208. In and out.

[Kodama Tsutomu's awakening: Arc 9]

Ginkens are one of the most famous weapons in this world, people and Demons master such weapons as righteous warriors.

Of course Ginken is a weapon that is an extension to human power and also famous for their special abilities, each and every Ginken contains a different power and now, more than 75% of the population contains such weapons, which is otherwise very dangerous for citizens of different cities and villages.

The first Ginken was made with a little goddess named 'Zero' who also created and gave birth to another world where only warriors are born who have a special quality of their mental strength, these warriors are guaranteed to acquire Ginken, which is why people created thirteen clans in which one captain of achievable power survives, and these people who are chosen into such clans are called 'Spiritual Duelist' or for short 'Ginkenians'.

Legend has it that the goddess 'Zero' gave birth to a daughter who acquired a special 'curse' which erased her unusual memories, her name was not known until now but in a short time this has changed, now all the Captains know this girl and try to cover her perseverance to the evil...

- 1 month later -

[Planet Earth - Umi Island - Umi City - Umi Hospital - Thursday, 3:00 p.m.]

By the one month passing, Ayuka still had a long rest in the hospital, wrapped by many bandages around her body, but mostly her melted skin on the arms.

".....no progress.... even after a month.... can we really be sure that she is still alive?" Codey, Kanji, Kylin and Sakami were standing around the hospital bed. "She is alive.... however, her Ginken doesn't show any promise.... it disappeared right as it shattered.... seems like she was lucky to survive...." Explained Kylin. From that moment, Tim stepped from the room. "Oh, Tim, how are you feeling?" Codey asked. "I'm fine as you can see." With additional stoic look, Tim walked past them and grabbed his jacket and dressed it. "Where are you going?" Worryingly added Codey. "Check on family.... I've had more than enough of this hospital." Tim spoke, when he reached for his wrist watch and put it on, to check if it worked, he shook it and turned it on, luckly it did. "You know.... most of the civillians on Umi Island have evacuated themselves from the event.... the explosion caused them to move as far as possible." Explained Codey..

"....who wouldn't.... even I would be caught in fear if I saw that, knowing that the end for my life was near....." To saying so, Tim reached for his duffel bag. Soon as he reached for duffel bag, Tim gently looked at Ayuka. ("..... can't believe you've gone thus far....") But with a quiet sigh, Tim stepped toward the door. "So.... what now that Ayuka doesn't have a Ginken?" Wondered Kanji. ".....Is that really important right now? Maybe focus on worrying on her health, not what she holds.... anyway.... keep your eyes on her for the time I'm not here..." By the calm accent in his voice Tim stepped outside. "Of course." The door shut.

At that moment, Thomas raised his head with a smile. "Hey. Tim, you're much better! So good to see..... hear you again..." Said Thomas. "Hey... thanks and yes, I'm much better." Tim spoke. "Is..... your friend.... going to be all right?" Thomas asked, overwhelmingly worried. "She'll be fine. Nice for you to ask about her.... hey... I'm taking a walk home, will you come along?" Tim wondered. "Uh.... if I may, please." With that, Tim agreed and reached for Thomas's arm. "Here... let me help."

[Planet Earth - Umi Island - Umi City - Umi Docs - Thursday, 3:10 p.m.]

Tim and Thomas decided to relax and sit on the top of the edgy docks. "....Um.... Tim. Are you worried about your friend?" With the question given, Tim faced Thomas. "Of course I am. Haha. But I do try to keep it to myself to that I don't make things.... well.... confusing. *sigh* this world is cruel and all we can do about is to keep it to ourselves for as long as we can, the people who try to bring oblivion to this world have to be stopped in any way...." Because Thomas was still unsure of Tim's abilities until now, he seemed to have been listening very carefuly. "So.... w-when did you even become.... the warrior.... I'm not sure what to call you..." Thomas was quite embarrassed. "It's called Spiritual Duelist, we exceed in weapon arts... we are called 'Spiritual Duelists' because of our transformation. Once we equip the armour, say it for example, your body becomes more or less Spiritual." Tim explained. "Spiritual? What do you describe as that?" "Spiritual has a different meaning than normal word. It does make our body Spiritual, invisible to human eye and so on, but we still keep the physical body, simmilar to invisibility, but only us, who exceed in Spiritual Symbolism can see these type of duelists. Some people can see us as well, like my sister Charlotte, that's reason for once. She isn't a duelist, but she hold some sort of small but expected Spiritual Symbolism that allows her to see me and the rest." After finishing the explanation, Thomas added another questions. "Do.... Spiritual Duelist only fight, or are there-" "Haha, no worries, we aren't only fighting. Like I said, we have physical bodies once in that state, so we can do anything a human, right now, there could be more Spiritual Duelists transformed around us and you cannot see them." "But you can, right, Tim?" Tim made a smile and nodded. "Well yes, I hold Spiritual Symbolism, somewhat like a vision, so of course, but no worries, currently there is no other Spiritual Duelists here, apart from me, my friends and some workers for the Police Force, but none of them are here to harm us-" Soon as Tim spoke, somebody stepped behind the two.

