POV HERO
"It sure is hot today. Well, I am in the Sahara Desert, after all."
I positioned all my equipment, readying my Barrett MRAD. In the distance was my target.
"Hmm…"
I could see him traveling calmly in his dune buggy, surrounded by poor Bogers.
"Perfect."
With just four shots, I left him limbless. I quickly ran in his direction; his bodyguards came running towards me.
"What…?"
"The White Death has come for us!"
"OPEN FIRE!"
If you're going to take me out, you need to be faster. White moved towards the rich kid, stemming his hemorrhages.
Three gunshots were heard, and five men fell dead. The girls around the millionaire screamed in terror.
Quickly, I pointed my gun at the guy's mouth.
"You're under arrest for Boger smuggling. But don't worry, we have a nice prison for you at the AOE," I mentioned sarcastically.
"…" The guy's gaze was dark, trembling with fear until he wet his pants.
At that moment, I pistol-whipped the guy, knocking him out.
---
POV NARRATOR
His eyes opened slowly, with the light shining brightly. He felt very hungry.
"Time to wake up, little Takumi."
Takumi rubbed his eyes, still tired from everything that happened yesterday.
"I don't want to. Plus, I feel like my body is burning and… I couldn't sleep."
A voice, not Kohaku's, echoed in his mind.
That voice, where is it coming from?
Kohaku laughed, pulling on his legs.
"It's normal with the modifications I made you. Your hunger is because you have the stomach of a Ghost. Isn't that fun?" Kohaku said, dragging Takumi through the immense hallways.
"I'm a… monster."
Lifting his hands, Takumi felt them tremble. He covered his face, letting out soft sobs.
"Stop saying that. It was either turn your body into a hybrid or die." Kohaku observed Takumi's eyes. "Now you have a better chance of surviving and becoming a chef. That's your dream, isn't it?"
Takumi looked at Kohaku's face. It was the first time he'd seen him without bandages. For a moment, he stopped crying.
"Incredible," he murmured. His eyes met Kohaku's; he was completely hypnotized. "They're… the universe."
His pupils are… white!?
Kohaku laughed at the comment, releasing his legs.
"What's wrong? I know my eyes are beautiful and unique, but don't look at me like that. Get up already."
Takumi nodded, standing up, still unable to believe he was alive, stretching his arms and legs to confirm it was all real.
"You're very attractive. Why do you hide those eyes?"
"…? I don't care if I'm attractive or not. I was born this way."
How horrible. On top of being handsome, he's rich and has powers. He couldn't be more insufferable.
"By the way, little Takumi, we need to find out what powers that Ghost gave you," Kohaku said, tilting his head slightly and humming softly.
"Oh…" The young man's eyes lit up. "Does that mean I'll be a God!?"
Kohaku watched Takumi's joy, poking his cheek.
"As if. At most, your strength will be superior to the average human's, that's it."
"Human… average?" His smile vanished in an instant. "If I was just going to stay useless, why did you transform me!?"
"Ha, ha, it was simply an experiment. I wanted to know what would happen, and well… you happened."
He's always so rude to me.
He is, because you're a complete useless. You should end yourself.
Takumi turned quickly, searching for where that voice came from.
"Stop playing around, Takumi. Let's go have breakfast."
---
Upon reaching the dining room, the boy ran everywhere, jumping for joy at the sight of the great hall.
"Did Ryouma really live here?"
"No, this place is private. Ryouma lived with me in Minato Ward, Azabu."
Takumi's jaw dropped. He approached Kohaku and shook his body.
"One of the richest districts in the country?"
"It's not that big a deal. Besides, it was only for nine years," Kohaku said with a soft smile, tapping him on the nose.
My God… I'm so jealous of Ryouma.
Kohaku kept poking Takumi's cheek until he finally reacted, dragging his feet on the floor with his head down.
"Kids," Kohaku mentioned, shrugging nonchalantly.
They ate together, but Takumi wouldn't stop eating.
"Did they never feed you in your entire life or what?"
"I don't know, I feel a hole in my stomach," he mentioned while devouring a huge plate full of noodles.
Kohaku watched as Takumi's body seethed with heat. His smile widened, confirming his suspicions.
"Good, it's time for your training."
After clearing the plates, Kohaku locked Takumi in a dark room and spoke to him from outside.
"Okay, first lesson: everyone dies."
Kohaku played an audio, and Takumi began to hear the voices of Haruka and Mirio.
That made several memories return. His body tensed and the pain came back. And that voice became louder.
You killed them. It was so fun. Running away while they died torn apart. You feel happy to be alive, but they….
"Shut up, shut up, I didn't do anything!" His nails dug into his scalp. The screams continued, unrelenting.
You did nothing, and that's why they died, like mere animals. HA, HA, HA, HA, HA!
Kohaku heard the screams from outside. They weren't just cries from the audio; they were Takumi's real screams.
Kohaku let the pain consume Takumi.
