บท 52: The Perspective Of Sebastian Pegasus
Everything has been going way too fast…
I had no choice but to put on my business face in order to not get caught by this new 'Red Rabbit'.
Fuck, I miss my life…
I wonder why I'm here…
Recently, I've been feeling a headache. Is that why I'm starting to remember you, my cute little rabbit?
It makes me remember the reason I ascended here.
Because 'our' students got too curious, they HAD TO accidentally ascend without asking us first.
And we ended up following them here.
Only to find that we got separated on our way up.
Red Rabbit… My REAL Red Rabbit… I miss you so much. What I'd give to hear you nag at me again.
Telling me to stop being lazy and teach properly.
After we got split up, I tried and failed to find any of you, so… what was the point of trying anymore?
As an instructor of Imperial Majin Wizard Academy, I had a duty to keep my students safe from harm.
But now… I'd realised that this task was a failure.
You're gone. They're gone.
Without any of you here, my role has vanished.
Where were they now? From what I'd seen: This world was cruel. Nothing was as it seemed.
Could those little babies survive this cutthroat world? Or would they be tricked into slavery.
I had nightmares every night thinking about this.
People were too loyal to their given roles, and disregarded self-preservation to carry out tasks.
This world was insane…!
Red Rabbit, how are you holding up?
I want to tell you about how I met a literal rabbit earlier. A bunny girl who had red hair at one time.
Not sure why it turned back to a brown hue, but the memory of that time we defeated that drunk, who we thought of felt invincible, was still clear in my mind today. It made me think of our time together.
I was a good teacher, wasn't I?
Please still be alive. You have to be…
What would I do if we never meet again? I can't imagine a life without you… now that you're gone.
I'm sorry…
Now I'm sounding like an abandoned lover, don't I?
When we were still together, I thought we would have forever to talk about the past and future.
But now that you're gone, I tried to run away.
Until recently, I'd tried my best to act 'normal'. The way you all remembered me… but even that failed.
Velma was nothing like you. Adam was unlike the innocent babies who we taught at the Academy.
However, that didn't stop me from thinking of you.
Your long red hair styled in half-tails, and personality that was both hot-tempered and warm.
We were a good team, weren't we?
I might have became weak after that 'Devil Dust' incident, but when you were around, I never knew defeat. There was no way I'd lose when there was someone I needed to protect standing behind me.
I was invincible with you…
Unlike now, when all I have is a bunch of crazy bastards around me… who keep doing crazy shit.
I mean, who the fuck loses their sanity on purpose?
The fuck is wrong with these assholes?
And Hyuk… goddamn Hyuk!
God.fucking.damn.him…
I don't even want to think of that guy. This was the first time I've felt so confused over my sexuality.
You'd probably laugh at me after hearing this…
…but still probably cry if I told you why I kept on calling you 'Red Rabbit'. Like a sweet nickname.
It wasn't even your name…
So why call you that?
Maybe you thought it was because of your appearance, and that would be partially true…
But the real reason was something else entirely.
This wasn't the first time I decided to forget when faced with tragedy. I'd also lost people before.
The first time I forgot, it was because I'd lost my student. That strong tomboy you had reminded of.
She was part of the Vigilante Corp I was once part of. A student and friend I'd trained to succeed me.
It was because of my lazy personality…
Even though we were similar in age, I wanted to get someone to take my place so I could have a rest.
It wasn't like I was a paragon of justice.
There was no need for me to catch criminals forever. I'd wanted to properly relax at times too.
That's why 'Black Deer' was my perfect replacement. She was talented at wizardry.
And a suitable member of the Vigilante Corp.
I never knew I'd lose her so easily…
That fucker, a fellow member of our Corp and loyal executer of justice… had ended up betraying us.
It was all because of 'him'!
He was the cause of the 'Devil Dust' incident.
The riot that killed my dearest little Black Deer. I tried my best, but there was nothing I could do.
The only things I earned was losing some of my Life Force from the injuries. The scars of my soul.
Even now… they hurt…
Some would think you get used to it, but after a cut reached a certain depth, it would injure the nerves.
Which was exactly my situation…
They hurt…
And the pain reached deeper than regular injuries due to the toxic blood that had splashed on me.
Causing the injuries to run much deeper…
After feeding that otherworldly substance to the populace, 'he' turned them into a pack of zombies.
And ended up killing someone precious to me.
This was why it was hard for me to open up to you when we were together. It was because I knew fear.
Trusting others was what hurt me in the end.
But now that you're gone, I wish I trusted you…
Maybe if we opened up to each other, I wouldn't have felt so regretful of the times we didn't share.
All that was just my delusions now…
Seeing the people I lost in others, like how I saw my own teacher in a little girl like Lucia, was worthless.
It only made me remember the things I couldn't do.
Just like how it did right now…
Deep in these unknown lands, I saw a familiar scene. One that reminded me of that fiery day.
The day my old life ended, and a new one began.
I'd saw a scene colder than that infernal noon…
While walking through the chaos of animal-eared fighters running from monstrous entities, I gulped.
The 'zombies' that those who had tasted Devil Dust became arose in my head. It made go crazy.
The pain reaching deep into my bones awakened.
The regret I had from being unable to find a cure, and killing people to make things right, arose again.
I wanted nothing more than to take this out on someone. To make me feel better from this.
And the perfect scapegoat came in Adam's arms.
When I saw that creature take on the mask of a pretty-faced woman, I knew she was truly 'evil'.
There was no doubt about it whatsoever.
She NEEDED to be killed…!
That way, I wouldn't regret again. These messed up feelings and depression would leave me if I did it.
And so, I lifted my gun and pointed it towards her.
