Chapter 15: Pushed at the Edge

"Surrender. You've lost."

Blood, and bodies lie at my bed.

My friend and my mother are now corpses.

..How did i end up with a nightmare like this? cried the eighteen year old Shu desperately, nearly losing his mind.

"Give up and despair."

"Destroy it all."

"Huh? Whose voice was that?"

"Oh... What, its just me."

*

[Flashback]

"Thank you Shu! You really can do anything! You even managed to persuade the monk for us to work here!" Laughed the small thirteen year old Dan brightly while going in circles with fresh white flowers at the both of his hands, running around enthusiastically.

Shu, a bit higher in height from Dan sighed, "Quiet down you idiot, we're inside a temple, the monk might get mad at us being so loud when he's praying for the god." He said while wiping the golden statue of the god carefully.

"Also go set those flowers at the foot of the statue." Said Shu

Dan stopped and and bent down, placing the white flowers in order at the floor in a vase. "What god is this anyway?" Asked Dan, staring at the face of the god.

From behind of the statue, Shu peeks out. "This temple is for the god of the west, you actually entered here not knowing this? The wind god must be disappointed with you in the heavens." Sighed Shu and shook his head.

A vein of anger popped in Dan's forehead. "Oi, dont say that, i don't want to be followed by bad luck!, To add it up this dude even looks like you!" Pointed up Dan to the face of the statue, while Shu disapproved, arranging the offerings properly at the side, as well as preparing new incense sticks and burners.

"Huh? What's that behind you? There's something dark lurking around you already, the god of the wind has punished you, that might be the bad luck." Shu dramatically gasped, pointing behind him.

Dan's eyes popped, looking behind him several times. "Uh?! What where?!"

Only to see Shu smirking at the corner while counting red wishing tags. "Hey!" Dan shouted angrily, while Shu panicked, his eyes darting away.

Shu warned. "Hey."

Dan knotted his brows together. "What?!" Then Shu shifted his gaze to the shining head monk far away, yet clearly glaring at them for being loud.

Both of the boys sweated a river and bowed, "Forgive us..."

While lighting the lanterns one by one while night time is arriving, both of the boys reads the messages written at the red lanterns.

"Prince of the forest eh? That sounds cool." Mumbled Dan, Shu raising his brow.

"Are such things even real? I mean, nymphs and fairies and everything." Muttered back Shu quietly, minding the monk behind them.

"You know, you're standing at a temple of something we dont even see and now you ask about that?" Dan clicked his tongue as they both chuckled away

"What.. just asking.." -Shu

"In any case, our lands are growing some nice fruits for the first time, might as well be thankful for the Prince of the Forest shouldn't we?" Shrugged shoulders of Dan, while Shu just nodded.

"I guess so, you're right, i can buy mother a better quality of rice."

"Ha- you know you're always talking about your mom! Do you not have eyes for someone else?" Whisper yelled Dan to his friend.

Shu picked the red ribbons, cutting them to tags. "Not interested. My mother's happiness is what i prioritize, I'm just in too much debt to her for saving my life, so i might as well do anything for her."

Dan sighed proudly, "..You're a great guy.."

"I can't be one if my mother didn't raised me this way."

"There we go again." Dan face palm-ed.

"I'll complete this job and buy mother beautiful clothes." Smiled Shu.

"You know, im really happy for auntie, but you should buy something else for yourself too-"

Shu butted in. "My mother raised an infant like me, alone for five years and worked hard, crawling at this world to find many, and different types of jobs just for my sake, to feed two stomach isn't easy. Now im old enough to help mother, i should also do my best right?"

Dan sighed in defeat. "I'll go help you buy auntie a pair of slippers."

"Appreciate that." Shu smiled, finishing the chores.

The lanterns were lit brightly orange, and the sun had set, red clouds slowly turning to darker blue. After finishing the temple chores, they were paid for labor and filled their pockets with coppers. Enough for a decent meal to survive the night.

Dan who was walking beside Shu panicked, slapping his pockets that were empty. "Wait! I forgot my stuff! Wait for me at the temple gates Shu!" Then he ran back, quickly disappearing.

"Sure. Be quick, have dinner at our place."

"Thanks!"

Panting, Dan snapped his head side by side, scanning the spots he might've left his bag. In a very unfortunate circumstances, a black aura caught his eye.

"Oi oi, if it isn't the girly fuck~" called out a tall boy, grinning with two of his pals behind him.

"J-jirobu.." stepped back the small Dan.

"Hi~ looking for thiis?" Laughed the other tall boy behind Jirobu, wagging the bag up in the air.

"You're doing this again? Haven't you had enough of me?!" Angrily shouted Dan, gritting his teeth.

"Acting tough now aren't we? Where's your friend huh?" Jirobu teased, looking around Dan.

Jirobu suddenly grabbed the bag and walked near Dan, his face near at him. "What are you doing? L-let go of my bag, don't- why are you walking towards me?! Stay away!" Dan swung his arms, trying to defend his space at least.

"Aww, you're scared? That's good! Go be an adorable girl and cry for me~" giggled Jirobu, while grinning so much.

