The Story of Yeling Mah Pt. V

Not a single day went by where I wanted to see you happy.

Because every single time you told me how much you wanted to die, you weren't the only one in pain.

Seeing you in so much agony was the worst feeling I could ever experience. As your friend.

And that day...

"Hey... Danny, if hypothetically, one day, I had powers... in what scenario would it be justified that I could kill everyone in this world who hurt me?"

I couldn't believe what I was hearing. I had to lighten things up. I didn't want to see you walk down a path that you would ultimately regret.

"Yeling, what the hell man. Don't joke about that stuff. This isn't funny."

Yeling glared at me.

"I'm serious."

I had to change the subject. I had to. We were going down a dark conversation.

Think, Danny. Think.

I was his only friend. The only friend he had that he would admit these things to.

I could save him.

By pulling him away from this path.

"Let's just focus on this exam. Look. You haven't even started studying. The exam's coming up. Let's not talk about this stuff."

Yeling clearly didn't look happy.

But I needed to make sure he would never think about this stuff again.

"Look. All I have to say is... if it comes down to it, no matter what the reason is, nothing justifies murder. Nothing. Yeling."

Yeling's fists were clenched so hard that they had turned white.

"Like you know my reasons..." He muttered.

I sighed.

I didn't know what to say.

Curse you, Yeling.

Why did you put me in such a high pedestal? I never asked for this. I'm not your hero. I can't save you when you need it. I just can't. I'm just a powerless guy. A normal human being.

And ever since that freak accident with your family, you always showed up to class in rags and a terrible odour that would make others avoid you. But I stuck around.

After all, the best I could do is make sure you weren't alone.

But don't expect me to be the perfect person in your life that could magically fix all of your troubles. Because I'm human. A cowardly human. That's all I have.

I breathed out, awakening at the shrine of Kanghui in Fa Shan.

But you know, Yeling.

That was before I came back. Before she brought me back from the dead. When I was revived, my mind was in a haze. I could only feel hatred for you, because you, Yeling, had given into the temptation. All those times I tried to steer you clear from the dark path of murder, and you showed up, killing our classmates. Killing Duncan. Then killing me.

But it wasn't until she came back, after you supposedly died, to set me straight. I owe it all to her for reopening my eyes to the real reason why we had taken advantage of that Shakujin's revival ceremony.

"He has gotten even stronger." A girl's voice behind me said.

"Yes." I replied, standing up and inspecting my inventory.

"He, along with the Fujin destroyed all of my relics. All I have is Kanghui, Yama, Lei Shen, and my evos. His flames merged with the First Hinokami as well. That is... problematic."

"You will save him. I have faith in you, Yuyan." The girl purred into my ear.

I stared at the horizon.

"I trust you, my lady. After all, it was you who instructed me to look for the gods of China. To hone my new powers. To take advantage of my undying body. I owe it all to you. I do not understand your reasons still..."

"Do not burden yourself with such musings, my little champion. All you must know, is that the grand scheme of things is all in accordance to Lord Ginga."

"But why? I still don't understand. Taras Pax would have helped accelerate his plans. But why was I tasked to eliminate him?"

The girl raised an eyebrow, putting a finger under my chin and turning me to her direction.

She was beautiful. With long red ribbons of silk decorating her body and contrasting with her round red eyes. A pair of earrings decorated her pretty face, and her hair was long, silky and smooth. Mother would have immediately wanted me to marry her and restore honour in our family. After all, considering Father had divorced her a long time ago.

"Taras Pax was merely a pawn to Lord Ginga. Even if he was his most reliable subordinate. Everything Pax had was given to him from Ginga. Whether it be Matthew Vistara, who was ambushed by Ginga's Shadows to force him to unlock Level 2. Or the formation of the Contingency Initiative. In the end, Pax failed to bring about the other Level 1 Akuma Grade Dogma holders before Ginga lost his patience. It was only a matter of time. Now you are here. Yuyan Zheng."

I nodded, grimly.

"I will do my duty. And save my friend. After all, I know how much Yeling means to you, my lady. This is... why I was chosen, right?"

The girl smiled. The arcane demonic tattoos decorated her entire body. From her legs to her arms to her face. Symbols of vines and flowers decorated her skin, and her long silky smooth hair was braided like a princess. But I knew it would have been immoral to think these things of her. For Yeling's sake.

"Oh. It is true that this particular task was one of emotional value to me. But don't get me wrong. Once Yeling is truly saved, he will be all mine."

"And he will... be happy, right?"

The girl didn't reply.

"Do you not have faith in the person who brought you back from that scorching Hinokami's flame, Yuyan?"

"No, my Lady."

The girl reached out into the sunset.

"Have faith in me, Yuyan. After all... Yeling... is precious to me. My dear Yeling... how you must have regretted it that night. But I'm here.

"Your beloved will bring you home."

I stood before her, as thunder boomed all around.

The girl regarded me.

"Confront him. Yuyan. Kill him if necessary. I need only the body. And then I will take the Shakujin and reanimate him. As long as he is with me, dead or alive. All that matters is we are united again."

Level 1 Susanoo: Demon's Overcast

Storm clouds surrounded her, as she disappeared.

Yes.

It will be done.

I tried my best to convince you, Yeling. But all you did was deny me. So I will bring you back. By force.

Because she is waiting.

My Lady is waiting for you.

Hakah Mah is waiting for you, Yeling.

The Mah Bloodline

There was only one Hinokami in history who unlocked Stage Four.

Her name was Aelienne. The First Hinokami. The Firebird.

And from Aelienne, her desire to have a family and children of her own, did the Dogma lose his most powerful Hinokami, and would need to search for another.

And so did the next holder of the Hinokami become chosen.

But with each attempt to reviving the Great Akuma, the Hinokami would be slain. Either by those who served Vala, or by Aelienne herself, who meddled with his plans.

This cycle would eventually continue, until the thirteenth Hinokami was chosen.

Mah Ye Ling.

The Tidalflame.

The cycle would come full circle, as the Tidalflame would battle Aelienne, ultimately proving his worth to her, Aelienne had given him her power, in an attempt to aid him in his quest to find happiness.

And it was there, with the help of the Firebird, did the second Hinokami to ever unlock Stage Four gain conception.

I am the strongest Hinokami. Unbound by the Dogma. Unbound by the laws of the Great Akuma.

Nothing holds me back.

At least... that's what I thought, until a full 300 pounds of blubber came flying my way.

"Despair! Villain!" The son of Duke Edinburgh, Charles "Charlie" Cobblestone charged me, his sword in hand.

He began swinging wildly. I dodged, Shenlong's Rain style still engrained in my muscle memory.

"I shall take you down! In the name and respect of all women! For I am an ambassador for-"

The great son of Duke Edinburgh tripped on a rock, falling on his chubby face.

"Geh!" I gasped, as Inoko gave me a panicked expression.

"Do something!" She hissed.

"What am I supposed to do?!" I replied.

Inoko's face flushed red as she gritted her teeth, her fists clenched and her feet shifting on the dirt on the ground.

"Ugh! Fine!" She muttered, as she ran forward and knelt in front of Charlie. He looked like he was about to cry, but Inoko put a smile on her face.

"My hero! You can do it! I believe in you."

Charlie stared at Inoko and wiped his eyes.

"Y- Yes! I will defeat this monster! And take your hand in marriage!"

Inoko smiled, her eye was twitching in irritation, but she did a pretty good job at hiding it. I guess.

"Uh... yeah! Yes! Save me, Charlie! Save this kingdom from that evil man!"

Charlie got to his feet, his eyes full of fury, as he glared at me.

I stumbled back.

"Uh... Inoko, are you sure this is a good idea-"

"Just take it, Yeling. Stop being a pansy."

I sighed. Then brought my hands back, doing my best at an evil villain laugh.

"HAHAHA! Come and try, if you can! Son of Duke Edinburgh! For I am the great Demon Lord who will destroy this land! And I will take Inoko! And do bad stuff! Yeah!"

Charlie yelled a war cry, and ran to my direction, his belly jiggling as he leapt into the air.

"Ah." My evil smile melted.

"Shit." I grumbled, as Charlie knocked me to the ground. 300 pounds of pure nobleman burying me into the ground.

"I have won! Inoko! I now have your hand in marriage!" Charlie laughed, grabbing Inoko's hand as her face momentarily flashed with disgust.

I gave her an evil smirk.

"Just take it, Inoko. Stop being a pansy."

Inoko wiped her face with another fake smile.

"Ah! Well. Um. I'm so happy! When you've grown older, my hero, I will be waiting!"

Charlie pouted.

"But I want to marry you NOW!"

"Heh?!" Inoko stumbled backwards, as I held back a laugh.

"Now my lord... You are still young. You must wait until you have taken your father's place as the Duke before you can take a woman's hand in marriage." Charlie's maid approached him, with a towel in one hand, and a tray full of snacks in the other.

"Snacktime!" Charlie's face beamed with a smile, as he ran to the maid, burying his face in the snacks.

Inoko helped me to my feet.

"God that was... so embarrassing." I muttered.

"Look. Our task was just to watch over the Duke's son. Just humour him a little."

The maid bowed to us.

"I thank you. Brave adventurers. For looking after his most highest while his usual sitter is away. Lord Charles is particularly fond of you two."

Inoko laughed.

"We enjoyed it too. It's our pleasure."

