Pg.36
When I walk to the bus I see Jiro and Rea run out with others behind them. Jiro hugs me then begins to cry.
“I'm glad you're ok” she says.
“I'm glad you're ok too” I say.
Then I get a hug from Ms.Nara who is also crying.
“Thank you Issei for protecting us” she says.
“You're welcome Ms.Nara but I didn't do all the work” I say looking at Midnight and Luna.
Luna barks while Midnight just looks away trying to be edgy. Jiro wipes her tears and hugs both of them.
“I can't believe they're real!” she says smiling.
“Yea me neither” Sabi says.
He punches my arm and smiles.
“Nice work man” he says.
“Yes, great work Mr.Udo. I'm very surprised as well to see Midnight and Luna in your possession” Mr.Jin says.
“Yea, why do you have them anyway?” Jiro asks.
“It's a long story” I say, scratching my head.
“Well we should all leave and report back to the school” Ms.Nara says.
Midnight and Luna turn into their sword forms and I put them back in the bag. Traffic seems to go back to normal as the police arrive to ask questions.
“Hey Jiro, isn't that your dad's squad car?” Sabi asks.
“Yes unfortunately it is” she says shaking her head.
Pg.37
The police begin to ask the teachers questions but they tell them a small military group was looking for someone. They kept my secret safe. We then see Mr.Yamanaki enter the bus.
"Jiro, are you okay?" he says.
"Yes dad I'm fine" she says.
"I was worried about you but I see you're in good hands" he says.
"Don't worry Mr.Yamanaki we got Jiro's back" Sabi says.
He smiles at us then leaves the bus to ask more questions to other people on the bridge. Our ride back was as quiet as a ghost town. Nobody talked to anybody either out of fear or shock. Well everyone except our small group.
"So you have powers" Sabi says.
"Yea ever since I was three" I say.
"And what can you do exactly?" Niko says curiously.
"Well if u must know I can manipulate fire, water, ice and lightning" I say.
"What about your eyes? Why do they glow?" Jiro asks.
"It's like my body tells me about incoming danger but they don't always work. I can't switch them on and off by command." I tell them.
"What about Midnight and Luna?" Rea asks.
"Yea the last thing we heard they were scouring the Earth to find each other" Jiro says.
"That's a story for another time" I say.
The bus crosses the bridge into the mainland. I begin to look at my friends. Jiro is kind and honest and Sabi is well…Sabi. But one thing that is stuck on my mind is why Rea jumped in front of me. She then nudges my arm a little.
"Issei, thank you for saving us" she says.
"Of course Rea, why wouldn't I protect my friends" I say.
"Am I your friend Issei?" she asks.
"You are but I don't know about your sister" I say.
"I'm sitting right here you know" Niko says with a scowl on her face.
Pg.38
We all continue talking until we reach the school. When we get there we are met by a few limousines. Myumei and her father are standing there furious. We all get off the bus to confront them.
"Hi Mr.Haku what brings u…" Ms.Nara says before getting interrupted.
"Which one of you little punks is Issei Udo?" he ask in a furious tone.
Mr.Haku is one of the top business men in Japan, his business skyrocketed when he found a rare rock now known as the Element rock. As you can tell he owns Element Island and he built the bridge going from the mainland to the island. He is a very wealthy man so I can only guess what this is about.
"That would be me" I say, stepping up.
"So you're the punk who beat up my daughter's guards then you decline her offer" he says.
"I did it out of self defense sir" I say.
"How much Mr.Udo" he says.
"Excuse me" I say confused.
"How much do u want to join my security detail" he says flashing his large sum of money.
"Sorry but I'll have to say no, I don't have a price" I say walking away.
"Don't worry Mr.Udo everyone has a price!" he yells out.
I walk away from the school with Sabi and Jiro beside me. Rea and Niko also decide to tag along.
"Why are you two tagging along again?" I ask.
"Because we still have a job to do" Niko says.
Niko presses me against a wall and pulls out those large guns again. Sabi and Jiro look in shock.
"Issei Udo come quietly or I will use force and this time without your two friends to help you" Niko says.
"It's best if you listen to her, Issei" Rea says.
I see the watch on her wrist and quickly press it revealing her blue alien skin which makes her more pissed.
"Wait you weren't lying!" Jiro says surprised.
"No, why would I lie?" I say.
Pg.39
"You sly bastard if it was a kill mission you'd be dead long ago" Niko says.
