[SECONDARY REPORT FOR CASE: GAMMA-158]

Spirit Classification: Deity

Exorcist In Charge: Rohan Yang

Transcribed Audio Report No. 3:

[LOG START]

“So what is Convergence? Let me explain…

“The reasoning behind exorcists having their Contract weakened in the spiritual world is because of the nature of Spirit Contracts.

“In the physical world, when a Contract is formed, the spirit fuses with the soul of the exorcist. The physical body is then the vessel they exist in and the conduit for the manifestation of their abilities.

“But in the spiritual world, there is no physical body. And the soul of the exorcist isn’t entirely fused with the spirit either….

“As humans, moving to a different country in the physical world changes the place. But a spirit going to the spiritual world in Spain vs in China would bring them to the exact same place in the spiritual world. That’s because the spiritual world is mapped to the soul. Each spirit has a specific place in the spiritual world.

“The part of the spiritual world you end up in depends on your soul. However, this place is only created once you become a spirit. So only Spirits can perform Dispossession.

“So, when a spirit pulls you into the spiritual world, they’re actually pulling you to their part of the spiritual world.

“Think of it as every soul having its own little corner of the spiritual world custom-made for them.

“So what happens to the fused part of your soul with the contracted spirit? Well, the spirit you contracted with is pulled back to its part of the spirit world. The extent of your soul fusion becomes very weak. It’s like having a weak internet connection. This makes the spirit contract to be weak or even unusable.

“So what can we exorcists do to turn the tables?

“First, you have to recognise the fact that you are no longer a physical being. In the spiritual world, you are a form of pseudo-spirit.

“Remember when I said only spirits can perform Dispossession? Now that you are a ‘spirit’ this means you can perform Dispossession. However, you are still a normal human that hasn’t died and does not have a place to go to.

“Here comes the second thing you have to remember, even though the connection with your contracted spirit is weak, it still exists. So the only connection you have in the spirit world, is that with your other contracted spirit.

“This leaves two options, you can bring those around you to your contracted spirits’s location, or you can Dispossess your Spirit back to you. Both options require a huge amount of spiritual energy but are made easier because of that connection between your souls.

“One last thing you have to realise is that either way, you and your spirit would fuse, or converge, once again.

“In the physical world, your physical form took precedence and you maintained control of your body.

“But in the spiritual world, which soul do you think would take precedence? Naturally, that of your contracted spirit would. As such, Convergence is the closest an exorcist can get to being possessed without having their will stripped away. But this is only possible because the exorcist that does this has a deep bond with their contracted spirit and has the same goal in mind…”

Khan leapt in the air, the hands from his torso forming an upright thumb with his right hand resting on a cradle made with his left hand. The upper pair of hands formed the Akash Mudra.

“[Boundless Energy: Distortion]” Khan chanted as he floated in the air.

The world around them seemed to twist, and the darkness around Ozai and the agent started to distort.

Eugene felt himself getting pulled in different directions all at once.

“Nottt ThiS Shit Agaaaiinnn” Eugene yelled as he started to distort. The space he existed in was twisting and morphing.

The whole world began to spin, like someone was wringing it like a towel. That someone being Khan.

Ozai, on the other hand, felt completely fine. There was a clear separation between himself and the darkness around him that was being twisted. He watched as the energies around him spun until they formed streaks of light. It was like he was in the eye of a storm, the world was spinning around him, yet everything was calm where he was. And there was a certain grace to it as the energies twist and distort. It was like Khan was moulding the space around them into something beautiful.

Cracks started to form in the space under the pressure of the spacial manipulation.

“We always had to watch out for the limitations of the physical world, use too much energy, and the physical body breaks…. But here in the spiritual world, with this form, our energy can be boundless…” Khan spoke, referring to both him and the Akasha Dragon.

“Enouughh! Dooo nottt underestimate meee!!” Eugene screamed in frustration, his body emerged out of the whirlwind of lights with great difficulty.

“You humansss… alwaysss likening yourselves to Godsss… looking downnn on spiritsss..

