Supernatural: Chronicles of the Order 10
Chapter 26: The Man Who Killed Lucifer, Part 2
(DISCLAIMER: No, I don't own Supernatural because it belongs to Eric Kripke and Warner Bros. So, enjoy the show! Rated M for graphic violence, adult content, and adult language.)
Mitani Clan Homestead, Alecrast; 1,500 years ago…
Rain poured everywhere as Torune was in his room reading his books. Even though he was lonely, he was forced into isolation by his father as he bore the blue eyes he inherited from him, but with black sclera surrounding them. His silver hair made him stand out as he was the youngest of his siblings, but was often left out of family gatherings in which he longed for familial love, but to no avail. When he finally whipped up the courage to go downstairs into the main hall, he saw several dignitaries from other planets coming and going in which he longed for attention in which he was seeing some of the food being brought out. When he went over there to get one of the baozi dumplings that were on table, he ate it as he couldn't wait to have more. By the time he went upstairs, he was caught by his father as he was getting tired of him besmirching the family with his appearance, for he was a stern man with stature complete with navy hair and blue eyes while wearing Japanese clothing.
"You've embarrassed this family for the last time!" he yelled.
"But I wanted to be there for the party," said Torune.
"You're no son of mine! You're nothing but an absolute disgrace to the family; a freak that should've been choked to death by his own umbilical cord at birth!"
"Yasunori, stop!" yelled Shoko as she was desperate to protect Torune. "He's just a child; he doesn't know any better!"
"Take a good look at him! He's an abomination and a monster! He'll never rise to prominence even if he tried! His presence brings absolute shame and disgrace upon our family!"
"But he's our son, Yasunori. He's our flesh and blood that should've had the familial love and care in which you continue to shun him all the time!"
"He was never family to begin with! All he is to us is nothing more than a burden and a curse that can kill us without warning!"
Torune cowered in fear as he saw Yasunori punch him in the face the moment he saw some of the party guests gasping in shock. He sensed the hatred in his father as he was often singled out as the abomination and black sheep in the family. Still, he was put through the ringer while his older siblings enjoyed the privileges that their parents showered onto them. All he was in particular was an accident that was put there to the point of ridicule, for he was facing the wrath of his father who kept him isolated since birth.
"I want you gone, abomination!" he yelled as he grabbed Torune by the arm.
"Yasunori, that's enough!" cried Shoko as she tried to rescue Torune.
"Back away, Shoko! This freak of nature is leaving this place, for we only have Yoshinori and Yukiko to consider as our true children in the Mitani Clan."
"What about Torune? Why do you hate him so much when he inherited your genetics?"
"He's an embarrassment to this family and I will cut this lingering rot out of our lives for good!"
"I can't let you do that… Our family reputation will suffer if we abandon our boy..."
"Which is more important, Shoko?! Our family reputation or that?!"
Torune cowered in fear as he saw the ultimate betrayal that came from his mother who protected him from his father's wrath. What happened next was heartbreaking as he was being yanked out by Yasunori in which he led him towards the doors and outside to where the outer gate was. When he finally tossed him outside of the homestead, he closed the gates as he left his youngest son crying while banging on them. He was alone as he was left with nothing but his clothes on his back. Therefore, he was alone as he had no other choice but to fend for himself at a young age. When he fled from the homestead, he sought shelter from the rain as he found himself in a rotgut room in which he was alone, for he had no other choice but to leave where his legs would take him…
"No matter how hard it turns out…, I'll always be alone…," he said to himself as he sat down on a cot. "I'm worthless and won't be able to amount to anything anyway..."
Torune was struggling to process his father's words clearly as he had no choice but to leave where no one will ever pursue him once the weather clears. Staring at an old backpack, he grabbed it as he unzipped it the moment he spotted some coins that would tide him over on the journey in the morning along with a textbook. He saw of it to be a way of going far away as much as he can, for he never had a place in the Mitani Clan's homestead, only for the open road ahead…
Present day…
I continued to read at the journal as I marveled at how Torune Mitani was swayed at the last minute while seeking justice for what happened to his chosen family. It was something that I often heard as I felt sorry for him after his family rejected and abandoned him to the point of being homeless. It was also something that I never noticed before as I was ready to look further into it until I noticed Reuben entering into the sitting room to check up on me. Still, he was making sure that no further health problems went under the radar as he couldn't let me do too much, for I was mainly monitored due to what I went through.
