《My Sancutary is Purgatory》 Chapter 1 MY S A N C T U A R Y I S PU R G A T O R Y Chapter One The water weighed down around him. He was suffocating, pressure pulling in from all sides. He needed air. He knew that much. He needed to survive, he couldn¡¯t die like this, or so he thought. Nothing came to his mind except the reptilian brain for sheer survival, and he struggled underwater. Something was pulling him down into the watery depths. The lake submerged him even deeper into its depths, and Keisuke knew that it was drowning him though he lost the strength and energy to pull to the surface with his arms and legs. Spectral beings underneath the water caressed him gently, whispering secrets into his ear that he will be safe now, that he has found sanctuary in this underwater grave. The more that Keisuke thought about his depression, the spectral being¡¯s grip solidified and tightened and started to physically pull him down. Keisuke frantically struggled against their bonds, and he reached a hand to the surface, where he thought he saw a pure white light ahead of him¡ª ¡ªand then he could breathe again. His eyes rested upon the loveliest girl that he had ever seen. Raven black hair flowed from her head pat her shoulders and draped around her hips delicately. Her eyes were a vivid emerald green. Keisuke coughed up some water, and the girl gently took his hand. ¡°You survived the Lake of Despair,¡± the girl said softly. ¡°Many have perished here due to drowning in their own tears. Come now, I will take you back.¡± When Keisuke stood, he saw that the forest created a clear pathway towards an unknown destination. IT seemed as though the trees themselves have skirted their low hanging branches and roots and moved out of the way to present a clear path towards someplace away from this gloomy place. A forest with deadened trees and spectral lights loomed before him. The trees gnarled roots ruptured from the ground and grasped their way through the underbrush, where paltry grass the color of gray-green stood out in small patches. Mysterious will o wisp-like lights floated throughout the forest, and Keisuke could only wonder where he was. He didn¡¯t know how he ventured into this forest, though he certainly felt like he was Dante from the Divine Comedy traversing the dark, mysterious forest that trapped him and surrounded him everywhere. Was this a dream? Keisuke pinched himself and winced. He could still feel pain, so this must not be his imagination. He could perceive everything around him in hyper-realistic detail. Nothing stirred in this deadened forest, except for himself. He checked his vital signs and sure enough, he could hear the steady pulse of his heartbeat and feel the blood rushing to his head. Not a hallucination by his perceived senses, at least, but could he really trust what he was seeing? Whenever he tried to remember how he got in this situation in the first place, a resounding headache pulsed his temples. No good. He couldn¡¯t remember a thing, try as he might. ¡°You need some rest,¡± the girl said soothingly. ¡°The village I live in is a rehabilitation center for a soul like you.¡± ¡°What is this place? Keisuke asked in wonder before Natsumi looked at him with a little pity in her eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t you know? You¡¯re in the afterlife, Keisuke Akimoto.¡± ¡°The afterlife?¡± Keisuke said while he pondered over her words. He somehow was still alive after dying, though for some reason he couldn¡¯t remember anything about his previous life. He almost died again in the Lake of Despair, apparently, and if it weren¡¯t for this kindly girl and her assistance, he surely would¡¯ve drowned in his own tears. ¡°So are you¡­an angel?¡± ¡°Not quite,¡± Natsumi said before she ran a hand through her long silken black hair. ¡°My name is Natsumi, by the way. I¡¯m a shinigami or a reaper of souls that are supposed to guide souls through the afterlife and make sure that they properly reincarnate. However, there is a ritual to be done that leads a soul into going onto their next life, and there¡¯s a series of trials they must undergo to prove that they¡¯ve learned their lessons from their previous life and will move onto the next one. Unfortunately, you, Keisuke, don¡¯t have your memories, and it will be difficult to go through the proper reincarnation procedures.¡± Keisuke¡¯s head whirled with all this information. The afterlife and reincarnating into his next life? Keisuke didn¡¯t want to be stuck in a state of limbo where he would forever drift in a foreign world where everything that he knew before that was familiar to him was taken away from him. But the sad irony of it all was that the familiar world that he remembered had been robbed of him; he didn¡¯t have any memories of his previous life, and thus he couldn¡¯t go through the reincarnation procedures to go into another life. Natsumi must¡¯ve read his mind, as the next thing she said quelled any more questions he might have. ¡°I know that you¡¯re still adjusting to the afterlife and have a lot of questions, though I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t answer them all. You are in danger, and you must go through the dark forest on your own to find the village where you will be rehabilitated. There are demons present here¡­I can sense them.¡± Keisuke¡¯s throat clenched. ¡°Demons?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Natsumi said. ¡°Now go. I will fend them off.¡± Keisuke started to edge towards the forest, though instinct told him that he needed to defend a pretty girl from danger. Natsumi ushered him to go. ¡°I¡¯ll be fine! You need to find the village beyond the edge of the forest. I¡¯m not here to guide you, but this is the only choice we have. Go!¡± With that, Keisuke ran through the deep forest, where various trees had uplifted gnarled roots that attempted to trip him up. He felt as though the forest itself had eyes that were watching him through the knots in the trees or underneath the roots, and through the canopy of leaves, dusk started to fall and the night was descending upon him, making things hard to see while he was maneuvering through the forest. Keisuke¡¯s heart thumped frantically in his throat. How was he ever going to get out of here? Where will he find the village? Keisuke turned and heard a low rumbling snarl. Yellow ears peered from the darkness and Keisuke encountered the largest lupine creature that his current memory has seen. It stalked closer, snarling, and Keisuke¡¯s stumbling ambleness turned into a loping run. The wolf pursued. He jumped over an uplifted root and tripped, and the wolf was upon him in a flash. Keisuke lifted his arms to his face instinctively to protect himself, and he could feel the wolf sinking its teeth into his arms. He was bleeding. Did spirits have physical bodies after all? He still felt the pain, same as he would in the real world that he left behind.This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings. Before the wolf would tear out his throat, the wolf cried in pain as a scythe slashed out and struck out at its chest. The wolf began licking its wounds, though Keisuke saw more yellow eyes glowing through the darkness. There were more. ¡°Run!¡± a young teenage youth said to Keisuke, grabbing him by the arm and running him through the forest. Keisuke ran, but he saw further ahead that more demonic wolves surrounded them in front of him. There was no escape. The young teen stood protectively in front of Keisuke, confronting the wolves. ¡°Oh no, it doesn¡¯t end here!¡± the shinigami who bore a striking resemblance to Natsumi said. ¡°Keisuke-kun, you¡¯re far too valuable to give up. When I cut a clear path through the forest, you¡¯re gonna run as fast as you can and don¡¯t look back. Capiche?