Chapter 8: Funeral
It had been an hour since he'd unlocked the power to walk the deadly wastelands.
Miasma was like radiation. Anyone who touched it directly would die slowly.
Slowly and agonisingly painfully.
Only Lex could breathe in this world and have the power to do whatever he wished. Being able to walk around without a gas mask and taste the air.
Without the Death Force, the taste of fresh air… was the same as he could rememberer. It made him realise that the Miasma hadn't really rotted the world.
Without the Death Force, fresh air was the same as it was before the disaster.
Invigorating and tasteful like usual.
Strength returned to his body when he experienced being outside once again.
Away from the stuffy classroom.
He climbed to the top of the mall and saw the people below. Now all Dark Muses.
When a regular human was corrupted with Death Force, a funny story worked its magic to turn the 'Alive' to 'Undead'. A state that was simply a twisted form.
They weren't necessarily evil.
How could death be evil?
One could say that these zombies looking for prey were the most innocent beings.
Only being affected by common tropes and stories existing about 'zombies'.
Which was why they acted so typical.
If there was a concensus that the word for zombie meant gentleman and that they weren't mad, then these corrupted would likely had retained humanity.
…That was just a thought.
Lex realised something after truly understanding his own Innate Gift. The ability he was granted could expel or erase Miasma, but only from within.
It was the ability of self-control.
However, why was this Gift special?
He knew of Gifts that could bring the dead back to life and one that could 'cut anything'. Why did the First Grace value his 'Empty' Gift among the others?
Why wasn't he given his own Stigmata Gifts? Only being able to use techniques.
The answer eluded him.
That was… fine. Okay.
He couldn't get the answer, but he had more opportunities now than before.
Able to use his Illusionary Step to their full potential in order to evade dangers.
From afar, he saw a giant rodent.
Almost as big as a luxury car.
The rat's beady eyes and hunger for metal made it the worst case scenerio.
This wasn't a zombie.
This was a different kind of Dark Muse that had existed before in the city.
The only difference was that the team responsible for extermination was gone.
Likely dying in the initial fall of calamity.
The rodent's name was known as 'Black Death'. A more of a fragment of it.
A powerful Named similar to a Lich.
It was an undead leader that would likely be born after a while in this situation.
Controlling the zombies systematically.
If they delayed too long without backup from other cities, they'd be wiped out.
There was only around a week before a cluster of 'Black Death' would form a worse entity. They didn't have time to be doing anything other than escaping here.
Lex needed to get his family out.
He moved between building to building using parkour. His stunts were great.
Both fluid and acrobatic.
Though weak, he had been training his manoeuvrability everyday before school.
It was the only strength he could rely on.
Direct combat wasn't his forte. It'd likely never be. To him, that Named from before couldn't be beaten regardless if he could use Red Wind or not. It was too strong.
He needed someone personally strong.
Able to fill in for his own weakness.
But first, going to check up on his father and returning to school was top priority.
This wasn't simply his responsibility.
Realistically speaking, St Martha High School was the only fortress in this land.
They had workable gas masks made from MagiTech. Tools still useable right now.
They had a lot of history and use.
MagiTech included modern weapons like MagiBlades and MagiPistols among them.
The former like a lightsaber.
They normally weren't allowed to use them, but now was a real bad situation.
There was no use being picky here.
Lex should probably go there to restock on equipment too, but his father was still out there. He was too emotional before this moment, and now thought rationally.
It was time to abandon their home.
A black substance fuelled by his Red Wind circled his arm before returning.
He changed his mind on that tool he had.
It couldn't be used before since this wasn't made out of modern MagiTech.
This was actually a much rarer 'Mystic Tool' that required power to utilise.
For now, he decided to hide it.
Since he wasn't a battle expert that could kill larger Dark Muses, it was just useless.
He'd find someplace to utilise it later.
Instead, Lex calmed down his thoughts and focused on his Secure Embrace.
The earring holding sacred power.
He focused on it to forcibly suppress his anxiety and worries. Going to his father.
Trying to believe he'd still be alive.
It had been a while since he had been chased by 'Little Red Riding Hood'.
The distance he was chased was large enough that anyone could understand.
It took a while for good reasons.
Now that he was back, Lex went to his family home and looked around first.
Seeing that the defence systems pertaining special barriers were active.
A blue water prison was fully active.
Separating the inside from the outside.
'Did he get attacked?' Lex thought since this was his father's last resort to use.
When his father still had Red Wind within him, he was able to use special talismans.
Also known as 'Charms'.
Because he'd only half-inherited the fallen Lazrik Clan's techniques from their ruins, they were only able to use one type of Charm. This obviously being 'Water'.
After he approached the barrier, Lex drew a special shaped magic circle onto his hand. It looked like a raindrop. The power of it was adjusted to only alter the prison.
Like a personal key, he was able to unlock and phase through the water barrier.
Letting him into the front clear garden.
From the looks of it, no zombies had been able to infiltrate to harm his father.
This put him at ease.
He walked up the steps and into the residence. In the living room, he saw his father praying in front of a small table with lit incense, a jar, and his mom's picture. She looked so young there.
The Japanese culture his mom gave them was something Lex was never good at.
Things like funeral ceremonies were the last things he learnt. Only his dad knew.
Only his dad would remember his mom and every single world she ever spoke.
Lex sighed, knowing what he had felt.
It felt like a wake. His father was dressed in black to do his part in this ritual.
Not looking back at him.
A sense of incongruity hit Lex at this moment. The deathly silence was broken.
"Why did you come here?" His father didn't show him any warmth right now.
"…Why shouldn't I be here?" Lex felt astounded that his dad would ask this.
It was then his father turned his head towards him. No longer having a smile.
No longer having warmth.
