ã€ŠTrinityã€‹


 Invasion 1

    ''Hello. I''m so glad u you''ve decided to read this tale I''ve weaved for you. You can call me the Narrator. You don''t have to pay any attention to me. Just sit back, relax grab some popcorn and enjoy the story.''

    Journal entry 312:

    No serious activity anywhere around the kingdom. Although there were some bandits that were causing some trouble in the northern areas, they were easily dealt with and won''t cause further problems. There was also some movement from that small cult in the east but nothing that warrant much of our concern. As for demons, there still has been close to no incidents of any kind. Only the weaker ones stealing food and the occasional pranksters but other than that, nothing. Even so, I still feel as if something big is coming. I will remain vigilant and continue further investigation into the situation.

    Ichigo.

    The man named Ichigo put down his pen and journal.

    "Damn, Emperor Julius has been working me to the bone these past couple months. I guess its only natural seeing as the disappearance of the demons'' is quite unsettling. I will give my report on the situation tomorrow. I wonder what the king will-" Ichigo''s thoughts were cut off by the yell of a female voice.

    "Ichi, come inside and eat! The food will get cold," the voice called out.

    "Alright, I''m coming," said Ichigo.

    The man with spiky black hair partially covering his calm yet kind obsidian eye''s then jumped down from the tree he was sitting on then went inside the small brick house. He proceeded to take off his high collar cloak revealing his black shirt and pants and hung it above his sword. He then sat at the table and started to eat.

    "Soooo¡­.how does it taste," asked the woman.

    "Your cooking gets better and better everyday Mei," Ichigo said with a slight smile.

    The woman now identified as Mei had a bright red color on her face.

    "Y..you really think so. It''s the first time I''ve cooked fish and chips so I was unsure," she said sofly.

    She then looked at him with a bright smile which then quickly turned into a look of disappointment.

    "Ichi, why does your face look like that?"

    "Oh uhhh¡­no real reason. Why''d you ask?"

    "You don''t like the food do you?"

    "No, I was being serious. You really are an excellent cook. You should really consider doing this to make mon-"

    Mei ignored Ichigo and took some of the food from his, plate to check the taste and promptly spit it out.

    "Eghh¡­this is way to salty. It''s basically inedible. Damn it, I got so excited to give you your food that I forgot to taste check. Now I''ve ruined your meal."

    "It''s okay Mei, there is no need to get upset about it. I''ll just buy some food at the markets in town so there is no problem."

    "That''s not the problem Ichigo. You''re always going out on missions and risking your life for this nation which doesn''t even want to acknowledge your existence. I just feel like I should do a little more for you, especially for all that you have done for me."

    Ichigo''s expression turned somber when hearing Mei''s kind words.This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.

    "Huh¡­whats the matter Ichi. Did I say something that upset you?"

    "Oh¡­uhh¡­it''s nothing to worry about really. I was just in my thoughts. Anyways you don''t have to worry about the food, it''s really not a problem. The fact that you would even think of doing any of this makes me feel grateful, so thank you Mei. "

    Mei turned a bright shade of red and moved her auburn hair to the side revealing her bright sea green eyes.

    "S..shut up. You''re embarrassing me."

    Ichigo only chuckled at Mei''s remark.

    "Anyway, I''ll go buy some food at the market close by. You can wait here and rest, okay Mei."

    "Alright."

    Ichigo then walked out of the small house and instead of making the turn toward the highly populated market he went to a more secluded area in the forest where an old man with his shop was found.

    "Ahh well if it isn''t my favorite customer. Welcome Ichigo."

    "Good evening Ben, I hope it''s not an inconvenience if I can get some food."

    "Of course you can, the food would be rotting on the shelves without you. What would you like."

    "Eight potatoes and two fish would be good."

    "Alright, just give me one minute."

    Ben then went to the back of his shop retrieve the items.

    "Here ya go kid."

    "Thank you Ben."

    Ichigo was just about to walk out of the shop when he stopped and called out to the old man.

    "Hey Ben, why do you decide to have a shop way out here where there are so few people."

    "What, now that question crosses your mind?"

    "No, its just I thought I would be prying into your business if I asked and I didn''t want to make you feel uncomfortable."

    "Well, it''s because of you Ichigo."

    "W..what, how is that?"

    "It''s obvious that the people of our kingdom are not very fond of you. So, I decided to make this shop so you don''t have to deal with the harassment."

    Ichigo felt warmth engulf his heart when he heard the old man''s words but then¡­

    "Wow, you have my gratitude for doing such a thing but you don''t have to worry about me at all. I don''t deserve such kindness."

    "Oh please, stop with that nonsense. It''s not good for kids like you to saying such nonsense. Plus, I have enough treasure to sell from my time over seas, so money is no issue."

    "Well, if your sure then I suppose it''s fine."

    "Yeah well, even if I didn''t I still wouldn''t leave."

    "You are one stubborn man Ben. Well, I guess I''ll see you another time. Have a nice day."

    "You too kid. And tell your girlfriend I said hi."

    Ichigo''s cheeks flared with heat.

    "W¡­w¡­wait a minute¡­.why would you think¡­.that''s not at all¡­.," Ichigo said while waving his hands.

    Ben just began to laugh hysterically at the flustered young man.

    "I''m just messin'' with ya kid. Now git outta here and go have some fun. I can tell the king has been workin'' ya like a slave."

    "Yeah, I will. Thank you again Ben."

    Ichigo then walked the way back to his house.

    "I know you don''t think to highly of yourself Ichigo. I don''t know what happened in your past but you''re a good kid, whether you think that or not."

    When Ichigo entered the house he found Mei laying down on the couch reading her book.

    "Ichi, your back. What took ya."

    "Oh, there was quite a lot of people at the market, so it took a while before it was my turn."

    "You went to the old man didn''t you," Mei said with a irritated look.

    Ichigo just scratched the back of his head.

    "Am I that bad and at lying? That''s the second time today."

    "Ichi, I know you don''t like going there but how are the peoples opinion on you change if you never show them why it should?"

    Ichigo looked down as his eyes softened.

    "It''s not that I''m afraid of what the people might say. I''m already used to that. It''s the thought of being seen as a good person that I don''t want."

    Mei shot up after hearing Ichigo''s words.

    "WHAT?! Why wouldn''t you want people to think of you as a good person. Is it something you did in your past. Is that why your still working for that bastard king," Mei asked sternly.

    "Mei. This is not something I wish to speak about. Another time."

    "C''mon, we''ve been living with each other for two years now. Don''t you trust me?"

    "Of course I do."

    "Then? You can''t keep bottling up your feelings like this Ichigo. You can at least tell Ben about it. What are you afraid of."

    "I¡­.I just don''t want to lose the only people that I can call my friends."

    Mei''s eyes widened in shock by what Ichigo had said.

    "I know. Quite the contradiction right?"

    "What are you talking about Ichi. You saved my life and allowed me to live with you when everyone else had no one else to look after me. You were the one who gave me a reason to live. I can not even begin imagine repaying the debt I owe for everything that you have done for me. There is nothing you could''ve done that will make either Ben or me want to leave you."

    Mei then stood up and walked to Ichigo and cupped her hands around his cheek.

    "I don''t care about what you did in your past, I just want you to share your burden with me, " Mei said with her voice beginning to soften.

    Ichigo stood there unsure of what to say, until he finally let it out.

    "I¡­.I''ve-,"

    At that moment the air chilled. Mei started to shiver and her face became pale. Her knees became weak than she and almost collapsed.

    "Hey Ichi, w¡­whats going on."

    "Something is wrong with your ki. It''s draining out of you."

    "Not to mention the sudden drop of the temperature. Could it be-"

    Then out of nowhere a wave of malicious killing intent filled the air making Ichigo freeze up and Mei to collapse.

    "MEI! MEI!" Ichigo screamed.

    Mei fell into Ichigo''s arms panting with widened eyes, body convulsing and foam coming out over mouth.

    "What the hell is this. Such an evil aura. It''s so large and dense. How can something like this even exist. I have never felt anything like this. It must the¡­." before Ichigo could finish his thought, the sound of explosions sounded. He then quickly took Mei to his basement and left her there.

    After leaving Mei, Ichigo took his cloak and sword then dashed towards the nearest village at blistering speeds to try and see what had caused the explosions and what that aura was. But when he got there, no village remained. Only a sea of black flames and the scattered corpses of the villagers.

    "Just as I thought. Hell Blaze. It drained the ki out of the villagers. That can only mean one thing-"

    Before he could finish that thought a demonic roar could be heard behind him. Ichigo turned around to see what it was. There stood a humanoid figure with a single horn on its head, black skin, glowing maroon devilish eyes, and black flames around its hand''s. There was only one word that came to Ichigo''s mind.

    "DEMONS!"

 Invasion 2

    To say Ichigo was shocked beyond belief would be an understatement.

    <i>"What the hell. I can sense that the demon in front of me is only on the level of a royal officer and yet I can feel so much malice in the air. There has to be more around here some where, but its almost unthinkable that there is a demon so powerful. Its almost as if an entire army ha-"</i>

    That''s when Ichigo realized that situation at hand.

    <i>"Damn it. If I''m right then the entire kingdom could be destroyed. I need to kill this one right now and-"</i>

    That''s when suddenly then demon leapt forward to attack with its black flamed cover claw. Ichigo quickly raised is sword to block the attack.

    <i>"Damn it. I don''t have the time to waste on an enemy of this level."</i>

    The demon then attacked with a fierce knee. Ichigo barely dodged. He swung to the side planting his hand on the ground then kicking the demon in the stomach sending it flying into a tree.

    <i>"Can''t undo my seals yet. It''s too dangerous. Need to deal with him as I am now."</i>

    The demon stood up as soon as Ichigo finished that thought. It then let out a fierce growl. Ichigo readied his blade.

    The two then dashed at each other and clashed. Then, an aura formed around Ichigo''s sword. The blade then easily sliced through the demon''s arm. Without giving the demon any room to breathe, he sliced the demons waist cleaving it in two.

    "Right. Now I need to make my way to the royal palace. But first, I need to see if Ben is all right."

    Ichigo was about to make his way to Ben''s when ten more demons sprung from the bushes and attacked. Ichigo barely noticed and was to quickly evade the surprise attack.

    <i>"That''s odd. Usually demons would  sneak attack to catch there prey off guard. The fact they stopped and made there presence known must mean they need something, which also means that there has to be someone behind the scenes coordinating the invasion on the kingdom. It has to be the demon king  Enma. There no other being  powerful enough to command an army this large. Damn it. How could I let this fly under my radar. This is all my fault."</i>

    That is when one demon with five horns pointed and called out Ichigo.

    "Ichigo. You are one the few people our lord has acknowledged as one who may pose a problem in our invasion. That is why we have been ordered to give you a proposition," said the demon in a deep commanding voice.

