Chapter 3: This Heart
When Jin awoke in themorning, he felt as if something had gone wrong before. He got up and set off for the town he'd already passed, it wasn't far from where he was. When Jin arrived, the townspeople stared at him blankly, like he'd done something bad. "Have any of you heard of Ragna the Bloodedge?" Jin asked, still confused about the looks. A child began to speak, but her mother covered her mouth, whispering not to talk to him. One villager gave signals to everyone else, who then nodded. "What the hell is going on here? Have you heard of him or not?" Jin demanded. The villager started a countdown with his fingers. Are they... planning an-? Jin thought, unsheathing his sword as the villager's count fell to zero. The townspeople all charged at Jin at once, but they were no match for Yukianesa. Some townspeople were slaughtered, some frozen. The children watched in horror as their parents were being killed right before their eyes."STOP! NO!" A little boy screamed. He ran towards Jin, who kicked him back to his friends. Jin grabbed the villager to start this and pushed him up against a wall. "You bastard! Why the hell did you do that?" Jin asked. "Y-y-you've got an es-escape warrant on you s-so our town nee-needed the money... so I th-thought we could try t-to capture you b-but we failed..." The man answered. "Damn it. DAMN YOU ALL! YOU'RE ALL JUST BITCHES WASTING MY TIME! And you," Jin pointed at the children, "You're all a bunch of BAsTArd OrpHAnS!" Jin drove an icicle into the man's throat, as his blood spilled all over Jin's collar. The children screamed. A little girl ran up to Jin and tries to punch him, but all it felt like was tapping. Jin swirled around and grabbed the girl by the throat and lifted her off the ground! Her scared brown eyes stared into his angry green ones. The other children ran away, fearing for their lives. Jin was frozen like that for a long time, until he saw the girl couldn't breathe. He loosened his grip, but didn't let the girl go. The little girl was gasping for air. Jin slowly lowered her to the ground. When the girl's feet hit the ground, she began to run away. Jin made an ice arena so she couldn't escape. "Please, let me go!" The girl cried. Jin walked towards her, nearly engaging her in ice. When he was right in front of her, he knelt down, so he was eye level with her. "What is your name?" Jin asked. "N-Ningai." The girl responded. "Your real name." Jin repeated. "T-that is my name sir. I- I'm sorry." The little girl apologized. "Stop apologizing. I hate that. Ningai is a name for people. Who called you that?" Jin asked. "Mommy and all the kids." The girl replied. "Did you and anyone else hang out or were friends?" Jin asked. "My dolls, but sir why are you asking me this?" The little girl asked. Jin stared into the sky for a long time. "Sir?" The little girl repeated. "Ningai means outcast. They were calling you an outcast... even your own mother." Jin explained. The girl looked at him, her eyes tearing up. "Even my brother and sister?" The little girl asked. "...yeah." Jin said. He was thinking of how he was the outcast after Saya was born. How he only wanted to be with his brother. "Do you know your name?" Jin asked. The little girl shook her head. "Can I give you a name?" Jin asked. "But... you killed everyone how could I just-?" The girl asked. "I can't change what I did, but I want to change you." Jin said. "Okay." The girl agreed "Your name is Tenrai. It means divine." Jin said. "I like it." Tenrai smiled. Jin made the ice sink into the ground so Tenrai could go find everyone else if she wanted. Tenrai instead of running away ran towards Jin. He didn't move, he was too surprised. Tenrai instead hugged Jin. "Thank you." She said. "But I still-" Jin began. "It's okay, I wasn't part of them anyway. Tenrai got up and ran off towards where the other children ran away, but stopped and turned around. " There's no chance I'm gonna tell them about this!" Tenrai called out, winking and soon disappeared off the horizon. Alone again, Jin sat down and looked around at what he'd done. The blood on his hands and collar started drying. "I don't