Shounen Side Story: The Dark Bastard - Chapter 1

Synopsis: After the Expert Exams, while Kon was up in countryside villages and relaxing, the world around him kept moving. Gem and Bets travel to the Kuro Clan, where some peoples' pasts come out, and some secrets are revealed.

Bets felt a tinge of sadness for not being able to witness the Expert Exam finals firsthand. The rumors circulating about Kon were so sensationalized that separating fact from fiction was hard.

Both Bets and Gem had been relocated to the academy hospital, where they were receiving medical attention from Doctor Aki. This was a precautionary measure that Kon had insisted upon prior to the finals.

At the time, the request had seemed peculiar to Bets. However, he was now utterly perplexed. Having known Kon for quite some time, Bets was aware of his talent for making accurate predictions.

Recently, Bets had been winning against Kon in chess quite often. He was proud of this accomplishment, and it sometimes led him to believe that he and Kon were equally intelligent. However, when Kon devised an intricate strategy to anticipate the movements of the Demonic Exorcist and the Red Tails, it served as a humbling reminder that Kon's intellect was in a league of its own.

How could a human even predict something like that?

"Then he screamed out an order, and the entire ocean tilted!" Gem exclaimed, recounting a story to the other exam participants who were now gathered in Doctor Aki's clinic.

Bets knew for certain that Gem hadn’t witnessed anything, since he had been lying in the hospital bed next to him. His friend was just pulling stories out of his ass. Nevertheless, Bets suspected that Gem may have contributed to many of the unfounded rumors circulating about the incident.

"Then a giant dragon made of water and a giant shark mashed together, forming a dragon-shark hybrid that smashed against the Demonic Exorcist!" Gem explained and made strange hand gestures to explain the story.

Who would even believe this bullshit, Bets wondered.

"Ohhhh!"

"That's amazing!"

"I can't believe someone like that is from our generation!"

Oh right, these fools who would believe anything shoved down their throats.

Gem beamed with pride. "Yes, and that man is my teammate!"

With how he acted, one might have assumed that he was the one who had defeated the Demonic Exorcist.

Bets chuckled along with Gem. He would be dishonest if he claimed that he didn't feel a sense of pride for Kon as well. Kon was the kind of person who deserved the recognition.

Bets hoped to be included in whatever plans Kon had in store. Time was running out for Bets, and he wanted to make the most of what little he had left.

Suddenly, the door to the small clinic slid open with a gentle creak, and in walked the old and wrinkly Doctor Aki, his white coat rumpled and his glasses perched on the end of his nose. Behind him, a petite woman in her early twenties followed with a warm smile on her face, illuminating the dimly lit waiting room with her radiance. Her long, dark hair spilled down her back in loose waves, and her brown eyes sparkled with a hint of mischief, giving her an air of youthful energy that contradicted her professional demeanor.

"Okay, the headmaster has said you can return to your dorms and rest. Classes will resume like usual in a week," announced Doctor Aki.

The patients smiled at the news, having been confined to medicinal rooms for days. Bets prepared to depart when the doctor called out to him. "Hold on, big guy, not you. There's something we need to discuss."

Bets was somewhat perplexed; he had never conversed with Doctor Aki before. Nonetheless, he remained and inquired, "Is there anything I can assist you with, doctor?"

The old man sighed. "Wendy, dear, can you go and make us some tea?"

"Of course, sir!" She walked away whistling in a merry tune and a spring in her step.

Doctor Aki watched her exit, his gaze following her behind until the door was shut. He cleared his throat, and his demeanor turned solemn. "Did you presume nobody would take note of it?"

When the doctor spoke those words, Bets' heart skipped a beat. However, he feigned ignorance and shrugged. "I'm not sure what you mean. What's going on?"

"Don't play games with me, boy," Doctor Aki's gaze grew intense. "Your cells possess the vitality of a middle-aged individual. So, tell me, when did you lose such a significant portion of your lifespan?"

Realizing that he had been caught, Bets let out a sigh and began to explain. "It happened during the mission when my team and Agon fought the high-class eel demon. I had to project a rook piece outside my body, which cost me 25 years of my lifespan."

Bets had managed to keep his condition hidden; due to his bald head and muscled appearance, not a lot had changed on the outside. To keep Kon from noticing, he would use his bald head to shine sunlight in his friend’s face and play it off as a joke. His only close call was when Carpy had just evolved and said: Even the guy with the dwindling lifespan doesn't feel like an old spirit.

Bets had been terrified when Carpy made that remark, but luckily, the serious situation they were in at the time had diverted everyone's attention. However, he wasn't sure if Kon knew about his condition and had chosen to keep quiet about it.

Doctor Aki nodded in understanding as she listened to Bets' concerns. "Yes, it's not ideal. But don't worry, I'll make sure to keep an eye on your health and advise you on how to keep your body in top condition."

Bets breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank you, doctor. I really appreciate it."

The doctor gave him a small smile. "No problem. It's my job to take care of my patients, after all. Don’t worry too much though, look at me, I am old as hell, so you could have another fourty or more years left. Anyways, I will still have to prescribe you some medicine and make sure you know what problems come with having an old body."