"Fuck off!" Yelled out Dan, surprising Jirobu.

Then he raises his voice. "What are you thinking of? Hanging out with that guy? You think you're so strong?!" He pushed Dan's shoulder.

Then he even added, "Without him, you're weak. So meek that you look so funny. What do you say, be friends with strong guys like us and help me take him down." Offered Jirobu, Dan suddenly bursting to mad laughs.

"Haha! Excuse me? Calling yourself strong? With that act you're doing? How pitiful! Abandoning Shu? You might be the stupidest person to ever exist!" Yelled out Dan to Jirobu's face.

Completely flustered in anger, Jirobu orders his two comrades behind him. "Youu!!! Beat him unconscious!"

With an attack coming, Dan closes his eyes tightly. But before he could do so, the rock under the feet of the two bullies completely disappeared, making them trip on the spot with a loud thud.

"Hey! What are you kids doing?! This is a sacred temple! Don't go cursing names and raising voices! The god of the wind will be angered!" The monk appeared, the confused Dan spotting his friend behind the monk, walking towards them, smiling at Dan.

Shu asks. "What's the commotion?"

"Shu!" -Dan

"You!" -Jirobu

"I heard unnatural loud voices, i came here as soon as possible. Now look what you did, the monk's pissed as soon as i leave you off your own." Shu sighed at Dan.

Shu crossed his arms, scolding his friend like mother. "What, go apologize to the monk."

"..Im sorry." Bowed Dan.

Then Jirobu laughed, "Heh! What a puppet! You obey orders from your master now? How funny!!"

"Quiet!" The monk unexpectedly roared, scaring away the thirteen year old boys.

"..."

"Im not his master or neither he is my puppet. He's my friend, and he's doing what he should do for violating the temple." Said Shu to Jirobu, hiding Dan behind him.

"Tch! Acting so high and mighty! You make me feel so angry!" Jirobu yelled.

"I'm sorry to anger you then, so lets have peace shall we?" Shu smiled moderately, raising his brow.

"Why would i?!"

"Why are you so hard headed? Do you want to be friends with me?" Shu completely puzzled asked Jirobu, unable to know why he's always hot tempered towards them, just wishing peace and quietness between boys.

"Fuck off!" Yelled out Jirobu loudly.

The monk finally getting fully angry, he shouts. "GET OFF THE TEMPLE!"

*

Walking home under the moon, Dan lowly utters, "That... Earlier, Shu.. did you?" Talking about the stone which suddenly disappeared, and Shu smiling after the supernatural event was enough suspicious for Dan.

"You saw?" Shu asked.

Dan blinked. "I think?"

After a long silence, Shu talks. "I learned it when i was a kid. Somehow, i can make things just suddenly vanish. Mother noticed it and she told be i might've been blessed by the heavens." Dan, still not that convinced by the straightforwardness of his sentence then asked him again.

"... Can you do it again?"

"What should i do?"

"That... That pot!"

With a mutter under Shu's breath, the pot beside the rode just disappeared right infront of their eyes.

"WAH!"

"Where does it go?!" Exclaimed Dan, looking everywhere and then comes back to Shu.

"Who knows.. its very strange."

"Wow Shu! You really can do anything!"

Dan gasped, snapping. "Shu! I just had an idea! This talent of yours could help you gain money!"

Interested, Shu turns his attention to his friend. "Money? How?"

"Busking! People pay you for tricks! This would work out well!" Brightened his friend, Shu thinking hard after.

"I see.. that is not bad."

"Yes! With this you can buy more dinner options rather than your mothers soup..." Dan smiled, flinching after he sees his friend's scary face of anger of insulting his mother's dish.

Dan takes it back. "Delicious soup!!" Sweating.

"Okay, lets do it."

*

Leaving their scratched land, the duo travels to the royal capital and goes under, to the Nether City or underground city of Jian city to busk for money.

"Now! Its the audience's turn to shine! This boy here, can make anything you own disappear! To prove that our magic has no tricks!" Spoke Dan loudly, squeezing his voice out of his throat. A man had volunteered to offer an object; his house keys.

'Bad idea. But no choice.' Dan and Shu thought at the same time.

Under the black hood, Shu received the keys and it suddenly went afloat above his palm. The crowd gasped and looked really closely.

Then to make it disappear, he mumbles.

"kii-ee-ro" The key spun around his palm and then disappeared completely. The crowd cheered even louder and the sound of silvers clanged on their donation box.

In their low expectations, Dan and Shu would never thought they would entertain the Prince of Jian, and even make the next king put one of his sapphire earrings inside the donation box.

And then, the man spoke. "Where's my key? Can you give me back my key now?" It was from the voluntary audience from earlier who asked the Shu.

"We did mention about getting a volunteer, but we did not say that we can turn it back from being vanished." He says calmly, yet the man was near tearing down the show and exploding, he yells. "THIEVES! GIVE ME BACK WHAT YOU JUST STOLE!"

Dan, the boy with the high pitched voice quickly grabbed the box full of money and shouted to the black hooded boy, "Shu! Lets run now!!"