    <i>"Five horned demon. Just below the level of a captain. With me suppressing my ki like this, it might cause some issues."</i>

    "Oh really. I highly doubt that seeing as one of your guys just tried to kill me," Ichigo said unfazed.

    "That was to ensure that the rumors surrounding you and your strength were not only rumors."

    "What is it that you want with me?"

    "We aware that you''re a hybrid of human and demon and that life has been very cruel to you because of it. You have been shamed, mocked and berated your whole life for it and our lord weeps for you. He wishes to give you an opportunity to take vengeance on those humans who have made your life nothing but hell. Join our ranks and bring our lord the head of your king and we promise you the life of royalty. But, if you refuse then we will not only kill you but we will also have our way with your friend. Mei I believe her name was."

    Ichigo flinched after hearing the name of his closest friend.

    "Such a pretty young lady. Would be a shame to have to rip her to shreds after using her as our play things."

    The demons started licking their lips, salivating at the thought.

    A shadow was cast over Ichigo''s eye''s.

    "Now, make your choice. Join us or let your friend be ravaged b¡­..gghh."

    Before the demon could finish his sentence, Ichigo appeared in front of him with blinding speed and slashed the demons throat open.

    "I don''t care what you say to me since it would end up being nothing more than an empty threat. But the moment you dare threaten someone dear to me.."

    All of a sudden, a titanic wave of contra coming from Ichigo covered the entire area leaving the rest of the demons barely able to stay conscious.

    "¡­that is the moment your life becomes forfeit."

    <i>"W..what is this power. How could he so easily take out one of the lieutenants. We know he never shows his true strength but, we never would have imagined he was this strong. His spirit energy in just raw power rivals that of the lord Enma! We have made a great miscalculati-"</i>

    Ichigo proceeded to slaughter the rest of the demons. Ichigo then realized that the seal on his contra was breaking down.

    "Damn, a little bit of my contra leaked out. I need to control my emotions better."

    Ichigo resealed his contra.If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

    <i>"At this rate I need to get to the royal palace. With all the royals living there, its bound to be the main target of this invasion. But, Ben could still be alive and need my help. Shit. Please¡­.please be alright Ben. Don''t you dare die on me."</i>

    While on his way to the palace, Ichigo ran into many more demons and swiftly disposed of them. He also made sure to check any of the surrounding villages for survivors but unfortunately he found nothing but piles of corpses.

    <i>"This is all my doing. If only I had been for vigilant I could''ve prevented all this from happening. Damn it!" </i>

    Ichigo kept running until he sensed something strange. He could sense two contra''s in combat with one another he went to go check it out.

    When he arrived he saw a man beaten and battered with black markings on his face fighting a large demon with large dagger in a forest.

    <i>"A hybrid! Like me. But how can there be another in the kingdom without me knowing. This must be his first time in years using contra. That''s the only reason I could think of as to how I have not sensed him yet. Anyway, I have to help him. He does not look experienced in battle and looks to be in severe condition and that demon seems to be much stronger than any other I fought before."</i>

    The hybrid that was fighting the demon had his clothes tattered, eye bruised and an arm missing.

    <i>"Looks like I won''t be making it out of this alive. Melissa my beloved I''m sorry I won''t be able to see you again but I know your strong and that you will persevere. Asuka my one and only child you are going to have to grow up without your father. I am ashamed to say that I will not be able to hear you say your first words or see you take your first steps. I will not ask for your forgiveness but all I ask is that you survive. And o great aeon''s, I know what I am and I know what my kind have done in the past but please I beg you to stay by my wife and daughter''s side and protect them. They are innocent, they have clean hands and have done no wrong so I ask that you be with them and steer them away from evil so that they do not suffer the same fate that I must." </i>

    Then the powerful demon raised his dagger in the air going for the killing blow when a blur suddenly appeared and cut off the demons arm.

    After that a man appeared next to him, carried him and placed him against a tree.

    "Remain here." He said and was gone.

    Just as soon as he disappeared the cloaked man appeared again in front of him. He then looked over to where the demon was and saw that he had been dealt with.

    <i>"He is quite young and he killed the demon so fast."</i>

    "What is¡­your name," he asked in a weak voice.

    "Ichigo."

    "Do you¡­see any chance¡­of me living."

    Ichigo than walked up to him and used his anima to check his body.

    "No. Your ribs have punctured your lungs and you have lost far too much blood. I''m sorry."

    "Why¡­are you¡­apologizing? You¡­ have done¡­nothing wrong."

    "But¡­I couldn''t save you in time. This all could have been prevented if I had been more careful. I''m sorry."

    "Don''t¡­burden yourself. You are too young to be burdening yourself. You don''t want¡­to start looking like me at your young."

    The comment made Ichigo chuckle a bit.

    "My village is¡­near here. I had managed to bring¡­the demon out here¡­to fight it¡­but alas here I am¡­dying in shame."

    "You managed to save your village. That is more than I have ever done."

    "Please¡­don''t say..such things. You¡­ should give yourself¡­more credit."

    "Thank you for your kind words sir. Where is your village."

    "It''s¡­north¡­west¡­of here."

    "Right. I will do my best save as many people as I can."

    Ichigo was about to leave when the man called out.

    "And¡­one more¡­thing."

    "Yes."

    "Please. Make sure¡­my baby girl¡­is safe. Her¡­name is Asuka."

    "Yes. I will make sure to do so."

    "Thank¡­you."

    "Sir."

    "Yes."

    "What is your name."

    "Kaito."

    "I will remember it."

    Then Ichigo ran off towards Kaito''s village.

    "At least¡­now I can die¡­knowing that Asuka¡­is¡­sa¡­"

    When Ichigo got to the village there were demons standing around having already massacred the people.

    <i>"Damn it. I am too late."</i>

    Ichigo quickly drew his sword and slashed through all the demons present.

    "Now to deal with the flames."

    Black markings started to appear on Ichigo''s face. He then stretched out his arms. As if on command the black flames disappeared out of existence.

    Ichigo started to walk around looking for Kaito''s daughter, Asuka.

    "Since her father is a demon hybrid, it should be easy to find her."

    He then stretched his anima around the village in order to sense where the little girl was.

    <i>"What is this ki I''m sensing? I can feel the contra but there also something else. It''s almost like the emporer ''s ki. How can this be possible. Unless.."</i> he calmly thought.

    He then went to where he sensed the odd spirit energy to find a little girl with black hair and crimson eyes and fair skin crying in a blanket.

    <i>"No¡­it can''t be. This hasn''t happened in almost a thousand years and last time this power nearly destroyed the entire world. What should I do? If King Chrono finds out, he would have this girl killed. I have to hide her somewhere. Luckily I know a place."</i>

    Ichigo then picked up the little baby girl and started to walk away when one of the young villagers trembling walked up with a knife in her hand.

    "W¡­.what do you think your doing with Asuka," asked the girl.

    <i>"She survived being this long even with the low temperature and her own ki being absorbed by the black flames. Not to mention that she was able to hide her ki so that the demons wouldn''t sense her. She must have some kind of basic ki training,"</i>  thought Ichigo.

    "It''s not safe for her to be here. I''m taking her somewhere where she will be taken care of and raised well."

    "NO! I know what she is. People will not accept her. She will be put through hell if you take her there. Where is her father? Where is Mr. Kaito."

    "I''m sorry, but he has died trying to protect this village from a demon."

    The girl widened her eyes in shock and fell to her knees.

    "Why¡­why is this happening. First my parents now Mr. Kaito. And with Mrs. Melissa missing, she has probably died too."

    The girl then began to laugh with tears streaming down her face.

    "This has to be a dream. Yeah¡­that''s it. A terrible dream. And all I have to do is wake myself up. Yes¡­yes. That''s the only explanation there is. When I wake up everything will be fine. It will be like nothing ever happened."

    The girl than took her knife and put it against her own throat.

    "Yes. This is the only way to escape out of this nightmare."

    Then Ichigo appeared in front of her stopping the girl .

    "Please¡­I beg you, don''t stop me. This is the only way. This is the only way to get out of this nightmare. I have nothing left to live for," she said in a weak voice.

    "What is your name?"

    "What.."

    "What is your name?"

    "Martha."

    "Martha. I can see that you are in pain. I know how hard it must be to lose so many people so close to you. But you need to accept that this is reality. Doing this will not bring you any benefit. And you do have something to live for. She will indeed have a tough childhood for what she is. Why don''t you help Asuka make her childhood that much more bearable by staying with her and taking care of her."

    "But how? I can''t do that on my own."

    "I know a women named Thalia who once helped me when I was in a similar situation. She owns a home for orphans. I can take you there and you can two grow and get educated and you won''t have to worry about her being discriminated against cause."

    Martha than dropped the knife and stood up still crying.

    "Alright. I will so my best and protect Asuka as best I can."

    "Alright. Get on my back since its quite the long journey."

    "Okay."

    Once Martha got on Ichigo''s back, they rushed off towards the woman named Thalia.

 Invasion 3

    While Ichigo sprinted in the dark with a young girl sleeping on his back and baby in his arms, the contra that was being felt across the continent slowly faded away. The demons invasion had finally ended in their defeat.

    <i>"So they were capable of holding them off. That''s great. I can feel some of the generals'' ki in the royal palace. But, the number of the people who live far from the palace are in the hundred of thousands if not millions. And they don''t have anyone on the level of a captain to help them fight. The death toll is going to be ridiculously high around those areas."</i>

    He cringed at the thought.

    The young girl on his back awoke from her sleep to see that they were still on there way to the woman known as Thalia. The girl remained still with the wind blowing her hair and a look of nothingness in her eyes. Due to how sudden the events of that day took place, she hadn''t yet processed all that had happened. But now in silence of the night, there nothing else for to do but to replay the events in her head over and over. The image of her parents being mauled alive while hiding in a covered hole, the chilling of the air, the feeling of fear and helplessness and the scent of iron from her friends and family stained her mind.

    "Martha, you''re shaking. Are you alright?"

    Martha shot her head up.

    "Oh¡­.sorry, I didn''t mean to be a bother," she said in a weak voice.

    "Don''t worry about that. It''s just that you''ve been through a traumatizing experience and I just want to make sure your alright."

    "Of course..I..I''m alright. You don''t have to worry about me. Just worry about getting Asuka to this Thalia lady. I can''t be worrying about my own well being at this time."

    "Martha. Its alright to grieve. "

    "No. I...I have to remain strong for Asuka''s sake."

    She began shaking more violently. Ichigo noticing this stopped in his tracks. The surrounding area was covered in dead trees with leaves scattered on the ground.

    "Hey, why''d you stop."

    "We are not to far off from Thalia''s place and the demons seem to have retreated from there attack, so it should be safe out here."

    He then set down Asuka and Martha down next to a tree.

