Imagine a world or an omniverse where objects are given power through sentimental value. You would think that a lot of people would cherish the stuff they own, hoping they’d have the next Ark of The Covenant on their hands? You’d be right to some extent. Everyday objects gain power through strong feelings people feel toward them. The stronger the emotions, and in some cases the more people who feel them, the more powerful the objects would be. However, when someone is completely overtaken by feelings of contempt, terror, rage, and despair as well as allowing those feelings to fester, a malicious aura will engulf the item they feel strong attachment to; causing it to become cursed. This would not only harm the owner of the item, but also the people around them. The thing is, it’s not the things themselves that hold great power but in fact the people who carry them. This opening sequence is really something. Nerdy fourteen year old kids on fanfiction sites go nuts on for this kinda stuff; or not.

***

The tall red shark man stretched his arm out to Tobi, offering to shake his hand. The boy in the paper bag mask reluctantly took the rough scaly hand and returned the greeting.

“I’m Bankell.” the shark man introduced himself. “And you two are?”

Tobi responded with his(newly thought up) name and Temi followed suit.

Bankell let out a hum of intrigue. The boy in the paper bag mask asked about the big party. He wondered why such grand festivities were held for just a year old child.

The shark man answered “That’s cause he’s my son. He may not be my actual kid, but I wanted to make this day special for him.” He looked at Takeru who was wolfing down two entire cakes. Right after that he adjusted his gaze back to the two of them, saying “Tell you what, we could use your skills. How would you like to join our faction, the Tattlesnakes?” The masked duo stood in silence, contemplating on how they were going to decline his offer in the most polite way possible. Meanwhile on the rooftops of the nearby houses down the hill stood two figures in straw hats. One of them, shrouded in a cloak, watched from the distance with his left hand cupping his ear. His enhanced hearing allowed him to listen in on the conversation, albeit almost drowned out by the chattering of the partygoers. The other one, wearing dried coconut leaves as camouflage, tugged on his sleeve and asked “What’s going on over there. He’s not offering them to join his gang right?” to which the first figure replied “Believe it or not, he actually is. I highly doubt they’d agree to it though.”

The figure clothed in coconut leaves then added “Then what if he doesn’t take it well? Whaddya think’s he gonna do to them?”

The young man in the cloak turned to his buddy and said “You’re right. We gotta help them out. But how are we gonna draw that shark guy out? We can’t just waltz in there. Those two are gonna get the wrong idea and attack us.” He crossed his arms, wondering “If only we could stir up something out here.” Just then, a Tattlesnake climbed up a ladder and shouted at them.

“What the hell are you two doing there, get down!”

The two straw hatted dudes looked at eacher other and nodded. Their time to strike was now at hand. Before the guardsman could plant his foot on the roofing sheet, the figure in the cloak dished out a side kick to his breastplate. This sent the ladder leaning backwards, with the guardsman falling out of their sight followed by a loud crash.

The two figures looked over to see the concussed guard clutching onto his head. They also found a broken crate of firecrackers beside him. The young man in the cloak aimed his arm to the pile of explosives and snapped his fingers.

Back at the party, Bankell stated to the masked duo “Not only that, but you’ll also get medical benefits and a dental plan. So what do you say? You two in?” but just then he was interrupted by the popping and whistling of the nearby firecrackers. Then came the sound of clanging. Another Tattlesnake guardsman came in, banging a ladle onto his wok shaped helmet.

“Boss boss, we’ve got trouble!”

The tall shark man turned to his subordinate, asking “What is it this time?”

“There’s somebody going around making a ruckus!”

Bankell raised his nonexistant eyebrow and responded with “The hell do you mean by that? It’s a birthday party! We’re supposed to make a ruckus.”

“But this one’s not the good kind!” said the guardsman. “They’ve even knocked out Rogelio.”

The shark man sighed, muttering “Looks like we’ve got an invader or two.” Before walking away to investigate, he once again offered the positions to the two.

“If you ever need to make a better living with your swords, we’ve got open spots for the both of you.”

He waved to them and grinned as he continued down the slope.

