My Kitsune System

Dan stood dazed. The whistle had just sounded. The match was over… but it wasn't the match being over that had shocked Dan…

It was something else entirely….

It was the message from the system.

The notification was…

Quest: Failed

Bonus: Failed

He didn't understand how that was possible. His team's striker had already dribbled the goalkeeper and shot… but it was then he realized the ball had hit the bar and gone out.

It was now all over, Dan just watched as the ball rolled away, so did his hope of not being called get too.

Dan then fell and lay back on the pitch. His back on the ground while his face looked toward the sun.

I can't believe I didn't make it. Dan thought.

The squad was then gathered together and the coach gave them some valuable information about their game play of that day.

Practice was over and Dan had decided he was going to leave soon. But he couldn't as the coach called him back and decided to have a word with him. The coach complimented Dan's game and how he was able to read the game.

The also wanted more of such from Dan and told Dan that he should put in more effort in the game and how he could be a good player.

Dan wanted to be alone after the game. Though had played well and the coach wanted more from him. Dan had just wanted to be alone.

The thing was it had been a while he had seen Elise or said hi to her. And so, he decided to go visit her.

Dan took a walk from practice down to Orion city cemetery. The place was usually quiet and had visitors.

Dan navigated his war to Elise's tombstone. On it was written Elise Carter. Beside her name were the flowers he had gotten her the last time he came. Now, they were all dried up and dead though.

"Hey Elise, it has been a while since I last came to see you, how are you? I hope you good," Dan said as he kept quiet and later waited for a response.

After a brief moment of silence, he spoke.

"Sorry I haven't come to see you, but a lot has happened these past few Days"

"So, you know I almost died recently and I actually thought that maybe I would come and be able to meet you. I know had promised not to do anything stupid, but being around you always felt right," Dan said as he placed his hands on the tombstone and traced the markings.

"So, you know you always made it look easy. With your smile, you kept pushing forward no matter how bad the world decided to push back, you always found a way to push. I really don't know if I could be like or reach the expectations you actually wanted," Dan said as he found it easy to let the words roll of his tongue.

He then laid down on the tombstone to absorb the moment. As he did, he felt a chilling breeze reach out to his cheeks and caress it.

Followed by it was a familiar ethereal feeling that he knew too well. Though he knew he was no match for her, his body did not scream of danger like before.

Dan then opens his eyes to see the little girl not too far away from him. Today she decided to put on a kind of neutral face instead of the usual one of disgust.

In her hands were some flowers she held. She then walks up to the tombstone and switches the old flowers with the new one.

Dan was kind of perplexed as to why she had decided to that. But then it was a good di she had done. He did not need to ask her motive at all.

The girl then sat on the ground. A bit away from the tombstone. Her eyes just stared around as she looked into space.

"Who was she?" The little girl started.

Immediately Dan's face frowned and he looked downcast. But then all these expressions were gone within a split of a second.

"Her name was Elise Carter and she was a friend," Dan said, hoping the conversation would stop there.

But then the little girl paid him no heed and kept on waiting for him to continue.

Dan sighed as he continued.

"She was really more than a friend, you can say," Dan said, the image of the beautiful and jolly girl came to mind.

"From a friend, she then became something more… became an anchor and turned to anything one could ever need"

"But she got Ill and death's cold hands and pulled her into its embrace," Dan said, as a tear could be spotted within his eyes.

So, you know the world is cruel right? Dan said now his eyes were closed.

"Within months the world had forgotten what a kind-hearted soul she was. They all moved on so quickly and pretended like nothing had ever happened"

Within his ribs, Dan could feel his heart beat so wildly, that it was like it was going to burst out of his ribs. Dan felt a sting go from his chest and it flowed all round his body.

"Why didn't they save her?" Dan's voice was now all croaked and broken…

He opened his eyes and they were bloodshot. The veins all around his had popped. Within his eyes one could literally see the streaks of lines.

The little girl turned to look at him. She said nothing at first but just kept looking at him.

"First of all, they are the gods and they can do as they like. They will not conform to your rules of laws. Because you feel something is right doesn't mean they see it as right"

The little girl then stood up from where she was sitting and then walked a bit away before she stopped.

"Have you ever come to wonder maybe why the gods pulled away from man? Why are they there but they don't mingle with the affairs of man?" The girl said as she looked at Dan for an answer. But Dan's perplexed face said it all.

"So, you see the gods didn't leave man but it's the other way round. Man had decided to leave sphere and influence of the gods and come into a realm where they are the gods. And this didn't sit right with all the gods, but a decision was made to let man do as they pleased"

"As you know," she continued. "Every god has a realm, but then some have withdrawn from the realm of man and left them to their own vices. These realms are currently empty. Do you want to bring a change to this world, Dan? Do you want to make the story of this earth different? Then climb the stairs that lead to divinity. Because at this point there's no going back anymore. It's either ascension or death"

For the first time she had said something and she did not really spite Dan in the end.

"Cause the change you want to see" these were her last words before she vanished. Dan just sat there staring and pondering on what he heard.

Far away in another part of Orion city. A coveted location underground was being seen. Within its walls were various people watching and monitoring the cameras of the city. The people were dressed in black.

In the middle of the place was a big screen and a lady watching all the movements within the city. A person could be seen approaching her hastily. The man came and gave the woman some papers.

"We just got intel that a new one has emerged from the city. It appears to be a male, but we don't have the full details yet"

The woman stared at the report. She then handed it back to the man. She didn't look back at the man again. Her cold eyes stared at nothing but the big screen.

"I want you to find him, get all the people that know, contain them. But then... eliminate him"