{Jinma}

"... Where am I, and how did I get here?" I asked no one in particular.

My current surroundings were quite familiar: an endless space of white with no indication of left or right, not even up or down. My feet seemed to be on solid ground, but there was no light to cast a shadow, so I couldn't tell if I was standing on anything at all. Despite the uncanniness of it all, the scene was very familiar.

Before I could speculate further, though, my vision suddenly darkened as something covered my eyes. Soon after that, I felt some firm, soothing cushions pressing on my back.

"Guess whooo," a familiar, mischievously feminine voice cooed close to my ear.

"... Nyra?"

"Correct! Let me give you a prize for being the winner."

I was then suddenly spun around before my lips met with another's, soft, luscious, and quite dexterous as they kissed me. I've only experienced this a few times, but there was no doubt these lips belonged to Nyra. Despite that, though, I was questioning why this was happening, since she's supposed to be in the tanto.

Nyra broke away from the kiss and stared at me with her crimson eyes, "You're wondering how and why I'm here, right? Well, we're in a dream … I think, but thanks to my powers, I was able to manifest myself before you like this."

"What do you mean you 'think' we're in a dream?" I asked.

In some ways, it made sense. I remember I was having some adult fun with the girls after looking into Yukino's memories, and I guess we all fell asleep at some point. Even now, I have a vague recollection of this current environment, and the ambience behind it is unsettling.

"... Wait, Sue didn't put me to sleep again, did she?" I asked.

"Nah, I was watching her carefully, and she didn't do anything suspicious as far as I've noticed," Nyra said, "Other than getting herself off while watching you having at it with the other girls, she only stripped herself down in the nude and snuggled in on one of your sides when it was time for bed, just as you promised her to be allowed to do after you made her put on that catgirl outfit."

"Oh, right …"

"Getting back to the main point, when I confirmed everyone was asleep, I thought I'd do another search through your memories for a bit, but then I was suddenly pulled here with you," Nyra said, "This is the first time such a thing has happened to me, and I usually have good control in traversing the the mindspaces of my previous hosts."

"Huh, that is odd. Why do you think we were brought here?" I asked.

"... Maybe that weird door has something to do with it?" Nyra asked while pointing behind me.

I turned around and found the sliding door that was suitable for a traditional Japanese home. Actually, I have seen this whole building before.

"That's right, this is Granny's home," I remembered, "I haven't been here since I was a kid … has this always been here?"

"I dunno," Nyra said while shrugging.

"... You think whatever brought us here might be inside?" I asked.

"It might be possible …" Nyra said, suddenly turning guarded.

"Let's take caution," I said before leading us to the sliding door, "Pardon the intrusion … Granny? Are you here?"

"She's not present, but come on in, anyway."

The sudden masculine voice caught me off guard, I had no idea who that was due to the shock. I turned to Nyra and she only shrugged. With little options, we stepped inside and left our shoes at the entryway, as expected in Japanese customs.

I followed the source of the voice to the tatami-floored living room where an old-fashioned hearth was set, and a few meters down from that was a low-clearance table with cushions serving as seats surrounding it. On one of those cushions was a man with a green hannya mask covering the top half of his face, with his mouth and jaw free to drink tea like he was doing then. The peppered color of his hair tied in a ponytail reveals some of his age, but his stature and posture showed he has plenty of time before the end of his life. A pitch-black haori with matching nagagi and gray hakama made up the outfit that adorned his form, depicting an intimidating, yet eloquent air that deserves the highest of respect.

“Quit loitering around and take a seat. We have much to discuss, and I took the liberty of preparing tea and snacks,” the masked man said, gesturing to the center of the table with a tea kettle, old-fashioned tea mugs, and salted rice crackers, “And before you ask why I’m occupying your grandmother’s home, this isn’t the real thing and you don’t use this area much in your mind, anyway, so I’m taking residence here.”

… Cranky much?

I glanced at Nyra, and she only shrugged. We silently agreed to just roll with it and took our seats across from the masked man. He poured green tea in our mugs before passing them to us, along with separate plates to eat the rice crackers with. Nyra helped herself to trying the rice cracker first and was immediately taken by the refreshingly crunchy and salty taste.

“So … if you know this is my grandmother’s home, does that mean you know who I am?” I asked.

“Oh, do I, Jinma Kotori, as well as your bloody nympho there, Nyra,” he answered.

“Okay, and you are …?”

The masked man shrugged, “You tell me. I have no idea.”

“You … don’t know who you are? Do you have amnesia?” I asked.

“Amnesia is what your generation defines as unnaturally forgotten memories, yes? I’d say my memories are more ‘missing’ than forgotten, at least of those depicting who I am. All I know is that I’m tasked to look after your troublemaking ass, which has become quite a handful as of late,” he said with a hardened tone before drinking his tea.

“Looking … after me?” I asked with a raised brow.

