[Tuesday| August 28, 2012| 5:00 PM]
[Eyes of Amagawa Rinko]
"Who am I?" He asks as the cool early autumn wind blow by the two of us on the deserted rooftop. "I am Amagawa Rinko, a second year student at Yoka Academy in class B. And like you, I am also a collector of souls." "Collector of souls you say? What do you mean by that?" Zetsumu Tenha, the person sitting beside me asks. "So you are not aware of what we do… listen Zetsumu-kun, in order for me to help someone in need I made a contract with someone." He listens intently as his eyes are taking a fiercer appearance. "One hundred souls of Those Who Dwell in Darkness, in other words those things that we fought last night." "So you're saying that I have a contract like you? I'd like to believe that but I don't remember that signed one." he says scratching his head. "You don't need to remember it now, it will come when it comes." He sighs at my words and gives an exaggerated shrug. "You said you need the souls to help someone. I'd like to help you achieve that goal as there is nothing I know of my power right now. So uh… if you don't mind, may I know the specifics on who and what kind problem we are to solve." "It is not something one would openly talk about but let's just say that I want to keep someone alive no matter the cost." He crosses his arms and thinks to himself, after a few seconds no more than 30 he speaks. "Alright I'll help."
"Are you sure of this Zetsumu-kun? Have you really thought this decision through? And besides, why do you want to help me so bad when you barely know me?" He scratches his head and heaves a sigh "Well answer to your first question, yes I am sure. And I have thought this through. Now for the reason why I want to help, you see Amagawa-san, I have this strange urge to help people. I am not sure why but it was there since I was young so maybe I was hardwired to be like this." He stands up and stretches his arms. "Well one hundred of those things isn't gonna be a problem. I still got some few errands for now and I guess I'll be seeing you later tonight." He waves and walks towards the door as the cool wind blows by the two of us on the roof. "One hundred souls and the soul of a collector…" "Hmm? You said something Amagawa-san?" he turns around to me as he asks. "I didn't, anyway thank you for your help. I'd be seeing you later tonight." "Yeah, later then." He waves to me and closes the door to the rooftop. "Vechkra, I know your there." "My, my, to be able to sense me like this is quite impressive for a mere human." As I call out a voice echoed behind me and soon a hooded spectre was there standing on the rooftop. "Is he really the one?" "There can be no one else in this city besides you two. Have I not told you that?" I think about what my contractor, Vechkra, told me when I started this contract. "Are you not going to ask as to why I did not kill him earlier?" "I do not care what you do and how you are to kill him. As long as you get his soul and I win this war you will get your wish granted. Now if you'd excuse me, I have some 'matters' to attend to. Happy hunting, Human." And just like the wind she disappears. "Zetsumu-kun, I am sorry but I have to do this. I will repay you for your help in any way I can." I say, as I exit the school's rooftop.
[Eyes of Zetsumu Tehna]
"Now then what to do…" I ask myself as I walk down the residential district towards my home. "I told my boss I won't be able to go to work today, and most of the good stuff are already sold out at the supermarket…" I think about my next course of action as I also have to visit my parents today. "Ah, that might do it." The time now is 18:00 in the evening and upon reaching home, I take a shower and put on my usual clothes for night outs. "First things first. The food. Gotta make sure it's enough." I take two plastic bowls of pork cutlets from the convenience store nearby and head to the south part of town where my parents rest.
"Good evening, Mom, Dad. I brought some food." I lay one of the bowls in front of the grave that reads our family name, Zetsumu, and sit. Leaning my back against a tree nearby, I open my own bowl, put my hands together, say thanks, and dig in. The flavor was not close to what I made but still it was satisfying enough. "You know I think I made some new friends today…" I say to my parent's grave and of course I don't get a reply, "They are quite good people so far… I think. And well you may be watching over me somewhere in the afterlife and may not approve what I am doing every night, but, you raised me on the principle of helping others." I continue to talk expecting no response whatsoever. "There are no problems in regards to my studies and my part time job is good so don't worry about that. And so that pretty much covers up the things from my last visit." I stand up and set the bowl closer to the grave so it won't be in the way of others. "I'll be coming back again. Until then please watch over me Father, Mother." I bow to them in respect then move to the east side of town.
