5 Tender Soul 5

"Your brother?!", responded Rebecca and Ghoza to get to know the soulid that Liem pursuit was her brother.

"Is he really strong? Or it's just you who's going easy on him?", Mera was asking Liem.

"That's..", Liem couldn't really answer that question.

"Just because he's your brother, you think you can't hurt him?! Don't make me laugh! If he got possessed by the other soul, that won't be easy to cast it out! You have to fight him properly, no matter what!", added Mera.

" That's not easy to do that, ya know! Especially if he's the dearest one!", Ghoza tried to be on Liem side.

" Hehh!! So you prefer to wait him to be overtaken by that soulid while you let him kill you in process?!", responded Mera to Ghoza theory.

" That's not what I meant... Can ya just exorcist him right away without a fight?", asked Ghoza.

" You mean repelling it without decreasing its power first?! That can do, if it was just a weakling soul! But if it's not, you mean to ask me to die in first time at beginning of the battles!!", explained Mera.

" Huh?! What do ya mean?", asked Ghoza as he had no idea what Mera was saying.

"He probably mean, that spell requires so much energy to be cast, doesn't it?", Liem gave her opinion about that.

" Yeah, kind of it!", confirmed Mera.

"Oh I see... So that won't work, huh?!", responded Ghoza.

" Alright! How about we start to move right now?! I've been itching to fight him now!", said Mera as he stood up from his chair.

"Wait a moment! There one other thing that I want to ask you!", Liem stopped Mera, she seemed like to ask something serious.

"Huh!? What's it?!", Mera was asking.

"You mentioned it before, that the person who had been possessed by soulid won't be easy to be free unless that soulid has casted out, then, how about you?! With this man, Nhazul?", said Liem to give her question to Mera.

That question somehow, made Rebecca and Ghoza be in interesting. They were focus to wait the answer from Mera. But Mera started to Laughing.

"Gahaha... Too bad! I'm not answering tha kind of question!", said Mera as he moved toward the fence of that balcony cafe, then jumped over it to get out from that cafe.

"He did it again!", said Ghoza.

"Come on hurry up! Before he's getting further!", said Rebecca as she immediately ran to the downstairs and after Nhazul who had possessed by Mera.

But Liem just spaced out there. She didn't believe with what she saw just now.

"What are ya doin?! Let's go!!", Ghoza asked Liem to catch up with Rebecca and Nhazul.

"D-did he just jump from second floor to the ground?", said the confused Liem to Ghoza.

" What?! Oh! It's just from the second floor! Come on! Hahaha..", said Ghoza while he was laughing on confused face of Liem, and then he grabbed her hand and dragged her up to quick run to catch up with Nhazul and Rebecca.

And then they four started to track Liem's brother. It was so far like at the other town than that. Ghoza's soul detector couldn't detect his soul yet. But with Mera's skill of soul tracing, he could somehow manage to sense that soul. But their way to reach it was so long, they took some rest in some places on their way. They got to know each other little by little. The irritating feeling in Rebecca about Liem and Nhazul seemed also disappeared. They were rather close that time, Rebecca and Liem. Meanwhile, Rebecca was felt little awkward when she did contact with Nhazul in directly.

In several times, when they did some rest, Nhazul took over control his body. That wasn't interrupting Mera tracing skill, that was why he could get his body back for a while. And when that times came, Rebecca started to act little different when they got really closed. The other side, Ghoza and Liem still had no idea about Nhazul and Rebecca real situation. Ghoza and Liem thought that they were still dating each other. But Rebecca had thought that their relationship was just friend at all. That was making every times, when she did contact with Nhazul became rather awkward. Even she was the only one who thought that way, because Nhazul still tried himself to learn about being in social life like he did before. And like he ever said to her before, that he wanted to understand her better, he kept on doing it.

Two days after they started on the journey. They had passed some cities by van car of Ghoza. They kept following the directions that Mera's given. Until Mera felt they've got closer with that soulid which possessed Liem brother.

"I think we are getting closer to him..", said Mera to rest of them.

" Did he stop or something?!", asked Ghoza.

" I think so..", replied Mera to Ghoza.

"Don't just slacking off! You have soul detector on you, right!?! Check it out!!", said Rebecca to Ghoza.

" Oh! Right! I forgot to have it! Ahaha..", Ghoza was laughing.

He stopped the car and asked Rebecca to pick his backpack on back seat of hers. Then she took that bag and sent it to him.

" Soul detector?", Liem suddenly got interesting.

"Yeah! It's our invented! It can detect the souls location in some radius meters and can read how big that soulid power is..", responded Ghoza as he took out that detector from his backpack.

