Guizhou, August 2004
Ren calmly walked out of a pool. Lotus flowers covered the water surface, leaving pleasant scent. He put on a white robe with a yin yang symbol at the back. The last ritual had been done. His family was waiting at the altar of the Tao family.
"Are you ready, Bason?" Ren asked.
"This is the only chance to surpass my idol. Please trust me in this fight, Master Ren." They shared a look of determination. Then he walked into the room lit only by torches. Ren positioned himself in the middle of a yin yang symbol Tao Ching engraved on the floor. His grandfather sat behind him, his father was at the front, and his mother and sister were on both sides.
"It's time to wake up the sealed power of the Tao family. We will send you across time and space. Overcome the challenge and come back before the door between the dimensions is closed." Tao Ching said as he placed his hands on Ren's back. "May the ancestors be with you."
Ren smirked and slowly closed his eyes. He suddenly felt as if he was sucked into a black hole. The next moment, he found himself standing on a narrow road between two giant mountains. He turned Bason into fighting mode.
"He's coming." Ren said as he sensed an enormous amount of Furyoku coming from the opposite side of the road. A figure appeared from the dark. A proud horse with sculptured muscular limbs carried his Master to the battle field. It was the legendary horse that moved like a gust of wind, the Red Hare. Ren looked at a general on its back. He had red face and long lush beard. His dignified aura made him looked quite majestic. The general was holding a big and heavy guan dao. Ren could see blood drifting from the blade. Earth was shaking from each step Red Hare.
"Such impressive aura! As expected from the Taoist God of War. Today, I will inherit the true power of that Green Dragon Crescent Blade, General Guan Yu."
"What does a kid like you know about wars? I have slaughtered countless enemies until my last breath. This blade will take your head in a blink of the eye." Guan Yu laughed out loud.
Ren observed the best known Chinese historical figure of the late Eastern Han dynasty. His had been admired and worshiped by billions of warriors throughout the history. Bason was also a follower of Guan Yu. When he was alive, Bason studied intensively guandao fighting techniques from Guan Yu to the point he almost completely resembled the Great General. The horse Hei-Tao knocked its hoof on the ground. One the opposite side, Red Hare was also breathing angrily.
"Die, kid." Guan Yu struck right at Ren. His movement was as fast as lightning speed, Ren managed to barely dodge. Their weapon collided. The spirit that had wandered nearly 2000 years in Hell yielded exceptional power that was beyond any other spirit Ren encountered before. No Jiang Shi of his family could match the General's level. However, Ren never doubted Bason's ability and loyalty. He blocked every attack of Guan Yu and responded with equally skillful strikes.
"It has been awhile since the last time I fought a worthy opponent. I want to kill you even more." Guan Yu shouted before charging at Ren continuously. They were both wounded but none appeared to feel any pain.
"Even if you kill me, which is impossible, you can never get back Jingzhou." Ren grinned. The General was shaken for a moment. His eyes suddenly filled with rage.
"I will get back Jingzhou, and fulfill the promise with my brothers, Liu Bei and Zhang Fei, even if I have to overturn Hell." Guan Yu screamed and slashed directly on Ren's face. Ren blocked the attack but the force made his arms numb. The General became much stronger with rage, but he was slower and accurate. He had short-temper, just like Ren before. The moment Guan Yu lost his cool, Ren knew he was having advantage. He switched Bason from Super Bushin form to Bushin Fish Fin form.
"The final attack: Kuten Ogenraisei Fukatenson!" Ren struck his opponent with the fish fin. Electricity flashed through Guan Yu's spirit strong enough to light up the dark battle field. Guan Yu countered with the Green Dragon Crescent Blade, coated by a shield of Furyoku.
"The strongest will win." They shouted while going head to head. Ren felt his Furyoku level dropped fast, but he decided to give it all in this last attack. The one that ran out of Furyoku first would be defeated.
The two mountains exploded. Rocks blasted everywhere. The whole scene was covered with dust. After the long silence, the Green Dragon Crescent Blade cut through the middle of the mist. A man was pointing it to the sky, declaring victory.
It was Ren!
Guan Yu tried to get up, blood spilled out of his mouth. He used up his entire amount of Furyoku, but he didn't seem like giving up yet.
