Prologue

“The percentage of evil beings found in Japan has increased by a total of fourteen percent. That’s more than it has increased in the last ten years put together.”

“We have had a decline in fighters. The evil is getting stronger, we’re losing people.”

“Our guild won’t last much longer this way. We need more fighters.”

“Spirits are continuously refusing nowadays—we’ve had to force some of them to fight with us. They’re tools, weapons. They should feel honored that we’re sparing them a moment to talk to them and ask them to join us.”

“The times are changing, but we’re not changing with them. What is the council going to do about this? Without a change in how we’re doing things, the Chosen Ones will all die.”

“The damn spirits won’t cooperate! They’re not holding true to their end of the deal!”

“What do you think of this, Mamoru?”

Silence…

“Mamoru? Mamoru?”

Burnt red colored eyes slowly opened to look at all the masters of the guilds, a simple sweeping gaze before the eyes closed once more. “We lose,” was the two worded phrase that slipped past soft lips, a slight smirk appearing on his lips at the chaos that erupted not a mere second after the words were uttered. He had expected as such. The masters of the guild weren’t very level headed, neither was he himself. However, he enjoyed his fun quite a bit and hearing the screams of outrage did nothing but amuse the brunette. Deliberately, he stood up, opening his eyes once more.

“The answer,” the hall fell silent, “is simple.”

“Well, what is it, then?” One of the guild masters yelled, a series of similar screams echoing through the hall. Mamoru sighed softly, running his fingers through his brown locks, burnt red orbs resting on his fellow guild masters, not understanding their panic.

“Find new fighters, train them, and have them find a spirit to make loyal to them. That is the only way for we are fighting a battle we cannot afford to lose,” Mamoru stated, giving a slight nod of his head, pushing his chair in.

“Great, that was useless,” someone muttered and Mamoru stopped in his place, foot just slightly raised from the ground to take another step, but instead he spun on his heel, slamming his foot down to stop his body, facing the guild master who had spoken.

“I beg your pardon?”

“Have you not been listening to us? The spirits are refusing to make contracts with us. None of our members have managed to get a new spirit.”

“Fight me, then. If you do not want to take my advice, don’t. But fight me and let me show you why you guys have not managed to get a new spirit,” Mamoru gritted out, his tone steady, but his eyes were flaming with somewhat of a mixture between irritated and angry.

“Very well, then,” the guild master responded, a confident smile appearing on her lips. She rose from her chair and Mamoru immediately thought of everything he knew about her and her spirits. She was a tough one, but he knew his victory was certain. Blinking at the clothes she was wearing, Mamoru couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow at the fishnet tights, the tight black mini skirt, and the skin tight black shirt that cut off right before her belly button and left her shoulders revealed, exposing the creamy skin of her collar bone and pushing her breasts up and together to make her cleavage appear bigger. Her black hair was brushed and seemed to flow like a black ocean when she moved, her bangs swept to the side effectively covering her left eye. “Like what you see?” the guild master, going by the name of Tsubaki, mused with a smirk and Mamoru blinked.

“Quite opposite, actually,” he muttered and the woman stood there dumbfounded for a moment before she quickly recollected herself, giving him a glare as she got into position, pushing her chair in before stepping away from it, standing with her feet together, one knee slightly bent, hand going to her chest. There was a small glimmer of light and she pulled a card out from the center of her chest, holding the card out extended in front of herself with her index and middle finger.

“Come forth, Momoro,” Tsubaki commanded, her arm straightening in an instant, the card leaping from her fingers and seeming to remain placid in the air before with a burst of light, the card morphed into a person. A girl landed lightly on her feet next to Tsubaki, holding a black hand fan that seemed perfectly harmless for the time being.

“You called?” The spirit that had been summoned through the card, Momoro, asked, raising a fine blonde brow.

“You’re fighting,” Tsubaki instructed and Momoro sighed softly before giving a sharp flick of her wrist, her fan duplicating and she brandished both fans in front of her, blades appearing on the end of the fans and Mamoru’s eye widened slightly in surprise as the spirit lunged forward, moving quickly towards him. She gave a swing with one of her fans and he barely managed to dodge the move. The second fan came, though, and he moved the left, feeling a sting on his cheek from where the fan managed to cut. Flipping onto the table in the hall, Mamoru grinned, yanking his sleeve up and placing his hand on top of it.

