*The sun was beginning to set in Roppango. At the Coriarty Estate Jin and Scarlet were sparring against each other as Sera, Gael, Alita, Hibana and Baek looked on. Jin was on the defensive blocking Scarlet’s spear strikes with his tonfas and trying to attack her with kicks. However, Scarlet was out of his reach. Jin finally decided to go on the offensive which forced Scarlet to backstep to avoid getting hit by him. Jin moved in for a punch where Scarlet swung her spear downward hoping to strike him, but Jin sidestepped to avoid the hit. Just when Jin was about to strike her with a kick, she jumps into the air over him. Jin was surprised by the dodge but recomposed himself and prepared to strike her as soon as she landed on the ground. The second Scarlet landed on the ground she did a perfect leg split to dodge Jin’s attack shocking him. Rolling forward, Scarlet locks her legs around Jin’s waist to pull him down. She then grabs the collar of his shirt to pull him to the ground and bonk him in the head with her spear handle*
(Scarlet): You’re already dead.
(Baek): Impressive work, Scarlet.
*Scarlet loosens her legs around Jin and stands up dusting herself off before helping him up*
(Jin): Great dodge at the end. I didn’t see that coming.
*Scarlet slightly blushed at Jin’s comment*
(Scarlet): Thanks, I learned that move from Jade. Your fighting was also impressive. I couldn’t find an opening at all. If I’d messed up on that move it would have been me on the losing end.
(Baek): Your battling capabilities are both impressive. Scarlet is a natural and Jin has no wasted movement in his strikes. You two will only get better as time goes on.
(Jin): Yeah, but it’s still nowhere near as strong as Dust and the others.
(Gael): I still can’t believe those guys left us behind.
***
*Flashback*
*As the sun was beginning to set, the group gets ready to leave*
(Dust): And where do you guys think you’re going?
*Dust directed his attention to Jin, Gael, Alita, Scarlet, and Sera*
(Jin): Going to the party. What?
(Dust): It’s an adult party, rookie. How old are you again?
(Alita): As a robot I really have no age. According to your files: Gael is 15 while Scarlet, Sera, and Jin are all 17.
(Jin): Only for like five more months.
(Dust): Exactly. Hang back here and hold down the fort. We’ll call you if we need back up.
*Flashback Ends*
***
(Sera): I’m surprised you didn’t go Hibana.
(Jin): Hibana’s not what you would call a social butterfly.
(Hibana): Eh. You’ve seen one pool you’ve seen them all. Besides, I’m more interested in this place and gathering information.
(Baek): *Chuckles* It would appear that one of you has picked up on your mission.
(Gael): What mission?
(Baek): Think about it. Do you really think the others left you here completely on purpose for nothing? Everything we do has a purpose-
(Jin): And every purpose has a reason. Yeah, Dust said that once. His only purpose for leaving us behind would have to be. . .
(Sera): The Coriarty Clan! Flint in particular.
(Alita): His arrival does arouse some suspicion. But at the same time I don’t sense any hostility from him.
(Jordan): But he’s still quite suspicious.
*Jordan comes walking out with Dante by his side*
(Jordan): Don’t trust anyone until they’ve proven they can be trusted. One of the many lessons we learned, from boss.
(Dante): Trying to get close to him has been difficult, however. His whole crew surrounds him.
(Hibana): Not to worry. I’ve already got an eye on him. Right now he’s playing pool with his family.
(Dante): Might I ask how you know that?
(Hibana): I have my ways. Never expose all the cards in your hand.
(Jordan): Another lesson he taught us.
*Hibana smiles proudly while puffing out her chest*
(Jin): I still can’t believe Dust used to be your teacher. As well as a member of the Coriarty Clan. I mean, the guy is shady, but I always just assumed he was a good criminal who just went straight.
(Gael): I’m curious to know what he was like.
(Jordan): Well that depends on who you ask. To me, he was a guy you could never read. I like to think of myself as a good reader of character, but he remains to be the one guy I could never get a read on. He defies your expectation on what you want him to do. He can be ruthless and downright sadistic, but at the same time carefree and defenseless. He’s smart, but at the same time isn’t afraid to take risks without calculating everything. I guess for me, he’s an anomaly I can’t figure out and find fascinating.
(Dante): For me, he’s everything I aspire to be. He’s strong, sticks to his code, and isn’t afraid to do what he believes is right even if it means turning the whole clan against him. He is also the man who saved me. There was a time where I was ruled by my past and all I saw was darkness and anger. But he showed me the light. Showed me that I don’t have to be controlled by the past and can move forward while honoring those I’ve lost. If it wasn’t for Dust, I don’t think I would be standing here today.
(Scarlet): Sounds like to me you two really do respect Dust. I am curious how someone like him got into the Coriarty Clan to begin with.
(Baek): Well he was pretty much born into the clan. Seeing as how his mother is a direct descendent of Jett Coriarty himself.
(Hibana): Dust is related to Jett Coriarty?