"Guan Yu, you have been a great warrior, and will always be. But it's time for you to go."
"It's not finished yet. My brothers and I, we must build our new kingdom, an ultimate dynasty."
"You won't make a better world by wasting lives of others; one shaman has taught me that." Ren signed, recalling some part of his past. "The vicious cycle of revenge has never stopped, but I, the heir of Tao family, will put an end for it."
The spirit of Guan Yu looked at Ren, horrified. For a moment, he saw determination and belief in Ren's aura. His vision started to blur, his mind drifted back to memories from thousands years ago. He couldn't forgive himself for losing Jingzhou, which indirectly caused the state of Shu Han to collapse. His life-long goal could never be fulfilled, but a new generation would carry out his will. Warriors fighting for a better world still existed.
"Well done, Bason." Ren said while panting. He felt exhausted. The fight had costed him more that he had anticipated.
"Ren, if you can hear, please respond." Jun's voice suddenly echoed in Ren's mind. He focused too much on the battle he forgot to maintain connection with his family.
"Jun, I'm fine."
"Please hurry up and come back. Something happened. We couldn't hold the door between dimensions." Jun sounded urgent. Ren recalled the explosion. It must have messed up the connection.
"My Furyoku is almost empty." Ren panted. His knees went weak. The whole place was shaking and falling apart. The spirit of Guan Yu was passing over, thus this Hell created by his mind started to collapse. He was racing with time.
"Grandfather, I got Ren, but he doesn't have enough Furyoku left." Jun cried out to Tao Ching. The connection couldn't be held longer. He must decide now or never.
"I will swap my Furyoku with Ren."
"It's too dangerous, father. You may excess your Furyoku level and die." Tao Ran cried.
"I have decided." Tao Ching cut his fingers to write three jufu talismans. He pressed them on Ren's back. Strong air flow pushed everyone back. In that moment, Ren felt his Furyoku filled up. The door between dimensions appeared and he quickly jumped into it. When he opened his eyes, he was back to Tao mansion. The Green Dragon Crescent Blade pierced through the floor in front of him.
"Grandfather, get hold of yourself." Ren turned around to see Tao Ching lay in the arms of Tao Yuan. His mother and sister were crying.
"Ren, you did it. I am very proud of you." Tao Ching whispered as Ren rushed to his side.
"Grandfather, you have to make it."
"Don't worry. My time has come. I can live to this moment to see Ren bring honour to the family, what else can I ask for?" Tao Ching grabbed Ren's arm. "From now on, you are the head of the family. Take good care of your parents and sister."
They were Tao Ching's last words. He passed away peacefully at the age of 78.
Tao mansion was covered in white. Tao Ching's funeral was carried out with respect. Ren paid the last farewell to his grandfather before setting the coffin on fire. He had officially become the head of Tao family at the age of eighteen. There would be a lot to do, and many things he could change for the sake of his beloved.
"Would you like some tea, Ren?" Jun asked, breaking his flow of thought. They sat at a table next to a pond. Koi fish glided underneath lotus leaves. Ren looked at his sister. Her eyes were red but she remained calm and caring.
"You always have my back. I can't do all this without your help, Jun."
"That's the least I can do for my brother." Jun smiled. "I know an heir of Tao family has to take a lot of pressure. You have grown to be a strong man. We are very proud of you."
"How is your teaching going?"
"So so. Young generation seems to have many choices nowadays, but I believe Taoism doctrine would benefit those who truly follow it. Also, mother is a well-known Daoshi, so the school is doing just fine."
"There's something I need to tell you, sister. You are the only one I can talk to." Ren poured Jun another cup of tea. "I'm moving to France."
"Why? Our family needs you." Jun was confused.
"Isn't expanding the family size important as well?" Ren slightly blushed. Jun gasped.
"Could it be? Ren, who is she?"
He hesitated, but said the name. His sister's eyes opened even wider. Ren felt something crawling in his stomach. Jun was the closest one to him, the one who understood him the most. If even she couldn't accept this, then he had no chance with his parents.
"I know you are shocked, but trust me, she is a wonderful girl. When you get to know her, you will like her, too." Ren blushed even more. Jun had stood up and walked towards him.
