Memories in One's Blood

"Focus your mind, Rai-kun… Do not break the mental link between us."

"Yes… sensei…"

Today was the first day of my apprenticeship with Kirin-sensei. After practicing her mandatory set of traditional wooden weapons exercises such a using a wooden katana and naginata, she told me to rest my body while training my mind next.

"You're strangely better than I expected. The last time we trained your mental link, you can barely keep it up even with my least strong link interference."

"I've been training by myself, sensei. Even though I did stop for a several weeks during our deployment in Fukushima."

"I see… well then, try to break my interference and defense this time."

"Roger."

With both of us sitting across each other in meditation poses, an outside and normal observer may think that everything is peaceful.

"Hngh!"

"Come on. You can do better."

"Yes, sensei."

But for someone with Psychic capabilities, they can easily recognize how chaotic and strong the fight between I and Kirin-sensei is.

"Haah!"

"Good job, Rai-kun."

"Thank you… sensei…"

Even I made the rookie mistake of thinking that trapping someone inside a Mental subspace is as easy as just imagining it, but from how I learned it back in the incident in Chiba and our encounter with the photokinetic Gardener in Fukushima, it is not easy. Instead, it becomes harder as your opponent becomes more experienced with dealing with it.

"I have a question that I have always wondered about, sensei."

"What is it? I'll try to answer it to the best of my capabilities."

"Why do we have to fight in Mental subspaces? From how I see it, it's more inconvenient to risk being detected by trapping someone in a subspace rather than just outright surprising them out in the open."

"I see… you really are a sharp kid, Rai-kun."

Kirin-sensei smiled lightly after I gave my question. Perhaps, she was glad that I noticed something like that this early in my career as a Psychic.

"Well, to put it simply, we use mental subspaces even if they are inconvenient or it places us in a disadvantage because of three things. One, as you already know, anyone who doesn't actively emit Astra energy cannot enter a mental subspace because they lack the right power to form a body in that dimension. This ensures that no innocent person will be dragged into our fights and due to the nature and destructive power of our abilities, also ensures that whoever loses and dies in the fight will not look mutilated in the real world nor would the buildings we destroy in the subspace fight carry on in the real world."

"I see…"

"The next one is regarding your personal safety. As you may already know, if you are the one who initiated the fight by forming a Mental subspace, you can prematurely end a fight that may have become tilted against you and come out of it with your own life. Although it would drain you of a lot of your power, it can at least ensure that you will not lose your life in the fight."

"That would be useful for a lot of occasions."

"Lastly, there is something called Subspace Subjugation. Although I don't think it would make sense for you right now."

"Please. Do tell it to me, sensei. Maybe I can make use of it or at least be knowledgeable about it if I encounter it in the future."

"…Alright, if you insist."

As Kirin-sensei smiled and said that she'll do it, I felt a bit of joy since I will be learning something new again.

"-!"

"W-wait-!"

However, I instantly regretted it afterwards.

"Hk-!"

"-!"

Kirin-sensei suddenly formed a mental link between us which, because of her training earlier, I instinctively defended against.

"Sensei…! Wait…!"

"<Subspace Creation>"

"Wait-!"

However, my average defenses can do nothing against her superior abilities and focus. More than ever before, I was reminded that Kirin-sensei isn't a Kanbu officer for nothing. She's really experienced and strong.

"Sloppy, Rai-kun… It seems like you immediately forgot what I told you before."

"…Yes, sensei… I'm sorry that your instruction about minimizing my Astra energy output flew over my head during that moment."

"It's alright. You'll get used to it sometime."

"Thank you…"

"Don't thank me."

"What?"

"I'm not done yet."

"-?!"

If in her active Psychic form, Kirin-sensei has bright purple eyes, this new form of hers that strangely looks familiar to that time after my mind clearing test here.

"<Ars Caelestia><Subspace Subjugation>"

"-?!"

"<Domain of the Divine Principles>"

In an instant, the dojo's interior was replaced by a huge room that has pure white marble walls and a floor made of pure reflective gold.

"T-This is…"

I've seen this before! If so, is Kirin-sensei also a spirit Vessel?

