(A New Distortion and A new fate has appeared, after what has happened from last time, what is going to happen next? Let us see...)
Bold = English Conversations
Bold + Italics = Japanese Conversations
Distortion 50
Darkness… Darkness once again greeted the eyes of Sora Minakaze. He was used to this darkness, having seen it once before in his life. He cannot help but wonder if he opened his eyes he would be able to see the light that was in front of him. Despite this desire to open his eyes, his eyelids felt heavy at that moment, simply refusing to obey his wishes. He would groan if he could but it seemed that wherever he was good in keeping him as still as possible.
But there was one thing that came to his mind as his consciousness returned to him, it was how he ended up in this situation in the first place. The last thing he saw before he was tossed into this pitch black darkness was the sight of the masked freak sending him on his merry way by making him fall into what seemed to be the infinite light of a cauldron. Several things were going through his mind at that moment, thoughts that needed time to be filtered through properly but at the same time he couldn't do such a thing due to all of the emotions that were swimming inside him at that moment.
But that was not all that was going through his mind at that moment. Amy… A person he has had a complicated relationship with recently was now dead and most likely gone at this point and she died protecting him despite all the complication their recent situation with each other entailed. And Bullet, A mercenary he had met in this world and developed a bond with, he had absolutely no idea what had happened to her in this case. Was she dead at this point or was she still alive. He can never know that anymore.
He did not know what to feel at that moment, let alone think. How could everything go so wrong as they have at this very moment. All he wanted was to just jump through a cauldron and hope it takes him back to the woman he loves, so why did it have to end in such a tragic and bitter manner? Sora personally did not know how to feel such a thing other than bitterness. Yet as his body was merely helpless against the flow he was feeling at that moment.
"Run!…" A voice cried out, stirring Sora's general consciousness even more. Despite being unable to open his eyes or speak in this voice, he could still hear as he struggled to reach out towards that voice. Why was this voice calling out for him to run?.. or maybe… it was something else entirely. "Don't worry about me! You need to get away from here!" the same voice called out as Sora felt the voice become stronger, as if beckoning him to come and see.
As Sora continued to float down this endless darkness, he felt pulled towards that voice. As if that voice guided him, he could feel his body drift towards that voice as it became more and more clear for him to hear at that moment. He then felt his body stop at that very moment, halting him from moving any further as he felt weights be lifted from his eyes at that moment, allowing him to see around the darkness that surrounded him for the first time with his own eyes.
He had expected to see nothing but black all around him but much to his surprise, that was not the case. When his eyes opened, the sight he saw was not just black but various shades of blue surrounding him at that moment. He wondered where he was at that moment but at the same time, the sensation he felt at that moment was the thing calling for his attention over everything else. What could this sensation be and why choose him of all people?
"Run Amy! RUN!" the voice shouted again, this time yelling out a name that Sora was too familiar with as he turned his head towards the direction of the voice he had heard. When he turned, he saw what the voice was speaking. In front of him was not a person but what seemed to be a viewing glass. Sora's hand slowly drifted towards touching said glass, drawn towards the sight of such a thing. As his hand pressed itself on the viewing glass, Sora felt a sudden sensation of pain strike the back of his temple at that moment as he felt himself being pulled towards the view he was looking in front of him.
... As Sora felt himself being pulled to a vision he had never seen before…
SORA POV
The first thing I felt as my senses came to themselves was the stiffness my body felt. I decided against trying to move my body and instead focus on opening my eyes to get a view of what was going on around me. The first thing my eyes saw as soon as I opened them was the sight of utter chaos. People were running left and right and panic was all around me. My first thought immediately was something horrible had just happened and the sound of gunfire confirmed that for me as I immediately felt a chill come right down my bones.
I did not know what was going on around me but the panic around me almost reminded me of the first of dreams I had ever since reawakening to the world of the living. I could hear footsteps approach behind me as I turned to see it was the professor that I had grown to know this whole time, Amy's father, approaching what looked to be a console with haste. As he did, several other footsteps could be heard coming for him
"It is over Professor. We are going to stop you and your project here and now." A voice spoke as I saw the blue colors of NOL soldiers approach the man. "Stop my project? But why though!? We have never once stood in the way of the NOL for any reason!" The professor argued as the soldier shook his head. "True, you and your group have always been keeping to yourselves, making sure to keep us updated about your so called project. But when we figured out the truth of what you all are doing here we simply cannot continue to let such experiments go free." The soldier replied as the professor stood
"And I refuse to stop until you produce the information about our project that you find unsatisfying! I simply refuse to believe something you all have said without proper evidence on that matter!" The Professor questioned as the soldiers merely raised their arms towards the man, some of them readying ars magus. "There is no need for such evidence for a traitor like you. You and your people are simply to be disposed of and your work erased." The soldier said as the professor shook his head upon hearing such words.
