Chapter 22: The Way of an Oath

Black Order: Asia Branch

Won is running through the hallways to Allen's room in a hurry and carrying a tray that has bandages and medicines.

"Oh no, oh no! If I don't change Walker-kun's bandages, Bak-sama will skin me alive!" Won says while running.

At the background, three scientists are watching Won running up the stairs. They are Rikei, Shifu, and Roufa.

"Ah, it's Won-san." Rikei says. "Where's he running off to?"

"Oh, he must be nursing that Exorcist. I've heard he has serious injuries along with another Exorcist." Rikei informs.

"Aah, that! I've heard about them too. They're only 15-years-old..." Roufa says. "I don't know about this 'God's Apostles' business... but God is really cruel to let a two children go to war."

Allen's room (temporary)

Allen sits up and looks at his bandaged hand. Allen also bandages wrapped around his chest to the stomach and a sash that covers the remains of his left arm.

'Why am I alive?' Allen thought. 'That time... I should have been killed by the Noah. Blood was spilling from my heart... I'm sure I felt the sensation of death washing over me.' He then remembers when Tyki let Teez to make a hole in his heart and Allen slowly dying. 'The sensation of trying to escape... but never be able to. I'm sure I felt that. That's... 'death'.' Tears appear on Allen's eyes and start to stream down. 'That was 'death'.' He trembles and cries and then buries his right hand and continues to cry. 'Why am I crying? Am I happy to be alive? Or am I regretting it? I don't know why... I don't know why. I just can't stop shaking... Mana...'

When Won gets to Allen's room, he sees the boy had disappeared and Fou is rubbing her head.

"Sorry Won." Fou apologizes. "I nodded off and that white-haired guy went somewhere. I thought he wouldn't be able to move with that body... I was careless."

Won suddenly drops the tray and runs off to look for Allen. "Walker-kun...! In your condition...! WALKER-KUN~~!"

While Won is finding Allen, Allen is standing in front of a gate and he is about to reach it until he hears Bak's voice.

"No matter how hard you push that door, it won't open." Bak says.

Allen turns and sees Bak sitting on the pillar. "...Why won't it open?" He asks.

"The guardian deity for this place is behind that door... which my great-grandfather sealed from the inside." Bak explains. "Is there something you want here?"

"Not really..." Allen answers. "I was just walking, and found myself here..." Allen touches the door and looks back at the gate. "Is there any way... I can open this door...?"

"Instead of trying to open it, why not go back?" Bak counters. "What will you do if you could get through?"

"I'll just keep walking." Allen replies. "I don't want to stand still."

"Even without your left arm?"

Allen quickly looks at Bak with his eyes widen.

"I'm not trying to fight with you." Bak corrects. "I'm only asking out of curiosity."

"...Who are you?"

"The leader of the Black Order Asia Branch, Bak Chan." Bak introduces. "Allen Walker-kun. Would you like to become one of our personnel here?"

"Eh?"

"You can serve as a supporter from now on. Find a different path. The Black Order has plenty of other positions beside the Exorcists. I'm sure there is something you can do with your abilities. If you do that, even God will not blame you."

"God? I don't care about that. I..." Allen starts pounding on the gate. "I've made my own oaths! To myself, that I would destroy the Akuma...! To my friends, that I would fight alongside them! To this world, that I would save it!" Then tears start to fall from Allen's face and shouts, "TO MY FATHER, THAT I WOULD KEEP WALKING UNTIL I DIED... I MADE AN OATH TO THEM ALL!" He stops pounding and goes down to his knees. "Open up...! Damn it..." Allen silently cries. "This is the only path I can take... so I can feel alive."

Bak then stands up behind Allen. "I understand, Allen Walker. Your Innocence is not dead." He says getting Allen's attention with tears streaming down. "But before I could tell you that... I had to be certain about your feelings. I wondered if you would want to return to the battlefield, after knowing about 'The Fallen', and the tasting the anguish of death. Also, Both Komui and I had to know... In order to prevent the creation of another 'Fallen'." Bak informs Allen. "Although... you did go a bit overboard with the 'I don't care about that' part." Bak winks at Allen and the boy smiles. "Let's go. Won's been looking all over for you so he could put on some fresh bandages. After he's done that, we'll talk about how to restore your left arm."

"Restore...? There's a way... to bring back my left arm...!?" Allen asks.

"Yeah."

"Really...!?"

"In any case, it's cold here, so why don't we..."

"AHHHHHH~~!" Fou shouts. "FOUND YOU, YOU JERK! HOW DARE YOU SLIP OUT OF YOUR HOSPITAL ROOM!" Fou then kicks on Bak's face and Bak is hit back by the gate. "I don't care if you're an Exorcist! You've got no rights to move around as you please in this Asia Branch! Besides, when you wake up, you should thank me first, bastard! I was the only one that dragged you here from that bamboo thicket along with that other Exorcist, after all!"

"BAK-SAMA―!" Won shouts seeing his master's injury.

"WHY DID YOU END UP KICKING THE GREAT ME FOR?!" Bak yells.

''The great'?' Allen thought.

"Go on, thank me! You white-hair!" For says ignoring Bak.

"BITCH, DON'T IGNORE ME!" Bak yells.

Then Won stops Bak from hitting Fou. "Bak-sama, please calm down!"

"T-thank you for saving me... um..." Allen says.

"It's Fou." Won says. "Her name is 'Fou'. She's the guardian of the Asia Branch. I'm Bak-sama's assistant, Won." Won introduces. "It's a relief that to see that you're better... Walker-kun."

Allen looks at Won and he smiles. "Thank you." Allen says which Bak stops struggling in Won's arms and they look at him. "For helping me. I'm really... thank you." Then Allen realizes what Fou said about 'the other Exorcists'. "Wait, did you say, 'the other Exorcist'? What did you mean by that?"