"How is it, Rai-kun? Do you understand now why I am reluctant with using this on you?"

"Y-yes… But I have already-"

"Rai-kun?"

"…"

When I was about to say that I have seen this before, I found the rest of my words stuck in my throat. As if my body instinctively stopped me from speaking the rest of it.

"Is something wrong? I'll stop the Subjugation now."

"O-Okay, sensei…"

As she cancelled out the subjugation, I contemplated about what just happened.

Why did my body stop me? Why did it happen just before I said anything about that time in Chiba?

"-!"

And suddenly, I sensed that familiar feeling of that guy talking to me inside my body.

["Not yet, Ephraim. Not yet."]

"Law…?"

["Your teacher shouldn't know that for now. It's both too early and too dangerous for her as a Vessel to know your existence. Both of you are still far too weak to effectively fight together."]

"Why does that have to be a problem?"

["Because once the time comes when we will ask you for your choice, there will be nothing more but battles ahead your way."]

"…"

["For now, I want you to focus on how to strengthen yourself. And I believe her Spirit wishes the same for her as well. With that, I ask you not to distract either yourself or her. For I don't know until when you can become stronger in order to become victorious in the future."]

"I understand. I will withhold myself for now… But please promise me something, Law…"

["What is it?]

"Once that day you are talking about comes… please help me protect all of them."

["…"]

"If this is part of that thing that I accepted back then… that "Divine Challenger" thing. I will do what I must do. But I will surely prioritize their safety first and foremost."

["Well then, I promise upon my being and name. Your request I will fulfill to the best of my ability."]

After our inward conversation, Kirin-sensei undid the Subspace completely and returned both of us to the real world.

"It's noon now, Rai-kun. Let's go out and have our lunch before we continue later in the afternoon."

"Yes, sensei."

With everything I discovered so far, I decided to unwind and come with Kirin-sensei outside to eat and rest.

"Mmm~!!!"

"Is it good, sensei?"

"Hm? Ahem… it is. You're a good cook."

"Oh, come on. You can compliment me more. It's written all over your face that you liked it."

"Haah! I don't hand out compliments too often, kid. Do your absolute best first before you ask for one."

"Well then, second course is here, ma'am."

"W-Wait… how?"

"Kai blabbers a lot about you sometimes. He mentioned this one dish that you absolutely love to eat."

As I said that, I gently placed a plate of sweet curry in front of her. I based it from Kai's words and wished that it was the right recipe.

"Haah… You're going to ruin my figure, Rai-kun…"

"It's just my way to thank you, sensei…"

"Huh?"

"You see… I've been dealing with a lot of things lately. Both as a Psychic and as a normal person."

I sat in front of her and found myself twiddling my thumbs in order to mask my nervousness.

"Our recent deployment to Fukushima where I got into countless life-or-death situations made me painfully aware of my weakness… and after I came back to my children, I can sense that they were very worried about my safety and was worried sick."

"Rai-kun…"

"You see, ever since I lost the friends who raised me when my mother became bed-ridden, and I lost another friend to the Miyazono corporation's dark side, I found it hard to ever find any respite or comfort on those that I consider as above me… I have Yurippe in the agency, Iwasawa-nee who helped me a lot during my first time in here, Maeda-sensei who still contacts me even though I already left the school, and Mana who has become a treasured ally of mine as we continue to fight together… but none of them seems to calm my nerves when I need someone to lean on and confess my burdens with."

"Is that the reason why you hugged me yesterday?"

"…Yes. For some reason, you remind me of my mother when she was still healthy. I don't know why, but I just feel the same way with you when-"

Without any other words, Kirin-sensei stood up slowly from her seat, walked around the table and sat beside me before placing her arm across my shoulders.

"If ever you feel down like that, you don't have to pretend that you're tough or you can bear all of it…"

"…"

"I have only seen the terrible things that you went through, Rai… and that is enough for me to know that all of it shaped the tough and resilient you who exists today."

"Sensei…"

"But just like how I used to tell my students and men… Even the strongest mountains yield to the rain and wind… even the strongest people have to lay down at times for they are just mortals. And you are more of a special case."

"What… do you mean?"

