[Saturday| September 1, 2012| 6:30 PM]
[Eyes of Amagawa Rinko]
"Vechkra, will you let me see him one more time before I go?" An image of a man appeared before me. "If I defeat Zetsumu-kun he'll be brought back to life right?" The man was my lover who has been dead for the past two months.
"That is right. Defeat him and take his soul and we win the war." I formed a contract with a being from the Underworld in order to bring him back. "And once we win, you will no longer interfere with our daily lives." His body was preserved through magic and his soul was kept hidden as 'insurance'.
"I will, human, and I expect good results from you." Our conversation ended with a few words as the hooded specter faded into the darkness. "Then I shall go now. You ought to keep your end of the bargain, Vechkra." With the sun setting early, I made my way towards the business district.
"Zetsumu Tenha, I am sorry, my friend, but I have no choice but to fight you."
[Eyes of Jihyou Ensui]
"Oh? Then it seems the storm will be arriving tonight…"I did not expect things to happen this fast. "Yes, also what should we do with Zetsumu Tenha and Amagawa Rinko?" Kensai was a spirit who was bound at this residence when I first moved in.
"We leave them be. I trust that Tenha's judgment with this matter will be better than mine." I helped him with the chains that bound him to this world but instead of passing on he decided to stay and followed me. "Kensai, we'll be proceeding with the plan once we know where they'll be fighting."
Now I got the entire town involved in this war which started with me in the first place. "My lord, may I ask you one more time. Please allow me to fight as well." And now he has been persistent in fighting back, I would normally refuse but now our counter attack is ready. "After you have done your part, I will also call on some people to help so be careful not to hit them."
I took out my phone from my pocket and sent a message to an acquaintance.
[Eyes of Fukuki Genhou]
"Yes I'm fine here, finally managing to blend in with the crowd. How are things at your end?" I moved to this town from Italy as a student. "Everything is going well as expected and I will be going back home in a few days. By the way you mentioned strange occurrences there, did you report it back home?"
That however was just acting as a cover up for my orders. "Those occurrences were the reason I was sent here remember? Anyway, I better go now it's starting to get dark here and I need to get ready." I ended the international phone call from an acquaintance.
"The night sky is well lit tonight…" As I glanced out the window, I felt my phone vibrating on my table. [Someone I know from school is asking help? Guess it can't be avoided then.]
I took a carrying case for a telescope and left my residence for the night.
[Eyes of Zetsumu Tenha]
It's 6:30 in the evening and I got out of work early as I have persuaded my boss, Nanami-san (not her real name) , to let me out under the pretense of a date. "Well it would be similar to a date if only we were not going to kill each other…"
Thus before my final clash with Amagawa-san I visited my parents' grave where I also ate my dinner. "And so that's what I am going through as of now. I do not know what my actions will bring but I hope that you still continue to watch over me, Mother, Father. I will return once things have calmed down."
As I left, I felt my phone vibrating in my pocket. 'From here I can see everything yet I cannot see you. Let us settle things now, Zetsumu-kun. –Amagawa Rinko' I closed my phone putting it back in my jeans. "Is this really how it is supposed to be?"
Staring at the night sky, I closed my eyes and took my time to make my decision.
[Eyes of Amagawa Rinko]
[I have sent him that message three hours ago and yet why has he not yet come?] "Vechkra what happens if Zetsumu-kun dies someway before I take his soul?" I asked the hooded specter with me on the roof. "You simply have to find his body and take his soul. Collectors like you will not have any final judgment when you die until this war ends."
The wind was starting to pick up as her cloak swayed harder. "I am sorry for making you wait, Amagawa-san." A voice called out in the empty rooftop; it was the voice I was waiting for three hours. "You really should be, Zetsumu-kun. Making a girl wait this long is not good you know."
"Well it wasn't my fault for being late since you didn't even tell me where you are." We raised our weapons against each other until I see she's not alone. "So it was you who this girl was bound to… it's been too long of a time don't you think, Progenitor of Lust, Vechkra?"
The specter behind me removed her hood and for the first time, I saw her face. "Progenitor of War, Darokan, I guess it was fate that brought us together like this. But no matter what you do I will win this war." And beside Zetsumu-kun was a fully armored figure befitting his title as the Progenitor of War.
"Well now that it has come to this, I have prepared a good stage for the both of you to fight…" He raised his hand and soon a dark aura engulfs the entire rooftop. "Welcome, our warriors, to the Underworld."
He said as the aura surrounding us disappeared as the town where we live in is replaced with a barren wasteland resembling our town. The 'moon' above us shined down a blood red light which bathed everything around us. "Now then with no one here to interfere we can go all out, right?" If Vechkra says it is alright then I might as well…
"HAAAAA!" Zetsumu Tenha charged straight at me delivering a downward slash with his sword. Avoiding it, I brought my scythe around towards his neck however as predicted he let go of his sword and created distance between us. Reaching out my hand towards him, I focused on where he's standing on and summoned pillars of flame around him.