    "I''m going to set up a room for you with Thalia. She doesn''t like unexpected visitors. Especially when the home is a mess," saying that last part with a bit of a chuckle. Ichigo then stood up.

    "And Martha. It''s okay to show a little vulnerability."

    Ichigo then walked off into the direction of Thalia leaving behind Martha and Asuka.

    Martha sitting looked down at the baby in her arms.

    "I''m sorry Asuka. Even with all the training. Even having gotten stronger. I couldn''t protect my parents. I couldn''t fight with your father. And your mother disappeared ."

    Martha''s eyes began to water as the frustration started overwhelming her.

    "I''m a failure¡­.and I''m weak.  I was¡­so scared¡­and useless."

    Ichigo was running through the forest.

    <i>"I hope you can recover Martha, but right now you need to let out and accept all your emotions. Otherwise, you will never be able to grow."</i>

    He then arrived at a rundown, slightly larger than normal house. When Ichigo walked on the porch, it produced a loud creak slightly startling him.

    "Man, this place is not in good shape. Must have been months since she''s done maintenance."

    He then walked to the door and before he could knock, someone had already opened the door. At first Ichigo was confused as there was nobody there, until he felt a slight tug on his cloak. He then looked down and saw a child with blond hair and green eyes.

    "Hello sir."

    Ichigo gave the kid a small smile.

    "Hey kid. Could you call Ms.Thalia so that I could talk with her please."

    The young boy nodded his head and went to do as asked. Ichigo then entered the house. He walked into the house looking at the walls with different color handprints and names under them.

    "Nostalgic isn''t it," said a middle aged woman with graying hair, slightly wrinkled face, purple scarf over her shoulders, dark purple shirt, dark pants and walking cane.

    "Your hand is right over there Ichigo."

    Ichigo then looked at the navy blue hand print the lady was pointing at. A small smile appeared on his face. All the memories or when he first arrived here till his eventual departure flooded his mind.

    "You used to be so quiet. Always hiding in your room, only coming out to bathe and for food. Even then you''d only eat in your room," the lady said with a slight chuckle.

    "Yeah."

    "Anyway, enough with the sentiments. I presume you''re here because of the invasion."

    That comment brought him back from his nostalgic trance and his face grew serious.

    "Yes I am. I everything alright here. Any kids gone missing," he asked in a concerned tone.

    "You underestimate me boy. Do you really think I would ever allow any of my children to be killed. I may not be a part of the royal guard anymore but my proficiency in anima control has not diminished in the slightest. Now, what other business so you have here."

    "I was wondering if I could bring two kids from a small village north from here to live with you and the kids."

    The lady let out a small sigh.

    "You know I hate surprises. You visiting is one thing. But bringing new kids. The house is still a mess."

    "Sorry, but I can''t just leave them alone. Plus, one of them is special."

    "Special? In what way?"

    "She''s a trinity."

    ''??????''

    Once those words crossed Ichigo''s lips, the ladies face had a look of shock and horror on her face. Her palms began to shake and sweat started dripping down her face. Her breathes became heavy and she sat on the nearby couch.

    "Are you out of your mind boy?! You want that child to live here with me? And you thought I was just gonna say ''yes''? You must think I have a death wish."The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    "I understand your concern and the danger that she presents to the world, but I couldn''t just leave her alone. She was only born recently. How could I leave a new born baby with no one to look after here."

    "Then you should have just put her out of her misery. If she ever learns how to utilize her dormant power, then it could spell the end of the world. Last time this happened, it took the combined efforts of humans, demons and the great aeons to even consider taking her down. Even then the only reason why we defeated her was because of her own arrogance. And now, you bring another one here. I''m sorry, but I must decline. I can not risk it."

    "And yet you so easily took me in despite me being a hybrid."

    "You were a special situation. I could see it in your eyes. You were only a broken child who had already seen the horrors of this world, yet I could see regret and sorrow in your eyes. But that girl is a blank canvas who could be dyed any color."

    "And I know you will paint her the right color. All she needs is to be brought up right and I think she will turn out alright. I mean, I did. And I was way closer to the edge than she will ever have to be."

    Thalia scratched her forehead trying to thunk of what to do.

    "You do know that if anything happens, that I will not take the fall for you."

    "It was my decision to rescue her, so it''s only fair."

    Thalia sat there for a few moments contemplating her decision with a serious look. Then, she had her answer.

    "What do you plan to do with her after she gets older, especially when she is a teenager and her emotions run high?"

    "The other girl with her already has some basic ki control. She will be able to teach the younger one and in 12 years I''ll take her to train her. After all, there is a time where I won''t be able to protect this kingdom."

    Thalia let out a tired sigh.

    "Well, it''s not a bad plan I suppose."

    Thalia took a couple more seconds to make her decision.

    "Fine, I will take her in to live with me. What are their names."

    ''Yay ??''

    "The older one is Martha and the infant is named Asuka."

    Thalia then gestured for Ichigo to go bring the girls and in a flash he was gone.

    "I hope your right about this Ichigo."

    When Ichigo arrived at Martha''s location, the sleeping Asuka was being held tightly in the arms of Martha.

    "Martha, Thalia is allowing you both to live with her and her children. And I''m sure your worrying about how the she and the other kids will treat Asuka but I can guarantee she will do right by her, alright."

    "Okay. I''ll trust you."

    So, Ichigo, Martha and Asuka made there way to Thalia. Before even opening the door, Thalia was hypnotized the presence of a power that was beyond her understanding. A power that was evil yet divine. She was then awakened from her trance with knock on the door. She opened the door to see Ichigo standing beside a blonde haired girl holding a baby.

    "Hello there young lady. I assume you must be Martha and the baby in your arms is Asuka. You don''t have to worry about trying to get Asuka to fit in. I will make sure that the other children play nice," Thalia said with a sympathetic smile on her face.

    The blue eyed could only give a slight nod as she enter the house.

    "On the second floor, at the last door I prepared a room for the both of you to sleep in. I  hope it is to your liking."

    Martha did not respond and silently walked upstairs to her room.

    "Please, pay no mind to her not responding. She''s been through a lot."

    "You really think I don''t know that boy. It will take her a while to fully accept the events that transpired today. Its best that she gets good rest."

    Ichigo gave a slight nod and started to move outside the house.

    "Your not staying. I really could some company from someone who won''t assault me with flying peas."

    "No. I need to get to the royal palace fast. I''m already running way late. The king and the captains are probably waiting for me right now."

    "Yes, and I suppose the generals won''t be to pleased with you being this late."

    "Alright then, I''ll be on my way now. I''ll make sure to visit from time to time check up on Asuka and Martha."

    Ichigo started to dash off towards the kingdom, picking up quite a bit of dust while doing so.

    It took only four minutes for Ichigo to make it to the royal palace, and the sight he saw was a grim one. Many of the tall white, gold, black and sky blue colored buildings were destroyed or barely holding itself together.

    Many of the citizens were either in a panic trying to find loved ones who were buried under the rubble, holding there dead family members in their arms, desperately trying to get out of the immediate area, or trying to find a way to put out the black flames that engulfed both their houses and their families.

    Ichigo at that moment raised his arms in the air and absorbed all the black flames in the royal palace. At that moment all the people began staring at him and their eyes changed into multiple emotions. Rage, sorrow, hatred, fear, contempt, all those feelings were shown on the faces of the people.

    "You bastard, look at what your kind have done!"

    "You were supposed to track and hunt the demons. Now because of you my child has lost one of his legs. How are you going to take responsibility for this, you monster!"

    "My wife was eaten alive because of you, you demon!"

    "Where were you? Why weren''t you protecting us from those ''things''?"

    "You were in cohorts with them weren''t you, you demon piece of filth."

    "Yeah, that has to be the only explanation. You betrayed the kingdom didn''t you demon."

    "My whole family was burned alive because of you demon, BECAUSE OF YOU!"

    The people then started to surround Ichigo, but then a man in torn white clothes stained in blood and sky blue stripe across his chest appeared on the roof of one of the still remaining buildings.

    "Ichigo. You are called to the Emporer Julius'' throne room immediately."

    <i>"A royal officer." </i>

    "I understand."

    Ichigo then jumped over the crowd of people and landed on the roof next to the officer. But when he landed and saw the man''s face, he realized that he lost one eye and all he saw in his eyes was a look of disgust.

    When he arrived right outside the throne room, the officer walked away but not without whispering curses. Ichigo then took a deep breath and opened the doors to the throne room and in. There, stood only five individuals and one man seated on top a throne. He then walked in and knelt down in front of the throne.

    "You called for me emporer."

    "Who do you think you are to just barge in and talk to the king you demon," said a voice on the far right.

    Then, the man on the throne raised his hand and spoke calmly.

    "Please, Lt. David. I understand your frustration after losing your general, but please do refrain from raising your voice. You might lose control of your anima and terrify the citizens."

    "B..but my lord, he''s the one who.."

    At that moment David felt an enormous pressure surround him and he brought onto his knees and strained his breathing. The man next to him with black hair and sea green eyes looked down at the boy with anger.

    "You were given an order from your king and you dare question it brat?"

    The pressure on David then lifted off him and he took deep breathes before he staggered onto his feet. The king only watched with an smirk.

    "Thank you general Thomas. Now, back to you Ichigo. Where were you before the demons invaded?"

    "At home, cooking dinner alone."

    "And after the invasion began?"

    "I went around to different small villages and tried to save as many people as I could."

    "Did anything of importance happened during that time?"

    The king looked keenly at Ichigo to see any hint of trickery.

    "A group of the demons attempted convince me to betray the kingdom. I refused and killed them."

    The king looked at Ichigo for a few more seconds.

    "Are you sure that is all?"

    "Yes, my king."

    "Alright then. It seems the rumors about you betraying our kingdom was nothing but that. I believe that settles it for now, right captains and lieutenant."

    "Yes my king," all five saved in unison.

    "Then I suppose that''s that for. Return to yours squads and wait for further instructions. But, I''ll need a private chat with our friend Ichigo if you don''t mind."

    Even if the generals didn''t show it on there faces, Ichigo could still feel the emotions coming from all of them.

    "Well, that was quite tense now wasn''t it Ichigo," the king said with a smile.

    "Yes I suppose it was, my king."

    Ichigo was a little confused as to why the king wanted to talk with him privately, but he still had to keep his guard up so as to not give up any information on Asuka. He was well aware of the kings cold calculating nature and needed to be prepared.

    "Now since everyone is gone," the kings look turned serious, "why are you trying to hide the trinity?"

    A look of shock and disbelief crossed Ichigo''s face.

    "Oh, don''t look so surprised Ichigo. Have you forgotten already. The Divine Kingdom was founded by the marriage between the human and aeon. You couldn''t have really thought that the gods of our world would not notice. After what occurred a thousand years ago, you should have known that they would be patiently waiting for the day that another showed up."

