Chapter 8 : Dante's or Shido's?
"Stop…stop it…"
The surrounding was engulfing by flame. A lot of building was destroyed. The scenery just like the hell itself.
"It was your own fault. You're the one who want to saving, but you end up can't do anything."
In front of young man with black hair standing a young woman. She dresses in black dress that have chain surround her body. Half of both hands take shape of gigantic metallic hand with finger as sharp as blade. She was holding someone on one of her hand.
"Stop… please stop!"
"You're weak! Really weak! You want to save me, save her, save everyone, but you're too weak! With something like that, how you can save someone? You're too naïve."
"D-Dante…"
The one who says that is a girl with blonde hair. Her condition is pretty bad, with a lot injury on her body. She was get holding on one of hand of the young woman in black dress.
"This is the result of your weakness! Your naïve! And now, I will teach you what real despair is."
She ready one of her hand, shaped like a something sharp and point it to the girl who she holding on other hand.
"Stop! Don't do it!"
The young man tries to stop her, but he can even move neither his leg nor his body. The young woman was ready to stab the girl on her holding.
"No…Stop it! Stop! STOP IIIIIITTTTT!"
Dante woke up from his dream
"HAH! Hah…hah…hah…"
He breathes heavily and sweating. He put his hand on his chest to calm his breath.
"That's… dream again…"
He then takes off his blankets and sitting on side of his bed.
"Is that true? That I still naïve until now? No… I'm not naïve anymore. I will never become a naïve person anymore."
When he says, sounded a low voice from another bed besides his bed.
"Mu… Dante-kun… I can't eat that's much…zzz…"
Yuki was sleeping there. She was just delirious. Much like she was dreaming eating her favorite food a lot. It can be seen from her saliva who dripping out a little from her mouth.
Dante just smile when see Yuki delirious. He somehow becomes relaxed when seen her. He then notice her blanket was just was moving from original place.
"You will catch cold if you can't fix your bad sleep habit."
He then stood up and put the blanket back to its position. It can seen Yuki smile from getting the warm inside her blanket.
"That smile… I will protect it, no matter what happen."
Few hours later
"Now…can I ask you something?"
"Go on."
It was on Itsuka residence. Dante just finish his moving with Yuki to apartment building that residence of other spirit. They say that something pretty urgent to discuss about. Before, Dante think that about his relationship with DEM Industries, but its look like not like that.
"Who are you?"
"It's Mana description it's not much."
"Well…that was pretty much, indeed. No! We were asking about what we say yesterday!"
That's right. They were asking about what they seen from Franxius yesterday. It's all about his relationship with white spirit "Slayer" and about his sudden transform into spirit.
"Are you really human?"
"Of course!"
"Don't lie. Before you use an Angel and even like transform into spirit. Is human can do such a thing?!"
"Well… that's…"
Dante somehow become silence.
Psst! Nishiro. Dante talking inside his mind.
What? Nishiro voice echoing from nowhere inside Dante mind.
Can you help me a little?
Is that too much to be handling by you?
Honestly, I can. But it's harder than I think.
Then handle it.
Waaa… don't be that cold, Nishiro. We're one right?
You only say that when you're in trouble.
Don't be like that. Please help me here. I will treat Takoyaki later.
...fine. I will help you. But promise me to buy me 20's.
Eh… that's bit too much. How about 15's.
Then goodbye.
Eh?! Wait! Wait a second! Okay, okay! But I can only give you 18's because… well, my money is not much this month. How about it?
Well…okay then. I will accept it.
Then, deal?
Deal.
"Hah…"
Dante suddenly sighed. Suddenly the white katana manifested beside Dante. Then it's developed a bright light and takes a shape of person. When the light vanishes, Nishiro is already sitting beside Dante.
"So… you're Slayer huh?"
Kotori says it with such cold tone. Nishiro just look at her to response her words.
"Hey, hey. Don't be that cold. And… oh yeah! Don't call him Slayer. His name is Nishiro. And… hey! Say something! You're too stolid!"
"Shut up. You don't need to say it aloud."
