Old emissary Marley had overcome his shock and was now looking over Damian’s shoulders.

The angel and the white lion aside, he surmised that the book was the most powerful of the three companion souls. He didn’t know why he felt like that...it was a gut feeling.

When he saw, ‘Pay Respects To the Dead And You Shall Both Find Salvation’ his brows furrowed.

“So strange. What kind of power could this white book possibly have?” Marley thought.

There were records of companion souls in the form of books. Some could predict a hypothetical future and more often than not they were right, some could confer lost or arcane knowledge to its wielder and some just gave you an incredible memory, meaning that anything you wrote in the book could never be forgotten.

All in all, the ‘book’ companion warriors came in a multitude of variation, but it orbited around those three choices.

That said, he had never heard of a book that came with a warning...or suggestion.

“I wonder what would happen if he really paid respects to the dead. I’m really dying to know.” Marley said out loud.

Damian turned around and threw the white book towards Marley, “Here. Find out about it yourself. It is useless to me.”

When Marley caught the book that was previously floating like it was going against the law of gravity, he found himself buried in the ground face first. His spine had almost shattered from the abrupt movement of bowing, book in hands, until he was several inches below the ground.

Damian was surprised, “So, I’m the only one who can keep it.”

The white book, as if it had a mind of its own, floated towards Damian and followed. It seemed it would stay in his vicinity whether he liked it or not. It was the same for the angel and the white lion that was curiously looking at Damian.

The crowd parted and opened a way for him. The elated Damian, seeing so many respectful gazes, smiled widely and even laughed like a mad man from time to time.

Marley looked at the other six emissaries saying, “Continue as planned without me, I have to recruit this genius even if I have to put my life on the line or else the Pope himself will not even be able to ask the God Of Light to forgive me for failing.”

The six other emissaries nodded with serious faces. They all knew what the first Soul Warrior with three companion souls would mean for the entire world.

As Damian was walking back home, he had managed to recall the angel back into his soul space but the white Lion and book both refused to return inside his soul. He couldn’t make them enter no matter what he did.

It was when he was thinking to stop trying that he heard an old voice behind him, “A moment of your time, young man.” Damian turned around to see the old emissary Marley flying at great speed towards him.

‘What does this geezer want? To recruit me like he did for that f**ker Rayson Gate? Humph, I have no intention to give up my life fighting the minions of the Dark Lord.’ Damian’s anger then flared. He looked at the old man with a derisive smile that outwardly look polite as he waited to hear what would be said.

“Young man, That was a great performance back there. As far as I know you are the first triple companion soul ever.” the old man said, trying to butter him up.

“Indeed, I am.” said Damian, making sure not to sound too excited.

“Young man, what’s your name?” Marley suddenly asked.

“Damian Kaz.” Damian Kaz said with a smile.

“Well, Damian Kaz, how do you feel about joining the Order of the Holy Crusaders of the Church of Light? Hum?” Marley's smile was as bright as the sun. He appeared sincere and holy.

Damian thought, ‘Just as I thought. They want to send me to my death. If I join that order of pretentious pricks, who will take care of my mother?’

The smile that had been on Damian’s face disappeared like snow melting under the sun. He was once again angry.

Marley didn’t miss the 180 degrees change, ‘What on earth could I have said that angered him so?’ he couldn’t understand that anyone who threatened the safety of his reverse scale, his mother, would probably die without a corpse. It was true when he was powerless and it was even more true now that he was the number one genius in the entire world, the number genius in all of time.

“I’ll think about it. Give me some time to get used to my new powers first, then I’ll see if I feel the need to join the Order.” said Damian Kaz as politely as he could, but his words were anything but polite in front of the Old Man Marley. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got a worried mother to come back to.” he then turned around, ignoring the existence of the old man and kept leisurely walking in an unhurried manner.

He could have flown home, but he found it relaxing to walk and reminisce on his sixteen years of life and how everything would change...for the better...he hoped.

Old man Marley was flabbergasted. For a moment there, he didn’t know what to think.

“Am I dreaming? Or did he just turn me down? He refused to help humanity? He refused the grace of the God Of Light? Being in the Order Of Holy Crusaders is the highest honor that could be given to someone. What will happen once those powerhouses in the Order learn of this? What will happen to me when I look in the eyes of the Pope when I report this?” For a long time Marley stayed there looking haggard and without liveliness in his eyes. It was only when he regained his courage that he flew away, without any intention of trying to convince Damian again. Deep down, he still believed that Damian would come around and not invite the ire of the entire human race.

Was trouble coming into Damian’s life?