[Magic], something which has existed in Eden's folklore and legends since the dawn of mankind. Something which has been both feared and held in reverence for its potentially amazingly awful power. Something wielded only by the sages, saints, wise men and wizards for millennia. From the Scarlet Witches, to the Red Council, to the monks and shamans who prayed in dank dark caves seeking the truth of the universe. For most of history Magic was akin to literacy in its scarceness and difficulty to learn.

  In the golden age of Magic when mankind could form mountains which pierced the heavens and the earth could be cleaved open to form ravines. When the powerful could form entire continents or send them to the watery depths of the cold ocean floor.

  In the time long gone, from the Age Of God in which the founder of the universe the God of all that is and ever well be formed the earth and shaped from clay the first man Jin. When Jin was plagued by loneliness and a lack of purpose so God gave him his wife Isha. When Jin and Isha failed to watch their young son Unushi, the young child tempted by whispers of glory and greatness released the Dark One, The Incarnation of Evil. He who spread disease, sin, rot and evil across the planet. When God returned to the heavens never to return to the mortal realm forevermore.

  When Unushi descended through countless generations to Disshi who with his wife Emiko sailed across the world until finding the continent of Atlantis which their son Neptune forged into the legendary Empire of old. Guided by the hand of the Anukai, the teachers of civilization and messengers of God, the fabled city rose and ruled the Garden with great obelisks of power and technology lost to time. Ruling for twelve thousands years until they delved too deep into the darkness and were tainted by evil. Betrayed by their blasphemy God rained down upon them the stars and sky fracturing the world and sending mankind back to the age of stone and scavenging. Sinking the empire of Atlantis deep down into the sea and flooding the world, reshaping the land.

  In the Age of Post Destruction, when the Giants of Frost came from beyond and froze the land and sea for hundreds of years. When nearly all life was extinguished from the planet. To the great flare which melted the ice and snow destroying the Frost Giants and leaving behind no trace of their long hellish rule. When Demons came from beyond and rooted themself in the Garden like Weeds which would not wither.

  To the time of Giants, Dwarves, Cannibals and Ape Men, when the ancestors of modern humans were nothing more than prey for beasts as great cities were built above and below the surface. When the Elves lived in forests, the sea people under the depths and Dragons soared across the sky. Monsters lurked in the darkness.

  When the first gods of man arose and built their pantheons among the crest of mountains and in the clouds. To the time when the men of modernity evolved and began to build their castles, waging war on the others.

  At the start of the Age of Legends, when born from a shooting star the Great King Salagin, first ruler of Men united all of mankind under his flag forming the first Kingdom. When Salagin slayed the twelve Demon Kings and heroes, the sons and daughters of mortals and gods did great things and achieved immortality in legend. W

  When Magic was said to peak before the world was encased in shadow by the hand of the Dark Lord Murlock.

  When Magic became feared and shunned, those who wielded it thought to be servants of the Darklord were hunted and slain. When the planet had no light for four hundred long years until the band of rebels, the Ten Heroes and Pillars of humanity rose from the ashes of their home and slayed the Dark Lord.

  When the beginning of the Modern Era Began, the world recovered and many races lost to the unknown passing of time.When the world was poisoned, and stained with darkness, sin and death. Corruption having spread its roots in shadows reaching far down into the very core of the soul.

  When history became myth and fact became legend. When wars were fought with rifles and gunpowder rather than swords and sorcery. Throughout all of this magic existed, evolving and changing shape as the Garden and those called it home did as well.

  Magic ever present, becoming more complex and diverse, categories and skills, spells and restrictions forming to benefit the new age. When Men and Women were blinded to the truth of their world, unable to sense the wonders which were once accepted as a part of life.

  Throughout all time Magic Existed and clung to the souls of humans, and within that soul, humans held the thing known as emotion. Trust, Reliance, Faith and Love. Hatred, Loathing, Anger and grief.

  At this moment those tens of thousands of years of history and existence and evolution of magic were smoldering within Kanashi. Emotions, desires and wishes. The horrible destruction of his past, the wishful thinking of the future and the dread of the present. Doubts to as if that future would come to be or if the world would end in the year 2500. When the 5th Horseman of calamity of war was born and with his brothers, Death, Pestilence, Famine and War they would destroy the world. The only thing capable of stopping that fate being the Spear of Longinus and Philosopher's Stone.

