Ryoshi and Kuroshi dashed through the dense woods, their footsteps muffled by the darkness of the night.
"If this is how patrols are gonna be, I don't want to do them," Ryoshi grumbled between breaths, his voice barely audible over the rustling leaves.
Kuroshi remained silent, her focus undivided.
"Why don't you talk?" Ryoshi pressed, his frustration evident in his tone.
Again, Kuroshi offered no response, prompting Ryoshi's curiosity to intensify.
"Damn, the more she refuses to talk, the more I want to know how she sounds," Ryoshi muttered under his breath.
Abruptly, Kuroshi came to a halt, causing Ryoshi to skid to a stop beside her.
"Kuroshi, you okay?" Ryoshi inquired, his concern palpable.
"We're being followed," she whispered, her voice barely audible amidst the hushed ambiance of the woods.
"She has a really soft voice," Ryoshi noted, momentarily distracted by the realization.
"Followed by what?" he asked, his senses on high alert.
In response, Kuroshi summoned her gun and fired a shot at a nearby bush, shattering the silence of the night.
"Ohoho, you are an observant one, aren't you?" a sinister voice taunted from within the foliage.
"Did the bush just say that?" Ryoshi exclaimed, his disbelief evident.
Without warning, a towering figure emerged from the shadows, its form shrouded in darkness save for its menacing red eyes.
"Whoa, is this an enemy?" Ryoshi questioned, his hand instinctively reaching for his sword.
"I can hear this thing's heartbeat, and it doesn't sound normal," Kuroshi remarked, her voice laced with concern.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Ryoshi inquired, his attention fully captured by Kuroshi's assessment.
"Firstly, it's not even a heartbeat; it sounds like hissing or a sizzle, similar to what you'd hear from a pool of lava. Secondly, no human would ever have red glowing eyes like that. To have your eyes glowing any color, your Geji has to focus all of your mana into your eyes. The problem with that is that most humans would die, or automatically die," Kuroshi explained, her words punctuated by a sense of urgency.
Ryoshi furrowed his brow, his mind racing to make sense of the situation. "Isn't a Geji your mana bubble or something?" he ventured, seeking clarification.
"Yeah..." Kuroshi affirmed, her gaze fixed on the ominous figure before them.
"Then if you focused all of your mana into your eyes, wouldn't you go into your sacrificial ability state?" Ryoshi posed the question, hoping to unravel the mystery.
"No, a sacrificial ability state is caused by the mana in your Geji completely running out," Kuroshi elucidated, her tone tinged with urgency. "But focusing all of your mana into one part of your body is different. You're taking your Geji's mana and all of the mana throughout your body, and putting it in one area. It might not sound dangerous, but your entire body goes into sacrificial ability mode, and everything in your body starts to go to where your mana isn't. When you're in the normal sacrificial state, you still have mana left, and that mana combined with your Yoso and whatever gets mixed into your empty Geji becomes the sacrificial abilities."
"Ahh, so when you put all of your mana into one spot, you can't use magic in your other spots AND those other spots get stuffed up with blood, bones, and other nasty stuff," Ryoshi summarized, his understanding deepening.
"Yes, and to a normal human, that's instant death... but to a demon or a vampire, it's nothing. Their Geji and Yoso work differently than ours," Kuroshi explained, her voice laced with concern.
"So you're saying this guy is a demon?" Ryoshi surmised, his gaze narrowing on the shadowy figure.
The figure interrupted with a yawn, revealing his true nature. "No, I'm a vampire! After thousands of years, our god has revived us! And I'm all but grateful for this. You two shall be my first two snacks of the Millennium!" he declared with chilling certainty.
Without hesitation, Ryoshi invoked his magic. "Ice magic: Ice sword!" he exclaimed, unleashing a frigid blade that cleaved through the vampire's form.
"That's not going to stop him for long," Kuroshi cautioned, her eyes scanning their surroundings for an escape route.
"You think I don't know that? Vampires are immortal! And we totally don't stand a chance against one at night," Ryoshi admitted, his tone tinged with resignation.
Suddenly, the vampire reappeared, emerging from Kuroshi's eye, causing her to stagger backward.
"What?!" Kuroshi exclaimed, her shock palpable.