¡± Keisuke nodded, feeling numb. His feet planted in the earth, as though rooted in the earth itself, frozen in indecision and fear. After making his way to the afterlife, he wasn¡¯t sure if he would be able to survive. Keisuke wondered what it was like to die again, or whether your soul just went into some deep dreamless void where you have no hope of reincarnating ever again after you die in the afterlife. Keisuke remembered that he promised the dark-haired girl that he would survive no matter what, and he would fulfill that promise. He would trust his life in the hands of strangers and hope for the best. With a whirl of his scythe, the male shinigami cut through a blockade of wolves and that¡¯s when he urged Keisuke to run. Keisuke ran as fast as he could through the clearing, stumbling blindly and groping his hands outward for balance, trying to feel his way through the forest while running at the same time. It seemed endless, and Keisuke could hear the distant howls of wolves leaping after him. He wondered if the male shinigami would be all right, though he remembered his promise and urged onward. He didn¡¯t know where it led, but he had to make sure that he survived. He didn¡¯t fancy dying in the afterlife, especially to these large demonic wolves that were relentless in their pursuit. The forest cleared ahead. He could see a shining light overhead, and Keisuke groped blindly towards it. When he reached the inner sanctuary of the light, he saw a teeming city where temples and shrines erected in a hodgepodge of technological modernity and traditional aesthetics of Japan. He ran through the city¡¯s depths and called for help, wondering if anyone would hear his pleas. ¡°Help! There¡¯s a girl¡­Natsumi-san¡­and a male shinigami¡­that sacrificed their lives to send me here! Wolves¡­giant wolves¡­are attacking!¡± A young girl with long white hair that spilled past her hips and vivid red eyes appeared before him, wearing a pure white kimono. She folded her sleeves together and stared at him in contemplation, though Keisuke had a feeling that this young child was far older than her appearance suggested; that she was a thousand years old, or maybe more. Keisuke could tell because her eyes weren¡¯t like that of a child¡¯s; young, naive, full of hope. ¡°I¡¯ve foreseen your appearance here, Keisuke Akimoto,¡± the young girl said in a solemn tone. ¡°I am the Oracle of this temple. As long as the demons are at bay, they cannot harm you here. This place is sanctifiedbym the likes of demons.¡± ¡°Will Natsumi-san¡­be all right?¡± Keisuke said as he looked beyond the edge of the shrines and temples and towards the wilderness where the wolves lazily prowled outside, waiting. Watching. ¡°You met Natsumi and her brother, Toshirou,¡± the white-haired girl said. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, they¡¯re some of the best shinigami that we have. They will return, surely. Come inside the temple. I¡¯m sure that you are weary from your journey. And a few explanations are in order.¡± Keisuke entered the temple and sat at a table where tea was arranged for him to drink. Keisuke managed t to drink some tea to calm his nerves from the previous ventures, and the Oracle waited until he was completely comfortable before she began to speak. ¡°Do you understand why you¡¯re here, Keisuke?¡± Keisuke shook his head. ¡°You appeared in the Lake of Despair because you experienced heavy emotional despair over something. Sometimes lost souls go through the Lake of Despair because they¡¯ve experienced something quite traumatizing and heavy from their previous life. Unfortunately, we don¡¯t know what memories you had, and you can¡¯t reincarnate into the next life without your memories. As such, you need to find clues scattered throughout the afterlife finding your memories. Unfortunately, there are demons that are attracted to you and want your soul. We mustn''t let your soul fall in our hands, lest the world be doomed.¡± ¡°Why me, though?¡± Keisuke asked, and the Oracle shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m not sure,¡± the Oracle said. ¡°But I¡¯ve seen a vision of you, two futures. One where you cause the destruction of the world, and the other that you are its salvation. Some shinigami have factioned to your side, while others are opposed against you. But be wary; not only demons are after you, but there are some shady shinigami that want to use your power for their own ends.¡± ¡°How do I know that you guys aren¡¯t using me or manipulating me?¡± Keisuke asked, while the oracle calmly sipped her tea. ¡°You¡¯ve got no one else to rely on, do you? I¡¯m giving you all the information that I can to help you. And I¡¯m warning you for your benefit. I can¡¯t prove that I¡¯m trustworthy to you, because this entire situation must seem surreal to you, but I¡¯m helping you as best I can, and telling you to think critically and think for yourself. Think about what other people say. Think what their intentions are.¡± ¡°Everyone obviously wants something, don¡¯t they?¡± Keisuke said while shaking his head. ¡°But really¡­What about my soul is so special? Why do people want it so much?¡± ¡°My suspicions haven¡¯t been confirmed yet, but once you develop your magical powers¡­yes, you¡¯ll need training,¡± The Oracle said. ¡°You need to defend yourself from the demons and use your magical powers to fend them off from you and use your power to determine the world¡¯s salvation¡­or it¡¯s downfall. I personally believe that you¡¯re dangerous, yet the power within you can be tamed as long as a patient teacher is willing to guide you.¡± ¡°What about Toshirou and Natsumi?¡± Keisuke asked, and the Oracle drank the last dregs of her tea. ¡°They will be your assigned guardians, I suppose. To make sure that no harm will come upon you. Ah, they¡¯ve arrived back. Let¡¯s see what they have to say to us.¡± Keisuke turned and saw that Toshirou and Natsumi have returned from fighting off the demonic wolves that tracked him throughout the never-ending forest. They looked worse for wear, though the blood on their bodies mostly belonged to the wolves. Still, Toshirou had a gash on his shoulder where a wolf must¡¯ve bitten him; though Keisuke could see, even now, that the wound was closing up quickly and a sizzling sound was heard as the skin was healing itself. ¡°How?¡± Keisuke asked before Toshirou grinned towards Keisuke. ¡°Shinigami have bodies that are more durable than a mortal¡¯s body. There¡¯s a lot of perks to being a shinigami, let me tell you.¡± Despite her brother¡¯s more jovial demeanor, Natsumi looked serious. ¡°Oracle, there is another demon that is heading our way. One that we couldn¡¯t handle, I¡¯m afraid.¡± ¡°The barriers should hold,¡± The Oracle said calmly, while Natsumi still looked fretful for the Oracle¡¯s safety. ¡°You¡¯re unconcerned?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve foreseen everything that will happen,¡± The Oracle said sagely. ¡°Just promise me this. Protect Keisuke-kun with your life.¡± Natsumi nodded silently before they heard the sound of the spiritual barriers being forcibly taken down. The Oracle calmly sat with her arms folded on her lap, unresisting and unperturbed, as a demon crashed through the temple and looked down upon the little Oracle with a slavering expression. Natsumi reached a hand out, eyes widened, though the Oracle held out a hand towards Natsumi, gesturing her to stop. The demon chomped its jaws around the Oracle¡¯s head. Keisuke turned away from the sight, and Natsumi gasped in sheer terror. Toshirou, however, recovered his wits quickly. ¡°Come, Natsumi, Keisuke. We mustn¡¯t dawdle here, especially since that demon now has the soul of an Oracle.¡± They left the temple and shrine, hearing the roars of the raging demon behind them. They dared not look back, as they made their way outside the sanctified area where the barriers have fallen and demons started to infiltrate the shrine Chapter 2 Chapter 2 Keisuke groaned. The Oracle was dead! Just when she held all the answers to his questions, the demon snatched her life away from him. Keisuke gritted his teeth. There was no time for tears. There were demons infiltrating all corners of the village. How would they escape? Natsumi put a hand on Keisuke¡¯s shoulder. Her expression smoothed itself over into a more professional mask. She was a top shinigami after all, Keisuke supposed that she had to keep her head cool in desperate situations. ¡°Toshirou will be in front of you, cutting a path through the wolves and demons. I will be behind you to attack any demons that attack from behind. But listen very carefully. You keep on running and follow Toshirou. Don¡¯t look back.¡± ¡°What was that¡­.that thing?