“Do youuu know howw I was created? By the likess of humans like you! You created me! The idea of darkness, the concept of the unknown. Humans birthed me! I never asked for thisss! And yet I had to sit in this world, to listen to the words of disgust, ingest your feelings of fear, the thoughts and paranoia. I was made to eat everything uuppp! You made me like this!! And now you send an exorcist to kill me? Where’ss the fairnesss in thaat? You think you’re like Godsss, just give and take whenever you pleasseee. But spirits have a will too! And I wooon’t let you takkee thaat awayyy!!” Eugene screamed, rising out of the whirlwind of energy.

“[Weight of a Thousand Shadows]” Eugene chanted, waving his hands down.

The darkness from above Khan collapsed down in a flash. An intense weight hammered down on Khan. Darkness covered his entire body with a force that threatened to drag him down.

But Khan simply stood there and withstood the weight.

“You think this will faze us? We have the power to rival Gods!” Khans’s voice boomed and charged towards Eugene.

The darkness attempted to drag him down, to swallow and consume him. But with the slightest shrug, Khan broke free and teleported to Eugene grabbing his figure by the throat.

Khan grabbed Eugene and ground his face against the whirlwind of spiritual energy around them.

The whirlwind of energy shaved away at Eugene’s face like a grinder.

“Arrhhhhhgg… you’lll… never….. Exorcise me!!!!” Eugene uttered in pain as his face was being ground.

Eugene slammed his fist into the spiritual whirlwind.

The whirlwind caused his arm to be ground into multiple pieces, bits and pieces of it spread all over the whirlwind, while some pieces got scattered around.

What’s he doing? He can’t merge with the whirlwind anymore, I’ve already filled it with my energy….

The dark blotches of Eugene started moving and transforming into vague shapes and figures.

“Behiiinnndd youuu” Eugene said even as his face was slowly getting disintegrated by the spiritual whirlwind.

Khan turned and saw that a dark shape that had formed from Eugene’s splotch. An arm formed from a floating dark spot and punched Khan.

But it didn’t hit Khan. It simply passed through his head.

“You know this trick… you’ve seen it before… come on now…” Khan smiled and turned to crush the arm with his mouth, biting it like an animal.

In return Eugene disappeared from Khan’s grip, slithering down to the next dark blob.

I see.. He’s using his own body parts as ‘shadows’ he can manipulate and possess since he can’t do that with his surroundings anymore…

Eugene rose up from the blob, only half his upper body and face were left.

Still though… even now, his presence is hard to detect…

“Behiiinndd youuuu….” Eugene half-smirked and pointed to behind Khan with his remaining arm, and once again, a deformed shape was approaching Khan.

This time, it was a single leg.

It tried to kick Khan but Khan simply dodged.

Khan turned back to Eugene only to see his half-face with his crazed half-smile and eye right in front of him, his black shadowy arm going in for a punch.

“Woah there…” Khan blurted out as he blocked Eugene’s attack with one hand.

Then the leg moved, jumping and swiping at Khan’s head.

Khan used his other arm to block it, but then Eugene went down for a low swipe, which Khan countered with a kick of his own.

Eugene and his extra leg were working in sync, like they were one being.

A kick, a punch, swipe, jab, uppercut. They launched a barrage of attacks at Khan.

But Khan once again blocked and defended against them successfully.

Khan tried to grab the leg and disintegrate it, but the moment he held onto any part of Eugene, it would dissolve out of his grasp instantly and another part would appear behind him. Eugene himself kept sinking down and slithering to a random black blob around Khan and re-emerging to attack Khan.

Khan started to move more, each dodge Khan did teleported him to somewhere behind Eugene. Each punch he threw at a body part disappeared and appeared at a different angle.

It was a dance. A dance to see who could take advantage of the space around them better.

Khan would launch a punch, teleport to a body part, weave half his body into his portal to dodge an attack which would reappear next to Eugene’s main body and launch another punch there before weaving back out and taking care of the body part again. It was frantic, fast-paced, and all over the place.

Likewise, Eugene would launch an attack with another blob, dodge Khan’s attack, disappear into another black blob, and attack once more. Eugene had a variety of black blobs he could emerge from, even the tiniest blob could be a spawn point for him.

