Chapter Text
“Thank goodness you’re awake! It was an absolute disaster. Some traitors summoned demons to attack you all. But, thankfully you hung on long enough to kill them and we got their location from their little saboteurs. However the others are being repaired right now.”, Sirei explained, after popping out.
“Are they okay?!”, Takumi questioned, genuinely concerned.
That was really surprising to him considering how strong they are but he supposed they were off guard. Maybe that was it…
“They will be. It won’t take too long to prepare, but the Anti-Preservation faction is bound to attack with them indisposed. I need you to kill them, soldier. Those people are deranged. Their minds have been poisoned by demons which have made them a threat to humanity. To the people you love.”, Sirei ordered in a serious tone.
“Kill them…?”, Takumi questioned.
He looked unsure at the idea of killing humans. Demons were one thing but…
“They’re a threat y—I shouldn’t hesitate.People who would wipe out their own species…They’re no different…I need to protect Nozomi. I need to kill…kill, kill…”, he thought.
Takumi massaged his aching head scared of these thoughts.
Where did they come from?
Was he really like that?
Takumi’s core pulsed in a distressed manner. His eyes were slightly red for a moment.
“Shh don’t resist that bloodlust within you. You need it to do what you have to do to protect everyone.”, Sirei said.
“D-Did you do something to my head?!”, Takumi questioned, clearly distressed.
“Nothing at all. This is what you feel, Sumino. It’s only a natural response after what they did. You despise them for it. That’s where this bloodlust is coming from. From your desire to protect what’s precious to you. After all, you must have realized that they’ll leave no human alive including your parents and Kirifuji. You don’t want them to be hurt by them do you?”, Sirei explained.
“N-No! I’ll protect them!”, Takumi asserted in a desperate manner.
“Then, there’s no need to think about what you must do. You must defeat the vile and barbaric enemy. The enemies of humanity.”, Sirei replied.
“That’s right…but…but aren’t they people with families too?”, Takumi questioned.
“Do you think people like that would propagate the race they hate? People who get caught up in that kind of thing are those who have no one that would miss them. If they had people they cared for they wouldn’t be doing this. It’s best to just think of their lot as demons.”, Sirei answered.
“Think of them as demons…”, Takumi murmured.
“That’s right. They’re demons. Humans who turn against humanity are no different than demons. They want to kill everyone including countless innocents. Babies even.”, Sirei said, close to his ear.
“They’re demons…To want to kill everyone including innocents…They’re not human…I need to kill them. I shouldn’t consider them as human…If they’re demons, killing them doesn’t matter. They’re just monsters anyway. I need to kill them…Kill the demons.”, Takumi mentally tried to convince himself as he exhaled.
“You are a champion of humanity. You’re to be their hero. Heroes must slay demons to protect the innocent.”, Sirei said.
Takumi looked over to Sirei.
“Now go and get justice for your comrades. Their location has been sent to you. It will be like shooting fish in a barrel. Leave no survivors.”, Sirei said.
“C-Can…can I really do that?”, Takumi questioned, feeling unsure no matter how much he tried to convince himself that it was fine.
Even with Sirei saying that they’re just demons it still felt daunting. He didn’t want to kill a human. Just the act of trying to dehumanize them in his mind made him feel sick. It just didn’t stick. It felt wrong and he felt dirty and disgusting from attempting to justify it.
“Of course you can. You just need to channel the Kronos part of you.”, Sirei assured.
“I need to channel Kronos…?”, Takumi questioned.
He’s done that intentionally before and it didn’t go so well. It led to him saying things he didn’t mean and having little control over himself.
“That’s right. In daily life you are Sumino, but in battle you're Kronos. He’s given you a killing instinct. One which you can use for good.”, Sirei replied.
He supposed it did work against Hya—
Throb.
His head really started to hurt. It felt like his head was being busted into violently. Then, something slipped into the cracks of his consciousness. He could feel power rising up inside him. Power he didn’t know he had. When it filled him he felt invincible…and his mind became incredibly foggy. Red became visible in his pupils.
He feels himself relaxing. His hands are balled up as that primordial power flowed through his body. There was a conviction within him. A frightening one.
Was he smiling?
He’s not sure. There’s something on the edge of his consciousness. Something that allowed him to abandon his hesitation. Takumi found himself heading there. He didn’t need to think about where. There was a GPS in his head. It felt like he was on autopilot as his body moved through the streets. He was so fast that he wasn’t seen by bystanders. They did feel a wind brush past them though. Unintentionally this ended up burning off his clothes. He’ll need to replace them. The friction created by his own speed set his body ablaze.
