Sorry to keep everyone waiting as I'm really busy with my exams now. I really wish I have more time in writing the fanfic. Special shout outs to followers of this fanfic, thank you.
Chapter 3: The Hunting
A week has passed after the clash of Yuki and Arashi with AST
"What? What do you mean by the case is forced to be stopped temporary?" Shido asked.
"The lack of the twin's data caused this. And Arashi's power is deemed too dangerous to seal until a plan for double takedown is formulated."
As Shido is pondering, Kotori adds on…
"Also, the spacequake caused by Arashi is a different one. The destroyed buildings cannot be restored even with realizers. It is the first time we have encountered this."
Shido is stunned by it. His fear of Arashi begins to grow even stronger.
The twin has been around for 2 weeks, Yuki has made quite some friends. Arashi however, despite his best attempts, is still shunned by fellow classmates.
His loneliness has attracted Kaguya's attention.
"Why is he always alone? He rarely smiles."
Later at lunch time, Kaguya finds Arashi alone at the rooftop.
"Hey, Aokaze-san."
"Huh… Yamai-san, what are you doing here? Where's your sister?"
"I just want to be alone… I'm just curious, why you are not making any friends?"
"Me? I have been trying as much as I could, hehehe…"
Kaguya can see it, Arashi's smile is off.
"You are trying too hard to smile."
With this sends shockwaves in Arashi's body.
"What the…. What is she trying to do?"
Arashi's mind runs wild as he has never faced something like this for years.
"Let's talk, shall we?" asked Kaguya enthusiastically.
"Su-sure…"
"You don't have any friends in previous schools?"
"Nah, we are always on the move, Yuki has many of them, as for me, you know… I can't tell you much, sorry about it."
"Is okay, moving around… must be a tough life for you two."
"Yeah… What about you? I heard that you and your sister are transferred here few months ago."
"Hmmm… We have come from a place far away, I can't tell much though."
"We seem to be in common… One is craving for friends" Arashi replied.
"And one is trying to be alone now…" Kaguya added.
The two stare at each other in an awkward silence. Later they fluster over what they said and they broke out with laughter.
"You look better now, much more handsome with that smile!" Kaguya exclaimed.
To Kaguya, Arashi is like a guy who has never been happy or smiled for years. For some reasons, she wants to make him happy.
"Umm…. Let us be friends shall we?" asked Kaguya.
"Sure, we should talk sometimes, I like to talk to you." Replied Arashi.
To Arashi, some how, he wants to protect her smile.
Back in Fraxinus
The crew is looking for the data of the twin in DEM servers. Reine found a video.
"Commander, I found an unnamed video surveillance of a fight between a DEM agent and Arashi. I'm playing it on the screen now."
"Yes, carry on, we can't let go of any leads."
The video shows a man confronting Arashi at a rooftop of an abandoned building.
The man is DEM's assassin, who takes out spirit stealthily.
The video
"Well, well, as impressive as ever…. You are able to lure me up here." The man praises Arashi.
"Judging from your words, you are one of those whom I hunt." Arashi appears to be calm.
"Oh yeah? With my augmentations and weaponry, all these are just for you. It's now the hunter becomes the hunted. And also, you resemble someone who died, sorry, who should have died 3 years ago" the man added.
"Just what the hell you know?" Arashi is now tensed.
"Well, you know it yourself, I'm gonna send the dead back to death!"
Without warning, he pulls out a pistol, and fired a shot that obliterates some of the walls on the roof. Arashi appears to be stunned and just as the man is going to shoot again; he pulls out a switchblade and disappeared.
Out of nowhere, he is sent flying in the air by a kick from Arashi. He then kicks the man back to the roof again.
"Zeus combat system, ACTIVATE!"
A field of electricity engulfs him, the field dissipates when he reaches the roof, it cushions his impact and he landed safely.
Arashi is shocked of what he sees.
"My augmentations is to let me use what Spirits does best, using mana. I use electricity as my powers."
A field engulfs the man, like a territory that is found on a wizard.
Arashi stabs the field with his switchblade, the field shatters but it regenerates, leaving him stunned.
"What? I cut so many fields, yours able to regenerate? And you have no death?" Arashi exclaimed.
"So, my guess is correct. You can see the weak points in all things. You can't cut air or water."
"Hehehe…. I'll crack you then." Arashi taunted Santos.
