Death is the beginning of immortality.
-Maximilen Robespierre-
Location: Japan, Westerdyk Residence
Hunter Westerdyk
Lightning…
My dreams were dominated by Lightning…
All I could see was a ferocious storm. Lightning arcing every second.
It was all I could hear, the sound of Thunder filled my ears, booming every moment.
All I could feel was the energy of Lightning, coursing through my veins, passing through my body…
A shadow passed through the abyss around me, illuminated by the Lightning in the pitch-black storm. Again and again, it circled me, like a vulture circling its prey. Then it flew in front of me, and I stared into its eyes in the abyss of thunder and storm.
They were Blood Red like my own. Large, and ancient.
Then the shadow brought its head back and roared upward.
"RRRRAAAAAAHHHHHH!"
My eyes snapped open as I sat up, panting. 'What was that?' bringing my right hand up, I held my head trying to steady my breathing as my heart pounded against my chest. Finally, closing my eyes I took slow, deep breaths, and not soon after my heart back to normal. Then I heard the beeping of my alarm clock, my eyes snapped over to look at the time, and my heart sank. It was 7:00. "Shit!" I yelped in panic as I jumped up and got changed as fast as I could, forgoing my morning exercises and breakfast.
As I rushed into the Garage, I sighed in relief as I saw my Motorcycle sitting comfortably. But as the relief came, I frowned, confused. 'Why am I relieved? I drove my…' my thoughts trailed off as I remembered what happened last night. Glancing down, I ran a hand across my stomach, finding no scar. 'No… scar… was it just a dream?' I wondered. Thinking of 'Yuuma' and her wings, the battle, and finally the mugger whom I had killed. 'But it's all so vivid. So clear. But if it was real, that means I killed someone with my blood…' as I remembered the alleyway, I gulped, 'I'm not feeling any remorse or guilt. So it must've been a dream. Right?' Shaking my head, I dragged myself from my thoughts and hopped onto my Motorcycle. Then, revving the engine I sped off towards Kuoh academy.
Location: Japan, Kuoh Academy
Hunter Westerdyk
As I drove up to my parking spot in Kuoh, the memories of the dreams still plagued my mind. I sighed in another attempt to calm myself. 'Wait. If it wasn't a dream, then someone would remember Yuuma right?' I glanced around, but I quickly realized that I didn't remember the faces of anyone who had seen Yuuma and I, and if it truly was a dream then going around and asking for her would make me sound crazy.
A lightbulb lit up in my head as I realized that there was someone who would remember Yuuma and wouldn't think I was crazy. Adrien.
Pulling out my phone, I tapped Adrien's name on my contacts before texting him.
"Hey man, Got a moment?" H
"Sure, what do you need?" A
"Do you remember that girl I told you guy's about the other night?" H
"Girl? What girl?" A
"Don't tell me, do you have a Girlfriend already?" A
"I'm serious." H
"So am I! What's her name?" A
"Yuuma. And no she's not my girlfriend." H
"Yuuma?" A
"I told you, mom and dad, all about her during dinner the other night. Surely you remember?" H
"Sorry bro, but I don't remember anything about a 'Yuuma'" A
"Honest?" H
"Honest. Dude are you okay?" A
"What do you mean?" H
"Well. Maybe it was a dream." A
"Don't you dare" H
"And you know that dreams are influenced by our emotions. Is everything okay at school?" A
"You know it is, so don't even try." H
"Maybe you're lonely?" A
"Sure, sure. Well, I've gotta go… Don't tell mom or dad about this, I don't need them freaking out other 1 random dream." H
"Okay. But if something's wrong, promise me you'll talk to someone." A
"Uh-huh. Bye" H
As I closed my phone, I was left even more confused than before.
As much as I should've trusted Adrien, and dismissed this whole thing as nothing but a dream, I couldn't, something told me that it was real, a gut feeling. But it also told me to keep quiet.
I needed to find out more. I needed to know more, and until I did, I would be alone in my search.
Looking up at Kuoh, I nodded slightly as the bell rang.
Tonight, I would find out the truth one way or another.
My eyes darted left to right as I drove through the streets of Kuoh. The dream was still fresh in my mind, and as I followed it, things began to look familiar. Monuments, buildings, and streets that I had never seen before, yet recognized from the afternoon I spent with Yuuma. Finally, as I rounded the last corner, my mouth and eyes opened slightly in recognition, shock, and fear.
It was the fountain where Yuuma and I had battled.