    Ichigo then readied himself.

    "Whoa, whoa. There is no need to be so tense. For whatever reason the aeons have declared the trinity will not be executed. So she is safe for now. Though the next time you try to hide something from me, that little orphanage and your friend Mei, are going to suffer greatly for that. Now go be a good boy and wait for my orders."

    The words of the king were not filled with hatred like the citizens or the lieutenant. Instead, they had arrogance and a feeling of superiority to them. Ichigo did his best to hide the people close to him away from the king. But now, he knows all the people who Ichigo holds dear and all he can do is listen and obey.

    "Oh, and you''d better get going. Your friend doesn''t have long left."

    That''s when fear invaded Ichigo''s heart and he bolted towards Ben''s shop only to find it completely destroyed. Ichigo then desperately tried to find Ben under all the rubble but only found a pool of blood and an old small note.

    <i>Dear Ichigo</i>

    <i>I wish the best for you kid. I promise you that one day the world will see you as I and Mei do. A kind boy who just wants to be loved. Don''t falter and don''t give into pain. You must push forward. And marry that girl for crying out loud.</i>

    Even with that small comment at the end, Ichigo couldn''t smile. He just balled his fist and cried for his friend.

    "Damn it."

 The Strongest 12 Year Old

    <i>Diary entry: week 207</i>

    <i>I have almost mastered basic control over my anima. It took me six weeks to do it, but I finally was able to slightly enhance my strength and speed without too much rebound. My big sis still thinks that I need to practice more, but I think she''s just doesn''t want to accept the fact that I have already surpassed her. After all, I''m special. At least according to tall man who visits every once in a while. He has never once said a word to me but Martha always says that he was interested in me because of something I was born with. I mean, I''d be interested in me with my level of talent. I''m probably the strongest twelve year old in the world right now. I can''t wait to finally go out into the world and explore what''s out there. </i>

    <i>Asuka</i>."

    Having finished her weekly diary entry Asuka put on her white bastian shirt, brown pants and boots and left her desk and went downstairs for her training. Meeting her there was her mentor who had a less than impressed face.

    "You were supposed to be up by four. Your tardiness is not appreciated Asuka. You need to be more serious about your training."

    Asuka then rolled her eyes at Martha''s comment.

    "I''m being serious Asuka. Lately you''ve been slacking and taking it easy. I can''t train you properly if your not giving it your all."

    "Alright then, I''ll take this seriously," Asuka said sarcastically.

    All Martha could do was sigh and shake her head.

    "Good. Now let''s go to the training ground."

    They then stepped outside the house. Asuka looked it up into the night sky. The two moons that glow a nightmarish yellow and angelic white could still be seen in the dark night sky and with the hundreds of billions of stars shining in the background, it was a sight that truly mesmerized the girl.

    <i>"How beautiful."</i>

    "Asuka."

    The girl was brought back from her gaze in the stars.

    "We just came from talking about being more serious."

    "Sorry," she said a lottle embarrassed.

    "Alright, now remember when jumping from branch to branch, be careful not to trip."

    "Of course. I still have the scar from the first time."

    Chills went down Asuka''s spine as she recalled when she first started learning how to control her mana a couple weeks back.

    "Now, let''s not waste any more time."

    Martha then dashed forward heading into the forest.

    "Oh, your not getting away that fast."

    Asuka then closed her eyes and slowly felt a something warm surround her legs.

    "Alright Asuka, now just don''t lose focus."

    In that second she leapt onto the branch and jumped to the next in pursuit of her mentor.

    Asuka and Martha arrived at the training ground ready to begin. It was an circle shaped area in the forest covered in grass.

    "Alright Asuka, you know what to do."The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

    Asuka then walked to the center of the circle and sat in the lotus position. She then formed a 6 with her hands and positioned them horizontally with her right hand above her left. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

    "Alright, time to prove my worth."

    Asuka then tried to sense the living beings were enveloped in her. The hissing of a snake, chirping of birds and ants, the breaths from her teacher, she could feel them all.

    <i>"She has increased the range again. As to be expected. Guess I''ve got to increase the radius of the field again later today."</i>

    Martha then peered to her left.

    <i>"I guess she is here to test Asuka''s sensory skills. I wonder if she will sense her."</i>

    Martha then chuckled a little.

    "4 birds, 2 snakes, 278,561 ants and 1 human."

    Asuka then looked up at her teacher and gave a cocky smile.

    "Too easy sis. Now let''s get on to something more exciting."

    Asuka got up and started to walk away but Martha called out to her.

    "Not so fast young lady. Are you sure about your answers. Because they''re all wrong."

    Asuka turned and looked at her mentor with a look of shock.

    "WHAT! How can that be? I''m sure I got it right that time. Are you sure that you aren''t the one wrong sis."

    "Yes. There are 6 birds, 4 snakes, 311,986 ants and two humans."

    Asuka''s face expressed a look of confusion.

    "Two people. But excluding me, there was only you. And how are we able to confirm whether you were correct, huh?"

    "Yes Asuka. Martha was correct."

    Then, a woman wearing dark purple pants and shirt with aging hair walked out revealing herself.

    "And there were 311,989 ants Martha."

    "Damn. I must be getting rusty," said Martha with a smile and scratching the back of her head.

    "In any case, you really have gotten better Asuka. Though you still need to work on your sensing accuracy and range."

    Asuka just sighed.

    "Whatever."

    "Now, what''s that attitude for? I thought you wanted to get stronger. Don''t you enjoy training with Martha."

    "I mean, yeah. But I can''t help but think that big sis is being overprotective. I know I''m strong enough to handle myself. All I need is a chance to prove it and I swear I''ll deliver."

    "Those are bold words coming from someone who can barely sense insects who can''t even hide their anima."

    "And so? Putting my anima into my arms and legs to hit harder and move faster is useful. But why will I ever need to sense my enemy. Like I get it for when I''m looking for an enemy, but there is a huge disadvantage of them being able to sense me as well."

    Suddenly an arm wrapped itself tightly around her neck.

    "Now if you were able to sense me, you wouldn''t have found yourself in this predicament," said Martha.

    She then contracted her arms a little more her Asuka''s neck.

    "Alright, alright I get it. Now can you please let go. Its getting hard to breathe," Asuka said in a strained voice.

    "Hmph. I guess it wouldn''t play to our advantage if you died now."

    Martha then released her grip and Asuka gasped for air.

    "Go get our practice swords Asuka so we can practice your sword skills."

    "Fine. But just so you know, when I get stronger I''ll never have to sense any sneak attack."

    All Martha could do was chuckle at Asuka''s proclamation.

    "We''ll see about that."

    Asuka then went to retrieve her practice sword when Martha and Thalia started to talk about her.

    "So, how long before she is ready?"

    "She is growing at an incomprehensible rate. I had expected it to at least take six months like it took me. But it seems she''ll be ready with only six weeks done."

    "That''s quite the feat, seeing as you yourself are a prodigy Martha."

    Martha then looked down with a somber expression.

    "Yeah. I guess you could say I was."

    Thalia then looked at Martha with a concerned look. She cupped her hands around Martha''s face.

    "Hey now. I understand how you must be feeling. But you know it''s for the best."

    "Yes. I know this is the only way for peace. But¡­"

    Martha then clenched her fist.

    "Why does my little sister have to go fight and risk her life while I get to live here with family. I should be the one protecting her, not the other way round. Otherwise, it''ll just be like¡­."

    Martha then grabbed her elbows while shaking as she recalled the events that took place twelve years prior.

    "Martha you shouldn''t blame yourself. You were only a child then. There was nothing you could have done then."

    "I know that. But¡­.still."

    Tears started to form in her eyes.

    "There is no ''but still''. You did all that you could."

    "...yeah¡­.."

    "Hey, what are you guys talking about?"

    The two women turned to see Asuka standing there with her practice swords.

    "Oh Asuka, its nothing. You don''t have to worry," Martha said as she turned around to wipe away her tears.

    "No."

    "W..what?"

    "You were crying just now weren''t you big sis. I''m not stupid. Tell me what''s going on."

    "It''s nothing that you need to concern yourself with right now Asuka. Martha will tell when she is ready. For now, just focus on your training."

    "Well in any case, there is no need to cry anymore."

    "Huh¡­"

    "After all, your student and little sister is going to be the strongest in the entire world. So there''s no need to worry," Asuka exclaimed with a bright smile on her face.

    ''How nice ??.''

    A look of shock then relief crossed Martha''s face.

    "Alright then."

    Asuka then through her the practice sword got in a fighting stance.

    "Let''s get started."

    They coated there arms and leg with mana and clashed there wooden swords, kicking up some dust in the process.

 Fateful Meeting

    After practicing her swordsmanship for two hours, Asuka got back to the house took a bath to clean herself and made herself some breakfast. A nice bowl of oatmeal, eggs, a banana, two sausages and a glass of milk. At that moment, a young boy walks down the flight of stairs while yawning with his arms stretched in the air while wearing dark blue pajamas and a night cap. The young boy and girl just looked at each other.

    "Oh¡­uh¡­g..good morning Arthur."

    "Ahhh..good morning Asuka," the boy said with a calm smile.

    Arthur then looked at her hands and saw the scrapes and bruises from her training.

    "I hope your not too hurt. I know how hard you work and it would bad if you pushed yourself too hard," Arthur said with a concerned look.

    "No no no, you don''t have to worry Arthur. Though I appreciate your concern."

    Asuka had a flash of red on her face.

    <i>"Damn it. Why does he have to be so¡­himself.  Control yourself Asuka."</i>

    ''Looks like someone has a crush.''

    "That''s good to hear," Arthur said with a smile of relief.

    Arthur then walked over to Asuka and she turned an even brighter shade of red.

    Arthur then reached over Asuka''s shoulder and grabbed one of her sausages.

    "Do you mind?"

    "No no, g..go right ahead."

    Arthur took a bite out of the sausage and had a look of surprise on his face.

    "Wow Asuka. This is so delicious. I didn''t know you could cook this well."

    "I¡­I mean, I am a woman of many skills after all," Asuka said with a look of embarrassment.

    <i>"Thank you Granny Thalia."</i>

    "Seriously, you should make food for everybody. They''d all love it."

    "T¡­thanks."

    At that moment, Martha walked in and saw the situation. She could only give a devilish smirk.

    "Well good morning Arthur. How is your day going so far."

    "Oh, its going quite good Ms. Martha. And it was made even better by Asuka''s cooking."

    "Oooooohhhh. Is that so Asuka."

    "Shut up. Don''t tease me."

    She then looked up and realized Arthur was staring at her.

    "Umm, w..whats wrong Arthur."

    "I just noticed that your face is really red. Are you not feeling well?

    He then placed the palm of his hand on Asuka''s forehead. You could practically see the steam coming from her face.

