Deciding Factor (Chapter 25)

Hissori stood up dusting himself off and looking around it was just about to turn sunrise and not even a breeze disturbed the moment he was in. Hissori touched his arm it seemed to have basically healed how did that work he thought. He felt better it seemed like his Sei was starting to replenish.

Sinda still lay on the ground completely unconscious, she had been through a lot, what was she even doing here Hissori thought. On the other side an imprint of where Hediki and Ricker were stained the ground. Both had vanished.

"What a dam mess" The man in the cloak proclaimed he put his hood down to show a bald man with a symbol tattooed on his forehead ( 完了) and a curly grey moustache that puzzled his appearance, the man had a massive smile on his face he had big round glasses also which gleamed his green eyes.

The man nodded towards the other person standing next to him and the other person left walking away through an alley. The man walked towards Hissori yawning "so who are you?" The man asks rubbing his moustache. Hissori doesn't say anything not looking at the man at all and only looking at Sinda. The man deeply stared at Hissori for a split second.

What's up with this kid his Sei is crazy its so violently demonic and yet he isn't a full fleshed demon, but wait that's not one person in there, theres more. "So, you must be why the Emperor called me here" The man sat on the ground cross legged facing Hissori. "You got a name pale face" The man stroked his moustache. Hissori didn't care about the weird guy In front of him even if he did save him from that monster.

All Hissori cared about was Sinda but he couldn't even go and be by her side and he didn't even know why.

"Well, my names Zeno I'm the 35th Ronin you might have heard of me I'm pretty famous around these parts I am the protector of the world guarding the barrier between this world and the underworld" Zeno raised his chest and stroked his moustache with pride smiling as if he had just been awarded a medal.

Hissori turned towards Zeno with a blank expression on his face and sighed "I'm…Hissori." Zeno stroked his moustache and smiled he got up and looked at the clear sky as the sun was up. "Answer my three questions if you can do that I won't kill you where you stand" Hissori turned towards him what had he got to loose anyway.

The other cloaked person came back Zeno bent down and let the person whisper in his ear. Zeno looked greyly "It seems as if countless have died including the emperor and his daughter. Everyone should be restored back to there human selves now that the Jorogumo is not within reach he thought.

Zeno showed three fingers "Number one who's side are you on Humanity or the darkness that rocks this world" Hissori gazed at him he didn't know if should have felt angry "I'm not on any side I was forced into this and now I cannot get out" Hissori proclaimed with a blank expression Zeno saw no spark of happiness in the boy as if he had lost all hope.

Zeno put all his fingers down and sighed he pointed at Sinda, Zeno knew that she was special to him just by his gaze "You want to protect her don't you" Hissori looked at Sinda "Well you can't protect her like that you couldn't even beat that low tier demon by yourself".

Zeno raised his hand out towards Hissori "Let me train you for a while to fight and use your power properly if you let me do that for one whole year then I promise you after that you can go wherever you please and protect whoever you want, However, if you say no I will take your life" Zeno pushed into his glasses they shined as the sun reflected off them, Zeno knew that he couldn't let a demon half human breed walk around at a point of despair like this if he did the darkness would tempt the boy to easily, he had to take him under his wing and teach him the values of life he was still human after all.

Zeno looked at Hissori his hand still raised towards him. "What about Sinda I can't just leave her here" Zeno looked towards her "They faked your execution right, so everyone thinks your dead according to the letter the emperor sent me.

If you do stay here you will never be strong enough to protect her anyway. Hissori looked over to Sinda again Zeno was right if he stayed here he would only cause more death and despair. Hissori looked back at Zeno and grabbed his hand, Zeno lifted him up and walked back to horse we leave immediately.

"Who are you and what do you want with the boy" Jun sneered she stood behind Hissori she held in her hand a basket with Byakko's helmet wrapped in cloth, eyeing the bald man and the apprentice they both turned around. Jun looked at the Bald man and saw the symbol.

Jun's expression eased and she moved away from Hissori her skin went a bit pale and she started to sweat a little she was actually frightened she had never seen someone like him up close an actual Ronin.

The Ronin smiled and looked at the small, cloaked person standing next to her who instantly arrived right at Jun's face and holding what seemed to be a small side inserted sword with a curved edge with a purple hilt the blade was sharp and had a symbol for a mastery on it the symbol was on the blade so it had to be an advanced mastery ( Acid-酸) and held it right against the front of Jun's neck and on the back of Jun's neck another wakizashi the exact same to the first was held.

The cloaked person was revealed as her hood feel down it was a girl one side of her head shaved off and other side cut short and coloured grey half of her face had a massive birth mark going across it, and her blue eyes gleamed.

Jun seemed to not move she couldn't risk it. "So, you found the Armour you must be the holder" Zeno walked towards Jun, "I've only heard of this in stories never thought it could be real I've also heard rumours it was armour didn't know it was true". Jun grinned and looked at the helmet she had it wrapped in a piece of cloth in the basket she carried cause if she touched the helmet itself death would meet her in an instant.

Zeno signalled the girl to move away from her neck "Alfa.." She moved away with an adoring smile towards Zeno "KK Zeno-Chan". The cloaked girl said skipping back towards where Zeno was standing "No, I'm not the user" she put her hand on Hissori's head gripping it. "He is" Jun proclaimed grinning "And hes coming with me" Jun proclaimed. Zeno looked at Hissori, so the emperor really was serious about this kid he thought. Zeno stroked his moustache and sighed.

"Then you will come with us you seem like you could be a vital ally to the boy" Zeno smiled and both him and the Alfa walked away to the horses. Hissori sighed and followed before he did he put Sinda in a comfortable position and walked off muttering something under his breath.

Jun followed and shouted, "I was gonna follow you anyway!!" She growled and sulked while walking towards them.