Moments later, as the two sat next to each other after taking some food, Tobi asked Temi “So this was your idea to get free food?” commending her for that clever ruse. She responded with an affirmative hum. She picked up a spring roll on her plate and brought it closer to her mask. He looked closely, curious to see how she’ll eat it. While he could easily slip food under his mask, hers perfectly fit her face. His eyes were now locked onto her hand. It remained stagnant for a few moments before… Schwoop! With a quick wave of her hand, the spring roll disappeared. This was then followed by the sound of munching and the bobbing of her head. Tobi just sat there, his eyes popping out of the paper bag. Temi turned her head to him and asked “You alright? Your spaghetti’s gonna get cold.” He responded with “Oh… right.” as he then took a forkfull of it and took a bite. He looked at her again and saw that her plate was now empty.

“Temi…” he called her, after which she turned to look at him again. “Would you mind if you took some… you know… Bringhouse?”

Note: Bringhouse is a Cebuano term used to refer to leftover food at a party or any other event that is taken home. Some people outright snatch them like vultures in thin short sleeved dresses.

***

A little while after the party had ended, Tobi asked the birthday boy’s parents if there were any lodgings nearby. Baby Takeru took off his binky and told them “Ignacio’s, at the edge of town.” before putting it back in his mouth and making little baby noises. The two bowed in gratitude before heading out.

“Weird kid.” Temi whispered, to which he responded with “Bet he could make a living doing ad reads for car brands.” The two walked to the outskirts of town, conversing about their future plans.

Moments later, the duo found themselves at a big rusty sign that said “Welcome to Ramonita!!” Next to it was a shabby concrete bungalow, with roofing sheets brown from rust and a banged up plywood door with graffiti all over it. The two of them looked at each other in doubt.

“You sure this is the right place?” Tobi spoke up. Surely this couldn’t possibly be the only inn in town, or so they thought. A fisherman passed by, minding his own business. That was until he was greeted with a “Hey, excuse me!” by the guy in the paper bag mask. After turning his head to the two, he was asked “Are there any other Ignacios in town?” to which he responded with “Just one. He runs that inn there.”

“This is the place then…” stated Temi, turning to face the rugged bungalow. After thanking the fisherman, the two knocked on the plywood door. It took a while for the door to open up, and out popped the head of a middle aged man in glasses and a topknot. He looked rather confused, looking at the pair of masked travelers.

“Tell yer boss I ain’t got the money! You lot should go suck someone else dry!” he shouted before swinging the door.” Tobi caught the door right before he slammed it shut and said “Wait! We’d like to stay for the night!” The innkeeper's face lit up like a bulb as he swung the door wide open. This sent the boy falling to the loamy pebbly ground below him.

“Customers!” he exclaimed. “Please, come in come in! It’s not much but it also doesn’t take much to tidy up.” Temi picked her friend up and dusted him off before they both they went into the bungalow inn. The interior was composed of a small bamboo kotatsu, a small CRT, a gas stove, a slightly rusty fridge, and a few rolled up straw mats leaning against the wall. It was indeed not very much as there was only one room in this house, and it could only fit about five or so people in it. Ignacio boiled some water and asked “So what brings you two here?” to which Tobi answered with “We found our way here. We’d like to spend the night here before heading south..” The innkeeper smiled as he opened the window and propped up a two-by-four against it.

If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

“Have you ever been to the Mabinay, the cave village?” he asked. “That’s where I was born and raised.” Suddenly there was a knock on the door. All three of them quickly turned their heads to it.

