[Friday| August 31, 2012| 10:45 PM]
[Eyes of Zetsumu Tenha]
'You are already dead.' That phrase hadn't left my mind since the last thirty minutes the hooded specter said that to me. [Then if I'm already dead, how was everyone able to see and interact with me… Was it all just an illusion?] I tried to think rationally as I held my shivering body. The weather wasn't cold but the sudden shock of my current state felt too real to be just an empty threat.
[Dammit! I have to get some answers out of that guy.] I tried to stand as I slowly regained my strength, leaning against a wall for support. I looked around my bedroom and saw that the hooded figure named Darokan was nowhere to be seen. I moved towards the lower floor of our house as my stomach growled loudly.
As I turned on the light at the dining area, the hooded specter that was in my bedroom was now seated on one of the chairs. "Is it not customary for humans to give their visitors something to drink?" He said in a lighthearted tone, removing his hood, his face seemed different compared to the one I saw before.
"You seem more human now. What happened to that rotting face?" I said as I laid down two glasses of oolong tea on the table and took a seat opposite his. "The moonlight dispels my power to alter my appearance. What you saw back then was my real face and now is just a façade."
The robed 'person' said as he drank the tea. "I am already dead. I still cannot believe it but please tell me how and why I am still here and how can everyone else see and talk to me." I asked him as he held out his glass asking for more to drink.
"Have you been feeling a bit hungrier than usual at the past few days?" I nodded as I refilled his glass with tea. "It is a sign that my power sustaining your life is weakening. You see, boy, you died about three months ago. You got hit by something sharp on your head and by the time I saw you, you were almost dead. Thus I made a contract with you. You will live once you have fought and won for me in this war."
He explained to me while casually pausing for a moment to drink. "If I win I will live right? Then what is it in for you?" A smirk formed along his face as I asked "You will have a new life once you win, as for me I will become king of course." My eyes narrowed at his statement. "King? I know you are not human but you do not actually plan on ruling over the world do you?"
"What? This world? Of course not. What good would it do me ruling a realm of disobedient monkeys?" He held out his glass again as I asked him 'Then what?' His reply sent a chill down my spine. "The Underworld of course. Now then I know you have gathered more than a hundred souls of Those who dwell in darkness. But you also need the soul of a collector such as yourself."
[A collector such as myself? Then that means…] "You guessed right, boy, that girl is your target. Kill her or she will indeed kill you, and you will feel the pain of dying again." He said that I was to kill Amagawa Rinko if I wanted to continue living.
"One last thing about that power I gave you. You see I am the Progenitor of War and I have given you a fraction of my power. What power you may ask… I gave you the sheathe of my sword where you can draw an infinite number of weapons not just limited to blades. Your mind is the only thing that limits that sheathe. Now go out and fight, you do not have much time left."
He stood up from his chair and put on his hood. "One last question before you leave. You said your power sustaining my life is weakening and I do not have much time left. How much longer do I really have?" He looked at the clock and counts with his hands.
"I'd say you have thirty more hours to live. Do not push your time, boy, or else you'd find yourself dead by then." I looked at the clock hanging on the wall showing the time 11:30. "Guess I'll eat up for now." I opened my fridge and heated some instant lunch packs on the microwave until I found a familiar folder by the table.
Having the seal of the student council on it and a stamp that read confidential, I remembered that this was the folder that contains the history of Amagawa Rinko. [I did not finish reading it back then because I got the gist of her situation. But now my life depends on what is written here.]
I had told myself that I would not use information about others for my own exploits, but with my life on the line here I at least had to find out why she's fighting. I continued reading the report on Amagawa-san's past which seemed to have nothing much of a reason for fighting, until I saw something handwritten in ink at the back of the last page.
'Amagawa Rinko's boyfriend reported dead two months ago. I just found out recently, no one knows about this so keep this a secret. –Ensui'
[Eyes of Jihyou Ensui]
It's been almost twelve hours since the events that lead to chaos at school ended. Kensai still hadn't returned and I was getting worried. I lived in a normal house in this town compared to what I used to live in this house is nothing. But if it was no longer haunted by Kensai then there was a bigger problem. A ghost that was tied down to the land cannot leave unless they have passed on. I severed the thread that tied him to the land which meant that he should have passed on, however, he still persisted here and served me.
"You better still be alright when I find you, Kensai." I left my house, glancing at the clock before I leave. [I know that those fools are planning something but I do not expect them to have any counter actions as to what I do. They cannot control Those who dwell in darkness but manipulating them is a different story.]
