Ash and debris flew in the air, carried by the wind, giving everything a grayish tint. Corpses of people in black coats with the Slayer Organization's logo were scattered everywhere, some of them caught in flames. Kai was standing in the middle of the chaos, trying to make sense of what he was seeing.
Two giants with an ox and horse head were fighting something covered in a shadow, and an old man was protecting him from harm. The shadow's voice boomed through the air, its words filled with a sense of foreboding.
"You shall not stop us from achieving immortality! Nuisances!" it bellowed. A burst of dark red Spirit Power appeared from the shadow's body, hitting the two giants.
The old man activated a talisman, and a blue hexagonal barrier appeared around them, blocking the shadow's attack. "Gozu! Mezu! Stop him!" he shouted, directing the giants to attack the shadow.
Kai was confused and couldn't move, even if he wanted to. He was frozen in place, unable to understand what was happening. He couldn't even see the shadow's face. It was as if his mind was deliberately blocking it out.
The giants swung their blades toward the shadow, hitting it, but it disappeared without a trace.
"What happened?"
Finally, Kai was able to speak.
At that time, the city froze. He looked down at his body, which was small, and he wore a white shirt and short pants, something he used to wear as a kid.
"New York? And it's burning? Could it be?" he asked himself as he tried to make sense of his surroundings.
He recognized some of the buildings and realized that this was the first time he had ever been involved with the Supernatural World. This was a part of his missing childhood memories that had returned lately.
Kai remembered being in the library with Qianlong. So how did he end up in New York, in the middle of this chaos?
He looked around and saw his grandfather, Marcus, holding him up with a frown. The two giants, Gozu and Mezu, had also frozen, likely being Marcus's familiars, as they followed his order.
Kai's mind was racing, trying to make sense of what was happening. The names Gozu and Mezu were familiar to him. He had heard them before.
"Hahaha… Ashiya Douman's familiars?" He muttered to himself with a strained smile. "Ashiya Family, Ashiya Douman, the strongest… Could Ashiya Douman be the one who was hailed as the strongest? But that's impossible. Because in the record–" His words trailed off.
In the record of Japanese history, the one who was hailed as the strongest Onmyouji wasn't Ashiya Douman but someone else. Ashiya Douman was just his rival.
"Does that mean the strongest is that person? But how? If I am the descendant of the strongest, how did the two families at odds with each other allow my father and my mother's marriage?"
Kai was still grappling with his thoughts when the scenery around him glitched, and he found himself standing in front of his restaurant, looking at the burning buildings and rising black clouds in the distance.
A shadow appeared in front of him, and Kai recognized it immediately. It was the same shadow he had seen earlier but smaller.
The shadow didn't walk toward Kai but towards the city. This time, Kai was able to move, but he didn't know what to do.
The shadow didn't seem to be able to see or sense him. If he was careful, then he would be able to follow the shadow without any problem.
Also, his hint in this replicated memory was just that shadow. It must've some connection with his trauma. So he thought he shouldn't let the shadow escape his vision.
'Let's follow him.'
***
The shadow kept moving through the city, and Kai noticed that the corpses from earlier were not yet present. This memory seemed to happen before Marcus had arrived. He wondered why he didn't remember this part of his memory. Was it truly within his memory, or had Qianlong cast a spell on him?
He had a feeling that this was connected to his trauma, and he couldn't let the shadow escape his vision. Kai remembered at this time; he was still standing in front of his restaurant. Was his memory got altered? Or was it not complete yet?
Seeing how his mother sealed some parts of his memories, it wouldn't be strange that she sealed other parts in a different place. But that should leave inconsistencies in his current memories. So why? He didn't understand.
As he followed the shadow, the sense of foreboding grew stronger.
Kai kept following the shadow quietly, his heart pounding in his chest with each step. As they drew closer to the source of the noise, the smell of smoke and burning filled his nostrils, making him cough.
When they finally arrived at the edge of the city, Kai saw that the shadow was standing before a portal that looked similar to the Tear he had seen at Oni Village. The portal was pulsating with dark energy that made his skin crawl.
As he watched, the shadow raised its hand and plunged it into the portal. A blast of energy shot out, and the ground shook beneath Kai's feet. He stumbled but managed to stay on his feet.
Suddenly, the shadow turned around and looked straight at Kai. Its eyes were dark and menacing, flashing a glint of golden light.
"You," the shadow said in a deep, guttural voice. "You should not be here. You're not ready yet."
Before Kai could react, the shadow leaped forward, its hand outstretched. Kai instinctively dodged to the side, narrowly avoiding the attack.
"Guh!" He grunted.
He was in a small body. He wasn't used to it, but thankfully he managed to dodge with all he had. Then he realized that the shadow was, in fact, able to see him after he took whatever energy was in the stone with that pulsating disgusting energy.
He realized that he had underestimated the danger of this memory. It was not just a simple recollection but something more sinister. This was a warning, a message from his past, telling him that he was in danger.
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