1 Taste of Death

What is Manipulation?

Manipulation?

Yes.

I-I don't know...

(Sighs) Manipulation. When you confront a person, with what they did wrong, and they don't want to take responsibility for their actions, they will manipulate you by putting the focus back on you. They will bring up something you did or need to do, using your imperfections as a way to avoid taking responsibility for their actions. They like knowing your difficulties or imperfections. This gives them ammunition, and they have something to hold over their head to use against them. Put the focus back on them where it belongs.

That's correct. A simple way to determine such a scenario is by studying the surrounding area in both fights and social life. Understand your emotions or your opponents will use them against you.

Don't worry, they won't even know what'll hit them, I am the one who made this story possible.

Keep this up, and you will regret your cockiness and arrogance!

So?

Nothing in this world is going to stop me from writing my own story, not even you... Transcender.

___________

600 years ago

___________

"Man, this sucks!" A male voice was heard inside a room filled with books that'd been thrown around. His black eyes stared at the ceiling as it was covered in the art of his very own story.

He seemed to be desperate to get an idea, sitting at his wooden desk trying to think of his next chapter. His famous book, "Heaven Does Not Claim" was a masterpiece that the audience began to send him money for more chapters. It is about a young man whose goal is to understand and unlock the truth of the False reality while dealing with Arc pricks left and right.

With each tic coming from the clock on his wall he finally got an idea of how to proceed with the chapter, but sadly he needed a personal opinion for this. He quickly picked up his phone and dialed his best friend, Andrea. The phone rang for a couple of seconds before she received the call.

"Hello, Kiryuu." She answered.

"Hey! Andrea, I need your personal opinion on what I'm about to send you." Kiryuu tapped the send button on his phone while she was on speaker.

It was silent for a moment, sweat dripping down from his forehead. He swallowed his saliva waiting for her response.

"So..?"

"How about we meet up at the alley near the cafe?" she suggested.

He gradually looked at his phone with a cautious stare before replying, "Very well."

It's strange. There's nothing in the alleyway except for... Oh no!

It wasn't until he realized that it was a territory that belonged to a low-rank gang. They always target female high school students and take them to have 'fun'. They think they can just do whatever they want but then again he has proof of every single crime that every gang member did. So let's see how this will play out.

A few minutes later, Kiryuu made it over to the alleyway down on Second Street. Though it was a long way, the world seemed so bright, the sunlight gleaming off his eyes. He turned the corner passing by Macy's, Wendy's, and even a park. He turned down the dark alleyway, it reeked of garbage that was left in the open dumpster, and the sunlight could barely illuminate the darkness. A door swung open showing a messy hair Andrea exiting from the side door of some building.

"Andrea..." The poor guy was stunned at the sight of his best friend.

She fixed her clothes and hair to look more presentable. To be honest, he expected much — no, he knew she was already a victim. Her mother constantly calls him every day wondering where she is.

"Sorry, I forgot to mention that I was a bit at the time. Don't worry, I think you're going to love the new changes." She was already consumed by Lust, a filthy sin that has corrupted parts of the earth, he gets sexual intercourse is common for us as a species, but it doesn't mean—

Bang!

Wait? What was that sound?

Kiryuu noticed something wet streaming down his face. He slowly reached to his forehead, it felt hot — he looked to see what it was. Blood. It was a hot, crimson liquid that the human body leaked from his forehead. He hazily dropped to his knees, red liquid covering his eyes. Weakly looking up, he could see his own best friend laughing.  She wasn't being forced at all, what did he do to deserve this?

Andrea squatted down near the now dying body of her former best friend, speaking in a grim tone. "Sorry about this, nothing personal. I just need you dead so I can take credit for your work and earn some stacks of cash. Sorry, I had to use you. You seem like a nice guy and all, but I needed to make your dream come true so I could fulfill mine."

By the time she finished the poor boy, was already dead. His body is cold as ice, eyes devoided of life.

