A day has passed and max was in the dormitory with his group.
However max reported to Jason that there was a rogue pure soul who knocked him out and moline said that he didn't want to kill them.
Jason transferred the information over to Miguel and gave him the badge he stole from the commander cultist.
Miguel currently was on a laptop in his own room trying to hack into the phone to get information on the cult that the commander worked for.
As for the other two phones he gave them to two co workers from the intelligence department.
Currently in the night he was having trouble cracking the code on the phone.
Normally cultist don't use much of modern technology but this phone was customized.
Miguel was a smart man and he was called ace detective by the media even though he himself didn't consider himself a detective.
He's a man who does his job and wants to make sure thinks don't go out of control.
But that aside he knew some hacking techniques but this phone was incredibly well guarded.
Sophia: it's getting a bit late don't you think?
He snapped out his thoughts and looked to the side with Sophia with a coffee cup on her hands.
Miguel: this is important and this needs to be done.
Sophia: and you are sure that staying up all night is going to help?
Miguel: the faster we can get the information the less likely it will cause trouble.
He took down his mask and took a swig of his vape to drain some of the buildup poison gas and when he done he took a the coffee and chug it down and quickly put his mask back on.
Sophia looked at Miguel worried because she knew that he takes his job as an exorcist seriously and cares a lot about the safety of the spiritual world and fellow exorcist.
But this guy was too much of a workaholic.
She decided that this won't stand.
She put her index and middle finger together and put her red energy with small sparks coming out.
Miguel was too distracted on his work that he didn't notice.
And with a quick motion Sophia jabbed her two fingers in his neck and Miguel received a massive shock and his energy started to go haywire and his body stiffened.
He fell from his desk and was twitching on the ground.
Sophia had a smug smile while Miguel was glaring at her.
Sophia: like it or not you need to rest and your going to sleep whether you like it or not.
She tapped away his laptop and she made sure that the data was saved.
After that she dragged Miguel to his bed and undressed into simple pants and a shirt and hugged Miguel from behind.
Sophia: I know you missed being held in my arms don't you.
Miguel: just let me sleep.
Sophia: you didn't say no.
Miguel: shut up I'm sleepy.
Sophia giggled at Miguel's response and she dreamed of the days were her and Miguel were dating and got married but after Miguel's incident he became distant.
She was hurt but she understood that Miguel was worried she might end up dead because him.
But Sophia knows that he was just anxious about being in a relationship especially after his throat being replaced by a poisonous one.
The next day max went out to visit his mother and sister a month had passed since he last visited so it time to catch up.
However when he got to shrine he noticed that the shop was closed so he guessed that it was her day off.
But when he approached the entrance he felt the presence of a familiar person but he wasn't sure he was sure.
Moline materialized beside him in case a fight broke out.
However when he opened the sliding door he wasn't expecting to see a familiar skeleton and 3 others one was handing out their meals.
Mikado and Diego noticed him and moline gawking.
Mikado: oh max didn't expect that you were visiting us. Actually it's a about time that you met your step dad.
Max: excuse me. what!!?
Diego: surprise.
Moline: no! No "surprise" since when did mom had a relationship with someone especially a retired exorcist that is all bones!
Diego: first I'm not all bones what looks like bones in my body is actually tissue and muscle.
He demonstrated by opening his mouth and inside it was a tongue.
As much as it was disgusting it was somewhat interesting but that aside max and moline wanted to know how does Diego and mikado have a relationship and Diego was going to explain.
Diego: second of all mikado and I have been partners as exorcist for quite a while and after a while we decided to spend some time separated.
Max: why? Did you have a fight?
Mikado: no is that when I adopted Mona i decided to retire from the exorcist business and start a family.
Max: wait did you and him did-
Mikado threw a tag that had a water element and when it made contact with him water came out soaking him.
As a result max gave his adopted mom an "are you serious look"
Mikado: get your mind out of the gutter. Spirits can't have kids we don't internal organs to do that.