"Fools! You can't escape the Vampire of Reflections! Baldassare!!!" the vampire proclaimed, his voice echoing through the darkness.
"Reflections?" Ryoshi questioned, his mind racing to comprehend the vampire's tactics.
"He used the reflection in my eye!" Kuroshi realized, her expression darkening with realization.
"I don't plan on using any of my magic on you newbies, but if I have to, I will," Baldassare threatened, his crimson gaze fixed upon them.
Thinking quickly, Kuroshi unleashed her magic. "Ice magic: Ice bomb!" she exclaimed, conjuring a sphere of ice and hurling it at the vampire.
"A bomb you say? You can blow me up all you want, but you can't kill me," Baldassare taunted, his confidence unshaken.
"It isn't that type of bomb," Kuroshi retorted cryptically.
The bomb exploded, encasing Baldassare in a prison of ice.
"Shit, let's run when we have the chance to!!!" Ryoshi urged, his voice laced with urgency.
Together, they fled into the night, their hearts pounding with adrenaline-fueled fear.
The next morning found Ryoshi, Fuyu, Toruri, and Kuroshi gathered at the frozen waterfall, their faces etched with determination as they prepared for the challenges that lay ahead.
Fuyu's voice cut through the crisp morning air as he voiced his thoughts on the peculiar vampire they had encountered.
"A vampire that uses reflections, huh? That sounds really ironic," he remarked, his tone laced with curiosity.
"Yeah, I know," Ryoshi replied, his mind still reeling from the encounter. "He said something on the lines of 'our god has revived us.'"
"Their god, huh? Maybe you guys should track down that vampire from earlier," Fuyu suggested, his gaze fixed on the horizon.
"I don't understand, why do we gotta search for vampires? Aren't they natural in forests?" Toruri interjected, his brow furrowed in confusion.
"Yes, but not in this one," Fuyu explained patiently, his eyes scanning the surroundings for any signs of danger. "Remember that we have to protect the Negative Point from any threat. Vampires are one of those threats. There once was a mighty warrior from the demon clan by the name of Denshin Mottosaku. Hundreds of years before his great defeat by the hands of the great ones, he wiped out almost every vampire in one single slash of his sword. Those vampires want their revenge on the world because of him. They didn't think it was fair at all, so they kill and eat people now. But they stay away from the Negative Point because they think Denshin was actually on our side and they think he's still alive."
"So if they learned that Denshin is actually dead, they would attack?" Toruri pressed, his expression grave.
"Very much so," Fuyu confirmed solemnly.
"Uhhhhh, imma stay here and lay down some traps...you guys can search for the vampire," Toruri declared, his voice tinged with uncertainty.
"Are you scared?" Ryoshi teased, a hint of amusement in his tone.
"ARE YOU SCARED!?!" Toruri shot back, his eyes wide with mock indignation.
"I AM SCARED!!!" Ryoshi admitted, his laughter echoing through the clearing.
"OK BRO, WHY ARE YOU GOING THEN?!?" Toruri exclaimed, his confusion evident.
"I DON'T KNOW, I JUST WANNA DO SOMETHING!!!" Ryoshi replied, his enthusiasm undeterred.
"GOOD FOR YOU!!!" Toruri retorted, his grin widening.
"Could you two stop yelling?" Kuroshi interjected, her voice calm but firm.
"AAHH, SHE TALKED!!!" Toruri exclaimed, his surprise palpable.
"Haha, you guys should get going," Fuyu interjected, a smile playing on his lips. "Toruri, I'll let you stay, but only for this one time."
"Yes, sir," Toruri replied, his expression determined.
"Kuroshi and Ryoshi," Fuyu addressed them, his tone commanding.
"Yes?" they responded in unison, their attention fully on their leader.
"I said get going, didn't I?" Fuyu reminded them, his gaze unwavering.
"Yes, you did, sir," Kuroshi confirmed, her voice steady.
"Good, now go," Fuyu ordered, his authority evident.
Without further delay, Ryoshi and Kuroshi dashed into the forest, their senses alert for any signs of their elusive prey.
"How does he expect us to find a vampire in the morning?" Ryoshi muttered, his frustration mounting.
Kuroshi remained silent, her focus seemingly elsewhere.