"I've seen that before and won't fall for it again!" He pulled out two short swords and threw them through the flames, creating an opening. "Then how about this!" I raised my scythe and spun it in front of me, sending a torrent of fire towards him.
"HWOAAAAAA!" He pulled out a spear and cut through the torrent, blocking it with my scythe he again let go of his weapon and drew out more. "Vechkra, what did you promise to this girl? Do not tell me that you actually gave her false hope of reviving someone?"
As our weapons clashed against each other, our contractors speak ever so casually. "False hope? Then what would you call with that puppet of yours? With that strength I can tell he's no longer human." [Zetsumu-kun a puppet? Then if that's true what would happen to…]
"Where are you watching? Amagawa-san!" I barely avoided his slash by stepping backward and yet the force of his swing can be felt five meters away. "He is not a dead puppet, I merely stopped him from dying and once he wins I will give him enough life force to last him for another fifty years."
They proceeded with their conversation as I followed up my attacks with fire from my scythe making Zetsumu Tenha unable to counter me. "Then he would live his days tied to you. That is no different from how he is now." The two beings from the Underworld speak loud enough for us to hear.
"Is it not the same thing that you plan to do with your contract with this girl fighting for you now? Vechkra, I have known you for centuries and I know how manipulating you really are. Therefore I cannot let you become the one who would rule the Underworld."
"I also cannot accept you as a ruler Darokan. You will only bring ruin and chaos to everyone, thus I will win." My barrage of flames and slashes at close range continued as Zetsumu Tenha is forced on a defensive, however…
"Will the two of you just shut up and watch?!" He threw his broadsword towards his contractor and a spear towards Vechkra. "How are we supposed to fight seriously when the two of you are speaking so loud that your voices literally echo off in this place? I mean jeez! Is it too much to ask for?"
"Very well, I shall speak no more." His contractor, Darokan, said throwing back the broadsword. "I too shall keep quiet. If your soldier is like that I feel that mine is also getting annoyed at our talks." Vechkra also decided to keep quiet and as for the spear thrown at her, it was turned to ashes in an instant.
"Now then Amagawa-san, shall we wrap this up? You see, I'm running out of time and you know the rest." He took his stance and I did the same as our final fight is about to reach its end. "HAA! SEIYA! TOH!" He threw two swords spinning towards me like before followed by two more, which flew in a straight line and two spears.
"It's not like you to keep your distance Zetsumu-kun, come and fight me seriously." I burned down all the projectiles that was thrown at me but as the smoke cleared out, he was no longer there where he once stood. I looked around but he was not even behind me which means…
"You cannot escape now!" I readied several circular seals on the ground below me and summoned several pillars of fire upwards where Zetsumu-kun's dark figure is visible even in the blood red sky. "I thought you'd be tenacious but I didn't expect something like this."
He faced my attack head on and yet he still stood ready for more. "As I told you earlier… I will not lose!" He charged at me with speed I have not seen before. [He's fast but he does not have his sword, which means…] Anticipating his next move, I raised my scythe in front of my chest and blocked his swing. Following up with an attack, I used his momentum to quickly bring my scythe around to his waist.
"Not bad, but where do you think I get all these swords?" The blade connected to his left waist is blocked by another blade. [Once he runs out of time it's my win. I just have to stay alive until that happens.] With my plans decided, I jump backwards creating distance between me and Zetsumu-kun, but it was there when I realized a flaw in my actions.
"GUH! Dammit why does it have to be now?" I fell on my knees on the ground breathing heavily. [The battle was stretched for too long I didn't realize that my body was getting tired… but I can't lose here. Not when he only has a few more minutes left.]
I stood up using my scythe as a support. "It seems you're at your limits, Amagawa-san." He slowly walked towards me but… [I am not going to give up not when I've come this far!] I mustered as much strength as I could to raise my scythe.
"The conditions for this fight were unfavorable for you, to begin with him already being dead the one thing that limits his strength is now removed." I sent a torrent of fire towards Zetsumu-kun but he sliced through with his broadsword.
"I am sure you have noticed the difference in your strengths. Not that it matters now that I win." His contractor keeps talking while my opponent charged at me. In one last desperate struggle, I used my scythe to block. However, he was too strong even if I wasn't tired, I still wound have not beaten him.
[As expected of Zetsumu-kun… it seems I really will lose this time…] He had flung me ten meters away from where I was standing. [ahh… this is it right? But still even if I won… if what they said was true… I still wouldn't meet him… then maybe if I lose here… I'd be able to see him again.]
My vision was getting blurred as I neared my final moments. I was amazed how I could think and breathe so calmly. "Do it now, boy. You only have less than half an hour to live." With Zetsumu Tenha in front of me and his blade raised, I somehow understood why I was so calm. I thanked him in my thoughts as I looked at him and closed my eyes accepting my fate.
[Thank you, Zetsumu-kun… I now realize the peaceful days we spent together were real… I won't forget them, my friend.]