Chapter 4: "Merlin" The Great Has Left a Message

"I am Merlin, the Great Mage," she introduced herself.

"Uhh, what?" he murmured as he fell onto his back.

Merlin then stepped down from the window and sat on top of Akito's lap.

Blushed, he grouses and stutters. "Wh...What are you doing? Get off!" all while thinking to himself. "She is warm."

"Well, let me tell you about this, boy. How about I teach you about the secrets of this world, and perhaps some other secrets too," she said as she got off him, allowing him to stand up.

Whispering, Aktio replied: "What are you saying? Why should I trust you." His heart started to pound faster. His thoughts began to race. "Another one? Is she after me, is she like Fujel?" He points towards her way and says: "If you dare to hurt my loved ones or me, I will kill you!" with a stubborn look, Merlin replies, "you poor soul, how much tragedy have you witnessed. I will help you, not harm you."

*Footsteps approaching*

She senses the person heading upstairs and leaves Akito with a final bit of information. "If you decide to become my student, then call me with these words, and I shall appear. Till then, my beloved Akito, may we meet again." as she vanished from the spot she was standing at, a note fell to the ground.

Akito, back on his knees, dragged himself towards the fallen note and picked it up, and what it read was: "upon thee, created to serve, created to no bounds of mortal rules, Merlin, upon this time, appear." as he silently read it in his head a door creaked open, he hid the note behind himself. His mother appeared behind the door, asking her son, "Is everything alright dear? I heard about some commission just now." to which he half-arsed smiles and replies with "Yes, mom, everything is fine, you know me, just a bit clumsy, that's all." He said while hiding the note behind himself.

"Oh, are you hurt? Let me take a look," as she slowly walked up to him.

He immediately slipped the note behind his butt-cheek in his underwear. His mother walked up and examined his body for any cuts and scratches. She noticed nothing and said: "You're okay, but please be careful." As she hugged him, he speechlessly kneeled there, doing nothing. Then, finally, he slowly hugged her back.

"You know Akito. When you were little, you had the same problem. I remember that one time when you were like three or four years old, and you started to walk towards your father near the ocean, you accidentally slipped on a crab." Akito cracked his eyes wide open and said, "yeah, I remember."

"That day was so scary for your father and me that I decided to become a nurse. When you fell backward onto your neck, then the wave came creeping up on you, you were underwater, unconscious, I thought that I lost you, but thankfully that young man was there." She said as she tightly hugged him.

Still speechless, the boy sat there. Finally, his mother got up and decided to leave the room. At the door, she said the three words, hardly any family in Japan says, "I love you, get some rest, dear." To which Akito couldn't reply, as if he bit his tongue. Finally, the door closed, and Akito sat there thinking to himself, how lucky he was to have a mother who loved him like no other.

In a moment, Akitos thoughts started to shift towards Merlin. Determined, he said, "Merlin? Huh? I wanna know who she is." All while his face was flushed red. The boy, tired, had gotten up and gotten onto his bed. He put his head on top of his pillow he closed his eyes. Moments later, he started to see glimpses of a mysterious blade, something that seemed dear to him, but soon he had forgotten about it and fell asleep, with the note still inside of his underwear.

In the morning, Akito woke up to feel something rubbing against his butt-cheek, he reached and grabbed the item, and he was in shock to see the note, "so, it did happen, Merlin? huh? She was pretty!" he spoke softly to himself.

"Footsteps approaching"

He sensed the steps before the door opened and hid the note inside of his drawer. "Oi, skinny pig, come, let's go to the park for a morning run." said a voice before the door was slammed open. "What is it, long face!" he replied, exasperated. "Let's go for a run. I said," repeated Satoshi.

Akito, with a drained look, responded: "For what? Dude, it's our day off. Scram somewhere else, please." Though having said that, his brother stood guard and stared at him, to which Akito felt the pressure and the annoyance of his brother and decided to say: "Fine, bruh, let's go."

The boys heading downstairs to the kitchen picked up an apple and headed to the park. While the walk to the park was a little long, the boys were excited, passing by a convenience store, Satoshi decided to pick up some water for the both of them, and seeing the chance Akito, before taking a bite of his apple, threw it away in the trash bin. Satoshi walked out of the store. He had already noticed the actions of his brother but decided it was not worth mentioning.

"Finally, we're here," said Aktio as he started to stretch out for the run. "Mmm, are you ready, Aktio?" asked Satoshi as he seemed eager to run. "Yes, let's do it," said Aktio as he gave the thumbs up to his older brother.

As the boys were running, Aktio felt a piece of himself fall onto the cold ground; he immediately stopped and looked back, noticing nothing there. He tried to catch up to his brother.

