Zero Chapter 2: The Diverging Path Between Vermilion and Scarlet

Some time has passed since the first day of middle school and all is well for now. Alfred is doing well with his friends. But some problems are still ever present, tormenting him inside.

One day, when he was just minding his own business with his friends, a group of bullies decided to target him specifically. Apparently, they thought he was weak and easy. He tried to push them away but it only festered even worse. They started beating him up, causing more pressure in his mental health. He kept his injuries hidden to not make Mizuki worry about him.

Each day, the bullying got worse and worse, until it all took a sour turn. Alfredo was once again cornered by the bullies. He tried to escape but to no avail. They held him in a locked position and started beating him up. As he was being slugged and kicked, his phone dropped and it rang. Alfred immediately begged them to stop and let him answer the phone, but his voice fell on deaf ears, as they cruelly stomped on his phone, breaking him spiritually as they pummeled him.

Once they were done, it was already too late. He was found by Natsume, broken and bruised. “Hey! Aru-kun! You OK?! Wake up!” he shouted in worry. Alfred only was able to wince and weakly look at Natsume as he tried to help him up. “My.. phone..” Alfred said in a weak voice. Natsume helped him grab his phone and put it in his pocket. When he carried him out of the room, he was met by Yurika. “Natsume, what happened to Aru-kun?” she asked him in concern. “It’s them again, they went too far this time.” Natsume answered. “We need to get Aru-kun home quickly! Something terrible has happened!” Yurika exclaimed as she also helped Natsume bring the injured Alfred back home.

As they finally arrived, Mizuki was the first to notice how badly beaten up her son was. She immediately brought him to his room to tend to his injuries. After a while, he was able to regain consciousness, surprised to find himself in his room. “What happened?” he asked. “You’re at home, Aru-kun, you’re fine now, Yurika-chan and your friend Natsume brought you back from school,” Mizuki told him. She then asked him about the bullying and he explained everything. then dropped the bad news: his grandparents are gone, they were killed. Upon hearing this, Alfred broke down in tears, as if something shattered within him. He cried in his mother’s embrace, feeling pain, remorse and loss. She also felt remorse that she didn’t know he was trying to not make her worry about him. After the emotional breakdown, he asked Mizuki to see his grandparents one last time.

Upon the funeral, he shed tears as he wasn’t able to properly say goodbye to them. When it was all said and done, everything changed inside him.

When he returned to school, the bullies started to confront him again. Cornering him in the gym storage room, they started tormenting him with brute force. But when they said horrible things about his loss, something snapped inside him. “Don’t say anything about them..” he muttered. “Huh? What was that, you little shit?” the leader of the bullies retorted. “I SAID DON’T SAY ANYTHING ABOUT THEM!!” Alfred shouted with anger. In his rage, red electric sparks started to fly around him. The bullies started to feel distressed. In a flash, he started attacking his tormentors, brutally breaking their bones and mauling them to the ground as he was consumed by revenge

He was found minutes later, with a shocked expression, standing over the broken bodies he made. “What.. What have I done? I don’t remember doing this!” he exclaimed in fear. From that day, he had a lingering fear of becoming a monster that hurts others, prompting him to hide himself from his friends.

The school caught wind of what happened. All the students started to avoid Alfred after that. Mizuki and Takeru are called to discuss what their son did.

“Your son, Alfredo Takahitsuji, brutally mauled 5 of our students. He broke their bones and caused so much damage that they had to be sent to the hospital. Their families are calling out on him. So I have no choice but to expel your son.”

“Excuse me?!” Mizuki retorted.

“You say you are expelling my son just because he was bullied?! They prevented him from seeing his grandparents one last time! They beat him up without remorse!” she continued with a very serious tone. Takeru then calmed her down.

“I’ve been gathering evidence on your school and it seems those who bullied my son had someone backing them. And it all traces onto you, Principal. You don’t care about your students, you only just care about your reputation.” Takeru answered as he presented the principal with an envelope containing evidence and the history of the bullies. All he could do was be silent as the evidence was damning enough. He eventually gave up after Takeru threatened him with arrest for his neglect of the welfare of his students. He waived the expulsion and Alfredo was transferred to another school.

After hearing the news, Natsume and Yurika were worried about him, but he assured them with a soft smile, showing that he will be alright. On the last day in his old school, he parted with his friends. But to his surprise, they also chose to be transferred with him.

