Atonement

"Enzo is... dead?" Remi whispered. "I wish I was joking; I couldn't save someone I care about again." An unnatural smile spread across her face. Her tone of voice changed abruptly, becoming cheerful as she added, "You didn't give a shit about Enzo the second you abandoned us two years ago." Remi's words didn't sound like she was truly sincere; rather, they were laced with bitterness and anger towards my father.

"Rain won't leave alive." She said it menacingly under her breath before grabbing hold of the back of my neck and pulling me forward while I stood in front of her, not resisting or attempting to stop her as she stared straight into my eyes with an intensity I had never seen from her.

"REMI WHAT THE HELL IS SORA DOING HERE?" Rayne came running to where we were positioned near the gate that led into the school. She appeared frantic upon seeing her clinging on so tightly to me. "Rain killed Enzo right in front of me." I winced slightly when I noticed her grip tightening on me ever so slightly. Rayne went quiet at that point, unsure about how to respond to such a situation as her lips drew themselves into a thin line of frustration.

"Sora, have you done anything useful in your entire life?" Rayne snapped, sounding frustrated. "Remi, let him go! You don't need this idiot around to help take care of matters when Enzo has already died; let him rest in peace."

"There's one more thing I forgot to mention: before Enzo died for good, there was something that possessed him. That being was my grandfather, Imonojin Katayama."

Remi suddenly grabbed hold of Rayne's shoulders, squeezing them firmly as if holding back tears from escaping. "What the fuck are you talking about? The hell is Imonojin?" Rayne shouted back indignantly.

"Imonojin's soul overtook Enzo to carry out his will and to save me. He was almost able to end Rain with a move called Arc Suicide, killing him in the process." I sighed.

"So now what do we do, Sora?" Remi trembled as she could barely contain her anger. "I have to leave; I have to get stronger and become someone who is able to defeat Rain Katayama, the God of Wrath. You guys cannot help me in this fight; this is something that I must do to atone for my sins." I was glad they let me go without protest. They couldn't understand how much more dangerous this world becomes when gods like Rain intervene in human activity.

And in order to do that, many innocent people will lose their lives. For every step we take, there will be thousands upon thousands of civilians caught up in the crossfire without a single way to escape or hide. I am no longer fighting for the same reason that I was two years ago; this is something much more dire.

The people have suffered enough and died enough already without their loved ones because of our past transgressions. We cannot live this way, living our lives believing everything is alright when, deep down, we know nothing could be more wrong.

I take a deep breath before proceeding further through the dark forest that surrounded us in its entirety, engulfing me in complete darkness along the way.

At that point, there was no turning back. Everything that happened will become irreversible as soon as my feet touched down upon that cold soil that belonged to this hell. The memories and thoughts of my failures flash through my mind at a rapid speed, reminding me of how helpless I was back then and forcing me to face facts about the current predicament I found myself in.

For the rest of eternity, these are the paths that will lead down. Whether I like them or not does not matter, though; all that matters is knowing which path is the right one for me to follow. So I kept going deeper into that void that called itself my future; no longer would the past exist. No more lies will hide reality.

My story finally begins tonight when everyone else has failed miserably and no one else can rise to face the enemy and survive this conflict because no other hero has yet stepped onto the stage. And as soon as I am out there among the gods, I will change this world for better or worse. The mistakes that I made in the past only fueled me and made me into a stronger being with the sole purpose of restoring balance to the world. If that's what my destiny is, then so be it.

Just thinking about this caused a lump to form in my throat. In these moments where only silence reigns supreme and death awaits in every corner of this battlefield, my true abilities will be unleashed. I mustn't look back at what's left behind or doubt my actions now, for only a coward does such things; the ones who deserve to stand up against these titans shall be granted the right to claim victory and ensure that this place remains safe from harm.

Finally reaching the end of my journey and looking up at the full moon shining above in its beauty, illuminating the sky with a warm white glow, I let out one last breath as tears fell freely onto the barren ground beneath me. Why am I even doing any of this? Why haven't I just given up on life yet or even considered giving up trying to change the world for better or worse since all paths are dead ends regardless of what choice I make? Why should my final stand mean anything to those outside my domain?

"Leo, please tell me what I'm supposed to do. I am lacking the guidance to do the right thing, even though I've been trying. You were the only person who kept me afloat with my decisions." A voice called to me. "Fight. Fight. Fight." Those were the only words Leo uttered in my head. It seems that he wants me to keep going, no matter what lies ahead.

So why can't I just get started? Why am I so worried? Fear seeps its way through the cracks of my heart and fills the empty holes within it; once that fear takes a hold over me, I might fall off the deep end. If there was no hope, maybe this world wouldn't matter.

However, there is something far greater than the amount of power that exists inside the most powerful beings in existence—something that pushes us onward and forces us onward: the will to live. I continued my march through the forest in hopes of finding something that could help me become the strongest of them all.

END OF VOLUME 3.