Hidden Danger

Dante came conscious again, opened his eyes and looked around the room. Magic incantations surrounded the walls and piles of books blocked his view with dim lights. However, he saw another boy of his age across the room from him. Before he could say a word, a strange looking man not much older than him entered the room dressed in a jester looking outfit.

“Where am I? Who are you?” Dante asked before holding his head in pain. The man talked to himself while walking around the room and grabbing books.

???: “I told Arata no more helping others and what does he do? He sends yet another person to be helped not even within an hour of each other. He’s going to destroy things soon.”

Dante repeated himself.

Dante: “Where am I? Who are you?”

Suddenly a huge presence stood over Dante like a black aura fuming over where he sat.

???: “Look kid, be glad that I saved you with your smug attitude. You were poisoned by a Relter. What were you doing in Death’s Isle? They are all over the place. They aren’t that difficult to defend against, so you obviously don’t know what you’re doing…Long story short kid, you were poisoned by an Eye of Cravat Sword. She wanted to bring you to her realm to eat you. My guess is that she wanted to use you as a slave to capture other humans for livestock as well.”

Dante didn’t know of this world, but he didn’t want to sound suspicious either. Confused at what had happened, he completely disregarded the situation and asked about his wife.

Dante: “Do you know of a woman named Aki?”

???: “Huh? That’s your response? You were on the brink of death and don’t even care? Kids these days…To answer your stupid question, I couldn’t tell you, kid. Go to the royal castle and ask. They know a lot of people and have lots of records, although good luck getting a foot across the border without being stopped. I’m gonna say that you won’t be able to even ask.”

He continued to say, “My name’s Ren Itou. I am a friend of the man that sent you to me, Arata. I’m quite skilled in healing magic, but don’t go tossing my name around. I don’t need it to reach certain cities and people. Just creates more problems for Arata, understand?”

Dante: “Sure. I get it.”

Dante began to get frustrated now. He thanked him for healing him, but disliked his presence. However, he also thanked him for the change of clothes. He didn’t mind the dark blue hoodie and pants. There was a badge on the front labeled ‘Sakura Academy’ that he did not know what it was, but it had a picture of a Sakura tree, which resembled his original world. He asked once again, “Who is that boy over there?”

Ren responded, “Oh, him? Arata sent this boy to me an hour ago. His name’s Lucky. Claimed he ventured into Deceased Paradise by himself, but someone must’ve let him in somehow. He’s fine. Just needs to wake up and then he can leave.

Dante: “What’s Deceased Paradise?”

Ren became a little annoyed, but answered his question.

Ren: “You truly know nothing? Okay whatever. Deceased Paradise–better known as the Land of the Stuff– is a sprawling realm of skeletons devoted to worshipping a devil that goes by the name Kastor. Four hundred years ago, there was a war between Kastor and God’s followers. The followers of God decided to unseal Kastor for some stupid reason unfathomable to me. He was imprisoned many years before however. God’s followers undid the seal by offering their lives as energy for a sword called Tyrfing, and had their strongest priest go against Kastor. 3000 people died from this chance. As they undid the seal, Kastor wiped out the man in an instant with his sword known to us as, The Bone of Remains. The followers of God didn’t understand why they lost and better yet, were not even granted a chance to win as they all turned into skeletons under Kastor’s control even though they were already dead.”

“Why didn’t God help them?” Dante asked, not really intrigued to learn more about this world, but to understand what the world entailed for when he searched for his son.

Ren: “I’m not sure. There are no records of it. Nobody has ever entered Heaven’s Realm where God lives as far as I know, and no records ever show if someone did or not.”

‘Heaven’s realm?’ Another question Dante wanted to ask, but restrained himself. Dante had trained for many years reading people. He knew when someone was lying or not telling the truth. He sensed Ren was hiding something about what he had just said, but he was in no position to question the man that just saved him.

Dante: “Umm…one more question before you go, Ren.”

Off instinct, Dante figured this man was skilled and trustworthy even if he was hiding something. He always had a gut feeling about who was a good or bad person. Maybe it was just associated with killing people, but he figured Ren would help him if possible to return to his world.

Dante: “I’m not from here. Can you help me?”

Ren: “You’re not from here? Obviously, you don’t know anything. You probably don’t even know what town this is. What town did you even come from?”