After a long way of running and escaping out of the Nether City, the friends had went straight home, too exhausted as they sat in the riverbank, with the sun slowly getting up between the mountains.

Drinking such sweet and cold water, their energies had been restored. Skipping sleep and going for a breakfast fishing at the river.

The bushes shook and three tall boys emerged from the forest. "Jirobu?" Called out Shu, seeing them holding wooden sticks.

Jirobu smirked, tapping the box full of silver. "Give us your money and we'll let you go!"

Shu dragged the fishing rod with him, going in front of Jirobu. "Huh? You want a share? Sure we have quite the spare." He smiled and bent down, rummaging through the box.

"Fuck!!—" pissed off too much, Jirobu pants in anger.

"If you're that hungry, no need to be so rough, we can also share fish if you want.." Shu pointed the caught fishes by the side, while Dan glares at them.

Jirobu in rage of being belittled, had punched Shu's face, busting his lip open.

"Hey!" Shouted Dan, "What the?!" When suddenly Jirobu gets the box full of silvers and throws all of it to the river, then throwing back the box back to the two.

Jirobu then laughed loudly. "HAHAHAHAHA! LOSERS!" Then he exited, going back to the forest while laughing loudly.

"YOU!!" Dan ready to fight to death, had his face so red, but an arm stopped him from giving further.

"Stop, don't follow. Lets just try to find some coins here. I'll go dive, hold this." Shu sighed, shoving the empty box to his friend's arm.

"But its cold!" Dan shouted, looking at the morning river.

"Its fine, you're so small you might get sick quickly. Unlike me, so handsome and tall, i wont get cold with this." Laughed Shu.

"Heh! Go on then!"

Shu went in the freezing water, coughing while he slowly slides down and pushing his head down, his fingers trying to grab the coins.

After a long while, nearly freezing underwater, Shu went up and shivered, running immediately to Dan's handmade fire beside the river.

"I only found this, enough for one meal. The current under is too strong, its dark with the weeds so I can't see well. Go take it." He shoved it all in Dan's hand, putting dried leaves to make the fire bigger.

"What? But this is your pay! And you even searched for it yourself! I can't take it, my dignity-"

"Take it or just grow thin and die? Do it for yourself you idiot." Shu fought back, shuddering and squeezing his clothes to shake off water.

"Tch- fine! I'll share my meal with you and auntie! Let me eat at your house!" Dan sighed, putting the coins back to the box.

"Okay. Huh?" Shu raised his brow, seeing something twinkle from the sun's light inside the box. Pulling the box to him, he looks at the corner.

"What's that? An earring?" Dan looked behind Shu, picking up the blue accessory.

"Wow.. its very beautiful.." Shu mumbles, seeing it flash from the sun.

This was the sapphire earring, Jian Li, the Prince had donated to them from their busking performance.

"I want to give it to my mother.." Shu looks at it closely while Dan hit the back of his head.

"You idiot! Pawn it and buy auntie a dress! Look at that glimmer! It might even be enough for one gold!"

"You're right, clothes and food are ten times better than one earring."

"Told you so."

*

"Auntie! We're home!" Dan lovingly called out, pushing the door and going inside the house as if he owns it.

The beautiful mother welcomed the two with a lovely smile. "Oh! Dan! Shu! Welcome home~"

"Auntie! I got you something!" Bragged Dan while he pulled out a basket and handed it to Mayumi.

"Myy! Isn't that a really expensive meat? Also vegetables! So tender!" Her eyes sparkled, Dan and Shu nodded in approval.

"Oh Shu also got you something!" Dan said while he pushes another wood at the fire takes his seat at the dining table.

Shu slowly bringing out a dress behind him hand made his mother gasp just by seeing the quality far away.

"Oh my! Shu.." his mother awed and cooed, admiring the piece of clothing she first received from her son.

"A gift, mother. This would be really comfortable to wear."

Mayumi being suspicious of how Shu had got the money to buy this type of clothes had never crossed her mind. Because deep in her heart he fully trusts that her son that he wouldn't do such a deed. "Shu!.. you didn't have to.... I like it very much! Thank you, oh im so lucky, my sons!" Mayumi hugged the heads of Shu and Dan, kissing the top of their foreheads.

"For this i should go all out and cook these should i Dan?"

"Yes please!"

*

"That fuck! He has an earring at his sleeves then?! Why didn't it fall out when i threw the contents at the river?! It was even worth a fortune of gold! Who the fuck tips something like that! Search for ours too! There might be jewelries!" Jirobu yells and screams in jealousy.

"Boss.. theres none..."

"Fuck! That fucking Shu!!!" Throwing a fit, he yells and punches the tree trunk.

"I'll go fuck your mother's life! HAHAHA you're so full of yourself! Lets see lets see.."

*

"Just ruin everything. Break. Break them all." A voice echoed inside Shu's head.

"Whose voice is that?" Asked the eighteen year old Shu.

"Ruin it! Break! Annihilate them all!"

"Its mine.."

"Dan and mom.. They're dead!!"

"Destroy it all."

"They did this!"

"Destroy it all."

"They killed them!"

"Destroy it all."