Mochizuki: "He's gone, isn't he?"
*He looks at Ashton, who is carefully cradling Kiyozawa in his arms. Mochizuki himself sustained injuries from his own power, having used the sun's rays to intensify his flames. This dealt a huge blow to his confidence, as he couldn't defeat the cult leader and was unable to beat the Sin Orb Queen.*
(In his mind).
"I'm never strong enough to beat anyone..."
(Out of his mind).
Ashton: "Well, we should get going. It's bad enough I'm away from my research."
*He speaks calmly, but his mind is preoccupied with the cult leader's words about the second link. He has no idea what to make of it, but it weighs heavily on his thoughts.*
Mochizuki: "You did nothing throughout that time."
*He snaps angrily, his eyes flashing with frustration and disappointment. He believes Ashton stood by and did nothing while he fought the cult leader, leaving him vulnerable to injury.*
Mochizuki: "You could have helped, but you just stood there!"
*He accuses.*
Ashton: "Kiyozawa also helped you, and he's more injured than you."
*He responds calmly but firmly while looking at Mochizuki.*
Ashton: "And besides, I'm not good in combat. I'm the Disease Orb King; remember that?"
*His voice is steady despite the tension between them.*
Mochizuki: "Yeah, but at least you could have helped with the diseases you create."
*He retorts, his frustration evident in his voice. He glances over at Kiyozawa and notices black liquid dripping from his mouth as he lies unconscious in Ashton's arms*
Ashton: "We need to get going..."
*As Ashton holds onto Kiyozawa tightly, a dark portal suddenly appears right below them. Before Mochizuki can reach out to help, he is pulled into the portal alongside them. The darkness envelops them all as they are transported to the real town that never stops bleeding.*
*The town they arrive in is eerily similar to the previous one, but the scale of horror is amplified exponentially. Thousands upon thousands of rotting corpses litter the streets, their decaying forms twisted in agonizing poses. Blood stains every surface—buildings, roads, even the sky seems tinged red. The air is filled with the sounds of despair and terror: distant children crying, women screaming in anguish, and unearthly creatures shrieking in the distance. The cacophony is almost overwhelming, painting a chilling picture of the endless suffering and horror that plagues this town that never stops bleeding.*
Mochizuki: "..."
*His heart aches with a profound sense of loss and despair as he stands amidst the rotting corpses and the cries of the damned. The realization that he may never see Kaien again hits him like a physical blow, leaving him feeling empty and alone in this horrific unknown world.*
*Ashton's mind races with panic as he remembers his unfinished research and the cure he was desperately trying to develop back home. The Orbilence virus.*
Ashton "No..."
*He whispers desperately.*
Ashton: "My work..."
Mochizuki: "We have to find a way out of here!"
*He exclaims, his voice tinged with desperation. He turns to Ashton, hoping that his comrade might have some idea or solution to escape this nightmarish place.*
Ashton: *"I already used a device to teleport Klaudia away, so..."
*He says calmly, maintaining his composure despite their dire situation. He shifts his grip on Kiyozawa's unconscious form.*
Ashton: "Let's explore this town. There must be something, some clue, leading us out of here."
*Ashton carefully picks up Kiyozawa's unconscious form, cradling him bridal-style against his chest. Together, he and Mochizuki begin navigating through the city, stepping over piles of decaying bodies and wading through thick pools of congealed blood. The scene is truly hellish.*
*The haunting sounds intensify as they move deeper into the city: children crying desperately, women screaming in terror, and otherworldly creatures screeching in the distance. The air is thick with despair and the stench of death. Suddenly, Mochizuki grabs Ashton's arm tightly.*
Mochizuki: "...Wait..."
*Mochizuki's eyes widen in horror as he recognizes the towering figure at the end of the road - Heaven Orb King, his body engulfed in swirling black flames. Memories of his own past torment flood back, memories of pain and humiliation inflicted by this very man.*
Mochizuki: "No... not him..."
Ashton: "What's wrong?"
*He asks, his brow furrowing in confusion. He scans the area but sees nothing out of the ordinary.*
Ashton: "I don't see anyone."
*He looks back at Mochizuki, concern etched on his face despite the gas mask covering his face.*
*Mochizuki's black flames erupt towards Heaven Orb King, but in an instant, time seems to warp and reverse. He finds himself suddenly transported back to his childhood bedroom within Heaven Orb King's mansion. The room is exactly as he remembered it—dark, cold, and filled with terrifying memories. Heaven Orb King appears behind him, his massive form looming over the terrified child.*
Heaven Orb King: "Take your clothes off right now,"
*Heaven Orb King commands, his voice dripping with malice and authority. Young Mochizuki trembles violently, tears welling up in his eyes as he stares at Heaven Orb King with pure terror. His small hands clutch at the fabric of his shirt, frozen in fear.*
Mochizuki: "It's fake it can't be real!"
*Ashton carefully places Kiyozawa down, then rushes towards Mochizuki. He sees the younger man shivering uncontrollably, eyes fixed and dilated, lost in some terrible memory.*
Ashton: "Mochizuki!"
*He tries to snap him out of it, grabbing his shoulders tightly.*
Ashton: "Whatever you're seeing, it's not real!"
*He insists urgently, shaking Mochizuki by the shoulders.*
Ashton: "The town is messing with your head! Snap out of it!"
*He tries to break through the barrier of terror that has gripped Mochizuki, hoping to bring him back to the present.*
*Mochizuki remains trapped in the memory, his small hands fumbling to remove his clothes as he's forced to confront the horrific image of Heaven Orb King's hardened manhood being revealed to him. He whimpers in terror, his mind consumed by the long-buried trauma.*
(In the memory).
