NOVEL SIMPLE Arc 4: Experience the Story – Chapter 6
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Cross-over from various games, books, anime, manga, and movies.
The familiar characters you see here belong to their respected authors and owners.
"Speech"
Arc 4: Experience the Story - Chapter 6
Ruby moved at an incredible speed, becoming a blur as she unleashed a relentless barrage of punches and kicks on her opponent. Each strike was delivered with such precision and power that not only did they cause visible external injuries—bruises, cuts, and fractures—but they also dealt significant internal damage. Her raw strength, combined with the speed of her attacks, made it difficult for the opponent to defend, as the force of her blows struck their body, shaking organs and muscles alike. Ruby's assault was a deadly fusion of speed and strength, overwhelming her foe in mere seconds.
Ruby paused for a brief moment, her chest heaving from the intensity of her attack, as she observed her opponent. Despite being battered, bloodied, and on the brink of death, the opponent somehow defied all logic and remained standing. Their body was trembling, blood dripping from multiple wounds, and their breath came in ragged gasps, yet an unyielding determination kept them upright. It was as if sheer willpower alone was preventing them from collapsing.
Suddenly, a deep, menacing voice boomed through the narrow hallway, its tone dripping with malice. "FINISH HIM!"
Ruby focused her PSI: Burst, manifesting twin serpents, one gleaming white and the other pitch black, each representing Yin and Yang. The air around them hummed with power as the snakes slithered through the air, their sleek forms pulsating with the power of Nullification and Redirection. With a swift, controlled movement, she sent the white snake darting forward, its fangs sinking deep into the opponent's heart. The black snake followed in perfect harmony, piercing the center of their chest.
In an instant, the opponent's body began to contort and twist, rapidly shrinking and collapsing in on itself until it became a grotesque ball of flesh. Ruby kicked the fleshy sphere across the ground like a toy, sending it bouncing through the hallway with a hollow thud. She delivered a final kick, launching it high into the air. Without hesitation, she summoned another pair of serpents, their jaws opening wide as they shot into the sky, devouring the flesh ball in midair. Then, they dissipated into nothingness.
"Flawless Victory!" The deep, menacing voice boomed once more.
"Did you really have to play that?" Octavia asked me in a flat, unimpressed tone, her eyes narrowing slightly. "Ruby just brutally murdered a contractor, and you go and play that recording?" She crossed her arms, clearly unamused by the dramatic flair of the "Finish Him" and the "Flawless Victory" announcements.
"Yeah. Why did you let her handle the contractor by herself?" Weiss asked me while she pressed her heel harder into the back of the student's head, pinning them to the ground. The student, desperately trying to beg for mercy, could only manage muffled cries, his face pressed harshly against the floor. She didn't even glance down at the squirming student beneath her heel, her focus squarely on me.
"Just because." I replied casually, tossing the speaker and media player into the gap I had just created. "Plus, it hypes Ruby up. Did you not see what she just did?"
I gestured vaguely toward the aftermath of Ruby's brutal display, raising an eyebrow at Weiss.
Weiss, however, seemed unimpressed, her gaze still steady as if waiting for a better answer.
"I'm bored." I answered, my gaze dull and unfocused as I shrugged. There was no point in hiding it; the whole situation had lost its thrill for me.
Weiss still stared at me, her annoyance appearing in her eyes for a moment before she rolled her eyes, clearly unimpressed with my casual attitude.
"Oh, so you're saying we're boring?" Weiss shot back, raising an eyebrow, her hands firmly planted on her hips.
"Never." I replied, tapping Weiss lightly on the nose. Her eyes momentarily crossed at the unexpected gesture before she quickly leaned her head back, regaining her poise. "And don't think you're feeling bored yourself." I smirked, fully aware she couldn't completely hide it. "After all, you were the first one to rush in and take this student down by yourself." I gestured to the poor student still pinned beneath Weiss' heel.
"Well, it's not my fault this one is so weak." Weiss scowled, pressing her heel down harder, almost drawing blood from the struggling student beneath her. "The only reason he's still breathing is because he might lead us to his little group."
"So... you'd rather risk him potentially leading us into a trap than just relying on Aldan to find them and avoid any issues?" I ask Weiss.
At that moment, Ruby approached. She leaned in and gave me a kiss on the lips.
"Someone seems extra happy." I grin. She responded with a playful giggle, her cheeks slightly flushed as she wrapped her arms around me in a warm embrace.
"In any case, yes, we can use Aldan to locate them." Weiss acknowledged. "But you're forgetting that it doesn't exactly avoid any issues, as you mentioned. It doesn't tell us how far the destination is, so we might still fall into traps either way." She flipped her hair back. "We might as well have this guy lead us directly. At least then, we have a more reliable way of navigating potential ambushes. His knowledge could be more precise, even if it's risky."
"Uh, guys. Before we continue with this conversation." Octavia cut in. "You might want to deal with that."
