Update from my end

This is Kallaway. Figured I'd make a post since the SMSC apparently has you running errands.

I was talking with Elie about options for how we could get a tree sample, and I think we've settled on something.

"We really don't know many people with access to the domain the tree exists on," Elie said. "The only guy I can think of off the top of my head is Raoul, and I doubt he'd willing to help."

"Then I'll talk to him," I said.

"I'm sorry, but what?" Elie asked.

"You get me to him, and I'll convince him to help," I said.

"You make it sound easy," he said.

"Trust me, I can handle this," I said. "But first, we should get some volunteers. If we're going to another domain to get a sample of a dangerous tree, we'll need some capable hands on deck."

"I agree," Elie said. "What about Ren? Skilled swordsman could make a good addition to the group."

"I'll swing by the training grounds and see if he's there," I said. "If so, I'll ask if he's game."

We parted ways and headed to the training ground, thinking about how I should really just get Ren's number so I wouldn't have to go looking for him whenever I needed to talk. I didn't find him at the training grounds, but I did find Tyler there, practicing with a wooden sword against a training dummy. He was breathing pretty heavily, and working up a sweat.

"How long have you been at this, kid?" I asked.

"I dunno," he said. "An hour-ish?"

I sat down on a bench and patted the spot next to me.

"Take a break, okay?" I said.

"I'm not gonna get any stronger if I slack off," he said.

"Yeah, well if all you do is train, all you're gonna accomplish is exhausting yourself and succumbing to fatigue," I said. "Have a seat."

He reluctantly set his sword down and sat beside me.

"So why are you so determined to get stronger?" I asked. "You must have something driving you."

He stayed quiet for a little bit before speaking.

"You've been around the boss a lot, right?" he asked.

"Daniel? Yeah, I guess I've had to deal with him quite a bit," I said. "Why?"

"Whenever he's around, it always feels like he's the most powerful person in the room," he said. "Even before I learned about all this eldritch stuff, and just what he was really capable of, he always has this air of confidence that makes him seem so much bigger than everyone else."

Well, I can't exactly say that's inaccurate. It's true that Daniel's presence feels just as dangerous as his reputation would imply. That's not even getting into how powerful he actually is.

"I want to feel that kind of strength," Tyler said. "I kind of... envy him."

"I see," I said.

"But I have a long way to go," he sighed. "My form is still terrible. That's why I'm out here training."

"Have you ever had any training before?" I asked.

"Not really," Tyler said. "Ren's the first real combat trainer I've ever had."

I see. That was the problem...

"Tell you what," I said. "You feel rested?"

"Yeah, I think so," he said.

"Good," I said. "Let's spar."

He stood up and went to retrieve his wooden sword.

"Hey, can I see that for a sec?" he asked.

"Sure," he said.

I took it from him and tossed it aside.

"Hey!" he exclaimed.

I stood in front of him and took a stance.

"The reason you're having trouble fighting with a weapon is because you never learned to fight without one," I said. "Trust me, swordplay will come a lot more naturally to you if you practice some regular martial arts first."

He hesitantly took a stance across from me.

"We're gonna do some semi-kumite," I said. "We're gonna train with each other at a fraction of our normal speed, so that we can observe each other easier and adapt to the other's moves."

He nodded, and we began sparring. I threw a punch, which he dodged with a small spin, and he attempted a spinning back-fist while doing so, without bothering to look where his attack was going. I caught his hand easily.

"Quick note," I said. "Any time you do any kind of spinning attack like that, you should make sure your head is full turned before delivering the blow, otherwise you won't be able to aim it properly."

We continued sparring for a while, with me occasionally having to correct him on something, but he seemed to absorb my advice pretty quickly, and was doing a little better by the time Elie and Ren showed u there.

"Hey!" Elie called out to us. "I ran into Ren after you left. He said he'd be willing to come along. Kimiko and Jane said they'd help as well."

"Help with what?" Tyler asked.

"We're planning an expedition to the Path of Black Leaves," Elie said. "We're going to try and get another sample from the Bleeding Tree."

"We need some extra help in case there's trouble," I said.

"I could help!" Tyler said enthusiastically.

"It could be dangerous," I pointed out.

"I wanna be a part of things," Tyler said.

"Well, you've got some potential," I told him. "Let's have a few more training sessions and see how much progress you make. Then we'll see about taking you on this mission."

"Okay!" Tyler said, getting back into a fighting stance, determination lighting up on his face.

"Tomorrow," I said, causing him a bit of disappointment. "Like I said. We can't just train constantly. And it's getting kind of late. Let's just relax the rest of the day, and we can pick this up in the morning."

"I guess you have a point," Tyler said. "All right. First thing in the morning. Let's meet here."

"Okay," I said. "See you then."

A Temporary Partnership

Sorry for the delays, everybody. A lot has been going on, but let's start with my meeting with the SMSC. I was taken to their headquarters, where I met with Agents Touchshriek and Garden.


"Long time no see," I said.

"Hello, Doctor," Agent Garden replied.

"What's this about?" I inquired.

"We'd like to start with an apology," Agent Touchshriek said.

"Despite the danger you pose, our actions during our last encounter were going too far," Agent Garden said. "We're sorry for attacking you."

"And?" I asked.

"We're sorry for threatening your colleagues as well," Agent Touchshriek said.

"And?" I pressed.

"We're sorry for the damage we did to your headquarters and property," Agent Garden said.

I narrowed my eyes at them and provided another "And?"

Agent Touchshriek let at a sigh before saying "We're sorry we didn't get your Godfather joke."

"Apology accepted," I said with a smile. "So, what else do you have to say to me."

"We need your help," Agent Moss said. "We need your level of dangerous right now. We need someone who can play the role of a hero."

I narrowed my eyes again.

"Escuse me?" I asked.

"Several people owe their lives to you after the incident in Seattle," Agent Toughshriek said. "To them, you're a h-"

"No!" I snapped, cutting her off, much to both of their shock. "You do not call me that."

"But, you saved so many people," she said, in a state of confusion.

I produced the card Abdalin gave to me and showed it to them.

"You know when I used this card?" I said. "When I got my legs back? When that happened, there was a moment where I honestly considered just getting myself out of there and leaving all those people to die. That is not a thought that a hero has. Not even for a second. So not, you don't get to call me that. Nobody does!"

There was a period of silence in which none of us spoke. I decided to break the silence by taking a deep breathe, putting the card away, and straightening my posture before speaking.

"Now, what is it you need from me?" I asked.

"We um... have some missions we'd like to send you on," Agent Garden said. "If you'll accept them, that is."

"Will thee missions help solve the problem with that forest?" I asked.

"With any luck, yes," Agent Touchshriek said.

"Very well," I said. "If there's a chance at trim that forest down to size, I'll take it. And like you said. The world could use my level of dangerous."

"Speaking of dangerous," Agent Garden said. "We have someone we'd like you to meet."

"And who might-" I began, but I was cut off when someone suddenly through themselves against the other side of a glass door.

"Is this our guy!?" The man asked enthusiastically, looking right at me.

He was wearing a white coat with the sleeves burned off, had messy red hair, and was wearing a blindfold, which made it a little weird that he new exactly where I was. Unless, of course, he could sense me somehow. I observed him more carefully and noticed some rotting tissue on his neck.

The Dying Man. The SMSC had an actual Dying Man shard in their custody.