"How can you all just act in such a manner! The Imperator's word is absolute this I know but at the same time are we not allowed to the chance to appeal for our own survival!? For all you know, we may be innocent in all of this and there is a greater force trying to wipe us out on the inside!" The professor questioned as I continued to watch this unfold in front of me. Judging from the last dream I had and this present one I am looking at, if the timeline lines up correctly in my head…
"Father...Father are you alright?!" A voice called from the communicator as the soldiers immediately focused their weapons towards the cauldron, some still keeping theirs trained on the professor. Before the professor could touch the communicator to try and initiate dialogue with Amy and warn her of the impending danger that was coming her way, a small bolt of lighting zapped past his hand, close to arching towards his chest as he froze on the spot.
"You will do nothing of the sort. You will let us handle the murakumo unit this very instant." The NOL Soldier said as one of the soldiers approached, their weapon drawn and ready to kill. The professor himself did not know what he should do at that moment. "Father! Are you there!? Everything went quiet all of the sudden!" Amy shouted as I felt the feeling inside my stomach get worse as the professor began to think of his various options before closing his eyes and doing something he would not think to do.
Before the soldier could fully restrain him, the professor immediately deployed a barrier, shielding him from the NOL guard as he pressed the button to communicate with Amy at that moment with as much haste his old body could grant him. "AMY YOU NEED TO LISTEN TO ME NOW! STAY INSIDE THE BOUNDARY RIGHT AT THIS INSTANT!" The professor shouted as loud as he could. "YOU! WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?" The soldier demanded as a couple of NOL soldiers immediately rushed to begin dismantling the professor's barrier.
"FATHER!?.. I CANNOT DO THAT! YOU WILL DIE!" Amy argued as the professor shook his head. "IF YOU COME OUT OF THE BOUNDARY THE NOL WILL ELIMINATE YOU! IF YOU STAY IN THE BOUNDARY THEY CAN NEVER REACH YOU!" The professor argued as I could hear the sounds of the barrier cracking as the professor continued to reinforce the barrier with as much Seithr could muster at that moment.
"PLEASE LISTEN TO ME MY DEAR DAUGHTER! YOUR LIFE IS NOT WORTH TOSSING AWAY FOR AN OLD MAN LIKE ME!" The Professor argued as I could feel the desperation this man had as he realized his beloved daughter was desperate to rescue an old man like him. "I...I simply cannot obey that request father! I am coming to you right now!" Amy argued before disconnecting, making the professor swear as his barrier came crashing down at that moment.
The professor wanted to communicate with his dear daughter at that moment but ducking away from the axe that was trying to take his head caused the axe to instead completely destroy the console, removing his only way of being able to talk with the Murakumo Unit. "You will pay for resisting the orders of the NOL." The soldier argued as the professor shook his head upon hearing that. "I don't care about such talk right now, the only thing I see is people trying to kill a girl who has never lived a life before!" The professor argued.
"That girl you are talking about is nothing but a tool of mass destruction. You are allowing your own feelings blind you to what her true nature is." The soldier argued as I nodded my head upon hearing that. While yes, Amy was a person eventually, she was originally born to be a tool of war. It's only natural to see her as such instead of humanizing her. That just only makes it more difficult to actually get rid of someone when their usefulness ends. Not that I would see people that way anyways.
"Does that mean she only needs to be a tool of mass destruction!? I believe not!" The professor argued back as the soldiers continued to chase after him, their weapons just barely missing as the professor used the space he worked in to his advantage, navigating around it with ease as he continued to dodge the attacks thrown his way. Unfortunately, he couldn't keep going as he soon screamed in pain, feeling a scorching hot flame graze his foot as he held his leg in pain, seeing his left foot be burned severely.
"A weapon is a weapon. Humanoid or not! The reports were right after all, you have allowed yourself to become compromised by losing focus on what the project really is." The soldier argued as the professor shook his head upon hearing that. "I have done nothing of the sort! The project has always been to create a weapon that can think for itself! That means she must knows the difference between life and death! If you want an obedient weapon then you may as well not create a living being in the first place!" The professor argued.
