The sound of footfalls rushing through the dark forest was heard by everything. Every youkai and ayakashi that lived within those woods. All of them hungry for the fresh scent of human flesh that had been dropped into their territory. And the thrill of the chase was riling them up. The nekomata. The kitsune. The inugami. The baku. All of them down to the Yuki-Onna, who were relieved at not having to seduce anymore travelers, rejoiced at having this fresh kill. And they knew the prey and the others could sense it. It would become a competition with Shin as the prize.
Shin jumped over a pouncing nekomata before slashing its back with Secace. He landed on the ground. "Ran!"
Ran raised her hand and the nekomata was reduced to ashes by a pillar of black flames. She disappeared in a puff of smoke and reappeared on Shin's shoulder. He gritted his teeth. "Grandpa is insane! He dropped me near the base of the mountain!" He raised Secace and slowly backed away as a kitsune with three tails slinked its way out of the brush.
The youkai unhinged its jaw and unleashed a blast of blue fire at him.
Shin swung Secace, slicing the fireball in half. "They just keep coming!"
"Musou-no-Onigari-Ryuu: Shin'en Kogeki!"
His strikes hit home, slicing the kitsune in multiple places yet it didn't have the same force he was hoping for. Clicking his tongue, Shin jumped into the air and did a downward slash, cutting into its skull.
The kitsune roared before falling dead.
As he heard more growls and roars approaching, he tried pulling Secace out of the kitsune's head.
"It's stuck. Are you fucking kidding me!?" Shin yelled.
"Master, I'll cover you!" Ran said. She hopped off his shoulder and stood between him and the monsters. Black fire came out in puffs at her mouth and she roared. Her roar did not fit that of a dog of her size. It was like a wolf that had declared lordship over the territory.
"Got it! Come on, Ran!" Shin grabbed the small dog and made a break deeper into the woods.
Tenma watched the magical screen carefully. Shin was still trying to learn the unlearnable style his sister had created. He sighed and shifted on the rock he had been sitting on. The baku should be there soon. This was Bakuz territory that Shin had been inside of. He picked up his tea and took a sip.
"Are you here to rescue or watch him?" Tenma asked, glancing over his shoulder.
Akane and Riser stood behind him. The girl was looking between him and the screen with a torn look on her face.
"Grandfather, no one's supposed to be in the woods," Akane finally said, looking at the old man.
"And? Since when did I follow anything the Town Council has said. Ayaka knows that better than everyone. Following what they say… bah! That's like getting Vasco to like Jewish people," the old man replied.
Akane blinked at that statement.
"What about Shin?" Riser asked.
"Shin is fine. I'm watching him so I can go and rescue him if he's in actual danger. So far, he's killed a couple of okami, a three-tailed kitsune, and a nekomata," Tenma said.
Akane bit her lip and walked over to the edge of the cliff where her grandfather sat. Her red eyes gazed upon the dark woods below. She felt a hand squeeze her shoulder comfortingly. Akane glanced over her shoulder and saw Riser standing behind her.
She let herself fall back into his chest, causing him to stumble a bit before wrapping his arms around her waist.
"You two can stay here if you want. I need to go and get more tea from the house. Just watch Shin and make sure nothing happens to him," Tenma said. "And Riser. Watch her for me. Make sure she doesn't do anything stupid."
"Yeah. That's what I'm best at," Riser joked.
Akane slapped his arm and pouted.
"Hahahaa!" Tenma laughed before walking off.
"Master! There's a Baku!" Ran warned.
"A what!?" Shin turned his head and saw it flying in the sky above.
It was a grotesque chimera born straight from the nightmares of man. The castoff byproduct of the Gods' creation of the World. It had a long elephant trunk and tusks, the ears of a rhinoceros, the tail of a cow, the body of a bear, and the paws of a tiger. And it had the eyes of a man. It was the most horrendous thing Shin had seen in the forest and this one was alive.
"Crap. Fuck! I didn't bring a gas mask!" Shin yelled. He slashed his sword and sent sword waves at it.
