The infusion of the draconic gauntlet is now complete but Kevin wanted to run some tests on it, Mak has mentioned that the dragon scale was immune to elemental attacks, that could only mean one thing...

Kevin-Gabriel, give me your lighter.

Gabriel-Why?

Kevin-I also want your hairspray, Carmen.

Mak-I like where this is going...

Gabriel-Huh?

Mak-Oh come on, you really don't know what Kevin wants to do?

Gabriel-No idea.

Mak-The hairspray is flammable, he is going to make a makeshift flamethrower and test it on you. Just like when kids burnt the ants in the backyard.

Gabriel-I never did that.

Mak-Why not? It's fun!

Gabriel-Because I am not a pyromaniac ashole, I had better things to do with my time.

Mak-Yeah, cry in the shower cause you couldn't get a girlfriend.

Gabriel-Give me that hairspray!

Kevin-Gabe...

Gabriel-I was just gonna burn his tongue. Not kill him.

Mak-(That's equally disturbing.)

Kevin-Carmen, can you bring me the hairspray, please?

Carmen-Sure thing doctor.

Gabriel-Are you serious about that?

Kevin-What?

Gabriel-We can just toss it in the fireplace to see if it holds.

Kevin-I want to simulate a fire attack and see how well it protects you.

Gabriel-What if it doesn't?

Kevin-Well...You do have regenerating abilities.

Gabriel-Oh sure, let's burn Gabe down cause he can recover.

Mak-(Said the guy who unleashed a light attack on Jason just to test it.)

Carmen-Here doctor.

Kevin-Ok Gabe, you just put on the gauntlet and stand here.

Gabriel-Oh shit, why do I have to do this?

Mak-Who else would we test it on?

Gabriel-I have a useless guy in mind, he is green, ugly and pisses me off all the time! I know, why don't you put it on and I'll shoot a fireball at you!?

Mak-Nah, I don't think so.

Kevin-Gabe, bring it up and try to guard against it.

Gabriel-Fine...

Kevin turned on the lighter and pressed on the hairspray head, the flamethrower was close enough to Gabriel to melt his face, the gauntlet blocked all the heat and Gabriel didn't feel a thing, it was like the gauntlet absorbed everything from

the flamethrower. After a couple of seconds of continuous usage, the hairspray ended and the stream of fire stopped, it was a complete success...

Kevin-It worked! Hahah!

Gabriel-Yeah, I didn't feel a thing.

Mak-Nice job doc.

Kevin-Imagine it, with your reflexes, you can guard almost from any fire-based attack as long as you bring the gauntlet in its line of impact.

Gabriel-Yeah, I guess it could come in handy if I come across any psychic with pyrokinetic powers again.

Kevin-Not only that...

Kevin threw a rock at Gabriel, he raised the guard again...

Gabriel-What was that for?

Kevin-Did it work?

Gabriel-Did what work?

Kevin-I thought a rock would be considered an earth attack and based on the dragon scale information it should block it completely.

Gabriel-I mean it didn't hurt but I felt it.

Mak-No, that was physical damage, a rock been thrown isn't an earth elemental attack, it's purely kinetic energy.

Kevin-What would be considered an earth attack then?

Mak-I don't know...

Gabriel-Very informative.

Mak-Hey, I am not an encyclopedia.

Gabriel-Yeah, an encyclopedia would be useful.

Mak-Fuck off.

Carmen-Stop fighting.

Mak-He started it.

Kevin-Enough, I wonder what else we could do?

Mak-Maybe bring the hose and splash him with water?

Kevin-That's not a bad idea. Mak, fetch the hose.

Gabriel-Oh what have I gotten myself into?

Kevin splashed Gabriel with the hose but it was an interesting result. When the pressure of the water was high enough it just bounced of the gauntlet but when he turned down the pressure it then soaked Gabriel with water...

Mak-I see, with enough pressure it could be considered an attack but without enough force it just ignores it.

Gabriel-How is that supposed to work? Is that thing sentient and able to recognize what's an attack and what's not?

Mak-I have no idea.

Gabriel-How do I know what is going to be blocked and what not then?

Kevin-That's an interesting question, I am going to run some tests to it and then you can get it back.

Gabriel-What kind of tests?