“Hey, Jinma, doesn’t he seem familiar to you?” Nyra asked.

Does he? I thought before taking a closer look, “A pitch black haori, ponytail, and that voice … wait, aren’t you the same guy that visited me in the hospital a long time ago?”

“Am I? I can’t seem to recall that memory,” he said nonchalantly.

“Well … if you can’t recall your identity, do you mind if we give you a name to make things easier?” I asked.

“That may be for the best. I’ll leave that to you, but try and give me a good one.”

“Gee, way to add unnecessary pressure,” I said with annoyance before looking to the side and thinking about it, If he really is the same guy from the hospital that night, the one who seems to know enough of mine, Hyo-chan’s, and Komi’s families, then …

“... Sango. Your name will be Sango,” I declared.

Nyra jolted her head to me in shock, “Jinma, are you suggesting that …”

“I see,” the masked man said while nodding, "Well, I can't confirm nor deny whether that's correct, but I guess 'Sango' should be fine for now."

"Alright, Sango-san, then can you explain what you meant by 'looking after me'?" I asked.

"Well, for the longest time, since you were a little brat, I was watching out for your safety as a sort of ‘guardian angel'," Sango explained, "I've been with you at every step of your life from then up to now, subtly guiding you in how to fight, notifying you of dangers that surrounded you, and most importantly, keeping what you two call 'Creep' from taking over your mind. I don't know why I was doing it, other than that that was the 'job' I was given when I woke up. That was the feeling I got, anyway."

"W-Wait, so the reason why I've been able to fight so well when I was young, and how well I can sense hostility from other people, was because of you?" I asked.

“Granted, I let you borrow a bit of ‘foundation’ for both those things at a young age to make living in your world a little easier,” Sango explained, “You took those foundations and built on them to create a fighting style of your own making, as well as how you judge dangerous people. I only stepped in and warned you subtly when you were facing something you couldn’t see with your own eyes. It isn’t until recently that my role as your ‘guardian angel’ became more proactive, specifically when you came to Raiza.”

“How so?” I asked.

“For starters, even though I lost memories of my identity, I still have my instincts and know-how to fight, as well as my way around casting magic,” he said, “If it weren’t for me, you wouldn’t have been able to see through your wife’s magic that hides her presence when you two met. She may be a long-lived and powerful Dragon, but I seemed to have made up some tricks back in my time to deal with potential opponents like her. The moment I sensed the concentration of mana upon our arrival here, I used what I know of magic and put them to action. I used what I could then to give you a bit of a starting point in learning magic, just as I did with your fighting style and sense of danger.”

“Wait, hold on, so when I tried to possess Jinma the first day we met, were you involved in preventing that?” Nyra asked.

“I was, yes, and Creep’s interference made the situation even more complicated, so I borrowed the latent power that dwelled inside you to take control of the situation,” Sango said.

“My … latent power?” I asked as I looked down with a hand to my chest.

“When I first awakened inside you, the first thing I noticed was that power of yours, the very thing that not only sets you apart from other Humans, but even the D-Humans that you learned of recently,” Sango continued, “A power far beyond what my instincts could comprehend. If it weren’t for my instincts in mana and magic, I don’t know how I would be able to keep it under control inside of you. And so, as I watched over you during your growth, I’ve also observed that power, learned how it reacts to your behaviors, and tried to see if I could wield it in case of emergencies. Unfortunately, Creep had also been studying it from the shadows of your being.”

“Back up, you’re starting to lose me here,” I said, “What is it about my power that sets me apart from the D-Humans, as if that wasn’t bizarre enough already? Is it recognizable to you? And how is Creep involved in all this? What is he?”

“Settle down, kiddo, one question at a time,” Sango said with a hand up, “Let’s start with what sets this power different from others. This ‘latent power’ is separate from your own, myself, and Nyra’s here. This power is very foreign to all of us, and it didn’t dwell inside you from the beginning, yet it has now made itself a home in your being. From the blood in your veins to the mana that runs through your signature, it has resided as a separate entity from the rest of your being, non-autonomously aiding your growth in physical and magical mediums. There are signs of life that emanate from this power, too.

“What exactly this power is, I can’t say, and though I recognized it, I couldn’t for the life of me make out what it was that made me feel that way, nor remember where I had seen it from, until very recently. What I had actually recognized in that power, the thing that has its own life, is its mana signature, a conglomeration of other mana signatures coming into one,” Sango said before closing his eyes in a meditative state, “ Human-Kin, Demon-Kin, Demi-Kin, there are signatures that resemble the races that make up those kin, as well as the Dragon-Kin, and most importantly … the Immortals, in particular with Obina’s.”

“Obina’s … mana signature?” I asked as I looked down at my hand still resting on my chest, How could we be in such a link when I’ve only just met her recently? How would this power have its own life if Obina’s still alive and kicking in the Immortals’ Realm? Is it because of this that our first meeting … may not actually be a coincidence?