“I wonder who that might be?” uttered Ignacio. Tobi and Temi proceeded to race to the front. He warned the innkeeper to “Stand back. I’ve got a bad feeling about this.” They sensed a powerful aura, two in fact; right outside. On one hand Tobi clasped his scabbard and the door on the other. He turned to his friend and nodded before quickly opening the door and drawing his sword to strike whoever was outside. For a few moments, only the sound of clashing blades and the words “Woah, watch it! I just got a haircut.” were heard by the innkeeper and strange girl. The door threw itself open to reveal two young men, the same young men who lead Bankell out of the birthday party earlier. The one up front, who Tobi attacked, had thick silver hair crowned with a straw hat, a pair of sunglasses with a spiral design, a black cloth mask over his face, a flak jacket hugging his torso, with a black cloak draped over it. He blocked Tobi’s attack with a shortsword, demonstrating his quick reflexes. The one behind him looked just as strange. His face was veiled by a black balaclava and a pair of colorful yet scratched up sunglasses. His head was crowned with a bamboo hat. There was a bottle of Gin, hanging on a sash tied to his waist, with its neck hidden by his gray hoodie. Tobi lowered his sword and sheathed it as he bowed and apologized.

“No no, it’s alright.” said the silver haired guy in a calm minty voice. “I should be the one who’s sorry. We did startle you quite a bit. You see we’ve actually been looking for you, Shun.”

Tobi tilted his paper bag covered head and uttered “How did you…” to which he answered “Well, I can sense a lot more than most people, especially with these.”

He lowered his glasses to reveal a pair of bluish green eyes that appeared to spin.

Those very eyes of his widened upon looking through the eye holes of Tobi’s mask.

With a sudden and abrupt gasp, he said “Your eyes… I can see the cosmos in them!”

Tobi scoffed and rolled his eyes.

“Anyway, let’s talk inside. I’ll even pay for your lodgings.” He offered.

“No wait, I’m serious!” Coba exclaimed as he reached his hand forward. DoDo patted him on the shoulder and chuckled.

A night at Ignacio’s costs about fifty Pesos per head, with another fifty to cover food and accommodations. The coverage for the four of them would cost roughly around 250. While the innkeeper was out buying some ingredients, the four of them sat on the floor, forming a plus sign; the bamboo kotatsu serving as a barrier between them.

“Let’s get down to introductions first.” Tobi stated. “You may know me as Shun, but now I’ve changed my name to Tobi.” He pointed to his left with an open palm, continuing “This one here is Temi. I… met her today.” The girl in the fox mask waved to the other boys. Now it was their turn to introduce themselves. The silver haired guy humbly stated “Name’s Coba.” He extended his hand to shake theirs. The man in the bamboo hat’s mannerisms contrasted his. He planted his foot onto the kotatsu and puffed up his chest. He pointed his thumb to his chest and huffed “My name's D- D- D- D- D- DoDo, and fighting’s my game!” Coba immediately got him to sit back down as he apologized. Now that the introductions were out of the way, They finally got to the big question.

“Why exactly were you looking for me?” asked Tobi, to which Coba responded with “The Ikehara family sent us.” This was followed by him scoffing and retorting with “And they didn’t bother to find me themselves?”

“They can’t get here cause they might cause stir up trouble with the rival gangs. I was told you were with them so I assumed you knew that.”

Tobi sighed, uttering “Right... There was that too." He then raised his head until his eyes and Coba's were at eye level.

"Anyway I was just about to head back." The silver haired boy responded with a confused hum.

"I've realized today that the Ikehara need my help now more than ever." Tobi added. "I shouldn't have run away in the first place."

Coba placed his hand on his chin, nodding in delight.

"Well that was easy." He commented. "I thought it would take a lot to convince you." DoDo followed up with "We were gonna do some Good Cop Bad Cop stuff." to which his silver haired buddy replied "And you suck at being a Bad Cop. If we did that, it would end up being a giggle fest."

Coba took out something from his jacket and placed it on the kotatsu. It was a brown envelope containing evidence.

“The power plant explosion from a month ago... You remember that right?” he asked. Tobi responded with “People think I did that. It’s not true.”

Coba then followed up with “It isn’t. What if I told that it was an inside job?”

He snatched the envelope and opened it to see screenshots of a group chat, annotated illustrations of the power plant, and pictures of himself. The rival gangs planned to frame him in an attempt to cripple the Ikehara.

"Knew it!" He exclaimed as he got on his feet. Coba then told him “You weren’t the only one they screwed over. Little by little they were whittling the stronger members down. By the time DoDo and I came in, the whole family was in shambles.”

It was at that moment that Tobi figured it all out.