Khan couldn’t get a hold of Eugene. Even if he tried to lure him into a portal, Eugene would just disappear to another spot.

“Ok… enough games…” Khan said as he dodged Eugene’s continuous unrelenting attacks.

“Oohhh?” Eugene’s interest was piqued. He continued his attacks, but was mentally prepared for whatever comes next.

Khan clapped and twisted his hands. The ground Eugene stood on started to shift.

Each step Eugene took, put him back in the same spot.

“This shit again?” Eugene complained as he recognised this feeling. He was unable to move an inch forward. His other body parts that spawned from his blobs also froze in place.

“Not… quite…” Khan twisted his hands once more.

All of Eugene’s body parts and blobs started to vibrate. They disappeared and appeared within the vicinity of Eugene’s vantablack body, or what was left of it.

Eugene was struggling, he was moving, trying to escape into another one of his blobs. But each time he slithered into another blob to reemerge, he would find himself back in the same place again.

Khan twisted his hands once again.

Then, all of Eugene’s blobs and body parts slammed into his body forcefully, some even piercing through his abdomen.

The black blobs merged with Eugene’s body, twisted into his frame by Khan’s ability.

Khan kept twisting until all of it had merged into Eugenes’ body. And even then he didn’t stop.

Eugene felt his insides move, his spiritual body was being twisted from the inside out.

“How… issss… thissss… poosssibble???” Eugene couldn’t even writhe in agony as he was forced to remain frozen as his body was twisted.

“Do you not know who I am? I’m the Dragon of Akasha… Space, Aether, Spirit… this is my very element…” Khan’s voice was no longer his. It was a deep, booming voice that was speaking.

“[Return to your inception, enter the eternal void…]” Khan began to say his exorcism prayer but something was off.

“Heheheheh….it may be your element… but what about them?” Eugene smirked with his half-smile.

Khan turned and saw that the darkness above was collapsing on Ozai and the barrier agent.

He let go of Eugene and appeared next to Ozai, setting up a small barrier that covered Ozai and the agent instantly.

“You alright?” Khan asked as darkness consumed the world outside their bubble.

“Yes…” Ozai replied.

But then Eugene’s eyes and mouth appeared from below them.

“Youuu missssed and sssspoott!!!” Eugene’s words slurred with excitement.

Shit! How did he appear here? I missed a blob? His stupid ability to mask his presence…

Ozai immediately went towards the Barrier Agent, holding up his guard for any attacks toward her.

Khan quickly stomped his feet down with a burst of spiritual energy, shattering the image of Eugene’s face.

He looked at the barrier agent, she was fine, no signs of injuries.

But then he glanced at Ozai.

“Sen…sei…” Ozai struggled to speak, his aura growing faint.

Embedded in Ozai’s body, was a thin vantablack spear, piercing straight through his chest. Had Ozai not gotten in the way, the spear would have pierced through the agent instead.

“Looks like youuu aren’ttt all you sayy you were… SENSEII” Eugene taunted from outside the barrier. His face forming in the absolute darkness outside.

Khan was in shock.

In the spiritual world, no amount of spiritual healing could restore a damaged soul.

“OZAI!” Khan yelled, going over to Ozai’s spiritual body. It was growing fainter, his spirit getting weaker.

Khan had seen this before, the final moments of an exorcist. If you died in the spiritual world, there was no chance of becoming a spirit, your spiritual existence would simply be erased. There would be no afterlife, nothing. Even Khan didn’t know what would happen to your soul.

Ozai lay there motionless, like the unconscious barrier agent next to him. Khan laid his body down, and looked towards Eugene.

“You’ll pay for this…” Khan’s words were fiercer than ever.

Meanwhile in the SAIB Headquarters…

Daiyu walked past the cafeteria, she was clearly in a foul mood.

Mark, Hannah, Mai, Vince and Cadence were all seated in the cafeteria, talking over lunch. But Daiyu’s presence was too great, causing all of them to turn their heads.

Daiyu was in a bad state as well. Her upper body was drenched in a blueish liquid that looked like blood. Her hair was in a mess, and she had a wound on her upper thigh that was still bleeding, though Daiyu walked as though it was nothing.