"You're still a kid. You're mentally and behaviorally mature, but I can still sense and see a child inside of you who is hurt and in need of consolation."

Kirin-sensei tightened her hold on me and even leaned her face on my head.

"So, if you need someone to lean on… and just like you said, confess your burdens with… come to me and I will listen to you. If you want, I will be your mother in this place far away from your homeland."

"…Pardon me then, Kirin-sensei."

"It's alright…"

At that moment, I was thankful that no one was in the cafeteria during that time while I was crying as silently as I can and being consoled by Sensei.

Just in that day, I resolved my problems not by stabbing it in my mind… but actually confronting it and letting it all go.

"Are you ready now, Rai-kun?"

"Yes, sensei."

"Alright… begin!"

In the afternoon, we continued our Mental link practice and further familiarization with my psychic material which is blood.

"Attack form!"

"Solidify!"

"Defense form!"

"Bend!"

"Stationary form!"

"Liquify!"

Kirin-sensei tested all of my attributes. From how quickly I can change my blood's state and how effective I can form it for a specific purpose.

"Alright then… let's spar, Rai."

"Understood, sensei."

I slashed my palm and made it bleed in order to have a continuous supply of blood in our practice fight.

"<Electrokinesis>"

"Hnh!"

"<Static field!>"

Kirin-sensei imbued the floor surrounding her with electricity. The tatami mats fizzed and pulsated with energy, crackling and snapping out of the floor to create a defensive field around her.

"<Hemokinesis>"

"…"

"<Arterial Constriction>"

*Bzzt-!*

"…No effect, huh?"

"Try harder, Rai-kun."

"Understood!"

"What-?!"

Unlike how she expected me to act in a fight, I shot forward with intense speed that came from increasing the blood flow on my lower half.

"<Hemokinesis!>"

"Ich-! <Electrokinesis>"

As Kirin-sensei put up a defense by increasing the electric current in her static field as I expected, I swerved away from running towards her, kicking the floor in order to go back to where I was.

"<Blood Bloom!>"

"Too slow!"

"Tch-!"

I punched the floor to inject my blood into the tatami mat and make it pass through her defense, but she simply fizzled it into steam as soon as it touched her field.

"Your offense is over, Rai! I told you again and again to never give your enemy enough time to pre-cast their abilities!"

"Darn-!"

From her static field, a bolt of electricity emerged and formed into a blade-like shape that Kirin-sensei held using a sword handle she has on her sleeve pocket and raised it as if it is a real blade.

"<Electrokinesis><Lightning Edge>"

"Liquify!"

"You're too gullible, Rai! I told you to be agile and not hold your ground unless you can slug it!"

"Try me, sensei!"

"…Well then. Don't be cranky if this will hurt until tomorrow!"

Inside my own solidified dome made of blood, I told Kirin-sensei that I can take one of her prided Psychokinetic attacks.

"Imamura Kenjutsu… Fifth form."

"Come on, sensei… Don't hold back…"

Kirin-sensei's charge towards me shook the entire dojo hall.

*KA-CRACK!*

The wooden walls shivered, and the tatami covered floor she ran through was singed into ash…

"<Electrokinesis><Two-fold Lightning Strike>"

And her blade made of pure, unrelenting lightning pulsated to its highest degree, ready to rob anyone it may strike their very own lives.

"NOW!"

"-?!"

However, I am not going to do such a thing.

"<Hemokinesis!>"

You are right, sensei. Against someone like you who has faced countless battles and learned how to balance your own offensive and defensive strategies, I am nothing but a half-baked fighter with no true sense of direction in what he should do.

"<Incision Wound!>"

That's why... I want to show you how the weak fights the strong using tactics that they have never seen before.

"Haha… Ahahaha!"

"I deduced that it would be your style of fighting… Being an electrokinetic psychic and all…"

"You did well… Even if you aren't strong enough to beat your opponent to a pulp or tough to endure their blows, you did what most other Psychics don't usually do."

"I appreciate your remarks, sensei."

What I did was almost alike that tactic we used against Furuta-sensei yesterday. Earlier, I injected my blood into the floor that was meant to flow towards her, because her focus was on fizzing it off, she didn't notice that I set aside two puddles between us.

