"M-Master...no, Sona..." She gasped his name and reached her hand out again. "I...love you," She admitted her feelings as she reached out to caress his cheek.
"Ayame! Ayame, no!!!" Sona's anger started to take shape. 'What can I do? How do I save her? Think, Sona! Think or she will die.' Sona hated himself for allowing this creature to steal his mind. 'Mind? That's it! If I can contract a summon, a strong one, I could break his hold.'
Sona summoned his courage and reached out with his mind. 'Listen up! My name is Sona Harata! I've been chosen as the next Slayer of Evil! Who here has the courage to pledge their loyalty? There must be one among you with the power to stand with me and face destiny together!' Sona shouted out his will loudly, voice full of pride. The voices died down. Where once there was many, only a select few were strong or foolish enough to stay. 'I can't wait forever! My friend, my teacher, and my future wife are facing a battle against time and death is staring them down. Please? I can't do this alone!' Sona pleaded and he could sense the rest disappear. 'No. This can't be how it ends. If they won't help me, then...' Sona pulled out a small pocket knife from his jacket. 'Then maybe my death will stop him.' Sona lifted the knife into the air. As he brought his hand down, something grabbed his wrist and twisted it tight. "Ah," The knife fell to the ground silently.
"Wow. I almost didn't make it in time," A sweet, delicate voice filled the silent void.
"You are as impatient as ever, dear sister," A second, more masculine voice called out. "You, there. The one who calls himself Sona. You have either an insane amount of willpower or god tier luck for your soul to still exist. He completely devours a persons existence. The creature that has possessed your body is a dangerous entity. Neither living nor dead. It is pure evil incarnate. A lesser human wouldn't survive this long, so you've piqued our interest," The man explained the situation.
"No time for talk, brother. Sona, we are Gemini, twin siblings with the strength we believe that you seek. Name us quickly," The feminine voice had changed tones from stoic to stern and demanding.
"Name us and we shall become your blade and shield. Do not pick anything strange or I'll kill you myself," The brother's voice was calm and collected, but his tone was serious.
"Names, huh? Hm," Sona paused for second. 'That book I read back home mentioned twin siblings.' Sona pondered for a moment before turning to face the abyss in which these voices arose. "There is a story I once read about a pair of warrior siblings. I feel you embody the ideals they strove to achieve. Whether I'm right or wrong doesn't matter. The one who spoke first with the feminine voice, I offer you the name Subaru Matori. Brother of Subaru, I name you Junichi Matori. I will share their story later. Please, lend me your strength," Sona bowed his head as he named the two summons.
"Subaru...Matori? I like it. Prove you are worthy of our powers," Subaru said happily as a bright light pushed away the abyss surrounding him.
"Junichi, huh? It sounds like a strong name. I shall endeavor to prove myself worthy as your shield," Junichi added as another flash of light filled the void.
"What's...going on?" Sona shut his eyes tight from the blinding light that surrounded him. When he opened his eyes, he was back in control of his own body. His hand still gripped Ayame's throat. "Ayame!" He let go quickly and caught the falling Wolfborn in his arms. "I'm so sorry!" He wrapped his arms around her tiny form.
"S-Sona...!" She gasped weakly and placed her hand on his cheek. "I knew you would...return to your senses," She smiled before passing out.
'Master Sona. Don't lose focus. We drove him from your body, but he has entered into the physical world now using your body as a conduit. He's coming!' Subaru warned him using telepathy.
Sona looked at his left hand that now felt heavier. A kite shield now laid in his hand. It was a rather plain looking shield, but Sona felt great potential from this item. "A shield?" He questioned and looked to his right. He now held a simple and unimpressive broad sword, but like the shield, he felt this was only the beginning of its strength. Something about these weapons were giving him a feeling of great strength. "And a broadsword?"
'Yes, Sona. We are now your loyal subjects. I'll explain more later. For now, we must strike. He hasn't fed, so even weak as we are, we can end this now. If he feeds, it's all over!' Junichi spoke in Sona's mind.
