Post by Nakajima Kimiko on Nov 9, 2023 9:28:25 GMT -5
It would appear that, with everyone not wanting to take on the mantle of handling their newly-acquired weapon, Karen would be the one taking charge in that department. This wasn't something that particularly bothered Kirito, as once again, he had two swords of his own that he could use against whatever this place was going to throw at them. What was instead more interesting to him was that Hezuka and Arcadia were apparently familiar with one another prior to their meeting in this mansion. By the way Hezuka reacted once he was able to recognize Arcadia for who she really was, it seemed as though they were very close to one another, much like how he appeared to be somewhat close to Lucy. In normal circumstances, this shouldn't have been very important, but considering who had been captured thus far... Well, it was something that was rather curious to Kirito. In fact, it was enough to cause them to think for a moment, and to eventually find himself stuck onto yet another question that his mind has generated.
Had the owner of this mansion deliberately made sure to capture individuals who were familiar with at least one of their fellow kidnapped? From the looks of it, with the exception of that pink-haired guy from before who seemed to have outright been replaced by Camila now, it almost seemed as though that was entirely the case. Hezuka appeared to be familiar with everyone except Kirito, and Arcadia was connected to Hezuka. Meanwhile, the dual swordsman, Caleb, Karen and Camila all knew each other. Again, it didn't seem like much at a glance, but it just seemed odd to the man, like whoever had constructed this place had made sure to specifically kidnap people who were either friends or acquaintances with one another. But... why? Why would he do such a thing? Was this because of some kind of twisted ideology that they believed needed to be respected at all costs? Was it because this was a game to them, and in their eyes, games must be played with friends and acquaintances?
At a certain point, Kirito eventually gave up on answering that question altogether. For now, pondering on that particular matter was not really worth it. No, what they really needed to do right about now was leave, just as Arcadia pointed out. Such questions could wait, and so too could their answers. Everyone appeared to be in agreement with the giant's statement, including Kirito himself. "That sounds good to me. Let's go," he would plainly state, admittedly with the question still somewhat lingering in his mind. Fortunately, by the time they proceeded onward throughout the gallery, he'd finally completely stop thinking about it for the time being. Maybe finally leaving the creepy paintings behind was what did it; after all, they were rather unsettling. Either that, or it was Karen's insistence on solving problems with her body. It was an absolutely-silly statement, obviously, but right about now? That would honestly be the perfect comic relief.
For the first few seconds of their journey throughout the gallery, nothing much happened. That was, until they were finally able to reach the door that would lead them out of it. The smell of smoke as well as a sensation of distant heat immediately hit Kirito. Karen, too, could sense it as well. "Yeah, I smell it too..." he would find himself noting aloud before he then began resting a hand on the hilt of his white blade. This could be nothing more than a simple smell, but at this point, the swordsman had come to understand that the mansion was nothing but simple. So, naturally, he began expecting the worst. Maybe there was an actual fire that was about to spread from that room so as to engulf the entire mansion - and therefore, also them - in flames. Worst, maybe it was some kind of monster that had the ability to conjure fire in one way or another, which wouldn't be something that was very rare when it comes to spiritual entities.
Fortunately, it wasn't either of those things. Unfortunately, it was something that was arguably a tad more shocking.
The moment Karen opened the door and the party was able to pass through its frame, they would be shown the sight of a man engulfed in flames in the middle of a bedroom. He was in agony, screaming for help like a mad man as he desperately tried to quell what was effectively about to put an end to his life. Kirito, in response to this, felt the familiar feeling of absolute... indifference creeping in his mind. At the very least, that's what he felt at first, alongside the usual surprise to expect from discovering such a grim event. At this point, he had become very aware of this mental phenomenon he had developed over the course of his Shinigami career in response to gruesome violence, and so he wasn't particularly shocked to experience it again. What he was arguably more shocked by, however, was the fact that the indifference was then steadily replaced by discomfort just as the burning man attempted to barge into him. It was as though something had suddenly switched a lever within his mind against his will.
With widened eyes and a swift "Tch!", he would quickly move away from the burning man before they would crash against one another. His hand had unconsciously tightened against the grip of his white blade, and it was just about ready to unsheathe the weapon to put an end to the man's agony at any given moment. However, and perhaps fortunately, this would not come to pass, as before he would even have the time to unsheathe Shizukakane, the flames would finally finish the victim off right after he stumbled against the bedroom's back door. In that moment, his body went forward through the door... and his head went right back, detaching from its neck in a terrible fashion before it rolled onto the floor right towards the middle of the room. After it finally stopped its course, Kirito could then only watch as the man's head would stare right back at him as it burned, until it would then finally turn into a mere pile of ash.
The swordsman would remain shaken for a moment, blinking in astonishment at the fact that he had somehow been affected by this apparition. After a time, however, he would begin to realize that he had been holding his breath due to the smoke that was filling the room, which would cause him to breathe once more, and then cough a little. "Ugh... Alright," he would muster in-between the coughs before he then stared at the pile of ash in the middle of room in confusion. "I don't get it. I've seen worse too. Why did that...?" Another question was almost raised by the man in that moment in the form of mumbling, one that would intrinsically raise an inquiry in regards to the sudden and unfamiliar shock to the sight of violence. However, before he could finish his sentence, he would find himself shaking his head before he would look towards Karen. "Nevermind... let's just go."
Hopefully, he won't have to experience that horrible feeling again.
{Stats}
- Strength: 50
- Speed: 50
- Knowledge: 50
- Sanity: 60 (50+10)
{Sanity Roll (Burning Man)}BMTooXnr1-3 1-3 1-3 1-3 1-3 1-3
1-3·1-3·1-3·1-3·1-3·1-3