"Were it so easy" I say with a smirk on my face.
"What's going on?" Jiro asks.
Rea then taps her watch revealing her orange alien skin. Jiro now is even more wide eyed but Sabi is completely calm.
"Dude, hot alien chicks,nice" he says.
"Issei is under arrest for murder by the ISP" Rea says.
"For something that happened in my past" I say.
Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.
"What happened?" Jiro asks.
"I'd say more but not here" I say.
"Then where?" Niko says.
I point to a palace overlooking the town.
"There" I say.
"Why man why there" Sabi says, upset.
We all begin to walk up the stairs leading to the palace which is a long journey. Jiro and Sabi can barely keep up but Niko and Rea are right behind me.
"So..many…stairs" Sabi says exhausted.
"How do you do this everyday?" Jiro asks.
"I'm just used to it" I say.
We finally reached the top of the stairs after thirty minutes. There is a large gate in the way so I begin to open it but I'm stopped by Rea.
"This is trespassing, right?" she asks.
"No, why would it be I live here" I say opening the gate.
When I open the gate we are greeted by an enormous courtyard with a shiny jade interior, whose columns are encased in a golden dragon wrapped around them. The floor sparkles as we walk through.
"You live here!" Rea says in shock.
"Yes I do, it was given to me long ago when I was young by my master" I say.
"You have a master? How come i've never seen him?" Jiro asks.
"Had, I had a master. Chi isn't with me anymore" I say, picking up a picture.
"Is that her?" Rea asks.
"Yea that's Chi Bota my master" I say.
Pg.40
I look at the picture that has a smaller, younger me making an annoyed face and my master wearing her all black jumpsuit making a silly face. I smile at the picture and remember all of our amazing times together.
"Is that you when you were younger?" Rea asks.
"Yea that is me when I was seven" I say.
I unzip the duffel bag as Midnight and Luna fly out of it now in wolf form. They begin to stretch before laying down next to me.
"You wanted to know about the murders right Niko" I say.
"Yes I do" she says.
I sit next to Luna and Midnight then begin to tell my story.
I was born at Healing Koi Hospital, my parents were Kybuta Udo my mother and Sizen Udo my father. My health report was normal to the nurses but the doctor saw that DNA was mutated. It shocked my parents to hear that I wasn't a normal baby. The first two years were calm until I hit age three was when my powers started to show. So I had daily check ups and tests. The doctor said that I could manipulate four specific elements: Fire,Water, Ice and Lightning. He said that my life would be difficult for someone like me.
While my parents felt sorrow for my well being, I enjoyed my childhood with them. My father was a school teacher while my mother stayed home and took care of me. I didn't know the stress my powers would bring would drive them to insanity. I was only five years old when I disappeared.
"Wait, what do you mean disappeared?" Jiro asks.
At the age of five I started to notice my parents avoiding me and came up with excuses. They looked at me like I was some freak, some monster. Rejection, hatred, pity and sorrow is all I could see on their faces. One night they surprised me by taking me to a movie. The moving pictures soothed my young racing mind but even though the theater was packed there was no laughter or crying, just silence.
Pg.41
After the movie we drove home, at least that's what I thought. My father took a road leading to dead trees, a place I've never seen before. We reach a cliff overlooking the sea named Ravens Edge, my father and I leave the car and he tells me.
"I have a surprise for you Issei" he says.
"What is it dad?" I ask in excitement.
"Turn around, close your eyes, count to three then turn around and your surprise will be waiting for you Issei" he says.
Following my father's instructions I turn back around and open my eyes to see my father with tears in his eyes and a gun in his hand.
"Kill him, Sizen KILL HIM!" my mother shouts.
Waves crash into the cliffside as the bullet leaves the barrel and flies toward me. My love erupts into anger, hate and merciless rage as my eyes glow ruby red for the first time. The water from the waves froze over me blocking the bullet.
Endless tears show not sorrow but hell unlike any other. The frozen wave liquefies then grabs my father then pulls him apart limb after limb. After a while he stopped screaming. My mother saw the gun and ran for it but she never made it as the water flowed in her mouth and burst her into a pink mist.
I let out a scream that caused the waves to go rampant, for lightning to strike around me and for the ground to burn around me as well.
"Dude you killed your parents" Sabi says.
"Yeah I did, I didn't feel anything back then and I don't feel anything now" I say.
"Wow Issei, I had no idea" Jiro says.
"Did you two not hear that he killed his parents? He's a murderer" Niko says.
