Earth: The Second

Terror of Orochi

Adma and Rika were surprised to see the remaining of the party, in this place. but they also feel a slight relief to know they seem not hurt whatsoever. Hepaetus is sitting in front of the table full of paper, while Gon and Razazel are locked in two cages. 

“Rika! Adma!” shouted Gon when he sees his pupils. Hepaetus take a glance at both of them with the corner of his eyes, while Razazel is grunting, that kid is trying to break the cage with her dragon power, which does not result in anything.

“Teach! Hepaetus! Razazel!” shouted Rika. “How can you also get here?” asked her. Adma is also as confused.

“Hypothesis: right now, all of your body is made sleep in the real world. While you sleep, someone put you on a device that would allow a person to deep-dive inside Virtual Space,” said Navigator.

Both Gon and Hepaetus starring at Navigator, the bright floating sphere that talking with difficult words.

“What is this thing?” asked Hepaetus.

“This is Navigator, she is an AI inside me. Something than similar to Clara” replied Adma. “More importantly, we have to get Gon and Razazel to get out of this place. Help me out, Hepaetus!” 

Adma is hurriedly grabbing the rail cage when suddenly he is struck by some kind of electric barrier.

“Argh!” He screamed and jumped back. The shock feels very real.

“I’m sorry, there is nothing I could do either,” muttered Hepaetus. He showed his left hand that has been chained. Adma guesses that the same barrier is also enveloping that bind.

“Damn it… I bet it’s all because of the guy with the mask isn’t it?” Adma grits his teeth and clenched his fist.

“I see, you also have met him,” replied Hepaetus with gloomed expression. “Serpentia, a serpent. I bet this is also not some kind of coincidence,” said Hepaetus. His hands are ruffling the paper and documents on the table in front of him.

“What are these?” asked Adma, he take a peek, and seeing numerous documents of weapons, structure, and also a blueprint of… Something.

“Apparently, the hero has successfully passed the challenge, thanks to the help of their dearest friend.” voice suddenly comes from Serpentia who appeared from some kind of>“Serpentia!” shouted Adma, he commanded his hand to change into a dagger and walked toward that person.

“Threat detected, executing bind and quarantine,” said Keeper. Adma does not realize that AI has already been together with them since the beginning.

Suddenly Adma’s movement gets stopped. He feels heavy at his hand that transformed into a dagger, and flashing yellow lights appear all over his body. Just like what happened when Navigator stalled the giant.

Adma can’t fight it, he feels to the knee, with the dagger in the ground.

“Keeper, that is enough,” command Serpentia.

“Understood, sir,” Obeying his master, Keeper letting out the glitch punishment. But Adma still can’t get up from his spot right now. All he can do is facing Serpentia with a clenched fist.

“What are you doing with my friends? Aren’t centuries years old cyborg is interesting enough?” asked Adma half-mockingly.

“Of course. the century years old living artifact is very interesting indeed. Especially with awareness, attribute that only humans can have,” said Serpentia. His body is bowing, to make his face closer to Adma’s. “Although you are not the only centuries-years-old artifact that I have found, you are still an important subject for my goal, Adma,” said Serpentia, he walked further, and Adma’s bind suddenly released. Making him fell to the ground.

Trying to get back up, Adma confronting him once again. “You also found it didn’t you? The weapon artifact that is more dangerous than anything else?” 

Serpentia is quiet for a moment, and suddenly, his laugh is exploded.

“That’s it! That is what I expected from people from the past! You know your culture so well, that you can guess my plan before I even explained it!” laughed Serpentia.

“Damn right, I am,” said Adma. “Project Orochi 1.7, the secret weapon from one of the countries of the old world that could wreak havoc on enemy territory. Bet you need it to level one or two kingdoms right?” asked Adma.

“Precisely,” laughed Serpentia. He snapped his finger, and suddenly the white area behind him turned to pitch black. 

From the inside, appeared a giant mouth, so big that it would be enough to destroy skyscrapers. That gigantic mouth is made of metal, both the teeth and the entire head that is shaped like a snake. Two blue lights that represent its eyes are moving around and immediately locked a sight to Adma.

“Orochi…” muttered Adma.

The beast screaming, its giant mouth is opened, and somehow, it rushing toward Adma, but nothing actually happened. The beast is just passing through him, not causing any damage whatsoever.

“It’s just a hologram,” said Serpentia. Although his face is hidden, Adma knows that man is probably laughed inside.