"God damn it," Agent Touchshriek said. "He burnt through his straightjacket again."

"Kiss your mum with that mouth?" The shard asked.

"Who the fuck is this?" I asked.

"Oh, so you're gonna swear too, huh?" the shard asked.

"Shut the fuck up," Agent Garden said.

"Okay, that one was out of spite," the shard said.

"This," Agent Touchshriek said, grimacing. "Is your partner."

"You're pairing me with a Dying Man shard?" I asked. "You sure that's a good idea?"

"We're sure you can handle him," Agent Garden said. "You're more powerful than him, and in the event he tries to possess you, your powers as a Devil Killer will give you a strong chance of resisting him long enough for an extraction."

"An extraction, huh?" I asked. "You guys have a way to do that?"

"It's possible, but difficult," Agent Touchshriek replied.

"Of, course, there is an alternative," the shard said.

"No!" Aent Garden snapped. "We've been over this! You are not-"

"Hold up," I said, silencing Agent Garden. "Let me here what he has to say."

I didn't have the Dying Man's power yet, so I was a little curios about where this was going. After all, it could lead to me growing stronger.

"What if... you let me possess you?" the shard said.

I raised an eyebrow at him.

"Okay, hear me out," the shard continued. "I'll play nice, let you have full control." He then added under his breath "Unless there's a good reason for me to take the wheel." He then raised a hand and said "Scout's honor."

"Go on," I said.

"It'd be pretty advantageous," he said. "Less bodies to worry about, we could strategize internally, without our potentially enemies overhear us, and you'd obviously gain my powers."

"I'm almost sold," I informed him. "But not quite. What else do you have to offer?"

He chuckled at that.

"You see, when I say 'my powers', I'm not just referring to my power as the Dying Man," he said.

He then lit his hand on fire and melted through the knob of the door separating us, and stepped through it. The Agents immediately drew their guns and took aim, but I raised a hand and shot them a look to hold back.

"I offer you not one, but two Fear powers," he said.

I stepped forward.

"Very well," I said, offering him my hand. "To our temporary partnership."

"To our temporary partnership," he echoed before shaking my hand.

The transfer occurred. The shard entered into me, and the body he was inhabiting collapsed into hysterics, babbling gibberish and writhing on the floor.

"Um, what is this?" I asked.

Oh yeah, the shard said, from within my head. I sort of drove him to insanity. Easier to possess that way.

"Oh, well in that case...," I said, aiming my finger at the flopping body in front of me. "BANG!"

I blasted through his skull with a lightning bolt.

"Dude!" Agent Garden gasped.

"What the fuck!" Agent Touchshriek said.

The shard my head to face her and snapped "Language!"

It then ave me control back, and I let out a sigh.

"e was beyond saving," I said. "I did him a mercy, really."

Hey, can we have a word in your mind? the shard asked.

"Sure," I said. "I'll be right back, I have to go have a head chat or something."

A moment later, I found myself standing in a dim lab. My cane was missing, but I noticed I no longer needed it. My leg felt just fine. Interesting...

The shard stood before me, a mass of black flames in the shape of a human wearing a labcoat and a blindfold. He looked a lot like myself, actually. even had my braid.

"So this is what you look like?" I asked.

"Yep," he replied. "At least to you. I change form depending on my host."

"And this is...," I said, looking around.

"Your subconscious," he answered. "I gotta say, it's pretty dimly lit in here."

"Yeah, it is pretty dark," I said. "So, what's this about?"

"Well, normally it would take you a while to fully absorb my powers," the shard said. "But I had an idea that might just speed things along."

"Go on," I said.

He pointed to a desk, where my Extractor was sitting.

"We use that," he said.

"But that's just a subconscious replica," I said. "Will that actually work?"

"We won't know if we don't try," the shard said, producing a small flame in his hand.

He handed me the flame, which I was somehow able to hold, and he gave me a nod. I put it inside the Extractor and started it up. I immediately realized that this was a bad idea. Both Fear powers were being extracted at the same time, and I knew that the Extractor wouldn't be able to handing it if I tried amplifying them both at the same time, which would sort of be unavoidable. Not to mention they were both blending together chaotically, which definitely wouldn't turn out well.

"Shit," I said. "The Extractor isn't built for stuff like this! That's not how it works."

"First of all, stop swearing," the shard said. "Second of all, we're in your head. Make it how it works."

"How do I-?" I started to ask.

"You're a genius, aren't you?" the shard interrupted. "Figure it out."

Right. Okay. I took a breathe and focused. I could handle this. First off, I couldn't put these samples in the same Cell. That'd be a disaster waiting to happen. I needed two Cells. One for each. I closed my eyes and reopened them to find my Extractor replaced with Elie's, with it's capability to fill two separate Cells. Perfect.

Next, I needed to separate the two energies. I thought of how I could do that, and my mind seemed to settle on coding. A laptop appeared beside the Extractor, hooked up to it, with a text window opened.

"Okay, I'm assuming this second power is the Burning Bride, right?" I asked.

"That's right," the shard said.

I honestly don't know too much about coding. I've taken a couple classes in it, but there's so much about it that I've never learned. But like the shard said. This was all in my head. I had control here. I could make this work.

I typed in "execute function; burning_bride + dying_man /separate" and hit enter, holding my breathe.

Slowly, the two energies untangled from each other, moving to separate sides of the Extractor. The Burning Bride's power appeared as a burning aurora, shifting between shades of red and blue. The Dying Man's power was harder to describe. It was a weird mixture of sickly green and dark gray. It was like staring at the very concept of decay itself.

Next step. I needed to amplify them one at a time, which the Extractor normally wouldn't be capable of. I typed in "execute function; burning_bride/ignore" and hit enter. The Burning Bride's power grew dimmer, and was compressed to a corner of the Extractor, as the Dying Man's power expanded to fill the void. Good. It was working so far.

I input "execute function; dying_man/amplify" and began turning the dial to increase the Dying Man's power. The Burning Bride's power was unaffected by the amplification, just like I wanted. I then input "execute function; dying_man/transfer:cell1". The Dying Man's power began to transfer to one of the Cells, but the Cell started to crack slightly, and for a moment, I was worried this worried work. But I quickly reminded myself that this was my mind. I could make it work. The crack faded, and the power was easily compress.

I let out a breathe before continuing. I typed in "end function; burning_bride/ignore", followed by "execute function; burning_bride/amplify". The Bride's power was amplified as well, and I continued to type in "execute function; burning_bride/transfer:cell2", and it was successfully compressed in the second Cell.

"Nice!" the shard said. "So, what comes next? How to you go about absorbing that power?"

"With the Vambrace," I replied.

He raised an eyebrow, which I could barely notice with his blindfold. I'm gonna have to question him on that...

"You mean the armor piece?" he asked.

"How many other meanings does the word 'Vambrace' have?" I replied.

"Point taken," he said.

I produced a device and slipped it onto my forearm. It resembled its namesake;  a piece of armor that goes over ones forearm. But it had a spot where I could plug a Cell into. I inserted the Dying Man Cell into it and flipped a switch. Some of the Cell's power was quickly pumped into my body, and I quivered a bit as the sensation overtook me. Once it was over, I took the Cell out and set it aside.

"There's still some energy left in there," the shard pointed out.

