49 Return to Steam Work City (1/2)
”Well...” Yuki hesitated a moment before speaking. ”After getting knocked out I had a dream. I basically relived my entire life with all my memories coming back in the process.”
”I see.” Ed nodded. ”Are you sure the stress and trauma from such an experience didn't cause your 2nd awakening or something? That seems much more likely to me.”
”I don't think so.” She shook her head. ”I tried using my powers with no success. Besides, I've seen other spirits that look similar to me, though their eyes are lifeless and dull.”
”Hmm...” He lowered his head in thought. 'If it isn't a 2nd awakening then what is it? And what's the relationship between Yuki's spirit and the mysterious golden energy in my body?'
...
Steam Work City Hospital. Mr. Sai stretched as he slowly woke up next to Yuki's bed. He had been watching over her for over a week by now. ”WHAT?!” He yelled in shock as he looked at his daughter's body. ”Her soul is gone?!” He closed his eyes and concentrated. A golden energy began to cover his entire body, making him look like a holy being that had descended down from the heavens.
'Her soul isn't with me.' He frowned and concentrated once more. His golden energy slowly expanded to cover the entire city. However, no people or espers seemed to notice at all. 'Not with me nor within the city. Damn... I don't have much time.' His energy expanded even further to cover the entire state. This time, a similar energy slammed into his own.
”TAMA!!!” A voice boomed in his ears. The sound had traversed through the connection between his and the other person's golden energy. ”What do you think you're doing scanning my territory?! We had an agreement!”
”Apologies. This is a family matter and it's an emergency.” Mr. Sai responded.
”Pay the fine we agreed upon and I'll let bygones be bygones!” The voice yelled in reply.
”Fine.” He frowned and waved his hand. Nearly a hundred orbs of various colors appeared in the air. If you looked closely, you could see a small person within each one. The orbs traversed the golden energy and disappeared into what looked like a government building.
”Hehehe. Thanks for the food.” The voice replied while the golden energy slowly faded away.
”Damn!” OP Baldy ground his teeth as he flew south out of the state. He decided to check the entire east coast first. He stopped briefly in each state and scanned with his golden energy. Each time he did so, one or more similar energies would slam into his own and harass him. He chose to ignore them as he kept traveling south.
Soon, he reached Florida. His energy expanded across the state. ”She's here?!” He smiled broadly as he headed for her location.
...
”What was that?!” Ed screamed in panic. One moment, he was trying to think of a solution. The next, his golden thread of energy began trembling intensely. It was shaking like it was prey about to be devoured by a fierce hunter.
BOOM! A crashing sound rang out as a man in a red jumpsuit appeared in his office by breaking through the wall.
”OP Baldy?!” He yelled in shock. 'Shouldn't that bastard be locked up or kicked out of the country by now? The people of Georgia must have spread the word to most of the other states by now?'
”Humph!” Mr. Sai snorted. ”So, you're still alive brat? I'm here for my daughter.”
”Eh? You can see me dad?”
”Of course I can.” He nodded. ”Come with me. Things are going to get dangerous here soon.”
”GAHAHAHA!!!” A voice laughed so loudly that the air seemed to shake. ”So, this is what was so important to you that you'd invade our territory!”
”That seems to be a fairly powerful soul!” Another voice yelled. ”Why not share it with your old friends!”
”FUCK OFF!” Mr. Sai screamed in rage. A golden shockwave spread out and slammed into the air, revealing nearly a dozen people floating there. Each one shone with a similar golden energy, though their own was much weaker than Mr. Sai's.
”Don't be like that! Why should you get the right to such a tasty soul!” A woman amongst them complained. ”Besides, you already have more than any of us. We should play fair!”
”Eh?!” Ed's eyes widened in shock. ”Isn't that the governor of Florida?”
”Oh?” A tall and skinny man narrowed his eyes. ”He can see us? Looks like there's a new upstart in my state I need to squash. Haha, I should thank you OP Baldy. Who knows how long I would have missed him otherwise. I'm a busy man after all.”
”DAMN!” Mr. Sai looked back-and-forth between his daughter and the flying espers. ”I'll give you each a soul of equivalent value to leave. Deal?”
The flying espers whispered to each other and nearly all of them nodded in agreement. One smiled, ”10 equivalent souls each!”
”BASTARDS!” He yelled in rage as he waved his hand. Ten orbs floated to each esper. There were eleven espers in total. Nine accepted the orbs and turned to leave. Two remained behind and sent the orbs back towards OP Baldy.
A malicious looking man smiled. ”As if I'd turn down an opportunity like this. If I absorb your daughter's soul, then you won't dare to ever go against me again!”
The other man to stay behind was the Florida Governor. ”Just let me kill the boy and I won't interfere.” He grinned.
”Damnit.” Mr. Sai ground his teeth in frustration. He could let the Florida Governor have his way, but the other esper was a problem. He could easily beat the malicious esper, but Yuki would get caught up in the fight. Souls were weak entities and she could easily be destroyed in the process. ”Ed!” He yelled. ”My daughter isn't dead yet. Dead souls hold little to no intelligence in the outside world. I'll keep these two busy. You take my daughter's soul to Steam Work City Hospital. Fix whatever's wrong with her body and her soul should be able to return.”
Ed hesitated a moment before nodding. He grabbed Yuki by the hand and ran towards his office's exit. 'Normally, I'd try to negotiate some extra benefits, but...' He shivered in fear when thinking of that Florida Governor. He felt like a mouse being stared at by a hungry snake. He was more than willing to get the hell out of here as soon as possible.
BOOM! A loud sound rang out behind him and he turned to see his office building crumbling to the ground. He saw the Florida Governor covered in golden flames. The flames burned the surrounding rubble and not even ash remained.
A rumbling sound rang out as OP Baldy shoved the rubble away and climbed out from the building. A brilliant golden-white light covered his entire body. The malicious esper also climbed from the rubble. A grotesque golden-black light covered him. Anything the light touched vanished in an instant.
”Let's go!” He grabbed Yuki into a princess carry and flames blasted forth from beneath his feet. He flew straight over the city wall and kept heading north.