A man, whom Danso thought he had put on the ground, just woke up. Xeno opened his eyes, laughing hysterically. Danso took a few steps back. He cleared his eyes and looked in shock. It was Xeno. The empty soul energy radiates from him, the destroyed red suit, and the eyes are filled with evil and blood. The face shape that made him so believable and fake at the same time.
"How…" said Danso.
"That's no way to treat a reawakened man," said Xeno with the biggest grin on his face.
Danso unsheathed his sword again. He did not have that much energy left, as commanding the soul slimes and using the Emerald Ring took up a lot more soul energy than he normally intended it to. Danso took many deep breaths, the mist from his mouth visible in the cold rain. Xeno sat down and moved his hand as if asking Danso to take a seat next to him. Danso stood and pretended like he did not understand.
"I only wanted both of us to talk, so now, since we are alone, let's talk, and you are in no position to fight," said Xeno.
Danso reluctantly took a seat in front of Xeno and placed his sword, stabbing it into the ground.
"What do you want?" said Danso.
"Stop beating around the bush, we all know what I want," said Xeno.
"I will kill you if that's the last thing I do," said Danso.
"Honestly, you nearly did back there, and doesn't it go against your morals as Red Samurai?" joked Xeno.
"I am not the Red Samurai, and you killed a human being…How can you be so calm?" said Danso, gritting his teeth.
"Look, if you kill one, you will get used to it," said Xeno.
"Shut up, you psychopath, how did you live? That attack was perfect in my opinion," said Danso.
"Oh yes, it was perfect," said Xeno.
"Are you mocking me?" asked Danso, gripping his sword ever so tightly.
"Relax, red, I was being honest, that attack would have worked, but you guys made a fatal flaw in your plan," said Xeno.
"And what is that?" asked Danso.
"You killed my cultists!" said Xeno.
"What? Your soul did not erode from us killing those cultists?" asked Danso in shock.
"Nope, a soul cannot be destroyed, Danso. I expected you to know more. A soul is like energy, it cannot be destroyed or created, it can only be transferred. So my soul fragments in the cultists returned to me, and I merely created another avatar with 99% of my soul since I knew that attack was going to be fatal," explained Xeno.
"No way…" said Danso.
"I know, right? Even I thought it was impossible, but with my ability, I achieved the impossible," said Xeno.
"What is your ability?" asked Danso.
"There would be no fun if I told you," said Xeno.
Danso got up and put his sword around Xeno's neck.
"Now, if I kill you here, you cannot regenerate in time," said Danso.
"Woah, relax, haven't you learnt your lesson already?" said Xeno.
"What lesson?" asked Danso.
"If you touch me, your colleagues will bite the dust," said Xeno, laughing hysterically.
Danso put the sword back down and sat back, and clenched his fists. He was in no position to fight, and if he made any reckless decision, something might happen to Emily, Tensei, Haruki, and Natsuki. He had already lost Chiro, he could not afford to lose anyone else.
"Fine, what if we make a deal?" said Xeno.
"What is it?" asked Danso.
"You quit being Red Samurai, and then I'll let your friends or colleagues live without knowing your true identity, or make sure they don't die," said Xeno.
"I'd rather die as The Red Samurai than live as Danso Narahara," said Danso.
"Selfish…Here I thought I was selfish, but so be it," said Xeno
Xeno got up in a flash and knocked Danso out with his finger on his forehead. Xeno instantly picked up Danso on his back and took him outside the rubble. Xeno healed his cells in a way that he changed his outer appearance, altering the DNA of the skin cells. When the police asked him what he was carrying, Xeno merely responded with fake tears in his eyes, "My brother died here," and the police gave him sympathy and let him go.
However, Xeno felt something was off. There was a sudden increase in the soul energy in the atmosphere, and it felt suffocating. He constantly turned around to see who was emitting that much soul energy or looking for where it might come from. The wind also blew as the rain started to cease falling. There were bloody footsteps behind him. Xeno did not mind; he thought they were his blood. Then he realised. This was a new avatar/body he created; the old one with the battle scars is gone. He started sweating.
Soon, the soul energy was too much. Taking a single step proved to be a monumental task. Xeno screamed as loudly as he could.
"WHO ARE YOU! FIGHT ME IF YOU DARE," screamed Xeno with blood coming out of his mouth from the soul energy.