My thoughts went all over the place as I now stood on the rooftop of a building at the business district. "They're all over the place but at least only a few can see them." I scanned the surrounding area with my eyes; people were asleep at this hour but…
[Someone's wandering around roofs at this time doing community service?] I focused on the platform behind the person dressed in black, probably 100 meters away. Imagining the shortest path, I closed my eyes as I felt the air around me quickly shifted around for a second then opened them again.
"Fancy meeting you here, kind sir, I suppose you're doing community service with that gun." He heard my voice and faced me as I stood behind him with his gun pointed at me. "You need not be hostile towards me. I know who you are and you know who I am, therefore you also know that gun is useless against me."
The man sighed in resignation as he lowered his gun and slung it on his shoulder. [A rifle with one trigger, two barrels and separate magazines… I see so he was no ordinary cleaner after all.] "You should go home now. It isn't safe even for you to be here as you are not needed at this time."
I walked closer to him near the edge of the four-story building. "If you are not to leave then at least tell me who you're working for." There was no hostility coming from the man beside me nor did he reply to me. Minutes passed by as the both of us stood side by side on the edge of the building with the sound of blades clashing in the distance,
"They're at it again… Listen. This is my last warning for you. If you are still to stick around here without answering me I will have to force you to leave." He looked into the night sky and sighed as he turned around and jumped off the building, making his way through the business district. [What a hard headed person he is…]
I put my hands in my pockets as the cold night wind blew by. "I have returned with a report, my lord." I heard a familiar voice behind me. "Kensai, I am glad you are safe. Come. Let us go back for now, a storm is upon us and we must be ready." The both of us walked back home as he reported what he had found out during the past twelve hours.
"I have seen who Zetsumu Tenha and Amagawa Rinko are tied to. But I was not able to hear their names." He described the two specters he had seen separately conversing with my two schoolmates. "I see then let us prepare for the coming storm. Kensai, I am prohibiting you from entering the school grounds tomorrow. You will only come once I call for you." He answered with a firm 'Yes, milord.' then vanished in thin air as we reached back our home.
[Now then… I hope you two make up your minds or else I will be forced to partake in this war…] I closed the door behind me and changed my clothes before going to sleep.
[Eyes of Zetsumu Tenha]
"Kishi-kun, you have quite a trick up your sleeve." Amagawa-san said as she widened the distance between us. "I have to say the same for you as well, Hime-san. I can't believe it at first but now I can see that you really are quite the magician." I threw away two broken swords in both hands and quickly 'pulled' out two more behind me.
[Still, her flames are able to sear through steel. I better be careful from now on.] I took my stance and focused at the girl with the scythe ahead of me as I sprinted fifty meters forward before jumping above her. Swinging both my arms downward, I used my weight and momentum to attack her.
"Your disposable swords are cute, I wonder where you got them." She said, stepping sideways to dodge my strike. "I figured it's about time we see who is the better collector don't you think, Hime-san?" I tried to keep the lightheartedness in the conversation while I tried to pull out my swords stuck on the cement.
"True, I suppose we got a bit off track since I invited you for a challenge." Her left hand lighted up as a circular pattern appeared beneath where I was standing. "Dammit-" I rolled and quickly got away from the area as a pillar of fire rose up in the air.
"Hime-san, look up!" I pulled out two more swords from behind my waist and threw one of them in the air. [Damn she fell for her own trick~] I ran towards her while pulling another sword behind me and this time, threw both of them towards Amagawa-san.
"You think I'd be fooled by my own trick?" She slashed and broke the two blades I threw but… "I still have more than just those!" I drew a sword, this time it was the one I usually use. As its long broad silver blade swung down, I knew that she will dodge it.
"You're too easy to read Kishi." She stepped towards the opening on my left side. "You fell for it this time, Hime." I followed her with my left hand as I drew another sword from the invisible sheathe I was granted. "There's still more!"
I let go of the broadsword and continued to summon more blades as Amagawa-san is put on the defense. "Enough of this already!" Another circular seal appeared on the ground but this time, there's more of them around us which resulted in a small scale inferno on the rooftop of an abandoned factory near the river.
"Here I go, Hime-san!" After the short firestorm, I charged towards her as she prepared to block my attack. She assumed her stance but lost her footing as the platform she stood on fell down bringing her with it. "Amagawa-san!"
I resumed my charge towards her then held on to her hand preventing her fall. "You really are reckless when it comes to fighting." I said, slowly pulling her up with my right arm until I felt something sharp at the back of my neck.
"Drop me and you lose your head." She said as our eyes met behind our masks. "Hold on! I am not about to do something like that! The fight's over. I lose this time." I continued to pull her up until her hands reached the ledge and she got on the same platform as me.
