Chapter 8. Whispers.

“Welcome, brother.”

That took the wind out of Santiago’s sails. Plrt was just as he had been told, a three meter tall, eight armed, big headed Elder of the Araun tribe. Though he was a True Daemon in reality, only looking like an Elder.

What wasn’t as he was told was how Plrt looked at him, with affection like that held for a brother. He had expected hatred, or love of another kind, but not brotherly fondness.

“Surprised?” Elder body language was difficult for humans to gauge, but Santiago could feel mirth in Plrt’s six eyes. “I have not seen your father for decades, so I am not surprised he yet believes me to be crushing on him. But the love I feel for him is the love for a mentor, a father. What he taught me that day showed me the true reality of myself.”

“What was it?” Santiago paused for a moment and continued. “And while I am willing to believe that you mistook your affection for one of another kind, what exactly did my father do to, well…”

“That I love this city, and wish to protect it. As for your second question, he knew what I just said and manipulated me according to those feelings. Once he left with his bounty he told me why he could play me like a fiddle, and for that I am grateful.”

“How grateful?”

“As you have guessed.” The mirth in Plrt’s eyes intensified. “I am glad you have grown like a bright man, I remember back when you were just a brat.”

Santiago felt some goosebumps.

“That means you shall help us?”

“Ignoring my stalking? You have grown strong.”

“Not helping your case.”

Indeed, Santiago was dealing with the knowledge that he had been observed for years without his knowledge by ignoring it. The more Plrt reminded him of it, the more he had the urge to run away.

“Hahaha.” His laugh was joyful, stripped of any deceit. He was truly happy to finally meet someone he considered a brother, or at least his saviour’s son, face to face. “Very well, I shall cease my ramblings.”

They were meeting in a small room, Plrt was sitting in a couch in one extreme while Santiago and his group were in a sofa in front of him. When Plrt proclaimed he would grow serious he stopped slouching in his couch.

“What does the son of my saviour desire? I am here to serve, but know that I will allow no harm to befall my city.”

His eyes grew serious, staring at his guests in utmost seriousness. His gaze was heavy, as if the one behind it was a far greater being than them. But that was what they were expecting of one that ruled over the great wild zones of the Ether Sea.

As such Santiago braved the weighty glare, and explained their objective.

“I see.” Something crossed Plrt’s eyes. “I know of these kings, but you six aren’t yet ready to face them.”

“We have already defeated two of them!” Shouted Ignacio.

Despite the discourtesy Plrt just chuckled, for him it was obvious that the boy was just earnest.

“One of them within this dimension of yours, where he was undoubtedly weakened. The other may just have been the weakest of them, for as you are right now you can’t defeat the three kings in this city.”

“Who are they?” Asked Rubén.

“I won’t tell you. I don’t want you all to die for nothing.” Foreseeing the complaints Plr waved one of his arms. “I am not saying to abandon your goal, just to become stronger first.”

“How?” Asked Akihito. “I am not sure we can do that much faster, and time may be running out.”

“Is it?” Plrt tilted his head. “No matter, there are two ways for you to grow stronger.”

Plrt did his species equivalent of grinning, that involved many teeth, and pointed to Rubén, Ignacio, Francisca and Isabel.

“You four are squandering your power.”

He turned to Akihito.

“You have yet to realise who you really are.”

And finally he fixed his eyesight of Santiago.

“And you don’t understand that your power is not what you think. Tell me, what two factors determine the power of the Guardian?”

“The quantity of SINQUM composing it, and the maturity of its user’s mind.” Santiago had no hesitation.

“Then, the ways to grow are two. Acquire more SINQUM, which is easy for you humans, or mature emotionally. Your power while stronger than that of the Elder’s sure is more troublesome.”

“What do you mean?” Rubén had a sinking feeling in his heart.

“It is as you think.” Ever since Santiago’s father had opened his eyes Plrt’s sight had enhanced, in more ways than one would think. Unless that one was me, but oh well. “The four of you have something holding you back, and you know what it is.”

Had they not heard of how Plrt had stalked Santiago’s family they would have dismissed his words, but the four of them knew what it was immediately.

“Do you know why those that awaken their Guardians naturally have legendary beings representing them?”

That stumped even Santiago, for it was a knowledge that had faded with time. But Plrt didn’t expect an answer to begin with.

“Those that discover their Guardians by themselves have minds of steel. They are emotionally stable and mature, but even they can grow. A fully developed Guardian will take the shape of a being that its owner believes represents him.”

“Which means,” Francisca said with an unwilling air around her, “that as long as we don’t acknowledge that we won’t have a mature Guardian? What is it even good for?”

“It is a change in quality, quantity can still triumph over mature Guardians but as Akihito and Santiago show, they are more powerful on the same level. That is your first way of growth, the other is to simply have the Bulwark reward you. I’d say wiping out the killer dolls would be enough for you to get to around stage 60, enough to defeat your foes.”

That made the four thoughtful, something that Santiago couldn’t understand. Why were they so conflicted? If they couldn’t face themselves, not yet at least, then he would just help them hunt all those dolls.

“Huh?” Isabel let out a sound, and Santiago realised he had said that out loud.

“Anyway,” he said fast to rid of his embarrassment, “what did you mean about Akihito and me?”

Plrt smiled, a surprisingly human gesture, and pointed at Akihito.

