After essentially taking Kohta as an apprentice Banisher, I had secured rigging for him to the bus's roof. The overweight guntaku teen takes to the impromptu training like a dying fish entering water. Which is great given we won't have the luxury to sit around for long periods of time. While he does planks and tries to stay stable with Shizuka's driving, I had removed his upper body clothes for the essential part. As he focused to stay up right and not go flying I had taken both modern, and slightly dated, tattooing tools from my bag. As I need to set the bases for his future Banisher Markings as he learns and grows into his preferred role.
"This WILL hurt Kohta, do your best to stay still and stable the best you can. What I'm about to do is essentially start allowing you to see the dead that can't naturally be seen."
"Understood sir! Please help me to become a better me for everyone…"
"You already are the best you, this is just a push to improve safely."
My words catch him off guard but I couldn't help smiling at the teen. As I truly believed those words from all that I remember of him. He truly is the best friend and guardian even without supernatural powers, so I was a bit biased with him. So I began to carve and tattoo the symbols for his desired path as a Banisher. I took great care to etch even the smallest details into the symbols lining his arms, especially the one that ran off over certain fingers like water.
Solomon's Symbol, the perfect soldier willing to sacrifice everything for his people and his dreams. Callisto's symbol, the unlikely light in the darkness ready to spread its light and smite the opposition. Artemis's symbol, the hunter who hits his intended targets and is of pure intentions. Izanami's, son of Amaterasu, symbol for a hunter that is ruthless when on the prowl. Then across his upper back between his shoulder blades was a giant shield with two guns facing downwards. Inside and around these guns were his beliefs. Beliefs surrounded by the purest and darkest of his feelings that connected to the symbols.
Was the shield necessary? No. However, myself and my chat agreed on adding it, as he's destined for greatness and this would always bring him solace when needed. Together however these symbols, along with small embedded scriptures, made up the core of his role as the Banisher he wanted to be. I hid nothing from him and the teen appreciated the sentiment. For he would need to know where he draws strength. He heard each one after barely having asked me to explain them the first time while I did the shield first. As soon as they were all complete and I made Bane Rings appear on his tattooed fingers did everything come to life.
The entire time I had also been secretly implanting spiritual energy into his tattoos and markings. So that when the rings made everything come to life, that they wouldn't harm him and instead safely let him attune to the dead's sight and energy. His body trembling from the energy flooding his system, blood could be seen dripping from his nose. Yet Kohta refused to go down or let the pain make him whine. The teen instead smiled like a mad man. His eyes are currently a deep aquamarine color as he looks around at the world and what it hides beneath webs of the dead's energies.
"This… this is amazing… was there always so many things hidden in plain sight? Is this what you can see daily?"
"Yes it is, but it's not all beautiful kid. There are monsters made from spirits that are worse than the dead roaming. That abomination at the school was one such thing even though it held no souls. I'll give you your own Banisher Encyclopedia, Witchcraft Ritual Guide, and Ingredients book both once you can actually sit down and read them. We'll work on your use of the base energy both use during live fights. For now finish up your scheduled work out, then we'll have some food and I'll let you ask IMPORTANT questions. Nothing about summoning guns or other weapons until I know you can handle it and keep up the expenditures."
"Sir yes sir! I can wait to summon guns with infinite ammo to mow down the dead! I don't want to die by rushing after I signed up for this…"
Chuckling it didn't take long before he finished his remaining exercises planned out, and got to enjoy some food with non-alcoholic drinks. His questions weren't bad, instead they were good ones about his future equipment for Banishers. I explained to him the most crucial one above all else, his Bane Rings. While the truly experienced Banishers will eventually not really need them, novices like him will need them. Until he can safely control his new abilities safely as if breathing without noticing, he will not be allowed to take those rings off.
They also act as the primary way for Banishers to actually use a majority of their Banish Techniques safely as they regulate everything. It's why when one is completely ready they have orange spiritual fire burst from their symbols. However, if one over charges that eventually the rings will IMPLODE and instead banish their own soul. I made sure Kohta knew that risk was very real, if the boy's pale face and trembling were anything he wasn't eager to go over the limit. Before Kohta headed back into the bus though I gave him back his shirt and uniform. Along with giving him one of Red's old Bane Muskets with a Bane Blade attached to it as he was going to need to learn to fight with blades as well.
"Don't worry about accuracy, that thing is the equivalent of a shotgun sniper. It's been long modified to use ambient Spirit Energy to create physical ammunition. After each shot just smack the butt into anything then you're ready to fire again, it's why before you get anything modern you'll learn some spear and sword arts. As sometimes ranged is not an option."
Kohta simply stared at the musket that was an early prototype of a modern hunting rifle. Before hugging it tightly against his chest, the blade affixed to it lightly scraped his cheek. Before he could say anything I simply waved him off before the tears started rolling.
[ZSpiderman: I like him. He's got the heart to be the kind of hero this apocalypse needs.
Marvelousmerlin: I will gladly offer my assistance in teaching young Kohta how to be a hero. *MischievousSageFingersCrossed Sticker*]
[MISSION: NightFather has issued the Streamer a Mission.
Description: Teach the young mortal right, don't forge a HERO like so many would. Teach him to be who he truly is, teach him to survive and not an unthanked death. He reminds me too much of Hercules before he was a hero, and of my own daughter… both died thankless deaths because they became heroes. So promise you'll try to do right by him, I've already failed even my son as well.
