5 chapter 5

AN 1:

Tried to use different perspective, 3rd limited and 1st person, trying to get each feel.

I should probably have to explain it, but there is a little time skip every chapter, predominantly in the moment of childhood, I ain't wanna describe his day-to-day bruh.

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Seiji stretched his sore muscles, wincing as he felt the bruises from where the bamboo sword had struck. He looked around the room and noticed that Masaomi was setting up a table. They were now in the basement beneath the church after another loss in the spar.

'I know I'm not like those people who can do the same training every day without getting bored, but come on! Three minutes? I still train on most school days, that should count for something, right?!' Seiji sulked, only focusing on the time he lasted in the spar and not the absurd intensity of said spar.

"This," Masaomi said, gesturing at the table as he finished putting all the equipment in place. "This is what standard exorcist equipment looks like."

"First, we got the light gun," Masaomi began the lesson. "It's also known as an exorcist gun. It's a must-have tool because it synergizes well with light swords. It's deadly for low-class creatures and outright toxic to some. But against tougher enemies, you need to have a good shot, either through sheer skill or by being lucky."

"Next, we have the light sword," Masaomi continued, pointing to the handle next to the light guns.

Seiji looked at the pair of pistols, noting how different they looked. One was plain, while the other had all kinds of engravings and modifications.

"Why does that one look different from the other?" Seiji asked, pointing at one.

"Different type," Masaomi explained, pointing to one of the guns. "This one uses silver bullets dipped in holy water, engraved with crosses and other symbols. You can tell them by their style, such as the engravings, modifications, and any sentimental touches that show character and history. This on the other hand," he picked up the second gun. " Is a newer, more common exorcist gun. It lacks modifications because it's already built to be practical, that anyone can use in the field without regard for differences in their equipment. It shoots light bullets, which are stored in this crystal," he said, opening the top to reveal a flickering crystal and setting it on the table.

"Next is a light sword." Masaomi picked up the handle and opened the side of it, revealing a slightly bigger crystal, but no light could be seen. "As you can see, this crystal is spent, making it useless," Masaomi said, setting it on the table.

"Continuing on, light swords are another main weapon for exorcists. Even though it is mass-produced and considered "cheap," it's proven to be the most reliable equipment..." Masaomi resumes his lecture, explaining every piece of equipment on the table and how it works while giving Seiji a chance to ask some questions.

In the middle of the study, Seiji asked about magic. Masaomi said that magic is indeed a thing and sometimes used by some members of the church, and it involves-

"Math?"

"Mathematics, calculation, mostly memorization," Masaomi nodded.

'Like school then,' Seiji thought, recalling all the times in class with his teacher, then the despair of his classmates when there was no memorizing the question in math exams.

"Like, one plus one equals a fireball?" Seiji asks, already dubbing it in his head as mathemagics.

"A magician can do it that way, yes, but we mostly use them as a ward to keep civilians from interfering with our work using a pre-set formulas, making it easy to memorize," Masaomi said with a slight yawn. " it's an open secret that most members of the exorcist have at least one spell memorized for convenience. Next up is..."

After the lesson, it was time for Seiji to go home. As he walked upstairs, he noticed Father Touji praying in one of the pews. The spot next to him was glowing.

Curiosity got the best of him as he walked closer to have a better look and saw that the light source next to Father Touji was a sword.

"Wow..." Seiji couldn't help but mutter as he admired the green handle, the golden edges of the sheath that complimented the sword, and how it managed to look mesmerizing without being tacky.

"Seiji? Are you okay?" A voice and a hand on Seiji's shoulder interrupted his thoughts.

"Uhh... I'm okay! Uh, Father Touji, can you tell me about supernatural stuff?" Seiji asked, trying to put away the hand on his shoulder.

"..." Father Touji raises an eyebrow at the weak attempt to change the subject but doesn't say anything before answering.

"What did you want to know?" he inquired with a kind smile.

"The sword," Seiji says, motioning to the sword on his lap.

"Ah, holy weapons," Father Touji said, patting the sheath, causing the golden edges to gleam in the light.