The baku twisted its body in midair and dodged it. It opened its mouth and let out the wrongest noise Shin had ever heard. The cries of a child mixed with the dying wail of an elephant. It made his ears want to bleed.
It lifted its trunk and shot a jet of white gas at him.
Shin immediately used Shinsoku to dodge the attack. "Ran, if I get hit with that thing, I need you to get me somewhere safe before that thing devours my entire mind!" he said.
"Master!?" Ran glanced at him questioningly. "Just don't get hit!"
"Easier said than-" He dodged another blast. "DONE! You'll be fine. Baku gas is specifically designed to affect humans."
"But Master, don't get hit," Ran said. She turned her head and fired a black ball of flames at the Baku.
The baku twisted its body midflight and fired another jet of gas at Shin. Shin dodged it, however, the baku anticipated his movements. It reared back and fired two more jets of gas, catching Shin off guard. He felt the gas engulf him and enter his mouth and nose. He fell to the ground, rolling as he landed and got on his hands and knees.
He coughed violently. "Oh fuck… Ran…!" he called out, feeling himself grow drowsier with each passing second. His muscles felt like they were being weighed down by lead and every cell and nerve in his body was sending signals to his brain to produce melatonin. "Ran…!" he reached out when he saw Ran standing in front of him in his human form. Pinpricks of black began making its way from the corners of his vision and the last thing he saw before falling asleep was Ran incinerating the Baku and her worried face.
"MASTER!"
Or so he thought. Shin blinked when he found himself sitting in his room. The sound of two people fighting could be heard coming from the TV in his room. He distinctly felt the presence of two people in his room yelling over each other.
"Ise, you know what happens if I win."
"Fucking hell Rin! I thought the Vatican didn't have any video games!"
He whirled around and saw Issei and Irina playing furiously against each other. Irina wore a lavender hoodie and shorts that were hidden by her oversized jacket. Meanwhile, Issei was wearing his signature red shirt and sweats.
"If I win this next game, you'll have to do whatever I say for a week, won't you Lover Boy?" Irina said, performing a combo that knocked the remainder of Issei's HP bar into the red.
"Fat chance," Issei retorted.
Shin watched in shocked surprise when he saw Irina pull the win off.
"Perfect victory goes to…!" Irina got close to Issei's face and in a smug tone, finished her sentence. "IRINA SHIDOU! And the crowd goes wild!"
Issei sighed. While Irina was showboating in front of the TV, he glanced over and saw that Shin was just staring off into space. "Hey, man, are you okay?" he asked.
"Huh?" Shin blinked and looked at him.
"Dude, you alright?" Issei asked.
"What's wrong, Shin-chan?" Irina turned her head when she heard her boyfriend's worried voice.
"Um… yeah, I'm fine. It's just… I was just… Huh?" Shin tried to remember where he just was. He was in the forest right? Where was Ran? Ran was supposed to be there. "Where's… Ran?"
"Ran? Ran's at work," Issei said. "Are you sure you're alright? You saw her off this morning."
"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine. I just need to go get a drink," Shin said, leaving the room.
"Okay! We'll just finish up this game real quick! I have to go babysit Kazuhiro-chan for Professor Cleria today," Irina said.
He walked out the door as if nothing was wrong and closed it. He stood outside his room for a few seconds, trying to figure out what was wrong. This scenery seemed so wrong. Everything about it looked wrong.
He descended the stairs and went to the kitchen. The scent of food entered his nose and he saw a familiar mop of blonde hair humming as she cooked.
"Asia…?" Shin managed to get out.
"Ah! Onii! Are you hungry?" Asia beamed.
This was weird. Asia was so much more cheerful and outgoing than he remembered. The Asia he remembered was like a lost fawn but she was slowly coming out of her shell. This Asia was… he looked her up and down. She was wearing the Kuoh Academy Uniform and had an Honors Student Badge pinned to her left breast pocket.
