1 Prologue : Apparitions

(A/N: In the world of the occult, apparitions are the metaphysical manifestations of the anger, fears, and regrets of the dead. They are one of the many oddities that plague this world. Ever since the first apparition was known to man, the struggle between apparitions and men has been real and has not died down. In the early 20th century, one of the first worldwide associations was created: the WOA (World Occult Association). Almost five decades later, the OAN (Occult Association of Nippon) was established, along with other branches of the WOA in all the other world powers, including the Britannian Empire, Germania, Marianne Federation, and the N.U.S.S. The WOA is responsible for the apprehension, extermination, and control of oddities, while also granting a certain level of liberty to specified famous families and individuals who specialize in the occult and engage with these oddities.)

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Oshiro Kenji, a 19-year-old with black wavy hair that covers a portion of his left eye, lay severely injured in what seemed to be a dark void. Blood gushed out from several cut wounds scattered all over his body. He could barely see a thing as one of his eyes was completely swollen, and the other was obscured by the blood running down his forehead.

In the not-so-far distance, the one responsible for his injuries approached him steadily. It was an apparition. The humanoid creature stood at close to 8 ft tall, with dark blue skin and many exaggerated features such as its wide crimson eyes, bulky physique, and a sinister smile that reached from ear to ear.

Upon seeing the creature, Kenji crawled to his side so he could grab his weapon - a dark katana with several engravings on it.

Kenji laid his hands on his weapon and used it to support himself up. With his sword pointing towards the approaching danger, Kenji got into a stance as he watched the apparition draw nearer.

Regulating his breathing, Kenji looked into the wide crimson eyes of the apparition with a glint of anger in him. Kenji wasn't one to scheme or formulate plans during battles; heck, even thinking was too much pain for him. He always fought on instinct, which is why he had survived for so long despite all that he had been through.

Kenji gripped the hilt of his katana and planted his feet - he was going to strike first. Kenji expected to feel a surge of power from within him, but instead, what he felt was a sharp pain passing through his gut. Kenji looked down at his abdomen, where the pain originated, and he could see an enormous wound from which blood and organs threatened to escape.

Kenji wanted to scream at such a sight, but he couldn't due to the intense pain. A thought lingered in his mind, 'How did I not notice this earlier?' Kenji fell to his knees and groaned in pain. Except for that time when he nearly lost his arm, this was the most pain he had felt in a long time.

The apparition had now almost closed the gap, with only 12 meters of space between them. Kenji looked at the face of the apparition, which seemed to derive great pleasure from watching its prey suffer.

Kenji had been in many life and death situations and survived, so he didn't think he was going to die, at least not today.

More muffled laughter came from the apparition, and this made Kenji smile a bit. He forced himself to his feet and laughed lightly - he was going to kill this bastard for sure now.

Suddenly, Kenji heard a voice that made his heart drop.

"You keep struggling, why is that?"

It was a familiar voice, one that Kenji was well acquainted with.

"It would be much easier if you just gave up, don't you think?"

Yes, there was no mistaking that gentle but mysterious female voice. It had been quite a while since he heard her condescending words. Her being here spelled trouble for him.

"You have no family, no friends, and everyone who cares about you has been taken from you... And do you know why this is? It's because of your selfishness... You continue to fight even when you know you can't win. Humans such as yourself are truly pathetic.

Kenji suddenly felt limp, and the sores on his body began to sting as if the cuts had stretched a few inches. The energy Kenji thought he had seemed to disappear in an instant, and he knew exactly why.

Ever since Kenji first picked up a sword, ever since he started to fight, and ever since he sought revenge against the ones who took the lives of his loved ones, there was one who had always opposed him. She was his biggest weakness, his greatest flaw - Yuri.

Yuri's scornful words had always had a paralyzing effect on Kenji. She was the closest to breaking Kenji's will. The real enemy wasn't the apparition he sought to slay and take revenge on - no, it was her. She had made this clear from the beginning.

The apparition grinned as it noticed Kenji's current state and saw this as an opportunity to pounce. It grabbed the injured Kenji and put him in an arm lock before slowly squeezing down on him, breaking a few of his bones and ribs in the process.

Kenji was in unbearable pain. He had lost all his energy a while ago, and his body was a total wreck. Kenji's willpower had taken a significant hit thanks to Yuri's words. He could bet she was smiling from wherever she was.

'Is this the end... Do I really die here?' These were the thoughts going through Kenji's mind. Images began to flash before his eyes - memories. He relived a bunch of them in an instant.

'Ahh... Maybe it wasn't so bad after all.' Kenji was seconds away from letting go when he visited a certain memory. This memory was one he wasn't especially fond of. It was one that was filled with blood and gore, the type of memory that was said to be your deepest and darkest one.

Anger, rage, guilt - these emotions swelled up from within him. This negative emotion began to swell and swell until there was no space for them any longer.

'No... It's not over.' Kenji's ragged voice rang out. 'I'll... still... fight.'

'What was that?... I'm afraid I didn't hear you.'

A mere second had passed when the apparition couldn't feel its prey within its tight grasp. But by the time it could understand what happened, its prey wasn't the only thing it couldn't feel. The moment its head detached from its body, there was only enough time for it to get a single glimpse of Kenji, who was now holding his bleeding weapon with the apparition's blood.

It was like healing magic, or something far from it. Kenji's wounds had all mysteriously closed up, and somehow he could feel his surroundings more clearly.

"I said... I'll fight... I will continue to fight... No matter what. Call me pathetic all you want, but I won't stop just yet. I will continue to fight until I draw my last breath. So do me a favor and get out of my head." And with these words, his body finally gave up, and he collapsed.

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Author's note: Hey guys, this is my first attempt at a proper novel, so obviously there will be grammar errors here and there, so I will need a you guys help. I'll be happy if you could point out any mistakes I made or just things you didn't like in the Chapter. That's all for today, Ozen_Ice has left the lab 👨🏽‍🔬