"Still reading that book, I take it?" he said to me.
"Torune went through hell and back in which his parents were cruel towards him," I said.
"Yasunori Mitani was no Father of the Year, but his decision to disown his child bit him in the ass for so many years in which he was on probation from the Order at the time. As for Shoko, on the other hand, she fought hard to look for her son, but to no avail."
"And Torune resented his parents for choosing their social status over his own well-being… In the end, he had a chosen family who cared about him, only for Lucifer to mercilessly slaughter them just like what happened to Yasunori and those who lived in the Mitani Clan's homestead."
I remembered dealing with Lucifer very well as my last confrontation was in the Spillway four years ago. I also remembered Reiko coming to my aid as she repelled his attack the moment he was tossed back in his cage for all eternity. As for the rest of her family, they had to deal with the impending wrath of the archangel as he taunted them as an imprint that became known to a few scholars as the Mitani Curse. When I resumed reading, I continued to look at how Torune went through the worst hardship as he vowed to avenge his chosen family, for he also wanted justice for what was done to them…
Latchkey Village, Alecrast; 1,500 years ago…
Torune was attending the mass funeral near the temple as he paid his respects to his Shaolin brethren along with Yueqing. He also vowed revenge against Lucifer for killing most of his chosen family as he also feared for the safety of the survivors who were outside the temple at the time. When he saw the funeral pyres salted and drenched with gasoline, they were lit as they were on their way to the Grey Havens in which he also demanded justice. When he saw Shoko walking towards him, she was there for support as she didn't want him to fly off the handle, for it would be suicide if that ever happened.
"I will avenge you, Sifu," he said as he saw the pyres burning brightly.
"Is vengeance all that you think about, Torune?" asked a Lorien Elf as she was dressed in Native American clothing. "Your Sifu would be sad if you walked down a path of hatred."
"He knows, Mother," said Shoko cautiously.
"Lucifer has no mercy for anyone, not even his own son who is the king of the Grey Havens. Still, we can't let this family become further fractured after you lost your brother in the Orc War last year."
"Lady Marisa! We have a survivor!"
Torune and the others saw one of the surviving monks carting Jack as he was injured in which he was not in good shape. Shoko noticed him very well as he tried to warn everyone not to disown Torune, for it was a punishment that was met with regret. Even Marisa was concerned about what was going on as she knew Jack very well, for he was devastated at what was going on so far.
"He was found near our temple," said the survivor. "He says that he failed in averting the attack on us that resulted in the deaths of most of our brethren."
"We need to treat his injuries," said Marisa as she got out her first aid kit.
And so, Torune and his group hauled Jack away from the scene of the massacre as they made their way to one of the rotgut rooms that were near the village. When they went inside, they set Jack down on one of the cots as he had his wounds cleaned and bandaged up, for he had to tell everyone about what Lucifer was doing before it was too late.
"I failed in stopping my father…," he said.
"Don't try to talk," said Shoko. "You were badly hurt in which you're still alive."
"Torune Mitani, you can't ignore your responsibility forever…"
"I know…," he said as he was still reeling from the trauma he endured. "I'll find and stop the bastard who murdered Sifu and most of my chosen family."
"I know all about it in which I also feel your pain… My father is a monster… He only gives a damn about power in which he values it over everything. He already killed Yasunori and some of the townsfolk who live in the Mitani Clan's homestead, but he also made his way to this village just to target you as a threat. The murders of your master and brothers-in-arms was barbaric, for there will be justice for them. As for what my father is planning, don't underestimate him, for he'll stop at nothing to kill you as the conduit who will bring balance to this planet."
Torune was stunned to hear Jack's words of warning as he was dragged into the worst fight to protect Alecrast at all costs. He never saw what was coming as he also wanted to avenge his master and the other Shaolin monks who lived in the temple, for he vowed to stop Lucifer before it was too late…
Meanwhile, back in the present…
Shigeru was in his former home as he was overseeing the cleanup efforts in the Kingdom by the River. Even though the Four Stewards have damaged this place, they were still living on borrowed time as their ongoing wrath wasn't stopping in which they were mainly trapped in their palace. When Shigeru entered into the palace, he looked at the throne room as he was missing Futaba dearly in which he also vowed to topple the usurpers for abusing their power. When he went towards the waterfall, he entered into the clearing as he saw the Holy Grail still perched on its pedestal. He often prayed in front of it as it was also a place where he found solace in which he also had an admiration for Torune in his battle to stop Lucifer centuries ago. When he went towards his tomb, he prayed in front of it as he also had to return to his hideout soon, for he had a job to do in order to prevent the eternal winter from becoming a reality.
