Deus Didymus: Rend

Chapter Forty-Two: Level Up

Kami scanned the surrounding flora. He repeated the description to himself before picking the flower.

This is a simple flower... Why did she want it to much?

Kami wrapped the flower in a soft cloth, pocketing it before standing straight.

Three... Seven.

"Code was right! It seems like you were lying about your level!!" A voice boomed. "A person who picked up the catalog just last night should have no business on the twelfth floor."

Kirito stepped forward with a large grin. His sleek navy blue coat stood out amongst the entourage of red, marking him as the orchestrator in Kami's eyes.

Kami stepped forward. "Is there a way I can get out of this?"

"Unfortunately not." Kirito grinned. "Code said you were formidable though, so I'd like to test that."

The man extended his arm, prompting a single man to swipe his hand through his menu. He summoned a pair of gloves onto his hands before dashing in front of Kami.

Kami pushed the man's jab out of the way, sidestepping the second.

This society is built on power. Judging by his speed, they sent a level two at me, so how would they react to me defeating him?

The crimson rogue extended his forearm, intercepting the man's punch at his own forearm. Kami wrapped his arm around the man's, locking him close.

"I'm sorry."

The man's breath hitched in the face of a visage of a crimson god looming over Kami. Sites of sharp pain detonated across the man's body, erupting into flames as if a flurry of knives had enveloped his body in lacerations.

Silence overcame the large group. They glanced toward each other causing Kirito to grit his teeth.

"Don't let him scare you! Kill him!!"

The five remaining men navigated their menus, arming themselves with various weapons. In response, Kami dropped the unconscious man. He primed a stance foreign to him, yet his body felt like he had done it thousands of times before.

"What's wrong?" Jinju asked softly.

"Red Rabbit..." Sumin sobbed. "Someone's out to get him..."

The older woman crouched next to Sumin, rubbing her back. "What do you mean?"

Sumin rubbed her eyes, sniffling. "Someone came to kill the two of us while we were out. We managed to get away, but he left again..."

"You almost died?? What do you mean?" Jinju turned to the door. "Hold on."

She stood on her feet, opening the door to reveal a single man. Bruises cluttered his body and he swayed in his spot.

"That boy... He's not normal..."

"What happened, C?" Jinju questioned.

"He knows..." C coughed. Blood spurt from his mouth and onto the ground, staining the wooden floorboard. "He knows everything..."

Kami danced between the crowd, weaving in and out of weapon ranges. His feet flowed like that of a river, guiding him to safety out of sheer instinct. The rest of his body moved in sync with his legs, yet they stayed autonomous.

Without him realizing, Kami caught an arrow in his right hand, tracing its origin to Kirito. He watched the man click his tongue before slitting his closest target's throat with the arrowhead.

Not a thought went to where or how to attack. Kami moved on pure instinct, honing the arrowhead through throats in a fraction of a second.

As the bodies dropped, Kami pointed the arrow's tip toward Kirito--his crimson gaze colder than Jinju's. "You're next."