"I don't know what to say. I'm so happy for you, Ren." Jun wrapped her arms around Ren and hugged him tightly. Now he was the one in shock.
"I don't mind who she is. As long as my brother is happy, I'll be happy, too." Jun wiped tears in her eyes. "I was afraid you would never open your heart, but now I am relieved."
"That's enough, sister. Don't let others see us like this." Ren tried to push Jun away, but he got a stone off his chest.
"Sorry, sorry, I was too excited." Jun released Ren. "Anyway, I didn't get to know her much in the Shaman Fight. You must introduce her to the family. As for father and mother, I'll help you explain. They will understand, eventually."
"Thank you, Jun."
Rouen, September 2004
"I now announce you are husband and wife."
A groom held his bride and kissed her tenderly. Jeanne looked at happiness in their eyes; her heart filled with warmth and joy. Having been a witness to many weddings, Jeanne never ceased to adore those blessed moments. She imagined herself in a white gown one day. Will she be pretty like other brides, too? Jeanne slightly blushed.
"If you were in that white dress, you would be even more gorgeous than her." A voice from behind startled her. Jeanne turned around to find her face only an inch away from Ren's.
"Ren, since when?" she quickly stepped back. She was too embarrassed to realize how happy she sounded.
"Just arrived from the airport. Marco said you had a wedding to attend, so I sneaked in." Ren tried not to chuckle at Jeanne's pink cheeks.
"I thought it would take years for us to meet again." Jeanne whispered as other girls cheerfully gathered behind the bride.
"I have arranged my family business. From now, I want to work for the X-charity as well." Ren spoke while curiously watched the bridge hold her bouquet up high.
"That… that would be wonderful, Ren." Jeanne wasn't sure how to react. Everything came so quickly. She got to see Ren again, and he wanted to stay with the X-charity for longer than just a vacation. It was great to have someone to help out with all the work, especially that someone was Ren. Jeanne heard her heart beat faster, why did she have those thoughts about Ren?
The bride let go of her bouquet, and the girls started reaching for it. Suddenly, strong wind blasted the bouquet away from the crowd, and managed to land it on Jeanne. Surprised, she clumsily tried to get hold of it. Ren reached out to help her before he realized all eyes were on them. A moment of awkward silence, then noise busted out from everyone around.
"Sweet Jeanne caught the bride's bouquet! She will be the next to get married!"
"Who is that guy? Is he her friend? Oh God, he's so handsome."
"My lovely Jeanne, congratulation!"
Jeanne was clearly embarrassed. She didn't know whether to put the bouquet down or hide it, so she just stood still. Ren was surprised at first, but he remembered reading about the Western belief of a bride's bouquet. Now, having seen it for the first time, he absent-mindedly smiled, then pat Jeanne's shoulder.
"I think Marco is waiting for you. Can you please help me talk to him about me joining the X-charity? He may not accept this idea easily."
"Ah yes, you're right. I'll go get some transport." Jeanne was glad that she had a reason to leave the crowd's attention. When she was running towards the street, Ren whispered.
"What was that wind about, Bason?" Bason popped his head out of a daisy bush.
"Haha, really can't hide anything from you, Master Ren."
"Stop doing unnecessary things." Ren signed. Later, on their way back to Jeanne's home, he looked at her smiling face while holding the bouquet, and he couldn't deny the happy feeling in his heart.
Marco adjusted his glasses. The two men glared at each other for like eternity. Jeanne felt the intense atmosphere in the room.
"Marco, please don't be too skeptical. I believe Ren has sincere intention to help us."
He threw a cold look at Jeanne making her shiver a bit. She really respected him, and he had worked really hard as her guardian and vice president of the X-charity. However, Marco was always overly-protective when any boy approached Jeanne.
"Lady Maiden, how am I supposed to believe this arrogant, ignorant, full-of-himself non-believer to have sincere intention? Does he ever know anything about our world or our people? I know your kindness, Lady Maiden, but I strongly oppose him to join us."
"You are talking nonsense, Marco. We sure are different, but we are all human beings. No one is worse or better than the others. If you try to isolate me because of our beliefs, then you're the one being ignorant here." Ren folded his arms. Their eyes didn't meet, but he could feel Marco was on fire.
