Transcendent Gene
Chapter 256: First Kill [6]

Chapter 256: First Kill [6]

One minute later, there were two more corpses on the ground.

Serene sat in a corner by herself while Shiro stared into the charred remains he’d created.

’They need some time to process it.’

They didn’t have all the time they’d need, but Gio wasn’t cruel enough to make them move immediately.

He walked into the inner ring of the chamber and used virtual flames to burn all of the corpses into nothingness, leaving no signs of the trauma in the two young Sequencers’ minds.

Neriah was already walking over to Serene, so Gio approached Shiro.

"You okay?"

He put his hand on Shiro’s back and helped him up when the boy looked back at him.

"I..."

Shiro’s eyes were dim, but they weren’t as hollow as Gio thought they would be.

"I think I’ll be fine..." Shiro muttered.

"It’s weird. I know that this is probably going to haunt me for a while, but for some reason, I can’t feel much right now...? It feels fine. It’s all a blur, kind of."

His mind had already gone to work at suppressing his traumatic memories. The fact that he burned his enemy to death also helped. The worst parts of the scene were hidden behind a golden wall.

"It doesn’t get easier," Gio said.

He was never the type to say reassuring words.

"Every time you end a human being’s life, you’ll feel something like what you’re feeling right now. That’s a sign that you’re still a person with morals. It means you understand the weight of your own actions."

People with no regard for others felt nothing from murder. Gio was bordering on that level, which was why he had to actively remind himself of the weight of his actions.

"It’s hard and it hurts, but it’s also something that has to be done sometimes. If you can guarantee that the only times you kill are when you’re protecting yourself or others, then there’s no need to let it weigh you down."

Gio patted Shiro’s back a couple of times as the boy nodded aimlessly.

"There’s nothing we can do about how much it sucks at first. We have to move on and let time heal the wounds like it always does."

Shiro was like that. No matter how stupid he was, he could understand the most intrinsic things instantly.

He’d firmed himself properly before ever acting. Today’s situation was one he’d imagined several times already. It was unexpected only because it didn’t happen in a controlled environment.

He didn’t necessarily need a pep talk. As Gio said, he just needed time and the supportive web of friends that could help him deal with his lasting trauma.

"Huu..."

Shiro exhaled deeply. Regardless of what Gio said, he’d sorted it out in his own head.

"Thanks for the talk," he said with a small smile.

"It didn’t help much, but the yapping took my mind off of it and I was able to see it differently, so I guess it works out."

"You could’ve just said thank you..."

"No, but–"

"Alright, I don’t need to hear anything else from you, dickhead."

Gio rolled his eyes with a grin.

"Let’s head over there for now."

He slung his arm around Shiro’s shoulder and led him over to where Neriah and Serene were.

"...you’ll be fine?"

"I...I’ll be fine. Don’t worry. I think I can handle it after what you said."

Their conversation was coming to an end. Gio didn’t take Neriah for the type who was good at consoling people, but she’d clearly managed to calm Serene down.

When they noticed him and Shiro, they stood up off the ground and addressed them like there was no conversation happening between them at all.

"We’re ready to go. You two as well?" Neriah asked.

"Yeah..." Gio said, trailing off a little as he glanced at Serene.

"You’re okay, too?"

Her movements were still a little shaky, but she did nod and smile a bit.

"I’m okay. Neriah is surprisingly good at talking, you know."

"I didn’t, but noted."

He looked at her for only a second longer before accepting her words.

"Our path has already been decided. That tunnel looks more complicated than it is, so I say we just tackle it and figure out the rest later."

"Mm, let’s do that."

Serene and Shiro both needed time, but said time didn’t have to be spent wallowing in their thoughts. The best way to spend it was by making progress.

Gio’s prediction was correct. If they tackled it without Sequences, it might’ve been a bit difficult. However, all of them had their own ways of making it across.

Gio, Shiro, and Serene could all hover using various methods. Neriah didn’t have any earth to control inside the tunnel, but it was more than enough to take control of a platform. At the end, they reached a wall that opened up and gave them access to a new area.

"Watch out!"

Serene reacted first, putting bubbles up around all of them and shielding them from a huge wave of energy that slammed into the air around them.

They were mere collateral damage. There was already a battle ongoing when they walked in.

Various forms of energy clashed, creating huge shockwaves that spread until they slammed against the room’s walls and broke apart. It was hard to see individual fighters within the mess, but none of them had the time to focus on "who" was fighting.

"We have to find cover!"

On Neriah’s yell, the four of them moved. Usually, Gio would be the one giving them such directions, but he’d gone oddly quiet.

They ran across the wall with the protection of Serene’s bubbles and found a divet that they could hide in.

The first thing they saw from behind cover was two tunnels out of this area. They were positioned the same way they were in the previous tunnel, which meant they were far away from where the group currently was.

"We need to find a way to get there without getting involved," Neriah said.

"This looks like a struggle between factions. It’s best not to pick a–"

She looked back, only for her eyes to immediately widen.

"Where’s Gio?"

"Bad news."

Shiro responded within the second and pointed out in the direction Neriah had only just looked away from.

"There’s no way..."

She couldn’t imagine that the most mature of them, the one they treated like their adult supervision, would ever make an irrational decision.

Yet, she could not deny the sight of virtual blue energy joining the mess of colors filling the center of the room.

"What the hell is he doing...?"

Despite the many questions all three of them had, they didn’t immediately follow him.

They still had no idea what he was doing.

Only Gio had eyes that could perceive exactly what was happening inside the mess of energy.

He saw the two sides that were fighting against each other, and he also saw the third parties between them who were trying to milk the benefits of their battle.

There were only a few faces in this world that could make him throw away rationality.

Most of those faces belonged to monsters. Only a select few were humans, and of those select few humans, he’d only met one in this life.

What were the chances that he’d see her again?

What were the chances of her appearing inside a Scenario Quest that he’d been tracking? What were the chances that they’d run into each other in that Scenario Quest?

Those questions and many more streaked through Gio’s head in a matter of seconds as he stared into the battlefield and mindlessly allowed his party to drag him to safety.

However, eventually, his questions were replaced by something greater.

’It was impossible to kill her last time.’

Last time, he had no choice but to let her escape. Whether he wanted to interrogate her about VNGRD, use her as a pawn against them, or kill her...

’It’s possible now.’

He was definitely weaker than her, but he had power. As long as he had power, he was confident in subduing her.

His mind entered a self-assured cycle, and before he knew it, he was sprinting towards the battlefield.

She took part in the destruction of his life, yet he didn’t even know her name.

If he wasn’t parading with her head by the time they were out of this strange place, then at least that much would change.

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