The man now draws his laser blade and swings at Arashi. Without a flinch, Arashi simply parry the blade with his switchblade and the laser blade is broken to bits.
The two break free of the skirmish and backed off.
"So, after all, your weakness is that. Now try and cut this!"
Two blades made of lightning manifest on both his hands and charges at Arashi.
Arashi dodges and turned invisible.
"Static Barrier!"
A field of lightning surrounds the rooftop.
"Come out now, there is no way you can sneak out. This field will consume your mana if you touch it."
Arashi appears with a dark vortex engulfing him.
"Unholy Astral Raiment, Abysm!"
The dark astral suit is formed on him. With a pair of shadow blades at his hand, his demeanor changes drastically with strong determination.
"If I can't sneak out of this, I'll kill the creator himself!"
"Kill me, if you can." the man taunted.
The two charges at each other and clashed with their blades parrying each other. But Arashi is way faster, each parry sends him to the man's back with backstabs. But the man's augmentations protect his body from the blades.
Arashi then appears in front of the man with his blinding speed. He then swings his blades like whirlwind with the trying to parry each of them.
Suddenly, his lightning blades are sent flying.
"What?"
He tries to back off and he is greeted with Arashi's blades slashing multiple times at a blinding speed. His body is full with cuts and then Arashi slices his legs clean off.
"NO, MY LEGS!" the man screamed in pain.
"Now tell me, what you know? Why do you guys want to hunt us?" Arashi interrogates him.
"I know that you are already dead 3 years ago! You and your father are assassins."
"What…" Arashi is stunned.
"Now tell me, just what is your powers other than shadow manipulation? Which is the true you?"
"Well… I can see lines and points on people and objects. If I trace the lines, they'll break, if I pierce the point, it will shatter and if it is a life being then they'll die. This means, I can see and realize death itself."
"You, can see death?"
"I'll demonstrate to you then."
Arashi uses his switchblade and pokes a wall; the blade sinks into the wall like hot knife on butter. Cracks are formed and the wall shatters.
"What in the world…" the man is stunned.
Suddenly, he screams in pain.
"Arghh….."
"Hey, what's going on?"
"No… They told me I won't die from these augmentations. How can they betray me?"
"I see, you deserve a clean death, your soul shall move on. Run away as soon as you can. I'll avenge you, because you are one of the many puppets I did not kill, and yet I'm framed of murdering you guys."
Arashi then thrust his shadow blade into the man's body. Reliving the pain and suffering of that man.
"Thank you…" he let out his last words.
"Rest in Peace…."
Arashi walks to the edge of the rooftop and disappeared into thin air.
Back in Fraxinus
The crew watched the video in horror as Arashi amputates Santos.
"Commander, that guy mentioned that Arashi has a father. This means that the twins are human spirits?" Reine tells Kotori
"I know, but the he says he should be dead 3 years ago. What does it mean? Is he really a deceased person? What do you guys think?" Kotori asked everyone
"He is a zombie perhaps? Commander, I'll protect you from it!"
Kyouhei is immediately greeted by a kick in the face from Kotori knocking him out.
"But Commander, what Kyouhei said maybe correct. Take Diva, Izayoi Miku as an example, she did not die before she was turned into spirit. Unless, the twins appeared to be dead and mysteriously reawaken. They are medically considered dead but still living, they are zombies." Reine said.
"Whatever it is, the twins' background must be found. We already has a lead on Arashi, an assassin who can control soul and shadow and see death. If they are hunting them, then why can't we find anything about them in DEM or AST's database?"
Kotori is now really frustrated, they already have limited knowledge on the Spirits they are facing, and yet their opponent already hunting them. Arashi appears to be a psychopathic killer, with this goes on, many will lose their lives.
Raizen High School
It is lunchtime and Shido finds Yuzuru alone for the first time.
"Yuzuru, why are you alone? Where's Kaguya?" Shido asked.
"Reply, Kaguya is with Aokaze at the rooftop. They seem to be close."
Shido looks at the rooftop and sees the two talking to each other.
He couldn't help but to worry for her as she is oblivious to Arashi's dark side.
Class 2-3 has supplementary lesson which results in Yamai twin returning home late.
They bump into a group of thugs and being harassed by them.
"Come on girls, you two are so cute. Keep us happy and we'll not mistreat you." the thug leader trying to touch Kaguya.