"Very well. How about we settle this with a fight between two men?" Marco positioned himself right in front of Ren's face. At the Shaman Fight, Marco had advantage in size, but it was long time ago. By now, Ren's eyes were leveled with his.
"Marco, please don't!" Jeanne gasped as Archangel Michael appeared outside the window.
"Don't worry, Lady Maiden. I know I can't win against him, given the condition as it is now. But there is one thing I hold pride of, the only thing that can determine a man as a man." Marco rose his hand to comfort Jeanne, but still looked Ren death in the eyes.
"Archangel Michael is originally my 92 Ferrari Testarossa, the car I hold so dear that it gained a spirit. I have drove through ups and downs with it. If you think you are capable, then meet me at the entrance of Roumare forest in 2-week time, and race to the church of St. Mathurin, La Mailleraye-sur-Seine. And carve this in your head, Ren: only those who are accepted by the Angels can be worthy for this family." Marco turned his eyes towards Jeanne as he spoke the word family. He had always been a loyal guardian to her. She trusted that everything he did was for her own good. Jeanne slightly nodded at Marco.
"I accept." Ren said. "If you win, I'll leave the X-charity alone. If I win, I want to be responsible for the prosperity of it, and the well-being of Jeanne also."
Jeanne felt her stomach butterflied with Ren's words. She couldn't determine whether it was happiness or anxiousness, maybe both.
It was already 8pm but the sun hadn't set. Summer days were long in France, though hints of autumn could be seen on the trees. As Ren and Jeanne were strolling down a long narrow road, golden leaves drifted in the wind around them. A tiny leaf stuck in Jeanne's silver hair.
"To be honest, this will be one of the most challenging thing for me ever." Ren kept his hands in the pockets even though he was dying to remove the leaf and feel the softness of Jeanne's hair. "Not only because I don't drive, but I also understand this is not merely a race. It's a test from the Angels, am I right?"
"Yes, you grab the situation quite well. Technically, a car and an Archangel are two separate entities. The Archangel can accelerate the car's functions, but the car may restrain the spirit's power. Marco is one of the rare cases in the X-laws that have the two entities fully harmonized. Thus, even in its normal form, his Ferrari possesses 100% power of Michael."
"So the main problem is learning how to control the spirit. At least I am more comfortable with that than learning how to drive a normal lifeless car." Ren signed. He had never liked modern stuff. They were cold and emotionless. They reflected the emptiness inside him.
They arrived at a shed in a middle of a deserted farmland. Jeanne took out a key from her pocket and unlocked the door. The last sunlight dropped on them and vanished. The night urgently covered them. The shed was dark, too, but Ren could see something really large inside.
Jeanne switched on the light. Everything got visible in front of Ren's eyes. Majestic and powerful even when they were inactive, the Archangels looked at him from the ceiling.
"This is where we keep and honour our deceased members." Jeanne said quietly as she walked to the wall at the far end of the shed. She took a gun from its holster and held it with both hands.
"This is Sister Meene's Luger, her medium to control Gabriel. He is the Angel of judgement and has been equated with thunder and majesty." Jeanne looked Ren in the eyes. "I want to offer you this Spirit. I believe you will bring justice to the Archangel as well as Sister Meene."
Ren hesitated. He knew Jeanne was trying to help him, but he got concerned about the sorrow in Jeanne's eyes.
"Meene, what kind of person was she?" Ren asked softly.
"She was just like Gabriel, the most loved member of the heavenly family. Even though she appeared to be harsh and strict, but she was very caring. Meene gave me feeling that I had a sister, or a mother." Jeanne teared up as she spoke. "She was the first one who ever told me that kindness was needed to save the world, not blind justice alone."
Ren nodded. In technical term, Gabriel was a best match for his power, but the Archangel and Meene's characteristics were quite unfamiliar with him. It would be an ultimate challenge to master a Spirit which carried emotion from its previous owner, the emotion Jeanne held dear. However, not in a single moment Ren thought about giving up. No matter how hard the challenge was, he would be willing to take it head on.
"Thank you very much, Jeanne. I will treasure this present of yours." Ren took the pistol. "I will never fail you, that's a promise."
Warm feeling rose in Jeanne's chest. She smiled and proceeded with their training.
