SSS SKILL: DUPLICATE

Chapter 128 The Past

Edgar is driving in a remote place. No cars or other people are around. There are plants and trees on the side of the road. There are pink flower petals falling from trees. Edgar slows down his car.

He stretched his left arm outside of the window's car. A magic circle formed on his left hand.

The leaves from plants and falling pink petals flew to the magic circle. They float and rotate on the magic circle. The green leaves turned into tiny pieces and form a green stem. The pink petals rotate and slowly stick together, then they form a flower.

Edgar dispersed the magic circle and holds the pink flower. It looks like a pink rose.

It didn't take long. He reached his destination, a memorial park.

He drove inside the cemetery and parked his car. He walks inside while holding the pink rose.

After walking for a while, he stands in front of a tomb.

There is a fresh flower on the tomb. It was probably left by his friend.

The tomb belongs to his close friend, who was a victim of hyperbeing. Her name is Sofie Palma.

Edgar put the pink rose on the tomb, then stretched his hand and touched it.

He smiles with a sad face and said,"I thought that the next time I visit you, I will already be holding his head."

He turned silent for a while as he remembers the past.

"Your dream of building Dragon Hall, I am already preparing for it, but it won't follow your plan to join the police because that is stupid. You were too foolish. Why did you do it when you don't have the power to fight them?" said Edgar with teary eyes.

In the year 2027, when his parents had just died from a magic beast, he met Sofie Palma.

"Acck!" A 15-year-old Edgar is being hold by two teenagers. His face is swelling from punches as the teenager in front of him keeps hitting him.

They are in a park in Manila. They are surrounded by trees, and there is a river not too far from them.

"If I say that you move away, you should move away. If I say that is my spot, that is my spot. Why would you force me to do this to make you understand?" said the yellow haired teenager named Fernan as he punched Edgar's abdomen.

"Acck!" Blood is leaking from Edgar's mouth.

"Huff huff, it's a public area. Anyone has the right to sit in that spot. How can you own that spot?!" shouted Edgar.

Pak! Edgar's face is slapped by Fernan.

Fernan chuckles as he grabs Edgar's hair. He shook Edgar's head and then slapped him a few times.

Edgar is still stubbornly staring at Fernan. Fernan let go of Edgar's hair.

"Sigh, what do we do? This guy is so stubborn," said Fernan as he raised his left hand and touches his hair, but his face is actually turning more hideous. His grin became bigger. His cronies noticed the grin of Fernan, and they chuckle. Stubborn guys like Edgar are the favorites of Fernan to break.

Fernan walks toward a stone and picks it up. His cronies force Edgar to the ground and place his hand on the ground. Edgar is struggling, but he is firmly hold.

Fernan has a big grin as he walks toward Edgar. His grin is stopped by a loud shout.

"Stooop!" shouted a girl who looks seventeen years old, wearing white shorts and rubber shoes. She has ponytailed brown hair. She has sweat on her face caused by her jogging a while ago.

Fernan looks at the girl with an annoyed face and says,"Woman, don't meddle with what we do, or else I will make you lose some teeth."

The girl did not stop approaching.

Fernan's face became fierce. He threw the stone at the girl's face.

The girl swiftly avoided the stone

Fernan rushes to the girl.

"I told you not to meddle, woman!"

Fernan struck with his right fist.

The girl stepped to the right and made a judo throw. Fernan flew into the air.

Fernan's cronies shoved Edgar to the ground, and then they also attacked the girl.

The girl is swiftly avoiding their fists and kicks.

"Ahhh!" the teenager rushes to the girl and wants to grab her.

The girl rotated and dodged the rushing teenager, then made a round kick. She kicked the back of the teenager.

The teenager is pushed into the tree.

"Acck!" The teenager's face hit the tree, and he fell to the ground.

The remaining teenager is charging nearby, ready to throw a punch, but the girl is faster.

She made a front kick and hit the solar plexus of the teenager. The teenager's legs went limp.

"Phew," the girl breathes in relief. She wipes the sweat from her forehead, then turns her head to Edgar to ask.

"Are you all ri-" She looks around her. Then she sees Edgar, who is already walking away.

"Waaah, that ungrateful bastard! Hmpf!" She stomped her feet as she looks at the back of Edgar, who is moving away without even thanking her.

The next day, at noon, the girl went to a restaurant to eat.

A teenager with dark brown skin and ponytailed black hair saw the girl entering the restaurant.

"Hey Sophie, is it beef again? Aren't you afraid of getting fat?" asked the teenager.

"Hahaha Gan, how can I get fat if they all burned when I practiced martial arts?" said Sofie with a complacent face as she taps her flat tummy.

Gan just laughed at the complacent Sofie, then he shouted to the kitchen.

"Hey Edgar, one order for beef."

After a while, Edgar came out from the kitchen and served the order. There are bandages on his face.

Sofie is looking at her phone. She did not notice the approaching Edgar. When Edgar put the food on her table, she raised her head to thank him, but she is surprised as she saw his familiar face.

"It's you," said Sofie, pointing her finger to Edgar.

Edgar returned to the kitchen after serving the meal.

Gan has just served a table near Sofie and noticed her pointing her finger at Edgar.

"Is there a problem?" asked Gan.

"Gan, do you know that ungrateful bastard?" asked Sofie.

"Are you referring to Edgar? He is my friend. Why are you calling him an ungrateful bastard?" asked Gan.

Sofie narrates what happened yesterday.

Gan sighs and says,"Something unfortunate happened to his parents very recently. He has become a lot silent since then."

Gan tells Sofie what happened to Edgar's parents and the fact that he has a three-year-old sister to take care of.

Sofie turned silent when she heard what happened.

In the afternoon, Edgar returned to the park, where his parents always bring them when they have time.

He sits on a small mound. The mound is full of green grass and has some trees. Below, there is a road made up of stones and tiles. There is a river beside the road.

It is a remote spot often visited by them.

His eyes turned watery as he remembers his parents.

There is a sound of footsteps behind him.

He wiped his tears and looked behind him.

Sofie is walking toward him while holding a branch of a tree. She is wearing a skirt and blouse. Her shoulder-length brown hair is loose.

Sofie's parents brought her here to relax. She went to this spot because she heard the story of Edgar. She did expect that he really is here.

She jumped on the slope of the mound, then jumped again and landed on the road.

She takes a sword stance, then swings the wooden branch as if it's a sword.

"Crying will not bring them back," said Sofie as she performs graceful sword arts.

"Wallowing in sadness will not help you prevent the tragedy from happening again." She stopped performing sword arts, and she faces Edgar.

"Don't you still have a family? Are you going to allow the tragedy to repeat? Will you allow yourself to be helpless again or will you get the strength to fight back?" asked Sofie.

She raised the wooden branch, then stepped forward and stabbed toward Edgar.

"My martial arts might not be as strong as the power of hyperbeings, but it's a good start toward the strength that you need, isn't it?" said Sofie with a smile as her hair and clothes sway. In Edgar's eyes, she was extra graceful at that time.