"Excuse me, you're Shinkaku, correct?" To when a manly voice asked, Tim faced backward. Tim moved his right lag on the floor, when leaned his right arm on his knee, sitting and facing the guy. "Sure, if you're looking for Tim.... that's me." Tim exclaimed, soon he noticed that the man had his right arm cut. "What happened to your arm?" Tim wondered. "I'm Octavius. I was called out by Police Force. Anyway, you're the friend that the girl spoke about, correct? Ayuka and the rest." To that moment, Tim became a bit suspect. "....what are your early meetings with them?" With a strange, yet serious and intimidating question, Tim faced at Octavius. "I was sent to capture Ayuka Kirashito, hand her over to Shinsuke, trying to keep this island alive." Spoke Octavius. "....Oh.... you're the one behind trying to capture her..... what is this meeting with me, brag into my face?" To when Tim asked, his eyes gently closed. "No. I'd like to apologize for what I have done, it was a mistake and I should have never accepted the mission." Answered Octavius. With a small shake of his eyes, Tim sighed. "I would be the last person you should apologize to, want to apologize properly, go speak with Ayuka, to when she gains her consciousness." Tim claimed.

"R-Right. Anyway, there is another question to which I wanted to ask of you." To that Tim raised his right eye, once again sighing from annoyance. "What is it...?" "To when you've come in contact with Shinsuke, you must of have come in contact with what his project was all about.... do you think you could explain it to me?" "Kodama.... it was a living human who claimed enough power within his body, addition to that, he added Ayuka's powers onto his own, making him a complete 'Demolishing Machine'. There were some words with them, seems Shinsuke wanted to claim the oceans and rule over the rest of the islands around Umi Island. This one was just his priority and advanced first. Luckly, that never happened, since Ayuka managed to fight him off.... and defeat this guy... as for Scientist, he was caught in a massive explosion. Who knows, he's probably dead by now." Tim explained.

"So.... even if we didn't try to hunt down and capture Ayuka, your friend.... if he didn't get her powers, would he still destroy to island?" To this question, Tim spoke. "Possible, but less to worry. That was just a threat so that people would look for her. And the money part was fully fake, so trying to capture Ayuka was pretty much worse than what you could have done." Tim explained. From the surprise, Kodama moved his look to the side. "...I see.... this was all for nothing.... but I would like to thank you and your group for providing us aid and keep that Kodama guy away from the Umi Island, I should thank you on this part, prior." To there, Tim answered back. "Quit it, we're Spiritual Duelists after all? Aren't we, our priority is to keep human society safe, this means we've accepted this body to fight and get injured, caught in disaster.... so keep that thanking for someone else." From there Tim faced at Thomas. "Now if you'll excuse me.... Thomas, come... let's go grab something for under our teeth." Tim reached for Thomas's hand and helped him stand up. "Um... all.... all right." From that event, Tim moved past Octavius. (".....I'd never expect Thomas to be around here.... guess he followed the rest.") Tim sighed within his mind.

"....destruction was a fake... damn, what were we thinking. Of course he wouldn't explode this island.... but, I couldn't just resist myself and ignore my orders.... that is my quality to work after all... I feel so useless and so stupid.... guess we should of have had just stood back." Thought Octavius and faced to his cut off arm. "Oh. And one more thing." To that moment, Octavius faced back at Tim, who gave him a look. "Sorry, but you deserved that huge wound on your arm." To that moment, Octavius became a bit surprised, but accepted.

"He's completely right. Being armless, is a weird feeling. But, at least I can still enjoy the daily life of a human," From there Octavius faced back at the ocean to when the seagulls flew over his head.

[Planet Earth - Umi Island - Umi City - Restaurant - Thursday, 3:23 p.m.]

Tim and Thomas were sitting behind a restaurants tables and eating a delicious food.

The moment was quite fun for them, as they felt as if they were bonding more.

[- Who'd knew that my disappearence would cause in such a massive massacre. Of course, I couldn't say that the same to now, after we, more precisely, Ayuka managed to defeat Kodama we've all been put under a good check to how much we were wounded, after that, through the month passing, all of us successfuly recovered back to our original state, only Ayuka is still lying inside of the hospital, unconsciouss.

The path and the road for them was hard for while I was missing, but luckly at some point, the new power I've achieved came in big help.

To when I understood that Ayuka was a Semi-Godess it made me a bit stressed as we all know to how much danger her power could come if it gets in the wrong hands, furthermore, for the time being living in the Umi City, I've been caught in many weird situations.

My sisters knowing of what I am capable of, the one who has trained me, Saburo, dying...., defeating a mad scientist and keeping good watch on Thomas was something that I never expected to be a knowable combination through this time, but then again.....-]

Tim bit into a cooked fish to when he faced at Thomas, enjoying the food, giving him a smile.

[- ..... 'The Evil Within'..... is still lying in my body.....-]

To be continued...