Number 7

Gordon's consciousness flickered in and out.

One moment he saw a flash of something, the next everything was black.

He had been slammed into the ground by the instructor, and at some point Marcus had appeared to fight him.

Yet in these flickers that he witnessed, Gordon watched as Marcus faced his final moments.

With the slice of a hockey stick, his head was cut clean from his body.

A pool of blood formed around it, and with a demented smile on his face, the man in the body of a monster... died.

'Even... against a zombie....'

Slowly sitting up, Gordon grabbed his head, which throbbed in pain.

'Even against a monster... this man is able to fight without fear.'

A frown coming across his face, worry filled the heart of the boy.

'How the hell am I supposed to deal with him then?'

He wanted to run.

He wanted to beg for mercy.

He wanted to abandon those around him, fleeing for his safety.

'Fuck...'

Standing up, the boy grabbed a baseball.

'He... isn't paying attention to me right now.'

The teacher was currently panting after having slaughtered the zombie, his face filled with irritation as he whispered to himself.

"So you take your knowledge with you to the grave... tch... perhaps I should have left this thing alive and tortured it to death.... just as the antiheroes did to Brutus."

Lining up for a pitch, Gordon didn't allow his body to make a sound.

'He's only a few feet away... I can't miss. But I need to knock him out with this...'

Reeling his arm back, he took the form of a pitcher as he gripped the ball.

Sweat began to lace his hand, forcing him to grip the ball tighter.

'I... can't miss....'

And then he started the motion.

His arm wrapped around him and he let go of the ball, which began speeding right towards the face of the man.

Snap.

With the flick of his hand, not even facing the child, the ball was caught.

"This man… no… this thing… he is just like the creature who taught even children that it was acceptable to use cheap tricks and surprise attacks if it was for the sake of defeating one's opponents."

Turning to face the boy, the man approached Gordon with a furious expression.

"Coran."

Gordon’s eyes widened, and he tensed, but it was too late-

Gordon was met with a fist to his stomach as his entire body was lifted up by the uppercut to his side.

Blood sprayed from his mouth, and the boy began to teeter on the brink of losing consciousness once more.

However, the man did not allow him to fall.

He was slapped around back and forth, and each time he was prevented from falling to the ground.

"To think that you all would become so corrupted.... It is… disturbing. Therefore... if such corruption exists in this world... as a representative of humanity... It is my duty to cleanse it."

His life began to flash before his eyes as he was beaten senseless once more.

'I... am still so weak....'

'I thought that by joining with those people... that by being beside them... that something would change...'

Tears formed as the boy was continuously beaten, this time by a teacher.

'I thought that I would be able to become strong... that I could overcome the hurdles that I've faced... that they would give me the strength to do so....'

Pushed to the wall, Gordon was slapped and slammed as bruises now covered his body.

'I... was wrong.'

[Hahaha.... a representative of humanity... you said?]

The punching stopped.

A cruel, wicked voice resounded through the room, causing Mr. Pertan to turn himself around.

And as he did so, he saw what was speaking.

"A... different voice?"

It was the head.

The whites of Marcus' eyes, on the head which was detached from the body, had become black.

And despite the pathetic state of the creature, the smile on that head right now was grander than ever before.

Letting Gordon fall to his knees, Mr. Pertan walked back over to the head as he placed his foot on top of it.

"Be silent, mon-"

[Know your place, fool.]

Splat.

With a wet thud, Mr. Pertan looked to the ground to see it.

'Wha...'

On the ground, having fallen, was his arm.

And extended from the head which he was currently stepping on was a spike of flesh.

'How...'

[Did you think I would be as merciful when you laid your filthy hands on me... as this weak human that I have inhabited?]

Immediately, flesh grew from the head, reattaching itself to the body.

The creature stood up, dusting himself off as if nothing had happened.

"What... are you?"

Mr. Pertan slowly stepped back, fear evident in his eyes.

"What am I? Hahaha... why don't you bring up one of those legends or something. Ah... I have a good one. If I were to compare myself to someone based on that lore of yours.... then I would be comparable to.... Huberos."

Spreading his arms with a chaotic smile, the monster before the man filled Mr. Pertan with such terror that he forgot to breathe.

"The Demon who endured suffering along with six others... so great to the point where he turned to sin which exceeded all others. Having fallen into such great pride, he was bestowed the title of Host of Sin. However... there is another legend which you may be thinking of, if you take a closer look at me."

Placing his hand to the chin of the man, it was as if Number 7 had teleported - appearing just inches from the face of the teacher.

Not a moment had passed in the time he had moved, as if his speed surpassed even that of light.

