Saturday, 6:00 A.M.
The day after Credo's final test. I was lying in my bed, having woken up out of reflex. Of course, today was an off day, so there was no point in me waking up so early, but going back to sleep wasn't possible in this state.
As my mind slowly broke out of the fog of sleep, I began to think about everything that I currently had to worry about. Even though when I was talking to Ariel I had said I was going to not worry about any of the extra stuff and only focus on my mission, in truth, I was still very worried.
I mean, I had just been told not only were there multiple gods that saw and controlled the fate of humanity, but I also learned that even those gods were split into their own groups, all with different goals. Which ranged from recording the memories of the world to wiping everything in the universe. Delusions, contracts, the fact that anyone could be the proxy of a god, and anybody could be a higher being.
It made my mind reel just thinking about it. Which was probably why I shouldn't think about it.
"You should see your thinking face." Heh, I'm in such deep and great contemplation. Contemplating whatever idiotic 16-year-old older brothers contemplate." Kami said from where she was standing behind my bed, still in pajamas, while stroking her chin as if she had a beard.
As I sat up, I sighed, moving a hand to my head.
"Why are you in here?"
"I woke up from a nightmare and couldn't sleep." She said matter-of-factly. When in fact, nothing about that explanation was something I could consider an everyday normal thing.
"Okay...? That doesn't answer my question." I yawned, and I shot Kami a serious look.
She stared back at me with an even more serious look. not even blinking as she spoke.
"You're my brother. It's your job to help me with these kinds of things."
I just stared at her in unbelieving silence for a long moment, our eyes having a short conversation of their own as the sound of outdoor neighbors arguing filled the background.
"How old are we again?" I shook my head and rubbed my forehead again, thinking I must have been having some sort of bad nightmare. That was the only explanation for the absolute buffoonery I was waking up to at the crack of dawn. "What do you expect me to do?"
Kami stared at me as if I had just asked her the most obvious, brain-dead question of all time. "Console me." She even phrased it in a matter-of-fact way, like the answer was the most obvious thing in the world.
I was about to tell her to leave and not come back, but then I noticed her trembling. It was faint, a clear sign that she was trying to hide it, but despite that I could see it clearly and well. Her entire body was softly trembling.
As soon as I saw that, I shut my mouth, realizing that this wasn't just Kami trying to play a joke. She may have framed it that way because that was how she was coping with it, but in truth she really was scared.
"You said you had a nightmare?" I asked again.
Kami nodded, her eyes not leaving mine for even a moment.
Slowly, I reached out my hand and grabbed hers. Sure enough, her hand was cold, and it was shaking uncontrollably. My mind settled on one singular image. The painting of Kami's butterfly hairpiece covered in blood. A future I wanted to make sure was never realized.
If Kami was starting to have nightmares, I couldn't 'put away the idea that it could be some sick joke being played by higher beings. Didn't Ariel say there was a whole faction dedicated to that?
Ariel: Indeed
I pulled Kami closer, into a hug. There, I slowly began to stroke her hair while her face rested on my chest. She wrapped her arms around my chest.
As her body was brought closer to mine, I could feel her entire frame shaking. Whatever this nightmare was had done its number on her.
After a few seconds of silence, I asked Kami, "Can you remember what the nightmare was about?" Any information she had would help. Any information at all would help me figure out if this was related to the higher beings or the witch.
Or if it was related to some aspect of the world I had no idea even existed. That possibility was high.
"I—I—I don't remember. I can't remember. All I can remember is the fear I felt. And the pain."
Her voice broke, and I could feel something warm begin to wet my shirt. She was crying. I hated seeing Kami cry. Because it reminded me of the time when I had failed as her big brother in the biggest way. If Kami cried, it meant that I had failed in my goal.
And more than anything, she was my sister. Even if we traded jabs and insults, and no matter what we might have said, we were siblings. Kami was my sister, and I would do anything I could to make sure she wasn't hurt. I would burn out my own soul to make sure she never cried again. And if she was hurt? I'd put my all into giving the person responsible hell.
That's why seeing her cry in my arms right now filled me with so much emotion. Above all I wanted her to be happy. Along with my goal to be free, that would be the ultimate goal I am aiming for. Something I would stop at nothing and give up everything to achieve.
I wanted her to never feel hurt like she used to ever again. Seeing her like this made me want to cry. I was just barely holding back.
I tightened my grip around her, as if she would disappear if I didn't. I leaned in and planted a kiss on her forehead. "It's going to be okay. No matter what it was, it can't hurt you. I won't let it hurt you."
Kami's grip tightened around me. I could feel her fingers clawing into my back. "No. It wasn't me. Raiden, I can't remember, but that nightmare, it felt like it had something to do with you."