    "Not to mention, you''re really burning up. You must be getting sick from all the training. I''ll bring you a wet towel to cool you down.

    Martha just chuckled in amusement.

    "That''s not the reason Arthur," Martha said.

    "Huh? What else could is be?"

    ''Wow, this kid is dense.''

    "You''ll figure it out in due time. But for now, I need Asuka for something important. So if you could finish up your breakfast fast, that would be much appreciated," Martha interrupted.

    "What is it that''s so important?"

    Martha took a deep breath before she spoke.

    "From now on, I will no longer be teaching you."

    Asuka looked at Martha with a look of confusion.

    "Wait, wait, wait. What do you mean ''no longer teaching you''?"

    "I have taught you everything I know. Remember I told you a while back that I myself only know the basics of anima control. I was originally only supposed to help you train your body to handle the strain of your high level of mana. But I wanted to train you a little bit more."

    "Why is that?"

    "What? Want to get away from me that bad huh? I''m hurt."

    "I told you to stop teasing me."

    "Sorry. I just couldn''t help myself," Martha said with a laugh.

    While Martha was having a laugh, Asuka glanced over at Arthur who showed a look of sadness.

    "What''s with the look Arthur? Is something bothering you?"

    Arthur then looked up at Asuka and gave a small smile.

    "Oh please, it''s nothing you need to worry over. After all, you have your training to look forward to."

    "Are you sure?"

    "Yup. Nothing to worry about."

    Arthur then turned and walked back up to his room. Asuka just watched as he left.

    "I hope he''s alright."

    "There''s no need to worry about him Asuka. He''s a lot more level headed and mature then the other kids here. If he says not to worry, I''m sure he can handle it."

    "I guess your right."

    <i>"But, why do I sense sadness in his heart?"</i>

    ''Damn, she''s even more dense ????.''

    "Now, finish your food quickly. I don''t want to keep Ichigo waiting."

    "Ichigo? Whose that?"

    "Your new sensei of course."

    ~

    Asuka was exhausted. It had been nearly an 5 hours since they had left Thalia''s home. After saying goodbye to Thalia and the other children, Asuka and Martha began their walk to Ichigo''s home. Unfortunately for Asuka, having just finished her breakfast, her stomach was not holding up well.

    <i>"Damn it. Why didn''t she tell that we were going on this long walk. I would''ve packed food instead of eating before. Now I got to deal with these cramps. Wait, she couldn''t have done that on purpose, right,"</i> Asuka thought while clutching her stomach.This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.

    Asuka then looked up to see how Martha reacted to her situation. She was met with a devilish smile on Martha''s face.

    <i>"YOU BASTARD!"</i>

    Martha then let out a laugh.

    "The look on your face is priceless, but you don''t have to worry. We''ll be arriving shortly."

    "Thank goodness. The torture finally en-"

    Asuka then looked up in horror as the tall hill loomed over her.

    "Yup. Just one tiny hill, right Asuka," Martha said with a cheeky grin.

    "Go to hell."

    Once over the hill, Asuka saw a small bricked house.

    "Whoa. For the kingdoms strongest royal guard, he sure lives pretty cheap."

    Martha had told Asuka about Ichigo and how he was the one who taught Martha most of what she knows. Her admiration for the man was plain to see. The way she would describe him, it was like the way a child talks about their favorite hero. She also had told Asuka about how he saved both their lives twelve years ago, but she refrained on telling Asuka the exactly what they were saved from.

    They walked up to the house but Martha started to go behind the back instead of inside.

    "Hey sis, where are you going."

    "He likes to sit outside most of the time."

    They went around the house to see a man in all black but his brown boots and sword at his waist sitting in a tree reading a book.

    <i>"So that''s him. To the ordinary person he wouldn''t seem that strong but I can tell he is restraining his power. He so powerful just the feeling of his anima is overwhelming."</i>

    "Hey bro, stop acting as if you know we''re here," Martha said.

    The man looked back with a surprised look on his face revealing his obsidian colored eyes and then jumped down from the tree.

    "Sorry Martha. I was so invested in my book and I didn''t notice you," the man said with a nervous grin while scratching the back of his head.

    "Yeah, sure you did," Martha said sarcastically.

    Martha then looked at his hair and she could barely hold in her laughter.

    "Come on. Its not that bad," Ichigo said," Mei did her best."

    "If that''s her best then I''d love to see her worst."

    Asuka, interrupting the conversation, then walked up to the man with a serious face.

    "Your Ichigo, right?"

    Ichigo then looked down at Asuka.

    "Yup. That would be me. Anything you need."

    Asuka took a deep breath.

    "I may not know the specifics, but I know that you saved both Martha and my life."

    She then bowed her head.

    "I owe you a great debt for saving the both of us. Thank you."

    Both Martha and Ichigo were surprised by Asuka''s gesture of gratitude.

    "No, no, no. You don''t need to do that. I had just happened to be passing by anyway and I just thought I could help. Plus, a lot of people still ended up dying because of me."

    "Well...you can''t save everyone right."

    Martha and Ichigo just looked at her with shock.

    "Plus, saving Martha and me is worth a hundred or even a thousand people. Cause I''m gonna become strong enough to save way more and beat the person who caused whatever disaster had occurred," she said with a raised clenched fist and a confident smile.

    <i>"Surprisingly mature and very determined. Not bad traits at all. But that arrogance. Lets see how this goes,"</i> thought Ichigo.

    "What''s the reason you want to become strong?"

    Asuka looked at Ichigo as if the question surprised her. She then glanced at Martha, who gave a confused look.

    "Well¡­umm¡­I guess it would be because Granny Thalia used to always talk about how she used to be a royal guard and how they would save people from powerful demons and the different types of  techniques used. It''s always fascinated me," Asuka said with an unconvincing laugh.

    Ichigo and Martha just raised their eyebrows in confusion.

    "Is that all," Ichigo asked.

    "W..what do you mean? Isn''t that reason enough?"

    Ichigo just sighed at Asuka''s comment.

    "Well I guess it''s not the ''worst'' reason in the world."

    He then looked at Martha who was just quietly listening before.

    "You''ve taught her everything that I showed you right?"

    "Of course I did bro. I wouldn''t have brought her if I hadn''t," she said with an annoyed face.

    "I was just making sure Martha. No need to be hostle," he said while putting his hand up with a smile.

    "Yeah, whatever."

    "Wait. You still haven''t answered my question."

    "I''ll tell you at another time. You don''t need to worry about it for now. In the mean lets have a spar."

    As soon as he said that a sword appeared in his hand.

    "Whoa! How did you do that?"

    "What do you mean? I just went to get a sword. Basic speed really," he said with a smug look.

    A drop of sweat fell from Asuka''s face.

    "Martha, if you would go back to Thalia''s and prepare to move Asuka''s belongings please," Ichigo asked.

    "WHAT!? WHY ME? I JUST GOT HERE!?"

    "Don''t worry. You don''t have to bring them. Just prepare them and I will help you move ''em alright."

    Martha cursed under her breath and left.

    Ichigo then tossed Asuka the sword. Asuka then got in a ready stance while Ichigo just stood there without even putting his hand against his blade.

    "I hope you don''t mind using a claymore. It''s a lot heavier than a practice sword but I think you''ll get used to it.

    "Shut it and come at me already."

    "Confident are we. Let''s test that resolve."

    Ichigo then released a small amount of his contra out. Asuka feeling this couldn''t help but start to tremble in fear. The hairs on her skin started to rise and a chill shot through her spine.

    <i>"Now, what will you do?"</i>

    Asuka then closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She then opened her eyes, her eyes filled with resolve, and stopped shaking. She started to put her mana in her arms and legs.

    Ichigo gave a small smile and got into a ready stance.

    Asuka then launched herself forward and diagonally slashed downward. This attack effortlessly avoided by Ichigo but this did not discourage Asuka one bit as she attacked relentlessly.

    <i>"Slash, cut, thrust, stab. I can''t stop. Act as if this is a real fight.  If I stop for even second, I''m dead. I have to keep going."</i>

    She then made a large swing downward which was dodged and the sword got stuck in the tree.

    <i>"Reckless. She''s getting ti-"</i>

    Suddenly Asuka grabbed the sword and propelled herself over it and threw a kick at Ichigo''s face.

    <i>"Clever. Using the sword as leverage to throw a kick. It seems Martha did a good job teaching you,"</i> Ichigo thought as Asuka''s foot came closer to making contact.

    Despite her efforts, Ichigo planted his foot into Asuka''s stomach before she could reach him. This launched her back several meters. She landed with a thud on the dirt. She coughed up saliva while clutching her stomach.

    "I think that''s enough for now. You''ve shown me all I needed to see. Martha really did a good job mentoring you. I''ll be sure to give her a little gift next time I see her."

    Ichigo then walked up to Asuka and stretched out his hand

    "Here. I''ll help you up."

    Asuka looked up and then looked back down and gave a defeated expression. She then reached out to grab his hand. Then suddenly she put her hand on the ground for balance and threw a kick which forced Ichigo to block with one arm. She then looked at him with a look of success.

    "Yes! I landed one!"

    "Getting a little over confident are we. If I were a real enemy and you tried that, I would''ve cut off your leg instead of block. And for someone with such a weak reason to become strong, you sure do have a strong will. Unless there more to your reasoning that you have yet to tell."

    Asuka''s then widened her eyes in surprise of the question.

    She then looked down and clenched her fist.

    "One night two years ago, after a long spar with Martha, I had went to bed early since my muscles were very sore and forgot to eat something. I ended up waking up in the middle of the night to make something to eat. On the way to the kitchen I passed by big sister''s room and I heard a strange noise. As if someone was talking. So I pressed my ear against the door listen and-"

    ''Oohh, flashback time.''

    ~

    "please¡­i''m s..so sorry. i¡­i failed. why¡­why did you all have to die. it should''ve been me. it¡­it should''ve been me instead."

    <i>"Is that big sister? What is she talking about? Why would she say such terrible things. Big sis.."</i>

    Asuka the knocked on door.

    "no¡­please¡­not her...no...please...she''s all i have left...please don''t..."

    <i>"Who is she talking to?"</i>

    Asuka with trembling fingers gripped the door handle and turned slowly. She then pushed to door open to see Martha laying in her bed in with her legs tucked into her stomach and arms wrapped around her. Her sheets soaked in sweat and her body violently shaking.

    <i>"Is she dreaming?"</i>

    Then Martha started to murmur again in her sleep.

    "asuka...¡­..no. ASUKA!!"

    Martha then shot up out of her bed hyperventilating with tears forming in her eyes. Then looked at an Asuka who had jumped back from the sudden outburst.

    "Asuka¡­I¡­.I''m sorry. Did I scare you? I''m sorry for disturbing you, but I''m fine okay. You can go back to sleep now alright," Martha said with a noticeably forced smile.