Dante: “No. I-I mean…I came from a different wor…”

This is all Dante could say before his eyes rolled back black with tiny white glowing swords in his eyes. Dante started to scream in agony. “A-Ahh! A…A…AGHHHH!”

8 dark tentacles shot out of him, coated in a dark black color.

“What?” Ren spoke out loud. “This is…This boy…He is…!”

He looked over at Lucky who remained defenseless.

Ren knew much magic, but was skilled mainly in healing magic. He ran to protect Lucky on the other side of the room, but Lucky was already awake and looked at the monster that stood before him. Ren screamed out, unable to get to Lucky quick enough.

Ren: “Lucky! Run!”

Dante’s tentacles whipped Ren across the room, smashing him through the walls into the sunlight to remain unconscious. He ripped holes in the building as wood went flying all over the place.

Lucky pulled a red shining ball out of his pocket shaped much like a rose and smashed it on the ground, which encompassed a rose thorn cage around him. Not a second after he did this, Dante’s tentacles redirected to Lucky to pierce him. It broke the cage with ease. Lucky thought, ‘Am I going to die? I don’t want to die.’ He screamed out loud, “Help me, please… Brother!”

A green light rained down and chopped all 8 tentacles off of Dante in an instant. A man appeared in front of Lucky with green hair and green eyes carrying a sword covered in grass, thorns, and flowers along with a crown around his head wrapped in roses. His face was covered in green lines and he wore all white thin armor, just enough to encase his skin as his armor lit up in green mana. He pointed his sword at Dante and chanted, “Mother Nature’s Bounty!”

Ren: “Wait!”

A voice shouted in the background. Ren had regained consciousness, but dripped with blood. “Don’t kill that boy, Yasuhiro!”

Yasuhiro: “Huh? And why should I listen to you, filthy magician?”

Ren: “Because I healed your brother. You owe me!”

Yasuhiro: “Yeah? And you almost got him killed too! You have 5 seconds to explain or I will kill this thing without a second thought and you along with it.”

Ren rushed over to Dante who was cowering in defeat of the man in front of him. Ren grabbed one of the books on the floor and called out, “God’s Exorcism!”

The tentacles immediately shrank back inside of Dante and his eyes came back to normal, but remained unconscious still.

Ren: “Yasuhiro, I know I am in no circumstance to make requests, but please seal his heart. Not the main one, the black one inside of his main heart.”

Yasuhiro: “Huh? What are you talking about? Black heart? I don’t see anything and I have Visionspree on.”

Ren: “I knew it. You can’t see it. I’ll explain later. Just cast your power on his main heart and divert it to the inside.”

Yasuhiro: “Tch! Never again, you hear me? Lucky won’t ever come near you again…Sunflowers Gated Cage.”

A small cage appeared inside of Dante’s heart as per request of Ren. It was a cage that seemed so easy to break, yet it was as hard as steel and would be hard for anyone to break it through magic. Small sunflower petals balled up around Dante’s heart.

Yasuhiro: “I don’t know what’s going on here Ren, but I was told by Arata you were to take care of my brother with no issues, yet I was contacted through a Rose Chaplet by my brother and see a demon in whereabouts that you said were unknown to most people!”

“I’m sorry…” Ren replied nervously. “I didn’t know this boy was brought here through the Reaper Sword.”

Yasuhiro: “The Reaper Sword! Come on you stupid magician. You’re the only one that claims this thing exists. For years you have gone on and on about this to my brother and we have not seen a thing. I even searched for it for 2 months straight and found nothing. It’s a myth created by you. The Sacred Tree can’t even sense it. Why am I letting this boy live?”

Ren: “It’s not a myth. It’s a real sword and I’ve already told you about what the books have said.”

Yasuhiro: “Let’s say this story is true. Even if what you say is true, then that sword was sealed off by the Alcion Clan. If he doesn’t control that power, there will be another titan war. The 10 great swordsmen won’t even be able to stop him. That’s everything that you falsely claim!”

Ren: “I-I know, I know…But, I sense something different about him. Please, Yasuhiro. Spare him. I will lay down my life if I am wrong. I’ll make sure he is monitored.”

Yasuhiro: “I don’t care about your life, but if my brother dies, I’ll make sure you suffer in a way worse than death. We’re leaving and I’m bringing the other kid too. I need to get out of this sorry place.”

Ren didn’t know what to think, but thought of a past conversation he had. ‘Arata…This might be the answer.’