The headless horseman dropped down from his buddy.
He offered a handshake.
Skepticism appeared on Sen's face, but he shook it anyway.
"Sen's the name." He waited for the person to communicate somehow, despite having no head.
Out of nowhere, a voice spoke. It was coming from the headless horseman.
"Call me... Dullahan."
Sen and Fin instantly took formation after hearing the name.
"The Dullahan? The Grim Reaper of the...?"
He nodded. "Yes, that Dullahan. But fear nothing, for I am here to assist you."
"News was... your brother died. He wasn't supposed to die."
Sen and Fin frowned. "What do you mean?" Sen asked.
Dullahan paused. "You don't know, huh?"
"Have a seat, and I'll tell you everything I know. Not everything they know," Dullahan said, then began.
He explained everything—coming down to the rules of the afterlife, and how they were chosen.
Sen was... shocked, and so was Fin.
"...So me and Shin...?"
"So he and Shin... are what again?" Fin asked.
"Why didn't... Vermis..." Sen sighed.
The news left them very much in shock and doubt.
"Don't blame your little angel friend. What's his name? Vermis? He doesn't know."
"All he knows is he saved two kids and trained them to protect and save people."
"You two are getting all the attention in the Divine High." Dullahan then stood up.
"I'm here to assist you two in fully reviving your brother."
He mounted his horse and looked at them.
"He's already on the move. Now it's your turn."
The two looked at each other.
"...Shin's on the move...?" Fin said.
"What the hell does that mean?" Sen asked.
Dullahan pointed to the sky.
"Shin is now back. In another part of the world. But he's not alive nor dead. He's in between."
"He is walking, and in the assistance of an angel called Aeloria."
Sen lit up, but not in a cheery way.
"Tell us. I'll open a portal to him... Now!" Sen demanded.
But Dullahan raised his hand. "No."
Fin sighed. "What do you mean no? Is this gonna be one of those things where he needs to do it alone?"
Sen followed up. "Is this gonna be some kinda solo quest or something?! Then screw that—we're going!"
"Enough," Dullahan said.
"Shin is on his own journey. You two should not try to find him, because you three will eventually meet up."
"The gem called the Gem of Life is needed. And if I'm not mistaken, the demons have their hands on it—because you three lost the war."
Sen looked at him. "It wasn't a loss... We managed to save the people. And Cabanatuan... They just slipped through our hands and managed to steal it."
"I'm grateful for that. But that's what you call incompetence," Dullahan said.
"The demons have their hands on the Gem. And it's the only thing that can fully revive Shin."
Dullahan pointed in a direction. "Today, we start over there."
"Hate to be that guy, but... what if I don't?" Sen said. "I just wanna see my brother again."
Dullahan sighed. "You cannot waste any time. Shin is in a mute state. He cannot speak, eat, drink, or sleep. That's what happens when you're in the middle of living and death. You are beyond those concepts."
"And do you have any idea what not sleeping means for a person? People go crazy over time. Your brother Shin is a strong-willed person. He doesn't feel tiredness. But the odd feeling of not sleeping? That might get to him."
"Do you really want to risk that? Just for the sake of happiness, just to see him?"
Dullahan then began riding slowly in the direction he pointed.
Sen scoffed out of frustration. He wanted to see him. Shin.
Fin patted his back. "Let's get going. And as soon as we find that thing, we'll look for him. Alright?"
Sen sighed and nodded. "Understood."
They tailed behind him and made a few conversation.
---
It's the middle of the night in Japan.
Aeloria was deep asleep while Shin is outside staring at the moon.
He left her a note saying.
"Cannot sleep. See you tomorrow at 8 brb ;)"
He actually wrote Brb what the fuck man, got I hate being the narrator of this series...
Shin went on a walk. A cold night walk.
Across a city. He walked into the empty streets.
He checked every corners, every small streets to fast the time.
But then he heard commotions.
He silently move and seek who's or what's the source of that noises.
Then he goes inside a building. Claimed the stairs and peek into one of the balcony.
And he sees a huge guy in a mask. Wrestling with demons.
He was throwing and grappling them.
He grabbed one of the demons and he jumped. He was high in the air he fixed his grapple, the demon is struggling hard.
But he catches a glimpse of Shin. There in the window, watching menacingly.
He then rotated with the demon and Bam. He slammed the demon face first. Breaking its neck, and spine in the impact.
The guy in the mask gesture them to keep coming.
He knee's one on its head cracking it's skull.
