With illusions, nothing is real. It could be just considered as air. Mirage’s power was great, but there was some things he could never get his illusions to do: have the same abilities as Users and create touch. If this was the case, how could Blaze, an illusion, activate her power to control a tank? There was only one answer: Someone was inside controlling the tank giving the illusion that Blaze was using her power.
Eve discovered this as did her other companions and was trying to force Mirage out.
“Stop that!” ordered Blaze in a roaring voice, but when she tried to grab Eve, her hand went through Eve like a hologram.
“Sorry Mirage, but you illusions can’t touch,” stated Eve with a smirk. Eve held her other hand toward the cover of the tank and stated, “You know I can summon weapons and I will summon a weapon that can blast this lid off, so come out now!”
Eve began to hear the metallic sound of the tank lid and stepped back going through Blaze and Mary. The tank lid opened and in turn the illusions of Blaze and Mary vanished. A hand emerged from the opened tank lid and then a brown haired boy around his teens pulled himself out of the tank. He crawled before Eve and then stood up with a glare.
“Mirage, user number 20, right?”
The boy nodded crossing his arms. At closer inspection, she saw that he wore the same military uniforms as the mercenaries and that a few scars covered his forehead and cheeks. His eyes were brown, but Eve noticed that they were bloodshot like he hadn’t slept in days.
“And you’re Eve, User number 45, the dangerous User, right?” asked the boy not tearing his gaze from Eve. Eve nodded.
Eve suddenly heard footsteps climbing up the tank and glanced back only to see her companions with David dragging Chronos behind him. Eve then suddenly took notice of other beings climbing up the tank: Zombies. Eve immediately summoned an assault rifle and fired at the zombies making sure to avoid her friends. As she fired, she began to hear Mirage speak.
“Those undead are the mercenaries who hurt Mary and Blaze. I don’t regret taking part in those bastards’ deaths.”
Eve frowned saying, “You might not regret what you did, but Blaze and Mary in their zombie form…they were suffering. Why didn’t you at least release them?”
Mirage clenched his fists saying, “I loved them both and unlike the other zombies, they could still converse with me. They never harmed me.”
“Then why did Mary thank me when I killed her?” muttered Eve. Mirage’s eyes widened as he stared at Eve.
“You killed Mary?” asked Mirage with his voice slightly shaking. Eve nodded. Mirage’s eyes of shock suddenly turned to one of rage and he reached toward Eve with the intent to strangle her, but Adler immediately rushed forward and held Mirage back saying, “Don’t even think about it.”
Mirage struggled against Adler demanding to be let go, but held him firmly. Eve allowed her assault rifle to vanish as her other friends fired at the zombies and then looked at Mirage with a saddened look.
“Mary was suffering and she also asked for freedom, so I showed her mercy and she thanked me for it.”
Tears began to flow from Mirage’s eyes as he began to mutter Mary’s name. Eve also felt tears escape her eyes.
“MIRAGE!”
Eve flinched at the roaring voice and glanced over her shoulder and saw Blaze in her zombie form approaching, but her hand looked ready to come off. Eve cringed and then looked at Mirage, who was staring in Blaze’s direction with wide eyes.
“Do you see her? Blaze is falling apart. That is no way to live, so please let her be free,” begged Eve, but Mirage smirked with no sign of sanity.
“But she is alive,” muttered Mirage. A dragon suddenly burst from around him making Adler give out a gasp and release him. Mirage took this chance to dash away as Adler tried to avoid the illusion of the dragon.
“Mirage!” exclaimed Eve and ran after him off the tank. The others called her name, but zombies blocked their path. Eve avoided the zombies that attempted to grab her and Mirage as she reached out toward Mirage calling his name repeatedly.
Mirage on the other hand finally reached Blaze saying her name with a smile. Blaze seemed to smile, but then suddenly bit down on Mirage’s shoulder.