My eyes widened, and I barely concealed my gasp. I was thankful Kami's face was buried in my chest. It gave me time to compose myself.
"I don't want to lose you. I don't. If anything happened to you, I wouldn't be able to go on. Promise me you're going to be okay. You won't do anything stupid. Promise."
As much as I wanted to say and feel right now, Kami was crying in my arms, begging for me to be okay. No matter what I felt in that moment, her words took priority. Making sure she was reassured took priority.
I made her look at me before giving her my best smile.
"Nothing's going to happen to me."
Kami's tearful eyes showed uncertainty.
I wiped the tears from her eyes, never letting the smile leave my face. "Nothing will happen to me. Nothing will happen to me. We're both going to be okay."
Kami's eyes filled with immense emotion before she burst back into tears, burying her head in my chest and hugging me tightly as the sobs rocked her body.
I rubbed her back and hair as she cried; all the while I vowed to myself internally that I would let no more harm come to her. And most importantly, I would need to keep my promise.
I would solve all of the problems facing us. Gods? Delusions? Fate?
They could throw the devil himself at me, and I would push through. I would not break my promise. I would not let Kami get hurt. Not because that was my mission,
But because that was my desire. My goal.
As I made that vow, the sound of my phone ringing filled the room. I looked over and saw an unsaved number.
Just as I was about to decline the call, I realized I recognized that number.
It was the number Xiao Mei had given to me.
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Unbelievably, I found myself staring at the vibrant lights and colors of the red light district, a place I thought I would have never ended up. Standing next to me was Shindo, of all people.
For the first time I was seeing him dressed in casual attire, simple jeans and a t-shirt. Just like me, he looked absolutely appalled at the fact that he had managed to find himself standing in front of the lights to a red-light district.
In between the two of us was the reason we were even here in the first place. Xiao Mei, a member of the mages association, had called the two of us and given us this address to head to.
Well, not just the two of us.
I turned around to see the third person Xiao Mei had invited coming over. They were late, and so they were running over here in a rush. Still, I couldn't help but smile as I saw Yuri's tense and serious face give way to utter shock as he realized just where he was. He looked around, as if trying to make sure this was the right place.
Shindo raised a hand, waving him over.
Compared to Shindo and me, one could say that Yuri was overdressed. He wore dress pants and a vest, along with a tie. Another thing I noticed was that he had his glasses again.
They were the same dark shade as his old ones, and they concealed his eyes. They were replacements for the old ones that had broken when he and I had fought. I wondered about the significance of those glasses. When they shattered in our fight, he looked devastated.
I was dressed in jeans and a slightly oversized hoodie. My hands were pretty much glued to the pockets of the hoodie, with it being so cold outside. Winter was on its way; that was being made clear.
"Is this really the place?" Yuri asked once he was within earshotof us, his eyes moving back and forth, analyzing the large colorful signs all around. We hadn't entered the area yet, but even what we saw from where we stood was a large number of tight streets, with the glowing lights of bars, brothels, and many other different stores everywhere.
I tilted my head over to Xiao Mei, who was severely underdressed for how cold it was, the only saving grace being the coat I had chosen for her. Under that, she was dressed in this punk rock style outfit: black shorts, a cropped shirt, and a whole lot of chains, metal, and jewelry. She was wearing three studded belts, and her shorts were still sagging somehow.
She definitely did have an extravagant fashion sense.
"She was waiting for you to get here to tell us what exactly we're doing out here.' My eyes flashed back towards the Red Light District in front of us. "I doubt it's anything age appropriate though." Even though I joked about it, internally I shivered. This place made me uncomfortable for reasons I didn't want to think about.
Xiao Mei turned around at that moment, her eyes raving over the three of us, before she nodded her head.
"Is this your idea of dressing out?" She asked in a critical tone.
"Well, you did say dress casually...." I responded, but it was clear that wasn't the answer she was searching for.
"Of course I did, but it's clear our definitions of 'casual' differ severely." She placed her hands on her hips as she stared at the three of us. "It seam's like I'm going to help you three with a serious wardrobe refresh. Can't have you looking so plain the next time we come out.
The three of us locked eyes, absolutely shocked that there was going to be a next time.
"Now that I think about it, you two know her, right?" Shindo whispered to the two of us.
I and Yuri nodded. "We've been on a mission with her before... If you can even call it that." I said.
Shindo nodded, his eyes turning back to Xiao Mei, who was still giving critiques on our outfits.
He turned back. "Just what are we in for?"
Neither I nor Yuri could answer that one.
"You three look confused." Xiao Mei said before turning back to face the entrance to the winding and claustrophobic streets. "Let me explain. Thank you all for concealing your mana before you came here. For today, the three of us are not mages. We are just regular day people, on a trip to the red light district for some 'fun'..."