We turned around to see Yuri crouched on the floor, her face buried in her hands. Her body was trembling, and she was clearly overwhelmed by what she had just seen in how Ruby and Weiss dealt with the student and his contractor.
I begin thinking about whether to remove Yuri's bad memories once again. However, I knew that doing so would strip her of valuable character development, making it almost impossible to achieve the desired bad ending for the long-term goal.
"Yeah... Ruby, Weiss." I began, addressing the two of them. "One of you should help her since—" I paused as I realized something. I turned to Octavia, "Actually, what's your class assignment, Octavia? Unless Featherine didn't assign you one?"
"She just told me I'd be assigned one after seeing if you'd agree to become my contractor or not." Octavia explained. "If you hadn't accepted me, I would've gotten my own class assignment, but since you did, I ended up with the same assignment as Ruby and Weiss."
"Then, you'll have to help Ruby and Weiss in persuading Yuri over here." I said, giving Octavia a wary smile. As I spoke, I quickly filled her in on what the class assignments entailed, ensuring she understood the gravity of the task ahead.
Octavia blinked, absorbing the new information. She glanced at Yuri, still trembling on the floor, and then at Ruby and Weiss, who were already accustomed to the subtle manipulations their roles required. It was clear that her involvement would now be crucial in steering Yuri toward the darker path we had in mind.
I glanced down at the student, who was slowly and pathetically trying to crawl away now that Weiss had lifted her heel from the back of his head. His movements were sluggish, his body trembling with exhaustion and fear as if he thought he could somehow escape unnoticed.
Let's help him with that.
I begin focusing on the crawling student. I use Invasion together with the Secret Arts, manipulating his mind to believe that no one had noticed his attempt to escape. I subtly warp his thoughts, making him certain he was slipping away unnoticed, even though every move he made was under our watchful gaze.
His pace didn't change, but his movements now showed a strange sense of confidence, as if he truly believed he was invisible to us. It was almost amusing to watch him struggle, convinced of his success, unaware that his thoughts were no longer his own.
I took it further, deepening my influence through the Secret Arts, manipulating the student's mind with even more precision. I carefully blocked any thoughts of making any detour to reunite with his comrades or recalling the deaths of his fallen contractor. His desire for survival was now stripped of any strategic thinking—he would simply crawl forward, the urge to regroup with his comrades to increase his survival.
To ensure he wouldn't realize we were still watching him, I altered his senses of hearing and sight, making us effectively invisible to his perception. He couldn't hear our footsteps or see us standing nearby, even as we loomed over him. His world had become a tunnel, leading only where I wanted him to go, with no awareness of the trap he'd fallen into.
"Are we just going to slowly follow him?" Octavia asked, looking like she would rather do something else. "Couldn't we just heal him up first before letting him go? It'll be days from now by the time he reaches his friends."
"You do have a point." I admitted. "But first, we should check on Yuri." I knew the student wouldn't make it far in his current state, so I shifted my attention back to Ruby and Weiss.
What I saw made me chuckle internally. Ruby and Weiss were each leaning in, whispering into Yuri's ears. Ruby wore a more calculated, composed look—almost like a devil trying to sway Yuri with logic and reason, while Weiss, with her encouraging grin, seemed like the angel on Yuri's shoulder, whispering something about the greater good. The two of them, playing their roles so perfectly, gave the impression of a moral tug-of-war in which Yuri was trapped.
"You know." Octavia began, sweatdropping as she overheard Ruby and Weiss' whispers. "If you hadn't told me about the class assignments they were given—and that I have to help out in completing them myself too—I'd be seriously wondering what they're doing to a mortal, mundane human girl right now."
"Yup. So you should go help them out too." I said with a grin, patting Octavia on the shoulder before giving her a gentle push toward Ruby and Weiss.
Octavia hesitated for a moment, glancing back at me with a look that clearly said she wasn't thrilled about the task, but she sighed and relented as she moved toward the pair, who were still busy working their influence on Yuri.
"It's random true fact time!" Ghost suddenly announced, appearing with a dramatic flourish that interrupted everything.
The sudden appearance of Ghost drew everyone's attention. Ghost floated there, ready to drop an unexpected knowledge.
"Did you know that there's a betting pool among the high school teachers right now on who's likely to become the biggest troublemaker in the first month of school?" Ghost revealed with a mischievous tone.
"Yeah, I can see that being a thing." I nod.
"Secret! Did you know that you're at the very top of the list as the most likely troublemaker?" Ghost nearly pressed itself against my face, a bit too close for comfort.
I pushed Ghost away.
"Oh, so even the teachers know how troublesome Jin can be." Weiss smirked, catching my glance and savoring the moment.
"I'd bet more on you, Weiss, than Jin, honestly." Ruby chimed in with a playful grin, poking Weiss on the shoulder. "Especially considering how you like to skip studying whenever you can get away with it."
"I want to go home..." Yuri sobs.
"Eh, I'd rather stick with everyone here than go home." Octavia said as if Yuri had asked her a question.