*Sceptre Guild, Minato Ward. Tokyo"
Reno stirred.
Darkness pressed in from every direction, thick and heavy, like wet cloth over his senses. His head throbbed. Not a normal headache. This one felt alive, buzzing, crawling, like angry insects had taken up residence inside his skull. "Why does my head feel like it's been run over by a truck…" he groaned.
" I'd call it a miracle that it feels like anything kiddo" Hanzo grinned
Reno's eyes snapped open.
Metal restraints bit into his wrists and ankles. A reinforced chair held him in place. Dim fluorescent lights flickered overhead.
And sitting casually across from him, legs crossed, was a one-eyed man with long blond hair and a relaxed grin.
Reno jumped as much as the restraints holding him back in his seat would allow.
" Who are you? Where am I?" Reno inquired. Hanzo studied him for a moment then failed to suppress another grin. " Relax kid, I don't bite". " Unless I have a reason to" he added as an afterthought.
But that did nothing to calm Reno who tried to survey the darkened room. " You're in one of Sceptre's guild holding cell, whether or not you get out depends on how you answer my questions"
Reno narrowed his eyes. "Sceptre?"
"Guild of professional demon exterminators. Sorcerers. Weirdos. Overworked heroes. Pick your label."
He leaned forward.
"My name's Hanzo."
Reno glared at the man sitting opposite him. " My first question is which is your preferred brand of bike Kawasaki or Ducati?"
Reno now looked confused. "What?" "What's your preferred brand of bike, Kawasaki or Ducati?" Hanzo asked cheerfully. Reno stared at his interrogator and mentally face palmed.
"That's your first question?" Reno grounf out, barely able to contain his irritation.
"Yes, I need that to ascertain what kind of individual I'm dealing with"
'How does that even stand as a question to ascertain a stranger's personality' he wondered but seeing his interrogator's persistence at the question.
" Err well I think I'll prefer a Kawasaki". "Hmm" Hanzo nodded. " Now what am I doing here?" Reno asked. " Oh yeah, about that… firstly I'd like to ask if you have any memories of yesterday"
" Mem…" Reno paused and tried to remember, he saw mental pictures of himself leaving work, heading to a convenience store and then coming across a demon.
Having come so far his mind pressed play and his memories of last night came flooding in up until he lost control of himself. " What did I do?" He gasped. "Nothing fortunately, except exorcising a demon and an attempt at attacking" Hanzo shrugged.
'I killed it?' Reno wondered, not sure whether he should be happy or devastated right now. " Do you know what you are, Reno?" Hanzo asked, his tone serious.
Right now he wasn't so sure, it wasn't everyday a human killed a demon and lived to forget it, then got abducted and called his name by a stranger he'd never met.
"Tell me have you been having any dreams of the veil realm recently?" Hanzo asked again.
"Veil Realm? What's that?" Reno asked in confusion. " It's what we sorcerer guilds call… hell, so tell me have you been having any dreams of it"
Something about this man's gaze told Reno that lying to him would only be a bad idea. " Yeah, for as long as I can remember" he confessed.
Before last night… what was your biggest worry?"
Reno hesitated."Uh… paying rent. My boss yelling at me. Being late for work."
Hanzo studied him."Good," he said.
"Good?".
"Means you weren't dreaming of power or violence. You were living like a normal human."
Reno shifted and Hanzo continued. "What did you feel when you transformed?"
Reno swallowed. "Like I disappeared. Like someone else took the wheel."
Hanzo's jaw tightened. "That's bad," he murmured. Reno's heart skipped. "Bad how?"
"Means you don't control it yet."
Hanzo leaned back."Next question. Your dreams."Reno stiffened. "Do you see fire?" Hanzo asked. "Chains? Ruins? Screaming skies?"
Reno froze. "…Yes."
"Do you walk freely?"
"No," Reno whispered. "I'm always running. Something's chasing me.". Hanzo exhaled slowly."So it's active already…"
Reno frowned. "What's active?"
"Later."
Silence stretched, then Hanzo spoke again. "You killed a demon, how does that make you feel?"
Reno stared at the floor.
"Sick, proud and terrified, All at once."
Hanzo nodded."Healthy answer." Reno looked up. "Healthy?". "Means you're still human.". Hanzo leaned forward now.
"Did your parents ever tell you anything… strange about your birth?"
Reno hesitated. "My mom used to say I was born during some eclipse. She called it a bad omen."
Hanzo's visible eye widened slightly. "An eclipse…"He muttered something under his breath. Then: "If mastering your power meant hurting innocent people… would you do it?"
Reno answered instantly. "No."
"Even if it meant dying?". "Yes.". Hanzo stared at him for a long moment. Then he laughed softly.
"Damn. You passed."
"Passed what?"
"The test of not becoming a monster."
Hanzo stood. "Now that I'm sure of your motives, here's a few truths you should know. I believe you're some offspring of a colossal demon, hard to tell what rank it is right now but should be something evident also an execution order has been placed on your head and all four guilds now want you dead including mine"
Reno's eyes widened when he heard this. 'So demons, executions and destiny. Great just great'.
" I thought you said I passed?"
Hanzo gave a cheerful smile. " Yeah passed my requirements but the others might not think the same kid"
" But I've got an offer for you. Join Sceptre, train, learn control and live with purpose." He pointed behind him. "Or walk out that door and spend the rest of your life being hunted."
Reno stared, heart racing.
"Honestly I don't think you'll last more than three hours at most… definitely less if I have to be the one who comes for you" Hanzo muttered genuinely worried about tha
t possibility.
"…If I join," he asked quietly, "will I stay human?" Hanzo smiled. "I'll make sure of it."