Chapter 2: Rise of Factions

"Join my faction mister!", "We want to find the prompt join us please!", "We are looking for new members!"

Damn, I can't even catch a break without getting bothered with requests from recruiters to join their factions. I need to find a way to leave this hellhole, I think the most logically thing to do is get a companion to help along the journey. But… what place?

Maybe, I should check out that tavern. It might be useful for information gathering too.

"What the hell?" I blurted while entering the tavern.

"Wow! This is some fine beer!" a man shouted chugging his mug.

There's really people out here drinking while a crisis is happening? Well, I didn't come here to see that. Now, who looks like a fit candidate for being my partner? This girl, she looks like she could be useful.

"Hey!"

"No… I'm not looking into joining a faction" the girl states.

I wasn't even asking her to do that, but alright then.

"Do I really look like a recruiter?"

"No, but you could be one in disguise." she responded with annoyance.

"So… I'm guessing they been bothering you too I'm guessing?" I questioned her with the intent of striking of a conversation.

"Yeah, what's it to you?"

I have a feeling she is suspicious of me for some odd reason. I'd better try opening up to her a little bit more.

"Nothing really"

"Alright, get down to the point.", "What do you want with me?" She arrogantly asks.

"I need a partner.", "I don't intend to join any factions." I explained.

"Elaborate, then I'll give you my answer." she stated firmly.

She's a hard one but I can tell if I gain her trust she can be useful and never betray me based off her personality and how she speaks to me.

"I would like to free hostages of this world, even if I had to risk my life."

"You would really risk your life for pathetic people who can't help themselves?" she questioned.

Where she trying to get with telling me that?

"Yes, I would.", "In my previous life, I was a disappointment and disgrace to my family.", "I failed school, and was lazy all the time."

"But, I want to change that.", "I want to do something in my life that actually is helpful!", "Even, if I don't get anything from this. I want to hold the thought of me freeing innocent people from this world and doing something positive in my life for once." I explained.

"Wow, so you aren't some little dumbass who wants popularity from saving people. I like you, what's your name?" she asked while having a more happy expression.

"Tokuda Hajime."

"I felt like I've heard that name before… anyways my name is Mita Akagi", "Pleasure, acquainting with you!" Mita shouted.

Good, It took a little convincing. But, now I have someone that can assist me throughout this journey. Now, I just need to seek my way to finding the prompts.

"Also, do you have a place to stay at?" Mita asked.

"No, why do you ask?"

"Well, since we are gonna be working together… might as-well live in the same roof together so it's easier for communicating." Mita suggested.

"How do you trust me?", "I could be a spy from a different faction."

"I can tell you're a trustworthy person.", "I kinda have a feeling inside of me that can tell whether you are evil or kind heart." Mita explained.

"If you say so, I wouldn't mind living together.", "I look forward to working with you too, Akagi."

"Look, from now on we'll go on calling each other by their first name", "I honestly like Tokuda better than calling you Hajime." Mita clarified.

"Alright, so Mita?" I responded.

"Yeah, Tokuda", "Anyways, let's find some shelter." Mita ordered.

Part 2

"Hey, do you think it would be smarter to become a faction instead of doing this mission without being a faction?" I asked curiously.

"Smart, it would be way easier to find quests to gain money and intelligence." Mita agreed willingly.

"How could we register our faction?"

"There's a wooden counter where you can talk to an Upper Rank that can register us into becoming a faction. Surprisingly it's located in the tavern you met me and talked to me in."

I think the more logical move to do is becoming a faction. If we got more members, we could use them to get intel and more manpower over other factions to getting the pieces to the prompt.

"Alright, the plan is to make a faction. Then take quests, I would also like to find more members to make this plan into motion for finding the fragments for the prompt." I stated.

"You know Tokuda, you're more smarter than looks put out. I honestly thought it would be hard working with a guy. But, you've been easy to work with unlike most guys I've worked with like at school." Mita exclaimed with happiness.

Is that a compliment or… I need to leave my personal feelings out of the picture and work on this mission of saving everyone. Love Relationships are irrelevant in this world.

"Y-Yeah I guess!" I replied while laughing.

"I think it's time to head to bed, I still can't believe there's actual housing similar to apartments from Earth." Mita explained.

"It's nice at least to have a place to stay."

"I'm going to sleep on the ground, since there's only one bed." I firmly stated.

"You don't want to sleep next to me? There's room for one more." Mita observes while laying in bed.

"No… It would be awkward", "Plus, we only met today."

"Tokuda, I wasn't even thinking about it like that." Mita whines.

