章節 4: Dead Man's Melody
(This and all of this volume are a part of the old version of Howler. Look out for the remastered version in the next volume releasing late 2023)
Snorochi marvelled at his handy work. In his hand was a limp heart. He grinned and watched as André's body spasmed and rested in an enormous pool of its blood. His pale fingertips rummaged through his pockets and pulled out a small brown box. After twisting the dial on the side, he devoured André's heart. Once he finished his meal, he held the 'Comunibox' to his mouth.
"General, I have succeeded with my assignment. Shuhaha!" He laughed into the Comunibox, clutching his waist with his bloodied hand.
Suddenly, a holographic screen emerged from the Comunibox, and with it, a lilac digitalised face and a stern voice.
"Congratulations, Snorochi of the Ichiro tribe, you have done the Universe a great justice."
It was at that exact moment when Tonorochi fell to his knees, "Brother Snorochi, you truly are the superior warrior out of the three of us. You make weaklings like us seem like mere flies before an elegant phoenix."
Snorochi's grin deepened. "Of course I am Brother Tonorochi, Shuhahaha! You weaklings should worship me and my power! It must truly have been a blessing to have shared a womb with me, the most powerful being this Universe has to offer! Shuhahahaha!" Snorochi kicked André's corpse across the room. Whilst licking the excess blood from his fingers, he resumed his report.
"As I was saying General, I have eliminated the 'Howler'. I have also gathered valuable information about New Earth. It seems this planet is, shuha, infested by 'Howlers'." Snorochi's pitch increased. He shook his hips and caressed his waist passionately. He began to drool, and before he knew it, he was laughing uncontrollably.
The Comunibox spoke again. "I understand now that I, General P. W Xypemainu, have failed at watching over 'New Earth'. So, I hereby resign from my post, appointing you Snorochi Ichiro, the mightiest warrior in all the Universe, as the next General of the 'Feng' division!"
The call ends.
The snake man's malicious cackle bleeds into the ears of the countless corpses resting surrounding him. He staggers towards the traumatised toddlers, cleansing his lips with his tongue. "It's about time that geezer threw in the towel and appointed me! I can't stop shaking! This thrill its... exhilarating!" His voice was as unstable as his stride.
Inches away from devouring the children's quivering, fragile bodies, everything...
... went...
... black.
The Snake man's eyes shot open in an instant. He looked down. In his hands was a child. The child had skin the colour of toffee, huge amber eyes and a curly brown high top.
Immediately, he threw the child onto the floor. His knees shook and his lip trembled. Slowly, he raised a pale index finger and aimed it and the toffee child.
"H-how? Y-you should; you sh-should be..." Snorochi fell to the ground unable to form a single sentence.
"GAHCK! ARKH! *GASP*."
Snorochi's eyes darted towards the agonised voice. Cold sweat dripped down his face. His eyes widened, his pupils shrank and his jaw dropped. He became completely paralysed from the sight he had witnessed. The black-brown locks, the glowing, chocolate skin, his buff and defined physique! There was no doubt in his mind. The man led on the floor, clutching his chest and gasping frantically for oxygen. He was no other than...
... André Stewart.
A child ran to André in tears, grasping his locks. He wasn't afraid of the lightning. André opened his sealed eyes, breathing heavily and drenched with sweat. "Le-Leoandré? But how? I s-saw you-"
"AHHGGRRRK ACKKR GACKK EHUGK AK-AK-AKAK!"
André sat up and shot his head towards Snorochi. His hands trembled, eyes widened. "No Way..."
Snorochi clung to himself shivering, twitching and choking on his blood, black blood. From the crown of his head, he began to sweat black blood. His eyes had rolled to the back of his head and his tongue was lying on the ground next to him. André grabbed his child and covered his eyes. The snake man fell to his knees. Blood began dripping from the inside of his eyelids, staining his sclera black. He clawed through his abdomen, screaming and gagging after every slash.
"My, my what a ghastly sight," the two figures descended from the above room. "Don't you agree, Mr Stewart?" The man; five-foot-eight, ambled towards the Stewarts.
"What the hell? What the mother-!"
"Please, Mr Stewart, refrain from the profanity. Though I can completely understand why you may feel," the man paused, "confused at the current state of affairs."
"Lord Abadina," the pigtailed, six-foot figure sauntered towards the remains of Snorochi's body.