"Was it though...." I muttered.

Inoko glared at me.

"Yes. It sure was."

The maid put a hand on her mouth and giggled.

"You two get along so well with Lord Charles. Almost like he is your child. It is very adorable."

I raised my eyebrows, as I turned to Inoko, her face was bright red.

"N- No no no! It's not like that!" Inoko stammered.

"We simply just enjoyed this after all. There's nothing between us! Really! We're just friends."

With each coming excuse Inoko was giving, the more I felt like my body was sinking to the ground.

Charlie turned and looked at me. Then gave me a smirk.

"Virgin." He snickered.

Level 1 Hinokami Stage Four.

"But in all gratefulness. We are truly in your debt. Inoko. Yeling. Thank you for looking after our lord. We will have your reward processed for you by the end of the day. In the meantime, feel free to enjoy yourselves in the village of Cobblestone."

We bowed, as we made our way out of the residence of Duke Edinburgh.

I tapped the right side of my temple, as runic reticules appeared in front of my right eye.

"Floki, revert."

Magical shimmering appeared, revealing my scorched flesh. My right eye reverted to its usual golden magical implant.

I shifted my bangs so it would cover the right side of my face, pulling hair out of my ponytail, as the brown locks gently fell under my chin.

"So... what now?" I asked Inoko.

Inoko shouldered her guard.

"I'm going to get my armour re-enchanted. How's those new clothes doing for you?"

"They're good." I replied.

They really were. After my battle against Danny. My second battle. My leather jacket was completely torn to shreds. So when I went adventuring with Inoko and the others again, Inoko helped pick out new clothes for me. My jeans stayed, since it didn't really suffer much damage, but my jacket was pretty much gone. She found something similar.

A fur coat with black dragon hide, that would be much harder to damage and would sustain my Hinokami a little bit better. The beige fur lined the collar, similar to my old jacket since Inoko figured I liked the style. She also picked out several dragon hide boots and gloves to compliment my look.

Inoko gave me a warm smile, as I felt my heart race. I kind of wish it didn't. It was never going to work out. But this was my problem, not hers.

"I'm really happy you like it! I've been told my taste for clothes is a bit drab by Shia... but my order is utility, then looks. Not to say I don't care about looks... I still want to look good.... I guess..."

Inoko began shifting. Her embarrassed face whenever she tried to awkwardly convince people that she wasn't a tomboy was honestly so adorable.

I had to look away before I got a nosebleed.

"Uh. Yeah. Well, I guess I'll see you around then, Inoko!" I waved her goodbye, as I watched her go to the weapon smith.

"Ah. Well. I guess this does beat walking around in the middle of nowhere all alone." I said, as I took in the scenery of Cobblestone. The place was exactly what you would expect in a medieval sorcery fantasy town.

I turned back to Inoko, who was speaking to the armour smith, when suddenly, a tall man with luscious green locks of hair ran up to her, taking her hands as Inoko panicked, dropping her breastplate to the ground.

"My dear! How beautiful you look today! Are you fixing up your armour? May I be of any assistance?"

"Ah! It's okay, Shen! It's really okay!"

Shen bent down and picked up the armour.

"I won't leave your side, Inoko. If you need me. I will be here for you. Now come. Let us have this enchanted." Shen took Inoko's hand and placed it on the armour. His face looked so dreamy.

And yes.

That pissed me off.

I stared at the two from a distance.

"Wait up! Big brother!" A little girl shouted, as a kid ran off. His little sister tailing him as they played with a ball in the streets of the village.

I turned around to watch the two play.

"Heh." I muttered to myself.

Seeing those two reminded me of my time with Hakah.

My own little sister.

Back when she was alive, I still held really fond memories of her.

We used to play together all the time. Obviously.

She always saw me as the cool big brother, and she wanted to be like me.

Whether it was learning to read and write Chinese. She would want to do that too.

If it was to learn to play the piano, she would want to do that too.

In a way, even when I came back feeling like a total loser in school, my adorable little sister would always welcome me home. She saw me as more than a big brother.

She saw me as her hero.

Even when we got older together, I was seventeen, and she was twelve, her feelings for me never changed.

My mama and baba were always my source of comfort. But Hakah was too, she was more.

She made me feel strong, even when I felt like shit.

I could never forget that one time I went on a school trip. She had told me she always wanted earrings. So I went out of my way to spend what little allowance I had on these pretty earrings. They had a card, with an illustration of a horse. Since our surname was Mah, Canan for horse.

When I returned home from the school trip, I gave my sister the earrings. And she had those on ever since. She believed by wearing those earrings, she would share my strength, and she could become strong. Obviously, such beliefs were silly, but seeing her happy made me happy.

Even if it was embarrassing to admit it. And I never ever like admitting stuff like this to her face, obviously. Being the older sibling.

My chest welled up in pain again at the thoughts of Hakah.

I clutched my heart, making my way to the inn.

"Mah-san. Welcome back!" The front desk lady bowed to me.

I climbed the steps to my room. This time, we were able to afford individual rooms. I guess while I was away, Shia had managed to rack up a lot of wealth from her constant adventuring. I always figured she would be good with money.

Shia was still out doing a random quest to rack loot so they could face the Guardian again.

After all, it was made painfully obvious what my limits were as Stage Four.

"Dinner time." I said, as I picked up the four trays of food and wolfed it down.

Then I turned to the desserts like a predator, and leapt at them animalistically.

Yes.

With Aelienne's power, I was essentially two Hinokami's existing as one.

And with that, I was able to call upon even more of its power.

But the downside was...

I scarfed down plate after plate of food.

I needed twice the sustenance as a normal human being.

Twice the amount of food.

Twice the amount of sleep.

Twice the amount of rest.

All so I could deliver twice the amount of performance.

Aelienne didn't tell me shit about that!

I pulled the sheets over my head. And before I knew it, I was out like a light.

"Yeling! Wake up!"

"..."

I peeked from my mountain of sheets to see Shia's round little face peeking from the ground.

"I'm home!" She smiled at me.

Nah.

I pulled the sheets back over my head.

"Hey! What are you doing?! I'll have you know I came back after a whole week, and this is how you welcome me?!"

"Good night."

"It's 3pm! Half the time I see you, you're either asleep, or eating, or fighting! What are you, an old man? You oldie! Gramps! Oldie! Old Man Yeling!"

Shia continued calling me names until I eventually dragged myself out of bed.

"Shia. Yeling. It is a good thing you two are here." A man in a lab coat adjusted his glasses.

I couldn't help it.

I couldn't hold it.

I let loose a massive yawn, stretching my arms, as Shia stared at me in shock.

"Yeling!"

"S- Sorry. I didn't sleep enough." I muttered.

The man laughed.

"Ah, I hope you get enough sleep soon. So sorry for bothering you with such a task."

Shia gave me a death glare.

"No. Yeling is just like that. He's like a bear. Always sleeping. So I'm guessing you called about Cobblestone's water problem?"

"Yes. It seems I've found the problem. From the samples I've tested, it seems the source is from a monster. A slime to be exact."

"A slime, huh." Shia leaned in and put a hand on her chin.

"And this slime, I'm guessing it's located in the lake."

The scientist nodded.

"Slimes have historically been a pain for this village. But one at this magnitude..."

"It's okay." Shia rolled up her sleeves.

"We got this! Right Yeling?"

I snorted awake, seconds from falling asleep.

"Yeah."

Shia and I walked to the plaza.

"Are... you okay, Yeling?"

"Yeah, just tired and all."

"Is it because of your new power?"

"I think so. When Aelienne transferred her power to me, she ended up transferring part of herself. Meaning while I have the power of two Hinokami's I'm also twice as hungry, sleepy, and I need twice the sustenance. Which sucks, honestly."

I inspected my hands.

"Just when I thought I could get an edge with Stage Four, and I can't even use my powers for any longer than ten minutes! Damn!"

Shia skipped ahead of me.

"Well. You're not alone. You know that right? We can do it and tackle it together!"

I managed a smile.

"Yeah."

We continued walking, when suddenly, Shia got distracted.

"Oh my god! Cheese buns! Wait here, Yeling. Do you want one?"

"I'm good."

"Suit yourself!" Shia ran off to the stall, while I watched.

"Your eyes." A voice appeared next to me.

I turned around and nearly jumped out of my skin.

"Ah! Uh, can I help you?"

The man looked sickly. As if he had spent weeks without eating.

"Such large eyes. Just like hers."

"Hers?"

The man began breathing heavily.

"My Lady. She has the same eyes as you. So round. So evil. So... menacing..."

I was getting some seriously creepy vibes from this guy. I felt like booking it, but Shia was still at the stall.

"Floki: Scan"

Floki began sending me information on the guy. From what I knew, he was just a regular villager in Cobblestone. A little on the brittle side, which made sense. He looked like he was extremely malnourished.

But suddenly, something stuck out.

Something unsettling.

Floki was alerting me that this man had a connection. It wasn't direct, but there were fragments of it. Floki detected it to be some kind of master servant.

Loyalty Seal: Dogma Grade - Susanoo

"...Susanoo? Like the God of Storms?" I muttered, stumbling back, but the man stared at me.

"How did you... ahhhhhh that eye. That beautiful eye!" The man began clawing at his face.

"She knows. She knows. She will kill me. She will kill me! Help me! Protect me..."

"Whoa whoa whoa. What are you talking about? Who is she?"