"Hey~ you was accept to help me to explain about it. Do you forget?"
"You only say to help you. Not helping you explain it."
"Gah! As always, you're really hard to cooperate with."
They both are really a thickheaded. Shido doesn't know what happen try to calm them both.
"P-please calm down, Dante-san."
'Looks like it will become a long day,' Shido thinking like that.
Few hours passed
"I…see…"
Kotori says that. Before Dante and Nishiro get to the serious arguments that even they near fight each other. Luckily, Yuki who just get inside seen it and she try to calm both of them. Well…its end up good, even through Yuki neared throw her Sandalphon because Dante doesn't want to hear her and make the house get explode. After everyone calmed down Dante then explain anything about his relationship with Nishiro and why he can become a spirit, as well calmed Yuki.
"So… you say that you used Nishiro power back then. And Nishiro is a spirit without a body? Is that possible?"
"Well… even I can't explain it. Went I was meeting him…ahem! "Meet" him, he just a white katana struck on a snowy land."
"Okay…then, can you explain why he has same face as yours?"
"Ah…that's because he doesn't have a body but it doesn't mean that he can't manifest his body, right? But, because he doesn't know how his look before, he then used my appearance for now until I can found anything related to his true appearance."
"Okay."
Kotori write it on her note. When she was writing Mana then saying something.
"Um… this is what I wanted to asking before when you still on DEM."
"What is it?"
Dante look to Mana when she says that. Nishiro also notice her and look to her direction.
"About the appearance…why your face is 'somehow' same as Nii-sama?"
"What!?"
Kotori who just serious write something on her note suddenly stood up and yell a loud. Then everyone look very carefully on Dante and Shido face. Shido as well look to Dante face, vice versa.
"W-well… he has um…well, same face. But Dante looks older."
"Well… yeah…Dante looks like older Shido."
Shido says that, and get then followed by Kotori.
"Um…yeah. Went I see Shido is just like looking to my younger self."
Dante says that. Somehow everyone surprise when he say that.
"If I remember… I have my photo when I was young. Now, where is it…ah! There is it."
Dante took out a photo from his jacket. It's look like old photo.
"This is when I was on AST on America. The one on middle is me."
Dante show the photo on other. They look to the person on middle who Dante suggest it was him in younger age.
EEEHHH?!
They seem surprised. Of course they surprised. The one on photo, standing on middle who Dante suggest it was him, it's more like Shido in black hair color.
"That's… TOO DAMN SAME! What are you! Shido twin or something?!"
Kotori says it aloud. Dante try to calm her. In other hand, Shido as well can't believe what he just look too. It's just like looking himself; only different is the hair color. But somehow Mana is really calm about it.
"Hey Mana, why you're not really surprised about it?"
"I was the one who asking the question before, Nii-sama. I already know him in past, when he still on DEM."
"Um…okay. Then, can you tell me like what Dante is? When he still on DEM?"
"Well… you see. He just likes what you see now. Nothing different, except the fact that he has a spirit inside his body."
"Well… yeah. But… how he can hide it when he still on DEM? They must be checking his body when he was there, right?"
"I…don't know about it. From the last time I heard, I know him only not ordinary wizard back then. He even defeats all wizards who tease him when he just joins in. And…"
"And?"
"Well… back then, he like have a second personalities when he dealing with spirit's."
"Second personalities?"
"Yeah! How can I descriptive it… he's more…sadistic."
"Sadistic!?"
"Yep. When he dealing with spirit he firstly try to talk and even make the short conversation with spirit, but he can suddenly change when he end up fight the spirit. He… looks cold-hearted. It's just like it was someone else on there."
"I..see.."
When Shido says that, looks like Kotori and Dante already finish they 'talk'. Shido only take a peek to Nishiro. Looks like he was fall asleep because this long talks. That's the reason why he's so calm back then.
"Okay. I get what you're telling about. Now if you okay with it, we want do some 'check' to you, Nishiro and as well Yuki. You don't mind it, do you?"
"Let's see… I was planned to check Yuki condition on mean time. Well… I suggest it was okay and 'somehow' help me check her."
