The Deadman

Yaga was not afraid of pain, that was clear. But seeing Yaga calmly smoking a cigar made everyone wonder where his confidence was coming from. It was not a man who was defeated. Not a man who was just smashed on the head with a butt of rifle.

The calmness made it clear that this was planned. That this was not a setback, and if anything was how things would go. Anna Ford had an insight. She sat across Yaga and crossed her arms.

“Miss Anna Ford. Hmm, not your real name. I get it.  But I know you.”

Yaga pointed at Robert who was standing away.

“Hard not to notice you. Always have that bracer around  your neck and that shotgun of yours.”

Robert took his balaclava off and showed his bare face. Yaga gave a grin and then took another drag of his cigar. He leaned backward, caressing his swelling head.

“Ah, I know that you Americans are coming. Always interfering with the affairs of others, eh? Not that it matters. I do wish that you could have spared some of my men, but alas, it’s how things are.”

“Where is it?” Anna said.

“If you’re looking for your broken arrow. It’s already too late. They already sold it to someone. Do you really think that I would be willing to keep such a dangerous item on hand? I like money, like everyone, but even I am not willing to commit suicide by having it on me.”

“Then where is it?”

“Who knows?” Yaga shook his head. “I was only the middleman. I only act because of the promise compensation.”

“That doesn’t make sense,” Robert said. “You think that being part of this mess is profitable?”

Yaga groaned. “I’m not an idiot. Do you really think  that I would play such a hand if I didn’t have an assurance? Of course, I half-expected this. I shouldn’t have taken this lousy deal.”

Anna Ford received a phone call. The phone call was coming from her superiors. It was a phone call that made Anna Ford’s face crumple like paper.

“Something wrong?” Strato asked.

“He’s a classified informant. This fucker’s been playing everyone.”

Yaga grinned. “I mean I was sure that I painted the right picture. Still, I have no excuse for what I did. It was simply out of greed. Money makes the world roll.”

Yaga caught Robert’s utter disdain. A hatred that wanted to tear him apart. Yaga didn’t mock. He didn’t make any expression. There was no forgiveness that he was asking for. He knew what he did and yet he only had that grin on his face.

“Why let yourself be subordinate to the Lupus Family?”

The man who asked that question was Simone. His eyes were on Yaga and that ‘pressure’ he was leaking out made Yaga shiver. That leaking magic was clear to Yaga that this was a magician.

“Because they grabbed me by the balls and demanded that I do it. I am not fond of learning about this other side of the world and that they want the distraction. But this confrontation made it clear to me how the bonds of these families are based on self-interest. Even your CASE isn't as respected. Your organization has the strength, but lacks the persuading power that makes these families obedient. Stretched thin and used. It will die in the next few years. Not that all of us will have a chance to live.”

Yaga’s eyes become warped. One could tell that there was a sense of dread on him. As if he was looking at it without care for his life.

“Someone’s mad. This person sees everyone as nothing more than sacrificial materials that could further their goal. Honestly, I don’t even think of that person as evil. No, that person has simply lost reason.”

“What are you talking about?”

Yaga pointed his eyes at Robert.

“You are aware of the activities of the cult in Saint Lucius. So I ask you, ``What did you see in the bottom of the sewers?”

Corpses.

It was a hill of corpses with their souls drained.

No, were those even corpses?

Robert could remember that most of them were starved and emaciated. Only some of them were corpses, but most of them were just soulless husks with their circuits fried.

Then he recalled the marks on those bodies.

The blessed and the scorned.

Robert rang Juliana and had her confirmed about the people that were rescued. Everyone had the marks on their bodies and from how it was. It looked like someone had marked them to make sure that those souls would be sent to certain locations.

No, their mistake was assuming that it was nothing more than a summoning ritual to summon a demon. It was something else. Robert recalled that there was a way to strengthen the body and soul through the use of someone’s soul.

You could say that this was the reason why he felt strong. Like he had the strength of two men. Because his soul had been merged with the soul of Robert.

It was a basic knowledge among Enforcers and Magicians. However, it was also a dangerous ritual that would never succeed unless the right conditions were met.

Robert somehow was able to gain those conditions.

“Aren’t you at least curious why? Surely, you don’t think that these people are doing this without a specific goal in mind? No, perhaps they were tricked as well? We are all under the palms of that person. I don't know what that person’s goal is, but seeing that you and the Americans have come to abduct me. It means that the person succeeded. I will be the beast that caused all of this while that person will be able to remain in the shadows.”

Yaga raised a finger.

“This is your flaw. You did not look at the details clearly. You and the Americans did not look closely. Really, you must have at least suspected that there was more it than human trafficking and harvest of organs?”

And when he spoke the last sentence.

They heard something that shook their hearts.

Simone instinctively wrapped the sailing boat and shouted for it to move away.

In the center of the city he saw something rising. It was a mushroom-shaped cloud that gave people instinctive fear for their lives. Robert knew that horrifying image. That sight was something he had seen far too many times.

But something was different.

The flash didn’t destroy everything.

It robbed them of their hearing.

And the glass on the sail boat shattered.

Simone was burning his circuits while Anna Ford was demanding the sailor to move them away from the range of the bomb. Yaga looked at the mushroom cloud. Robert saw the scorned mark on Yaga. There was despair on Yaga’s face as his soul was eaten by the cloud. His soulless body fell face first. Robert kneeled as he looked at the scorned mark that burned on his soul. Simone could only stare helplessly. Unable to do anything as he kept his shield up trying to protect everyone.

Like a symphony of the dead they covered the night turning into day. The blue sphere covered the top of the cloud, gathering the souls into this condensed shape that seems to be ripping the sky.

Scraping it desperately.

Robert was sure that a big chunk of his soul was being torn apart. That big part was the last part of Robert that was left. As if an invisible butcher was slicing the parts of Robert and tearing it apart, separating Kato and Robert.

Robert’s soul was shaking.

He could feel every orifice in his body leaking out blood.

He could hear it.

Millions of souls screaming out for salvation.

His all-sense could tell that those who have been marked with the scorn were being dragged to this sphere.

Despair.

He was flooded with a sense of despair.

Even his renewed will was useless to this strange spell that was backed up by the broken arrow whose energy was being used as a catalyst for this spell.

How it was made possibly brought him endless questions.

He was leaking out.

He knew that if this continued it would be over for him.

And yet in the distance he saw a golden light that triumphed over the explosion. A flaming sword and two wings burning in flaming gold. That light suffocated that cloud of despair. And yet Robert could tell that they weren’t going to get out alive after stopping that spell.

A modern spell that used the power and energy of a nuclear-tipped weapon. Robert trembled at the idea of this person that marked and scorn everyone.

The golden light triumphed and faded away. The spell that was made was able to break through the space and yet instead of something happening. It was closed up and sealed tight, repelling the spell and extinguishing it, leaving only dots of light falling down on the night.

When the light dissipated.

Robert’s body loses all strength.

Something was ripped out of his soul.

And so he could only fall.