Kaguya counters by giving him a slap in the face. The leader is clearly enraged and tries to slap her but he is stopped by a loud voice.
"Let her go!" It is Arashi, looking angry.
"Well, well, it is the transfer student. Who you think you are? We call the shots around!"
The leader grabs Arashi's collar. But all in a sudden, something sends chills to everyone's spine. One of the thugs even crash onto the floor kneeling down.
"What's happening?"
"What's unseen is your biggest fear. I knew you guys are cowards, don't even have dare to face 1 person when you have 5."
Arashi taunts them, the enraged leader tries to punch him. But he dodges and grabs the leader's arm.
At a blink of an eye two loud snaps are heard from the arms of the leader with him collapsed on the floor in pain.
The atmosphere turns drastically with a crippling fear aura from Arashi. It is so strong that the thugs have no will to fight.
"Don't let me see you guys fooling around again. Or else, you limbs will be broken along with fingers and toes."
The thugs help their arms broken leader up and run away in fear.
Arashi then turns to the twin.
"Are you two okay?" Arashi asked.
"Reply. Yuzuru and Kaguya are fine."
"I'll send you two home."
"Sure!" Kaguya exclaimed.
The trio walked back to the apartment complex for spirits.
On the way back, Kaguya and Arashi are walking together. Yuzuru notices how close they are.
"Are they in love with each other?"
When the trio arrive, before Kaguya goes in, she kisses Arashi in the cheek.
"Wha..." Arashi is stunned
"This is for saving me. Thank you."
"Don't mention it, I have the responsibility to protect my friends."
Arashi goes back home alone, suddenly Yuki appears beside him.
"So how does it feel like to be kissed by a girl?"
"So you were with us all along being invisible?"
"Come on, why can't your sister know how a girl opens up your mind? You two are so close that you even abandoned me at lunch time."
Arashi remains silent.
"Perhaps you like her, don't you?"
"I think so, but with that thing in me, we can't be together..."
At Shido's house
The spirits gathered at Shido's house for dinner, Tohka notices Kaguya is in a trance.
"Kaguya, are you okay? You are in a trance just now."
"Huh…" Kaguya looks slightly blushed
She just recover from the moment being rescued by Arashi
"Reply, Kaguya is love struck."
"Hey…." Kaguya flusters
"So it is true eh… Who does Kaguya like?" Tohka probes deeper
Kaguya wished to keep it as a secret, but since Yuzuru already noticed it, even if she keeps quiet Yuzuru will still tell Tohka. She has no choice but to tell it.
"Ummmm…. it's Arashi-kun…" Now Kaguya's face is red like a tomato
Tohka is not surprised, it seems that she has already guessed it.
"I have yet to confess to him though…. I don't know if he likes me…."
"I'm sure he does like you… He's probably wondering to confess to you too, maybe you should confess to him." Tohka assuring Kaguya
"I'll do it!" Kaguya said confidently.
Yuki and Arashi's apartment
"Still investigating?" Yuki asks Arashi
"Yeah…"
Arashi's room has a board which have notes and photograph pinned onto it like a detective would. From the day they are being hunted, he keep tracks of events and things.
The board has many notes, detailed with attacks, clues and leads to something else.
Arashi is like a hunter, hunting for something that he does not even know what he is hunting for.
"Don't you think things would be better if you stop investigating them?" Yuki asks
"NO THEY WON'T!"
Yuki is stunned as Arashi suddenly raised his voice.
"Look at what they did to us? If we can't get rid of the source of the problems, we'll just have to keep moving and hiding!"
Arashi suddenly looks sad, perhaps he is under pressure for too long.
"Sorry... I just... look, if we can't get rid of them, we'll never be in peace."
"I understand. But what have you found out?" Yuki asked again
"Remember the day we first got attacked by people that has special equipments on them? From a recent client, they are called Anti Spirit Team of Japan Ground Self-Defense Force or AST. And public no knowledge of this force."
"If the public has no knowledge of this, then how would your client knows about it." Yuki looking puzzled.
"I don't know, I hypnotized her and ask her whatever I wanted to ask. She claimed to be a former member. "
Arashi then pins another note above the AST note.
"From other leads pointing out that something even bigger is behind AST. We have met them, their equipment is in blue and white. But we don't know who are they."
Arashi's phone suddenly rings, it is time to meet a client.
"It's work time."
