(SHIRO'S POV)

~WHAAACKK~

I cracked my knuckles and glared at the group of thugs. "Next time you wanna steal, don't do it in public!" I said to them. I handed the lady back her purse and she thanked me. I ran back around the city looking for any more bastards that I could whoop. I only managed to level up once from my three hour escapade. I halted my running to look at my surroundings. It was quiet...too quiet. I closed my eyes and sensed any weird forms of mana. I didn't take me long to catch a lock on the enormous level of mana coming from a dark alleyway. I lifted my guard up and cautiously followed my senses.

"Why so tense, little buddy?" Said a sly voice.

"Who the hell are you?" I asked.

"Heheheh...Quite the determined one…" A tall brown skinned man with snow white hair stepped out of the shadows. His grin left me uneasy and even more tensed. "You know, I sensed your distraught. You seek strength kid, and I can show you the way."

"Bullshit! Like hell you can help me. You're just some creep in an alleyway."

"Tell me something boy...do you understand what soul energy is?"

"Not a damn clue…"

"Soul energy comes from the will of a fighter. It's an alternative power source for those not interested in mana." He lifted his hand up and a purple aura surrounded it. "You can manipulate the energy to either attack, defend, or heal. In some cases, having mastery over soul energy can grant the user with the ability to manipulate the souls of other people. Those people are called Soul Weavers. It is a powerful ability and one that should not be taken lightly."

"Are you a Soulweaver?" I asked the man.

"Damn straight. I trained with a man that was in an alleyway just like this one."

"...Creep…"

"I'm kidding. So are you gonna learn from me and gain the strength that you desire?"

"...I don't know. My mentor told me not to talk to strangers."

"Then let me introduce myself. My name is Tomix Rippendum. My friends just call me Tom the Ripper."

"Wooooow, that so...I don't care…" I said rolling my eyes.

"You know, I'm starting to like you kid!"

"Look dude, how long is this "training" gonna freaking take? I kinda gotta leave soon."

"Oh don't worry kid. I'm just unlocking your true potential. You're going to be handling the rest." He replied with a grin.

"Fine. Can we hurry this up." I huffed out.

"No problem." He fazed in front of me and jabbed his palm into my chest. I staggered back and held my throbbing chest. I saw a bright, purple glow from underneath my shirt. It was a handprint with an eye in the middle.

"W-What the hell?! What did you do to me." I asked with panic.

"Don't worry kid. Training is already halfway through." He responded with a chuckle.

I clutched my head as a sharp pain ran through it. I dropped to my knees, closed my eyes and let out a loud yell. "DAAAAAAMN IT!" The agonizing pain had eventually washed over and when I opened my eyes, I was greeted by a strange place. Everything was so bizarre. The place was all black with white borders. Every creature that was here was a transparent, bright purple figure. Even Tomix was like this. "Where am I?"

"Welcome to Limbo, aka the Soulscape. When you end up here, you will see the inner souls of those around you. With you cross the Spiritual plane and get to this world, your full power can be displayed. You can use your soul energy without limitations."

"I have limits to all of this shit?" I asked him.

"Just like mana, soul energy has a limit of use before exhaustion. The key difference is that in order to train soul energy, you gotta train you soul."

"How the hell do I do that?!"

Can't tell you that part, kid. Everyone has a different soul. Each soul has a different motive. If you want to train yours, then start by finding out what makes you tick."

"Why that of all things?"

"Easy. Soul energy builds from emotions. You want to get stronger so if I were you, I'd get angrier." He grinned at me again.

I closed my eyes and thought about everything that pissed me off. Stubbed toes, guys with short shorts, Clyde, being told that I can't do something, Gabby swerving me, Clyde, getting my ass kicked, THE FUCKING REDMAN...and also Clyde! I snapped my eyes open and glared. I felt my soul energy and it terrified me to no end. A monstrous hurricane of energy flowed through me. The energy was dense and it felt like it held a sinister feeling to it. For some reason it felt...alive…

Tomix was clapping his hands together and smiling. "Excellent work kid. Look at you releasing all of that pent up frustration!"

I glared at him. The intensity of my glare shattered the environment around. I ended up back at the alleyway with Tomix. "I'm gonna ask again. What did you do to me?!"

"Whatever do you-"

~WHAAAMM!~

"AWW BITCH!" He yelled from on the ground. He was holding onto his potentially broken cheek bone.

"Quit playing with me! What is this energy that you just put inside of me?!" I snapped

"Soul energy. Just like I said-"

"NO! There is something else you did to me. This strangeness...this negative energy... I feel it from within. Talk! Now!"

"Heheheh... You're quite the perceptive person. Congratulations kid! You've been selected to be MG's new predecessor. Soul energy is crossed off of the list of things you need to obtain, next is Destructive energy, then followed by Chaotic!"

My glare intensified. "So you're just a bunch of villainous bastards." I cracked my knuckles.

Tomix chuckled. "Criminals? No. Liberators? Ding ding ding! MG isn't trying to rule the world. He's trying to free it. He sent me to watch out for you. Make sure you were the right choice."

"...What?!"