"I don't like the sound of that." Yuri groaned.
"Is that even legal? We're all under 18." Shindo asked, genuine concern on his face.
"Isn't this in direct violation of what the headmaster said?" I asked, just as shocked and worried for the morality of this whole thing.
"Be calm, be calm. I know you all are excited, but we're not here to mess around with girls." She said. Even though we had voiced our opinions loud and clear, Xiao Mei had heard them and purposefully decided to ignore it all. "As you know, the mages association has been overclocked with work, worldwide. I'm sure you've heard of the new wanted criminal, a mysterious figure who calls themselves the mage hunter?"
We nodded. Although I personally had only heard small tidbits from the news. Apparently some mysterious man was going around the continent of North America and slaughtering mages, C to S rank, without care. According to testimony from survivors, the man moved at superhuman speeds and had superhuman strength, all despite possessing no mana in his body whatsoever.
That seemed so impossible to me I was sure it was some sort of exaggeration. But with what I learned now, there could be space for there to be some sort of truth to the story.
I leaned closer and whispered into Yuri's ear. "If you think about it, that's just Myra."
He giggled, and Xiao Mei threw us a glare.
"Well, that case, along with the rebuild and the disappearance cases, has kept the mage's association completely full, and they haven't had time to look into any other mysterious cases. And God knows there are a lot of them." She was finally getting to our reason for being out here.
"This case is one that the association tossed to the side in favor of more high-priority ones; however, I wanted to investigate it for myself."
"So we skipped morally questionable secret ops for the government and moved on to morally questionable secret ops for you?" I asked, scratching my head. It wasn't like I wasn't expecting it, but I still felt the need to ask.
"I would label it an out-of-school project of sorts." She said nonchalantly. "Nothing illegal, just pushing the boundaries of what's allowed. You're all of legal working age, so you're just working for me." The tone of her voice almost made me believe her.
"In the Red Light District?" Shindo asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Context, Miyamoto. Context."
Next to me, Yuri was scrolling through articles about child labor and trafficking. "Any last words in case we don't see the light of day ever again?"
Xiao Mei turned around and began walking, beckoning for us to follow her. "Enough talking. Let me explain the case." The three of us followed her apprehensively as we listened to her explanation. "Apparently there's been a high spike of suicide rates around this area. Like a high spike. 65% increase. The intel agents sent in were unfortunately a part of that number. The ones who did survive came back experiencing intense depression and numbness, displaying nihilistic mindsets and tendencies."
We continued to walk through the winding and twisting paths, passing by the bright lights of stores, walking past drunk couples and prostitutes. On the sidewalks of the street, people were passed out from alcohol or doing something that was sure to give them a fine for public indecency. I kept my eyes trained on the floor. The glances I was getting from people all over gave me a horrible feeling. Nausea crawled through my stomach.
According to them, they encountered something that made them lose all faith in the world and in their lives. They described it as staring into a black hole right before death. They realized then that everything was futile."
A chill ran down my spine. The breakdown of information she had given us was a whole lot of stuff that couldn't be blamed on coincidence.
"These things are connected. They have to be. Reports also show a lower morale for people exiting this area as well. That and..."
She put up her watch, and a hologram was projected for us to see. It was a map of this area, and in the center, there was a large red dome.
"That is a map of the concentration of mana in this area. It's increased by 30% from last month."
"Isn't that normal for most areas?" Shindo asked. "I've actually studied this for a class. With the way populations shift and change, with new people entering and people leaving, isn't it normal for the mana concentration in most areas to fluctuate drastically?"
Xiao Mei smiled. "I knew it was right to bring some smart people along. But there's a reason we're pretending to not be mages. What you're saying would be true, and it would mean that this area is, if anything, below average; however, there is the one fact that this entire area is a major red zone."
I paused. Mage Red Zone. It was a colloquialism for sections of cities and towns that mages never travelled, mostly because they weren't welcome. And if this place was one....
"Then a 30% increase out of the blue is definitely suspicious." Yuri said, and we were slowly beginning to understand why Xiao Mei found this spot concerning.
"That, combined with the information that I previously told you, has led me to believe that an ability, some sort of magic, is behind the increased suicide rates. An ability that affects the world in a way that shouldn't be possible and breaks the laws of magic. A-"
"Delusion." A finish for her, my eyes widening at the possibility. A new delusion wielder.
Xiao Mei nodded. "The mages association lost its chance to study delusions and their users when those five who attacked Theta died. However, if there's a chance that there's more, I am going to find them." She said with determination as we appeared at a crowded intersection. Stores and colored lights everywhere, drunk shouting and rambling, brawls breaking out in the streets, and the loud honk of cars filled the air.