All while that took place, a mysterious human form was on top of a tree. Smirking, the mysterious being seemed like it was up to no-good, and just before vanishing, "it" whispered. "So, he finally decided to intervene."

Back at home, the boys took a shower, and both made a promise to play a game of 1v1 when the night befalls upon them. But due to Akito's clumsiness, he spent the night away pondering and searching away on the net about a mage called "Merlin." What he found was disturbing. The famous name "Merlin" dates back as early as the 5th century. A being who harbored magical powers was known to be the strongest and most feared being. Merlin served King Arthur under the ties of the "Holy Sword" entrusted to Merlin to have looked after the passing of Arthur. "Merlin," theorized to be immortal, lived and still lives on for centuries to come, to find a King worthy to rule Britannia once again.

This information caused the hairs on his arms to rise. Then, out of fear and curiosity, he pondered if he was the "King" that Merlin was in pursuit of. Then, with both of his hands, he smacked himself and noted, "Nah, no way!"

Smiling with confusion, he states: "She must be after something else? Right? I mean, maybe because I can use magic? Or whatever that power was when I channeled into against Fujel?" He looks down, his face flushed from the smack. Then, he smiles and looks over to his bed clock.

*12:34 AM*

He decides to call it in for the night and placed his phone on charge after hiding under his covers.

…

While sleeping, a mysterious wave disrupted his dream world, knocked him into conscience in a dream world, where reality and the subconscious realm met. He came upon a weird child crying. Far away, Akito decided to walk over to the little boy. The closer he got, the more he can see the boy.

Noticing the boy's clothes and what seemed to be a bag, he could tell that this kid was not of this era. The closer he got, the more animosity he felt emitting. Resonating with the child on a molecular level, he finally reached him. Looking down at him, Akito crouched down. Before saying anything, the little boy looked up, and the following words that came out of his mouth were so profound, they came from his essence. "Fight!"

Coming across that situation, Aktio flew out of his bed and onto his feet. Realizing it was only Sunday, the boy calmed down and had reverted to his sense; he questions what just happened during that weird "dream."

On the other end, Satoshi was up earlier than usual, seemingly getting ready to leave for somewhere crucial in mind.

Akito his room to use the restroom, notices his brother dressed up, leaves the house early, decides to mind his own business, and avoids small talk with his brother.

Satoshi leaves and takes the usual path to school, seemingly nervous. However, the thoughts and ideas in his head never slowed down. He nervously strolled through the way to the other side where his school was located, but before reaching the school up ahead, he suddenly took a detour to the left.

Arriving at a small, somewhat old house, he mustered up the strength to knock on the front door. A man, seemingly in his early forties, opened the door. Drunk and angry, he said

"Who the hell are you? The police?"

The boy, in a confused state, replied: "No, Sir. I'm here to see your daughter Rikka!"

With a hiccup, he responded, "Rikka? What is it that you want? Are you here to rent her?"

Satoshi seemingly bothered responded to his comment by ignoring him "Tsk." all while he was raging on in his head. "She only does it because of you! Scumbag!"

*Footsteps approaching from behind the man*

"Hey, Satoshi, I will be ready in a minute, come inside," said Rikka, behind her father.

Nervously Satoshi responded, "okay."

As he walked in he, and the father stared at one another, both thinking, "I don't like him. He cannot be with her!"

Inside the house, Satoshi sat still and quiet. Then, getting frustrated from the dark and empty place, he decided to look around while the father had fallen asleep. He got up and mustered up the courage to lift the lost photo on the cold ground next to the couch he was sitting on, and he found that the picture contained the late mother of Rikka and her two younger sisters. Staring at the picture, lost in his empathy for the girl. Came down Rikka from her room. She found Satoshi with the image and decided to walk over behind him.

With her lips pressed against his ear, she said. "That's my mother and sisters, and they passed away about a year ago due to a car accident."

Satoshi flustered, jumped away, and said, "I'm sorry, I... I didn't mean to go through your belongings! I swear."

Rikka, seeing Satoshi in such a state, caused a burst of honest and warm laughter to erupt. Both, laughing, they decided it was time to take a stroll through the city. The two seemed to have a good time at the train station, sharing stories and waves of laughter. The two were connected. Rikka, away from school, seemed more bright and approachable. But one thought never left Satoshi's mind. Nervously on the train, he decided to spill out the question. It was the reason why Satoshi has pursued and loved Rikka for so long, the reason why he was attracted to such a boring and quiet girl, his heart racing and pounding away, scared of hearing the truth, he determined that it was better to know the truth than to be left in the dark. However, understanding this question will alter their relationship as he observes his lover in such a state. She seemed lost, confused, scared, and used to force himself not to shed a tear with a heavy voice and an emphatic expression finally, He looked over to Rikka and said. "How many men have you slept with till now?"