Kevin-I am going to measure at which pressure does it activate for water, at what heat it activates for fire, I presume a wind based attack will be measured by the speed of the wind and I want to see how to trigger it with earth.

Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

Gabriel-I'll leave that to you.

Kevin-Yes, I will take it to the lab now and put some sensors on it.

At this point, Carmen fell to the ground with an empty look on her face, like she was spacing out, but it was something else...

Carmen-Oh...No...Oh my god!

Kevin-What's the matter Carmen?

Mak-Are you alright?

Carmen-I...I see someone, in front of a statue.

Gabriel-What?

Carmen-He is speaking...some kind of a ritual...No!

Kevin-What happened?

Carmen-He...he...just died!

Mak-What?

Kevin-Calm down, what else do you see?

Carmen-The window...I can see outside the window.

Mak-What can you see?

Carmen-The man was elevated, second...or maybe third floor of a building...I can see the cafeteria.

Mak-What?

Carmen-The cafeteria Gabriel took me yesterday.

Gabriel-There is only one three-story building close to the cafe, the martial arts dojo.

Carmen-Yes, inside...I can see Japanese decoration...The little statue is also of Japanese origin.

Kevin-What happened to the man?

Carmen-He is lying on the floor, I think he is dead! Oh my god, it's horrible!

Mak-What is it?

Carmen-His eyes are...are...

Mak-WHAT!?

Carmen-His eyes are pitch black.

Mak-Carmen, stop it!

Carmen-What?

Mak-STOP LOOKING AT THAT THING!

Carmen-I see a shadow coming from the statue...

Mak slapped Carmen in order to stop her from looking at the scene. She lost focus and the vision disappeared...

Gabriel-Why did you hit her?

Mak-Did it see you?

Carmen-What?

Mak-Did you feel the shadow looking at you?

Gabriel-Are you going to tell me what the fuck is going on?

Mak-Tell me damn it!

Carmen-I don't think so, I lost the vision.

Mak-We can only hope it didn't sense you.

Gabriel-I swear, if you don't tell me right now I am going to smash your head open.

Mak-The only thing I can think of what happened...

Gabriel-What is it!?

Mak-A Shinigami.

Kevin-What?

Gabriel-What?

Mak-The Japanese death spirit, it consumes the souls of humans to gain power.

Gabriel-A death spirit?

Mak-Normally the Shinigami come to eat the souls of dying humans thus gaining a little bit of power at a time, they are basically the Japanese version of the god of death.

Gabriel-Why would one come here?

Mak-It wouldn't, the Shinigami are not evil.

Gabriel-Are?

Mak-Yes, the Shinigami are many, they are all spirits of death, once your soul is consumed by a Shinigami your body becomes a lifeless husk.

Kevin-You told me earlier that many creatures claim human souls.

Mak-Yes, every person can devote their soul to any creature, the Shinigami are Japanese spirits and claim the souls of those who devote to Japanese spirits.

Gabriel-Why is one here then?

Mak-The man Carmen saw must have summoned it.

Kevin-They can be summoned.

Mak-No, that's why I told her to stop, the Shinigami can sense the presence of anyone, even if it was by astral projection. The fact that a Shinigami was bound in a vessel means that it was no longer in the service of Yama, the king of the underworld.

Gabriel-What does that mean?

Mak-It no longer follows the rules that Yama has bestowed upon all the Shinigami and has become a threat to humans, devouring their souls without considering the lifespan of the individual, without the connection to Yama's place the souls are just being destroyed and the power is left within the Shinigami, as it feeds it will grow stronger.

Gabriel-What are we waiting then? I have to go and blast it.

Mak-We can't be so sure.

Gabriel-Why?

Mak-There was never an occasion in which a Shinigami was destroyed, I don't know the extent of their power or how to destroy them.

Gabriel-What do you mean the extent of their power?

Mak-It might be able to destroy your soul without even trying, there is no way of telling how to beat a thing like that?

Gabriel-I won't stand here and do nothing. It's my task to eliminate things like that in order to create a righteous world.

Kevin-I think we should listen to Mak, we need to examine the situation here.

Gabriel-We don't have time, that thing could be eating human souls as we speak, growing stronger with each one, if I can't stop it, then there is nothing else to examine.

Mak-Let's go.

Gabriel-Did you change your mind?

Mak-No, it is extremely risky to go there but I might know of a way to put it down for some time...