91 – Story.
“…How am I still alive?”
Even though the ‘star’ replaced his heart, coming back to life after experiencing death was truly miraculous.
He knew well that being grateful and leading a peaceful life in the second chance given to him was wise.
His life was not just his alone but also intertwined with his beloved wife and daughter’s lives.
Yes, William Betelgeuse understood that.
It might be time to share more affectionate words and looks with his wife, who had recently improved, and spend cherished moments with his daughter, whom he hadn’t played with since elementary school.
It would have been wonderful to hold his daughter’s hand and go on an outing rather than walking towards his fate.
Spending happy times with his precious family was undoubtedly the right choice, even after contemplating it hundreds of times.
But knowing all that, William left his comfort to correct past mistakes.
Sense of justice and stubbornness.
With a balanced contemplation between the two, he arrived in a distant land.
A country of memories with his wife and a place where he faced nightmares of monsters.
Though his instinctive fear flared up due to the past heartbreak, William recalled.
“You dare to seal me?”
After years of mental haze, the image and power of the monster he faced that day were vivid like last night.
He had fought numerous demons and villains, but there was no opponent as overwhelming as the monster he encountered that day.
That monster was dangerous.
So powerful that it seemed impossible no one had ever known of its existence.
It was a creature capable of unleashing a devouring storm across an entire city in an instant.
The ability itself was dangerous, but the capacity to utilize it was on a different level from that of a mere magician or exorcist.
Recalling that moment, William’s heart screamed, even as he had a gut feeling.
If more time passed from now on, Eris, living in Japan, of course, and a much larger threat to the entire world would approach.
…He had to find it before that guy appeared.
Perhaps he had gone mad with fear.
He might have lost his reason and intelligence due to the first defeat he had ever experienced in his life.
But William decided to trust his intuition and the story told by the ‘star’ he had once possessed.
Once broken, he believed in the story of his heart reconstructed through the fragments of the star.
He had to prepare for that monster.
So William Betelgeuse arrived in Japan and walked around the streets where he had faced the monster years ago to accurately retrace his memories.
“…Ah.”
Was it because several years had already passed?
The city seemed peaceful, as if no monster disguised as a human had appeared since that day.
People were bustling without any signs of destruction.
Well, it was the same that day too.
Disaster struck without warning. One such painful failure was enough.
He resolved to prepare for the disaster.
Therefore, William Betelgeuse began to investigate the current state of exorcists and yokai ecology in Japan.
While conducting his own research, he also consulted with local exorcists.
The exorcist who had appeared in recent years and was described by his daughter as ‘the strongest person,’ Ichimaru Shiki.
The White Yasha, Ichimaru Shiki.
Despite being the same age as his daughter, she was quite renowned in the Japanese exorcism world.
Already on the recruitment list, and with Eris’s recommendation overlapping, there was no reason not to meet her.
His mage-like curiosity existed, and it was under the guise of seeking allies for future battles.
“…But I never expected it to be to this extent.”
William Betelgeuse secretly scrutinized the young man before him, feeling somewhat disappointed.
A man with a smiling face reminiscent of a snake and a subtly sinister atmosphere.
At first, he thought his diminished perception was due to the disappearance of the star, but it was indeed no mistake.
“I can’t sense any magic power.”
If it weren’t for Eris and her arrival, he wouldn’t have even known he was an exorcist.
Was he a sorcerer specialized in covert operations?
If not that, then…
“…Is the disparity so great that I can’t even peek?”
The middle-aged man, listening to the industry situation, scanned the young exorcist in front of him, forgetting his initial purpose.
Eris, the man’s daughter, was disgusted by her father’s behavior and had left the café long ago, but oddly enough, she was comfortable discussing business.
Just listening to the current state of the Japanese exorcist family and the recent movements of yokai over the past few years easily passed several hours.
“hehehehe, the Seihei family I belong to, known for their culinary skills, are not only exceptionally talented but also quite open-minded to welcome a magician like yourself, right? Please visit our mansion soon!”
“Oh, is that so?”
“Yes, yes, you won’t regret it!”
“…Ah, I see.”
William Betelgeuse was captivated as he listened to Ichimaru Shiki’s story.
This young man not only knew the ins and outs of the industry but also had a way of making conversation enjoyable.