"A weapon that freezes under the pressure of battle is useless as a weapon in general. In your quest to create a thinking weapon you have failed to consider that one simple fact! A weapon just needs to be a weapon that can slay their foes! Not think about what their families would think!" The soldier argued as the professor shook his head at that. "Who cares if a weapon has emotions or not! It is our responsibility as those that create them to ensure they are taught what is right and wrong so that even if evil falls under their hands, they won't be swayed by evil!" The professor argued as the soldiers drew their weapons closer to the professor's neck.
"That is not for you to decide." The soldier said as the professor was ready to have the blade go down on his neck. But I then noticed a small ars magus circle form on his left hand that he kept obscured from sight, ready to blast whatever magic he had prepared from behind. It was at that moment another set of blades came flying past the professor's head and right into the skull of the man that was ready to claim his life.
"FATHER!" A voice shouted as several soldiers moved towards the cauldron as I turned to see Amy floating in the air. She was clad in red and black armor, several swords floating by her side as she looked at the people responsible for tackling her father to the ground as I instinctively stepped to the side as she dived for the soldiers and began to use those floating swords of her. Two Ars Magus mages tried to cast their spells but Amy was quick to shoot two swords to injure the arms responsible for casting their ars magus spells, forcing them to step to the side.
The professor was quick to take cover as he looked at Amy at that moment. "Amy what the hell are you doing here!? I told you to stay in the boundary!" The professor yelled as Amy shook her head at that. "And I told you that I refuse to leave you behind father!" Amy shouted as I couldn't help but notice how emotive Amy had become. This must have been quite some time and maybe this was why the NOL had to act. The last time I saw Amy she was much more quiet and reserved but now, seeing her face emote the way she did was simply put, shocking but not surprising.
"Now is not the time for such things! You must get away from here as soon as possible!" The professor yelled as Amy shook her head even more. "I will not get into circles with you father! I understand your feelings but at the same time I refuse to listen to anything other than you living father!" Amy said as the professor looked visibly pained as the NOL soldiers tried to move in up close and person to reduce Amy's ability to fire her swords from range.
At that moment, Amy suddenly planted herself to the ground as her swords formed around her hands, attaching themselves to form the sword that she used when she fought with and against me. I see now, that sword she was using was actually her murakumo swords. The first NOL soldier brave enough to try was a spear wielder, thrusting his lance for Amy's chest, aiming for her heart but Amy suddenly slashed the lance in half, much to my surprise.
The way Amy moved… the way she was standing at one point and already attacking the next. That was my drive. The NOL soldiers looked on in bewilderment but they did not hesitate much longer as they decided to play it safe by having more than 1 soldier attack at the same time. As one came swinging for her head and the other for her feet, such an attack would be fatal unless one had a large shield, a massive back step or even reflexes but the space and armor did not facilitate such actions. If she really does have something similar to my drive then…
As the blades dangerously approached her neck and legs, without warning, one of the blades was immediately stabbed through as Amy had already kicked her two attackers to the side without warning. The action was both violent and quick and my eyes blinked by how fast it occurred. I was right, that's the way my drive usually behaved from all the descriptions I would sometimes hear from people. To see my own drive from the other end, it's truly something amazing.
"Is this...Is this the power of the core inside that Murakumo unit!?" The soldiers shouted as Amy wanted to attack but suddenly flinched before she could unleash her next attack. I could then see the joints connecting her armor begin to crack as I realized that the feedback was getting to her. I could see the pain that had formed underneath her face as the professor must have noticed the same thing. "Amy that is enough! Don't keep abusing that drive!" The professor yelled as this alarmed the soldiers even more.
"A Drive!? She's too dangerous to be kept alive especially with a drive like hers." The soldiers said among themselves as Amy herself looked like she was in pain, at least from what I could tell from the shiver of her mouth as the visor she wore obscured her eyes at that moment. "I will not father… Not until I can ensure your safety. This I swear it." Amy said as her determination to protect her father was clear as day. But it was also clear that using the drive like she has is taking her toll.
"But that doesn't matter if that drive kills you! We barely know what it is and abusing it the way you are will just kill you!" The professor said as Amy shook her head. "I must master this drive… if I don't...UGH." Without warning, Amy suddenly felt a sluggishness hit her as the soldiers tried to use this as their opportunity to attack her at that moment while her guard was down. Amy looked at the soldiers coming her way and raised her sword towards them. From the sword, two more swords ejected themselves out of the blade and right into the legs of two soldiers.
The NOL soldiers struggled against the tiny space they were in the area. At the same time, they knew how to fight in such narrow spaces such as having their ars magus users form barriers and marching behind them. This method was originally used with large shields but with the advent of ars magus, it made approaching an enemy much quicker and easier without having to worry about something heavy weighing the person down in the process.
