Scorching Black Vulture

I took a nap around 4 hours after a chit-chat with Axel and Christine, finished my reports, my tasks, and finished reading tons of Manga for refreshment. It was an exhaustive day, so I took a nap to relieve my stress. Until a loud alarm startled my deep sleep.

*BEEP BEEP BEEP*

”This is Dr. Hubert calling Tsuyuki. Sorry for interrupting your nap, but theres such important stuff that I want to tell you. Meet me at the Lab near the Weapon Container Room on the 5th floor underground., ”

I was forced to open my sleepy eyes. And it frustrated me because the alarm call interrupted my sleep time.

”Ugh… ”

And then I pressed the answer button, replying to Dr. Huberts call.

”Yes, yes, yes, I **ing know, Doctor! You don have to remind me! ” I answered in a frustrated and sleepy tone.

”Tsuyuki, I know you
e sleepy, but please, chill out for a bit, will you? You can continue your sleep after this. It won take long, unless if you
e asking some question, ”

”Yes, yes, yes, I know. Im **ing coming, Doctor! Let me wash my face first, ok? ” I replied in frustration.

”Alrighty, Ill be waiting, ” Dr. Hubert replied in a jocular tone that infuriated me. After that, I closed the call from the alarm.

And then, I got up from the bed and went into the restroom to wash my face. After that, I got dressed up.

”For **s sake, why the hell is Dr. Hubert calling me at this hour? ” I said to myself when dressing up in the formal Minerva uniform.

”God… Why Am I sleepier than before? Is it because of her Katana and her Scorching Virus? ” I continued asking myself about Onigashi.

”Ugh… Never mind., ” After that, I sprayed my body with my deodorant, tidied up my clothes, combed my hair, and exited my dormitory room.

***

1924 hours, 16 June 0145…

After exiting my dorm room, I walked through the corridor on my way to the elevator. Until somebody from my back called me.

”Hey, Tsuyuki! ”

I looked back and saw Axel and Christine walking together in the corridor. And then, I replied to them by asking them back.

”Oh, Axel, Christine! What are you guys doing in here? ”

And then, both Axel and Christine approached me, and Christine replied.

”We wanted to get back to our dormitory room. And suddenly weve seen you get out of your room. ”

”Well, I have an important meeting with Dr. Hubert in the lab near the weapon container. ”

”What kind of meeting? ” Axel asked.

”I don know unless I go there and find it out by myself, ” I said to them.

After that, I continued walking through the corridor, leaving both of them. Until Axel approached my back and said to me.

”Ill follow you. ”

”Me too ” Christine added.

”Go ahead ”

After that, the three of us walked through the corridor on the way to the elevator.

***

Arriving at the 5th underground floor, the three of us exited the elevator and found ourselves in the weapon container corridor. I saw tons of weapons hanging on the rack on the walls like swords, Katana, guns, scythes, chainsaws, axes, etc.

When the 3 of us looked at the weapons, suddenly, I heard metal grinding sounds inside this corridor, where somebody was repairing some weapons.

”That must be Olivia, ” I said to myself.

And then, I entered the weapon repairing chamber and found Olivia repairing some weapons.

”Hey, Olivia! You
e still working on some weapon this time? ”

”Well, what would you expect from a weapon smith like me? Even during my free time, I still need to work on some weapons because those Infectoids and the monsters keep lurking in every direction, ” Olivia answered while she was pausing her work.

And then I asked her again.

”Do you know where my old weapons are? ”

”You mean, this? ” And then Olivia pressed a button and showed me my broken weapon from the container.

I saw my old Switch Axe and my old pistol split in half. I was speechless, looking at the damage from my weapon that Onigashi had caused.

And then, Axel said in shock.

”Holy hell, Ive never seen this kind of damage before. ”

”Can you still fix these weapons? ” I asked.

Olivia sighed and answered.

”Fixing these kinds of damages used to be easy as a pie. Unfortunately, the cells inside your weapons were dead. And its all because of the virus shes carried on., ”

”You mean, its from Onigashis Katana? ” I asked back, and then Olivia answered.

”Yes. Based on the research from Dr. Hubert, her body contains an exorbitant amount of Scorching Virus thats transferred through her Katana. And also- ”

Suddenly, Dr. Hubert approached Olivia from his office and said to us.

”Oh, Tsuyuki! And theres Axel and Christine? What perfect timing youve got! ”

”By the way, Tsuyuki. If you want to know the detail, you can just ask Dr. Hubert, ” Olivia added.