"I carried your other friend along with you." Fou says. "She's the one who asks me to save you."

"'She'?" Allen then realize about the other Exorcist. "You mean...!"

"If you want to know, then let's go." Bak says and leads Allen (now wearing a shirt that Won provides for him) to a certain room, Won follows behind Bak, and Fou is following the three men.

"EH, WE'RE UNDERGROUND!?" Allen exclaims.

"Long ago, our founders excavated a simple cave and built this huge hidden Church." Bak explains. "To this day it continues to expand. The entire area has grown to be larger that Headquarters."

"Try not to get lost, Walker. There was a guy long ago who was lost for two weeks and died of starvation."

"Eh, really?" Shocking Allen since he always gets lost.

"Cut the idle chatter and get in." Bak says.

When they reach to the room, Allen widens his eyes and sees Alice lying on the bed with the heart monitor beside her beeping, indicating she is alive.

"Alice..." Allen says.

"She's been sleeping after Fou dragged you two here." Bak says. "There are no signs that she will wake up soon."

Allen walks towards the bed where Alice is.

"We don't know if she is waking up today or tomorrow. Maybe in a few days."

"But still, just seeing Alice again is good enough for me." Allen says. "After all, we both trained under the same Master."

"I see... Then let's go. There's a room I want to show you." Bak leads the boy again to a room and the doors start to open and a fog comes out. After they get into the room, Allen is surprised that the fog is circling around the room.

"What is this room...!?" Allen says. "Smoke...? No, it's not. What is this...? Fog!?"

"This was formerly the Innocence of your left arm." Bak informs Allen.

"E-EHHH!? THIS FOG?" Allen asks shockingly.

"It's not fog. After losing its original shape, your Innocence has transformed into small particles." Bak explains.

'This is my left arm...!?' Allen thought.

"Normally, when Innocence is destroyed to the point that becomes particles, it disappears." Bak continues. "However, this Innocence did not. In addition, ever since we found you we've discovered that even now, it has not lost its power as a crystal of God."

"When I was carrying you and that girl of that thicket, this fog surrounded you like a protective covering." Fou explains. "Though thanks to that, it was a pain finding my way back. I couldn't see anything in front of me. That was when I realize it was Innocence."

"Even in this condition, it's still alive..." Allen says. "But why only my Innocence...?"

"Unfortunately, our scientific knowledge only allows us to know this much. This has even exceeded Komui's expectations." Bak says. "That man said something unscientific about this, which is rare for him."

"That boy... Allen Walker may be special." Komui said. "He may be the one who is loved by god."

"Supervisor Bak~~" Rikei calls. Oh, great. They haven't done it yet."

"Oh no! I was in a hurry and forgot about my glasses!" Roufa says.

"They're on your head." Shifu tells Roufa.

"Ah! Are you going to be restoring Allen Walker's arm now?" Roufa asks.

"What are you here?" Bak questions. "Why aren't you working?"

"Let us observe, please~? We've joined the Order, so we haven't had a chance to take a good look at Innocence~" Rikei replies.

"It's also necessary for our future studies as scientists." Shifu adds.

Roufa leans sideways to find Allen and asks, "Where is the Exorcist boy~?"

Allen sees Roufa and smiles. "Nice to meet you."

In Roufa's head, the male rabbit shoots the female rabbit, and around her there are flowers blooming. (Anyone remember this?)

"Strike...!" Roufa thought.

Allen is confused at Roufa's reaction as Bak, Rikei, and Shifu are looking at her.

"Guess it can't be helped." Bak says. "Do you mind, Walker?"

"Huh?" Allen says.

"Starting now, you will have to activate this scattered Innocence to restore your Anti-Akuma Weapon." Bak explains. "If you can change it into a weapon, you'll be able to fight again."

Allen agrees and stands in the middle of the room without is shirt as Bak, Won, Fou, and the three scientists are watching at the sidelines. Allen starts to inhales and exhales.

"Okay!" Allen says.

'Innocence... you've turned into something that's completely different from my left arm. I've made you this way.' Allen thought and he looks up. 'I'm sorry. Come back with me once more... to the battlefield. This time, I won't lose.'

"ACTIVATE!" Allen shouts as he points his former left arm and the Innocence particles starts to gather on his left arm.

"WOAAH!" Rikei exclaims. "All of the Innocence particles are gathering around Walker!"

Allen's left arm is slowly being restored.

"The Anti-Akuma Weapon of his left arm..." Bak says.

"Come back...!" Allen orders.

"RESTORED IT'S BEING...!" Bak shouts.

The cross on his Anti-Akuma Weapon starts to shine and Allen lifts his arm seeing that Cross is almost restored.

"ALL RI-" Allen says but cuts off when Cross goes back into particles shocking both Allen and Bak. "Eh...?" 'It turned back... into particles...?' He thought.

"T-try again, Walker!" Bak orders.

"Keep going!" Roufa says.

"O-okay!" Allen says.

~One hour later~

Allen keeps activating is Innocence, but there is no success of his arm restoring.

"This is strange. Why does it keep turning back into particles...?" Bak says. "Was it too naive of us to think that is he activated is would change into a weapon?"

"But he's able to synchronize..." Roufa says.

"Perhaps he can't control it very well because it has separated from his body." Shifu says.

"What if it's impossible to bring back...?" Rikei asks.

In the background, Allen is panting heavily while Won is fanning at the boy and Fou is staring at him.

"Are you okay?!" Won asks.

"I'm not giving up, Innocence...!" Allen declares. "I'll definitely activate, and go back to help everyone with Alice!"