Chapter 9 (Neutralized)

He tries to move his head but gets the little smack on head.

*"Yeah, I can't move. I'll just keep him distracted while she runs."

Yaku looks at the saint giving her signs to run away. She understands the flashes, but still, she stays.

Instead, she glares at the man.

"Are you protecting the box or stealing it?" she asks the man.

The man looks at her for a few seconds, he was indecisive whether to tell her or not.

"Why do you want to know?" he asks.

"Your uniform." she points at his shirt.

"It is different from the other guys we just went pass through."

He takes out another gun and points it at her.

"You're not with them?" he asks.

"No." she replies with a straight face.

"Then why are you here?"

The saint points at Yaku, who was still healing.

"Look at his wound."

The man looks at it and after a moment, he is both shocked and speechless.

"Why? Why is the blood flowing back inside? How is the wound healing like that? Are you by any chance.."

"Yup, I am the saint, he is the overseer." she declares with a proud face.

He quickly removes the gun from Yaku's head and strands straight.

"I am so sorry for my misconduct! I will lead you to the box." he apologizes.

As Yaku's wound gets all healed up, he too gets up and started following the solider along with the saint.

On Yaku's third step, he hears a fire shot. It was heading towards them, but it wasn't for the saint. The target was the solider guiding them.

The contract remained unresponsive to it. And Yaku's natural instincts were too slow to follow. He couldn't save the man as he died right in front of him.

They continued running towards the box paying no interest on the dead solider.

*"I tried saving him, but I don't feel anything over his death. Is it because I did not know him or have I completely lost my humanity. I wonder which one it is."*

The saint looks at him while running, observing his face.

*"Its neutral. Even a heartless being would feel remorse over this. Its as if, he has been fighting a different type of battle. Maybe he's the murderer of his own emotions. A boy who is not yet adult but understands the situation much better. A boy who has no one to rely on. A pitiful child indeed."*

The rest of the way, they went through it swiftly as the orders of letting through two young students was already give,

After a few minutes of running and watching people die as they defend them, they were finally face to face to the box.

Around them are several guards with shields covering the box and the saint.

"The most beautiful things are the most harmful." Yaku said while staring at the glowing deep golden texture of the box.

The box was cubic in shape. A perfect cube shape. Gravity did not affect it, so it was floating where it was summoned. It was glowing in golden. Truely sight worthy.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" she says.

"Indeed, it is the most beautiful cubic thing I have ever seen." Yaku replies while staring.

"Try putting your hand on i t."

Without a second thought, he puts his hand on the box.

His hand starts burning but he keeps it there until the saint pulls it away.

"Why did you just put it there." she asks in disappointment.

"You told me to."

"Doesn't it hurt?"

"It did hurt, but as long as it gets healed right away, it doesn't matter."

"Sure... Well anyway, I have to disable it now, so move a side."

Yaku moves few steps backward, giving her enough to do her thing.

She gets close enough and pulls out her hands just a few centimeters away from the box. She closes her eyes and starts chanting something. Something humans couldn't make sense of. Something humans could never replicate. Something different for every box. Something recited from a book in the memories of saints. But there was a light, bright words travelling to the box. Only Yaku could see them.

After few seconds, she stops and the box starts shrinking, eventually disappearing.

"So, its time that I too leave, Yaku." she says without looking at him.

"Oh? Goodbye I guess." he coldly replies.

She sighs

"You know, I am a special source. My healing abilities and stamina and everything, its far better than anyone else when perfected. Even slightly better than Sonia. She is actually considered as the most powerful by the way."

"So? What are you getting at?"

"The way you are, you are never going to last if you are partnered with a low class saint."

"Oh? Perfect for me then."

She sighs again.

"It is not good for me. A talent like you can't go to waste. So here's a proposal."

"What is it?"

"I will make you as my vessel."

"How is it any better than being a saint?" he asks in confusion.

"Oh, you will have the access to your body, I will just live inside you and give you my powers."

"How will you benefit from it?"

"Well you see, I have been in tons of fights so I need a break. And watching over you is entertaining as you're interesting."

"That is idiotic. But do whatever you want."

She giggles,

"I will."

The body she was in suddenly collapses. And a second after that, Yaku feels the most hurtful effects of experiences. The experience and the pain of someone living for centuries struck inside him. That pain, had him collapse too.

"Holy shit...I love this pain..." were his last words before falling.