"Oh well, not like they can find his body anyway." she chuckled walking back to the side door, leaving the corpse to rot.

With the quick response, Kiryuu woke up in a cold sweat noticing the area around him very different than where he lived or even knew. The world seemed different, an astral plane that even showed a clock that seemed to have fused itself within the 4D universe. Planets slowly rotate as if each tik meant a rotation around the clock.

Tick!

Tock!

"Where the hell am I?"  Kiryuu quickly examined the realm. It was something out of a fantasy novel, without missing a single element he finally caught on to what happened. "I was shot.." he looked down to see his reflection.

"Welcome, to the start of the new history."  A strange, concave tone. It was very much a male judging by the tone.

Kiryuu quickly stepped back turning around to see the source of the character. It was something he'd never wanted to acknowledge what he was seeing.

The voice of the character belonged to the first creation of his own story, the Transcender. The God of all, a being who can never enter the world of the mortal plane or even the God domains. But it was only a split version of the actual creation. Two females with the colors to be called the perfect Yin and Yang. They had dragon-distinctive body parts, their bodies unleashing their respective aura.

"Hello, creator." They even spoke in unison bowing before their master. Kiryuu was astonished that he could meet his first creations in person.

"Transcender...? How is this possible?" Kiryuu lowered to his knees as he could finally grope the aching pain from his forehead. He still couldn't believe his own best friend whom he grew up with betrayed him without thinking.

"It's pretty much possible since my powers can also affect even the world you come from, you did assign me that power to cross even the world from other dimensions." The White twin explained.

"But, shouldn't I be dead? I took a bullet in the head." Kiryuu's very thought was completely read. The two gods giggled, they then snapped their fingers constructing a silver and gold table with fancy chairs with a unique design.

"We have much to discuss, Creator. Your soul has transcended the boundaries of your original world which was the final requirement for reincarnation."

A few minutes later, the three of them were chatting about Kiryuu's history. Despite everything he's been through, his creation protects him until his death. The clock goes on with a tick and tock

"So, how would you like to finish the story you created?" The White Transcender raised a question. The Black Transcender peeked over at him. With one final gulp of his delicious tea, he wiped his mouth graciously.

"I mean... it was my dream to finish the story, but living as a character in the story, I doubt I can last long." He admitted before playing with his white teacup, his index finger trimming the rim of the cup.

"The story will change once we begin the transmigration. Most of the things you wrote will remain the same, it is up to you to finish the story of Xion Trinity." With a snap of their fingers, the world of abstract has cracked open leaving a red void.

The split Transcenders wave to Kiryuu as he is immersed in the rift. "Good luck, Creator!"

___________

Date: 6th day of the 6th Arc

6th Eon: The Industrial Age

___________

Once again, Kiryuu woke up again and this time it wasn't in the body he had died in, his body badly in agony. His vision is a bit hazy, and although he still feels nothing the pain still memorizes the injuries. He desperately forced his resilience to reform to stand, he was left dead in an alleyway, what's different was the area itself, the tall building seemed like something you find back in the 1700s in New York City, and the roads that belonged to the medieval times. The sky was so dark and gloomy — barely any daylight to pass through the thick clouds of haze. Rain began to poor down, he was the only kid in the city who didn't have a home and relied on things he could from newspapers to even a torn-up blanket.

"Hey, boy? Are you alright!?"

His squinting eyes wandered about to see whose voice was that a young woman, with a knight in silver armor. She held a black umbrella over her head to shower herself from the rain. The woman gasped at the sight of the boy. He recalls this part of the story, a young mother in her mid-twenties finds a 6-year-old orphan kid beaten to death on the grey solid pavement in a dark alley.

"Mrs. Via... I'm sorry..." He groans depressingly. He could barely stand and he was traumatized from the abuse from kids older. The black lamp posts lit up the roads. She carried the crying child home to nurse him back to his original wellness.

