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Linkers part 1

Linkers

Volume 1

Takano Masamune

Chapter 1: Strength (1)

***

In this world… the dead attach themselves to a human of their choosing, creating a bond, an inseparable link between them, their strong feelings of resentment, pain, love, frustration, exhilaration, adoration, loss, anger, happiness, sadness… all of those emotions manifest their form into that of a weapon that can be used in battle against the unknown…

The Unknown are a collective of souls that mush together to form large beasts that terrorize the residents of this world… Slowly but surely these monsters grow their strength each day.

If not for the Masters and their weapons to protect the piece, the entire world might fall into ruin, we call them…

Linkers.

Linkers are the world’s chosen weapon users, those that have been not only granted a soul that has devoted their afterlife to them, but also they poses the strength to control and manifest them into a proper and maybe even stronger version of their initial form…

“Hurry up already! If we’re any late there won’t be any good seats left!” Dante spoke in a loud and almost panicky stricken voice that make his own seem rather high pitched. He was a tall man clad in all black clothes and behind him lazily his friend.

“And what does it matter where we sit? It’s going to be the same old boring lecture regardless of our position.” Sora remarked with a tired sounding tone. He on the other hand was dressed in all white. He was somehow floating, although he looked like he was alive, the truth was he was a ghost without a physical form.

“You don’t get it, do you? Dr. Lerch is someone with amazing skills! He’s not just your run of the mill educator! In fact he’s so special that he was headhunted for the position of professor by the Headmaster himself! It took him a while to agree to it though!” Dante continued his over joyous explanation while running in one place, waiting for his friend to catch up to him all the same.

“And so what? Doesn’t that mean he’s just some lazy bum that would rather do anything else than teach?” Sora questioned, he was floating a few centimeters above the ground, just enough for others to notice he wasn’t walking.

“Sora! You can’t say that! It’s rude.” Dante remarked in an angry voice as he finally grabbed his friend by the half transparent hand and pulled him along with a quick pace.

“Ugh… I just want to sleep in more… getting up in 5 in the morning is absurd, no matter what special lecture its supposed to be.” Sora complained all the more with his tiredness being all the more visible in his appearance that was becoming more solid, he stepped onto the ground and began walking.

“Hurry, up!” Dante urged him more and more as he never let go of his hand.

“Alright, alright… geez…” Sora finally given up on reasoning with his stupidly enthusiastic friend, he followed after him, not being left much of a choice.

The hallways of the academy were spacious and filled with all kinds of people and things.

“I want to take in all the knowledge this amazing professor will give us! I can’t wait a second longer I feel like I might explode if I do!” Dante spoke while they walked near each other. It was pretty early so the hallways were mostly empty.

“Wow, you sure love studying… nerd…” Sora remarked with a catty tone that made the other stand on edge.

“Like you’re one to talk!? You spend all your free time building those stupid puzzles and the like! How can you call me a nerd when you’re the one that’s doing pointless things?!” Dante asked while crossing his arms, glaring at the man. He seemed to have a particular distain for being called a ‘nerd’.

“Don’t you dare speak badly about my puzzles! They’re rare one of a kind custom designed with over 30k puzzle pieces all with unique shapes! It’s not something the likes of you that knows nothing but books can solve.” Sora replied with nearly the same frustration as the other man had within him. Defending his hobby as if his life (or so to speak afterlife) had depended on it.

Both of them huffed and puffed at each other a bit angrily…

“Whatever… Let’s go inside… Ugh… I’m so nervous, what if we’re already late?” Dante asked while fixing up his hair and adjusting his uniform. All students with the rank of Master were to wear a particular all black uniform to be easily distinguishable form the Weapons, who were wearing all white uniforms, once more so they could stand out.

Together each pair would have the name Linkers. Because of the link or so called bond they share with each other. One Master could have several Weapons, but each weapon would only have one Master…

“There’s still 30 minutes before the lecture starts… who in their right mind would think that’s late?” Sora didn’t miss a single opportunity to rub it in the other’s face he was doing too much.

“I’m just so excited to see what he will teach us-” As Dante’s overexcited voice faded in the distance, he opened the door only to be met with a sight he couldn’t comprehend at first.

“Wow… he sure knows how to teach…” Sora remarked with the gleaming eyes of a mischievous adult, he looked at the desk where their teacher was currently being serviced by someone quite out in the open.

“Ah, s**t students. Please get out now.” Licht panicked at the sight of them and spoke in a pleading voice. There was a woman in between his legs that was doing something particularly naughty.

So called adult things… And although both Sora and Dante were young adult men, ages 21 and 21 and a half respectively… Dante overreacted as if this was the first time he’s ever seen such a vulgar display in his life. While Sora responded by taking out his phone and recording the scene quickly.

“Yes, of course, sir, right!” Dante panicked as he headed out the door and tried to close it but as luck would have it, it got stuck halfway open and he was unable to do so.

“No way am I stepping outside, this just got interesting!” Sora remarked with excitement, his phone hanging high, he wasn’t even pretending he wasn’t recording them.

“Put your phone away!” Dante said as he tried to snatch it off his friend’s hands but Sora proceeded to float upwards and not allow him to do so.

“Oh, come on, weren’t you just saying how impressed you were by this amazing teacher? Take a good look at him getting his balls emptied by someone.” Sora continued to tease his weapon user master and gleamed cheerfully at his professor’s awkward expression.

What was this situation that felt like the start of a weird novel?

Chapter 2: Strength (2)

***

“I’m really sorry you had to see that kids…” Dr. Lincht a short man dressed mostly in black, with a gray turtleneck that set him apart. It was obvious he was a Master upon laying eyes on him. He wore a vest with the school’s insignia on it, it took form of a snake wrapped around an apple, symbolic of something they didn’t really know off.