"Yeah," I said. "I usual don't absorb all the energy I extract. I keep a bit around for research purposes."

I repeated the process with the Burning Bride's power.

"Well, this seems to have worked in my mind," I said. "But will any of this actually affect my physical body?"

"Who knows?" the shard said. "Why don't you go back out there and find out?"

I did so. I was standing before the Agent's again. They were looking pretty concerned.

"Everything okay?" I asked.

"You've kind of been zoned out there for the past couple minutes," Agent Garden informed me.

"Really?" I asked. "felt longer from my end..."

Oh, yeah, the shard piped up. Subconscious time can be a bit screwy.

"Well that doesn't seem scientifically accurate," I noted.

"Are you feeling alright?" Agent Touchshriek asked.

I raised a hand, and managed to produce a small flame in my palm. I smiled.

"Never better," I said. "So. What's my first mission?"

Training

This is Kallaway again. It's good to know you're free now. Make sure you get back here once you've wrapped things up with the SMSC. We could use that big brain of yours.

The AMU is still working on a solution to the forest. Elie's working on a plan of his own, which will hopefully yield some results, assuming he can get what he needs for it.

He thinks that by studying the Bleeding Tree and its energy further, we may have a chance to do something here. He'd rather not make another weapon from it, as that may escalate things, but since it was that knife that seemingly spawned that forest, understanding the Bleeding Tree better could help us find a weakness, or maybe even a way to reverse the entire forest.

Problem is, we need another sample of the Bleeding Tree. Which is something we're still figuring out.

In the meantime, I've spend the last month and some change training with Ren. He's a really good swordsman, especially when it comes to Japanese weaponry. I've learned a lot from sparring with him. I've never had actual sword training before. I'm learning to wield the Proto-Godslayer a lot more efficiently than before.

I'm not alone in my training. Your intern, Tyler, has decided he wants to be involved in the resistance against the forest and the remaining Kraken forces, and Ren was happen to help. He even gave Tyler his own katana. I've sparred quite a bit with Tyler, and while he has a long way to go, I can feel a strong desire to grow stronger within him.

Something I think we can both relate to.

I'm rooting for him. He has a lot of potential.

Anyway, I'll sign off now. I'll keep you posted if your business with the SMSC ends up taking too long. See ya.

-David Kallaway

Interrogation

Read your post Kallaway. Good to know you made it out all right. And yeah, I can confirm that the people who've been holding me are indeed Trias. I had a word with some of their member recently. It started with a couple, who I later learned were Kai's parents yelling in different languages at me. I couldn't understand them, but they were clearly angry with me. They were eventually shooed out by the Director, and a man, who introduced himself as Gene.

"Greetings, Dr. Ferris," the director said. "I am the director of this establishment."

"Haji memashite, douzoyoroshiku," I replied.

She looked at me, a little confused.

"That's what you get for letting those guys yell at me in a language I don't understand," I said. "And the proper response would be 'Kochirakoso douzoyoroshiku'."

"Right," she said, raising an eyebrow. "Now that you've made a full recovery, I wanted to ask you some questions about the incident in Seattle."

We shared information. I told her everything that happened with me, and she updated me on the state the world was currently in due to that forest.

"Things seem dark," I said.

"They are," she nodded.

She produced a folder and opened it up.

"You are the grandson of Alexander Ferris, correct?"

"I am," I said. "What about it?"

"According to the records we have on him, he was one of the most infamous Devil Killer's known throughout history," she said. "However, his sons, Stefan and Drake, didn't inherit the Devil Killer abilities. The Devil Killer bloodline seemed to end with him."

"They did," I confirmed. "The powers went dormant starting with my father's generation."

"And yet they've reawakened with you," she said. "Why is that?"

I see. They were trying to get a better understanding of me and my powers. Fine. I decided to oblige.

"Do you know why the AMU expelled me?" I asked.

"If your blog is anything to go by, it's due to the creation of your Enhancer," she answered.

"Not quite," I said. "While they held me in contempt for building such a dangerous machine, they didn't expel me until I used it."

She raised an eyebrow in curiosity.

"On myself."

They were both taken aback by this information.

"Like I said," I went on. "The Devil Killer powers never fully disappeared. They simply went dormant. I needed a way to draw them out. So built a larger scale version of the Extractor, with the sole purpose of awakening the powers my grandfather was so well known for."

"I see," the director said. "Would you mind telling us more about your powers?"

"Well, thanks to my grandpa's rep, the Fear leave me alone, so I won't be as much of a pest to them as he was," I said. "So, I started seeking out samples that I could extract power from. I need exposure to a Fear's energy to gain that Fear's power. So far, I've gotten power from the Newborn, Red Cap, EAT, Convo-"

Gene suddenly cut me off.

"That's so cool!" he said. "You've got so many powers under your belt! All I got was a mask and the ability to walk down a deer trail in Eldritch Hell. NOTHING like what you got."

"Arigatou," I said. "You seem excited by my capabilities."

"So, which Fear did you get access to the God's Way from?" he asked. "Was it... er… the tall guy?"

I chuckled.

"Let's hope you never have to see me tap into that power," I said. "But I didn't get the God's Way thing from any particular Fear. It's a default ability all Devil Killer's have, kind of like how I can sense Eldritch energy and resist Fear induced insanity. Granted, it's not a power I started off with. I had to build up some power first, then actually learn how to step in and out of the God's Way."

We continued discussing my powers for a good 20 or so minutes. Gene was super fascinated, and th director took an occasional note.

"Okay, now I have some questions for your guys," I said. "First of all, why  was it necessary to bring the moose into the interrogation room?"

Right. Forgot to mention the moose was present for all of this.

"The God's Way can't be accessed within 20 feet of Rocky," the director said.

The moose has a name!? Well, I wish I'd known that sooner...

"And how did you figure that out?" I asked.

"One of our allies is a demi-god, much like yourself," she said. "Their powers are still something of a mystery, but what we do know is that they can access the God's Way. Just not in Rocky's presence."

"I see," I said. "That leads into my next question. Why have you been keeping me here? Even going as far as to restrict my access to the God's Way."

"You have a reputation of being dangerous," she replied. "We wanted to observe you. Understand your powers and personality better. And of course, we needed to make sure you made a full recovery. With this forest spreading the way it is, you may be invaluable to the preservation of humanity."

"I suppose that makes sense," I said. "So, now that we've had this chat, am I free to go?"

"In all honesty, we'd like to keep you a bit longer," the director said. "However, the SMSC has requested your release. They wish to talk to you."

"My last encounter with them didn't go so well," I replied.

"They've assure us they mean no harm to you," she said. "They wish to collaborate with you, in fact."

"Can't say I can trust their word," I said. "But I'll play along. Mind if I say goodbye to... Rocky, was it?"

"Feel free," she said.

I limped over to Rocky, and gave him a few pet on the head.

"He enjoys Facetime chats, if you're interested in keeping in touch," the director informed me.

I chuckled at that, before focusing.

"Secrets, secrets never tell," I muttered, as my hair darkened to black, and my eyes began glowing red.

Black Dog's power. Uncovering lies and secrets. Not a power I utilize often, but I was curious about this moose's power.

I looked Rocky over, and eventually found what I was looking for.

Tattoos. Hidden under its fur. Similar to the ones Dawson used to restrict my access to the God's Way. Interesting... Could this moose be another of Kraken's little pet projects?

