"If this is not the end, then I will keep walking. Until I witness the end of this journey.
But I will never submit to this idea of fate.
Never!"
"Where is she?!" Most of the population of the small town of Gongaga was being held at gunpoint by a small army of Shinra infantrymen, all demanding to know the location of the woman who had disrupted their operations in Midgar. If she was here, the citizens would've asked her to stay hidden--after everything she had done for them in the last few years, they wanted to do anything to protect her from Shinra's ire.
"Never heard of a Cissnei..." A man muttered, only to get the butt of a rifle slammed into his skull, knocking him down before the barrel was pointed at him.
"You think this is a joke?!" The infantry captain demanded. "Maybe THIS will convince you all to stop with this s**t!" And he pulled the trigger, ending the man's life.
...Or so he would've, if a hand hadn't covered the barrel. Usually this would result in a wounded hand, but instead, it resulted in the gun's barrel combusting, causing its wielder to stumble backwards and drop his weapon. "..." The white-haired man who faced the small army raised his head, looking at them with disdain. This was a usually joyful man--and this was one look no one wanted to receive from him. "I can't seem to get a break in this world." He said severely. His entire life, ever since his ascension as the first Exemplar, he had devoted himself to protecting the weak and saving the innocent. To say Sandalphon was seen as a superhero to children of Serenity was no exaggeration--and this world seemed to have no shortage of those who needed his help.
"It's just one man--kill him!" And a barrage of gunfire would speed towards him, every single bullet stopping in the air around the same distance away from him, held still by some invisible force. The gunfire lasted several seconds, until it became apparent it was doing nothing--at which point they stopped, and every bullet dropped to the floor like garbage. Summoning his blade to his hand, Sandalphon swiped it towards the small army, and just above them a massive explosion of energy erupted, causing them all to jump in fear, and one by one begin to flee in terror. Leaning his sword against his shoulder, he called out after them. "That's your warning--you won't get another if you return." He warned them. He decided to let them keep their lives--there were many in that group who didn't agree with what they were doing, but had no other choice. And spilling blood may only invite more discord to this small community.
Sandalphon turned, reaching out a hand to help up the man who had been knocked over. "Sorry about that, friend--are you all right?"
"Y-yeah, definitely better now..." He said, his voice a little shaky from the remaining fear of almost losing his life. "Thank you, sir. I..."
"No thanks necessary. Your safety is more than enough for me." He said, giving him a friendly smile.
"Are you sure it's all right... to let them go?" Someone else asked.
Sandalphon nodded. "Everyone deserves a second chance. If I hadn't gotten one, I wouldn't be here now." Reflecting on his life before his ascension--back when he was a demon--it felt like many lifetimes ago now. He could only ever be thankful that he was lucky enough to be given a chance for redemption. That was why he gave his all to protect those who needed it--it was the only way he could imagine spending the life he had been given. "What were those men after?"
"They wanted to find Cissnei..." One of the citizens said quietly, uncertainly. "She's... an important part of our community. She's done a lot for us. We couldn't just let them take her. But..."
"But you can't stop an army alone." Sandalphon put a hand to his chin, thinking for a few moments. Perhaps he could think of a way to resolve this issue before he went off chasing more danger...
(( OOC: ))