Shit I screwed up, hopefully that didn't hurt her feelings. I just don't want to get a close relationship with her. Too much then she'll get feelings for me and that'll be bad.

"Alright, I'm going to sleep", "Tokuda?"

"He fell asleep already? Now that I can see him more clearly, he's looks cute when he's asleep" Mita mumbles.

Shit, I should've just found a place by myself.

Part 3

"We would like to register a faction into the system." Mita told the person at the register counter.

"Okay, please look over the guidelines for making a faction" the Admin responded while giving a booklet.

Everything is going according to plan. I should go sit down at a table while she does her own thing.

"Much better… my legs were killing me" I mumbled.

"Hey," I heard a deep voice behind me. "You Tokuda Hajime?"

"Who's asking?" I answered the man.

"I want a word with you right now." the man ordered. "If you don't, things can get real messy."

Damn, he got me in a tight spot, I'll have to go along with him, I don't want to cause any problems for me along the way.

"Fine, what do you want with me" I asked while slightly pulling out a dagger hidden in my sweater pocket.

"I'm only going to ask you once… do you know who Kishimoto Naka is?"

"No, doesn't ring any bells." I responded.

Who is this Kishimoto guy? Is he supposed to be some famous guy in town? Hold on, I feel like I've heard that name from somewhere.

"Be honest with me or I'll kill you here and now!" the man shouted while grabbing a hold of me.

"Let go of me, I don't know who he is!" I aggressively shouted.

Should I strike him? No, It'll cause attention over here.

"Hey… do you mind leaving my boyfriend alone?" Mita interrupted while tensing up her fists.

Smart, she's using that for me to get him caught off guard.

"Fine, you resemble him a lot." the man states while walking off into the distance.

What does he mean by, resemble him a lot? I don't even know who he is.

"Tokuda, are you hurt?"

"No… I'm good, he didn't even lay a scratch on me." I explained.

"By the way, why did you call me your-" I asked while getting interrupted.

"Nothing, just trying to save you that's all", "Never-mind that, I need you inside let's go!" Mita answered while running and grabbing my hand towards the tavern.

I've never seen her like this, I wonder if our friendship grew? Nah, shes probably just doing that to be nice. This could be bad though, I don't want her to gain feelings for me, if something were to happen to me, she would probably be unstable.

W-What is this sharp pain in my head? It feels like a nail getting hit again and again.

"Hey, I wonder how I got here", "Oh, your name is Tokuda Hajime it is?" a sinister voice spoke while chuckling.

Part 4

"Who are you?" I asked in fear.

How did I get here? It's so dark and eminence, I feel like I'm about to piss myself.

"You don't even know who I am, to think I got put into this puny little human body… unbelievable."

"Name's Ryoko, I'll explain a little about my past, so get some popcorn and relax."

"I can't even relax, it's so dark in here." I blurted.

"I am a Shadow Holder, It seem like I got pulled into your body by no consent." Ryoko explained.

"Over two thousand years ago, I was known as the Foresighted or known also as one of the Okami Gods. Idiot humans fought battles after battles to the point where their damn powers went extinct with along the Okami gods as-well."

"Ever since that day, I've hated humans to the core. They stripped our freedom and existence away and now I'm stuck in you. Now, to specifics, the foresight abilities I hone are one of the more powerful ones in the Okami Realm. I have five abilities including a trump card, Tora, Mona, Monatora, then the trump card, Ruins Awakening."

Is he bluffing or is this all true? I can't believe such thing exists.

"Just to let you know, I won't let you control me… I will be the one controlling you. So be careful of what you tell me to do, I'll make sure to cherish every single bit of what I am able to do with this body."

Control my body? Wait, there's no possible way he can do that right? Now he really has to be bluffing.

R-Right?

"Believe what you want kid, I won't force you." Ryoko stated while laughing in a sinister way.

Part 5

What's that sound I'm hearing?

"Tokuda? Tokuda!" Mita shouts repeatedly.

Oh, I remember now, her and I were trying to register a faction.

"My head… Mita how long was I out?"

"It was around couple seconds, you just suddenly collapsed onto the ground" Mita explained while laying my head on her arm.

"Huh, I can't remember what happened once I collapsed."

No, now I remember, it was that weird white creature with one eye, his name was Ryoko.

I wonder why he would be placed in my body out of everyone in this reality?

"Hey, we gotta finish the registration remember? Come with me." Mita reminded me while grabbing my hand.

"What would you like your faction to be named" the Admin requested.

"Do you got any ideas for a name?" Mita asked me.

"No, I don't got any right now."

Damn, I wasn't even thinking about a name at all for the faction, I wonder if she'll have one.

"We'll call our faction the 'The Exorcists'"