I rose to my feet and turned back to the director.

"One more question," I said. "Where the fuck is my cane?"

Hitting the Fan Part 3

Hello. This is Kallaway. I got the password for this account from Paris.

I figured I should update you (Daniel) on what happened after you took off to find your friend. Ben was beginning to stir, but he wasn't fully conscious yet. I no longer had the strength to keep the barrier up, and it shattered. Not good. If I couldn't get Malkator up, we'd all be screwed.

Or so I thought. Another man suddenly appeared before us.

"Well, well," he said, turning to me to reveal his smirking face. "This is quite the mess you've gotten yourselves into."

"Abdalin…," I muttered.

Abdalin noticed the plants creeping closer to us, and he summoned a card to his hand.

"The Blaze!" he announced.

A ring of fire surrounded us all, holding off the flames. He then turned his attention to the sky, where a cloud of pollen was descending toward us. He produced another card and invoked its power.

"The Gale!" he said, and a strong whirlwind appeared above us, dispersing the pollen away from us.

"We aren't safe here," I said.

"Clearly," Abdalin said, turning to address everyone. "Join hands. All of you. I prefer to avoid leaving any of you behind."

We all obliged. Once Abdalin was sure we were all in contact with each other, he teleported us out of there. We appeared back at the AMU, startling Paris and Tyler, who we had appeared right next to.

"Now, if you'll return my card, I really do need to be off," Abdalin said. "This matter warrants investigation."

I handed him his card.

"What about Daniel?" I asked. "Do you know if-"

He vanished before I could finish my question.

Your friends Elie and Jane arrived shortly after, and questioned me on what all had happened. I told them everything, and they were clearly not happen to hear that we'd left you behind in that city. I'm sure Elie would have knocked me the fuck out if Jane hadn't beaten him to the punch.

That girl has a hell of a right hook...

I was out for a few hours before coming to. Paris was a lot more calm about you going missing. He assured me you wouldn't die easily. And judging by your last couple post, it seems he was right.

I've looked into a few other blogs, and judging by the one maintained by Kareena and Kai, I think the people who are holding you are an organization known as TRIAS, but that's about all I've gathered.

Right now, we're all trying to work out what to do from here. The forest is still spreading, and shooting these strange meteors out. I'm getting to know some of the people here a bit better. Namely Kimiko and her... uncle? I think that's was Ojisan means... Ren Takeru. He's not a student at the school, but he took part in the fight anyway, and he cares a lot about Kimiko's safety.

I'll keep you posted on how things go from here. And also...




Thank you.



What you did out there was... pretty brave.



I might have had the wrong idea about you.



-David Kallaway

Hitting The Fan Part 2

Update on my situation.

My wounds have recovered, for the most part. Still have a few fractures to recover from, but whoever's keeping me here is clearly trying to keep me alive.

I attempted using the God's Way, but all I did was flicker slightly. They've somehow managed to lock me out of the God's Way. Not that that's much of a problem. Even without the God's Way, they can't hold me. If I wanted to leave, they wouldn't be able to stop me. For now, I'm just playing along.

They only seem to check up on me and the moose when I'm asleep. I think they're trying to avoid me as much as possible. I've faked sleep a few times to try and learn more about them when they come in, but I haven't figured out much so far.

They changed the passwords on the computer, think they could keep me out, but that wasn't enough to stop me from hacking into it anyway. So, back on the blog now.

Anyway, time to pick up where I left off.

I could see the tower looming over us, stretching up into the sky. But to everyone's surprise, plant-life was quickly overtaking the Newborn's body. The tower's wires had spread through the entire city, and the roots and vines were spreading along those as well.

"Daniel, what are we looking at?" Kallaway asked.

"I don't know, but we need to get out of here," I said.

Everyone got up and started running, with me falling behind a bit on account of my injured leg. As we crossed a street, I saw the flash of headlights coming right for me. I turned to see a car being piloted by a surviving Kraken agent charging straight for me. I immediately entered my Red form to reduce the damage as the car collided with me. I was pushed backwards a bit, but managed to regain my footing, as the pain I had just experience flowed through me, increasing my strength. I stepped forward, grabbing the front of the car and flipping it into the air. I exited the Red form, and fired a bolt of lightning into the underside of the car, destroying it and whoever was inside of it.

"Daijiyoubudesuka?" Kimiko asked, rushing up to me.

"You're lucky I have a loose grasp on your language," I said. "And to answer your question, no. I'm in a great deal of pain."

We caught up to the others. Malkator was lying unconscious, and another Kraken agent was lying headless a couple feet away, as Kallaway wiped blood from his sword. They must have gotten ambushed.

"Are you guys alright?" I asked.

"I don't know, but Ben being unconscious is a problem," Kallaway said. "I don't suppose you can use the God's Way to get us all out of here, can you?"

"Not in my current condition," I said. "With this many injuries, trying to use the God's Way would kill me."

I wasn't really exaggerating. That car did a number on me. I didn't know the full damage, but I had several fractures on my arms and ribs, and several cuts and bruises. I might be able to survive the God's Way once on my own, but if I tried to pull the rest of them through, I would most certainly die. And they'd suffer as well. The God's Way isn't safe for normal humans.

"If Malkator was still conscious, he could fade us all out of here," I said.

"Fade?" Kallaway asked.

"It's a party trick of his," I explained.

Suddenly, there was a loud cracking noise above us. I looked up to see a chuck of the building above us break off and fall down toward us.

"Shit!" I exclaimed.

Kallaway calmly drew something from his pocket and raised it to the sky. I caught a glimpse of it, to see that it was the card the Black Joker had given him.

MOOSE UPDATE!!

The moose is eating leaves from a food bowl.

So majestic...

Anyway, Kallaway raised the card above us and spoke.

"The Guardian!" he said.

Suddenly, a dome like force field appeared above us. the rubble bounced off of it harmlessly.

The cards. OF course. The Black Joker said they'd be useful to us. Now was the time for them. I drew my own card from my coat, and spoke it's name aloud.

"The Mobile!" I said.

Strength flowed through my entire body. My injuries no longer bothered me at all. I put pressure on my bad leg to discover that it felt just fine. I could walk again. I could run!

I could escape.

The thought just popped into my head. I could run away. Save my own skin. Get out of there safely.

Kallaway locked eyes with me. He knew exactly what was going through my head.

"Moment of truth, Daniel," he said. "Who's ass gets saved?"

I returned his eye contact.

"You know what?" I said. "Fuck you for guilt tripping me."

I turned to Kimiko.

"Try and wake him up," I said, before turning, and running away from them.

It was amazing. Having full mobility again. What's more, that card had given me a massive boost to my speed. I spotted a survivor down the street. A young girl. I scooped her up in my arms and rushed back to the barrier, dropping her off there.

"There," I said. "You're safe now."

I looked around, to see that the plant life was still spreading.

"You think this shield will be able to stop that?" I asked.

"For a little while," Kallaway said.

"As soon as Malkator's up, have him get you all out of here," I said. "In the meantime, I'm gonna try and find some more survivors."

I took off again. I managed to save about 5 or 6 more people, and get them under the shield. By then, I could feel the effects of the card starting to fade.

"I don't know how many more I can save," I said.

"I'm not sure how much longer I can keep the barrier up either," Kallaway said.

"Tony," I muttered.

"What?" Kallaway asked.