"Can you undo them now?"

"A-Ah… yes."

And when she lunged forward to attack me, I activated the puddles which rapidly solidified and both blocked her path and had their sharp points only a hairbreadth away from her vital spots.

"It's a sad day indeed once a student beats their teacher."

"Stop being so dramatic, sensei. If I didn't have knowledge about your fighting style and powers beforehand, I would be squirming like a fish out of water right now on the floor."

"Yeah. Go on, do it."

*Bzzt!*

"Argh!"

Probably to reclaim her honor after losing to me because of my trick, Kirin-sensei touched my back and electrocuted me, making me fidget and squirm on the floor for several moments due to the shock.

"Hehe… Ahahaha!"

"Ahh… that hurts, sensei."

"Just take it. You should get used to being in pain, you know."

"I-I still prefer not to…"

I stood up, still having a sore spot on my back as Kirin-sensei lent me her shoulder so we can escape the Subspace and rest outside for a while before the training day concludes.

"Hey, sensei…"

"Yes?"

"I have a question about… Kai."

"…Did you find out from him or Renjiro?"

"Both of them. In separate occasions."

"I see…"

I have always been curious about how Kirin-sensei feels about all of it. Having a child that would die due to his latent powers, being able to do nothing but make her child hibernate and being given a clone of that child to console you until the real one can be awakened.

"Kai seems to be understanding regarding his situation… he's just a Replicant and he is willing to accept that he would someday be disposed to give way to the real deal. But having that kind of end… I know that even he feels cheated or at least, betrayed about it."

"If that is how you feel about him as a friend who only spent several months with him, what do you think about me who raised him, only to be forced to dispose him later…?"

"…"

"You're a parent too, Rai-kun. I won't say something like "you won't understand it since they are not your own flesh and blood" or anything like that… but there really is something about them being the product of your own flesh that binds you and them…"

"Sensei…"

"This is the reason why cloning humans is something that doesn't rid us of the pain of death. It just reminds us more of our own mortality… and in the end, we just want for it to end both to give us peace and them, dignity in death."

"What… do you mean?"

"Tell me, Rai… why do you think those clones are called Replicants?"

"Well… from how I understood it back in my medical school and recently in our operations, Replicants are made to replace those who have died suddenly or in an inconvenient time for those around them. They are Replicants because… they replicate their original selves."

"Right. But does that erase the fact that they have already died?"

"…No. It does not."

"Then what is the point of replacing them if it doesn't undo what was done?"

"…"

"This is what we meant when we said that cloning humans are both meaningless and inhumane. Human life is precious because it cannot be truly taken back once it is gone. Human life is beautiful for it is fleeting yet very deserving of dignity. Preciousness, beauty and dignity that Replication robs from those who have departed."

"Then are you saying that Kai-"

"No, Rai-kun. I am not saying that having my son replicated made me distant or disgusted with his clone… even though you have seen me scold him and berate him regularly for his mistakes, I truly and fully love him regardless of him being a Replicant."

"…"

"That's why more than anyone else, I am terribly hurt to have to accept that the child I reared for 16 years… will have to die to give way to my real son. Just because we don't want him to live in the shadow of his cloned self."

"I see…"

"Recently, I was told to take days off my duties as a Kanbu officer and a member of the Amano Hogosha in order to spend the remaining days that I have with him… but due to the rise of encounters and hostilities between us and the Miyazono corporation's Psychics, we didn't have as much time as we wish we had."

"You see… I promised Kai…"

"Huh?"

"I promised Kai that even if he's no longer here, I will not forget him."

"…"

"I don't know who the real Kai is. What is his personality? What does he do in his free time? Is he good with some sport? I don't know him at all…"

I sighed lightly and looked at Kirin-sensei who is barely holding back her tears during our conversation about her son.

"The only thing I know is the Kai who is alive right here and right now. And even if he is gone, I will not forget him…"

"Why? Wouldn't that be painful for you?"

"Please, sensei… You saw what haunted me in my mind back then."

"Your friends… huh?"

"Yes."

From my pocket, I took out a pair of rings that I always bring with me as a remembrance of that poignant yet precious memory.

