Chapitre 77: Chapter Seventy-Seven: Unmasked
About a month and a half passed as the crew moved from nation to nation in the Americas, swiftly closing stream after stream. By this time, Carl had already healed and was traveling with the crew. The only people who stayed behind were Ryan, Demetri, Ali and Shelby. Carl wore an arm sling as his wrist was still recovering, as ordered by Demetri. By now, the news of Silas and his parents being portrayed as a monster had spread but was immediately followed up with the spread of those documents. Many of the larger details within those documents were spread like wildfire on the news, worldwide. Soon after, Siran's book titled "Library//Asylum" also spread like wildfire, thanks to the new coverage of details of the history people haven't been told before within those documents. The documents never portrayed anything that would clear the name of The Six Guns, but the details linked between those, and Siran's own story helped paint a picture that Siran desperately wanted to paint.
"So... he was telling the truth..." Max says in a command room in Germany, putting a bookmark roughly in the middle of the book and picking up one of the books which held information of America's history throughout the Naris Catastrophe. "But what is the theist gate? Who is Gaia in all of this?"
"Who would've known that crazy demon was human?..." Jassim says, sitting outside of a tavern in an unknown city, traveling place to place. "An American of all things... why is he fighting America?"
"I didn't want to think their crazy talk could have been true..." Felicia says to her husband, Henry. The two of them had moved to another home just east outside of Farnhardt city limits, closer to Pilloa. "I mean, gods, reincarnation, laibah? It seems too unreal."
"But, too many dots are connecting here to ignore it for any longer." Henry replies. "If that Gaia in that story is the actual... well, you know..."
"Plus, what we've seen from not only the drones, but America." Felicia adds. "I mean, they showed video evidence of Silas..."
"But Silas also did that in person." Henry adds.
"I try not to think about it." Felicia replies. "It's genuinely too much for me..."
"This is a gold mine of intelligence!" Haruto says, back in Japan with the rest of Haru's old squad. "I know we've heard plenty relayed from Haru, but to get this deep into the story!"
"To think those twins and Haru work with something like that though." Sota says. "Shouldn't we be worried?"
"I think we're way past that." Yui says. "I mean, it's been this long. The leader, Siran, he's come forward with all this information after all of this time. There must be some sort of message he's sending, trying to take all the blame for himself."
"I wonder why it took him this long." Riku adds. "Think about it, we know why they got involved between Japan and Omnia all those years ago. I still remember the day they took on that Mage. They could've come forward a long time ago before Siran had to tell the story like it was all his fault. The way I see it, Japan was just as much to blame for that situation."
"Right, and we know that." Haruto adds. "But when have you ever heard a politician willingly accept accountability for any issue? If the blame can be avoided, it will be avoided."
"So he's trying to be a martyr just to stop the conflicts around the world?" Yui asks.
"I don't think that's exactly it." Sota replies. "Think about it, they already took on China. I think he plans to disband The Six Guns and absolve the rest of the crew at the cost of his own safety."
"Why go so far to tell us all this much?" Haruto Fujiwara, the police officer the crew ran into back in Tokyo, says to himself as he reads the book at a police station. "That man is not as evil as he makes himself out to be. So why put yourself in so much danger?"
"Siran, your crew is insane..." Kieran says as he reads the book in Coleraine. "But you are by far the most insane. I don't know what you're trying to prove with this book, but you've definitely painted a target on your back now. Godspeed..."
"So, this is the man who came to my bar..." Cillian, also known as Rex, says to himself in his bar. Cillian was the same man that handed over a journal to Siran just as they met Thomas Holland for the first time. He had a journal from one of his ancestors listing an interaction between his ancestor, and some mysterious figure during the Naris Catastrophe. "Interesting. Though, I have to admit, it does seem pretty sad to have paint yourself as once having been the friend of something like Naris. Regardless of the nature he showed before the attacks."
The book slams on a wooden table in a smoke covered room in Vega as John Frueder taunts "I knew that bastard was no good! He deserves every little kick in the gut he gets! I'm glad Don's old laptop and her little brat are hanging around that little demon! I hope she dies. I hope they all die."
"Here, I thought you'd do what you can to prove your innocence." President Denzel Freeman says as he gently lays the book on the table in the oval office. "This is a most interesting turn of events. To think I'd get to see the day in my last year in office. Siran, you and your misfit crew never cease to amaze me. Just remember, you painted this target on your back. I'm simply going to sit back and watch the next guys answer your call."
