Seikatsu begins walking into a church, and accompanying him is Messorem, who had Kazu on his shoulder. The air hung heavy, shrouded in an unsettling stillness, while the aroma carried a haunting undertone, as though they were about to begin a funeral.
"Children...adults, they choose to live like animals with no order, and for what reason is that? Why force my hand and make me have to handle them like caged animals? The thought of it gets me angry."
Seikatsu says this as they reach the front of the church, the church they had entered had chairs spread out in different areas, and each one of those chairs had a different marking representing their usefulness. Messorem walks over to one of the chairs that had a marking resembling time, and placed Kazu in it lightly.
"He seems like a perfect match, but at the same time with his unique Reiki. It won't be able to be done quickly. It'll take long, sir."
Messorem says this, and Seikatsu responded with a dismissive gesture, his hand moving in a graceful, fluid motion that mirrored the way one might shoo away a pet.
"Whether it takes days, months, and even years...it won't matter to me at all. They are all children still growing up, and they have yet to learn about the world. Yet, despite their limited understanding, they seem to believe they can oppose someone with greater wisdom. That's exactly why I act in the way that I do, I demand obedience."
Messorem nods his head in response, and quickly leaves the church after doing what he was told. Messorem walks through the exit, and a memory begins to enter his head, a memory he had been trying to keep out.
(Two days ago)
"My name is Double. It's nice to meet someone like you. The aura...no the Reiki that you give off...it gives me a sorrow feeling, but when I look at you, I don't see anything that makes me sad."
(Present)
Messorem remembers the kind words Double shared with him that day, and that memory puts a smile on his face and warms his heart. Messorem quickly shifted his smile, and began to remember what's really important as he keeps an eye out, making sure no one can enter the church.
Meanwhile, Double and Nesunpo sit at a table prepped with meals inside of an hidden home deep into the Monark Regius. With every bite of the ramen Nesunpo made, it did not mask Double's frustration. Nesunpo tries to not look at Double, as to not frustrate him any further, but his attempts are useless as Double stands up in a fit of rage.
"Why the hell are we just eating?! Why aren't we going to help Kazu, and Joki! One little piece of food is enough, but a whole damn meal."
Nesunpo continues eating, ignoring Double, and as he does Double slides all the food on the floor, making a mess around the table. Nesunpo keeps calm, and picks up the food off the floor, eating it anyways.
"You see that, being able to stay calm in any scenario, and knowing what's important. If I was to waste this meal, that would be disingenuous, as every meal could be your last."
Nesunpo says this, and Double looks at Nesunpo with confusion, and as Nesunpo finishes his meal. He picks up Double's food and puts it on the table for him. The noodles were splattered on the table, and the bowl had been shattered to pieces, yet Nesunpo still wanted Double to eat.
"Joki, is your little brother right? How can you eat knowing that your family at any point could be killed?"
Nesunpo continues to avoid responding to Double, he points at the food waiting for Double to eat. Double plays into it, and begins eating his food, and as he does he begins to calm down which puts a smile on Nesunpo's face.
"The reason I don't worry is because I know they aren't fated to die here."
Double's eyes widened, and he gazed at Nesunpo's smiling face with a bewildered expression. Nesunpo's calm demeanor in a situation as detrimental as this was something Double had never seen before.
"How do you know they aren't gonna die, for all you know they could be dead as we speak. It isn't a matter of fate at this point."
Double finishes his meal, and Nesunpo continues to be quiet, and as he does. Double becomes more and more frustrated, his tapping on the table becoming more and more louder.
"That tapping, and your expressions. Do you notice how easy it is to make you upset, and fill you with emotion? From that alone, I can tell you've only made it this far out of pure luck."
Double tries to calm down in response to Nesunpo, but he can't as he continues to think about the torment his friends must be facing. He remembers the mistake he made, and the guilt continues to flood his brain.
"When you say it isn't a matter of fate, I don't think I follow you. Luck is a capricious ally, it's the unexpected gust of wind that turns the tide of a battle. Fate, on the other hand, is kind of like an unseen hand of a master storyteller. Both operate beyond our control, and yet noticing how weak minded you are, you were lucky to have gotten this far, but I can also say it's fate keeping you alive."
Double hears the words from Nesunpo, and he remembers his fights so far. Double realizes that in all his fights, he's needed some sort of help, and he begins to become frustrated even more. The reasoning wouldn't come to Double, and that feeling of cluelessness begins to make him angry.
"What is it then? You say that the way I am, and my expressions show you that I'm here off luck. Then how about you tell me what it is, and I'll listen."
"It's the fact you can't calm down when necessary."
Nesunpo's quick response to Double's words makes Double's eyes widen, and Double sits there bewildered. The simple response given to Double made Double feel as if he had constantly been overthinking his whole life.
"Calm yourself, that's what everyone around you does. Understanding that the way your Reiki works is based upon how calm you are, but it seems the way you are, and the way you handle emotions...that'll never happen."
Nesunpo's response gives Double a feel of hopelessness, but Nesunpo quickly grips Double's shoulder.
Double locks eyes with Nesunpo, and as the two share a gaze with each other, Double notices himself feeling relaxed, and at the same time feeling as if he can release more of his ability.
"It is often said that when someone is informed of something, their awareness and comprehension can undergo a significant transformation. It's almost as if their minds spring into action the moment they receive the information. That, my friend, is what you are experiencing right now."
Double, for a brief moment, just like when he blew away three of the Migaka, felt himself at the peak of his power.
Nesunpo smiles, and then stands up, looking at Double, who had still been sitting, and an idea enters the head of Nesunpo.
"I thought about something, and it might be the best thing you could do, but it will take a lot of work. You will have to learn it quick, or else when the time comes to save your friends, you'll be out the fight. You need to learn how to manually tap into something called the flow state."