Soul-mate [Collab Draft v. 1.1]

Innocence

All five of them sat down in random chairs in the board room, where in a few minutes, they were joined by Circe and Daimon.

“Ummmm, are you guys the only ones in this organization?” Noroi asked once everyone was seated.

“No.  We’re just the strongest ones here, so after the director, we’re in charge,” Circe explained bluntly.

“Then...where’s the director?”

“On assignment.  So, you’re stuck with us.”

“Yay?”

“Now,” Ian said before Daimon could shout again, “Thanks for saving Sara and my sister, and also, do you have the slightest clue about innocence?”

“Oh, no problem, and are you sure right now is the time to make a DGray Man reference about Innocence right now?”

“No no no.  Not Innocence.  I mean innocence.  Like to be innocent of something.”

“Well, yeah.  I was just found to be innocent of not attacking Kiyoko and Sara here,” he replied as he gestured in their general direction.

“Okay...But before then,” Ian pressed.

“Ummmmm.....I was convicted of murder once.  Halfway through the trial, a man approached me, and told me that it would go right, and I was going to make it.  A week later, I was found innocent, and was let free.  And..Ummmm...The next day, I woke up and had this.”

“Had what?” Circe asks.

“Well, my gun, and a sort of tattoo thing.”

“Tattoo thing?  Like what?” Daimon asks as he pulls out his earbuds.  Noroi takes off his jacket and begins to unbutton his shirt.

“Woah kid, try to keep it clean here.”

“Oh shut up.  It’s on my arm.  And don’t call me kid.  I’m the same age as you.”

“Fair enough,” Aditya says with a shrug.  Noroi drapes his shirt over his chair, and then displays his right arm to the company.

“What the heck is that...”

“Told you.”

“That is wierd...I don’t think anyone has ever ended up with something like...that.”

Everyone stood there staring in confusion, for on his arm, was a “tattoo” of a snake entwined around a sword in the hands of a half-demon half-angel.  After a few minutes of poking and prodding it, Noroi put his shirt back on, and sat back in his chair.

“That is very interesting.  Well, Noroi, I gotta tell this, it’s not everyday someone has come in contact with the Maker,” Ian said as he ran his hand through his hair.

“What?”

“Well, it seems that man that you meet during your trial, was the Maker.  And he was marking you, in the thought that you would become what you are today.  That you would become an Akari.  Now, the only ones that can have innocence, and it be turned into a weapon based upon their emotions or actions, are those marked by the Maker.  We were marked.  But not physically.  You however, seem to be special, for the Maker made it a point to come down and mark you physically, and by himself.  That doesn’t happen.  It just doesn’t.”

“So what are you getting at, brother?” Kiyoko asks looking incredibly lost.

“I’m saying, that we should be able to expect great things from Noroi here, and that we should also be vigilant, for this may be a sign that the war will escalate.  Also Kiyoko, don’t stare at his chest so much when his shirt is on or off.  It’s too obvious.”  Both Kiyoko and Noroi went bright red.

“Noroi-kun.  What level is your weapon?” Circe asked.

“Level?  What do you mean?”

"The amount of times your weapon has upgraded or changed itself.”

“Oh.  Ummm....three times I think?”

“Okay then...That means it’s quite powerful.  But it can get ever stronger.  As the bond between the one who wields it and the weapon gets stronger, the weapon will level up, and generally bind itself to the owner more.  For example, Daimon’s weapon is his right arm.  He can turn it into a talon, and depending on the setting, a halberd.”

“Woah...”

“Everyone elses weapons are still around level four or five.  So, you need to start leveling up faster, and easier.  So, for the first few weeks, we’ll be sending you on assignments that act as both your training, and as a way to level up.  Understood?”

“Yes Circe-chan.” Noroi said as he nodded.

“Good.  He’s your first assignment.” she said as she threw a small book at him, striking him in the face.

“Ow,” he muttered as he read the first page, “Australia!  Can I afford that?”

“Don’t worry kid.  The Director pays the fair.  And he’s freaking rich.  And you’ll be traveling with Kiyoko on this one.  She’ll show you how it’s done.”

“Don’t get any ideas sis!” Ian said with a smile.  She turned red again.

“Oh!  I forgot to ask.  How is the war going in the first place?” Noroi said as he changed focus from Kiyoko to Daimon.

“Well, if you think of it from a chess point of view, where our souls are the pawns, and the Maker and the Iocus are the players, they are currently at a stalemate.  We hope it will soon become a checkmate.  But because we’re the pawns, and it’s our souls at risk, we call it a soul-mate.  That is what we want.  A soul-mate against the Iocus.”

“Oh my.”

“Yes.  So, we’re hoping we can collect more wielders and collect bits of dark matter.  That’s what the Iocus uses to power his robots.  He uses extremely powerful dark matter.  It’s your job to destroy it before the humanoids can recover it and use it.”

“Great.  So you think there’s some in Australia?”

“Yes.  We are getting an incredible energy reading only dark matter is know to possess.  So, we’re sending you two,” he said pointing at Noroi and Kiyoko, “to go and check it out.  If it is there, you will destroy it.  Kiyoko will teach you how.  You two will leave tomorrow morning.  Meeting adjourned.”

And with these words, everyone stood and filed out of the room, and to their own bedrooms.  As he walked, Noroi rubbed his right arm, feeling something was up with it.  His gun suddenly grew heavy in his pocket.

Is this what I want? he thought to himself.

He shrugged it off, and continued to his room.  He would keep going, he decided.  The path be was given, is the only path he would get.  He had to see it through.  And with that, he entered his room, and went right to sleep, without even changing his clothes.