"Of course a man of this caliber is capable of controlling and misleading people like that." Aiguo Liuqing, a Chinese special agent says in a security office in Beijing. "I would say I feel sorry for that bastard crew, but I don't. I'm still going to hunt them down for disgracing our nation."
"So, you show your teeth and then back away like a coward, eh?" Roger Bachana says to himself in the House of Parliament in the U.K. "Most interesting strategy. We haven't had our chances to mingle, but how could I resist when you're asking for it so politely? The moment things around the world calm down, if ever, consider your days numbered... Siran Mahina."
After a long journey, all of the streams in both North and South America had been closed. The endo surrounding the planet was rapidly thinning, though the skies were still black. But the looming threat of the world suffocating had been eradicated. Endo levels were dropping faster than endo was being pumped into the world. The crew had flown back to Omnia, landing near Pythol and walking the rest of the journey back home to Pilloa. They didn't have any vehicles at this time as all the ones large enough at HQ were currently in use, transporting food and other essentials to nearby cities that have been going without. Just outside of the forests surrounding the city of Pilloa, they had seen in the distance one dark and distant figure, waiting ever so patiently for their arrival. As they get close, they could all see it was none other than Foxhound. "That's the guy?" Siran asks.
"That's the one." Zia says.
"Why do people keep using that damn helmet?" Siran sighs. "It wasn't even good. It was just a disguise to hide my face!"
"I think it's supposed to be a taunt." Robin replies.
Suddenly, Foxhound starts to slowly walk forward as Ares also appears from inside the forest. "Long time no see, Ishmael!" Ares says with a false tone of excitement. "Heard you went around closing my streams. Can't say I'm all that bothered, really. But the part that does hit me in my weak spot is your feeble attempt at gaining sympathy with that little story floating around. After all, whatever kind of monster you say you might be, you and I both know that you... the real you... is far worse."
"You sure took your sweet time showing your face, Ares." Siran says as he approaches Ares. "I finally get a chance to rearrange it for you after all of this time."
"I'm afraid we won't be having our battle anytime soon, or ever, really." Ares says as he stops and Foxhound keeps walking by himself. As Siran keeps walking, he gestures to stop the rest of the crew as Ares says "You see, I have a surprise for you. A friend to play with. This is the instrument we've cooked up to kill you. Your crew may have somehow gotten rid of Dolos... but with all of those shards coming back to Foxhound here and myself, well... I'm afraid you're just going to have to see for yourself."
"Stay back." Siran says. "Zia, you're still healing. I want everyone capable of fighting in a position ready to cover and protect anyone of ours who are already injured. Silas, you stay back too. Don't try anything funny."
"Hey, don't go underestimating the enemy like that!" Athena argues. "I can tell, they're stronger than they were before. Much stronger! You're going to need help."
"Athena, if you get in my way, I won't hesitate to fight you too!" Siran argues.
"Hey! What the hell!?" Athena asks.
"Wait..." Thor says to Athena. "Something feels... off."
"Off?" Athena asks.
"Like... familiar..." Thor says. "It might be best if we remain on backup for now. With those two carrying all of those shards of Chronos, I'm not sure what they're capable of. But something tells me the only thing... the only people capable of fighting that right now... might be Ishmael and Inari."
"What makes you say that?" Athena asks.
"Whatever Zues was, before the black skies..." Thor says, not taking his eyes off of Ares. "Imagine much worse. I can feel it. This is not something we can handle. We are too limited."
"Siran!" Athena yells as Siran keeps walking forward. "Kick it's ass, or I'm tagging in!"
"Then let the games begin..." Ares says as he sits down in the grass.
Both Siran and Foxhound get into a fighting stance. "I won't let you threaten my family ever again." he says. "You attacked my son, injured my crew's children... after recovering my memories, you're going to taunt me with a mock of my old helmet and a title like Foxhound? I may not be strong enough to match you, but never think I'm out of ideas."
"Dad!" Silas shouts. "Be careful! He's stealing your endo!"
