Corrupted Civilization

Chapter 19

As much as Mumei missed the council, they weren't going back to look out for her. The girl had a little bit of hope in her, at least one of them felt pity or worry for the powerless guardian. However, not even the warden came back to search for the girl, she never felt more disappointed in her life than that one time Kronii left her side probably forever.

"If only we didn't do it...I would still be inside the council...", mumbled Mumei in pure sadness, she didn't know that moment they shared before the disaster would make such a huge impact on their lives. She stayed inside the lost office rooms of the building along the stacks of notebooks she had collected. She still had a teensy bit of hope left, maybe one day they would be on their way to meet the girl again. So that was her project, writing her daily life in the notebooks, maybe one day the council members would find the books and know where she might be.

Day after day, she wrote at night, small lamp made the room bright and clear. She noted her day down on the notebooks she collected and brought them in her shelter, with the pencils she found, her handwriting filled the pages with the pencil lead. One morning she woke up with strange noises coming from outside...human voices. It were intruders inside Mumei's self proclaimed territory, and yet again...they were all armed men with rifles...

Just like in Kronii's situation, a group of men arrived inside the same territory while she was on her break. Their loud voices annoyed the warden a lot, they gave her the tendency to kill them in an instant. Kronii took her swords out, knowing exactly what she should do. Upstairs she went, to the rooftop of the abandoned building. The slime acted unsettled and worried, what would the warden of time be capable to do ? What would the slime be able to do ? They waited until the men would reach the building, specifically the rooftop. However they didn't, instead the slime tightened its grip around Kronii's upper arm when it felt trembling. What sounded like a bomb made the woman take cover on the rooftop entry...

"Wh-what was that ?", whispered Kronii in fear, the slime shook from fear too. The warden felt pity for the small slime on her humerus, so she gently patted it and it immediately loosened its grip.

"Don't worry, you don't seem like a dangerous or bad creature, I want to protect you, so you can hold into my armor", Kronii explained with a soft smile, the slime stayed still, its eyes were basically big and signed happiness, comfort and safety. Kronii could feel a boost of energy inside her, she grew braver, it was weird for the warden to get such a sudden increase of her energy. Time was relative, and so was her energy and power, until the slime changed it, or Kronii thought so.

"Let's kill them", Kronii decided on her own, the murder of more humans worldwide, so nobody would notice the presence of chosen ones. Slowly she went downstairs, having her swords ready to kill any person she met. The warden tried to listen to the footsteps that were near her, but there weren't any...quite the opposite, it was calm and silent. Outside she found no one who moved, at least from her point of view. Only a puddle of red liquid and body parts were visible as consequence, it was unusual.

"Oh no I missed, how unexpected from me", a female voice rose on the left side from Kronii, it was a voice unknown for her. When the warden turned her head to the left, she saw it, a person completely in black, eyes shining brightly white, there was no way this could be the creature.

"Who are you ?", asked Kronii fearlessly, she stood straightly and calmly, only to show no fear towards the person in front of her. The reaction Kronii got was way different to what she expected...she laughed.

"I might be the one asking you", she demanded while giggling, Kronii absolutely couldn't recognize who might be that stranger. The warden let out a big sigh and introduced herself, she had to.

"I'm Ouro Kronii, I'm the warden of time, and who shall you be ?", Kronii asked again, this time, she lifted one of her swords threatening. Like before, the person laughed in amusement, a really bad sign for the warden. She came with a reply, Kronii didn't want to hear...

On the other side, Laplus and Koyori reached a river on their way, a perfect spot for a break. The small leader got her walkie talkie out to contact the other members. As soon as the gadget was on her hands, she pushed the microphone button to speak...

"Hello ? Can you hear me ?", Laplus asked, she didn't get any replies for a minute, Lui was still searching for the walkie talkie.

"Yes Laplus, Chloe and I can hear you, what's going on ?"

"Koyori and I split apart from Iroha...I don't know anything from her..."

"Why ?", Lui asked, the question made the leader of HoloX teary eyes again. She was so near to cry, but endured it.

"Iroha stayed behind to protect us from a huge, dark black slime, it came out of nowhere and I don't know anymore...", the tears ran down her cheek, now with worry and sadness, she just cried in silence.

"Wait really ? Where did they stay ?"

"In a random field we found that appeared like a wasteland", Laplus wasn't able to speak anymore as her crying got harder. So Koyori grabbed the walkie talkie to continue the talk.

"And you don't know anything about Iroha ?"

"Sadly we don't..."

"Okay, keep us updated if you found something, Iroha is a strong samurai, she probably dealt with it and is now walking alone", Chloe tried to comfort Koyori and Laplus, which did gladly work. The talk ended and in the council meeting room, some people, including Calliope and Gura, stayed inside too.

"Man, I hope Iroha is fine though...", said Lui to Chloe, it would be sad to lose another member during the case. The orca just nodded with a worried look on her face, she hoped for the wellbeing of her friend likewise. Calli and Gura's attention was on them, they both knew they could help them out with the result. With this, the pink-haired apprentice gathered her courage to interrupt their talk...

"Hey uhmm, I can check if your friend is alive...should I check ?", Calli asked in a worried tone, she could see them nod in agreement. So did the apprentice get her reports out and was ready to look up for their friend's name.

"What's her name again ?"

"Oh it's Kazama Iroha...", Chloe answered, which made Calli begin the research. Both Lui and Chloe were staring at Calli all this time she took to look if Iroha's name was on one of the report papers. Minutes later, the apprentice took her eyes away from the papers in her hand and her eyes saw the two, who had high expectations and hope their friend was still alive.

"And ? How is it ?", Lui asked seriously, Chloe kept silent for now. Calli showed a sad smile, which turned into a complete sorrowful face...Kazama Iroha...her name, it was on her reports. Calliope shook her head...

"She died...", was the only thing that came out of her mouth. Lui and Chloe were beyond heartbroken, one of their close friends died as a sacrifice. Chloe started crying, Lui stayed silent and didn't move, she had an absolute shock. Gura too, it was hard to swallow, the reality demonstrated yet again, how dangerous the creature was...

For now, Lui and Chloe agreed keeping Iroha's death a secret to Laplus and Koyori...they would regret it later for sure, but now they couldn't, they quitted the meeting room.

"Someone help me now", the universal walkie talkie from the council spoke all of a sudden, it was Kronii. Everyone inside the room got worried, her voice wasn't the normal tone she always used, but a panicking one, yelling even.

"What's happening Kronii ?", asked Fauna, panicking as much as Kronii did. The microphone of the gadget could catch the explosions in the background, now they were very worried, restless and anxious.

"Kronii ?", Fauna called out the warden's name, which she got instantly a reply from.

"Help me, send me IRyS and Miko", shouted Kronii as the explosions didn't finish, they didn't give a break to the warden.

"Why you need them ?"

"Fauna, I met a chosen one with negative potential...she's complete black, her eyes shine in white...I need help no-", shouted Kronii as no more explosions were heard, the warden stopped pushing the microphone button after all.

"Oh why are you running away Ouro Kronii, let me have some fun", giggled the person in complete black as she kept using her strong power towards the warden of time.

"Like a comet, a rough star, let the cute Hoshimachi Suisei hit you...", giggled the girl, how long would Kronii endure the attacks while help was on its way ?