Shin is amused. But not the fact that he can easily kill a demon but the fact that his moves are cool.
A few minutes passed. There he was, standing in the middle of the bodies of the demons he broke.
He then knee-slid as if celebrating his win. He pointed toward Shin.
He was about to throw hands again, despite being hurt badly.
Shin was amused by his bravery and will as a human being.
Shin walked out of the building and met him face to face. He was taller than him, bigger than him.
But as Shin looked at him, he could sense nothing but honor around him.
The two of them didn't talk. Not that Shin could talk anyway.
But he handed him a note:
"Friend? Or foe?"
The guy paused and finally said,
"That depends. Are you intendin' to kill me? Are you after them?" he said in a deep accent.
Shin began writing:
"That depends as well. Are they evil? If yeah, I'll come after them."
Shin handed him the note. And he laughed.
"Do not worry. They are but children. Needing protection," he said.
"I'm guessing you're not a threat. 'Cause if you were… you'd already be attackin' me. Or worse, you'd be dead," he said—not mockingly, but with confidence.
Shin was amused by his attitude. He began writing:
"I'm not a threat unless you're someone needing to be put down. Meaning—if you're a bad person or one of those monsters… I'll gladly put you down."
The guy laughed, amused by him. He then put his hand out.
"Call me Klosp." He waited for Shin's hand.
Shin shook his hand and handed him a note:
"Call me Shin."
Klosp then laughed.
"What a nice name."
They talked for a while.
"You know what? Why don't you meet them? The people I care for and protect." Klosp stood up and walked toward a destination.
"Come on. Follow me and meet my only family."
Shin handed him a note:
"You sure you want me—a random stranger—to meet your family? You don't even know who I am."
But Klosp just laughed it off.
"Don't worry. I know if you're a threat or a friend, friend."
"You're a very naive and dangerous guy, you know that?" Shin handed him another paper.
He chuckled. "I am what my mother raised me to be. God bless her soul. Fortunately, she died of old age before everything. Before the world went to shit. So she didn't see everything."
Shin handed him a note:
"May her soul forever rest in peace."
"Thank you, friend." Klosp very much appreciated his new silent friend.
Eventually they reached his home.
"Wake up children. I bought a friend." Klosp gently woke every kids.
But unsurprisingly the sight of Shin frighten them.
A man in a suit. No face, no mouth, no anything. Just a man in a white armor.
But Shin quickly reading the atmosphere began waving his hands to them saying Hi to them.
Being in the middle of life and death and not being able to speak really gets him.
"Do not worry, children. He is but a friend only." Klosp
Eventually they dropped their guard down and fear. And got along with Shin pretty well.
And soon enough they went back to sleep.
So will Klosp.
"Friend, why don't you get some rest? Do you have anyone before we met?"
Shin nodded.
"So where is he or she, my friend?"
Shin then write.
"I left her, but don't worry she's sleeping pretty well. I just walked around to past the time." shin handed it to Klosp.
Klosp read it and then chuckled. "You call it passing the time? Walking in demon's ground city?"
Shin chuckled but only behind everything. He didn't made a sound because of his state.
"Said the guy who wrestle demons." Shin handed him the note.
Klosp then laugh again. "Very fair, my friend."
"Do you believe in the afterlife?"
Shin handed him the note and watched his reaction.
The gentle giant paused.
"I do not know, my friend. But I am certain—if there is... Mother will be there. Safe and sound."
"Why say that, my friend?" Klosp asked.
Shin, in his mind, thought, "This guy... he may know the truth."
Shin handed him another note.
"Klosp, I'm gonna come clean with you. But do not panic."
"Go ahead, my friend. I'm listening," Klosp said.
Shin handed him the note:
"I'm not alive, nor dead."
After reading it, Klosp stood up.
"Let's take this outside. Kids are sleeping."
Shin nodded, and they walked outside, far from the home.
In a clearing, Klosp stood tall.
"Then... what are you?" Klosp asked. "Human? Or monster?"
Shin showed him a note:
"Human... but for now, neither.
I'm not a threat, nor an enemy."
Klosp was silent.
"I know what I said earlier... and it seem I very wrong."
Suddenly, a heavy, brutal punch to the gut hit Shin, sending him flying through a building.
"I cannot believe I let unknown creature into my family," Klosp said.
Shin stood up from the debris, not intending to fight.
He walked calmly into Klosp's view—his body damaged, but his will unshaken.
