Control

The morning was young. the sun shined and the street to school filled with energeti- students that headed to their daily classes. Plenty of the students looked like they were having fun, talking and chatting with others. While others gossiped about the Shiba Park Massacre.

Two days had passed since the Shiba Park massacre. The one that I was responsible for, news sources were all over it on TV & Social Media. The rumors about someone at the park seeing blue flames had hit every channel and outlet. Even students from my school talked about it.

The entire park was decimated and all of the trees were burned down to a crisp, bushes as well. The power I wielded was far beyond my control & I needed a better grasp of how it worked.

Meanwhile, Erios has been following me around ever since I accepted the contract, she's been so clingy. Even going as far as to somehow shapeshift into a necklace, to stay alongside me.

"Why do we have to always be together?"

"It's only temporary until I can regain enough energy.", Erios says.

And not just that but she put a collar around my neck, It had something to do with my training. The collar was temporary for one week until I was able to have better control over my impulses & thoughts.

"Remind me again. Why am I wearing this Collar?" The thing had been itchy and bugged the hell out of me. It was tight around the neck and anytime I had impure thoughts or acted out of order it would shock me.

"It is a necessary first step to condition your mind. If your mind is clouded with impure thoughts you won't be able to control yourself, just like how you let the Sin of wrath take hold of you previously. A soul king that sins becomes that of a wild animal.", Erios states.

"So consider this to be phase 1 of your training. In total, we will go through 3 phases."

"Erios…I have a question."

"What is it?", she asks.

"How did you turn into a necklace? Is this some sort of newfound power you have? I ask

"Not exactly. It's called White Magic. I cast a spell that allowed me to shapeshift into a smaller form to conserve my energy…it's the most effective way for us to be together. Until I gather enough energy.", Erios says.

Whenever she would talk, the necklace would glow bright & make small movements. She kept it to a minimum to avoid attracting attention.

"White Magic huh…do you think I could learn magic?", I ask.

"Of course. Erios says, but that's further down the road. You have to master the fire element first before you learn how to cast powerful spells.", Erios says.

"So using my flames like before doesn't count as magic?", I ask.

"Not quite. You may be able to use the fire element, but it isn't the same as casting spells. Spells are very powerful & destructive. Which is why the first step is learning control."

I see. If I wanted to learn magic then I would have to learn how to control the element first.

I eventually made it to the entrance of the school. Opening the door, I navigated through the busy hallway, filled with students chatting. Erios had fallen asleep and would most likely not respond for the rest of the day.

In Toko High, girls were everywhere you couldn't possibly imagine the kind of hell I had to endure there while wearing this collar and Erios took it way too seriously. She was doing it on purpose for her satisfaction just to chastise me.

"Lastly, if you can endure this harsh training then you will be ready, and you will be able to have no conflicting thoughts or any distractions as the Soul King. If a Soul King's mind is filled with disgust his powers will become corroded, I have seen it time and time again. Previous Soul Kings do not abide by the rules in the contract and as a result, are cut off from the contract.

"So what happens if I'm cut off from the contract?", I ask.

"You will die without a soul."

"but didn't you take my soul?"

"Yes I did but the difference is that you still have a body and once you fulfill the role of Soul King I will gladly give your soul back."

"Man, this is such a pain!", I shout.

While in the hallway I accidentally blurted out loud attracting the attention of students passing by. Saki was also there at the time & wondered what was up.

"Hey Alan, how are you feeling? Wait a minute, you kinda look different...hmmm.", Saki tilts her head observing the features of my looks that had changed. But I don't think it was too obvious.

"Nope, I'm still the same as ever. Anyway, once again I'm sorry about what happened yesterday,

"Hehehe…No worries, after all, I can't remember much that happened once we left the restaurant. It's all a blur to me.", Saki states.

"I see.", I clenched my fist. Deep down inside I knew it was still my fault. The only reason why Saki got hurt was because I wasn't strong enough to protect her.

"Uhm Alan, would you like to hang out after school?"

ah, I'm sorry I'm pretty busy and have to go to class, take care!", I try to deflect her question without trying to raise suspicion.

"Alright…I guess.", Saki responds in awkwardness.

The day went by pretty quickly, now and then the collar would shock me even if I looked at a girl perversely, or had intrusive thoughts. Despite that, I managed to power through and finish my day safely.

