This World

by Lee, TD

  We start approaching the arcade when Hiro’s watch starts wailing loudly like an alarm. A puzzled look crosses his face as he answers his wrist, “What’s going on?”

  “I know it’s your day off Hiro, but we need you back ASAP. There’s huge reading of a Sefirot invasion, possibly classifying as an Omega-level threat. We’ll need all of the firepower we can get,” Hisako explains with a stern voice.

  Hiro looks at me apologetically. “Yeah, I’ll be there as soon as I can, start up Lancelot for me.”

  “See you soon,” Hisako says, hanging up.

  “Sorry, Ridley,” he immediately apologizes.

  I shake my head and pat his shoulder. “It’s all good, you have important hero business to do. Kill it,” I say, doing my best to encourage him.

  He smiles, pulling me in for a hug. “I’ll do my best. You should get somewhere safe if what Hisako said is true. Get home or to a nearby shelter until the Safety Mode happens,” he instructs, that protective tone of his is incredibly strange for me to hear.

  “I will, you be safe out there,” I say, releasing him. He starts running to leave the arcade. I yell after him, “Tell Sadie to be safe too!” He puts his thumb up as he runs out the doors.

  I should get somewhere safe. It might be too risky to try to get home now. There has to be a pretty sturdy, safe place. Even though it’s more than likely that Safety Mode will happen, it’s always a good idea to just be in a safe place before it happens. This arcade probably is safe, but I’d feel more comfortable in a place that isn’t dark and crowded with machines.

  I immediately look around. There’s nothing really that stands out to me to be a safe place to wait in. Restaurants, stores, other businesses, none of these places seem to be a good place to wait in. I don’t know when the Sefirots are going to attack, so I don’t know if I have time to really look. Eh, I’ll find a better place.

  Not a single minute passes by when the sirens start blaring. A loud robotic voice sounds off throughout the city, “Omega level threat! I repeat, Omega level threat! Heroes, you are called to service. All civilians please find shelter inside a building. We will now initiate Safety Mode.”

  The sirens continue to scream chaotically. People all around me are scattering about as they’re shouting in fear. Chaotic noise. It’s just so loud that I can’t even concentrate. I have to find a place to wait in, but nowhere seems good. Hell, even the people scattering about don’t seem to know where they’re going either. So many of them dropped their umbrellas in fright of what’s to come.

  Wait, how come the ground hasn’t moved at all? Normally after they announce Safety Mode, we would be descending into the ground by now. Yet, the sirens are still going off, the rain is falling, and it’s just horribly noisy. What’s happening?

  “Error, error, Safety Mode cannot be engaged,” a robotic voice announces through the sirens.

  Wh-what? It can’t be engaged?

  Quickly descending from the gray, thundering skies are a flock of Sefirots that crash into several buildings. Shit! This isn’t good! Flying debris is aimed in my general location. I start running to avoid being crushed or flattened. The people around me a screaming their heads off, matching the loudness of the sirens. Damn, there’s so much happening that I can’t even concentrate properly.

  Emerging out of the clouds is a horrifically gigantic Sefirot. A large crimson eye creepily twitches as it gazes upon the ground. Extending from the eye are red, circuit-like veins that glow and branch to the squirming tendrils that float freely in the air. Surrounding each tendril is a large golden circle that light up brightly in rhythm with the red veins. This thing absolutely towers over all of the other Sefirots that look like ants compared to it.

  Mixing in with the usual Sefirots that would normally attack are bigger Sefirots that, while share the same angelic features, look a lot more mechanical similar to the Mobile Knights. Unlike the Mobile Knights however, they have mouths which they use to screech out of. Adding onto the cacophonous symphony are these ear-shattering screeches that make my crumple to the ground.

  Why aren’t we in Safety Mode yet? What’s going on?

  All of the Sefirots dive down, colliding into several buildings. The giant Alpha Sefirot’s veins glow violently. While it continues to descend from the sky, harsh rays of red light shoot from its glowing veins. Tall walls of red lasers pierces through everything it touches. I almost get hit by one, but looking around, it completely sliced a person in half.

  “Oh shit!” I automatically yell, getting startled onto my back.

