321. The 'Unknown'.

[The Godly Awakenings: Arc 15]

A 'GINKEN' a weapon which consists itself out of 'Spirituality' and extend another human's power.

These weapons are created upon a Human's birth at which point they're then known as a warrior with a title of 'Spiritual Duelist'.

Over centuries over millions of 'GINKENS' have been born and over a consistent lifespam, these weapon have became known as a tradition that many people end up knowing, their existence requires a strong body, a strong mind and a well durable body and only if a human manages to reach these specific 'importances' the 'GINKEN' will reveal itself and connect upon another's wielder Aura, which is built out of 'Spiritual Force' or in simple ways 'Pressure'.

About 75% of the world's population remain alive with such weapon and 3% of them are known to have Demon Blood, the main source that embraces up a 'Half-Demon'.

In current timeline, a woman - a Godess and the enhancer of the first 'GINKEN' appearances named 'Zero' lurks around the World with 98% of the people unaware about her, and with it, people believe that the World's finally been cleared of Demons, however many of the early-arriving Demons are still standing among the World.

[Planet Earth - Innerlight City - Beach - Thursday, 11:01 a.m.]

"Wait, we can use Tim as distraction, that's a good idea." Codey, Kanji and Saraki were all together, leaving Tim behind. "Yo! Hey! What are you leaving me out of?!" Wondered Tim, shouting at the distance. "Hear me out. You know how Ayuka has a tiny crush on him, maybe we can use him as a 'cheat' I bet, she will barely be able to keep herself focus. The perfect solution to winning our match. But let's keep it for the final round." Codey giggled.

[Planet Earth - Innerlight City - Beach - Thursday, 11:15 a.m.]

At last the match score was 23 to 23.

The three boys stepped aside. "Alright, Tim. I know you can do better than this loser, be the 'setter', with your help I know we can win!" Codey smiled, giving a thumbs up. "Thanks for calling me a 'loser'..." Kanji claimed, very unamused. "Don't worry, it's just to make it seem more 'believable'. Anyway, shush."

"No... I'm not being a setter..." Tim claimed, crossing his arms. "Come on, are you even worse than this guy? Don't be a pushover and do this crap, you're supposed to be agile, right? I bet you can set the ball perfectly, even hit it if necessary." Smiled Saraki, persuading Tim into a trap. "I already declined."

"No you didn't. Great, now, get on your position, we're 4 points behind, and if we keep using Kanji as our setter, I bet this score won't change much." Laughed Codey, but the girls were a bit suspicious. "What are they planning with that?" Kylin wondered, being confused. "Oh, don't worry. Does it really make any difference. I'm still a setter, and Tim hasn't even been in that role yet. As long as we continue the way we are know, we're fine." Ayuka smiled, when the girls looked at her, but gave her a smile and a nod. "You're right. Got it."

"FINE! Just stop bragging me!" Tim yelled when switching roles with Kanji. "Great. We're all set. If they ignore role switcheroo option, we're bound to score. Sweet." Codey giggled while Tim felt confused. "What do you mean by that?" But no answers was given to Tim. "Don't worry. Just play your role. Remember, you being the 'setter' requires a lot of agility, speed, accuracy, efficience, leave the ball saving to Kanji... Remember, if necessary you can hit the ball." Smiled Codey, while Tim only witnessed absurd emotions. ("I don't like where this is going... Why are they all acting so much more confident. I might be more agile, but I'm not perfectly accurate at setting the ball. Kanji was doing that perfectly, almost. Ayuka was just overwhelming... Although, even if they are using mr as a 'Setter'. What's that grin smile?") While Tim was lost in his mind, he noticed how Kanji threw the ball and immediately served it, hitting it over the net on the opposing side.

Sakami quickly passed the ball with an overhand hit, when Ume quickly slid and passed the ball over, Kylin dashed, followed up by a jump and hit the ball on the opposing team. Kanji quickly swooped forward and saving the ball by receiving it and hitting it into the air for Tim to set it, and with it, Tim did just that and hit the ball overhand, setting it in front of Codey at which point Codey jumped and smashed the ball onto the opposite side. Sakami backed away when Ume quickly swooped down and slid her stomach on the floor, immediately the ball was bounced. "Ayuka, you're up!"

But right in that moment, when Codey, Saraki and Kanji heard her name, the three of them stepped aside when Ayuka followed the ball through her perspective and then backed away, but right in the moment when she faced down at the middle, her eyes only came in contact with Tim's position at which point, her body stopped moving, by presenting her view with only seeing Tim, the girls looked at her, Ayuka was confused and felt extremely warm in her body at which point, the ball flopped down onto the sand past her view, and at that the score was given to the boys.

"H-huh?" Ayuka quickly looked down at the laying ball, when holding her right hand near her chest. "H-hey... Ayuka, what happened? You just lost your entire focus..." Kylin claimed when crouching on the floor, looking at her. "W-what?" But while she asked, she faced back at the wall. "Alright! We got that point!" Laughed Codey, raising his arm and fist-bumping Saraki. Tim's eyes blinked due to confusion at which point, he stood up straight and felt uncomfortable.

