Journey Of A Legend

Silence filled the whole forest.

Except for the gentle wind that moved the trees around the group, nothing could be heard but sheer silence.

On Greg's side, Joe was looking down at the man who he thought he could trust, with an ice-cold expression.

He lived his life so far with the belief that his father was the greatest person in the world he knew. But it seemed he was wrong.

Not only did he found out that his father, his idol, killed innocent people until this very moment to reach the glory he obtained currently, but he found out that he was the one who has murdered his sister and mother.

This fact alone made Joe to never forgive his old man. What he did was unforgivable without any excuse.

Or at least he thought so until now.

When his father told them his Guardian had a strange power that forced him to kill, which was something he never heard of, he became troubled.

He didn't want to believe his dad, but unfortunately, he already met a similar case like him.

It was way back when he was still a kid, so his memory was still hazy, but he could clearly remember what happened there and then.

The man said something similar that if he didn't kill, he would die alongside millions of people.

But that man had a weaker mind and will than his dad, and as a result, he instead killed himself.

At that time, Joe and everyone else thought that the man was simply crazy and had problems in his head, but now that he heard something similar from his father, he didn't know what to do.

If it weren't for that case from his memory, he would have already smashed his father's head without hesitation.

But now, things were way more complicated than that.

He didn't really want to believe him, because he knew just how sly his father was, so it could be a lie too. However, deep down, he somehow felt he need to believe in him.

"What should I do?"

While Joe was struggling with what to do, Russ walked next to the two and said, "I didn't kill any of them, so they will soon wake up. If you want to do something we should go now. I think they have learned their lesson."

Greg on the side nodded in agreement. After what he and they have done here, the Dia Family won't try anything funny once again.

If somehow they would, then they were the definition of true idiots.

After losing several men by Greg's power, while some got knocked unconscious by Russ and Wayne, only a fool would try to do something once again.

Even the leader itself got beaten up to such a sorry state, so for the time being Joe's father wouldn't try anything funny.

"I think the best should to go back.", said Greg and put his hand on Joe's shoulder gently.

Knowing that he was right, Joe glanced at his father's figure one last time and nodded.

"Sure..."

With a darkened, but troubled expression, Joe stepped away from his father's beaten body and turned around.

"Let's get moving then.", said Joe and started to walk away.

Russ on the side nodded, but before following him he said, "A second."

As he said that, his body vanished into thin air, then the next second appeared once again, but with a body on his shoulder.

It was Shadow's still tied-up body, who had been hit unconscious by Russ at the beginning of all of this.

*Paff!*

Throwing him down next to Joe's father's lying body, Russ glanced at Greg and the others then said, "Let's go."

*Swish!*

Immediately, with a wave of his hand, all 6 of them vanished into thin air, leaving behind several unconscious bodies and Joe's father on the ground.

Seeing that everything has turned silent once again, Joe's father glanced at the stary sky above.

After a small, while later, his face miserable, while at the corner of his eyes small drops of tears started to flow out slowly.

"Just what did I... Do until now?"

***

Teleporting back into the Eternal Kingdom through Russ's help, the six stood before the main building, while Emma on the side walked toward them.

"How did it go?"

"It seems that for the time being everything will be fine.", answered Russ calmly.

When Emma heard this, she sighed with relief, but just before she could have asked anything else, Joe on the side moved.

Without saying anything else, he walked away, making Emma on the side to turn confused in an instant.

"Let him be. He needs to clear his kind first.", said Greg calmly as he saw that Emma was ready to talk.

"What happened?", asked Emma, but somehow, she felt what could have transpired outside if Joe looked this troubled.

And just as she thought, the moment Greg told her the whole story, everything became clear.

"A Guardian that puts a negative effect on the owner? Is there truly such a thing?"

Greg on the side just shrugged, unknown if the man just told the truth or just said another lie, but Russ nodded.

"There is."

"Eh?"

Instantly, everyone glanced at Russ with surprise and waited for him to continue.

"Is there truly such a thing? Can there be really a Guardian that kills the owner?", asked Mila, as she was also one who heard such a thing for the first time.

"Yes. Several years ago, I have met an old man who had a Guardian with similar powers as Emma. He was able to heal with only a single touch, and he was quite a powerful healer to top it off. Some said he was able to heal fatal injuries. But..."

"But?", asked Emma from the side instantly.

"But even though he had such miraculous ability, he was referred to as the Demon Healer."

"Demon... Healer?", asked Greg with a slight raise of his eyebrow.

"Indeed, the Demon Healer.", nodded Russ and continued, "While he was able to heal almost anyone if he wanted to, he could kill anyone too. It was said, that every 5th person he healed, ended up dying."

"Then how was he a great healer?", asked Mila with a frown, making Emma and Greg nod with agreement.

"Because it wasn't because he made mistakes during his healing, but because he ended his clients' life with his very own hands."

"!?"

The moment they heard this, everyone turned speechless.

A doctor, a healer who had powers to bring back even the dead to life killed his customers? Was that a joke?

"I know it's surprising, I was like that too. But I did see it with my very own eyes."

"And even knowing what he was doing, you let him continue his killing?", asked Emma, visibly frustrated.

She, who was a healer, disapproved of anyone who took away innocent lives. Especially if that someone was a healer.

In her opinion, such individuals should never call themselves as healers.

However, Russ's next sentence surprised not only Emma but everyone else too.

"I couldn't do anything. He was protected by the Soul Association."

"The... What?"

"Exactly. You heard that right. He was and still being protected by the Soul Association. It is because the man's Guardian has a curse."

"If one injures him even just a bit, that someone ends up dying. However, if he does not kill every 5th people he heals, several others would lose their lives on that very day."

"..."

Immediately as that sounded, silence filled the surroundings.

To think that such Guardian's with such wicked abilities existed, made everyone speechless.

After a small, while later, Emma frowned and asked, "Then why don't the man kills himself? If he would, then innocent people wouldn't lose their lives."

However, Russ just shook his head as an answer.

"He can't. He told, that if somehow he ends up dying and not in a natural way, then millions would lose their lives. As for if that is true or not, it is unknown.", said Russ with a shrug.

"So the Soul Association is protecting this man because they fear if what he was saying is true.", asked Mila as she started to ponder.

"Exactly.", nodded Russ as a reply.

"The world is truly filled with mysteries.", thought Greg after he listened to Russ's story.

After thinking for a small while, Greg opened his mouth to say something, but just before he had the chance, a huge tremor shook the whole place.

*TREMBLE!!!*

Seeing as the huge and massive mountain started to shake like crazy, every one of them turned surprised and looked toward the ceiling.

"And now what?", asked Wayne with a deep frown.

They knew that whoever made the whole Skyfall Mountain shake like this indicated that the individual was not weak at all.

As a result, each of them raised their guard up under a second and tried to figure out that this time who was the one that wanted to attack them.