Chapter 79:

Volume 3, Chapter 23: Kuan Joins The Party

Heroes of the Past


Friday Winter Quarter 2016 Week 6

"This sucks I have to be here, especially on a day off," I said, sitting down on a bench in the training facility.

"It's an optimal time since you can go home and rest after finishing this," Tess noted, throwing me a water bottle.

"Weird to be here so early on a school day," I remarked.

"I'll head over to your house once we complete our operation. If what you said is true, then it might be helpful in learning about Ace's motivation. Especially if it reveals her method of coercion on Michi," Tess informed me.

"I'll have to find the final volume, since it's not on my bookshelf. Do you really think there will be something that you can use?" I asked with skepticism.

"No matter how small the detail, it warrants investigation," Tess replied.

"Okay, go ahead. I just happened to find it the other day, so I was a bit surprised," I agreed to her request.

I conversed with Tess about various things, while waiting for Kisai. It wasn't much of a conversation. More like me asking questions and then large pauses in between. It still felt awkward talking to Tess, especially since I didn't know any of her hobbies. Might be a good chance to do it now.

"Hey, Tess, what do you....?" I started asking, but Kisai arrived.

A man with long hair, wearing aqua-colored glasses and a silver beanie, accompanied the mage. Oh, Kuan was joining us today.

"Sorry for the wait, Tomo. I woke up late," Kisai apologized, greeting me.

"Let's get going," Tess glanced up from her tablet.

"I have something for you," Kuan relayed.

He handed me a USB drive. Oh, that's right, I requested battle videos. I thanked him, slipping it into my pockets.

"What kind of videos are on here?" I asked, looking over at Kuan.

"Actually, no videos. That will give you access to the server all the videos are on. Here's the stuff you'll need to type in," Kuan revealed, handing me a folded piece of paper.

"Okay, thanks a lot. What are we doing today?" I asked Tess.

"We'll head to Jin's dimension and locate the seal, determining our actions after that," Tess answered.

"Wait, it isn't a weapon, but a seal?" I inquired further.

"Jin is a rather special case. He doesn't have an ultimate weapon. You can ask him for details," Tess revealed.

"No ultimate weapon? Kisai must be pretty good then," I commented.

"Nah, I'm a scrub. You shouldn't think so highly of me, Tomo," Kisai joined in with an entertaining smile.

"He is, but at least he's useful, most of the time," Kuan agreed, nodding his head.

"Hold on, let's wait for Darryl. I prefer a party of five for this task," Tess revealed.

Kisai and Kuan nodded, walking over to a bench. I decided now might be a good time to ask them questions about Tess.

"How is Tess so persuasive?" I asked, curious how she convinced Ichaival.

"Well....," Kuan started, but Kisai cut him off.

"Cuz we're her bi**hes," Kisai replied with a goofy smile.

"Really?" I asked, not sure if Kisai was joking or not.

"Okay, I'll be serious. Darryl was probably just free or Tess is blackmailing him," Kisai gave a serious answer.

"Tess is good. I've been tricked by her before," Kuan admitted.

"I can see what you mean," I agreed.

"Hey, Jin, you have work later?" Kuan questioned.

"I'm pretty free. Something going on?" Kisai answered.

"Let's play that new game. The multi-player for it is stable, compared to the servers we're usually on," Kuan explained.

"Aight, let's do it," Kisai liked his friend's suggestion.

"I wanted to learn a few things about Tess. Anything I should know?" I requested.

"You seem pretty close to her. I don't know how much more I could tell you," Kisai reacted with surprise at my question.

"I do spend a lot of time with her, but don't really pry into her personal life," I said.

"I see very clearly. I don't think Kuan and I could tell you much more than you already know. Why not try Felicity? They've been friends for a long time," Kisai directed me to an alternative.

"I only deal with Tess when we're doing this stuff, can't say much about her as a person," Kuan elaborated.

"Can't you at least tell me what Tess likes to do in her free time and her hobbies, those sort of things?" I clarified my expectations.

"No idea," Kuan replied, grinning at my statement.

