9 Parole

April 7, Year 2058...

While Kimiko was taking her exam, her mother, Arisu Katashi was traveling to the north of japan to the prison where Kenji was sent to.

5 hours after they left...

"H-headmaster, are you sure it's safe to get your son in this aircraft?"

A woman asked Arisu.

"What do you think he's going to do? Kill us? My son wouldn't do that."

"But don't you remember what he did to that gu-"

"Huh? Are you saying that guy was innocent?"

"Umm, n-no..."

"That's what I thought. Kenji won't do anything as long as I'm watching. After all, he's being paroled."

Kenji was paroled after serving 1 year and 5 months of a 3-year sentence. He was released early for two reasons. One, because of good behavior and two, because even if he was in prison, he still graduated from junior high through another method and he's already skipped his first year of school. Now he needs to repeat it.

Then they landed in front of the prison and entered.

***

Meanwhile...

"Hey, Kenji! Get up, you're being released early."

Kenji got up from his bed and swept his hair back. After a year, his hair hadn't grown much, but it reached up to his shoulder.

"Ahh, finally, now I can go home and cut my hair."

"Shut up, you could've done it here!"

"Meh."

As Kenji was being led to the reception area, the other prisoners waved at him.

"Aye, you going already Kenji?"

"Yep."

"Have a nice day Kenji."

"You too."

The reason why Kenji was being released early was that he kept everybody in check. They don't know how he did it, but he did it.

As he got to the reception, he was given a black dress shirt, black slacks, and some black dress shoes. Then he was given his belongings, his silver ouroboros earring.

After he put it on the clothes, he questioned them.

"Why did I get such formal clothes?"

"Ask Ms. Arisu."

"Of course, my mother always makes me wear formal clothes."

As he got released. He met his mother outside.

When the two met eyes, there was a long silence between them.

"U-umm..."

The woman who was with Arisu tried talking, but all he did was stutter.

"So, how's Kimiko doing?"

"She's doing alright."

"That's all I needed to hear."

Kenji walked past her and entered the aircraft. Arisu nodded and entered after him.

As the aircraft lifted off, Arisu began talking.

"So how was prison?"

"Hmm, cozier than I expected. Everybody was pretty nice."

"Mhm."

"Umm..."

"Look, if you're going to talk, then talk!"

Arisu yelled at the woman. The woman yelped and dropped some papers.

"U-uhh..."

"Now, now, mother. No need to be so hostile."

"Tch, all this useless assistant does is whimper and cry."

Her assistant winced.

"So, are those papers the test that I have to take?"

"Umm, yes."

"I guess I can take it now. After all, I won't be able to take the test for strength and agility on this plane."

"Don't worry, you won't need to do those. After all, you'd probably ace them with ease."

"Huh? But I want to fail."

After he said that there was a long pause.

"Your reason?"

"Well, I don't like getting all the attention so why not give it to someone else?"

"Are you joking?"

"Yeah."

Kenji smiled as he hummed. Arisu shook her head and sighed. Kenji wanted to deliberately fail, so he doesn't attract any unwanted attention. But Arisu was one step ahead of him. She knew that Kenji was going to try to fail, so she resorted to this.

"If you don't get perfect marks, you won't be in the same class as Kimiko."

Right as she said that, Kenji stopped his humming. Then he took the paper from her assistant and started scribbling the answers. After he finished and Arisu looked over it, all his answers were correct.

"Good. Now for the mana test and the potential test."

"Mana and potential?"

"Yes. Don't think you can trick me, I saw you use high-tier space magic in the backyard."

"Damn, I knew someone saw me. Fine."

"Martha, get the machines."

"Yes."

Martha began searching through her bag and pulled out two machines. One of them was to measure mana, and the other was to measure one's potential.

"Which one first?"

"Both."

Kenji placed his hands on both and they began shaking. An intense aura filled up the aircraft. It was so intoxicating that even Arisu began coughing. After a few seconds, both machines stopped and the letter "S" appeared on both of them.

"Happy?"