Amy however would not relent as she had the last two swords retract out of the legs of the soldiers as the barrier moved past them, other NOL soldiers moving in to drag the wounded out of the combat area. Amy panted heavily but I could tell she was thinking about using the drive again but what will she use it on? It was then out of nowhere, blades rained from the sky as I realized she had used the drive to redirect the direction of the blades as they flew out of her sword, impaling them into one of the mage's shoulders and the other cleanly severing his arm off.
The two barrier users screamed out in pain as a couple of lance users leapt out to try and stab into her at that moment. Amy wanted to swing her blade but the sudden hit of exhaustion she felt at that moment caused her arms to sag, leaving just enough of a gap for the soldiers to come in and thrust their spears. Amy was about to take the pain coming her way but before she could, a hot sensation splashed itself all over her chest as she slowly looked down to see it had been blood that was spilled on her, but it was not her own blood.
"You lot… Will not harm my daughter!" The professor, the spears piercing his stomach and chest, said as he raised his hand that had been building up ars magus energy as he purposely pulled himself deeper into the spear and raised his hands towards those who harmed him. A third NOL soldier attempted to sever his hand before the spell could be cast but it was too late when his blade managed to do the deed as the professor released a massive wall of fire that blasted a majority of the soldiers in front of him and Amy at the cost of his hand.
This series of events followed by the sheer blast of the heat was enough to push all participants involved, including the professor who was pushed dangerously close towards the cauldron. I approached this as Amy herself did the same thing. The fear that was in her eyes was enough for me to know that she was fearing for her adopted father's life. "Why...Why did you do that father!?" Amy questioned as the professor weakly tried to stand up.
"Why… It's simple really my daughter. A father must always protect their daughter. No matter what." The professor said as he turned to face Amy as soon as he stood up, placing his remaining hand on Amy's shoulder at that moment. "but don't worry about me, You must get away from here. Now." The professor said as Amy shook her head, tears forming in front of her face. "I never...ever wish to see harm come your way my dear daughter. You should not need to suffer just to protect an old man like…"
But before he could finish his sentence, in front of his own daughter's eyes, she witnessed her father be blown from her grasp into the open cauldron at that moment as the last remaining NOL soldier panted heavily, heavily burned. Amy trembled greatly as she realized what had happened to her father. I myself walked right at the edge of the cauldron to see the man slowly fall his way into the same bright light that once consumed me.
"That's...what you get for being...distract…" Before he could finish own sentence, just like the man he had just tossed off the ground and into the wall of light. Amy immediately fired a sword right into his head as I just felt ill in everything that had happened in front of me at that moment. I dislike the fact that I am basically experiencing what is easily an old man's death, not by old age but by protecting someone he loved.
"FATHER!" Amy shouted as she jumped into the cauldron, activating her Murakumo unit's float ars magus activated, allowing her to float her way towards the man as I felt my body be pulled away from this sight as I soon ended up floating alongside them as Amy managed to grab the professor in her arms and attempted to try and float back up to the surface but it looked like that she had exhausted herself too much from using the drive like she did.
"Come on...Come on!" Amy shouted as she tried to fight back at the growing weight she felt her body be consumed. Normally she would be able to traverse through this light with ease but she had never done so carrying a person, let alone her own father in and out of the boundary while also injured. Unfortunately her body gave out in the end as she could no longer maintain her floating position and soon found herself floating down from light to darkness.
I felt my own vision go blank at that moment. Maybe it's to simulate the feeling those two felt that day or maybe this is just the boundary trying to prevent me from seeing any more of this memory for whatever reason. I do not care for whatever the reason is myself, I knew I wanted to see this all the way to it's end. No matter how painful it was. Maybe it was that thought that came in my mind that allowed me to see what is coming next as I was bathed in the black and blue glow I saw earlier.
My body felt the weightlessness of the area hit again as I struggled to find my footing before stabilizing myself from flailing around wildly. My eyes slowly adjusted back to the darkness as I looked around my surroundings, taking in what I looking at. I was not sure if I was just removed from the memory and I was back in the present or if I was still in the past and was now just experiencing what happened next.
"Father….Father…" A voice, distant as it was shouted as I decided to float myself towards the source of that voice. It could be Amy's but at the same time, it sounded so distant and echoed greatly that I needed to make sure what I was seeing was truly Amy or not. "Father...please stay with me…." The voice continued as I knew that at this point this was Amy. But whether this was the past or the present I still did not know.