"Wow... So, you can know the present of bad souls nearby and know the potential threat of that soulid without using your energy... That can save some mana somehow..", said Liem in her excitement.

" That's the results of our team research of soulid for some years, when we joined that team, they almost finished to invent this, and then I can see the process when it's finally done to functional, it's exciting me out. It's still going on progress of improvement though..", responded Rebecca to give Liem explaination about that soul detector.

"Oh, I see..", responded Liem.

"Whoo!! He's right! It detects the soul nearby!", Ghoza yelled rather loud to find the soul detector detected soulid nearby after he turned that detector on.

"What?! You have that kind of thing and yet you still asked me to do this kind of things!! How dare you!!", Mera reacted for Ghoza yelling.

" Ah! This soul detector can't detect this far location from our town, ya see!", replied Ghoza to explain his reason.

" But that was great invented to sense the soulid like this! And you do great things too Mr. Mera, your skill to sense the soul even from so far away is amazing!!", said Liem amazed.

" Ah!? Gahaha... What are you talking about?! Of course I'm that great!! Gahaha..!!", responded Mera, he sounded happy to hear that.

"Look like what Liem said is true! This soulid have big power in it!", said Ghoza as he showed the soul detector to them.

"Emm, how to know if it has big power or so?", as Liem was seeing the display monitor of that detector, she wanted to know about thing.

"It divers with the color type! green is the lowest power pressure, blue is medium pressure, yellow is high pressure, and this one, red is the highest power pressure from type of that soulid!!", explained Ghoza.

" So! Mr. Mera is also has big power? Look! There is red indicator soul closest to the radar! It's mr. Mera, right?!", Liem was asking.

" Oh! Right! That's right! It's him!", confirmed Ghoza.

" But most of soulid that we have encountered are indicated red, right?!", Rebecca gave her thought.

" Well, that's true but, then, all of them are actually the powerful soulids, right?! The soulids which we have found are the strong soulid for real..", explained Ghoza.

" Don't waste the time! Just hurry up to get him! Before he started to move again!", said Mera to order Ghoza to continue the driving his car toward the soulid they pursuit.

"Oh! Right! Ya hold this then!", Ghoza gave the detector to Mera, and then he continued to drive.

"Ah! I don't need this! You keep it!", Mera handed over that detector to Rebecca.

"Oh! Hei! Don't suddenly throw a thing to other person, okay!", Rebecca was complaining to Mera.

" Okay! Okay!", responded Mera like ignoring that words of Rebecca's.

"Hmph!", Rebecca looked annoyed by that.

" Are you okay? Hmm... Mr. Mera really has the different attitudes with Nhazul, isn't he? That feels strange to see him like this when you ever saw him in good vibes, right?..", whispered Liem in Rebecca's ear.

Rebecca was responding Liem words by nodding after a moment of thought. She didn't say anything. She was just quiet. She might be thinking about something.

And then, after several minutes driving, Mera suddenly said something.

"I can felt his pressure aura bigger this time!", that was what he said.

And then, suddenly red aura that aroused Nhazul disappeared in blinking. The spiked hair turned down to be normal again. And then, he opened his eyes. Nhazul was back to his own personal.

"Ghoza, I think we should stop here!", said Nhazul.

" What?!", Ghoza pardoned.

"Just stop the car here!", Nhazul asked Ghoza to pull over.

" Alright!!", responded Ghoza as he parked his car on the side of road.

"What's happening?", Liem was asking.

"I think I felt the big dark aura was bursting just now... It looked like you all will be in danger if you came by, so, I will do it alone from here..", said Nhazul.

" Dark aura?!", responded Rebecca.

" You are back, right, Nhazul?! Why you say that? We will help you, of course! I want to help you! It's to get my brother back!", responded Liem as well.

" She's right! What are ya saying?! We'll back ya up! I've prepared, ya know!!", said Ghoza as he showed the pistol like thing.

"Woo... Is that a gun?", asked Nhazul.

"One of our inventory! Soul destroyer!", explained Ghoza in his excited face.

" Isn't that thing haven't be in test before?! You will make Liem's brother be in danger you know!", said Rebecca.

" What?! Don't do that please!!", asked Liem.

" Okay then..", Ghoza put away that gun with disappointed face.

"It is okay, I will do our best though, so just stay here for your safety..", said Nhazul as he opened the car's door and walked out.

"Wait! What is this dark aura thing you mentioned before?!", shouted Rebecca to Nhazul as she came out from the car.