"We have school tomorrow right, Amagawa-san?" I asked her as we sat on the scorched rooftop, gazing up at the night sky. "What day is it tomorrow… ah Saturday, only in the morning. Why do you ask, Zetsumu-kun?"
Side by side, leaning on one of the broken posts, we sat idly while the wind blew by. "I was thinking of skipping tomorrow. With all the fuss we made earlier today I feel like we should stay low until it dies down a little."
The early autumn wind blew by the empty roof; I could hardly believe I had less than a day to live. "Then I shall skip as well. It would be troublesome if they would all focus their questions on me." I had less than a day to live which meant I had to put an end to this tomorrow.
"One more question before we wrap things up here, Amagawa-san. Would you happen to be free tomorrow? Say… after lunch?" I have to end this tomorrow. "I am. Would you need something of me?" Our peace-filled days will change once our fight ends tomorrow. "Yeah, I'll mail you our meeting place. So until then, take care."
She gave me a curt bow as she jumped off the rooftop and made her way towards her home. "I better rest as well. I need all the energy I need, it is a big day tomorrow after all." As I made my way back home, I was still unsure as to why I fight…
The clock on my phone read 7:40 AM as I rubbed some sleep off my eyes. "So this is what it feels like when you know when you're about to die." I took a deep breath and stood up on my bed to tidy up my sheets. Even though it's a Saturday, we still had classes but due to the events yesterday…
[Amagawa-san and I decided to lay low for now…] "Speaking of Amagawa-san… I better mail her a good place to meet." I opened my phone and wrote her a message; 'Meet me at the park later. –Zetsumu Tenha' I pressed the send button on my phone and prepared my breakfast.
"These mysterious lights at night were reportedly seen by several other more witnesses." The newswoman on TV started interviewing one of the local residents of our town who reportedly saw fire out of nowhere. [We got too carried away last night as well it seems…] As I shook my head, I heard my phone vibrate on the table.
'Oh my, aren't you up early even though you're skipping school, Zetsumu-kun. –Amagawa Rinko' I could only sigh at the message Amagawa-san sent me. 'I am usually up early even on days without school. –Zetsumu Tenha' I input my reply then continued eating my breakfast, until my phone vibrated again…
'That's really good for you, Zetsumu-kun. I'll give you a petting later. –Amagawa Rin-Rin' [Who the hell wants that?! And what's with that Rin-Rin at the end?! It doesn't make any sense to change your character now.] We continued texting like this until we met at the park later on.
"Even though we were already texting all morning, you still call me all the way out here just to talk. This is becoming quite the development." She's been teasing me all morning and my brain was also getting tired trying to keep up with her.
"Amagawa-san, I'll say it just this once. You are a wonderful person even if you keep your ice-cold front as your main face. And damn. I would probably try asking you out right now if only we weren't fighting this war."
I looked at the empty park as we sat by the bench. "You seem to finally know something interesting, Zetsumu-kun." "I have known a lot of things during the past week. Thanks to the help of the student council president." I told her everything that I had read in the report given to me by president Ensui.
"All of it is true. Well not that I care that the secret is out. But let me ask you; what is your reason for fighting now?" She looked at me, her eyes looked sharp but there was no hostility in her gaze. "I also have found out that I am already dead. I'm something like… a zombie… yeah, that would be the closest word that can describe me." I continued to tell her about the little details I found out last night.
"I see. You are fighting for a new life and I am indeed fighting to revive my boyfriend. And if what you say is true, one of us will fall tonight and the other will have their wish granted, yes?" I nodded confirming her speculations. "Then if we are going to fight tonight, why go out of your way to call me here? Should you not rest?" She asked while sipping on the canned juice we got earlier at the nearby vending machine.
"Well I wanted to make some good memories before we settle things." I finished my canned coffee and tossed it to the nearby garbage bin where it landed with a clank. "You are making this sound like we are breaking up when we aren't even going out, Zetsumu-kun."
"Well I at least want to say goodbye to a friend… I mean I consider you my friend after all we went through… so yeah best of luck to us later." She remained silent after I mentioned her being my friend. Minutes passed by and silence filled the empty park as the both of us sat on a bench shaded by a nearby tree.
"Then I guess I can also consider you my friend, Zetsumu-kun, and I thank you for that. But just so you know, I will not hold back later." She stood up and threw her juice can. "I will not hold back as well, Amagawa-san. Let us fight with no hard feelings." She nodded silently in reply as we parted ways and steeled ourselves for our last battle tonight.
"Our final dance is about to begin. It is about time the curtain falls as well."