"I don't know where he is," I said. "He and Kai could still be in the city somewhere. I have to look for them."

"You could die out there," Kallaway said.

"I know," I said. "But he's my friend."

I noticed Malkator beginning to stir.

"See you on the other side," I told Kallaway.

"Wait!" he shouted after me, but I was already rushing off.

I don't know how far I made it before the card's effects wore off and I collapsed. I was sore. Weak. I had reached my limit. As I rolled over to look into the sky, I saw a cloud of pollen descending upon the city. So this was it. Not only was I unable to ensure Tony and the other's safety, but I was gonna die here. Killed by a Fear I know nothing about.

MOOSE UPDATE!!

I found a bag of moose treats in the computer desk. I didn't even know that was a thing that existed.

I gave some to the moose. The moose liked them.

The moose is my friend now.

So majestic...

Anyway, there I was, at my limit and out of hope, when I realized there was another Fear present.

The Vision stood over me, holding the pollen off with some kind of invisible barrier. She raised a hand, pointing off into the distance.

"Your friends need your help," she said. "They've escaped the city, but they will soon encounter another obstacle."

"I can't move," I said, coughing up a bit of blood. "I'm at my limit."

"Limits," she muttered. "Do you know what Alexander Ferris used to day about those?"

I hadn't heard that name in a long time.  Struggling, I managed to push myself up on my elbows.

"He said they could go fuck themselves," she said.

Struggling even more, I got onto my knees, supporting myself on my cane.

"Now," she continued. "Are you just going to sit there and die?"

I managed to get back onto my feet, and locked eyes with her.

"Or," she said. "Are you going to make your grandfather proud?"

I turned away from her.

"This direction, right?" I asked.

"Go," she said.

I teleported outside of the city, and damn near collapsed again, but I managed to catch myself and straighten up again. I looked into the horizon, hoping to see some sign of where they might be. Then I caught sight of a large flash of light out in the distance. Terrence's flash grenades! So glad I gave him those.

I teleported to where I had seen the flash. I was now standing between Tony and the others, and a group of 5 Kraken agents. Another couple of agents were lying on the ground, taken out by tranquilizer dart. Classic Tony. Always taking the nonlethal approach.

I was barely standing at that point, but I wasn't going down yet.

Limits can go fuck themselves.

I aimed at the agent directly in front of me and shouted "BANG!"

A lightning bolt tore through his chest. I turned to the next agent and froze the ground in font of him before impaling him on an ice spike. I then summoned a wave of razor petals, and used them to filet the next guys face.

One of the surviving agents panicked, and turned to flee. I teleported right in front of him, cutting off his path, and grabbed his face. I activated my arthropod physiology and shot some bombardier beetle juice right into his face. I won't describe the exact effect that had on his skull, but it wasn't pretty.

The final agent aimed his handgun at me, but I teleported right up to him and disarmed him with my cane, catching the gun in my free hand as he dropped it. I then tripped one of his legs and smacked him the face with my cane. He fell to the ground, and I took aim at his face.

"You're about to be killed by a cripple," I informed him. "I let you mull that over with your remaining seconds."

He rolled over and attempted to crawl away, but I shot him in one of his knees, then once again in the liver. As he cried out in pain, I took aim at the back of his skull and pulled the trigger one last time.

I turned back to the others, struggling to support myself on my cane. Tony was there, as well as Terrence, Ciel, and Justin, who was wearing the fancy new prosthetic I had made for him. Then there were the other three, who I assumed were Kareena, Royce, and KAi. ONe of them was unconscious, so I assumed they must've been Kai. I smirked.

"So this is our guy, huh?" I asked.

And that's the last thing I remember. I must've passed out after that. And now I'm here, locked up with a moose.

I don't know what happened to everyone after that. I hope Kallaway's group made it out okay, as well as Tony and the others. I haven't heard anything from anyone, so I can only hope for the best.

Anyway, I need rest. My ribs hurt.

Hitting the Fan Part 1

Before I get started on what went down, I'd like to explain where I am right now. I'm locked up in a room somewhere. There's no windows, except the one on the door, and I can't see much beyond an empty hallway through it. I woke up, in a great deal of pain, with an IV in my arm and my cane no where to be seen. The IV is on wheels, so I can still move around while using it for support. There's a computer on the other side of the room that I managed to hack into and open my blog from. I haven't tested to see if measures have been taken to prevent me from using the God's Way, but I'm not gonna try it with this IV in me.

Also, there's a moose tied up in the corner. For some reason...

Like, a live moose. Huge ass motherfucker. Just fucking chilling in the corner.

Back on topic...

Kallaway sat on the room of a building close to Kraken's base, waiting for the AMU to begin their assault.

"Why don't we just go in?" Kallaway asked.

"A few reasons," I said. "For one thing, they've set up defenses. They're expecting an attack. We'd be better off waiting to the Martyrs to show up with their new friends."

"Right," Kallaway said. "I've already seen that they won't be coming alone."

"As for me," I said. "I'll jump in when I see a reason to. I don't intend to involve myself any more than I need to."

"And yet you do intend on involving yourself?" Kallaway asked.

"I'm a Devil Killer," I replied. "And if the Newborn is summoned, which we both know is going to happen, It's my job to try and stop it."

"But the Fears avoid you, right?" Kallaway said. "Because they don't want you getting stronger. So your presence would-"

"Not deter the Newborn at all," I said. "The Newborn's power is the first one I gained. It has no reason to avoid me."

"Oh," Kallaway said. "Well, look at that. The convoy is on its way."

Sure enough, the Martyrs, along with another group of people, were coming toward the base.

"I don't know what you're planning to wait for, but I'm not sitting around any longer," Kallaway said.

He grew his wings and flew straight toward a window of the base, going relatively unnoticed by the distracted Kraken agents. A Kraken helicopter started up no long after the Martyr's crashed through Kraken's barricade.


MOOSE UPDATE!!

The moose is drinking from a water bowl.

Such a majestic creature...

Right, back to the story.

I suddenly got a text from Tony that bothered me. He was about to infiltrate the base as well to try and save Kai.

Shit...

Kraken's forces might be distracted, but that guarantee his safety, or Kareena's, who I assumed would be with him, and my God, those helicopter blades were fucking annoying...

So I shot it down with a lightning bolt. My apologies for any collateral damage that might have ensued.

I stood up. The Martyr's and their allies were beginning their infiltration. And now I had a reason to join in myself. I teleported nearby and walked in. I crossed paths with Avie on the way in. We had a pleasant reunion before we parted ways. They had their job, I had mine. I had to back Tony u if I could. And fight off the Newborn when it shows up...

It didn't take me long to run into some Kraken agents. None other than the Willing Doll and Haji that had been on Dawson's team. Haji smirked when he saw me, but Dollface just growled and aimed his gun at me.

I teleported up to him and knocked the gun out of his hand. Haji decided to show some support by unleashing a bunch of the Intrusion bugs from his gourd. They didn't last long against my Barbardier beetle blast. And since I already had the Intrusion's power activated, I decided to show off a bit more arthropod physiology. Yellow and Black chitin grew over the same hand I was using to replicate the Bombardier beetles defense mechanism, and a stringer sprouted from each fingertip, and dragonfly wings grew from my back.