"You were a good man, Torune…," he said to himself as he was ready to leave the tomb.
Shigeru was leaving the tomb as he would soon return to his hideout. When he took the secret tunnel out to where he needed to get to, he went to the train station that adjoined it as he checked in as usual in which he was there to conduct his next mission. When he saw the train approaching, he waited as it stopped in front of him the moment he got on when it left. He was there on a mission to overthrow the Four Stewards as he later noticed other members of the Alecrian Army rising up against their masters, for they all had enough of the constant ignorance that their masters displayed.
"The gods are smiling on you, Shigeru," said Henry-John as he entered into the compartment.
"At least you're travelling incognito while pissing off the Stewards and busting up their shit," he said. "Time flies when you're having fun, but for the usurpers, they're still holding onto power while staving off those hellhounds wanting extra Puppy Chow."
"We can't underestimate Iago or Desdemona at this time. I know of this because they've been clever enough to stop the hellhounds, but not enough to keep them off the trail. I hope that my brothers are safe from the chaos."
"Iago's too busy with his dick in his hand. As for Desdemona, she's biding her time, but her methods are much worse. Rumor has it that she took a page out of the Masbath playbook and summoned a hellhound to go after Sam." Henry-John gasps in shock as he heard about what was said earlier. "They're getting desperate, but not about to lose their souls in this debacle of their own making."
Both Shigeru and Henry-John were on the train as they were going towards their next mission. Still, they had to be wary of what was yet to come as time for the Stewards was running out, for things would end up getting ugly in the long run…
I was still reading at the journal as I continued to see at what Torune was doing. What happened next was troubling as I never expected him to be a conduit of Alecrast due to his appearance. Still, I wanted to read a little more until I started to leak again. Seeing my pectorals leaking became both an occurrence and an embarrassment for me as I put the journal up for now. When I left the sitting room, I rushed towards the nursery to notice Shizuko crying the moment I picked her up and allowed her to nurse from me. It wasn't long until I saw Reiko and Dirithi enter into the nursery as they were helping out with the feeding for the other quadruplets in which they were getting their daily lunch for the day, for it was worth having the extra help when it came to the younger children being fed. Even Pippa and Raizo were fed earlier as they were also learning how to sit up in which I was blessed to have them, for they were family after all.
"They're always hungry," said Dirithi as she was busy nursing the boys.
"The little ones have a tendency to be impatient," said Reiko.
"Souichiro and Sidwyn are a handful, but you should also watch out for Sylphina and Shizuko."
"They're impatient, but well-fed," I said as I felt Shizuko unlatching. "It's also a time for their constant diaper changes, dressings, and cleanings." I begin to burp Shizuko as she let out a contented belch. "You're getting bolder, my little one…"
Both Reiko and Dirithi were finished feeding the others as they were also burped and later put down in their bassinets for a nap. Still, it would be time for their diaper change as I also had to wait for it in which I left the nursery and went back to the sitting room. When I looked into the bookshelf, I took out the journal I was reading as I continued to look at how Torune rose to prominence despite his chaotic upbringing, for he had to rise from the chaos when it came to dealing with Lucifer back in the day…
Latchkey Village, Alecrast; 1,500 years ago…, again!
Torune was in the rotgut room as he was checking up on Jack in which he was still recovering from the injuries he sustained. Even though he was now involved in his pursuit to hunt Lucifer down, he had no other choice but to comply with what got put in front of him. When he saw Jack get up on his feet, he removed the bandages as he was healed up to full the moment he put on his shirt and jacket, for he was also fighting against his father in this unruly war in mind.
"You heal quick…," he said.
"As I recall, you saw the carnage that my father left behind," said Jack.
"He killed Sifu and most of my Shaolin brethren. I won't rest until I avenge their deaths."
"You should adhere to your late Sifu's words first before going to pursue my father, for he has no sympathy while I was raised by the men who cared about me and treated me as an equal in the Elder Days. What my father doesn't know is that I'm the king of the Grey Havens in which I see people making their free decisions more openly although Grandfather acted like a dick." Torune slightly cracked a smile as he was trying to hide it. "I know that you don't smile much, but you've been trying to hide your emotions or not show them since your father disowned you and left you homeless. You also sought comfort in Yueqing and his disciples in which you did what you were told and not be rejected, for they were a chosen family unlike what my father and grandfather had."