Due to that event, the score fell from 23 to 24, meaning that the boy team would win after another point, however. "Guys..." The boys looked at Tim in confusion. "Tim! We won! We beat them! See, I told you. This round was all on you..." Smiled Codey, making a smirk smile. "I don't think that-" But right at that moment, he interfered. "Switch places, go to the front. We're ready to win this!" Smiled Codey when giving a fist, however, Tim's eyes became serious and with rotation, Tim now stood on the same spot that Codey had been standing.

"Ayuka... Will you be able to" But right at that moment, Ayuka raised her head, with quite a furious look. "I'm fine... We're not out of the match yet. I just lost a little focus, I'm fine now..."

("Now I see what their reason to switching places was, and I see why they've left Tim out of their conversation... I'll just have to deal with it...") Ayuka thought when standing up straight and picking up the ball, throwing it into Kylin's hand. "Do the server. I just gotta set the ball right and we're fine..." Ayuka claimed when positioning herself. The rest of the girls agreed and prepared, it was now or never, it was time for them to protect their score, before losing, when Kylin served the ball, however, Tim noticed that Codey had twisted his finger and forced the ball to lose its speed.

"H-hey! What happened?!" Kylin asked, but right when Ayuka had to receive the ball, something happened.

Instantly, it happened, Tim's right foot hardened itself onto the ground, outstretching the right one while bending his left, he swooped with his arm behind his back when instantly a powerful pressure appeared, stressing everybody.

While Tim's right arm was moving above his benting waist and hip, behind his back a black sword appeared in his arm, as it extended backward with the black metal, but right in that moment his entire body disappeared when a beserking wind emit itself from his body as it blew over the sand as it bursted through the air in a cyclone, forcing to water on the sides to squirt upward and at the same time forcibly creating a powerful wave, Codey, Kanji, Saraki, Sakami, Kylin and Ume felt the absurd wind rushing around them, forcibly pushing them aside as they held their balance, but while the sand squirted, Tim's body appeared on the left side of Ayuka's body, when she closed her eyes due to sensing danger, that Tim might injure her, however, when she felt his left arm gently pushing her to the side, her left eye opened when seeing how Tim's sword was swung over his head into the floor and slammed into the sand, a powerful heat of fiery sweep flew over the ground when the fire beserked forward into the distance. The ground cracked, the people were almost blown away, when a massive explosion came in contact with Tim's fire, and with it another hurricane, caused by force appeared, at which point, Ayuka noticed how Tim's left eye had been glowing yellow, the ball spun in the air when flying onto the boy's side and with it closing the gap of girl's losing streak, however in return, the unknown actions taken by Tim immediately provoked Codey and the rest in concern.

"T-Tim, w-what are you-?" Ayuka wondered, while standing right next to him, immediately he stood up straight when facing at the distance, and with it, everybody heard a feminine laugh.

"How fabulous! How.... Fascinating. I'm impressed by your skill, young Duelist..." While the sand finally piled back onto the beach, they saw two bodies standing in the distance, a male and a female. "You truly managed to keep the promise of protecting her alive, Shinkaku..." Tim was looking at the distance when people began to scream, and with it, the boy's eyes were shaking, but it was revealed that it was Feng, afraid of what he had just witnessed. "You even managed to injure my lovely right arm.... Another amazing feeling that I never expected to see in a long time..." Laughed the girl, while showing her arm.

"Who're you? Some kind of a 'model'?" Tim wondered, while having his left arm above Ayuka's back, but right in that instant, Ayuka managed to see that his left arm was bleeding which immediately terrified her, she looked over his arm when seeing the woman. "But you didn't save her without a sacrifice... Wouldn't you say that to your arm?" The woman giggled, instantly the Duelists around the beach gathered in a group.

"W-what the hell is going on?!" Questioned Shion, standing in the distance, however, she noticed that Ayuka's body was protected. Even Elliot and Myles came in shock alongside the rest of the people who began to run.

"I asked... Who're you?" Tim repeated. "Oh, alright, alright. My name is Kitamura Hitomi... A simple name for a perfectly born human." She smiled when her hair waved in the wind. "Now tell me something. Your promise to protect Ayuka, what cause was it for?" She wondered, smiling into Tim, who made a step forward. ("I-I couldn't sense that... Did he- How was I unable to sense it, and moreover... How did no one manage to sense that invisible attack? Every Spiritual attack released some sort of a hint, but this time, none of us managed to do so, but Tim, how did he-") However, when she saw Tim's left eye, it made her understand. ("That's it... But, what is that?")

"What do you mean?" Tim questioned, facing Hitomi. "I meant... Have you decided to protect her as a friend or so that our future 'Godess' survives?" At that moment...

Tim, Codey, Kanji, Saraki, Yukito, Sakami, Kylin, Ume, Shion, Elliot, Myles, Asuka, and Jun, immediately their eyes shook when a sweat ruled over their face.

Ayuka raised her body and looked at the woman.

"'Godess'? W-what do you-" But with it, Ayuka's eyes fell into realization.

"'Godess'.... N-no.... But..." Her memories had returned, the time her eyes had been turning silver, the moment she immediately forgot that she has ever transformed and the final time at which point, she used that ability to defeat Tsutomu, the paralysis, the connection that she felt and the reality that she never had been able to see.

Everything was clear to her...

To be continued...