"As their namesake suggests, it is when a weapon is imbued with holy power and forged using alchemy and magic, creating powerful weapons that humans can wield to fight beings of greater magnitude and win. Then there is no other term for it than "holy weapon," with the mightiest of them, such as the original Excalibur, Durandal, and others whose names have echoed throughout history, deserving of the title "True Holy Sword," Father Touji said with pride.

"The original Excalibur?" Seiji couldn't help but ask, especially at the "original" part.

Father Touji nods. "The Excalibur was shattered on the eve of the great war between Abrahamic factions. Its pieces were recovered by the church and forged into seven different weapons, each with different abilities. "Even though it is broken, it is still regarded as a powerful holy sword, and ceremonies are held to see who is worthy enough to..."

Suddenly, Father Touji's phone buzzed. "Excuse me for a moment," he said as he pulled out a flip phone from his pocket to read its contents.

"I'm afraid that's all we have for today," Father Touji said as he rose from his seat. "There's a pressing matter to attend to at home, you see." He politely smiled before making his way out of the church.

Seiji stepped outside the church when it suddenly hit him - "Oh shoot, I forgot to clean the church today!" and quickly turned around and headed back inside.

After a quick cleaning, Seiji stepped out of the church and looked up at the sky. It was in the middle of the day, which meant that his mother was probably already in the kitchen, preparing delicious food. Seiji knew that if he were fast enough, he would have some time to learn from her.

With a nod, he started running.

[Later]

Seiji leapt over the wooden fence and landed with a soft thud. He brushed his hair to remove any twigs that might have gotten tangled while taking shortcuts. He approached the open kitchen window and listened to the sound of running water coming from inside.

"Mom, can I help with cooking?" he asked, leaning on the window frame and peering inside to see his mother washing vegetables in the sink.

"Ah, you're home! Come here, come here!" Mom gestured for him to enter.

"What are we cooking for anyway?" Seiji asked when he entered the kitchen from the backdoor.

"Don't worry," mom said with a chuckle, putting her hand over her mouth. "Your dear mother has some ideas... but first, grab an apron."

"Now, this is easy," she says, putting the washed vegetables on the cutting board. "Just see what I'm doing, and then try it slowly, okay?"

He nodded, taking a closer look at how Mom handled the knife. She made two swift cuts, slicing the vegetables evenly and with no deviations.

"See!" Mom exclaims as she proudly displays the cut vegetables. "Now you try it!" She hands me the knife, looking at me expectantly.

Feeling a little nervous, he tentatively picked up the knife and began to make his first cut.

"That's good," Mom said encouragingly. "Just remember to go slow and steady, and you'll be fine."

"..and only a few cuts along the chicken, then we heat up the margarine, place the onion, red, and green peppers in the pan, stir once in a while until it's brown, then put the chicken in the pan, add the soy sauce and salt, and stir it until it's all mixed and brown," Mom says brightly.

"And that's it," Mom said, clapping her hands, "now go get some lime from the fridge for the rice."

Mom continued to guide him through the cooking process, explaining each step in detail and allowing him to practice as he went. She emphasized the importance of using his senses, such as smelling the aroma of the ingredients and tasting the dish, to see if it required any additional seasoning.

"Turn it off now?" Seiji asked, prodding the chicken with a fork.

"Yes! And then let it simmer for a while," Mom said, nodding as she looked at the pan. "You're such a good student," she praised Seiji.

A smile tugged at his lips, preening at the praise. "Ah, thanks, Mom, y-you too," he stuttered, trying to deflect the praise but failing.

"Kyaa, so cute!" Mom cooed, giving his cheek a playful tug for a full minute before regaining her composure. "You're free to go play now. I'll finish this up alone." With that, Mom took off her apron.

"Mkay," Seiji replied, taking some cooked pepper as a snack and heading outside to think of how to spend the rest of the afternoon.

'So, light sword…. Can I make it?' An idea bloomed in his head as he stood around the backyard looking at the little flower garden, thinking about the blade handle at church earlier. Masaomi said it's considered "cheap" because it's mass-produced. To the church, it probably is, but what does it mean to him? Can he make one using some scrap?

But, after giving it some thought, he realized the answer was no. It would need specialized equipment and possibly more materials before he could get it right. But then, a new idea dawned on him. What if he created an oversized switchblade made of segmented metal that could fold into the handle?