There was an iciness to his expression that went beyond simply a bad mood.
Almost like it was part of his nature.
"You things to do. Don't mourn. You won't be able to stop when you start. We don't have enough time." There was a rational look in his father's brown eyes.
It was then he noticed a difference.
"You-"
"I mastered my Gift." Lex then gave a brief explanation about what it does.
Continuing his point with: "I don't have enough power. Not enough to fight."
"You don't need to fight. Support others and you'll do well there." His father's eyes started to soften. He put his hand on the youth's shoulder to assure him.
"…What if there was someone I wanted to save?" These words struck him deep.
Lex's father felt pained when thinking about his own powerlessness earlier.
Even if he found his wife any faster, there was no way he could've saved her life.
Being simply too weak.
"What are you suggesting?" In fact, the father already knew what his son meant.
However, he couldn't agree here.
The risk involved was simply too high.
"I want to tame Jinns."
"LEX!!!" His father roared ferociously.
Grabbing the son's collar and pushing him into a wall. He held himself back.
Not wanting to strike his son in front of his wife's funeral. It was too much.
"I know what you're thinking." The both of them had done research on this before.
Originally, 'Ruqya Taming' was created to tame Jinns as an Islamic exorcist ritual.
From what they were able to uncover using their own hard work, there was some other type of cultivation method they used besides Ruqya Taming… in order to not fall under the influence.
Whatever this technique was, it was definitely more potent than the Secure Embrace earring possessed by a caring spirit. Them using this was suicide.
Not even the father would try this.
So how would he allow the son?
"You are talking nonsense. Do you even know anything about the Lazrik Clan?"
"All I know is that they were Islamic but not necessarily Muslims." There was a stark difference between the religious and those who were born of a religion.
Lex spoke his thoughts about how they were likely closely related at least.
"That's not what I mean. From what I checked, this 'Ruqya Taming' method we learnt isn't simple." Rather than screaming and shouting, Lex's father calmly lead his son out of the room.
Taking him to a certain place down below.
Their basement…
It was hidden behind a multilayer lock that took a while to get through. Even while having the know-how, this level was intrinsically built with stalling methods.
Trying to keep outsiders as far as possible from finding the basement.
When all the steps around the house were done, he moved a book off a shelf.
The wall behind it started to open up.
Revealing a tight tunnel.
They jumped down one by one through the opening. Getting to the lower level.
When they were there, the radiance of a blade lit the darkness of the basement.
Lex seemed to be immersed.
The radiance of the demonic blade at the centre of the room was too appealing.
He felt his mouth salivate.
His thoughts being suppressed while being mentally tugged towards it.
"Don't go." With these words from his strict father, he awoke from his daze.
Feeling horrified.
'Secure Embrace' was supposed to have protected his mind, but he was still seduced by the blade. This meant the quality of the sword was really high.
"This is the 'Cursed Weapon' protected by the Lazrik Clan. It's possessed by the wispering devil, Shaitaan. A being that can corrupt its wielder with certainty." A voice came from the side of the youth.
"Certainty…?" That was a bit different from what knew of Islamic demonology.
To them, there was no such things as evil demons being able to control humans.
Only being able to tempt.
It was well-known that the power of their God was almighty, and thinking Demons more powerful than a prayer to their God meant admitting that Jinns were stronger.
Which wasn't ever an option.
They were too devout to believe that there could be anything above prayers.
Anything more powerful than prayers.
"I don't know what the Lazrik Clan had practiced, but we were wrong. They had never even thought of training these Ruqya Methods in the first place." Lex's father dropped a bomb out of nowhere.
It made him sweat.
"Then… what are these methods?" Lex couldn't help but ask while gazing on.
Not able to look away.
"Forbidden Techniques. Muslims don't believe in exorcism in the first place, so why would they train in them? Admitting exorcism works devalues prayers." This truth spoken by his father pressured him.
His mind was in shambles.
"I know how you feel, but you can't fight this kind of corruption. There is no way to overcome this sword with willpower. The power of Jinns will only harm you." Lex's father had to make sure he understood.
However, there was a loophole.
"Not every Jinn is evil." When Lex said this, his father didn't immediately disagree. It was because stories of 'good Jinns' like the Peri had also existed.
Thus they were clear on.
"Their prophet was only able to convert a naturally evil aligned Jinn with the power of devout beliefs…" His father patiently spoke: "…Can you have such beliefs?"
The answer was obvious.
Ambiguous people like them who neither followed Japanese or Pakistani values couldn't do that. They didn't have the strength of character to oppose order.
"Then I'll summon a Peri."
"With what, Red Wind?" The father poured more cold water of realism.
There were some thing they couldn't do.
Regardless, they both understood that the desire for strength wasn't wrong,
What they needed were methods.
Lex turned on his Limiter and focused on his 'Mental Data'. He activated his Psion.
Able to think hundreds of thoughts at a breakneck speed overcome this hurdle.
There wasn't enough time left.
Who knew when a real 'Black Death' would be born in remains of Deanfold.
He needed to get stronger.
It was then he had an idea.
"What about a Qareen?" These words from Lex made his father a bit confused.
What was a Qareen?
"You know… The companion spirit and Jinn apparently all people are born with."
"Oh…" He vaguely remembered it.
"Since it's part of me, I can-"
"Like I said before, we aren't devout enough to change its alignment." Lex's father once again brought up the most important part. Control was important.
"Then we can tame it like this…" At the end of those words, he started to explain the plan he thought up. It was a plan only a modern Hero student could think of.
His father gave his approval.
"Be quick and prepare." The man slapped his son's back before he'd climbed out.
Leaving him by himself.
Lex's father looked towards the evil sword chained to the ground tightly.
His eyes were flickering…
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