"You must've been born in a dysfunctional family in which you stood with your chosen one the whole time."
"The concept of family can be more than just blood. It's the fostering of friendship and respect that are easily gained."
"Your father said that blood is thicker than water. He also said that he was looking for me the whole time in which he called me a conduit."
"It's because he sees you as a threat. Be careful, for my father will stop at nothing to kill you due to your status as a conduit. Still, you must overcome your grudge against your blood family in which they need you to protect them from my father's wrath. It's not only your late master's wish, but mine as well. You're better than this, for this is your true calling after all."
Torune was alarmed by Jack's warning as he had no other choice but to accept his calling. When he left the rotgut room, he was accompanied by Shoko and Marisa as they were ready to go back to the Mitani Clan's homestead, for there was a job to do. Even though he wasn't ready to face his own return home, he had no other choice but to do so, for he also wanted justice for what happened to his chosen family…
Torune was on the train as he had a compartment for himself. Even though Shoko and Marisa came along for the ride, he refused to join them as he was also holding onto the past resentment despite the fact that he displayed a short-lived desire to hug back. For a long time, he refused to display his emotions after being rejected until he found a home with Yueqing and his Shaolin brethren. He cared about them as he also vowed revenge against Lucifer for taking them away from him. When he saw the door to the compartment slide open, he noticed Shoko standing there as she was wanting to talk to him a little more, but later got up and close the door in her face, for he didn't want anything to do with her after all those years of abandonment. And yet, he kept it that way as he also wanted justice for the people he grew up with.
"Torune! Please open the door!" yelled Shoko as she heard him locking it.
There was no answer other than the pleas to bring up a conversation.
"Torune!"
Once again…, there was silence…
"You're such an asshole, Torune Mitani!"
Torune saw a knife unlatch the compartment door as it slid open in which he saw the Draaza woman from a few days ago. Anger flooded her as she punched him in the face in which it left him with a black eye. When she allowed Shoko to enter, Torune was livid as he wanted her to go away, for he refused to talk to her. The Draaza woman was offended by his silence as she wasn't about to let him ignore Shoko's pleas for forgiveness and reconciliation.
"You're invading my space," he said as he saw the Draaza woman leave.
"Please, Torune…, I've missed you so much in which I had no choice but to obey your father at the time," said Shoko. "I can't bear to lose you again…"
"I'm no son of yours, remember or have you ever forgotten? I'm nothing but an absolute disgrace to the family; a freak that should've been choked to death by his own umbilical cord at birth!"
"You remembered that, didn't you?"
"Take a good look at me, Mother! I'm an abomination and a monster. I'll never rise to prominence even if I tried! My presence brings absolute shame and disgrace upon you."
"But we're family, Torune. All I want from you is to allow me to reconnect and catch up on the time that we lost. I felt so alone when your father disowned you and I've been regretting it for a long time."
"I was never family to begin with! All I am to you is nothing but a burden and a curse that can kill you without warning! You should thank Father for cutting me out of your life for good the moment you sided with him while I was left fending for myself in the streets! Once we reach the Mitani Clan homestead, I'll stay in the rotgut room than return to a warm welcome."
"Blood is thicker than water, Torune… Our family will be glad to see you here once more."
"That's your family, not mine. I'm only just a rot that needed to be cut away from your perfect image and reputation."
Shoko started shedding tears as she was disappointed that she could never reach Torune, who displayed a cold exterior towards her. His silent anger towards her spoke volumes as he was wanting to be alone and not displaying his emotions too much. Throughout the train ride, Shoko was trying to talk to Torune a little more as she wanted forgiveness for her actions years ago, but to no avail. Torune remained angry at her as he didn't want anything to do with her, for this was her punishment for siding with Yasunori when he disowned him thirteen years prior. When he saw her leave the compartment, he was glad to be alone until he saw the Draaza woman return to give him a piece of her mind, for she was not having it.
"So you give your mother the cold shoulder after she pleaded for forgiveness," she said. "How could you do that to her? She's already suffered enough after losing your father at the hands of Lucifer and now he ended up killing your chosen family out of spite."
"She's not my family," said Torune.