He was so distracted, lost in thoughts and ideas, that he didn't perceive the sinister giggling or the pitter-patter of feet drawing near. Too late did he notice the weight hurtling towards him as a human-sized missile crashed into his spine.

He fought to flee with every fibre of his being, but it was all in vain. Thin, cunning hands ensnared him, imprisoning him in place. The realization dawned upon him, a cruel epiphany: his carelessness had left him vulnerable to the lurking danger.

One last taunting cackle echoed in his ears as the missile detonated in a blinding flash, obliterating his existence. As he slipped into the abyss of nothingness, he pondered if his foolishness would forever haunt his memory.

"Big Brother, guess what!" Or, he should stop thinking of made-up scenarios and try to stop someone from climbing up on his back.

"Want some veggies?" He offered, waving the green peppers to stall for some time.

"Eww no, guess." she says as she still clings to the side of his body.

"Well, you look happy," he started, playing along with her request. "Where did you play again?"

"The park!"

"The park," he repeated, nodding. "What did you do there?"

"We do all sorts of stuff!" she gushed and started to tell all about her day as she swung on his arm with excitement while she recounted the details of her day while still climbing onto my back, then resting her chin on his left shoulder.

"Good job! who is it anyway?" he asked as she finished her tale.

"....I didn't know?"

Seiji raised an eyebrow at that. "You didn't?"

"I still remember the faces! next time I'll ask!" she said with a huff.

"What did they look like anyway?"

"Umm... one has twin tails, and one is pink!"

"....that's it?"

"Both of them are girls?" She tried weakly.

"Uwah Natsuko has a bad memory," Seiji started to say.

"Uwah! what should I do?" She gasped in shock.

"Uwah, I think she should eat the veggies." He waved the green peppers again, flying them close to her mouth.

"Uwah! but I don't like veggies!" Natsuko protested, batting away his arm.

"Uwah then you might never remember them," Seiji teased playfully.

"Uwah!"

"Uwah"

The two erupted into laughter, giggling uncontrollably, when they heard a knock from the front of the house.

KNOCK KNOCK!

"Issei! Let's play!" they heard a muffled voice calling from the front.

They tried to contain giggles, stumbled over to the door, still laughing, and tried to compose themselves and stand behind it.

"Who is it?" Seiji said, imitating a certain boy's voice, with Natsuko holding the laughter in her hand.

The knocking continued, and a familiar voice could be heard. "Ise It's your friend; open up or I'll come in through the back door!" the voice threatened.

"You're supposed to wait at—" The rest of the declaration died when the door swung open, revealing the violet-eyed kid with a short ponytail clad in a tank top.

"Hey Irina, Issei is fishing with dad, but you can wait inside We could play with Natsuko if you want." He said, patting Natsuko on his back.

"Yeah! let's play with Gameboy!"

"E-eh?! where's Ise?!"

"You have been fooled; there is no Issei, only an imposter."

At this revelation, Irina was visibly taken aback. The invisible arrow of betrayal seemed to pierce her heart, causing her to clutch at her chest and curl up in a ball.

Both Seiji and Natsuko rolled their eyes at her dramatics.

"Come on, let's play on the field; we can do it while we wait for him," Seiji said as he nudged the ball with his feet.

Irina jumped to her feet. "Let's go then!" she exclaimed, her earlier disappointment quickly forgotten as her eyes lit up with excitement.

[In the field]

"You can get off anytime you want, you know."

"Mm....Nope! I like being tall." Natsuko says petulantly, trying to use her bodyweight to make him walk faster. Despite her efforts, Seiji continues to walk at a leisurely pace, and his arm is long enough that he could just-

"Wha-heeeey! I'm not a cat!" Grab unto her and let her down from his shoulder.

"Nooo!" Irina wailed beside them, frantically shaking the GameBoy.

"My turn!" Natsuko shouted, snatching the device from Irina's grip.

"So what happened then after Krillin got blasted?" Seiji cut in before Irina could retaliate.

