24 Chapter 24 - New Faces, Old Traces

"Ugh…" Locki groaned loudly, laying out over the wooden table. "I hate paperwork."

A round of cheers and verbal agreements rang out around him. The teen ignored them easily, sitting up and stretching out his back with a groan. He scanned the main lobby room of his Magic Guild with a glance. With his [Dimensional Guild System], he was able to quickly take notice of most of the main people that began to fill up his once empty guild lobby.

It was something that Locki quickly noticed as Berrel had set up shop behind the bar; the older man's regulars had basically switched to meeting at the Scarlet Hand's lobby, and Locki had to remake the tables and chairs that were scattered around the room. The young guildmaster hadn't expected to really need to supply more than his own guild, and the demon siblings didn't really require food to exist. As such, the sudden popularity of his guild was something that he hadn't prepared for.

And, to be honest, he didn't quite enjoy it. The scene reminded him too much of the time he drowned himself in alcohol.

"About time you left your room." Locki stilled a bit as a strong hand tapped his shoulder. The gravelly, roguish voice grated on his ears, but the teen hid his discomfort behind a practiced smile. "Where's that nice piece of yours? She still as feisty as ever?"

Locki spared a glance to Berrel, watching as the older spymaster cum bartender jerked his chin downwards to the basement. "She's not here. We're putting her on a mission to find unsavory elements in Evermont."

"Ah, I heard about your little spy network." The man nodded, leaning forward so that Locki could see the [Byakugan] that bulged within his scarred sockets hidden behind tinted glasses. "I heard about you askin' our guildmaster for some help in starting it up. He brought in that prude Zeronu to help, yeah?"

Locki sighed. There was only one person who dared to call Zeronu a "prude" whilst they lived in the same city. The other S-rank of the False Giants that terrorized Evermont in more ways than one, Bommir Nott. "...yes. Zeronu was involved as well. Guildmaster Vistas had insisted on helping."

Bommir laughed as if he just heard a good joke. "Well, don't let it bother you too much. Information routes can turn into… less savory things. Our guildmaster is probably lookin' out for ya."

"Right." Locki agreed placidly as Bommir smiled happily, seemingly content with Locki's simple agreement.

The young guildmaster figured the man was fairly easy to please. A month or so after Locki came back from Magnolia, Bommir had made it a habit to "check-in" on the Scarlet Hand guild to thank Locki for his new eyes. This led to the S-rank mage's continued presence in Locki's guild whether he liked it or not.

Bommir was the type of guy that people would agree was attractive physically, but horrid to actually interact with. A dichotomy that didn't really matter much to the man, and that everyone ignored by virtue of the fact that Bommir was a S-rank mage.

Though, many did let him get away with his lascivious personality due to his good looks as well. He was taller than most people, standing with long, silky blonde locks. His face was squarish, strong features and perpetually framed with a roguish grin.

The mage was muscular, too. From all the missions as a mage and service in Fiore's military, no doubt. He wasn't the mass of scars that Zeronu was, but someone who had traces of battle that criss-crossed over his exposed arms. Unlike Zeronu, though, he wore pre-ripped jeans and a thick leather jacket over his shirtless frame as if he was afraid that people couldn't see his set of abs.

If Zeronu was the perfect soldier for the False Giants, the enforcer who everyone feared and respected, then Bommir was the filth that stuck onto you and strangled you with a smile. A man reviled not because of his behavior, though that was part of it, but because he was the person who did most of the killings, drug trade, and other unsavory details for the Magic Guild.

An S-rank who only knew how to fight dirty.

"Damn, hey big man! Bring me another drink!" Bommir yelled at Berrel, snapping his fingers. The man lounged in his wooden chair and planted his feet on the table.

"Please don't put your feet on the table." Locki said carefully.

The man ignored him, slinging a muscular arm over his shoulders. "Aw, come on, my friend! No need to be such a whiner. Why don't you drink some as well; you can't stay inside and brood all day. Let me take you out and show you where all the babes are. Let me tell you, they'll spread their–"

"We're back, Guildmaster!"

