At five o'clock, Idly City was already enveloped by the night sky. It was a full moon. The sky was a sea of stars. The city almost has no dark shade. It was incredibly lit up by the lights of buildings, cars, and street lamps. The streets are full of people. Cold within the air.
Dan woke up around 9 PM. Rubbing his eyes clean. Stretching his body. Laura came into the room, she was getting ready to sleep.
"Hey, Laura." He called with a raspy voice
"Hi."
"How long was I out?" He asked whilst yawning
"Five hours, I guess."
"Wow. I missed that much time, huh?"
"Yeah, Cathy left an hour ago to deal with something. Sam and Volta are already sleeping."
"Oh, great. Wanna go out?"
"Yes." She replied with no hesitation
"Alright, I'll grab my jacket."
Dan and Laura then went out to explore the beauty of Idly City together. Leaving the apartment, people were passing by. A lot of business folks, regular folks, all kinds of folks. Idly City is a beautiful place to live. Low crime rates, beautiful scenery, but very costly.
"I wanna grab something to eat, what do you think?" Dan said as his stomach growls quietly
"Sure, I'll treat you this time." Laura said as she smiles at him
"Oh, haha. Thanks."
Laura took Dan to an outdoor café. She bought him a cup of black coffee and two halves of fish sandwiches. She bought tea for herself. At a standing table, they stood.
"You know, I don't like coffee." Dan said as he sips his coffee
"Oh... Sorry. You looked like you drink coffee."
"Don't worry. I'll still finish it."
"How're you feeling?" Laura asks
"Fine, I guess. Why?"
"Before, when you cast that spell, you looked like you were about to die." She worries
"Oh, I was." Dan assured her
"What was that?" She asks
"I just thought that a spell like Nate's would do the trick. Something to grab a hold of all of them. I didn't think it would have that big backlash." Dan explained
"I'm glad you're okay now." She says in relief
"Yeah, same. How's your shoulder?" He asks
"It's fine now. Thanks for what you did then."
"Did Sam talk to you about it yet?"
"Ugh... Yeah, he did."
"Haha... He's a big softie for that love stuff. If you know him as long as I have you'll notice that he has a crush on someone too."
"Really? Who?"
"Volta. It's pretty obvious, she's his type. Quiet and athletic. But, she's also kinda apathetic? I've never seen her smile."
"What about you?"
"Me? You mean my type? Uhh... I guess... Someone that can love me for what I am. Y'know, like, despite all my flaws they still care about me."
"Yeah... I'd say the same for me."
Dan then takes a big sip of his black coffee. He hates it. He nearly spat it out but he swallowed it. Then he tries to wash off the disgusting flavor by taking a bite of his sandwich.
"You want some?" He says while chewing his sandwich
"No, I'm good."
"So... What was your life like before... You know, becoming a sorcerer." Dan prompts a question
"I'd rather not talk about it."
"Oh, why?"
Laura folded her lips. She avoids eye contact with Dan. Dan sighed.
"Right, sorry."
Dan finishes his sandwich and coffee and waits for Laura to finish her tea.
"I don't mean to pry, but, what happened?"
"N-nothing happened."
"I guess we're not there yet. If you ever wanna talk about it, I'll be glad to help."
"Thank you, Dan. Maybe... I'll tell you someday, but... I don't know. Being with you really calms me down, but I guess you're right. I'll tell you after this mission, I guess."
Laura finished her tea and the two were off. They walked down the lively street full of people. Side by side they walked, nothing to say to each other. They just enjoyed the scenery of the city. They arrived at a big bridge over a river. The big river had boats floating on them.
Laura then had a bright idea. She saw an ice cream stand and she thought she treats him to one.
"You want ice cream?" She asks
"Yeah, sure."
"I'll be right back."
She went to the ice cream stand to buy some. Dan walks to the bridge. He leans to the railings, head down, facing the river. Then he heard a familiar voice. He glances to his left and sees a kid. Nine years old, maybe younger. She was playing with a man with a half-black and half-white jacket. Dan realizes something. He looks at his head and saw the last person he wanted to see.