"Oh yeah, and then Krillin is like, 'Eugh!' After that, Goku went, 'I won't let you get away!' and he's screaming like 'How dare you!' and thunder is everywhere and then he is like 'HUAAAAA!' and Frieza is like 'NOT AN APE?!'" Irina took a moment to catch her breath, her arm still flailing as she explained how cool Goku was when he first went Super Saiyan. "AND THEN-" she continued, condensing nineteen episodes into one sitting.

Seiji mentally thanked the man upstairs for how easy it was to distract Irina, nodding and making sounds of agreement.

"Ah, so this Krillin guy died again," Seiji confirmed.

"Mm-hmm!" Natsuko chimed in. "And then he gets resurrected by the dragon ball after—aww... It's big brother's turn now," she said, handing him the GameBoy.

Meanwhile, Issei and his dad were strolling back home after a successful fishing trip, both still dressed in their fishing gear. The sun was setting, casting a warm orange glow over the sky as they walked past a nearby field. They noticed Seiji surrounded by two other people, who were jumping and trying to reach for the GameBoy he was tightly holding onto.

Seiji breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing them and pointed. "Hey, look! It's Issei!" he shouted, sacrificing his little brother to one of the girls.

Before anyone could say anything, Irina grabbed Issei by the arm and started dragging him away. "Irina, what are you doing? Waaaah!" Issei yelled, struggling to free himself from her iron grip.

"isseiwillbehavingasleepoverthanks!" Irina babbled away.

"But I want to eat at hoome!" Issei protested as he faded into view. The three others who saw it unfold chose to do nothing.

"What game are you three playing?" Dad asked as he picked up the fishing rod, walking them back home.

"It's called Kirby!" Natsuko replied excitedly and proceeded to tell him all about her day.

"Well, it looks like you guys are having fun. Has your mother cooked already?"

"Yep," Seiji confirmed, "Mom made a lot of food today."

"In that case, we can store the fish for tomorrow," Dad said, gesturing at a bucket full of fish.

....

"Want to hear old people story?"

"Sure."

"All right, so there are four of us in elementary school, your father, Shidou, Natsuki, and Ichijou, we're hanging out at your grandpa's house during the golden week..."

[Later that night]

"Wow... Today is boring."

I say as I sit on the chair near my desk, my gaze fixed on the ceiling as I absentmindedly twirl a pencil. The surface of the desk was cluttered with magazines and papers, with only a few promising sketches neatly tucked away on top of each other, the thoughts of making the switchblade still on my mind.

My gaze shifted to the bed, where Natsuko slept, tightly hugging a fluff of green fur.

'So cute,' I thought to myself, and I started gently poking her cheek, trying to get a reaction.

She stirred slightly and mumbled in her sleep but didn't wake up.

'...Too much cuteness can make a man violent,' I nodded, looking at the pencil I had turned into dust in my hand due to the overload.

I leaned back in my chair, feeling bored. The sound of the clock ticking and soft snores filled the room. I knew I had to do something to break the monotony.

"I need to go outside," I muttered, rising from my seat and glancing at the clock. It was still relatively early at night, and everyone at the house should have been fast asleep.

I walked towards the bed, gently tapping the furry ball lying there. The fur ball gradually stirred, then slowly unfurled, slipping away from the tight embrace.

Rei let out a lazy yawn and stretched before leaping onto my back effortlessly. I turned my head to see her floating on my back, her tail wrapped around my legs, looking as if she was settling in for a cozy ride.

I shrugged at what she did, filing it in my mental file of 'yes, she can do that,' and opened the window to climb out of the house.

[Later]

"Yep, it's a junkyard, alright," I confirmed while I took a sip of soda. Standing atop a mountain of crushed cars gazing down upon the landscape of parts. The view was impressive, with various metal pieces spread out before me. The scrap was separated nicely, making it easy to find something interesting.

Bike frames, bed frames, frame frames, car parts, engines, stripped-down washers, tires, springs—there is even a corner for newly arrived junk.

Perfect for salvaging parts.

"You can go play for a while, I'll let you know when we're done," I said to Rei as I dropped down, summoning a couple of crows to keep her company. One of them let out an angry squawk before flying off into the forest while the others perched on my shoulder.