(Baek): Yes, through a long line of generations. He Dust’s great great great great great great grandfather and his mother was hoping to reclaim the patriarch position of the clan.
(Sera): So even though they started the clan, it’s not family-owned.
(Baek): Right. When Jett Coriarty established the clan he appointed three men to act as his lieutenants. These three men would help keep track of all the families under the clan and help keep things running smoothly. In the event the chairman was killed or stepped down, one of the lieutenants would become the new chairman or chairwoman in some cases and lead the clan. After Jett Coriarty’s death, the clan would go through a number of new chairmen. More highs than lows with some unfortunately killed or forced to step down. The Coriarty family remained in the clan serving as overseers and advisors, but one member of the family was hoping to return the family to their former glory. That person was Jemisha Coriarty, Dust’s mother.
*Baek pulls out a picture which features a young dark elf woman and standing next to her was a male dark elf with short black hair, green eyes, and wearing glasses. The female elf had long black hair and purple eyes. Baek showed the picture to the young knights*
(Jin): Woah, she’s beautiful.
(Sera): I can definitely feel a powerful spirit just by staring at the picture.
(Baek): Yes. She was a very strong-spirited woman. I was appointed as her guard when she was a child and watched her all throughout her time in the clan. They called her the Dark Dragon. She was a master of the Shadow Beast technique and her shadow beast was a dragon. Just like a dragon, she blazed a trail throughout the clan rising up through the ranks with no one able to hold a candle to her. She was feared and respected by everyone who came across her and wasn’t afraid to fight those who stood in her way to achieve her goal. I think a young recruit said it best: I have never been more mesmerized by someone’s beauty, yet feared for life whenever I saw her.
(Hibana): Damn, that’s powerful. So who’s the guy next to her? Her brother or something?
(Baek): That would be Cad Balor. A gunman of the clan, the husband of Jemisha and Dust’s father.
*The young knights took a second to process this information*
(Jin, Gael, Sera, and Scarlet): EHHHHHHHHHHH!
*Alita looked at them confused*
(Alita): Is it really that shocking? I can definitely see the family resemblance.
(Jin): That’s not the point. This guy is Dust’s father? It’s not what I imagined his dad looking like.
(Gael): Yeah, that guy looks way too plain looking.
(Baek): That was my thought when I first met him. Cad joined the family as a spy from a rival family. When he first joined he was clumsy, nervous, and became a gopher for a lot of the family members. He really had no outstanding features and did nothing to stand out. Just like he wanted. All those actions were just a disguise to hide his true personality. In truth, that man is the most skilled gunman the clan had ever seen known as The Demon. Outside of combat he was pretty plain, but once a gun was in his hand, he became the most dangerous person in the room. He once took over a small town with one bullet and gunned down seven men in five seconds flat.
(Gael): Woah.
(Baek): I’m not sure when, but Jemisha developed feelings for him. Before I realized it the two were always together and then it got revealed that they were married and she was pregnant. In fact, I was there for Dust’s birth when it happened. Nearly got my hand crushed.
*Baek smiles remembering the birth of Dust. He considered it one of the happiest moments of his life. Baek had no family nor was he interested in getting married so he valued his relationship with Jemisha. He always saw Jemisha as his sister and she saw him as a reliable big brother she could confide in. So when Dust was born he vowed to look after him like he was his own son*
(Hibana): So what happened after Dust was born?
(Baek): After’s Dust birth the clan soon found themselves embroiled in a war with a rival clan. Jemisha and Cad came to realize that they couldn’t raise Dust in this environment, so they left the clan. They fled to Firdous Island. At the time it was controlled by a small mob family which they defeated and took over the whole island establishing their own mob family, new rules, and helping the island prosper. Dust was raised in a safe environment and allowed to grow up peacefully, but Jemisha had big plans for him. She and Cad would train Dust to one day return to the clan and become their chairman. After 21 years of training, Dust left the island and came to the Coriarty Clan where his goal was to become the chairman of the clan. Started at the bottom and worked his way up through the ranks.
(Dante): Along the way he met us and established the Balor Family.
(Baek): Dust climbed up the ranks pretty well and became a lieutenant. Just when it seemed like he was positioned to be the next chairman he left the clan.
(Jin): That sounds awesome. So what made him decide to leave the clan?
(Lylah): It was me. He left because of me.
*Lylah appeared getting the attention of the young knights who were curious to know what she meant*
Author’s Note: Quick update, I recently discovered a mistake in the numbering of the chapters. That was entirely my fault. I have fixed this issue and apologize for the mistake. I’ll be sure to pay more attention to this in the future. Anyway, we actually get to learn about Dust’s parents and learn a little bit more about him. But what about Lylah? What did she do to make Dust leave the clan and how will this affect the story? Tune in next week to find out. I know I haven’t talked much these last few chapters but honestly they’re pretty self-explanatory and serve as a setup for what’s to come. Get ready because the action returns next chapter. Thanks for reading and I’ll see you next time.