  The spear, currently inside the country of Edoland at this very moment. The entire point of Kanashi being in Edoland to aid in the liberation of the popular rule from its current oppressors and retrieve said spear. The mission which he’d thrown into whack through his selfish actions fueled by self doubt and hatred.

  Would the world come to and end, all lives be lost and history destroyed by his actions?

  The answer to that question which had seared itself into Kanashi's mind and soul all depended on the phone which lay before him on the hotel's coffee table. Silent and with no incoming calls.

  “Come on please…” He muttered, pushing his brow into his knuckles hard enough to leave a dent on the flesh.

  “You good?” Kenji asked, looking from the magazine he had been reading. “You’ve been muttering to yourself and acting weird for the past hour… it’s creepy.” He said with a frown.

  “Yeah, I’m just… nervous is all.” Kanashi answered with a nod and plastic smile. One which his creased eyes reflected the truth of.

  “Eh, you’ll be fine.” Kenji reasoned lazily as he turned back to the magazine he’d been reading. Upon closer inspection however Kanashi noticed that the magazine, a standard beauty catalog, was in fact upside down.

  “Kenji….” he muttered under his breath.

  “Yeah?” Kenji asked, peeking his head above the magazine.

  “That magazine is upside down you know….”

  “I know. I'm trying to remember how to read upside down again.”

  “Oh is that so.” Kanashi asked with a wry smile. Though his heart still pounded inside his chest and his skin felt awfully hot. Like he was submerged in boiling water.

  Didn’t I already decide that I was gonna do this for myself? To get past this? He wondered clenching his hands together tightly.

  “!”

  Just then with a light buzz and the vibration of the wooden table Kanashis phone lit up with an incoming call.

  “Holy-!”

  Jumping from the red sofa onto the wooden coffee table with a crack he clutched the phone in his hands and flipped the top open, the number one which he didn’t recognize but still answered from anyways.

  “Is it him!?” Kenji asked with a yell, his face lighting up.

  “I don’t know yet!” Kanashi hushed back, pressing the phone against his ear.

  [This call is coming from Royal Blue Prison, please press one if you consent to being charged for this call.]

  A robotic voice came on the other side.

  “Royal Blue Prison?” Kanashi repeated, his brow creasing. Isn’t that where Rasetsu is? But why would I be getting a call from them? If anything I can at least assume it's important enough to answer right?

  Pressing the one button on the key bed which bent under his finger he heard a click over the line and then a short ring.

  “Hello?”

  He asked aloud when the ringing stopped.

  “Sarumalder-San?”

  At that voice, its pitch, tone and cadence Kanashi both nearly jumped into the air with excitement and vomited from nerves. It was Tatematsumi Nordon without a doubt, calling from a prison phone to better hide his identity, Kanashi reasoned.

  “Don’t say my name or speak, just listen to what I have to say.” Nordon said, as if in a harsh whisper.

  “...” Kanashi, locking his jaw and sealing his lips, listened intently to the phone, his heart pounding in his ear as the few seconds of silence passed.

  “Good, well then what I’m going to say is simple. We’ll meet tomorrow morning at 7:00 in the morning at [Giovanna Giuseppe Diner] in Shibuchu, is that acceptable?” Nordon asked.

  “Fantastic actually.” Kanashi sighed in relief. “But can we really wait that long?” He asked nervously.

  “It’s in every way the most favourable time for us to meet.”

  If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

  “Alright then, yeah.”

  “Also come alone.”

  “...”

  “Is that permissible?”

  “Yeah, it’s fine I guess.” Kanashi sighed with a nod which only Kenji could see.

  “Well then, we’ll meet tomorrow. Until then, don’t do anything rash.”

  With that the line ended and the ringing of static echoed in Kanashis head.

  “What did he say?” Kenji asked.

  “To meet him tomorrow at a diner here in Shibuchu.”

  # # #

  To say Kenji wasn’t happy with Nordon's request of only Kanashi going would be to put it lightly. You’d think Kenji wanted to murder Nordon himself. Yet despite that he seemed all too eager to accompany Kanashi on his journey down to inform Akatora of the good news.

  As such they both raced down the stairs, Kenji just behind Kanashi out of courtesy they descended to the casino itself.

  Upon reaching the 2nd floor of the casino they saw that the immediate stairs to the 1st floor was incredibly full of shifting people in a parade like fashion. Dressed strangely while singing and drinking. As such to avoid them Kanashi opted to go around the balcony to the set of stairs just a bit away and use that to reach the first floor. Kenji of course followed him behind closely and they ran around the balcony, watching the crowd below as they did so.