“It’s not … from the Champion’s Bracelet that you’re sensing Obina’s signature from, is it?” Nyra asked for confirmation.

Sango shook his head, “I’ve felt this connection of similarity ever since we first met Obina, before she even gave you that bracelet, though there are signs that that item is also involved. It’s separate from the one you have on hand, however.”

“A foreign power that has life, a conglomeration of other mana signatures …” I trailed off as I tried to make sense of it, before something hit me, “You know, there was something I heard of once back on Earth, a special item that exists in myth, but it’s been portrayed differently in some shows. In one instance, this item was the product of alchemy after countless lives were sacrificed in exchange for its immeasurable power, the Philosopher’s Stone. Do you think … this power I have might be what that is?”

“Hmm …” Sango hummed before taking a sip of his tea, which has now gotten lukewarm, “I can see how you would make that connection, and while I can sense some differences between that and this, it’s pretty damn close to matching your reference. We don’t know for certain if that really is the case yet, but how about we refer to this power as such for the time being, for the sake of convenience?”

Nyra and I nodded in agreement, So something that crazy and ominous is dwelling inside me? And if that power’s foreign, that means someone must have put that there, right? Wonder if Obina knows what’s going on, since it’s a piece of her power that’s involved here?

“Let’s move on to answer your other question, about who and what Creep is,” Sango continued, “He … is a piece of that Philosopher’s Stone, plus the amplified negative emotions that came from your [Devil Eyes] that manifested itself into its own being. Throughout the time the power of the stone dwelled in your body, that manifestation had also observed its behavior as he matured, slowly, yet surely making that power his own.”

“Wait, so … there’s me, you, the Philosopher’s Stone, and Creep that’s been living together inside Jinma’s being up to now? Sounds like he needs to legalize this property and charge us rent,” Nyra said.

“He wasn’t bad to manage from the beginning, not much different from looking after any other misbehaving brat,” Sango continued before turning to me, “However, the more you grew and matured, Jinma, the more Creep did the same, especially from instances where you either lost your temper, or have hostile thoughts. Unfortunately, the more you experience those feelings, the easier it is for him to take over your body. I’ve been trying to keep him at bay, but it’s becoming more of a pain in the ass lately. You should be aware of these changes, as well.”

Sango was referring to my first day in Raiza when Nyra tried to possess me. After that, while I tried to keep Mom’s words about taking people’s lives in mind, I don’t think I’ve been thinking as much as I should have. It was getting easier to have violent thoughts, let alone find some amusement in it, especially today with all the stressful mind-blowing revelations I learned. The time when I thought I heard a voice urging me to kill that Lizardman, Krigeran, stood out to me the most. Still, that makes me wonder, have I ever fallen that low back home? I’ve been in so many fights in Japan that it had gotten boring to remember with every victory I earned, but there had to be at least a few instances when I was more heated than usual. It was hard to recall what those times were.

“... Is Creep here now? Where is he?” I asked.

“I have him detained in the basement for now,” Sango said as he patted the tatami floor, “For the time being, it’s best that you avoid contact with him as much as possible. That’s mainly why I brought you and Nyra here, to warn you of that bastard’s danger, as well as to tell you to get your shit together and not get worked up so easily. I have a bad feeling that soon enough, he may not even need you to think violently before he possesses your body. If at any point you fall unconscious, or that your mind goes blank for whatever reason, Creep will take advantage of that opening and wreak havoc as soon as possible.”

“I understand I’ll need to keep myself stable, but is there any way I can beat Creep, to stop him from taking over me?” I asked.

“I say mastering your [Devil Eyes] skill might be a good start,” Sango answered, “Creep was born out of the amplified, negative emotions that that skill takes advantage of. The sooner you have that under your control, the sooner you can make Creep your bitch.”

“Can’t you teach me how to control my [Devil Eyes]?” I asked, “You’ve assisted me in learning everything else, why not this case, too?”

“Boy, it’s taking more power than usual just to keep this bastard at bay lately,” Sango said, “If something goes wrong in your training while it’s being done here, I’m not confident I’ll be able to stop him. Under any other circumstance, though, I might give you some pointers, at best. It’s better for you that you train the [Devil Eyes] in the real world, where Creep will need to put up more of an effort to reach you, which is why you’ll need to get that Sue girl to teach you how to master it as soon as possible.”

Ugh, I was afraid he would suggest that.

“Don’t you give me that look, kiddo,” Sango said, looking annoyed, “Like it or not, that girl’s the best teacher you could ask for on short notice, as well as your greatest ally.”

“How can you be so sure? In fact, if you can sense danger better than I could, then why didn’t you warn me about her sooner? Actually, you’ve been watching me and my surroundings for a while, right? Did you know what happened with Sue that we couldn’t grasp from Obina’s recording?”