During his explanation, Doctor Aki was non-judgmental and didn't even try to reprimand Bets' choice.

Many people sacrificed their lifespans for different reasons, and to be honest, at the time Bets hadn't known that his ability sucked his lifespan every time he manifested a new chess piece to the real world.

Though at least he now had a free Rook he could use on anyone for free. Bets' theorized that for every point in chess a piece was, he would lose five years of lifespan.

That was why he hadn't noticed that when he had given Gem a pawn piece. Because, at the time, he had lost only about five years and was in his twenties physically.

After taking some medicine and making appointments, Bets walked out of the clinic, and Gem was there waiting for him with a foolish smile. "What took you so long? I thought you were being molested by Doctor Aki, and I was about to barge in and save you."

Bets couldn't help the snorting chuckle that escaped him. Without Kon around, Gem was twice as dumb as no one else could guide his lunacy into something productive.

"By the way, I plan to go back to my family for a week or two. Wanna come along?" Gem asked.

"Very well," Bets replied. He had never had a family of his own and was curious to see what the Kuro Clan compound looked like. Plus, being one of the four great clans, there was sure to be plenty of interesting sights and experiences along the way.

Despite how he acted, Gem was a member of one of the greatest exorcist clans. That was a hard pill to swallow some days. It wasn't like Gem was unworthy of it, nor was Bets jealous of him. Yet, with how he acted, one would think he grew up with thugs and bandits rather than nobles.

"I haven't visited during any of the breaks. My mom is gonna be on my ass about that," Gem grumbled. "It's not my fault she couldn't attend the finals to see me."

But despite his complaints, Gem listened to his mother's request and planned to return to the clan.

"Threatening me and all that. Does she think I'm still a kid?" Gem whispered under his breath.

Okay, so maybe it wasn't much of a request from his mother, but more along the lines of a threat from her.

…

It took them several days to sprint at full speed from the academy to the Kuro Clan's territory, a distance they could have normally covered in less than a day. However, Bets used his “injuries” as an excuse to take breaks when in reality, he was simply exhausted. Physically, he was a man in his fifties, and even with his Ord, running around at that age was bound to be difficult to keep up with younger people.

When they finally arrived at the Kuro Clan compound, Bets could only think of one phrase to describe it: "evil lair." Well, technically two words, but it truly was an odd-looking place.

The place was nestled deep between two towering mountains, with their craggy peaks obscured by a shroud of mist that seemed to stretch on for miles. All around the base of the mountains, giant trees loomed overhead, their trunks as thick as a man's waist and their branches reaching towards the heavens. The trees formed a thick canopy that blanketed the land below in shadow, giving the place an eerie and ominous atmosphere.

Bets narrowed his eyes, and despite having a good viewpoint from where they were, he couldn’t perceive the layout of the clan compound. It was like he suddenly would get nearsightedness every time he tried to observe the clan.

As they drew closer to the castle, the details became more apparent. The walls around the compound were covered in dark vines that twisted and wound their way up toward the railing of the wall.

"So, this is your home?" Bets asked.

"Yea, I guess you could call it that," Gem's face was scrunched up as if he had swallowed a lemon.

Suddenly, when they were ten steps away from the gates, Bets noticed that some of the trees had small huts perched on them. He swore he could see red eyes peering at them from the shadows at times.

When they were about five steps away, Bets saw two statues that stood taller than a house. They had appeared out of nowhere as if they had been hidden behind an invisibility barrier all this time.

The statues had lifelike flaming eyes that glowed red, and they held spears that were crossed over the gate. But as Gem approached, the stone guardians lifted their spears and allowed them to pass.

As they walked past them, Bets couldn't help but stare. The power of the Ord emanating from those statues showed that they were Magical Items that could kill most Elite Exorcists. As expected from one of the four great clans, they had a plethora of resources at their disposal.

The inside of the clan compound was as strange as the exterior. Everything was cloaked in darkness, and the floor was painted dark, forcing Bets to focus to see if any of the people here even had shadows. A barrier also dampened the sunlight, causing shadows to be more prominent.

‘With all these security measures, no exorcist would ever leave alive if they started a fight. They have exploited everything to their advantage and seem battle-ready even within their clan's compound.’ Bets analyzed as he surveyed his surroundings. Generations of Kuro Clan geniuses had constructed this fortress.

Though Gem was a member of this clan, as they strolled through the streets, everyone gawked at him and whispered to each other.

Unlike the thuggish look of his friend, the average Kuro Clan member had coal-black eyes and dark hair. They stood tall and exuded a noble air with dignity on their faces.

Gem, on the other hand, was the polar opposite. He had sharp shark-like teeth, yawned incessantly, and slouched with his hands in his pockets. Additionally, it didn't seem like he was well-liked amongst the clan.

Bets couldn't help but wonder what his mother looked like and how Gem turned out so differently from the rest of his clan.

"Oh, Gemmy, you're finally here," a feminine voice called out from a nearby tea shop.