"Stealing my endo?" Siran asks himself. "Two can play at that game. Besides, let's see you steal endo in its reactive state." Siran starts using shapeshifting magic and his memories of his life as Ishmael to take on a form he once used in combat. He shapeshifts into his bipedal fox form, with long black hair covering him from head to toe, long ears, a puffy tail, black sclera, bright purple eyes and bright purple tips of the hair on his tail, ears and head hair. His hands remained human shaped as he remained standing on his two feet. His hair started slowly turning from black to white as it became filled with reactive endo. His eyes turning from purple to bright red as he activated clairvoyance magic that was so potent that the magic covering his eyes turned his eyes red. Now, Siran stood nearly two feet taller in this form, towering over the emotionless Foxhound drone. "Go on, make your first move..." Foxhound dashes at Siran and throws a punch packed with reactive endo. As he swung his fist, Siran matched his speed and threw a punch back at him packed with distortion magic. Siran's punch hit the air before Foxhound could reach him, and a huge blast of wind shot from the distortion burst and caused Foxhound to be thrown backwards as if being reflected by sheer force.
"Holy... shit." Athena says in awe.
"Where was he hiding all of this!?" Vivi asks in shock.
"One of his many tricks." Zia says with crossed arms and a smile. "It's why I don't doubt he can handle this. I only doubt that he knows when to stop."
Foxhound landed hard on his back with a thud, and the force caused him to bounce off of the hard dirt by about a quarter of a meter. By the time Foxhound could land of the ground again, Siran was already standing above him with another punch ready. In a split second, Foxhound used elemental magic and rolled to his side using his left hand on the ground. Rolling out of the way of both Siran's fist and the rocky pillar that just shot out from beneath Foxhound at Siran. Siran's punch shattered the rocky pilar with an explosive force as Foxhound appeared behind Siran and kicked him in the back of the neck. Siran merely stood still and let the kick hit him, and as Foxhound's leg hit Siran's hair covering his neck, a sudden shock shot through Foxhound's leg from the raw reactive energy, followed by a sudden blast from a discharge of energy. Foxhound was sent onto the ground again as Siran remained standing, still facing away from Foxhound. As Foxhound gets up, they could all see the spot Foxhound had kicked returned to black hair and slowly regained its white glow as more reactive endo filled the gap. "You can't touch me." Siran says as he slowly turns around. "Not without being hurt by the reactive endo. It's what sets me apart from the other god slayers." Siran slowly walks up to Foxhound who only just started sitting back up. Siran grabs Foxhound by the collar of his black vest and lifts him up. "Make as many new god slayers as you want, but never forget who the original was..."
A slow clapping could be heard from behind Siran. As Siran looks over his shoulder, he could see Ares standing and clapping slowly. "Wonderful, wonderful." He says. "But you're not the only one with tricks." Siran sees a bright glow in the corner of his eye and tilts his head to dodge at the very last instant. A white beam of raw reactive endo shoots out of Foxhound's hand and barely misses Siran's face, slamming into the ground beneath them, leaving a small hole in the ground as the beam burrowed deep into the earth. A subtle shock could be felt from underground as the beam erupted deep under the surface, as Siran looks back at Foxhound who remained as calm as ever. "Don't lose your focus now." Ares laughs. "Any moment, you just might lose your head."
Foxhound plants his feet with a distortion spell at Siran's chest. The distortion spell kept his feet from touching the reactive endo, but caused the force to still hit Siran, causing Siran to let go. Foxhound jumps back and covers his right arm in reactive endo. The reactive endo takes a smokey look that slowly becomes more defined and solid as it extends past his fingers where a long blade made of pure reactive endo extends out of Foxhound's hand. Siran throws another powerful distortion punch at Foxhound and Foxhound moves his feet to spin as he runs, moving just enough to the side without losing momentum to dodge the attack. Foxhound raises his endo sword to attack, but suddenly Siran plants his left elbow directly into Foxhounds mask. Siran used just a little illusion magic to make himself look slightly more distant than he really was and caught Foxhound off-guard. When Siran hits Foxhound, it causes him to backflip violently. The tough glass-like material on the face of the helmet cracks and the helmet flies off of Foxhounds face. Foxhound hit the ground hard again and laid there for just five seconds before finally getting back up.
"W-wait..." Athena says in shock,
"That can't be..." Thor says.
"No way..." Silas replies.
"Hmph..." Siran says as he starts to slowly walk up to Foxhound who now sat up. "I definitely thought you were dead. I never thought I'd have to see your face again... Loki." As Foxhound looks up, everyone could see clearly the face of Loki, which hid behind that mask. No emotions shown behind those near lifeless eyes of his, and his facial expressions remained as blank as the helmet looked. "So, this is your god slayer..."
État de l’alimentation hebdomadaire
-- Classement
Power Stone 
-- Power
stone