"Did I scare you? If I did, I'm sorry, Faust."
"Who the fuck are you to scare me? Me."
"I just need you to listen to me."
"Everybody wants someone to talk to. Do I look like a therapist? Piss off."
The black cloud tried to speak again, but Faust had already picked his prey.
"One mo—"
Whoosh!
Faust exploded forward, launching off his right leg. He aimed his left hand straight at the center of the cloud—right where he guessed the heart would be—but it just passed clean through.
Huh? What the hell was that.
"Seriously, Faust? You tried to rip out a cloud's heart? A cloud's. Cloud."
The black cloud was still staring at the spot where Faust had been standing before the attack. After all, he'd gone straight through it—no need to even turn around.
That mocking attitude pissed Faust off even more. When Faust got this mad, it usually wasn't good news for whoever was on the receiving end. But this time his opponent was a cloud. A cloud.
Still. Nothing gets in my way. I won't let him being a damn cloud stop me.
"Cloud!"
"...?"
Faust cupped one hand around his mouth. Then, deciding one wouldn't be enough, he slapped both hands up there.
He started laughing like a complete maniac. Full-on insane. Long and loud~
"ahah— hahahah....AAAAAAHHHHAHAHAHAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!"
The cloud didn't understand a thing happening...
"Hm...Huh?...."
"P-P-Pardo— "
Faust just couldn't get himself to stop it and kept laughing like crazy.
The black cloud finally gave in to curiosity. It had no idea what was going on—and it couldn't figure it out either. Faust had just started laughing for no damn reason. Had he lost it? Only Faust knew the answer right then.
Am I going crazy? Don't know why... B-But.... It doesn't stop!!
The cloud's silhouette started sharpening. It wasn't just some weird air aura around a guy anymore. It was taking real shape.
"Maybe THIS will convince you to listen to me."
The cloud had shifted from a vague outline into something unmistakably human. But it couldn't be random, right? After all, it'd done this hoping it'd finally make Faust pay attention. That was the only reason.
Faust watched the transformation at first with narrowed eyes, trying to make sense of it, trying to match it to someone. He figured there had to be a point—it wouldn't do this for nothing.
What the fuck is this... wait a second?
His squinted eyes slowly widened in shock.
"Aah. No. No no no."
"Will you listen to me now?"
"You son of a filthy woman. I won't even kill you. I'll just make sure you stay alive... right on the edge of death."
"Is that really what you think, Faust?"
"That's really what I think,"######."
"So you do remember the name."
Faust started walking toward the cloud. His steps were slow but heavy—the ground shook like there was an earthquake with every one.
Bam!...Bam!....Bam!....
"Easy there, Faust. You're shaking the ground."
They were face to face now. Faust was at least a foot taller, built bigger, but both of them carried the same cocky confidence.
Faust talked first with a sharp voice...
"Talk."
"As you wish..."