Without the comfort of his clothes he felt more inhuman as the bare metal flesh was exposed.
When he checked the clock function in his mind he saw that a minute didn’t pass. Yet he was already here. He swung the door of the building open.
“He—Huh?”, a person at the desk said in confusion.
He could swear that someone walked through the doors. There was a sound but the door was closed. The man had muscles and scars hidden under baggy clothing.
“Gawpp…”
The man grabbed at his throat as he felt a stinging and burning pain in his throat. There was a massive searing gash. His eyes widened with horror. One the table was his comp which he used to summon demons. He doesn’t know when it got there but it was broken. His guns were on the counter too.
Just when…?
A person sitting watching the cameras had some coffee and donuts. He looked checked out, likely having done an overnight shift. The man was brought out of his stupor as the cameras rapidly went dark. This made him jump up. There was rapid panicking as they started to notice so many pools of blood that the halls were starting to flood. Those that are lucky summoned their demons quickly. They summoned law or chaos aligned demons. Many of them being of the dark variant along with angels. They gathered together before the boss’ door in an united front.
“I feel the presence of an ancient evil…”, Angel said.
“It goes without saying that this demon is strong indeed. I’ll have their head.”, Horkos commented.
“None shall stop humanity from receiving their rightful judgement.”, Morax declared.
Splash! Splash! Splash!
A single person came into view. It was Takumi looking for more targets.
“It feels like there’s someone else in my head...Is t-this…”, Takumi thought, before noticing them.
His grip on his blade tightened. The target was locked on. This made his wandering thoughts halt. It was time to hunt his prey…With that his moment of clarity ended. He slowed his advance in a dramatic manner standing alone in his part of the blood soaked hallway.
“…”, he was silent as he approached.
Bullets and rocket launchers fired at him from behind the demons. The demons guarded their summoners with their bodies acting as shields. It wasn’t too dissimilar from old musket formations.
It felt so slow to him. They would honestly have an easier time mailing him the ammo. Even with their speed enchanted by the summoning program it all felt as if it was in slow motion. He kicked the rockets and turned them around.
Demons approached him intently, especially the angels. He could feel their fear. Even if they hid it behind their faces which might as well have been iron masks he could still tell.
Smirk.
More power slipped out of his body. It was surging and overflowing like wildfire. His arms swung with such force that it ripped through the angels’ bodies with ease. They didn’t suffer. Quick and decisive blows were a mercy he offered them. Takumi…wanted to offer mercy. The other enjoyed itself. He focused on demons that were listed as resistant to fire in some way and those that immediately attacked like the angels. Feathers fell and there was seldom a cry of pain. Takumi was covered in blood and he felt his body smirking.
Quickly the humans tried to escape as they were overwhelmed by fear. This destroyed their formation. Their rockets were turned against them and their demons were being cut down with such frightening ease. Takumi saw light magic being cast. It got nowhere near him. Instead he would dodge and it would hit another demon burning them up from inside.
He couldn’t let any of them escape.
Fire swelled around him as if he was about to transform. The hellfire that came from his body absolutely devoured everything in his immediate vicinity. Any demons that were intentionally left alive due to their lack of resistance towards it or those fleeing. They were all reduced to ashes.
But he quickly reverted back before his height could grow higher than the ceiling.
Takumi stood alone in a room that once held other life. His eyes were glowing an overpowering red that swallowed the blues of his eyes. The power that overwhelmed his senses felt good…Really good. It made his mind fuzzy. The blaze burned away all of the blood including the pool. He was completely spotless. One would not think that he was covered in blood just a moment ago. His consciousness felt distant.
“Mmm…”, Takumi murmured.
He rapidly blinked as he came back to himself.
“What…? What was I doing…?”, Takumi murmured.
His eyes landed on the door. Hand already on the handle and turning it.
“Right…I was exterminating the enemy. I can’t show them mercy…They’re just like demons.”, Takumi said as his tone became deeper and more threatening.
“There’s no need for me to think about it…They want to kill humanity. It’s my job to exterminate them.”, Takumi thought hazily.
His other self was there with an overpowering grip over him. Takumi couldn’t do anything at all. It was much stronger than him. It dominated him with ease making him feel completely stuck unable to wiggle out even an inch. Fear lingered on the edge of Takumi’s consciousness. When the other filled him his fear washed away. What was left was absolute confidence and assuredness.
“You are my possession…”, there weren't words but he could feel that idea echoing through his being.
