[At the Metro Innovate dumpsite]
“Again,” Ying commanded.
Derrick nodded his head in confirmation. Once again, he stabilized the undulating waves of spirituality inside of his body, which made his muscles go limp.
Visualize it…the flow of a gentle river…and then..!
Just before the moment of impact, he tightened his muscles to their limit. The condensed spirit energy released from his fist tore through the air and let out a deafening boom. The explosion was enough to near blow Derrick back as well.
Ying, with neither an impressed nor disappointed expression, examined Derrick. “Hm, not bad, I suppose, but you’re still forcing it.”
“Huh?!”
“Just come here, brat. Let me show you something.” He raised his right hand and showed Derrick his open palm. “Do it again, but hit my hand this time, right in the center.”
“O-Okay..?” Despite Derrick’s clear confusion, he placed his trust in Ying as a teacher and followed his instructions dutifully. “Alright…let’s try it again.”
Derrick repeated the visualization, relaxation, and constricting process and landed a solid blow at Ying’s right hand. The explosion was even sharper and more devastating than before. That had to have worked! I could feel his hand as clear as day!
However, Derrick’s delusions would immediately dispel as Ying’s right hand was seemingly undamaged by the attack. “What?! Why didn’t it do anything? I swear I hit you!”
Ying said with a poised look, “You’re right, you did hit me, but most of the energy dispersed before it reached me.”
“Ah…is my spirit control not refined enough?”
“No, that ain’t your issue kid. It’s something incredibly basic. The real answer is that you simply don’t have good form.”
Derrick felt a bit embarrassed at Ying’s words, but he held his tongue anyway.
“When you punch, you’re brute forcing the motion by only using your arm and shoulder muscles. It’s inefficient.” Ying got into his own fighting stance and faced a small construction machine as he continued to explain the basics of form. “Instead, you want to use your back muscles in order to stabilize and strengthen your strikes. Straighten your back and twist your hips with the explosiveness of a whip, and then…”
Ying struck the small dump truck with a precise, yet powerful punch. The attack seemed almost instantaneous, as though he had transformed his body into air, yet it could demolish the dump truck with ease! Even six-thousand pounds of steel, something that seemed nearly indestructible in the human world, was torn apart like paper.
This world is really insane, Derrick thought.
“See that? Stop neglecting your supporting muscle groups and you’ll be able to draw out even greater strength.”
“Yessir!”
Startled by the sudden brightness, Derrick paused mid-exercise, his breath catching in his throat as he reached into his pocket and retrieved the talisman. Its surface shimmered with a common incantation.
Ah, that must be Slyvia. I’ve been awaiting her report for quite a while.
Derrick answered the call, his pulse quickening with anticipation. "Hello?"
"Derrick, this is Sylvia speaking," came the urgent voice on the other end. "We've got an interesting development in North Borough."
North Borough…isn’t that where Campbell is? “What’s happening over there?”
“We’ve found Reed Rowley and Callos. They are currently holed up in the Tristan Bank. The police have the entire area on lockdown with a set of barrier-users and spirit disrupters. We can’t get any closer than fifty meters without being detected.”
Derrick's heart skipped a beat at Sylvia's words. Reed Rowley and Callos—the notorious duo whose exploits had sent shockwaves through the city—holed up in the Tristan Bank in North Borough. It was an integral moment in his plan.
Derrick paused for a moment and analyzed the situation. A reinforced barrier coupled with spirit disrupters? Just what did those two do to warrant such drastic measures. If we’re lucky, they’ll be captured and the issue will be resolved. They could potentially stop the Devil’s Parade right now.
After a short moment of contemplation, Slyvia continued the conversation. “Say, Derrick, I mean no disrespect, but why are you interested in pursuing Reed Rowley? As we are now, we’re just a small-time group with zero wealth, connections, or power. Just what do you plan on doing with all of this?”
Derrick spoke in a jovial tone, “Oh that? Our mission was never to catch Reed Rowley in the first place.”
“...?!”
“It’s as you said. The police are far more equipped at dealing with such issues themselves. I’m not interested in playing God.”