Locki hurried over to the entrance, taking advantage of the distraction to separate himself from Bommir without drawing the ire of the mage. His fake smile quickly transitioned into a real one as he watched Kagura get dragged through the doors of his guild by an overexcited Erza. In the redheaded girl's hands were a bag with the label of one of Evermont's sweet shops on the side.

Behind the two girls was a cloaked Gyutaro, leisurely lingering a couple steps behind the two. The demon offered a nod at the teen before he dropped into one of the chairs in the guild's lobby, clearly exhausted. Silently, Berrel brought a heavy shot of something that smelled distinctly like a fire starter and handed it over to the exhausted demon.

"We brought you some cake." Erza announced, ignoring the stares of the patrons as she held out the clear bag in her hand. Inside was a slice of strawberry shortcake where the whipped cream that made the filling had melted long ago.

Locki watched as she reluctantly held it out for him, sparing a few glances towards it when he took it. The girl's emotions were worn easily. He could see the crumbs that clung to her cheeks, and the fact that Kagura offered him an apologetic smile behind her friend.

Locki pointed to his cheek, smiling wryly. "You got a bit here."

"I apologize!" Erza said quickly, furiously rubbing her cheeks to get rid of the evidence. "We were held up by the lady we helped, and she insisted on treating us!"

Locki held his fake smile, shooting Gyutaro a glance. The demon inclined his head from the nasty drink Berrel had placed in front of him and waved his hand dismissively. It had been nothing, Locki surmised.

Idly, Locki breathed a sigh of relief. He hadn't been working for Drumlowe for very long, but the fact that Bommir had been making rounds by his guild had certainly gotten word around. It meant that there would be consequences for people to randomly mess with him, but Drumlowe's enemies had effectively become his own as well. And well… that happened to include almost every other Magic Guild in Evermont. Even Berrel's information network couldn't keep up with how many people had ties to whom.

Of course, all that meant was that either Gyutaro or Daki was on babysitting duty whenever Erza dropped by.

Locki spared a quick look at Bommir, cringing as the mage had taken to hitting on any woman who stopped by. The teen had no doubt that Bommir saw his actions, but the man wouldn't call someone out just because they looked at him funny. So long as the mage liked them, at least.

"How about you have the rest of this and Gyutaro can send you back?" Locki said to Erza. He handed back the bag and tapped Kagura's shoulder. "Kagura can meet up with you some other time, but I can get you your rewards for this mission if you can give me the completion document."

Erza failed to hide her desire for the cake, snatching it from his hands in the middle of his sentence. Though, she did seem to wilt when he mentioned sending her back. Still, she took the time to flip her hand and reveal a letter in a flash of light.

Locki blinked at the insane speed of her Requip magic. Even Lon, an old mage who had years of practice, needed a few seconds to pull something from her requip space. Heck, even Zeronu probably couldn't do it as fast as the girl just had.

"Wow, that's impressive, little lady."

Locki tried not to flinch at the voice. He inclined his head to see Bommir right next to him, staring at the redhead with intrigue. The young guildmaster had no doubt that the S-rank mage knew Erza was associated with Fairy Tail, but if Drumlowe felt that Erza was too much of a threat due to her talent, then Locki was worried what the man might do. Or worse, what he might make Locki do.

Erza shrunk a bit at the vulgar man's stare, and he chuckled a bit at her actions. Bommir crouched down, using a finger to prop his sunglasses at the tip of his nose so that the girl could see the [Byakugan] that pulsed where his empty sockets had. The redhead flinched a bit at the image and Locki couldn't blame her.

Thick, bulging veins throbbed violently around the mage's eyes, signifying that they were in use. The [Byakugan] were impressive as they were energy intensive. Clairvoyance at the cost of never being able to turn them off. Locki supposed the man was obsessed with Zeronu enough to ignore any issues.

