Demons Battle CHAPTER 1

{PROLOGUE}

It’s already night time in Osaka, a city in the providence of Japan. The night's sky was illuminating with the bright city lights emanating in all directions from the windows of buildings long enough to touch the skies. Also, more lights could be seen from the street lamps down below as the zooming cars drove by along the streets with horning noises.

However, Inside this grand city, one could hear noises coming from a particular building right now. This uniquely sounding ruckus is due to the joyous and enthusiastic screams of people reacting to what is currently being displayed up on a huge television set.

The television set was placed meters away from the sitting people and it took the space of half an entire wall section of a hall inside this building. The big screen was placed at a height so high from the ground that the bottom edge of the screen was unreachable. The height of the bottom edge of the television from the ground was even taller than that of an average man.

And looking at this big screen, there’s a show currently being displayed on it or rather, it was a sporting event.

This particular sporting event is called "Demons Battle".

Demons battle is the worlds most popular and richest sport right now in this year’s  2500 generation, and as part of the name suggests, it’s a battle between fighters, but not just any regular fighters.

It’s a battle between fighters that possesses super human abilities. Abilities like; Speed, strength, other heightened senses and all the other special abilities usually seen in movies are all available in this sport.

It's a sport that blew up all over the world, after humans started showing symptoms of what seem to have been classified as super human abilities.

The first situation recording supers powers surfacing to the world all started in the year 2030.

Out of the blue few humans fell ill to a mysterious sickness and after falling ill to this mysterious illness, they surprisingly got better again. Then after that, these healed people started showing off these traits that was unmistakably super powers.

At that time, No one could believe it. Humans now possess supernatural abilities. An average man could lift a car all by himself. A person is able to run faster than sound. There were even those who could even lift objects without having to touch the objects in question.

It was like fantasy became a reality.

During that past time when some few humans started showing super humans abilities, the world couldn't believe that what they actually watched in their movies had actually become a reality, and as usual, just like with the movies, the world tried to put an explanation for this strange evolution in human genetics but till this present day experts have failed in successfully doing exactly that. They are yet to still find a clear cause to the existence of super human abilities.

Could the process of possessing super powers be as a result of the disease or is it the mysterious cure the afflicted got? Till date, no one seems to know.

Among the different categories of people who tried to find an answer to the phenomenon, there were those who went through a logical and scientific approach to it and of course anyone could guess it was the scientists. The scientists lazily came up with their own theories, terming the cause of powers to be as a result of pure human evolution. Where they correct? Well till date no one can correctly answer that question. A person willing to answer such a question will have to become a scientist themselves and that could take a long number of years and experience.

However, on the other side of beliefs, several religions also came up with their own theories which were more in the lines of "saying whatever story they could possibly think of without having any factual backing". The Christians were supporting theirs facts with the stories that says; obtaining super human abilities were mentioned in some newly acquired books of the Bible which apparently had been missing and then had been found. They didn’t wait to find ‘these missing books’ until super powers showed up. Their stories even caused most people to wonder if they could believe all these religious bullshit.

Yes, the modern society was a world filled with people possessing special abilities. Although, that did not mean that everybody in the world had super powers.

They are still many number of regular humans without any special abilities still living in the modern society. To be frank the population of regular humans far surpasses that of those humans possessing special abilities when it comes to numbers.

At that time when special abilities were first discovered these people with super powers could only amount to a 1.5 percent of the world’s total population and since that time, that amount had only grown to just a number of 3 percent of the world’s population after centuries had passed.

These 3 percent population with special abilities were soon widely know as "Powered humans".

No matter how anyone chooses to see it, there are only a finite amount of these powered humans actually available.

History had it that the world went into a little shock after the super human abilities evolution kicked in. The direct cause could not be traced but there was an all out animosity between the powered humans and regular humans. It was a situation that almost resulted into a total disaster. In order to avoid the chaos from protracting any further, those in world powers came together and unanimously intervened.

Even after intervening powered humans still felt alienated in the world’s societies. They were rejected in different aspect of work and industries. That led them to go create their own world. That led them to create something special.

Not too long after that a sport was born.

A sport where just only powered humans could fit in and be themselves with their abilities. This sport soon became what the world now knows as ’Demons Battle.’

