Darkness coated everything.
A beam of light tried to cut through the darkness from above to no avail.
Camouflaged by the darkness, an unrealistically large pit hid.
Silhouettes lined the rim of the man-made pit.
BOOOM!!!
" GRUUUUUWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW!!!!"
The Earth quaked as a beast howled.
A pillar of air escaped upward as the monster roared.
" HUMANS!"
A deafening voice echoed through the darkness.
" DESPICABLE HUMANS!!"
" HOW DARE YOU!!!"
" THE DAY I GET OUT FROM THIS SEAL WILL BE THE END OF YOU MONKEYS!!"
" DESTRUCTION! DEATH!! CALAMITY!!"
" Hmm." The figure of a person nodded, prompting the others to release glowing white energy.
"...You saw him, yes? How do you feel?" A person turned around as a wheelchair was pushed up behind them.
"..." The person in the wheelchair kept silent.
" ONCE AGAIN, YOU HUMANS! YOU HUMANS!! STEALING FROM ME!!" The voice roared.
Large patters appeared around the rim of the pit, illuminating the space slightly.
BOOM!!
BOOOOM!!
" HOW DARE YOU STEAL FROM ME!!" The voice expressed its fiery rage.
BOOOM!!
From the glowing patterns chains of light materialized.
These chains shot to the depths of the pit, restraining the creature.
" I CURSE THE HUMAN RACE!!" The creature spat with hatred.
" AGUCJEBUFIKBSIO!!" An unknown language echoed loudly.
" Oh, I forgot you don't answer 'pointless questions'." The figure turned around to face the pit once again.
A large golden cross lined the front of the person's robe.
They put their arms behind their slightly bent back.
" You are not ready as of yet."
" Study diligently and wait until you are a little older. One should not be too hungry for killing. Revenge is an unhealthy obsession." An aged voice escaped the person's mouth.
Grit!
"..." The person in the wheelchair silently grit their teeth.
" Return the holy lady to her room for now. She is not to leave without my permission." The aged voice ordered.
" Yes, elder!" The person pushed the wheelchair towards the direction they came from.
...
" Those damn earthquakes!!" Old gray shouted angrily.
" And damn it, boy, aren't you finished yet?! You can't do it at your level, so stop trying so hard!!" He complained while picking up his scattered tools.
"..." Levi kept silent as concentration coursed through his being.
' To break down a material without destroying it...From what old gray told me.....' Levi paused.
'...Since everything is made up of smaller particles....'
'....You simply have to separate the particles, before guiding them with qi to form the inscriptions...' Levi thought as his qi flowed.
'...If the inscription is completed successfully, depending on its type, the characteristics of the material will also be present...'
' Hmmm? It feels like..... it's working? Is that even possi-'
"!!!!"
Levi jumped back as pure cold exploded from the piece of crystal.
A layer of ice grew on the table's surface quickly.
" Huff!..huff!...That...was dangerous..." Levi breathed heavily.
" Dammit, are you trying to squash this old man???" Old gray squeezed out from behind Levi.
"....Sorry." Levi said while moving away.
" Why are you so jumpy anyway? That bit of cold wouldn't have been able to hurt you!" Old gray grabbed his chin.
"..." Levi kept silent.
' The cold affects my ability to control blood.....Who knows what else it might do.' Levi thought.
" ...ath!!"
A vague shout sounded.
" They are at it again, huh." Old gray mumbled.
" Death!!"
" Death to the royal family!!"
" Death!"
" Hmm, since the war 2 years ago, dislike for the royal family has grown." Old gray said.
" Even worse, the church has spoken out against the royal family too, causing even more people to join this nonsense."
".....The church, its voice carries." Old gray said.
" It is also fairly obvious what they think about the royal family....No, martial artists as a whole.....Sigh." He continued.
" Hmm, it is up to people what they do in the end." Levi said as he returned to his seat.
" People they knew were killed, so they are looking for someone to blame." He continued.
" Humph, you are profiting from their protests, so obviously you would say that!" Old gray sneered.
