One way for another

The room fell silent. Only the sound of a light shining through Crow's hand being placed on Ray's abdomen.

"Alright, you are free to move around tomorrow Mr. Asaki. I'll be taking my leave for now," he picked up his briefcase and exited the room. Cordelia let out a sigh and went up to Ray, placing her hand on his head, ruffling it lightly. Kagura pouted seeing their gestures in jealousy.

"Finally, you are somewhat, ok, I guess? I'm going out to Crow's place for a moment. If you need anything just give me a call," she was about to turn around when she suddenly remembered something important.

"Oh, and if you don't mind," she passes him a paper which he gladly accepted it. "I was thinking about making an agreement between you and me, for the experiment. Don't worry, it's nothing dangerous. Just to examine your powers,"

Ray put his hand under his chin before finally saying. "Sure, I'll give it thought about it,"

In Cordelia's mind, she did a victory leap. "Good, now I'm off. Don't trash my room you brats," the room fell again into another silent. Jane decided it was the best to leave him alone as it is already nighttime. They haven't even eaten dinner yet.

"Hey captain, we'll leave you alone for now. We're gonna get our food and then hit the sack. Hit us up if anything happened okay," the group made their way to the door. Ray released Storm to Kagura's arms as the kid managed to sleep soundly in his embrace. He waved lightly while smiling.

"Alright then, see you guys later," the door finally closes, leaving the young captain lying on the be in the middle of the night.

'Wanna get something?' Ray sweat dropped at the demon's demeanor.

'They've just gotten out Ragsherum. Plus, I'm already full,'

'Don't you think it's quite a surprise to know your friends are going to arrive here tomorrow,' apparently, Crow told them earlier that the immortallist, alongside someone named Martha, will arrive at the village tomorrow.

'Yeah, you're right. Do you wanna get out for a moment? I'm bored talking with you in my head,' the general nodded his head with eager. Ray held out his right hand to the empty chair. Dark aura accumulated around his palm before it finally formed a dark shadow of Ragsherum, sitting in the now occupied chair.

"Woo, finally. I get to stretch my body after being in your body for so long I couldn't even remember," the demon stopped stretching for a moment after seeing Ray's grave expression.

"Thinking about your new powers kid?" he hit the bullseyes as Ray finally snapped out of his thoughts. He smiles faintly before slowly nodding his head.

"Yeah, I've been wondering, can I really master it?" he clenched his hand. He says that because he knew. He couldn't use magic. Ever since he joined the Elite Force until now, he has zero magic affinity. No mana. Nothing. The sole reason why the others kept looking down at him in his early days joining the force. Ragsherum? He uses blood, a lot of blood.

"Rather than you overthinking it with that stupid expression of yours, why don't you try to use it? Maybe this time, you don't have to use blood. Better yet, you now use mana, maybe," agreeing with his vasal. Ray concentrated his magic on his right palm, trying to feel the ice flowing inside his body. He closes his eyes to further enhance his focusing to the magic.

Suddenly, an ice molecule appeared out of his palm. His eyes glimmers with excitement. But then, an immense amount of pain started to build up within his body. He closed his mouth with his left hand before coughing a large sum of blood. Ragsherum quickly neutralized Ray's magic, placed him down on the bed and healed his body.

Ray breathed heavily as the pain finally left his body. Ragsherum cursed under his breath. "Damn it! So still no progress," Rasgherum plopped himself down in the chair.

"Is it the same pain just like when you used my power," Ray noded weakly. Ragsherum sighed.

"Figures, it's raw magic anyways. So, it's gonna use a lot of blood just like mine," Ray stared at ceiling, letting his body relax after feeling the obnoxious pain.

"Rags, I've been thinking. Am I even alive?" the demon looks at him deadpanned.

"Why do you ask yourself that you imbecile?"

"It's just that, I've been using blood for magic ever since I got you. Even how many times I use it, losing blood, passing out, I survived. But until when Rags? Why am I the only one without magic? Am I just going to be useless forever?" tears leaked out of his tired eyes. Ragsherum face went downcast.

