Neon T. "umblr" Flame

It’s been 4 years since Shigeo Kageyama, also known as Mob, has been training at Andromeda Island. A remote volcanic island off the coast of Somalia, its harsh climate and poor fauna and flora offset by the kindness of its inhabitants, who helped him get on his feet and even learn the local language when he was sent there at the age of 10.

Luckily, he didn’t have to rush at the latter to start his training, for as it happens, the master he was assigned to was also from Japan. Arataka Reigen, a man as nice as he is energetic, took Mob in as his guardian and taught him many things regarding daily life. He was a very good teacher at that.

In terms of teaching cosmos, however… Well, Mob supposes he can control it better now. His training mostly consists of assisting Reigen with his exorcism services, for there are many spirits haunting the area. Perhaps not surprising for the location of one of the sacred Cloths belonging to the goddess Athena’s army: the Andromeda Cloth. The thing Mob came here all those years ago to obtain, then bring back to Japan.

And that he has yet to make any move to actually do so.

“I’ve been thinking, Shishou…” he says one day at the Spirits and Such office, where Reigen does his work, “I’ve spent years training under you, and I’m grateful for what you’ve done for me, but… Am I really making the most of my life right now? Isn’t there anything else I could be doing?”

Reigen dismisses those worries, saying Mob is doing the best he can right now by helping him. Mob hums and accepts it, but he keeps thinking about the topic.

11%

His routine is basically to wake up at the apartment he and Reigen share, eat breakfast, go to school, study and eat lunch, go to the office, help with exorcisms and other cases, then go back to the apartment to study, watch some TV and sleep. A comfy routine, all things said.

And yet, sometimes when he goes out in his free time, he stares at the horizon. There, at the island’s edge, he sees a strange rock formation shaped like an X, from which chains dangle. The place where the Andromeda Cloth challenges those intending to obtain it. The place Mob should stand at.

He feels the call of his destiny every time he passes by this area.

And every time, he looks away.

14%

(I can’t do this yet. Not until I can control my powers. Not until I can’t hurt anyone anymore. Only then can I see them again.)

Such is how Mob’s life goes, until one day…

SLAM!!!

“MOB, COME HERE!!” Reigen dramatically opens the apartment door.

“Shishou, you’re being too loud.” Mob complains, but Reigen doesn’t mind as he waltzes by his apprentice’s side.

“You won’t guess what just came in the mail!” He says while brandishing a letter on his hand. “C’mon, what do you think it is?”

“You said that I wouldn’t guess, though.”

“Figure of speech! Now here, look at it!!”

Mob doesn’t understand what had gotten his master so fussed, so he simply takes the envelope without care.

And yet, when he reads the address, his heart skips a beat.

30%

A letter from Japan, and the sender is none other than Tsubomi Mitsuura. The heir of the Mitsuura Group, whose current head, Kenji Mitsuura, has created the Awakening Foundation, the organization responsible for sending Mob to this island for Saint training. And also… his first love.

“Wow, you can float stuff? So cool!”

“Mob-kun, I wanna see how well you can climb that tree.”

“Hmmm… I’m bored of that.”

“—been 3 months since their last contact and I’m still waiting for their latest payment.” Reigen finishes rambling and looks back at his disciple. “Oi, Mob, are you listening?”

“Ah, sorry, Shishou!”

The duo quickly opens the letter to see its message. It’s far from Mob’s romantic daydreams, but rather a rather straightforward affair. An invitation for Mob to participate in the Galaxian Wars — a fighting tournament for all Saints related to the Awakening Foundation, to be held in 3 months’ time.

“Is that for real?” Reigen frowns. “They want to make children fight for entertainment?! There’s no way you’re joining them, right, Mob? Not like you even have a Cloth to participate yet, hahaha!”

Mob doesn’t respond. He doesn’t speak during dinner either, and he doesn’t fall asleep. He gazes through the open window of his bedroom (when did it open?), the smell of volcanic ash and sea breeze filling his nostrils.

His steps are silent as he goes out.

★ ★ ★

The next morning, Reigen runs around the island. He can’t find Mob anywhere and he won’t answer his phone! Maybe he should install a tracker on that…

After pacing back and forth across the streets, he notices a commotion at the beach.

“Look!” A person shouts in the crowd. “Someone is undergoing the Holy Sacrifice!”

The Holy Sacrifice? What was that again?

Oooh, right. That’s the test for those intending to obtain the Andromeda Cloth.

The Saint candidate is chained to the X-shaped pillar deep into the shore of the island, right at the point with the strongest waves and the highest tides, much like the mythological princess that is this place’s namesake. They must use their cosmo, the power source of Saints, to free themselves from the chains before they are claimed by the ocean.

He can’t see how the test is going from this distance, but as far as Reigen knows, there is only one person who would be interested in undergoing that. But why would he go for it, despite Reigen warning him several times about the dangers of the test? And why now?!

“Curse that stupid letter,” Reigen cries while removing his jacket. Curses himself for lying to Mob during all these years, pretending to be a powerful and wise Saint when he didn’t even know cosmo existed before meeting the boy. Heck, he only knows about that Cloth test because it’s a local tale.

Clothes gathered close to a nearby rock, Reigen gathers his determination. There is no way he would leave Mob to face this all on his own and risk drowning to death! With his aquatic skills attested by a second place at a municipal interschool swimming competition from back in high school, he'll swim all the way and free Mob from those chains — or die trying.

Reigen takes a deep breath, positions himself and— 

“Hi, Shishou, I’m back.”

“DON’T WORRY, MOB, I’LL SAVE YOU!!”

—He jumps into the water, frenetically heading into the sacrificial pillar. All while Mob watches from the sand.

★ ★ ★

A few bouts of Reigen shaking himself like a wet dog later…

“Well, Mob, congratulations! I always knew you had what it took to pass that test.”

Mob nods, something akin to a smile crossing his face. He holds tight the straps tied to the large metal box he’s now carrying on his back — the Andromeda Cloth’s Pandora Box, which contains his new acquired treasure and proof of his title. From today on, Mob shall be known as the Andromeda Saint, one of Athena’s 88 warriors of hope, destined to protect Earth and humankind from evil.

Something stirs inside of Mob. Pride, perhaps?

33%

Or maybe the exhaustion of carrying the box. It’s quite heavy after all.

“So, now that you got that, what do you wanna do?” Reigen asks, “Participate in that tournament?”

“...I want to see everyone again. I promised I’d come back once I got my Cloth.”

Reigen sags his shoulders. “Guess that means I’ll have to close shop and start all over again back home. Hopefully the Foundation will cover the travel cost.”

“You’ll come with me, Shishou?”

“Of course! Don’t think that just because you got yourself a fancy piece of armor that your training is over! You’d be lost without me, after all. But we can discuss that more later. For now, we gotta celebrate this moment!”

Reigen takes out his phone for a celebratory photo and pulls Mob towards him. Mob tries positioning himself, but the weight of the box is too much for him to bear. And so, when Reigen thumbs down the button—

…Well, it’s the memory that matters.

What will be of Mob now? Who will he meet on his return to Japan? And what will he do about the Galaxian Wars? Discover that and more at the next chapter of SAINT SHIGEO!!