It was then that he would immediately flip the table with brute Spiritual force and make the sneaky Shadows gasp for help in his hand.

"If it could ask for more help, it would be much better. I will have more clue about the extent of their powers. Let's see if you guys can survive the combine Elemental-Dragon-Spiritual Flame." Elric muttered with burning excitement as a plan started to form in his mind.

"Hey, granny! I think I pretty much figured out where to start and now I have a plan. Do you mind lending some hand?" Elric asked.

"Sure. How can I help?" Granny Kahayag replied.

"Not much. Just help me get into that sn.o.bbish younger brother's school."

"That easy? Anything else that would at least let me stretch some of my bones?"

"Naah. But I am pretty sure we would be facing those Shadows in less than five months."

"Really? How so?"

"Back when I was watching over that young man at the rooftop opposite the school. I manage to catch a faint glimpse of those Shadow's aura within the school perimeter." Elric answered with a frown.

"Yeah, I know. That one, I have been trying to trace but he is constantly hiding and I am unable to pinpoint the b.a.s.t.a.r.d's exact location." Grandma Kahayag confirmed.

"One? No. There were ten of them in total." 

"Ten!? Are you sure?!" Kahayag looked at Elric with widened eyes. She was pretty sure that there was only one Shadow that had been sneaking around Long's school. But if Elric is right that there were ten, then how the heck did they find a way to escape her detection?

One must know, Kahayag had a unique spiritual monitoring system that will alert her of every soul's movement within her territory - Long's school included. It was because of this incredible spiritual sense that she possesses which allowed her to catch those Shadows before they could victimize anyone. As long as they are not a high ranked Shadow like the one who took grandma Beth's soul, Kahayag is confident enough to deal against all of the low tiered Shadows on her own.

But if the numbers that Elric mentioned actually turns out to be true, then there must be something going on on the enemy's side. How they managed to bypa.s.s her detection could pose a potential danger in the future and she might end up failing in her promise to protect those two.

"Are you.. really sure there were ten of them?" Granma Kahayag asked again.

Elric nodded and replied, "There were nine of them who seems to have a weaker aura compared to the last one closest to Long's location. It was probably the one you have been tracing. But by the moment that you suddenly appeared, everyone except the one with the strongest aura had suddenly hidden. Like ghosts, they blended with the darkness. But the one who emitted the strongest aura remained there but kept his aura incredibly weak and pretended like one of those weaker ones."

Elric detailed everything he saw that day. From far away, he noticed this faint aura of shadow-like beings scattered across the school building.

At first, Elric had no idea what they were and thought maybe they are just another form of secret living ent.i.ties in the human realm. And them trying to hide from Kahayag's presence might mean they are just trying to survive.

But as it turns out, they were the main culprit of his grandma's lost soul. And if only Elric knew about it, he would have made the first move right away.

Elric and grandma talked for a while and discussed their next actions to take. For the next five months, before the lunar eclipse and the opening of the realm gate to the Realm of Darkness, Elric has set his mind to protect the last two remaining Eastern Dragons and capture those shadows for interrogation, learn more about them, and possibly learn about the state of grandma Beth's soul.

Elric's first night back in his homeland was full of fortuitous encounters and revelation. Thanks to his superior mind, he was able to accept everything and device a plan with a clear head. Normal people would have ended up wailing in despair knowing their parent's soul was taken. But the Elric right now was not the same before. 

Tempered by countless battles and life and death encounters, his mind has long been steeled. Not to mention the awakened blood of Lapu-Lapu inside him, he was not as stupid and naive as before. He now faces his challenges with a confident eye and a c.o.c.ky grin. 

The bad boy Elric is coming to town.

***

It was a day later and Lesse was busy cooking breakfast. Her elegant and beautiful face reflected in the silverware as she gracefully tasted the food she was preparing. Her flower painted ap.r.o.n covered her slender body as slowly, her red small lips took small sips of the soup she was preparing and a delighted glow from her eyes followed after.

"I'm off to school now." Long's usually cold and sn.o.bbish voice came from behind. He was already wearing his light-blue school uniform paired with black slacks and shoes. His red and green sling bag dangling on the side.

"Eat your breakfast first," Lesse commanded.

"I am not hungry and I am getting late." Long continued walking without sparing her a glance but just when he was about to grab the doork.n.o.b...

SHOOOK~

STAB!

A sharp knife flew over across the kitchen and planted stiffly on the wooden door just inches away from the doork.n.o.b that Long was about to grab.