"No, I just went to go get a drink of water," Shin said, trying to sound normal.
"Mmmm, okay then, Oh, by the way, Onee told me to tell you that Akeno-senpai came to look for you. Apparently, she needs help with something for the school festival," Asia said, going back to her cooking.
"This just in. The Kuoh Ripper has struck again! This time, he targeted a well-known construction mogul named by the name of Jesus! The target struck at 7 pm last night and left his calling card. A blue star on the victim's chest." the TV said.
"What? Someone killed Yeshua?" Shin asked. Such a thought was incomprehensible as someone killing Sirzechs Lucifer.
"Onii, since you're going out, please be more careful. I called Mom and Dad to tell them to be careful too," Asia said.
"Yeah, yeah sure," Shin said. "Where are they by the way?"
"Huh? Mom's at work in the restaurant with Dad. Are you okay? We saw them off this morning," she asked.
"Yeah, I'm fine… I-" He stopped talking when he saw one of the pictures on the wall.
His older sister had the brightest smile on her face. This was the happiest he had ever seen her in forever. And to top it all off, Akane was wearing the most beautiful wedding dress Shin had ever laid eyes on. He saw Riser dressed in a tuxedo, holding his older sister as if she were the most precious thing in existence. To Riser, Shin figured she might as well be. He saw the proud yet sad look of his father and the loving smile of his mother. Asia stood next to Akane, beaming at the portrait, dressed in a simple teal dress. His eyes traveled and he saw himself standing next to Riser.
He saw the picture next to it and saw Akane hugging him and Asia but they were much younger.
"Onee is married?"
"Huh? Onii… Onee's been married for a year now. They got married after Onee graduated from Kuoh. Don't you remember? You were the best man and I was the maid of honor," Asia said. "They even have a daughter now. Her name's Momiji."
"Right, right. Sorry, gaming with Ise and Rin has made me a bit forgetful," Shin said, smiling sheepishly.
"Uhuh…" Asia shook her head. "By the way, shouldn't you get going now? Your girlfriend will get mad if you don't show up in time."
"Girlfriend?"
"Did you forget Akeno-senpai is your girlfriend too?" Asia replied.
"No, no! And don't tell Akeno that! I'll be heading out now!" Shin said, leaving the kitchen.
This was all wrong. This was all very wrong. The thought ran through his mind as he left the house. Nothing was right. Akane was married to Riser already? Irina was here. She went back to the Vatican a few weeks ago right? Right? Shin walked down the street in a daze. Maybe seeing Akeno would make things alright. If someone could detect magic being used on everyone in the town, it'd be her. Or Rias. Whichever one came first.
"Man, I hope everything's alright over there," he said. He raised an eyebrow at his own sentence. A feeling of deja vu washed over him but every time he tried to chase the thought, it disappeared. "Weird."
"Hang on Master!" Ran urged, carrying Shin in her arms. Secace and Failnacht were strapped to her side as she ran through the forest. Behind her swarms of youkai chased after them, hungry for their next taste of human flesh.
She glanced over her shoulder and her eyes glowed. Spears of black flame manifested around her and fired at them. The hail of spears impaled the various monsters and beasts.
As she continued to run, a shadow covered the moonlight. Ran's eyes widened as she jumped back, narrowly avoiding a paw swipe from a youkai.
The beast landed in front of her. Its horrific form reared up on its hind legs, bearing its fangs. It had the head and face of a monkey, the body of a tanuki, the arms and legs of a tiger, and its tail was that of a serpent. It roared, sending all the surrounding youkai scattering and fleeing for their lives.
"Nue," Ran growled.
The beast let out a warbled mocking laughter as it stalked towards her.
Tch! I can't protect Master and fight this thing at the same time! I-
Ran's eyes widened in shock when the Nue dashed past her in a burst of speed. Its claws sprung forth from its paws, intent to slice Shin open and feast on his innards.
"NO!" Divine power surged through Ran and she disappeared in a burst of speed.