He wears a black neck gaiter skull mask and a black hoodie, he carries his switchblade and leaving the house.
"Don't kill people… I would rather you to rob than to kill for money." Yuki tells him
"Relax, I kill only those who are evil hearted." Arashi replies her.
After he has left, Yuki muttered.
"You are getting back to your old self..."
Near the meeting point
It is late at night and raining heavily and Arashi pulls out the gaiter made mask with a skull mark, making him look like a ghost. He then reaches an alley waiting, a woman with shades then approach him.
"Jack the Ripper?" asked the woman
"Yes I am. What can I do for you?"
"Well, I don't need you to kill but…."
"If you don't need me to kill, why would you even look for an assassin for hire?" Arashi is puzzled
"Well…. our organization needs you. Look into my eyes….."
Focus on Kaguya
"Fuu… that Yuzuru is lazy… Asking me to buy her burger when she is hungry and not even coming with me…" Kaguya is upset for having to go out alone late at night.
"I really wish Arashi-kun is with me now…"
Suddenly, an alley nearby explodes into flames, knocking Kaguya back. The flame is so hot that not even the rain help to extinguish or cool the surrounding area.
"What's going on?" Kaguya is stunned.
The fire is so bright that it lights up the night sky. She sees a shadow coming from the destroyed alley. She hides behind a destroyed wall and peeks at the alley.
She sees a man looking at the burning crater, the man then turns back looking at her direction.
The man face is covered by a skull mask, his eyes are in blood red and he looked menacing. She is crippled when he looks at her direction. She musters up her courage and ran as fast as she can away from the scene.
Moments later the man leaves the scene before authorities can reach the scene of carnage.
Focus on Arashi
In a puff of a black smoke, Arashi appears from it. He looks tired and in pain, he threw away his skull mask and walking back home staggering. He is soaked in rain and and one hand holding his head, battling a pain within it.
"Damn it, she hypnotized me, that thing just took over me and blasted the place apart." he thought.
"Whenever this monster took over me, fighting back for the control is already tiring and I'm left without mana…"
"Shit, if she already tried to hypnotize me, then Yuki would be in danger…. No, I must get back!"
Arashi is still staggering, he is exhausted from the battle within, each attempt to hasten up his pace backfires with a more severe pain in his head. He reaches the spirit's apartment complex
"It's Kaguya-chan's house, it is near, I'm home free soon."
But his body is at its limits, Arashi collapse on the wet floor with his hand reaching out at the direction of his home.
"No….. Yuki…" He whispered it in pain.
His vision fades into darkness as he passes out in front of the apartment complex.
Focus back on Kaguya
Kaguya runs towards the apartment complex, she is relieved that the man did not see her. Her umbrella is lost when she ran away. She then sees a man unconscious in front of the apartment complex.
Out of curiosity, she examine the man and she is shocked to realize it is Arashi.
"Arashi-kun! Oh no…"
She rushes back to the complex to get Yuzuru to help and called Shido as well.
The three of them brought the unconscious Arashi into the twin's home. Shido took off his soaked clothes and put him on a dry set of clothes.
"How did he end up in front of the apartment complex? And more importantly, why is he out late in the night?" Shido thought.
He searched Arashi's pockets, and found his wallet and his switchblade. The sight of switchblade scares Shido.
"Why is he carrying a switchblade in the first place? Is this his weapon of his spirit mode?"
Shido thought of not returning the blade to Arashi, but a second thought mades Shido not doing so as he remembers Arashi's spirit weapon is a pair of shadow blades.
"So, Arashi will be in your care tonight, I'll be at my house."
"Apologize. Yuzuru and Kaguya are sorry to bother you."
"Is nothing, just call me when needed."
After Shido left, Kaguya decided to look after Arashi for the night.
"Umm… Yuzuru, why not you go and sleep first? I'll look after him."
"Affirmative, Yuzuru will leave you two alone."
Kaguya looks after Arashi and hopes that he'll wake up anytime soon.
"Arashi-kun… I was so afraid just now, I really wished you were with me…" Kaguya thought to herself.
She is already exhausted and she sleeps Arashi's chest.
"I really like you…. Arashi-kun….."
Hours later in the morning
"Uh…."
Arashi wakes up in the morning and realize Kaguya is sleeping on him.
"Yamai-san? This is… her home?"