With a sharp bark, Rei unlatched herself from my back and chased after the fleeing crow, disappearing into the shadows. I turned my attention to the other crow perched on my shoulder.

"Looks like it's just me and you now," I said with a small smile, the crow perched on my shoulder, letting out a soft coo.

"Let's get to it," I cracked my knuckles and focused on the shadows beneath my feet. Slowly, the shadows took shape, and three figures emerged, each in the form of a knight.

They towered over me, waiting for a command.

"Okay, three of you," I said, pointing at each one. "Head in different directions and look around the junkyard for materials. If you find anything interesting, bring it back to this spot. I don't care if it has rust; just remember, don't leave the junkyard. Got it? Now, go!"

The three knights saluted before setting off in different directions, and I began my own search through the piles of scrap.

"Oh yeah, to break down the materials so they can be used. That means I need some kind of smelter," I said as I looked over a metal drum.

"Squa."

"But where can I build it? The Backyard? The sound can disturb the neighbors, so that's a no, either in that abandoned factory or in my training space." I weighed it out on my hands.

"Squaaa."

"But then how can I make people not stick their nose around and keep it safe?" I said, pondering out loud.

"Squawk!" The crow on my shoulder pulled on my ear.

"...What?" What is it playing at?

"Squaaak," it gestures... to itself?

"But what are you trying to say?"

Then It hit me, shadow creature; I can make a creature, any creature, including one that can smelt iron, for smelter, a smelter creature.

"Wow, I'm kind of slow," I chuckled, patting the crow on the head and continuing to walk around the junkyard.

I picked up what I thought was a hollow steel box, maybe a safe containing some treasure, but as I turned it around, I realized that it was just an old computer tower that someone had thrown away.

They had to have had a good reason to throw this off, so I pried open the tower.

==Change pov==

Excitement, exhilaration, thrill.

These are the emotions the being now known as Rei felt as she felt the ground beneath her paws as she ran through the forest, savouring every step.

The forest was quiet. It was as if all life had been sucked out of the forest, broken only by the sound of her crunching on the fallen leaves.

With such a quiet environment, finding her target was an effortless task that she almost felt sorry for it.

She climbed the tree trunk, her paws deftly grasping the bark as she ascended, leaping from branch to branch. She watched her prey from above, and with bared teeth, she dived.

"SQUA-" *CRUNCH* With the satisfying crunch of bone. The fake creature let out one desperate squawk, its body went limp and began to dissolve in her jaws. The ichor's taste was fleeting before it was gone in an instant.

She released the remains of her prey, watching as it dissolved away. She gracefully leapt down from the tree and landed on the soft forest floor with a satisfying thump. She takes a look at her surroundings.

She realized she was on the outskirts of a forest, overlooking a massive mansion with older-style architecture. It was an obvious sore thumb compared to the typical residences in the area. Immaculately landscaped gardens surrounded the sprawling mansion, and its grandeur made it seem out of place in the natural beauty of the forest.

She paid no mind to it. She knew it was time to return as she melted into the shadows.

But had she lingered for a moment longer, she would have noticed a figure staring in her direction in one of the windows.

==Return pov==

"It's in pretty good condition, well kept even; all I need to do is bring it to the house and power it up, and it's not stealing when it's obviously dumped here," I remarked, nodding as the crow on my shoulder cawed in response.

Lucky!

"Having fun?" I asked, hearing a shuffling beside me.

"Woof!~" she barked happily, wagging her tail.

"Good girl! Come on, let's see what the knights are up to."

She barked twice, agreeing with me, and walked by my side.

"Alright, I think that's enough," I said, signalling them to stop, looking at the pile of metal the knights had gathered "After that, you three can just..." I demonstrated by pushing the tower into Rei, and it disappeared into her fur. When I pulled my hand away, not a single part of the tower could be seen.

"See? Just push it, and it will be stored, it's that simple," I explained.

Three of them nod in understanding and follow my lead in storing the rest of the metal pile. Once the task is complete, all my summons seamlessly meld back into the shadows. I look around the junkyard, ensuring everything is tidy and organized, and walk out of it.

Several minutes later, I turned a corner and accidentally bumped into someone, causing both of us to stumble. The girl let out a frustrated groan, and I reached out to help her, noticing that her groceries had spilt out of her bag.

