"That low level." Ferlan growled back at the mansion, his fists clenched as he got up, dark energy oozing out of him, stretching thick like it wanted to engulf everything around.
The kind that would make a weak person's knees buckle even at a hundred meters exposure. "I gave him another chance and he wasted it. Why is every single one of them so... useless?"
"Calm down, Ferlan." Kimado spoke up, his voice surprisingly calm. "You just underestimated underestimated the children. Not to mention the interference of the masters."
Ferlan exhaled, stopping the aura's release. "I guess you're right."
He sighed, sitting down as he face palmed. "I should have sent our high ranking ones instead. I thought those kids would have been too weak to take on the demons. Especially a prori-tandemon."
"That doesn't matter anymore Ferlan." Kimado said as he took a glass and filled it with wine. "What has been done cannot be changed. What we need to think about right now is what to do next."
Ferlan nodded lacing his fingers at the bridge of his nose. "You're right. We've seen how dangerous those children are. They could be a major threat to us in the future."
Kimado took a sip of his wine before settling the glass on the table. "Especially him." He leaned back, looking up at the ceiling. "What surprises me more is how well he's able to use his pure energy while dark energy flows through him."
He leaned forward again, bowing his head. "No. That shouldn't have been possible in the first place. Unless..."
Ferlan nodded with a hum. "Unless he's able to suppress it. But currently doubt he knows about the dark power running within him, less suppress it."
"Exactly right." Kimado chimed in, lifting his bowed head. "Now, here comes the question of how he was able to broke past energy depletion. Because throughout the whole world no one else aside the four elemental gods can do that."
"No one else aside one person." Ferlan corrected, raising a finger. "The one who was soon to be crowned the fifth elemental god. The LIGHTNING INCARNATE. Taro's son."
"So could it be that..." Kimado lifted a hand to his chin. "That boy's body now houses Kubo's essence?"
Ferlan exhaled, getting up on his feet. "All of this is just too confusing." He stated as he started walking away.
Kimado looked up at his retreating figure. "Where are you going?"
Ferlan paused, turning a fraction to look at his father. "I need some space. I want to clear my head."
He ended, walking through a door and closing it behind him.
The dark haired man bowed his head, planting his face in his palm.
Silence settled in... reigning as far and thick as the ear could hear. Ominous in all sense of the word.
"How?" He growled. "How could we have let such a threat out of our grasp and roam free for such a long time?"
He tightened his fists—nails digging into his palm, drawing blood.
He looked up, his eyes giving off a dark ominous purple glow. "I won't watch another threat rise... no matter what."
A FEW WEEKS LATER
Into the usual busy street of Amsterdam, a certain blue haired figure walked, completely oblivious to the eyes beginning to set on him.
Beside him was Phil, his high school buddy [and the guy who saved him in the second chapter]. "By the way, Desmond. I heard you'll be transferring to MOBA High next week."
Desmond simply nodded, his expression showing no sign of enthusiasm. Like it was something he he'd been hearing for the past few days...
Or maybe it is.
Phil sighed, shaking his head. "At least show some excitement." A smile crawled up his lips. "Or I guess that's just how you've always been. Except getting into fights."
Desmond's brows furrowed as he turned to Phil. "Huh? Are you saying I'm a fighting maniac?"
Phil lifted his hands in defense. "Come on Des. You know I'm right, don't you?"
Desmond looked back at the street. Then at the sky.
'Is that really how I am?"
A slow smirk spread across his lips as he recalled all the fights he's had against the demons.
It didn't go unnoticed by the other guy as he pointed a hand at Desmond. "See? That's exactly what I'm talking about. You've been like that ever since we were kids."
"Shut up." Desmond schooled his expression, shoving his hands into his pockets.
Phil smiled as he looked back ahead.
For a while, silence fell descended upon the two as they continued walking.
Then Phil broke it. "You won't miss me?"
Desmond huffed, bowing his head with a light smile. "You're going back to Mexico with your family, right? Of course I'll miss you." He turned to Phil, raising a fist to him. "No one could replace you, bro."
Phil looked at the fist for a while before sighing with a smile. "There you go again. Always flattering me."
He also lifted a fist as the two bumped each other.
Walking the rest of the way, the two went quiet.
But then, Desmond stopped, turning to look at as a kid was walking with an old man. As he stared on, he clenched his fists.
"What is it?" Phil asked from ahead as he looked back at Desmond.
"No. It's nothing." He answered, watching for a moment longer before he shoved his hands in his pocket, moving on to join Phil before they continued walking away.
As they moved, Desmond wore a full on expression on his face.
'You just wait Grandpa.' He thought as he looked up at the sky. 'I'll definitely get stronger. And then I'll avenge you... just like I promised.'
On top of a high building, a dark cloaked figure stood, watching as Desmond and Phil walked.
The figure had a white mask on with red markings on the mask.
The figure watched a moment longer before stepping back.
"Yes. That's him."
He said and turned away from the edge, walking to the other side and leaped off the building.
LATER THAT DAY
[Amsterdam/ Red Light District]
[10:07 PM]
Desmond walked along the bustling night street, the noise level as loud as De Wallen could get at night.
He held a plastic bag in his hands— probably full of stuff he had bought.
'Next week huh?' He thought as he kept walking.
He lifted his free hand slightly, staring into his palm.
'I guess I should take the few days I have left from school and use it to train and get prepared.'