  What’s happening? So many Sefirots are swarming the city. The giant one can shoot large lasers that kills everything it touches. And we haven’t gotten into Safety Mode yet! This is completely insane! And it’s so damn loud that I can’t even really do anything, but hold myself and wait for everything to end.

  Goddammit. I can’t do anything. There’s so many other people around me that are suffering from the sounds and attacks like I am. No one can move. We’re paralyzed. Is it because of fear? The loudness? Both? I don’t know, but none of us can really move to even run away. The wall of lasers would retract back into the Alpha Sefirot to only give a brief grace period before it fires down again.

  In the sky are rainbow streaks that soar quickly. The Mobile Knights are finally here, meaning Hiro is here to fight. I hope he can be safe. This is the most dangerous Sefirot attack I’ve seen. I can see how it was at the Omega-level threat. Thing is, what’s going on with the Safety Mode? How has it not engaged yet? Has something happened? Who’s in charge of Safety Mode? And where is the place that initiates it? Shit, there’s so many things wrong right now.

  Flying close above my is a blue Mobile Knight, I think this one is Arthur. In Arthur’s hand is a large sword that it uses to deflect any lasers going in his direction and to slice through the weaker Sefirots. To guard itself from some Sefirots, Arthur puts up a shield.

  The pilot Arthur’s voice speaks from the mech, “Everyone stay down and cover your heads! A rescue response team will be here shortly.”

  As soon as Arthur is done speaking, a red laser slices through the mech’s arm that’s holding the shield. A replacement arm is quickly forming, but not quick enough to counter the incoming Sefirots. While Arthur is doing its best to fight against the Sefirots, the MK looking Sefirots swarm around the mech. Arthur fends off the attacking MK Sefirots with one arm, but the MK Sefirots overpower the mech. Arthur is pinned to the ground as the Sefirots surround it. An MK Sefirot screeches loudly, then takes a monstrous bite of the Mobile Knight. When the MK Sefirot pulls back its head after taking a bite, the destroyed armor and circuitry of the Mobile Knight fall apart and expose the vulnerable skeleton. Another MK Sefirot plunges its mouth into where the cockpit of Arthur is. When it pulls away, black liquid oozes down the MK Sefirot’s body as it swallows.

  Wh-what the eating hell? These Sefirots are eating the Mobile Knights!? I look around for the other Mobile Knights to find a green Mobile Knight already falling victim to a bite of the MK Sefirots. No way. The Mobile Knights are getting destroyed. My eyes wildly look around for Lancelot. C’mon Hiro, please be okay.

  Instead of finding Lancelot, I see more Mobile Knights fighting these Sefirots and even other superheroes joining the fight too. There’s absolute chaos and destruction not just on the ground here, but in the sky. Sefirots are fighting in flocks, simply overpowering most of the Mobile Knights and heroes just be sheer numbers. This isn’t looking good. And I can’t find Hiro or even Sadie for that matter.

  The wall of lasers comes down from the Alpha again. A couple of the MK Sefirots get sliced. Good thing the Alpha doesn’t discriminate when it attacks, this will at least make the numbers more manageable for the heroes to deal with. Half of an MK Sefirot’s body falls in front of me. But it twitches. It’s twitching violently. When the lasers rise back up, the half body starts twitching even more violently than before. Growing from the body is a gruesome regeneration of its other half. Once the MK Sef
irot fully regenerates, I notice that its appearance has changed too. It has become more mechanical looking, similar to actual Mobile Knights. Now that I’m looking around, other MK Sefirots that were sliced in half are regenerating also. Even MK Sefirots that are being attacked by Mobile Knights are regenerating.

  Are you kidding me? These things can regenerate now? Wait, what if the MK Sefirots are eating the Mobile Knights to gain their properties? They just ate Arthur who has that Avalon thing that lets it regenerate. Thing is, how is the power of regeneration spreading to all of the MK Sefirots? Only a couple actually took a bite of Arthur. What’s even happening!? This is a Sefirot attack that I’ve never seen before. What else could-

  Hello my little seedling. I know you can hear me.

  Chapter 16

  No. No. No! How is King in my head again? How is he telling me what to do? Why now?