Mere seconds before the nue's claws could mutilate Shin's body, Ran appeared between them, catching its paw easily. Her eyes glowed with divine fury and pure power rolled off her in waves. She let out an ear-piercing roar and black flames leapt forth from her fingertips and engulfed the nue in a towering twister of flames that instantly vaporized all small plant life around them.
She fell to her knees, panting at the sudden exertion of power. Ran's eyes darted around her surroundings. She could sense and hear their giggles and laughter now that she was visibly weakened.
"Master…," Ran whispered, shakily standing straight. "I will protect you."
The first youkai stalked out of the brush. It sniffed the air around it before saliva trickled out of its mouth. After locking onto Shin, it pounced on his body. However, its trajectory was intercepted by a blast of orange flames.
"You?" Ran asked wearily.
Riser landed on the ground next to her. He had one hand in his pocket while the other was raised and covered in flames. "Go. We'll take it from here. Grab Shin and run back to the cliff."
"We?"
Ran looked around and saw several karasu-tengu hovering above them. The tengu all charged at Riser but were sliced by a series of red flaming slashes.
"Ran."
Akane appeared, landing gracefully on the ground. Sakura was fully drawn from its sheath and adorned in blood-red fire. "Take Shin and go."
Ran nodded and ran off.
Riser and Akane stood next to each other as the youkai began to come out one by one.
"You guys really made a mistake pissing her off," Riser said, widening his stance.
Akane said nothing and raised Sakura. Waves of heat rolled off her form. The tips of her hair began to glow red and flickers of red fire began to manifest around her eyes. In a split second, she kicked off the ground and the sounds of roars and raging flames were heard through the forest.
Kuoh was different. The town was wrong in a sense. Shin couldn't detect a shred of magical power anywhere. No demonic power. No angelic power. No divine power. Nothing. He thought back to the kitchen and he realized Asia didn't even have the magical signature of a Sacred Gear. And Issei lacked the signature of the Boosted Gear while Irina was completely devoid of Divine Power.
He pondered this as he headed to Kuoh. Was Rias masking Issei? It would be understandable considering the events that occurred at the Three Factions Summit but…
The more he thought about it, the more his head hurt.
Magic's not real… this is your life
"Huh?" Shin turned around, looking for the source of the voice. "Must be my nerves. I should really go and see Akeno."
Kuoh Academy looked the same as it always did. Though, Shin sensed something was missing from it. He couldn't place a finger onto what was missing. He shrugged and walked through the gates. A small smile crept onto his lips. These gates were where he and Akeno confessed to each other. It was a funny memory now that he looked back on it.
Rias had pushed Akeno into confessing to him and Issei and Irina had done the same.
The two had arrived here at the same time, fumbling over their words until they both pulled out confession letters and handed them to each other.
Wait… confess? Shin raised an eyebrow.
"Shin-kun, you made it. I was beginning to think that the Kuoh Ripper got to you," a voice said.
He turned to his left and saw Akeno walking towards him. Her presence made his worries melt away almost instantly. The calm, serene smile that hid her sadomasochistic tendencies beneath was enough to send a wave of calm through his body.
"Sorry, Irina and Ise are over and we were gaming," Shin said, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly.
"Ara, aren't you too old for video games, Shin-kun?" Akeno asked, poking his cheek playfully. "Just kidding~! Come on, let's go. President is busy preparing the 'Peerage' for something and I have some spare time."
Shin nodded.
Rias was a chuunibyou who thought she was a Demon Princess. Peerage was just another word for club and preparing for something meant that Rias was going to either challenge his brother-in-law or the Student Council President to a game of chess-
Wait… Shin shook his head and stopped walking. "Something's not right. What was I coming here for?" the more he thought about it, the more it faded away.
"Mmm? Shin-kun? What's wrong?" Akeno asked, stopping at the gate.
"Akeno… I think. I think there's something… I can't explain it but we have to go to Hatch Potch right away," Shin said.
"Oh, well, we were heading there anyway. We planned to start our date there, remember?" Akeno said.