It was with a level of possessiveness that he couldn’t even describe. It seemed to really want him…
“Yes…right now I’m Kronos. I’m going to destroy my enemy.”, Takumi thought, hazily.
Takumi entered a surprisingly massive room. It looks like he could transform in there without taking off the roof. He looked around with his scanners searching for life. There was a rumbling of thunder that instantly made him tense up.
A divine presence could be felt. With a flash the Kunitsukami Take-Minakata appeared before him. He had green skin, pointed ears, curved horns, pronounced bottom fangs, black hair, red eyes, and traditional Japanese garb.
Takumi tensed and felt more clarity in his mind. His being hissed at the presence of a storm god. The god stood before him radiating more power than the other opponents he’s faced in here. A screen lit up behind him.
“What brings you here, doll of humanity? How did you even know where this place is?”, the man on the screen questioned.
His voice was distorted by a voice changer and the screen depicted an obviously fake generic silhouette of a person.
“Where are you?”, Takumi asked.
This makes the man laugh.
“You think I’ll tell you so you can assassinate me too? I’m gone, far away from here.”, he asserted.
“You’re trying to wipe up humanity so I’m going to stop you!”, Takumi declared.
“Is that so? The only one who has killed humans here is you. You are simply a weapon of Future Foundation that lacks control over your own life. It’s pitiable. Humans did this to you. You were a proud aspect of nature that has been bent to mankind’s will like so many others. As is their natures.”, the man replied.
“Save me your sophistry.”, Takumi replied, unamused.
The other gave him the information on what a sophist was.
Right, who was the other? Who was putting this information in his head? Was it…Kronos?
More of himself spilled forth when not in active combat. This shifted ominousness into earnestness.
“I’m Takumi. I was given this power so that I can protect the people close to me. I’m not some aspect of nature. I’m a human.”, Takumi asserted, earnestly.
“You’ve been given the identity of a teenage boy. How humorous. Perhaps a battle with the kind of god you loathe will knock something loose.”, the man replied.
“He best pray that I only knock that loose and not all of the bolts and wires in your body, Karakuri Ningyo.”, Take-Minakata said.
This made a murderous presence rise up within his body. The anger didn’t feel like it came from him but he felt it and was enveloped in it. He didn’t feel a need to resist the urge to spout out the smartass retorts that rose within his mind. Takumi bore no respect for this lot…The threats to his loved ones.
“Did I just hear a Z list deity talking? The nerve. I can sense your divinity but I’m afraid you’re so irrelevant that I don’t even know who you are.”, Takumi retorted, with his restraint completely nonexistent.
“Z list…?! I am war that people wage and storm that tears apart all without discrimination. I am Take-Minakata.”, Take-Minakata replied, angrily, his voice rumbling like thunder.
“Oh another war god. How original.”, Takumi scoffs, dismissively.
This was enough to get the deity to lunge at him like a lightning bolt. Takumi’s response was to transform right then. The deity screamed as he hastily flew away from it. It was weak to fire. He felt his mouth forming a devilish grin. The power spread throughout his body and took over. He could feel it flowing through those scars.
Just as he thought his head didn’t hit the ceiling. There was a decent distance between them. The other deity was as tiny compared to him. Like a little bug he could just squash.
“Destroy him. Physically, mentally, spiritually.”, a demand ripped throughout his being.
Lightning was fired at him which incensed him more. They were all so tiny it was hard to keep track of. But, he’s grown used to dealing with his opponents being so small. When he was in tune with the world around him evasion was useless.
He beat this into the wargod. His titanic fist impacted him with speed he wasn’t expecting. Just enough to send him slamming into the wall. The deity got back up to fight. Good.
“This strength is nothing compared to Take-Mikazuchi.”, Take-Minakata commented.
With newfound confidence he tried striking where he looked to be weak. Unfortunately for him he had to do it from afar lest his heat cook him. This severely handicapped Take-Minakata. Takumi kept swatting him down like a fly and he kept getting back up. The lightning did burn but it wasn’t too bad. It went largely ignored by the elation filling him. The little god’s confidence grew more and more. He became more bold. Perfect.
His hands grasped Take-Minakata into a fist. He squirmed in his fist using the last of his lightning to try to get out. But, he didn’t budge. This made shock and panic fill him.
“To a primordial like me you’re nothing but a bug.”, his distorted voice boomed but those weren’t his words.
He couldn’t control what he was saying nor could he control his hands which squeezed tighter. The pressure increased ever so slightly over time. When he shifted his fingers more pressure was applied to different parts of his body making the small god wince in pain.