His gaze turned back ahead as he stretched. 'Well... I better not waste it."
Just as he took a few steps forward, he paused—
But there was no sign of alarm on his face.
He looked around—as if searching for something or someone.
His eyes scanned through the busy street of the night.
Then slowly turned, moving to the left... and landed on an alley right at his side.
He didn't frown or anything.
Just stared.
'No one's noticed?' He thought as he looked around again.
Then he glanced back at the alley again, eyes piercing deep into the darkness.
Without another thought, he entered.
His eyes fixated ahead, the blue orbs in them shimmering as if reflecting light.
After a few meters, he hit a split path—one going left and the other going right.
Without even considering, he turned to the right and kept walking.
He went on until his eyes settled on a man, crouched beside a wall, his face buried between his knees.
His gaze lingered on the man for a moment.
Exhausted.
Hungry.
No signs of hostility.
At least none he could see.
He walked to the man and took a small plastic package from the bag and placed it in front of the man.
Without a word, he got up and turned to walk away.
But suddenly, the man rose up, thrusting a knife at Desmond.
Desmond had his back turned to the man and didn't see as the knife inched closer and closer to the back of his head.
But just as the knife was about to connect, Desmond simply tilted his head slightly as the knife pierced past his head.
Then he grabbed the man's hand, throwing him from his back and slammed him into the ground in front of him.
The man gasped, eyes going blank as he immediately passed out with his mouth agape.
Desmond stared at the man for a second longer, before he sighed, walking past the past.
'No. That's not him.'
But as he took a few steps forward, he paused, a frown appearing on his face.
He turned around fast, his eyes immediately falling on a little white silver girl, sitting on top of the man.
The girl looked at the man with quiet wonder. Her little hands moved to inspect the man's face.
"He's out." She said, a slow menacing grin arching up her lips as she turned to look at Desmond.
Desmond's eyes widened as he caught a glimpse of the girl picking up the man's knife.
He immediately dashed forward, throwing the plastic bag he held at the girl.
The girl swiped the knife repeatedly in a matter of seconds, slicing the bag into shreds as the things in it scattered, obscuring her view.
Desmond took the chance as he got in front of her, activating his arm guard as his katana appeared in his right hand, lightning snapping around him.
He quickly used her obscured vision and tried striking her but she had already seen through and blocked it with the knife.
The impact threw her back and away from the man.
Desmond quickly grabbed the man and leaped back a few meters.
The moment he landed, he quickly glanced forward, his eyes searching for the girl.
She was gone.
Or more like, he couldn't see her.
She suddenly appeared behind him, swiping the knife sideways at him.
He noticed just in time as he quickly turned, lightning flicking around his arm guard as he used it to block the girl's attack.
The girl immediately jumped back after her strike got blocked, landing a few meters away from Desmond.
Before anything else could happen, she snapped her fingers and immediately, several ori-tandemons moved out of the shadows, surrounding Desmond.
Desmond went down, laying the unconscious man beside him.
His expression was conflicted. "Ori-tandemons? Seriously? Taking out one is a problem for even me."
"I admit you are strong." The girl said, drawing Desmond's attention.
Her skin slowly started turning white as her eyes turned black with crimson orbs.
Desmond gasped, noticing her appearance. "You. You're a... You're a... prowhi-tandemon?"
The girl's smile widened as her pupils dilated. "That's right. Now how are you going to deal with me?"
Desmond's clenched his jaws, his grip tightening on his sword as lightning flickered around it.
'It's definitely her. She's the one I felt the strange presence from. But...'
His gaze sharpened. 'A prowhi-tandemon? How the heck do I deal with this?'
He glanced at the man. 'Even though he tried to kill me, I can't leave him here. Heck I can't even escape.'
The girl lifted one hand, snapping her fingers as the ori-tandemons lunged at Desmond, all ready to finish him off right there.
Desmond watched their incoming figures, his heart racing. 'What do I do? What can I do? Dammit. If no one comes..."
Right at that moment, a group clad in dark cloaks emerged out of nowhere.
By the time Desmond blinked, three heads of the ori-tandemons were falling off as the white cloaked figures moved.
He blinked again three others had been sliced in halves.
Before he could register what was going on, the rest were already lying on the ground.
Dead.
The girl's eyes widened in shock as she took a step back. "What? What's going on."
A striking dark cloaked figure in a mask came up behind, his fists aiming to take her out but she immediately leaped away, dodging the strike.
Then she landed on a ceiling, quickly scurrying away. "How did this happen?"
Desmond was the most shocked out of all.
He glanced around at the dark cloaked figures as they took their hoods off to reveal their faces.
Desmond's eyes darted from face to face.
One.
Two.
Three.
"Wait..." His eyes widened.
"You guys are... the masters?"
Yes. The masters who supervised them on the island.
Maxwell grinned widely, waving at him. "Yo. How're you doing, kid?"
Susanna quickly rushed to his side, pulling him into an embrace. "It's okay dear. Don't worry. We'll protect you now."
Desmond was blushed lightly as his face was planted in her chest.
"Jean told us you might be getting targeted." Richelle said with a smile. "So we've been tracking you."
The dark cloaked figure in the mask walked forward, taking the hood and the mask off.
Desmond managed to pull to his out of Susanna's chest to see the person.
It was Jean. Master Jean.
He smirked, waving at Desmond. "I'm glad we played our cards right."