Mochizuki as the narrator: "I heard of the concept of a Father from the human world. A Father supposed to love you and care for you... But would a father have sex with his own child?"
*Mochizuki trembles violently, tears streaming down his face as he looks up at Heaven Orb King's naked form on the bed. His voice is filled with rage and pain.*
Mochizuki: "I hated that he touched me! I hated that he uses me! I want to kill him! I want him dead!"
Mochizuki: "At age twelve, I escaped that hell,"
*He continues, his voice breaking with emotion.*
Mochizuki: "Someone opened a window for me, I don't know who or why. But I ran. I ran as fast as I could, not knowing where to go, not caring. Just away from him."
*Mochizuki pauses, his mind flashing back to the boy with black hair and green eyes who opened the window for him. He remembers the boy looking around cautiously before pushing the window open and beckoning him to leave. The boy looked to be about fourteen at the time.*
(Out of the memory).
Ashton: "..."
*Ashton's expression turns to one of confusion and unease as he listens to Mochizuki's words. Something about the story feels familiar, too familiar. His mind begins to wander back to his own dark past as Heaven Orb King's sex slave.*
Ashton: "..."
(In his mind).
"I can't afford to dwell on the past, not with the town eager to exploit my memories. And I refuse to let Mochizuki remain trapped in his own nightmares any longer. I need to find a way to snap him out of it, to bring him back to the present."
*His mind races as he realizes that Mochizuki is trapped in a traumatic memory, much like he was himself. He can't let Mochizuki get lost in the past, not when the town could use it against him. He needs to snap Mochizuki out of it.*
(Out of his mind).
(In the memory).
*In the blink of an eye, Ashton finds himself transported back in time, now a small child of about three years old. His eyes widen in shock and realization as he recognizes the familiar surroundings and the heavy feeling in his chest. He too is now trapped in his own memories, just like Mochizuki. He looks up at Heaven Orb King, who is looming over him, and his eyes widen in terror. The overwhelming fear causes him to lose consciousness, his small body going limp.*
Ashton as the narrator: "Heaven Orb King always forced himself upon me while I was unconscious, using me as his plaything, his personal sex slave, for as long as I could remember. All because of what I was born to be - a mere Demonic Orb, considered nothing more than trash."
*Every morning, Ashton wakes up with a sore bottom and blood on his thighs, a constant reminder of the brutal sexual abuse he endured as Heaven Orb King's personal sex slave. He remembers the other Demonic Orb children, all of whom were subjected to the same horrific treatment, their bodies used and abused without mercy.*
*For fourteen years, Ashton endured the endless nightmare of being Heaven Orb King's sex slave. But one day, he spotted a trembling twelve-year-old boy, clearly terrified and desperate to escape this hell. Without hesitation, Ashton opened the window, giving the boy a chance at freedom.*
Ashton: "I don't know why I did it, but I felt so bad for him. I didn't know who he was."
*Ashton whispered to himself later that night, his heart heavy with an unfamiliar emotion. He felt a pang of sympathy and guilt for the unknown boy he had helped escape. For the first time in his life, he had done something selfless and kind without being commanded or forced.*
Ashton: "..."
*He thought bitterly, his hands clenched into fists as he recalled the countless times Heaven Orb King had violated him.*
Ashton: "I hate being touched by him over and over again. I can still feel his hands, his mouth, his disgusting member inside me."
*After that, Ashton forced himself to evolve, pushing his growth at an accelerated pace. He had grown tired of the endless abuse and decided he would no longer endure it passively. By the age of eighteen, he had pushed himself so hard that he cracked his life force—the crystal hidden on his chest.*
Ashton: "As the Disease Orb King."
*His mind raced with a desperate plan. As the Disease Orb King, he had studied the mysterious disease called the Orbilence. Deep down, he knew it was his ticket out of this hell. If he could cure the Orbilence, perhaps Heaven Orb King would finally stop touching him constantly.*
Ashton: "I've seen countless diseases, but one stands out—the Orbilence. Deep down, I knew it was my ticket out of this hell. If I could cure the Orbilence, maybe Heaven Orb King would finally stop touching me."
*Despite being eighteen, Ashton had no choice but to make a deal with Heaven Orb King. He would run Middle Corporation—a police force for Orbxico—if it meant stopping being a sex slave and finally gaining some freedom from his tormentor's touch.*
*Heaven Orb King allowed Ashton to run Middle Corporation under one condition: that he use his unique knowledge as Disease Orb King to create a cure for the Orbilence. Of course, the real reason Heaven Orb King agreed was to maintain control over Ashton, ensuring he had access to his body whenever he pleased.*
Ashton: "He hasn't touched me in over a year."
*He murmured to himself, his eyes haunted.*
Ashton: "I killed eight hundred demonic orb children to create the Orbilence cure. No one batted an eye—demonic orbs are disposable. Anything to escape being his sex slave."
*The memory of the boy's appearance suddenly strikes him - black hair and distinctive golden eyes. The realization hits like a physical blow.*
Ashton: "No... that boy... it was... Mochizuki."
*The memory shatters, and Ashton finds himself back in reality, his heart racing with the sudden revelation.*
*His eyes widened suddenly, the realization hitting him like a physical blow. The memory shards had stopped assaulting him. He looked back at Mochizuki, still trapped in the mental landscape, frozen in time.*
Ashton: "Shit. His mind is still stuck..."
*He muttered softly.*
*Kiyozawa stirred awake, blinking rapidly as he looked over at Ashton. His voice was groggy as he asked.*
Kiyozawa: "What just happened?"
*He ran a hand through his messy hair, still disoriented from the battle*
Ashton: "We're trapped here..."
This will continue in the next chapter.