“Damn it, the people of this world and their obsession with Artifacts,” said Adma. “What is actually you’re aiming for? Wealth? Glory? Whatever that is, this thing is too big for you!” said Adma. He realized that this Serpentia man is not an ordinary person. He is able to access the computer and dived into Virtual Space. If he understands how to command Keeper, then he has the potential to know how to control the Orochi.

“My true purpose is not only that, really,” said Serpentia. He a cabinet appear beside him, it was full of vials in dark-red colors.

“Is that…” Adma noticed that color, although he wished that he is wrong, it’s definitely one thing: blood. 

“For years, I have been collecting sacrifices. Blood of the criminals, corrupted governments, and society trash. every single one of these people has violated the commands to stay away from the seven deathly sins. The Sins that contradict virtue of the seven Gods,” 

Serpentia turned his face to Adma. “Lately, I have fulfilled my last sacrifice. The blood of a corrupted soul called Udeka.”

Adma is startled. It has been weeks since he heard that name before, but he immediately remembered the scene of s*******r that he has seen before.

“So it was you, the one that killed everyone in the Duke’s mansion. It’s not like Udeka is redeemable, but what about the other people that you killed along with him!?” shouted Adma.

“Ah, Pytha,” said Serpentia, followed by a sigh, “I see that you kind of misunderstanding. I just need blood, but that kid… Tend to do anything that she wished for, I hope that you can understand.”

“HOW CAN I UNDERSTAND!?” shouted Adma, but suddenly the same heavy feeling and glitch are preventing him from moving. Again, Keeper ‘contained’ the threat.

Not giving attention to Adma’s opinion, Serpentia continuing his speech.

“For years I have lived in this world, I have been astonished by these things… Artifacts.” he stares blankly at Adma. 

“What secrets are hidden from our civilization? What stories, people, technology, pain, and sorrows that causing the people from the old world to perish?”

“One day… I get the answers… The catastrophe that happened some millennia ago in the past.” said Serpentia.

“Because of how advanced technology they have, people of the old world are as divided as ever. They create weaponry, selling them to the highest bidder, and use it to spark conflict all around the world,” said Serpentia, he is starring at the blood cabinets as if appreciating his collections.

“That time, I was a part of Church of The Seven, and as I expected they knew the secret that I don’t.” Serpentia is glancing at Hepaetus from the distance. Adma’s companion who has seen everything since the beginning can only worrying Adma. Right now, he is the only way for them to escape.

“Do you know, Adma? Many things have happened since the end of your world. Things that are hidden by the Church of the Seven, and they used it to control and spread influence among the masses,” 

Serpentia is walked around Adma who still kneeling.

“One of them is the fact that this world is two pieces come into one,” whispered it.

“How the hell that I know…” mutter Adma. “I bet in your eyes, I’m just an old man, that does not understand what the deal with young people today,” answer him mockingly.

Again, a laugh burst from Serpentia.

“I like your spirit Adma, I really do! Alright then, as a departure gift, let me tell you a secret of my plan that you might be interested in.”

Serpentia kneeling beside Adma, only in this time, Adma can see a glimpse behind that mask. Wrinkle skin, yellowed eyes, and hoarse voice. Serpenti whispered him few words, but Adma can only respond with a questioning look on his face.

“That is why to reach that ambition, I would need you and Hepaetus. While I have already done at my side, nothing is really completed without the perfection of both,” said Serpentia.

As Serpentia walked away, Adma can feel his surroundings starting to change. He realized that Serpentia is once again moving him to another place.

“Wait! We are not done yet!” shouted Adma,

“Indeed, Adma,” answers Serpentia. “You are not done yet.”

Adma’s scream can’t be heard because right after that, he has moved to another place. For his companion, that happened before their eyes, Adma just… gone.

“Adma!” shouted Rika, but she feels that something is holding on to her body.

“Pardon me miss, but regrettably, you have to join your other companions here,” said Serpentia.

Suddenly, Rika had reappeared inside Gon and Razazel’s cage. She is confused about what just happened.

“Still, you are quite interesting arent’ you?” mutter Serpentia, while looking at her from outside of the cage.

“You are diving together with the other three, but suddenly, you appeared in a different place than the other, how did you do that?” asked Serpentia. But Rika just gives her a glare, she knows that he is the enemy, and she chooses to not give him any friendliness.

“It’s fine I think, I would leave you at that,” said Serpentia.

He then waved his hand, and suddenly large screens appear in front of them. 

“Let us proceed to the second phase,” said Serpentia.