everyone, they really want to fight against them.
Not Kael's problem but the smell of gunpowder and blood in the air. Charred flesh. The sounds of a burning vehicle, along with the sound of a struggling voice. Kael walked on over, that voice was in their last moments. Kael knelt to the heavily charred woman, she was coughing blood and looked at him.
"Who do you pray to?" Kael asked.
"Aerith." Kael nodded.
"Aerith, Goddess of Salvation. Save this soul before my eyes, I pray that this soul shall reach salvation. To rest peacefully in your domain where the believers will never see death ever again. I pray for this soul's salvation in your arms." Kael prayed as he held the woman's arm. She could not smile or say anything. Her strength was waning and she finally let go.
Kael then headed to the bus stop. He could have just teleported but he wanted to see Allensphere's fate. This was something, a habit that he carried from when he was the Avatar of Destruction. In all the lives he had lived, he must observe the destruction and await for the fates of these people. Judging by the situation, it may change for the better. Though they will be an anarchy based state for a while as they figure out their political allignments. Normally, Kael would expect people to take advantage of the violence.
Though today, it's different. He will have to come back to Allensphere one day, but at the very least. He has Radiant Sonata with him and it would be best to leave.
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