"No need to be afraid. I'm a friend." Bommir smiled, waving at Locki. "See, you're friends with him and he's friends with me. You can trust me like him."

"Erza is friends with Kagura, not me." Locki said, stepping forwards to snatch the letter from Erza's hands. Bommir tried to pout, but the teen knew he couldn't back off on this or else he'd break the promise he had with Makarov.

The S-rank quickly eased up with a laugh. There was no standoff or subtle show of power; the more powerful man just backed off like that. And because of that, Locki only felt more apprehension when he faced him even if he felt Zeronu was stronger. Onlookers could've said it was a loyalty borne from Locki returning Bommir's sight, but the S-rank was someone who'd easily backstab the friends he laughed and bled with.

Bommir grinned widely and made his way around the group to the door. "Alright, alright. I can tell when I am not wanted anymore. I'll catch you around, Locki. Oh and a little advice," he turned to Erza, offering her a smile full of teeth. "Try not to show off around Zeronu. He doesn't look like it, but he's really jealous of others more talented than him. You don't know what he might do."

With that, the mage left the guild and Locki felt the ever-present tension in the air dissipate like a blown out candle. The teen heaved a sigh of relief as one of the shadow mooks hidden near a window signaled that Bommir had gotten far enough away that his [Byakugan] would not be able to see them.

"He's gone now." Locki announced to the room, and he caught several people ease back into their chairs.

One man scoffed, taking a sip from the mug in front of him. "You'll hafta pay us more if ya wanna get us ta do more than watch 'im. We can't back ya up against an S-rank."

"Yeah, yeah. Just make sure you don't get too close to him. He'll probably have tunnel vision for a good bit of time till he gets used to his eyes." Locki told the man. Around the room five other men gave a silent nod while the others simply ignored the interaction.

The young guildmaster exhaled loudly, forcing himself to stay upright. Locki wasn't someone who knew anything about a spy network, so he was a little put off when Berrel simply gave the young guildmaster his own to manage. He sent a look to the large, barrel-chested man on the other side of the counter, and the man just gave a shrug.

"I just gave you names from my own list. Not sure where you would put them. Though, they seem at least remotely satisfactory." Barrel said, filling up another cup. "What'd that white-haired mage girl do to manage them?"

Locki pursed his lips. "I am… not sure. I just let her do it."

Barrel raised an eyebrow at Gyutaro, a light laugh on his lips. "She wouldn't happen to have any experience as a spymaster, huh?"

"No, we never needed that." Gyutaro answered blandly, earning a few boos from drunken men. They were silenced by a glare from Locki, but the demon didn't react beyond a derisive huff. Instead, he looked Berrel right in the eyes as he asked, "Where's my sister?"

Berrel looked between Locki and the demon before he shifted to point downwards at the hidden door behind the counter. "Where else? You want her out here when Bommir is around?"

"Hmm…" Gyutaro hummed appreciatively.

"Right, let's get Erza back home." Locki announced to the demon. The redhead jolted a little, looking around awkwardly as she hid the bag of cake behind her back from the eyes looking over her. "I'll go check on your sister downstairs. You take her back to the entrance."

Gyutaro tapped the [Asauchi] tied to his waist. "You think he'll try something?"

"No, no not yet. We have a tentative trust with Drumlowe right now, so he won't test us this way. Especially when it concerns a guild like Fairy Tail." Locki shook his head.

"And yet you get a letter from one of their members…" Berrel said, pointing out the letter Locki had snatched from Erza. "He might just strike you out of fear you will jump ship. Unless those are love letters from one of the mages in Magnolia."

"I can handle one of them." Gyutaro stated, but Locki disregarded that. They both knew that Gyutaro could handle either Bommir or Zeronu. For only as long as they realized that Gyutaro could regenerate, and then they would just go through him.

"It won't come to that… don't worry."