Out of nowhere, a man with black hair, brown eyes, and a tall and bulky figure appeared. Xeno looked at him with scared eyes. He should be dead. Why is he alive? These were all thoughts that raced across his mind. Meanwhile, the man covered in blood and sweat started laughing in a similar way to Xeno.
"How did you live?" asked Xeno.
"It's not so easy to kill a calamity,"
Danso's head was ringing again. His vision was blurry, his hearing was horrid, his touch was numb, his taste was bitter, and like dust scattered around the place, his smell was non-existent. Danso struggled to stand up, and the place where he found himself was strange. It was a mountain slope, and it was higher than all the other mountains. Danso looked around with his senses slowly coming back to him.
Where was he? How did he end up here? These were the questions rattling his mind.
As he was searching for a sign of anything, Danso found footsteps in the snow. He followed them, not knowing where they would lead. He climbed higher and higher and eventually reached the peak. He was so far up he felt like he could touch the stars and sky. He heard someone else coming towards him. In an instant, he turned around and tripped on some solid ice and fell. The man just chuckled and told him to be careful. The man looked identical to Danso, he was as tall as him, had the same eyes as him, and the same hair. The only difference was that he looked younger but more experienced and hardened by events, probably. The man helped Danso get up and stand properly.
"Thank you," said Danso.
"You're welcome," replied the man.
"Excuse me, but do you know where we are?" asked Danso.
"Where do you think we are?" asked the man in a gentle voice.
"It looks like a mountain, doesn't it?" answered Danso.
"Then I am sure it's a mountain," said the man with a gentle, tired smile on his face.
"May I ask who you are?" said Danso.
"You have a right to question that, and you have the answer yourself," said the man.
"Everything feels off about this place. I know we are in a mountain, but where exactly are we?" asked Danso.
"We are in your mind, Danso," said the man.
"My mind?" replied Danso.
"Yes, everything you see here is a fabricated reality that your brain has created. It's wonderful how the brain works, isn't it?" said the man.
"Yes, it is, but that doesn't answer my question, who are you?" asked Danso.
"I am you but not you at the same time, you can call me Xu," said Xu.
"Why are you here?" said Danso.
"I am here as a guide to you, helping you when you get lost," said Xu.
"So you're not real?" asked Danso.
"Of course I am, but my time is finished and I stay here now," said Xu.
"Oh, isn't it lonely out here?" asked Danso.
"I am sure you, out of all people, know. We were always lonely, so I am used to it," said Xu.
"I am not lonely anymore, I have people I care about now, colleagues, and a city I need to protect," said Danso.
Xu smiled gently, and it seemed like he was genuinely happy for Danso.
"I am glad," said Xu.
"How do I escape this place?" asked Danso.
"How do you want to escape this place, or how do you think you can exit this place?" asked Xu.
"It's a mountain, so there must be a zip line? Or a hiking path for me to use?" answered Danso.
"Then imagine it, harness the brain, Danso," said Xu.
Suddenly, the mountain was terraformed to have a hiking path downwards leading to the clouds below the mountain. It was a white ending, and Danso did not know what lay after the descent.
"What's down there?" asked Danso.
"The reality," said Xu.
"Do you want to come with me?" asked Danso.
"Oh, no, no, my time in that world is long gone, I just merely observe and help when it is required," said Xu.
"Why do I feel like dying and crying every time I see you? Not to be rude, of course," asked Danso.
Xu chuckled.
"I am sure it will be answered in due time," said Xu.
"I hope so," said Danso.
"Just before you leave, I'll give you an early birthday present," said Xu.
Xu reached into his pockets and grabbed a key. He gave the key to Danso.
"What is this?" asked Danso.
"This is a key to greater things," replied Xu.
"What do I do with it? What should I open?" asked Danso.
"Open the second seal, I won't be here with you for the unlocking, so I'll wait for you here," said Xu.
Suddenly, there were three locks, and Danso tried opening the last two, but the key did not work. Danso remembered Xu's words. He opened the second lock, and he felt a rush of soul energy entering his body. It felt refreshing like a cool breeze in summer. Danso returned and saw Xu.
"I am sorry I have to go now, will I ever get to see you again?" said Danso.
"Don't be sorry, you'll see me again, and I'll keep watching over you, I always got my eyes on you from up here," said Xu as Danso descended the hiking trail.