"Ah, that is emm... More importantly, look like he has known we are here, it will be dangerous if you all get closer to him..", explained Nhazul.

" We won't let ya do it alone, ya know! We'll back ya up!!", said Ghoza after he came out from the car, Liem did out too.

"You guys, thank you for your care, just remember to keep the distance, okay?..", said Nhazul.

" Alright! Alright! Let's finish this!!", said Ghoza.

And then they all moved closer to that soulid who possessed Liem's brother by walk. And meanwhile they all were walking, Nhazul in his mind talking with his soulids in him.

"He is so strong, is not he?", asked Nhazul.

" Yeah, he is! He might be already reached level three or so!", Utahara answered.

" That's mean I don't have to hold myself back, right?!", said Mera.

" Don't get to carried away, okay! We don't know his abilities yet!", responded Utahara.

"Don't worry! Just remember to stayed out of my way okay!!", warned Mera to Utahara.

" Stop quarreling, you two... Stay focus okay..", said Nhazul.

" Okay here we go!", said Mera, as he saw a person who was standing alone in the middle of the street on the empty city.

"Is that him?", asked Nhazul.

"Yeah!! Then, my turn!", responded Mera.

" I leave the rest to you then..", replied Nhazul.

And the Mera took over Nhazul body. As he opened his left red eye, he ran toward that person while red aura was blasting out from Nhazul body. Seeing this, Rebecca, Ghoza and Liem noticed that person as well.

"Is that your brother?!", aksed Rebecca to Liem.

"Hmm... Yes..", replied Liem.

"We should hurry up to go too!", said Ghoza.

" No! We will keep our distance from them! We can hide while keeping our eyes on them, there!", said Rebecca as she was pointing the building nearby, then they went there.

And for Nhazul, Mera, he moved closer to Liem's brother who did nothing but stood up in there, looking on the other way, letting his back all opened to be attacked. But, when Mera had close enough to him, he started to speak.

"I've been waiting for you to come!!", that what he said.

Hearing that words made Mera stopping. He was speaking without turning himself to Mera's way. Not even did a single movement.

"He is waiting for us?", Nhazul in his mind was talking with his soulids in him.

"He must be had sensed our presents from long..", answered Mera to Nhazul in the mind.

" Could it be, he is planning to wait us here?", again, Nhazul was asking.

" I don't know!", replied Mera.

" Keep your guard up! He might set some traps around here!!", Utahara suddenly joined the conversation.

" Shut it! I got it! Just stay there and watch! I'll finish this myself!", responded Mera to Utahara.

" Do not fight, both of you, focus on him for now, please..", said Nhazul.

While they got conversations on Nhazul's mind, Liem's brother continued to speak.

"I heard that you sent some of our kinds back to our world! What do you intend for that? Aren't we suppose to just take care of our own businesses and don't get in others way?", he said.

" I don't answer those kind of questions! Whatever you say, I come here to fight!", replied Mera to him.

" Ahaha... That how's an expected from an orc! Fighting and fighting! Everything is about fighting!", he was laughing as he slowly to turn himself to Mera's way.

"I'm not an orc! I'm a prince of flaming king!", responded Mera.

And then.

" What is that face! So you're just an orc yourself!!", said Mera as seeing that soulid's face when he turned around.

"That is not his face, it is a mask, he wears a mask..", Nhazul was speaking in his mind to Mera.

"Ah! I knew that already! I'm mocking him here! Just shut up already!", replied Mera to Nhazul.

Back to the situation.

" Oh! Sorry, I'm not an orc either! It's just a mask, you see!!", he opened up his mask and his true face was revealing.

"What?! Your face are not really different with that mask actually!!", said Mera.

" That's not the problem here! I'm going to reach true form soon! So you better stay out of my way! Or the other case, I will repel you out from his body and never be come back again!", he warned.

" But I'm here for fighting! Not for bargaining!", replied Mera as he moved forward while taking out a macha box from Nhazul pocket.

Mera pushed the macha box button, "READY! CLAW BLADES!". Then that macha box turned into claw blades. And then Mera swung it toward that soulid to reap him apart, but he did some evasions to avoid those attacks from Mera.

While Mera was swinging the claw blades, Nhazul in his mind gave him warning to not to use it yet to attack.

"Hei, Mera! What are you doing? You will reap Liem's brother's body..", said Nhazul.

" Can't you just see him now! He has leveled up!!", replied Mera.

" But he has not armored up yet..", responded Nhazul.

" His face! His face has turned to his true face!!", replied Mera.

" How can that be? His body part has not transformed and yet his face has turned to his true form..", Nhazul was confused.