“Then what is this for? Is it all for the sake of that world?”
Damn…I forgot that I told her I was an Outworlder… “Yes, I’m trying to return home. However, that isn’t the only thing motivating me…”
“Then what is it?”
Derrick let out a sigh and said, “I want to save the people of this world as well.”
Sylvia laughed and said, “What an unreasonable dream.”
“Ever since I’ve arrived in the city, I learned all too well that the powerless were murdered with impunity while the strong abuse their power. It pisses me off, that’s all. Call me spiteful, but I can’t shut my eyes and ignore their pain.”
Sylvia’s tone became deeper with a more serious inflection. “Isn’t there something you’re missing here?”
“What would that be?”
“What if that happy ending you envision never comes true? You can’t forget that there is a very real possibility that you don’t get home, and you don’t save anyone. The fact that you’re assuming you’ll get a happy ending is absurd.” As much as she hated to admit it, Sylvia was speaking from experience.
“I’m willing to accept that risk if it means I can save just one more person.”
Slyvia couldn’t help but smile at such an absurd sentence. I really am unlucky. That reckless optimism and heroic attitude…He’s just like you, Epsilon. Perhaps that’s why I’m indulging Derrick as well, to live out our dreams vicariously through him.
I’m one horrible adult…
“Alright. Thank you for clarifying the issue. We’ll keep watch of the situation from here and continue the regular updates.”
“I’ll be looking forward to it.”
The luminous glow faded from the talisman, signaling the end of the call.
Derrick let out a long sigh and confided in his mentor, Ying. “Ahhh~ Being the leader is stressful!”
“Did you two discuss anything unexpected?”
“No, it’s nothing. Honestly, I expected such a reaction. I can’t expect any of you to trust me so easily.”
“Maybe it’s the other way around. I don’t get how you can trust us so easily. It’s not like any of us are good people to begin with. We’re just rejects abandoned by society.”
Derrick laughed, “Then I’d fit right in!”
Although he wanted to suppress his emotions, Ying couldn’t help but smirk at the sly comment. “I suppose you’re right.”
In a sudden maneuver, Derrick quickly changed the topic of the conversation. “Well, regardless of all that, there is still something that has been on my mind…”
“Hm?”
“What are Testament's motivations behind these attacks? No, that’s not it…perhaps the better question to ask would be, “are Reed Rowley’s motivations tied to Testament?” I just don’t see what they gain from making such a bold move.”
Ying placed his thumb and pointer finger on his chin as thought through the question. “To go on a bombing-spree in broad daylight and cause a city-wide panic is completely insane, even for Testament or Naraka. They may be powerful gangs, but all it takes is the snap of the President’s fingers to exterminate them. If those two are caught, then the President will have no choice but to send the national guard to the city to exterminate Testament. Hell, they may even destroy the entirety of The Hole.”
“Then just what does Testament want? What could they possibly gain from this?”
Suddenly, an epiphany descended upon Ying. “Wait a sec’...why are we assuming that the motivations of the terrorists and Testament are one in the same?”
“...?”
“Do you remember your first mission? After we retrieved the pages of King Gordou’s notes, Callos’ personality took a complete one-eighty. From remorseful, to angry, to uncaring. He is clearly an extremely unstable individual. For all we know, this entire bombing incident could just be one of his manic episodes. A slaughter without any rhyme or reason at all.”
The very thought of such a thing troubled him; the thought of human life being snuffed out without any sense of reason or remorse, but it fit Callos’ character to a T.
“It may be without rhyme or reason…but I feel like this isn’t a random occurrence. I’m getting a terrible feeling from all this…like this is all heading towards a far greater catastrophe than we can imagine.”
It’s the Devil’s Parade. I don’t have any solid proof, but I know it’s coming soon. Honestly…this is all kind of exciting. In an insane world filled with magic and monsters, the annals of history are roaring in an unfathomable manner.
That’s why, as a person far removed from this world’s history, I’ll fight against my fate and return to the place where I belong; I will return to Earth.