"Now then… it seems a bit early but I think I'd go around scouting before I take out that sword again." Checking the time on my phone it was a bit past 8 in the evening, "It would take me about thirty minutes to get back home on foot, but I'd rather not go back until I finish things for tonight so… guess I'll head to school then." Taking the usual route I use when I go to school from home, I gaze up the roof remembering the encounter I had last night. "So it's nearly time huh? Well then quota for tonight is to fight until I meet Amagawa-san." The clock on my phone shows 21:30, I slide it in my pocket and put on my white mask, newly made by my crafting skill, and draw out my sword. I move through the woodland behind our school seeking out some we have failed to kill last night. "Seems like this place is pretty much cleared out. I should find Amagawa-san before it gets too late…" heading towards the shopping district at the west, cutting through the alleyways whilst cutting down any of the monsters I encounter. "There seems to be something strange about their movements tonight… it's like they're all headed for one direction." I follow their flow which leads me to an open park where these monsters continue to flow like ants. And at the middle of the park, a lone figure constantly moving and swinging her scythe around, Amagawa Rinko is now being overwhelmed by the sheer number of the souls of 'those who dwell in darkness'. I tighten my grip on my sword and charge in the crowded park making an opening towards her.
"Are you alright Hime (8)?" I ask upon reaching her in the middle of the park. "You're late. And why are you calling me princess all of a sudden?", she speaks as calm as always despite being overwhelmed earlier. "Well, I went to check the school earlier and besides, you didn't exactly tell me where we'd meet." "For that, I apologize Zetsumu-kun, for now let us deal with this nuisance." She says raising her scythe and takes her stance "I've got your back." "And I've got yours." After our brief exchange she rushes at the opposite direction where I went in tore through the accumulation of monsters. "Toh!" I follow her lead making my own path through the crowd. "Hime get down!" she ducks as I call to her and throw my sword to her direction cutting down the monster that was behind her. "Your turn. Catch!" she throws her scythe spinning towards me, I take a step to my left and grab the shaft of her weapon swinging it around me before throwing it back to her. "This way take your sword, hurry." I follow her through the park as I run towards my sword, slashing through everything that tries to get close. "Any plans, Hime?" "Cut them down like always. Look, they've already decreased in number so much that we won't even have a hard time." She points at the group following us and true enough, their numbers have gone down since I first saw them. "Then let's get this over with." I say as I charge in the group following us, and soon enough we cleaned up the remaining ones.
"Man that was tiring…" I say as I sit on the ground drained of my stamina. "It was but I thank you for your help Zetsumu-kun." "No need to thank me yet. I did say I'd be helping you did I not, Hime?" I lean against one of the nearby trees catching my breath. "By the way you have been calling me Hime for a while now. Why won't you just call me like usual?" "Well you see… we do have a reason for why we wear mask yes?" she nods as her scythe vanishes like the souls we have collected. "Of course we wear masks to hide who we are. But if we are to call each other by our names, won't it give away our identity?" "I see, I have not thought of it since I was alone. But since you are now here I should also call you something appropriate…" she sits on the bench across me and crosses her legs, and for a split second I thought I saw a new world in front of me. "I got it, from now on I shall be calling you Kishi (9)." [She's not bad with names herself…] I thought to myself as I nod. "Then will that be all for tonight, Kishi-kun?" "Yeah, probably we do have classes tomorrow and besides, I managed to learn new things today, all thanks to you, Hime-san." I kneel one knee like what the knights of the west do when they pay their respects as she turns around and walk towards the shopping district disappearing into the night. "Knight eh… reminds me of that story I was reading. Now then time to get home myself." With the date about to change I take my usual route back home through the dark alleys of the shopping district.