“T-There is something wrong! I-I can’t control my body…I feel like a passenger—No, it’s like I’m being held hostage. S-Someone stop…”, Takumi mentally panicked.
He’s never felt more scared in his life and he felt himself being twisted and dominated from within. There came the power pulsing within him. Surging…Making him feel so good as he as he—He needed to stop. Takumi wanted to stop but he couldn’t control it. A wickedness filled him as he tried to hold onto his own feelings and stop them from being overwritten as well. He could feel it taking over his mind.
“D-Devil…Kishin…”, Take-Minakata winced in pain.
The twisted smirk on his face deepened as he broke his body. Parts of the god started to melt when touching the molten cracks. He didn’t know why this felt so amusing to him. Just that it did and with it came a distorted laughter.
“Hehe…Hehehahahahahahahahaha! You’re so weak! I’m hardly even trying here. I don’t even need to use your weakness. I could crush you like a bug just like this.”, he thinks he said, but he couldn’t tell who was talking anymore.
It was his voice but it wasn’t. Close but not quiet. This made that panic on the edge of his consciousness worse. He couldn’t…it was hard to distinguish which thoughts were his.
“N-No…I-I need to warn them…of the kishin hiding within this boy.”, Take-Minakata murmured as he continued to struggle.
He just applied more strength and he was denied the ability to even writhe. That distorted laughter echoed through his throat.
“Hear my name and fear me all that are divine. I am the devourer of kin, Kronos. The primordial time that devours mortals and even the divine. Hahaha! No one can escape time! I am inevitable!”, a grandiose declaration came out of his mouth.
It wasn’t his voice at all. This wasn’t his body. It was his. It was Kronos’. It was all his. His body, his mind, his soul…
Somehow he felt like something patted his head as if saying good job for figuring that out. He could feel that Kronos owned him. That he only had control over his body when he allowed it.
This subconscious realization got completely overshadowed by most of his consciousness which was enraptured by Kronos. He made it feel so good it made his mind numb. Takumi was filled with a power and confidence that he normally didn’t possess. Those overwhelmed everything else leaving him reeling. It left him acting as Kronos.
“Tell them in the Underworld to not target humanity or else…I’ll eat…I-I’ll eat…EAT YOU!”, Takumi replied, hysterically.
From Takumi’s perspective he saw Take-Minakata savory and smoky bacon. Not unlike before, Takumi's perception was altered. Maybe he should put it in the air fryer a bit more. It’s looking too light. Fire slipped from his mouth with the intent to cook.
This was met with blood curdling screams.
“My air fryer is seriously on death’s door with that racket. I need to replace it.”, Takumi thought, trapped thoroughly in the delusion.
He cooked him until medium point which is what he liked the most. He thinks most people like it that way. Not too raw, not too burnt. Just perfect.
His fangs sank into him. The divine flesh might as well have offered no resistance. Whatever taste he originally had was changed to perfectly cooked bacon. Takumi had a bloody grin as ate him piece by piece. Perfectly marinated in fear just as Kronos liked. That gave it something extra he could vaguely remember tasting but he couldn’t put his finger on where. All he knew was that this bacon tasted extra good.
CRUNCH!
CRUNCH!
In between the few crunches there was blood curdling screaming. He ate him in a few bites like he was the small piece of bacon he had been made to see him as. After swallowing there was a flash of fire and he returned back to normal. Takumi was left looking out of it and drooling before being granted full control back. With it his eyes returned to normal. Kronos seemed satisfied…for now.
This time when he returned to his senses his mind wasn’t submerged again, but he couldn’t remember the fear he felt. He seemed to control his memories too…
“Youch. That was a pretty tough fight.”, Takumi winced as he felt the effects of the shocks more strongly in his base.
It made his limbs twitch awkwardly. He seemed completely unaware of the one-sidedness of the encounter. His hands had bacon grease…Right, it was bacon grease. Normally he would be embarrassed but there was no one here. Not even the man on the tv was still broadcasting. It seemed that the screen got destroyed in the battle. This left Takumi licking his hands of blood which he saw and tasted as bacon grease.
“Yummy…”, Takumi said, in an oblivious and cheerful tone.
“Where did I get the bacon from again? Right, their fridge. Isn’t that stealing though? I might have committed a crime…I mean they are dead so—No, I’m pretty sure that makes it worse. I’m not stealing more food no matter how hungry I am…I am kinda hungry though. Maybe I could get a plate of bacon as a reward. Geez, why am I thinking of food after doing all of that…? I should ask for something more important like talking to my parents. It’s probably because I’m hungry.”, Takumi thought.
To be continued…