Locki looked over to Kagura as she comforted her friend as she listened in on the talk. Erza seemed to have slowly caught onto the topic of the discussion, and the redhead grew more and more solemn as she stared at the letter in Locki's hand. The teen could see the guilt and concern that plagued her features.

"Drumlowe is smarter than you think. Err, than I think, too…" Locki looked up at the ceiling. The unspoken "Zeronu can read the lips of anyone in the city from anywhere" rang out loudly in everyone's head. "In any case, he probably knows we have people posted on Bommir, and he probably appreciates the fact that I don't just roll over and accept the man as a friend. Drumlowe won't think we have a relationship with Fairy Tail because that's exactly the reason. We are not allied with them. We just are using each other."

Locki saw Erza bite her lip hard while Kagura patted her friend on the shoulder. However, he couldn't really comfort the girl either. Erza stopped by, saw her friend, and they did some odd jobs around Evermont. That was it. The only interaction she had with Locki would be to just get the mission or turn it in.

"I… I can talk to master Makarov. If that helps?" Erza asked carefully, unsure.

"If its not too much trouble, then. Thank you." Locki smiled, knowing the old man in Fairy Tail would not agree to anything. Their relationship began and indeed with the information about the Tower of Heaven. If they did find the place, then maybe they would join up, but so long as Locki was with Drumlowe, that was the end of it.

"Okay!" Erza perked up immediately, saying a quick goodbye to Kagura with a hug. Gyutaro then followed the girl out to the exit of the city.

Locki watched the two leave for a minute before he stretched, holding out a hand for Kagura. The girl put a mission completion document in his hands and Locki smiled at the notification screen that appeared.

[D-rank Mission completed]

Rewards: Tier 1 Gold Prism.

"Do you have a hard time?" Locki asked as he stealthily slipped the Tier 1 Gold Prism into his pocket where he felt the other nine already in there react to the new one.

Kagura shook her head, causing her black hair to shake side to side. "No. There were some normal people who tried to start something, but they backed off when they recognized me… Is it because of the old man?"

Locki held back a laugh at that title. There probably wasn't anyone else that could call Drumlowe Vistas "old man" or would be allowed to. However, it was a title he encouraged to keep Kagura further away from understanding the gravity of their situation. Well… beyond the fact that they talked about things in front of her, but that was only because the girl was arguably their strongest member with Gyutaro being a very close second. The only problem was her stamina; she could only send out one or two attacks before her magic made her pass out.

"He might have a hand in it." Locki admitted as the two moved around the bar's counter to get to the hidden door. The teen opened up the hatch to allow the girl in before him as he addressed Berrel. "If anyone asks for me, I am indisposed."

"Go do your suspicious things downstairs already. By the way, some of my contacts came back from Desierto, and they said that the Succession War should be in a year or two as well as a letter from your supposed brother."

Locki ignored the man's raised eyebrow and took the offered letter, placing it under Fairy Tail's letter. "It's a long story. Anyways, thanks for the help."

Kagura had already hurried down the stairs into the dark. Her shadow trailed long behind her, staying in the light as a hilt came up to stare at Locki as it noticed him stay behind for too long. Locki waved off Vali, the Honedge, as he took the letters in his hands.

It had already been four months since the teen had gotten back and made his deal with the False Giant's magic guild of Evermont. So far all he had to do was send out Daki or Gyutaro to suppress some outside elements who wished to take advantage of the power vacuum that the violent dismissal of the Tigertooth gang had caused. The most stressful thing was Bommir, and that problem was something he'd have to smile and deal with, so Locki couldn't exactly stab him and make him go away.

Still, Locki was wary as he settled into a routine. Drumlowe obviously knew Locki didn't have much personnel, so he offered to introduce him to some of his channels. Specifically, the gangs under his purview. If that wasn't all, Drumlowe hadn't really given Locki much instruction, giving him a green card on basically anything he wanted. Which was nice when the teen was on the lookout for anything Tower of Heaven related. However, the more Locki took from Drumlowe's good graces, the more the teen realized just how deep he had pushed himself into the man's corner.