Demons Battle is an exclusive sport meant for just powered humans. Only people with super powers participated in the sport. The sport featured fight matches and events meant to bring out the Strongest persons or the strongest team to the surface. It was a sport that really did depicted the term ‘survival of the fittest’.

And due to that fact all powered humans loved it. The sport was initially meant to just grace the powered human audience only but it became too good to be just that.

Demons Battle soon enough became overly popular not too long after it was initiated because of how unique the sport was.

It became so popular that it quickly caught the attention of Regular humans too.

It immediately became a means where powered humans and regular humans found a bond. Everyone in the world enjoyed watching this sport.

Before everyone knew it, It became quite addictive to watch for both sides.

Both powered humans and regular humans started to come together to watch the sport and also discuss about it most times.

Demons Battle brought this sense of Unity between regular humans and powered humans.

Either way, it still remained a powered human sport.

Demons Battle might have united both powered humans and regular humans together but Powered humans were still the only main participants. The regular humans and some other powered humans who didn’t participate in Demons Battle were just the sport’s vast audience.

It will be even more appropriate to say that the whole world was the audience of Demons Battle. The sport was that fun and intense to watch.

The only requirement to participate in Demons Battle was that the athlete has to be a powered human because it wasn’t a sport where a regular human can participate in.

Regular humans made up a vast number of the Demons Battle audience but that was all they could ever be. Just an audience and not participants.

Even with this fact, there were some regular humans who still wished to participate in the sport.

For these regular humans wishing to be participants of Demons Battle, the sport was just too dangerous for them. Even if regular humans are somehow allowed to participate in Demons Battle, it will make the sport just too unfair to the regular humans.

The advantages will be in the favor of those who had abilities.

So Regular humans were banned from taking part in the sport.

The regular humans are only just an audience to the sport.

Being an audience. That is all a regular human can ever be in the world of Demons Battle. Nothing more, nothing less.

{PROLOGUE}

{CHAPTER ONE BEGINS: Unexpected }

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- That’s a straight hit to the nose now! He’s getting knocked back! Such an intense strength! What’s Tomura going to do?!

-Our champion is not slowing down in anyway!

It was a huge hall with a very big display screen on a wall, of course from just looking at the the big screen any one could tell what was going on. Even a baby watching this right now could tell a fight in Demons Battle was  currently on the display.

And it was an intense heated fight at that.

“Come on finish him.”

“Beat that motherf*cker up”

Everyone were currently reacting while attentively watching a fight projecting on the big screen.

Nobody was backing down with their supportive screams, they were all supporting either one of the two fighters currently exchanging blows with their individual ability in the big screen.

-Bah! Bah!

-Kuwaaaah!

The sounds of blow impacts kept resounding from the big screen.

“Dodge that! come on!”

“Oh shit!”

There were screams coming from every angle inside the hall and in the midst of all that a young boy could be seen.

‘Come on beat him up!!! LEFT!... RIGHT!... LEFT!... RIGHT!’

And right now this was the heated thoughts currently going on a rampage in the boy’s head.

The boy had spiky black hair and anyone watching him right now will easily notice his fists enthusiastically pumping towards the big screen with a sweaty forehead and a grin from one ear to the other.

He was currently mimicking fighting actions he wanted his supporting fighter in the screen to take.

He was also wearing the most famous DEMON BATTLE merchandise getup, exclusively bought from a website, and the attention this young man was giving to the fight being displayed on the big television screen was showing quite the amount of dedication and passion he had for the sport, and in all regards it was intense.

He was currently reacting to the fighter he was supporting.

Gabriel, the black spiky haired boy, has always been a big fan of the Demons Battle ever since he was way younger. He took every little spare time he could get to watch the sport and if he doesn’t have the time to watch a particular fight that was a major ‘grand event’ for him he finds a way to create the spare time to watch these grand events fight just like this one.

In order words, Demons Battle had been Gabriel’s passion for all his life.

And it was not just him. Other people were also fixated on the sport just like him but they were driven by the love of the sport in their own way.

"F*cking beat that bastard you motherf*cker!"

A scruffy and bulky middle-aged man with a half emptied bottle of alcohol right in front of him also exclaimed.

There were also already three emptied bottles of the same beverage standing firm on his table while an almost empty glass cup was in his hand. Right now all those bottles were all boasting out his tipsiness to world. He was also looking quite hopeless as he tried to react to the fight too.