[The woman who was infested by a split personality, switching between the side of good and evil in a moment. Yet as time passed and the failures added up... even the side of the woman which was pure good... soon turned to evil.]

As he was faced with this creature, Mr. Pertan's breathing became ragged.

The story to which he was referring, the overwhelming presence which stood before him... for a moment, he felt it.

'This thing.... is chaos itself.'

His eyes went wide, bursting with veins, and he began to tremble just faced with the monster.

[The one who slaughtered all of humanity... just to achieve her revenge on one man. The “queen of evil.”.]

Turning around, the creature began to walk away.

[Ah. But that is just a story. Is it not?]

Grabbing the two boys, the creature laid them over each of his shoulders like sacks of grain.

"W...what are you doing..."

"Ngh.... N... Number 7..."

The two boys let out light groans, too weak to even resist as they were carried off.

Glancing to them as he thinned his eyes, the monster known as Number 7 looked upon the boys with disdain.

'Ah… what a predicament… whether or not to kill these two in front of this man, or to leave them alive.... ah, I know!’

Then, a grin wrapped itself around the face of the creature as a thought entered its mind.

‘Which one would piss him off more?'

Thinning his eyes with pleasure, Number 7 turned around, looking into the eyes of Mr. Pertan as he held his sharpened nail to Shane’s throat.

[Hey. I'm going to kill this human.]

It was as he said this that the teacher looked up, fear in his eyes.

However as he slowly realized the scenario, the man's fear soon turned to joy which he was unable to hide.

And he smiled.

'Kill them if you want.... I don't care. Actually... I would rather that those two die... for interfering with my plans.... shit.... but I have to get back to that place.... and my arm... agh...'

Grabbing hold of his shoulder where his arm once was, the man stood up.

'I can't let this thing kill me right now. I have... to get there.'

"If I let you have those two boys, will you let me go?"

'Hah..... haha.... that's right, monster. I'll let you get away with this for now.... my precious arm.... you took it from me... but if you leave, I'll let you-'

[Let me have the two boys?]

As Number 7 dropped the two boys to the ground, both of them let out grunts of pain as they hit the floor.

Then in the next moment, he felt it.

Squish.

Another wet thud.

Another arm hit the ground.

Yet again a spike had emerged, this time from the finger of the man, slicing Mr. Pertan's other arm clean off.

"Argh!"

The man fell to his knees, screaming and not even able to hold the wound in his pain.

"You... you damn monster!” He grunted through the pain. “You damn creature! How dare you-"

[You do not 'let' me do anything. You either stay out of my way... or you suffer.]

The monster said these words as he walked off, grabbing the two boys by their shirts as he dragged them with him.

[Now then... if I wanted to piss you off even more right now.... then what should I do? Ah! I know. Hehehe... perhaps... I will head somewhere that you are desperate to make it to?]

The eyes of Mr. Pertan widened as the monster looked back at him with a demented smile.

"Wha.... how.... how do you know-"

[Oh.... I didn't know. But now I do. Bye.]

And then, it disappeared.

As if it had traveled faster than light itself, both the monster and the boys who it carried were gone in an instant.

'How.... how… Argh!'

The man shouted out as the pain of having both arms sliced off reverberated through him, and he forced himself up with grit teeth.

"You damn monster.... I'll kill you... I'll destroy you.... just as Caspus destroyed the fishmen before those wretched antiheroes showed up.... I will slaughter you... and your kind."

Looking around, the man stood up with brute strength.

'I still have my legs to kick with.... but for now... I need to make it there.... ah! And I need to make sure... that Stella is...'

His eyes widening, the man rushed out the door.

"Agh.... my ear... why is it itching! I don't even have hands to itch it with... agh... but that doesn't matter right now.... Stella! Is she-"

Bursting out of the shack, the man immediately looked over to the table which he had told the girl to wait at.

And then, walking over to the empty table, he saw it.

A note.

Written in blood.

[Come to the place if you would like to see her again. If not.... then I suppose my fun has ended. The clock is ticking… and the deadline is fast approaching. Both on the consequences of your life... and hers.]

----

Tap.

Tap.

Tap.

The sound of two pairs of footsteps reverberated through the darkened hallways of the school.

Tap.

Tap.

A woman, dressed in a casual outfit which had been ripped and torn, and a young girl who wore a gown, the stomach of which was covered and wrapped around by a layer of bandages, paced down the aisle as the woman scanned each room.

The girl seemed to look around with excitement, however the woman seemed to push her on, not allowing her to be distracted for any more than a few moments.