get it." Jin though aloud. "How can people walk away from things like that?" Jin inhaled deeply to smell everything around him. I still am the enemy... the killer. Jin thought. "How can they be so acceptant?" Jin pondered. He sniffed again, trying to identify anything besides death. Unable, he began walking west through the town. He didn't want to encounter the children, who headed north. While Jin was walking just past the town, he heard a voice in his head. Kill them. "Kill who?" Jin asked. Kill them. The voice said again. "Who the hell are you talking about?" Jin asked. All of the town. "Why the hell would I do that! Those kids are inoccent! Get the hell out of my head!" Jin exclaimed. Kill them. The voice said again. Jin started walking north. "...No." Jin struggled to control himself. Kill them. ALL OF THEM. The voice commanded. "Shut the hell up!" Jin yelled. Suddenly he fell to the ground. What the hell just happened? Jin thought, too exhausted to talk. A familiar scent crept up his nose. Jin struggled getting up as, the scent of roses descended upon him. "What... the hell... do you want... witch?" Jin asked. "I simply wanted to know if you had an answer to my question yet Mr. Hero. You don't have to answer though, you seem quite weak at the moment." Rachel smirked. "You're not in top shape yourself, care to explain?" Jin asked. "I'll have you know that you left before he showed up." Rachel replied. "And just who are you talking about, witch?" Jin asked. "...Terumi." Rachel answered. "Captain Hazama?" Jin inquired. "Yes." Rachel explained. "You let that bastard beat you up... and leave?" Jin laughed. "And I don't suppose something more drastic happened to you?" Rachel hissed. "Someone or something was trying to take over my mind." Jin explained. "It's as I feared, then." Rachel confirmed. "What the hell are you going at, witch. Was that whole incident you?" Jin demanded. "No. Have you got an answer to my question?" Rachel asked. "I have an answer, but it's that I have no idea who I am." Jin admitted. "Then Mr. Hero, you need to fight me." Rachel said. "No way in hell am I fighting you." Jin beamed. "You want answers, correct?" Rachel asked. "What of it?" Jin asked. "If you fight me I can give you answers." Rachel smiled. "Fine." Jin agreed unsheathing Yukianesa. "Gii, Nago." Rachel called. Gii flew down from a tree where he was hiding. Nago seemed to crawl out from nowhere, behind Rachel. Jin and Rachel stared at one another. "You can go first Mr. Hero." Rachel teased. Jin ran towards Rachel with his blade lifted above her waist. Rachel dodged that attack, to Jin's displeasure. "I thought you wanted a fight, not a game of tag." He smirked. "Oh my, it seems as if you are telling me what to do." Rachel sighed. "Just shut the hell up and fight." Jin growled. Rachel lifted her hand and lightning bolts flew at Jin. He slashed the air with Yukianesa, creating a barrier of ice. Rachel smiled. Jin pushed Yukianesa into the ground, and jumped as the ground froze over, trapping Rachel. He walked up to her, and laughed. "Are you happy now? I fought you, now give me your answer!" Jin demanded. Rachel moved her arm down to point at Jin's feet. Nago morphed into cement, and Jin was trapped to. "Look deep into my eyes." Rachel ordered. "What the hell is this?" Jin asked. "Do it Mr. Hero." Rachel repeated. Jin looked into Rachel's eyes and soon they were both in darkness. Jin was still trapped. Rachel's eyes began to glow. After a while, the glowing stopped, and Jin could move. "What the hell did you just do, witch?" Jin asked. "Observed you." Rachel answered. "And what the hell did you find out, it better have been worth it... or you're dead to me." Jin warned. "Your heart... is being overcome by something. You need to master the power of order... before you die." Rachel explained. "My... heart?" Jin asked. "Yes. Now, I leave that to you." Rachel stated. She teleported away, and Jin was sent back to the village, he was all alone now. Jin put his hand on his chest. "My... heart..." He thought aloud. He felt his heartbeat, a steady pattern, but nothing seemed to be wrong. "My..." Jin repeated. "Heart?"