"No matter how painful it is… holding onto those memories is the only thing I can do now to thank them for everything they have done for me."

"…"

"Kai is no exception. I will not forget him."

And so, the first day of my apprenticeship ended with average improvements in my abilities and strengths.

"Rai-kun."

"Yes, sensei?"

"Take care on going home."

"Yes. Thank you and let's see each other tomorrow again, sensei."

"Mm!"

But somehow, I felt that I earned something more important than that. Something that I should cherish more than anything else.

"Good night, sleepyheads."

"Good night, Rai-san."

"Night-night, Rai-nii."

"Alright. I'll turn off the lights now."

After I brought my children to their room and tucked them into their beds, I bid them a good night and gently closed the door behind me.

"…Mental link, huh?"

Downstairs, I was wondering about what it was that is limiting my abilities. Furuta-sensei said that to end our apprenticeships, we have to satisfy the criteria of our chosen instructors and also find out how what is limiting our powers currently.

"Kirin-sensei did say that I suck in forming or resisting mental links, making me vulnerable to ambushes or being easily found out by the enemy…"

I deduced as much since Kirin-sensei didn't scold me about anything other than my mental link ability. I passed both her combat and physical training course, but not the mental link test.

"Wait… now that I think about it."

We can make subspaces by ourselves or form a mental link with someone friendly to us and none of us will be harmed once it is broken… but the same is not true for those we see as enemies.

"Is it possible that the Subspaces… are also alive?"

It's a pretty high-flung and unconventional theory, but it shouldn't be impossible.

"After all, Kirin-sensei said that Kaede-san and Akari-san who are the top-most Psychic scholars who study our powers has barely scratched the surface of this thing."

If so… is it possible for us to form a mental link with ourselves?

"…Darn. This sounds stupider and stupider the more I think about it."

It's a reckless thing to say, yes… but if none can dispute or approve this hypothesis of mine, all of this shouldn't be wrong.

"Only one way to find out, I guess…"

I sat on the couch and focused deeply until I can sense my own self all alone in this room.

"Mental link… back to me…"

I thought that this would just be some kind of failure that would give me a headache or something if it did fail…

"-?!"

Little did I know that because of a certain difference in my own self, in my body to be exact… this failure will reveal something that I never expected to see.

"Argh! W-w-what…?"

In an instant, my house's living room disappeared, and I fell face-first to a pavement.

"W-where the hell…?"

And when I looked around, what I saw was something out of an apocalyptic world.

"What is this place? Where am I?

["You're back to where it all began."]

"L-Law?"

Suddenly, Law who was supposed to be inside my body, appeared beside me while I am sitting on the broken and desolate roadside. He is dressed in his white robe and has the same face and physique as me.

["…Just because of humanity's mistake and wish to be greater than what they are supposed to be… this is the consequences of their actions."]

"What are you talking about?! None of this makes sense! Why am I suddenly here?"

How can I not say that? I was just experimenting on my abilities, and I am suddenly brought to this place filled with broken and burning buildings and roads filled with ruined or totaled cars.

["Isn't this what you wanted in the first place? To know the truth about everything?"]

"H-huh?"

["You were trying to form a link with your own blood. It seems like you don't know that even your blood can retain memories from far off in the past."]

"What are you talking about?"

When Law turned around to look at me in the eyes, it sure creeped me to have my own self stare at me so intently.

["Did you really think that all of this happened out of pure coincidence, son of Cecilia?"]

"Wait… why are you calling me-"

["You becoming a Psychic. You saving that girl when she was nothing but a stranger to you. You meeting up with those government agents. You meeting with another spirit vessel… Do you think all of that was just a coincidence… or do you think there's a more to this than you initially expect?"]

"No… It can't be."

Law snapped his fingers and brought me to the top of a high building where the entire city can be seen.

["I… no, We were supposed to do everything that we can to avoid the almost infinitesimal number of worlds to not end up like this world. But a single arrogant mistake can undermine all of that… and in the end, we had to depend on someone who is willing enough to fight till her last breath for all of this to end."]

"How did you know…?"

["…"]

"How do you also know the story of Lady Cecilia?"