“Come, Kyo!”

There was a glitter of red light before a card emerged, smoothly transitioning between a card and a person, unlike Tsubaki’s flashy show from before. An orange haired boy landed in front of Mamoru, its figure tense. “How may I help you?”

“You wanted to be set free, right?” Mamoru asked, jumping back as Momoro lunged towards them, landing off the table while Kyo jumped up, grabbing onto one of the lights and swinging a bit, he kicked his legs, releasing himself and landing neatly next to Mamoru.

“Y-yeah...”

“Wish granted, sweetie. I had to keep you for a bit longer until this moment. Sorry about that,” Mamoru said, taking the blood from the cut he had received of his cheek earlier and he drew a line on Kyo’s forehead before drawing another line through it, forming a cross. “With the contract made two weeks ago, I release Kyo from his services and allow him to return to being a free spirit,” the brunette recited, burnt red colored orbs staring deep into dark orange. There was a small spark of red light and the cross disappeared from Kyo’s forehead. “Run, Kyo. You’re free.”

“Thank you. You truly are the kindest,” Kyo said, giving a small bow of his head before he disappeared.

“What’s he doing?”

“Is he mad?”

“He only had one spirit…”

“How’s he supposed to fight?”

“Don’t tell me he plans to summon a new one!”

“At this point in time when he’s fighting?”

“Is he mad?”

Mamoru grinned confidently, seemingly assured with himself and his beliefs. Leaping onto the table, Mamoru faced the spirit Momoro with ease, grin still in place and the blonde girl gave him a confused look as he motioned for her to come forward. Arms falling to her side, her grip on the fans tightening, deeming the action done by Mamoru to be taunting, she lunged forward. Taking three steps, she put force into the fourth step, jumping into the air and swinging her leg so that she propelled her body to spin while in the air, landing a kick on Mamoru’s shoulder before giving a swing of her arm, slicing through the fabric of the brown haired male’s shirt, cutting the skin just slightly, Mamoru managing to evade any serious harm with a simple step back.

Doing a back flip off of the table, he landed on his feet on the floor, pressing his thumb to the cut on his shoulder and crouching, placing his palm on the floor with a firm slap, the sound resounding through the hall. Momoro seemed to notice what he was doing and her eyes widened in surprise, quickly stepping along the long table to stop him. However she was a second to late as a pentagon opened at Mamoru’s feet, walls forming from all the sides, creating a safe barrier. Momoro’s body seemed to bounce of the wall, sending her skidding back on the table.

“Well, as exciting as this all was, I believe it’s about time I ended this,” Mamoru said as he stood up, grin from earlier on still managing to be in place and he laughed at Tsubaki’s reaction.

“Y-you’re going to—” Tsubaki began and Mamoru’s grin disappeared, red eyes seeming to darken as a serious look took place on his face that normally only carried a playful or amused expression.

“I’m going to show you how to make a contract with a spirit,” he stated firmly, casting a look around the hall. “All of you pay attention.” With those as his final words, Mamoru raised him hand, the pentagon and its walls glowing red, small sparks beginning to create on the walls and the floor inside the pentagon seemed to glow red with white, five circles appearing at each vertex of the of the pentagon. Taking his thumb, he dabbed it in the blood from his shoulder before wiping the blood on the pad of his finger onto his arm in a line. Raising his left hand up, the crimson blood in the line on his left arm lit up, burning itself into lines in the form of his name.

“Mamoru!”

“Read my mind, spirits that dwell within this land. One of you step forward and lend me your support for eternity and beyond. I summon thee!” Mamoru’s eyes slid shut and he felt the skin on his arm burning, his name seeming to glow like fire burning the perfect wood. Silence filled the room and Mamoru stayed perfectly still, eyes closed, letting his thoughts sort themselves out.

“No spirit is going to come.”

“They’re refusing to cooperate.”

“He’s making a fool out of himself.”

“Mamoru, the protector… You have summoned a spirit, but I’m not sure if I’ll do. I apologize for the wait…”

Mamoru’s eyes slowly slid open, burnt red orbs meeting crimson red eyes and he looked at the male before him, eyes taking in the ivory skin, the silver hair, the crimson orbs, the pink lips, the slightly muscled body that showed he had strength, but still kept one guessing how far his limit was.

“He summoned one.”

“He actually summoned one.”

“He looks like a teenager.”