Yeesh, she was just talking to me earlier, right? Why did she activate quiet mode again? Ryoshi wondered, his thoughts swirling.
Meanwhile, Kuroshi hopped atop a flat boulder and began to read a book, her attention fully absorbed in its pages.
Ryoshi furrowed his brow as he watched Kuroshi settle onto the boulder with her book.
"What are you doing?" he inquired, his confusion evident.
"I'm going to sit here and read this book," Kuroshi replied calmly, her eyes fixed on the pages before her.
"But Master Hinansho said that we had to find that vampire from earl—" Ryoshi began, only to be interrupted by Kuroshi's resolute tone.
"He gave us an impossible mission, right?" Kuroshi stated matter-of-factly.
"Right?" Ryoshi echoed, his uncertainty palpable.
"I usually spend two to five hours doing something else before I head back and tell the master that I failed or couldn't do it," Kuroshi explained, her voice steady.
"Oh! If we could have just done that the entire time, we wouldn't improve our skills. And if we can't improve our skills, we won't be able to prove ourselves worthy to the master once we start getting harder missions," Ryoshi realized, his understanding dawning.
"I have nothing to improve nor do I have anything to prove. If you don't want to join me, that's fine by me. That's not my problem," Kuroshi remarked coolly, her gaze unwavering. "You can run around like an idiot searching for a vampire in the morning. You don't even know a thing about the Negative Point. You're just a random guy who got lucky. Anybody could replace you at any time if they wanted to. You're just an insignificant nobody."
"Hey, I'm a somebody, got that?!" Ryoshi retorted, his frustration bubbling to the surface. "If you want to talk all that shit about me, then keep that same energy in a fight!"
"No need to get so riled up. I'm just speaking the facts and only the facts," Kuroshi replied calmly, her demeanor unchanged. "You are just some kid Fuyu found at some random village, aren't you? You're no local of the Negative Point like me and Toruri are. You don't even have a magical weapon! And to even have the balls to challenge a girl to fight and probably still lose just makes you seem even more like a clown."
Ryoshi seethed inwardly. "I don't think that I can work with her. If she really thinks that highly of herself, she must be joking!!! She might be right about me being a complete nobody and I am just some kid off of the streets, but she can't just casually say it and act like it's ok. I want to teach her a lesson, but this isn't the time for me to get violent."
As tension hung in the air between them, Ryoshi and Kuroshi both became aware of the sound of something akin to a steel helmet being dragged across the ground, their attention turning towards the source with wary anticipation.
Ryoshi's eyes widened as he and Kuroshi searched for the source of the mysterious sound echoing through the forest. Their gaze fell upon a small child with pale white skin, adorned in peculiar attire, dragging an ultra-pure white scarf behind him, leaving a trail of destruction in its wake.
"What's that?" Ryoshi exclaimed, his curiosity piqued.
Before they could approach, the child noticed their presence and bolted, but Ryoshi and Kuroshi quickly closed the distance.
"Hey, you!" Ryoshi called out, his voice firm.
The child hesitated for a moment before darting off into the forest, his speed surprising given his small stature. However, Ryoshi and Kuroshi were determined, and they soon caught up to him.
"What's that you got there?" Ryoshi demanded, his eyes fixed on the strange scarf.
In response, the child aimed one of his fists at a distant tree and fired a metal cable, using it to propel himself towards the tree like a skilled acrobat.
"What the...HEY, GET BACK HERE!!!" Ryoshi shouted, his frustration mounting as the child effortlessly maneuvered through the trees.
Undeterred, Ryoshi and Kuroshi pursued the child, their determination unwavering.
Thirteen minutes of relentless pursuit later, they arrived at a giant, seemingly abandoned mansion, the door slamming shut behind them, leaving behind a small fragment of the scarf.
"That kid should be in there!" Ryoshi declared, his eyes narrowed with determination.
Without hesitation, they burst through the mansion's doors, their senses on high alert.
"Where is he?!" Ryoshi demanded, his voice echoing through the empty halls.
"He's upstairs," Kuroshi replied, her tone calm but resolute.
They ascended the staircase with purpose, their footsteps echoing through the deserted mansion.
