Chapter 24 The Pac (1/2)
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”Brock, tell me the terms of your pact.” Said Wang Bugui anxiously.
”In fact, it's not hard. I don't wish to make a pact directly with you, but for you and Hanae Chiou to make a deal with each other to merge your souls. This is because she can only survive if your body becomes her soul's vassal.”
”If that happens, from now on, no matter how far away both of you are, you'll be able to sense each other's position and safety. Furthermore, you'll each be able to reap the result of the other's training. This is known as Simultaneous Training in the terminology of members of religious orders from the East. That said, it'll still be necessary to make a pact with me, if you agree.” Said Brock.
”Tell me your terms directly.” Wang Bugui said, not wanting to waste any more time.
”Fine, my terms are that you have to kill Dracula and bring his soul to me— Hanae Chiou's death is linked to him. How dare he kill my follower! Also, he stole so many souls from me during the two World Wars. I'll never let anyone who dares to go against me off so easily!” Said Brock chillingly.
”I promise you. I'll kill Dracula even if you didn't ask me to. Let Sister Chiou go.” Wang Bugui replied.
”Right. Remember to keep your promise, otherwise I'll take your soul away personally. You have 20 years to achieve your target; that's the maximum amount of time the seal you people placed on him will last.” Brock warned.
”Fine, let's begin.” Wang Bugui spurred him on.
Brock nodded and took out a book. He wrote Hanae Chiou's name on it and conjured an extremely complicated magic circle, before directing the blood on Wang Bugui's arm into it with a finger. He then began chanting an ancient and intricate curse in a language that Wang Bugui and the other two completely could not understand. The boy could feel the blood in his body boiling, however, and his heart began to throb, as if it had connected with something within the magic circle.
Countless tiny lights appeared in the sky and beamed into the magic circle after Brock had finished chanting. Wang Bugui watched with slightly moist eyes as the lights slowly formed into the shape of a person, and he could see fragments of Hanae Chiou's memory in them. Her past was far more traumatic than he had imagined— she had been discarded by her parents as a monster for bearing unholy black tattoos on her right arm from the time she was born.
She wandered the streets alone in tattered clothing, constantly feeling hungry. She could wear a set of clothing for years and could only change out of them upon getting a ”new” set of clothes, and had never wore a good pair of shoes. A pair of torn shoes she managed to find in a pile of trash was new to her.
Her beautiful face was covered with grime and dirt all the time, and she ate what she could pick up from the streets. Sometimes, she even had to resort from snatching the food from the pet dogs of other people and suffered a severe beating if she was caught. The best time of her childhood was when she had discovered a small uninhabited cave in the countryside. She had constructed a bed out of grass and clothes she picked up. Beside her were other pieces of clothing in slightly better condition, and they were her best looking and most precious clothes.
She only got to eat unexpired food and shoes in perfect condition when she met the Azrael and he brought her to work in his shop. After growing up, she became his disciple, and her daily tasks included killing people, evil ghosts or the containment of spirits. These memories were shown in black and white, and those that were in color were from after she met Wang Bugui.
He was the only person who did not view of her as a monster. The others had heard about a female monster who wielded a scythe, and many had fallen before her. Wang Bugui did not mind and instead was impressed by Hanae Chiou. This fact had amused her.
The first time they went out for coffee, the first time they drank red wine, the first time she went shopping, the first time she went out to have fun with somebody else, the first time she fought hand-in-hand with Wang Bugui... These colorful memories made Wang Bugui clench his fists tightly in rage and sorrow, and his teeth nearly broke. He could not stop trembling; he had never imagined that the moments which were very ordinary to him could have become Hanae Chiou's best memories.
Gradually, the lights formed into Hanae Chiou's figure— this was her soul. The ethereal figure was still covered with terrible wounds and lay peacefully in the magic circle.
”Azrael, what should I do to resurrect her?” Asked Wang Bugui, his heart aching terribly as he looked at the cracked up figure of Hanae Chiou's soul, especially so when he saw her beautiful face which was fixed in her last smile. It was a smile that grew out of the depths of Hanae Chiou's heart— she had diede protecting his retreat, but she died without regret and with a smile.
”I can't resurrect her temporarily, and it'll take a long while to awaken her soul. After all, her soul has nearly been completely ground into dust, and it's already a feat to patch it back together.” Sighed Brock.