His family then moved to Azure City, a place where many people with gifts like him can live in peace. In his first few days living in his new home, he isn’t used to city life but he is getting the hang of it. Soon his parents are discussing his newly awakened powers. Takeru thinks that their son has a potential unlike any other but Mizuki is too concerned for his safety as he’s pretty soft hearted, but she eventually agreed that it would be best for him to learn how to control his unstable power.

One day, Takeru took Alfredo with him to meet his old acquaintance. It was a martial arts dojo located in the outskirts of the city. At the entrance, the air around the dojo gave an intense pressure.

“Dad.. why did you bring me here? I kept having this feeling that this place is out to kill me.. I really didn’t want to learn how to fight.”
“It’s not that I want to straighten you out, I know you have such a good heart, but we are worried that your own unstable power might consume you. Don’t worry, you’ll be fine. The master of this place here is my old friend. I’m sure you’ll be alright with her.”
“Alright.. if you say so...”
Alfredo gulped in nervousness as he and Takeru entered the dojo’s entrance. As the doors open, a woman with long, flowing dirty blonde hair awaits the two newcomers.
“Hey, long time no see, Akira!”
“Takeru! Is that you, Takeru? It’s been a long time, pal!”
“I know, I just moved in with my family.”
“Then, the kid with you?”
“He’s my son, Alfred Takahitsuji.”
Alfred shyly greeted Akira while hiding behind his father. “He really looks like you, but smaller and weaker.”

The two old acquaintances then talk about their past days, while Alfred is sitting quietly in the corner. While they were talking, the ambiance soon got serious.
“So.. Akira, mind if I ask you for a favor?”
“Sure, anything for an old friend.”
“I want you to train my son to help him control his power.”
"Sure thing. I will do my best to help your son control his unbridled power. I can also see that he has great potential, but I can also sense something else inside him..” Akira said as she felt a dark and primal aura hiding underneath him.
“Thanks Akira, I hope you could also help him build his confidence.

After their talk, Takeru left his son under Akira’s guidance. Thus, his training began. At first, Alfred’s weak will was put through the wringer. Akira’s training was harsh, but it was necessary to help him properly control his power.

One day, in the middle of his training, Alfred felt a sudden burst of primal rage within him. His head jolted with a sharp pain. The Deviant cells reacted to his anger within his heart, slowly taking over him. His Sigil reacted as well and fused with the cells within him, slowly turning him into an uncontrollable beast. His dark aura emanated, forming an apparition with the shape of a figure with sharp fangs. His veins slowly turned black with a very enraged expression. He quickly attacked his mentor with murderous intent, slashing at her with dark claws. Akira barely dodged his attack, and it landed on a nearby boulder, slicing it clean. The battle was fierce and bloody, but Akira managed to subdue Alfred’s uncontrolled power with a knockout attack. She stopped her disciple’s rampage, but not without risk. She took a slash to her abdomen, a deep gash but not fatal.

Soon, Alfred woke up in a futon and he noticed his mentor watching over him. “Shishou.. what happened?” he asked. “You lost control of your power and it overwhelmed you.” Akira told him. He soon noticed the bandages wrapped on her abdomen. “That.. was me who hurt you, wasn’t it?” Alfred said with a concerned tone. “Yes, but I’ll be fine, it’s not too deep.” she answered.

He gripped the futon blanket tightly, as he felt a fear of losing himself to his power. “I don’t know if I actually want this power.. it sometimes causes me to become what I’m afraid of..” “Alfred, you have a gift like no other. It’s okay to be afraid but what you need to remember is what is in your heart. Your kindness is the reason why you are given this power. I know deep down, that kindness is stronger than your power’s corruption.” With her words, he gained confidence in himself and his own power.

Their training continued as days turned to months and with time, Alfred’s power is now able to be controlled. He became slightly taller after a few months, thanks to Akira’s martial arts training. Improving everyday in both body and mind, he is now slightly different than his cowardly past. On the last day, after a bout, Akira declared that his training is now complete. Alfred soon thanked his mentor for everything she’s taught him as he finally leaves the dojo and returns home.

Upon returning home, the first to welcome him is his mother, Mizuki herself. She was happy that her son is now home and looking better after his training. It may be a happy homecoming moment for now, but there are some unanswered questions that lingered in his mind. He wondered why he couldn’t remember the time he lost control of himself and approached his older sister Marika to help him investigate. The dark clouds that loom over Azure City might soon swirl up into a storm. One which would bring tragedies that will change his fate forever..