I remember this part of the story, the woman saves the orphan child and adopts him later on to protect him. Lucy Via is a prodigy swordswoman who doesn't possess a magical ability. She grew up as a soldier, killing, and training is what she knew, until she met Marcus Smith, a simple Baker, his backstory has yet to be reviewed.

She took Xion to a bakery place. His eyes hollow eyes analyzed the building, and a steam-powered car drove in front of the baker — passing it.

Ah, this is the Via Bakery. Located in the central area of Blackband City. A run-down version of the almighty capital of Chanda, the place that holds the current Wisdom god the most powerful out of the 12 Gods.

"Welcome to your new home, Xion." Wait, she knew who I was. I never said my name, I was too powerless to do much... So how, did she know?

She walked inside that bakery opening the front door to the inside, it was like any bakery — the smell of fresh bread and dessert could be smelled from the top floor. The bell swings side to side, and the rope to the door is pulled on. The coal stove was right behind the counter, the iron over sitting to the left of it. In the back was a storage room and even a kitchen. Before examining any further, tiny footsteps could be heard running on the upstairs floor — pursuing downstairs to the lobby.

"Mommy!" a young cheerful pitched voice. Xion couldn't see the similarities between the boy and Lucy. He shyly tilted his head when he saw the black and red-haired kid staring at him. Xion examined the kid from the White hair to his skinny figure. The boy's silver eyes met with Xion's shallow red eyes.

"H-hello...." Xion spoke shyly. He hid his face into Lucy's breasts.

Squishy and warm! Back in my world, my mother died after giving birth to me, so I rarely know what motherly love feels like.

"Dolan, meet Xion. He's going to be your little brother." She sat her umbrella to the side, crouching down to hug her son. He giggled — patting Xion's head.

"Don't worry, Big Brother will protect you." He reassured. Xion didn't know if he could tolerate this.

Remember... the story I made changed, a bit — one thing is for certain... Dolan will—

Another set of footprints was storming downstairs, a middle-aged man with long white hair appeared breathing heavily just from running down the wooden steps.

"Welcome home, Lucy!" he greeted wearing a tight black shirt showing his semi-muscular body, pajama pants, and a unique white and red checker pattern.

"Evening, love. Look who I decided to bring in." She said revealing Xion. Marcus examined the ten-year-old child — unlike Dolan whose 14 years old he was a bit on the weird side. The middle-aged man gently caressed Xion's hand, he sensed something strange about him. A darkness that swallows all light and life.

There's no way a human could have such a dangerous path. Marcus thought. A small drop of sweat swam its way down to the bottom of his chin.

He held his smile bright and gentle. "Nice to meet you, Xion."

Xion replied with a shy smile "Nice to meet you too!"

"Alright, time for bed everyone." Lucy carried the two boys to a room upstairs. Making a right down the hall, the moment she stepped into the hall. The lamps that were constructed into the magenta-colored hall, illuminated light. She made her way to a door designed with black color flowers. The designs almost fit the description of daisies and Roses with thorns on the stem. The doorknob had a perfect non non-scratched silver on it.

"This will be your room, it once belonged to my brother but since he's not here, you can use it!"

She opened the door, and what Xion saw made his world brighten. There it was a perfect version of the room he was in before he died, the bed closest to the window covered by a blue silk curtain, a study table made out of redwood sitting in the corner next to the bed, a small ink bottle placed in a shallow holder with parchment paper place at the center next to a feather pen. To the left was a bookshelf standing at 10 feet and with the width begin about 12 feet wide. The floorboards sparking after being freshly cleaned — now on to the rug that lies in the center, it held a weird design as if it had a meaning. The weirdest part about the rug was the insignia sowed into the red and royal gold carpet.

She placed Xion and Dolan in the same bed, tucking them underneath the freshly dried black and white comforter. Xion slept on the white side and Dolan slept on the black side.

"Good night you two." Lucy kissed the two on the forehead turning off the lamp that hung on the ceiling. As the two kids closed their eyes, letting the sleep take over Dolan whispered something to Xion which made him chuckle nervously.

"You stink."