Digitize: Rebirth of the Silver Death God

Chapter 78: Adult Nero's Choice, A Slight Disturbance

It was a lone journey back to the Gutter Zone districts, the nightly winds brushing across the desolate streets as the gloomy air of poverty was in full splendor.

Nero was now walking through the silent street, his eyes of a cold, darkened hue as he seemed as if he had lost all signs of emotions. All except for a budding rage at the core of his soul...

Adult Nero watched this in silence and sighed as he thought, 'It's different... back then I had reacted in a blind rage and was forcibly knocked out by Grail. But now, it would seem he's grown much too calm for his age, while it might be good, he will need to let out these bottled emotions for him to proceed further.'

As Adult Nero pondered to here, his eyes flashed as he stared towards a different section of the city while muttering, "Mother..."

Nero didn't know what his older self was thinking; his mind was currently preoccupied with today's events. The scenes of him playing with his mother repeatedly played over his head before finally showing her collapsing into stillness.

Each time it happened, Nero's aura would grow one section colder as he thought to himself with a terrifying glint in his eyes, 'I don't care how long it takes, I don't care what I have to do, no one... no one will take my mother away from me and live to tell the tale! I will slaughter their entire race and leave no one behind!'

At this point, Nero's body began taking on a diabolical air, as oddly enough, a strange change had begun to occur.

"Hahahaha...." A spooky laugh sounded from the wind, as a light gust blew, though nothing appeared; if one were spiritually inclined, they would see a myriad of dark shadows, each with glowing red eyes that stared joyfully at Nero.

In moments they had begun to swirl around his body as if trying to merge with his being. Yet, before this could happen an even more sinister shadow had risen, one which had countless dark spirits gnawing against it.

In this instance, the shadow had appeared behind Nero, forming into the image of the handsome but icy and indifferent Adult Nero whose long silver hair flowed through the wind as his red pupils shimmered in a baleful ray.

As if frightened by Adult Nero's aura, the shadows rapidly flew into the darkness of the night, fading in obscurity as the scene returned to normal.

Adult Nero clicked his teeth as he stared sinister shadows that chew against his dark cloak, he then looked at his palms that though solid, had slowly started to fade off into the surroundings, the edge of this finger turning into a small blob of smoke.

'My path isn't for you to walk, I won't let it be such... even if I have to pay that price...' Adult Nero thought with a look as if he had made up his mind, he gave Nero a slightly gentler look as his pointed his finger towards his pocket.

An indistinct ray bolted into the old generation smartphone, which activated the messaging function before it returned to normal.

Adult Nero made a satisfied look as he saw this, but his finger seemed to have paid the price as the very tip of it had faded into nothingness.

Swoosh! With a rapid movement, Adult Nero had vanished from the outside world, entering back into Nero's consciousness.

Naturally, Nero didn't notice any of the previous proceedings and only continued onwards, fading from these districts towards the direction of his house.

However, as Nero left this area, in a remote location a familiar man had sensed something. Reil had only now arrived within the city as he felt something strange, he halted at the top of a building and looked towards the direction of the distant Gutter Zone.

He narrowed his eyes while muttering, "Odd, it's faint, but I am certain that I can sense the aura of a Master Class. Hmm, there should be no new Master Class in this generation... not unless another has successfully broken pass that limit... it looks like I'll need to get that lass on the lookout, things might get troublesome."

After saying his thoughts aloud, Reil shook his head no longer paying the Gutter Zone any mind as his body vanished once more, leaving towards the core quarters of the city. However, very much like Reil, a few characters had been disturbed by the tiny ripple of power.

***

In a dark and gloomy location, a familiar man in his thirties that sported a ponytail, neatly trimmed beard, and red shades stood silently in his black suit, his face carried a prominent a horizontal scar.

At this time, a man's pitiful cry could be heard from nearby as this individual shifted his eyes toward that direction while smoking, his glass reflecting the dim lights that shone before him as it showed a beaten down form of an individual on the ground.

If one looked closely, they would see that other than the man, two individuals held him down as another individual had placed on a strange glove that glowed in ominous lights.

He pressed this arm that wore the glove onto the man's chest were a glowing mark was visible and made a gripping motion as his arm vanished into his flesh as if it went into a separate dimension.

"Ahhhhhhh!" The man wailed as if something was being ripped out of his body, following this, the other individual's arm that was moving as if it grabbed something from inside him made a harsh tug as it instantly dragged out a glowing card that flashed with 0's and 1's.

As this happened, the man who cried out in pain suddenly stopped as his entire body became pale. A few moments later, his body began to break down into 0's and 1's that flowed towards the looming Universe Ring.

Without even a hint of emotion, the lackey that took out the object placed it in a container that held a few others as he walked over to the man with the scar and shades as he spoke while handing it over, "Sir, we've extracted the final Digitize Bit for tonight's quota."

The man looked at this and waved his hand, causing the container to vanish before he turned around and spoke, "Get ready, we're headed back to the base!"

"Yes sir!" The others replied as they hurried to clean up the area, wiping up the blood and fixing the excess damages of some hard-fought battle.

The man looked up at the looming moon and the Universe Ring with a profound look on his face, he then turned around prepared to head into a van, but at this moment, his earpiece had begun to flash causing him to halt as he tapped it and spoke as if answering a call, "Scarface, reporting."

"...." The person on the other line remained silent before they spoke, "Scarface... we have identified a new reading, one that is of a significant thread level in your assigned sector. I need you to inspect it thoroughly and carefully..."

Scarface frowned for a moment, before he spoke, "Understood, where should I focus my search?"

The person spoke again, "If our coordinates were correct, it should be in that district known as the Gutter Zone. Also, do please be mindful of your actions; sources say that the rumored Sector Head and Chief of the Blood Steel Society has been highly active in his domain as of late..."

"Hmm, the Twilight Fiend? Well, now, this should be quite interesting. I will do my best," Scarface muttered in a strange tone, his eyes showed a hint of dread.

The line soon closed as the conversation stopped and Scarface faced the direction of the Gutter Zone with strange eyes unknown to all.

***

In a large mansion, one that was surrounded by a vast amount of greenery, a familiar-looking dark brown-skinned youth of African descent sat on a veranda with a bamboo pole rested on his legs like a sword.

His dreadlocks hung down from his head as the cool night winds blew it from side to side, with his eyes closed he seemed to be no different from nature as if he were a part of the world.

Suddenly, a leaf glided from a nearby tree, flowing towards his direction, the moment this leaf arrived in front of him, the youth's eyes opened as his arms which held one end of the bamboo pole moved.

Shing! Following the sharp cutting sound, the leaf was split into two, as the youth now held a sword in one of his arms with its handle made from a part of the bamboo.

He sheathed the sword which now looked no different from a regular bamboo pole as a smile appeared on his face when he spoke, "Great, I am one step away from learning it, that legendary sword state..."

Avollo smiled at his progress, but it was at this point, his eyes flickered when he noticed his phone had received a text message from an unknown number.

After opening it and going over the message, Avollo's face turned pale as he spoke in alarm, "Who sent this? Is this true?"

After thinking for a bit, Avollo gritted his teeth as he closed the phone and hurried to the calmer area while thinking, "I don't care if it's fake, there's only one thing that I can do, and it is to go and meet him in that world..."

The scene here returning to calmness, as the night slowly pressed onwards to its peak.