"You have been working hard, Master." Bason said as Ren dropped himself on a couch, panting. Three days left before the race, he had managed some progress, but Ren knew it wasn't enough for him to win. He looked out of the window. Rain started to fall softly in the night.
"Is that Marco? Where is he going this late, under the rain?" Ren questioned as he saw the familiar figure. Usually, he minded his own business, but this time something urged him to follow Marco. The man walked with an umbrella in one hand, and some flowers in the other. It didn't take long for him to reach his destination. A graveyard was so silent. The only sound left was Marco's footsteps and rhythm of the rain. He placed flowers on a few graves, then stood still in front of the one at the far end of the cemetery.
"Well, here we are again." Marco spoke. Ren startled for a moment before he realized that Marco wasn't talking to him.
"You must be giggling at me right now for seeing you this often, Meene. No idea since when I have turned into a sensible old man." The conversation continued. "That little brat, how dare he just appear and disturb our dear Jeanne again? I will never be easy on him."
"I have been beside Lady Maiden all these years, but before the Shaman Fight it was only for the sake of the X-Laws. Then when she is finally free to live for herself, she works restlessly for the community due to the guilt in her heart. She hasn't got anything for herself." Marco's voice trembled slightly. "I know I take it personal towards that brat this time, but I have sworn to protect Jeanne until the end of my life."
He fixed his glasses and took a deep breath. The moon came out when raindrops slowly vanished. Ren pressed himself against an ancient oak. The whole place was in deep silent, hence Marco was clearly audible from distance. He signaled Bason to move, leaving Marco some privacy.
"I wish you were still here, Meene. This day must come, I know, but the feeling is hard to handle. After all, Jeanne is the daughter I always dream to have."
Marco's words faded as Ren walked away.
Rouen was in transition between the warm and the cold season, which made it the most pleasant time of the year. Autumn sunlight gently painted trees into golden shades of orange. Fluffy clouds shivered in the first chilly gust of wind. Girls wearing trench coat walked a little closer to their boyfriends. Love was in the air, people often said so about France. However, the romantic atmosphere didn't apply for some particular men, who were rather on fire on that beautiful, delighted autumn day. Jeanne felt like she could breathe in the tension between Marco and Ren as they stood facing each other at the entrance of Roumare forest. She had never seen a fight between Michael and Gabriel. Their majestic stance against each other put Jeanne in awe. However, what surprised her the most was her own feeling. Jeanne hadn't been able to sleep for a few days before the race, but at that very moment she was completely calm underneath her beloved Angels. The atmosphere was tense, yet Jeanne felt assured standing between the two men she trusted the most. Something deep inside told her they would never do anything that could possibly hurt her. Even when Marco and Ren were going head to head, Jeanne's heart was at the safest place it had ever been. That day, she would cheer wholeheartedly for both of them and committed the rest to God.
"Give it all you've got, kid." Marco adjusted his glasses.
"Save it to yourself, old man." Ren smirked. Of course he would have to give it 100% for the pride of the Tao's family, and another 100% out of respect for Marco.
Plus unlimited percent for HER.
The two positioned themselves in their Giulietta SZ and Testarossa. The Giulietta used an Alfa Romeo Twin Cam straight-four of 1290cc that hit top speed of 120mph. However, with a 4.9 litre Ferrari flat-12 engine mid mounted, the Testarossa could accelerate from 0 to 100mph in 11.40 seconds. Given the fact that Marco had mastered a skill to maximize his car's ability by Archangel Michael's power, clearly Ren was in disadvantage in every way. It all came down to the battle of will.
"May the strongest one win." Jeanne announced as she raised a flag. The engines roared for a moment and the cars disappeared into the forest. Ren held his breath as his Giulietta accelerated. He had been practicing non-stop but had never got used to that uncomfortable task.
"Bloody hell! I swear this is the last time I deal with cars in my whole life." Ren thought as he caught a glimpse of the Testarossa cutting ahead of him. Both of them unleased their spirits almost the same time, but with his experience Marco got a fraction of second faster than Ren did and took the lead. However, the Giulietta caught up and tailgated its opponent.
"Just as I expected from you, brat." Marco smiled. "Unfortunately, I still have some tricks up my sleeves."
