*Haru*
"Johan's injuries are bad. We need to go to the hospital as soon as we can." Briony informed.
Johan was the only that was seriously injured. His second Core awakening process was interrupted by his sudden defeat by the hands of the one Mana-Cored Tana. I had heard and seen a lot of things regarding Mana, but being defeated while awakening was a first. I wasn't sure how much that affected Johan and his progress, but I hoped it wouldn't hinder him in his path.
"The gems in his sword's hilt, you see them, right? Destroy them near his Core. That should help him recover." I advised. "Silva, bring Johan to the hospital. We still have something to do here. And also, do not contact HQ."
"Will do."
We all suffered a few cuts and major hits. Tana was as strong as before. I was still unable to beat her, despite the advantage that I had. 'What kind of ability allowed her to rival a Bearer with 2 Cores?'
My scars started to ache. I was reminded of the defeat in the SSS again. How she humiliated me in front of several people. It had happened again, but the result had changed. The second time, it wasn't a loss for me, but a draw. I didn't know how I should've felt. Draw and defeat sounded like the same to me.
We had entered the suburbs where I had grown up, the others rode close behind me. Every house in this neighbourhood had collapsed. Even though father had helped with the house's design with the potential danger of another war happening in mind, he did not think about earthquake safety. Central Superio wasn't on an area where earthquakes occurred, so earthquake measures weren't the top priority when they built houses and other buildings.
"This is..." Briony said, but I interrupted.
"Yes. The place where I grew up in. This was one of the few things I always kept from you guys. I told stories about my life in the slums and as a gangster, but my bed was king-sized and my house had heated floors. I never liked living like this. It felt too easy, too undeserving for me. I didn't own that house, my parents did. And knowing you, the full truth will not change anything between us. You know me too well know."
They kept to themselves after that. They knew about the severity of my state. I was weakened in both body and mind. From one side, it was my brother, who I believed was dead, and on the other side, it was the Tana that put me into the poorest state I had ever been in.
After turning around a corner for one last time, my house was at our right. My memory from the impact's first hours were foggy, I wasn't sure how exactly my house's rubble looked like.
"This is it, huh?" Seer asked.
The house's front gate was undamaged, so our family name was depicted for them to see.
"Let me find my family's corpses." I said.
"I can help with my vines." Briony offered.
"No. I will handle it."
I lifted and threw threw a few brick pieces around until I saw a pool of washed blood. It was obvious that there was once a large pool of it there, but the rain washed it away, only leaving the dry places to carry the remains of my family's blood.
I lifted one piece after the other, yet there was no body to be found. I looked at the house's back part, only to see a long wooden box there.
'Mother's Katana box...' I realized.
Yet another proof that Niam had survived.
"Briony, can you-" I was cut off.
"Already did. There are 2 bodies in between the cracked ground." She said and pointed at the ground.
Briony proceeded to open the crack that was caused by the earthquake and took out 2 clothed skeletons. The clothes were dirty and had holes all over them but it was still recognizable.
"Mom and dad..." I said.
Out of shock, Briony put a hand over her dropped jaw, and Seer closed her eyes.
'At least I know that they're dead.'
"Anything else here?" I asked Briony.
"N- No..." She said hesitantly.
That had sealed and proven it. My brother Niam had somehow survived and was now on his way to old Japan.
"He is it... Arata is my brother Niam. He caused the tragedy at the hospital, and he was also the one that has managed to partner up with Tana Zaman, the Arabic Empire Princess. Put that in the registry." I said with the last amount of patience I had.
***
Indescribable feelings welled up within me. Conflict of emotions. 'What is this?!' I wondered angrily. 'Why do I feel relieve?! Why do I feel betrayed? Why do I feel as though my goals are threatened?'
"It's always Niam! Always! Always! Always! Always! Always! ALWAYS!" I yelled.
*THUD*THUCK*CRACK*
I let my anger out on one of the trees in the travelling village. It took only 2 punches from a 2-Corred Bearer to completely destroy a healthy, thick tree.
"Haru, you-"
I cut Seer off.
"Shut your damn mouth, Seer! This is not the time! Go back and rest! We will cut the time to rest in half. 4 hours, then we set off again." I ordered.
"You need to tell me why it upsets you so much! I know you don't really care about partnering up with Piranha School. The only reason we went to Central Superio, was so that you could make sure if your brother was dead or alive. You raged when you suspected that Arata was your brother, and you raged once again after you were sure that it was him. Why?!"
'Speaking to me as if we were equals... There is an even wider age gap than between me and Niam. She is 2 to 3 years younger than him, but speaks as if she is as old as me...'
"You will not need to know. It won't matter why I am being like this eventually. Once I meet Niam, all of your question will simply disappear."
My mind was so conflicted that I hadn't even noticed the heavy rainstorm that gathered over us.
Seer wanted to say something again, but her words were interrupted by a lightning strike. The darkness surrounding us was lit up for just a split second. It was enough for Seer to notice the wounds on my temples.
"You're bleeding." She said.
She walked over, stretching her hands out to my face.
"Keep your hands off!"
The rain started. It only took a few seconds for our clothes to be drenched and my blood to be washed away.
***
Once we arrived back at the capital, I set out for Declan's office immediately. The capital's streets were filled with soldiers. There was not one civilian. Calling that place capital wasn't fitting. It was more like an army camp. There were no shops, no kids, no disorder either. Declan's influence was great. He had done all of this alone. Even when I tried to help him, he said that I wasn't made for those kinds of things.
"Declan, it's me." I announced myself.
"Come in." He said.
I opened Declan's door only for me to see him sitting with Grimm. Grimm was the second in command after Declan. I didn't like Grimm. His white, curly hair always casted a swirly shadow on his face that weirded me out. His blue eyes reflected my image whenever I looked into them.
"Oh, Haru! Long time no see. How long has it been? 3 months?" Michael Grimm greeted.
"4 months." I responded.
"Haha! Are you keeping count? Well... Whatever. I heard that Azlin had asked you for a souvenir. I am curious to hear what you got for her."
Reminded of the "promise" I made to Azlin, my only response was my findings, delivered on a silver platter that was meant for Declan.
"I brought 'her' Arata's real identity."
Both Declan and Grimm's eyes widened. They were eager to hear what I had found out, disregarding the small talk we had just a second ago.
"Niam Henka. That's his name."