Tess wasn't exactly the most open person, nor did she talk about her own life. Damn, this was tough. Wait, I just remembered something.

"Hey, Kisai, you haven't answered my question from last time," I reminded.

"Oh, that one? Felicity is interesting like I said. She appears laid back about most stuff, but gets serious about the weirdest things. Not the most stable. Wait, don't tell her I said that. Anyway, good friend who will help you out. Better than Long, if you know what I mean," Kisai answered with his usual humorous expression.

"She's pretty angry about petty things. I have to be careful about what I say," Kuan voiced his opinion too.

"I already got a taste of that," I nodded.

"Oh yeah? Especially about Darryl. She'll flip out on you mentioning some other girl," Kuan shuddered.

"I made that mistake already," I recalled.

"I feel sorry for you," Kuan said, a sympathetic look on his face.

"Hey, let's not go too far here. Felicity may have her faults, but she's still a good person. Just remember that, Tomo. Or not, you don't have to listen to what I say," Kisai interrupted us.

"Yeah, I know," I nodded at his words.

Fifteen minutes later, Darryl arrived wearing headphones and a black brand name jacket. He greeted Tess first, before walking over to us.

"Hey, what's up?" he greeted.

"Darryl, the hell were you doing? What took you so long?" Kisai asked.

"What? I was just brushing my teeth and took a shower. It took awhile for me to get ready," Ichaival responded.

"Are you Felicity or something?" Kuan joked.

"What? No!" Ichaival exclaimed.

"Are you all ready? Let's not waste any more time talking," Tess walked over, signaling for us to move out.

Jin's Dimension, Parts Unknown

I blinked, finding myself in a forest and heard the flow of water nearby. Tall trees and other foliage surrounded us. Didn't expect Kisai's area to be so.... natural. I anticipated a more medieval setting, appropriate for warriors and mages. Then again, Kisai wasn't a typical spellcaster.

"Pretty nice to be back here again, after such a long time. I definitely miss the place," Kisai said, glancing around the area with a smile.

"Are we gonna be attacked anytime soon? That's what I want to know," I asked, wary.

"Nah, it's peaceful around here. Tess, any information on the seal?" Kisai assured me, looking over at the Gatekeeper.

"No. The layout may have changed during our absence, so there's no guarantee the seal remains in its previous area," Tess shook her head, waving her golden key in the air.

"Sounds like a good time to gather info. Let's head out to the village. There should be a settlement close by," Kisai suggested, leading the way.

Walking as usual, huh? At least the scenery was improved, more relaxing than the dreary desert. Kisai's assessment of it being peaceful was spot on. I wouldn't mind visiting this area again. I walked next to Ichaival, while Kuan conversed with Kisai. Tess brought up the rear, swinging her golden key.

"Hey, Ichaival, Shan's not around today," I brought up.

"I'm not always with him. Don't need him to win either, I can handle myself just fine," Ichaival retorted.

"Sure. You're pretty capable from what I've seen," I nodded at his assessment.

"Thanks for believing in me, Tomo. Unlike those ungrateful bastards over there," Ichaival motioned at Kuan and Kisai.

"You still are pretty good friends with them. How's school been for you?" I brought up.

"It's been going alright. Classes have gotten kind of hard, but I have to push through," Ichaival responded, starting an ascent up a steep path.

"Yep, feel the same way. How did you meet Kisai and the others anyways?" I asked, interested in how they met.

"Around sophomore year of high school, we were in the same class. Same with Long," Ichaival responded.

"How convenient," I commented.

"Sort of? I guess that's how you make most friends, right?" Ichaival remarked.

"Can't argue with that. It is natural you get to know your classmates, much less in college though," I realized.

"Really? I still meet a lot of people, but I have smaller classes," the false archer said.

"That's certainly true. I was wondering, but have you always used blades?" I questioned.

"I actually used Kali sticks before, but haven't used them since they were sealed," Ichaival responded.

"Kali sticks, huh? Never heard of them before," I said.

"So, Tomo, how have you been? Jin's been training you, right? I'm sure he's done a really good job," Ichaival praised his friend.