The man stared at me, as he took out a knife, pressing it against his neck. Several screams erupted from the crowds, as several of the village guards confiscated his weapon, dragging him away.

"She wants you. She wants you to reunite with her. She has been waiting. For oh so long."

I stared at him in terror, as Shia ran up to me.

"Yeling! What's wrong? You're white as a ghost! Who is that guy?"

"I... have no idea..."

"No.... no.... I did my best to keep it a secret! Don't! Don't kill me! I beg you!"

The man began to squirm as the guardsmen struggled to keep him in check.

"Sir! Stay calm! You are safe! No one is here to kill you."

The man suddenly stopped resisting, a sinister smile on his face, as he looked at me.

"Last son of the Mah Clan. Brace yourself. For she has begun to make a move."

Shia put distance between us.

"What are you talking about? What are you going about this 'she'? How do you know that Yeling is from the Mah clan?"

I was going to make a witty remark. Like how my last name was Mah. But suddenly, the region around him turned dark.

What the hell was going on?!

"Yeling! Get back!" Shia shoved me out of the way as we landed on our backs.

A spectre appeared from the shadows, a humanoid figure with a blue swirl for a face. It was looking straight at me, as a mask began to take root from the swirl. Growing and gaining form.

I gasped.

No way.

I've seen these masks before.

That vision... of Matt from the Dogma. That day he was ambushed. Those operatives who wore those masks that I couldn't recognize. I always wondered about that, and at some point, I slowly forgot about it. But here they were again.

A scream erupted from the man who was detained, as a shadow had grabbed his face, sucking up his life force. The guardsmen tried to do something, but they couldn't get near without their life force being sucked away too.

Shia ran forward, summoning a big hammer.

Rain God Shenlong - Holy Water Imbuement

The hammer gained a swirling green aura as she swung, yeeting the shadows into the sky. Shia continued fighting off the shadows, as more and more formed.

"Tatsu!" I shouted, summoning the blade as it appeared in my head.

I spun around, my heart beating at top pace.

I was in no condition to use Stage Four. I was too tired.

So frickin lame!

"Floki! Hostile Scan."

My vision was covered in reticules, Floki interfacing with my nervous system from the damaged nerves of my missing right eye, as my muscles lined up perfectly.

Hinokami Rain Style Kenjutsu Form 1

My blade caught on fire, red flames emitting a red glow across the street.

Devil's Surface Slash

I swung, delivering a powerful swipe of flames which neutralized the ghosts in an area, filtering out and carefully aiming so as to not avoid any damage to the surroundings or people.

But more spectres began emerging from the ground, trying to capture the man.

"Shit!" I gasped.

Shia looked at me.

"Protect that creep! We don't know why they're after him, but we can't have him die!"

"On it!"

I ran to the creep, but was surrounded by a bunch of those spectres.

"Out of my way!" I yelled, bringing my hands back.

Level 1 Hinokami: Devil's Typhoon

I unleashed a red flame outwards which disintegrated the spectres. But the man was suddenly gone, running for dear life.

"Hey!" I shouted after him, chasing the man and slashing down spectre left and right.

"Get away from me!" The man screamed.

"I'm supposed to be the one saying that you creep!"

More shadows intercepted me.

There was no point wasting what little stamina I had on these guys.

I summoned my Chainblade and threw it into the roof of a nearby building, swinging above them, and pursuing the man.

I had no idea who he was. But for whatever reason, he knew something about me, and these people were after him. I couldn't just let him die like this.

Suddenly, a shadow appeared from within an alley, tackling the man to the ground.

"No!" The man screamed.

I blasted forward, but more and more shadows appeared from the sides of the walls of the buildings.

Elder son... The shadows whispered into my ear as my eyes went wide.

"What the-"

I swung wildly, dissipating shadows left and right, but more and more of them began latching onto me.

She awaits you. She has waited long enough. Come to her.

Come to her.

Unite the bloodline.

What the hell were they talking about? Uniting a bloodline? This, lady this man was talking about.

She seemed dangerous.

I already had Danny to worry about. I didn't need another thing on my mind.

The man was pinned on the ground, as a shadow began sucking up his life-force.

I had no choice.

This level should be more than enough. I just hoped it wouldn't eat up at my energy too much.

Level 1 Hinokami Stage Two...

"Get away from him!" A boy's voice shouted.

"Wha-" I gasped, as a young man, probably around fifteen, had shot forward from a nearby building. A long dagger in his hand and armour.

He was an adventurer.

The shadows hissed at him as he landed on the ground, runes appearing on one of his forearms.

Little mortal. Do not interfere. With our Lady's plans.

"It's okay now. I will save you!"

A magic circle appeared as the kid made a fist, unleashing a powerful fire bolt which incinerated the shadows.

The kid ran forward, but was intercepted by another shadow. The two clashed.

"Run, boy! You cannot win against the Shadows!" The man exclaimed, but the boy refused to give up.

"No... no way. I won't leave you behind. Your life has value!"

The man was speechless, as the kid stood before him, fighting an overwhelming horde of shadows. He was at his limit, but he kept fighting.

I landed on the ground, Tatsu still in hand. My bangs were dancing around my face, covering most of it.

I said nothing, as I watched the kid fight valiantly.

It never occurred to me, why this scene looked so familiar.

But then it hit me.

A kid who would fight with so much effort against an overwhelming threat. But refusing to give up to protect another life.

I had seen this before.

Matthew Vistara was just like this.

Why do you struggle, boy. Your strength wanes. Surrender yourself. The spirits whispered.

"I refuse! Because... if I give up now... who will be here to protect this man?!"

... Me.

I'm still here.

I brought Tatsu up, but suddenly, a shadow emerged from the ground, grabbing my wrist.

"Tch!" I seethed, but the shadow put a hand on mine.

You are not our enemy. Elder Son. We do not wish to fight you. But the man deserves to die.

"Who the hell are you?!" I exclaimed.

You will understand in time... Eldest.

Eldest? What the hell are these guys talking about? And how did they know so much about the Mah Clan?

I watched as the kid continued fighting like crazy, when suddenly, a girl joined in. Wielding a glowing green hammer.

"Shia!" I said, as I looked back at the ghost, who disappeared.

Shia landed on the ground, swinging her hammer and knocking the Shadows away.

"Who-" The kid asked.

Shia turned around.

"Stay back."

Rain God Shenlong: Holy Rain

Shia put her hand in the air, as a sphere of green swirling energy appeared above her, flooding the sky with clouds. Green rain began pouring over the town as the shadows screamed, dissipating and melting.

I sighed.

It was over.

I was about to step out of the shadows, but a spectre grabbed my wrist from behind. It was moments from being disintegrated as well by Shen's Rainwater.

"You!" I snarled, raising Tatsu, but the Shadow simply regarded me.

You thwarted our plans. Eldest. Our Lady will be most displeased. But we will let you go just this once. Because our Lady is fond of you. She wants you. But should she change her mind, it doesn't matter if you are a surviving member of the Mah Bloodline. We will kill you if she wishes it. With no hesitation.

I stood in silence, watching the Shadow disintegrate in the darkness.

"Yeling!" Shia shouted as she ran up to me.

"Yo."

"Are you okay? The man is fine too. I guess Shen's Rainwater did the trick..." Shia's legs buckled. I reached out to grab her, but the kid beat me to it.

"Hey! Are you okay? Thanks for helping me back there. I really appreciate it! I really do!"

The kid bowed before Shia, who regained her composure.

"Aww... and thank you for helping defend him. What you did was so heroic! What's your name?"

"Strife Reinhart. I... I saw the shadows and the man being chased. So I went after him."

Shia raised her eyebrows.

"Those Shadows were really strong. Why would you do something so reckless?"

Strife scratched the back of his head.

"I... I'm actually not so sure... I guess my body moved on its own."

Shia and Strife continued talking. And for some reason, my heart rate went up.

I felt irritated. Almost irrational.

And I knew this feeling. I couldn't believe I was feeling it, but I was.

I was jealous.

But this wasn't the time to be worried about that. Now that there was this whole Mah Clan thing going on. I felt uneasy. What did these Shadows have in common with that night Vision was intercepted? Why did they say they were not my enemy? Who the hell was this Lady? And why did she want me so bad?

Shia looked at me.

"Yeling, are you okay?"

"Yeah." I lied.

Shia sighed.

"We still need to worry about that giant slime in the lake too. I guess let's check up on the others."

Strife Reinhart

"C- Can I come along with you?" Strife bowed.

I raised an eyebrow.

"Absolutely not-"

"Of course you can!" Shia patted him on the head, causing Strife to blush.

Inoko smiled.

"Why do you want to join our party?"

Strife put a hand on his chest.

"I... I want to get stronger. To protect this town and the people. Seeing Shia in action today, I've realized I still have a long way to go. I want to become even stronger and push myself. I want to help you guys save these people. I... want to be a hero."

Shen laughed, putting an arm around Strife.

"My boy. You already are. For your actions against those weird ghostly creatures! Saving a man you never even knew before! I approve!"

My eye twitched in annoyance as Strife was now part of our group. Majority decision.

We made our way to the lake.

Strife was getting along so well with Shia, Shen, and Inoko.

I couldn't believe this was happening. But I guess this wasn't up for me to decide.

"Hey... you're Yeling Mah right?"

I turned to Strife, hiding the look of annoyance from my face.

