Nico's mother stood up, walking to the tv. There was always a sword hung above the tv, old and rusted. Nico never questioned it, just thought it was one of those antique things rich people buy for decoration.
"This sword.."
She took the sword down, peeling the rust off like a sticker. It seemed the rust was fake, as underneath was a perfect sword, the blade black as a red crystal was in the center of it's handle.
"..Is the sword of my ancestor. We come from a long decendense of gods, known as the True Ring Bearers.."
Nico tilted his head, not entirely believing this as she approached him, placing her finger to his forehead.
"Every 1000 years a new Ring Bearer is chosen in this line, which is you. As the Ring Bearer you can wield as many rings as you please with no drawback.."
He looked down to his two rings, clenching his fist. He didn't have much of a reaction, not that he didn't care, he was still conceptualizing this all.
"Your brother wishes to be the Ring Bearer, despizing you for it. I'm sorry to say but any fond memories you have with him were just an act.. I never wanted you to meet him again, but it seems he found you.."
She sighed.
"There are many rings in this world, and often they drive people into madness, into villiany. Never turn this way, for me.. i want you to keep this sword."
She hands Nico the sword, as he seems a bit surprised, holding such a priceless artifact as he looked down the blade.
"What.. Why are you giving me this..?"
He asks, his morher smiling as she gently caresses his cheek.
"Nico, you've always wanted to save people, even as a kid.. You've messed up many times, but there's one thing I need you to do.."
She stands him up.
"I need you to make sure these rings never go in the wrong hands, some people truly deserve no forgiveness, so never hold back.. Can you do this for me..?"
Nico looked down, gathering his thoughts before subtly nodding. He took a deep breath before sirens could be heard, as well as the sound of glass shattering.
"NICO RYOTO, WE HAVE YOU SURROUNDED!"
The two are startled from the sudden intrusion, the lasers of guns seen through the hallways as Nico looks to his mother. She tosses him the sheath to his new sword, as he quickly puts it on, sheathing the sword.
"Go, quickly..!"
Nico looks down to his hand, flicking it around and tapping at it before his yellow ring flowed. He fired small shockwaves to the cieling, making debris collapse down in the intruder's path.
He ran out, crashing through the window. The emtire house was surrounded by the police, as Mari could be seen beside one of the cop cars, a strict glare on her face as she used binoculars to watch him.
"Ther he is..!"
Mari could be heard shouting. Nico heated up his hands before launching away with explosions, shots being fired towards them without care, one shot hitting his abdomen as he fell down into the city.
He waved his hand around, trying to make his yellow ring work again as just before he hit the ground, his was stopped in motion by vibrations, falling more safely to the surface afterwards.
"Damn it.. I gotta flee the city.. the whole countey maybe.."
Police helicopters were flying over the city, following him as he quickly hid in an abadoned convenient store, exhaling in relief.
"I'll hang around here for now.."
Nico walked further into the store. The place hasn't been visited in years from the looks of it, all the food expired, and from the 80s as it seemed.
He found an old container of graham crackers. Crackers never expire, right? He didn't really care, he was hungry, opening the container amd eating them.
Suddenly the sound of something knocked over was heard, as Nico flinched by it, slowly looking towards the cash register, before running to it, his sword unsheathed.
He slowly peaked over the counter, a head of brown head seen, seemingly not realizing he caught them, as he lifted the person up.
"Wait, you're.."
The girl stood there, looking up at Nico with her bland, empty brown eyes, slowly blinking as she seemed exhausted. It was Kiara, from the class reunion he was brought to the other day.
"Oh, hi.. You're allover the news, you shouldn't be here hiding and leave the area already.."
She spoke in a monotone voice, she was truly as boring as one could get. Nico peaked over her, as he could see a ritual circle drawn on the floor.
"What is that..?"
He pointed out to it. She seemed reluctant to answer, looking at it before glaring back to Nico, shaking her head, before pointing to the unique symbol and writing imbeddded in his sword.
"Well, what is that? That's a religious symbol, to the Goddess Doll, correct? I'm trying to access the world that doll comes from.."
She crossed her arms, her sleevs flopping past her hands, as she was dressed quite comfily, wearing a big oversized sweater.
"How about this.. Considering you have that you may be able to help me access this world, and then you can hide in the world with me until the heat dies down, agree..?"
She held her hand out, her glare intensifying, before Nico reached for her hand, gently shaking it. She then snatched his sword, holding it close to her face as she seemingly read the unknown letters, mumbling to herself.
"How do you know so much about this stuff.. Why do you wanna go to the world so badly anyways?"
She looked back at Nico with a pouty face, as if his question was insulting to her.
"When I was a kid I was diagnosed with schizophrenia for claiming to have been in another world. I was in a coma for a while and during that time I was in a city of darkness, and gloom.. Though the world was a tragedy, I felt safe there, I wanna return."
Nico's eyes slightly widened to this, watching as she fidgeted with the sword.
"W-Wait, I'd be careful with that..!"
She suddenly causes the demon arms to speout out the blade. She held the sword away from her face, before stabbing it into the center of the ritual circle.
Nico tried to reach for his sword back, though she picked up a big metal spoon and slapped his hand away, stabbing the sword deeper and deeper into the floor, the ritual circle beginning to glow purple.
"This is it.."
She struggled to get the blade all the way down, placing one foot on the handle as she put her pressure down on it, after a bit of struggle the blade went in all the way to the handle, a purple glow rising from the floor.
She then slowly twisted the sword, as if it were a key, a clicking sound heard, before the floor opened like a door, in a circular shape that filled the ritual circle.
The door was like a portal of some sort, only the pitch black void and a purple mist seen. Without a decond thought she jumped into the portal, still carrying Nico's sword.
"Hey, that's my sword..! Hold up..!"
He tried to catch the sword, though it only resolved in him falling into the portal as well. The next moment their both falling from the sky, the sky a dark purple as the sun is a halloween-ish orange.
"FUCK WERE GONNA DIE..!"
Nico panicked, looking down as a dark forest was beneath them, the two quickly plummeting towards it. As Nico yelled for his life, Kiara had a bright smile on her face, one never seen before, she seemed happy, finally finding her way back as she giggled.
The two hit the surface, though oddly no damage was done.
"Huh, what was that?"
A man's voice could be heard, borh Nico and Kiara slowly getting up. They looked to where the voice came from, an unusual sight in their way.
A woman, her hair white and her teeth sharp was seen ontop of another, the other woman's hair red as she had a wide smile. The two seemed to be in a fight, as two men, one blond and the other carrying grey hair watching, as they all looked over to Nico and Kiara.
"Eh.. Who the hell are you guys..?"
Volume Two Complete!