Driving up to the fountain, I parked my Motorcycle along the road next to it. Getting off it, I put my helmet on the seat, before walking up to the Fountain itself. Crouching down on the ground, I ran my right hand over a slightly elevated patch of cement. Closing my eyes, I lightly dragged my hand across it, and then the cement surrounding it. And I gasped as I opened my eyes. 'This cement feels fresh. Cleaner. It's elevated. With a small dip in the centre.' Placing my head on the ground, I looked at the rest of the ground around me and saw several other patches across it. Returning to my kneeling position, a deep frown covered my face. 'Something did happen here. What's more, I kneeled right where one of the patches was different.' images of the battle against 'Yuuma' flashed through my mind, and I walked up to where she would've been when she was throwing the light spears at me.
Imagining a mental version of myself, I mimicked 'Yuuma' throwing the spears at me, and each time the spear embedded itself in the elevated cement. 'The spears' I thought before I circled the fountain a dozen times observing the ground carefully. But I found no trace of blood. 'But no blood.' I hummed to myself as I considered what could've happened. 'These holes didn't magically appear and fill themselves. Nor did my blood vanish on its own. Someone must be covering this up. But why?'
Sighing, I turned my gaze skyward, and immediately froze in surprise. 'Is that the moon?' My head snapped down as I looked around in confusion. 'But, it looks as bright as day. And yet, the moon and the stars are both out.' I glanced around searching for other people but found none. 'No one's here.' growling, I slammed my fist into the fountain, "Damn it!" I shouted in fury. But when I heard cracking, I gasped, my fist had cracked the Fountain's cement.
A cold feeling went down my spine, and something in the air changed. I frowned in confusion, as I looked around. 'Something's wrong.' turning around, I heard a voice. "Well, this really is unfortunate" I narrowed my eyes as a cloaked figure emerged from the shadows, and when I sensed his Aura, my blood froze.
It was fading embers.
"Me running into you that is." the man continued, before raising his head and looking me in the eye. 'Get back!' my instincts screamed at me, and before I could even react I leapt back, passing the fountain completely. As I landed, my eyes were wide in shock and disbelief as I saw the distance that I had leapt, backwards. 'Woah.' "Looking for a way out?" The man asked. Clenching my Jaw, I felt the man's Aura and its intensity.
It was greater than Yuuma's had been.
'I can't fight him.' I thought, as I turned around and ran.
Rushing through the trees, I stole a glance behind me but saw nothing. 'I think I lost him…' but as I looked forward again, the blood drained from my face as I saw black feathers falling in front of me. 'Shit. Don't tell me Yuuma's here.' My gaze turned skyward as I searched for 'Yuuma' but I only saw the cloaked man, who now had black wings. 'Of course, he can fly' I thought bitterly, as he landed in front of me. "Such cowardice. I can't abide lower-class beings." the man said, "Who are you?" I demanded, but the man ignored me. "So let's see. It appears as though your friends and master are nowhere to be found. You show no signs of disappearing nor any magical circles being deployed. Therefore I must assume you are nothing but a stray. Am I correct?" holding out a hand, the Man summoned a sword of light, and I lowered myself into a makeshift fighting stance. "And that would mean, killing you wouldn't be a problem!" the man shouted, throwing the spear with a shout.
Baring my teeth, I leapt to the side, avoiding the sword completely. "Do not struggle. It is pointless." the man said, as he spread his wings and began to fly. Growling, I observed the man. 'Black feathered wings. Magic. What if…' pointing at the man I said. "Is this what God would want?" That made the man pause, but as I said God's name I winced from a flare of headache. "What?" he asked. "I said. Is this what God would want? One of his creations, to kill another one? God's love is for all, and his forgiveness is endless. So would he approve of these actions?" I then pointed at his wings, "I assume that you were once an Angel given those black wings. So surely that means-" the man growled cutting me off, "God did not create your kind." he spat, then pointing another sword at me he declared, "If anything he would want me to end your life!"
My eyes widened at the man's words, and with a howl, he threw the sword at me. Acting on instinct alone, I dodged the attack rolling out of the way. But as I looked up, the man had already summoned another sword and thrown it at me. 'Shit Shit Shit! Run!' turning around I ran horizontally to the man, barely managing to dodge his barrage of attacks. 'What did I do to deserve this?!' I wondered when I remembered all the times I had prayed for something like this to happen. 'Of course, this is how my prayers are answered.' I thought blandly, sighing.
But the moment that I sighed, I missed the man throwing another Light sword. And this one I didn't dodge.
I gasped in pain and surprise as I felt the familiar sensation of something tearing through my flesh. My eyes snapped open as I fell to my knees, blood already pouring from my wound. "Oh shit," I muttered as I saw the sword. Clenching my teeth, I grabbed the blade, and immediately regretted my decision.
