“People of Zankyo, my name is Elisph, and today we all address you with an important matter. The government here and across the world is a tyrannical force which has been oppressing people, abusing their power, murdering innocents, and many other horrible acts. 

I know, I know that this may not be news to you all, but I call you to take a stand against this. I urge you to not sit in silence or in complacency, I urge you to act. To act against the power that is being used against people like us, people who have been suffering for too long.

This ceremony here is a pathetic excuse for out of touch politicians to try to blend in as a common folk, when they couldn’t be further apart from who we are. It is an excuse for mindless self indulgence for the wealthy. This is also a ceremony which precedes the Festival of The Wyvern.

A sacred event where we witness the spirits continuing their bond of friendship and how it is everlasting, but over the past few years, the government has been gripping tightly with its control and dominance over this festival because it is the one thing that they cannot control about this island.

This is why we must take it back. We must take back the country that belongs to us. This is something that you all must do, not just in fighting, but in any which is effective and works for you, because what we should truly value, is individuality and the spirit community. 

So please, take a stand, and fight like your life depends on it.”

There was a soft and distant murmur throughout the crowd, and a lot of people were still confused.

Slowly but surely however, some people started to make some noise, and so did others. This continued until a good amount of the crowd was in agreement, and started to shout, clap, make other noises, and most importantly trash everything.

The riot here was successful. The streets were an utter mess, buildings were broken, and shots were fired. But they were fired by the guards, who had become more mobilised by the second, and were a constant source of aggression against the riots.

Elisph and the others with her were also making a mess of the stage, and the man moved cautiously to the backstage area. Unfortunately for him, there were other guards, officers, and politicians there.

They all aimed their weapons at him. He looked back with an expression of pure evil.

‘Don’t shoot or I’ll slit his throat.’

One of the guards moved in closer.

“You’re bluffing!”

‘Well okay I’ll go ahead then-’

He was about to draw the blade in closer. Someone else moved forward and stopped the guard.

“Don’t.” Said a very commanding voice.

The man looked up to see a woman in a business suit, whose face he couldn’t quite see properly in the light. But she was standing there with a slight smile.

“What do you want from us?”

‘I don’t want anything specifically, I’m just here to burn this system to the ground.’

“Oh really? And what would you know about this world and its government? You’ve only been here for a few days haven’t you?”

‘Yes, and I know that they’re shitbags who are willing to kill, steal, and lie about anything to make them more powerful. They’re self-serving, not altruistic.’

“And so going on a riot and threatening one of us is a better idea?”

‘It’s better than sitting in silence.’

“I bet this is all stuff Elisph has told you, isn’t it?”

The man paused. Something about this felt like it was an attack on his mind.

‘So what if it is?! Agreeing with someone isn’t a bad thing, is it…?’

“Hahaha…Of course not. I’ll just say this though, no one is immune to propaganda, regardless of what side it's on.”

‘Same goes for you then.’

“I know that, but that’s what makes me different, I don’t hide my true nature. Unlike you and your friends. You’re just killing machines. Another piece in our puzzle. This little riot will accomplish nothing you know. You’ll just be fodder for us. And when the next riot happens we’ll be there to stop it as well. No one. Can stop us, whoever it is, we will make sure that they are hunted to the core and back.”

The man chuckled lightly.

‘You’re wrong about one thing you know. This riot will accomplish something.’

“Oh, is that about how the rest of you are stationed at the government offices, and are going to kill everyone in there too?”

‘W-wh-How did you know that?’

“Because I’m not stupid. The guards there aren’t going to protect anyone, they’re just going to kill your friends, just like the ones out there.”

Her smile was that of an echo of the devil himself, or perhaps something worse. The man narrowed his eyes, his fire growing. He took hold of Mr Gendai Speaker, and bolted for the other side, to another building.

The guards followed him, shooting almost aimlessly. The other officers left, but the lady stood still. Her smile never fading.

As the rebels kept on fighting, the guards slowly started to move back from the crowd, which was quickly growing larger. All the guards then stopped their activity, and lowered their weapons. 

The crowd was still going at some of the guards, but some people in the crowd thought that they had won. This became a shared statement throughout the crowd pretty quickly. 

Elisph however knew that this wasn’t going to be that easy, and tried to warn the crowd.

The man was still in another building with Mr Gendai Speaker, who was somewhat unconscious at this point. He had heard gunshots coming from outside but couldn’t make out what truly happened.

He continued his path through the building, and made his way to what looked like an auditorium on the ground floor. As soon as he entered, guards were everywhere. He dropped Mr Gendai Speaker and bolted to the doors, but two guards stopped him and tackled him onto the ground.

Don’t think you’re going anywhere this time.

The man then used the knife to cut the guards down, which he did in a short blind rage. The other guards came his way, and to them he gave the same treatment. They were all brutally stabbed to death, and cut in several areas.

The man then bolted out back towards where the others were, only to see a bunch of the guards, who were all expecting him.

Beyond them he could see what could be made out to be…

…Several dead bodies lying on the ground. They were of the entire crowd. No one was left alive. 

All the rebels had been killed, and in the distance, he could still see the lady from earlier, smiling at him.

A fire grew within him, but this time it couldn’t be contained. He screamed like hell and charged forwards at the guards, slicing all that he could as he went towards the forest again.

As the trees closed in on him, and he felt the path coming back to him. In the distance he could see a fire, which he moved towards. 

The wind breezed against him, his hand airing against the grass. He remembered what he had gained, before it was lost for good…

As he reached the hideout, he could see someone there. It was another guard, no, several of them.

They had killed the rebels who decided to stay behind as well.

The man didn’t know what to do, it all happened so fast. So he did the one thing he could still hold on to.

A gentle breeze flew through the trees, with a hint of rain coming through. The trees rustled, their leaves falling down upon the ground. On top of the guards’ bodies.

The man stood tall above them, with an immense amount of blood dripping from him. The rain began to wash some of it away, but it can never be truly removed.

The fire was still slightly there, but it began to wither and dampen with the rain pouring against it. 

The man took off his jacket and scarf, and placed them on the fire, letting them burn.

He took a hood from one of the rebels which was in good condition, as well as a piece of fire wood, which he lit up before leaving.