As they reached the top of the stairs, they were met with an imposing sight: a towering suit of light blue armor, with the ultra-pure white scarf draped beneath the helmet, and the child from earlier standing beside it.
"Aaaahhh!!!" the child cried out, his small hands slamming together to form a weapon resembling the barrel of a mini-gun.
Ryoshi and Kuroshi reacted swiftly, readying themselves for whatever threat the child posed. Ryoshi drew his sword, while Kuroshi summoned her gun, their resolve unyielding in the face of danger.
Ryoshi's eyes widened as the situation escalated, his mind racing to formulate a plan.
"Woah woah woah! We gotta do this, Kuroshi," he exclaimed, his voice tinged with urgency.
"Shut up, he's holding us at gunpoint. I can sense a lot of mana at his hands," Kuroshi replied, her focus unwavering as she assessed the danger.
As the barrels on the child's gauntlets began to rotate, unleashing a barrage of small magical projectiles, Ryoshi sprang into action.
"Ice magic: Ice spikes!!!" Ryoshi invoked, conjuring a multitude of icy projectiles to counter the incoming magical onslaught.
The child cried out for help, grabbing a sock monkey from the ground and using it as a shield. Surprisingly, the sock monkey came to life, delivering a swift punch to Ryoshi's eye.
"Ow!!! What the hell?!" Ryoshi exclaimed, rubbing his sore eye.
"Get out of here!!!" the sock monkey demanded, its high-pitched voice jarring against the chaos of the confrontation.
Ryoshi couldn't help but burst into laughter at the absurdity of the situation. "Pfffft hahaha! You were scary for like 0.5 seconds until you talked. But for real, what the hell?"
"I said get out of here!!!" the sock monkey repeated, its frustration evident.
Undeterred, the sock monkey unleashed a barrage of punches, but Ryoshi and Kuroshi remained unfazed, their resolve unshaken.
"Felt like an even bigger bean bag being thrown at me, but still weak, haha," Ryoshi remarked, his amusement evident.
"Stop mocking me!!!" the sock monkey protested, its frustration mounting.
Despite the sock monkey's continued onslaught, Ryoshi and Kuroshi remained steadfast, their determination unwavering.
"Ok, I give up. But could you guys just leave me alone?" the sock monkey pleaded, its demeanor shifting from aggression to resignation.
Ryoshi, however, had other plans. With a mischievous grin, he walked over to the sock monkey and punted it across the room, eliciting a triumphant cry from himself.
"Quit it already!!! If I was in my true form, I would decimate the both of you!!!" the sock monkey threatened, gesturing towards a cracked picture lying on the ground.
"What's that?" Kuroshi inquired, her curiosity piqued as she picked up the cracked picture, her expression quickly shifting to shock as she examined its contents.
Kuroshi's hands trembled as she stared at the cracked picture, her mind struggling to comprehend the revelation.
"This... is a picture... of the old spring season before he died of unknown causes... You can't be—" Kuroshi began, her voice trailing off in disbelief.
"I AM! I'm John Madison, the spring season!" the sock monkey declared, his voice filled with a mix of sorrow and anger.
"What happened to you?..." Kuroshi asked, her voice barely above a whisper, her heart heavy with sorrow.
In a flash, the scene shifted back in time, transporting them 1,500 years into the past.
John Madison, the spring season, sat atop a bird-shaped mountain, his presence commanding respect and admiration.
"Good evening, Master Madison," a young girl greeted him with reverence.
"Hello, Haru! I haven't seen you in a while. What brings you here again, my successful apprentice?" John replied warmly, his eyes twinkling with pride.
"I would like to spar with you... master," Haru requested, her determination evident in her eyes.
"Alright! Show me what you've got!!!" John exclaimed, his excitement palpable.
The two engaged in a fierce spar that lasted until the next morning, their skills and determination pushing each other to their limits.
"You're really strong! You might be able to be the next spring season," John praised, his admiration evident in his tone.
"You really think so?" Haru asked, her eyes lighting up with hope.
"Yeah! You'd make a wonderful teacher!!! But I won't just give you the spring season title, you know... So train!" John advised, his wisdom echoing through the mountains.
Suddenly, a figure clad in armor, wielding a sock monkey, appeared out of nowhere.
"Who are you?" John demanded, his voice tinged with suspicion.
