Faltesia Chronicles: Ouroboros Rises

Chapter 4: Secrets of the Lost Orient

"You see," Ginyo muttered, gazing at each individual as if peering into their soul, "I'm what they call a bounty hunter. I look for work via doing illegal things like black market trades, stealing, et cetera. If there is anything that needs doing, I'm your guy."

Rose glared at him, rage threatening to burst from her blood vessels. "So you murder an innocent soul? How did you even get in here? It's impossible unless you're given entry!"
He smirked again and appeared in a flash next to Rose, blade inches away from her neck. "Shh, Queen of Phantasm. You don't want to waste all of that pent-up energy screaming at me, do you?"
Ginyo turned to face Estelle and Arin. "Ah, so you must be the ones I was told to look for," he said, his eyes full of curiosity. "Blue hair, yellow eyes, travelling with a djinn. Hm. How unique."
He moved the sword from Rose and instead pointed it at Estelle. "You tamper with something dangerous," Ginyo exclaimed eerily. "Kuronaga-san knows much more than you do, and she knows exactly where to go and whose help to enlist. Stop now, or you'll regret it. It's pointless to continue.
"Wait, what? Araki? How do you know her?" Estelle and Carys asked simultaneously.
"Great minds think alike."
Ginyo grinned, tapping his right temple. "Araki Kuronaga broke herself out and found my hideout. My family knows hers quite well, and she knew about my...other line of work. She told me to keep an eye out for Estelle-san, to put a stop to any progression while she goes to the Sun Cave in Goryeo."
"The Sun Cave..." Rose gasped. "No, you don't mean...Izanami and Amaterasu?"
Ginyo winked. "Precisely. She plans on breaking the Reverie Crystal to bring Izanami back."
Rose reached for her weapon: sword-like, double-edged but empty down the middle. A black orb was on the hilt, and the pommel was the same shade of red as her hair.
"The Reverie Crystals hold the gods and goddesses of the past in states of sleep. Izanami caused a great catastrophe years ago."
Arin reached for his chakram, getting ready to throw it. "What great catastrophe?"

Ginyo's eyebrows creased downwards. "You don't know? Hm...Izanami woke up around sixteen years ago. She nearly destroyed the entire planet. Do you know how she rose up again?"
Carys, claws revealed, lost her focus. She fell back a bit.
"Carys!" Arin ran to her, keeping her up with his strength as best he could. "What happened?"
"T-the...catastrophe. You guys don't know."
Ginyo laughed proudly. "Ah. Your parents haven't told you. Hoshizora, let me tell you a story."
"Sixteen years ago, your mother was in Goryeo doing a school project with her friends. They were experimenting with Reverie energy. She accidentally touched two Crystals. Broke one. That crystal held Izanami. She was freed and she released the entire Shinto pantheon."
He glared at Estelle smugly. "Her friend, Seres...ah, what a beautiful girl. She was intelligent, beautiful and kind. Seres was studying the long-forgotten past and by doing said assignment, she was bound to prove her theory. But, nope. She lost her life that day. All because of Erin. The others at Freudian shunned her. Then she met your father and gave birth to you a few years later."
"Araki-san told me this as a way to weaken your will. How does it feel knowing that your family caused the near-destruction of our world?"
Rose ran at him as she jumped into the air. With all of her might, she slammed her sword into the ground, causing it to rupture beneath Ginyo.
"Stupid jerk," Rose growled, teeth bared. "Izanami was resealed after this. She's been in stasis for years since."

Ginyo met her attack, slashing with finesse and accuracy. "Ah, yes. But Araki is after her again. By now, she's probably free. Hm...how intriguing. You have your own internal conflict."
Estelle joined in, rushing in to intercept his slashes. "Please, tell me where she is! Please!"
She gripped her saber tightly, hands shaking.
Ginyo stopped attacking, staring at Estelle. A look of pity appeared on his face. It seemed genuine.
"I am sorry, Hoshizora. I can't tell you. I know how you feel. But it's...you will find her. I'm only a bounty hunter. I do what I can to pay for my sisters to eat. I wish to have no involvement in this. But I must."
Rose looked exhausted. "Why...are you still...doing this, then? You're...better than this...Ginyo," she breathed. "Is it Masamune? Is he coaxing...you into working with him?"
Arin froze, still holding Carys up. "Masamune?! How do you know him?"
Ginyo frowned at the boy. "You're the one he used to bully, aren't you? Ah...wait, he has Jessica Swan in his possession. That's why you're here. He hasn't gotten better, Arin. If anything, he's gotten worse."
Arin's face paled.
Ginyo sheathed his blade and turned on his heel. "I'll spare you all this time. Hoshizora," he reached out and held Estelle's hands, making her drop the weapon, "once again, I apologize. You know one secret now, but there are many more. This quest of yours, it's honourable. But I can guarantee that if you continue, it will mess you up. All of you."

"What the hell was that?" Rose exclaimed.
Carys looked devastated. "Rose-"
"NO! We could have beat him! We should have! He may have his reasons for this, but they aren't just. Not one BIT!"
Her hands exploded with dark energy as Rose blasted the nearby wall.
"Rose, stop using your Phantasms out of anger," Carys said. "Estelle, Arin...are you okay?"
Estelle was sitting on the red carpet, hands in her lap, head down. "He said there were more secrets," she muttered. "What else do I not know?"
"And how is Masamune Noriyuki involved?" Arin asked. "He used to belittle me all of the time...I can't face that again."
"Carys," Rose called. "I have to go with them. They need a guide, and I need to settle something personal. I have to put this to rest."
Her cousin sighed. "I know you do, Raizel. I know you do. And I know I can't stop you from going."
"Just be careful," Carys replied. "Come back home, please. Keep in touch with me. I'd join you, but I have to stay here. Keep things running."
"Next time, Cari. This time, I get to go on an adventure and do great things, just like you did." Hugging her tightly, they stayed in their embrace for a few moments.
Carys opened one eye and looked at her cousin's companions. She smiled, but this time there was nothing cruel behind it. It was joyous and pure.