    ''What a tough elder sister she is.''

    But then, as if on instinct, Asuka''s look of fright turned one of concern. She then walked up to Martha and embraced her with warmth.

    "It''s okay big sis. I''m right here, and I''m not going anywhere."

    Martha hearing Asuka''s warm words couldn''t help but break down on the spot.

    ~

    Asuka now stood there looking at the ground, fists clenched, with a look of anger. Ichigo stood there just looking at her with a

    "Big sis said that it happens from time to time. The nightmares. Before that I was only trying to be like granny. But after that, I knew that whatever I was going to be fighting against had put my sister in that state. The sister I always thought was strong had been reduced to that. Seeing that was a reality check for me and I knew I needed a better reason to become strong than a just a story."

    "And what is that reason, Asuka."

    Asuka then stood up straight and looked at Ichigo with determination in her eyes.

    "To use this power that I have to protect those from ever having to experience whatever it was sister had gone through, and to bring peace to the entire world. You said it yourself after all. I''m special. That means I have a responsibility to use my abilities to help others."

    "That''s quite the goal. But such a goal comes with a heavy burden. Can you bear it?"

    Asuka balled her hands into a fist and pounded her chest.

    "It''s not a matter of whether I can or can''t. I have to."

    Ichigo satisfied with her answer walked to the tree and pulled the sword out of it. He threw it to Asuka who grabbed the handle.

    "With such a goal, there is no way I can hold back with your training."

    He then unsheathed his katana and got in a stance.

    "For every mistake you make, one cut . Are you prepared."

    He then flared his anima. Asuka just smiled.

    "Bring it old man," said as she did the same as he.

    And thus, Asuka takes her first step to achieving her dream.

 Moving

    Ichigo walked up to Thalia''s porch. He knocked on the door and a couple second later a boy with blond hair and green eyes opened the door.

    "Well, you''ve certainly grown since the last time I saw you, man. How have ya been Marco."

    "Don''t patronize me, Ichigo."

    "S..sorry," Ichigo said while scratching the back of his head.

    "Anyway, I''m looking for Martha. She''s getting Asuka''s stuff and I''m here to help her."

    "She is upstairs in her room," Marco then pointed upward, "She''s been up there for a while now. Probably sorting her stuff out."

    "Thanks."

    Ichigo was walking towards the staircase when Marco called out to him.

    "Hey. Don''t forget to let her visit her family. The kids here will miss her a lot."

    Ichigo looked back at Marco and gave a small smile.

    "Of course."

    Ichigo proceeded upstairs towards Asuka''s room. When he walked into Asuka''s room, Martha was sitting on the floor with a book in her hands. She seemed to be really invested in whatever she was reading because she never noticed Ichigo walk in.

    "Whatcha reading there?"

    Martha startled by Ichigo''s appearance quickly closed the book and wiped something out of the corner of her eye.

    "Oh¡­um¡­Ichigo¡­I¡­uh¡­wasn''t expecting you to get here so early."

    "Yeah. I guess I finished up with Asuka a little early. She really is strong for her age. I could see her beating weaker and some of the more experienced royal guards with sheer power, speed, and ferocity. Though she is a bit too arrogant for her own good. Wonder where she got that from," asked Ichigo while giving Martha a look.

    "I know for a fact you are not accusing me of-"

    "I''m not accusing you of anything. I''m just saying she might have had some inspiration from an unknown source."

    Martha just rolled her eyes.

    "Anyway, I hope you weren''t too harsh on her. There''s no telling what I''d do if you hurt her severely ."

    Martha cracked her fist and looked at Ichigo with fire in her eyes. Ichigo put his hands in the air and a sweat dropped from his face.

    "Hey now. No need to get violent. I promise I didn''t push her further than she could handle. She''s resting in the room we''ve set up for her right now."

    ~

    Elsewhere, a girl lie in her bed with bandages wrapped all over her body.

    "Bastard. He has such a calm and approachable aura when he''s relaxed and yet he''s more ruthless than Martha in training."

    After Asuka''s thought, a knock on the door could be heard.

    "That was fast. Are they back already?"

    "You can come in."

    Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    Expecting her sister or new teacher to be the person knocking she called out allowing them to enter. But the person who walked through was not the person she thought.

    "Who is this woman? And why is she so pretty?"

    Asuka was so entranced by the woman she didn''t even realize she was staring.

    "Um, are you alright?"

    "Such a gentle voice too. Is she a goddess or something?"

    Worried about Asuka, the woman walked over to her bedside and placed her hand on her forehead. Even when doing this, Asuka never lost eye contact with her.

    "Has anyone ever told you that your beautiful?"

    The woman was a bit taken aback by this compliment.

    "Oh..um¡­thank you. That was very kind of you Asuka."

    That last part woke Asuka up from her trance.

    "What, how do you know my name?"

    "Ichigo told me you''d be here and that I should take care of your wounds. My name is Mei by the way. It''s a pleasure to meet you."

    Mei extended her hand out for Asuka to shake. Asuka clasped her hand.

    "It''s nice to meet you too. Also, I don''t need my wounds to be taken care of. Ichigo gave me some ointment. I''m feeling better already."

    Asuka then flexed her arms and gave a cheeky grin to show she was fine. In that very same second, she winced in pain from her muscles being sore.

    "Ok. Maybe I still need some healing."

    "Well, it''s a good thing I''m here now. Now, please lay down."

    Mei took a plant out of her bag and placed it on Asuka. As soon as the plant was put on her, the aching in her muscles stopped and her energy came back.

    "Healing type huh. Granny used to heal my wounds after training, but this is on a whole other level. She must be very experienced at this. Was she a former royal guard."

    After Mei finished, Asuka sat up and looked at her arms and flexed them.

    "Whoa. Good as new."

    "Ichigo usually holds back a lot when fighting demons. So he usually comes back all bruised up.  So I learnt how to heal to be of some help to him."

    "Wait, why does he hold back. Wouldn''t he want to go all out from the start."

    "Well, usually a person''s anima will only stay within a certain range of the person. But for people whose anima reaches the level of a captain, it becomes much harder to control especially while they''re fighting. If not careful a captain''s anima could cause tremors across the entire continent. And for people like our king and Ichigo, the entire world. So they use seals in order to put a cap on how much anima they can use at a given time."

    "What happens when they lose control of their anima?"

    "Depending on how strong they are, they could cause someone to go insane or even die."

    "Can Ichigo do those things."

    "He can do much more than that. Especially since he''s a¡­."

    "No. Ichigo should be the one to tell her, not me."

    "C''mon, don''t leave me hanging here. What is he?"

    "Nevermind. It''s not my place to say. He''ll tell you himself at the right time. In the mean time, you look hungry. I''ll teach you a small and easy meal to make for yourself."

    "Really? What are we making?"

    "Meat pies. Come on," Mei said excitedly.

    Mei  took Asuka''s hand and walked down a flight iof stairs to walk into the kitchen.

    On the table there were the ingredients needed to make the meat pie.

    ~

    Ichigo and Martha arrived at the house and were about to enter the house when they smelled something a bit off.

    "You smell that, Ichigo? It''s like something is burning."

    They enter the house to find Mei and Asuka trying to put out the fire in the kitchen.

    "Oh, hey Ichi. If you wouldn''t mind, could you please help us with this," Mei asked with a bright smile.

    "How did this even happen?"

    "Let me guess. You left Asuka to cook didn''t you," hypothesized Martha.

    "I SWEAR I LOOKED AWAY FOR ONLY A SECOND," exclaimed Asuka.

    Ichigo put his head in his hands and sighed.

    "Martha if you could please?"

    Martha without responding cupped her hands together and slowly opened them, revealing a small ball of water. She then threw the water ball at the flames and extinguished the fire. All Asuka did was look in amazement.

    "Whoa. How the heck did you do that Martha? You never told me you could control water."

    "It''s a topic you will learn eventually. I''m not qualified to teach it. Ichigo will teach you when you are ready."

    Asuka looked down in disappointment. Ichigo then chimed in.

    "So, what was it you guys were making here," asked Ichigo.

    "Just some meat pies. I wanted Asuka to be able make something small in case I''m not around."

    "Yeah, I wouldn''t let Asuka anywhere anything flammable. Last time we tried to teach her how to cook¡­let''s just say someone had to find a unique way to use the bathroom."

    Asuka tried to hold in her laugh which was met with a glare from Martha.

    "Anyway, I think I should be the one to take over the cooking."

    After Martha and Mei finished making the meat pies and some drinks at the suggestion of Ichigo, all four of them sat at the table and ate their dinner. While eating, Ichigo was telling stories of his adventures around their continent.

    "Whoa! I didn''t know you could do that with a sword."

    "Neither did I, but it all worked out in the end."

    "Well anyway, it''s getting late. We should unpack Asuka''s things. I have an early day tomorrow, so I need to get my rest," said Martha.

    "Hold on. Where are my things?"

    Ichigo then stood up from his seat and walked over and knelt down next to  the shadow made by the wall.

    "They''re right here."

    He placed his hand on the shadow and pulled, stretching the shadow upward as he stood.

    "This is my pocket dimension. I kept all your stuff in here."

    "Whoa. That''s really cool. Is it cool if I can go inside."

    "Sorry, that''s not a good idea. In my space there is no flow of time so things can stay preserved in here so long as I''m alive. So, if you entered you would be frozen in time."

    "Wait, so how can you get my things?"

    "Once you get to a certain level of power, you will be able to move freely in a space with no time. Now let''s go to your room and get you set up."

    They all then walked into Asuka''s room. Ichigo opened his dimension and took things out as the others put everything in its place.

    "Well that about does it. I''ll be seeing you guys."

    Martha then began to walk away.

    "Hey, no hug sister. We won''t see each other for a while you know."

    Martha looked back at Asuka who outstretched her arms with a pleading look. She could not resist. She embraced Asuka in a tight hug that almost made the girl pass out.

    "Make sure you stay safe okay."

    "I promise."

    Martha then stood up.

    "Well then, I''ll be off. Bye guys."

    Everyone waved Martha goodbye as she walked through the darkness of night.

    "Well Asuka, you''d better head to bed. I''ll walk Mei to her home."

    Mei failed to hide the blush on her face.

    "N..n..n..no. That won''t be necessary Ichigo."

    "Please I insist. Plus, we need to catch on things. Its been a while since I''ve been busy these last couple months."

    "Y..yeah I guess."

    "Oh, so it''s like that huh," thought Asuka giving Mei a cheeky grin.

    ''Oh, it''s like that alright ??.''

    After Ichigo and Mei left, Asuka was left lying in her bed with only her thoughts.

    "So, my journey has finally started. The excitement is unbearable. I''m finally achieving my dream."

    A face flashed in Asuka''s mind which made her happy expression turn serious.