"You'd looked into my memories. I had been bullied in the past. For what exactly? My lack of magic of course! That's why," he grips the bedsheets tightly until his arms went white from the harsh force.

"That's why, I subject myself into violent trainings and missions. I want to prove myself; that I'm not a burden. I did everything that I could. Fighting the traitors, escorting the prime minister, joining Astera. But heh, I guess talent really does beats hardwork," he ended his ranting with a silent suspire. Ragsherum shook his head. He grabs his hand surprising the young captain, putting it on Ragsherum's chest.

"That's where you're wrong Ray Asaki," the general stared at Ray's dark brown obs. Their heads touched together in a gentle manner. "Because of you, I learned to forgive the humans. Why did I choose to be with you? Is it because of pity? Sympathy? Empathy? No! But I could see it in your heart. We're the same. Always getting picked on, taken advantage. So, I decided to share with you the power that I have to help you, to get you stronger,"

"So please, never ever view yourself as weak, useless. You have a lot people who worries and cares for you," images of Hikari, Aiwa, Kagura, Kaid, Ariel, Storm started to circulate in his shallow thoughts. He smiles tearily.

"Thanks, Rasgherum. I don't know what I would do without you," Ragsherum grinned happily at his holder. His body slowly starts to fade.

"My pleasure as always captain. Now, sleep. You have a lot to do tomorrow," the demon reentered Ray's body. The young captain finally got his body taken over by drowsiness. He snoozed off without a care in the world; happy memories flooding in his dream.

........

Meanwhile, Kagura and the others.

They are currently having a dinner at a food court near the inn. The place was crowded with people attending the place to get their meals for the night. They all ate to their hearts content except for a certain green haired male, who keeps poking his food with his chin resting on his palm. Crane took a final sip of his drink before nudging his mentor who's the same age is him.

"Oi, what are you daydreaming about? It has been like 10 minutes, and you still haven't touched your food," Shiki stared at Crane. He shook his head, redirected his attention to others and started talking. "Well, I've been thinking about letting the captain to train us," everyone in the group stopped their eating to listen to their fellow comrade in arm.

"You do know that our teacher is going to arrive tomorrow, right? With Ray's friend also going to be here and our own associates, it will be perfect for us to sharpen our skills. Just think about it, combining everyone's knowledge in all, we can become stronger," the others though about it for a moment. Aki decided to chip in to give her own thoughts.

"That's great, but are you sure about that? He even told us that he uses blood as a catalyst to form magic. It's completely different than us, usual mana users," Shiki grinned.

"Not just about our magic my dear friend. We need to learn how to accurately use our weapons, positioning, planning and such. He's a member of the Elite Force. There must be something the higher ups had taught him something that we don't know. Have you contacted your grandfather Jane?" the others retracted their attention to the old man's granddaughter.

She took a look at her phone to find information her grandfather gave. She swiftly pushes her phone to the middle of the table. The group stared on the intel given to them.

"Yeah. He was surprised when he said that we found him since he's been missing for like almost a week. Makes sense that his friends are going to come here. Probably worried about him," the information provided were quite hefty. His background, training, involvement and magic affinity. It's all written in the small device.

'Aiwa must be coming too huh,' Kagura thought with a cute pout. Realizing her lack of words, they looked at her in confusion. But not just her, even Storm, is also pouting at the moment.

'Who is Ariel? Ray nii san look so happy when he mentioned about him,' the girls had hearts in their eyes seeing the light blue haired kid pouting innocently. Shiki and Crane stared at their friend with a deadpan expression. Out of the blue, Crow appeared with his own dish. He sat down beside the two male who watch him eating his food.

"What? Can't a guy get his meal? Oh and Mr. Shiki, take this," he held out a piece of paper to the male. He took it and started to explore its contents. His eyes went wide.