“Today has to be the worst…. On top of the death of Ryu… the Epsilon Level threat…Now this…. My whole morning spent exorcising spirit after spirit… I need to visit the Purifying Lake…” Daiyu grumbled as she made her way to the baths.

Charles was not too far behind, speaking with some other agents, updating case files.

“Wow…” Mai spoke, some udon still hanging out of her mouth.

“Mai, close your mouth when speaking!” Hannah chided, annoyed.

“I know right… wow… Daiyu-Sensei’s in a mess… what on Earth is happening this morning? Don’t tell me this is how it’s always like…” Vince asked.

“Well, things are busy with fewer exorcists around… but even then, we seldom have an empty cafeteria during lunchtime…” Cadence pointed out. The cafeteria was empty, except for them.

“So, what’s going on today then…” Mark wondered out loud as he munched on his spaghetti.

“Hey, you too Mark, you guys need to be taught manners…” Hannah shook her head in disappointment, pausing to take a small bite from her steak.

“Wow… you really are one uptight princess huh…” Mai spoke, her mouth still half full.

This annoyed Hannah slightly, and prompted her to playfully close Mai’s mouth with her hand.

“Mmmmm” Mai spoke with her mouth closed.

“I think that translates to ‘sorry’” Mark said as he tried to hide his laughter along with Vince.

Cadence simply smiled at the scene. A wave of nostalgia hit her as she was reminded of her time with her fellow trainees. When they were all still together, before the massacre…

“Hi, I’m sorry to interrupt…” Charles came up from behind Cadence.

“Oh… Charles Sir! Do… do you have any updates on Khan and Ozai?” Vince asked. He had learnt about Dispossession and Convergence from Cadence, and while he was more confident of Khan’s abilities now, he still wanted to know if they were out yet.

“Unfortunately… still no news…” Charles replied despondently. He looked tired even though it was just afternoon. Anyone could tell it was a long day for him.

“I only have bad news I’m afraid… We just received reports of a cluster of spirits that emerged in the Southern Sector. Unfortunately, Daiyu isn’t in fighting shape after having exorcised spirits for the whole day. These are relatively low-level spirits. They are ranked as simple Wanderers. We would ask our other exorcists, but unfortunately, they’re all occupied. For some reason, we’re detecting way more activity than usual… So, I’ll have to ask you…Cadence, you should be able to handle this.” Charles handed her a report of the situation which contained a map of the sightings.

“Hmm, Wanderers huh… can I bring them along?” Cadence gestured to the gang with her at the table.

“Well, it should be fine, they can definitely handle spirits of this level. Just… take care… we’ve had enough surprises today.” Charles pleaded.

“Don’t worry… you know me Charles… when have I ever let you down?” Cadence winked and got up from the table.

“Come on, your senior’s going to show you some action today!” Cadence beamed with confidence.

Mark looked at the rest of the gang and shrugged.

“I guess we could use some more training…” Mark commented.

“Hey, speak for yourself! I think I’m pretty strong! Hahaha!” Mai boasted.

“Who was it that got whooped first during our spar just now?” Hannah quipped.

“Wait you guys sparred? Woah no fair!” Vince felt left out.

As they left the table, Mark couldn’t help but feel like someone should have been there too.

“Ah but…” Mark mumbled.

I hope Ozai is okay…

Mark looked over to the rest of the gang, and he could tell they were thinking the same thing.

“Hey… Don’t worry about Ozai Mark… I’m sure Khan-Sensei can handle it… He’s got that suupper crazy teleporting ability!” Mai pat Mark on the back in a bid to cheer him up. She did the same to Vince too who was similarly troubled by it.

“Hey, we can’t really do much about Khan and Ozai, so let’s go exorcise some spirits while we wait!” Hannah in her own way was also trying to distract herself from worrying.

“You said it! Come on, let’s do this!” Cadence was pumped, she put on her blazer and led the way outside.

Mark realised that it was true, he could only wait for the news to come to him. Once again he was left to the sidelines. If he wanted to get stronger, if he wanted to be someone who could act in situations like this, he had to train harder. For now, this was all he could do.

“Okay… Let’s go.” Mark said, ready for action.