  Except something caught the eye of Kanashi, someone which logically shouldn't have as he’d naturally have no way to recognize him apart from the rest of the crowd.

  Standing square in the middle of the Casino with his hands in his dirty ripped jean pockets was a man of slightly above average height. His top consisted of a yellow stain ridden wife beater and his hair an oily blonde shaggy mop atop his head. His face covered in stubble as if he’d not cared to shave.

  Upon seeing him Kanashi instantly recognized the man from the [memories] of Aktora, from a time they’d met just only a few months prior. The man standing there in the casino was none other than Sumiyoshi Domushi, the one who they would absolutely needed to avoid.

  “!”

  Upon seeing him Kanshi stopped in his tracks, Kenji nearly slamming into his back before coming to halt and questioning why Kanashi had stopped.

  But Kanashi couldn’t speak, his throat trembled as he stared at the man. One who was unlike anyone he’d ever met to that point. While Domushi kept his aura rather meek and hidden, not exerting it just the amount he showed made Kanashi shiver from the hairs on his head to the ends of his toes.

  More so than Ugoki, more so than Norosuke, more so than Julius, more so then even Titan himself was Sumiyoshi Domushi. The one closest in power to Jinen Lutece that Kanashi had met to this point.

  “!”

  Kenji too seemed to take notice after following Kanashi's line of sight. But rather than acting upon seeing the man he hesitated as well, hand reaching for the Katana hidden under his Kimono his breath grew short. A single bead of sweat dripped down his temple.

  A man who made even Kenji hesitate, something Kanashi had never seen and made him only grow more ridden with anxiety. Then as if to somewhat lighten up the mood however little was possible emerged from under the Balcony below them Akatora.

  “!”

  Seeing Domushi begin to look in their direction Kanashi tackled Kenji and pulled him into a photo booth, a green plastic contraption full of stale air behind its shoddy green door.

  “Who was that?” Kenji asked, in not a shout or whisper but a stern voice.

  “Domushi.” Kanashi managed to choke out.

  “Who’s that?” Kenji asked with a growl.

  “A Hachibuto, and the worst one at that!” Kanashi answered, his heart beating in his ears in sync with the dubstep playing in the casino's speakers.

  Why is he here and why hasn’t he spotted us!? Even if we managed to avoid him our auras should stick out like a sore thumb to someone one like him. So why hasn’t he come up here to get us yet?!

  Though Kanashi could suppress himself if Domushi was as both as skilled as his overall strength led one to assume then spotting Kenji and Kanashi shouldn’t have been an issue. Even if they were both suppressed he should have been able to easily sense that they were trying to hide their true identity at least somewhat. Not to mention that unlike Kanashi, Kenji was a constant blazing inferno of orange aura. While he had enough subconscious control to not let his aura affect the world around him it was still something that stuck out like a sore thumb.

  “Ha-ha-ha.”

  Despite the thumping of musical beats, the screams of partying and the beeping sounds of arcade machines Kanshi could only hear his own heartbeat as it thumped in his chest. His teeth clench harder with each beat.

  Tightly he clutched Kenji's hand, the latter while not nearly as shaken up as Kanashi seemed to understand the situation enough to allow Kanashi to try and seek comfort in his presence.

  Like a child grasping the hand of their mother, Kanashi could only shamefully clutch onto Kenji's rough, calloused and scarred hand. Disgust at his own actions pilling up in his stomach and beginning to fill his throat with the urge to vomit.

  I’m okay, I’m okay. Kenji’s here Kenji will protect me. I won’t die, I'm okay Kenji is here…

  Though Kanashi repeated those thoughts in his head over and over again, clenching Kenji's hand tighter to make sure he didn’t slip away. He knew that belief was as fragile as glass. Domushi was stronger than Kenji, he was so far in Kanashis travels 2nd only to Jinen Lutece.

  And while Jin was always playful and friendly with Kanashi, Kanashi knew that Domushi wanted to and would do horrible things to him if he caught him. To have all of that hatred, anger and blood lust aiming at you was like being closed into a room of starving rabid dogs, snapping at your scent as it wafted through the air. A gun loaded gun forced to the back of your head to not let you retreat, you were forced to crawl closer to the hounds which wanted to rip you limb from limb. That’s how it felt to just be there in that photo booth at the moment. And so he continued to clutch Kenji's hand, shamefully on the verge of tears.