[At the Metro Innovate dumpsite]
“Again,” Ying commanded.
Derrick nodded his head in confirmation. Once again, he stabilized the undulating waves of spirituality inside of his body, which made his muscles go limp.
Visualize it…the flow of a gentle river…and then..!
Just before the moment of impact, he tightened his muscles to their limit. The condensed spirit energy released from his fist tore through the air and let out a deafening boom. The explosion was enough to near blow Derrick back as well.
Ying, with neither an impressed nor disappointed expression, examined Derrick. “Hm, not bad, I suppose, but you’re still forcing it.”
“Huh?!”
“Just come here, brat. Let me show you something.” He raised his right hand and showed Derrick his open palm. “Do it again, but hit my hand this time, right in the center.”
“O-Okay..?” Despite Derrick’s clear confusion, he placed his trust in Ying as a teacher and followed his instructions dutifully. “Alright…let’s try it again.”
Derrick repeated the visualization, relaxation, and constricting process and landed a solid blow at Ying’s right hand. The explosion was even sharper and more devastating than before. That had to have worked! I could feel his hand as clear as day!
However, Derrick’s delusions would immediately dispel as Ying’s right hand was seemingly undamaged by the attack. “What?! Why didn’t it do anything? I swear I hit you!”
Ying said with a poised look, “You’re right, you did hit me, but most of the energy dispersed before it reached me.”
“Ah…is my spirit control not refined enough?”
“No, that ain’t your issue kid. It’s something incredibly basic. The real answer is that you simply don’t have good form.”
Derrick felt a bit embarrassed at Ying’s words, but he held his tongue anyway.
“When you punch, you’re brute forcing the motion by only using your arm and shoulder muscles. It’s inefficient.” Ying got into his own fighting stance and faced a small construction machine as he continued to explain the basics of form. “Instead, you want to use your back muscles in order to stabilize and strengthen your strikes. Straighten your back and twist your hips with the explosiveness of a whip, and then…”
Ying struck the small dump truck with a precise, yet powerful punch. The attack seemed almost instantaneous, as though he had transformed his body into air, yet it could demolish the dump truck with ease! Even six-thousand pounds of steel, something that seemed nearly indestructible in the human world, was torn apart like paper.
This world is really insane, Derrick thought.
“See that? Stop neglecting your supporting muscle groups and you’ll be able to draw out even greater strength.”
“Yessir!”
Startled by the sudden brightness, Derrick paused mid-exercise, his breath catching in his throat as he reached into his pocket and retrieved the talisman. Its surface shimmered with a common incantation.
Ah, that must be Slyvia. I’ve been awaiting her report for quite a while.
Derrick answered the call, his pulse quickening with anticipation. "Hello?"
"Derrick, this is Sylvia speaking," came the urgent voice on the other end. "We've got an interesting development in North Borough."
North Borough…isn’t that where Campbell is? “What’s happening over there?”
“We’ve found Reed Rowley and Callos. They are currently holed up in the Tristan Bank. The police have the entire area on lockdown with a set of barrier-users and spirit disrupters. We can’t get any closer than fifty meters without being detected.”
Derrick's heart skipped a beat at Sylvia's words. Reed Rowley and Callos—the notorious duo whose exploits had sent shockwaves through the city—holed up in the Tristan Bank in North Borough. It was an integral moment in his plan.
Derrick paused for a moment and analyzed the situation. A reinforced barrier coupled with spirit disrupters? Just what did those two do to warrant such drastic measures. If we’re lucky, they’ll be captured and the issue will be resolved. They could potentially stop the Devil’s Parade right now.
After a short moment of contemplation, Slyvia continued the conversation. “Say, Derrick, I mean no disrespect, but why are you interested in pursuing Reed Rowley? As we are now, we’re just a small-time group with zero wealth, connections, or power. Just what do you plan on doing with all of this?”
Derrick spoke in a jovial tone, “Oh that? Our mission was never to catch Reed Rowley in the first place.”
“...?!”
“It’s as you said. The police are far more equipped at dealing with such issues themselves. I’m not interested in playing God.”
