We ended up walking about 3 blocks from our previous position towards an abandoned house. Apparently it was one of those houses that never got sold for some reason and ended up covered in vines and weeds making it even more unwanted. I don't really remember a house like that but it’s mostly because I had no interest in such things. I honestly was far more interested in the female population more than any old abandoned buildings. Actually, I was more interested in the female population more than anything. We crossed an intersection and saw the old building. It looked so rundown that I thought it could fall at any moment.

It was an old wooden house that was larger than expected. It probably belonged to an old folks couple and they died or something. Looking big enough to have at least 3 rooms I guess it can do for now. It had 2 normal sized windows above a 3rd which was the size of three combined letting us see inside somewhat. Or, should I say it would have if the window wasn’t so fucking dirty? There’s a small brick wall that seems to surround the property. I was originally hoping for some abandoned warehouse and mentally called myself a fool for hoping for something so cartoonish but the weaklings we beat up told us that there are some warehouses but all the ones he knew of belonged to a gang. No doubt that after we take down a big enough Family, I’m immediately taking a warehouse as spoils of war.

We stop in front of the houses flimsy metal gate that had no lock on it, probably broken or rusted off a long time ago. I can’t help but find this weird. Why isn’t this place sold yet? It doesn’t make since, the property is pretty big and with a little fixing up it can surely be sold. I open the gate and walk towards the base in excitement. Sure this place looks awful but that’s only because it’s old. We can fix this place up and it’ll be perfect for a personal house which I can use while the rest of the Family uses the warehouse. Once I get it of course.

“Xavior-” Eugene speaks up but I cut him off.

“Xeno.” I say firmly with the smile still on my face as we open the door. Dust and dirt breach my senses but I smile through it anyway, not letting it affect me. PJ and Eugene started coughing though. Through his fit Eugene asks me a question.

“Excuse me?” he can’t help but asks confused.

“Call me Xeno, we are Family from now on after all. It’s short for Xavior. Or not ” I say with a shrug, “I just like the name.” I begin observing the house. Literally nothing is here except dust and dirt. It seems it’s been pillaged or the previous owners took everything with them. Usually there’s a fridge in the kitchen but not even that’s there. The living room is big and empty. At the end of the room there is a counter that separates it from a kitchen similarly to a bar. The kitchen is comfortably large and can hold about 4-5 people before it gets crowded. To the left of us is a staircase that leads upstairs.

“Well, Xeno, what should we do now?” he asks confused. I understand, I mean, I just led them to an abandoned house the first day I met them. This all must pretty confusing.

“Well PJ goes home while you stay with me. As my strategist and probably Consigliere we need to do what you’re here for and strategize. Recruitment plans, training, our first target. Basically everything that will let our new Family means to survive.”

PJ snorts, “So I can go home? Cool.” he says simply and walks out leaving only Eugene and me. He looks at me determined and I can see the cogs turning in that giant head off his but before he begins speaking I smirk and begin using the magic that I’ve been absolutely dying to test. I feel out for my magic and find it instantly. I know what a lot of you’re thinking, “How can you feel something you’ve never felt before?!”. Well to that….I have no answer. The mana inside feels like...it’s been there all along but for the first time I can feel it. I don’t know how to explain it. It;s confusing yet I feel it with so much clarity now. It’s like...like a second heart beat on the right side of my chest, humming inside my body. Really, the only way I can explain it is...power. Pure power inside me that was always there but never reachable. There but not there. I try to force that power out of me and into the middle of the room.

It feels like oil is forcing it’s way through my veins and barely any comes out but nonetheless it was working. Eugene clearly see’s I’m focused and doesn’t anything as I continue until finally it happens. I see the table legs building from nothing as I focus on creating it from the ground up! No, not nothing, from magic! My magic! I continue imagining a simple wooden table with no designs and to be truthful looked quite shabby. It took about 30 seconds to make the table and 2 chairs. At the end of the process I couldn’t help but flop down into my recently created chair. I only have 10MP left and the second heart or mana core feels weak. I look up at Eugene staring at me and the table with a calculating expression.