"Well…then, let's go to Franxius."
"Okay. Hey, sleepyhead! Wake up!"
Dante hit Nishiro head, as well he wake up from that.
"That's hurt."
"If you want sleep, do it on other place. Well whatever, you can come back inside and rest. I will call you again later."
"Alright. Faster is better."
Nishiro then disappear into light, only leave behind the white katana. Then Dante took it and wrap it on some long cloth and put it on his back.
"Well… what are you waiting for? Let's go to Franxius now. It's better to finish it before dinner."
With that Kotori call someone from Franxius to pick them up. Then they are disappear from house and arrive to Franxius.
Meanwhile, at JGSDF's base
"…"
Alisa just sits silently on her work desk. She is still thinking what happen back then.
"Dante is… a spirit?"
When she thinking that, she clenched her fist, like not believe what she just thinking.
"No… there is no way he is one! I know who is Dante is! There is no way he is a spirit!"
Her emotion nearly burst, but…
KNOCK KNOCK
Someone just knocking the door.
"Who is it?"
"Mr. Wescott from DEM Industries."
!
Alisa surprised about who is on door.
"Come in."
After she says that, come in two figures from outside. They are Issac Wescott and his secretary Ellen Mather.
"So Mr. Wescott, what is your business with me? I'm not in mood right now."
"How rude is that. We just come here to give you an offer."
"An offer?"
"That's right."
She can't think what inside this man mind. Why would the main director have an offer to her, who is just normal captain of AST team on America?
"What kind of offer you talking about?"
"Oh! Straight to the point, eh? Just like Dante is she, right Ellen?"
"Can't deny it."
"Tsk!"
She somehow dislikes him. Because, he is the one who make Dante to the wanted lists.
"This is my offer. How about you join DEM Industries?"
"What?!"
She now really-really doesn't know what inside this man head.
"You see… I quite interested to you. Able to stand against Dante that whole time and from the information that I just receive, you're his vice-captain back when he still on AST. It's pretty surprised you know?"
"Then… what is connection with your offer?"
"Getting trained right under Dante, you must know all of his strategist and his battle behavior. And more than that…"
"What?"
"You don't want him to be killed like that, right?"
"What are you?!"
Issac grins.
"Now now. Calm down. We as well feel lost when Dante was defecting. He was an excellent wizard. He gives a great retribution to our company. It's can't be end up like this, right?"
"Huh! I don't look any good point to join your company."
"Well… looks like you need more time to think about it. Because I still have some business, I will go now."
"Yeah! Go now. I still have something to be more thinking than your offer."
Issac then go to door and want exit the room, but he stop middle half.
"And one more thing. If you decide to join us, I maybe will reconsider about the revocation of Dante on wanted lists. Well… nice to meet you."
"?!"
Then he exits the room. Alisa just fall silent on her spot.
"Reconsider… of Dante revocation… on wanted lists…"
She then walks to window and look direct to moon who shine brightly.
"…"
She just fall silent again and thinking about it.
Back to apartment of spirit
Dante and Yuki just finish the examination on Franxius. They back to house and eats dinner with other. Then after dinner, Dante say his farewell and go back to apartment.
"Are not always you wanted to sleep faster?"
"Yeah… I just get tired. Moreover…"
"?"
"I just get feeling tomorrow will be a tiring day."
Ratatoskr Observation Report:
1) Karakūkyo Dante/Nishiro
Risk Factor: AA (Further Analysis Needed)
Spacequake: AAA (Further Analysis Needed)
Spirit's Astral Raiment: AA
Angel: AAA+ (Further Analysis Needed)
Strength: 235 (Further Analysis Needed)
Consistency: 257 (Further Analysis Needed)
Spiritual Power: 300
Agility: 299 (Further Analysis Needed)
Intelligence: 255 (Further Analysis Needed)
2) Shizukana Yuki
Risk Factor: AAA
Spacequake: B
Spirit's Astral Dress: AAA
Angel: AAA
Strength: 233
Consistency: 205
Spiritual Power: 130
Agility: 150
Intelligence: 90