From Scratch

Chapter 4: The White Knight

He was crazy. He was nuts. He was insane. Phantom thought up a whole galaxy of insults at the expense of his mental health. Such insults were uttered after talking with a rude and uncooperative cabman, who told him the directions, he cursed with each bite he made while eating lunch bought on money stolen from aforementioned cabman, he spoke synonyms of the word 'derangement' that were not even in Cambridge Dictionary as he traversed the city in search of the residence of the so-called "Sword Saint", be it in the sky or on the ground. One could say that in such elaborate way he was trying to dissuade himself from going to wherever Reinhard lived, and they would be right to some extent.

Phantom didn't like his idea, but it was the best he had. He could, potentially, walk away, but that...just wasn't what he was. His core being ready to make him a full ghost had nothing to do with it. In a way, it was his conscience given form, due to what exactly it demanded. And conscience was possible to ignore, painful as it could have been at the start. Still, something else but conscience was making him do this. Danny couldn't quite understand what it was, he was too preoccupied trying to come up with a new, ingenious way to question the state of his mind. Be it genuine compassion or tempestuous desire to prove a point, he did not know. Despite his claims of not being a hero anymore, he still was doing their work. It was all very contrived, he knew that. Maybe he had a complex of some sort, a complex that forced him to do this. There was a reason why his core demanded it, it was a reflection of his own self. Or, him three years ago. Humans could change, ghosts could not. The core was like a photo, taken when a person died. It did not change, forcing him to abide by ideals and goals that existed back then. His heart, however, did. Danny wondered if his personality had split somewhere along the way. With everything that had transpired, he wouldn't be surprised.

Even if his core hadn't changed in a metaphorical, mental way, it had grown in power. And he knew the potential ceiling. Phantom had had an enlightening experience involving the Time Master and time travel. He was destined to destroy the world, lay ruin to every city and kill everyone in his wake. That foresight was truthful, and Danny lived to see the dreadful future too. But that future never came to be. Still, that fight also gave him enough insight into what he could potentially do. It put his most powerful ability in the arsenal, Danny learned to do some things he hadn't expected to possess. His power rivalled that of the last king, it had been tested against the armies of humans and ghosts. That was why even the blast with the slightly bigger amount of power obliterated a wall.

Returning back on topic, Danny finally reached the home of the Sword Saint. It was a nice-looking manor he had, and it was within the city borders, no less. Phantom's eyes jumped from one corner to another, examining the area for any noteworthy parts. The brick fence was not of any concern, he could go through it. There were some guards at the iron gates, so Phantom decided to be polite for once. Coughing, he got their attention. The guards, who had obviously been dozing off, looked up from their helmets, confusion written on their faces. Danny made a light bow and smirked.

"Hello, good people. Is this where I can find Reinhard von Astrea?"

"And you are..."

"Oh, my name won't tell you anything. I just needed to talk with him."

"And he will talk with a kid like you?" One of the guards lifted his helmet with a finger and snorted, then hiding his eyes back under it, about to go back to 'guarding duty'.

"Well, we don't know each other personally, but I need to talk to him."

"Aren't you special. You have something to make us let you through, boy?"

"I have my fists and magic," Danny shrugged, "But I don't want to cause a scene."

"Sorry, we are not letting you through. Especially since you are so happy to throw fire around."