"Yeah. What's up?"

"You wouldn't happen to be... The Chinese Terrorist, would you?"

I stopped walking.

Everybody turned around to us, their faces full of concern.

"Why do you ask?" I said, my hand inches from summoning Tatsu.

"N- Nothing! I didn't mean to be rude. I guess... you kind of remind me of him. You have a freakishly strong aura. Kind of scary. Not in a bad way though!" Strife stammered, his hands in the air.

I took a deep breath.

This was going to be an awkward journey.

We got to the lake, and Inoko gasped.

"Oh god. It's even worse now."

I lifted my bangs.

"Floki: Status."

Strife's eyes widened.

"Whoa... is that a magical eye implant? That's so cool! You don't even need to use magic like us, that eye is basically a magic item itself!"

Shia smiled.

"Yes. Yeling's eye is special. At least... the one he has right now. He lost his other one fighting... someone very strong."

"I'm sorry." Strife said.

I don't need your pity, kid.

"Yeah. That's a slime alright." I said, narrowing my eyes as the crosshair reticules focused, magic circles forming in front of my golden eyeball.

"Wait..."

Inoko looked at me.

"What's wrong?"

I paused.

"Aren't slimes supposed to be thoughtless creatures?"

Shia walked up to me.

"Yeah. They don't have INT stats above 5, usually. What does this one say?"

I gave Shia a grim expression.

"147."

Everybody stared at me.

"Mah Ye Ling. Are you sure the magical eye device Rui gave you is not perhaps defective?" Shen asked.

"It's not defective you stupid dragon!" I snapped.

"That's mean! How dare you mock my lack of intelligence like this?!" Shen exclaimed.

We continued bickering, until Inoko gasped.

"Strife! What are you doing?!"

Strife ran up to the source of the darkness in the pool. He was unarmed.

"Get back from there!" Shia shouted, as suddenly, the entire place rumbled. The lake monster emerged from the water. A mass of purple goo rising. Its body was sloshing and mixing with the water, as the water splashed onto the grass, disintegrating it.

"Strife!" Inoko shouted, but Strife darted left and right acrobatically, dodging the splashes.

My eyes widened as one splash came flying in my direction, but Shen stood in front of it, taking the damage head on.

"Shen!" I shouted, but Shen smiled at me. Regenerating.

"Such an attack is meaningless to a god like me!"

Yeah.

God of idiots, more like.

"The monster is here. Time to light this bitch up." I growled, raising my hand.

Level 1 Hinokami...

"Don't!" Strife stood in front of me, his arms wide.

"Kid! I'm not going to ask you again. Move out of the way. I'm going to kill this monster in one blow."

"No! This monster... I think I can save her."

I stared at Strife, completely speechless for a good four seconds.

"The hell did you just say?"

Strife maintained his expression.

"I can sense her pain. She isn't doing this out of her own volition. Let me talk to her."

"She is a mindless slime! You're trying to reason with a slime, do you know how dumb that sounds?"

Strife turned around, as Inoko and Shia were trying their best to land hits on the slime, evading its strikes and trying their best to restrain it from continuing to harm the wildlife and ecosystem around it.

Strife ran up to the slime.

"Stop!" Strife shouted, as the slime continued lashing out.

I looked at Shen.

"Nope. He's a lost cause. Let him get eaten. I'll disintegrate the monster after it eats the kid and what are you doing."

Shen's eyes welled with tears.

"S- So... so beautiful. His heroism. If I had met him that day, I should have transferred my power to him instead of you!"

"Are you frickin kidding me?!"

I glared at the monster, running forward with Tatsu in hand and slashing down, as Inoko picked up a boulder with her monstrous strength, and dashed out of the way, her body glowing silver.

Her speed was being amplified by Tian.

Inoko chucked the boulder at the slime, which disintegrated, as pieces of the slime lashed to her direction.

I shot forward.

Rain Style Kenjutsu: Form 10 - Peace after the Flood

Millions of slashes appeared on the appendage, reducing it to mince.

I landed on the ground next to Inoko.

Shia and Shen regrouped with us.

"Where's Strife?!" Shia shouted at us.

"He went to reason with that monster." Shen said.

"What?!" Inoko exclaimed, shooting to her feet.

"He's going to get eaten! Has he lost his mind?!"

Finally.

Someone who was listening to reason.

But suddenly, the last person I would ever expect spoke up.

"No... I think Strife is onto something." Shia put a hand to her chin.

"Are you kidding me?!" I gasped.

"Yeling, when Floki read its stats, you mentioned the slime had an INT of 147. That's the same as a functioning human being. This slime... this slime wouldn't normally just be sitting in the lake like this, polluting the entire place. A slime needs to keep itself fed, not dilute itself. Maybe it's true it can listen to reason."

We looked at Strife, who continued to plead to the slime, which let loose a relentless assault. I drew Tatsu.

"I'll save you... no matter what!" Strife shouted, as he charged forward. Thousands of appendages closing in on him fast.

Level 1 Hinokami

Rain Style Kenjutsu

I spun violently in the air, sideways like a corkscrew.

Form 6 - Devil Vortex Slash

The appendages were sliced into pieces through a death spiral all around Strife as he stared at me, his mouth hanging open.

"Stop staring and talk to the monster!" I snarled, as I landed on the ground.

I grabbed my bangs, lifting them up.

"Floki, Trace Openings!"

Floki created a bunch of afterimages in my vision.

"Let's go, kid." I ordered, as Strife followed after me.

We continued running, as Strife slashed with his sword.

Turn after turn, until we were at the centre.

And I couldn't believe my eyes.

"I... I knew it!" Strife said, as he ran up to a young girl who was suspended in a mass of slime goop.

"A... A human...?" The girl muttered.

"Let me free you." Strife said, as he sliced at the goo.

"No... don't. The slime is toxic." The girl warned, but Strife ignored her, slashing and cutting frantically. His body was starting to show signs of poisoning as his strikes became slower.

"Strife, you can't free her like this." I said, turning to the girl.

"How did you end up like this? Is this entire thing part of you? Or are you stuck in here."

I pulled the bangs behind my head, tucking it behind my right ear, as the girl responded.

"No... I was imprisoned here. This slime feeds off my life force to survive. Please... please run. I cannot be freed."

Floki was showing me that she wasn't lying.

"Because the slime is toxic?"

I grabbed Strife, and pulled him back violently. Strife was about to protest, but I shot him a glare.

The girl closed her eyes.

"I'm... dangerous... No matter what I do, I just burden others. So please. Please. Just leave me here. Please."

I narrowed my golden eye, magical crosshairs forming in front of it. A number was next to her stats. And it was decreasing. Rapidly.

"You're not a human, are you."

"No..."

"But even so, this slime is killing you."

The girl's eyes widened.

"Th.... Then maybe I deserve to die."

"And why is that?" I asked.

The girl looked at me, tears brimming from her eyes.

"Have you ever lost someone important... and the reason... was because of you?"

I paused, images of Mama, Baba, and Hakah appeared in my mind.

The girl continued.

"I killed him. I killed Uncle, it was completely by accident, but that's not an excuse. I was too powerful. So father... he exiled me. He banished me from my kind and left me in this slime for centuries. For the longest time... I've spent it alone. The thoughts of Uncle dying by my hand, and father disowning me constantly replaying in my head. So please. Brave hero..."

The girl gazed at Strife.

"Please don't save me."

I lowered Tatsu.

If we freed her...

If we freed her, wouldn't she just end up getting more people hurt? Just like what she did to her uncle?

I should just eliminate the entire slime. Forget about freeing her. The fact and reality was that if a high elf like her was freed, her destructive powers would just end up screwing everybody in Cobblestone over. But suddenly, Strife shouted.

"Is that really what you think?!"

The girl paused, startled.

Strife aimed his sword at her.

"Do you really think you deserve to die?"

"I- I don't deserve to live..."

"If you have these feelings of remorse and pain for what you did, then you deserve the life you were given! You deserve it! Your life is precious, even if the whole world is against you, there is always one person you can convince to never give up on your life and that is yourself!"

I stared at Strife.

Maybe it was because her situation was so similar to mine... I never really thought of it like that.

"Every life deserves to be lived. If you can't control your powers, then control them! I will help you!"

Strife charged and sliced at the girl's restraints, as she began begging him to stop.

"Please, hero. Don't... don't do all these things just for my sake... why are you helping me?! Why?!"

Strife continued striking, as his body was starting to fail. At this point, he was barely able to stand.

"B- Because... that's just... who I am..." Strife muttered, grabbing the girl's wrist. His hand was turning purple.

The girl sobbed.

"No... no... I don't deserve this... I don't deserve kindness..."

Strife smiled at her through the pain.

"Then I will force my kindness onto you."

Strife yelled, bringing his sword, back but dropped it, as his eyes rolled into the back of his head. The girl screamed, crying, as Strife was about to fall into the goop, but I grabbed his collar.

I set Strife down, my hand hovering over his chest.

Level 1 Hinokami: Phoenix Hearth

Warm red flames surrounded him, healing and expelling the poison, as I turned to the girl.

"He'll live." I said, as the girl stared at me.

"Wh- Why are you two going so far for someone you never met?" She whispered.

Strife coughed, barely conscious. His hand was still moving as if he was trying to slash at the goop.

"If I can't... can't... save one hurting girl... what kind of a hero... am I..."