For now, he didn't see any drawbacks, but that was only because it was too early for anyone to make a move. Besides, Berrel had said that part of the reason the Rose Tyrants were scrambling to clear their name was due to their S-rank mage having gone missing almost a year ago. Suspiciously around the time Locki's dad had gone, too. Whether they killed his old man or not remained to be seen, so the only thing Locki worried about was if they decided to riot in the streets. A low worry.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, the Jade Serpents and Steel Hawks were still with their S-ranks. Both of whom never left the city to not leave their guilds defenseless against Zeronu. Of course, because of Locki's appearance, their attention also trained on him.

Locki wasn't dumb to things like this. He was a new element; a variable in their power struggle over the city. It didn't take a sage to see that Drumlowe now groomed the Scarlet Hand as a potential trump card, so Locki supposed they would look to make him or his guildmates disappear before they became an actual problem. Incidentally, Bommir showed up in his guild randomly, slowing their actions till they had better plans in place. However, Locki knew that Bommir's presence only bought him so much time.

Lastly, the biggest headache Locki had found was the sudden shift in most of the staff at Evermont's Magic Council Branch after his relationship with the False Giant's guild came about. Very quickly did he notice his pool of missions dry up quickly from their sources, and it was only Lon and Drumlowe's own contacts who supplied him with anything meaningful.

It made sense, really. They ignored the issue of the gangs and four big magic guild's monopoly on missions and mages in the city, so they simply targeted those that they could in their own way. Still, Locki was only reminded of the damning S-rank missions he'd been barred from in Fiore with their actions.

The missions would be an issue later. He could keep himself afloat with Drumlowe and Lon's efforts.

"I swear, there's just too many things…" Locki complained to himself, opening the letter from Makarov to introduce himself to just another one of his problems. Idly, he skimmed through the main parts and confirmed some information Berrel's own sources had found.

Oddly, the two pieces of information led the teen to the same conclusion: the Zeref Cult associated with the Tower of Heaven had seemingly backed off. It would mean he wouldn't need to worry as much on B-rank missions, but it also meant that his progress on the Tower of Heaven would slow. And it aggravated him to watch a target who struck him twice escape.

Shifting his priorities, Locki pulled out the letter from his supposed brother. His eyes narrowed as he opened it as a familiar prompt appeared in front of him.

[UA Academy Test Sheet]

Its a test sheet for a school made for kids with Quirks.

Effects: Nothing, but if you cheat, you will feel the shame of your actions.

Locki noted it was different from last time, but it further proved his theory that someone out there had his ability. At least something similar to the [Dimensional Guild System]. His steps slowed dramatically as he read over the letter with an intrigued gaze. The last time, he'd been sent a letter that told him about his goals and a deal with destiny. He wondered if there would be any advice within it.

"Hey, I suppose this is crazy for you too. To hear you had another sibling from across Ishtar. Dad certainly was an asshole, right?" Locki already liked his supposed brother. "Anyways, I was told to write this to you by someone you know– a tall, hooded guy with one arm and a cool-ass spear. Turns out he can see the future, too. Told me to tell you that you should get some guy named Makarov to look around the ports in Hargeon for some guy named Bora? Not sure what for, but he told me you'd understand. Also told me to tell you to leverage the Rose Tyrants with the new guild member you get soon. Again, he's the future-seer guy. Look, I don't know if you know already, but I need help over here. He said the Succession War won't really start until another year from now and that you'd be the best chance for me to get what I want. However, I can't wait that long. Please send a reply soon. I'll have someone standby in a Magic Council Branch; ask for the name Akeb Anba."

Locki pursed his lips at the sudden influx of information. He knew who the letter mentioned. There had always been a hooded member in the Scarlet Hand when his dad had been running it. The very same man who had told Locki he [would not get stronger]. It was why the man had stayed in his memories despite his distaste for everyone in the guild. Even still, Locki would remember him for his distinctive name, Ghost. Or more aptly, the man's title since the guy didn't seem keen on giving out his name.

