Samael shifted through the rubble, digging through the house, but found nothing underneath the destroyed house. He noticed shadows being cast in front of him, causing him to tilt his head in confusion.
He turned around, his eyes widening in shock and gasping as he noticed the twins being enveloped in a bright light emanating from between them as they held a Beast Core.
He cursed, wading through the rubble as he rushed toward the siblings, shouting for them to drop the crystal, but they turned and cried out, yelling they tried and couldn't.
He ran up to them, staring between them as he tried to reach in and pull the Beast Core out of their hands, but a magnetic force prevented his hand from reaching it.
He cursed again, staring between the twins as they stared up at him with starry eyes, tears streaming down their cheeks as they feared the worst. Suddenly, the light grew brighter as the Beast Core shattered, and hundreds of twinkling lights showered them, completing their Awakening.
Suddenly, a series of windows appeared before him when he touched their shoulders, and they threw their arms around him, hugging him tightly.
╔══Soul Thief target available! Would the User like to copy the Ability [Positive Covalence]? [Yes/No]══╝
╔══Soul Thief target available! Would the User like to copy the Ability [Negative Covalence]? [Yes/No]══╝
╔══Soul Tie target is available! Would the User like to create a bond with Kaitlyn? [Yes/No]══╝
╔══Soul Tie target is available! Would the User like to create a bond with Nathan? [Yes/No]══╝
Samael shook his head, dismissing all of the notifications, breaking the embrace with the twins, "Are you two alright?"
"Yes..." The twins nodded, staring at the ground, feeling guilty and expecting a scolding.
"Did any strange boxes appear?" He asked, and the twins looked around before nodding and following with another question, "What do they say?"
The kids both explained the abilities they received as he nodded and took a mental note of their Awakening.
[Unique Ability: Positive/Negative Covalence]
[Rank: A+]
Kaitlyn's Ability was Positive Covalence, which increased the potency of her magical skills when she was close to her brother. Her ability also came with a myriad of healing spells.
Nathan's Ability was Negative Covalence, which would decrease the amount of mana required to cast spells when he was close to his sister. He, too, received a myriad of offensive magical spells.
Their abilities also affected one another, increasing Nate's offensive power and decreasing the cost for Kaitlyn to heal others. Samael was dumbfounded; he had never heard of these kids or their abilities.
'They would have definitely been Rankers in my past life...' He thought to himself, stroking his chin as he stared at the two as they excitedly chatted amongst themselves, 'Maybe they were unlucky and didn't survive the fall...'
"Hehe!" Nathan giggled, covering his mouth as his sister pointed at Sam and laughing as she teased him, "He's like an old man!"
Samael gasped mockingly as he knelt in front of them, "Maybe I am an old man! Did you ever think of that?"
"Are not!" Kate spouted, sticking her tongue out, "You don't have grey hair!"
"Alright, alright, alright!" Samael conceded, holding his palms up, surrendering, "You got me! I just think I am!
I have something very serious I need you two to promise me..." He said, his expression becoming severe as he grabbed both of their shoulders, staring into each of their eyes, "You must never reveal your Ability to others, okay?"
"Okay!" Nathan answered with an enthusiastic nod.
"But we told you..." Kaitlyn countered, crossing her arms across her chest.
"I understand that, but that was a one-time deal, okay? I'm serious, you could get hurt, or even worse..." Sam explained, prompting Kate to nod and agree.
"Good, thank you!" Samael smiled, picking up the bags, patting both of their heads, "I'm sorry, but your parents aren't here. You should come with me for the time being."
"But..." Kate started to protest, but Nate elbowed his sister in the ribs, stopping her argument.
"It's okay, Nate. It's good that she is hesitant to go with a stranger. You two were raised very well!" He praised the downtrodden and argumentative twin.
"I know, but you're not a stranger, Sam." Nathan countered, "You've saved us from the monsters and you've been nice and helped us out. We can trust you."
Samael was taken aback by the information provided by the level-headed and quiet twin. He couldn't help but think their abilities should have been reversed but kept that remark to himself.
"I'm going to take you guys to a safe place. It's pretty far, though... Will you be able to make it?" He asked with a smile as the twins enthusiastically nodded.
"Good!" He clapped his hands as they did the same in return, "You two must stay behind me and no matter what, do everything I say. Understood?"
"Yes!" They replied in unison before the three of them started their journey across the destroyed city as Sam returned to Gateway Park and the underground bunker.
The image of the young man holding the twin's hands as they walked through the city thus marked the humble beginnings of the rise of the strongest guild of the new world...
***
In an archaic shrine dedicated to the old gods, a young woman stood in the center of a large courtyard, surrounded by zombies. She wore a white kimono and red hakama.
Her black hair was tied back into a ponytail, swinging her katana in a beautiful dance as she severed the heads of the monsters. Her movements flowed like water as she piled the undead around her in a perfect circle.
None could breach her defenses, yet the number of zombies never decreased. She panted heavily, unrelenting as her dance of the swords seemed neverending.
The shoji of the nearby shrine slid open as a young girl screamed her name, "Ichiko!! Quick! This way!!"
The shrine maiden turned her head, fear flashing across her eyes as the zombies suddenly ignored her and sluggishly approached the child, eliciting a shrill shriek.
Ichiko swore under breath as she spun in a circle, decapitating the group of zombies around her before leaping off the pile of bodies around her, soaring through the air toward the shrine and killing everything in her path.
"Jijo!" She exclaimed, inspecting the teary-eyed girl, "Are you hurt?"
The young girl shook her head, wiping her eyes on her sleeves and sniffling as she pouted, "No... they just scared me..."
Ichiko picked up her younger sister and turned back to the slowly approaching horde of zombies and clicked her tongue, "Tch!"
She slammed the shoji shut, quickly approaching the shrine and putting her sister down. She knelt in front of it and quickly said a prayer, asking for forgiveness from the ancestors.
Jijo stared at her sister, confused, but mimicked her, closing her eyes and praying. She shrieked when her sister picked her up again as Ichiko ran through the shrine, knocking over the candleholders as she went.
In an instant, the shrine was engulfed in flames, and the sisters vanished from the top of the mountain, making their way through the forest toward the city at the base.