I regarded Strife.

Even when he was on the verge of dying, he was still trying to save her.

If you have these feelings of remorse and pain for what you did, then you deserve the life you were given!

I grimaced.

This kid...

"You heard the hero." I said, as Tatsu dissipated into flame. I approached the girl until we were face to face. The girl regarded me, tears were still streaming down her eyes.

"Wha- What will you..."

"We're going to free you. While Strife is right that you deserve to live your life, there's also the matter that this idiot slime is polluting Cobblestone's water supply. So I'm going to rip you out of this thing then send the mofo to kingdom come."

The girl looked confused.

"C- Cobblestone? I'm not... in The Labyrinth?"

"What?" I asked.

"The Labyrinth, I was sealed in the slime... and I was exiled to the bottom floor of the Labyrinth. Why am I... why am I in a water supply?"

God dammit.

This whole quest just got even more complicated.

I lifted my hand.

"Wait... what are you doing?"

"I'm going to free you, by destroying the monster."

My hand burst into red flame.

"But you'll get me too!"

"Trust me."

The red flames began to give a sinister red glow which lit up my face evilly. The girl gulped, her face pale in terror.

"Floki: Selective Targeting."

My right eye socket widened, as my golden implant generated even more runic reticules, as a blue magic circle appeared around my flaming wrist.

Level 1 Hinokami: INVERSE TSUNAMI RELEASE

I picked the girl up like a sack of potatoes and dragged Strife by the collar as we emerged from the remains of the slime, which had completely dried up from Hinokami.

"Guys!" Shia shouted at us, as we reunited.

"What happened to Strife?" Inoko ran up to the kid, cradling him.

"Tried playing the hero." I replied.

With the slime problem out of the way, Strife and the high elf was treated to their injuries.

Shia, Inoko, and Shen took turns visiting Strife.

I went the other way, to the other hall of the infirmary for the girls.

"Ah. Yeling. Yes, she is right this way. We can only allow fifteen minutes, unfortunately. Even for an adventurer like you. I hope you understand." The doctor bowed to me.

"That's fine."

I knocked gently on the door, as the girl regarded me. I peeked at the sign.

Her name was Arcana.

Oops. I guess I forgot to get her name. Better late than never.

"Arcana."

Arcana smiled at me, though it looked kind of forced.

"Hey."

"Feeling any better?"

"I suppose... I haven't hurt anyone yet."

"That's progress."

I sat down on a chair next to her bed. Arcana regarded me.

"I sense a lot of pressure from you, but the only mana that's coming out of your body is through that golden eye of yours. That flame you used..."

"Yeah." I adjusted my sleeve, showing her my tattoos.

"It's Hinokami. The Devil's Flames."

Arcana gasped.

"Like... the Great Akuma?"

"So even high elves know about the Great Akuma, great." I grumbled.

"S- Sorry if I offended you. I was just taken aback. The Great Akuma is a very powerful spectral entity even back when I served my father as his lieutenant for the High Elves hundreds of years ago."

"He's that popular huh."

"Not he... The Great Akuma is a she."

"Uh. What?" I stammered.

Arcana put a hand to her mouth and giggled.

"Sorry. I shouldn't laugh. I suppose you came here for a few questions. Don't worry, I can answer them. But first... is he okay? The hero?"

"He's fine."

Arcana sighed.

"Thank goodness."

I managed a smile.

"Yeah. He's a good kid. Naive as hell though."

"Yes."

Arcana remained silent for a few seconds. I could tell Strife's "words of encouragement" wasn't enough to get her out of her mental state. But because of what Strife said... I guess I felt obligated to do something now. Which was completely out of my character.

"Since you're familiar with The Great Akuma, I guess you know about the Dogma then."

"Yes. The Dogma was the Akuma's right hand man. From what I understand, it's the Dogma who bestowed a portion of the Akuma's power to mortals to allow them to do their bidding. It's... strange that you seem free. Did you decouple yourself like the First Hinokami did?"

"Yeah."

I shifted my sleeves.

"Still feeling guilty, huh."

Arcana pursed her lips.

"Who wouldn't, after doing something like that? I really appreciate the kind words Strife said to me, but... I feel like there isn't a single person who could ever relate to what I've been through."

I clenched my fist.

"Hmm."

Arcana wiped her eyes.

"I... Sorry. I didn't mean to ruin things again. What were you going to ask me?"

"Yeah. You mentioned that you were originally exiled into the Labyrinth. But now you ended up here."

"Yes."

"Do you remember... anything? From when you were imprisoned? The water pollution only happened recently. So whatever relocation that you encountered must have been recent for you as well."

"N- No... sorry. I don't... wait."

I raised an eyebrow.

"What is it?"

"There were... figures. I remembered that much. Being with strange masks. And ghostly shadows. And one person, bigger than the rest. But everything else felt hazy. I cannot recall anything else."

Ghostly shadows.

Not those assholes again.

"Get some rest." I said, as I put a hand on her shoulder.

"Also, don't beat yourself up too bad. Strife is right. If you have the capacity to feel bad about it, then there's hope. Don't give up on yourself, kid."

"I... think I'm older than you. By a lot."

"Geh!"

I got up and left, as Arcana laughed.

"But thank you. Mister Hinokami. I appreciate your kind words."

I stepped out of the room, and made my way to the other. There was someone I still had to see.

I knocked on Strife's room.

"Come in." Strife said, as I stepped inside.

"Oh. Mister."

"How are you doing?"

Strife rubbed his wrists.

"The toxin is out of my system. I just need to rest a bit, I guess. Doctor's orders."

I regarded him, as I sat down on a chair.

Strife gritted his teeth.

"I'm... an idiot." He muttered.

I raised an eyebrow.

"Why is that?"

Strife stared at his hands.

"I know. I'm naive. The things I do is stupid. But that's just how I am. My body will move whether you tell it to or not. And I know that's probably not how you guys do things. I... I was supposed to save them. I have to."

Strife looked at me.

"You're strong. When you sliced up all that slime that was closing in on me. I bet it was you who saved Arcana, right?"

"Yeah."

Strife's hands were clenched. It was clear that something was bothering him. And it wasn't just this quest.

"Strife, why do you want to save people so badly?"

Strife stared at me.

"W- What?"

"Why do you feel compelled to throw your life away for another's? Even if it's someone you don't know?"

"Because... because that's just who I am. My body does it on its ow-"

I smashed my fist against the table, causing him to jump.

"No. I don't need to hear this. You want to keep playing hero? Then let's see how strong your resolve really is."

I grabbed Strife by the arm and blasted the window with Hinokami.

"M- Mister Yeling?! Where are we going?!"

I shot out of the hospital with Strife in tow, as we soared over the city of Cobblestone until we were in a field. Several mountains, a lake, and landforms, away from the town.

Strife stumbled, clutching his gear, which he had swiped last minute.

"What are you doing? Mister Yeling?"

I stood before him at a distance.

"What are you fighting for, Strife."

Strife gritted his teeth, drawing his sword.

"I don't get it! Why are you doing this?"

I approached him, the wind ruffling my fur coat, as I reached inside and took out a mask.

My Tidalflame mask.

Strife paused, as he watched me put the mask on. His face turned pale.

"N- No... y- you're... you're him..."

"Earlier, you asked if I was the Chinese Terrorist. And yes, Strife Reinhart. I am. I am the Tidalflame. The legendary pyrokinetic, wielder of the Devil's Flames, the very monster who killed millions of people, monsters, demihumans, gods, dragons, demons, and all walks of life for the Contingency Initiative."

My body swirled with red flames. My cyan eyes glowing so fiercely that I could see my reflection from his, which were frozen in terror.

"Every hero is responsible for defeating the villain. So I'm going to ask you again, Strife. Are you really a hero? In the face of Tidalflame."

Level 1 Hinokami Stage Four

My body began to glow, blue flames mixing in with my red as two armoured phoenix wings sprouted from my back, armour cladding my right arm and feet until I gained a demonic and angelic appearance.

Cobalt Phoenix Ascendent

A storm of red and blue fire knocked Strife back as he slammed into a nearby boulder, cracking it. Strife coughed out blood, his eyes wide in fear.

"Show me your resolve, hero. Do you want to save the day? All heroes beat the villain. Here is a villain, right in front of you." I said, as I aimed the palm of my hand.

Level 1 Hinokami Stage Four

Strife snapped out of it, as he clasped his hands together, forming a rune. His body sparked with blue lightning.

Grand Ultimate Ascendent ITR

Strife blasted out of the way, as I fired a gargantuan explosion of pure red and blue flames, a sea of destruction smashing and levelling four mountains into pure ash and cinders.

I slowly turned around, to see Strife had collapsed, skidding sideways as despite having evaded the blast, the residual heat was too much for his armour.

His gear instantly crumbled to ash, vaporized. The runes dissipated too.

His protective spells had overloaded.

"Wh- Why... why are you doing this? How could you... you're good! You're a good person, Mister Yeling! How could you-"

I glared at Strife, who froze. His eyes were petrified at the sight of me in my mask.

"Your body moves on its own. You want to be a hero. You want to help others. Those words make me sick to the bone."

I approached Strife, menacingly.

Strife aimed his hand, which was shaking violently.

"Ice Barrage!" Strife shouted, as a rune formed around it, blasting a cluster of frost shots at me which vaporized instantly.