  Now, go to Victory Park like the good little pawns you are.

  My body is moving by itself again! Shit, where’s King? How is he getting me? Why is this happening again? My body refuses to stop moving. It doesn’t matter if there are people blocking me or debris flying towards me or even if the Sefirots are near me, my body ignores anything that’s happening to continue moving forward. My head won’t move when I want it too, even my eyes are fighting against what I want them to do. I can see in my peripheral that there are other people walking in the same direction I’m going with the same scary composure we all have. We all walk as if a catastrophe isn’t happening. We all look calm, too calm. And that’s what’s terrifying.

  C’mon there has to be a hero or someone that’s noticing a mob of people just walking normally through the destroyed streets right? No, of course they’re not noticing us because there’s a damn catastrophe happening! They have better things to focus on than us. But this is not good either. What does King want with us this time? And where is he?

  An MK Sefirot swoops down and immediately eats the hero that it caught with its hands. Soon after, the MK Sefirot starts emitting lightning from its body. Lightning strikes several buildings and sets so many things on fire. Even though I can’t really look around, I can see the absolute carnage that’s happening all around me. Do these Sefirots really absorb powers? How can they be defeated now that they can regenerate and shoot lightning?

  Legs, c’mon stop moving! Why can’t I stop moving when I want to!? Dammit! What does King even have in store for all of us?

  In front of me is a path of absolute destruction as the roads are completely destroyed, cars are flipped, buildings have collapsed, and people are dead. Even though it’s still raining, not enough rainwater can put out the fires that rage all over the streets. Several civilians are running about, trying to find a safe place to hide. Heroes of all sorts are here, doing their best to save people as well as fending off the Sefirots. If the Mobile Knights are having a difficult time with the Sefirots, what makes normal heroes think they can do any better?

  Victory Park is in my sights. There’s already a large crowd of people here, but more are coming from all directions. Why did King have us all gathered here? As I walk closer and closer towards the crowd, I notice that Beth is one of the many people standing idly. So she’s alive after the last incident with King. I’m glad, but who knows if she’ll stay alive after what’s happening right now. We all walk up to a small hill of the park, shambling like zombies. My body finally comes to a stop. But I still don’t have full control of my body.

  Ah, there you all are my little seedlings. Obeying me like the good little pawns you all are. Why, it brings a smile to my face.

  The smug hell is up with this guy?

  Now that I have you all here, I’ll have you kill each other.

  Materializing from thin air in front of each person is a weapon. Whether it be a sword, axe, lance, dagger, whatever generic weapon you could think of, it’s in front of someone. Kill each other? My hand trembles as it reaches for the sword in front of me. I can fight against this guy. C’mon, I know I can! Just why won’t my hand stop reaching for the sword? Stop moving!

  When I grab the sword, I can hear so many people around me dying. Their voices cry out as their life leaves them. I grab the sword in front of me. It’s light and cold. My fingers grip it tightly. Then, my arm goes up as my body turns to target the little girl in front of me. In her hands is a spear that she’s having a tough time holding. She stares at me with fear in her eyes, tears start rolling down her cheeks. She’s so young.

  As soon as my arm is about to lower a wonderful song is being sung. For some reason, I feel really rejoiced when I hear this song. I have full control of my body again. There’s something familiar about this song. It takes me a moment, but I realize it’s Kirika. It’s her voice and her song. Kirika emerges from the shadows formed on the ground by the people that are left standing alive. Everyone seems to have full control of their bodies as they all start running away. I don’t blame them, they either killed someone or almost got killed themselves.

  Kirika finishes her song when her whole body emerges from the shadows. She’s in her Spectral Singer outfit, in her hands are two spears. She turns towards me and the few people left remaining here. “Please, go find somewhere safe!” she shouts over the many sounds in the air. Her eyes follow a Sefirot that is circling in the sky.

  It takes me a moment to register what she said before I actually start running. She launches herself high into the air and plunges her spears into the Sefirot. The Sefirot carries Kirika off, out of sight. Even though I don’t know her, I really hope she’s going to be okay. Now with full control of my body, I start bolting for a nearby building. Safety doesn’t last as a flock of Sefirots are flying above the park. A strong wind lifts me off the ground and tosses me back to the hill I once was on.