This is a dream occurring to me for the past weeks. A dream where someone tells me I have to get out of bed. Telling me that I have no right to sleep soundly at night. Telling me, I have to fight. Fight. Fight. [Fight what? Why do I have to fight…] "Fight for your life." I wake up from the dream, my body sweating and my breaths are ragged. "That dream again... it's getting more frequent by the week.", looking around the room for my alarm clock seeing the time displayed being 5:00 AM. I sigh and put it back on the table beside my bed. There's no more time to sleep but there's still a lot of time before school starts… "Guess I have to get up as sleeping in won't do me any good." I get up and start preparing my breakfast, "Nothing better than these normal times of the day…" I open my refrigerator and take out some ingredients I'd be needing. "Let's see… Chinese food may be a bit over the top for breakfast but oh well it's enough to keep me full until lunch." As I prepare some dumplings and spring rolls enough to last until noon, something on the radio catches my attention. "At our headlines today a local park seems to have been wrecked overnight. Witnesses claim to have been to the park yesterday with everything intact, but now almost nothing can be made up by the strange marks on the ground as well as several trees cut down unnaturally. More details on this after these messages." as the radio reporter changes to the local advertisements, I continue to wrap the spring rolls as the dumplings are already being steamed. "Seems like last night was a little too intense… I'll be sure to lessen collateral next time." I say while taking out the dumplings in the steamer and placing them in my lunchbox beside the rice. "Ah, that reminds me, I have enough time to finish the book lent to me." With my lunch ready and breakfast on the table, I open my schoolbag and pull out a small book. "Let's see… the time is 5:25 then I'd be able to finish this by the time I reach school." I start reading the 11th chapter of the book titled Moonlit Knights as the story starts to get interesting I also start to eat. "So it seems that this book has two endings and I just picked the bad one… no matter I'll just go back a few pages and… there we go." I continue to read while waiting for the time to pass. "6:30… one last chapter then I'll be leaving." Taking a quick glance at the clock at my living room I continue to read the final chapter of the book and soon I find myself rushing to school…
"It took me thirty minutes to read that chapter… thirty minutes. And damn I can't even process what to feel anymore…" I say as I return the book to our class rep. "Well it was quite the rollercoaster of emotions for me and same thing goes for the people at the literature club." She says while taking the book with two hands, "I'll have your book returned next week, my club members are going all out about it" "No need to rush on that if everyone's having a good time with that book I can wait until everyone's finished." As homeroom has just finished, I catch a glimpse of a familiar student council member by the door. "Zetsumu-kun someone from the student council wants to speak to you." After being called, I go to the door to meet the first year Fujimura Aya. "Good morning, Zetsumu-senpai. I am here under orders of the president to bring you to the office before classes start." "No need to be all formal with me I am a frequent person inside the office now, aren't I?" I say with a sigh and she nods in reply.
"Now then, what seems to be so important that you have to call me right before classes?" "Now, now. Calm down Tenha, it will be over quick. Now I want you to attend the practice of the ken-do club this lunch break, they said that they need help with something. Oh and would the usual payment do?" he asks whilst signing a heap of papers on his desk never turning his gaze away from what's in front of him. "Yeah, the usual would d- no. Wait. I'd like to request something." "Request something… that's quite rare… let's hear it then." He puts his pen down and faces me, his red eyes seems to be shining behind his glasses as the rest of his face is shadowed by the light coming from the window behind him. "I'd like to know something about a student named Amagawa Rinko." "Ah senpai, are you by chance going out with Amagawa-senpai? I thought I saw you two on the roof yesterday." Fujimura Aya, who was silently working on a separate table, suddenly speaks up. "Were you referring to yesterday's lunch time? You did meet me after that yes?" "No. I was referring to after class hours. I went home a bit late because I was helping my sister with some school related stuff." [Crap if she saw us yesterday afternoon then it would be really bad…] "It looked like something out of a drama-romance film where one confesses and the other one just leaves." "Fujimura, less delusions, more financial reports!" As the president cuts the conversation the first year replies with a 'Yes sir!' with a matching salute then returns to silence as if nothing happened. "Now then Tenha, what is it that you want to know about Amagawa Rinko-san?" "Anything from six months ago up to now it would do. Don't worry about confidentiality as if I'll go around spreading rumors." As I say my requested 'payment' to the student council president, the school bell rings signaling the start of our first period classes. "I know you're not that kind of person Tenha. You can get your payment after school is finished. Just drop by here later." "I got it, well then, I'll be at the ken-do club by lunch break if you need me for anything else. Better work hard Fujimura." I bid farewell to the student council members minus one, the vice president, and head towards the classroom for our first period class.
"Tenha, you planning to get something at the cafeteria?" Fukuki Genhou, a foreign transferee from Italy and to whom I was assigned to guide around school asks me as the school bell rings for our lunch break. "Actually, I have a job to do for the student council right now. You can come with me if you'd like I'd also share some of my food if you do." I hold my lunchbox wrapped with a green cloth in front of him as he think to himself. "I'll go it'd be a bit difficult for me if what happened yesterday happened again." "Then it is decided. To the ken-do club we go." We leave the main school building and go across the open courtyard and as soon as we reach our destination, we stop at the entrance. "Tenha. something feels a bit off about this dojo." "Yeah… it feels like if you enter you'd get your head cut off by a flying blade." The door itself has this intimidating aura and furthermore the sound of shinai (10) clashing against each other makes the place seem like no one is to disturb it. "Well you were the one given the job… why not knock?" "Even if I did they won't hear us… let's get inside first. Pardon the intrusion." As we enter the dojo we leave our foot shoes by the entrance away from the other students' and make our way to the inside hall where everyone is practicing.