Then fired some warning shots.
This was different from that time I'd been caught off-guard without preparations. Without my gun.
'Storm Piercer' was a revolver that I'd casted aside in order to forget, and so was this uniform I'd worn.
But now, I was back to my 'usual self'.
Ironically, I was back to the vigilante I was that day.
If losing once had taught me anything, then it was that losing was the same as dying worthlessly.
It was better to remember this world the Academy anymore. I had no leisure to hold back for anyone.
Arrogance would only get me 'killed' again…
Storm Piercer was held firmly in my weakened wrinkly hand, but I didn't let myself became lazy.
Not even if my arm hurt so much…!
Even now, I wanted nothing but to rest for a little while. However, evil must be punished at all costs.
If no one else did it, I had to take up arms myself.
Isn't that what being a vigilante was all about?
"Adam, why aren't you answering." I spoke to the landlord who had given me a new home again.
He somehow seemed different, but maybe that was just the clothes he wore being like Hyuk's.
The only difference was that while that bastard had long hair, this guy had shorter black hair instead.
"Umm… Yes, I'm Adam… So I need you to put that gun down, err… please?" His reply was strange.
What was the point of affirming his own name?
Did he think I forgot?
"Tell her to stop them." My sight was still on the crazy woman who was attacking these people.
She tried to move, but I didn't let her.
*Click*
"What's faster? You, or my trigger finger." A rush of adrenaline went through my head while speaking.
There was no way I'd miss at this distance.
Adam tried to calming me. He spoke up for her:
"She isn't a bad person. Those guys are just scaring people. Look! Can't you see yourself?" I turned my head to look more closely, and saw that the overpowering marionettes were merely playing.
If they wanted to kill, they could…
But this made me even more doubtful of her.
"And who is she supposed to be?" At this viral inquiry, the two of them exchanged a look.
She agreed to something using some silent method. Her head nodding towards her friend.
It was at this point Adam answered:
"She's my Semblance given form. Her name is Lumina." It was at this point I recognised her.
Wasn't she that creature that almost killed us?
"Why is she going around without a leash?" My gun hadn't lowered. There was no need to do so.
He hadn't satisfied me with his answer.
"Because she's also my split personality?" The next response this bastard gave really set me off.
"You have split your personality."
"…Yeah." He nodded his head.
"You have a case of dissociative identity disorder."
"Umm… It's a bit more nuanced than that..."
"But it doesn't change you went crazy."
"That's…" Adam couldn't deny this, but I wasn't done there. My heart couldn't take this anymore.
What the fuck was wrong with these people?!
First Simon, now this bastard thinks it's alright to split his ego? Was this a healthy form of coping?
Did he learn this from that drunken shithead?!
"Why…?" Why suddenly do this out of nowhere?
What the fuck was wrong with you?!
"…You see, that new Simon cut my connection with Gaia. I kinda felt betrayed after what he did… so…"
His words trailed off, but I got the gist of it.
Must have hurt him deeply…
"Haha… HAHAHA!" I laughed, thinking about a certain someone who I hated more than life itself.
The perpetrator of the 'Devil Dust' incident…
That crazy guy who thought that since I didn't act the way he wanted, the only choice was insanity.
Saying if I was the 'Hero', he'd be the Demon King.
But I knew he wouldn't understand even if I said it.
Words couldn't describe what I was feeling that day. Nothing could express why I wanted her dead.
This truth filled me with a sense of futility…
'What was the point of talking things out?' I had inwardly contemplated while looking at Adam.
Not even a thousand words could describe this…
And yet, why did I want him to understand me?
"Please… You need to calm down. I understand what you're feeling, but-" My roar cut him off:
"You 'UNDERSTAND'?!"
"Sebas…"
"No, keep keep on going. What do you come to finally 'understand' all a sudden? I'm curious."
"Calm down…"
"I.AM.FUCKING.CALM!!!"
"You look a bit stressed. Isn't it better to lay down so we can have a change of pace?" Adam spoke.
"…I can tell you're trying to act like Hyuk, but you both are different. One has talked to countless people in his life, while you…? You're just a kid putting on the mask of a 'nice guy', you hypocrite."
"…" He stopped his prattling.
"You can pretend to be someone great. Pretend to exist, but you'll never exist the same way as him."
"You're not thinking straight…" The kid's eyes had gone red, and it somehow felt like I bullied him.
Maybe I didn't word it the way I wanted.
Because of my irritation, I'd forgotten about trying to make him understand… and hurt him instead.
…I'm sorry.
I didn't mean to say that so brazenly. It must have been hard, and here I am mocking your change.
No one should have to hear such nonsense.
It was ruined now. Even if I wanted to, I'd never be able to make him understand. He wouldn't get it.
The sympathy he'd give would be fake…
All an act to please me in the moment.
To make me calm down enough to lower my gun.
At least, he thought I wasn't calm… but…
…b-but I'm not hysterical!
"Sebas…" The demon looked at me. She spoke as if she was familiar with me, but I knew it was an act!
Don't think I'd forgotten that nightmarish face…!
The satanic look of that creature that almost devoured us in that Portable Space from before.
Who are you to act familiar with me?!
You're just an offshoot personality! A fake!
You're just a demon! A demon!!
DEMON!!!
*BOOM!*
Fear etched onto the face of the dangerous woman in black. There was no room to dodge the bullet.
Moreover, it's speed was faster than light itself…!
The rotation of the bullet was amplified by my Gravity Rendering, allowing it to bend physics.
Becoming a bullet that tore through space itself!
Adam didn't have the time to scream in despair of my action, and I couldn't return the bullet to pistol.
It was time to live with my actions, as usual…
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