“NO!” screamed Eve finally grabbing hold of Mirage and yanking him away from Blaze’s blood covered mouth. Blood flooded from Mirage’s shoulder like a waterfall staining his clothes. His face instantly became pale as Eve pulled him to her chest.
Eve called out Mirage’s name in concern, but Mirage looked at her weakly panting.
“She is…alive.”
Mirage lost consciousness and Eve in turn placed his body down to the ground with tears in her eyes. She glared at Blaze as she stood up shooting at zombies around her with her summoned pistol.
“Is this what you wanted Blaze? Did you really want to hurt Mirage?” demanded Eve with tears streaming from her eyes. Blaze glanced at Eve and then down at the bleeding Mirage.
“I…resented him. He summoned…his illusion too late. If…if only he was sooner…then Mary and I wouldn’t be tainted.”
“There was nothing he could do to help you then. You know that our powers as Users have limits. His power only expanded because he was in rage…an adrenaline rush. You should know that,” state Eve. Blaze clenched her fist making black blood leak from her hands.
“He…he…could have…saved us. We…could be free.”
Eve muttered Blaze’s name, but Blaze suddenly lifted her hands revealing a devilish grin on her face.
“I will be free.”
“Eve!”
Eve glanced over her shoulder and saw a ball of fire coming at her. Eve leapt out of the way as the flames collided in front of Blaze and began to cover her bodies in flames. Blaze cackled sending rotten blood flying from her lips.
Eve could see that insanity had completely consumed Blaze’s eyes. Eve clenched her fist and then summoned a pistol into her hand. She pointed it toward Blaze’s forehead and whispered, “Goodbye Blaze.” Eve pulled the trigger sending the bullet flying out of the barrel and into Blaze’s forehead. Blaze momentarily stopped laughing and glanced at Eve with a warm smile.
“Thank you, Eve. I am free.”
The flames completely consumed Blaze’s body and the zombies surrounding her.
Eve wiped away her tears and then glanced down at Mirage, who began to twitch and then looked at Eve with pale eyes.
“Where…is…Blaze?”
Eve could tell by the tone of his voice that he had turned. Eve sighed and pressed the barrel of the pistol to his forehead.
“I’m sorry Mirage and goodbye.”
Eve pulled the trigger. As the bullet raced down the barrel Mirage smiled with blood on the side of his lips and whispered, “Thank you, Eve.” The bullet connected sending blood flying from the back of his head. Eve fired at the other zombies around her with tears streaming from her eyes.
“Eve!”
Eve glanced behind her and saw the tank approaching her with her companions on top, except for Ivan. Eve approached the moving tank and then began to climb up with the assistance of Adler.
Adler smiled saying, “Good thing Ivan knows how to drive any vehicle.” Eve understood that Ivan was driving the tank and gave a nod.
David looked at her next with seriousness in his eyes and stated, “We’re leaving this camp, so hold on tight.” Eve nodded and then took notice of Chronos, who was crying near the lid of the tank. Eve approached him with a saddened look and said, “I’m sorry for killing your friends.” Chronos shook his head.
“They were no longer my friends when they were turned, but it still hurts,” whispered Chronos. Eve gave him a small hug leaning her head on top of his.
“You’ll be OK. My friends and I will protect you,” whispered Eve in a soothing voice. Chronos sniffled and hugged Eve tightly burying his head in her shoulder.
Eve remembered the zombie forms of Mirage, Mary, and Blaze and felt tears escape her eyes.
I’m glad you guys are now free from this world.
Area 40 Facility
Staff: 90 (Dead) 0 (Alive)
Users: 3 (Alive) 7 (Dead) 35 (Unknown)
Genome Detention Center
Staff: 90 (Dead?) 0 (Alive)
Prisoners: 5 (Alive) 50 (Dead?)
School
Staff: 50 (Dead) 0 (Alive)
Students: 2 (Alive) 140 (Dead)
Mercenary Camp
Mercenaries: 0 (Alive) 25 (Dead)
World
About 50,000,000,000 (dead) others (Unknown)
Manga Hunter 