When he opened the door, he found Takumi curled up, trembling and crying.
"No… please…" he sobbed.
Kohaku sighed and pulled him out, looking him directly in the eyes.
"If you keep acting like this, the only thing you'll achieve… is getting yourself killed," he mentioned with his typical cold smile.
Takumi looked at him with pain. Kohaku simply left him there, disappointed.
---
POV TAKUMI
My body was sweaty, the heat was suffocating. When I opened my eyes, I could see… sand?
I quickly jumped awake. All around me was an immensity of desert landscapes.
In the distance, there was a man. He wore a large white coat and a helmet. When he took off the coat, he wore tight leather clothing. What stood out most was the large white helmet with a wide smile drawn on it.
"What the hell…?"
Who can wear clothes like that in this heat?
Then I heard Kohaku's soft, deep voice, as if the wind itself were speaking to me.
"Takumi, you must survive. If you do, you'll get a reward."
A reward? But I have to fight…
---
POV NARRATOR
The man in front of him took a combat stance.
"You've got to be kidding me, I don't know how to fight!" Takumi thought.
The guy lunged at high speed. The air became dense, dust rose, and Takumi could only take the blow that sent him flying.
"AGH!"
His punches are stronger than the Director's.
Takumi rolled several meters away from the guy, his mouth filling with a metallic taste. Gathering his strength, he got up and ran.
Although Takumi was 5 meters away, the guy reached him in the blink of an eye.
The guy was already beside Takumi.
"Ahhh! Why does this always happen to me!?"
The guy grabbed him by the shoulder, pulling him back, and at the same moment, drew a Sig Sauer P365.
Takumi's piercing screams grew louder with each shot.
His legs moved on instinct, making him run without direction, but he didn't notice his wounds healing.
Takumi kept running until he heard Kohaku's voice again:
"Don't be a coward, fight! Don't run away!"
"No normal person would stay and fight someone armed!"
"Look at your hands."
Hearing that, Takumi stopped abruptly. He no longer had holes or marks from the bullets. His clothes were still perforated, but his skin was the same, just a bit thinner.
"Wow…"
"See? Now drop the cowardice and fight."
A huge grin spread across Takumi's face. He quickly turned towards the guy, his gaze showing determination.
Until the first new shot made him recoil and run in pain.
"Don't run away!" Kohaku shouted from afar.
"You're crazy, the shot hurts horribly, plus I can feel the healing piercing my skin!"
He felt a stabbing heat, and the flesh closed like hot wax. The man ran again and, with a burst, hit him once more.
This time, Takumi raised his arms, but the impact broke one of them.
"AAAAHHH!!" he screamed in pain, about to faint.
"Are you really Kohaku's student? You're a complete disappointment," the guy said.
Those words hurt him more than the blow. He felt useless. Again, the bone cracked as it fused, and his arm was there, thinner.
This is… incredible. Or it would be if it didn't hurt so much to regenerate.
Before he could process it, the man attacked again, but this time Takumi dodged. His body was already reacting.
"Incredible…"
I can do this.
His eyes shone. He approached the guy with renewed determination, throwing a punch.
From afar, Kohaku watched with a wide smile, happy that he was finally facing his fears. His experiment was working.
Takumi continued fighting, but his smile vanished again when the guy split into two.
"Ah…? THAT'S CHEATING!"
"Seems he got excited too quickly," Kohaku commented to himself.
Despite that, Takumi threw a left hook, sending the helmet flying, revealing a middle-aged man with purple hair and blue eyes.
"That's…"
The man kicked him in the chin, knocking him out.
---
Kohaku burst out laughing while applauding, falling backward mockingly. Then he appeared out of nowhere and hugged the purple-haired guy by the shoulders.
"I think you went a little overboard, Hero~~."
"You told me to be hard on him."
Kohaku just nodded, laughing.
That night, Takumi woke up. It was already night, but the light from a campfire softly illuminated Kohaku and the stranger sitting, eating comfortably.
"Prof!" Takumi shouted, lunging at Kohaku, trying to strangle him. "You're a complete idiot!"
"Good evening, little Takumi~~. Let's save the surprise attacks for later."
The young man cried with relief and anger. Then he looked at the other man, somewhat scared.
"Who is he…?" he whispered.
"This is Hero Hamada, in charge of Boger and Bagel smuggling affairs. He will help me with your training."
"Sorry for hitting you. I didn't mean to be so rough," Hero said in a calm voice.
Takumi looked at him carefully, remembering the exorcist files Ren had.
"AH! So you're Hero, one of the strongest Kojin…"
Takumi stared at Hero as if he wanted to touch him to see if he was real.
Ren would be so happy to meet him in person. His Boger is so special.
Hero ate calmly, trying to ignore Takumi's stalker-like gaze.
Kohaku just laughed silently, enjoying Hero's discomfort and watching Takumi's arm return to normal after eating.