Without a word, the figure dashed forward, ripping out John's soul and transferring it into the sock monkey before disappearing from sight, leaving John's lifeless body behind.
The flashback ended as abruptly as it began, leaving Kuroshi and Ryoshi stunned by the tragic revelation of John Madison's fate.
The dust settled as the mansion vanished in a fiery explosion, leaving nothing but debris in its wake. Thanks to Kuroshi's quick thinking, everyone remained unharmed within her protective force field.
"I have been resurrected! Great, now I can continue doing whatever the hell I was doing," the voice boomed, its tone shifting from menacing to sweet and polite.
John, still reeling from the shock of his recent revelation, wasted no time in addressing the mysterious figure.
"Hey, you!" he called out.
"Me?" the figure responded innocently.
"Yeah, you!" John confirmed, his tone laced with urgency.
"Are you John Madison of the spring season? Because I'm really sorry for what I did to you, but it was a part of the plan," the figure admitted, its voice filled with remorse.
"What plan?" John demanded, his curiosity piqued.
"Nothing!" the figure brushed off the question casually.
"Ok? CAN YOU REMOVE MY SOUL FROM THIS STUFFED ANIMAL THOUGH?!" John pleaded desperately.
"No can do! I did a permanent seal on your soul, so unless that vessel of yours gets destroyed, you can't come out," the figure explained nonchalantly.
"WAIT, WHAT?! I spent countless months gathering pieces of you JUST SO YOU CAN DO ABSOLUTELY NOTHING?!" John exclaimed, his frustration boiling over.
"Sorry, buddy. I don't make the rules," the figure shrugged indifferently.
"Ah, can I at least get your name?" John asked, his tone resigned.
"Oh, right! My name is Denshin Mottosaku," the figure introduced himself.
"That sounds familiar," Ryoshi interjected, his memory jogging.
"It is! You idiot, he's the demon that the great ones defeated all so long ago," Kuroshi clarified, her irritation evident.
"Oh, right!... WAIT, SO DOES THAT MEAN JOHN JUST-" Ryoshi began, his realization interrupted by John's sudden outburst.
"Oh, so you're that powerful demon guy everyone was talking about. I would know more about you, but I was off doing something else... HOL UP, I JUST REVIVED AN EVIL DEMON LORD?!" John exclaimed, his disbelief evident.
"Evil? No, demon? Yes! I am, in fact, the strongest demon alive, but I'm totally not evil," Denshin clarified, his tone matter-of-fact.
"Ahh! So you're the one who killed all of my people, aye?" a familiar voice chimed in.
"That voice sounds familiar..." Ryoshi muttered, his brow furrowed in concentration.
"It is! You idiot! It's that vampire from earlier, what's his name again?" Kuroshi reminded him.
"It's Baldassare!!!" the vampire announced triumphantly, emerging from the reflection of Denshin's armor.
"Woah, cool," Denshin remarked, seemingly unfazed by the tense atmosphere.
"Shuddap," Baldassare snapped, cutting off any further conversation.
"Ok," Denshin acquiesced easily, his demeanor calm.
Ryoshi, sensing an opportunity to gather information, directed his attention towards Baldassare. "It's early in the morning, plus there's no shade for you to hide in. How aren't you dying?"
"My God has praised us! With the ability to bathe in the sun!!!" Baldassare declared proudly, his voice ringing with fervor.
"Oh shit, that's a problem," Ryoshi muttered, his concern growing.
"Indeed. And I'll use this grace to kill you all. But for me to even stand the slightest chance, I would need for you to go away, Denshin. I'm very aware of your godly strength, and I know you can just kill me here—" Baldassare began, his words tinged with urgency.
"Ok, byeeeee," Denshin interrupted casually, before darting away at a blinding speed, leaving Ryoshi and Kuroshi bewildered.
"Why did he—" Ryoshi started, only to be cut off by Baldassare's dismissive response.
"I don't care! As long as he's not in my way, I don't give a care in the world! Let this feast begin!!!" Baldassare declared, his hunger for blood evident in his words.
With Denshin out of the picture, Ryoshi and Kuroshi braced themselves for the impending battle against the formidable vampire, knowing that their lives depended on their ability to defeat him.