"R- Right…" he replied.
"Don't tell me that after 2 years of dating, you forgot tonight was date night?" Akeno raised an eyebrow and crossed her arms.
"N- No, but don't you feel like something's wrong?" Shin pressed.
"I'm starting to think there's something wrong with you," Akeno said in a worried tone. She walked over and pressed a hand against his forehead.
"No, I'm serious! I feel like… I'm supposed to be somewhere else! Like like! Something's missing!" Shin said.
"Let's… let's head to the park. Maybe some fresh air can help you remember before we head to Hatch Potch," Akeno said, taking his hand gently into hers.
Shin nodded.
The two headed to the park, all the while, Shin was still racking his brain over what was happening. He backtracked to the beginning. He was in his room with Issei and Irina. Irina was supposed to be in Italy at the Vatican. Wait… but why would she be there? She was a babysitter for Professor Yaegaki's son, Kazuhiro. Shin banished the thought. That didn't seem right either. He knew Irina was supposed to be in the Vatican and that…
"Irina's mad at me."
"Huh?" Akeno glanced at him. "Why would Irina be mad at you? You two are like brother and sister. Did you do something to piss her off?" she asked as they walked into the park.
"I… think? I'm not sure," he answered.
"Men. They never know what they did," Akeno said in a humorous tone.
Shin nodded absentmindedly, causing Akeno to pout. She might not be the funniest person but she felt like that joke was good.
"Man, I knew I should've listened to Dad when it came to jokes," Akeno muttered.
"Wait, Dad?"
"Um… yeah, we all have one?"
"I thought you hated your dad."
"What? What ever gave you that idea?" Akeno looked taken aback by his accusation.
"You said your dad was the reason your mom died. Because he wasn't there in time to save her from the Himejima Clan."
"Shin, Mom died of cancer. Dad and I were by her side in the oncology unit the entire time," Akeno said. She grew increasingly worried for her boyfriend's state of mind. "Shin, are you okay? You're saying weird things."
"I'm… I'm not being weird! This entire world is weird! Something's wrong! Can't you feel it?" Shin grabbed her shoulder.
Something was wrong. He could feel himself slipping with each passing moment. Normally, he would have shrugged this off but the feeling of your mind slowly deteriorating was driving him mad.
"Shin, that hurts!" Akeno gasped, feeling his unusually strong grip on her. "Stop it, Shin. You're really scaring me."
Shin's eyes widened when he saw her recoil in pain and he let go. His hands shook and he stumbled back into a bench. He gripped the sides of his head, feeling as if his sanity was slowly slipping away from him.
"What's happening to me?" he said.
Akeno slowly approached him and reached her hand out to touch him when Shin suddenly grabbed her. Her surprise was replaced with fear when she saw a hooded man wielding a sword in front of them.
Shin narrowed his eyes. This man felt familiar. And that sword was…
"Clarent."
"Oh? I thought the gas did a good job at sedating us but it looks like… it didn't fully take effect yet," the hooded man said, showing them his demented grin. His voice sounded so familiar. "Well, looking at that gawking face of yours, I guess I should introduce myself then."
He flipped his hood down and Shin and Akeno's eyes widened in surprise.
It was him. He was staring at a direct clone of himself.
"Y- You're me," Shin stuttered.
"Yes, I am you. Now, please do me a favor and…" he rushed forward and brought his sword down on top of the two.
Shin pushed Akeno away and in a split second, summoned a blue light and blocked the sword.
The other Shin's eyes widened considerably. "What? How? I thought I was the only…"
Shin pushed back against him and kicked him away, sending him crashing through the bench and through several trees. "Akeno! Let's go!" Shin said, holding his hand out to her.
"What… What was…?"
"No time to explain! I don't get it either but we have to go!" Shin said, grabbing her hand and running away.
"Musou-no-Onigari-Ryuu…"
The words sent chills down Shin's spine. That was… That was…
"Onee's sword style. Akeno, stay near me!" Shin said. He turned around and deflected the sword waves that came in his direction. He slid to a stop and positioned his blade. The haziness. It was still there but there were things that it hadn't claimed yet.