"He did it out of self defense, Niko and he was a child" Rea says, trying to reason with her.
"He has more murders on his hands, isn't that right Issei" Niko says.
Pg.42
I walked for hours, maybe days trying to find my home or somewhere I belong. Eventually I found her Chi Bota, the woman who would later become my master. She took care of me and gave me the love I was missing as a child but I was still broken. I told her what I was and what happened.
"Issei, what you have is a unique gift, something your parents would have never understood" Chi says.
"Maybe to you but it's a curse to me I didn't choose to be a monster" I say in her arms with tears falling down my cheek.
"You're not a monster Issei, you're just different, misunderstood but even the weird and strange can change the hearts of millions trust me" she says cradling me to sleep.
So for seven years she was my teacher when school was unavailable, my mother in tough times and my master to teach me how to defend myself without using my powers. One day she told me she had a surprise for me but ever since my parents I hated surprises. This surprise was Midnight and Luna: Goddess of Light and Health and the God of Dark and Death. Two blades sitting on a pedestal behind a glass case. Her life work that she searched her whole life for.
"Woah cool swords" I say.
"These swords are my life's work. I've searched the whole world for them and I'd die to protect them" she says.
"Well that won't happen as long as I'm here" I say.
"I guess not short stack" she says giggling and rubbing my head.
From then on I knew my life was with her. We were more than master and student, we were friends. Two years later she taught me the secret to her life's work. They were gods trapped in those swords and she found out how to bring them to their regular form.
"Issei in order to break the curse a great tool is needed" she says.
"Like what master?" I ask.
"It says in order to break the curse the blades need to taste the blood of the betrayed?" she says confused.
"What does that mean?" I ask.
"I don't know" she says, sighing.
"Well I swore to protect you and your legacy so we can figure this out together master" I say.
She smiles at me knowing how committed I am at keeping my word then she hugs me but not her regular tight loving hugs. The one that gives off worry.
"Thank you Issei" she says.
Pg.43
A few months later on a day I'll never forget: I had left like any other day to grab groceries and Chi said she would make her favorite ramen with bean jam dumplings. So of course I get the supplies while she prepares. After leaving the store I got a bad feeling so I rushed home. I noticed the gate was open so I ran in to see Chi fighting off multiple people.
"Master!" I yell out.
"Issei run!" she yells.
Then she is stabbed in the back again and again. I then get the flash back of my parents and go berserk and kill the ones around her in a swift motion with my blade. Her body bloody and bruised sits up against the pedestal of Midnight and Luna. Reaching her I hold her close, I see that her eyes are lifeless.
"I-Issei" Chi says.
"Hold on master, hold on!" I say.
"Protect them" she says.
"No no no I'll save you too!" I say crying
"Save them Issei I love you" she says holding my face.
She smiles before her hands release from my face and hits the floor. It begins to rain as tears fall from my face. I can feel them surrounding the palace, hundreds of lurking shadows.
"I promise I'll protect your legacy master" I say, giving her one last hug.
I break the case unsheathing Midnight and Luna then I stand my ground against the legion of assassins. My powers were in an uncontrollable state while fighting. Fire and lightning surfacing all around me while I cut down everyone. Few try to run but none of them survive. Only one lived beaten and bruised; he no longer has the will to fight.
"Hundreds of trained assassins cut down by a child. No you're no child you're a freak" he says.
"Are those your last words?" I ask.
"Death comes for all even you" he says coughing up blood.
Pg.44
I cut him down and with that it was over. I fell to my knees and finally felt alone until the blades began to transform into wolves. One black with red eyes the other white with blue eyes. They stare at me before strolling over and licking my face.
"I did it master I broke the curse" I say.
After that I buried her and lived in her palace, went to school then I met Sabi and Jiro.
"That's my story, a story of a broken child who lost everything" I say to Niko.
"Issei I…" Rea says.
"If you still think I'm a criminal then I'll come willingly" I say.
Niko thinks it over then begins to sigh.
"We have a job to do…" she says.
"Sis!" Rea yells.
"But after hearing the full story I'll have to talk to the chief" she says.
Rea hugs her sister tight then hugs me. She then backs off and blushes.
"But we will have to monitor you until the chief decides what to do next" she says.
"My master's room is big enough for two" I say.
"Thank you Issei" Rea says.
Sabi and Jiro go home after they agree to keep Niko and Rea's identity a secret. Then we all go to bed and I think about Chi and my promise.