The forest road was in bad shape, and the racers mostly hovered above the ground. Ren felt Gabriel's power rushing in his veins. Trees and branches kept jumping at his face. There were many deadly curves on the course, so Ren was glad he memorized it to heart beforehand. Everything had gone as planned. He was catching up very closely to Marco and at the next turn there would be an open space for him to pass. He better took a lead before they get to a narrow road with mountain on one side and bottomless cliff on the other. Ren counted in his head "3… 2… 1…" The open space suddenly popped out from nowhere. He drifted to the narrow side of the curve trying to cut Marco off. The moment their cars leveled, Ren cross-eyed with Marco and the Berretta 93R's barrel was pointing at his face.
The gunshot followed by the ear-deafening sound of explosion. X-laws guns never carried real bullets, they fired concentrated Furyoku instead. The Giulietta lost its course and crashed into the bushes. Apart from enhancing the car's speed, Ren had spent a good portion of his Furyoku to stabilize it in accordance to such speed. The blast from Marco's shot wasn't powerful enough to push his car off, but Ren had to blame himself for being careless. Surely Marco wouldn't let him pass so easily. Ren quickly got back on track but his plan had failed.
"Lady Maiden, have you seen that? It was a terrible break of sportsmanship. A terrorist act! He's trying to kill my Master. Please do something!" Bason was frantically tearing his hair watching the race through Jeanne's Angels' vision technique. This skill allowed members of the X-laws to see through the eyes of the Angels. Jeanne had kindly created a hologram of what was happening for Bason to see, but she started to think it wasn't a good idea. Having never been separated from Ren since his birth, Bason was in the upmost panic mode. He kept floating around babbling and crying.
"To restrain opponents is acceptable for this race, Bason." Jeanne explained softly. She had given up on comforting Ren's loyal spirit as she was anxious herself. She had seen Ren's magical unification with Gabriel during their training, but she still had a heavy stone in her chest. The moment Ren tried to pass Marco, Jeanne secretly wished his plan had succeed. She hadn't had preference for any of the two men, but as the race progressed her mind stepped down and her heart stood up. She prayed for Ren's plan to go smoothly, and so no one would get hurt. Jeanne closed her eyes as the two reached the uphill course.
The road got too narrow that a car could barely fit on it. Ren assumed the path was created by Marco for his own hobby of driving on challenging courses, since nobody with sane mind would choose this way instead of the state highway. Just a mistake and his car would fall off the cliff. But the same went for Marco as well. They had gone through 2/3 of the race. There was only one more chance for Ren to win.
"Yes, brat. You're planning to throw me off the cliff, aren't you?" Marco thought to himself. "Just step over me to achieve your goal. That's the way you are, right? You don't know about the Angels' vision, and that Lady Maiden is watching you. Hurry and show your true self. I trust Lady Maiden will make the right judgement once she sees who you are." Marco took a deep breath. He knew it wasn't a righteous thing to do, and he decided to bet his life in the race. They were approaching the last U-turn, it would be now or never. Even so, from the bottom of his heart, Marco wished he had been all wrong. He didn't know that Ren, too, was ready to put his life on the line. Controlling Archangels so precisely in dreadful conditions had drained enormous amount of Furyoku from both Marco and Ren. Ren started panting, his body was sore. He still got a plan left, but everything had to be exact for it to work. He felt like someone was hammering his head, and his concentration took every chance to slip away. Ren struggled to hold on. The last curve was close to the very top of the mountain. He knew the Seine River was flowing next to the bottom of this cliff, but it couldn't be seen from up there. He knew he would have to take a sharp left and then an immediate U-turn to the right. He knew the rest was just a downhill journey to the finish line.
But only if he could get there!
The two cars were so close that Marco could see Ren in his rear mirror. His whole body got numb due to Furyoku pressure. However, he was calm. He watched Ren pull out the Luger.
"Meene, I'm waiting for your answer." Marco thought. A salty drop of tear left his eye and vanished as quickly as it appeared.
Ren tightened his finger around the Luger's trigger. All the effort he had given came down to that very moment. He had to do it. He must do it. He could do it.
The gunshot blast through the air. The impact was so much. Ren couldn't see clear any more. He felt like everything got brighter and brighter, until the whole place became endless white. In the middle of the space, he saw a familiar figure. Her blonde hair lazily fall on her shoulders. She greeted him with a gentle smile.