¡± Keisuke said, visualizing the little Oracle getting her head bitten off by the monstrosity that reached in through the palatial shrine and started to transform before their very eyes. Black leather wings started to sprout from its back as the titan behemoth demon¡¯s eyes glowed with an infernal rage that harbored contemptible hatred for any soul that crossed its path. While the demon started to transform with various insignia and mysterious runes being etched upon its body and whirling around it like a miniature planet, probably absorbing the Oracle¡¯s powers within itself. ¡°Don¡¯t look back!¡± Natsumi said, as she wielded her own scythe and leapt forward to slash at the demon¡¯s throat. Keisuke only caught a glimpse of her fight, before Tosirhou grabbed his arm and urged him onward. Keisuke wanted to help, though upon hearing the demon¡¯s malevolent roar, his knees quivered and trembled and Keisuke ran out of there with Toshirou. He cursed his cowardice, leaving a pretty girl alone against that monster. If he were more of a man, he would protect her! But what could he do? He high tailed it out of there with Toshirou, who carved a path ahead as the wolves from the forest snapped and snarled at their throats. If there was a God, Keisuke couldn¡¯t rely on Him now. He needed to see what was in front of him, which was Toshirou. Toshirou, the shinigami that saved his life from the wolves, and Natsumi, the lovely shinigami girl that he might never see again. What was up with all these events? Why couldn¡¯t he get a moments peace of rest? His is limbs sagged from gravity, and his foosteps only seemed heavier with each stride he took. One of the wolves leapt towards Keisuke. The wolf narrowly missed his throat, biting him on the shoulder. Keisuke cried out, and suddenly a numbing pain spread and flowered throughout his body. ¡°Oh shit,¡¯ Toshirou said as his eyes widened as he slashed the wolf down. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me that you¡¯re poisoned from it¡¯s saliva.¡± ¡°What kind of Wolves are these?¡± Keisuke said as he put a hand to his shoulder, kneeling down on the ground while Toshirou hovered over him, blocking the wolves with his scythe and body. Toshirou grunted with a wolf sank its teeth into his arm and another wolf forcibly tried to remove the scythe from his hand though Toshirou wouldn¡¯t let go. ¡°That doesn¡¯t matter. Right now I¡¯m going to do something desperate,¡± Toshirou murmured as he muttered an incantation. ¡°With this, you should regen and purge the poison from your body.¡± ¡°Do it,¡± Keisuke said through gritted teeth, nearly going blind from the pain. ¡°Please.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid,¡± Toshirou said, before he slashed at Keisuke¡¯s throat. He didn¡¯t feel any pain whatsoever, though he collapsed completely on the ground. The wolves drew closer. Then, all of a sudden, a bonfire of energy erupted from Keisuke¡¯s body. The poison started to seep out of his body, like Toshirou promised, and Keisuke felt stronger, sharper, more aware. He didn¡¯t know what Toshirou said, but he could see each individual blade and dew drop on the gray green grass and hear the murmur and heartbeat of the wolves all around him pulsing in a cacophonous chorus. ¡°We¡¯re gambling all our lives on this. Keisuke, I hope my trust in you isn¡¯t misplaced!¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to save Natsumi from that thing!¡± Keisuke shouted as he tried to make his way through a horde of wolves back to the palatial shrine where Natsumi was fighting the demon that took the Oracle¡¯s soul. ¡°Oh hell!¡± Toshirou groaned. ¡°Keisuke, I heal you to suicide and make that thing even stronger!¡± ¡°She¡¯s your sister, isn¡¯t she?¡± Keisuke shouted, and Toshirou started to protest. ¡°I care about her! Don¡¯t you think that it hurts me to see her fight against something way stronger than her as her older brother?!¡± ¡°Everyone is going to get out of this alive,¡± Keisuke said with gritted teeth. ¡°No more sacrifices, No more death. We need all three of us together if we hope to fight against that thing, and I¡¯m not going to let Natsumi-san throw her life away because of me!¡± With that, Keisuke charged forth and made his way to the shrine, where Natsumi lay prone, unconscious. She was bleeding, though it seemed the creature that ate the Oracle was wounded pretty badly as well. However, the demon¡¯s wounds regenerated as heat sizzled from its healing skin and it¡¯s slavering jaws opened wider. However, when Keisuke entered the shrine, the demon¡¯s slavering jaws swung towards him and it snarled. If Keisuke hadn¡¯t arrived at that moment, surely Natsumi would¡¯ve been eaten on the spot. Keisuke, without even thinking, punched the humanoid demon in the gut, and it¡¯s roar of pain resounded througout the crumbling palatial shrine, causing the roof to collapse on top of it while Keisuke made it out of there with Natsumi in his arms.This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. ¡°You fool¡­¡± Natsumi groaned. ¡°You offer both of us up instead of just me to that thing? You¡¯re going to make this thing impossible to beat, you know.¡± ¡°You saved me,¡± Keisuke said. ¡°So now I¡¯m returning the favor. You didn¡¯t abandon me when it would¡¯ve been easier to let me die, so I¡¯m not going to give up on you either!¡± Hecould run so much more swiftly now that he was a shinigami rather than a human soul. Toshirou waited for them outside, most of the wolves slaughtered, though a few still lingered nearby. ¡°Sis!¡± Toshirou said, while Natsumi held up a hand. ¡°Toshirou..why¡¯d you let him come back?¡± Natsumi said in a stern tone. ¡°And you know that you¡¯re breaking the conduct of shinigami by doing what you did¡ª¡± ¡°That doesn¡¯t matter,¡± Toshirou said. ¡°We need to make our way to the next Sanctuary. Let¡¯s just pray to God that that place still isn¡¯t infested with demons either.¡± ¡°The Capitol has the strongest fortifications of spiritual spells and runes that protect it from demon influence,¡± Natsumi said. ¡°But I¡¯m only a liability. Why won¡¯t you leave me behind?¡± ¡°Shut up!¡± Keisuke shouted. ¡°You guys may be fine with using one another as sacrificial pawns, but I¡¯ve got a will to survive! Survive, you told me to survive, didn¡¯t you? Do it for yourself, too!¡± Natsumi bowed her head, her cheeks flushed. Keisuke softened, and put a hand on her shoulder. ¡°Look, what¡¯s in the past is in the past. Let¡¯s move forward to the future together. With two top shinigami on my side, I have a better chance of surviving. I can¡¯t just let someone throw their life away like that. Life is precious, no matter who it is.¡± ¡°I see,¡± Natsumi said in a small voice, before she straightened. ¡°Well, we need to find another way to another Sasnctuary before more demons find us. We¡¯ll lead the way, but it¡¯ll be a long journey.¡± Keisuke nodded. He understood that things wouldn¡¯t be easy like that. Toshirou and Natsumi murmured to one another while Keisuke lingered behind, looked at teh carcasses of wolves left in the forest and Sanctuary where that horrid beast took the Oracle¡¯s soul and continued it¡¯s rampage. Natsumi turned to Keisuke, before she nodded her head towards him. ¡°I¡¯m grateful¡­for what you did. For the first time, I actually felt in fear of my life.¡± ¡°I¡¯m guessing that Death Gods aren¡¯t used to being on the recieving end of having their souls reaped,¡± Kesiuke noted. Natsumi shook her head. ¡°You don¡¯t know how shinigami are made, do you?¡¯ Keisuke cocked his head to the side. ¡°That is for later, however,¡± Natsumi said as she struggled to walk on her brother¡¯s shoulder. She winced. ¡°We had to abandon the village. All our friends, the people that we protected, the innocent souls that were just being healed from their past traumas¡­are all gone. And it¡¯s all because I failed to protect teh Oracle.¡± Keisuke bowed his head. He felt a heavy silence lingering between all of them as teh death of the Oracle lingered fresh over their minds. They didn¡¯t know what to do about the creature that killed the Oracle and erupted into a rampage across a village where they helped rehabilitate souls. Furthermore, Toshirou probably broke the law while using a Desperado situation to save Keisuke, so the shinigami might consider Natsumi and Toshirou to be rogues, or probably use them as scapeoats that were responsible for the birth of a demon that had an Oracle¡¯s soul. Keisuke didn¡¯t know why all this was happening, but he felt that he needed to do something to fix this world. He couldn¡¯t just abandon people who helped him. He was afraid, for certain. He was still trembling and quaking from the trauma from earlier. He didn¡¯t know what his next plan was. But somehow, he would find a way to survive. That was the most important part. ¡°Just survive,¡± Keisuke muttered to himself, before Toshirou shook his head and Natsumi looked forlorn. ¡°What are we going to do without our Oracle?