"Yeah, he has. Kisai is pretty calm about everything," I agreed.

"That's great. It'll be nice to have someone else support us with magic. You know, since Long doesn't have his dragon powers anymore," Ichaival said.

"Isn't Kisai more than enough?" I pointed out.

"If Jin's busy, we don't have another option. Feng's amazing, but she's well, kind of hard to work with. Long and Zhang were trained by her, so they're the only ones who get how to do things when she's around. It's nice to have someone like you, good change from everyone else," Ichaival explained.

"Okay, makes sense. How much do you know about this dimension?" I understood his sentiments.

"A mix of old tradition and new technology. There are some really great nature places like this and then there are the super modern cities. There's three different ways of thinking here. Jin can tell you more," Ichaival attempted an explanation.

"Seems complicated. I'm amazed you actually managed to get here right after Tess asked," I remarked.

"We all owe Tess, so it wouldn't be good to refuse her. I'd feel bad about it, you know?" Ichaival phrased his answer in a peculiar way.

"You owe Tess? Like how Zhuyu owes Kyoi?" I questioned the validity of his claim.

"You know, things come up. Long's situation is complicated too," Ichaival shrugged his shoulders.

"Just shows how hard it is for me to figure everyone out. I should probably try hanging out with them more, right?" I chuckled at my own suggestion.

"Hey, that's not a bad idea. Might as well try, right?" Ichaival agreed.

We arrived at the bottom of a path, walking through a large Japanese style arch. Kisai stopped, taking a few steps back. Kuan inspected the ground, nodding his head.

“What’s wrong?” I asked.

“Traps,” Kisai replied.

“You’re gonna deactivate them?” I questioned.

“Kuan, demonstrate your other power,” Tess ordered.

He adjusted his glasses, staring at the ground. Kuan then tapped Kisai on the shoulder, who tapped the ground with his foot, giving a nod.

“What’s happening?” I looked around in confusion.

“Tomo, are you familiar with basic programming?” Tess asked.

“Uh, not really,” I replied.

“Kuan’s power is known as conditional execution. There are checks in coding where it’ll execute if certain conditions are met. That’s the basis of Kuan’s powers,” Tess explained, giving me her usual serious look.

“I’ll take your word for it,” I said.

“Jin’s familiar with the trap so that helped. My powers aren’t much use if I don’t know enough,” Kuan remarked.

“Let’s keep on moving. Kuan’s quite valuable,” Tess praised him.

We finally arrived at a gate with gray walls. This resembled a fortified army base more than an actual village. Kisai knocked on the gate, glancing upward at the lookout perched on top. The gate flew open with a loud whoosh and a small child stared at us.

“Hey, how’s it going? It’s been a long time,” Kisai greeted.

“Ah, Jin! I have to go tell everyone,” he exclaimed, scurrying off.

“You know him?” I asked, glancing over at Kisai.

“Yeah, he’s the kid of a mage I saved. Wonder if the council knows anything,” Kisai answered.

“Jin, you’ll take the lead,” Tess declared.

“Don’t want to do it?” Kisai asked with a slight grin.

“You know this dimension’s inner workings much better than me,” Tess answered, shaking her head.

“We all know you’re freaking capable,” Ichaival sighed, shaking his head.

“You’re right, man. Of course,” Jin agreed, nodding at Ichaival.

A group of five people walked towards us. Kisai glanced at them, and for a second, his face turned rather serious. It reverted back to his usual calm, amused look soon after.

“The legendary mage makes his appearance known once again,” one of them uttered in a nasally voice.

“Can’t seem to get enough of this place,” Kisai replied.

“Your appearance is no blessing to us,” another accused.

“Regardless of how you view Jin, we’ve come for information,” Tess declared, standing next to Kisai.

“You’re not a welcome sight either. Come to the counsel room, but only you and the mage. Boy, lead the rest to your house,” the first voice decided.

“That’s how you want to do things, huh?” Kisai muttered.

“Sorry to impose,” Tess said, looking over at the boy.