Back to the situation, while Mera kept swinging the claw blades toward that soulid, that soulid also kept dodging every attacks from Mera by moving around. So much long, until Mera seemed to tired of it, and then that soulid was using his blade from his back, deflected Mera claw blades' to the ground and then with his left hand, he punched Mera on face in such a power. That sent Mera, Nhazul's body flied back for some distance and downed to hit the road.

"As expected, you're weak!", that soulid was mocking Mera.

" What... Do you say?! Don't... Get full of... Yourself... Just because... You hit me this bad!!", said Mera in hard breathes, he tried to stood up again but he fell few times.

"Hhh...!! Just stay out!!", said that soulid as he used his index and middle fingers to seal Mera down in Nhazul body.

"Ah? This feeling..", Nhazul was returning to be himself again as red aura blasted in and had gone.

In other place, Liem who saw that thing was reacting like she wanted to go helping Nhazul and stopped her brother. But then, Rebecca forced her to stay calm.

"What do you think you are going?", Rebecca held Liem's hand to stopped her from moving toward the battle.

"We need to help him!", responded Liem.

"No! We better stayed here!", Rebecca replied.

" But he just did sealing skill on him! That means his soulids are sealed and can't to help him again!!", explained Liem.

" Seal? He can use sealing spell too?!", Ghoza reacted to Liem explanation.

" I don't know how but my brother is a master in the temple so he can did that but he's now being possessed by that soulid, how can it be that he used that!", Liem got confused to that.

" Is that the meaning of he would be big threat if he reached his true form? It means he also can control the soul around too?..", Rebecca gave her opinion.

" That could be! So! Let's help him!", said Liem.

Rebecca seemed couldn't say anything else again, she looked like she also wanted to help Nhazul as well, but this time Ghoza against that suggestion.

"No! Wait! If we go there, that could be made Nhazul be in disadvantage when we're just being burdens for him, especially when he still could do a counter attacks. Let's wait a little longer and pray for his victory!", said Ghoza.

Those words made Liem and Rebecca silent for the moment and then they were calmed down. Back to Nhazul who felt something like he ever had felt before, when Liem used her sealing skill on him to make Mera be in sealed inside.

"Hei? Mera? Mera! Can you hear me? Hei?", Nhazul tried to call Mera inside him.

"He's been sealed! Just like in last time he was..", someone answered him.

" Utahara? Are you fine?", Nhazul asked.

" Yeah!!", Utahara replied.

"Does he not notice that you are inside too? Just like Liem last time?", Nhazul was wondering about that soulid thinking.

" I'm afraid he's not! Looks like he intends to just seal that stupid only..", Utahara replied.

" That means..", Nhazul tried to say something.

" That means he wants to fight me then!", as Utahara said that, Nhazul was getting possessed.

The blue aura was blasting out and he covered his head when his hair turned longer, the right eye was opened and Utahara had controlled of Nhazul body. And then she was standing up.

"Sorry to make you waiting..", Utahara started to speak to that soulid.

"What are you doing in that boy's body? Can't you find a better body to be owned?", that soulid was asking Utahara.

" Hmm... Maybe you are right, or maybe I prefer not to answer that question at all..", replied Utahara.

" So you prefer to fight me too then..", said that soulid.

" Hmm... Let's see... You're an onimusha, right?", Utahara was asking.

" Ah, kind of it, I'm Seiken Onmyoji. And you are..?", that soulid was introducing himself.

" Maerlain! Hmm... What a quite skill you have there! Sealing the soul?", Utahara was asking.

" Yes! Great, isn't it?!", said Seiken.

"Good skill! Hmm... But look like that skill isn't your own skill, am I right? ", Utahara gave her opinion.

" You know much things, huh?!", praised Seiken.

" Not much! Heehee..", Utahara was smiling.

Meanwhile in the mind of Nhazul.

"Are you talking about how he can use Liem's brother's skill?", Nhazul was asking to Utahara.

" Seems like he can mastered the skill that person he possessed..", Utahara was guessing.

" This is bad, is it not? Do you think you can defeat him?", Nhazul asked Utahara about the possibility to defeat Seiken.

"Boy! Just sit quietly and let me handle it!", replied Utahara.

As Utahara said that, she walked to get closer to Seiken with claw blades on hand. She switched from his left hand to right.

"Hei, can you use it?", Nhazul was asking to Utahara if she could use claw blades.

"Just be good quiet boy!", said Utahara to end their conversation.

She was walking to Seiken with smiling face.