“To be honest, we weren’t gonna force you to come back with us, but we really need your help. They need your help.” Coba implored him. Tobi placed the evidence back into the envelope and sat down. He looked at him dead in his glasses, saying “We’ll come with you. We’re heading out first thing tomorrow.”

And so the two of them shook hands in agreement.

***

Ignacio had just returned and was now cooking up a stew. The four of them conversed to pass the time. Coba and DoDo had seen Tobi and Temi at the birthday party earlier. His skill with the sword was the reason why they were able to recognize him as Shun. Out of curiosity, Coba asked “The higher ups told me you’ve only used a blunt sword. Would you mind if we had a look at it?” Tobi took the Tenken and unsheathed it. Its blade reflected the light from the bulb above it and made the room a little bit brighter. Coba ran his hands through it and to his surprise, the edge was very smooth, too smooth.

“This won’t even cut through butter.” he thought. “Why would he fight with such a weapon.” With a tone of excitement, Tobi said “I’ll show you guys a little something.” he turned to the innkeeper and asked “Nong Ignacio, would you mind if you pass me that chayote over there?”

Note: “Nong” is short for “Manong” which means uncle.

After Ignacio tossed him the vegetable, he demonstrated the sword’s nonexistent sharpness by striking it. It left only but a dent. He then placed it on the kotatsu and the sword over it like a knife on a cutting board.

“So you may be wondering how I cut that barrel of wine.” he stated. “You see, I did some basic stuff by focusing my energy into the blade and…” Suddenly a swirl of energy emanated around the sword as well as his arm. And in a instant, Tobi sank the blade into the chayote and proceeded to dice it.

“I let good ol’ physics do its thing!” he continued.

Even more time passed and Ignacio had finished cooking up beef stew.

DoDo was impressed with how delicious it was and asked “Why don’t you set up a little restaurant. You could rake in a lot of money with tasty stuff like this.” to which the old innkeeper replied, saying “Oh I wish I could… But everything here’s controlled by the Tattlesnakes. They take a huge chunk of everyone’s income as well as the fish we catch. They’ve been bothering us for seven years, and I feel like it’s all my fault.” He went to the corner of the room and picked up a little box. He blew the dust off of it before placing it on his lap. He opened it, revealing a rusty pendant that had been sitting in there for a long time. It it looked like a shield with a family crest engraved on it.

“Back then, the Montemonte family were in charge of this town.” he explained “They were kind and fair, actively helping us and even making this place a harbor for a short time. I… was very close to the patriarch. He gave me this when he appointed me as his chief advisor. However, I had a feeling that things were about to take a turn for the worst. And it did… The Tattlesnakes came out of nowhere, took everything from us, and now I… now we’re all like this.” He took the pendant and clenched it, saying “A lot of times I felt like throwing this damn thing away, but I can’t… I end up remembering him and it just feels wrong to… I’m sorry, Carlo.” Ignacio began to cry. As he shook and sobbed, he held the box close to him. Tobi couldn’t help but speculate that the pendant may be cursed by the innkeeper's doubts and sorrow. He placed one hand on Ignacio’s shoulder and asked “Can I have a look at it?. Maybe there’s something I can do.” He nodded as he gave the crested pendant to the boy. Tobi held it by the chain and saw that a dark aura veiled it. He placed his other hand on the crest. And then, the pendant was enveloped in a soft green light. The sounds of sizzling and shimmering could be heard as the malice was purged from it. The rust fell off of it like brown flakes, restoring the pendant to its original splendor. Everyone was stunned to see Tobi pull this off.

“Purification!” Temi exclaimed, which was followed by DoDo saying “I’ve only ever heard of this in legends!”

Purification is an incredibly rare ability, wherein some individuals can cleanse the corruption out of an object. This would then return or elevate it to an elegant state, amplifying the power it contained. Those who have this ability were said to be servants of gods. Tobi lowered his left hand and offered the pendant back to Ignacio. He was surprised by the tension and the reactions of his newfound friends.

“What are all you looking at me for?” he asked them. And the room remained silent for a few more moments.