64 Chapter 61 - Reunion

Still disturbed from the previous sight, Touma took the day off to tour around the village. It did freak him out the fact that village contained countless evil beings sealed, but the clan member's childish gibberish did make him chuckle.

"Soketto, what's this statue about?" I asked.

"That statue is a sealed ancient demon general," she replied calmly. However, I could sense that inside her, she wanted to release it.

Feeling awkward because I was a demon general, I nodded to her and walked away from it.

"So, what else do you want to see?" she asked.

"Hmmm... What's left?" I answered.

Today so far, I've seen sealed monsters, demons, devils, and even fallen angels.

"... Then let's see the last statue."

Taking my hand, she teleported me inside the Demon Forest.

"Why are we here?"

"This is something important about you that you should know," she said nervously.

In the Demon Forest, monsters should be a common sight. However, nothing came near and I sensed monsters from a 100 meters away.

"Hey... Is there something super creepy and dangerous here?" I asked a bit nervous.

However, Soketto kept quiet and simply walked ahead of me. Having not many options, I followed her. And after a while, I could sense myself entering a barrier.

"Hey! Where are we?" I said.

"This is the holiest shrine in this world. It's covered by a barrier to stop the monsters and the Demon King from being near." Soketto replied.

Looking around, all I saw was a statue of teenager holding some books on his hand smiling. He was wearing a coat over him with a cane on his side. There wasn't any animals near and flowers flourished surround him.

"That statue seems oddly familiar..." I said, recollecting my thoughts.

"He's the boy we saw in my crystal ball. We don't know of his name, but we call him the Shepard," said Soketto nervously.

"Hey, why are you so nervous?" I asked.

"It's the statue's curse. Any second now, we might simply just disappear or teleport," she said.

Feeling a bit braver, I came closer to the statue. Under him was a plaque, but I couldn't understand it.

"What does it say on the plaque?"

"We can't tell. Even with all the knowledge and magic we've gathered, we can't decipher it."

The air around us was getting chilly. It sensed eerie, like when I saw my dreams. I was staring to hear voices in the wind being carried coming from nowhere.

"Soketto, can you hear that?"

"No? Sorry Touma, but it's getting late. I should go back now," she said firmly. Without wasting a second, she went outside the barrier and teleported.

I looked up and stared back at the statue. Seeing deep inside his eyes, I wondered who made it.

[System shutting down-]

I was surprised and scared. This never happened before. It was night and it sent shivers down my spine. Wanting to escape, I ran to get out, but I was blocked by a barrier.

'What the hell is going on?' I thought.

The night wind was cool, but suddenly the night stars disappeared. The moon was also gone and the trees were gone. All that was left was the statue and withered flowers on the ground.

It was silent, just straight up silent. Feeling that not moving wouldn't accomplish anything, I walked up to the statue.

Footsteps.

Footsteps.

My extreme senses could hear something behind me, yet I saw nothing.

"It's been a long time... my new self," said something behind me.

I looked back and saw a person I never expected, it was the past me.

"Tell me myself, did you have fun?" he smiled gently.

Zhong Yuan's hand shaped like a blade was reached for my heart slowly, but then vanished as if he were a glitch.

I didn't know what was going on and I turned back to see the statue. It had moved his hand and the books had cracked. On his other hand, the cane was shown to be a swordstick on one side and the other a pistol.

"Nice to see you, 10th Inheritor," said the statue smiling.

I was shook. Who was this guy?

"Hey hey... It isn't nice to just wipe me out," said Zhong Yuan.

On the ground was laying his body spilling blood, but he was still alive and kicking.

"Your time has passed, be glad with it," said the statue with contempt.

"Time? Then how are you still standing?" Zhong Yuan smiled.

"I'm a fragment of the past memories."

"Well... Let's just say I'm also the past memories, but still whole," Zhong Yuan replied.

Zhong Yuan stood back up so instantaneously that my eyes couldn't keep up. Why was my past incarnation still alive? How was he back? And what was I?

Zhong Yuan stared at me and simply laughed.

"You're wondering what's going on right? It's simple, you meeting with the statue caused him to awaken. And at the same time, your mental fortitude and system fell, meaning I had the chance to come back. Kinda weird though, out of all 9 of us inside, only I and him went out," Zhong Yuan said excitedly.

"Aren't you guys supposed to be a part of me? Like my soul?" Touma wondered.

"We share the same soul, it's just that we got forgotten and our curse keeps us alive inside you," said the statue.

Touma was confused, "Who is he and what curse?"

Zhong Yuan started laughing, "I forgot! He's not as old like us fogey yet!"

"My name is Sakda, I'm the 2nd Incarnation and I have the Curse of Meaning. " he says without any emotion.

"I was the 9th, right before you! I have the Curse of Grief and Despair!" Zhong Yuan says with a bragging tone.

Zhong Yuan continued, "We are all reincarnations of the first Shepard, constantly cycling through time by time. Yet, even if we reach the apex, we all fall to our inevitable curse."

"Then... What's my curse?"

"I don't know, that's up to your own fate. However, I think it's time for me to go," Zhong Yuan replied calmly.

Without any sound, Sakda was cut down by katana in Zhong Yuan's hand. I got scared, I've never seen a slash this powerful.

"Sorry Touma, but I'm separating from you. You still have a recollection of my memories inside of you, but I don't recommend opening it," said Zhong Yuan.

I could sense something inside my disconnect, and Zhong Yuan started walking off.

"Hey! Where are you going!" I shouted.

He turned back to face me.

"I'm seeking salvation, to this cursed universe I love."

Without another glance, I could feel something going through my body. My right shoulder all the way down to my pelvis was no longer connected.

"Sorry, but stay dead for a while."

I was dying, blood was leaving and being drained. My existence was pitiful, unsatisfactory.

Zhong Yuan was already gone, but someone started talking to me.

"Are you going to die that easily?" said Sakda.

How unsatisfactory.

Unsatisfactory.

"It's simple then. Have meaning to live for."

All my life, I was unsatisfied. I needed to replace, fulfill my promise to Kazuma.

'That's right... All my life, I was simply unsatisfied... So why am I staying here?"

Chains started materializing onto my soul.

My Curse was being formed.

I could feel this empty dark room filled with blood.

Meaning?

Inside the room were 8 other people, not budging or moving. They seemed dead at the universe yet completely perfect, as if life nor death had any meaning.

Monsters were roaming around them, trying to attack, yet they died simply when the came close.

Who was I?

That's right, I'm Touma. I've realized my own truth. My entire life, I was missing out on something.

"Let's stop Zhong Yuan from causing more havoc," told Sakda to me and the other eight.

My Curse was of Dissatisfaction, and I was unsatisfied with Zhong Yuan's behavior.

"Let's teach him a lesson..."