”Yes, ” I replied.

After that, 4 of us entered Dr. Huberts office.

***

Inside Dr. Huberts office, he sat down on his desk, opened his PC, and then he said.

”If you may ask, why are your weapons unrepairable? The answer is simple. Onigashis Katana contains an exorbitant amount of Scorching Virus that can kill any cell, and that causes your weapon to be unrepairable. A scorching virus is a virus that can ravage your body and manipulate your body whenever your bodys immunity is weak. Although your immunity might be strong enough to counter this virus, this virus still lurks inside your body and itll ravage your bodys immunity when your immunity condition dropped., ”

I nodded in understanding, and then Dr. Hubert continued.

”In a nutshell, Scorching Virus can infect both natural beings and synthetic beings. However, natural beings die when they get infected by this virus, considering their immunity is ravaged instantly, as I mentioned before. While synthetic beings like Androids remains survives from the virus. However, their circuits and their consciousness system are corrupted because of the virus. And that makes them become mindless monsters, whether they become rebellious or wilder. Unless the natural being thats infected by this virus has the highest immunity still survives. Despite that, this virus will control their immunity and still turn them into a mindless monster. ”

”Speaking of your unrepairable weapon and Onigashis Katana. Onigashis Katana has an amazing power in it, where the wielder and the weapon itself resonated with each other. Shes transferring her power and her Scorching Virus power through her Katana, and what makes her Katana strong, depending on the wielder itself. ”

After that, I asked him about my unrepairable broken weapons.

”So, you
e saying that the Scorching Virus from her Katana ravaged the cells inside my broken Switch Axe and my Gun because the materials from my weapons that used were still using a natural material instead of synthetic material, right? ”

”Exactly, thats why most of the weapons that youve encountered in the weapon container system are using a synthetic material instead of the natural material. Although some of them are using freshly mined natural materials, their cells inside of its need to be immunized, and need to be added some disinfectant cells in it to prevent the infection through your weapon, whenever you
e slashing some infected beings, ” He answered clearly.

”Unfortunately, you
e using an old generation weapon. And thats another reason your weapons looked like sticks and stones compared to the new generation weapons with new and rare materials in it, ” He continued.

”I don know if this is such an important question. Whats her Katanas name? ” I asked Dr. Hubert again.

”Tsuruki, ” He answered clearly.

”Tsuruki? ” I asked again in confusion.

And then, Dr. Hubert explained.

”Tsuruki is such an unnatural weapon that no such information was valid enough to find the origin of that weapon. Tsuruki was rumored to be a weapon that was created by the 5th Demonic Servant called Tsumaki. Hes responsible for rebelling and killing the tyrannical King Sakorcha, as the rest of King Sakorchas servants turned against him. And its also rumored that Tsuruki is a 2nd weapon thats created by Tsumaki to seal out the outbreak besides Scorching Blade. However, the further details of this weapon remain unknown because this is just a mere rumor that youve heard from mouth to mouth, with no powerful evidence at all. ”

Hearing his explanation about the lore of Tsuruki increased my curiosity even more about Onigashi and Tsurukis backstories. And then I asked again.

”So you
e saying if one weapon that was used to seal out the outbreak taken by someone else will be a huge trouble, right? ”

”Exactly, ” He answered clearly.

”And whats the reason Onigashis picking up one Scorching Seal? For mass murder? ” I asked again while raised my eyebrows.

”I don know. Why don you ask her instead, if you ever encountered her again? ” He answered smilingly while raising his shoulders.

”An android thats possessing a demonic power? What is this? Some kind of fictional fantasy? ” said Axel curiously while scratching his back hair.

”Well, if you
e looking at the history of this planet and the natives beliefs. It all makes sense, considering the tradition on this planet was still strong to this day, ” Dr. Hubert said while smiling.

”Wow, its felt uncanny and scary if you think it is twice. Didn realize we
e living on such a planet, ” Christine said in a slightly worried tone.

”Ok, let me get this straight. What should I do when both of my weapons are unrepairable? And what would you suggest, Doctor? Throw shoes at them? ”

Hearing my rant made Dr. Hubert about to burst out laughing, but he restrained it. And then he replied to me, smiling.

”Follow me. ”

After that, Dr. Hubert stood up from his desk and entered his secret chamber behind his bookshelves. And all of us followed his lead inside to his secret chamber to find out what was inside.