Hm...I was expecting more of a scream and freak out but this is cool too. I don’t think I have the energy to chase a screaming panicked nerd. However, it’s still unusual for him to not be freaking out. Could it be because of his 100% loyalty meter? Does this mean that he’ll accept anything I say and do without thought? No...no he’s clearly stunned and in deep thought right now. I mean look at his face! He looks constipated, if I wasn’t so tired I’d have been laughing my ass off already. Oh, it seems he finally has his thoughts together. He sits down in the other chair and looks at me seriously. Oh, I like that look in his eye.

“What did you just do, how did you do it, and why did you wait to send PJ away before you did it?” Eugene says with a serious face. His relationship meter didn’t go down so he doesn’t think I’m a monster or anything. Wait, once you reach 100% can it even go down? It did say we were connected in Life and Death.

“Well obviously I created a table and chairs. Duh. I did it by using this handy little thing I call magic, and because I don’t trust PJ with this information yet.” I say with a smile. The amount emotions flashing through his eyes sends me chuckling like a madman. We sit there for a good 5 minutes, and that’s not an exaggeration, I was counting! The guy is just staring at me and to be honest it went from funny to just creepy. Before I get say anything the man is out of his chair and right in front of me. I can’t help but lean back. Fast! Not as fast I could go but faster than I ever expected him to in his current power.

“How did you get this power?! Can I get it too?! I can’t believe it! A real Life Magi in front of me! Did you sell your soul?! Who did you sell your soul to get this power?!??” he ends up yelling at me. Wait, is this bastard planning on selling his soul?!?!?.... A evil smile crawls onto my face. I’m sure I don’t need to do this but...what the hell, why not.

“This power comes at a price. I am lesser demon trying to earn his rank up through the depths of hell. For this power you have to swear on my and a gods name that you will become my servant forever.” I say not bothering to hide my devilish smile. He instantly kneels. His craziness doesn’t even surprise me anymore.

“What is a gods name can I swear upon my Lord?”

“....MUHAHAHAH” I can’t help but laugh. Willing to sell his soul so eagerly for power?! It’s ridiculously perfect! “Good! GOOD! Repeat after me, ‘I swear on my soul to my master Xavior Dark that I will serve him faithfully and in his interest or Izanami may take my soul into the Abyss!” He was right behind me, finishing mere seconds after I got done speaking. Immediately the entire house chills and gets quiet. Ahh, I remember this feeling, although it’s not as intense. I can’t help but tense up but it seems Eugene is handling it much worse than me. His kneeling position turned into his kissing the floor, barely able to move his head and control his shivers. Was I like that when I first encountered the feeling of Death? ….Nah. Without me noticing it a person wearing a black robe with a scythe was standing over Eugene. The hood seemed to cover everything and I couldn’t see a single inkling of his body though I wouldn’t be surprised if it was a skeleton under there. Yea, there’s no doubt about it, it’s a Reaper.

It swings its scythe without warning through Eugene and his back arks in agony. There is no sound though, it seems he’s in so much pain he can’t even scream. A white ball appears to be stuck on the Reaper's scythe and he slowly moves towards me. I do not move, afraid but refusing to back down. Izanami is my god. I’m safe. The Reaper's scythe blurs for a second and before I know it...it’s in my chest. But, there’s no pain like expected... in fact, I feel better than I ever have! I feel so..soo...Good!

After my high is down I fall to my knees and hands panting. I look up to see the Reapers gone and notifications.

Gained Skill: Soul Eat Different than Skill: Soul Devour, Skill: Soul Eat allows you to personally take the soul's power, doing this however, means you cannot use Skill: Soul Devour on consumed soul

I shake my head trying to get my bearings. Eugene was knocked out from the pain and I’m rejuvenated. I contemplate letting him sleep but quickly dismissing the thought. I start to kick Eugene awake. As he finally becomes lucid, I mentally send him a party invite and smile.

“Well, let’s get to work.”