Shattering Humanity-Chapter 462: A Younger Brother’s Poignant Decision

It is written: "I believed; therefore I have spoken." Since we have that same spirit of faith, we also believe and therefore speak, because we know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus from the dead will also raise us with Jesus and present us with you to himself. All this is for your benefit, so that the grace that is reaching more and more people may cause thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God.

Therefore we do not lose heart.

Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.’ - 2 Corinthians 4:13-18

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{Demon District}

Inside of the house designated for the elderly, after Jormy’s sudden wave of SeiõrSickness, Drakania is ’helicoptering’ the little brother she cares about so much for.

Her orange eyes stay fixated on her purpose while the recovering youngster chugs an entire cup of water to refill his stomach.

After downing the entire glass, the relieved athlete takes a deep exhale.

Still accompanying the siblings is the elderly veteran of the Second Great War, and the respectful old man shakily accepts Jormy’s empty cup, putting it on the desk he is sitting next to.

Old Man: "Feeling better, sport?

You must’ve eaten somethin’ that your stomach didn’t agree with."

Jormy shakes his head and puts a hand over his stomach, recalling the moments just before his surprise sickness.

Jormy: "It wasn’t that.

It was something different..."

He looks over at his concerned sister on the other side of the room.

Not trying to seem crazy in front of their elderly company unacknowledged by Seiõr, Jormungand uses specific wording to conspicuously let his equally important sibling know the truth.

Jormy: "I don’t really know what it was, but it felt like an intense amount of weird energy washed overy entire body, and then that same weird energy gathered together at once to punch me in the gut."

Mutually acknowledged, but not as connected to the universal energy as the others who got sick, Drakania successfully deciphers her brother’s hidden terminology.

She turns and looks out the window.

Having also succeeded in making their guest none the wiser, the old man raises a bushy eyebrow and leans back a bit in his seat in skepticism.

Old Man: "Are you on drugs, son?

I’m not judging.

Hoho, before this world changed, I had a medical card for my glocouma and chronic back pain."

With a curious expression, the tiny big sister makes her way to the window to watch Itsuka walk towards the edge of their consealed cul-de-sac and becomes more worried as the current group’s strongest fighter available, pushes through the barrier.

Old Man: "When I had converted to the less frequently confrontational Navy, there were so many guys who got caught trying to sneak some on after our ports in Jamaica, ho-oo-ho!

But not me!"

While the old geezer continues to paddle on, Jormy nods, pretending to listen, but instead, the chivalrous teenager is quietly contemplating his next action.

It doesn’t take long until the boy sensitive to Seiõr, can feel the presence of Itsuka’s personal SoulSeiõrShield, as well as an equally noticeable, but unknown force of personal energy.

Drakania hears running footsteps on the floor behind her and turns to see her younger sibling grab the two different versions of AIG in the room’s corner.

Drakania: "Jormy?

Wh-

What are you doing?"

Watching her prized purpose straps the first of the stocked HeatHolsters and SunSword within, to his waist.

Using all his restraint, the emotionally torn boy avoids making eye contact with her and he doesn’t respond.

Fearing the worst, the now scared and stuttering sister to the resolved young man, tries to change his mind in a heartbreaking scene of desperation.

Drakania: "H-hey...J-Jormy, let’s sit d-down and I’ll tell you some mythology, okay?

Please?"

Having a front row seat to the scene, the long experienced elder can only stare in bittersweet awe.

From the perspective of his old grey eyes, the current scenario matching the same tone as when trying to convince his shocked and adamant family about his war related decisions.

The girl with her timid meter always set on MAX, slowly and shivering shuffles closer to her brother.

Drakania: "Please, don’t...

Ple-please, Jormy...

Cuddle me please.

W-when we’re both af-afraid of the world, we fall asleep together, r-remember?"

Now having strapped his second AIG to his other hip, Jormungand looks at the doorway, then at the old man, and finally with his glossy orange human eye and moistened symbiote dropping their respective forms of tears, he takes one last look at his reasoning to fight in the first place.

Realizing this is her final opportunity to convince him, the girl without any option left, tries the most despondent coercion tactic possible.

Drakania: "Jormy I’m warning you!

I-I-If you leave, I’ll...

I’ll hurt mys-"

Before he can hear the rest of her threat of self harm as a way of bargaining, the young man sprints out of the room.