Suddenly, Klosp charged. He landed another strong hit, forcing Shin to his knees.
"Fight back! I see no honor in beating someone who not defend himself!" Klosp shouted.
But Shin didn't move. Not that he could speak anyway.
He let Klosp beat the living hell out of him.
"What will you gain from taking my attacks?! FIGHT ME!"
Another brutal hit to Shin's side made his legs shake. But still, he stood.
Finally, he began writing.
"Do you think a friend would hit his friend?"
Shin handed it to him.
Then another note:
"Come on, big guy. This fight is nonsense. My liver hurts."
Klosp paused, staring at the note.
Then… he laughed, and his expression softened.
"...I—I'm terribly sorry... I act out of emotion. I want keep my family safe... I forget what Mother say to me."
"Never overlook a person."
He knelt in front of Shin.
"I'm very sorry, my friend. Please—punch me back. For you to get it back."
But Shin tapped his shoulder and handed him a note.
"No hard feelings. Let's go back to your home."
Then Shin limped towards the direction of their home.
But a loud screaming suddenly happened.
"The children!" Klosp yelled. He run back to the home but because of his size he wasn't a good runner.
But Shin isn't. Shin run back towards the children's home.
Finding out demons trying to get into it.
When Klosp killed the other demons. There was others watching as well, they followed them back to this.
Because of Shin's "PTSD" he wasn't gonna let another accident happened.
He rushed upon them. Even though he is not the faster cause the title goes to Sen.
He is still reasonably fast.
He got to the house and fortunately none of the demons manage to break in.
But they sensed Shin.
One of them looked at him. The others Jumped straight towards him and towered him over.
"Who's this little man?" one of the demons spoke right in Shin's ear.
Suddenly Shin gouge the demon's eyes, popping them out, blinding the demon and then killing him.
On of the demon that is a woman, laughed amused. "What a brutal human."
She shrugged. "Well, humans had always been ruthless~ especially that man..."
Eventually Klosp run back. He picked one of the demons and he wrestled it.
And with a heavy movie he snapped it's spine clean.
"IF YOU HURT THE CHILDREN I WILL BREAK YOUR JAW OUT OF YOUR FACE!" Klosp said as he dispose the corpse of his enemy.
The demon got annoyed and flicked her finger. "Shut it. I'm talking here." a force hit Klosp sending him flying.
"Now that we are alone... Shin." she made him kneel. She used a entity invicible to the naked eye to hold Shin.
"You're asking. How I know? Simple, we demons are much, much resourceful than anyone thought."
"My name doesn't matter." She said as she command the unknown entity to knock Shin into the mud.
"But... I do will say this. We had a powerful mage, and she knew everything." She said with a smug.
"Well... Funny enough, everything from the start is run down with abilities far beyond human imagination. Or in human vocabulary... 'Magic'"
"Listen, here Shin Azalea. I am very tired of demons... I sound like I am being hypocrite because I'm a demon myself."
"My point is... Demons become brutes, barbarians. They are easy to kill, dispose. " suddenly the unknown entity released Shin.
The demon woman ordered it.
"Consider this my introduction into your story."
She walked into the dark.
"For correction. I didn't hurt the kids, they don't matter to me, they are worth nothing to me. I just want to get your attention."
"And thanks for disposing the worthless demons that are with me. I just wanna see what a person in between life and death would look like... And let's just say..."
"You are terrifying..."
Shin grabbed the unknown entity, trying to grapple it into his advantage. He manage to choke it out.
But when he stood up, the demon is already nowhere in sight.
So as the invicible creature. Not that he can see it but he doesn't feel it anymore.
Shin checked Klosp's pulse and unsurprisingly, he was still alive—just badly knocked out.
He carried the big guy on his back and returned to the house.
The children gathered around him and Klosp, scared and crying.
Shin tried to calm them down.
He sat with them and just stayed there.
Eventually, all of them huddled up next to Shin and the unconscious Klosp.
They got very close to both of them... Shin just let them and hugged them.
He stared at the door and the window next to it.
Earlier, the kids had seen disturbing things trying to get in through there.
But Shin had already killed them. He kept staring at the door, thinking that if he kept an eye on the entrance where the demons had tried to get in earlier, the kids might lower their guard and eventually fall asleep.
So he did just that. He guarded the door and actually sat in front of it.
Suddenly, someone knocked on the door. The kids got spooked and hid somewhere.
Shin decided to check it, and surprise, surprise—Aeloria was standing behind the door.