"So is this your decision, Ren?" she asked. Finally, Ren encountered the will of Meene Montgomery carried by the Luger. Throughout his training he could feel her presence, but had never got that close. He was glad he met Meene in the most critical moment of the race.
"Why do you want to do this so badly, young man?" she asked again.
"I learnt something from the Shaman Fight back then. I used to think that giving up my life was the only way to pay for my sins in the past. But when Yoh traded his right to participate in the tournament, and Jeanne revived me from death, I realized TO LIVE is what I must do. I know Jeanne is trying to do the same thing. If we have the same goal, why can't we do it TOGETHER?"
"You are right." Meene gave Ren a heart-warming smile. "Remember, the purest love of all kind is the seed sprouted from one's heart. The X-laws strives to save the world, but our personal goal is to nurture the seed of love for little Jeanne. She is the most precious to us."
"And mine, too." Ren reached out his hand. "Accept me! I have never been so sure and clear1 before in my life."
"Meene" Ren said. "I love Jeanne."
Blast! Pressure! Shock! Ren lost his breath as he flew through the endless space of light. Beside him, the majestic mountain stood as proudly as it had always been. Underneath, the bottomless valley was clothed by thin layers of clouds. Ren couldn't see Marco's face right now but he must be stunned.
The Giulietta was flying ACROSS the curve.
"100% acceptance with Gabriel? It's impossible!" Marco couldn't believe in his eyes. Even with his level of unification with the Archangel, the Testarossa could either be in a car form with the spirit's power or in an Angel form. What he was looking at was the combined transformation of Gabriel and Giulietta, the highest level of unification. Gabriel's magnificent wings spread in the sky. The scenery brightened up with light, a rare beauty a shaman got to observe in his life.
"The Archangels chose him." Marco threw his head back and laughed as Michael's power slowly drained from the Testarossa. Mixed feelings rose in his heart: relief and sadness. He knew everything would change from that day onwards.
"Absolutely marvelous performance! I'm so proud of my Master. I think I'm gonna die the second time." Jeanne tried to ignore Bason's uncontrollable sobbing but she could understand his excitement. The race wasn't finished, yet the result had been decided. Ren won. She trusted him and he kept his promise. The Archangels accepted him, so they were one step closer to each other. Jeanne didn't know she could be so delighted when someone got into her life. Or because that someone was HIM?
Ren gave the Giulietta a thank-you pat as he waited for Marco to arrive. He took a quick look at the church of St Mathurin. Dated from the 16th century, the stone church seemed peaceful and solemn. Ren wondered if Jeanne had visited there. He could imagine her at an altar, brightened up the whole church like summer sunlight. Thinking of her warmed his heart, even in the mist of exhaustion.
Marco parked and stepped out. He tried to appear all right but clearly his strength had gone. He was too tired to react when Ren rushed towards him. Would he force him to admit his defeat, or would he humiliate him? Marco just didn't bother any more. However, much to his surprise, Ren stopped in front of him and bow his head. It was the last thing Marco thought this arrogant boy could do.
"This race represents my respect towards you." Ren spoke. "Right now, I'm asking for your permission. Please let me take care of Jeanne."
It felt like time had stopped in La Mailleraye-sur-Seine. Even the wind kept quiet to watch what happened next. The silence went on for a while. Finally, Marco turned around and got into his car.
"If you have time to say nonsense like that, make sure you return Meene's procession in perfect condition." He adjusted his glasses. "And be in my office at 7 tomorrow morning. If you're late I'll throw your luggage out."
Ren watched Marco drive away. He shrugged at Marco trying to stay cold with him, but the ice was broken between them. Tomorrow would be the beginning of a new chapter. Ren dropped to the ground to regain some strength. He looked at the Giulietta, his partner for one of the most life-changing moments of his life. It stood there inviting him.
"Thanks for your hard work, Giulietta. But sorry, after all this, I'd rather walk."
Ren's brief relationship with cars ended there on the very last day of September in a solemn remoted France's town.
P/s: I feel really bad for taking sooooo long to complete the second chapter. Work has been very busy the last few months. I'm extremely grateful to everyone who read my fic, and special thanks to your kind reviews. They are very encouraging and keep me moving. Love.