378. The Time Shifter Who Flew Away.

WARNING!

The story contains graphic depictions of violence, sexuality, strong language, and/or other mature themes.

[The Demon's God Pursuit: Arc 17]

Once upon a time, on Planet Earth, a young girl was born; the story goes that her identity was never adequately clarified, but she was effectively known as the 'Holy Light.'

Her title depicted the real life of one's planet. Humankind did not know the Dimensions that had appeared alongside her birth, only of the Spirits that had been destroyed or disappeared.

The woman... The Holy Light, the heir of all the inhabitants, was not born alone. The arrival of the Demon God, whose name was Rez, caused anarchy, and humanity was on the brink of extinction.

Humans terrified him because of his recklessness and hunger for blood, and Demons started to manifest all over the Earth and The World of Zero, alongside alternate races such as The Inner Fiends, The Shades, Wraiths, and Spirits.

To combat the challenge, a new breed of people has awakened, the 'Spiritual Duelists' and 'Substitute-Duelists,' who have been dubbed the "First Army to Face Evil."

With their Legendary Weapons, the Ginken. This swarm of humans increased the world's cleanliness to the greatest extent possible, overwhelming the Demons of various grades and placing their survival at risk.

But, after several years of waiting, the 'Holy Light' gave birth to a human child, a girl of theoretically greater worth than Zero herself, but unlikely to become the next 'Holy Light,' their Goddess gave the girl to a friendly family, and since her mother needed to participate in protecting the divinity, the girl's memories were wiped.

But there is another royalty trapped within the shadows that have been concealed for millennia, even longer than the birth of a Demon...

The only one who has beaten the 'Holy Light's own is the Fiend Lord. Its lurkers will undoubtedly be wiped out, and the newfound foe will ready the battlefield...

- Yashikami City, Friday, 10:08 am -

When Ayuka got surprised and was about to be killed by the sword, someone intervened.

"Codey?" When he raised his boomerangs to block the strike, she was taken aback. "What are you doing?!" Concerned, she enquired.

"I'm just repaying my debt from the last time you rescued me; there's no reason to thank me!" Tsuneo was knocked out into the air, balanced a backflip, then landed on the floor as his eyes got upset, so Codey swirled with his boomerangs.

"What a nuisance... Can't people just stay out of it? It'd be more fascinating if she'd been murdered..." When spitting on the cement, Tsuneo claimed, holding his sword.

"... She saved me in the past, and I think now is the ideal time to repay my debt..." Codey spoke after his wound from the sword was healed from being stabbed while defending.

"... You're crazy... I did so because you were on the verge of death... You didn't have to injure your arm in order to shield me-" Codey, on the other hand, immediately turned around. "Did you forget? What about Tim?" She became perplexed at that stage. "I did so to honor his vow and repay my debt... Now, before you hurl insults at me, I think you should take a break; I'll deal with him!" Codey spoke up, stretching both of his arms apart.

"...." Tsuneo spoke and breathed until Ayuka acknowledged it. "So, I think it's time for me to flee... I'll see you later." Tsuneo made a peace sign with his fingers and vanished while everyone froze on the spot, despite Codey's best efforts to save him from the boomerang. "You have to be kidding me!" Codey screamed angrily, exhaling a warm breath.

"I have no idea where he goes! If I knew where he was, I'd go after him!" Elliot grumbled as he dropped to the floor on the outside.

When she looked at her blade's tip, Ayuka seemed to be sad, and her clothing dissipated within white sparkles, as her sword vanished and her casual outfit appeared.

"... Damn .. Again I've let someone escape, yet again..." Everyone was staring at Ayuka as she spoke. "... In these few years, we haven't yet been able to combat one villain... Either they died as a result of their disease, or they escaped... I'm so uneasy about allowing such a terrible danger to flee..." Ayuka spoke up, but she then discovered that Codey had straightened up and spun the boomerangs, which scattered.

"You don't have to be concerned with that... I'm certain we'll be fine... and this isn't the end of him..." Codey spoke up, ashamed.

- Yashikami City, Friday, 12:10 pm -

Shin stood in front of everybody, arms crossed, seeing if everyone in front of him seemed irritated or angry.

"What's the story? You really haven't given up, have you?" Shin was perplexed, staring at them with curiosity. "What exactly do you mean, "giving up?" What are our options... We're out of options, and we still haven't found Tim or someone else who can rescue us..." Codey coughed as he sighed while gripping his right shoulder.

"Tsuneo has not yet vanished. He'll be back... Don't be concerned..." Shin sighed as Eva reached for her suitcase. "I will be able to secure a venue... However, it is not certain that he will be there..." Codey and the others were looking at the time. "Do you mean it?" Eva then listed VDA after confirmation. "Virtual Navigation App..." I found his profile, so if he has any contacts with the Zero Watch, I'm confident we'll be on the right track... But, in order to do so, I think we should first plan..." Eva spoke up, and everyone appeared to be listening.

"What exactly do you mean?" Kylin was questioned. "How long will it take?" Sakami elaborated. "For one year..." everyone was taken aback. "Are you serious? And for so long?" Codey took a deep breath and gulped.