"Please Father… speak to me…" Amy continued as thanks to hearing her voice, I was able to follow her voice towards her and her father. I then saw what could be felt a depressing sight. Amy was floating in the same black and blue space, her hands holding on the professor's remaining arm as it was clear to me that he was gone, the life long gone from his eyes as the blood that lingered from his stump came out and splashed itself on Amy's cheek.
"Please… Don't leave me alone…" Amy begged as it was clear that she knew… but her newfound emotions was blocking her attempts to reason with just leaving the man behind and go back to the surface. I didn't know what to say or feel at this moment other than a feeling of sadness knowing that this was the way her father had to die. Not in a peaceful manner or by sickness… but through violence that seemed to be common even back in the day.
"… It's not fair… It's not fair father… Why did someone as kind as you have to die here and now?" Amy questioned as I did not know if I spoke to myself at that moment that Amy would be able to hear me speak, So I decided against speaking just in case she could hear me. "I wanted you to retire… to be able to go back to your home and be able to spend your final days in peace. This darkness… it's not as kind as the scenery you described to me so many times." Amy explained, unable to hold back her tears as they flowed down her cheeks and right at the professor's cheeks.
I quietly watched as Amy grieved for her father. The sorrow that was in her voice as she made a loud cry of pain was palpable even for me just watching by the sidelines. I wanted to say something to help ease her but I know said words would probably fall upon deaf ears at that moment. I could only offer a silent prayer and continue to watch as I realized that this vision simply refused to end, only continue at this rate.
"What do you desire…" A voice spoke, spooking both me and Amy as she looked all around, even my direction and judging by how she continued to keep looking around in confusion was my confirmation that this was indeed just a vision of the past and I did not need to worry about my voice loudly declaring my presence. "Tell me… What do you desire?" The voice questioned yet again as I felt a sweat drop down my forehead as the voice sounded both familiar...yet distant.
"What...What I desire?" Amy questioned as she did not know where this mysterious voice was coming from and the questions she was asking was also creeping her out deeply. She did not know how to respond to the information that was being delivered her way and the only way she could react was to remain cautious but also answer the question as there seemed to be no harm in doing so. "I...I want to save my father…" Amy answered as I can tell, she meant that truthfully.
"And are you willing to sacrifice everything to have that wish be granted?" The voice questioned further as Amy visibly swallowed the saliva that was on her throat as she must be wondering what that meant. "I do not mean at the cost of your life my child… I merely ask for everything else in your life. Your past… Your present… your future…" The voice clarified as Amy looked puzzled upon hearing that.
"I understand past and present… but my future? Doesn't that suggest...I will die?" Amy questioned as that was what I was thinking too. To sacrifice one's past and present, that makes sense because that can be seen as sacrificing the things that make you who you are. But what does the future mean in this case? "Death is only a possibility of the future. A long lasting life and success are also a future possibility." The voice explained as now it made sense to me
The future in this case doesn't just mean one's life but also the stability said future may bring. To sacrifice such a thing is truly one of the biggest things you can ask from a person. At the same time if you can do so at the expense of bringing a person back to life, sacrificing your own existence for the life of another may be a price some people would pay gladly. I personally do not know how to feel about such a sacrifice but at the same time, I would not be against such a thing if I could bring back a person that I care for.
"So...in exchange of my past, present and future… you can grant my father his life again?" Amy questioned as she waited with bated breath. "I cannot grant your father his life back … but I can give him a brand new life to allow him to live his life yet again." The voice explained as I couldn't help but be alarmed by that. That sounded oddly enough, like rebirth. "But...But that means father will not remember anything about me, or his past. That doesn't sound like he will be living in my opinion." Amy explained
"Indeed… but at the same time, It's better than having him dying completely...is it not?" The voice questioned as Amy hesitated to answer at that as I closed my eyes, wondering what her answer would be as this must have been the choice that Amy… no, the former 5th Murakumo Unit, Episilon-5 had to make in her difficult life. "...I would rather have father be brought back completely back to life… but at the same time, I don't wish for father to die like this." Amy explained as I waited for Amy to give her final answer as I felt it was coming.
"So please...whatever you are. If you can grant my wish, please bring father back to life… give him a new lease in life!" Amy begged as the voice seemed to acknowledge her desire at that moment. "The wish has been acknowledged… now all that needs to be done is to establish the contract and make us whole…" The moment I heard those last words, I immediately opened my eyes in both shock and awe. The contract… Make us whole. There's no way.
