The tenth day…

On the tenth day of simply doing a simple set of exercises, I have lost about 12 kilograms…

I notice that I am a bit muscular compared to before and I can’t say that I’m lean in a sense, its more of a buff but marshmallow kind of body type. Big but soft and bulky…

It seems surreal to lose this much weight but it all helps with the fact that I’m overworking too much of myself. This can happen a lot with how a man keeps himself busy with work all the time.

By now as I continue to do push-ups while Senior Cecil is up on top of my back, I noticed the gaze from Master Yagami from the Dojo’s entrance.

“…” as he stared at me from the distance, he made a gesture to have me go inside. I stood up from my push-ups and Senior Cecil jumps off from my back.

“It looks like master will finally allow you to be taught his lessons.” he said.

“…will he?” I asked

“Yes.”

As we walk, I was curious about the nature of what Master Yagami was like as a person. For him to give me a chance at this so called strength and power, wonder why he offered such an opportunity.

“Can I ask you something senior Cecil?”

“What is it?”

“…Is Master Yagami this kind of person? You know, he offers a helping hand…and in my case he offered to train me.”

“Master Yagami is simply a kind person. All I can say is that you appreciate his kind gesture.” said Cecil as he turned to me with a cold gaze as we both stood at the entrance of the Dojo.

“Did Master Yagami did the same for you?” I asked.

“…In a way, yes.”

“…Alright.” having felt that he seems to not want to talk about it, I simply entered the room.

As I entered the Dojo, I found master simply by the same position that he was in the last time I saw him inside. Sitting in solace and breathing as if each breath he took was as profound to his very own soul.

“…Master Yagami, I’m here” I asked.

“I noticed that you have gained a strong body.” he said as he had his eyes closed.

“That I did…”

“Then it is time that we proceed with the next step of your training.”

“…the next step?”

“…God has given this world a gift to fight off an army of demons. Demons who rain in with such power came to invade this world…but we were able to contribute to its success by fighting with the gifts that god blessed us with. We fought off the enemies and won the war. Are you aware of this fact?”

“Yes I am aware…”

“Hmm, I was one of the many who fought in that war. I’ve witness the battles of that period more than I did to live in this time of era…”

“You’re a veteran?”

“…In order to survive, God blessed me a gift that I used to fight with my life on the line.”

And in that moment, the pressure around him changed. Like a fleeting gust of wind across the halls, I felt cold and empty to his presence despite him simply being there in front of my eyes. He was like a ghost…a man who could not be felt on his existential physical presence.

“…The People called me the Ghost of the night…”

Like a fog in the deepest parts of the forest, his eyes opened to my direction and suddenly I felt like I was dropped into a complete weak position. His presence was unlike anything that I have faced before in my entire life…

And there was only one word that could only describe him at this very moment…

A monster.

“If you don’t mind me asking master, can I ask you for the reason?”

“…reason?”

“How come you choose to help me? To train me? Me?” as I pointed to myself in the restraint of wanting to learn for a reason, Master Yagami simply smiled.

“…I just find something special about you Soril. Not physically or mentally…but because of what your soul entails.”

“My soul…?”

“It is unbounded by nothing.”

“…”

“From my experiences in the war, I have read most of the fates of the people I know…and each and every one that I read always entails of a fate that seems to be either better or worse for their end.”

“So your saying that you were able to see their future? Is that what your saying?”

“In a way yes, although it is never a direct scene of their fate, the visions and signs that I see mostly entails the very changing points of their lives.”

“What do you mostly do after seeing them? Do you warn the person?” I asked.

“…” but as I asked this, he simply went quiet as if he did not want to answer.

“…what about me then? Master?”

“…Your path is unbounded. It was the first time that I’ve seen such a dark path.”

“…What does that mean?”

“Dark and with no light, your fate was heading at an uncertain road. It should have been a sign of your death…but along with this, I felt a divine presence within you that was similar to that of a God…by then, I made a decision.”

“That you would help me…?”

“Yes, Unbounded by fate but having the presence of the divine…one can only imagine an infinite possibilities of events that may come your way.”

