I was startled by my reflection. For a just a moment I thought I was looking at Dante.
"My hair is down…" I grumbled quietly. I swept my right hand back through my hair and replaced the bandages. I left the dressing room, abandoning my old clothes there. As I walked towards the exit of the store, the manager chased after me.
"You gave me too much!" he called out.
"Keep it," I said without stopping. I had plenty of money for the time being. I stepped outside once again and was welcomed by the sight of tall buildings and bustling people. Never before had I seen such architectural marvels, or such great numbers of people. The closest I had gotten to those things was looking at the black-and-white pictures in an old book.
I had only come to the city because it was so crowded and large. It was the perfect place to train without attracting unwanted attention. I only needed to find a suitable location. I spent the rest of the day searching through the city. It was late evening before I finally found what I was looking for.
It was an old building, perhaps a factory. It was abandoned and stood in the middle of a large, empty lot. I assumed that it wouldn't have been abandoned if it were in a decent neighborhood. The conditions of the distant houses confirmed my assumption that this was indeed a bad neighborhood to live in. It didn't matter to me though. I went inside just to make sure there was no one around.
It wasn't a factory, but instead was a warehouse. Wooden boxes were scattered in piles around the large empty room. There were few entrances into the building, so it was an ideal spot to defend. But the conditions of the walls would present a problem if I wanted to train at my highest potential.
I didn't waste any time though. I immediately went to work. I shut all the doors into the building, and stood in its center.
I had an idea of how I could train, but I first needed to test it out. I drew Yamato and sent a blade of energy whining across the room. I used the same trick that I discovered during my fight with Nox and Dies and teleported myself right into the path of the flying energy-blade. Using Yamato yet again, I deflected my own attack. It careened off towards my right. And I once again put myself in its path. However, the additional force added to the attack, due to me deflecting it, caused it to gain speed exponentially. Right after I blurred into place, I had little time to react before I deflected it again. This time, the attack shot straight at the ground. An explosion of dirt filled the room.
The dirt and dust settled. I had finally found an effective way to train.
I smiled to myself, and went back to it.
*****
As luck would have it, the warehouse had most likely held something of great value at some point. There were quarters for security guards near the back of the building. The bed wasn't too old and ratty, and there was a functioning shower.
After I finished training for the day, I noticed how filthy I really was. I hadn't bathed since before Nox and Dies showed up. I shed my new clothes and bandages and jumped into the shower. It took forever for the water to warm up, but I was finally able to wash out the blood that had seeped through the bandages and into my hair.
Blood…
It was the blood of all those people…Those innocent people…Though perhaps there was the blood of a traitor somewhere mixed into it. I felt a pang of guilt, but I quickly dismissed it.
There was nothing else that could be done, I reasoned. Nothing at all…
I stood there, deep in thought. I absent-mindedly fingered the amulet my mother had given me. I never took it off, even when I was bathing. I grabbed it and lifted it up to my eyes so that I could see it. The red gem still shined as brilliantly as it did the day I got it. The gold chain and frame hadn't lost their luster. It was as if it had been preserved from time. Just like the memory of my mother.
I shall never forget her
Never
*****
The next morning, I went out and picked up supplies from various shops. I made the Guard Quarters as comfortable as I could. It already had a working, though aged, refrigerator. An old gas stove sat near the back wall. However, I needed to learn how to cook, so I grabbed a simple cookbook as well. Then it occurred to me.
I don't know much about myself…About what I am…I thought. Perhaps there is a book on something like me.
The thought appealed to me. If I learned more about myself, and my abilities, I could become stronger faster. It was sound logic. But have there been others like me? I didn't know, but I decided to search anyways. I looked around one of the many unfriendly neighborhoods in the city. I happened upon an old library. It was a brick building, with cobwebs spread outside the windows. I entered quietly and found no one to be around.
I began to scan the shelves, looking for something I could use. As I searched through the rows of books, something caught my eye. A black, medium-sized book titled: "Hosts of the Demonic Realm"
I grabbed it and thumbed through the pages. Mostly it was an encyclopedia of various demons. There weren't many that I had seen, and I couldn't find any references to half-demons. But I did find my good friends, Nox and Dies. The passage read:
Nox and Dies: (Latin: Night and Day)
Two twin demons under the service of Mundus, the Emperor of the Underworld.
They are mostly used as assassins, but of a different sort.
Many other demons can be sent when the Emperor wants someone dead.
Nox and Dies are sent when the Emperor wants someone to wish they were dead first.
The twin demons' tactics are revolting, but in the end they do what every assassin is hired to do.
Kill.
I slammed the book shut.
"DAMN IT!" I yelled. Just moments after, I realized where I was. The building looked empty, but there may be someone out there. I wasn't terribly worried. I went back to searching for more books.
"What are you looking for?" a deep voice asked. There was something odd about the voice. If I thought about it, or tried to commit the voice to memory, the pitch would change. It was an interesting effect.
"Nothing." I said, "Please don't bother me. I don't require assistance."
"If you say so," the fluctuating voice said. "But perhaps I can aid you, Son of Sparda."
My eyes widened for a moment. My back was still to whoever was speaking, so I didn't give anything away. I cursed inwardly when I discovered that I forgot to replace my bandages. I was so wrapped up in my thoughts when I left, I didn't bother to notice.
And now look what my mistake cost me. Someone recognized me. Most likely a demon. I turned slowly to face the source of the voice.
It was nothing more than a man…Or so it seemed. Whoever it was wore a thick cloak. Not a demonic cloak, like Nox, but just a regular cloak.
"How did you know me?" I asked, impatient.
"If you're worried about anyone else bothering you," The cloaked man replied, "Then I assure you that you worry for nothing."
I couldn't see his face, but I detected no deceit in this statement.
"Very well." I turned back to the shelves, "Now, how do you think you could aid me?"
The man walked towards me and stood beside me.
"Your father was Legend." He said, "Have you heard the tale?"
"Yes," I replied, "Many times."
"Ah…But have you heard of his power?"
"What?" I asked, confused. I heard him chuckle.
"That's OK." He said, "Not many have heard of the fate of his true power."
"You see," he continued, "That Sword of yours amplifies your own strength. It is imbued with demonic power. Not all of that power comes from you, I'm afraid."
I cocked my head. I knew it had its own strength, but I did not know where it came from. I sensed that this man didn't either.
"But don't worry." He assured me. "That strength is still yours to keep, regardless of where it comes from.
"Your father, Sparda, held his true power in his own sword. It served as an extension of his power, really. It was an extension of his very soul. When he sealed Mundus away, with the rest of the Demonic Realm, he also sealed away his own true power."
"How?" I asked, "And why?"
"He sealed it away because he feared it so." He answered. "The bulk of his power was transferred into his sword and was left there."
It still didn't make much sense. I had a feeling I wasn't being told everything.
"But…"The man continued. "That power is only waiting to be found."
"Found?" I asked, still confused. "Are you saying that it can be taken? Someone could actually claim my father's power for his own?"
"That is exactly what I am saying." He answered. "One could journey to the Demon world and find Sparda's power. If he has the…Necessary qualifications…He could take Sparda's power for his own."
I thought about this for a moment. Not only could I gain immense power, but I could do it quickly! I could become like my father and rule over all. That way, nothing would ever dare to harm me, or my loved ones. I came back to my conversation.
"So…" I began, "What must I do?"
The cloaked man chuckled.
"That, Son of Sparda," He replied, "You must find out for yourself."
At that, the man turned around, and vanished into the shadows.
"Dammit" I said aloud and turned back to the bookshelves to begin my search.