The creature that possessed his body now stood in front of him. Shapeless and black as the abyss. It's body moved in unnerving patterns, and even though it lacked definitive features, Sona could feel his thirst for flesh. Without thinking, Sona rushed towards the creature, shield held in front. He made sure to block his vital locations as the creature launched a barrage of shadow shaped whips. "This is where you die!" Sona shouted at the nameless creature in front of him.
He shifted his body to the right and then rapidly spun left, dropping his shield low. His blade strike was quick as he swiftly and accurately sliced the creature three times. The attack was so swift that even Saphira barely managed to catch all three slices. 'Incredible. They must amplify his abilities.' Saphira pondered to herself.
"S...So...hu....ngry..." The creature gasped while he tried to reach for Sona's arm. He jerked his arm away and slashed the creature four more times. "Fleeee....shhhhh..." He uttered his final dying words.
The creature evaporated from their view and Sona collapsed to his knees, breathing heavily. "That was closer then I would ever like to admit, but we managed," Sona sighed as he rushed over to Ayame's side. "Master, Del are you two okay? What about you Aether and Sylphia?" Sona lifted Ayame's head carefully and laid her to rest on his lap. He leaned back and looked at his friends as he tried to calm his breathing.
"Yes, we are all safe. Thank you, Sona. Don't worry, Ayame will be fine. If you hadn't fought back when you did, I doubt I would have made it in time to save her," Saphira looked to the youngling in his lap.
Deltune ran up behind up Sona and crouched down behind his back. She threw her arms around his neck and placed her forehead against his back. "I was so scared, Sona. I thought I lost you again. How many more times can you escape death's door? I know I have no right to worry, but..." Deltune sobbed quietly into his back.
Sona reached up and placed his hands on both her arms and pulled her body tightly against his back. "I'm sorry. Even after everything Saphira had warned me about, I still succumbed to doubt and almost gave into despair," Sona sighed helplessly. 'When will I stop making her cry?' Sona mentally berated himself.
"Well, it was a good show. You handled us well for someone with no experience. There are few in this world who can summon dual spirits, let alone wield them both. You are full of surprises, Sona," Junichi spoke as he appeared beside Sona. "I shall be your shield and protect those important to you," Junichi continued.
Sona looked up at the man who now possessed a physical body. Short, chestnut hair revealed a lean, charming face. Piercing blue eyes watched attentively over the man who summoned him. He was a tall, slender man with an air of mystery that surrounded him.
"That's right, Sona. It takes great focus and years of practice, to pull it off so easily in the middle of a battle, that's incredible," Subaru laughed loudly as she patted Sona's head. "My brother is your shield and I'm your blade. As promised we will explain our current abilities," Subaru smiled at her new master.
Sona took in her appearance before she decided to sit down. She had shoulder-length chestnut hair that revealed a strong, radiant face and piercing blue eyes, the same as her brother. Smooth skin graciously complimented her hair and smile. "Wow..." Sona muttered as she took a seat beside him.
"Hmhm," Subaru giggled cutely when she caught Sona staring. "It's a long story, so you should probably get comfortable," Subaru nodded at Deltune. "She's asleep now, too. The excitement wore her out it seems."
"Allow me, Master," Junichi gently leaned down and scooped up Deltune in his arms. He walked her over to the other side of the tree and laid her down carefully.
"Thank you, Junichi," Sona bowed his head and stroked Ayame's head gently. "I owe you guys a story, too, about your names," He smiled and looked at the two siblings beside him. "There's a legend that I remember hearing, about twin siblings. A brother and a sister who were raised on the frontlines of a war zone. The country they lived in was in ruin. Their defeat was inevitable. Until," Sona paused and watched Ayame twitch in her sleep as he scratched behind her ear. "It's said a miracle was blessed upon the two children. Subaru gained the ability to heal injuries and inspire soldiers to fight even when everything seemed hopeless. Junichi had been gifted with incredible strength and a military mind for strategy that was unrivaled. With their powers, the twins were to able turn the tide of war for their country. They even spared many enemy soldiers and recruited them to their cause. You two reminded me of that story," Sona smiled as he finished his story. 'Makes me kind of homesick, but my life here is great. I wouldn't go back for anything.'
"Well, it seems we have quite the Legend to live up to, huh Juni?" Subaru chuckled softly and looked around. 'That woman is gone.' She thought referring to Saphira who was no longer present. 'Hm.'