"A contract? Make us whole? What do you mean by those words?" But before she could go any further, a blinding light blinded both me and Amy at that moment as suddenly, the armor that Amy wore just a moment ago was completely gone, leaving her completely in the nude as the swords that presumably formed the Murakumo unit began to spin around the body of the professor before I saw a massive sword emerge from a hole formed above the professor's body.
The swords themselves began to spin around the massive weapon itself before they began to form into something that resembled a much smaller sword. I immediately held my chest out of reflex as there was something very painfully familiar about the weapon in front of me as I struggled to keep focus on the thing that was in front of me at that moment. The Murakumo swords then began to dismantle themselves in front of my, each blade being broken down to it's pure components and going to the center blade.
The giant blade itself began to dismantle itself in front of my eyes. I couldn't believe what I was witnessing as Amy herself placed a hand on her chest before I saw her flinch in front of my eyes. I then saw what looked to be a handle emerge out of her chest as it seemingly resembled a handle of a sword, the pommel and hilt incomplete as soon, everything fused with each other before the light intensified, becoming so bright that I needed to shield my eyes.
"The wish will be fulfilled. All you need to say is my name." The voice echoed as Amy closed her eyes, as if struggling to put the words in her mouth before uttering the words needed. "Please… heed my call, grant my wish, Balmung." Amy asked as at first nothing happened but then I felt a pulse in the air as the handle soon began to look more complete, a simple pommel and hilt began to form in front of my eyes before moving itself to the body of the professor, being swallowed whole.
The body of the professor began to glow brightly as at this point, my eyes had adjusted to the bright light being shone at my face. I waited patiently to see what I was looking at as I was unsure what I was going to be greeted with. Was I going to be greeted to the sight of something horrible, Like a wish going horribly wrong? Or was I going to be greeted by the sight of a miracle really happening in front of my eyes? Well… there is only one way to find out as I kept my eyes focused on what was in front of me.
...Ready for whatever is to come…
As Sora's eyes slowly adjusted to the bright light in front of him, his mind was going through several thoughts. He had to calm himself from letting his thoughts overwhelm him and properly prepare himself for the final result. He approached the body subconsciously, anxiety overtaking him as he did not know what to expect at this point. He had half expected an abomination or a true miracle at this point but as he got a glimpse of what had actually happened, he gasped loudly and lost his footing, causing himself to spin several times in the space around him before he finally gave himself proper stable footing to process what his eyes had just witnessed.
He couldn't believe what he had just seen as he wiped at his eyes several times. He must be dreaming, surely this was just nothing but a dream. There was no way what he was looking at was actually happening in front of his eyes but the more he thought about it, the more it made sense when he considered the consequences he had been dealing with. He felt his blood freeze with the revelation that lingered in his head as he took his time to process everything he was looking in front of him that required all of his focus.
In front of him was the professor's newly reborn body and normally that would be enough to make any person, even Sora shocked. But it was how he had been reborn that had been more alarming. The arm that was severed was now restored, not even a scar was left on it and the man looked significantly younger, no longer having any features that would suggest old age. If it just stopped there, Sora would be shocked but at the same time have his own different series of questions.
However the fact that the professor now had the face he had when he was young was the most shocking thing Sora has had to deal with. He had to take a double take as he had to process everything that he had just witnessed and try to make sense of everything. "The wish has been granted… the contract fulfilled… I shall now take this body away from here." The voice spoke as Amy herself was stunned by what had just happened.
"Tell me… Where are you taking him?" Amy questioned but the voice did not respond immediately as the professor...no… The person that was clearly a young version of Sora Minakaze began to float upwards. "He will go to the future, unaware of his past life, of you, a completely brand new being that will experience life in a way different from the body he was born from. He will not be a normal person unfortunately due to the way he was born… but it's for the best." The voice simply answered
Amy did not know how to process that information she was hearing as Sora continued to watch his young self be dragged upwards away from the boundary, unaware of what had just transpired. "He will live and grow like any person living in the world. He will develop relationships and rivalries as one should. He will find love and hate in equal measures. That man's reincarnation will live a full life unaware of who he was or what he did in the past." The voice explained as Amy lowered her head, nodding eventually in understanding.
"Though his true nature will always be tied to the wish you made on this very day. Should he wish to discover who he really is whether it's by choice or force, He will one day find himself back here in this dark lonely place, seeking the answers to the life he has been given." The voice said as Amy's eyes widened upon hearing that. "What do you mean he will return here, he was born a human being was he not?" Amy immediately questioned as the voice simply remained quiet. Sora himself placing a hand on his chest wondering what could that mean.
