Chapter 18: Mad Beast

Inside an office somewhere in the same building…

A man that looked to be in his fifties, with grey hair tied regally behind his head in a top-knot, stood before a floor to ceiling window that took up a section of his office wall. He sipped some tea out of an exquisitely decorated cup, pausing each time to savor the taste as he watched students out on the field below, locked in various sparring sessions.

A trace of pride and accomplishment flickered in his eyes as he watched, before it was replaced with a tinge of concern… and something more…

“So, the boy has shown receptiveness?”He asked without turning back to face the other person in the room.

“Yes, headmaster, he did, just a few minutes ago.” The other person replied curtly. “Micah Fugger left the premises immediately after. His destination is unknown.”

“Hmm… Troublesome.” The grey-haired man rubbed his neatly-shaped beard in deep thought. “Such daring… Fugger understands that direct conflict with a boy so young would be an unforgivable breach of conduct for me… But does he think I have any qualms if it were from someone his age?”

The person looked up at the headmaster with a slight bit of understanding behind their eyes. “Shall I arrange for someone to—”

“That won’t be necessary, Philip.” The headmaster waved a hand. “To orchestrate such a petty ambush is simply not elegant. Yes, only those of his peer group can be allowed to engage, but it must retain the structure of a contest. It ceases to be a contest the moment the opposition is entirely incapable of defending itself.”

“Simply keep proper watch as you have been, and report to me the latest developments,” he dismissed with another wave of his hand, all while looking out the window without turning back.

“Caretaker Fugger thinks he can simply bring a boy of unknown origins, one who has been corroded by soul masses, and have him take the spot of an honest, hardworking student of mine?” he scoffed. “Impossible. First, we shall see how well his claims of the boy’s talent holds up. I refuse to believe the boy will awaken, still sane, from such a degree of corrosion.”

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After twenty days, Finn awoke, sane.

He could speak, move, and walk already. The only senses he still lacked were his sense of sight, smell, and taste. Finn had found it easier to regain the rest of his senses after he won back some modicum of his mobility, but surprisingly, those last three — sight, smell and taste — had proven extremely difficult to regain after that.

He could understand the difficulty of regaining sight, as it was a very vital sense to perceive the world. But taste and smell? Why did those two prove difficult to regain?

Finn sat on the edge of his bed as Isis slowly guided him in taking control of those senses.

“The key lies in visualization. But since you haven’t yet created your ’Soul Register’, it will be harder on you. It could be any soul mass from the twenty that reside in you that controls any of those three senses.” She explained the tips she personally knew, as Finn scrunched up his face in focus. “But since you were able to do it without aid, you should be able to with this also. Focus, Finn… and visualize…”

He scrunched his face harder at her words, trying to visualize himself invading the space in his mind where the soul masses resided. But no matter how he tried, he could no longer feel their presence. That was what had plagued ever since he started trying.

It was almost as though the soul masses had put up a veil that shrouded their positions, making it hard for Finn to pinpoint.

This is the work of one soul mass. Finn concluded in his mind. He didn’t know how, but he could tell from his gut that a single soul mass was the cause of his current condition. A soul mass that was previously dormant had awakened as he won back more of his senses, it was what shrouded the positions of the others.

Finn let out a strained sigh, gasping after exerting himself. “It’s no use. I can’t even feel them at all.” He shook his head.

“It’s alright, no need to force yourself now. Even if it’s slow, at some point, you’ll eventually triumph.”

Finn frowned. “Wow. Such inspiring words, Isis. I’m blind. I can’t tell when I eat the best fucking food in world or literal shit. I can’t smell shit for shit either, and you’re spewing some goody-motivational pacifistic shit like I’m some dumb two-year old who doesn’t know when he’s fucked?!!”

Isis nodded slowly, raising her hand in surrender even though Finn couldn’t see her. “Okay, Finn, you need to calm down—”

“No! I won’t fucking calm down, Isis. I won’t fucking calm down at all. Who is that gonna help, huh? Me? What has calming down fucking done to help so far?!” Finn rubbed his hands across his neck, growing increasingly agitated.

“—Finn. Like I’ve said before, the soul debts you ’devoured’ to regain your senses are still very much there, but have simply changed clauses to something else,” she slowly explained, trying to diffuse Finn’s escalating agitation. “The discomfort and agitation you’re feeling right now is only being caused by a new debt you don’t know yet.”

“And I’ve said! Tell me what the new debt is!” Finn yelled, his voice growing dangerous as he rubbed at his own neck more frantically.

“I cannot.”

“Huh?” His voice suddenly took on a weird, chilling tone, as though he were many,

making Isis frown deeper, before an understanding flickered in her eyes.

“I said, I cannot… What are you gonna do about it?” she goaded with intent.

“W—What am I gonna do about it?” Finn chuckled with madness leaking out of his voice, turning his head straight at Isis as though he could see her.

“You want to know what I’m gonna do?! I’m gonna sink my teeth into that soft throat of yours, and I’m gonna suck every last bit of blood out your body, until you are a wrinkled up, dry husk of skin and bones, and then I’d chew on your weak and feeble remains until there’s nothing left of you to recognize!!” Finn snarled and charged straight at Isis like a mad beast.

But just as he was about to reach her, his body jerked to a sudden stop, unable to move forward.

Chains from nowhere had materialized and bound Finn’s body in place even as he struggled and writhed.

“Hmm. So it’s the shadow manifestation… The shadow wolf soul mass. ” Isis frowned.

“And the new soul debt is blood, huh? You require blood.” She rubbed a palm across her face in exasperation as Finn bared his teeth and snapped his jaws like an animal, straining his neck to reach her from under his restraints. “This is so not gonna help your case against that old geezer…”

And as if confirming her words, the headmaster himself, for the very first time, walked right into the room, unannounced, shocking Isis into a fright.

His gaze was locked solely on Finn, placid and uncaring, as though he was looking at an animal.

The headmaster himself?! Shit! I can’t do anything against someone like him!! Where is that guy when you need him the most?! I’ll be gone for a few days, my ass! What the hell has he been up to?!

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