Arashi carefully get out of the bed without waking Kaguya up. He changes back to his dried clothes and write a note to thank Kaguya for taking care of him. Just as he is writing, he heard Kaguya's voice.
"Arashi-kun, I really like you…."
She is still asleep, but it concerns Arashi deeply.
"I like you too… Kaguya-chan…"
He finish the note and left the twin's house, and turned invisible. Just as he is walking, he hears a familiar voice.
"Ohaiyoh, Yoshino!"
"It is Yatogami-san from Yuki's class! She lives here?"
But Arashi couldn't care much and exit the apartment complex undetected. He runs back to his home to check if Yuki is okay.
"YUKI!" Arashi enters the house shouting.
Yuki comes to see him and gives a worrying look.
"I'm glad that you are okay!" Arashi is relieved
But suddenly, he hears a news broadcast.
"Last night at 1am flame broke out at the shop house complex. It is a strange phenomena as flame temperature goes high up for more than 1000 degrees. Police suspect that it is caused by a bomb but the purpose of the bomb attack is unexplained…"
Arashi looked horrified as he it is his works last night.
"Listen, that thing in the news, it's caused by the thing inside. Someone is trying to control me, but awake that thing instead."
"What? Arashi, you really have to be careful."
"I'm sure it is from those backing AST. We'll have to move again if possible"
"What about her?" Yuki asked
"... I'll sort that out as soon as possible."
At an unknown DEM base
"Another agent burned to ash, this guy is immune to hypnosis…" Isaac lamented
"Hmph, so another attempt to turn him to our asset has failed." Ellen said
"Ellen, I'm sending you to Tenguu City to take down Shadows. Both the Assailant and Reverser."
"I won't fail you, Reverser can be killed easily, but for Assailant, I need the Excalibur."
"So you want to reclaim your honour?"
"Yes, and for many more he has driven mad!"
"In that case, I'll let you use the Excalibur. I can't allow any more infrastructure to be destroyed by that psychopath, the shareholders are really angry about it."
"Yes, I'll prove you with my success!" Ellen replied.
Excalibur is a special CR-Unit specially built to combat Assailant in close quarters with special manipulation of diamond dusts. The dust shapes at the user's will, he or she can form diamond blades and barriers. Assailant can destroy a wizard's territory permanently by just a slight poke and thus a solid barrier would make sense.
Ellen arrives the city with one clear purpose, to look for the elusive twins. As she walks in the street, she hears familiar voices. She looks around and sees Ai, Mai, Mii. Horrified, she runs to an alley to hide.
"Not them again, always spoil my plans."
It is a big city to begin with, and with AST's sensors not able to detect them. Ellen is going to have a hard time looking for them.
"Ummm… Arashi-kun." Kaguya wakes up and realize Arashi is gone with a note left for her.
"He left in such a hurry and I don't even have the chance to confess to him…" Kaguya thought.
With this, Kaguya decides to confess to Arashi on Monday
Time Skips to Monday
It is lunchtime and the two meet at the rooftop again.
"So Kaguya-chan, what is it you want to talk to me about."
"Umm….. Arashi-kun…. well…. I have been attracted to you… from the day you transfer and to the day you protected me. I think I have fallen in love with you."
Upon hearing this, Arashi is stunned with his blue eyes wide open as if it is his worst nightmare.
"So… will you go on a date with me?"
Kaguya looked into Arashi's eyes with her beautiful mercury eyes, pleading Arashi to accept it.
Arashi likes her from the bottom of his heart and does not wish to hurt her feelings. He hugs Kaguya much to her surprise.
"Yes, we shall go on a date this Saturday."
The two hugs each other tightly.
After the long day, the two part ways with Kaguya feeling happy as she has succeeded.
Yuki senses something's wrong with Arashi, he is in a trance. She feels that there will be a mishap cause by her younger brother.
At Yuki and Arashi's apartment
"You're not going to do that to her aren't you?" Yuki asked
"I know it will be harsh, but for her safety, it is the best. I do not want that thing to hurt anyone." Arashi replied coldly.
Yuki leaves Arashi's room, she shed some tears to the would be couple because of what her brother is going to do to someone that he likes.
"Arashi, little did you know, I have found our salvation… You two can love each other without worries. That side of you... just can't come back."
So what is the salvation Yuki is saying? And most importantly, what Arashi is going to do to Kaguya? Reviews please!