"She is your family; deal with it!"
"We're going back to the Mitani Clan homestead, but I won't set foot there."
"You'll set foot there whether you like it or not. Besides, everyone is wanting to see you again."
"They would rather kill me than roll out the red carpet. All I am is a stranger to them."
"They're reeling after Lucifer attacked the homestead. I was sent by Ginryu to find you in which you need to pull your head out of your ass and listen to reason."
Torune didn't say another word as the Draaza woman refused to let him off the hook. With the train still going towards the homestead, the rising tensions were about to get uglier as the sting of resentment still lingered, for it was something that Torune had to overcome once he got there…
When the train arrived at the station, Shoko and Marisa were the first who got off as Torune was the last one to do so. When he saw them at the gate, he stopped there as he remembered Yasunori disowning him and closing it thirteen years ago. He later noticed the Draaza woman standing behind him as she wasn't about to let him be shut out forever, for she didn't want him to hold onto the resentment he bore for a long time.
"Well, aren't you gonna go inside?" she asked.
"This isn't my home anymore," said Torune as he turned around.
"What's going on, Talvari?"
Ginryu arrived as he was concerned about Torune's mental state in which he was also being uncooperative at this point. When he left the gate, he ran towards the rotgut room as he refused to go into the homestead until he felt an arrow shoot at his ankle the moment he fell onto the ground. Getting up, he pulled it out as he was limping while blood seeped from the wound. Turning around, he spotted the Draaza woman armed with a crossbow as she wasn't about to let him get away so easily, for she couldn't let him out of her sight just yet.
"Sorry, but you left me no choice," she said.
"You did this on purpose, didn't you?!" yelled Torune as he was using a first aid kit to clean and bandage the wound. "You know that I'm no longer welcome in that shithole, so I suggest that you show respect for my personal boundaries!"
"If you're wanting respect to your personal boundaries, then you should also foster forgiveness and reconciliation for your family," said Ginryu as he walked towards Torune. "For thirteen years, your family were waiting for you to come back, only for Lucifer to kill most of the townsfolk who lived here. You're lucky that I sent Talvari to bring you back home so you can restore balance to Alecrast before it falls to ruin at the hands of that archangel."
"They're not my family! The only one I have respect for is none other than Sifu and my Shaolin brethren who were mercilessly slaughtered by Lucifer."
"Your family is hosting a banquet, so I suggest that you be on your best behavior."
"If anyone needs me, I'll be in the rotgut room where I belong."
Torune started limping as he slowly walked away from the homestead until Talvari rushed in and steered him towards the gate. When the entered inside, the damage was bleak as the presence of family members in the homestead were saying goodbye to their loved ones who suffered the brunt of Lucifer's wrath. He never saw anything like it before as he later noticed a High Elf woman burning incense near a shrine in which she recognized him quickly, for she was glad that he was home after being gone for so long. The High Elf woman was a homely person as she sported long navy hair and blue eyes like her father while dressed up in a black funeral dress, for she had no disdain for Torune once he came home for the first time in thirteen years.
"Torune!" she said as she rushed towards him. "It's been thirteen years since Father banished you."
"Out of my way," he said coldly.
"Manners!" yelled Talvari as she pointed her crossbow at Torune.
"Little Brother…, don't you recognize me?" said the High Elf woman. "It's me, Yukiko, your sister. All I wanted was to protect you, but Father told me not to associate with you anymore."
"You never had a younger brother, for he died in the womb."
"That's a load of crap!" yelled Talvari. "You don't know the whole story after Daddy Dearest threw you out like a stray dog! Now, if you don't mind, we're going to patch up your wound while we wait for your mom and grandma and don't act all sulky."
Torune didn't say another word as he was led into the main house in which he was later taken into the infirmary wing just in time to have his wound cleaned up properly. Even though he didn't say a word, he had his ankle covered with a fresh bandage as he later left the infirmary wing to the main hall, for he didn't want to overstay his welcome here. When he was walking towards the gate, he noticed another High Elf enter as he was glaring at him the moment he was eager to make his life a living hell here in the homestead, for this wasn't a warm welcome for him. The High Elf was similar to Shoko as he had her burgundy hair and blue eyes while dressed out in Elven garb, for he was more than likely to be putting Torune in his place.
"Well, well; if it isn't the embarrassment that Father tried his damnedest to kick out," he said.
"I was just leaving," said Torune.
