Chapter 6 : Reunion

Next day

It was in middle day on Itsuka residence. Before, Dante was calling Shido by phone that he will come to his house. As well Shido and Franxius crew make a preparation about anything will happen. But as always Dante come without anyone realize it, along with Yuki who want to come too.

"So… what do you want to talk about?"

Dante was sitting on sofa when Yuki was chat with Tohka and other spirits, who was on there in other place of room.

"What else? Of course, it's about anything regarding to Phantom, as well about you."

Kotori in commander mode says that. Shido as well sit beside her to hear it more properly.

"So then, what will I talk first?"

"Well… let's talk about Phantom first."

After says that, she take out some note from somewhere near her.

"Then first, you say that you already meet her several times. Is that true?"

"Yeah of course it's true. To be more specific, three times I nearly meet her."

"Three times? When those happen?"

"Let's see… first it was on past but because that time there is um… some kind of situation so I don't really remember anything about that time."

"I see…", she say that when write some note. "Then, on other time?"

"The second time, well… that was here on Tengu City, five years ago."

Suddenly Shido stood up from his sitting place.

"Five years ago?! Wait… is that a time when you become a spirit, Kotori?"

"Yeah… that right."

For those two, five years ago was a turn out event that make them have this kind of situation. Kotori on that time was turned into spirit by Phantom. And Shido power to seal spirit power was discovered on that time too.

"Wait… you were there on that time?! Where did exactly you was on that time?"

"Well… pretty close actually. But well… you can't see me because I was unobstructed by flame. Or you just get too focused on Phantom, so you're not realizing that I was there."

"I… see…"

Shido say that and sit again on his original position. In other hand, Kotori was write something on her note and looks like scratch something on note.

"Anyway, can you give me detail about anything on that time?"

"Well… that time I got some notification about possibilities of spirit appearing on Tengu City, so I just go to here. When I was arrive, well… is still peace but suddenly there is some burst of explosion and flame on the location. As well I try to help anyone who got trapped on that incident, when suddenly I feel her presence on some place."

"Feel her presence? You can do that?"

"Of course I can. I will not forget any presence of person that I meet, even the-not-really-need- to-be-remembered person; I will still remember their presence."

"Okay… well… let's continued then."

"Okay. What did I talk lastly… oh yeah! That time I feel her presence, so I hurry up to the location. Because that place is really engulf by flame it's was really hard to close by, but I can make it somehow. When I arrive, I see you two facing her. To make sure I don't get notice by her, I don't really get closer, until you two somehow get unconscious suddenly after she put her hand or whatever to your head."

"I see… so it's same as our experience. Moving on."

"After that she somehow knows someone was watching her so she suddenly disappears. Well… I can't do anything about it. So, I just do what I can do. Well… like find some evidence around, but firstly I brought you two to safest place. I give you to nearest evacuation site and go back to see any trace left behind."

"Are you finding anything?"

"Nothing. There is nothing I can find there."

Kotori already hoped that Dante will find anything on that time, but it was useless because even Dante doesn't have a single trace or evidence that left behind.

"Um… sorry. It's just that it was suddenly so I can't do more than that."

"It's okay… anyway, what about the third time?"

"Ah that…ugh…"

Dante was scratching his head like he want to remember something. More and more he try to remember it, his face somehow become paler.

"That's enough Dante-kun. You don't need to force it."

Yuki was already on Dante back and try to calm him.

"What happen to Dante?"

"He always likes that. About his third encounter with um… Phantom, he can't remember it even though he surely remembered he was meeting her for third time."

"I see… well, in that case you don't need to force yourself. You're already helping us more than enough."

"Sorry I can't do much about it."

Dante regain his posture back to original state. Then he takes out a little box on his coat and eats the food inside it.

"Pocky?"

"Yeah. This is the only thing that able to calm me. Want some?"

He thrusts Pocky to Shido and Kotori direction. They kindly reject Dante offer and Dante take Pocky back to its original state.

"You sure like it, eh?"

"Well… very much. I even don't remember when I start to like it."

Hearing that, Kotori write something on her note. Shido take a peek on Kotori note when he sees writing on note, Pocky Maniac. Shido can't help but to make wry smile after see it.

"Well then for next topic, I want to know who exactly you're."