Within the next two to three days Erios and I spent a lot of time training.

It took me quite a while to get used to the collar. Occasionally I would have sexual thoughts but with time I was able to greatly reduce it.

"Hey Alan what's up?", judas asked

While walking down the hallway, Juudai stopped me to ask me about what happened yesterday. I

Guess he wanted to know if my date with Saki led to anything.

"So how well did things go with Saki last night?"Juudai asked.

"Things went well. I had fun spending time with her.", I replied. Putting on a fake smile hoping to hide the truth of yesterday which seemed like a nightmare. I didn't want to disappoint Juudai either, he seemed to genuinely support me.

"That's good. Well, anyway would you be interested in hanging out with me & my group of friends? We're going to go Karaoke.", Juudai offers.

He wanted me to come hang out, but I had too much responsibility. And those people well-things from yesterday that attacked me in the park. They weren't normal, what if I encountered one while with them? Things would not turn out well.

"No thanks…I'm sorry but I have something to do."

"Well, that's a shame, 'cause Saki & her friends agreed to come with us. Things would be really lively if you tagged along."

Saki had a small main friend group that consisted of 3 girls. They were the top 3 hottest girls out of the entire school. Everyone also knew that they were working on forming a rock band.

They were Rich, Good-looking & had a way better, much more fulfilling life than me.

"Hey…Juudai! What's up!", a girl yelled from the end of the hallway. Behind her were 2 other girls including Saki. Juudai's male friends also showed up. And before I knew it, I was surrounded.

"I hope I'm not interrupting anything.", the girl stated.

Her name is Raeka. She was a girl with spiky red hair & blue eyes, very energetic and I could assume just by staring at her that she was the leader of Saki's group.

"Ah no not at all, I was just asking Alan if he wanted to come along."

"Why? What's so special about him…he's just another pervert."

Next to Raeka was Ringo. Very much so she was cold-hearted & often rude at times. Also, it didn't help that she stayed clear away from me due to rumors years ago spreading across the school that I was a pervert, which wasn't true by the way.

"Ringo, don't be so mean… Alan is a nice person.", Saki responded. She had stood up for me & even grabbed my hand.

"Please come with us. that way we can have a lot more fun together.", Saki smiles. Tugging on my hand & blushing, how could I possibly say no?

"Alright fine, I'll come with you."

"Nice to hear man.", Juudai says.

"Well now since that's settled, let's go there."

I hauled my belongings while walking with them as a group. We walked through the streets of Tokyo and arrived at what seemed to be a Japanese mall.

While entering everyone decided to split off into groups to go shopping, while me & Saki were left alone, which was awkward at the time.

"Hey Alan, let's go over there!" Saki points in the direction of a clothing store, her cheeks beet red.

I guess Saki had a thing for fashion, while she digs around clothing racks, I stand next to her scrolling on my phone to check the weather due to being nervous at the time.

"H-Hey…Alan what do you think of this?", Saki blushes while showing me a white lingerie set. Doing so I immediately had sexual thoughts, leading to the collar to shock me.

"Argh!!!", I cry out loud. The voltage wasn't noticeable to others but I still could feel it. Saki teasing me like this didn't help my current condition.

Once we finished shopping, we had food with the others and chatted a bit more. Once that was finished everyone broke off into groups to head home. Saki & I walked side by side. We observed the scenery of other shoppers around us & the sounds of people having fun, and enjoying themselves.

In my mind, I kept wondering why Saki friend-zoned me or maybe I should have asked her. Truth is I was afraid to find out.

Well, it's not like it mattered anyway, ever since that night maybe it was for the best of us to stay friends like this.

"Hey Saki, how is your rock band coming along? When are you going to produce your first single?"

"We have been working on it a lot recently, me & my friends."

"Do you think I could hear you sing sometime?", I ask.

"Sure! I'd love to hehe. It would make me happy.", Saki nodded. Her body moved swiftly, and she was very excited.

Things were lively at the moment, but that all changed. Once a giant crash occurred in the building, preferably on a level above us.

"What the hell is that!?", I ask.

"A-Alan what's happening?…", Saki grabs my shoulder. She felt a sense of danger at the moment.

"Grahhhg…", a strange voice echoed.

"Boom!"

Whatever was on the second floor, had fallen to the 1st. Saki and I stood in front of it.