In her socks, Drakania tries in an attempt to chase after him, but she is impeded by the old man’s own attempts to stop the lady in distress.

He falls out of the chair in front of the caretaker and begins groaning in pain.

With guilty Drakania unable to leave the retiree on the floor, she stops and helps the empathetic ex-soldier pretending to be more hurt than he actually is.

Old Man(thinking): *Remember son, don’t change that heart of yours.

Protect this lil lassie who cares so much about you and come back to your family after becoming more of a man.*

Dual sworded Jormy runs through the hall and down the single set of stairs, all while leaving snowflakes and tear drops in his tracks.

The rest of the puzzled elderly civilians inside the living space watch the young man sprint out the front door, closing it behind him.

Outside, under the veil of her own SeiõrStar, the concerned Völva teacher is looking out of her clear dome, and she can sense not only her student’s personal energy, but also a stranger’s.

She hears running feet on the pavement approaching from behind her.

The beautiful Middle Eastern woman turns around to see the purple haired boy, with his SunSwords strapped and his head down.

Zoram: "Jormungand?"

Still staying quiet, the heavily breathing lad stops at the glass-like barrier and sniffles before wiping his face dry with his sleeve.

Being observant enough to know the young soldier is set on leaving the protection of her SeiõrStar, Zoram attempts to do what Drakania had just failed at.

Zoram: "I can only assume you must’ve gotten SeiorSick as well, from that enormous amount of released energy."

Jormy is taking his time to catch his breath and to fully convince himself to take the last step as she lectures him.

Zoram: "As I’ve told Ms. Itsuka, once you leave my SeiõrStar’s area of effect, I won’t be able to let you back in until this dangerous war is over."

Taking one last deeeep breath, Jorm raised his glove hidden Iceman hand to the same area her Völva born foster sister had previously done.

Sticking the entire forearm through, and then back in, the decision has been made.

Jormy looks back and with his human orange eye, he sees tearful Drakania watching from the second floor window.

Realizing his mistake, Jormy attempts to take all the bitterness out of this moment for the two of them, he gives his sis one wide grin before turning and, putting his regenerated arm back through the veil.

Jormy: "That’s okay, Miss Z.

I may not have a key part like Bis Sis Shelly or Katsu, or Saku..."

Slightly distracting by the nickname, the confused Völva blushes.

Miss. Z.(thinking): *...’Miss...Z’?*

Jormy: "...But I’m going to help contribute making sure this war is over and won.

ASAP."

Pushing the rest of his body through the boy now in warfare territory looks back and is just as amazed as Itsuka was when shown the flower filled field now in place of the cul-de-sac.

Before he can also touch the invisible force field, he flinches from the echoes of Itsuka’s first SeiõrShot from somewhere in the suburban neighborhood.

Unaware each threatening sounding *BOOM* is from his ally, Jormy swallows his spit as the other five echoes ring over the air and he starts trying to echolocate the battle area.

{18 Minutes Later}

No longer feeling the negativity felt by is acquired SeiõrSense which led to him (thankfully) joining the battle, Jormy sheathes both his weapons while keeping his back turned to the collapsed and tired Takamagahara member, Itsuka.

Still drenched in the unclean pool water, a flickering crystal purple SoulSeiõrShield tries to keep her protected, but without an opportunity to rest in the past 30 minutes, while coincidingly taxed phyisically by her symbiote, the energy fades.

She looks up to see one of her saviors, Jormungand.

Not knowing what to do next, and also bewildered by the reality of his decision while he is staring at the cold SunSword laying flat on the mudded backyard lawn.

Jormy(thinking): *If I hadn’t been brave enough to leave Drakania behind...

If I had wasted just a few more seconds to find my resolve...

Itsuka would’ve..."

Before he can complete the thought, the gracious and gorgeous girl gets back to her feet and with all her upper body strength, the appreciative vice-captain of Izanami bear hugs the bashful division member who deflected away her certain death in heroic timing.

Itsuka: "Holy shit, you really saved my ass right there, Jormy!

Thank you!"

After being ’Valkyrie-handled’ for 10 seconds it makes the comedically constricted victim start choking for air before she releases him.

After catching his breath back, the next words from his grateful superior, reenforces his satisfaction to participate in battle.

Itsuka: "It must’ve been tough on Drakii watching you leave her side, but once we tell everyone you were clutch saved me, I’m sure your big sister will be proud."