Chapter 23

A few weeks have passed since Azure's date with Yasaka and Kunou to the amusement park.

While nothing really noteworthy happened on his company's side, he recently learned that Moritaka Mashiro and Akito Takagi, Reversi manga, was getting an anime adaptation. He was proud as while it did happen a couple years faster then in the canon, their story was basically the same.

Now he was currently roaming the streets after dark in Romania alone. From what Moritaka told him when he dropped by to congratulate him. He was told about the rumor Moritaka saw online while researching. There he saw a post about those claiming about the dead coming back to life.

Naturally as a concerned person and greatest warrior of light wanting to fix the worlds injustices, Azure set out to investigate not because he was bored. Roaming the streets and eavesdropping on conversation, he started investigating the local graveyards and spots he sensed a gathering of necromancy magic. While he didn't find what he was looking for as the necromancy he did find was an old man who revived his dead dog.

"The dead are indeed returning, but there are no signs of mass summoning from a necromancer or summoning in general." Azure sighed to himself as he looked around at the empty street. "The old man was the only one in recent years who successfully managed to bring back the dead in the surrounding cities."

Kicking a stone, Azure watched it turned into a blur as it flew off into the darkness. He was scanning his memories trying to think of what other possible ways to bring the dead back. Water from the River of Styx mixed with Water from Fountain of Youth would work. The issue he sees with that is the one it used on is returned to his youth and only has fragments of their memories. The ones that were confirmed had all their memories so that option was removed.

Another option was to be reincarnated into a devil or an angel, but he doubted they would leave their servants to wander around like this. Eliminating that from his list, he removed them being turned into vampires. Well, he didn't eliminate them from being behind this, he doubted they would turn others just to return them to the world of the living. The creatures of the night held too much pride and humans were their playthings.

When Azure thought of the third option, he knew it was most likely corrected as he very vaguely remembers it. The Sephiroth Graal, one of the thirteen Longinus with the powers to bring the dead back to life, Animancy ,Soul Manipulation, and induce youth. While it is powerful, it wears down the user's soul turning them into dolls if they're lucky or kills them if they aren't.

"Why would the user want to risk death and what purpose does reviving humans only to release them serve?" Azure mumbled to himself as he rubbed his chin. In truth he was only going off the information he got from the wiki since he only watched up to the three faction peace treaty.

"Boy, you better find shelter before 'they' find you." a woman shouted down to him as he walked the street.

"Thanks for the warning, but I will be fine." Azure replied as he watched the woman click her tongue and slammed her window close. "Well, she didn't need to click her tongue at me."

A few minutes later as he continued to explore the streets, he watched as three men walked out of an alleyway. They had pale skin and red eyes with a pair of fangs in their mouths. As the one in front, he was picking at his mouth as they laughed at their latest victim.

"Look boys, we will get another snack tonight." The leader laughed louder as he placed his hands in his jeans.

"Boy what are you doing out here at this time. Don't you know this is when monsters come out." One of the two behind the man said.

When Azure just looks at them with a yawn, "Oh, a couple vampires. Do any of you know anything about the dead coming back to life?"

"I don't have a clue what you are talking about but you should be more worried about what we are going to do to you." The third vampire said as he bared his fangs at him.

Azure just looked at the vampires, slightly annoyed that they didn't hold his answers. While he ponders on using magic to locate his target, the trio seems to be enjoying talking to themselves. While the vampires kept making jokes or tossing insults, Azure made a gun with his fingers since they were interrupting his thinking.

"Bang."

Three small beams came out of the end of his finger as he shot out their knee caps since he still has some use for them.

"Ahh, who shoots the knees caps." The leader of them screamed out.

"Stop crying baby, your vampires aren't you." Azure said as he crouched down and grabbed the vampire by his throat. "Now, answer my question, why are the dead returning."

"I don't know, but the word is the Tepes faction is behind it. Their faction recently began rapidly increasing in strength. No one knows or not saying the cause behind it. That's all I know."

"Is that so," Azure said as he took the information with a grain of salt. The vampire in front of him told him a little bit too easily. It might be because he either was the low man on the totem or didn't belong to one of the factions.

"Yeah, now can you let us go?" The leader asked as he tried to crush Azure's arm.

"I could and you have been a bit helpful," Azure said, making the three brighten up. "But, that poor woman in the alleyway begs a difference. So you will die in three days."

"We are vampires, we are immortal." one of the two minions laughed as they stood up ready to attack.

"Is that so?" Azure boredly looked at him as he made his finger gun and shot him with a [Mana Shot].

"You killed him." The two shouted in panic.

"Well, have fun for your last three days." Azure waved as he faded from their view.