¡± Natsumi said. ¡°We were the overseers of that particular village, and it¡¯s our fault that the demon has become so strong. We can¡¯t let it get to the other villages.¡± ¡°It seems to be following Keisuke though, right?¡± Toshirou said with a nod. ¡°It really wants him for some reason, which probably explains why it ignored you Natsumi. It was too busy on the trail for Keisuke¡¯s blood that it ignored you.¡± ¡°There¡¯s another thing too,¡± Keisuke muttered, before Natsumi and Toshirou looked towards him in wonderment. ¡°What is it, Keisuke?¡± Natsumi asked gently. ¡°I believe that thing is afraid of something in me,¡± Keisuke said. ¡°But I don¡¯t know what. Does it have to do with my powers?¡± ¡°We¡¯re not sure what kind of powers you have,¡± Toshirou said. ¡°Besides my shinigami powers being inside of you, there is also that dormant power within you that hasn¡¯t awakened yet after you came through the Lake of Sorrow. But one thing¡¯s for sure¡ªwe need to haul you out of here and find you to another sanctuary. Hopefully other shinigami will be able to band together and fight against that thing.¡± ¡°But the thing is,¡± Natsumi said. ¡°Why were the demons drawn to the Lake of Sorrow? They seemed to be called through Keisuke.¡± ¡°We don¡¯t know,¡± Toshirou noted, before he said. ¡°Now¡¯s not the time to worry about it though. We have to trek through the forest and through another several miles through the Jungle in order to find another Sanctuary.¡± ¡°Is everything¡­going to be all right?¡± Keisuke worried, while Natsumi and Toshirou looked at him. ¡°Well, this is all a lot to take in,¡± Toshirou said slowly. ¡°But I think that everything will work out in the end. That¡¯s what I have faith in, anyway. The Oracle foresaw everything that would happen¡ªand you would play a key role in this world¡¯s salvation.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t feel like much of anything, though,¡± Keisuke muttered, before Natsumi put a cool hand against his head. ¡°Don¡¯t fret about it,¡± Natsumi said kindly. ¡°We need to make our journey one step at a time, right? All while avoiding that demon. We need to gather our resources and strength. And train you in your powers by having another Oracle awaken your slumbering abilities.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Keisuke said as he trekked through the humid jungle which smelled of animal scents and green foliage that snaked with vines and leaves underfoot. HIs feet crunched into the dirt and Keisuke wondered whether the wildlife preserved in this Sanctuary would be safe from the demons. It would probably be overrun by the demonic wolves that he saw earlier, and that demon that he saw that ate the Oracel¡¯s soul. ¡°That demon,¡± Toshirou went onto explain. ¡°Became a champion of it¡¯s species. It¡¯s very rare for it to occur, but when a demon devours the soul of something really powerful, it evolves into an entity that is near god-like and lords over the other demons and underlings beneath it. It will probably maintain intelligence that is enough to manipulate hordes of demons and rally them together against the shinigami. There is a mastermind behind the demons, I¡¯m sure, but we¡¯re not sure who¡­but not to worry about that for now. We need to get you somewhere safe. And I imagine you need a warm bed and something warm to eat.¡± ¡°I¡¯m starved,¡± Keisuke muttered as he pressed a hand to his stomach. ¡°Let¡¯s get moving,¡± Natsumi said as she put a hand on Keisuike¡¯s shoudler and started shuffling him along. Keisuke looked back one final time, before he began to make the trek towards the Capitol. Chapter 3 Chapter 3 They made their way outside of the jungle without incident. Though what distrubed them was how quiet everything seemed. No bird song, no squirrels, no snakes writhing underfoot or in the vines and no predatory cats like jaguars or cheetahs within. If something as fearsome as those animals weren¡¯t around, they must¡¯ve fled to somewhere else if there was no incident in the jungle. Keisuke needed rest however. Despite his superhuman strength now as a shinigami, he also needed some rest, and apparently Natsumi and Toshirou did as well, as they stopped to pause to make a small campfire, though there was a chill wind that soaked them down to the very marrow of their bones. ¡°So tell me about yourselves,¡± Keisuke said while they stopped for camp at the night. ¡°We¡¯re a brother/sister team that has been fighting demon hordes for centuries,¡± Natsumi said, and Keisuke cocked his head to the side. ¡°You¡¯re that old?¡± Keisuke said, before Natsumi nodded. ¡°Our originaly bodies died when we were sixteen, but realy, a shinigami can project any image that they want,¡± Natsumi said. ¡°Some of us can make ourselves look more idealized than our original earth selves, you know.¡± ¡°Of course my sister and I were natural beauties,¡± Toshirou said with a grin. ¡°There wasn¡¯t much to change.¡± ¡°My my, Toshirou,¡± Natsumi said with a giggle, and Keisuke cracked a smile too, becuase that¡¯s the first time that he¡¯d seen Natsumi smile ever since that incident with the Oracle. He wondered how Natsumi felt towards him, especially since she seemed so devoted to the Oracle and now would serve a new Master instead, which is Keisuke. She seemed lost without the Oracle, t hough she handled it with admirable stoicism that was expected of a shinigami, he supposed. ¡°So I can imagine myself anything I want to be, huh,¡± Keisuke said, though he couldn¡¯t imagine himself as anything else except what he looked like before. He wasn¡¯t particularly handsome, but he had a certain aesthetic appeal that people liked in a neat groomed look of aboy who kept a meticulous appearance. His sandy brown hair became dewed with water droplets from the rushing river and mist that surrounded the jungle. ¡°Keisuke-kun,¡± Toshirou said, showing a grin despite the hard times that befell upon them. ¡°We¡¯ll find a way to reincarnate your soul into the next life while keeping your safe. We promise.¡± ¡°How are shinigami made, by the way?¡± Keisuke asked, while Toshirou and Natsumi pondered in thought. ¡°No one knows for sure,¡± Toshirou said seriously. ¡°However, you were made part shinigami when I transferred some of my powers to you, actually.¡± ¡°You¡¯ll need to teach me about being a shinigami,¡± Keisuke said, before he went to the campfire and warmed his hands. ¡°You¡¯ll also need to teach me how to use the shinigami magic that you use.¡± ¡°The basics are usually visualizing something that you see in your mind and then projecting it forth into reality,¡± Natsumi said. ¡°Usually with an emotion. It doesn¡¯t matter what emotion it is, but you need to have feeling in it. There is no apathy in using magic.¡± Keisuke tried to wonder what he felt. Was that why he couldn¡¯t use any magic? Because he couldn¡¯t feel anything properly at all? What kind of emotion was he feeling right now? Sorrow? Anger? Guilt? ¡°I don¡¯t like these feeling inside me,¡± Keisuke noted, before Natsumi put a hand on his shoulder. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t shy away from your emotions,¡± Natsumi said in a soft tone, before Toshirou pointed a finger somewhere in the jungle. ¡°I see lights! I think someone is heading towards us.¡± They stood at the ready, guarded, wondering if it were friend or foe that were approaching. However, when the person made their way towards the campfire, they saw uniformed shinigami approach. Toshirou and Natsumi appeared relieved at first, but that quickly disappeared when the shinigami that approached saw Keisuke. ¡°What are we to do with you,¡± one of the muttered, a black haired shinigami with steel grey eyes. ¡°It seems that you broke one of the regulations, Toshirou Miyazawa. And Natsumi Miyazawa, I only assume that you¡¯re an accomplice to your brother¡¯s shenanigans and responsible for the unleashed destruction of an Overlord.