"Give me a moment. I need to meet with one of the intel agents stationed here." With that, she slipped into the crowd and into a store.
The three of us stuck close together. Yuri and Shindo were in conversation while I was silently thinking about the possibility of coming across a new delusion user. A delusion meant the interference of a higher being somewhere. Even the chance that I could get any information at all was amazing.
I was just theorizing about what could be behind this when a girl dressed in pink winked at me and waved, blowing a kiss.
In that moment my mind warped her face into that of someone I recognized all too well. The pink she was wearing, the flashing lights all around, the light color of her skin, the noise everywhere—
It felt like my mind was going to shatter from everything going on. My heart was beating quick, like it would pop at any moment. My stomach felt like it was being bounced like a pinball.
It was all too much. I stumbled away from the two of them, muttering about a bathroom. I couldn't take it anymore. I found myself a dark alley and threw up my entire morning's breakfast.
Just as I finished and turned around, I was jump scared by a man who was watching me.
He was in his 40s, with gray hairs beginning to appear. He was dressed in what might have once been an amazing suit, but now it was dirtied and trashed beyond recognition. He looked homeless.
"Overwhelmed, aren't you?" The man smiled, rubbing his mustache.
I was confused as to what this man wanted, but I nodded anyway. I was still nauseous.
The man handed me a cigarette. If I were thinking right, I would have declined it, but I wasn't. I just wanted to make the pounding headache go away. I wanted to calm down.
I took a drag of the cigarette. I could feel the tension leave my body once I blew out the smoke, as if it was carried away with the wind I exhaled.
"What's a youngin' like you doing around these parts?" The man asked as he leaned on the wall next to me, smoking a joint of his own. "This isn't the place for kids to play."
"I didn't come here to play. There's something I want to do." I said, My eyes are raving over the crowded streets.
The man laughed. "Something you want to do, eh? Tell me, did you come out here knowing exactly what you were going to do and look for?" The man asked.
I looked at him in confusion. What was he asking?
"What does it matter? I know my plan now." I took another drag.
The man chuckled. "Just as I thought. Every good part of life is a gamble, is it not?"
I was just about to question what he meant when my eyes landed on the most beautiful, ethereal person I had ever seen in my entire life.
She was being carried on a carriage that demanded so much space the entire crowded road cleared out for it. It was being drawn by beautiful horses. At the forefront was a man in a suit.
Beautiful dark skin that glowed even brighter than the radiant neon lights from above. Black hair that shone. It wasn't styled but instead left in its natural state. Still, there was something electrifying about the way the frizzy afro hung on her head.
She was even dressed like a princess from a fairy tale. Bright silver garments and jewels adorned her outfit. She was captivating. Every part of her was.
But what caught my eye the most wasn't the unreal beauty but instead the look in her eyes. The broken look in her eyes resembled that of a person who had given up on life. As if she didn't want to be here anymore.
"Got your eye on her? You'd best get in line now. She's the most coveted prostitute this place has to offer. Some people even say she had a past involvement with Mages. It adds to her allure, some say. That guy driving the carriage currently has the monopoly, and he isn't keen on sharing."
"Prostitute?..." No way. If she was, it was against her will. The look in her eyes. They weren't of someone willing. And more than anything, what this guy was saying just didn't sit right with me. Even if she was willing, did that give anyone a right to say those things about her? Monopoly? Like she was being owned?
I wheeled around to demand answers from the man, but he was gone. Without a single trace.
"What..."
I turned my eyes 'back to the carriage wheeling out of sight.
It wasn't my mission. It wasn't what I was looking for.
But I knew the feeling sitting in my chest would never go away.
I could do two things at once, right?
Ariel: Are you sure about this? Those were definitely some big shots.
Before I knew it, I was already planning a rescue operation.
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The young man with the white hair stood in front of the window of the tall skyscraper that overlooked the vibrant colored lights of the red-light district below. His name was One.
A whole world within itself. That was what some people called it.
It was a shame he wouldn't get to experience it for himself. Even more so now that he had just heard this new news.
"I can't believe it. All 3 targets in one place? What kind of divine intervention is this?"
As soon as he said that second sentence, he burst out laughing.
"Aw man. A real shame I don't get to head there myself. If I knew something like this was in the cards, I would have sent someone more qualified. Like you, Anaxagoras."
The man across the line spoke, and what he said made One laugh once again.
"So you did go? Here I was thinking you wouldn't be caught dead next to that old gambler." He tossed the cigarette into the trash and slipped on his long white coat. "Your orders? Don't hurt the Miyamoto. Just give him a good scare."
One turned his sharp gaze on the city below. "As for the rest. That Corrupt man and co?"
"Ice them."