“Tamamo-no-Mae. Who was she?”

“A fox spirit that tried to kill the emperor by posing as a courtesan and slowly cursing him. When she was discovered she was killed, but turned into a stone that killed hundreds with its poison until it was purified.”

“What does that say about you?”

“I…” Akihito frowned and spoke hesitantly, “am subtle? And prefer to keep myself to the shadows.”

“No.”

“Not at chance.”

“Are you an idiot?”

“Impossible.”

“Yeah right.”

That deluge of denial caused Akihito to freeze, he just looked at his companions.

“You may have once been like that, but you aren’t that right now.” Santiago had no doubt in his heart of that, a shady guy would have never been able to get through his armour.

“I agree. The foolishness of that statement fills me with awe. Awe at the blindness of humans that is.” Rubén wasn’t about to let such a horrible misjudgement continue existing. “You are definitely a man who stands proudly.”

“You guys…” Akihito was moved until tears began to form in his eyes.

“There you have it.” Plrt shifted his great body to a new posture, which was oddly intimidating. “Tamamo-no-Mae once suited you, but not now. Discover who you are now, and your power will grow.”

“And me?” Asked Santiago.

“You…” Plrt frowned, “your case is delicate. May you all leave me alone with him?”

Akihito was about to protest but Santiago stopped him with a shake of his head. They reluctantly left, and once they were alone Plrt dropped an atomic bomb.

“I am one of the Twelve Kings, Naamah ruler of Nehemoth.”

Sometimes I wonder if Santiago would get mad from how much I manipulate him. I may have his best interests at heart, but many people would still resent how much I do behind their backs. I am blessed that Santiago normally understands me.

With just those words Santiago understood everything.

“So the A Dimension is the Sephiroth, and the Twelve Kings are the Qliphoth. Why?”

“The Twelve Kings aren’t united, we all took this role because it was something we could use to achieve our objectives. In my case that was revenge for the death of my saviour’s daughter, and his son’s crippling.”

Santiago was at a loss for words, the devotion that Plrt was showing to his family was beyond his understanding.

“It may seem excessive, but I would have committed a horrible mistake without your father’s guidance.” His eyes clouded, brimming with regret. “I will never be able to repay this debt, so allow me to do this much.”

Santiago hesitated, but something told him that Plrt was sincere. Searching within he realised that it wasn’t a hunch, nor instinct. It was the Watcher’s eyes that told him Plrt was not lying.

He could roughly see the hearts of others, and he hadn’t noticed that earlier because he thought it to be impossible. No human could develop such powers, Guardians couldn’t do such a thing. So Santiago comprehended that he had been thinking of things incorrectly, he was now a Primordial, not a human.

That was a turning point in his life, he had finally accepted his inhumanity. And he would only grow stronger, for humans aren’t meant to hold such authority. One had to become inhuman while remaining human to grow stronger. They had to throw common sense and the normal away.

“What can you tell me?”

“Good.” Plrt smiled, satisfied with Santiago’s reaction. “I know little, you must ask Moloch to have the full truth. But still, most of the Kings are monsters that must be taken down. I don’t want Belphegor or Astaroth to remain in my city any longer.”

“So it comes down to growing stronger? How should I do that?”

“Unlike others your Satan is fixed. To grow stronger you must both understand your power and deviate from the role that Ein Sof gave you.”

“Because otherwise I won’t escape his grasp.”

“Indeed. Tell me, what is Satan for you. No, why would you have the Weak curse?”

Santiago pauses to think, having never questioned the nature of his powers. He shared the blind spot of most, taking for granted that which the Bulwark told him.

“Satan… doesn’t pull others down, rather he believes he is the highest there is. Why pull others down when you are already superior to them? No, he simply sees others as inferior, so my Weak curse is me imposing Satan’s view on others. I deny their value.”

“Then what must Satan do in respect to Ein Sof?”

“Usurp him. Devour his light until he shines with his own light, until he dyes the world in his colours.”

“What is your role then?”

“I am the enemy that must be defeated, but, that means I am capable of being an enemy.”

When he thought that Santiago felt a pulse from his heart, and then heard something shattering. It was then that everything he had overlooked about Akihito and his friends came to him like a wave.

“Holy shit! How did I not see that?!”

He had awakened to his role, earlier than Ein Sof desired. It was all beginning to move according to my designs, thanks to Plrt and his insidiousness.

“That is right, that is the role imposed in you. But, why would Satan lose, even if we supposed his forces were equal to Ein Sof’s?”

“Thamiel, the Qliphoth is divided.” Santiago’s eyes narrowed.

“Yes. That I believe is Ein Sof’s plan, to cripple his opposition by dividing it. To defeat Him you must first devour the other Kings, and become the sole ruler of Qliphoth. When your friends defeated Lilith and Adrammelech Moloch took their power, so even if they were to escape there is no point.”

“You mean that to grow stronger I must eat the Kings?”

“Defeat them, and you will know what to do. Each King you devour is something that will empower you, until you achieve unity of the Qliphoth, Pasha.”

Santiago looked at Plrt in surprise, knowing the implications.

“Won’t you lose your power?”

“As long as I can protect this city I will do so gladly. Not everyone that lives here is evil, and I am sworn to protect them. I fear Ein Sof is not an enemy I can defy, so I can only rely on you.”

“Your city will be protected. How do you propose we start?”