Shin held his hand out and constructed several battleship cannons. "Failnacht Modification." The shape of the barrels changed until it resembled that of Failnacht's. "Fire!" Energy bolts came firing out of them at rapid speed, homing in on his alternate self.
Shalter, as Shin had taken to calling him, jumped into the air and swung the blade, slicing apart the bolts of energy. He created a rain of red blades and fired them at him.
"Perfect Cube!" A violet barrier appeared around him and Akeno, blocking the blades. He opened his other hand and constructed a small blue orb. The orb spun and jittered around, gathering violet destructive energy into it.
Shalter came down like a bullet and pierced the barrier with Clarent.
"This barrier can't hold out forever!" Shalter said.
"But it'll give us enough time to do this!" Shin roared. He dispersed the barrier and a violet beam of energy was let loose from the orb. "Exterminate Ray!"
The beam's speed was enough to catch Shalter off guard and send him flying into the distance.
"Let's go before he gets up!" Shin said, dispersing Secace and picking Akeno up in a princess carry.
"P- Put me dow-" she saw the other Shin skating across the air, leaving behind a trail of glass particles in his wake. Her eyes widened when she saw several black and red crystals manifest in the air behind him. "SHIN!"
Shin looked over his shoulder and saw a salvo of crystals speeding towards them.
"Shin-chan, speed is the key of the Onigari-Ryuu. Using our movement techniques to reposition yourself across the battlefield is the key to controlling the flow of battle."
His mother's words flew to mind.
Shinsoku!
Shin disappeared in a burst of speed, zigzagging his way out of the crystals.
The crystals erased the ground beneath him, creating black expanding spheres that ripped and collapsed the fabric of space and time.
That's Tehom? He can use Tehom? How?
"Shin, I think I'm gonna hurl!" Akeno said with a green face.
"We're almost there! Only a little more!"
A wall of black crystals erupted in his path, blocking their escape. He slid to a stop and turned around. The space had changed. The air resembled cracked glass and the ground around them was shifting underneath.
"Yaldabaoth's Authority is very useful," Shalter said, landing on the ground in front of them.
"Who are you?" Shin asked.
"You still don't know? Wait, you do know. You're just in denial." Shalter dispelled the sword and crossed his arms. A cocky, arrogant smirk spread across his features. The look seemed so alien to Shin.
"You're me… or another me. But how?"
"Wow, that Baku gas really is working," Shalter commented. "You're right. I'm you but better."
Shin remained silent and put Akeno back. He placed her behind him and constructed Secace.
"Oh, scary," Shalter said, raising his hands in mock fear. "But… if you're just going to cut to the chase like that then, I'll be more than happy to oblige!"
Shin barely raised Secace in time as Shalter appeared in front of him. The sheer speed of his counterpart had taken him by surprise. The strength his counterpart had was even greater than what he could muster. He instinctively channeled touki through his body, pushing back against his dark counterpart.
However, Shalter was unfazed. He diverted Secace and punched Shin in the face, sending him crashing into the dimensional barrier.
Shin shakily got to his feet, dazed by the powerful blow. What the fuck… he hits like a truck! All it took was one blow. One blow to bring him needed to buy time. He needed answers.
"How are you able to use Tehom? How are you even here?"
Shalter raised an eyebrow. Was he really this stupid? He threw his head back in laughter. "Ahahaha! I even gave you the answer multiple times and you still don't get it? You were gassed by a baku. That should be hint enough as to where you are."
Baku? Shin's eyes widened. A load of memories came rushing through his head. Memories that had faded in the hours he was here. "Ran…" he whispered.
"Now do you get it? Well, it won't last long." He raised Clarent over his head. "It's time to cut off all the bad parts. Remember what Yaldabaoth said to us?"
Without the Red Dragon Emperor, without your sister, who are you really?
Shin clenched his fists. He did remember.