He approaches closer at the man. The man notices Dan and picks up the girl.
"Oh, hey, Daniel. Didn't expect to see you here." Shujin said
"Why the hell are you here, Shujin?" Dan grew agitated
"Just hanging out with Nina. Nina, say hi to my friend; Dan." He says as he does a little wave at Dan
"Hi, Dan." She said as he copies Shujin waving
Nina's parents then came to her and stood next to Shujin.
"Ma'am, I need you to take your daughter and get out of here." Dan ordered
"Oh, no. Shujin here may look scary but he's a nice man." She said, defending him
"Why so aggressive, Dan?" Shujin asks as he chuckles
"You manipulative piece of shit!" Dan said angrily
"Woah, cursing in front of a kid? Didn't your mom teach you any manners?"
Shujin then starts chuckling to himself. He turned into a white flash and disappeared. Bringing Nina and her parents with him. The white flash stayed there. It was calling Dan.
"Dan, don't." Jon told him not to go
"What am I supposed to do?"
Dan then runs into the white flash and disappeared just like they did. Laura just bought their ice cream. When she turned she saw Dan running into the white flash. She was confused.
"What was that? Why did he ditch?"
Then it hits her. The same, familiar wavelength. She instinctively hands both her ice creams to a kid passing by. She then runs back to the apartment.
They reappeared in a basement. Weird that the basement was small yet had no exit or entrance. Dan reappeared and saw a giant humanoid corpse lying on the floor. Above the corpse, floats a circle of runes. Words Dan couldn't read. The family of three was standing in front of the south wall. They had a mark on their forehead. Dan doesn't know what it means.
Shujin was standing behind Dan. He had opened a blue book. The book was floating and the pages were glowing.
"You're quite the fighter, Dan. But, you're incredibly stupid." Shujin said
"What the fuck are you doing?" Dan asks
"It's called a reincarnation spell. I'm going to revive this corpse on the floor." Shujin answered
"This beast? Why?" Dan asks again
"I need beasts to ease my job. I can power the beasts up but I can't control them like he does." Shujin replies
"Control them? Why do you need this family?" Dan asks
"Three highly compatible souls combine and turn into one functioning soul. Then I clean that soul. A clean slate. A blank soul. I turn this corpse into the vessel of that soul and the consciousness of this corpse integrates with the clean soul. Boom, reincarnation! Or is that revival? Well, either or." Shujin explained
"I won't let you kill them." Dan said
"Kill them? Who's he talking about?" The mom starts to worry
"You guys, of course. I'm going to kill all three of you and take your souls." Shujin replied
"W-what? Why?" The dad asks
"You're ignorant. You all have been. And you'll die because of it." Shujin replied
Shujin appears right in front of the dad and stares him down.
"This nation is built on blood. The blood they can't pay themselves. So, I'll destroy their creation that costs them countless blood. I'll turn this place to dust!" Shujin claimed
"I won't let you." Dan said
Dan casts both "Black Envelope: Arm Gauntlets" and "Black Envelope: Footgear". Shujin returns to his initial spot and faces Dan. Dan charges toward Shujin. Dan does a right cross-punches him. Shujin merely deflects it with the back of his left palm. Dan tries to punch Shujin's kidney. Again, Shujin blocks with the back of his right palm. He stopped Dan before he actually ever made it halfway. Dan does a right hook. Shujin dodges by stepping back. Dan does a left uppercut. Shujin blocks by stopping Dan's fist from moving closer to his chin.
Shujin then thought maybe he should counter. Dan does a right jab. Shujin catches his hand and counters by landing an open palm strike to Dan's stomach. Dan curled up. His head down, his hands on his stomach. Shujin then lands a chop at Dan's head. Sending his head down to the ground. Shujin then levels to Dan. Pats him on the back twice. Picks him up. Forces him to stand up. Shujin lets go of Dan and takes a step back. He spins around, about 270 degrees. Then jumps up. His right leg then spreads to Dan's chest. Sending Dan flying to the west wall. Dan was badly hurt, but he wasn't out yet.