"Sure you are… What your presence brings is death in which by the time you left, this Terran comes in and kills most of the townsfolk with the snap of his fingers!"
"Good to see you, too, Yoshinori, but I'll be in the rotgut room outside our homestead."
"This isn't your home, so I suggest that you know your place, whelp."
"This was never my home to begin with anyway."
"Bye, may you rest in piss for all I care."
Torune continued to limp after taking an arrow to his ankle earlier as he was slowly leaving the homestead and straight to the rotgut room where he stayed at. Just as he was about to get there further, he was pushed onto the ground as Yoshinori unzipped his trousers and began to urinate on him in which he was mainly there to remind him about his purpose here. Getting up, Torune took off his jacket and shirt as he got up and went towards the rotgut room the moment he didn't look back, for Yoshinori was smirking while seeing him off.
When he made it to the rotgut room, he went in there as he saw it to be untouched after thirteen years in which he went towards the laundry room. He wanted solitude as he didn't want to be around his blood family the moment he put his jacket and shirt along with his pants and underclothes into the toploader as he placed a detergent pod in it. That was when he went towards the bathroom as he started to take a shower in which he remembered it very well. Still, he preferred the quiet as he was also processing what happened to him in which he didn't want to be around his blood family due to what their father told them. It was better that way, but he accepted it anyway.
Stepping out of the shower while drying himself with a towel, he put on some fresh clothes that were in a dresser as he placed it with his clothes the moment he turned it on. While he was busy waiting for his jacket and shirt to wash up, he heard the door trying to open up as he hobbled over to it and locked it. He refused to have company after losing his chosen family in which he vowed to get justice for their deaths. When he went towards the toploader, he waited patiently as it finally stopped the moment he took out his clothes and placed them in the dryer while turning them on. While he patiently waited, he saw the door open up as he noticed Talvari breaking in the moment he was screwed, for he also had to deal with her constant nagging on the sly. From a glance, Talvari was strong-willed for a Draaza as she sported a purple comb and blue eyes while wearing a tunic and trousers, for she was also there to put Torune in his place after all.
"There you are!" she cried. "Your mother is worried sick about you!"
"I don't care about her," said Torune.
"Well you should! Shoko is often stressed after losing her brother and now her husband. She also doesn't want to lose you right now. As I recall, didn't your master tell you not to hold a grudge forever?"
"I'll go to the funeral feast, but I won't interact with my blood family. That is my final word."
Torune followed Talvari out of the rotgut room as they went back to the homestead. When they saw Shoko running towards them, she was shedding tears of joy that she wasn't about to lose Torune again, for this was something that she need to tell him without further questioning. Still, Torune attempted to walk past her, but was stopped by Talvari as she didn't want him to act cold towards her, for she was desperate to be forgiven after being away from him for so long.
"Hello, Torune…," she said to him.
"Aren't you gonna say something?" asked Talvari as she was getting impatient. "It's rude to give your elders the silent treatment."
Torune refused to say another word to Shoko until he felt Talvari tap at the wound on his ankle.
"Enough!" he yelled as he winced in pain.
"Finally, he speaks…"
"You're doing this to piss me off!"
"That's enough, Torune!" yelled Marisa as she walked towards him. "Your mother has been worried sick for thirteen years in which she endured the private pain. You should also give her a chance to talk before you judge further."
Torune didn't say another word as he followed Shoko into the main house. With Talvari and Marisa following them, they were greeted by the servants and the surviving townsfolk in which they were also grateful that Torune was alive and well, for he had a hero's welcome instead of everyone throwing trash at him. Still, he never talked to anyone in the homestead as he saw some of the funeral procession bringing out their food and everything else the moment he saw the baozi that was on the table. The delectable dumplings brought back memories as he remembered Yasunori disowning him and later kicking him out in the pouring rain. Stepping back, he sat down on the stairs as he didn't want to cause any trouble here, for he dreaded the return home from the beginning.
"What are you doing on the stairs?" asked Shoko as she had a plate of dumplings in her hands. "You should be having fun, not become apathetic all the time."
"If you're getting me to eat what's there, it's not working," said Torune.
"Please, hear me out…"
"So, now it's back to playing happy family, but that ship has sailed. I'm only here briefly so I suggest that you quit trying to convince me. It's not working, so I suggest that you take your food and leave me alone."