" Hmmm, those Blood-clotting pills sell well, especially to those who are injured often or easily." Levi nodded in agreement.
" Didn't you say it yourself? 'Respect the strong'. Isn't this implying that no matter what the strong do, you still have to respect them?"
" In that case, it can also be interpreted as, ' If you possess strength, you can do as you please.'" Levi said.
" Oi! Don't twist my words!" Old gray quick-wittedly interrupted.
" Even if I profit from the plight of those weaker than me, so what? You are not innocent either, old man." Levi cast old gray a sidelong glance.
" Humph! Don't put me on the same level as you, heartless brat!" Old gray snorted unhappily.
" Also, don't forget to bring me some pocket money on your next visit." A smile blossomed on old gray's face.
".....People do things to gain things, the church is no different. They want the power or position of the royal family, so they will try to take it." Levi said.
" In my eyes, things are this simple. Also, old man, don't you own this place?" Levi asked incredulously.
" Huh? This small shop barely makes enough to sustain itself. Don't be too stingy and continue to bring this old man his pocket money!" Old gray said firmly.
" Whatever." Levi got up.
" Where are you going? This is why you are improving so slowly, always doing this and that instead of focusing on the important things!" Old gray scolded.
" Some of the people working for me are purposely causing trouble."
" In my opinion, dealing with this situation is immediately more important than learning inscriptions." Levi said.
" Humph!" Old gray said nothing more.
"....Looks like it will snow. Detestable." Levi mumbled to himself.
" Sigh, I miss those days when I could just kill anyone causing me trouble." Sighing, Levi left the small clothes shop.
' Haha, you can still do that.' The demon saint commented.
"...Demon saint, I know that you are playing the fool to hear my response." Levi said.
' What do you mean?' The demon saint asked curiously.
" Sigh, forget it." Levi said.
" Aghhh!" A man fell to the ground, a bloody gash across his chest.
" Humph! Spouting this kind of nonsense in the middle of the street! Treason is punishable by death!" A lone soldier looked down at the man from atop his horse.
The passers-by covered their mouths and kept their distance, while some left.
"..." Levi looked down at the man who fell into his path.
" Huh?! You there, Goldeneyes! Are you with him?" The soldier asked.
"..." Levi glanced over at him.
" Huh? you...aren't you tha-that boy who fought the 'cold general' Luca? I-I-" The soldier stuttered.
" Leave." Levi said.
" B-But i-" The soldier was interrupted.
" Leave." Levi said once more.
"..." The soldier looked conflicted but left in the end.
"...This Blood-clotting pill will stop the bleeding. Do you want it?" Levi pulled out a red pill.
" Y-Yes, please give it to me." The man said weakly.
" 2 Silver coins." Levi reached out.
" Wh-Two silver coins are too much!" The man protested.
" Then you should quickly go see a doctor before you die from blood loss." Levi said as he stepped over the man, continuing on his way.
" Ah! so- So much blood! Wait! I-Here! 2 Silvers!" The man shouted.
"..." A red mist swept the coins from the man's trembling hands, replacing them with a thumbnail-sized pill.
" Umph!" The man quickly swallowed the pill as Levi's figure faded from view.
' Hahaha, your psychological attacks are getting better! More subtle!' The demon saint praised.
" As expected of your teaching." Levi stopped before the large red building.
'....What am I doing....I liked this inn more when it was small and quiet, but now....This path that I choose, will it end in happiness?' Levi opened the door.
" Shhh!"
" The boss is back!!"
" Young master, welcome back!"
"..." Levi looked at the people greeting him.
" I let you guys do as you please...." Everyone went silent as Levi spoke.
" As long as you don't cause trouble." He continued.
" What is he..."
" It's probably...that situation...."
" Well, of course he would be angry..."
" Those fools don't know when to stop..."
The people whispered to each other.
" So, why is it that I had to compensate someone?" Levi asked.
" Is it because that during these two years, in your eyes, I have become too lenient? hmm?" His eyes shifted around the room, as quietness loomed.
