Rise of the Spiritualist: Entry Three

Rise of the Spiritualist: Entry Three

Rise of the Spiritualist: The Personal Accounts from the Events of Shiro-Ryu High School from the Memories of Leonardo Yarafen Krilangi

Third Entry.

I think it's important that you, my dear readers, know of my past, that you might better understand who I was in life when I am dead and gone. To this end, I shall briefly share with you a quick summary of the significant events in my life.

I grew up as any child would until I reached the age of nine. On the night of my ninth birthday, I took part in a traditional ceremony that initiated my existence as a warrior monk, he who mediates between the living and the dead. From then on, I became a master of the elements, one who would keep a rightful balance in the world. This is the principal essence of the warrior monks.

You may be wondering about the origin of the tattoos covering my body. They are the symbol of one's birthright as a warrior monk: a calling card, if you will. On the evening of my ninth birthday, my father Carlo and my grandfather Sylas painted these runic symbols upon my hands, arms, torso, and face with black ink. The two of them recited a strange incantation, and...I blacked out for an hour or two. When I regained consciousness, I immediately saw that the tattoos on my skin were glowing softly and radiating some sort of energy. This ritual acted as my passage into the order of warrior monks.

From that day forward, my father and grandfather taught me everything I needed to know, from basic fighting techniques and defensive maneuvers to simple chakra. Once I had learned how to properly use my powers, I set out on my own to foster my own strength, to seek new challenges, and to carry out my duty. Thus did I wander from city to city, funding my journey by performing exorcisms and providing various services to various people. In the process, I gained new powers, refined my basic techniques, and grew quite wise in the ways of the world.

But none of that knowledge, power, or technique helped me when I returned to the school from my battle with Forte.

When I spotted the Elementalists, I saw them doing battle with a familiar young man, one I had seen fighting beside them once before. It took me a minute to recognize him as Chris, Ryden's good friend. I had no idea why he had chosen to betray us, but seeing him beat down my comrades one after another made my blood boil. I rushed to their aid, darting through the shadows to remain unseen.

As Ryoko Belmont launched a technique at the crazed Chris, I leaped into the air and cast off my dark veil, gathering electric energy to my hands as I began to fall. He had managed to block her attack with his halberd, but I knew he'd be open to another attack from above, so long as he had to fend her off as well.

"ELECTRIC RAIN!!!"

Hundreds of arcing electric tendrils shot from my fingers and rocketed at Chris. To my alarm, however, he swung his free hand up at my attack, and the countless bolts of lightning went off-course, screeching into the night. Since I was still falling, I prepared myself to strike again while he was recovering from my previous attack. I twisted in mid-air and brought my heel crashing down on his head. When my foot made contact, I dropped my guard, and I was caught unprepared when I realized that Chris had brought up a second halberd into his free hand and blocked my kick with it.

A blast of energy forced both Belmont and I off of the rooftop we had been battling Chris from. She locked her twin swords together and made from them a scythe, while I prepared to use another chakra.

"We can't last long against him," she said. "We've got to finish him before we get too tired."

"If that's how it has to be done," I responded, "then it shall be done."

Belmont and I launched ourselves up at Chris just as he leaped down from his perch at us. All three of us attacked at once, but Chris completely overwhelmed us with his sheer strength. He blocked both of our assaults with his dual weapons and hit us both with a massive wave of elemental energy, driving us into the pavement below. I blacked out almost immediately upon impact, utterly defeated.