Now, Locki had learned Ghost was a supposed future gipsy weirdo. It didn't matter too much; there had been plenty of people who had had magic that could take a glimpse into the future. The more pressing problem, and one that led more credibility to Ghost's claims, was the [UA Academy Test Sheet] that his brother wrote the letter on.

Another mystery, another paper, and another piece of information about the future. This time it was clear and to the point. A stark difference from the odd advice from last time.

Locki clicked his tongue. "Just one more thing, dammit."

In the first place, Locki didn't care too much if someone else had something similar to the [Dimensional Guild System]. He was already in deep shit, and so long as they stayed out of his way, then he'd be fine with them. After all, it wasn't weird when a fire mage met another fire mage. If he looked hard enough, Locki was sure he'd find another Blank mage with the same talents as Kagura.

No, the problem stemmed from the fact that Ghost seemed unusually invested in Locki. However, the teen couldn't really chase after this mystery at the moment. He was too weak, and had too little manpower to actively do anything without fully committing.

In the end, it came down to power.

Locki idly pulled out the new Tier 2 Gold Prism from his pocket, turning it over in his hands. According to the letter, his newest member would give him an advantage when he went over to the Rose Tyrant's guild later. He was tempted to try and summon them in the long, underground hallway, but knew that would be disastrous if the person wanted to fight like Gyutaro and Daki.

After a moment, Locki entered the large hemisphere underground. His eyes immediately found a bruised Kagura as she limped around the various weapons scattered off in one corner of the room. A silent Validator hovered over the girl's right shoulder, roving its lone eye over the assortment of weapons before it sank into the girl's shadow.

Locki looked over accusingly at Daki who sat atop the bed on the opposite wall. The demon had been breathing heavily until she saw him come in, and then she quickly tried to school her features as if she hadn't come out of some fight.

Daki saw his stare and crossed her arms, huffing off to the side. "Don't look at me like that. The brat asked me to teach her to fight without her fancy ass magic. I… don't have experience with holding back."

"Guildmaster!" Kagura announced as she spotted him come in. "You took awhile… is everything alright?"

Locki placed a fake smile on his lips on habit, and Kagura frowned at his reaction. The teen winced at the fact that she already knew how to tell his smiles apart. "Its nothing too bad. Don't worry. I'll need both of your help when I summon someone. It seems we'll have a new member joining us today."

"Oh! Will they be like Validator and Maximillian Genovious Hortiture? Or will they be like Daki and Gyutaro? Maybe another mage like you or me? Do you know?" Kagura bounced over to Locki in excitement. Locki had successfully distracted her.

Daki looked over, intrigued. She had previously seen him create weapons out of thin air with the prisms before, and now she could see just how he pulled someone similar to her and her brother.

Locki just smiled at the two of them. Then, he gripped the Tier 2 Gold Prism in his hands as familiar screens popped up in his vision.

[Do you want to use "Tier 2 Gold Prism" to summon a random Guild Member?]

[Warning! Guildmaster must get the summon's approval before their presence is cemented into the world]

"Do it."

[Targeting system locating nearby nodes]

[One dimensional node found]

[Would you like to use "Member – Validator" as a node?]

[Would you like to use "Member – Maximilian Genovious Hortiture" as a node?]

[Would you like to use "Member – Daki Shabana" as a node?]

[Would you like to use "Item – UA Academy Test Sheet" as a node?]

"None. Use a proxy." Locki announced. Ghost had, for some reason, sent him the item recognized by his system. While he had already done the same for the other letter, Locki wouldn't let his future be led by someone else other than himself.

["proxy" has been initiated in Dimensional call]

[Randomly generating a proxy node]

Locki was already used to the grand displays that came about from using the Tier 2 Gold Prisms. From the displays of smog from Gastly to the hellfire that accompanied the twin demons. He had stepped back prematurely, and was proven correct as a giant tree suddenly sprouted from the ground.

