Chapter 157: Beginning Of The War
However, on top of the tall building, El continued to play his violin. His fingers continued to dance over the strings, as if the world around him didn't matter.
El wanted to finish the song, even though destruction was slowly creeping closer.
The cell phone in his pocket suddenly rang, but El was not distracted. He kept his eyes closed, focused on the music he was playing.
The banging, ringing, or chaos around him could not distract him.
The recent overuse of Rinnegan had increased the number of life and death visuals 40% from the normal rate, making his heart grow cold and empty.
His concern for life faded like a shadow in the twilight. Now, El hardly felt anything. Even if the entire human race perished, he would not care.
However, there is one thing that still remains in him: a sense of responsibility. Though weak and almost gone, it was the last anchor holding him back from complete emptiness.
As long as it existed, El knew he wouldn't let any more victims fall.
For now, he just wanted to finish the music. It was not just a melody, but a final tribute to the five fallen cursed children, as well as to the bodies of the other cursed children he had met in the Black Bullet world.
Through the violin, El tried to express the long-lost feelings of sadness that he no longer felt.
At least, with music, El can give a little form of respect to those who have passed away.
The only way for him to remember that, even though his heart was empty, he once cared.
Not long after, the last strains of El's violin stopped, letting the echo of the tragic melody slowly fade into the air.
Calmly, El lowered his violin, letting out a long breath as if to release an invisible burden.
The constant ringing of the cell phone in his pants pocket interrupted the quiet moment. Unhurriedly, he deposited the violin into the Storage Ring, his movements neat and practiced.
After that, El reached into his pocket, took out his cell phone and stared at the screen with Kayo's name prominently displayed.
El received the call, but before he could speak, Kayo's panicked voice greeted him.
"Adrian-san! Monolith 32 suddenly collapsed! We should still have one more day! No-forget that, what's more important is please, get here quickly!" her voice was full of urgency and tension.
"I understand." El replied briefly, his voice remaining even despite the gravity of the situation.
Without hesitation, El hung up the call with a firm gesture, then slipped the phone back into his pocket. His face radiated an almost sinister calmness, eyes focused on his goal.
There was no room for doubt, only an unwavering sense of responsibility and a promise to Seitanshi to protect the city.
The urge was like an unrelenting flame burning in his heart, pushing him to act immediately.
"I want to resolve all this immediately," El said in a low but firm voice.
El's gaze swept the horizon, carefully thinking of a strategy. "Using the Deva Path: Shinra Tensei, or maybe it's better to start with Chibaku Tensei, then burn everything with Amaterasu."
El let out a long breath, trying to calm the racing thoughts. "But... on the battlefield there will definitely be many who get in the way. I'd better make sure everyone retreats first. After that, I can advance unhindered."
He stared far ahead, a faint smile appearing on his lips, cold yet full of confidence. "That way, I can exert all my strength without hesitation. It's much simpler."
The wind blew slowly, sweeping his trench coat fluttering in the air. El stood tall, like the shadow of a pillar that had just decided the fate of the world.
El closed his eyes for a moment, letting the silence sink into his. His breathing slowed down, flowing in a regular rhythm, like a calm yet powerful stream of water.
In that stillness, El seemed to reach out to a higher dimension, connecting his consciousness with the divine power that resided in his soul.
El communicated with the divine power of the six paths that resided within his soul, a power that lay dormant, waiting for its old self to awaken.
As the power responded, El opened his eyes slowly. A pair of eyes that were now drastically changed, a ripple pattern with six tomoe dotting the circles, looking like a map of the world imprinted in a powerful gaze.
Once the Rinnegan had activated, and in that instant, the flow of time around him momentarily seemed to slow down, paying homage to the power that had just awakened.
With steady steps, El walked towards the edge of the building's rooftop. His black trench coat fluttered in the wind, adding to the intimidating impression. When he arrived at the edge, without any hesitation, he jumped down from the height.
As his body hovered in the air, El extended one hand downward, his voice sounding low but firm, as if echoing in an invisible space.
"Animal Path: Kuchiyose no Jutsu."
A black-colored summoning seal spell suddenly spread in the air below his, forming a complex pattern. In an instant, a white mist appeared, expanding with a sharp hissing sound.
"Kieeek!" A loud screech from within the mist echoed out, its vibrations seeming to split the air around, sending trash on the streets flying.
The white mist slowly dissipated, swept away by a strong gust of wind. From behind the mist, the form of an extraordinary creature came into view. El was now standing on an unusual giant bird.
The bird has a striking yellow beak, sharp and serrated like a drill. Its body was covered in green feathers. Three small but sturdy-looking legs supported its body, and its large wings looked strange.
However, what was more striking was that the bird's pair of eyes were Rinnegan with the same pattern as El's, implying a deep attachment.
Not only that, two giant chakra receivers stood out prominently on its body, one on the right side of the back, the other on the left side of the neck.
Without waiting, the bird flapped its wings with tremendous force, creating a powerful gust of wind that swept the streets below.
With a swift movement, the bird swooped into the sky, carrying El towards the battlefield, where the threat of Gastrea awaited.
El's powerful eyes stared ahead, ready to face whatever lay ahead.
The journey to the battlefield was short because of the speed at which the bird flew, the battlefield was clearly visible.
It was still morning, the sun was still shining, but due to the amount of dust scattered in the atmosphere, it looked like evening.
Although it was still a long distance away, El could feel the sharp scent that stung his nose. The fresh, rancid smell of Gastrea's blood mixed with the scent of dried human blood, forming a tragic symphony that filled the air.
Plus, traces of burning gunpowder created a layer of harsh, penetrating odor, signaling the fierce battle that was taking place.
It all blended together, spreading through the wind, becoming a mute signal of the destruction that was taking place.
In order not to attract unnecessary attention, before getting any closer to the battlefield, El jumped down from the bird, but still maintained his presence.
As El descended in the forest area, the bird continued to fly towards the battlefield and circled around.
Because he could share his vision, El saw the chaotic battlefield conditions, lots of cannon fire, bombs and the death of soldiers and Gastra.
But that was not important, because finding the whereabouts of the Adjuvat and making sure it was safe was very important to be able to complete the side mission
Several people looked at the sky, finding a strange bird figure, they guessed it was Gastrea, they shot at it to kill the bird.
But the bird was able to rotate its body, using the ambient airflow to deflect the bullets.
The deflected bullets did not return to them, but flew into the sky area and as much as possible did not hit anyone else.
The bird didn't attack, just circled in the sky of the battlefield, unbeknownst to them being controlled by someone who was gathering information.