The doctor grinned. "So how about it?"

"Isn't this an agreement for training? And it has been signed by Ray himself? But I thought only,"

"When you guys were busy talking and hanging out with him, I slipped one of these bad boys for him to sign. I can't just interrupt your moment with him do I," the doctor took a bite out of his freshly cooked meat while conversing with the two.

Shiki smiled wickedly. 'Finally, I can strive my dreams further,'

"Thanks a lot doctor. Couldn't have done it without you, old man," Crow cough out his water.

'Damn you, Cordelia! You're influencing the kids,'

......

"Wakey wakey Atlas~" a certain crazy scientist slams his glass apparatus to the butler's head smashing the thing into pieces while successfully waking up the injured man. He woke up with heavy breathes. His head spun wildly after the collision with the glass. The butler glares intensely towards the scientist with fury in his eyes.

He activates his fire magic to burn the rope around his body, turning the flammable material to ashes. He quickly lunged forward with a fire fist but was intercepted with the older man shoving his foot towards his chest sending the younger one upwards. He then landed on the cold floor clutching his chest. The scientist wasn't finished. He put a great pressure on his back sending him flat to the ground. He cackled loudly in satisfaction.

"Now now Atlas. No need to be so harsh. Look at your friend over there," he roughly shoves Atlas' head towards a dark cage. Inside, reveals a hideous figure, growling aggressively. Something caught the butler's eyes. A certain badge on its left shoulder.

"287!" the scientist laughed wickedly to his reaction. Atlas trashed around his grasp but failed.

"What did you do?"

"Oh, nothing. Just injecting him with…. This!" he pulled out a serum with bluish black liquid inside.

"I was surprised when it actually can be use on the dead. Now I'm curious," he eyed Atlas with interest. "What will happen if I inject it into the live ones? How about we find out now!" he forcefully stuck the syringe inside Atlas' veins making the said main shrieked in pain.

At first nothing really happened, but after some time, Atlas started to feel both burning and cold sensation in his body. The intense switching of feelings confuses his body system thus, resulting in him screaming for help. His body started to turn. Claws clopped up from his arms. His face changes into a dark demon head, body twisting its looks into skinny bones.

"Now, before you eat me," the scientist activates his own magic. He held out both of his arms, changing his stance.

"Way of a magician: Imprisonment!" the new materialized demon was suddenly pushed to the ground with a heavy force. The magic reversed the effect of gravity generating an inverse flow, causing him to get trapped.

"Experiment; success. Now," he turned the lights on, showering the room with lights. His surroundings are filled with large cages with demons akin to the newly transformed Atlas and 287. He shouted towards all of them.

"My fellow demons, it's now time for us to shine. Now is the perfect moment to crush the humans, rise our clan glorious days. For our next mission,"

"Destroy the village, bring back our general in hope for the clan's future!" everyone let out their roars of chivalry.

.........…

'A storm is coming'

A faint voice jumped in Ray's thoughts. He glanced quickly left and right to find the owner of the voice but failed.

'Hey Rags,' he asks the demon inside him. 'Did you hear something?' surprisingly, the demon nodded. 'Yeah. A storm is coming? I fear something's bad is about to happen soon,'

'We better prepare,' he closes his communication with the general. He focuses his attention in front of him while being supported by Kagura and Storm. They are currently waiting at the helipad for Ray's friend's arrival. With only one leg, he has to latch himself to Kagura and Storm for support. He could've gotten himself a prosthetic leg, but he decided not to for no reason.

'He just wants to be with Kagura,' that's what the others thought, which is true.

"So, when are they going to arrive?" Rose asked Crow. He glances at his silver needle watch.

"I think it's about," an aggressive turn of wind made him smile. "Now,"

A large black cargo bob swings its rotor lively before slowing down. The large vehicle finally landed on the helipad safely in front of them. The back door opens itself showing its attendees. Suddenly, both a petite and a small figure jumped out from the cargo bob heading towards Ray. Everyone back away form him except Kagura and Storm who only inched a bit. The two figures slam their body to the recovering young man knocking the air out of him plus sending him to the ground.