"We don't need them. And I certainly don't need you. With me in the wheels, I can finally prove that I can be like Onee… no, even better."
Shin said nothing.
"Nothing to say? You're just like the other one," Shalter said.
Other one?
"I'll go for him next right after I deal with you," he said.
Shin clenched his jaw and then he remembered what his counterpart said. This is my head which means that… I can do the same things he can, right?
Shalter swung Clarent with the intent of beheading Shin. However, he was surprised when the blade met a barrier made of glass. The glass did not crack nor give way from his swing. The glass rapidly expanded and pushed him back. The dimension warped around them and the glass walls rapidly contracted.
Akeno watched all of this with an awe-struck gaze. The glass washed over her like a light breeze and she soon found herself back in the regular world. The glass contracted around Shalter, holding him in place. However, it stopped.
"He's pushing back but that'll hold him for a while. Come on, let's go," Shin said, limping over to her.
The ground shook beneath them when Shalter pounded on the glass barrier.
"Come on!" Shin grabbed her hand and the two ran off, leaving an angry Shalter within the barrier.
After running for several minutes, the two stopped to catch their breath.
"What… What the hell was that!?" she screamed.
"M- Magic. I used magic," Shin said. "To be specific, a Contract which is basically me using a God's Authority that's been taught to me through the use of-" he stopped when he saw Akeno's face. "Err, never mind. We need to get to Hatch Potch."
"What? And endanger your entire family?" Akeno screeched.
"We won't endanger my family. They're not there anyway," Shin said.
"Shin, I don't know what you're on right now but your sister and parents are there! Riser said he was going to visit her before he left Kuoh! You're going to bring that psychotic sword-swinging version of you over there?" Akeno asked.
"Akeno, no, never mind. You won't get it even if I tried to explain it but… thanks to him, I got my bearings back," Shin said. He constructed Secace and gripped it tightly. Ran's power was still within the waking world and he could feel the Baku's toxins slowly degrading his mindscape. He needed to find a way to wake up fast or else, he would die inside a dream.
"Shin? Are you seriously going there?" Akeno asked incredulously, watching him walk off towards the pub.
"Yeah," he replied.
"Shin!"
"The real Akeno wouldn't stop me from going. The real Akeno might be mad and upset but… she would understand what I'm doing. You're just something my brain came up with," Shin said, turning around.
"What? You think I'm a figment of your imagination? I'm real! Feel this! Feel my hands!" Akeno said, grabbing Shin's calloused hands with her own delicate ones.
It did feel real. The warm sensation of her hands tightly grasping his own nearly had him convinced that this was, in fact, the real Akeno Himejima. However, the growing prickly feeling slowly consuming his sanity was enough to remind him of his situation. He needed to get moving before the haze set in again. Shin needed to do this while he was still sober.
"Once I get back, I promise I'll call you," he whispered.
"What? Shin? What are you-" Akeno's eyes widened when a glass barrier appeared between her and Shin. "Shin! SHIN!" she pounded on the glass to no avail.
"I'm sorry. Even if you are something my mind created, I'm sorry for leaving things like this," Shin said. He turned around and ran off, ignoring the screams of indignation and anger from Akeno.
Hatch Potch! Hatch Potch! If I had one safe place in real life or in my head, it would be the family pub! And if what he says is true, then the other me is there and… he'll be there too, Shin thought as he ran towards the pub.
I'm sorry, Akeno. As much as I would love to stay in this dream world with you, I have issues to deal with, Shin thought.
It's been a bit since I published a chapter for this. We'll resume with this training arc and keep pushing through! Tell me what you think about using a hallucinogenic sequence to show Shin how much of an asshole he acted towards his friends and how he's been acting towards himself. Or not. Either way, this is to trigger Shin's change and how he views himself and the world. This arc is solely supposed to focus on Shin and Asia's characters. Remember to follow if you liked the chapter or the story in general. And remember to also read The Doomsday Option, a new-not new fanfic that exists on my account.