"Yes, I know. I did not anticipate that they would make their move so hastily."
"N-no way you're the freaks that, ugh..." André's eyelids increased in weight and his head bopped rhythmically.
"Sleep, child. I will reveal all when you awaken."
Those words were the last André heard before drowning in a sea of darkness. the waves of his mind clashed against his transparent body. Sinking deeper, André's eyes separated. Slowly, he inhaled and the raging current surged into his body. But he did not choke, nor was he in any pain. Light tore through the flowing blue shield engulfing him, pecking his cheeks. Steadily, he raised his hand towards the light. That's when he saw it. Through the ripples, he witnessed a goddess.
Her skin had been kissed by the sun itself, her waist was thin but her womb was full. Her hands insulated her rounded stomach. Elongated fawn curls protruded from the crown of her head. They were both wild and majestic. She had magnificent eyes; they were like a golden, garnet, gemstones. Her gown was purer than a newborn and as white as fresh snow. A true goddess.
He became restless. He raced towards her, tearing through every particle that stood in his way with desperate, wide eyes. However, as he grew closer, he sunk even deeper. His pursuit was in vain. Soon, her smile faded away alongside a ruthless current. That's when the salty liquid, beast clogged up André's lungs. All his paralysed body could do now was call out.
"LEONA!"
And just like that, he awoke in a cold sweat. Inhaling and exhaling in a chaotic rhythm drowning in a sea of his own mind. The ceiling before him was unfamiliar, not to mention his once luxurious bed had become a stranger's couch. With a groggy head, he sat upright, clutching his shirt. His eyes drifted downwards. This wasn't his shirt. Too tired to react, he seals his eyes. Memories of his last encounter flood into his mind. The exhilarating power he once felt, the excruciating feeling of his heart being ripped out of his chest. The horrifying agony of watching a child disintegrate before his eyes; knowing his body refused to save him.
"Damn it! How? Why? This is all a load of crap!"
'Why was I so useless? Since when could I shoot out lightning bolts? What's the point of these powers if I couldn't even protect a little runt?'
"It's all a load of damn bull!" André lowered his head, his fists and teeth clenched tightly and his entire body jittering. "It was all over. I died, he died! I was useless!"
"Not quite, Mr Stewart, you may have felt death's tender embrace, however, you were nowhere near its door. Mr Stewart, have you heard of the 'Dead Man's Melody'?"
André paused, then glared upwards. "It's you again. Abadina, right?"
Two figures strolled through the open door, one was five-foot-eight and scrawny, the other was four-foot-six and frowning. "It pleases me greatly, knowing that you have not yet forgotten my name, Mr Stewart."
"How could I forget a weirdo like you? Also nope, never heard of this 'Dead Man's Melody'. But where the hell am I and where's the kid?" He attempts to stand, but his injured limbs drag him back onto the couch, his pulse racing and his head pounding.
The four-foot girl crossed her arms and rolled her eyes. "I guess your recent near-death experience didn't trigger your manners, brat!" André paid no attention to the girl. Her brow creased, and a vein bulged from her forehead. She spat frustrated insults at both the men stood before her.
They ignored Reizora's jeers. Abadina seated himself on the oak wood coffee table, in front of the couch. "Rest assured Mr Stewart, the infant is safely inside the 'Null'," he reaches into his robe pocket, retrieving a small burgundy box, "Do you remember this Mr Stewart?"
"Yeah. That's the creepy box the kid came out of, right?"
"Indeed." he placed the box in André's hand. André observed it for a moment, then kissed his teeth.
"None of this crap makes sense, *sigh*."
"That Mr Stewart, is a Null, created by the inhabitants of the dwarf planet Ceres. Ceres is most known for its technological advancement and its inhabitants' ability to fuse 'Toh' and technology; this Null is an adequate example. The Null is a sophisticated storage device that can store up to 1TB of data, which is the equivalent of forty-five, fully grown human males."
"Hold up, hold up, wait. A 'Magic box'? That is awfully convenient. This is all a load ah bull." André visually, interrogates the Null further, "Let's say 'magic' exists and the runt really is in here, how do you 'magic' him out."
"I'm afraid that there is no time to entertain your disbelief in Toh. First, I will explain the 'Dead Man's Melody' technique, next I inform you about the people who attacked your son and nearly killed both of you, then I will address the changes you have experienced in your own body, though you do not appear to be amazed at your newfound ability to manifest both lightning and electricity." Abadina leaned forward and unsealed his icy eyes.