¡± ¡°An Overlord?¡± Keisuke said in wonderment, before Toshirou motioned for Keisuke to remain quiet while heexplained himself. ¡°It was a Desperado situation, Sir,¡± Toshirou said. ¡°I felt that it was within my jugdment to preserve all the lives we can after the demon took the Oracle¡¯s soul. We couldn¡¯t save the Oracle, but we at least kept Kesiuke alive, and that was our mission.¡±The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°So you currently serve under no Oracle now,¡± the shinigami said with a shake of his head, looking disappointed. ¡°We understood what that meant,¡± Natsumi said in a firm tone as she looked towards the black haired shinigami in uniform. ¡°If you¡¯re going to banish us from the Capitol of the shinigami world, we understnad. But we have a greater objective than just following the protocol, and that is the Overlord that we¡¯ve unwittingly created after trying to save Keisuke from the Lake of Sorrow.¡± ¡°You¡¯ll be coming with us, understand,¡± A blonde haired shinigami noted, and Toshirou frowned. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t Keisuke be given instruction on how to train his powers?¡± Toshirou said, before the black haired shinigami gave Toshirou a steady look. ¡°We know that you¡¯ve come from a disastrous situation and you¡¯re obviously distraught, but¡­we have suspicions that you¡¯re in alliance to creating the Overlord.¡± Toshirou paled. ¡°What.¡± The black haired male continued on. ¡°You summoned the demons to the Lake of Sorrow near the Spawning Pool of Souls, and then you deliberately let the Oracle be devoured by one Demon Champion to become an Overlord and create an infestation of the horrid things to eventually rebel and overthrow demon society. That sounds about correct, doesn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°We didn¡¯t do anything,¡± Natsumi said with a flush, her cheeks red with embarassment and perhaps a tinge of anger. ¡°Do you realize what a serious accusation that you¡¯re making here?¡± ¡°It¡¯s unfortunate but that¡¯s what the evidence points too,¡± the black haired shinigami said with a greasy smile towards Natsumi. ¡°Of course if you have evidence pointing to the contrary, then perhaps we will drop all charges. You may have some chance of redemption if you find a way to eliminate this beast that you¡¯ve unleashed along with our team of shinigami, though that doesn¡¯t mean that your charges will be completely dropped. It just means that dear Natsumi and Toshirou won¡¯t be exiled and banned and stripped of their shinigami privileges and Keisuke-kun, here, I believe, won¡¯t be imprisoned for the rest of his life or possibly destroyed.¡± ¡°You¡¯re thinking of destroying Keisuke?¡± Natsumi said, obviously flustered now. ¡°It¡¯s a sin to destroy a soul that could possibly become part of the shinigami force against the demons.¡± ¡°But the demons were drawn to him,¡± the black haired shinigami said with a snap. ¡°Who says that he¡¯s not possibly aligned with them and the demons? Or that he¡¯s the mastermind that is stagnating the death and rebirth of all souls?¡± ¡°We¡¯ll cooperate with you,¡± Natsumi said in a dangerously low voice. ¡°But we won¡¯t be friends.¡± ¡°The feeling is mutual, Miss Natsumi,¡± the black haired shinigami said, and Toshirou narrowed his eyes towards him. ¡°Oi,¡± Toshirou said. ¡°Don¡¯t you think that you should apologize to a pretty lady for being so uncouth?¡± ¡°Ah, Toshirou,¡± the black haired shinigami said, his smile turned even nastier towards him. ¡°Well, I¡¯ve never liked you personally. Your sister I could¡¯ve, perhaps.¡± ¡°Even if she would¡¯ve accepted your wedding proposal, which she didn¡¯t, I still never would¡¯ve approved,¡± Toshirou said with a frown. ¡°How unfortunate,¡± the black haired shinigami, known as Zen, said. ¡°However, I hold considerable force and sway in the police force of the shinigami. You should do mind that I could have you all executed for treasonous behavior¡­hmhm.¡± Natsumi clenched her hands into fists, but said nothing. She didn¡¯t like seeing her brother sighted, but she knew that Zen held power over them and they weren¡¯t in a good position to begin with. However, despite the twins ties to Zen, Keisuke found that he didn¡¯t quite like Zen either. Something about him seemed lazily arrogant, as though he were superior to everyone around him. The blond haired shinigami possessed that same superiority, and it was this very sense of superiority that they held in high regards and probably propelled their magic. Keisuke could sense their auras and it was a very slimy feeling sensation that slicked over the body like writhing snakes. Keisuke shivered. The blond haired shinigami finaly spoke. ¡°Sir Zen, we¡¯re to escort them back to the Capitol and we¡¯ll provide a ¡®fair¡¯ trial. Depending on what they say.¡± Keisuke wanted to knock some sense into them but said nothing. Saying anything here would be dangerous. However, when Zen poised his gaze onto Keisuke, there seemed to be a flash of anger and uncertainty in his eyes. As though he didn¡¯t know what to make of Keisuke. Whether or not Keisuke was someone that he should be spitting upon of possibly deferring to, though his pride probably wouldn¡¯t allow him to do so, most likely. ¡°Well,¡± Zen said as he put a hand on Natsumi¡¯s shoulder, patting it absently. ¡°Miss Natsumi, you will do well to follow the rules, hm? I could alleviate your trial, perhaps¡­if you gave me compensation?¡± Natsumi gave a look of disdain. ¡°You¡¯re terrible.¡± Zen laughed. ¡°I know. But we all know how you followed the captain of the shinigami force like crazy. You wouldn¡¯t stop talking about him¡­My brother, Shen.¡± Natsumi said nothing, though a flush came to her cheeks at the mention of Shen. ¡°Stop it,¡± Toshirou said in a low, dangerous voice. Zen looked towards Toshirou with disdain. ¡°You¡¯re acting as though I did something unsavory to her, Toshirou, or spat upon your mother¡¯s grave.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s just make our way back,¡± Keisuke said with a sense of unease. He sensed the demon coming closer. But how? IT was far off in thedistance, but he could feel its aura¡­quite faintly. But he felt if he mentioned this in front of Zen and the other shinigami,that would make them look even more circumspect. ¡°Well go to this Trial, I would like to have it done and over with as soon as possible.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t see why we should follow protocol even during this time,¡± the blond haired shinigami complained. ¡°There is a demon on the loose, a powerful onee at that, but the stupid rules say that we should hold this trial because we can¡¯t have internal affairs messing up the bigger affair of the demon.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± Zen said harshly, before he ushered all three of them towards the Capitol, where he put them into a stall and provided measly bread and watery soup for sustenance. Hardly the welcome that Keisuke would¡¯ve expected, but then he supposed that they were criminals, even in this desperado situation. Keisuke wondered what tomorrow would bring. Whether there was any hope. He rested his weary eyes and dreamed a dreamless sleep. Chapter 4 Chapter 4 When Keisuke woke up, Zen threw water over him. ¡°Rise and shine, sleeping beauty,¡± Zen said with a nasty smile towards Keisuke. ¡°Your Trial awaits you.¡± ¡°Will you go easy on Natsumi and Toshirou-san?¡± Keisuke asked. Zen paused. ¡°Why should I?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know what kind of past or history that you guys have, but you should try to get along,¡± Keisuke reasoned. ¡°There¡¯s a horrid demon on the loose, and all the shinigami need to band together regardless of their feelings.¡± ¡°What you say is admirable but impossible,¡± Zen said lazily. ¡°Besides, there is a matter of providing for you. Whether you prove a burden or an asset is to remain to be seen. But we¡¯ve gotten an Instructor for you to train you in your abilities at the Capitol¡­as long as you do something for me at the Trial.¡± Keisuke¡¯s heart thumped in his throat. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Pronounce Toshirou¡¯s incompetence got the Oracle killed, and Natsumi was thinking of throwing her life away after she failed to protect the Oracle,¡± Zen said. ¡°And why should I do that, when I owe them my lives?¡± Keisuke said. ¡°It¡¯s very simple, actually,¡± Zen said. ¡°I could always send Toshirou on a suicide mission and Natsumi will bawl her eyes out for her dear brother when he¡¯s gone.¡± Keisuke¡¯s hands clenched into fists. ¡°You would make Natsumi-san cry?¡± Zen sniffed down at Keisuke. ¡°You understand nothing, boy.¡± ¡°I guess Natsumi-san is a good judge of character. She knew she wanted nothing to do with you.¡± Zen snarled and held Keisuke by the cuff of his shirt. ¡°And you¡¯re just a paragon of virtue, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not a despicable human being like you!¡± Keisuke said, before Zen let out a tch. ¡°You may be useful, but I don¡¯t like you, Keisuke Akimoto,¡± Zen said with a promise in his voice. ¡°See you at the trial¡­and do hope that we don¡¯t cross paths while on the battlefield. My sword may accidentally slip and slit your throat.¡± Keisuke said nothing, but as soon as Zen departed Keisuke made his way towards the Trian Court Room, where several shinigami overseers were looking at him. Natsumi and Toshirou stood in one booth, and Keisuke headed over there. ¡°You don¡¯t look well, Keisuke,¡± Toshirou whispered, and Keisuke lied. ¡°Got a bit of a stomachache from the watery soup and stale bread,¡± he muttered, and Toshirou didn¡¯t look entirely convinced but they ended up silenced when the head Shinigami went through with the procedures. ¡°As Officer Zen reported to us, the top shinigami Toshirou and Natsumi Miyazawa have allowed the Oracle to fall,¡± The Head shinigami said, and there were murmurs across the room of shock. ¡°We are now facing an Overlord, a problem of vast proportions.We¡¯ve already coordinated a team to help take care of the problem, and a proposal about the deviants Natsumi and Toshirou Miyazawa have been stated. They, along with Keisuke Akimoto, must help our team fight against the Overlord or else their souls would be shattered. Do the defendants have anything to say in their case?¡± ¡°Your honor,¡± Toshirou began, bowing his head reverently. ¡°I apologize for my actions. I don¡¯t regret saving Keisuke Akimoto, who in turn saved my sister. It was unfortunate that we couldn¡¯t save the Oracle, but Natsumi and I will be willing to lend our hand in the defeat of the Overlord.¡± ¡°See to it that you do,¡± the Judge said, and Zen sent a surreptitious smirk towards Toshirou¡¯s direction. It was then that it was realized¡ªthat they were all being sent on a suicide mission. The authorities didn¡¯t want to dirty their hands fighting against something that could potentially threaten all of the shinigami world. They needed fodder, and the three of them provided for it nicely. They didn¡¯t state a specific deadline, but all three of them could probably feel the steel vice grip of time gripping against their necks. More lives would be lost. More destruction, more death, if they didn¡¯t do something about it. And Keisuke and probably Natsumi and Toshirou felt it their sworn solemn duty to protect the realm from threats. Keisuke wondered what he should do, though. How was he going to be able to train to fight against that monstrosity? Surely they woudln¡¯t expect him to fight against it without preparation, would they? ¡°I do have one request,¡± Natsumi said. ¡°And that is to give Keisuke the proper preparations needed to use his magic against the monster. I feel that he will be a great aid in our battle¡ªbut throwing him in unprepared would not be in our best interests.¡± The Judge leaned back and Zen frowned at Natsumi. However the Judge seemed to be willing to listen to Natsumi¡¯s proposal, and Keisuke felt his heart clench fiercely when Natsumi vouched for him. ¡°Your Honor, he went and saved my life,¡± Natsumi said. ¡°So the least I could do for him is to help him prepare for this battle. I say three weeks training should be enough preparation for us.¡±Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. ¡°I will accept so long as you battle on the front lines,¡± the Judge said thoughtfully. ¡°You¡¯ve been very faithful to us and your services have been useful. However, this accomodation has been generously handed to you only because of your service to us. Under ordinary circumstances, we would¡¯ve stripped you of your rank and title, but since there¡¯s an Overlord to be dealt with and you three have some experience fighting it, well, you are valuable assets that we can¡¯t afford to lose.¡± Natsumi bowed her head. ¡°Thank you, Sir.¡± ¡°Dismissed,¡± the Judge said, and he knocked his gavel down on the desk in front of him. The people left in a hush, and Natsumi, Toshirou, and Keisuke left in silence.Once the crowd parted, Natsumi turned to Keisuke. ¡°Keisuke-san,¡± Natsumi said. ¡°I am grateful to you. I truly am. However, I¡¯m afraid that Toshirou and I must report to the Officers for our duty. You will most likely be given a training instructor to help develop your magic.¡± ¡°I want to fight with you guys, though,¡± Keisuke said.¡±It doesn¡¯t feel right to abandon you guys and leave you by yourselves against that thing.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± Toshirou said with a grin. ¡°My sister and I will be fine. IF you don¡¯t train in your powers, you will only prove to be a liability in the end. So you¡¯re helping us by training and practicing in your powers.¡± ¡°If you put it that way¡­¡± Keisuke said with a furrowed brow, before he shook hands with first Toshirou, then Natsumi. ¡°Good luck out there, you two.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll be fine,¡± Toshirou said, and Natsumi nodded in response to Keisuke¡¯s heartfelt gesture. ¡°Well, I¡¯ll suppose that we¡¯ll see you then,¡± Toshirou said, and Keisuke grasped Toshirou¡¯s hand within his own in a firm handshake. ¡°Survive till then,¡± Keisuke noted seriously, to which Toshirou grinned. ¡°Hey, we can amke it through anything as long as we¡¯re together,¡± Toshirou said as Natsumi nodded.¡±See you, Keisuke!¡± When they departed, Keisuke made his way through a terminal and went to find his personal instructor for magic training. He wondered who he or she would be.He didn¡¯t think it would be someone as cute as Natsumi or maybe even Toshirou, maybe, but who knows. He started to miss the Miyazawa siblings, and wondered what he should do for his next course of action. He had a decision to make after all. There was no other choice, was there? That he needed to bring down the creature that got the Oracle¡¯s soul. He had a clue to it¡¯s weakness, maybe, if only he could find out what it is. Maybe he needed to fight smaller demons first and study them. There was a library in the Central City, wasn¡¯t there? He was sure that he could read all the demonology lure that he could, but the most important part was finding the most significant books and up to date information. Oh crud, what was he thinking? There probably wasn¡¯t enough time to just read and idly sit by while everyone was fighting for a mistake that he made. So Keisuke decided that he would find his instructor and try to get better at his magic. ¡°Visualize what you can, and name an emotion,¡± Keisuke said as he tried to figure out what emotion would best project his magic. He felt a myriad of them, though the most prominent one was¡­anger. Anger at Zen. Anger at himself. Anger at his cicumstances. He didn¡¯t ask for this, did he? But he was plunged into this other world without any preparation whatsoever and he had to survive an ordeal that got his only friends in this world in trouble. He had to repay back the debt somehow. They saved his life¡ªhe will save theirs. I¡¯ll come back for you, Keisuke promised inside his mind. When Keisuke made his way to the Grand Central City, he stared at the place in awe. So many majestic buildings that combined Tokyo¡¯s sleek modernity and ancient hodgepodge of the ancient temples and shrines that populated the area. Keisuke wondered whether he lived in Tokyo or something in his previous memory, or else why would this place evoke that emotion in him? But he didn¡¯t think about it for long, as his Instructor came up to him and gave him a firm handshake. ¡°My name is Sumire,¡± the sultry Instructor said. ¡°Pleased to meet you.