217 Chapter 217: Traitor (2/2)
”Ah, yes. That's correct. You should be aware of the existence of spirits, right? After all…you were flirting with that Seinagi Tenshi and her research team this entire time. They were so close to summoning spirits to our world…but because they exist in another dimension, they can't properly manifest in our dimension. So…I thought, why not have these spirits 'possess' weapons and sacred artifacts?”
”There's a spirit…dwelling within your sword?” Shun Yin asked skeptically. That was way beyond what Tenshi and her team had researched on. And how did Angelica know about it? No, of course she would. She was the heiress and the future leader of the Porter clan. She would be able to know everything that her family was doing.
Even her uncle.
”Exactly. It cost us a lot of resources and lives, but we eventually implemented a working system for sealing the spirits into the weapons and making them safe enough to use. It's still not finished yet, but I'm confident of completing the technology very soon.”
”You…sacrificed people's lives for that experiment?” Shun Yin repeated incredulously, a chill running down his spine.
Angelica looked at him disappointedly, even as he slowly rose to his feet. She lowered her sword and shook her head.
”You've also sacrificed a lot in order to become this strong, haven't you? Shun Yin.”
”It's not the same thing!” Shun Yin snapped. ”All I did was put in a lot of effort and invested a lot of time! I never hurt anyone! I never sacrificed anyone else in order to obtain my strength…”
”Ah, what about your master at the Miyamoto dojo? Didn't he spend a lot of time and effort raising you to be the swordsman you are today?”
”That's…” Shun Yin clenched his fists. ”That's different! He's my master…he taught me…”
”And you don't deem that a sacrifice?”
”There's a difference between sacrificing other people's lives for an experiment, and sacrificing your time and energy teaching others! I wouldn't think twice about training and teaching someone how to fight!”
”No. I don't suppose you would. You probably wouldn't see that as a sacrifice of your own time and effort.” Angelica lowered her head slightly and smiled cynically. ”Whatever the case, it's no use arguing over this. But I'm sure you know as well as I do that without power, you will never be able to protect anyone.”
Shun Yin didn't refute that.
”We won't be able to protect the people we love. And thus…we seek power. I seek power. You also seek power.”
”You call this protecting the people you love?” Shun Yin growled, gesturing toward the blood and carnage around them. ”How in the world is this…?”
”Hey, Shun Yin.”
Angelica cut him off and extended a hand toward him.
”Won't you come with me? I can give you power too.” She smiled temptingly as she reached out with her hand. ”I need your assistance to complete this research…I need your help in order to obtain more power. And I'm sure you also need more strength…to achieve whatever goals you have in mind. Even if that goal doesn't involve me…”
Then she suddenly faltered and swayed on her feet. Shun Yin was moving before he knew it, reaching out to grab hold of her, but she withdrew as she clutched her chest.
”Sorry, Shun Yin. Right now, I…”
”What…?”
Angelica looked up at him, her face red and tears streaming from her eyes as she stared desperately at him.
”I'm already…possessed by the spirit.”
”Angelica!” Shun Yin was still puzzled, but he knew that whatever was happening, it was bad. He anxiously reached out to her. ”What are you talking about? What do you mean, you're possessed by the spirit?”
”I failed the experiment. In order to house the spirit, I used myself as a guinea pig. And this is the result.”
Crimson fire began burning and etching themselves across her snow-white flesh, forming what seemed like tattoos.
”I don't know how much longer I have left…”
Flames began burning uncontrollably around her sword, and wings of fire began unfolding behind Angelica's back.
”Oi! What is…?”
”I want more power…more power…to burn the world…!”
However, before Angelica could swing her sword and unleash fire, dark shadows curled out and seized her, restraining her.
”That's enough, Miss Angelica.” Fully healed and standing up straight, with no sign of the injuries that both Shun Yin and Glen inflicted upon him earlier, Ying Bu Si approached the crimson-haired girl. ”You'll lose control if you continue using that weapon.”
”Y…yeah, you're right.”
”What the hell did you do to Angelica?!” Shun Yin demanded as he charged forward, but Ying Bu Si gestured for him to stay back.
”I didn't do anything. The Assassins Guild didn't do anything to her. This is between Miss Angelica and our client…though she's probably part of our clients' organization for now. Still, there is a way if you really want to know.”
Ying Bu Si smiled, his eyes gazing upon Shun Yin darkly.
”You should just join the Assassins Guild.”
”I asked you what you did to Angelica!” Shun Yin yelled as he leaped forward to slash Ying Bu Si. However, Angelica parried his sword with her own. In front of his stunned eyes, she cut his sword, sending half the length of his blade flying off and stabbing into the ground. In a single graceful move, she pointed the tip of her sword at his throat, and stopped there.
”Now we're even.” Angelica smiled. ”In return for not killing me earlier, I won't kill you now.”
”You…” Shun Yin gritted her teeth, but Angelica ignored him. Instead, she stepped forward and embraced him.
”Hey, Shun Yin. I love you.”
Refusing to let go of him, she clung to him tightly. For a moment, Shun Yin couldn't hear or feel anything except their heartbeats resonating, especially as she pressed her chest to his and leaned her head on his shoulder.
For a fleeting moment, Shun Yin was reminded of the past.
”I'll ask you one more time, Shun Yin. Won't you come with me?”
”I won't.” Shun Yin's reply was straightforward and immediate.
”Even if you can obtain more power?”
”Not interested.”
Angelica narrowed her eyes disappointedly, even as she continued to rest her head on his shoulder. She then pushed herself away.
”Ha ha ha…I wonder if you hate me or something.”
Shun Yin watched as she ran a hand through her crimson hair, and then shook his head and softened his tone.
”The power I aim for and the strength that you desire are simply different.”
”Ha ha…” Angelica kicked a pebble away, trying to hide her frustration. ”I wonder when our paths began to diverge.”
”Perhaps we were never walking on the same path to begin with.”
”Maybe. But I think it's safe to tell you this.” Angelica leaned closer, her voice in a conspiratorial whisper. ”The organization I joined…they plan to destroy the world. They have some religious beliefs or whatever…claiming that humans are a blight on the world, and it's better to give the Earth over to the monsters. I can't say I agree with them totally…but I do want to help them create an environment where only the strongest can survive.”
”…what?” Still holding onto his broken sword, Shun Yin scratched his head in bemusement.
”You'll get your chance to become a hero…an ally of justice. But in order to become one…you will surely come to me. At that time, you will definitely desire me.” She spun away, but turned her head slightly to keep her emerald eyes on him. ”So we'll meet again.”
”Angelica, what are you…?”
Before Shun Yin could finish his question, Angelica hopped backward. She smiled brightly, and almost innocently.
”I love you, Shun Yin.”
And then, just like that, she was gone. Disappearing into the fog and beyond his sight.
”Finally…I didn't think she would let you go just like that.” Ying Bu Si sighed in exasperation. Shun Yin turned to glare at him, but he merely smiled. ”Don't worry…you'll eventually want to join us. I'll keep in touch. Hopefully you'll change your mind the next time we meet.”
”Fuck you…”
”I'll be going now!”
Before Shun Yin could burn the bastard alive, Ying Bu Si vanished in a manner similar to Angelica. And just like that he was left alone in the fog.
”Damn it!” Shun Yin cursed as he dropped to the ground, discarding his broken sword and slamming his fist against the broken concrete. ”DAMN IT!”