"I... I can't!" Strife said, as I continued approaching him, my hands outstretched.

Level 2 Intangibility

My body turned into a red wisp of flame, as I sunk into the ground.

Strife spun around, frantically trying to find me as I emerged from his feet, my mask inches away from his face.

"Why do you want to be a hero, Reinhart?" I snarled, pushing him with incredible force.

The kid flew backwards violently, crashing into trees.

I appeared in front of him, regaining my form.

Strife closed his eyes, tears leaking down the side of his face.

"I... I get it... I'm nothing. You're too strong, Mister Yeling. I don't stand a chance! I don't! But..."

"But?"

Strife glared at me, his face was pouring with blood. His entire body was charred, and was suffering major injuries.

"Don't... hurt the villagers. Of Cobblestone..."

My eye went wide in rage, as I opened my wings, blasting to his location and slamming my fist into his stomach.

Strife vomited blood, as his shirt rippled, burning away from my punch.

"You don't get it, Strife. The Tidalflame doesn't spare anyone. Once I kill you. I'm going to kill Arcana. I'm going to kill those villagers you hold so dear. And there isn't... a single thing... you can do about it."

I grabbed Strife by the face. He looked like he was on his last legs.

"You're no hero. You're just a boy with stupid dreams. And you will die knowing you couldn't do anything, as I slaughter everybody in Cobblestone."

Strife's eyes went wide, as he grabbed my wrist. I paused.

"Don't.... don't...."

"Don't what?"

Strife glared at me, as his hand began to glow white. Little frost particles were now forming on my wrist as I felt it becoming cold.

Strife grabbed his sword and slashed at me, but I went Intangible, and slammed my foot into his face, but Strife took the blow, his bloodied face turning into a desperate frenzy.

"Don't you dare kill them!"

Strife tried to slash again, as I backed up, intercepting his blade with my wings, but I could feel the metal that wreathed the roots of my phoenix wings beginning to freeze and turn brittle.

"I will save them. I will protect them! Even if it means stopping you, Mister Yeling! Even if it means defeating the Tidalflame!"

Strife roared, as he charged, but I dodged his strikes easily, and brought my wings down, each wing slicing him, releasing a gush of blood from his cuts.

Strife collapsed, falling to his knees, as his wounds began burning. His skin was bubbling at the cuts and turning black.

"I... I'll save... I'll save them..." He muttered, dragging himself to me.

I regarded the kid as I kicked him in the face, causing Strife to flop on the ground. But Strife continued moving, despite his overwhelming injuries.

"N... Not like... this... I can't stop... I promised him."

Strife sputtered, getting to one knee.

"I promised my grandfather... that I would become a hero. So I could protect the people I love... because... because he couldn't protect my parents. From the war."

I exited Stage Four, watching as Strife got to his feet. He was breathing heavily, but his whole body was wracked with burns.

"Mister Yeling... you're strong. You're... overwhelmingly strong... But that's all the more reason... for me to.... for me to keep fighting. Every person has a reason to live... you don't get to decide whether they live or die. If people could... just understand... how valuable life is... we wouldn't have war. No more killing. Just peace."

Strife yelled, swinging his sword as I caught it.

"So you're only doing this because of your old man couldn't protect your mom and dad?"

Strife struggled, as he tried to punch me, but his hand was too weak.

"I'm... I'm all he has. I'm all... he had. I want to become strong. I want to become stronger, so I can prevent something like this from happening again!"

I pushed Strife as he fell to the ground.

"Killing is inevitable. That's just how it works in life. And so is war. There is no such thing as understanding others. When the other side fails to acknowledge it."

"Then I will make them! That's what it means to save them!" Strife shouted, as he turned to me.

"Every person who is crying. Who is in pain. It's because they need to be saved. Heroes. They kill needlessly. They don't save others. If they had just taken the time to listen to the other side... how many wars and killings would have been prevented?!"

My eye went wide, as an image of Danny appeared in my head.

Yeling. All I ever did was try to help you. But sometimes, I didn't know what to say. How can I make him feel better? Maybe if he knew we were all suffering, it would make his pain feel less significant. But day after day, it was like everything I did to try to help you MADE IT WORSE. The pressure buildup. My family back in China pressuring me to return home. All this pressure. I can't be the perfect friend, Yeling. I'm human. So on that day, it was too much.

If I had just listened to Danny...

From the start...

I wouldn't have killed him so viciously.

And Transplant would never have happened.

All of this would never have happened.

Strife glared at me.

"So even in overwhelming odds... I will do my best to save everyone. You. And Transplant. And all the villains and monsters that people perceive. I know there is a reason. There had to be a reason why you became this. And there had to be a reason why Transplant is the way he is. It just takes a hero to see that. That's what being a hero is all about."

Ice formed all around his body, as his wounds regenerated.

"That's why I want to be a hero. And if that isn't enough for you, then you'll have to kill me!" Strife readied his sword and charged but I shook my head.

"Nah. That's all the reason I need." I said, as I held out my hand.

"Tatsu."

Tatsu appeared in my palm as I sliced, severing Strife's sword, then pointing it at his throat.

"This quest... Shia, Inoko, Shen, and I are on. It's dangerous. We plan on taking down the Guardian. Then I will fight Transplant. If you want in, you need to understand that the power you displayed against me is like a drop in an ocean compared to his."

Strife stared at me.

"M- Mister Yeling? Are you saying..."

"I'm saying you can come with us. But you need to understand your limits. There's nothing wrong with wanting to help others. But if you're reckless about it, you'll get yourself killed. You'll get your allies killed too. So in a way, you not only failed to save people, you got people killed. Do you see that now?"

Strife looked down.

"I... I do."

I put Tatsu on my back and held out my hand.

"Good. Let's head back then."

"Th- Thank you, Mister Yeling. Thanks for everything. But..."

"But?"

Strife gave me a determined look.

"I refuse. I will work on getting stronger first. One day. I will become strong enough to carry out my goals."

I smiled.

"Alright then. When you reconsider, the offer is still on the table."

I reached out my hand, and Strife nodded.

Strife took one step but stopped.

"Strife?" I said, as Strife's face suddenly went pale, tipping forward, and collapsing on the ground, unconscious.

"Shit." I muttered.

I must have overdone it as Stage Four.

I was only using 5% of my power too. I guess 5% was too much.

Shadows

(Yuyan's POV)

"Are you sure you don't need a lift?"

"No."

"Come on, Transplant. Lighten up a lil! With my speed? I'll get you to Fa Shan lickity split!"

Slipstream showed off his blue tattoos.

"No one can beat my Stage Three Suijin. Not even Yelin-"

I grabbed Slipstream's mouth.

Slipstream tried to squirm, but his mouth was turning black.

"Yu- Yuyan you're..."

Slipstream stared at Yama's blade, which I had stabbed myself with, his power coursing through my undead veins, arcing up my arm, to my hand, and spreading to his body, preventing him from turning into water.

"Do not say his name. You don't deserve to speak his name." I hissed.

Slipstream eventually calmed down. I set him on the ground.

"Sorry, Transplant. I didn't mean ta touch on such a sensitive topic. Ya know. I was jus trying to help. The walk from Arii to Fa Shan is crazy far. Just saying. With my Suijin you could get there in minutes."

I eyed Slipstream.

The Level 1 Dogma holder of Suijin. He was initially an operative with the evo of superhuman reflexes and an all seeing eye. An Outer Shadow, who would be more involved in the field. But not strong enough to be considered a high rank. But that was until he received a calling from the Dogma, and became the holder of Suijin. The massive increase in power he had gained only recently was enough for him to climb the ranks.

His allegiance was to Lord Ginga, as a Inner Shadow. Meaning he was one of Ginga's right hand men. Along with my superior Hakah and a few other Inner Shadows.

Every Inner Shadow possessed power that was unrivalled.

But Ginga had explicitly stated that no Inner Shadow would reveal themselves or their power to the world.

Not until the time was right.

"Damn... Still. That fight you had, you seem to have been on the ropes."

"I'm warning you, Slipstream."

Slipstream chuckled.

"Aww come on, kiddo. You know what I'm trying to say. He's gotten strong enough to bypass all those gimmicks you have. You don't wanna let Hakah down do you?"

I grimaced.

Hakah had brought me back to life. She nurtured me, and brought me back to my senses, when I went on a rampage. No one was there for me when I was reanimated. Everybody tried to kill me.

And Yeling had tried to kill me again. With no mercy.

I could never forgive him, because of everything he did to everybody in our university. And he felt no remorse, when I reanimated. He tried to kill me again. Over and over again.

But it wasn't until Hakah had found me, dragging my severed corpse after being sent flying by Mirage and Patcher, did my mind start to heal.

"Do you hate my big brother, Yuyan?" Hakah had once asked me.

"I... I don't..." I was at a loss for words.

Hakah laughed, running a finger across my face.

"It must have hurt. Being burnt by big brother's flames. It's okay. I was burnt too."

Hakah lowered her collar, partially revealing her chest, which caused me to instantly look away.

"Oh dear, you're just so sweet. I forgive you for hating my big brother. But you mustn't destroy him entirely. I want to see him. I want him."

"Yeling is broken, Hakah. I don't know what to tell you. He was always broken, and becoming the Hinokami only made it worse."

Hakah ran her hand across my face and stroked my hair.