  An MK Sefirot hovers above me. Its entire body blocks any sort of escape for me. I’m like an animal trapped in a cage. My heart beats quickly. The MK Sefirot grabs me, gripping tightly. In any other situation, I wouldn’t care, a hero will save me. Maybe it’s the mind control, maybe it’s the eminent doom that’s about to happen, but I’m fearing for my life. I haven’t felt this way in a long time. How weird. I’m feeling strangely glad that I’m feeling fear. Is this what people mean when they’re making peace with death?

  Before I meet my demise, an image of Hiro flashes in my head. Hiro, buddy. I’m sorry I won’t be able to see you after this. Shit, and we just made up too. You’ve always been a great friend Hiro. You’re everything I’m not and I think that’s what I’ve always been afraid to admit. Brave, loyal, friendly, total badass. Things I’ve always admired, but never wanted to admit. Damn, you really are a hero.

  My body is released from the tight grasp the MK Sefirot had on me. I harshly fall back onto the hill as a loud crash sounds off. A nearby building caved in and large dust clouds rise. Emerging from the dust is Lancelot and the MK Sefirot. Never have I been so relieved to see this mech. Lancelot is duking it out with the MK Sefirot. Hiro is keeping a good distance away from the Sefirot, he probably knows that the MK Sefirot eats its victims for powers.

  If the MK Sefirot ever grabs a hold of Lancelot, Hiro activates Lancelot’s spiky armor that shreds through the Sefirot’s hands. Lancelot brandishes its sword and uses it as a way to keep the Sefirot at a safe distance. However, the Sefirot summons a thick shield that protects the Sefirot from any slashes that Lancelot makes. The shield doesn’t stop Lancelot from continuing to attack, rather it seems Lancelot’s swings are getting more and more violent. Lancelot continues to attack until the shield breaks and Lancelot’s blade gets a clean cut of the MK Sefirot’s body.

  A loud crash destroys a building nearby. Slowly rising from the dust clouds is Guinevere who is holding an MK Sefirot away with one intact arm. What happened to Guinevere’s other arm? I hope Sadie is okay. The MK Sefirot pins Guinevere to the ground, it elongates its neck, slithering creepily as it shrieks loudly. The MK Sefirot’s head plunges into Guinevere’s cockpit with its jaws wide open.

&nbs
p; “Sadie!” Hiro shouts through Lancelot’s speakers. Lancelot tries to fly towards her, but the MK Sefirot has its arms wrapped around Lancelot’s. “Get the hell off me!” Hiro yells, fighting against the MK Sefirot’s grasp on his mech’s arm.

  Lancelot tries to pull away from the Sefirot, but the Sefirot’s arm starts deforming into thick tendrils that slowly spiral their way up Lancelot’s arm. The parts where the Sefirot has a good hold of Lancelot’s arm start changing color, it even looks like the Sefirot is absorbing the arm. Without any hesitation, Lancelot takes its sword and slices its own arm off, effectively stopping the Sefirot from completely taking over. Lancelot follows up with another sword slash that beheads the Sefirot.

  What? What!? Why would Hiro chop off his own mech’s arm!? Maybe he knows something I don’t, but that seems like such an unnecessary move. Then again, it did look like the Sefirot was slowly taking over Lancelot, starting at the arm kinda like an infection. Why are these Sefirots so much more formidable?

  Lancelot quickly flies over to Guinevere. With a quick sword swing, Lancelot beheads the Sefirot that was on Guinevere. When the head of the Sefirot hits the ground, it wriggles creepily, hissing. However, the Sefirot had already taken a bite out of the cockpit, which could only mean that Sadie has to be injured or dead.

  I fall to the ground. This is insane.

  Hiro makes Lancelot kneel and he immediately ejects himself from Lancelot’s cockpit. Hiro quickly climbs and jumps down the mech to scavenge through Guinevere. Please, Sadie, please be okay. Even though I want to help see if Sadie is okay, I can’t move. My whole body is petrified in fear. So much has happened. This really is an Omega-level threat, these Sefirots can ultimately end the world. Yet, I can’t move to even check if my friend is okay.