The Doll drew his charkram and tossed it, but I countered with another Bombardier blast that destroyed the chakram and burnt his throwing arm really back. I fly u to him quickly and jabbed my stingers into his chest.

MOOSE UPDATE!

The moose is friendly. It has allowed me to pat its nose.

So majestic...

Um, right. Sorry.

The Doll shoved me away from him, drawing another pistol.

"You think some minor burns and bug stings are gonna stop me from killing you?" He demanded.

"Yes," I replied, as he dropped to his knees, trembling.

"What is this," he asked weakly.

"You ever heard of the Brazilian wandering spider?" I asked.

"Oh shit," Haji, who clearly knows his bugs better that I do, muttered in alarm.

"That's just one of the venoms I just pumped into you," I inform the Doll.

Dollface collapsed, quivering in pain and drooling heavily.

"Enjoy the death boner, bitch," I said, before turning to Haji and smiling. "Boo."

Haji turned and fled, fearing he'd end up suffering the same fate as his idiot friend. I kept going.

I ran into Kallaway not long after, standing over the bodies of some fallen Kraken agents.

"Decided to join the action, huh?" he asked.

"How ya doing?" I asked.

"I figured out that I can sharpen my foresight in battle to predict my opponent's moves," he replied. "So that's pretty neat. You seen Ben? He should be here, right?"

"You guys are on shortened first name basis now, eh?" I asked. "He calling you Dave now? OR Davey? God, that'd be adorable..."

"He calls me David," Kallaway replied. "No answer the damn question."

"Haven't seen him. He must be with one of the Martyr groups," I said. "Tony's group is here. I need to try and find him."

"The detective dude?" Kallaway asked. "He can handle himself, right? He deals with Fear servants all the time."

"Yeah, I trust him as far as that goes," I said. "But an actual Fear is another story, and he has other with him. That's what I'm worried about."

Kallaway chuckled.

"So you actually do give a shit about somebody other than yourself."

The ground suddenly began shaking. Kallaway's sword began glowing and I became aware of a Fear's presence.

"Oh shit," Kallaway and I said simultaneously.

The tower burst forth, growing through the building and tearing up into the sky. Wires began spreading throughout the halls. Kallaway and I tore through them with our blades., as we headed deeper into the building.

"We need to evacuate innocents," Kallaway said.

"I'll leave that to you," I replied. "I'm gonna try and fight this thing."

"Are you crazy?" Kallaway demanded.

"Do you really need to ask at this point?" I asked.

"Fine," Kallaway said. "Go get yourself killed."

Before we could split up, We ran into a group of Martyrs and allies trying to fight off some wires.

"We got this," I said, teleporting into the middle of them and destroying several wires with a lightning bolt.

Kallaway fly forwards and slashed through some of the remaining wires with his sword. They quivered in pain and retreated. Guess that word really can hurt Fears. One of the Martyr's allies was about to throw a grenade, but the fumbled it and it fell to the floor. The panicked, thinking they might have screwed us all over, but I caught the grenade with my cane and sent it flying down the hall.

"Careful with those things!" I snapped, as it exploded a distance away from us.

"Look at that," Kallaway said, pointing at where the grenade had gone off.

I looked to see that the wires had reacted to the explosion, and were moving toward it.

"Noise?" Kallaway asked.

"Maybe not," I said, pulling out my whistle. "Vibrations, though... I have an idea!"

I teleported further down the hall, and raised the whistle to my lips, producing a vibration of soundwaves that got the attention of all the wires nearby.

"What are you doing!?" Kallaway demanded.

"Creating a distraction!" I called back. "Now get 'em out of here!"

I teleported further away and pulled the same trick a few more times before I found myself face to... um... tower... with the Manufactured Newborn.

"Daniel-san!" Kimiko said, reaction to my sudden appearance there.

She had her daito out and was slashing at every wire tat tried to get to her and the young boy she was guarding.

"My team," She said tearfully. "They're all... he's all that's left, and he's been shot."

"I'll have a look in a second," I said.

I teleported to one side of the room, and blew my whistle just enough to get the attention of the wires on that side of the room. I then did the same on the other side of the room, ensuring that the wires would be distracted from Kimiko.

I examined the unconscious boy. He was still breathing.

"You can't save everyone," I told Kimiko sadly, drawing a syringe from my coat. "But you saved one. That's what matters right now."

I injected the syringe into wear the bullet wound was, before bandaging it up.

"What is that?" Kimiko asked, nodding to the syringe.

"A coagulating agent," I said. "It'll limit the blood loss and numb the pain a bit."

I rose to my feet, and prepared to draw my blade, ready to take on this monster. Ready to try my best to live up to my title as a Devil Killer. But suddenly the tower started to tremble, and terrible pain flooded through my body, starting from my ankle, and it was followed by an intense, splitting headache. I collapsed, unable to move, and I soon felt myself being dragged away. Once the pain subsided a bit, which must have been a few minutes later, I found myself outside the building, lying next to the young boy, with Kimiko looking over me, scared. I guess she was able to get us both out of the building on her own.

"Ren Ojisan!" Kimiko said. "Kare wa ni kite imasu!"

And older Japanese man turn his attention to us. I noticed Malkator and Kallaway, who must have been dragged out of the building as well, shrugging off similar headaches. The light coming from Kallaways sword was flicking, and was almost dead.

It occurred to me just what had happened.  The cost of having the power to kill a Fear, is that a Devil Killer must experience their death as it happens. I've also heard that Fears suffer immense pain when one of their brethren die. Kallaway and Malkator were both Descendants of a Fear, so the same must hold true for them. So if the three of us had experienced that same pain at the same time, and Kallaway's sword, which glows in the presence of Fears, was flickering, then that pointed to one thing.

The Newborn was dying.

But then, in some cruel twist of fate, Kallaway's sword started glowing again. I felt something new happening. I looked up to the sky and terror bubbled up in my throat.

"What the fuck is that!?" I asked.

MOOSE UPDAE!!

The moose has gone to sleep.

I feel like I should follow its example.

I am tired and in pain.

I'll just tack "part 1" to the title real quick...

There we go. Good night everyone.

I'll pick this up later.

Showing Off

I got email from Lauri yesterday morning. I'm hereby cleared of all ill will between the AMU administration and myself. The security guards are likely to continue with their judging stares, but whatever.

I spent last night in one of the common areas of the school, celebrating with Elie. Jane and Kimiko were both with him, and Kallaway, Paris, and That Guy Tyler decided to tag along with me. There were a handful of other students there, but I had no idea who they were. We spent the night drinking beer and catching up on our lives.

After a few drinks, That Guy Tyler requested that I show off some of my powers for everyone. Something I had promised him a while back, but never followed up on.

"Fine," I said. "If you insist. Know a good place where we can set up some target practice?"

"We can use the old training ground," Elie said. "It doesn't see much use since the bigger one was added."

"Sounds good," I said. "As long as you all stay at a safe distance. Some of my powers are a bit... problematic."

We grabbed our drinks and headed to the old grounds. It was a clearing no far from the school grounds. We found Malkator there already, seemingly testing his Mana out. He was launching bolts of flame and ice at a target he had set up.

"Hey Professor," I said.

"Daniel," he said. "How'd things go with the admins?"

"Just fine," I replied. "Doing a bit of magic training?"

"Yes," he replied. "I'm sure you're here for a similar reason?"

"Showing off my own powers," I said.