Only just by observing the way he is screaming in disappointment, it is a damn giveaway that he is supporting the fighter who happens to currently be on the losing end of the fight right now.

The scruffy man was also looking overly invested in this particular fight while he had a holographics betting card scrunched in his fist.

During this time period, the distinction between man and machine in terms of functionality isn't as far off as it was centuries ago and that is because the concealing parts of machines have now been made to look as humanly as possible, so a person with multiple bionic prosthetics like a robotic arm can look exactly as how an ordinary person looks.

The only way one could tell if a person had an electronic part modified into their body is if they undergo scanning.

Humans were now possessing certain little features a machine can do.

One of the said functionality that used to belonged to only machines alone was now been infused into humans, humans were now capable of generating holograms from a part of their body.

This was achieved through a miniscule chip implanted in certain areas of the human body which allows a human to generate what used to be only visually represented through computer screens as holograms.

Not only can any regular human generate a hologram from their body, a regular human can also feel these projected holograms like the holograms itself were the real physical stuffs capable of being touched.

The scruffy and tipsy middle aged man had a hologram of a betting slip clenched in his fist and he was currently holding the hologram version of a betting slip almost like he was actually holding the real physical deal.

It was almost like watching him hold a paper except that, the paper this time was a hologram generated from his bionic arm.

With his tipsy eyes, the scruffy man attention was now totally on the screen.

Not just him, but everyone in the bar section of this building was also drinking and reacting to the match by showcasing different emotions to it. As for Gabriel, he was reacting to the fight on the screen too but he wasn't drinking.

However, he was in a bar just trying to watch this match.

Yes this young man was in a bar. Normally, he’s not supposed to be watching a match  around this time because he is supposed to be in school and not in a bar.

Also a bar is not one of the best place to watch Demons Battle because a fight could easily break out amongst those watching the sport at any point in time. Almost all the guys right here were all currently getting wasted with their alcohols so any form of upsets on anybody’s nerves is sure to easily result into a bottle getting shattered on some unfortunate person’s head.

This was quite a familiar issue that happened either from one’s favourite fighter losing the battle or getting annoyed after being taunted by the opposing team’s supporter. And in this sense, the scruffy and tipsy man has always been known to get a bit aggressive when his bets doesn’t fall through, so in other words this was not Gabriel’s first time in a bar.

A bar. A place with a lot of alcohol hanging around. It was not a place for an underaged kid like him to be in. Gabriel had skipped school just to watch today's match.

He’s unable to watch this match at his home because he’s supposed to rightfully be in school now but here he is, ditching school and watching the match in his district's famous bar. Yeah he knows. What he’s currently doing right now is a big crime to his parents as far as being a kid is concerned but What can he do? He can’t keep himself from not watching his favorite fighter.

-"...now that is one good hit from the Rukon district’s champion and it's a knock out.! KILLER JOE WINS!!!” a fast commentary came in through the speakers of the wall high television.

"Yeah!!!" Gabriel shouted with joy as he quickly clenched his fist and raised his hands up high.

The fighter he was routing for had come out victorious.

‘He always wins no matter what’ Gabriel thought to himself.

Killer Joe.

It was because of this particular fighter and this current fighting event in the tournament that made Gabriel skipped school. ‘Killer Joe’ his favorite fighter and the champion of all the different districts together.

Everyone world-wide continued viewing the aftermath of the Killer Joe's victory currently showing on the television as the camera changed angles. There was a calm and relaxed man in red kimono standing in the middle of an opened grounded space of the Demon Battle arena with a facial expression that clearly depicted the fact that he deserved this particular win.

Yes Killer Joe did deserve it. Those who works hard deserves what they get and Killer Joe was a fighter known for this tough hard-work regime.

So Gabriel knew in his mind Killer Joe deserved this.

It was not just only him but majority of the people viewing into the wall high television display in the bar was sharing the same feelings as Gabriel in celebration of this particular fighter's victory.

Finally, with the match over, Gabriel stood up from his seat to live the bar and started heading directly for home because school for the day was already over but that was not after he had gotten multiple hair ruffles from the fellow enthusiastic and elated supporters of Killer Joe in the bar.

This was not his first time skipping school so he was quite a bit popular among these losers but been around these losers was also fun too.