"Okay. I don't mind. Beside we will cooperation soon, so we must know each other to trust each other."

Suddenly the doorbell was heard.

"Kotori-san. It's me Mana. Can I come in?"

'Mana? I see…', when Dante mutter right that, Kotori answer the sound from door.

"Y-yes! You can. We just have a guest. You don't mind it, right?"

"It's okay… I don't mind it."

When Dante say it, Mana answered, "Alright. I come in."

Mana then gets inside from door, put off her shoes to their place, and come inside.

"Well, Kotori-san I want to speak with yo…"

When Mana comes in, she suddenly stop her words when she see Dante.

"Yo, Mana! Long time no see."

When Dante says that to Mana, she takes a step back with a frightened face.

"Ho…HOW Y-YOU CAN BE H-HERE?!"

Mana says it aloud and makes both Shido and Kotori shock and puzzled by Mana response towards Dante.

"How? Of course I come here from outside, press the doorbell, and wait until I can go inside. Just like you."

"N-Not that! B-but how…. You can still ALIVE?!"

As Mana says that, Shido and Kotori look to Dante with surprised face.

"Alive? What is Mana talking about, Dante?"

"Ah… that's well… it was on past. It's really a long story if I tell you."

"Okay… wait. Why did Mana know you Dante?!"

"Are you two doesn't know him?!"

"Well… yeah. We don't really know about him."

Shido says that to Mana, who make her get more cautions toward Dante.

"He… he is Karakūkyo Dante. Are you know about him?!"

"Err… no. I even know his full name right now."

"Okay! I will tell you all. Right here, right now!"

Mana takes a deep breath. Shido take a serious face while Kotori was drink her tea.

"He is Karakūkyo Dante or more known on DEM as Adeptus Zero, the well known wizard who dubbed as Second to World's Strongest Wizard as well very known to be work under DEM main director directly."

"Pffts!"

Kotori sprout her drink to air and get shocked by Mana words, as well as Shido.

"WAIT! You're DEM wizard!? Then, don't tell me you…"

Kotori take her distance from Dante, Shido take a distance as well.

"Wait! There is more!"

"What else?!"

"He… six years ago…was officially has been dead!"

"WHAT THE?! Then the one on here is…"

Kotori take more distance from Dante with half scared face.

"Heh. He he…"

Dante somehow start laughing with such scary laugh.

"Heheahahaha!"

Dante laugh pretty loud. Everyone on house get the attention towards Dante who laugh hysterically.

"Hahahaha! Ah~~ Mana, you… hahaha… can make such… hihihi… such a joke hahaha…"

Dante still laugh from what Mana tells about. He even holds his stomach because he can't endure it.

"Joke?! It's a joke?! I was telling you about what happen to you!"

"Of course it's was a joke! Me? Dead? Ahahaha… is really funny. And be funnier because you believe what they told to you!"

"Wait that means you…"

"Yeah, of course! From beginning I wasn't dead! It's just a lie! I was fake it all!"

After hears Dante answers, Mana take a relive that the one she sees now is not a person who die and come back alive. Kotori then get calmed and back to her sit, as well as Shido.

"Then, why you are faking your own dead? Don't tell me that you now currently on some secret mission to destroy Ratatoskr from inside."

"No. Don't worry. I'm now not DEM wizard anymore. Or to be more accurate, from beginning when I join them, I was a spy."

"Spy? Spy from whom?"

"From who? Oh yeah I forget to mention it when I meet Shido on rooftop."

Dante stood up from sofa.

"I was from organization called Yggdrasill. The secret organization that main work is to save and protect spirit's from any harm."

"Save spirit? Is it same as Ratatoskr doing?"

"Well… very same, but Yggdrasill already working before Ratatoskr fully operated. Well… is still work under Ratatoskr benefactor and founder."

"Wait… so you before work with Ratatoskr?"

"More or less, before I end up create Yggdrasill."

"Wait a second. What your relationship with Ratatoskr founder?"

"He was my father."

"WHAT?!"

Kotori surprise after hear Dante says that.

"Well… he is not my real father. I just get adopted after he found me."

"You're… adopted? More than that, what happen before you get adopted?"

"That's… I don't like to talk about it. It's just… a past."