“Is he going to be of any use? He doesn’t look like much.”

“He looks useless.”

“Name?” Mamoru uttered the one word, lowering his hand, taking the male’s hand and gently clasping it in his own.

“It’s Orochi.” A small smile appeared on the silver haired male’s lips.

“Orochi?”

“The mythical creature?”

“Big snake?”

“Is it possible?”

“He summoned Orochi?”

“You’re perfect…” Mamoru breathed out before leaning forward and pressing his forehead to Orochi’s, eyes closing. “Do you wish to form a contract with me, Orochi?”

“I do.”

“Then, it shall be so.” Mamoru pulled back, lifting Orochi’s arm which was bare due to the fact that the male was wearing a black zip-up tank top with tight black jeans and white converses. Mamuro took his blood once more, pressing into the wound on his shoulder hard so that the blood flowed again, bringing his thumb to the skin of Orochi’s arm and drawing a line, watching as the blood formed into his name.

Wincing slightly in pain from the burn, Orochi gritted his teeth a bit before he brought his own hand to his mouth, parting his lips to expose two fangs, pricking his finger on one of them and he slid the finger which blood was pulsing from down his left arm, his blood burning itself into his own name. Unlike Mamuro’s name that was burned in red, his own name was burned in silver. Taking Mamuro’s right arm, Orochi drew a line of blood on the skin there, watching the crimson blood burn itself to a silver and spread in the form of his name. “Done…”

“Do you wish to seal this contract?”

“I do…”

“The contract is sealed, then. From the power of the Chosen Ones and the Summoned Ones, I proclaim Orochi as my spirit.” The pentagon burned bright red, silver sparks raining down before the pentagon disappeared as did the barrier.

Momoro seemed to take this chance to immediately spring into action, lashing out her fans in the form of an ‘x’. Orochi seemed to react swiftly, moving with the striking quickness of a snake, pupils turning into slits and a whip appeared in his hand. Giving a flick of his wrist, the whip lashed out, wrapping around Momoro’s wrists tightly and the blonde haired girl cried out in pain, her fans dropping from her hands and falling onto the floor.

“L-let me go!” The blonde haired girl cried and Orochi smirked, tongue flicking out for a second, everyone in the hall able to see the forked end for the brief second it was out. Raising his arm, the whip released Momoro’s wrists, letting her rub the pale skin marred red, but the whip was lashed out once more, striking her in the side with a great force, sending her flying to the side.

“Orochi…” Mamoru mumbled and Orochi’s crimson orbs gleamed.

“Weapon?”

“Snake sword.”

“Weapon identified…” Orochi murmured, voice holding a slightly dangerous tone and he walked forward, whip coiling around his own wrist and solidifying there like a bracelet and with a silver spark, a blade began coming out of Orochi’s palm, the blade bright and shining and Momoro’s eyes widened to the size of saucers.

“N-n-no,” she gasped, struggling to stand, but the force from the whip had knocked the breath out of her and her strength had depleted as she struggled to breathe properly. Slowly climbing to her feet, her blue eyes landed on the sword in Orochi’s hand, glimmering like it wanted to eat her.

“See you,” Orochi hissed softly, drawing out the ‘s’, tongue flicking out once more and he drove the sword forward. A sickening shriek was heard and Momoro collapsed, twitching before she laid still.

“Momoro, wake up!” Tsubaki cried and Orochi picked up the spirit, carrying her to Tsubaki and dropping the blonde haired girl in front of the guild master. Jumping over the table, Orochi’s pupils returned to normal and his tongue was normal once more, the sword disappearing.

“Let’s go…” Mamoru murmured, earning a slight nod in response. The pair walked to the door; exiting but not before one sentence reached their ears causing Mamoru to smile.

“Just what you’d expect from the strongest guild...”

Hey, everyone o/ So, here's the prologue. It ended up being way longer than I expected-- it was 2,476 words which is a very long prologue for me to write, so my hands are really sore XD So, I hope you enjoyed the prologue and expect the first chapter to be out soon hopefully.

Um, just so you guys know, this is how Tsubaki and Momoro are supposed to look so that you have an idea because I'm bad at describing people, as I told you before. There's also Kyo, for those of you who were wondering also.

Tsubaki:

Momoro:

Kyo:

So, yeah. I changed Tsubaki's outfit in the story.

Please subscribe and comment. Upvote if you can and want to, please.

--Dei