It started as a small sapling that had seemingly broken through the hard floor of the room. Quickly, that sapling grew larger and larger. Its thin twig body turned into a thick trunk that Locki knew was at least three feet in thickness. The small leaves atop the sprout had blossomed into a thick canopy of emerald green that seemed to shine in otherworldly light. And the roots for the tree rippled and spread from below, causing parts of the underground room to cave in slightly where the roots passed underneath.

"Is that it?" Daki asked. It was not.

The three took another step back as a hand seemed to reach out from the tree, placing its palm on its back and then pushing. The person seemed to pull themselves out of the tree, standing in front of the trio with a calculating gaze that seemed to hang over them oppressively.

He was a man. Shorter than Locki by a couple inches and well built, but there was something about him that made him seem taller. He had long blue hair that trailed all the way to his thighs from a ponytail and a pair of mismatched blue eyes where his left eye was paler than the other. Though, that paler eye seemed to come from the extensive burn scar that seemed to have faded over the left side of his face.

Clothing normally spoke volumes of a person's origin, and his was no different. Locki found the man's clothes to be well-fitting; draping over him in an attire that the teen couldn't quite trace exactly. Though, that didn't subtract from the sheer presence he seemed to emit, like a ruler.

Or really, he was a ruler.

[Hakuryuu Ren]

The self-banished Tyrant of the Kou Empire. He has thrown away his honor and empire to pursue the ideals he once lost.

Best Abilities: [Metal Vessel — Zagan], [Metal Vessel — Belial], [Brainwashing]

Mood: [Confused], [Determined]

Bond: 0%

Locki took a quick glance at the screen that popped up in front of him, and his mind whirled around at the implications. Did he just dimensionally kidnap the ruler of a different country? Also, brainwashing? Idly, the teen didn't really like the idea of someone with brainwashing as their main skill set in his guild.

"This place reeks of Depravity." Hakuryuu stated as he looked around, rubbing his neck with his calloused hands.

Kagura sniffed the air, shrinking in on herself. "I don't stink…"

Hakuryuu flinched at the girl's words, sheepishly bowing slightly. "Er, I apologize, little one. I was just expecting the palace of my atonement to be a little… different in scope. Though, I guess that such a place rife with Depravity should befit someone like me."

"You knew you would come here?" Locki suddenly asked. "What do you mean by atonement?"

"Hmm? Yes, I was told I could find what I lost and fix my fate if I went through a portal. I can't really remember who told me, but I was able to rewrite some of their brainwashing methods so I was not completely clueless. Though…" Hakuryuu looked around, eyeing the big tree he pulled himself out of. "I guess they probably allowed that since I probably would not have liked staying."

Locki frowned at the information. For some reason, he began to feel that the random aspect of his [Dimensional Guild System] was no longer random. At any other time he might have discarded the issue, but Ghost's recent letter had started to spark a little curiosity in him.

"Does the name Ghost mean anything to you?"

Hakuryuu raised an eyebrow. "I'm guessing you're wondering who it was that would send me here. And no, while I can't remember them for some reason, they had clearly called themselves a God. My… allies attested to their ability."

Locki pursed his lips. Now, there was a God involved behind his [Dimensional Guild System]. If the Magic Council caught wind of this, he'd probably be hunted down like a random cultist… just another thing to add to his list of worries.

"[No one here will spread that information to anyone]." Locki ordered, feeling his magic trickle into his voice naturally. However, when he expected everyone to simply nod along, Hakuryuu winced and held his head as he glared over at the teen.

"Please warn me if you're going to do that." He said with a grimace, rubbing his forehead. "I have protections in place to counter anyone trying to subvert my actions with magical or physical means. Your ability gives me a headache with how pervasive it is."

Locki blinked, wondering over what the man had said. He hadn't really thought that his magic was anything other than an emphasis on words or phrases, but when he really looked back on it and every time it activated, the listener would do what he said without hesitation. It was just hard to realize due to how infrequently it happened and how that was just how the conversations flowed.