Requirement: Swear by the River of Styx to not forge a hero but a stable and respectable survivor in the world's ongoing hell.
Reward: Cerberus's Daughter Pistí Skiá (Faithful Shade)]
Seeing the word hero disgust wells up within my chest, then I see the sudden prompt of a mission. I don't even think, I know that the River of Styx existed in this world as well.
"I swear my soul to the River of Styx, that I would never forcibly mold, Kohta Hirano, into a hero for as long as I live and teach him. I just want him to survive and to live a little with more confidence in himself than he currently does. Because fuck being a hero or a saint, it's best he just lives as himself and not an idol."
The sky THUNDERED gold and cyan lightning once more words finished. The world seems to metaphysically gaze at me in that instance. A pitch red box appeared from the stream the next instant.
[ACCEPTED ANOMALY, TAKE CARE OF OUR MARKSMAN]
Then the world just returned to normal, I couldn't feel my heart as the literal metaphysical weight of a world staring at you isn't great. I had to drink a health potion to heal my body and regenerate my heart as it had been destroyed. At my feet, however, a pup that barely looks even five months old appeared as the Stream seemed to gently spit them out of a box. The pup was one with three heads and raven black fur that contained streaks of cyan green flames. She truly looked the part of Cerberus's child, just who was her mother? As those flames were literal flames of souls from the River of Styx.
[Chimera Verses partially fulfilled x20]
But how? Unless… the Stream did something while the pup was in transit here. Regardless I had more of my monstrous yet weary Chimera's getting released. The pup looked around then at me before barking at me. Scratching my chin I looked at the pup because I don't necessarily need her… so why… oh… Hades you're thoughtful. You barely even saw the kid do anything, but the gun loving teen already earned some favor from you? Grinning at the pup who stuck her tongues out cutely I decided I could surprise everyone suddenly.
Plus that undead horde forming to the east is concerning so I'll have Shizuka avoid that area. Grabbing Skiá I suddenly hung half through the roof hatch, my sudden appearance surprised everyone. Even more so when a sign went over my body on the roof. Yet I didn't pay that much attention since I was perfectly fine, it wouldn't be my first time doing something like this. Instead I was making sure Skiá was right side up while I was upside down, I focused on Kohta who was half asleep and staring at me and the puppy I held. Well more like a small medium sized dog as she was already a few centuries old but still a puppy. Meanwhile she was squirming and barking in excitement at sudden motion as I moved quickly while doing this.
"Rejoice my new punching bag of a student! A friend of mine who watches my adventures has decided to grace you with a friend! Before anyone asks, yes the puppy has three heads, this is Pistí Skiá a direct descendant of Cerberus. No you can't have her, she's for Kohta, my friend has taken a liking to the guntaku, and made me promise something in return for her. Now catch!"
Without much warning I threw the puppy directly at Kohta. As she sailed through the air everyone could hear her howl in excitement, she really liked sudden movements huh? Maybe I should make Kohta do parkour training with her? It'd do them both good as she's still a young pup after all according to Analyze and the Stream. Just I hid my mirthful chuckles due to two traits of the pup.
[Styx Oath Reinforcement] [Anti-Hero Pact]
He really didn't want him to become a full fledged hero, nor will he become evil, those two traits will make sure of it. Which made me even more curious about who her mother was, because there are few mythical entities that could do either of those traits by their very nature. Which also raises the question of WHICH Hades was my viewer? Because there are several iterations of the God in media and stories. However, given he said son and daughter… I think he's Hades from the game series Hades. Creative naming but it's short and simple where the son is the hero of the first then the daughter the second game.
"Aawooo!"
Blinking, I paid attention to the world once more instead of my thoughts and saw Kohta essentially wearing Pistí as a hat while dozing back off. The pup had things that weren't around her necks before, yet now they were there. The collars around her necks were like normal spiked collars, yet I saw that the collar's main part, the collar itself, were instead bullet casings. The spikes were also jagged sharpened bullet casings which honestly made up some interesting collars.
"So you've inducted the fat ass into your life of torment? How did you actually get a puppy descended from a literal Divine entity?"
Looking towards the voice I just smirk at Saya.
"Yes, he's now my punching bag until he's at the point where he can spread his wings by himself against Spirits. Also I wasn't joking, I am friends with someone that is friendly with Cerberus, someone who can very well just drop a child of Cerberus onto someone's lap if he likes them."
"Fucking supernatural bastard…."
"Language lady Takagi, what would all the high society dumbasses think if they heard you?"
"Shut it! That's not something to worry about anymore since they're likely dead or hidden away…"
"Pfft oh they're either very dead, hiding, or "leading" good soldiers to their deaths because they now hold a vast amount of sway due to their importance. While some will certainly have been kicked off their high horses and reduced to "commoners" as some say."
"I… I can't argue against that… some of the people Daddy knew or knows weren't good intentioned people. They'd rather have all the power and order others around than do anything themselves…"
Snorting at that I dropped into the bus completely, landing on my hands before flipping myself upright. Walking to the front of the bus and taking a seat while giving Shizuka directions to a sporting goods store. While I have a lot of shit in my bag for almost everything, I'm not going to be doing handouts unless there's a good reason or a transaction.