Saki was stuck with fear while hiding behind me. I convince her to go and get out of here, to protect her. I tell her to go get help.

"Saki, get out here!", I shout.

Saki was struck by my serious demeanor, and she ran off to get help. While I stood and faced the Tear head on.

"Come on Erios, wake up!…what the hell is this thing I?"

"Alan!, this is a Tear. But not like one I've seen before. Do you remember the thugs from your encounter? They were quite similar. They were possessed by weaker Tears that controlled them, but this one, is on a whole other level.", Erios nods.

The tear in front of us resembled a woman, but their arms were infused with some strange red armored skin. It was as if their body was still human, but their arms had become weaponized.

The woman's red dress has formed ethereal patterns of spiky around her body as well, as if the Tear had weaponized every part of her to kill me.

"P-please help me…", she whispers.

A part of her soul was still intact. It was as if he had become possessed by a spirit that wanted nothing more than to take me out.

"How the hell do I fight this thing Erios? I don't have any combat experience yet…what if I-?"I shake in fear.

"Alan now is seriously not the time to be doubting yourself!…"

The Tear comes at me, charging head-on. Thrusting its arm which formed a red lance directly at me using its strange powers, that appeared to conjure weapons out of a red-like energy.

"Grahhhh!!!"

"Huh…damn she's quick. Erios now would be a really useful time to have a weapon."

I dashed a couple meters back just before its attack could touch my body, I was calling it too close. If an attack like that would hit, I'd be a goner.

"D-damn it that was close."

I managed to take a step back and dodge, but as for offense, the only thing I could use was my flames. But even then I wouldn't be able to save this person.

"Alan, why won't you use your flames!?"

"Because I'm afraid I'll kill this person. I'm not a murderer. I don't want to take another person's life.", I cry.

Erios comes out of the necklace & transforms back into her normal self. She grabs me by the face and says.

"Alan, listen to me, that person is already gone. The tear has completely taken over them. There's nothing you can do, especially now. You have no other choice….", Erios said.

"If not then we will die & without a soul king or soul queen. This world is done for. It's game over.", Erios says.

Her words of encouragement cleared my head, I knew what I had to do, but the question was whether it was right or not.

"I am your Savior…I am your king!" I awakened the blue flames deep within me. Only this time I felt more in control compared to when I first transformed.

My eyes turned bright blue & blue tears ran down my eyes, identical to the monsters themselves. Memories of what happened at Shiba park flashed in my mind repeatedly. It was as if my mind replayed rapid shots of the event.

The blue flames had burned everyone in the gang to a crisp & I was behind it all. I was responsible and I couldn't allow that event to ever happen again.

"Alan, you did it!…you managed to stay in your Soul form.", Erios says.

"Soul?"

"Yeah, that's the form that allows you to manipulate fire.", Erios said.

"Soul Form…how interesting.",

I observed the blue flames erupting from my hand. This form was much different compared to the one before

"Now…I've got to defeat that thing somehow."

In the back of my head, I remembered what Erios said about controlling my mind. The reason I killed those guys before was because of what happened to Saki. I was driven off the edge, but that form… scares me. I never want to endure that again.

"Hey you freak, follow me this way!", I yell. I take off running while the Tear chases after me. This new body I had was much more athletic and naturally stronger than my previous one. I ran down to the parking storage garage, where there would be the least amount of people.

I burst through the two- metal doors, while the tear chasing behind me sliced through them like paper. While it chased me in the garage, I did a 180 turn, dodging its strike & following up with a counter.

"Hahhh. Take this you bastard!", I shout. I had better control of my flames. So to reduce as much damage as possible, I only focused the flames into my fist & punched the Tear repeatedly.

"Pow!" "Pow!" "Pow!"

"Hahhhhhhh!!!", I shouted.

"Grahhh…", it screams. It could feel my blue flames which seemed to drive this thing mad. The lance struck closer and closer to my skin. Some of the skin on my face was struck by the lance & my right arm was as well.

"Arghhh…damn it. It got my arm.", I cried.

"Don't engage in close combat, Alan. You may be faster, but you're not strong enough to face that thing head-on in combat.", Erios says.

I finally understood. I focus on the flames and thrust forth my hand shooting a hurl of fire at the Tear.

"Disappear you bastard!!!"

The tear cut through my flames with its lance. While half of its body burned.

Damn it. Why won't it die already? The Tear still had fight left in it, despite its body being halfway destroyed.