Locki opened his mouth but Hakuryuu held out his hand. "I know, I know. I won't tell this to anyone, either." His lips curled into a smile that Locki knew hid something within. "I don't know what you want, or really what I want. I have done things that I… regret and desired to move onto a place where I can't be reminded of things. I just want to try living like a friend of mine did long ago."

"And you think following a stranger who calls themselves a God into a weird portal in order to fight against your fate seems like a good idea to do this?" Locki asked, incredulous. For a former tyrant, Hakuryuu reminded him of a grade A sucker. Maybe the guy was framed or a puppet king… then again, brainwashing is in his abilities.

"I suppose it is a little weird when you put it like that." Hakuryuu laughed awkwardly, trying not to lock eyes with the teen.

"Well, I'll see about getting something for you to do, but in the first place, do you want to join my magic guild?" Locki decided that a former tyrant wasn't the worst option when he had man-eating demons and the ghosts of the dead already in his guild.

Hakuryuu took a look at the hand Locki had offered, but instead of taking it like the letter had said, the man shook his head. "I… apologize. I thought it over in the short time I traveled here, and to simply throw away everything in the idea of starting anew is not really the atonement I looked for…" An odd look crossed over his face as he crossed his arms. "Now that I mention it, the guy didn't say anything about joining. He just mentioned I'd find what I needed when I arrived."

"So, you're not joining us?" Kagura asked curiously, tilting her head.

"No, I feel as if I'd just be running away from everything." Hakuryuu said, smiling wryly. "I've got a sister that needs my help back home, after all. Even if… anyways, sorry. I can't keep running away from myself."

No! Keep doing it! Locki complained internally. The second Hakuryuu refused for the second time, Locki had already felt the air around him tremble slightly. A screen popped up in his vision that cemented the man's decision.

[Summon's approval has not been gained. Forced return is now in effect.]

Hakuryuu's body seemed to fade slowly out of view, disappearing like someone was turning him completely invisible. The first to disappear completely were his hands and legs as the man stared at the display in intrigue.

"It might have only been for a moment, but I wish you all the best. A bit of advice, though." Hakuryuu said, taking the time to wipe the smile from his lips in order to seriously stare into Locki's eyes. "I have no idea what goal you seek to accomplish to fight the fate of your world so much, and I won't say I know how to read the Rukh like a Magi, but I lived in a place similar to this long ago… your ending might not be what you most expect, or what you want."

With that, Hakuryuu vanished as if he never existed. The only thing that signified he had been there was the giant tree that simply stayed inside Locki's basement. Well, that and the annoyance that built up within Locki after the man had dropped a bunch of information and simply left.

"So, that's what happens…" Daki mused darkly, staring at the spot Hakuryuu had been in not even a second ago. In any other time, Locki would have taken advantage of her thoughts and twisted them in his favor to further push the girl onto his side, but the teen was too preoccupied with his thoughts to care for anything else.

Kagura wilted next to Locki, looking wholly dispirited at Hakuryuu's previous statements. "He wasn't very nice…"

"Guildmaster! We got a girl who asked for you by name! Said something about wanting to join our guild." Gyutaro announced after he carelessly entered the solemn room. He took one look at his dispirited sister and Kagura, the giant tree that seemingly sprouted in the middle of the room, and the silently fuming Locki and raised an eyebrow at his blonde guildmaster. "What happened?"

Locki squinted his eyes at the green-haired demon. Why was it so easy to recruit a literal demon who was from hell when compared to a seemingly nice figurehead king who had talents in brainwashing? "Ignore them. And, girl? We don't accept kids."

"She could be a girl. She smells young, but looks like a middle aged woman. I assumed magic." Gyutaro said, shrugging.

Locki's features scrunched up in confusion. "Well, did she give you a name?"

"Yeah, Ultear."