“I’m the one who should apologize! I shouldn’t have came so early!” Dante being the kind soul he was decided to lower his head as much if not more than his professor did in his presence.

“Are you really going to say sorry like a good little dog? He’s the one that’s doing something inappropriate in the classroom.” Sora chimed in with a grunt that made it obvious he was angry.

“Shut up Sora!” Dante insisted as he grabbed the man’s head and lowered it along with his won.

“Ugh… whatever…” Sora clicked his tongue in dissatisfaction as he rolled his eyes and crossed his arms. Soon enough both of them stood up again.

The woman that had been doing that favor to the professor didn’t interrupt as if she knew it wasn’t her place to do so. She was dressed in a long white dress that covered her from her ankles to the top of her neck, with long sleeves that had frills at the end of them. Her hair put in a polite ponytail, her chestnut hair swayed carefully from the wind that came from the window behind her.

“Are you two Linkers?” Dr. Licht asked while he c****d his head to the side as if something wasn’t right.

“Yes, sir!” Dante enthusiastically agreed.

“What of it?” Sora interrupted with a glare his way.

“It just seems your energies are not aligned, I’ve never seen a pair like yours so disruptive to each other’s existence.” Dr. Licht remarked while watching the two, he couldn’t help but feel like something was amiss. Like something didn’t quite make sense when it came to these two.

Dante seemed eager to explain. “Well, you see that may be because-”

“You don’t need to tell him our entire family history!” Sora interrupted him with a strong voice, his anger evident all the more.

“Sora, why are you so grumpy all of a sudden?” Dante paused as he turned towards his friend who’s hands were now stuffed into his pockets. His back was slouched.

“I just hate teachers like that… you call yourself an educator but were doing dirty stuff in the classroom, first day of our lectures. You don’t get to talk all high and mighty towards me.” Sora explained while glaring up at his professor. The way he looked at him you’d think the man had committed a grave crime.

“I see… you’re the type that hates being bossed around.” Dr. Licht nodded his head in understanding. None of this seemed to come as a surprise to him other than the initial shock of being seen in a compromising position by his students.

“Hmp!” Sora huffed and puffed while looking away from him. He didn’t agree nor disagree with the man’s statement.

“And you’re the type that follows the rules a bit too strictly… I may be impressed with you both.” Dr. Licht turned his attention to Dante who stood firm with his back erect and his eyes glimmering still despite what had happened.

“Hm? Sir, we haven’t done anything noteworthy, yet…” Dante tilted his head to the side in wonder. He couldn’t quite grasp the man’s thought process.

Dr. Licht stood there for a moment. “Is that so? Even though in that second your souls clicked with each other… although in opposite directions.” He remarked while thinking the two already knew this about themselves.

“What does that mean?” Dante asked politely.

“Never mind my boring introduction, let’s start class since more students are coming along earlier than expected…” Dr. Licht shook his head, noticing the rest of the class arriving, he decided to cut out some unimportant parts of his last minute planned lecture.

“Hey Sora… what do you think the teacher meant just now?” Dante asked as he headed to their seats, they chose ones on the third row near the desk.

“Like I care… he’s a deadbeat after all.” Sora remarked as he slouched and slumped down into his seat upon getting there.

“Students, I may not look it but I too am one of a pair of Linkers… This is my weapon, Cassandra.” Dr. Licht commanded the attention of the room. Everyone turned to look at him and then at the beautiful woman.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you all.” Cassandra finally spoke, her first words since the two had entered the room.

Dr. Licht nodded and continued with a straightforward no nonsense tone of voice. “She is also my wife… she became a weapon after a tragic incident. She was in a car crash, throughout the rubble, she called me and I managed to arrive on the scene.” Suddenly his words were grim butt his voice didn’t shift not once.

“Why is he telling us all this? Like it matters how she became his weapon…” Sora clicked his tongue loudly and showed his dissatisfaction openly. He wasn’t one to hide his true feelings. Meanwhile Dante sat there ever so polite and stared straight ahead, following the teacher’s every move.

Dr. Licht walked back and forth while speaking, his gestures and movements were a bit slow and his mannerisms showed a bit of regret in every next word. “I managed to break open the window on the opposite side of the car and grab Cassandra out of it before an explosion occurred, however… she already had an injury to her abdomen that couldn’t be fixed…” Words that felt like they penetrated the younger student’s ears…

“Skilful professionals attempted to save her life but nothing worked, her organs couldn’t be replaced and that same day several hours later, her body was giving out. It seemed like she was holding onto life with sheer will…” Holding back he gulped down the saliva that had piled up in his mouth. His eyes looked a bit watery but he didn’t cry.

“Until… Honey… would you like to continue?” Dr. Licht turned around towards Cassandra whom without hesitation stepped in front of him and spoke with an equally eloquent voice.

“I laid there in the hospital bed, wanting to continue living beside my lover. We had met from an early age, and we grew up together. We’d promised to spend our lives with each other… so I couldn’t give up… I held onto him for as long as I could before I closed my eyes finally succumbing to the numbing pain I felt… Then I reawakened…” Those simple words, a quick recollection of events, yet it felt impactful. Because as they spoke the students felt like they could hear and see the screams and the crash happening in front of them…

Auditory Visualization… it was a technique that only the most skilled of Linkers could do. It turned their words into their meaning… The cries of agony that the others within the crash had experienced, the gut wrenching pain and everything that came with it, the smell, the loud ambulance sound and the flashing red lights… Everything they could feel it, although they didn’t understand how…