"But you were his friend, were you not? Yeling always bragged about you at the dinner table."

"He- He did?"

"Mmm. He saw you as his only friend. Maybe he isn't broken, but he is hurting. You are all he has. I think he needs to be healed. Don't you think?"

"I suppose."

For the next few days, Hakah always checked up on me.

No girl had ever done that for me.

Much less one so beautiful as her.

Yeling and I, we shared that much in common. We couldn't talk to girls. I always made jokes about it, but that didn't mean I was okay with it. I hated being lonely. And I knew Yeling hated it too.

"I made you dinner, Yuyan." Hakah sat down next to me, a tray in her hands. She was wearing a white dress, which showed her curvy attractive figure. I had to blink and snap out of it.

There were a number of Chinese dishes on the tray. All elegantly cooked. Just like those seafood restaurants I always went to.

"Did you make these yourself?" I asked, astonished at how well they were prepared.

"Yes! I just simply adore cooking. Especially for someone else."

Hakah clasped her hands and smiled at me. But I pursed my lips.

"I... I can't eat. At least, I haven't eaten. I'm technically a zombie after all-"

"No! I cannot have you stay with me knowing you haven't eaten. That would make me really sad."

I stared at her.

She was... pouting. Her face was... so cute...

And my heart, that should have been dead, began beating. Releasing a bunch of chemicals into my body as if something had just kickstarted.

Hakah took a pair of chopsticks and held out a spring roll, dipping it in soy sauce, holding it out to me.

"Say ahhh!"

"Ahhh"

The spring roll was filled with flavour.

Hakah saw my eyes light up and giggled.

"Is it good? I'm so happy! If you need anything, call out to me. Say, Mah Ha Kah! I need you! And I will always drop everything I'm doing to come to you. I promise!"

Hakah held out a pinky.

"Pinky promise on my soul!"

I paused.

Yeling... had done something like this before.

We're bros. Best friends. Okay? If one of us goes down, the other will do everything in their power to be there for em. Pinky promise on my soul.

A tear ran down my cheek as Hakah was startled.

"Huh? Yuyan? What's wrong?"

"N- Nothing... it just seems familiar is all..."

Hakah took out a napkin and wiped my face, I was turning red.

"Big brother and I do this all the time. A pinky promise on the soul. We never go back on our word."

"And... you do keep it."

"Of course! If it's one thing I learned from Big Brother, is a promise must always be kept no matter what. So no matter how bad it gets, there is always a part of him worth saving."

Hakah smiled at me, lowering the napkin.

Her face was so pretty. And she was so caring. And knew how to cook. And... And...

I needed to marry her.

No wait, what was I saying? What would Yeling think?

"Yuyan?" Hakah tilted her head.

Hakah was so sweet and kind...

It was almost like a complete contrast to Yeling.

"Nothing. I just... you seem like a completely different person compared to your older brother."

Hakah laughed.

"Aww, he just wants to look tough. He's actually a big softie."

Hakah put her fingers around her earrings, which comprised of a card attached to each one, of a horse.

"He is kind and sweet. He bought me those earrings after I told him I wanted a pair. He spent his own hard earned money on one. Whenever he would get an A in his class, which rarely happens, baba would give him a 5 cent coin. I was one of the reasons he worked so hard. He spent all that money, four years worth of savings on these earrings."

I stared at her.

This was a side of Yeling I never knew existed.

Hakah then leaned forward, breathing into my ear.

"I know you hate big brother. It's okay. But please. Don't think he is all bad. I need him. Bring him back."

Hakah began pressing her lips against my skin, until her beautiful, gorgeous face was inches from mine. Her silky smooth long hair, braided on one side, covering my arms like a soft cloth.

Was there a girl ever so heavenly?

Someone so sweet. So cute. So nurturing.

Someone like that, who would be so kind to a man who should have been dead. A man that wasn't even technically alive. My whole life was spent alone. Without any girl ever approaching me. I was that unattractive.

If I had been reanimated, the chances of me finding a woman in my life should have been even lower.

But Hakah...

It was as if she didn't care about that at all.

Her lips were brushing against mine and her breath smelled like raspberries.

"Bring him back for me, 'kay?"

"I will... My Lady. I will do it for you."

Hakah smiled.

"Thank you, Yuyan. You are my Champion."

I was shunted back into reality.

Slipstream was chuckling at me.

"Hakah... you sure roped in quite the character. I hope this zombie doesn't end up banging you and making zombie babies."

I clenched my fist.

"Don't you dare speak about my Lady like that!" I snarled, summoning my axe and swinging, but Slipstream only regarded me. His body flickered, and before I knew it, my body exploded into a shower of blood.

I stumbled back, as Slipstream disappeared into millions of lines, darting across the entire landscape. Patterns and strange trails of energy that even Guan Yu couldn't keep up. And he was the Chinese God of War.

"Just who..."

A force slammed me into the face as my neck snapped, twisting and everything went momentarily black, but I managed to regenerate.

"Do you think you are..."

More and more cuts slammed into my body. I couldn't regenerate in time.

"Speaking to an Inner Shadow like that..."

I fell to one knee, as Slipstream appeared above me, a sniper rifle in hand. His body had transformed, revealing a black cloak and teal lines all over his body. A massive horn was sticking from his forehead and his eyes were black as night.

"You must think you are some immortal creature. But all walks of life, living or undead, have a soul. Unlucky for you. It's pretty easy for me to see that with my all seeing eye."

Level 1 Suijin Stage Five: ANTI-LIFE BULLET

A teal swirl of energy spiralled into the barrel of the gun as he aimed at me. I couldn't regenerate in time.

I couldn't regenerate.

I'd fail my mission if I died here.

And I won't be able to bring Yeling back to her.

I needed my Lady.

"Help me.... HELP ME HAKAH MAH!" I shouted, as Slipstream laughed crazily.

Suddenly, the skies darkened.

Purple thunder boomed.

Level 1 Susanoo Stage Four: Demon's Catastrophe Art

The body of a woman emerged from the clouds. Two long devil horns sprouted from her head, and her long hair glowing a blinding purple.

Slipstream paused, staring at her.

"Wha- I-"

Hakah glared at Slipstream, as he tried to get away, but his feet were locked on the ground by storm clouds. Purple electricity arcing all over his body as Slipstream screamed in agony.

In the blink of an eye, Hakah appeared before him.

"Hey. Just what do you think you're doing to my precious little Yuyan."

Slipstream fell to the ground, choking and gasping for air.

The storm clouds that had surrounded him were sucking all of the air from his lungs, causing him to suffocate.

"L- Lady Hakah... I was just... playing around... I didn't mean..."

Slipstream choked, his Stage Five transformation disappearing.

"I don't want an apology. I want payment." Hakah said, coldly, as she took off her slippers stepped on Slipstream's head. Her feet had talons. And she began cutting them into his skull.

Slipstream screamed in pain.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry!"

Hakah's face was full of malice. The cute girl that I had seen...

Her eyes were full of murderous intent.

Of all the Inner Shadows, Hakah was one of the strongest.

Despite all those times she was so sweet, seeing her like this was...

Frightening. There was no denying it.

Her power surpassed Stage Five.

I coughed, as Hakah suddenly stopped, and turned to me, brushing her hand against my face.

"Dear Yuyan... did he hurt you? It's okay. I will make sure he doesn't do that again."

Slipstream got to his feet, but Hakah simply smiled her cute and sweet smile.

Before I knew it, a black cloud appeared and flickered.

SQUEALCH.

Something fell to the ground.

I stared at Slipstream in horror, as his hand had been severed. Slipstream's face white as a ghost, his mouth opening as he let loose a blood curdling cry.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!" He screamed.

Hakah continued stroking my face.

"My poor Yuyan... I'm so happy you're safe..."

Hakah brought me closer.

Hakah will always be here for me. No matter what.

And I love her for that.

So for your sake, Yeling. I will bring you back.

Otherwise your little sister will be sad.

And I cannot allow that.

(Yeling's POV)

After ignoring Shia's scoldings for beating the shit out of Strife, I made my way to my room and belly flopped on to the bed.

"Ugh. I still need to eat dinner. Chrissake."

I shifted around in the blankets. Stage Four definitely was not a good idea. Now I was too tired to do anything.

I reached out lazily, trying to take out a menu.

"Gahhhhhh dammit..." I grumbled, fumbling with it and looking at it from within the folds of the pillow.

Hm.

What to get.

The cheesy pasta with tomato sauce...

It reminded me of Spaghetti Bolognese. From Cha Chaan Teng, where I would always go to with my family.

I'm going for it.

I hovered my hand over the magical device.

"Mister Yeling?" A girl's voice appeared from the coms unit.

"Oh, it's you again." I said.

"Will it be Spaghetti Bolognese?"

"Y- Yeah..."

Shit. Did I order it too many times or something? Also why was it always her who answered my room service requests? I mean, it wasn't like I was complaining or anything. But damn.

Didn't she have any other residents to serve?

It didn't even take fifteen minutes, and I heard a knock on the door.

"Come in." I said.

The door creaked open, as the maid stepped in with a cart of the dish. Along with a mug of milk tea.

"Oooohhh.... awesome.... thanks. You're the best." I said, as I got my lazy ass out of the bed and approached her.

The maid had her hands behind her back. Her face looked like it was blushing.

Did she have a fever or something?

"H- Hey." I said, as the girl stared at me.