"It'll all make sense eventually...for now, I bid you farewell kid." Purple static surrounded his legs and he jumped up into the air hopping rooftop to rooftop.

I looked down at my hands. They were surrounded with the purple aura. "God dammit…" I muttered.

I turned and headed back in the direction of the others. This was all just too much.

-AT THE PYRUS DOCKS-

(CLYDE'S POV)

"WHERE IS THAT IDIOT?!" Tazorac shouted.

"What if he died?" Vizeron said with a chuckle.

"Wait... I sense something approaching. That energy though... it's so strange." I said feeling a wicked energy.

Then outta nowhere, Shiro slammed down on the docks, going straight through the wooden boards. Splashing into the water. He climbed back up and walked over to us. "Sorry I'm late. I was-"

"Nevermind that! Get your ass on the ship!" Tazorac snapped.

"Are we headed back to Rai Town?" I asked.

"No. We got business in NecroFall." Eliza said. "Friend of mine is trying to open up shop in the city's outskirts. She needs a hand."

"Why is she doing it in NecroFall? Isn't that... dangerous?" I asked.

"She blends in quite well. Either way, she needs help and I owe her a favor." She replied.

"Why do we all have to go?" Shiro asked.

"She could use the extra set of hands. Now let's go already!" She shouted a little too excitedly.

Shiro sighed with annoyance. "How long is the ride gonna be?"

"Twelve hours…" Xena said.

"DAMN!!!"

-SIX HOURS LATER-

I was surprised at how quiet Shiro actually was during the ship ride. I thought he'd just complain the whole time, but here he was just sitting there, meditating. I will say this though. Something was very off about him. I could not only sense his mana essence, but I could also feel something else... something sinister…

Meanwhile, Isabel and I were sitting here watching the clouds go by. I couldn't help but sneak a few glances at her. Everytime she was near me, I felt weak to the core. I couldn't feel any resentment towards her. We were so open to each other that we would practically tell each other everything. I told her everything about me and she told me everything about her. We shared a bond that I never wanted to break. That was the reason I was so hesitant about telling her how I really felt. The last thing I wanted was to ruin what we already had. It did kill me that I didn't know what she thought of me. I hope she wants the same thing that I do. I stared at her as she held a depressed look. I nudged her gently. She looked at me and attempted a small smile. "You alright?" I asked her.

She nodded but dropped her smile. "I'm fine, Clyde."

"Don't lie to me. I've known you for ten years. I think I know when something's up with you."

"To be honest, I just don't wanna go to NecroFall."

"Oh so you're scared of the creepy undead?" I asked jokingly.

"I don't think so Clyde."

"Is it the Werewolf Clan that gives you the chills." I poked her side with my index finger making her jump.

"Clyde cut it out." She said giggling.

I was laughing with her as well. "Or is it those blood sucking bastards?" I asked while still laughing. I looked over at Isabel and she held a distant look. "... Isabel?" She got up and walked away from me, leaving me confused. "Did I say something wrong?" I asked. DAMNIT!

I sighed and got up. What was wrong with me. I just don't understand how I can get outta the friend zone with her. I decided to focus on training my fire and improving my magic.

(GABBY'S POV)

I was shadow boxing in order to perfect my technique. While I was honing my skills, Isabel came over and plopped down on a nearby crate. I looked at her with confusion and then gave her a look of realization. "What did Shiro do this time?" I asked, cracking my knuckles.

"Nothing. I just have a lot to think about...Gabby…" She started.

"What is it?" I asked, sitting next to her.

"What do you do when you have secrets, and you want to share them...but you can't…" She asked.

"Well for starters, I try my best to think about how bad it'll be if others will find out about the secret themselves and if it's worth the risk." I told her.

She nodded and sighed. She then looked at me and raised a brow. "Gabby what do you think about Clyde and Shiro?"

That question caught me off guard. "Why would you wanna know that?!"

"No reason in particular...Just curious…" She said with a blush.

"Well um...I uh... I don't know! Clyde's cool I guess. He's at least tolerable. I can't say the same for the idiot though. He's loud, obnoxious, rude, vulgar, hot headed, and all around annoying. He has no respect for boundaries and is a complete pervert!"

Isabel stared at me with wide eyes. "...Wow…"

"...I just...I don't know…"

"Shiro isn't that bad." Isabel said.

"I mean, in terms of what? He not very strong, he's not smart. What's he got going for him?"

"He's pretty confident."

"Confidence like Shiro's, gets people killed!" I said.

"Hmm...Well he's at least kinda cute, right?"

"Oh, please. Don't make me sick. I'm not interested in that scrawny jackass." I told her.

"Really? I dunno. He's pretty funny to me. You gotta admit that much at least."

"I don't find his humor very laughable."

Isabel giggled at my words. "I don't buy it. You can't hate him THAT much."

"Well, the only thing we have in common is our home. Other than that, I could care less about him."

"Sure…"

"What's that supposed to mean?!" I asked her.

"Oh nothing…"

"What about you and Clyde?!" I said changing the subject.

"What... W-what do you mean?"

