Prologue
Even now, after all these years, even after I have committed my whole life to become strong enough to finally assert my place in this twisted world...I still cannot defeat this man, who all consider the very incarnation of death itself. Maybe this was how it was going to end from the very start, was I just too naive to believe that I could really avenge anyone? All of these thoughts swam lazily through Izumi's mind as he lay on the floor of some abandoned warehouse in a large pool of his own coagulated blood. Oh, but you can my dear Izumi, you can do more than merely overcome this worm. Such a sweet voice, Izumi looked up to see the pristine face of his long dead sister, both of them surrounded by an endless stretch of an even longer dead forest that instantly brought about an intense feeling of nostalgia. She was smiling a most pleasant smile, but there was something predatory to her persona that Izumi knew was only an aspect of his guilt torn psyche, or maybe this was some lingering projection of her deceased spirit, could such a thing even be plausible? Does it really matter now Izumi, does it matter at all whether I'm real or a figment of your imagination? I am still your sister, no? Izumi had no answer to that. Instead, he simply lay his head on the rough ground that felt ominously like gravel over a grave. Was that where he was now? Is this really the same place where he and his sister would go to retrieve their monthly sustenance? How very ironic, but also fitting. You've truly deluded yourself into believing this man comes even close to matching your strength haven't you? Poor poor Izumi, always so self-loathing, never understanding the fine line between utter weakness and mere hesitation. Stop indulging in the fear of your own nature and simply let go. If not, the last person you hold most dear will surely perish. Do you want that? Izumi looked up, at this last remnant of his desiccated past and answered, almost in a whisper "No, I don't want that". His 'sister' seemed satisfied with the answer he had given. It wasn't your fault that father, mother, and myself died. You were far too young at the time to do anything, too weak. However, you're no longer the scared child hiding in the forest as the harshness of reality comes crashing down upon you. Now, you possess far more power than all of us ever could have obtained, even if we were still alive. The only thing holding you back...is yourself. Izumi knew this full well, and she was right. He was scared. Terrified even, that if he did let go and put to use whatever Dr. Takumi had been injecting into his blood stream, he might just become something worse than any kakuja. The alternative however, would be to watch as the final blow was struck upon the very person he needed to protect. He just couldn't allow that. So, taking hold of his beloved sister's outstretched hand, he took the plunge into what might have been the end of all that he is or ever will be.