Blinding agony raced through my entire body, my nerves erupted in suffering, and my blood boiled with heat unknown before. It felt worse than anything I had ever felt, It made 'Yuuma's' attack pale in comparison. It was like my organs were filled with liquid torment like the air I breathed was acid. "What the Hell? This is worse than Yuuma's attack." I gasped, "Hurts doesn't it?" The man asked, turning to face him I growled angrily as he landed on the ground once again. "Light is a deadly poison to your kind. It burns you from within." I spat blood on the ground in anger as I growled at him. "My kind?" I asked. The man chuckled, "Here I was thinking I finished you off. You're tougher than you look." I yelped in pain as the sword disappeared from my body, and another appeared in his hand, I snarled at him as he shrugged, "Don't worry. I'll put you out of your misery now." the man said as he raised the sword and stabbed down.
"Like Hell, I'm DYING HERE!" I shouted.
(Start Playing: I'm not Buried yet By Aram Zero)
Raising my hands, I howled in pain and exertion as I grabbed the sword of light, its blade already burning me from the contact. "What?" the man said in surprise. Growling I summoned all my Will, and stood up, glaring at the man in the eye. As I stood to my full height, I realized that I was taller than him by around 2 inches. "I'm not dead yet BITCH!" I shouted as I uppercut him so hard that he actually went flying without his wings. Landing in the fountain, the Man shouted in anger. "You dare!?" but I ignored the man, moving in favour of charging at him and disregarding my injury.
Running on pure willpower and adrenaline, I grabbed his sword of light before it even hit the ground, coming to a decision. I covered my left hand in blood, before smearing it all over the blade and with a roar tossed it at him.
(Stop playing: I'm not Buried yet.)
The Man narrowed his eyes and jumped to the side nearly completely avoiding the spear. However, it grazed his stomach and from his gasp of pain, I had injured him. "You brat," he muttered, as he summoned another sword of light. I clenched my jaw and prepared to dodge, but before I even moved the last of my strength abandoned me. However, a grim grin played across my face. 'It's only a matter of time now…'
Falling to my knees, I coughed up even more blood, and the Man scoffed. "I'll admit. You have an impressive will. But in the end it was pointless, just as it was from the beginning." I could only watch as the man raised his sword, and prepared to bring it down upon me. Suddenly, a black and red energy raced past me and struck the blade, instantly destroying it. "Was that you, you little shit?" He asked angrily, but even as he spoke a soft red glow illuminated his face. "I suppose not," he said. Following his gaze, my eyes widened as I saw the redheaded girl standing there. 'What's she doing here?'
She appeared to be 5'8 feet tall, again shorter than me but tall for a Japanese woman. She had long flowing Crimson hair, as red as my eyes, that reached down to her thighs free of any restraint or bands, and even had bangs covering her forehead and framing her face. With a body to rival Akeno's, her breasts were massive, and her curves were captivating. Her face had an unearthly beauty, and her eyes were a beautiful Aqua with a hard light within them.
"Keep your hands off him." the redhead warned. The man growled, "I'll teach you not to meddle where you don't belong!" with a shout he hurled another sword of light at the Redhead. However, the short White-haired girl suddenly appeared and dropped the sword. Sending it spinning through the air. "I'm done with you!" the man shouted, forming another sword and charging at the duo. I exhaled softly as I felt a change in the air, and shortly after a large yellow bolt of lightning struck the ground in front of the man, throwing him back. I watched in mute shock as Akeno appeared, her hands crackling with lightning, "That hair. You're from the house of Gremory!" the man shouted, "My name's Rias Gremory. And who are you? Other than a fallen angel." the redhead, now identified as Rias, answered. The man chuckled, "huh, well, well, what do you know? This town is currently under the control of the next head of the great Gremory family. So he's a-" the man suddenly gasped as he doubled over grunting. "Wha- is happening to- me?" he muttered falling to his knees as spit and foam began to emerge from his mouth. Falling to his back, his limbs began to twitch before flailing around randomly as my blood destroyed his muscles, his nerves, and even his very blood. It wasn't too long before his body went still, and he breathed his last. "What?" Rias breathed softly, while the White-haired girl was looking at me with shock and recognition.
"That's what you get. For messing with me…" I muttered softly.
And as everything went dark one thought crossed my mind.
'I never knew that scar. Would save my life.'
Here ya go, my readers!
Chapter 5 is done!
Finally, Rias Gremory steps into play, and Hunter has begun to suspect something is happening.
But Dohnaseek is dead?
Yes, my friends, he is very dead.
And another clue has been given, to the creature that scarred Hunter's face.
I hope you all enjoyed this chapter!