"Sorry about that," I apologized, extending my hand.

"Thanks," she grunted, taking my hand. "Can you like, help me here?" she asked as she started picking up her split groceries.

"Sure, doing grocery run?"

"Yeah, I kinda forget to do it, what about you?" she asked, checking the plastic bag for a hole.

"Junkyard," I said as I picked up a couple of ramen boxes.

"Junkyard?"

"Looking for scrap metal," I said. "I'm Seiji, by the way."

"Tatsuki," the girl introduced herself as she carefully put her groceries. "Arisawa Tatsuki."

"Nice to meet you, my full name is Hyoudou Seiji, but you can call me Seiji for short."

"Hyoudou... I think I've heard that name before. someone in your family a chef or something?" she asked thoughtfully.

I nodded, "A part time chef, so probably yes."

We chatted for a while as we continued walking together, Turns out Tatsuki's parents own a dojo, and they teach martial arts. She talked about her training and how she started, and I shared some stories about my training in swords.

"Kendo? You don't have the tell," Tatsuki said, glancing at my palms.

"What tell?" I asked.

"Y'know, calluses, bruises, all that stuff." she gestured with her hand.

I looked down at mine. "I dunno, maybe because it's not that intense? It's just a stick swinging," I explained, shrugging.

"Oh, for exercise then?"

I thought about it for a while. "Yes, for recreational purposes only."

"That's nice. Oh, that's my house." she said, pointing to a nearby building.

"Bye Seiji! let's meet up next time at school!" she said cheerfully.

"Sure!" I replied with a small wave.

[Later]

Back in my room, Rei lay on the floor as I reached into her fur and began rummaging around, digging through her fur to find the tower.

My fingers brushed against different textures and materials as I searched. Frame, metal, aluminium, television, more metal...

There it is!

I closed my hand around the tower, feeling around to get a better grip. All I had to do now was pull it out, and with a little bit of pull-

CRASH! CLANG! CLANG!!!

I winced at the sound of metal hitting the floor and held my breath, bracing myself for the inevitable consequences when my parents burst into the room. My heart raced as I tried to come up with an excuse for the noise, from normal sleepwalking to me fending off a clan of ninjas.

Five agonizing minutes later, no one barged in; I was still alive, and the room was silent except for Natsuko's soft murmurs. I let out a long exhale of relief before scooping up the tower and hiding it under the desk.

As I straightened up, I noticed the papers on my desk. With a small sigh, I realized there was no time like the present and got to work, picking up one blank piece of paper and a pencil.

Let's see a name for the smelter... what about moltenbeast?

Yeah, that sounds about right.

And as I began to sketch out a couple of potential forms for moltenbeast, the sound of my pencil scratching against the paper filled the room, drowning out any other noise. The world around me ceased to exist as I lost myself in my work. I was so absorbed in my sketch that I barely noticed the charge forming in my head.

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AN 2:

Next chapter is probably the last childhood centric, then it going to be slashdog.

I added a person, a previously non-existent person. Because I whiffed in my calculation.

Expect some more people to be added, Suggestion are welcomed.

Earned from this chapter

2 for 4k ( as this chapter onwards, every 2k gain a charge to see if I can write 4k words consistently.)

Unspent: 7

Power: NO UPGRADE ON THIS CHAPTER.

Le super secret conversation:

"onmyouji?" a man's voice could be heard.

the second voice take a deep sigh, before answering "Yes, atleast until the problem are solved, peacefully or otherwise"

"and you know it's a yokai.... how? it could be just a normal wolf." the man countered.

"Every yokai has an innate affinity to senjutsu, some better than the others making it an natural infiltrators, and this... "normal" wolf" are only detected because I was lucky to saw it," the second voice replied, sounding irritated. "Nothing along the city wards, and nothing in the mansion ward. did you know how much time I spent on it?"

"You're going to ask the five principal people then? yokai are their speciality right?"

the second voice snorts "Let's hope not, a local family actually."

the first voice yawns "that's really great babe, now can you let me sleep?"

"Hmph! Fine," Click.

....

Click. "I forgot to say goodnight"

"Oh come on!"