"That reincarnation...is born not as a man… but as a beast. Normally this beast is a beast of destruction and suffering. A beast of untold calamity and hatred. But the beast that now resides in your beloved father will grow and become something different to the thing it was born from." The voice explained as Sora felt his heart pound on his chest at that moment. He did not know why he felt like that as his eyes struggled to watch all the way.
"You….You mean…" Amy stuttered but before Sora could get a full glimpse of what was to be said next, pain suddenly rang from his chest as he closed his eyes trying to contain it to the best of his abilities. It worked for a short time until he couldn't hold it back anymore and let out a painful scream as visions came flying by his head at that moment. Visions of a past life he had never lived through before. A cold sensation crawled before him as the things he saw, while brief and disjointed were there and it was as if he had lived through said experiences. Then as if the waves parted, a voice came clear to his mind.
Voice: Yes...Sora Minakaze… Your soul was born from that of a Black beast.
Sora:...A..A black beast? But that doesn't make any sense. Why a black beast soul of all things? Wait a minute how are you even talking to me right now!? Who are you!? And what are you even saying right now?
Voice: That you were reborn into this world part human and part beast. You have lived your whole life as a human being but you always had the core of a black beast reside inside your heart.
Sora: Then why now… Why tell of this to me now? Is this related to why the master unit wants me gone? Does this have anything to do with this Balmung thing I have been hearing recently and how it keeps telling me to make it whole? And does this have anything to relate to why I can sometimes hear Makoto in my head!?
Voice: We...I tell this to you… because this is what you truly are Sora Minakaze. You are not just a person living in the world named Sora Minakaze… but also the missing half of the Lost Nox Nyctores created by the great sage nine, Anima Voluntatis...Balmung. And the reason why you can hear the voice of Makoto Nanaya in your mind is simple… She is your new owner.
The moment Sora heard the words owner in his mind he couldn't help but do a double take on the situation he had been placed in. Makoto? An owner of him? Obviously it was not slavery but at the same time ownership? "I understand this may be all too much for you to understand at the moment… but please… when you reawaken in the world you desire, try to call out for her. Call for her with all of your heart and soul that you have managed to gain living as a human being." The voice explained as Sora felt a great reluctance to trust the words being directed his way as he looked back at the scene to see that in his time speaking with this voice, Amy had already begun to descend down into the darkness deeper.
"Wait...Who are you." Sora called out as he wondered where the voice was coming from as he felt his body slowly float up, back towards the surface as he turned to look at Amy, his hand wanting to reach out towards her to try and keep his vision on the woman before she completely disappeared in the darkness. "You will know eventually… but for now, you must return back to the world you were born into… back to where you met the woman you call your lover… Back to where Makoto Nanaya lies." The voice explained as Sora was unable to resist any further as his vision turned white.
...Unsure where he was going to be heading to next…
The 6th Hierarchical city of Yabiko. Once a part of the Ikaruga Federation, it is now home to the current governing body of the NOL Ikaruga forces. Today would have been just a normal day of governing duty in the Hierarchical city but today brought something very different to the board. An event was to be held here but not any event, a special event to celebrate the capture of one of the most wanted criminals of the world was being put in place here.
However as this was happening, in the rarely abandoned streets of Yabiko, a brief black mass began to manifest itself around one of the long abandoned alleyways. It's brief appearance was followed with a white haired individual being spat out, his metallic motorcycle like arm shining on where it laid as the the portal as quickly as it formed quickly closed. It took a little while before Sora groaned to life, his mind still freshly thinking about the revelations that was just revealed to him.
He took a quick seat on the dirty alley floor he had just been dumped into, his mind not at ease as he didn't even know where he was at that moment. All he knew was that he was last surrounded by the darkness provided to him by the boundary and now he was sitting down in a dirty and abandoned alleyway in a Hierarchical City he did not know the name of. If that wasn't good enough, he had just been hit with the revelation that he was in fact, the reincarnation of a man that a murakumo unit treasured enough to be her father and if that wasn't all, he also had to deal with the fact he also found out he housed inside himself a core of the Black Beast.
When Sora began to think if that could be possibly true, he couldn't help but think back to the times he showed his hatred towards the men who made his life a living hell. Relius Clover and the now deceased Boss of the Black Lotus. He placed his hand on his chest as the hatred he felt for those two was extremely palpable and almost bordered to the point of raw anger. There was also the phantom arm and how now that he had properly thought about it, it was strange for him to grow an arm from where he had lost an arm, an arm that looked like of claws and was simply oozing black.