At the other side of the bar, the scruffy and tipsy man quickly smashed his glass cup to the ground as the pieces of the glass cup scattered off in all directions.

"F*ck!"

BAM!

The scruffy and tipsy man exclaimed in a paining voice while smashing his hands on the table.

His hit on the table caused the bottles to fall on ground. Both the ones completely empty and the single one with a small fraction of alcohol shook greatly before they tumbled off the table and then rolled on to the ground where they didn't break on impact because of how strong the bottles were.

The scruffy man was now staring at his leg. He  immediately pull out a little piece of glass right from his already bleeding hairy leg.

It turns out a piece of shattered glass from the glass cup he smashed to the floor flew right towards him and pierced his leg.

“Hey f*cking loser! You’re gonna pay for that glass you broke!”

“Yeah I know so just shut the f*ck up!”

“Who are you asking to shut the f*ck up? Are you asking me to shut the f*ck up you loser?!”

Gabriel left the bar with a smile on his face when he saw that. He didn’t want to watch that fight today.

With that he let out a Sigh.

‘Now everything is boring. I guess going home will be a lot faster today.’

Upon all the places Gabriel could find to watch a match he picked a bar to do so and there were several reasons why he made this choice.  The reasons went from been ‘how big the screen was’ to ‘how close the viewing area was to his school.’ Even if the reasons were petty reasons they were still reasons.

Gabriel walked right out of the bar with the scenes of his favorite fighter emerging victorious still playing in his head.

‘I can’t wait to be just like him when I finally get my powers. I just can’t wait’

A fighting career in Demons Battle was the very first thing that came into Gabriel’s mind at age 8 when he was first asked what he wanted to do in the future.

< “You’re not a powered human” >

This was the answer that the world always gave back to him since he began dreaming of fighting in Demons Battle when he was a little kid.

At the age of 13, kids are known to often discover their super human abilities but even with the many number of kids in the world, the population of powered humans are still very little when compared to the numbers of kids in the world.

This is because on an average, only one powered human child is usually birthed from a couple.

Nobody knows why but that is the way powered humans are born. One powered human child to a couple. It is a known fact that is still as mysterious as the cause of super powers till this date.

Once a powered human is birthed by a couple, it takes a miracle to find another child birthed with super powers from that same couple. However, there have been cases of couples with two or three powered human kids but these situations were very rare.

The probability of having more than one powered human child born from a couple is a one in a million chance.

And at this moment, there is already a powered human in Gabriel’s household.

However it is not him, but his elder sister Leah. His sister discovered her ability before she was even 13. She discovered her ability at a very young age of seven. Leah is called a genius for various reasons and she discovering her ability at the age of seven was a known fact that was also among the list of what made her the gifted and powerful child in his family, and as for him.

He’s still yet to discover any abilities on his own end.

Since there’s already a powered human kid in his family and he’s already well passed the average 13 year mark age of displaying signs of possessing abilities, Gabriel is now getting to the point of being officially declared as a regular human yet he doesn’t want to accept the fact that he may not be a powered human.

Even though he is already 15 years of age, he just doesn’t want to accept it.

He has to be a powered human and he will be one soon.

He is currently betting on the fact that there have been cases where a single couple have had more than one powered human child. There have also been cases where children didn’t show their powers until they were already 15 years of age, although these cases are extremely rare.

Yet these are little facts of probability Gabriel was still betting on even if it was very slim.

Most scenarios and statistics had shown that if a child doesn’t show abilities past age 15 then that child is considered a regular human. Gabriel is a 15 year old who’s already close to his 16th birthday and yet he still has no abilities to boast he’s a powered human.

However he won’t give up. As far as it’s not yet his 16th birthday there’s still hope.

He strongly believes that he will certainly display his ability soon or rather he just have to wake his abilities up.

Quotes from a top Demons Battle fighter says “My own powers got born in the fight”.

This is the same quote that went through the boy’s mind when he observed the scene now happening right in front of him.

“Hey! Ya fools think you can take me?! Come a little closer and I’ll make you guys say soyanara!!!”

“Hahahaha...hey look here deep shit, consider your ass completely kicked”

Just outside the bar Gabriel could see a weak looking tipsy guy, trying to defend himself from a group of guys.  These guys were four in numbers. The weak tipsy guy in a corporate attire wasn’t looking like a guy that has the power to back up his words.