    "Don''t worry sis. I swear I''ll become stronger. You don''t have to be afraid anymore."

    Asuka closed her eyes and eventually fell asleep.

 Who are you?

    Cold¡­"

    That was that first thing Asuka thought as she woke from her sleep with a shiver. She tried to pull the blanket over to warm herself but couldn''t fell it. She opened her eyes to see where it was but realized it wasn''t there. Not to mention her bed was gone too. Her room as well.

    ''Creepy ??''

    She looked down and saw that she was on a rocky ground, some parts covered in snow. She than then began to scan her surroundings. Dark sky, skeletons laying everywhere and a pillar of black flames encircled her.

    "Where am I?"

    "There''s no reason to be so tense."

    Asuka then turned her head sharply to the direction the feminine sound came from. There she saw a figure. A small figure covered in black fog like substance. All that Asuka could make out was that this figure had a face but no details.

    <i>"A human," </i>she asked herself.

    But then she looked closer at the person and saw a small horn protruding from her head.

    The figure then walked towards her. The closer she got, the more fear was instilled inside of Asuka. She tried to yell at the figure to stop but when she opened her mouth not a peep came out.

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    "Calm down first. The feeling of fear messing with your body. And like I said, there''s no reason to be so tense. I am not your enemy."

    Asuka had a look of confusion. She then closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

    "Seems you''ve calmed down. Ready to talk now."

    Asuka then stood up and looked at the visage in the eyes.

    "Yeah. Now start talking. Who are you?"

    "That is not important. "

    Asuka scoffed.

    "Fine, whatever. Are you a demon?"

    "Yes, but also not really."

    "What''s that supposed to mean?"

    "That''s not important right now. It''s also not what I wanted to discuss with you."

    "Will you answer any of my questions?"

    "No."

    Asuka gave an annoyed looked and then sighed.

    "Fine. What do you want to talk about?"

    "Your future."

    "What?"

    "I advise that you stop going down the route your are going. It will only lead you to despair."

    "Wait. Your are telling me to stop training."

    The visage nodded.

    "It''s only for your benefit."

    Asuka then burst out laughing hysterically which puzzled the visage.

    "Ahhh¡­.that was a good joke."

    Asuka then took notice of the visage who had not moved a single inch.

    "Wait, you''re are serious. You want me to just give up on my dream. Sorry, that''s not happening. I''ve worked too hard for too long."

    "I would have appeared a lot sooner. But I was sealed by that bastard."

    "Sealed? By who? And why''d they do it?"

    The visage sighed in annoyance.

    "You ask too many questions. All you need to know is that if you keep walking down the road you going now, you''ll only suffer. Anyway, you are about to wake up. When that happens, tell Ichigo that you quit. Trust me, pursuing this goal will only make you suffer."

    "Yeah. How do you know that?"

    The visage looked into Asuka''s eyes showing that her sclera had turned black with two opposite facing red crescent moon shaped irises.

    "My eyes see all misfortune."

    They stared at each other for a couple seconds then Asuka let out a small chuckle.

    "What''s so funny?"

    "You underestimate me too much. If misfortune is my destiny, then I''ll simply defy my destiny. I will create a world where everyone can live in peace."

    After listening to Asuka''s speech, it was visages turn to let out a laugh.

    "Such arrogance. Well, I hope you realize your mistake before its too late."

    Asuka then awoke in her room. She looked around surprised by the sudden change in environment. She looked outside and saw it was still in the early hours of the morning.

    "What was she? Maybe it was a demon trying to mess with my head. Well, it doesn''t matter now. Since I''m awake I might as well go outside and begin training."

    She then leapt out of her bed and grabbed her practice sword and quietly went outside.

 The Avatar??

    "C''mon Ichi. We should get home before Asuka wakes up."

    Mei and Ichigo were walking home after sleeping over at Mei''s house. Originally Mei was living with Ichigo, but they both decided that it would be best for Mei to find another place to live temporarily.

    "Do we really though," Ichigo groaned,"I would''ve preferred to stay in bed with you."

    Mei''s cheeks flushed a bright red at Ichigo''s comment.

    "Yeah, well you wouldn''t be so tired if you stuck to the original plan and went back home after we talked instead of drinking."

    "Well, I guess your right."

    "Not to mention, you have a student now. Even if she''s a genius and learns quickly, she''s still naive. You must take her training seriously."

    "Alright, alright Mei," he said throwing his hands up,"you are right once again."

    Ichigo and Mei made their way up the hill to the house. Mei went inside to cook some breakfast and Ichigo went to the back to prepare for training with Asuka. There he saw Asuka on the floor, clothes dirtied, asleep and practice sword at her side. Ichigo chuckled at the sight. He walked up to the sleeping Asuka and started to shake her.

    "You know this isn''t the right place to be sleeping Asuka."

    Asuka groaned at Ichigos words.

    "Ugh....five more minutes."

    "Mei is making breakfast. The training I''ve got instored for you today might take a while. You should get some food so you don''t starve."

    Asuka grumbled then sat up rubbing her eyes.

    "Alright then. What am I gonna be doing anyway?"

    "You''re going to attain your nature affinity."

    ~

    <i>"Ahh man. I don''t think I should''ve eaten so much."</i>

    Asuka had just finished her breakfast  but ended up over eating. She wobbled over to the tree Ichigo was sitting on. Sending her walking over, Ichigo looked up from the book he was reading and nearly burst out laughing seeing the state Asuka was in.

    "I know I said you should fill yourself up, but don''t you think ya over did it," Ichigo said chuckling.

    "Shut it. Let''s just get this over with already. "

    Asuka made it over to to Ichigo and sat in front of him crossing her legs.

    "Now first, I need to explain to you what nature affinities are and how you can predict what type of nature affinity you''ll get."

    Asuka just nodded her head.

    "Nature affinities are abilities granted to us by the aeons to create and control all physical matter in this world."

    Ichigo then created a small tornado in the palm of his hand.

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    "If you can detect it with any one of your six senses, there is a possibility that there is, was or will be someone who can tame it."

    Asuka looked in awe as Ichigo let the tornado fly off his hand and into the branches of the tree above shaking the branches.

    "Some affinities have special properties like plants. When ki is used to control or create a plant, it gains the ability to heal wounds."

    "Ki? What''s that? I thought people used anima."

    "Oh yeah. I didn''t tell you. Ki is anima. But that''s what people from my country call it."

    "Wait, you weren''t born in this kingdom."

    "Nope. I was born in the Land of Stars. But, I decided to live in this kingdom as a debt to repay the king."

    "Dept. What dept."

    Ichigo''s soft expression darkened which did not go unnoticed by Asuka.

    "Not now. We''re training. Maybe another time."

    ''Suspicious ????''

    Asuka not wanting to press the matter decided to let it go.

    "Alright, so humans can control stuff we can detect with our six senses. What about these aeon guys."

    Ichigo pondered for a moment.

    "Well, I''m not exactly supposed to tell you this. But I suppose there''s no harm if it''s you."

    Asuka sat eagerly waiting for Ichigo''s response.

    "The aeons are the physical embodiments of some concepts or ideas."

    Asuka tilted her head in confusion.

    "''Some concepts or ideas''. What''s that supposed to mean?"

    "Stuff like heroism, happiness, courage, justice. Aeons are the physical manifestations of these concepts."

    "Okay. I think I get it. But why only some?"

    "That''s because of demons. In this world there must be a sort of balance. Not necessarily in power, but in good and evil."

    "So if aeons embody only the good concepts, demons must embody the bad ones right."

    Ichigo smiled at Asuka''s answer.

    "Exactly. If there is an aeon which embodies justice, there is also a demon who embodies injustice."

    Asuka nodded in understanding.

    "Though, aeons are not the only beings demons oppose."

    "They oppose us as well."

    "Right again. Though it''s a little different. Instead of them gaining abilities that oppose ours, the properties of the ability itself are opposed. An example would be fire. Fire when created with ki emits heat and light. For demons, fire would still be hot but from absorbing heat and light from its surroundings making it black in color. It also has the special property of absorbing anima. This opposing of abilities is why we instead of ki, their source of strength is called contra."

    "Right. I think I''m getting."

    "I know it''s a lot to take in but for now, you won''t need that info. I just wanted to tell you just in case something happened."

    "Okay. So how do I attain my nature affinity?"

    "It''s pretty simple really. All you need to do is meditate for about four hours then drink this."

    Ichigo grabbed a bottle from his waist which had a blue liquid inside of it.

    "This is a special liquid infused with ki that will help in controlling your nature affinity."

    "Really? That''s all? I thought it would be a lot more difficult."

    "Oh it is. Most people are not able to attain their nature affinity because the don''t have the ki control necessary to control their affinity. See one thing people don''t know is that everyone is born with the same amount of ki. The only problem is the ability to control it. Most people can''t even amplify their physical attributes so the number of people with nature affinities is very small. About one in ten thousand. And even fewer can attain it at your age."

    Asuka got herself in a meditation pose.

    "Ok, about four hours. That''s not too bad," Asuka then remembered something,"Wait, didn''t you say something about predicting someone''s affinity?"

    "Oh right, I did say that. Someone''s nature affinity is based on what type of personality they have."

    "Personality? Why?"

    Ichigo shrugged at Asuka''s question.

    "Not sure. It''s just how it is. Just as you saw I have the wind affinity. That''s because of my calm and composed personality. Martha is strong willed and yet very caring and kind. That''s why she has the affinity of water."

    "And Mei is not only kind and caring, but also is a nurturer as well. So she gets the plant affinity with the ability to heal. Right."

    "Precisely."

    "But aren''t personalities very complicated. Like, what if you were put in a situation where you were panicking or Mei felt fear? What happens then."

    "Then the level of control you have over your affinity diminishes greatly. Remember this, what powers our affinity are control over our ki and the emotion we feel in that moment. That is why typically people are only able to obtain one nature affinity in their lifetime."

    "Typically?"

    "Yes. There are exceptions to this. One person that comes to mind is the emporer of my country, Akira. He has both fire and wind affinity."

    "How though? Those two are way too different."

    "You would be correct. Typical emotions associated with fire affinity are rashness, pride and short tempers. But Akira is a special case. He didn''t have much of a childhood because he taking care of other children on top of having a job. The way he acted around the kids is very different to how he acted around his fellow workers. That constant and sudden switching of personalities is what led to him getting two affinities."

    Asuka nodded her head in understanding but then tilted her head.

    "I guess that makes sense. But wouldn''t that be bad."

    "Why would that be bad," asked Ichigo.

    "Well, since the emotion which powers the affinities contradict each other, wouldn''t that mean you''d hinder one affinity while empowering the other?"

    "Yup. That is the case. But there is a way to use two affinities simultaneously."

    "How is that?"