  Wasn’t this how he always was? Had he really not changed still after all he had gone through much. Still the only thing he could do was cling to those near him, hide behind them waiting for the storm to clear. And even if he somehow found himself on the front lines it was as if fate itself took him by the hands and guided him to victory. He’d earned nothing so far.

  As a Kid it was Frairk, with the Witch it was Jin, with Titan it was Julius, with Satoshi it was Rebecca and Jason. With Guro it was Kenken, with Ugoki it was Otsuga and Naori. And now for the past few days it’s been Kenji.

  Why is my first instinct to hide behind someone else? He wondered grinding his teeth as his eyes grew dry.

  “How am I supposed to save other people if I can’t even save myself?” He laughed quietly under his breath, a dry ironic laugh at his own worthlessness. It hurt his own very throat to grunt it out and only he heard it. Truly even when knowing how shameful he was, he still wanted to hide behind his own pity.

  Just die already… just.. Disappear. He muttered under his breath.

  # # #

  “Domushi!” Akatora called out, his casual yell easily canceling out all other noises in the casino.

  “There you are~” Domushi hummed as he focused his vision on Akatora who approached him.

  “What’re you doing here? You can at least give me a call before showing up like this.” Akatora growled, pulling his hands from his pockets and crossing them over his chest.

  “Whaaaat? You know we’re friends so what’s the issue here?” Domushi shrugged, his face one of a condescending smile.

  “You might think we’re closer than we actually are then. To be someone's friend I have to at least know something about them.”

  “Oh come, you know who I am. My name’s Sumiyoshi Domushi I’m about…. I think I’m about 38 years old and I’m your coworker. I mean what else is there to know about me?”

  “Your real name, your past, your history. What your goal is, your ideals, beliefs and dreams. Why you joined the Toumeikan and how you were introduced as a Hachibuto from day one. And most of all of course, being what your goal is in coming here.” Akatora didn’t hide his disdain for Domushi, he gladly let his words be drenched in hatred.

  “Blegh, that’s too much. I kinda like the whole mysterious strong guy thing you know.”

  “How about just the last one then?” Akatora asked.

  “I can settle for that.” Domushi shrugged. “I just came by to ask if you’ve seen anything.”

  “Seen anything?” Akatora repeated with a scowl.

  “Yeah, ya run into any rats lately?”

  “What’re you trying to say?”

  “It’s quite a simple question, have you seen any rats? Because I’ve been looking for one.”

  “You think I’d be able to recognize a rat you're looking for?

  “I mean I think it’s a pretty distinct rat, not the kind you’d forget. More like the kind you’d remember quite well for how interesting it was.”

  “Oh yeah? Alright then I’ll play along then Domushi. Tell me what this rat looks like?” Akatora asked with a smile.

  “Well I don’t know the specifics but, they’re the kind of rat which lives here in Edoland. Oh, and they have a big nasty scar on their cheek and black arm even though their skin’s white.”

  “A rat with a scar on its face and a black arm? And one not from Edoland at that? You think I know enough about rat’s to what fucking country their from?”

  “Just a question, it’s just a question I wanted to ask.” Domushi said playfully, throwing his hands up like one would to surrender.

  “And why do you think I’d be the one to see it anyways? Sure this rat is unique and all but I don't think I’d see one rat out of the millions that live here.”

  “Ah well, I just heard it was spotted around here that’s all. But if you haven’t seen it you haven’t seen it. Then there’s nothing more to say. I mean unless you’re lying to me of course, in which case well, you know how it is.”

  “Is that a threat?” Akatora asked with a growl, a vein bursting on his temple.

  “If you take it as one then yes it is.” Shrugged Domushi whilst scratching his ass. “But with that, I’m taking my leave~” Waving his dirty hand at Akatora, Domushi turned around and began to walk towards the casinos. However he stopped after only a few steps and turned around with a smug grin. “Just one last thing.” He said.

  “What?”

  “I’ll be searching for the rat here in Tousen until I find it, so if you happen to come across it call me right away, okay?”

  “I’ll call an exterminator first, you can play with its corpse all you want then.”

  “Aw, but they’re better when they’re alive. When you can squeeze the life from their eyes and watch as they beg to be saved. That’s the fun of it all.”

  “Get out of here before my opinion of you goes even lower.” Akatora said, his voice nearly a shout.

  “Fine, fine.” Sighed, Domushi as he turned around and left the casino.

  And those two idiots… Akatora thought, looking up towards the Photo booth which Kanashi and Kenji were still hiding in on the 2nd story of the Casino.