"Damnit, Shin..." she panted. "I've been looking for you for about... I forgot how long..."
"If I lost you, Vermis would obviously scold me for days." She looked around and saw the kids and the big guy knocked out. "Who are they?"
He handed her a note. "Keep them safe... I'm going out... I'm very, very pissed." Then he walked past her.
"Wait... You haven't introduced me to—" She sighed. "Well... there he goes."
A few moments passed. Aeloria gained the trust of the kids, and so did Klosp when he woke up.
"So, you are Shin's friend?" Klosp said in his deep accent and voice.
Aeloria nodded.
---
Shin was wandering around the city.
Then a woman's voice called out to him—a not-so-friendly voice.
"The man himself. Back from the afterlife. How does it feel?" a woman said.
Then a male voice followed up. "Dear, don't antagonize him... Let me do it."
"My name is Henry." The demon leapt into the air and landed elsewhere, circling around Shin.
"Many want you dead... That includes me. I want you... Or rather, we want you dead."
"But because of her... we found out you aren't technically alive or dead, and thus cannot be killed. But... you can be sealed."
"But in order to do so... we need to get you off your feet." He gestured to her. "Do it."
The woman demon shapeshifted. "Name's Rilesa... Or perhaps the name of your..."
What followed after the shift was Shin's mother...
"You're wondering how, correct? Well, demons are clever," Henry said.
He then pulled Rilesa—still in Shin's mother's form—close. "What would you do if I did this?"
He did something that mocked Shin to his very core.
Henry kissed her. And Rilesa, wearing his mother's face, went along with it... followed up by a very, very lewd kiss.
In the middle of their act... countless demons emerged from the rubble, outnumbering Shin 1 to 100.
He looked at them... He couldn't express anger, nor disgust—because he didn't have a face. Just a faceless man in armor...
Trapped between life and death.
But he was very... VERY FUCKING PISSED AND BEYOND.
"I will purge you."
Shin wrote on a note and threw it at them.
Henry laughed and ordered the demons to attack. While he and Rilesa continued to mock Shin's soul.
The demons didn't waste any time and surrounded him.
Big, barbaric demons tried to claw Shin to death.
Before they could even reach him... Shin was already in front of them.
He purged them. He burst open one demon's stomach, used its intestines, and choked another with them.
He used brutal tactics—breaking bones, tearing limbs.
He was so angry he bashed a demon's head with its own arm.
Fuck, he burst open a demon's body clean through and jumped through it to punch another demon. Talk about showing up.
Henry got a little spooked. "What a brutal man. No wonder he's called that name."
Rilesa laughed. "Shut up and kiss me." Then they continued.
The longer Shin watched them... the longer he saw his mother's face being used like that...
His anger consumed him. The flames—or rather, his purple flames—ate him alive.
They swallowed the entire vicinity. Shin was breathing hard. He crushed a demon's head and looked at the remaining demons.
He pointed his finger at them—and then at the dead.
He was burning... literally. His white armor looked like it got a repaint from all the blood and guts covering him.
"Stop..."
He tried to yell. No voice came out, no sound escaped.
They continued to use his mom's face while they smugly looked at him losing it.
Henry stopped. "It's about time. He's already losing it."
Relisa chuckled. "Humans are so easily angered."
The demons charged at Shin. One of them carried something.
They charged, but met the same fate—getting dismembered. Some died fast, some died in shock, some bled to death.
But the demon carrying something opened the box with his last breath.
Suddenly, it began pulling Shin in.
"You see, Shin?" Henry said. "We demons... are much, much more superior."
"That thing is the container of emotions. You are not alive nor dead... but you are a walking emotion." Henry jumped down and faced Shin.
He stood in front of Shin. "For your information... your mother's face... looks absolutely beautiful."
"I might make Relisa use her face while we... you know?" he smiled.
Then he began to walk away.
Shin was slowly getting pulled in.
"...I will purge every single one of you... I will commit genocide on every demon..."
Shin said, but still no voice.
"I will burn every... EVERY SINGLE FUCKING DEMON THAT CROSSES MY PATH."
The ground began to shake. Shin's anger...
His rage, his hatred, his disgust... it was too much for the box of emotions.
Henry looked back in confusion. "What the...?" and then the box exploded.
Sending him flying. "Are you okay, dear?!" Relisa ran after him.
There they saw...
In the middle of the fire raging on—purple flames and normal flames mixed.
Creating a chaotic scenery.
But there's only one thing that made that scenery unnerving...