¡± ¡°Keisuke Akimoto,¡± Keisuke said with a nod, before he glanced at the redheaded Instructor with yellow tips at the ends. ¡°You found me quickly.¡± ¡°I can sense Auras,¡± the woman explained, and Keisuke wondered if this was a similar ability to what he had, which was sensing the demon that was further away in the jungle and stalking them. He didn¡¯t sense it¡¯s presence now, thank goodness, though Keisuke had an uneasy feeling that it was biding its time. But for what? ¡°I understand that you¡¯re to be trained in your powers?¡± Sumire said, while Keisuke nodded. ¡°I¡¯m sure that Toshirou and Natsumi told you the basic of basics, right?¡± Sumire said. ¡°That you imagine the effect in your mind and then hold onto an emotion that powers it?¡± Keisuke nodded. ¡°So?¡± Sumire said as she put one hand on her hip. ¡°What can you show me?¡± ¡°Right now?¡± Keisuke said in surprise, before teh instructor sent a blast of fire his way. Some if it singed his hair, though Keisuke instinictively knew to doge out of the way with his superhuman reflexes. He supposed that training began now, though he didn¡¯t know how to summon his emotions or powers because the attack was so sudden and didn¡¯t give him time to think of feel. Keisuke jumped back quite a distance and crouched, wondering what move she would throw next. She lashed out with a whip, ensnaring him and drawing him closer while the flames trickled at the beginning of the whip and started to make his way towards him. He was trapped! Keisuke, without even thinking, thought of the will to survive. When he thought desperately of surviving the flames, the flames that touched his skin didn¡¯t burn. He thought it was odd, perhaps it even tickled a bit, but the flames tickled for a moment before they dispersed completely. The Instructor nodded in satisfaction. ¡°So that gives me an idea of what kind of magic that you have,¡± Sumire said with grudging approval. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not time to tell you yet,¡± Sumire said as she unbound the whip from Keisuke¡¯s body. ¡°It could be a fluke. But if you are what I think you are¡ªthen you are far more dangerous than I would¡¯ve suspected.¡± ¡°What just happened?¡± Keisuke asked, wondering why the flames didn¡¯t burn like he initially thought that it would. ¡°Come,¡± Sumire said, and Keisuke followed like an obedient dog at her heels. ¡°So Sumire,¡± Keisuke said. ¡°What do you think of Natsumi and Toshirou?¡± ¡°I¡¯m grateful for you for coming back to save Natsumi,¡± Sumire said softly, a chink in her normally tough and brave facade. ¡°However, I don¡¯t completely trust you yet.¡± ¡°I see,¡± Keisuke said as his shoulders sagged. It seemed like Natsumi and Toshirou were his only friends in this world, and they were gone on the frontlines to fight against the demon that he created. ¡°What kind of powers do I have.¡± ¡°If I¡¯m correct,¡± Sumire said. ¡°You seem to have powers of nullification.¡± ¡°That means?¡± ¡°You can cancel out magic,¡± Sumire said simply, and Keisuke stared at her in wonderment. ¡°So what are those kinds of people called?¡± Keisuke asked. ¡°Catalysts,¡± Sumire said simply, while Keisuke nodded along with her. Chapter 5 Chapter 5 Keisuke was taken within a temple. He stared at the inside in awe. It was beautiful and ornate, with sacred furnishings and tapestries and scented candles that wafted through the air. ¡°Come,¡± Sumire said. Keisuke obeyed. Once in the temple, they knelt before an altar, and the shinigami Sumire bid him prey to a deity. ¡°This is the deity that we shinigami worship,¡± Sumire said. ¡°Who are they?¡± Keisuke asked. ¡ªx¡ª (after they pray to deity, Sumire and Keisuke train) ¡°Your footwork is too sloppy,¡± Sumire noted. ¡°You may have talent, but talent is everything. A more experienced shinigami can wipe the floor with you.¡± ¡°This Is tough, Keisuke noted, before Sumire punched him soliidly in the gut. It hurt. ¡°Keisuke, I want you to go all out with me,¡± Sumire said, though Keisuke was out of breath from all their hard training. He din¡¯t knw how he managed to keep up his now plodding pace, but he tried to block her powerful blows and nullify her flames. After training, they rested. Keisuke learned more about the theories of magic. ¡°So, tha¡¯ts how it works,¡± he said while nodding in satisfaction. ¡°Basically,¡± Sumire said, before she looked out towards the horizon with a somewhat distant gaze on her face. Keisuek looked towards her and wondered¡ªwhat could she possibly be thinking? Was she worried baout Natsumi and Toshirou? Keisuke had to wonder about them too. They were fighting on the frontlines against that demon and his hordes of demons that were planning on infesting the Grand Central City, being drawn by Keisuke, he imagined. There was no break or respite from the demon hordes, and Keisuke dedicated to himself everyday to grow stronger in his powers so that he would one day eliminate that demon that swallowed the Oracle¡¯s head in its monstrous nad cavernous maw. ¡°Do you think that we¡¯ll win?¡± Keisuke asked Sumire. She looked to him as though he were stupid. ¡°We¡¯ve got to,¡± she said with a finality that brooked no argument. ¡°Otherwise, the shinigami world is doomed.¡± ¡°That sounds like big trouble,¡± Keisuke saiud, and Sumire nodded. ¡°However, up you get again,¡± Sumire said as she readied her flame whip. ¡°There¡¯s no rest for you boy. Keep on training until you¡¯re able to operfectly nulffiy my flames without even thinking¡± ¡°Just how many scorch marks am I going to have to endure?¡± Keisuke complained, but he went right to it and the training session resumed again. The Shinigami Sumire blasted a flame enhanced punch towards Keisuike¡¯s face, which he captured with his fist out of reflex. It burned, though, and Keisuke gritted his teeth against the burns that immediately started to heal and sizzle after being impacted by her flame punch.Damn, why couldn¡¯t he nullify her flame punch this time? It was a different type of flame than before, blue flames instead of the red flames. ¡°So you¡¯ve noticed a difference?¡± Sumire said with a smirk. ¡°Blue flames are more intense than red flames. ANd the most powerful flames of them alll, black flames, sear anything and everything to ash if you don¡¯t nullify them. ¡°Yikes,¡± Keisuke said, and he jabbed. ¡°I don¡¯t plan on dying in the faterlife just yet. I made a promise to Natsumi-san and Toshirou-san¡­that I would survive, no matter what?¡± ¡°Can you actually back up those words, boy?¡± Sunmire said. ¡°Because you¡¯re light years aweay form hoping to face me in a real battle!¡± With that she punched him directly in the gut, and he flew several centimerers away into a building and crashed. Keisuke coughed up some blood. She pucnehd harder than he thought. Damn, how was he going to best her though? He needed to think of another strategy rather than just bruteforcing irt. Or figureo ut on the fly how his powers worked. When he was in the middle of battle, just naming an emotion and then projecting that emotion as a focus wasn¡¯t enough. He needed concentrtion, and there were a million things going on in his mind at once while he was fighting against Sumire. ¡°Damn you!¡± she cried out, before she hurled several fireballs at the location he was at. He crossed his arms and ednured them all, though they burned like hell, even as his skin was regenerating and healing from the burns. ¡°I¡¯m telling you Keisuke that demon that you unleashed is far stronger than you are now,¡± Sumire said. ¡°You need to outwit your opponent and think of how to hanlde opponents that are obviously more stronger or experienced than yo uare. Wht are you going to do?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know!¡± Keisuke cried out in despair. He tried everything. He had the will, he thought, but even that wasn¡¯t enough against Sumire. She was simply stronger than him, and the oppressive aura that she embodied was overwhleming. It was white hot firey passion, and he couldn¡¯t compete against that. It was as overwhelming as Zen and the blond-haired shinigami¡¯s superiority, but something about it burned more intense than the fiery hot flames. He still couldn¡¯t yet find an emotion that he could harness and channel¡ªhe had no memroies, so what emotions could hedraw upon from his past and entire being? He was a blank slate¡ªand he didn¡¯t know what to do or draw upon. He needed strength, but from who?Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. He thought about Zen. What he would do to Natsumi and Toshirou if he didn¡¯t speak upagainst them inthe court. Keisuke¡¯s hand clenched into fists and gritted his teeth. That dishonorable bastard would do anything to undermine his friends! It was just unthinkable~ Keisuke drew upon his anger towards Zen and he repelled the flames that crawled towards him. Success! Eager, he drew upon his anger and attempted a counter attack of his own. ¡°Good, but not good enough!¡± Sumire said, as the flames intensified and broke his barrier. Keisuke cursed. What could he do? He used all his energy and emotion into anger. If he couldn¡¯t beat Sumire, then what could he do? There ewas nothing left¡­or was there? He needed to think, though being in the heat of battle and flames made it difficult to concentrate! An image of Natsumi flashed through his mind. His heart swelled with tenderness for her, and Keisuke knew what emotion he would draw upon. He gathered all his strength and focused on Natsumi¡¯s face in his mind¡¯s eye. Thinking about how she saved him from the Lake of Despair. How grateful she seemed to be when he saved her life and came back for her. The two of them were bonded now, whether or not she liked it, and after she shared some of her shinigami powers with him. That was a special bond that couldn¡¯t be broken, and Keisuke drew upon his wealth of emotion for her and a great white barrier of light radiated out from him when the flames started to enroach him. The flames disipated immediately, and couldn¡¯t touch him. He winked one eye open and saw that Sumire was nodding in approval Keisuke sighed in relief as he took a break from the training sesssion. HIs muscles ached, though there was a satisfaction to the entire ordeal that left him feeling warm and his heart swelled with pride. That seemed like another emotion that he could draw upon, pride. He wondered if there was something special about him that he could use different types of emotions to draw upon rather than just on singular source, rather than just one emotion like Sumire''s passion and Zen''s arrogance. He wondered what type of emotions that Natsumi and Toshirou drew upon, though he supposed that was something he would ask them at a later date when they could actually get together and see one another again. Still, he wondered how they were doing. They were fighting on the front lines, he suspected, but he didn''t want them to get hurt. He wanted to hear reports about them, anything to know that his friends were safe. He hated the thoughto f leaving them behind to train, though he made an incremental amount of progress today, didn''t he? Surely he would be able to get out of training on the batltefield right now, right? "You may have discovered something quickly," Sumire said, as though reading his thoughts. "Though you don''t have the experience in actual combat to back it up. I know that you want to help Natsumi and Toshirou against that demon and the demon hordes, though there''s nohing you can do at the moment. As it is, we can''t risk letting your soul getting devoured by the demons or else humanity and the rest of the shinigami clanwill be wiped out." "Hm," Keisuke said. "You know what, I was wondering...how do you draw upon your source of passion? That''s what motivates you, right? What made you so passionate and fiery?" Sumire smiled at him as she folded her hands in front of her and said. "It''s a secret!" "Come on, you could tell me," Keisuke pleaded. "You''re a friend of Natsumi and Toshirou''s, right? Anyone who''s a friend of them is a friend of mine." "I''ve been watching your training session, actually," Zen said as he approached. Sumire stiffened and Keisuke also felt that same slimy arrogance rolling off of Zen in waves. It was suffocating and he felt the same sensation of snakes writhing against his body like he did before. Keisuke swallowed, before he glared at Zen. "You were watching?" "I believe that the training grounds are open to any and all," Zen said with a lazy drawl, before he drew his sword and pointed it at Keisuke. "Duel with me, would you?" "He''s not ready yet," Sumire said, before Keisuke stepped into the center with determination in his eyes. "I''m not going to let his insults fly by unnoticed. Besides, this guy needs a beating, and I need to beat some sense int othis guy as well." "You will never hope to defeat me," Zen said as ice started to form and frost the air and ground around them. "Come, dog." "I won''t let you beat me!" Keisuke said as he hurled a punch towards Zen, thoug Zen moved too quickly to be seen. Keisuke stuttered, and then Zen stutter stepped and hit him soundly in the bakc of the head with his sword. Keisuke crumpled to the ground, hough he wasn''t down yet. An ordinary man would''ve been conked out by such a blow, though thanks to Keisuke''s shinigami durability, he was able to stay conscious, though the blow stung his head. However, he couldn''t move as Zen frosted the ground at his feet and prevented him from moving. Keisuke attempted to use his love for Natsumi against it, thoug hit seemed that even his love for Natsumi wasn''t enough to overpower the ice that frosted his feet. "Ha, I see," Zen said with a lazy smirk as he slashed forward with his sword. "Your power comes from her, of course." "Your power comes down from looking down at others," Keisuke said with a frown. "How could you live with yourself like that? How does it feel to constantly have your nose up in the air and look down on everyone and everything as inferior? I wonder what kind of self confidence that is." "You understand nothing, boy," Zen said, and Keisuke managed to block the sword wit his hands thoug he noticed that Zen was creeping ice along the blade and onto his hands. "I won''t lose to you. Not now. Not ever! Because...I''ve won 90 times in the academy without any losses! Your skills are inferior!" "So what?" Keisuke said, and Zen looked at him as though he were crazy. "It doesn''t matter if you''re undefeated or whatever. Eventually, when you lose, you''re gonna take it harder than anyone else. No one wins forever." "But I can," Zen said with arrogance, and he laughed as he began slashed at Keisuke and putting several lacerations on his body. "You see, I was born to be superior. I come from a noble house. I come from a distinguished lineage. And I used to do my work in the shadows but when my talent was acknowledged I became partof the police force. I''m my own self made man. I am...superior!!!" "Toshirou and Natsumi would never think like you," Keisuke said with a frown as he finally broke out of the ice that put his feet in place. "You''re actually inferior, Zen." "Oh?" Zen said, though Keisuke thought he saw a flicker of doubt shadow his face. Good. Maybe Keisuke could exploit this. "Because obviously," Keisuke said with an infuriating smirk that possibly matched Zen''s own. "Natsumi-san didn''t choose you." "That does it, bastard," Zen said, and his aura flared bright before and the arrogance and feeling of writhing snakes only became more intensified. The air became cold, and Sumire seared away the ice from Keisuke so that it didn''t shatter his body parts. Though Zen had a look in his eyes that meant to kill, and Sumire intervened right then. "Look, Zen, you''re acting very unprofessional," Sumire said. ''However, the love life between Zen and Natsumi doesn''t matter. Keisuke, you''re tempting fate by making an enemy out of Zen." "I will never forgive him," Keisuke said with a frown, though he suddenly felt drained. Defeated. Zen was a lot stronger than he could ever hope to be. And he didn''t know how he would handle that. "He..." Sumire looked towards Keisuke telling him to stop. He did so. "Zen is..." Sumire said, before Zen glared at Sumire and then looked towards Keisuke. "Whatever, dog," Zen said. "I will forgive your transgression against me today. However, do keep in mind that I''m a high ranking officer in the shinigami force Academy. You would do well to not cross blades with me...or your head will be detached from your shoulders.