Unconsciously, he found himself arranging a visit to the Sehey Mansion.
“Could it be that the daughter has fallen for this guy’s charm?”
As a doting father, a fleeting ominous thought crossed his mind, but apart from that, the young man before him left a great impression.
“Hmm. Miss Eris, I hear you get along very well with your classmates, even though you grumble.”
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“Oh, yes. I’m grateful.”
For some reason, he felt like he was having a parent-teacher conference.
When he came to his senses, he realized he was not hearing about ghost stories but about his daughter’s school life.
William observed the man in front of him, sipping his coffee with a puzzled feeling.
“He’s truly a mysterious fellow.”
Not just his hidden skills and way of speaking as an exorcist, but from the moment they met, his constantly twitching face gave him a sense of unease.
…As if they had met somewhere before.
The middle-aged gentleman, after a moment of contemplation, decided to ask the sociable young man directly.
With a pleasant smile, William Betelgeuse asked the man who was also smiling, “….Forgive me for asking late, but have we ever met separately before?”
A sense of unease.
The magician’s intuition whispered that they might have crossed paths in an unrecognized past.
I must surely know this guy.
After casually uttering those words, William’s pupils gradually sharpened.
“Oh, I see.”
The man before him, Ichimaru Shiki, maintained a friendly smile and nodded.
“Perhaps it’s due to the fusion with the stars. You still remember. It’s quite troublesome. I didn’t want to resort to force against a friend of a friend.”
“…What are you talking about-“
As William felt a tingling sensation in his mind, he retraced his memory to recall when he had seen the man in front of him.
And then it struck him.
A child who ran barefoot through the streets to save loved ones.
In the moment William’s eyes widened, the man with a smile asked, “Are you still bound by that memory? Was it your role to protect us that day?”
“…That’s an obvious thing to-!”
“No.”
The young man, who had both excellent speaking skills and respect for elders, interrupted William for the first time.
Five years of William being asleep.
The man who still honored that day with a smile replied, “It’s been a long time since the jurisdiction changed. William Betelgeuse, you are no longer involved in that day’s events. You don’t need to worry or feel impatient.”
William Betelgeuse suddenly recognized the man’s finger pointing at his forehead.
The middle-aged gentleman, now astonished for a different reason, widened his eyes.
“You just need to live happily with your daughter.”
Ichimaru Shiki, with pure intentions, pulled the trigger.
The scene unfolded in an instant.
“Distortion, Soul’s Alcohol.”
***
Hwoong─hwoong─
The blade fiercely sliced through the air.
With no suitable opponent in sight, Kenichi only cut through the black emptiness, at times heavily, at times swiftly, maintaining his unique swordsmanship.
Since receiving autonomous training, Kenichi had been continuously swinging his sword.
How many times had he repeated it?
As the sensation of the sword and his two arms gradually merged, Kenichi suddenly stopped his movements.
It was because a visitor had arrived.
With a gruff expression, Kenichi addressed Ichimaru Shiki, who had somehow leaned against one side of the wall.
“What took you so long?”
“hehehe, thanks to the great understanding between your father and me, we quickly wrapped things up like exchanging pleasantries!”
“…Is that a good thing?”
Kenichi hesitated for a moment, then seemed to shrug it off and waved his sword as if to say it was fine.
“Well, you seemed to handle it skillfully. So, since we finished quickly, how about a match?”
“No, as I mentioned, today is autonomous training, right? hehehe, Kenichi, I hope you won’t make me a liar.”
“…Unbelievable.”
Grumbling, Kenichi released the cross-shaped magic sword as if deflating, turned it into a necklace, and hung it around his neck.
The orange-haired boy shrugged and asked his doomed master once more.
“Does that mean I get a break after a long time? Since it’s autonomous training, you won’t hold me back, right?”
“hehehehe, it seems like you want to be held back.”
“No, not at all.”
If not held back this time, I really have to escape.
Just as he had resolved, the annoying voice of his master reached Kenichi’s ears.
“Kenichi.”
“…Yes?”
“Sit down, I have something to tell you.”
…”
The warrior inwardly grumbled about who the wise and honest master was supposed to be.
Of course, he obediently moved and sat down in the courtyard.
The man with silver eyes spoke with a smiling face.
“What I’m about to tell you is about your destiny.”