A cool sweat drifted down André's cheek. He straightened his back and his stare became shrouded with intense concentration.
Reizora became hushed. She ambled towards the two males and sat on the ground silently.
The air grew thicker and thicker. André's pulse increased and his palms moistened as Abadina's gaze locked with his. Slowly, Lord Abadina reseals his eyes. As he does so, André releases a breath he did not realise he had held.
"The 'Dead Man's Melody', *sigh*. It was developed in Japan by monks. They used it as a way of passing judgement on those who opposed the monastery or the prime minister."
"Japan?" André tilts his head slightly.
"Ah, I suppose it is no longer identified as 'Japan'. After the war destroyed many empires and nations a hundred-and-thirty years ago, most countries were renamed to symbolise the Earth's rebirth and vow for peace and unity. The country I referred to is known today as 'Zenjin'."
"The Epilogue." André's gaze fell to the ground.
"Indeed, Mr Stewart. It is said that the Epilogue War is to be a war to end all wars."
"The 'war to end all wars' huh. To think humanity already screwed that up. Within twenty years of their so-called peace, seven wars broke out. Most were civil, but some were international! Epilogue my ass!"
"I agree, Mr Stewart, humanity is indeed a peculiar species." The room became silent. Reizora looked up at Abadina, analysing his expression. His knotted brows, his shaking fists and his visible tight jaw. She frowned, clung to her trousers, then looked at the dirty floorboards. André released a gentle sigh. "So this Judgement, how does it work?" a lump manifests inside of André's throat. He leans in closer.
"You see mana is necessary to execute any Toh, or in dated terms magic, no matter the type. As you no doubt have guessed, humans do not possess enough mana to use regular Toh. Thus, they must manipulate life energy. They collect dark mana from the negative intentions of people's hearts. They called it, 'Necro'."
"Necro!" André shot up. After ten seconds of suspension, he fell back onto the couch. 'Necro? I'm sure I've heard my dad mention it to his scientists and clients over the phone. But this is so damn bizarre! There's no way magic exists though. I just assumed it was a new drug he was manufacturing. The old man knows something, guess I gotta call him and find out.'
"Yes, Necro. As I was saying, the 'Dead Man's Melody' is a black light that appears before the victim. The victim will then hear a silent lullaby. It sounds far-fetched, but you heard it did you not." André averted his gaze.
"It is then that the victim either perceives the darkness or hears the melody, that is when the true trial begins. If at that moment, the victim is overcome with greed, lust or deception, they are found guilty. They are killed by their own despicable desires."
"I don't follow, old man."
"Foolish runt." Reizora finally breaks her silence. She rose and slowly moved closer to André and Abadina. "Necro is most commonly used to cause hallucinations and in this case, those with pure intentions see and feel themselves die. Whereas those who are consumed with evil, selfish desires witness their greatest desires at that moment. The illusion is only temporary though, and those found guilty die a gruesome death. In short, everything you perceived after hearing the lullaby, was a sequence of false images that were conjured by your sub-conscience. We can never know what the one named Snorochi witnessed, however, with how gruesome his passing was, I'm certain it was fiendish."
"The black blood!" André's trembling hand gripped his hair.
"Wow, I'm surprised a dimwitted brat like you would make the connection this quickly."
"You wanna die, pip-squeak?"
"Hmph! Like you could kill me. Remember that six-foot muscle monster? Well, that was me, kid, haha ha!" She pushed out her chest and darted her thumb to it. Her grin kept enlarging and her nose pointed to the ceiling.
"I call bull." André turned his back to her.
"That's enough!" Lord Abadina abruptly stood up, forcing the ground to tremble at his might. His eyes fully widened and a chilling, dark aura manifested around him like a cloak. Reizora fell onto her backside, shivering uncontrollably. Her breathing was uneven and her eyes rehydrated her cheeks. This aura seemed to have the same effect on André.
Lord Abadina leers at them both in complete silence. Then he grins. "You see it is clear that I could, how would I say it? 'Kick both your asses'." Suddenly, the aura vanishes and Lord Abadina's chortle echoes throughout the neighbourhood. Abadina closes his eyes.
"Now, I believe it is time to bring him out."
每周推薦票狀態
-- 推薦票
榜單 
-- 推薦票