"Alan. I have an idea. Focus on increasing the intensity of the flame with your mind. If you can do that then you will burn the rest of its body.", Erios says.

I nod & close my eyes imagining the blue flames expanding and growing bigger, I opened my eyes. And by the time I realized, the Tear had completely turned to ashes.

I sigh in relief and try to catch my breath. A feeling similar to the night before hit me when I looked at what was left of the person. Deep down inside I felt bad, for taking another life.

Erios transforms back to her human form, and she hugs me. I could feel her cold skin press against me.

"Alan…don't worry it's not your fault. There wasn't anything you could do." " she says. While holding her closely in her arms.

"Then help me…help me get stronger so that I can save others.", I cry. Erios understood my inner conflict but using the flames to save people wasn't easy. I still needed more training & experience to understand this power.

After defeating the Female Tear. Erios & I headed back home together. Saki must've wondered out of her mind where I went. However, leaving her behind was for the best. I didn't need her getting involved with my situation. I couldn't afford to repeat the event of the night before.

"There…", she says.

"What?…you're taking it off so soon?", I ask.

After arriving home Erios removed the collar from my neck. I had finished the first phase of my training, within less than a week.

"Yes, you have managed to complete your phase 1 training. There's no need to continue wearing it.", she says.

"Now we move on to the next.", she says.

Erios rubbed her hands together, I had no idea what she was planning, but I was scared for my life.

Within a couple of minutes, she had cooked some sort of weird fish floating in blue liquid. The stench was gross and made me sick to my stomach.

"Erios…what the hell is that?."

"It's Space Fish…doesn't it smell so yummy", she says. Moving the fish closer to me. I couldn't stand the smell and I almost began to hurl.

"No way, I'm not eating that you've lost your mind! That can't even be real. That's not even a fish from this planet!.", I shout. I yanked myself away covering my nose from the smell. It smelled so bad.

"Okay and? So what are you saying that there's something wrong with my cooking!?", she shouts. Erios felt insulted by the remark I had made. Her calm mature demeanor switched to something more menacing.

"Uhhh ... .No thanks, I'm just not hungry right now.", I take off running. She chases me down trying to force me to eat her Space Fish dish.

She corners me and pins me against the wall.

"Hehhhh.", she stares at me with a death glare with her eyes glowing red, while holding the Space Fish in front of me. There was no escape. I had no other way out. As a result, I had eaten the space fish, the smell had made me faint upon impact.

After eating the Space fish, I immediately went and took a bath, the smell was too unbearable and had gotten caught in my clothes.

"Creak….", I slid open the shower room & hauled my towel wrapped around me. I honestly had forgotten about one thing, and it was Erios.

"Oh no….", a sudden thought spiked in my mind. And just as I had thought.

"Please…don't look at me…"

Erios walked in holding a pink towel wrapped around her body.

"W-why the hell did you decide to follow me to the bathroom.", I panicked.

"Why is it wrong for us to take a bath together?", as long as you're not looking it shouldn't matter. "After all, I need to be close to you, remember.", Erios covers up her blush with her hand. She looked very embarrassed but it was her duty

as my contractor.

I blushed as she sat directly next to me while trying to avoid my gaze or having thoughts about her. Erios sorta looked embarrassed as well and also looked away, there was an awkward tension between us that she eventually broke.

"Doesn't the water feel so great...I've never taken a bath like this in Ages", she moans. Steam had filled the bath & we couldn't see each other, through the the thickness of the water vapor.

"Eh…seriously. Also speaking of which, I've always wondered. What is it like being from the moon?", I ask.

"Eh, I can't remember much. Other than feeling your spirit wave at the time that called out to me. You wanted to get stronger, remember? And I made that happen for you.", Erios said.

"Yeah I'm very grateful and thanks to you Saki was saved."

After today I could say that I felt much more comfortable in this new body of mine. I was able to some extent to control the blue flames given to me as Soul King.

However, I began to wonder what comes next after this.

"If Tears keep coming at this rate, I'll have no choice but to fight. Not for my sake, but everyone's.", I said while feeling the warmth of the water, and letting it drop out of my hands.

"No…we will fight together. You're not alone anymore.", Erios says while wrapping her arms around me. Despite the hot temperature of the bath, her body temperature still remained cold-like a zombie.

[END]