"Huh?"

"You're burning up. Are you okay?"

"Y- Yes! Don't worry about me, Mister Yeling. I'm okay!"

"You're not like this because you keep serving me right? You seem to always be the one to answer my room service requests."

"I'm fine. Really. Really, don't concern yourself with me."

I raised an eyebrow, taking the tray.

GURGLE GURGLE.

I gave the maid an exasperated look.

"You're hungry, aren't you."

"Absolutely not!"

GURGLE GURGLE.

"Come on. Come on in. I'll treat you. Consider it my tip. Since I don't have any loose change on me."

"N- No. It's okay. I really don't need to-"

"You're denying my request for company?"

Her face became even more red.

"No! It's- It's not like that! I'll come in."

A few minutes later, we sat across from each other from the desk.

I shared a portion of my food with her.

It felt nice to reward her once in a while. She was clearly overworked.

And it wasn't just this one off thing. When I say she was the first person to answer all of my room service requests. She literally did everything for me. Even outside maid work.

She would always offer to make me lunches and meals before I would leave for quests.

She would always offer to clean my clothes.

I mean... it was almost she was offering to become my housewife.

Unfortunately, she wasn't my type. As cute and pretty she was.

I already had to deal with Miss Five One Student Council Shia Megumi on a daily basis.

I really didn't need to deal with any more cute types off of adventuring as well. Thank you very much.

But she was really sweet, and so kind.

I didn't want to break the news that I wasn't interested in her.

"Hey. So uh. Do you have a name?"

The girl paused, staring at me.

We looked at each other in awkward silence.

Shit.

I only realized that now.

I had her do so much stuff for me for free, the least I could have done was ask her for a name. This entire time.

"Hailey."

"Hailey, huh. Cute name." I commented, as Hailey's face flushed red again.

I finished eating, as I was about to put the trays and stuff away, but Hailey got up quickly and grabbed my stuff.

"Mister Yeling! Please, let me put it away for you."

"No, I don't need you to do that. Come on. You've done enough."

We began wrestling as Hailey got in close and yelped, falling into my arms. We stared at each other.

Well shit.

One could conclude many things from this.

And it would all be misunderstandings.

"Sorry! I didn't mean to push you like that!"

Hailey gently got up and untangled herself from me. And that was when I noticed it.

"Hailey... what's that in your hair?"

Hailey stopped, putting a hand against her ear.

"N- Nothing..."

"It looks really weird. It's like- budged inside the folds of your hair. Can you undo your ponytail?"

Hailey got to her feet, her eyes wide.

"NO!"

I jumped, startled. Hailey stumbled back.

She looked so scared, and petrified, as if I said something incredibly creepy.

"S- Sorry. I didn't mean to scare you like that..." I held out my hand, but Hailey looked away.

"It's... okay..."

"I mean. Like. It's attached to your earlobe. But the string is like... going to your hair. Are those earrings?"

"Yes..."

"But why are you wearing them like that? It looks so weird." I laughed.

Hailey slowly turned to me, her eyes looked sparkly.

Then I realized it was sparkly because it was wet.

"Oh shit. Sorry. I didn't mean to laugh. I shouldn't make fun of a girl's appearance. I should know better." I said, as I put the trays in the garbage.

"Mama would be so disappointed in me." I muttered.

Suddenly, a warmth spread across my hand.

I turned around, to see Hailey had taken it, clasping it in hers.

"H- Hailey?"

"Yeling... I..." Hailey looked like she was really struggling with her words.

"Hey. I think you should really lie down. Take the day off. You've probably been working too hard. It's not good for you, you might get sick."

I put my hand on her forehead.

It was burning up.

"You have a fever."

Hailey closed her eyes.

"It's okay."

"Ummm no. No I don't think a fever is okay. You need rest."

"Can you... do something for me?"

"What is it?"

"Let me rest here. Please."

Hailey looked at me. Pleading almost.

Almost something familiar, sparking deep inside me, but I couldn't quite pinpoint what that exactly was.

"Yeah. Alright."

I picked Hailey up as her head bounced against my chest. She completely relaxed. Almost like she was constantly under tension until I brought her into an embrace.

"You trust me a lot, don't you." I said. But Hailey was fast asleep.

I slowly put her on my bed and brought the covers up.

"Have a good sleep." I whispered, as Hailey smiled slowly, her ponytail becoming undone as her long black silky smooth hair tumbled down her back and reached her waist.

And that was when I realized it.

Her earrings...

A card was attached to each one.

A card of a horse.

My heart exploded in pain as I stumbled back.

"Wha-"

This girl...

There was no way...

You should have been dead. No.

I clutched my chest, hyperventilating.

No there was no way that was her.

Calm yourself, Yeling.

That pair of earrings I had bought. It wasn't a one of a kind. There were a lot that was like it in that shop.

It could have been entirely coincidence that this girl had bought a pair as well.

She looked Chinese. And she was really pretty.

Sure Hakah was cute, but there was no way she would grow up to look like that. No way.

But then again, it was hard to gage it. She was still a little girl when she died. I would never really know what a nineteen year old Hakah would look like. That would have been the same age as I would have been back when I was CI's Tidalflame.

Such good looks would have run in the family, and if that was true, why wasn't I getting any ladies?

And there was also the issue that she should have died in that fire that night.

It had to be coincidence.

There was no other reason why she would have these earrings.

But seeing that horse...

"Ha.. Kah..." I murmured, trying to regain my composure. Too many memories and emotions were flooding my head right now.

No.

This girl couldn't have been her.

Stop bringing your hopes up, Yeling.

Your family is dead.

I slowly got up, and opened the door. Heading out of the inn to the town of Cobblestone.

"Hey." A voice said to me from the edge of my vision.

I stopped.

"Yeah. You."

I turned around, to see a man with one hand. He was wearing a long overcoat. It was nothing like the attire of the people in Cobblestone.

"You the Hinokami?"

I readied my hand.

This guy was bad news.

Every cell in my body...

"Hey. Whoa there."

The man held up his hand, revealing an intricate set of teal tattoos.

A surge of fear went through my body.

Suijin.

What was a Dogma Holder doing here?

"My Lord says to stay in the shadows. But I can give a little push if I feel like it. After all. No one can catch me. I am the fastest Level 1 Akuma Grade Dogma holder in history. Would you like a demonstration?"

The man smiled evilly at me.

If this wasn't a bluff, he would have the capacity to land blows on me before I could even summon Tatsu.

What if I tried overheating myself?

But that would damage my surroundings.

My only option...

"Floki: Selective Targeting." I whispered.

My golden eye began targeting the man, the reticules covered by the bangs that hid my right side.

Who was this guy?

He was giving me all kinds of bad vibes.

Floki finished scanning, and my heart crawled into my throat.

Dogma Holders were often classified by ranks to assess their ability. This system was around when Contingency Initiative was a thing.

It was around even now.

When I first joined CI, I was considered an A+ Class, which was already disaster level. Capable of destroying entire cities if I wanted to.

The average operative in CI was B Class. Everybody in Squad Four was at least A Class.

Matt was S+ Class.

When I unlocked Stage Two, I became SS Class.

At Stage Three, I was SSS Class. With Anarchy Form, I was rated Omega Class.

Aelienne, according to the Dogma, was considered Beyond Omega Class, or God Class.

And this guy...

Name: Unknown, Power: Dogma of Equivalent Exchange, Level 1 Suijin. Rank: Beyond God Class.

Beyond God.

The Dogma had told me that Aelienne was the strongest Hinokami in existence.

But.. that was just Hinokami.

And this guy...

To know that he had achieved a power that surpassed Aelienne... and only recently...

"By the way." The man pushed himself off the beam, tapping his cigarette and regarding me with morbid curiosity.

His teal eyes were glowing a devilish light.

"No point trying to scan me with your little artificial eye. I'll save it the effort. You can't beat me. Not even with your borrowed Stage Four Hinokami."

I gritted my teeth.

He could even tell I was using Floki?!

What...

What do I do?!

The man crossed his arms, leaning back on the beam.

"Relax. I'm not gonna kill you. It'll be stupidly anticlimactic. And the last thing I would want is to piss her off again for attacking another one of her loved ones."

"What? Who is her?"

The man smiled at me.

"Oh. You don't need to know. Not yet, anyway. But I'm not here to scare you. Well, maybe a little."

I was sweating bad.

Beyond God Class.

Floki was still scanning him, and more and more abilities were added on to him.

He didn't just have a Dogma of Equivalent Exchange.

He also had an evo.

Two to be exact.

Motion Sponge: The ability to store kinetic energy.

and All Seeing Eye: The ability to see anything that is physically hidden.

"Ah. Looks like your little magic helper finally figured it out. Yeah. My evo. All Seeing Eye. I have... no blind spots."

"Why are you here? If you're not here to fight?"

The man laughed.

"Aw. Well. I'm here to tell you to stop screwing around with that girl, and go help out your comrades is all."

"What?"

"Unless you want the Guardian's kill to be stolen by someone else..."

My eyes widened.

Danny.

"Where are they?" I asked.

The man pointed south.

I was about to run off, but the man called me.

"Hinokami."

I turned around.

"Just a word of advice. Your maid? It's best you not upset her. You don't want to see what she's like when she's mad."

"Wha-"

I blinked, and the moment my eyes opened, in that split second, the man was gone. Just a breeze.