He said as he glanced at Arisu. She nodded and took deep breaths.

"So, can I see my sister now? I want to see how much she's grown."

"You can, just not today."

"Why?"

"Because I'll have to show you your new dorm."

"...what?"

***

5 hours later...

Kenji was brought to an apartment complex 10 streets away from the National Magic Virtue Institute.

"Why...?"

"Why what?"

"Why am I living so far away from Kimiko?"

Kenji was crying inside. He was expecting a warm welcome from his sister but instead he gets this.

"Is there a problem? Don't worry, the rent is cheap. About 50 thousand yen."

`50 thousand yen is a lot... I don't even have enough money...`

Kenji thought inside. He doesn't even have money in his credit card anymore after buying that expensive ring for his sister.

"Is..."

"Hmm?"

"Is Kimiko still wearing that ring I gave her?"

"Of course she is, it's the only thing that reminds her of you."

"Well then, I have no regrets."

Kenji said as he smiled while shedding a single tear.

"Anyway, here is your uniform."

Kenji was given a suitcase. He opened it, and inside was a white uniform and an insignia in the shape of a snake.

"What's with the snake badge?"

"Hmm? Don't you like snakes? I thought they were your favorite."

"No, I meant, what is it?"

"It's the manifestation of your weapon. Say 'Unbind' and it'll become the weapon that suits you."

Kenji rubbed his chin.

`Weapon you say...`

"Unbind."

The insignia started glowing, and the badge formed a shape. It slowly became the shape of a weapon, but as in the process, it was interrupted by a restricted magic formation and was returned to its badge form.

"?"

"Maybe it's broken?"

"Yeah."

"Maybe I should-"

"No, it'll work later."

Kenji pocketed the insignia and took out the uniform. He thoroughly inspected every detail of the uniform. He noticed that there were two snakeheads hanging down the back of his jacket. Their tails slinking down the sleeves.

"Oh, that's custom made just for you."

Arisu said. Kenji nodded.

"I see. Well then, it's pretty late, isn't it?"

The light from the sun was fading into the horizon. It was past evening.

"Mother, don't you have business?"

"Yes I do, I'll pick you up tomorrow."

"Sure, see you tomorrow."

After she left, Kenji went inside his apartment which was on the second floor. His apartment was small, but it was enough for one person to live in. It had a bed and a table. How classic. He placed his suitcase down and then took out his insignia.

`There's a reason why the insignia won't become a weapon. That's because I already have one.`

Kenji opened the curtains and looked up at the sky. In his previous life as Diablo, he had made his own weapon, which he never used.

Kenji then thought of France and how it was overrun by magic beasts. Then, in an instant, he vanished.

A few seconds later, Kenji had appeared in front of the large tree.

"This is what happened after I died? Pretty... weird."

The tree looked sinister as it stretched up into the dark, tainted sky. Its branches were leaking with black goo.

"Ew, what is that smell?"

He looked around, and as he was wandering around, he later came upon what looked like a casket.

"Found it."

He opened the casket up and inside was not a corpse but a weapon wrapped around with a red cloth. As he took the red cloth off, the weapon was a rapier. Kenji unsheathed the sword slightly just so it was enough to look at a part of the blade.

"Very rusty... might have to remodel it later."

"Kekkekkekkek~"

A sinister cackle was heard from his rear. Kenji looked over his shoulder to see a figure cloaked in black mist holding a large broken pillar. Its red eyes glowed under the mist and it was looking directly at Kenji.

Pat-pat-pat~

It was slowly approaching Kenji while dragging the pillar along with it. While it looked menacing, it didn't affect Kenji.

"I have no time to deal with a pest like you."

Kenji said as he unsheathed his rapier and slashed the air.

For a second nothing happened, but then the figure let out a dying roar. It was then cut in half and then it dispersed in thin air.

Kenji sheathed his rapier and looked at the tree.

"It must've been one of those creatures that came from the tree. But magic beasts? It was more like a demon."

Then Kenji realized.

"Could this tree be... the Qliphoth?"

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