But even with those facts laid in front of him, that wouldn't have been enough to convince him that he could possibly be a black beast… if not for the fact that his blood bled black instead of red. No amount of scientific explanation could explain how one turns their blood black and yet still live with it normally, at least the scientific knowledge that was inside his brain at that moment that needed sifting through to understand.
Regardless of all of these thoughts that were currently in his mind, Sora understood immediately that he was back in reality. The bigger question is to ask if he is in his own proper timeline or if he had ended up in yet another timeline that he was simply unaware of. The only way he would know is if he could find Makoto and confirm if she remembers him or even find someone like Caroline or the Otsu Four heads and hope that their memories of him remain intact for them to know who he was.
But regardless of what he thought, he knew that his plans were only that. Plans, plans that can fail in a wide variety of ways that make it difficult for him to form a plan that makes him feel comfortable with acting on his own whims. For the time being, Sora knew very well he should first get his bearings before he made any plans. Standing up and shaking his head, the first place Sora decided to go to a place where he can sit down and figure out what was going on.
"And out of the Tiger gate! We have our next contestant, Bullet! Entering the arena!" A voice yelled that caught Sora's attention as he noticed a small crowd had gathered to watch something that was on the television. Sora was less interested in the crowd in front of him and more of the name as he pushed his way past the crowd to get a better view of what he was looking at. "Oh ho! She's staring down Ragna The Bloodedge in the upper section of the arena! Just feel her spirit folks!" The voice continued as Sora finally managed to get to an ars magus television to confirm what he had heard.
She was there, Sora could see her again. Her spiky white hair and amber eyes. The scar that was on her nose and the jacket she wore bearing the crest of her mercenary crew. Even the hot pants she wore, that person was definitely Bullet. Sora wanted to take a deep breath at that moment but understood that while he knew the appearance of this Bullet, this was not the same Bullet he had formed a bond with in the last few days. She may as well be a complete stranger to him at this point as he nodded his head upon seeing her.
It brought relief that Sora knew that she was fine in this timeline, having never met him in the first place. Maybe her search for her mercenary group's untimely demise will be found here now that she is able to focus on that by herself instead of having to follow him around. That must be why she was in that tournament, to try and get closer to the tournament organizers and closer to the truth. "And out of the dragon gate…" Before he could hear the announcer speak any further, Sora decided that he needed to leave at that moment.
'I have got to find a way to track down Makoto. But no backup and also the risk of another guardian of the Azure coming after my ass to try and get rid of me. How am I going to do this now?' Sora thought, his mind zoning out the announcer as he tried to push his way past the crowd, wanting to find a place to clear his mind. "In accordance to Bob being unable to compete, a substitute has been chosen for this match." The announcer continued as Sora found himself struggling against the wave in front of him, everyone excited to just watch the fighting that was in front of their face.
"So the next contestant's...A...A...Az...AZRAEL!?" The moment Sora heard the name Azrael call out, his blood became cold. His head turned as quickly as it did. Right there on the screen for him to see, emerging out of the dragon themed gate was the mad dog himself, his face bearing the appearance of someone looking for a feast yet keeping a calm look in general. Sora did not know how to feel about the series of events happening in front of him as the crowd, excited for the fights suddenly became fearful and terrified.
Sora himself did not know what he should do at this point. He knew how much of a danger Azrael was and that him being there meant he was going to go and kill everyone there. But at the same time this was not his fight to fight. He was pretty sure that Bullet could eventually find a way to get the hell out of there. Also Ragna the Bloodedge was there most likely so if he could escape from his NOL captives Bullet's survival should be guaranteed. But Sora couldn't help but catch himself wondering…
...Did he really want to leave things up to fate?..
GREETINGS LOST SHEEP OF FANFICTION!? HOW IS EVERYONE DOING ON THIS FINE DAY!? Once again, the end of January already approaches and I will never get used to how quick the months fly by. It doesn't help that February is approaching and that month is usually well known for being much shorter than normal months. I cannot help but wonder why the months are structured the way they are but at the same time I am not really complaining much if it allows me to just get straight to the next month without much suffering.
SO WHAT WILL HAPPEN NEXT!? HOW WILL SORA MINAKAZE DEAL WITH THE FACTS THAT HAD BEEN GIVEN TO HIM!? WHAT WILL BE HIS NEXT MOVE!? WHAT WILL HAPPEN TO THE MERCENARY BULLET AND THE MAD DOG AZRAEL!? WILL THE TIMELINE PROCEED AS NORMAL OR WILL THINGS CHANGE!? There is only one way to find out and that is to wait for the next Distortion to form.