    "You have to mix the two personalities in a way that they don''t contradict each other. For example, using rage to empower the fire affinity while simultaneously keeping a calm enough mind to control the wind affinity as well. This is an extremely difficult thing to do. Even Akira still has some struggle with it. But I doubt you''ll have more than one affinity so there''s no need to worry."

    "Ok, so what affinity do you think I''ll get?"

    Ichigo sat for a second thinking before coming to a conclusion.

    "If I had to guess, your affinity would most likely be earth. You have a strong will and unwavering determination but unlike those with the fire affinity, you still keep a rational mind."

    "Earth huh. Sounds pretty cool," Asuka said with a cheeky grin.

    "Now all you need to do while meditating is mold your ki at the center of your chest for four continuous hours and you should have your affinity."

    "Right."

    With that, Asuka got in position began her meditation. Ichigo stood from where he was sitting and walked up to the hours and passed by Mei who was standing in the door frame.

    "You know at some point you''re going to have to tell her."

    Ichigo froze at Mei''s words.

    "I know. But she''s not ready for that yet."

    Mei then walked up behind him and wrapped her hands around him from behind.

    "You better not take as long to tell her as you did with me," she said sternly yet also in a joking way.

    Ichigo just chuckled at her words.

    "I promise."

 You knew?

    <i>"This place again,"</i> Asuka thought with an annoyed expression.

    "Return so soon?"

    "Shut up. You know I''m not here for you."

    "Well, since your here I might as well help you train," said the visage.

    Asuka tilted her head to the side in confusion.

    "Why? Weren''t you trying to stop me from training."

    "I doubt you''ll listen if I ask you to stop. So I decided to take a more physical approach."

    "Your really gonna try and make me give up by force," Asuka said with a chuckle,"You really are underestimating me."

    "No Asuka. It is you who overestimates your abilities."

    The visage then raised what seemed to be an arm in the air and a blade appeared. She then released contra and killing intent so intense it made Asuka fall to her knees and start dripping with sweat.

    <i>"What the hell is this. It may not be as strong as Ichigo, but it''s far more...disturbing. "</i>

    "What are you doing Asuka. You''d better get up. This is a battle. Hesitate," the visage then blitzed over to Asuka before she could even react and sliced off her head,"and I''ll kill you."

    Asuka''s eyes shot open and she immediately turned to her side and vomited. She then fell over to her side and started to shake uncontrollably while touching her neck.

    <i>"I died. I should be dead. How am I alive?"</i>

    "So you met her," said Ichigo sitting by the tree while reading a book

    "What? What are talking about?"

    "The visage. I assume that''s what killed you."

    Asuka gave an even more confused expression.

    "Wait, how did you know that?"

    "So it''s true. I guess the seal I put on it is weakening."

    "Ichigo nothing your saying is making sense. Seal? What is going," Asuka begged.

    Ichigo looked at Asuka and saw how terrified she was and his eyes instinctively softened.

    "Sorry. I guess it wasn''t good to hold off from telling you."

    Ichigo tried to walk over to her but she immediately started to crawl backwards.

    "Don''t! Don''t come near me. Just explain yourself."

    Ichigo cringed at Asuka''s words. But understanding her mistrust sighed and began to explain.

    "There is something you need to know about yourself before I explain."

    "What is it?"

    "Your a trinity Asuka."

    There was a deafening silence for a couple seconds.

    "O...okay. Is that supposed to mean something to me," Asuka said confused.

    "It means that your body is containing three different souls. Each soul is of a different race. This means that you are one third human, one third demon and one third aeon."

    If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

    "Wha...huh...wait...I''m..."

    "I know this is a lot to take. I''m sorry that I never told you."

    "How...how does that relate to what I saw."

    "The person in the visage the manifestation of the demon part of your soul. Typically it would only take form when your experiencing heavy negative emotion. But I guess the contra inside of you must have been strengthened with mine and and started to tear away at the seal."

    "Wait, so the demon who killed me was me?"

    Ichigo nodded.

    "And you said it was strengthened by your contra. How would you have contra?"

    Ichigo took a deep breath before answering.

    "I am a hybrid. Half human and half demon."

    Asuka just sat there so with her eyes widened and all the information she has to ingest.

    "Asuka, I want you to know that I-"

    "Shut up."

    "..."

    "....."

    "Did you know that when I started to meditate that this would happen."

    "...yes."

    "How?"

    "Fighting and being pushed to near death is typically how one gains their affinity. But for hybrids its different. Since we have a more than one soul we can simply enter our ''inner world''. There, we can battle the other soul without any real physical harm. Like you, I too had to fight my demon side."

    "W...why would let me fight that thing knowing this would happen."

    Ichigo sat silently, pondering what next to say.

    "Asuka. There are things that you''ll experience that will bring you pain if you insist on going on this journey. It''s almost inevitable that will happen. And it will most likely happen when you least expect it to. So I thought it would be best to send you in there blind knowing you wouldn''t suffer any physical pain. That''s how i was trained."

    "I...I see. I guess that makes a little bit of sense."

    Asuka stood and started to walk away.

    "Where are you going Asuka? You need to get back in there and -"

    "I know. But I need rest for a little while."

    Ichigo wanted to tell Asuka something but he ultimately decided to remain silent. Especially when he noticed Mei who had just showed up. But, Mei''s attention was focused on Asuka.

    "Hey Asuka, what''s wrong?"

    Asuka didn''t even look at her and just ran to her room up the stairs.

    ~

    Asuka tried to take a nap but everything she was about to fall asleep the image of her severed head on the floor keeps flashing.

    <i>"Why? Why am I so scared? I knew the risks. I knew what would happen. And yet-"</i>

    Interrupting her thoughts again was the sight of the visage bringing its sword down on her making her flinch and began to shiver. Suddenly, their was a light knock at the door.

    "Hello, Asuka. It''s me Mei. May I come in?"

    Asuka sat up when she heard the sweet voice of the woman. She then took two deep breathes before speaking out.

    "Yeah. You can come in."

    Having been given Asuka''s concentration, Mei opened the door to Asuka''s room. When she saw Asuka seated on the bed, she instinctively put her hand on her chest and gave a look of deep concern. It was clear that Asuka was scared. Mei walked up to Asuka and tried to hold her hand and Asuka quickly withdrew it.

    "I..I''m sorry. I''m just  little-"

    "It''s alright Asuka. If anything I''m the one who should be sorry."

    "No no no please," Asuka said getting flustered,"You''ve got nothing to apologize for."

    "That''s good."

    There was then a moment of silence between the two of them. Asuka wanted to speak again but Mei cut her off.

    "I''ve talked to Ichigo about what happened."

    "Okay."

    "I made sure I gave him a good tongue lash for what he did. It wasn''t fair to put you through that with warning you first."

    Asuka looked downward with a disappointed expression.

    "But was he wrong though? Sure it might have been cruel but he wasn''t wrong was he. I mean, that was the first time I''d ever felt my life was truly in danger and I couldn''t do anything. If I had been sent out into the world I would''ve died right."

    "That may be so Asuka. But there''s one thing you need to understand."

    Mei then took Asuka''s hand and pulled her chin up to meet her eyes.

    "You are still a child. And there are certain things children should never be put through. Ichigo had gone too far."

    "Maybe."

    "I know what I''m about to say may contradict what I said earlier, but please don''t blame Ichigo too much."

    Asuka looked up at Mei confused.

    "It''s not my place to say, but Ichigo has had it rough. The method he used on you to try and attain your affinity was the same method his father used on him. Only that he was seven years old."

    "What!?"

    "I know. I was quite shocked to find out myself. His demon counter part had killed him over five thousand times before he finally gained his wind affinity at eleven."

    "Wow. That''s...wow. He really is amazing isn''t he."

    "Yes, he is. Yet, he is still human like you and I. He still has some issues from his past that he struggles to overcome at times but he knows that any time he stumbles, I''ll be there to carry him. And if I can''t do that, I''ll simply fall with him."

    "Dang. You must really like him."

    Mei''s face turned beet read. She turned her head trying not to meet Asuka''s eyes.

    "I do indeed. After all he was the one who saved my future."

    "What does that mean?"

    Mei just smiled at the child and patted her head.

    "A story for another time. Now if you''d like, let''s go talk with Ichigo."

    Asuka nodded and they both made their way downstairs. Walking into the backyard, they were greeted with the sight of Ichigo meditating in the middle of the field. After sensing their presence, he opened his eyes and turned to face them. Asuka''s eyes immediately locked on his. She took a deep breath and was about to speak but Ichigo suddenly got on his knees and bowed.

    "Asuka. I know I have no right to ask this. But will you forgive me for what I''ve done."

    Asuka was astonished at Ichigo''s actions.

    "Listen umm...you don''t have to do this. Really. I understand why you thought it was the best call and honestly, you weren''t entirely wrong."

    "Even so. What I did was inexcusable. I''d understand if you wish to walk away from this."

    After hearing that, Asuka tightened her jaw and squeezed her fists.

    "Hell no. I made a promise to my sister. If I have to die over and over to achieve it, then that''s what I''ll do," she said with determination.

    Ichigo then stood up and looked into her eyes.

    <i>"No fear. She really is determined."</i>

    "Then I will train you as best I can. But, you realize that you''ll have to fight your demon counterpart. She will fight to kill."

    "That''s fine. If I have to do this a thousand times then so be it. Let''s do this thing."

    "Okay then. But first-"

    Black markings began to grow on Ichigo''s body.

    "I need to reseal the contra in your body so that you stand a bit more of a fighting chance. Prepare yourself. It''s pretty painful."

    Asuka nodded at Ichigo''s statement. He then lifted the bottom of Asuka''s shirt and began to draw a seal on Asuka''s stomach. Asuka flinched when the seal turned on.

    "Wow. This is a lot worse than ''pretty painful''. It''s like I''m being burned on the inside."

    "Alright. Now you should be able to put up a bit more of a fight. Whenever your ready."

    Asuka got into her meditative stance and closed her eyes. The world around her became cold and dark.

    "You''re annoyingly stubborn, you know that."

    Asuka opened her eyes and at the words of her counterpart. When she looked at the visage, it was more surrounded by the dark clouds around her.

    "Don''t think that because you''ve sealed most of my power that you can beat me."

    Asuka just smirked.

    "I know I probably can''t be you just yet. Luckily I don''t have to. I just need you to attain my nature affinity. No matter how times I die."

    The visage drew her sword and Asuka put up her fists.

    "Ready yourself child."

    The visage began to release her bloodlust which made Asuka flinch a little. The visage then dashed behind Asuka trying to take off her head but Asuka tilted her head to the side just in time.

    "Heh. You really thought I''d fall for the same trick."

    "Yes," a voice said from behind her. A surging pain shot up Asuka''s leg causing her to fall to the ground. Asuka looked up to see the visage raise her sword.

    <i>"This is gonna take a while,"</i> she thought before her vision darkened.