"Well, let's see then," Malkator said. "I'm curious to see your progress as well.

We set up some cans in a straight line on top of a bench and stepped back.

"Is this far enough?" Elie asked from a distance behind me.

"Take a few more steps back," I instructed.

They all did so. All except Malkator, who remained a couple feet to the side of me. Smug dickhead... When I was sure they were far enough back, I turned to the cans, raised my right hand, and unleashed several sparks of lightning at the cans. They were some gasps.

"That was way cooler than the finger gun thing!" That Guy Paris said. "Why don't you use your lightning like that more often?"

"Look at the cans," I said.

None of the cans had been hit my the bolts. The bolts had all veered off, hitting the ground all over the place, but didn't strike a single can.

"Not a single target was hit," I said. "When I just let the lightning out like that, it's chaotic, unfocused, and, most importantly, dangerous. Hence you all standing back."

I then made the gun shap with my hand, allowing sparks to dance along my forearm as I did, for added effect.

"However, if I focus that power," I said, raising my arm. "If I single out a target, force that energy forward, and concentrate it all into a straight line, then... BANG!"

A straight line of electrical power burst forth from my fingertip, obliterating one of the cans on contact.

"...It makes for one hell of a signature attack," I said.

While everyone else stood around being impressed, Malkator stepped u next to me, raising a finger gun of his own. Son of a bitch...

"I swear to God," I said. "If you even think of saying 'bang'..."

"SHAG!" he said, smirking at me, as a bolt of lightning shot from his own fingertip, striking another can.

"You know what?" I said. "Fuck you."

I turned back to the remaining cans, focusing a different power. He wanted a competition? Fine. Always happy to indulge...

I sent out a wave of coldness, spreading a layer of ice, zig-zagging across the ground, ending just before the bench, before an icy stalagmite shot upward at an angle, pierxing one of the cans and lifting it into the air.

Malkator, seeming to accept the challenge, waved a hand, sending several crystals of ice fanning out in front of us, piercing the remaining 3 cans.

I turned back to our audience.

"Everyone finish your drinks," I said. "We need more cans."

Kallaway sighed.

"This is unlikely to end well," he said.

Everyone provided us with a new can, and I stepped forward. I raised a hand, and a small whirlwind comprised of a large number of multicolored flower petals began swirling around my forearm.

"Wow," Elie said. "Pretty."

"Indeed," I said. "However, sometimes beauty... KILLS!"

I trust my hand forward, and the petals went flying, and not only hit the cans, but shredded them into pieces.

"Razor sharp petals," Malkator said. "Neat. But I'm not done yet..."

"We're out of cans again" I pointed out.

"Who needs cans?" He replied.

He suddenly tossed a ball of flames right at the bench itself, cracking it in half and setting it ablaze. there were several gasps, both of amazement and alarm.

"You realize the schools gonna charge you for that, right?" I said.

"They'll let me off easy," Malkator said. "They always do."

"Can you wield fire too?" I heard somebody I never learned the name of ask.

"No," I said. "Although..."

"Although what?" Malkator asked, seeming curious.

"I can come close," I said, turning to Paris and That Guy Tyler. "You guys remember Spider Wolfie?"

They nodded, and I tuned to the burning bench, flexing my right hand and forearm.

"Let me show you all the power I got from her," I said.

As I spoke, chitin grew over my right hand and forearm, and the internal structure of my arm and palm changed drastically. It was... unpleasant, to say the least, but I was expecting the results to be rewarding.

"Arthropod Physiology," Malkator commented. "Pretty neat, but how are you expecting this to impress anyone?"

I approached the bench. I got a good few feet away before turning to Malkator and speaking.

"Ever heard of the Bombardier Beetle?" I asked, grinning.

Malkator briefly looked confused, before looking very alarmed and maybe even a little worried. I tuned back to the bench, raising my hand, and a burst of boiling hot liquid-gas erupted from my palm, spraying all over the bench. While Malkator's attack set it of fire, mine completely burnt it to ashes. Everyone seemed impressed.

Myself included.

That was way more damage then I was expecting it to do. Either my calculations were off, or the Eldritch nature of my powers had a stronger effect on the chemical reaction.

"Not bad," Malkator said. "Anything else you wanna show us?"

"Yes, actually," I said, returning my arm to normal. "I want you to bring out your amr blade and strike me as hard as you can with it."

"Oh no...," I heard Kallaway mutter.

"How much have you had to drink?" Malkator said, chuckling. "You absolutely sure you want me to do that?"

"You fucking heard me," I said. "Do it."

Malkator shrugged, and brought out his arm blade.

"Don't go regretting this," he told me.

He rushed at me, swinging his blade. Just before the impact, I allowed a power to flow through my blood, causing it to harden. His attack hit my chest, barely grazing my skin as my blood rotected me from the full damage of the attack. As the blade cut my skin, a surge of pain and satisfaction flowed through me, and I felt myself become energized. He stepped back in alarm, noticing the change that had overcome my body.

"Son of a bitch," he muttered.

"Good color on me, right?" I asked, examining the sleeve of my labcoat.

My coat, as well as my hair and eyes, had shifted to a deep red, and the wound on my chest quickly closed up.

"Now then," I said, clicking the switch on my cane to release the sword hidden within. "Shall we continue the party?"

He didn't need asking twice. He charged at me, and I charged back. Our blades clashed a couple times before I teleported behind him. He was expecting that, and turned to block my attack. I dropped my Red form and tapped into my ice powers, sending a wave of coldness into the ground, freezing his feet in place. He projected a force field between us, and used it to push me backwards. As I was getting back to my feet, he melted the ice holding him in place using a fire attack. I teleported back up to him, slashing twice and managing to cut his jacket a bit.

The jacket restored itself pretty quickly. As it did, the damaged sots briefly took on black, mist-like properties. Which confirmed a suspicion of mine. I glanced at the tip of my sword and smiled a bit. I had what I wanted. Time to wrap this up...

I teleported a few feet back, and allowed my sword to slip from my grasp as I aimed my finger gun at Malkator. In response, he formed a fireball in his hand, preparing to fire it at me.

"Sod off!" he exclaimed, propelling the fireball forward.

"BANG!" I replied, unleashing a lightning bolt.

Before I could set my attack off, Kallaway charged in, hitting my forearm to the side, sending the lightning bolt flying into a raining dummy. He then turned, raising his gauntleted hand, catching Malkator's fireball. He struggled against the power of the fireball for a few seconds before crushing it in his palm.

"That's enough!" he snapped  "Out of both of you!"

Malkator and I tensed up for a few seconds before breaking into laughter.

"Calm down, man," I said. "What, never had a rival before?"


"We'd go toe to toe all the time when he still studied here," Malkator said. "Sorry if we got a little carried away there, but we weren't gonna go kill each other or anything like that."

"I also hear you permanently damaged Daniel's leg when he studied here," Kallaway pointed out.

"Well, to be fair, he showed a lot more restraint in this fight," I said. "Besides, Having a bad leg means I get to carry around a sword-cane, so it's not all bad.

Kallaway continued to glare at us both.

"Well, I've pissed away enough time here," Malkator said. "I'm off to bed now.

Malkator left, and we all eventually went back to the scholl as well. Paris and That Guy Tyler approached me on the way there.

"That was an intense fight," That Guy Tyler said.