The family then started panicking, especially the mom. "Puh-P-please don't hurt us!"
"Please! Let us go!"
"We beg you! Don't hurt us."
"Ehehehe...Ahahahahah...HAHAHAHAHA!" Shujin just stood there, laughing his ass off
"Is this all just some kind of sick joke to you?" Dan asks, covered in blood
"Huh?"
"How could you take a life so easily? What did they ever do to you? You say ignorance, but what the hell did they do to deserve this? Everyone lives in ignorance whether they like it or not. There are things that they're better without. Yet they still have it. And they just have to live with it anyway!"
"Hmm..."
"They're a family. They're just trying to live like anyone else. Is that so wrong?"
"..."
"Three of you... I promise I'll keep you safe. You'll make it out of here. I promise "
Dan gets back up. He casts "Black Envelope: Arm Gauntlets". Then he transfers the mana on his left to his right. He was feeling angry. He was enraged. The black mana surging around his right arm before had a tint of dark blue. Now it has a tint of red. He starts approaching Shujin. He starts running. He puts everything into his punch.
Shujin lifts up his toes and stood on his heel. Dan punches Shujin right in the middle of his mask. Shujin was thrown to the east wall. The speed at which he was thrown broke the sound barrier. He smashes the wall. Creating a big dent that shook the entire basement.
Dan then pants, he was tired. He walks to the family slowly.
"That should knock him out for a while." He goes to the dad
"Th-thank you, kid." The dad pats Dan on his shoulder
"Don't men-"
A bright white flash, then a splatter of blood on Dan's face. The dad then started screaming at the fact that his right arm is gone. Another bright white flash, then the dad's head was smashed into the wall. His brain and blood vandalized the wall.
Dan froze. He couldn't move a muscle. The sight he saw was too much for him to bare. His eyes were locked on Shujin but he just couldn't move. He was in shock.
The mother then wailed at the loss of her husband. Shujin then teleports behind her and punches through her stomach. She was silenced. Blood spilled from her stomach and her mouth. Shujin pulled her organs (intestines) out of her stomach and scattered them around the floor. She drops to the ground, lifeless.
Nina, the child, then started crying for her parents. She was screaming. Shujin then grabs a hold of her head and uses his new Overhaul ring. He disassembles every molecule in her body. With each tear of the molecules, she felt it. Every single one hurt. Turning her into a splash of blood that covered the room and even Dan.
Then Shujin walks to Dan and stands directly in front of him. Not a word was said after the carnage he just unleashed. Shujin grabs Dan's right and snaps it the wrong way, his hand was dislocated. Then he grabs Dan's face and throws him to the west wall, again.
Then Shujin went back to what he was doing. Reviving the corpse. After the killing of the family, the souls combined in the middle of the circle of runes. The circle started spinning incredibly fast.
"With this, I revive he who has fallen."
The soul then entered the corpse's body and the body started having a seizure. Its eyes started to glow purple. The circle of runes then disappeared. The spell was complete.
The corpse was revived.
It immediately got up, confused. It looked at its hands seeing his previously covered with wounds now healed. He slowly glanced at Shujin.
"Nani ga okotte iru?" (What is happening?)The beast rose as it sat, and was confused
"Okiagare, surīpīheddo! Watashi wa anata o shi kara yomigaera semashita!" (Wake up sleepyhead! I just revived you from the dead!) Shujin replied gleefully
"Namae wa nanidesuka?" (What's your name?) The beast man asks
"Shujin-desu."
"Anata wa eigo o shaberimasu?" (You speak english?) Shujin asks
"I do."
"Why was I revived?" The beast man asks
"I need your help. As payment for your revival, y'know?" Shujin reolied
"Very well, then."
He then dashed at Shujin. "Show me if you're worth helping."
He kicked Shujin in his crotch. Sending him through the roofs and floors under the building they were under.
Dan then completely passed out, the last thing he saw was the corpse of the family he promised to protect.