Read Origin Zero :: Calamity Event - 2

Wiping his eyes, Kouki now gained a full view of the scene he was approaching. Fallen stone buildings began appearing in greater frequency, clearly of some foreign architecture unseen before. He was yet to encounter anyone else, but as he approached the center of the ruined city, he slowed to a halt.

Multiple roads branching out seemed to converge at this central point, being a circle about 100 paces wide. Despite the apparent age of the city, not a single bit of rubble had fallen into the circle, giving it an ancient yet pristine appearance, as if it were some place of worship.

Looking straight ahead, Kouki now paid attention to the statue erected in the very center of the circle, depicting some triumphant man holding a sword directly overhead.

Yet, there was one glaring error in the scene: the statue held nothing in it's hand.

The figure seemed vaguely familiar, but Kouki knew for sure that he had never met anyone of such an appearance. He approached the base of the statue and read the engraving.

"In memory of Hayato..."

Smaller bodies of text were written below the heading, but had become worn away over time to the point they were illegible.

Kaito would've loved to see this.... Nevermind, now's not the time-

Kouki began to turn away, but a glint of metal shone at him from the corner of his vision, reflecting the light emitted by his aura. He stopped, turning back to fully see what caught his eye, yet in the moment he drew his eyes away from the path, the corrupted struck.

It's speed was unmatched by anything reported in Hanakawa's history. Kouki never even saw it approach, yet within a second at most, it appeared within a hair's distance from him.

Time stopped.

Or rather, to Kouki, it seemed to stop as all faded to black. He didn't even have the time to properly process the situation.

Am I... dead?

A voice responded, from where it came from, he was unsure.

Not exactly.

A glowing, pale flame flickered in front of him. It shed a bright light, yet illuminated none of the dark plane he stood on.

For now, what I'll tell you is that you're essentially speaking to Hayato.

Hayato? Most people don't believe he existed, and even if he did, he should be long dead-

The voice laughed and responded teasingly.

That's quite an insult coming from someone saved by him~

So, I'm not dead?

Not yet. Without diving into specifics, your awareness and processing has been enhanced several hundred times. To you, it should seem that time has even stopped.

That's why-

Hayato replied before Kouki could finish, as if his words were being read before they were even spoken.

Yes. And I'm sorry to cut this conversation short, but there are more pressing matters at hand: that 'being' you call a corrupted. Put simply, you cannot hope to overcome it as you are now. I can temporarily lend you the ability to use magic, but know that the more you use, the more strain it'll put on your life itself. Do we have a deal?

The pale flame contorted into the shape of an outstretched arm with it's palm open.

Kouki didn't even have to think twice. He grasped the hand and firmly shook it. In an instant, he returned to the scene where he once stood, this time with the perceptual speed to analyze what was happening.

However, before he could act, a blur of crimson struck away the corrupted, leaving him dazed even in an enhanced state.

Isshiki emerged from the dust cloud that arose in the collision. His face was darkly serious, with visible signs of conflict and determination that Kouki had never seen in his life.

"That... thing... is no longer Kaito"

His voice quivered yet Kouki heard no hesitation.

"What?"

Isshiki seemed to grow angered.

"You heard me"

"No, there has to be another way. I met with Hayato and right now I have the power to-"

Isshiki now began to yell.

"THERE IS NO OTHER WAY. HARUMI'S GONE"

Kouki froze. With his consciousness in an enhanced state, he began to dwell on the idea, yet still failed to fully picture it. No, it wasn't that he was unable to, he was unwilling to.

"we... we can still save her"

At this point, he was shaking.

Isshiki gently placed his hand on Kouki's shoulder.

"I'm sorry. It's over"

A burst of energy radiated from beyond the rubble. The corrupted had gotten up and began charging towards Kouki once more.

Without even looking at his opponent, Isshiki raised one arm, his forearm directly shielding the blow from Kouki. His arm was now glowing, every vein ablaze with overflowing mana.

So these humans have already advanced to aether sorcery, huh?

This entire time, Hayato had been carefully observing the events from within Kouki's mind.

Isshiki made a somber smile towards Kouki.

"Get out of here while you still can"