"Hey... what's that?"

"Nothing. The classrooms are useless. What classroom would contain useful supplies for this situation? We have no need for books or desks. Rather, we should check the cafeteria or the teachers lounge to see if there are any useful items around."

"Hey, what do you think happened to the others? That boy... he was pretty scared, wasn't he?"

"I suppose he was. But I think it was you who inspired him not to be so fearful, no?"

"Eh? Did I really do something like that?"

Even as the girl said this, she seemed to be playfully skipping without a care in the world.

Even in this rotten landscape, she was truly fearless.

"Well, I suppose so.", Sylvia sighed with a light smile.

Making their way down the stairs, the two returned to the first floor of the building.

"A gym... I don't believe there would be anything of use there either. Hmm... if there is a nurse's office, that would certainly be useful. We could obtain various medical supplies and the sorts."

As the woman murmured to herself, they came across a large door.

"Ah... this is the teacher's lounge, isn't it?"

"Hey, what's that mean? Teacher's lounge? I've never heard that word before."

The girl spoke out without a care, however as she asked such a question Sylvia was reminded that she was only a child.

She knew nothing of the adult world.

'Yet... there were some things that she spoke of before to that boy... things which a child should not know.'

[Ah, that's because when I converted her... some of my thoughts may have penetrated her permanently.]

Freezing before the door, Sylvia's eyes widened as she took in the statement which the creature inside her mind made.

'What... did you just say?'

[Hm? Are you bad at listening? Surely you can't have misheard me. After all, I'm speaking directly into your mind. The sound waves of my voice don't exist. Then... you must simply be too distracted to understand? Let me repeat it then. Heh.]

The creature laughed, speaking with excessive enjoyment in her voice as Sylvia looked down to the girl with horror.

"Hey, I wanna know! Why did you just stop talking, Miss Sylvia? Are you alright?"

[The reason why she is the way she is... is because she has a part of me imprinted on her brain.]

----

It all made sense.

Yet it made no sense.

How could Number 1 have somehow changed the personality of the child when she didn't do so for Sylvia?

[Ah... you seem to be mistaken, Sylvia. I am changing you. It's merely... slower. See now, people have a certain level of... vulnerability. And unlike you, that girl and I were... compatible. Hehe....]

Speaking in an evil tone, the voice continued to mock everything around her, laughing even as she spoke such horrid things.

[At that moment, when the girl was broken from having killed her first man.... I stepped in. And because of that... I left a much larger imprint on her than I normally would have been able to. My thoughts... my knowledge... my opinions.... they have merged with her. And it is because of this... that you see her as nothing more than a monster.]

Falling to her knees, Sylvia looked up to the girl with blank eyes.

Tears lined them, and as she grabbed the shoulders of the girl, Sylvia looked to her with desperation.

'You... poor thing....'

"Miss Sylvia, why are you on the ground? What are you doing?"

'I.... did this to you.'

"Miss Sylvia, are you losing your mind? Do you need me to find a new one for you?"

"I'm... not the one who needs a new mind."

Grabbing the girl, Sylvia once more held her, sorrowful at the loss which had occurred.

And then, from her neck, a mouth formed and spoke.

[Yet.]

----

Wiping her eyes, Sylvia stood up.

'No matter what happens... I should do my best to ensure that this child doesn't fall any further.'

[Does that really matter? Am I really such a vile being that someone becoming like me is enough to make you cry?]

'Yes.'

[How mean.]

'Mean... are you a child or are you a monster? How can you speak about being 'mean' after everything you've done?'

[Like what? Save that girl from death?!]

‘Yes, death that you forced her into!'

[Insignificant details.]

'Insignificant...'

No matter how much she spoke with this creature, she couldn't comprehend it.

Sylvia felt as if her mind would melt if she continued trying to speak to it like a normal human being.

'Ah... but I suppose I'm not a human being anymore...'

Standing forward, Sylvia opened the door to the lounge.

"A teacher's lounge is a place where the teachers go to rest after spending all their time teaching the students,'' Sylvia explained, annoyance and concern lingering in her voice.

"Why don't we get to rest?", Amy asked.

"A good question."

As she entered the lounge to see a couch and a number of lockers, Sylvia scanned the area before taking notice of a door which led to a back office.

'I suppose that's where the principal would go to relax. Maybe there will be something useful in there.'

Stepping towards the door, the woman let out a tired sigh as she rubbed her hand through the hair of the girl.

Without even looking at her, Sylvia continued facing forward as she walked with sadness in her eyes while she whispered underneath her breath.

"Why don't we get to rest?"

----