Seeing the sharp glint of the kitchen knife still vibrating from the impact, Long could feel his back suddenly drenched in sweat. He knew pretty much how scary Lesse becomes when she gets mad.

And right now, despite Lesse losing her Dragon essence, he could still feel her powerful and domineering aura, and the memories of his past getting his a.s.s kicked so bad by his sister resurfaced again.

It was a memory that would hunt him sometimes in his sleep.

"M-maybe I can take a sip." Long turned around, walked obediently towards the table, sat slowly and took the chopsticks like an obedient little boy.

"Take off your bag when you are eating!" Lesse added with a stern gaze.

Long did as she said and they both started eating their breakfast diligently.

Now wearing back her normal graceful expression, Lesse looked at Long's direction and asked,

"Do you remember what I told you about yesterday?"

"That Otaku next door?"  Long asked.

Lesse nodded in confirmation.

"Hmp! You are worried that he is a Dragon hunter or an agent?" Long started gobbling his food like a hungry lion. He hates it when his sister overreacts on almost everything. He knows she was just concerned about him but still, ten years of overreacting from suspicious people could easily get in his nerve.

"I have my means to deal with him." Long proudly gulped the last drop of his soup and stood up. 

"Xièxiè." He said as he grabbed his bag and finally left.

Lesse could only watch his back as she was feeling incredibly uneasy lately, especially whenever she recalls that otaku's face. He felt incredibly familiar but she was unable to connect him from anything from her past other than meeting him for the first time yesterday.

***

Long had just taken a few steps away from their door when he heard another door opening and closing from his back. 

"Hey! Mister handsome wait!" Elric's shout came from behind.  Long pretended he never heard him and continued walking towards the exit with a cold expression.

THUD!

Hearing the sudden thud, Long could not help his curiosity and decided to look behind.

Elric's face was planted pathetically on the wooden floor. He seems to have stepped over his slacks. He raised his head and revealed a pathetic and clumsy-looking guy.

Standing up, Elric undusted himself while giggling cheerfully and took his dropped eye-gla.s.s. Of course, he did not forget to act like a perfect near-sighted nerd by squinting his eyes as he pulled in his gla.s.ses.

"Tsk tsk.." Long clicked his tongue watching the pathetic looking guy whom his sister warned him about.

With his incredible senses, he scanned Elric's body from top and bottom including his aura and he could not help but helplessly sigh at the man's incredibly weak aura and disposition of a cla.s.sic nerd.

He may have a good body but with those poor eyes and clumsy movements, Long could only imagine the bullying this guy took in his entire life.

He can't do anything about it. Not matter how they try or build themselves, humans are still incredibly weak after all. A single punch from Long is even good enough to knock a bulky old man straight to the floor.

"E-excuse me, it seems like we have the same uniform. Do you go to Cebu University too?"  Elric asked as he clumsily chased after Long and walked beside him.

"Stay away from me a rat," Long warned Elric with a threatening gaze. Elric stumbled back, not expecting the other guy's incredibly cold att.i.tude.

"Like sister like brother indeed." Elric thought as he recomposed himself and chased after the leaving Long. Not paying heed to Long's threatening gaze, Elric just walked along with him as if an a.s.suming best friend.

"Name is Elric by the way and I came from Bantayan island. It is my first time here in the city and I came to Cebu to study computers! My dream is to become a computer programmer as it is one of the highest paying jobs according to my uncles and I will do whatever it takes to become the Magna c.u.m Laude! I may be an irregular student but I believe nothing is impossible as long as we work hard. Right?" 

Elric's mouth became a chatterbox as he walked along with Long and the latter could not help but crack his knuckles from irritation.

"My favorite subject is English, science, and Filipino. I suck at math but my favorite one is, of course, break time! Do you play Dota too? I spent most of my day playing them back on the island. It was really fun you know..."

As Elric continued to talk like an annoying parrot, a snapped Long was finally unleashed.

"Shut up rat!"

WHAM!~

With a forceful swing, Long gave Elric a crunchy punch to his guts and the latter immediately curled down in abdominal pain.

"Name's Long. Talk to me again and you will have a 'long' time sleeping in the hospital." Long said after teaching Elric a taste of his hard knuckles and leaving him behind. The people in the surroundings could only gasp in shock. Some of the pa.s.sersby were complaining at the show and was about to chase after long to apprehend him.

"Aaahck~ I- I-I am okay! I'm okay! He is my friend! We just have some misunderstanding but I am okay! My body is made of rock you know! Hahaha!" Elric laughed with a pathetic look.