"Excuse me I'm here on behalf of the student council." I approach one of the members dressed in their practice armor. "I see. I'll go get the captain. Wait here for a moment, okay?" She runs off further inside the dojo and soon brings us the captain. "I have specifically asked the president to pick someone with experience with a sword." The kendo club captain Rougan Kenya sighs as he removes his helmet. "He suddenly called me earlier this morning before class has even begun. Didn't tell me what I should do just to go here and lend the kendo club a hand." He examines me with his firm gaze then Genhou who was behind me and let out another sigh. "Alright there's some equipment over there. Come back when you are ready." "Ah senpai, may I ask something? You see I have noticed the people here have varied stances. Is there not a specific style everyone follows here?" I ask before I go change into their practice armor. "The Rougan family style focuses on defending oneself with what one is capable of doing then honing it, this I teach to my fellow club members." "I see. Then I'll be right back." I walk towards the changing area at the back part of the dojo and take the equipment that fits me. [Swordplay huh… I've got plenty of experience with a sword but I really should hold back here…] as I take the heavy armor from a locker I immediately put it back and leave only wearing the keikogi (11) and the padded gloves.
"Senpai, I have come prepared. Now let us begin as lunch break does not give us much time." "Why are you not wearing the proper equipment, Zetsumu Tenha? I believe there are many back there that would fit your frame." "Ah tehehe~ you see senpai, they're a bit too heavy for me so I decided to follow your saying on honing what one can do, so here I am. Don't worry I have a decent amount of experience." He massages his forehead with another sigh and gives nod, "Alright, everyone this person here will be your opponent. He says he has his own style that has no opening, make sure you find an opening." The club members give a firm 'Yes sir.' as Rougan-senpai brings me to the center of attention. "Listen closely, Zetsumu Tenha, I want you to give your all in this I won't mind bailing you out of your fifth period as long as you can teach these guys a thing or two." He whispers to me as he pushes me towards the center of the dojo. [Well, I never thought that he'd be dropping his formal way of speech just like that… then again let's do this.] I take a deep breath and hold my own shinai like how I would hold my own sword.
"Alright guys be it one-on-one, two-on-one, or all of you against me at the same time, I will not hold back." I louden my voice audible enough for the entire dojo to hear me. "If you manage to hit me three times then you win, but if I hit you once you have to wait another thirty seconds before having a chance at me. Rougan-senpai will watch over those who are waiting. Now then… come at me!" My shout reverberates throughout the dojo followed by a battle cry of the ken-do club members. "First year from class 1-A. I shall face you first Zetsumu-senpai." I take my stance similar to when I go out at night and face the first year in front of me. "Hya!" he swings his sword to my left, quickly parrying it with my own I strike his helmet. "First year of class 1-A. Down." He stumbles as my sword hits his head and goes to the area where Rougan-senpai is waiting. "Tenha, I hope you're ready to face the strength of class 2-C's pride." A classmate who I cannot recognize behind the helmet comes behind me as my second challenger. We bow lightly at each other and assume our stances. "Hah! Toh! ERYAH!" three consecutive forward strikes, I managed to dodge two and block the third. "Not bad… but still a bit more ways to go." I say to him, locked with each other's swords. I push him away making him lose his balance and charge at him with a single forward thrust at the chest he goes to the waiting area. "If you can defeat him I'll treat you out to lunch!" the club's president shouts an encouragement for his members followed by another one of their battle cry. [Jeez, how much do you want to see me defeated anyway?!] "Representative of class 3-B. Along with my friends we shall take you down." Three third years, possibly all girls, call out another challenge to me and all I can do is sigh at this ordeal I have brought upon myself, now inside a triangle formed by my opponents. "There is no escape for you Zetsumu-kun." All three charge at me, however their timing was not precise as one lags behind and one is a step ahead I take a step toward the one I am facing temporarily halting her advance as I turn around and quickly duck evading the strikes of the other two. Now locked with each other's shinai I thrust my sword at their body armor thus ending their turn. [There would be no end to this…] I scan around the dojo noticing that not even a quarter of the members have faced me yet. [Oh well I hope all this is worth it in the end.] The practice continues as the students keep coming in pairs and sometimes as an organized group of five. Taking them all down I am now locked with the first year from before, however he now has a group with him. "Whoa!" I kick one of the students charging to my left and quickly take his shinai, which I use to block a strike from behind me. "Hey now senpai. Shouldn't you be there with the others waiting their turn?" "I am sorry Zetsumu Tenha, it seems like we have to call today your victory as lunch break is about to end. Everyone wrap it up break time is almost done!" He backs away from me as me and the first year from before loosen our tension with our swords and go change.