The two were Ariel and Aiwa, who are currently bawling their eyes out wetting his front shirt in the process. He calmy soothes the both of them.

"Ray nii. Ray nii," Ariel kept repeating his name over and over. Afraid of losing his only family member. Same with Aiwa who sniffles silently while covering her face with his shirt.

"Don't ever leave us again you idiot!"

"Hey, hey, you two," he pulled the two away from him to get a good look on their faces, which on them have swollen, teary eyes and red nose from the constant crying.

"I'm fine and alive, see? You don't have to worry about me anymore," he kept comforting the two as the others could only watch the heart-warming scene. A sudden sneeze blowing interrupted the others attention.

"Such graceful scene. Can I have more tissues?" Martha wiped her snot with a tissue given by her right-hand man.

'She really can't read the room huh,' Hikari said in his mind, shaking his head at the older woman's childish attitude. Suddenly, Storm rushed over to Martha and hugged her with his small body. She bent down to return the embrace fully.

"Mom…." He stiffened a sniffle from letting out of his throat.

"Shhh, it's okay now. You're safe. You have me and everyone now, right?" the sudden change in attitude does surprises Hikari and the others.

"Alright everyone, come on now. We have a lot to catch up," Martha left the scene with Storm, heading towards the inn with a trembling Storm in her grasp. The others nodded. Her soldiers followed her suite while Hikari, Arithia, Sora and Hiyama reached Ray.

"Thank goodness you're safe Ray. Must've been a tough ride," Hikari said.

"Hey buddy," Hiyama nudged his shoulder a little. "You're not allowed to die, okay? I haven't beat you up you prick,"

"You sure did worry us, Ray. Prepare for an earful latter on," Arithia said with Sora nodding in approval as dark aura surrounds their backs. Ray could only gulp in fear.

'Yup, I'm officially dead,' he sweat dropped. The two finally stopped crying. He looks at Aiwa who's currently on top of him in a weird position.

"Umm, Aiwa, can you please, get off from me?" he said with a blush on his face. Aiwa, realizing their current situation, decided to tease the young captain and taunt Kagura at the same time.

"Sure, but first I want to claim something what's rightfully mine," everyone's jaws went wide.

She pushed her body forward and assaulted Ray's mouth in a kiss. She forcefully inserts her tongue into his own, invading his territory. The flushed captain was unable to fight at the sudden attack. He accidentally let out a low groan in response to her assault.

Kagura's face went beet red in both anger and jealousy. Hikari quickly covers Ariel's eyes before the innocent kid manage to witness something so indecent.

'Why you! Ariel is here dammit!' Hikari screamed inside his head.

Kagura's friends couldn't believe their eyes. Never ever they're going to witness a man dating two girls. Beautiful ones at that. Crane clenched his fist angrily while his mentor decided to calm the raging man. The girls squealed at the dominant girl while Kagura tries to restrain herself from choking the girl who's been kissing Ray for 2 minutes straight.

The two ended their heaty session with Ray blushing and breathing furiously. A string of saliva connected the two lips. Aiwa licked her lips seductively in front of the flushed captain.

Embarrassed, he passed out.

"Eh, Ray?" she shook his body repeatedly. His soul has already ascended to the sky caused by the Aiwa's attack. Hikari sighed in annoyance.

"Great Aiwa, just great," Kagura stepped in and shove Aiwa forward to distance the dominant girl from her crush. Aiwa had a satisfied shit eating grin expressed on her face. Kagura glares at her in jealousy. The others could only witness the scene, dumbfounded between the two's relationship.

Hiyama having enough of crap took matter in his own hands by placing Ray on his shoulder as he walks away from everyone heading towards a certain inn for the meet up with Martha and her soldiers. The others snapped out and followed him from behind. Aiwa and Kagura still with their glaring contest got a light bonk to the head by Sora and Arithia.