The two partners were looking for something—or perhaps someone.
There, in the middle of the fire, they saw him.
Shin, walking through the flaming hell. Looking for them.
He walked through flames, looking for the ones that mocked his people.
Relisa realized one thing... there were no demons to protect them anymore.
They were defenseless. "Come on... stand up..." Relisa picked up her husband Henry.
"I'm okay..." Henry gasped. "Just need a little rest."
"That bastard... really is something." Henry looked over the flaming chaos they created. "Guess he was looking for us."
"He is. Now get up." Relisa pulled Henry.
But suddenly, a sharp object jabbed into her leg.
"Relisa! Are you okay?!" Henry said, worried for his wife.
He looked over the fire.
He saw a man with a sharpened metal pipe.
Shin walked through the fire, finally finding his enemies.
He walked slowly toward them.
Henry was too hurt to move. Relisa was injured.
"Hey..." Henry said. "Let my wife go... I'm the one who devised this plan."
"She didn't do anything wrong... She just followed my plan." Henry said, more like begging.
Shin grabbed Relisa.
"SHIN! I BEG YOU! NOT HER." Henry pleaded. "JUST KILL ME!"
Shin began choking her.
"SHIN... Please..." Henry began crying. "Not her..."
Shin stopped. He slammed Relisa to the ground.
"Take my mom's face off."
He handed her a note.
Without hesitation, she did what he demanded.
"Thank you..." Henry was crying his eyes out.
Then Shin walked over to Henry. He stabbed him in the legs.
He yelled in pain. This time, it was Relisa who was in fear for her husband's life.
But Shin stopped right there. They were in the middle of the burning place, both injured.
Shin began walking away, sparing them—not out of kindness.
He wanted someone to tell the tale personally.
If they could walk away before the fire took them—or their injuries, either way...
Shin didn't care.
He wanted them to burn. Yet he wanted them to have hope—so that if they failed... it would crush them before they died a horrible fate.
Everyone in their area felt it. Spirits, entities, Klosp, Aeloria... the kids.
All of them watched it.
Klosp and Aeloria, way earlier, were already rushing toward the chaos.
They got there late. Everything was already in shambles.
---
"Oh God..." Aeloria looked at the blazing forest of fire.
Especially Klosp. He couldn't believe his friend, who looked like he couldn't harm a fly, caused this.
Every ghost and creature in the area felt it. Watched it. Feared it.
Shin walked in the crowd of ghosts. He could see them. They could harm him.
But they stepped aside. Not wanting any more chaos than what they already saw.
Shin walked through fire, to an ocean of lost souls who hadn't crossed into the afterlife.
Then he met a familiar face once again... Kuchisake-onna.
She accidentally got pushed and dropped at his feet. She rushed to stand up.
"I-I... I'm sorry." She couldn't believe the goofy guy she saw earlier was this monster that stood in front of her.
Despite being what he is... Shin is still human.
He gently gestured to Kuchisake to step aside so he could walk past.
She quickly nodded and stepped aside.
They saw everything. They saw how cruel Shin was.
They saw the Heaven's Demon.
One of the creatures—or what we call "human-eating" creatures—saw the opportunity.
It tried to rush toward Shin. Let's just say his greed didn't get him anywhere good.
Shin walked past everyone. As the creature's head was stuck to his arm.
---
The other ghosts and creatures spoke.
"Well... we get it now. No one should touch that guy. Can we even call him human?"
The monsters murmured.
---
Shin walked toward Klosp and Aeloria.
Let's just say he was satisfied. His anger was gone.
Oh, and he finally burned the creature's body that was stuck to his hand.
He handed them a note.
"Let's go back. Threat has been compromised."
---
On the other part of the world...
Sen, Fin, and the Headless Horseman continued their journey.
"You felt that, didn't you? Brother's blood, brother's pain," Dullahan said.
"Your brother... causing chaos, or perhaps taking his anger out once more."
Sen already felt it. "Seems like he's alive more than ever... wish I could see him."
"If we teleport or I open a portal toward our destination," Sen said, "you do know I get weakened, you know? Like, a lot in battle. Most of the time Vermis lends us a flight or sometimes we walk."
"Sometimes Shin comes alone through my portal."
Dullahan nodded. "I'm very aware of that. That's why I didn't ask for it. I did my research, Sen."
Fin chuckled. "It's gonna be a long journey, isn't it?"
"It will be..." Dullahan said.
"This will be a long one."
To be continued...