“…”

“…I will you help you Soril. That I promise you.” his voice sounded true as if I could not doubt each and every words that came out of his mouth.

“…” and looking into his eyes…it was deep and it felt empty. I was hollow to the scene of this expression, the expression of true doubt, but he simply smiled…

So I felt compelled…

And I was curious to ask…

So my heart was true to this question…

I wanted to know…

“…Who are you Master Yagami?”

Then and there, his smile faded and his eyes grew a sense of emotion…

It was a shade of sadness.

“…I’m just a lost man…in a place where he doesn’t belong.”

“…What do you mean?”

“What I mean to say is….do you believe in God Soril?”

“…I do.”

“Does the evidence of that belief come from what we call these gifts or is it the evidence of our simple competence to believe in the words of religion…from churches and dungeons?” he asked.

“…”

“Have you met God Soril!? Face to Face!…eye to eye!…presence to presence!” as he expressed his words, a enraged furrowed brow went into his expression just like that of a demon.

“…Master.”

“…I’ve survived the war for a thousand times. That is how I know that God exist.”

“…A thousand times?”

“I have lived for war for almost an eternity…all for the sake of fixing what must be fixed…”

“…master”

“So believe me Soril, when it comes to war…when it comes to a helping hand, I know what is best.”

“So what do you want me to do?” I asked.

“…Accept my helping hand and become my disciple.” he said as he

“…”

“I’ve given you time…and today marks the day that you choose.”

I had no doubts…

When he raised his head to me, I felt a compelling emotion to simply take a bow. Because I realized, I felt like there was something finally happening with my life…

“…Please treat me right…Master Yagami.” I said as I went and bowed in respect to him.

“Welcome My Disciple to the House of the Shadows…”

There as he said those words, his once white attire turned black and his hand who once held nothing was now with the touch of a conjured black sword.

“I am Kotoko Yagami, born under the eastern light and master of the Gates of the Shadow Arts…I am now your master. Introduce yourself boy.”

“…I am Soril Remus and I humbly accept your words…Master Yagami.”

Then and there, the position for being a fully accepted disciple was done.

And I realized just now that this entire place was called the House of the Shadows…it speak of tradition..

***

‘So the old man finally came to convince him…took him long enough.’ said Cecil as he watched from a tree.

Out in this rotting house, the first disciple could be found smoking a cigarette.

“…”

Feeling the wind in the air, he heard a small creaking step from the lowest point of the staircase.

And by then, he jumped off from the tree and made a leap across the top of the mountain and down to the lowest point.

As he was falling, the moment he saw the ground from below, he simply landed by the tip of the grass blade without making a simple glimpse of sound and made his bow to the person who just arrived.

“Hello Madam, please, allow me to take you atop.”  he said as he greeted an old lady who was wearing an all black attire.

“…Hello Cecil, is my brother home?” she asked.

“…Master Yagami is at home with a new disciple at hand.”

“…Hmm? He found another one?”

“…yes madam.”

“Well, I didn’t really expect him to find another one at his age…but oh well.”

“…”

“Anyway, I came here to give him this information. Its job from the association and they want you to handle a gate that has been troubling a small town out east from this mountain. There’s more information inside the paper, so please read it thoroughly.”

“I’ll pass this on then.” said Cecil.

“Hmm, Good. Now I should get back. One of my sons are fighting for the position to take leads over our family company and its getting more and more of a hassle.”

“I see, Farewell madam.”

“Goodbye and I’ll come back again in a few days to check out the condition of the house…if its still as dirty as you’ve left it, I’ll make sure to not support this place anymore.” she said as she smile with the pure truth in her eyes.

“…”

As the old lady drove off in a black limousine, Cecil went and opened the letter on his hands.

“…Hmm, same old same old…I’ll give this to the old man later after I’m done dealing with it.”

He then jumps off from the ground and unto the place where the letter had a certain request made.

[In request to the Black Rose Guild, we are asking for assistance towards completing an A-rank dungeon. Please head to the location written in the back of the paper as it will tell you everything you need to know for the conquest.

Yours truly, The Hunter’s Association.]