"The longer we wait, the less and less he'll expect us..." When Codey was noticing filling lines, he spoke to Eva while rising the report. "If you're here to agree, just fill out this paper..." When they were reading it, Eva claimed it. "It's a solid filler that could keep us at our most alert." She calmly explained while helping them to read the contract.

"We may as well stick to the schedule..." Looking at it, Ayuka said. "I'm confident you'd be ready... Who knows, if Tsuneo is the next 'Time Shifting' wielder, we may also be able to revive the fallen Gods..." Codey said, bonking his cheek.

"Why would we do anything like that?" Elliot inquired, perplexed. "If we can resurrect them, I'm certain we'll have a stronger chance of beating him, because who knows how many of his subordinates or slaves he has... Kin may be one of them..." Added Codey, though everybody else thought the same way.

"Maybe you're right... I believe we can..." And after Kylin verified it, everyone else followed suit. "We'll need as much heat as we can get... If the VDA alternative doesn't work, we'll probably be able to find him faster..." All nodded with a grin in response to Eva's words. "You have it... Then give me the deal." Codey said.

- Hidomari City, Friday, 12:20 pm -

Tsuneo had emerged from the entrance, surrounded by an army of people who knelt before him on both sides, left and right.

"Tsuneo, sir! We're delighted to see you!" Tsuneo managed to stroll around as a duelist was summoned. "Where has Kin gone?" Tsuneo wondered as he looked at them.

"He's currently waiting for you in the main room, and he's brought a lady, Manami, I believe her name was... She's gathered more information on the enemies as well as the God's erasure..." One of the men explained. "Yes, I see... Be sure to let him know I'm on my way."

"Sir, indeed! And here's another bit of information... The lady seems to have seen the 'Half-Demon' a couple of years before. She was able to obtain information concerning his unusual bloodline, which she referred to as an 'Unholy Bloodline,' I guess." Tsuneo was astounded by it. "Interesting... Now, dispatch, understandable." When he reached the next room and walked past Kin and the kidnapped lady, he dispatched the armies with it.

When he stood on the throne and leaned against it, he smiled at her. "Would you mind posting me as many specifics as you can?" Tsuneo pondered, his left cheek supported by a leaned hand. "Tsuneo... The lady is silent... Whatever we do, she isn't going to say anything..." Kneeling before him, Kin claimed. "If that's the case, we'll all have to work harder..." Manami grew afraid as she hoped to keep her secrets hidden.

- Gyuma City, Friday, 8:30 pm -

Tim seemed to be staring at a cream as he picked it up.

"I'd be surprised if this saves the wound..." Tim spoke up, and Risa agreed. "It is going to... Simply apply it to the injured areas... It's not a cream that would appear out of nowhere..." She sighed as she spoke, but when Tim undressed his top, he spilled it onto his back cut, feeling strange.

"Please allow me to assist..." Tim was unable to achieve that point. Risa assisted him although he seemed unimpressed. "Many thanks..."

"So, what are your plans after you finish your training?" When swiping the cream over his back, she wondered. "I'm not sure yet... I guess I'll have to make a decision later..." Tim spoke while repairing his hair and seeing that one of his strands had already turned dark.

"... I'm going to have to redye my hair again..." Tim said as he yanked on his black hair. "What's the big deal with black hair?" Risa wondered as she looked past his left shoulder. "Apart from that, I thought you said your natural hair color was black... I'm sure it was a lie, but why was it a lie?" As Tim sighed, she thought.

"As I previously said... I'm not sure... Those were my adolescent years..." When scratching his hair with his hands, he asserted. "So that's what there is to it? You can be difficult to comprehend... First, you kill a number of innocent people for no apparent cause... You lied to your classmates when you were younger, and now you're claiming that it was all because of your adolescence..." She sighed as she spoke.

"That's likely exactly how I feel like behaving... There's no need to be this disgusting..." He spoke as he picked up the clothes after Risa stood aside to wash her hands with water due to the cream.

"I wouldn't consider wearing it just yet. The cream could become trapped, rendering the effect ineffective..." She added as she put the cream near the counter.

"I couldn't care less..." He spoke as he put on his jacket and walked toward the exit.

"So, where do you plan on going now?" She inquired, her gaze fixed on him. "It's not much... I'll be back; just notify Jomei and Ryozo that I'm here..." Tim spoke as he gave Risa one more glance. "... Well, that'll do..." When Tim stepped through the door when they closed, she talked after Tim caught the handle as the freezing breeze of the night gently flew in.

As he walked out, he looked out the window and saw that the snow had already started to fall and dominate the night.

"Snow... once more..." Tim went down the stairs with it as the cars passed by.

His body was a little wobbly with his arms in his pockets, but he managed to walk along the icy highways, passing several pedestrians. And the city's lights began to look forward in all their glory.

("Universal Flame... Is this a power that only I have? Tsch... I never used to be looking for anything like this... It's yet another extension, the wealth of which revolves around my own body. I don't see any specialties in this capacity, but if I have to keep it... I might as well think about it ")

He kept walking on, the snow falling on his hair and the sidewalks...

To be continued...