"Hey you two! You can fight later, but we have a meeting to attend to," Arithia huffed in annoyance. Seeing the two bickering like kids triggers her own train of thoughts. What if Hikari found another girl that is more beautiful than her? Is she not good enough? Will she be replaced? If so, how can she-

Sora leers her eyes in disgust. She shook her head and walked away from the three; don't want to waste anymore time dealing with the three lovestruck idiots.

"And that's why I want to remain single," she told to herself.

......…..

Inside the large meeting room prepared for them, they sat down on their respective seats. Ray being in the middle while being guarded by two of Martha's soldiers, the immortallist on the right side, Kagura and her friends on the left side and Martha at the front with Storm right beside her. She cleared her throat in an attempt to gain everyone's attention.

"Alright, first of all," she motioned her right hand towards Ray. "We're all glad, that you managed to escape alive and well, Nexon. Secondly, we need to plan an attack,"

"As you know, we are currently going to launch an assault towards the Sheer Clan to stop them from achieving their goals. They have only one and that is to find power. With the escape of Nexon, they will most likely plan to strike this village," they focused their attention to her speech. None said a word.

"To accomplish that, we're gonna need as much back up as we can. I have finally got acquainted with Astera and the Elite Force, for now, I would like to seek help from your side, Kagura and the others,"

"I heard that your teacher and the higher ups from your school are going to come, when are they going to arrive," as if her questions were answered, a knock could be heard from the door. She ordered one of the soldiers to open it; thus enters a man in his 40's wearing a rather fancy leather trench coat. His bloodshot red hair that reached his ears sways smoothly as he walks. Behind him follows the higher ups from the school.

"That would be now milady," Kagura and her friends hastily stood up but was instead motioned to sit back down on their seats by the charismatic man. He put both of his hand into the pockets of his coat.

"I'm sorry for intruding ladies and gentlemen with my late attendance to the meeting. One of the villagers told me about a large group having a meeting here, so I couldn't help myself but to lead my steps to this place,"

'Ray, I'm not liking where this is going,'

'What do you mean Rags?'

"Now, before we all continue, with due honor miss, might I trouble your meeting for a bit?" Martha encouraged her honored guest to fulfill his request.

"Not at all, sir. Take your time,"

"Well then," his dark red eyes glowed shadily under his fedora. His gaze clashed with Ray's with an intimidating aura.

"I heard from a doctor saying that Ray Asaki will be the one to train my students. So boy, are you Ray?" Ray tries his best to stand up and salute the older male.

"With all due respect, sir! I am, Ray Asaki. Codename Nexon at your service!" the redhead chuckled lightly under his breath.

"My, what a polite soldier you are," his aura unexpectedly went violent.

"But I want to see, how worthy are you to train my students," he drew out his weapon, which consists of a large black and red battle axe shining with pride.

Hikari, Aiwa, Sora, Arithia, Hiyama, Ariel and even Kagura draw out their weapons, standing in front of the young captain who's tired from the long standing up with his one leg protectively.

"Huh, I don't expect you to stand up for him Kagura? What kind of relationship do you have with this man," Kagura clenches her teeth, hands tightening around her weapon.

"It's okay everyone,"

Everyone looks at Ray with a shock. Ray motioned them to lower their weapons which they reluctantly did.

"It's fine. In fact, his right. I have to prove myself if I want to train you guys after all," he struggles himself to get out of the table to get closer to the redhead. Storm and Ariel seeing their nii san having trouble walking decided to rush towards him to aid him. He gratefully took their kind offering and put both of his hand on their shoulder for support as he slowly walks. The older male was surprised when he saw the young captain walking towards him with only one leg while being supported by two kids.

"You know, you didn't have to trouble yourself,"

"You're a veteran. I can't break the codes that have trained me till this day,"

"So, when do you want to test me?"

The teacher broke a mischievous grin.

"How about now?"