"Woulda been more intense if Kallaway hadn't gotten in the way," I said.

"Seriously, though," Paris said. "Was that really necessary?"

"Absolutely," I said.

"How so?" he asked.

"You see, the Archangel has been known tp produce weapons and tools out of some kind of black, mist-like substance," I said. "Malkator's coat is made of a similar substance."

"That's interesting and all," Paris said. "But why is that important?"

I showed him my sword, which had a small bit of fabric from Malkator's jacket still stuck to the tip.

"Because now I have a sample," I said.

Paris grinned back a me.

"Oh, you are the worst," he said.

"Yeah, I'm an ass," I said, plucking the fabric off of my sword. "And soon, I'm gonna be an even stronger ass."

The AMU

We arrived outside the AMU to find Elie Graves waiting for us.

"Hey," he greeted me. "Heard you were on your way over."

"Yeah," I said. "Called ahead. Supposed to meet someone in the library."

"Yeah," he replied. "Avie should be waiting there for you."

"Friend of yours?" I asked.

He shrugged.

"We've met briefly," he said. "Don't know them that well."

"I see," I said. "I'll be bringing Kallaway into the meeting. Mind entertaining my interns in the meantime?"

"No problem," he said. "I'll show them some of the popular hang out spots on campus."

"Sounds good," I said. "Also, any news on the Professor? He's not on one of his vacations, is he?"

"Just got back from one," Elie said. "Something about a second layer or something? Didn't really elaborate."

Kallaway perked up slightly upon hearing that.

"I see," I said. "I'll ask for an audience while we talk business."

"Alright," Elie said. "You'd better get going. Don't wanna keep 'em waiting."

"Right," I said. "See ya later."

As we walked away, Kallaway leaned in and whispered to me.

"The second layer of reality," he said. "Not easy to get there, but it contains a powerful source of eldritch power known as Mana."

"And how do you know this?" I asked.

"Dyson," he replied. "His been there. Has Mana of his own."

"Interesting…," I replied.

I walked Kallaway over to the library. On the way there, I got some uneasy looks from some students, and even dirtier looks from security personnel. They were informed in advance that I was coming on business, so they weren't going to stand in my way at all. They just stood aside judging me.

Not that they could stop me if they tried...

I arrived at the library, where Avie was waiting. I'd never met them during my time there, but they were pleasant. After some brief introductions, they escorted me to a private meeting area, where a woman by the name of Lauri Strawn was waiting. I found that a little amusing, since I had recently been drinking in a town called New Strawn.

Anyway, our conversation has already been covered once, by Avie themself, so I won't be retelling the whole thing here. I will, however, be recounting the interaction when I was finally able to introduce Kallaway to the Professor.

Avie left to go fetch him, only to run into him just outside the door, already on his way there. They both walked in after, and I stood up to greet him.

"I see you were expecting me, Professor Malkator," I said.

Kallaway immediately reacted to that name, and stood up as well. His reaction was perfectly natural. After all...

What kind of mama's boy would forget their mother's maiden name?

"Foresight, remember?" Malkator replied. "Long time no see, Daniel. How's your leg?"

Professor Benjamin Malkator, age 26, was a young British man with an interesting history with the AMU, and the people behind them. However, the admins at the Academy managed to strike a peace, hiring him on as a teacher, and giving him free range to do more-or-less as he pleases. Hence the vacations.

He was about my height, with straight brown hair, handsome features, and the most beautiful, emerald green eyes you can imagine.

And for those who have been curios all this time about my bad leg, in was seriously injured in a sparring incident with this man.

"Just fine," I said, giving him a smirk. "How's your mouth?"

"Just fine," he replied. As he spoke, there was some slight movement underneath his shirt, accompanied by some soft, clicking noises. He then addressed Kallaway's presence. "And who might this be?"

Predicted that I'd show up here, but wasn't expecting Kallaway. Okay then...

"I'm David  Kallaway," Kallaway said. "I'm... your cousin..."

Malkator took a second to process this, before his eyes shifter to the eclipsing pupil look Kallaway does, and the sleeve on the right arm of his jacket peeled apart (and interesting thing I'll have to ask about later) and a large, chitinous blade sprouted from his forearm. He briefly slipped into the God's Way, appearing directly in front of Kallaway, blade raised to his throat.

"Prove it," Malkator demanded.

After getting over the initial shock, Kallaway sprouted his gauntlet, using it to push the blade away from him, locking giant irises with Malkator. Lauri was noticeable worried by this sudden, violent shift in events, but Avie was trying their best to keep their cool.

After a few seconds, Kallaway and Malkator both relaxed.

"Proof accepted, cuz," Malkator said.

Everything calmed down after that, and we wrapped up the meeting. Malkator escorted us out. On the way out, I tapped into the power I had gained from the extractor of Kallaway's blood. The Vision's power. I looked at Avie briefly, getting a look at what was coming to them. I gave them a smile, promising that we'd see each other soon in Seattle.

"So, you're Aunt Shiela's kid, huh?" Malkator asked. "I heard your family was killed."

"My father killed mom," Kallaway said. "I killed him afterwards, which apparently didn't stick, and things with me have been complicated since then..."

"I see," Malkator said. "My parents are gone too. Never committed patricide, though. What's that like?"

"Haunting," Kallaway said. "And... satisfyingly deserved..."

"Hmm," Malkator replied, possibly a little disturbed.

"So, how'd you awaken your powers?" Kallaway asked.

"I got cut open with a magic knife," Malkator replied. "You?"

This time, Kallaway looked a little disturbed.

"Um, Daniel's Enhancer," he replied.

Malkator quickly turned to me, glaring angrily.

"You put my cousin in the same crazy death machine that got you expelled!?" he demanded.

"He survived," I pointed out.

Malkator sprouted his arm blade again.

"I have half a mind to lop your reckless head off right now," He growled.

Kallaway stepped between us.

"Okay, can we not!?" He growled. "Look, this may sound crazy, but with a threat like Kraken planning what they are, maybe not letting you two kill each other is a smart move. You're both powerful. And we need power."

Malkator continued glaring, but still retracted his arm blade.

"Fine," he said.

"Even if you did try anything," I said, grinning, "I'm stronger than I was before."

Malkator raised a hand menacingly, and a ball of flame appeared in his hand.

"As am I," he growled.

I see. Second layer. Mana. Interesting...

I outstretched the finger on one of my hands, allowing electrical sparks to dance between them.

"So then," I said. "Do you think that'll be enough to top what I've got packing?"

"Trust me," Malkator growled. "I can take you..."

Kallaway looked frustrated, and was about to get on our cases again, but he was interrupted by the voice of a young, familiar Japanese girl.

"Malkator-sensei!" Kimiko called out. "Dani- I mean, Dr. Ferris!"

We lowered our guards and turned to her.

"Kimiko-san!" I called back to her. "How ya been?"

"Very well," she replied, smiling. She then turned her attention to Kallaway. "And, um... I don't believe we've met..."

"Dave, "Kallaway said shortly, too annoyed with me and Malkator to pay much attention.

"Kon'nichiwa, Dave... senpai," she said, clearly checking out his biceps. "Um, Elie-senpai sent me to go find you.

"I'll be taking my leave, then," Malkator said. "David, I'll see you later. And Daniel.."

"Yes?" I asked.

"Don't bloody kill anyone...," he said.

"No promise," I replied.