"I really did not expect you to be so skilled. Tell me, Zetsumu Tenha, where did you learn to fight like that?" after the bell for our fifth period rang, we stay behind the dojo as instructed by Rougan-senpai. "Well, I did play a couple of games back then and I simply recalled what they did back then inside the screen." "So that's why you took a while changing, taking your time recalling those moves?" Genhou asks who, unfortunately, was also detained by ken-do club president. "I apologize for any inconvenience but here's part of my lunch we can easily split up. By the way may I ask what your fifth period subject is?" Rougan-senpai apologizes to us bringing his three-tiered lunch box by the low table. "If I remember right now would be physical education at the gym." "That's right we'd be having volleyball for girls and basketball for the guys. Seems like you have the schedule all figured out, Genhou." With introductions done early, we begin to eat our late lunch. "Then things would be easier if that were the case." Our senpai says while he takes a spring roll from the lunch I made, apparently the Phys. Ed teacher happens to be the ken-do club's advisor, "By the way Rougan-senpai I heard that you have your own family dojo and you yourself would be teaching there when you graduate." "Well, for better or worse I will but it's not like I have a choice as it was there since the time of my great-grandfather. They had it all planned out as I am to take charge of the dojo and the family business was to be managed by my sister. That aside you can address me by my name at situations like these, being stiff all the time is a bit hard you know." He says as we finish lunch and begin to pack up, "Then I look forward to our future practice sessions Kenya-senpai." "I might have to call you to our dojo at home sometime to give my father a good match. Until then enjoy your days in high school you two." We nod and thank him again for sharing his lunch with us and we go back to our classroom.
Our sixth period turned out to be a study hall and our seventh period teacher was absent due to a fever today, [So with classes done for the day I suppose I can drop by the student council office now.] or so I thought. The office was locked and all members seem to have more important matters to do. All I can do now is sigh. I head downstairs to my shoe locker where I find quite a big envelope signed by Jihyou Ensui. "Well then, guess like the payment was on time…" I say to myself as I make my way to my part time job. That is, until I receive a text message from my boss saying; 'Tenha-kun you may skip work today as I have important duties to attend to. Do not worry I shall still pay you in full by the end of the month.' As I slide my phone into my pocket, I make my way home to begin preparations for dinner and when all was done, I took a shower ate dinner and started to read a part of Amagawa Rinko's history.
"Quite the intriguing past she has…" after putting the papers back into the envelope I closed my eyes and try to make sense of what I just read. "She was more outgoing and open about a year ago. She had a boyfriend though based on the information I can conclude that he was an ass. Then all of a sudden she became like what she is now and there was no news of her boyfriend ever since." [There is also this nightly meetings with her, could these be somehow connected?] "Yeah right, I'm probably just over-thinking, anyway it's time to go I still have to tell her to lessen the damage around town." As I leave, I glance at the clock showing the time 22:20, close the lights and lock the door. With everything I need ready, I make my way towards the shopping district.
[Eyes of Amagawa Rinko]
[I do not have to do this every night. But ever since I met him, I feel obliged to. Because he has what I need to fulfill my contract, his soul will make Vechkra win this war and I will be able to see him again.] As my mind goes through these things, I walk along the dark streets where the dissipating bodies of Those Who Dwell in Darkness turn to ash and the date about to change. "Quite a peaceful night we have, wouldn't you agree, Vechkra?" pacing through further the dark streets, I sense a usual presence and call out to it. "Peaceful enough, human, now tell me when do plan on getting his soul and- look out, behind you!" as if time has stopped for a moment only for me to see a large shadow behind me and suddenly resumed. I hear a gunshot as I feel something heavy on my back.
8. Hime translates to princess
9. Kishi translates to knight
10. Shinai is a weapon used for practice and competition in kendo representing a Japanese sword
11. keikogi a uniform for training, used in martial arts derived from Japan