"..." He didn't bother to say anymore, as he walked towards the stairs.
" Shit, do those guys want to go back living off of scraps?"
" Back to that dog eat dog world?"
" Hmm, the boss was probably really angry...."
" Hmm, he looked normal to me?"
" You are new, so you don't know how he really is..."
" Yeah...You guys might think that he easy to deal with, but don't fool yourselves...beneath that calm, cold exterior, is something that you don't want to see..."
The people whispered after Levi's departure.
Even after a few minutes, the silence still loomed.
...
In Levi's bedroom.
" You can go, Aria." Levi said.
" Ok, young master~" Aria twirled.
" Don't try anything with the young master, bald coward." Aria glared at Don as her attitude took a sharp turn.
" What could I even do against the boss? Foolish woman." Don spoke condescendingly.
" Oh, right, I forgot! The young master could kill you easily! Like a fly or mosquito, splat!" Aria said as she slammed the door shut.
" Sigh, what happened to that woman. Seriously." Don scratched his head.
" So?" Levi asked.
"..." Levi's piercing gaze caused Don to hesitate.
" Well, for the last few months, I have been passing through the different groups, or cliques, you could say..." Don paused.
" Haha, I praise myself when I think back to how hard it was to get into them. Man, some of those guys are extreeeemely antisocial.." He continued.
"..." Levi kept silent.
" Ahem, well, anyway....Out of all of them, the one that guy is in, uh, Ling, I think was his name?.... They were the most difficult to deal with..." Seeing that his attempt to lighten the mood had failed, he continued.
" Hmm." Levi prompted him to continue.
" They were extremely guarded against me, so I had to try a bunch of stuff, but, uh, what worked best was, um..." He paused.
" What?" Levi asked.
" E-Expressing my....Expressing my ha-Hatred for y-you?" He said.
" I-I mean, obviously I don't hate you! I just said all of those things so that they could trust me!"
" So that I could find out who kept purposely stirring up trouble like you asked!" He quickly defended himself.
" Hmmm." Levi's eyes seemed to be glowing as he looked at Don.
" So....do I have to continue?" Don asked.
"....No." Levi said coldly.
" Phew!-Uh! I mean! I see!" Don began sweating.
" You can leave." Levi said coldly.
Don quietly eased out of the room.
' I told you to keep an eye out for that guy, didn't I? Hehehe..' The demon saint chortled.
"..."
After a few seconds of silence, Levi got up.
He left the room.
" Levi." A female voice rang out.
" What is it?" Levi asked coldly.
".....All 5 of the beast blood potions were sold. You should make some more when you can." Nerezza said simply.
" Hmmm." Levi merely grunted in response.
"..." Nerezza watched him go down the stairs.
...
' Should I fly around the city to look for him?....No...I don't want to end up like THAT again..." Levi thought.
" Where is ling?" Levi asked.
" Uh, I think he is at the...what was it called again? The fried restaurant?" One man said.
" The pan-fried restaurant, moron! That closed-eyed bastard loves fried food, or so I hear." Another one explained.
' Never heard of it. Whatever.' Levi thought.
" Hypnotizing steps." Levi said softly as his figure blurred.
Afterimages followed behind him as he left the inn.
...
' Dammit, what pan-fried restaurant?! I don't see that name anywhere! And to make matters worse, it started snowing!' Levi thought as he continued to leave behind afterimages.
" Hmm? Pan-fried...." He almost passed a tiny building sandwiched between two much larger buildings.
A sign which read " Pan-Fried: Resturant" hung on its door.
Dling!
The doorbell rang as it was opened and out walked a man with hair down to his neck, and closed eyes.
He wore a loose-fitting gray robe.
" Oh? Young master? What brings you here?" Ling asked, genuinely surprised.
" Could it be that you have a love for fried food as well?" He came to a conclusion.
"..." Levi looked at him silently.
The maelstrom of emotions hidden under his calm exterior threatened to explode.