"What happens if we run into that monster?"
"I guess we'll cross that bridge when we get there. No more questions, remember?"
"I remember..."
"Why do you sound so sad? Do you want to fight it or something?"
"No! I don't. In fact, I never want to see those things again. Just wanted to see if there was a way for us to live."
"There is. It's called running and keeping the lights on."
"I guess that's true."
"Nice! I like you already. To tell you the truth you're one of my longest-surviving friends."
"Longest surviving!? How long!?"
"A couple of hours. They weren't fast enough and natural selection does its thing."
"That's cruel."
"It is. Anyways, heal up so we can leave this spot. I don't like to stay in one place for too long."
"Alright... Man?"
"Right, we haven't exchanged names."
"We haven't."
"That's still technically a question."
"No, it isn't."
"Yes it i-" The wind started to pick up as the torches inside their makeshift hut slowly lost their flame.103Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUcxrnRptVQ
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"Well. Shit." That's when a similar looking monster from the one for earlier ran in their little hut and darted stright towards them. Tetsu then pushed Yuto to the side of him and stabbed the monster with a long wooden spear before kicking the monster out of their hut.
"Pass me that steel bit right next to you!" Tetsu yelled to Yuto. Yuto looked down to see a steel bit that had a slight curve in the middle of it and passed it to Tetsu. In a haste Tetsu grabbed a smaller wooden steak before grabbing a rock off the ground. He proceeded to slide the rock across the steel lining and onto the wooden steak causing it to immediately catch on fire.
"Seems you took to long to recover from that spear. I'll be taking that back now." Tetsu smiled at it before ripping it out the head of the monster before laying the on it's body causing it to erupt in flames. Tetsu then put rocks around it's body and two sturdy planks on its side before axing it down to have a small slit in the middle.
"Pass me that silver piece right there." Still in a fright Yuto passed over the silver piece next to Tetsu before he slid it in the middle.
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"What? You don't want to eat or something?" That's when Tetsu grabbed plants from the corner and a stack of bugs and threw them onto the silver plating.
"That's going to take some time. Oh I totally forgot to ask, are you okay?"103Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoCMelsGwB0
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"What is wrong with you!? I can't read anything about you! You're either mad, sad, happy, calm, and more emotions I can't even think of!"
"What have you not talked with somebody before this or something?"103Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡucSj75Yito
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"No! Well I have but inside my head! I don't know who I am. I think my name is Yuto. That's basically all I know."
"That's weird. You can't remember anything, yet you remember the basics of our language?"
"You're... right."
"You wouldn't know the answer as to why that is... At least, I don't think you know. Do you know?"
"I- I do not."
"You better not be lying to me."
"I'm not! I swear!"
The room went silent as the only sound that could be heard was the agony screeching throughout The Darken Plain.103Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6TCg7HL7PF
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"Welp I'm hungry and this doesn't take long to cook at all. So let's eat it!"103Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJYG1V2gwIJ
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"What are we eating exactly?"103Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUzInUvzRC6
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"Bugs wrapped in this plant I found. It sounds terrible but it honestly great. You can fit around 5 of the big ones in one plant and wrap them up and they give you enough to feel full."
The teen said his voice changing into a more depressing, sadder tone as he kept explaining. Yet with that spunk and happiness imbued into some of the words.
"I'll never be able to know the real you, will I?"
"This is the real me."
"Sure."
"Really, I swear. This is me... Guess you can't read people well, Yuto."
"Whatever makes you happy. By the way, you... learned how to fight those things?"
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"Barley. It's a hard thing to do. That was the weakest of the weak. You might be able to pull it off, however, any stronger and we would have both died. We're lucky."
"Can't we learn to get stronger?"
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"We're rejects. Rejects can't get better than what their initial start is. I got lucky with that. This isn't a world where we fight monsters to help people. I can care less about people. Fighting monsters is the last thing we do, even then we still run and try to keep the lights on! No matter what!" That's when the teenager lit a torch and slammed it on the ground in the middle of the two.
Yuto didn't know how to respond to the sudden speed of words and the ending yell with the slam of the torch. Now that he thought about it, he's never interacted with people up until now. This is the first person he talked to, except for that mystery voice.
"Lights keep the monsters away. That's what the note implied. So it is true."
"Yes. I don't know why. But they're scared of this shit, so I'll keep it on till I die."
"Why are you answering so many of my questions now?"
"Because, you also learned from seeing me fight that monster. How close I was to dying, how it's almost impossible to survive down here, the sense of danger. You saw it right?"
"I have... What does that have to do with the questions."
"For every time you learn, I'll add onto that information. We're a team, yes. However, if you don't learn how much of a hell we're in and start trying to slay these things I'm going to leave you behind. Which means you can become competition, and want to kill me. The more you're with me the more I'll let you learn because I learn about you."
"I don't understand."
"You will in due time. Now hurry up and get ready to leave, monsters are going to smell the scent of blood and gravitate to it. This area is flooded as well, so the slower we are, the faster we die. Take that torch out of the ground and light these other two. Three is plenty."
"Can I ask another question?"
"You only get two more. Make it worth it."
Yuto was going to start talking but then he gritted his teeth and then immediately looked away from the teenager.
"Mm? What's wrong?"
"I don't... want to stay down here," Yuto said in a low voice that even the teenager couldn't hear it.
"Speak up."
"I don't want to say down here! Why would I want to stay down here!? I'm struggling with everything I do down here! Even with a personal starting guide, I'm going to die anyways! Can't I just escape!? Isn't it easier to escape than anything!? Why has everyone been fighting for their lives instead of thinking of a means to escape!?"
"What?"
"A little girl's head, another teenager, body after body. It reeks of death down here! I tried to act strong and get along with you but I'm breaking here! I'm not a strong-willed person, I'm not a hero, I'm not smart, and I don't even know who I am! I want to escape! Isn't there a way!? Why can't we go back to wherever we were before? I don't want to be a reject!"
"You-" That's when He grabbed Yuto by the collar and looked him in the eyes with fire behind them.
"Are you calling me an idiot? Are you saying I don't think!? Well, are you!?"
"I- I- No! I'm not!"
"Bullshit!" The teen said before dropping Yuto and walking out of the base they were in.
"Follow. Bring that lantern. Can you stand?"
"I can stand it but I can't do anything crazy. I might have to lean on you as well."
"Alright. It's better to move. So lean on me." Tetsu said calmly yet, you can still feel him being annoyed.
"Okay."
Yuto then grabbed the weird-shaped thing he called a lantern which was also on the floor as he handed it to the man who snatched it out of his hands and started to walk.
"Well, what's your second one?"
"My second one?"
"Your second question."
He's right. Yuto thought to himself as he already knew what to ask.
"What's your name? You're full name."
"Tetsu Kenji." The man in front of him said as he started his walk.
Usually, screams and agony could be heard when walking around The Darken Plain. This time it was quiet. Only the sound of feet hitting the floor and breathing.
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