"Torune…, please let me tell you the real truth if you'll have time to listen to me… I need you to listen to what I have to tell you in which losing you again would further shatter me. I can't bear to see you disowned all over again in which it's too much for me to bear even when your father ended up dead at the hands of that Terran who snapped his fingers while killing people..."
"Fine, I'll listen to you…"
"On that fateful night when your father threw you out, I had no other choice but to side with him in which he cared about our family reputation than your well-being. After you left, I wanted to look for you, but was barred from doing so over the years in which I missed so many milestones of you growing up. I missed you being at the top of your class in which you also helped Yukiko on a school project once. When your father disowned you, he focused on Yoshinori and Yukiko in which they were his pride and joy, but you were my greatest treasure for how unique you are. You may say that you were never family to begin with, but I still have faith in you, my boy. You can't let this grudge get the better of you in which it'll devastate your master if you did. Please, don't turn your back on family, for we're always there for you in the end…"
Torune began to shed tears as he couldn't contain his emotions any longer. He finally knew the truth in which he never forgave his father, but he ended up reconciling with Shoko who made him come out of his shell after missing him for so long. When Yoshinori saw him on the stairs, he was eager to taunt him until he was stopped by Jack in which he wasn't about to let him get away with bullying him, for he needed to be there for his family in this hour of need.
"Don't even try it," he said as Yoshinori shook in fear. "Your brother is the only hope to protect this world in which he is chosen to do so, for your future rests in his hands."
Jack left without a trace as Yoshinori didn't do anything else for the night. With Torune finally forgiving Shoko, he began to feel a sense of warmth and belonging that was similar when Yueqing took him in. It was a step in the right direction as he also had to think about moving forward, for he would soon face off against Lucifer in the battle that was yet to come…
Meanwhile, back in the present…, again!
I was still in the sitting room as I continued to read at the journal that detailed Torune's life in which he had a tough time forgiving some of his family members for disowning him years prior. I never knew of his suffering before as he was also there to go up against Lucifer in the future. When I turned the page, I saw Reuben enter into the sitting room as he was checking up on me in which I was still steeped into the journal I was reading. For the record, I wasn't bothered too much as the journal I found as I was immersed in how tough it was for Torune to reconcile with the family who once disowned him, for he was the conduit after all.
"It seems that you still read that journal," said Reuben.
"It wasn't easy for Torune to forgive and forget after what he went through," I said.
"According to the Order's record books, Torune Mitani had a tough time adjusting in which he had to deal with the family drama after most of the townsfolk living there lost their lives at the hands of Lucifer. Therefore, our hero in the journal had plenty of opposition from those who wanted him to stay in the homestead, especially Talvari Echezar, who was a Draaza who later became an asset despite their rocky start."
"Well, she did slap him, punch him, and even shot him in the ankle with her crossbow."
"She only did that because he was displaying a silent anger towards the family who disowned him at the time. Still, some true matches can often be the most volatile in which one can't live without the other in this time of chaos."
"That much is true…"
I continued to read at the journal as I often did so to pass the time. Still, I never thought that Torune would be uncooperative until now the moment he heard the truth from Shoko in this time of crisis. I had a mixed opinion for the man who killed Lucifer as he ended up spending his childhood years fending for himself while being homeless, only for Yueqing to take him in while training him to so much knowledge that he gained from various mediums. Even though he knew how to survive, I sometimes envied him as he had plenty of street smarts while fending for himself during his youth, for he had a much bigger destiny at hand back in the day.
"You had a tough upbringing, but you managed to be the better person in the end," I said as I turned the page in the journal. "At least you came through for both your blood family and chosen one."
"You still read that journal, don't you?" said Reuben.
"Torune may be one of a kind, but he had a long way to go when it came to dealing with both Lucifer and his own personal demons that kept him tethered to the resentment and abandonment he had during his youth. I remember Ippei telling me about how he overcome such grudges and went on to become a legend who braved further to stop a certain archangel who caused havoc in his birth home and to his chosen family. If my past self saw him now, he would salute him for his bravery after what he went through. As for what went on next, it would take a long time to have him stick to his guns and bring balance to Alecrast in the future."
I continued to read at the journal as I now knew about how Torune suffered from lingering grudges in which he had to pull himself by the bootstraps in his battle against Lucifer. Still, I was interested in reading the journal as it was also a chronicle of what occurred during Torune's life, for he had a long way to go before dealing with what was put in front of him so far…
To be continued...