"So, you will fight me too, huh?!", Seiken asked.

" You won't really give another choice, right?!", answered Utahara.

" Ahaha... You have to amuse me then!!", responded Seiken as he pointed his blade toward Utahara.

And then, Utahara changed her pace, from walking to running. When she got closed, she swung the claw blades from her right side to Seiken horizontally. But her movement could be saw by him so well, he blocked that claw with his blade. At the time their weapons started to clashing, Utahara did spinning and made another attack from her left side to him quickly. Seiken had prepared for these kind of attacks, after using his blade to blocking he swung it toward Utahara as he made another step to his left side to give some distance with her. He got advantage on his current position to hit Utahara first. Utahara awared of this situation, she changed her aim from Seiken body to his blade as she also added a step to her left to get away from his blade area attack. And then, their weapons were clashing again, but this time had more impact than the last one. That was also, Seiken seemed had more power than Utahara that mad Utahara lost this weapons clashing. She moved backward to keep the distant with Seiken.

"He is really strong, I don't think I can keep up in this level..", said Utahara.

" Sorry, I cannot help much..", said Nhazul in his mind to reply Utahara's words.

"I speak for my own okay! You are not talking!", responded Utahara to Nhazul.

" But, are okay? I would help if I could..", Nhazul kept replying.

" Ah! There you go again! Being care all of sudden... Drowned me to tear! But, it's okay! I'm okay! It's my fault not to be able to level up! And That stupid fire head just locked down without any break..", responded Utahara.

" What is up with that soulid, emm, Seiken, he had transformed his face to his true face and his power also, but he is still in human form, right?", said Nhazul to asking.

" That also troubles me up, something is odd, he can mastered that human's power too... That should be an indication that he had evolved to level 4, and yet he didn't show any monsters transformation on his body parts but his head and he is still in human form..", explained Utahara to Nhazul as she also looked at Seiken's appearance to observation.

"Wait! Don't tell me-..", Utahara seemed figured something but Seiken was doing something with his fingers, that was sealing spell like before.

In quick pace, Utahara moved from that place, she was trying to dodge that spell and she did.

"Ah! You dodged that! Well move! I want to play a little with you but sorry, I think it ends now! I'll finish you!", said Seiken to Utahara.

" Alright! It will be a long day!", said Utahara to herself.

After that Seiken started to move toward and tried to attack, Utahara did blocking and evading, a few times trying to countering but ended up being countered. The fight was not so fair in power and strength. But Utahara in Nhazul's body, tried her best to avoid the fatal damages, and also the important thing was evading the sealing spell that shot toward her.

The other place, Rebecca and the other kept their eyes on Utahara and Seiken fight. They waited for the best time to help Nhazul. But looked like they also almost lost their patience for waiting.

"He get overhelmed! We should help him!", said Ghoza as he got his pistol ready to shoot.

"Wait! Just little bit moments! We have to believe in them!", said Rebecca as she looked like she was holding back for doing something.

"It's okay! I knew ya are the one who can't be waiting too long to help him just now! This time is perfect! Let's do this! Let's help him out!", responded Ghoza.

" Liem! What's your brother's name again?!", Ghoza continued his words by asking Liem.

" Liem-... Liem Xiu! Why you're asking?!", answered Liem to Ghoza.

"Liem?! Is that your family's name?! I see! Alright, I'm sorry, but I think I'm just gonna try this gun to your brother now!", explained Ghoza.

" Wait Ghoza! You can't do that!", responded Rebecca.

" 'Course, I can do this!", said Ghoza as he was aiming to Seiken.

Rebecca was trying to stop him but Liem suddenly ran toward to the battle area, Nhazul and her brother place.

"Liem!", shouted Rebecca who noticed her running and tried to catch her.

"Oh! At least let me shoot it first!..", responded Ghoza as he also ran to catch up.

Back to Utahara and Nhazul, Utahara seemed got tired, it was because actually Nhazul had exhausted himself, so it affected to Utahara power. After few times she evaded Seiken's attacks, finally her power got dropped and made her, Nhazul's body fell to the ground.

"Oh damned!", cursed Utahara to herself.

" I am... So sorry... I am at my limit of the energy..", said Nhazul in his mind.

" Ah! Save your sorry after we survive this battle!", replied Utahara to Nhazul.

But then, Seiken had already in front of them. With his blade had raised above, had ready to slice them up.

"Final time! Sorry, I don't have time to sealed you up first, but it's enough, you will have to find your new body! Just if you can run away from me! Ahaha..", said Seiken as he started to swing his blade toward Nhazul's neck.

つづく