Ah! Finally I’ve returned to the temple. How long has it been since I felt this pure energy? Wait, that was only two weeks ago. But it feels like forever.

  No time to think. Let's just go in. What in the…

  “You let your guard down junior brother!”

  “Thud!”

  What.

  “Wait, what is going on here???”

  “Who?

  Master?? Master when did you…”

  “Thud!!!”

  “Ryuk, what are you doing beating up your junior brother like this? Have you turned demonic or something?”

  “Wait, Master, it's not like that…”

  “Is that so? Twenty”

  “Twenty? Twenty what master?”

  “Twenty pushups now!!!”

  “But master.”

  “Thirty!!!”

  “I’ll do fifty master!!!”

  “This brat!”

  - Few feets further -

  “Kori! Kori! Wake up Kori…”

  “What happened? Why am I on the ground?”

  “You passed out from the st attack from senior brother.”

  No way!

  “Wait! Who is that and why is our senior brother doing push-ups?”

  “Just how hard did you hit your hand Kori? That’s our training master - Ken Kyoshi.”

  Kiyoshi? Now that I think about it. I remember who he is. He’s the only person in the temple that was able to fight back when the demons attacked. But in the end…

  “You there! Are you okay? Did he hurt you hard?”

  “What? No master. I’m okay. But what is senior brother doing all of the sudden?”

  “Don’t worry about him. He’s paying the price of bullying his juniors.

  The only way to eradicate evil of the mind is to face the harsh punishment of breaking your body!!!”

  “Bullying? Wait master, you’ve got the wrong idea. Senior brother wasn’t bullying anyone. We were just…”

  “No need to defend him, young one. Although I admire your kindness there are some lines that shouldn't be crossed!!!

  Are you listening Ryuk?”

  “Yes Master!!! I’ll pay for my evil behaviour with a hundred push-ups.”

  “This brat!!!”

  “Get up! You won’t get away with doing this with just push-ups. You’ll have to expin this to Master Tomoya.”

  “YES! MASTER!”

  “Wait, Master, please let me go with him too.”

  “What? I told you already young one. You don’t have to worry anymore because I’m here.”

  “Please Master. I don’t want senior brother to face punishment because of me. Please let me expin this situation to Master Tomoya.”

  “Why are you so persistent? Alright. Let’s go both of you to the Kiyoshi Shrine.”

  - At the Shrine -

  “Master Tomoya! I have arrived from my journey.”

  “What did you bring with you? I hope those two children aren’t the only thing you brough.”

  “No Master. That is a separate issue. I’ll report about my journey ter. First, let's discuss the matter at hand.

  When I came back to the temple, I found senior disciple Ryuk beating his junior brother. An act of evil that I cannot let slide.”

  “Evil you say?”

  That is Mater Tomoya. He is the oldest monk in the temple. He lives at a shrine and spends most of his time praying. No decision is made in the temple without his permission and blessing.

  I get why the Master brought senior brother here. However, this situation is…

  “All I see is a child that exerts righteousness befitting of our family name.”

  “What? Master, how could that be?”

  “You still haven’t changed Ken. Too quick to draw conclusions.”

  “Master. But I saw him with my own eyes.”

  “Stop it Ken. Eyes can be deceiving. Trust me I know all about it.

  Just take this child back to the food hall. It's time for lunch, he must be hungry.”

  “Ah.. Yes Master! I’ll do that immediately.

  You two, let’s go to the food hall. Now!!!”

  “Wait! Leave the younger one behind. I have something to ask him.”

  “Ah.. Yes Master!”

  Junior disciple? What could Maste Tomoya want to ask him? Anyway I should leave immediately before he gets angry.

  “Hmm…”

  This feels weird. This situation I’m in…

  “What could you be wondering so intensively, child?”

  What should I say? I don’t want to be disrespectful but…

  “I’m sorry Master, the situation earlier, it wasn’t brother Ryuk’s fault. We were just…”

  “I know that already.

  I’m asking what is on your mind that has made you look like this?”

  This? Wait, more importantly, how can he even know how I look?

  “You look surprised. You think a person like me cannot see what’s going on?”

  “That’s not it, Master. Forgive me, I was just trying to not be disrespectful.”

  “Disrespectful? So you think questioning the obvious is disrespectful?”

  “No Master, that's not what…”

  “Hahaha!!!!

  Such a considerate child. At this young age you’re behaving like you lived a full life.”

  What. How did he? Wait, what is this situation turning into?

  “I’ll satisfy your curiosity, young one. Your eyes don’t deceive you, what you see in front of you is real.

  Indeed, I can not see with these eyes of mine.

  However, one doesn’t need eyes to see in this world, there are other methods to achieve vision.”

  Wait, he is telling me this. Why would he be doing this right now?

  “Now that I have satisfied your curiosity, it's your turn to do the same.”

  What. His curiosity?

  “What is it that’s bothering you? Why do you look like that when you should look like a child without any care at your age?”

  Look like that? Just what can he see by looking at me? Should I tell him the truth?

  “Master! I’m not sure what you see when looking at me, but I’m not worried about anything.”

  “Liar!!!

  Careful child! I don’t tolerate lies at this sacred pce.”

  This intense aura. How is he emitting this with his frail body?

  “Forgive me Master for lying. It is true that I’m worried. I’m worried about my future. I’m worried about my friends. I’m worried about this temple and its future.”