"You two are pretty close. You've gotta like him!"

"I...I don't know... he's really sweet but, he's...not ready…"

"For you? Or-"

"For the repercussions. I'm not exactly ready either. One day I'll tell him but for now, I need to be careful."

"Right…" I noticed that she was looking at Shiro who was doing handstand push-ups on his pinky.

"Well I have to go talk to Shiro now. Thanks for this Gabby."

"Uh yeah, no problem."

I won't lie. She gave me a lot to think about.

(SHIRO POV)

"789...790...791…" I was pushing my physical limits while Viz was next to me, cheering.

"H-hey...Shiro." I heard Isabel say to me.

"792...Yeah Izzy? 793...794…"

"W-we are going to NecroFall…"

"795...I know…796…"

"You know...w-where the vampires live."

"797...798...799…"

"My other half bit you, so that means that I marked you…"

"800!" I flipped up and stood on my feet. Viz clapped his paws a grinned. I looked at Isabel with a raised brow. "Yeah. I know."

"So all the other vampires are gonna know. All including my cruel and overprotective father. The one that will smell my scent on you!" She said freaking out.

"Relax Isabel...just relax…" I said hoping to reassure her.

-AT THE WALL OF DREAD-

"WHAT THE HELL?!" I shouted. Here we were, right outside of the underworld city. Only problem was that we were all mortal so we couldn't actually enter the city. "How are we supposed to deliver that dumbass Chalice of Hell that Haruka gave us in like chapter five?! HOW!!!" I asked, frustrated.

"Will you relax you idiot. Xena and Amora are about to use a spell to hide out mortality." Clyde said scoffing.

"Dick…" I muttered.

After we were all hit with the spell, we stepped through the wall and right away were left in awe. The city was one large city divided into six slightly smaller cities. Each of the six cities was separated by a large wall. Another distinct thing about the city was that the moment you step foot through the wall, everything gets dark. Apparently the city is always engulfed in the night with a full blood moon looming over it.

"Ok, so Viz and I are gonna go look for Zey and-"

"Are you outta your mind?! You can't go around the city looking like that!" Tazorac shouted.

"Why not?" I asked.

"As you may or may not know the city is divided into separate sections. Each section is home to a different type of monster that resides within the city." Xena explained.

"Yeah, so?"

"So if you walk around looking like the way you do, you'll be identified as a human mortal and get killed for trespassing within the city grounds." Clyde yelled.

"Okay okay damn. I get it. So how are we getting into the actual city."

"We need to get to Marlene. She's the one we're helping. She's opening up her potion shop somewhere just outside of the city." Eliza said.

-18 MINUTES OF WALKING LATER-

As we were walking and nearing the shop, I was noticing that Izzy was acting really strange. Every time I look back at her, I catch her staring at me with that hungry look. Either she's slowly turning to her nightly vampire self or I'm just that good looking... probably the second option.

The shop we got to was small and decorated with bones. It looked pretty creepy. We stepped inside and we're greeted a witch lady whom was extremely gorgeous. No joke! I was wandering around while Eliza greeted her old friend.

"Eliza, it's good to see you!" The both said.

"Trust me, we're glad to help. Right guys?"

"..." We all stayed silent.

"They're still not used to this place."

"Not to be rude or anything, but why are we here?" I asked. Gabby instinctively elbowed me in the ribs.

Eliza gave me a death stare. "Because we are helpful people." She turned back to the witch. "So... What's on the to do list?"

"Well for starters, I need supplies from two of the main sub-cities. Werewolf Clan and Vampire Capital."

"Don't all of them eat humans?" Clyde asked.

"Yep." The witch said as if it was ok.

"Oh God!" I shouted. "How are we gonna get in?!" I asked.

"Simple." She threw dust at all of us. "The won't eat you if you're on of them. Then again, one of you should have a little trouble getting in." I knew she was referring to Isabel.

"Isabel and I will go to-" Clyde started.

"Shiro and I are going to the Vampire Kingdom!" Isabel shouted while dragging me out of the shop. She tugged me a good distance and then stopped and turned to me.

"Uh…Izz?" I said uneasily.

She closed her golden eyes and let out a breath. She then giggled and opened her now red eyes. "I missed you Tatsugami." She cupped my cheeks and smashed her lips against mine. "I can't wait to show you my home. You're gonna love it!"

"I have an eerie feeling that I won't." I replied.

"Oh would you just relax. You'll be safe around me." She said pressing her chest against mine. "Just watch."

"You sure about this?" I asked her.

"I swear it! Now let's go!" She grabbed my arm and blasted off into the night sky leaving me with a paranoid mindset. I held on tight hoping not to fall to my death.

The moment we landed we were just outside of a gothic-looking city. Isabel smiled widely and stepped close to me. She pecked me on the lips and drag me towards the biggest building, which was pretty much just a castle. The castle was surrounded by a blood mote. The gates were guarded by two vampiric soldiers.

"Damn…" I whispered to myself.

"Well come on, will ya. Let's go head inside. I can't wait for you to meet my family!" She said.

Oh God! I was not looking forward to that part of the tour. Free me!