But his opponent is twice the weak looking guy’s size.

His opponent is the biggest guy among the four guys. Just Looking at the way the big guy is reacting, it’s almost like he is the one in charge among the four guys.

Four guys against one weak guy. It is really a sad scene to see after all because right now the big guy is really going to back up his threat of beating the weak looking guy up. He had already started that process by walking towards the weak looking guy.

Right then and there before the weak looking guy knew it the big guy threw the first punch towards the weak looking guy but instead of trying to defend, the weak fellow just stood there, expecting the big guy’s punch like an actual punching bag.

It was no surprise, after all drunk guys like this only posses the power of the mouth.

BAH!

But to everyone’s surprise, the punch didn’t make an impact with the weak looking man’s face.

Gabriel caught the punch with his hand.

At this moment, with a commanding tone Gabriel immediately spoke out to the big guy while still holding his fist “Hey idiot, why don’t you pick on someone who’s your own size?”

At this moment, Gabriel felt like a protagonist in a movie stopping a bad guy. He couldn’t help himself as his mouth made a curve.

There was one more important reason why Gabriel picked a bar to watch his fight. It was a stupid reason but to Gabriel, it was a reason of importance.

The second reason or rather the major reason why Gabriel picked the bar to watch the fight is because the bar is a likely place for him to get his own fight too and it seems to him luck is really shining brightly on his side today.

Gabriel looked at the big guy clearly before he took cautious steps back away from the big guy.

This is a face he has not seen here before, so this will be a fight that will be worth his time.

Gabriel is a hardcore fan of Demons Battle but he isn’t a powered human so him participating in the sport as a fighter is like road-closed for him but something deep inside him can’t still bring himself to accept that reality. He has had this deep desire to fight after he tried one of KILLER JOE moves on a bully he fought in school and since that time he can’t seem to get enough of the feeling he felt. The feeling of being in a fight.

He is a boy that is thrilled by the violence Demons Battle depicted and today it feels like he has finally gotten the fight he is looking for.

“Who the f*ck are you?” The well built looking man who threw the punch asked with a disgust look on his face now.

He was wearing an all out black outfit. He was really the one looking more in charge among his fellow guys who were with him due to the fact that he was way more bigger and was looking more well-dressed than the remaining guys with him. He was also inquiring now with a more command tone, while the rest guys just stood by his side and watched Gabriel with pitying eyes.

“Oh shit. The kid is gonna regret that” One of the guys behind the big guy muttered out.

These guy’s were all pitying him now.

Logically, they all thought that way because the big guy’s body size was also twice the size of Gabriel’s body.

However it is time to give this big guy his answer and he is going do it in a cool fashioned manner too.

“Well I’m the guy that’s gonna kick your ass punk.” Gabriel smirked while making a fighting stance with his fist ahead of him.

“Hey young man this has nothing to do with you. I have business with that weakling behind you so I’m only gonna say this only onc...“

Gabriel interrupted the big guy’s speech by landing a punch on the big guy’s face before he could finish his statement and it clearly showed that the punch affected the big guy as the big guy was seen staggering back a bit.

Gabriel was now dancing around like a martial artist in the movies with an expression now stucked to his face. It was an expression that was clearly asking the big guy.

‘What are you gonna do now?’

“Now that does it!”

The big guy unhesitatingly rushed towards him and started throwing his own punches towards Gabriel, but Gabriel dodged it all.

Gabriel was currently moving with an agility that was surpassing the big guy’s movements.

Anyone looking at such a sight will be astonished. It was just too good to be true. To see a little boy like Gabriel moving with such flexibility.

Next thing, Gabriel held the wrist of the big guy who was just about to punch him with all his might and redirected his fist from hitting him in the face and that made way for the big guy to unexpectedly move forward in the direction of his attack. Even when his fist was only able to hit the air.  With the big guy already a step behind Gabriel, Completely deflected and now out of balance, Gabriel then gave his hit on the back of the big guy’s neck.

Seeing how the two of them were currently fighting, the remaining 3 guys were already now moving towards them with an attempt to join in as well.

“Wait! Don’t come close. This brat is mine.”

The remaining guys all stopped their sudden approach. As expected Gabriel had been correct all along. This guy is really the boss.