---
The next morning, Kohaku left Takumi with the purple-haired man.
"What's wrong with you?" Hero asked in a neutral tone.
Now that I think about it, he's a lot like Ryouma. Ryouma is bitter, and this guy is very cold… is he his father? Takumi thought, shaking his head.
"It doesn't matter. We have a mission. We'll work together."
Takumi followed him, watching him closely, looking for Hero's Boger.
"Where are we?"
"Egypt."
"EGYPT!?"
Hero took him to the Pyramids of Giza. Takumi took pictures, marveling at everything around him.
They entered. It was dark, with narrow passages. Hero turned on a flashlight that illuminated the entire room covered in hieroglyphics everywhere.
"Impressive…"
Suddenly, the hieroglyphics began to move. The figures came out of the walls.
"Class Dua. White, come out now." From his back descended a liquid being, white with golden-orange stripes like volcanic lava.
The liquid being solidified, recreating the silhouette of a person.
Takumi froze. The shadow was identical to the one that had killed him before.
"Don't retreat. White protects you. He's my Boger."
The figures growled and attacked. Hero counterattacked along with the Boger, protecting Takumi.
One of the resentful Ghosts lunged at him. Takumi kicked it before it could hurt him. Thus began the serious combat, attacking together.
"Come."
Hero pulled him, and they fell down a slippery tunnel.
"Ahhh, this is horrible," small tears welled in Takumi's eyes.
"This is fun, Hero," White said while raising his hands and letting himself flow.
They fell into a room full of gold and sarcophagi.
"Money~!" Takumi said upon seeing the coins. White did the same. Hero, on the other hand, inspected the place carefully.
His eyes widened upon seeing one of the inscriptions.
"Don't touch anything! …Oh no…" Takumi and White already had a ruby in their hands.
Both celebrated with joy, jumping up and down. On the other hand, Hero paled, putting a hand to his face in frustration.
Then a sarcophagus opened. From it emerged a bandaged figure that let out a roar, alerting the other Ghosts of injustice.
"Sekh'mekhet, the resentful guardian!" Hero shouted. "White, grab the brat and let's go."
White grabbed Takumi by the stomach, running with Hero and the ruby in his arms.
"White, drop the ruby."
"But Hero, I found it."
Hero grabbed the ruby and threw it at the Class S Ghost's head. White looked at it angrily but said nothing, just kept running.
A mummy lunged at Takumi. Terrified, he punched it.
"Get away, ugly!"
They kept running, with Hero killing several Class Satu Ghosts with two bullets and White protecting Takumi.
None of them looked ahead until they fell 40 meters.
"AAAAHHHH!" Takumi screamed, clinging to White.
Hero looked at him with pity. In the end, they both sighed seeing Kohaku's student clawing at White.
Looking down, hordes of sand slaves awaited them.
"Take care of them with White," Hero ordered, seeing Takumi frightened.
White glowed, releasing Takumi, but caught him before he hit the ground.
White now had the form of a B-2 Spirit, carrying Takumi down and also helping Hero.
"Let's go," White said softly.
Takumi was in shock, his gaze scanning the control panels.
"This is a… military plane?"
"Yes, but don't worry, I'll guide you," White mentioned while pointing out each control and how to operate the plane.
Meanwhile, Hero fought Sekh'mekhet.
"Are you going, or am I?"
The guardian attacked him with a large scepter. Hero dodged every attack with utmost ease.
White reduced speed with a soft flutter.
"White, give me the best you've got."
The silhouette left Takumi with the fewest Ghosts and went to Hero.
Falling into Hero's hands, it transformed into two Ultimax 100 machine guns. Hero fired. The Ghost defended against each attack with the scepter, but then Hero appeared behind Sekh'mekhet.
"Say: goodnight."
Hero said, shooting the Ghost in the head and the heart, blowing its entire skull apart and then letting White eat it.
Takumi watched as all the Ghosts vanished. He walked towards Hero. A soft, sincere smile spread across his face.
"You were incredible, Mr. Hero!"
"… It wasn't that much. It's basic for a Kojin Ikimono. You didn't do so badly either."
A genuine smile, the first in weeks, lit up Takumi's face.
After all… that man wasn't as cold as he seemed. And that creature… was kind.
"And don't call me 'sir.' I'm only 30 years old."
"Okay, Prof Hero."
Hero sighed, too exhausted to argue. White followed them until he felt a gaze upon them.
"White, let's go." At Hero's words, White decided to keep walking.
---
As they walked to the nearest village, in another part of the world, in a luxurious Tokyo restaurant, six people were eating and enjoying the moment.
"Alright, Katsuro, what did Yellow say?" Abaddon asked.
"That psychopath Kohaku did something monstrous to one of his students. He'll be a big problem if he trains him well," Katsuro responded calmly, eating a piece of steak.
"I see. Thank you for the information, Yellow." The yellow Boger nodded at the praise.