  “Now you’re talking. What is the cause of all this concern?”

  “Demonic powers Master. Something so vile that shouldn’t exist in this world at all.”

  “Demonic powers. Huh…

  If you’re that concerned about demonic powers what are you going to do about it?”

  “I’ll eradicate it before it can hurt anyone, Master! I’ll destroy it with my own hands…”

  “Eradicate! Destroy! Who taught you these hateful words? No wonder you’re emitting such an unpleasant stench.”

  Who taught me? That would be those eight bastards that killed everyone of my friends.

  “Master, I admit it is a hateful feeling I shouldn’t have, but the destruction I have witnessed because of these demonic powers justify the anger I feel towards them.”

  It is true these basterds don’t deserve any mercy.

  “Justify. That is an interesting choice of word.

  That is the por opposite of what we teach at the temple. No amount of evil can justify such hateful emotions, no matter how horrible the evil may be.”

  What is he saying all of the sudden? Those bastards don’t deserve a horrible fate even though they put my friends and loved ones through hell?

  “Don’t let my words confuse you young one.

  Even though evil needs to be eradicated, to call yourself rigorous and to use the word justify, you should bear no hateful feelings. Your mind should be clear as the sky. You shouldn’t feel angry or happy about it, instead, you should feel nothing. Nothing at all.”

  What. He saying that I shouldn't be angry at those bastards, that I should just keep calm. How is that even possible? If he were in my position would he be saying the same thing?

  “It doesn’t matter where you stand in life, it doesn’t matter what atrocities you have witnessed, if you want to be the one to eradicate evil, you must abandon your anger and resentments.

  That is the only way to righteousness. That is the only way to happiness in life.”

  His words. He’s trying to guide me towards righteousness? Happiness? How could I ask for something like that in my life after all the pain people have gone through to make an unworthy soul like me survive?

  “How is that fair Master? Why should I get to be rigorous? Why should I feel happiness in life when all I’ve been is a burden to others. How is that fair to people who have sacrificed their lives to save me?”

  “You stupid child!!! Why are you only thinking about yourself?”

  About myself?

  “How could you disregard the feelings of all who have put you first in their life?”

  Their feelings? What is he talking…

  “If they sacrificed to save you, don’t you think you should respect their decisions? Instead of living with all this anger to seek revenge, you should think about how they would want you to live?”

  How they would want me to live? Now that I think about it…

  - Fshback -

  “What’s your dream Kori?”

  “My dream? It would be to kill every one of these demons!”

  “Hahaha! I knew you would say that. What are you going to do after it?”

  “After? I don’t know. I think my goal in life will be achieved once I do this. As for after, that doesn’t matter that much.”

  - Silence -

  “That is just sad Kori.”

  “It's not! It’s noble cause you idiot.”

  “Noble…

  Nah that’s just sad…”

  “Is that so? What is your goal then? Let’s hear it from almighty himself what a dream should be.”

  “My goal is to live a peaceful life. A lovely wife, four children, two girls and two boys. A big house in a rural pce.”

  “Huh..

  That’s just boring.”

  “Hahaha. I knew you would say that.”

  Deja-vu?

  “Anyways Kory, I want you to live a happy life too. I want everyone to live a happy and peaceful life. Free from these demons.”

  “Copycat! I said it first. Now you’re just copying my dream.”

  “No I’m not. You just want to kill those demons, I want them to not exist at all.”

  “Do you even hear yourself? You just said the same thing…”

  - Present time -

  My comrades. They didn’t sacrifice their lives just so I could defeat those demons, they wanted me to live. They wanted me to live a happy life. A life that they could’ve lived themselves if only they didn’t care for my life so much.

  What is this? Why am I crying? All this time I've been feeling sorry for not being strong enough to do anything, when I got all the strength I needed from my friends. If only I believed in their choices, respected their sacrifices, maybe.. maybe.. I could’ve made a future that they envisioned.

  “Master! Forgive me for being so self-centered that I overlooked everyone else’s expectations from me.”

  “No need to apologise, young one. Just believe in the strength of others and remember, No one can fight absolute evil alone. No matter how strong you are, if you're the only one fighting, you can never win.”

  “Yes Master!!! I take that advice to heart.”

  “Hahaha! What an interesting child. Now stop crying and go eat lunch. Your body needs food to grow.”

  “Yes Master!”

  Interesting child. He has a pure soul but his motives were all convoluted. He must’ve lived a hard life. I can’t even imagine the struggles he must’ve gone through to have such resolve at a young age…

  - Later at Food Hall -

  “Kori!!! Come here. I saved you a seat.”

  “Thanks Uroi.”

  “What did Master Tomoya say? Wait Kori, were you crying?”

  “What? No I wasn’t.”

  - Later at Night -

  Finally… Everyone’s asleep. It’s time to do aura training.

  - At Mt. Kamadu’s Peak -

  “This is the spot. Ah.. the night looks really pretty from up here!”

  It hasn’t even been two days since I came back and things are already getting this tough. Wait, it’s the same as my past life where I used to constantly struggle. But things are going to be different this time around, I’m no longer fighting to kill, I am fighting to keep my friends alive so that they can have a happy life they deserve.

  Just wait you guys! This time, I’ll be the one to carry our team forward…