Ch.48: Regret.

"Shimizu. SHIMIZU!"

His eyes opened wide, immediately looking at the person who stood over him. His eyes were pitch black but upon seeing the person, his pupil got his gleam back. 'What...happened..?' He thought back to how he ended up on the ground like this.

Kazemi and his team easily made there way through the horde of monsters. While he was hiding behind a rock, he didn't know that Kazemi was there and so when he felt his presence, he was met with darkness.

'How did he...get so much power..?' Kazemi helped him up while telling the group of people behind him to calm down. They were all releasing bloodlust on him because of his actions. "What happened to you man? You got bags under your eyes and stuff.."

He made his thumb wet and whipped away the marks from under his eyes. "A-Aric? How did you...how did you survive the dungeon..?" He asked in genuine concern/confusion. "Don't know myself actually. Luck, maybe?"

He finished whipping his face and shook him up. "Now tell me what happened to you. Why are you doing all of this..?" Shimizu shook his head while looking away in disappointment in himself. The story went as following:

Shimizu wanted more power.

Sorry you had to read so much.

'He was approached by someone, claiming that they could make him stronger. Since he was bullied by people from our class, and they were leagues ahead of him, he took the opportunity...'

"I understand that, Shimizu. But why..would you do all of this? Send monsters out on your friends? Innocent people? Why?" Whipping away his tears, he said..."B-Because I wanted to prove myself to the Demons.." The others gasped while Kazemi only shook his head.

"To prove yourself,..huh? I see what you're talking about, but this is just too much, Shimizu. I might have to actually kill you because of this.."

As Kazemi sighed, Shimizu feared for the worst. 'K-Kill me?! You..would do that..?' As the thought of his best friend killing him overwhelmed him, he acted.

He pushed on the left side of Kazemi's shoulder, causing him to turn around. He then grabbed his left arm, bent it up to his back and put a needle to his neck. "I-I'm sorry, Kazemi.."

He whispered out. "Kazemi!" The chains around Tory's neck floated up behind her and got into an attack mode sort of look.

Everyone in fact acted quickly by displaying some form of power. Jasmine was the most distressed as she was being overwhelmed by her bodies memories and her own.

"I'm fine, guys. He..won't hurt me. Isn't that right, Shimizu?" Shimizu slowly began backing up, looking around like he was expecting something to happen. The group of people were getting more anxious by that and began moving forward a bit.

"You don't have to go this far, Shimizu. I can make this better for you if you stop now.." He whispered to him. "You can't, Kazemi. You can't make this better...this time around.." A distant memory of Kazemi taking a hit for him flashed through his head.

"I can tell them that you were being controlled.."

"You don't have to go that far, Kazemi. I chose this road on my own and can't make it better. We both know this.."

"The road you chose can be changed though. You're not a murderer, Shimizu, you've never killed man before. You're just...lost and afraid right now.."

He stopped walking, coming to a realization. 'He's really...trying to save me. And here I am holding him hostage. Aric, you're stronger than before. I know that this needle won't do anything to you, we both do, and yet, you're allowing me to do this..?'

The needle that was on his neck slowly began to retract, his grip on Kazemi's arm doing the same. "What will they do with me..?" He asked while becoming teary eyed again.

"Nothing. I promise you they won't hurt you. Me and You still have something to achieve on earth together, right?" A smile couldn't help but form itself on his face. "Yeah, w-we do,..huh.." The smile was a mix of two things.

One being that Kazemi remembered such a thing and the other because he knew they wouldn't be able to experience it together.

A black choker then appeared around his neck and it flashed between white and black. "Huh..?" Kazemi slowly turned around as he heard the ticking that got faster and faster.

"I-I have to go now, Aric.." The needle dropped to the ground. "Aric... can you promise...to forgive me? I-I was overcome with fear and animosity.." He went on, Kazemi slowly beginning to realize the situation that they were both in.

"You're my best friend, buddy.."

The beeping stopped, two strands of tears pouring down and off his face and onto a plant.

"Maybe We Can Met Again In Another Life.."

Blood splattered on the face of Kazemi as he held his hand out. 'No...' The headless body thumped onto the floor. 'No...' The others stared opened eyed. 'No, No, No, No...' His mouth opened slightly, stammering with his words in the process.

'He,..S-S-Shimizu..no. Why did this...why did this happen? Why are you..dead..?' His feelings were mixing with the body he occupied. 'They...they cursed him...'

He reached for his sword and threw it at a man who was on a falcon. It scraped his skin, causing him to bleed.

'They...put this on him..' A curse that kills him when he turns on them. 'SSoo...cruel..' His sword swung back around and followed after the man.

'They...they killed him right before me. In COLD BLOOD!' He put his hands together like he was praying, causing himself to float high up into the sky.

'I won't allow them...' As memories kept flooding in and as his friends rushed over to the body on the ground, a certain someone in hell frowned.

'His progress is outstanding...' The group of people who were screaming his name then felt a sudden drop in power.

['Gluttony' Unlocked]

All of their powers suddenly vanished, making them faint on the spot. The sky darkened followed by a storm of black lighting.

'My friend...the one who laughed with me...the one who cheered me up from a beating..' He put his left hand, causing his sword to fly towards his hand.

When he caught it, he flicked his wrist, causing the surrounding mountains to split in halves and the ocean as well.

'I'll kill him....I'll kill them all!' Before he could attack, a hand touched back of his head. 'Father?!' He quickly shot around only to be met with blackness.

"Son. You don't even know this guy. Why the hell are you so soft now? This ain't how I raised you.."

His voice was deep and infinite like he spoke directly into your soul. 'You showed me you can really be my successor, only for this to happen? What. A. Fucking. Letdown..'

Kazemi crashed down into the ground, the black clouds and lighting disappearing like it never happened. 'Now I have to clean up your mistakes...' He snapped his fingers while landing in front of his son.

'You're a letdown and yet, you are my masterpiece...' He bent down and touched the top of Kazemi's head. ▪︎['What's Yours Is Mine And What's Mine Is Yours']▪︎ He put a skill into his body while taking one of his.

'Now you can control yourself and I can...I can turn my arm into metal. See ya later, my little prodigy...' He kissed his head one last time, turning into particles in the process.

....

Kazemi sat up against the back of his bed, holding his head as a migraine was dancing around. 'What...happened..' He looked around the wooden room, not a person or piece of furniture in sight.

'Why was...why did I feel you, father..?' He felt the same breath on his neck as he did as a child. 'No, that can't be. My old man is dead. How the hell would he be here, Kazemi?' Even thought the thought that, he could never mistake such a feeling.

'Shimizu...oh right, he's dead, isn't he? I..feel bad but not like before..' He let the other guy take over and he influenced Kazemi. 'How could you let this happen, Kazemi? You gotta do better than...than...that?' He felt a bit nauseous and so he laid back down.

'I remember the feeling...of owning the world... like I had everything in the palm of my hand... like I could actually split heaven and earth..'

He put his hand up and looked at it. 'Father, I felt you're presence for some reason and now I feel like I can do anything.

What...are you?'

....