However Gabriel still wanted to fight all these fours guys together.

“Oh wow, now that’s the spirit.” Gabriel smirked as he continued on. “I have to say that you have a big body figure but that’s just it.”

‘I guess I have to knock this guy out first to get the other guys to join in too’

Gabriel immediately dashed forward to give the final knockout punch but he couldn’t complete that attack. He quickly backed away as he felt a sharp painful sensation in his arm.

It was a pain equivalent to that of being cut by a knife.

“Ouch.” Gabriel tried to hide his reaction to the pain to his best but it was clear everyone knew he felt the pain.

“Hey not fair, you’re using a weapon.”

Still he had to still make his nonchalant smile like nothing even happened to convey strength.

“Hahaha even better!”

The big guy replied while displaying a very sharp crystal that looked like a knife sticking right out of his hand.

This guy is a powered human.

It seems like he has the ability to bring out that sharp crystal-like thing from his body.

However...

“Hahahaha...I can’t believe I just struck gold. I get to fight another powered human apart from my sister! You are the best!” Gabriel gave out an ecstatic laugh like he was even excited and not terrified.

All the other three guys looking at him now all had a shocking expression on their faces that seemed to be saying... ‘What the hell is wrong with this guy?’

“Hey! This is my last warning. I’ll kill you for sure this time.” The big guy replied while running towards Gabriel with the clear intentions of stabbing him.

Gabriel noticed that the big guy is currently giving a warning and yet also attacking at the same time.

‘Pst! this guy wants this fight too.’

“Bring it on!!!” Gabriel shouted as he swiftly got into a baiting stance.

Just as the big guy was about to stab Gabriel, Gabriel parried the big guy’s hand, dodging the sharp crystal that came with the big guy’s hand then he gave the big guy a knock out punch to the stomach, although that is what he wanted to happened. This particular move is what he had planned to do but...

Instead he noticed himself flying off away to a distance with a very strong pain in his belly and the pain was caused due to just receiving a blow from the big guy.

Gabriel felt an aching pain in his back as he fell to ground with force.

‘What the hell?’

He had dodged the big guy’s punches earlier and he didn’t feel this much strength from the punches that the big guy threw at him initially. The punch was not that strong which made it easy for him to redirect them...

‘So where did this sudden power come from in this his last punch? Not to mention his speed. I didn’t even notice myself getting hit.’

Gabriel tried to stand up but it was almost like his body is not listening to him. His legs and hands were now feeling numb. The punch he received was so great that he is currently finding it hard to even stand up.

‘What the hell is going on? Come on get up! You had this fight just now.’

Gabriel tried to will himself back up but before he could stand back up the big guy stopped him by resting one of his feet on Gabriel’s chest thereby pinning him down to the ground.

Gabriel could now only look up at big guy currently restricting him from getting back up with only just one of his foot. Where’s all this strength even coming from?

‘Shit. This guy is gonna attack me again if I don’t do something.’

There was a feeling of unrest in Gabriel’s eyes as he tried to shake the big guy’s leg off his body.

‘Come on get up! Get up! Get up! Shit! I can’t seem to take away his foot from my chest’

With a sense of urgency Gabriel tried to break away from the big guys hold but he couldn’t. Right now it was very clear to him that the big guy’s strength far surpasses his. Gabriel looked up at the big guy with desperate eyes as he continued to struggled.

There was a very sinister look on the big guy’s face that was now conveying the intent of landing another attack. Right now just looking at the big guy’s sinister expression even made Gabriel wonder.

‘Is this guy really going to kill me?’

However Gabriel eyes quickly lit back up with that thought.

This is what he wanted.

He was initially expecting to fight all the guys from the very beginning just to get to this very moment. Although this big guy here really surprised him by showing an unexpected strength.

‘This might very well be what I need’

< “My powers were born in the fight.” >

This was the quote of Killer Joe. A Demons battle fighter. The champion said this. It was not just Killer Joe who said it, there were numerous other Demons Battle fight who testified getting their abilities during their own intense cornered part of a fight.

Right now it was clear, he is currently cornered.

Will he discover his ability here too?

At this moment Gabriel felt an eerily feeling as the big guy now exclaimed.

“Hey boy, I play Demons Battle with my kid too. Now DIE!”

And then the big guy’s hand with the sharp crystal moved.