“Then what is this for? Is it all for the sake of that world?”
Damn…I forgot that I told her I was an Outworlder… “Yes, I’m trying to return home. However, that isn’t the only thing motivating me…”
“Then what is it?”
Derrick let out a sigh and said, “I want to save the people of this world as well.”
Sylvia laughed and said, “What an unreasonable dream.”
“Ever since I’ve arrived in the city, I learned all too well that the powerless were murdered with impunity while the strong abuse their power. It pisses me off, that’s all. Call me spiteful, but I can’t shut my eyes and ignore their pain.”
Sylvia’s tone became deeper with a more serious inflection. “Isn’t there something you’re missing here?”
“What would that be?”
“What if that happy ending you envision never comes true? You can’t forget that there is a very real possibility that you don’t get home, and you don’t save anyone. The fact that you’re assuming you’ll get a happy ending is absurd.” As much as she hated to admit it, Sylvia was speaking from experience.
“I’m willing to accept that risk if it means I can save just one more person.”
Slyvia couldn’t help but smile at such an absurd sentence. I really am unlucky. That reckless optimism and heroic attitude…He’s just like you, Epsilon. Perhaps that’s why I’m indulging Derrick as well, to live out our dreams vicariously through him.
I’m one horrible adult…
“Alright. Thank you for clarifying the issue. We’ll keep watch of the situation from here and continue the regular updates.”
“I’ll be looking forward to it.”
The luminous glow faded from the talisman, signaling the end of the call.
Derrick let out a long sigh and confided in his mentor, Ying. “Ahhh~ Being the leader is stressful!”
“Did you two discuss anything unexpected?”
“No, it’s nothing. Honestly, I expected such a reaction. I can’t expect any of you to trust me so easily.”
“Maybe it’s the other way around. I don’t get how you can trust us so easily. It’s not like any of us are good people to begin with. We’re just rejects abandoned by society.”
Derrick laughed, “Then I’d fit right in!”
Although he wanted to suppress his emotions, Ying couldn’t help but smirk at the sly comment. “I suppose you’re right.”
In a sudden maneuver, Derrick quickly changed the topic of the conversation. “Well, regardless of all that, there is still something that has been on my mind…”
“Hm?”
“What are Testament's motivations behind these attacks? No, that’s not it…perhaps the better question to ask would be, “are Reed Rowley’s motivations tied to Testament?” I just don’t see what they gain from making such a bold move.”
Ying placed his thumb and pointer finger on his chin as thought through the question. “To go on a bombing-spree in broad daylight and cause a city-wide panic is completely insane, even for Testament or Naraka. They may be powerful gangs, but all it takes is the snap of the President’s fingers to exterminate them. If those two are caught, then the President will have no choice but to send the national guard to the city to exterminate Testament. Hell, they may even destroy the entirety of The Hole.”
“Then just what does Testament want? What could they possibly gain from this?”
Suddenly, an epiphany descended upon Ying. “Wait a sec’...why are we assuming that the motivations of the terrorists and Testament are one in the same?”
“...?”
“Do you remember your first mission? After we retrieved the pages of King Gordou’s notes, Callos’ personality took a complete one-eighty. From remorseful, to angry, to uncaring. He is clearly an extremely unstable individual. For all we know, this entire bombing incident could just be one of his manic episodes. A slaughter without any rhyme or reason at all.”
The very thought of such a thing troubled him; the thought of human life being snuffed out without any sense of reason or remorse, but it fit Callos’ character to a T.
“It may be without rhyme or reason…but I feel like this isn’t a random occurrence. I’m getting a terrible feeling from all this…like this is all heading towards a far greater catastrophe than we can imagine.”
It’s the Devil’s Parade. I don’t have any solid proof, but I know it’s coming soon. Honestly…this is all kind of exciting. In an insane world filled with magic and monsters, the annals of history are roaring in an unfathomable manner.
That’s why, as a person far removed from this world’s history, I’ll fight against my fate and return to the place where I belong; I will return to Earth.