"I…see…"

The atmospheres of room become so low. Shido know surely about what Dante feel. The feeling of alone and somehow like him when he get dumped by his mother.

"It's okay. You don't need to tell us about it. I know it's… being really hard to life like that."

"…"

Dante doesn't say anything.

"O-okay then, back to previous topic. Why you are faking your own dead? What the reason?"

"Well… if you ask about the reason. It's just pain in the ass."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, you see. From what Mana tell you about me, if I just get defecting normally then it will pain in the ass. Why? I was most important person in there when in past. If I defecting, of course I will number one target beside Spirit's, who that will make my work will be harder. So, I decide to erase my own existent so no one will ever think that what happen to them is my doing."

"Well… that… was pretty smart actually."

"But because I will work together with you all. I decide to reveal myself."

"Wait WHAT?! When you do it?!"

"Yesterday."

"WHAT?! So you mean right here, right now we was hiding the most searched target of DEM?!"

"Not really hiding. I was come here secretly anyway."

"But you come here from outside, right?"

"Without any witness."

"Eh…? Even now, you still be mysterious."

"Hahaha…"

The atmosphere become relaxed. Even Dante is a mysterious person, he still a normal person who even can laugh that much. Suddenly Dante phone was vibrating.

"Hm?"

Dante took out his phone and see something on his phone.

"What the matter?"

"There is something happen. Sorry, but can you take care Yuki for while?"

"It's okay anyway."

"And don't try to seal her when I was gone."

"Um… can I ask you regarding Yuki? Why you don't seal her?"

"I will tell you later. For now don't do anything to her, got it! Don't worries. I already give her a device that can conceal her Spirit wavelength. It will be okay."

"Um… okay."

"Okay then, farewell."

With a fast a light Dante suddenly disappear from his spot.

"How he can do that?"

"Just ask him next time you talk."

After Yuki says that, Shido get felling it will take a lot of time to ask anything about him.

Meanwhile on other location

"Now where is it?"

Dante just arrive on location that was pointed on his phone. At that moment.

UUUUUUUuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu —

The spacequake alarm suddenly echoed.

"Spacequake alarm?"

Dante check something on his phone.

"But there is no spirit wavelength nearby. Don't tell me…"

Suddenly Dante was raining with laser from sky.

"As I though!"

With such a reflex Dante evade the laser coming to him. He checks to sky, but there is no sign of wizards. Then he checks again to around, but he doesn't look any wizards around.

"They smartness get increased suddenly?! Wait… these methods… don't tell me…"

When Dante mumble, he feels something close in very fast on his back. Dante quickly reflex from a thing that near hit his neck.

"As I though. It was you guys strategist."

Dante see some wizards already on his back when he turns around. Then other wizards come out from other direction, surrounding Dante with their gun aimed to Dante.

"Hm?"

One of wizards comes down to the place Dante stood.

"It's such a long time Dante."

"Well… look at yourself, Alisa. You're already grown that much, both on appearance and performance."

"You don't need to praise us. All of this, because of your doing."

"Well… I can't deny it."

Alisa then pointed her gun to Dante. Dante face it with such a calm face.

"After all, you just are following the order. I can't do something about it."

Dante was ready to receive Alisa shot. Suddenly…

"Do it…"

On AST Base

"Captain! We lost the communication with wizard's teams!"

"What?! Check it! Try to connect it to one of them!"

"It's useless. All links was cut off!"

"Tsk! Damn it!"

Back to location

Dante get surprised. He thinks the woman in front of him ordered other wizards to shot him, but it's different.

Some of those wizards attack and knock out other wizards with such fast methods. The wizards who get attacked don't realize who was attacking them. Dante doesn't know what's really going on.

"What do you…"

"Sstt!"

Alisa told Dante to shut up. Not knowing what's really happen, Dante just follow what she told.

"Captain Alisa. The communication is already cut off."

"Okay then, good job."

Dante without wait much longer open his mouth and says.

"Why you do such a thing?"

"Dante, can I ask you something?"

"Eh? What is it?"

Alisa then turn around and looking to Dante.

"Are you… really defecting?"


Okay right now I ask anyone to review my story. It's just that I need it so I can make coming chapter to be more good than before. Anyway, thank for all reader who read my FF, you're the BEST!