Sango shook his head, “Unfortunately, no, I was occupied watching Creep during that time. I figured Nyra would warn you of any danger better than I could, so I left it to her. Even then, though, I didn’t sense any danger or hostility from her that night, which was why I didn’t bother making my move. I would knock you upside the head to warn you, otherwise.”

“Wait, no danger or hostility from her? Seriously? She drew blood from me, and altered my memories, man!” I rebutted.

“My memories, too,” Nyra added with a raised hand.

“I understand that you’d be upset by that, and I don’t know what she intends to do with that blood, either,” Sango said calmly, “All I know is that if she managed to pull that off while not exhibiting danger flags, not even so much as to try to hide her hostile intent, then she did it out of purely good intentions, even when she altered both of your memories from that night. There’s one more thing about her that I know that Sue can be trusted.”

“What’s that?” I asked.

Sango crossed his arms, closed his eyes in his meditative state again, and thought deeply, “The moment we first met Sue, I sensed a connection between you two. If I was in your place at that time, I could use that connection to get some answers through some secret means, myself. From watching you back on Earth, I’ve sensed similar connections among a select few that you’ve met, and while that doesn’t tell me everything about their character, I haven’t seen any of them do something that could pose a danger to you. If Sue is like them, even if some of her actions up to now have been questionable, I’d still put my faith in her in times of crisis.”

“... You trust her that much, huh?” I asked.

“Yes, and she isn’t the first I’ve put such faith in her, nor will she be the last. Funny enough, this faith I have with her and your other connections makes me nostalgic. It’s probably through that that I’m confident to put my trust in her,” Sango said without hesitation.

“Huh … and these ‘secret means’ you mentioned, is it possible for me to use them, too?”

Sango shook his head, “Not as you are right now, no. This is not like any skill that I can just subtly influence you into learning so you can see for yourself. You’ll just have to straighten up, take my word for it, and face her like a man.”

“Easy for you to say …” I trailed off before I noticed Granny’s home getting distorted for a brief moment.

“Looks like our time here is nearly up,” Sango said, “Remember, Jinma Kotori, keep your cool, your mind sharp, and don’t look away from the problem that lies in front of you. I’ll leave you with this, though, you are likely not the only one who holds this Philosopher’s Stone look-alike within you.”

“How can you tell?” I asked.

“I could sense it the moment we arrived in Raiza,” Sango said, “The air is dense with mana, more than what I expect there would usually be, and I could sense its remnants resemble those that you hold in the Philosopher's Stone. Even if the other holders were using [Hide Magic] to keep their mana signatures hidden, that doesn’t stop the concentrated mana pouring out from their beings. Not only that, but that density gets lighter the further away it goes from your location. My guess is that most, if not all of those stone-holders are somewhere in the Demon-Kin’s Territory.”

“Is it possible to trace that poured-out mana back to their owners?” Nyra asked.

“That’s a big fat no,” Sango said, “I’ve familiarized myself with the stone’s mana in your body after being exposed to it long enough, but those from the other stone-holders are far more different as they converge together with yours in the air. Two stone-holders could be as far apart as from Dondegarm to Korangar, yet their area of overlap still extends far enough that their actual location is indistinguishable. It is the same if those said stone-holders are closer in proximity. The point is, you’re not the only near-almighty person in this world that holds the Philosopher’s Stone’s power. Whatever business you have from here on out, proceed with caution, and try not to die, or I’d be going down with you. I’d rather not go out because of some brat without learning who I really am.”

“Gee, thanks for the encouragement,” I drawled in monotone as me and Nyra stood up, “Though … since you gave me a guiding hand for so long, whatever your reasons were, I appreciate you putting up with me, Sango-san. I hope that I may continue to be under your care.” I then bowed deeply towards Sango with gratitude.

Sango sighed, “Not like I have any other choice. And you, Nyra, if Jinma goes bonkers, use whatever you can in your [Psyche Magic] arsenal to set him straight. You’re the only one among us here who can stop him from going overboard and let Creep take over.”

“Sure thing, Sango,” Nyra said while nodding in confirmation. Granny’s home becomes more distorted for longer periods.

“I may not be able to pull you two here again after this, at least for a while,” Sango said, “I’ll be putting my all into keeping Creep here, borrowing the stone’s power if necessary. Jinma, you’ll be on your own from here on out. It may not be much different than how you’ve lived up to now, but don’t get lenient. Be ready for anything.”

“After what I’ve been through so far, you think I haven’t been doing that?”

“Don’t get snarky with me, kiddo, now git,” Sango said before making a loud snap with his fingers.

With that, Granny’s home became so distorted that it became unrecognizable before things quickly faded into black, and the last few words I heard were too muffled for me to make out.

“And don’t forget, never leave your family behind, or you will regret it.”