Code: Infinity [Reboot]

Chapter 26 - 'Higher' Level World? More like Higher Entertainment.

"..."

For Zero Two, who had disguised herself as Ryo, this was the first time she had walked out in such a place, alone on top of that.

It made her feel so nervous that she wanted to instantly grab a room in the hotel and hide, but her curiosity got hold of her, as she decided to roam the street.

Just as she... or he had started to walk the street, he noticed a group of soldiers marching past, their armor gleaming in the sunlight. They were tall and muscular, with stern expressions and sharp weapons at their sides.

This made 'Ryo' understand that even the normal soldiers were a few times stronger than the normal human beings from his previous life, a boon of being born in a world filled with war.

Ryo knew that he needed to be careful, as he could easily be mistaken for a spy or a threat to the government, especially with his 'hair' color. So he decided to keep a low profile and observe the city from a distance.

Not wanting to gain much attention, Ryo glanced at the passing Imperial police force for an instant analyzed their body, and walked through the crowds, slipping past them without gaining their attention.

As he walked past the masses he couldn't help but feel the unease in the air at how the people were living. Even though they act happy, he was clearly able to perceive the true emotions of people.

The emotional and mind waves that were transversing in the air, left an oppressive feeling in the air for someone like him. It was much much more unsettling than the feeling he felt in Campbell among the people.

It was as if all of them wearing masks over their face. Each had dark emotions brewing within them, ready to bust, but were barely contained.

'Feeling' the emotions, he had started to feel the unease settle down, but he decided to ignore it and walk within the town.

-

He decided to start by asking around, talking to people, and gathering information.

Learning that the Imperial Capital was ruled by a corrupt government and that the people were oppressed and mistreated, Ryo raised his eyes, as it was quite weird for him to find a ruler abusing their power for something useless for short-term enjoyment.

They could have instead used the ton of useless resources they had amassed to bring a better lifestyle for the people and enjoy a longer-lasting rule by maintaining a better image in front of their people.

The other 'he' learned about was that the government was supported by an organization known as the Jaegers, a group of elite soldiers who acted as Imperial Police Force and were feared by all.

There was a tense sense of unease and tension within the Empire, and Zero Two didn't need her near-supernatural ability to know that.

The people of the Imperial Capital seemed to be living in constant fear. They whispered to each other and looked over their shoulders as if someone was always watching them.

As 'he' walked, he noticed a commotion up ahead. A group of people were gathered around a small square, watching something intently, making him tilt his head in curiosity as he started to walk toward the crowd. But as soon as he walked up to the crowd, his expression turned to that of disgust.

In the middle of the street, several tall wooden crosses were standing vertically on a stage. But that was not the main thing. The reason why the crowd had gathered, and was because, on each of these crosses, there was a person.

These people had their hands and legs pinned directly into the cross as their bodies hung there through those pins. Furthermore, his eyes fell on several posters hanging on the board, but what attracted his attention the most was the one single poster over the board.