Junichi smiled after the story and looked to Sona. "You chose our names well. It looks like I won't have to kill you," He laughed softly and cleared his throat. "Now, it's time for our story. Subaru, you wanna take this?" He looked to his sister.
"Yeah, I can do that. Okay. Our powers are unique. When you contacted us, we were powerful entities. I'm sure you felt that. However, once we are summoned, our powers are based heavily on the summoners. You are still young and inexperienced, as such, we can't access our full potential. Therefore, the stronger you become, the same will apply to us. We will reclaim our former powers. When we do, when you wield us as weapons, they will become much stronger," Subaru looked to Junichi when she finished explaining things to Sona.
"If you become strong enough, your weapons may even become magical or have some other powers. Each summoner is different and our powers evolve and adapt depending on our Master's will. Never stop striving to better yourself Master. We will protect everything precious to you, but the stronger you become, the better we can fulfill our roles," Junichi finished where Subaru left off.
"In other words, I must work even harder then I have been," Sona said to himself and looked down at Ayame. She was beginning to stir.
Aether looked up from his nap and looked around for signs of trouble. When he was satisfied he laid his head back down for a little longer. Sylphia had floated over to Sona awhile ago and had been resting on top his head. "Hm. Then we need to up your training. I can speak to Deltune and Aether. I'm sure if we all put our minds together we can come up with something," Sylphia spoke up after remaining silent the whole time.
"Yeah, Juni and I can help you train. We can take turns as your weapon and opponent. One will teach you defensive tactics, the other can improve your offensive skills," Subaru chimed in with an idea.
"I can help, too," Ayame's voice chimed in softly as she rubbed her eyes sleepily. "I could use the training, too," She added and laid her head on Sona's chest. "I'm so glad," She whispered softly and sniffed silently.
"Young one, I'm glad you're okay. You had me worried," Aether walked over and laid down near the group. "Come rest over here. Let them discuss their plans for now. Sona can fill you in later," Aether suggested and looked up at Sona. He nodded and gently pushed Ayame towards Aether. She crawled over reluctantly and snuggled into Aether's feathers, letting out a soft yawn as she tried to listen to the adults speak.
"Now, I should tell you all the truth, Junich, Subaru, Aether, and Sylphia. The truth about myself," Sona looked back at the tree and smiled at Deltune. She was still fast asleep. 'I'll wake her soon, otherwise she won't sleep tonight.' He thought to himself.
"The truth about yourself?" Junichi asked inquisitively.
"What do you mean, Sona?" Subaru asked as the two of them leaned in to listen closely.
"I'm not originally from this world. I came from a different place. I was killed in that world," He looked back at Deltune and sighed. "She gave me a new life. I am here today because she helped me reincarnate into this new world. She is actually a goddess. Or rather, she was. She gave up her divinity to stay with me. I don't know why, but I'm happy she did." Sona smiled and continued his story.
He told them everything he had learned in his first week from school and Deltune. After about twenty minutes of explanations, Sona finished his story and looked around at the other people.
"Hm. You believe every word you spoke. I will believe you, too, Sona. If what you said is really true, then you've got a long road ahead of you. We can start training tomorrow. What do you say, Subaru?" Junichi looked over at his twin and cocked his head to the side.
"I'm in agreement, brother," Subaru nodded her head, her chestnut locks fell in her face. She used her hand to tuck the strands back behind her ear.
"I'm glad to start tomorrow, however my classes will resume tomorrow. We can start early or after my classes finish tomorrow. Whatever works for me," He shrugged his shoulders and closed his eyes.
"Then because you are so far behind, we will start off doing both. We will do early morning practice and afternoon sparring. Your body needs a lot of work, Sona. We will help you every step of the way. Master, put your faith in us," Junichi said and raised his chin confidently. "Three months. Give us that and you will be stronger then you ever thought possible. After your first month we will evaluate your strength. If you pass, we will start taking jobs from the school. Prepare to work your ass off," Junichi finished his plans and Subaru agreed with her brother's decision. "We start tomorrow. Enjoy the rest of your day, Master."