Moline: brother has a dirty mind.
Max: shut up.
He walked to his room and changed out of his wet clothes and changed into simple shirt and black pants.
After changing he joined the dinner table and mikado and Diego told their story.
Apparently they met each other while on a mission and they hit it off well and after some time they started to date.
But after mikado adopted Mona she didn't have time to go on missions so she retired from being an exorcist but she still provides her tags to the EXO corporation and the people of the underground to hide themselves.
Which from she told him was that many spirits used their abilities to keep the underground city hidden but her talismans has more potency.
As for Diego he was on a mission to investigate a sign of cultist activity and found Luna and Nero hiding so he decided to put them on witnesses protection.
However Diego didn't tell him is that thanks to Luna and Nero's information is the reason why Miguel and the investigation department is investigating these cultist who are more careful in their actions than others.
But if max was being honest he would rather forget his past but of course he can forget the fact that he died and went on a rampage.
After time passed and max was outside the house looking at the city lights brightened the night.
He was lost in his thoughts but he noticed that someone was behind but it was just Diego who was smoking a mechanical cigarette.
And it smelled like vanilla.
Max: I guess even spirits need to get high sometimes.
The skeleton's unseen eyes looked over at him and he let out a chuckle of amusement.
Diego: unlike normal mechanical cigarettes these are specially made with chemicals that actually help ease the body and mind. Not to mention that thanks to the EXO organization's advances in the medical department lots of hospitals are saving lives. But of course the organization doesn't reveal the actual components and they made sure that it was impossible to recreate by normal people.
Max: I didn't exactly asked for a history lesson but thanks for the info.
Diego: sorry. Sometimes I read too much into a lot of things.
He took another drag of his cigar and he looked over at max who was looking at the city.
Diego: hey. max there's something you want to talk about?
He looked at the skeleton and he remembered that Diego was technically his father figure but this was still sudden.
But so far his impression of Diego was that he didn't seem like a bad guy.
Max: well for one the sudden expansion of my family that I thought was only male in the family. But nope it turns out I have 3 extra family members.
Diego: yeah I know how that feels. When I heard that mikado adopted 3 kids and one was male and he is training to be an exorcist? Yeah I honestly was shocked.
Max: so what's your impression of me?
Diego: well so far you're a good kid. And mikado told me that you had amnesia.
Max tensed at that.
Max: yeah my biological parents were cultist who planned to sacrifice me to a cult leader and now that I remembered to me there dead bastard who don't have the right to be called parents.
Diego: I see
Max: so what about you? What's your story?
Diego: I'm no one special I'm just a man who wanted to travel and I got unlucky and died.
Max: that's it?
Diego: yup that's it. Actually now that I got to know you max how would you like to work for my bar part time?
Max: really like an actual normal job?
Diego: I'm pretty sure you're gonna need some normalcy if you're going to be an exorcist.
Max: you said you were retired but you still have a strong presence.
Diego: well I'm retired from active duty I can still work as an exorcist if I want but I have more freedom to choose to get involved or not. Plus believe it or not I'm actually have a part timer who is an exorcist in the investigation department and she's expected to replace Miguel if the fellow decides to retire
Max: is she a spirit? And what makes her on par with Miguel as a detective?
Diego: si and why is because she's a smart cookie and not to mention her tools.
That picked max's curiosity but with one last smoke Diego put his vape and walked away from max.
Diego: I'll be inside and i enjoy our conversation. And do me a favor and keep mikado the other girls safe.
Max: that's why I became an exorcist I'm not desperate to prove that I'm strong all I care about is protecting the family that actually gave me another chance at having my own life.
Diego looked at max with approval and he was glad that mikado has someone who's willing to protect her if he's not around to help.
Diego: good to hear kid.
With that Diego left him alone to his thoughts and he was more determined to protect his family now that he learned that he has a brother and two extra siblings he will make sure to keep them safe too.