“Come on, follow me!” the boy offered.

We arrived at a medium sized house with a large pond in the front, filled with leaping fish. Our guide unlatched the gate, placing his hand on a digital panel. A pathway opened up for us.

“Hey, come inside. Dad wants to see you,” the child urged.

“Welcome. I heard you’re companions of Jin, the great mage,” a voice greeted.

A tall man, with a gash above his left eye, appeared. He wore a light blue kimono and the stubble on his face made him look rugged.

“We should probably introduce ourselves. I’m Tomo Yuki,” I said.

“Jeong Kuan,” Kuan finally revealed his family name.

“I’m Ichaival Darryl. Sorry for coming in so suddenly. Hope we aren’t bothering you,” Ichaival said, demonstrating the most courtesy.

“No, not at all. I’ve been just sitting around all day. It was a great shock to hear Jin returned, as we thought the entire incident had already been resolved,” the man laughed.

“Dad, Dad! You haven’t told them your name yet. How can you be so forgetful?” the child scolded him.

“How forgetful of me. I’m Ishi and this is my kid, Grant,” the man said in a booming voice.

“Jeez, you can’t really do anything without Mom around,” Grant scolded, shaking his head.

“Hey, don’t sell your old man short. Anyways, Jin’s talking to those five fools, right?” Ishi asked, his face now serious.

“Fools?” I questioned his choice of words.

“Our little five member council. At least that’s what they claim to be,” Ishi revealed.

“Can you tell us more?” Kuan requested.

“They’re extremely secretive. I wouldn’t trust any of them,” Ishi responded.

“And Jin’s relationship with them?” Kuan asked.

“Jin can alienate people, without him really noticing. Not that I’ve ever thought about him that way. He’s a damn good kid,” Ishi replied, pouring us tea.

“Of course,” Kuan said.

“How’s the seal related to all of this?” I asked.

“The location of it is here. Well, more like the portal leading to it,” Ishi revealed.

“Are you serious?” Ichaival exclaimed.

“Wasn’t there one more of you?” Ishi counted on his fingers.

“She’s with Jin right now. Do you know her?” I replied.

“I’ve seen her a few times before with Jin, but never asked her name. I’m impressed, but scared by her at the same time. Her magic reservoir is ridiculous,” Ishi answered.

“Do they suspect she knows something about the seal?” I followed up.

“They want to see how she reacts. Probably won’t get anything out of her,” Ishi answered.

Ishi excused himself, asking us to make ourselves comfortable, while he and his son departed the room.

“What do you think, Tomo?” Kuan asked.

“Kuan, you seem like a totally different person,” I observed.

“No idea what you mean,” Kuan denied.

“Where’s your usual, well, quirkiness?” I tried pinpointing what felt wrong.

“Kuan’s always weird, still is,” Ichaival commented.

“Damn, Ichaival, you figured me out,” Kuan smiled, sitting closer to Ichaival.

“Really?” Ichaival protested.

“Anyways, let’s be serious. Tomo, any opinions?” Kuan reverted back to his serious face.

“Either Kisai’s not telling us the truth about the seal, or Tess is lying,” I replied.

“True and the old man doesn’t know anything either. Ichaival, any thoughts?” Kuan looked over at his friend.

“Same as you guys. We can’t do s**t without Jin,” Ichaival replied.

“Hey, Kuan, how did you meet the others?” I asked about their origins.

“I met Long in freshman year. Jin too. I really started to get to know Darryl, probably around sophomore year, right?” Kuan answered, glancing at the false archer.

“That sounds right,” the Filipino man answered.

“What about all this hero stuff?” I elaborated on my previous question.

“Oh, you mean that. Probably middle of junior year, I honestly don’t remember,” Kuan ventured a guess.

“Definitely junior year. I got dragged into it with Shigetzu,” Ichaival added on.

“Interesting. You know….,” I started, but then felt drowsy.

I dropped the tea cup and my vision blurred. Kuan noticed my condition immediately, tapping his glass frames, but slumped downward. Really, this s**t was drugged? Of all the things, I swear….