What? What's this?
Before I could even utter something, the car opened and Daisuke appeared.
"So what's the plan?" He asked while looking at me intently.
"I let Aika track the map of the school. Every place is accessible except the basement." I said while reading scanning the map and reading the clues again. "…and there's a clue, Daisuke."
He peeked at the laptop and read it thoroughly. We looked at each other and nodded.
We got out of the car and put our masks on. Keeping our faces covered.
I ran the route and Daisuke is following me.
"Your photographic memory is always working, huh?" Daisuke said.
I faced him while still running, it means I'm running backwards. I winked on him giving off my boastful side.
He smirked and I laughed while returning to facing front. We looked like kids from afar, laughing and running like we will not kill a person this night.
We do these kind of moments absentmindedly. Our childhood were stolen from us and we don't really have memories like those typical kids have. Maybe we do these so that atleast for this time, in a spur of the moment, the time is ticking slowly and we can savor our ample time trying to feel we are still alive. That we're still humans, although a very, very different one.
We reached the hallway that leads to the basement. We know, at this time, we need to be careful. This is where the trap were installed. In missions, we should always remember that the more you get closer to your destination, the more you need to be careful.
And I'm not wrong, the moment I made a step, a loud gun fired at us on our side.
We immediately stopped our footsteps and lowered our back. We stilled and looked at each other, understanding that we need to be more careful.
We took another step and nothing happened. I looked at Daisuke and signaled him the floor.
We nodded.
There's a pattern. If we just know what step to take, we can survive this stage.
Little by little, we make sure that everything is right. We are taking our time making sure we are still alive after this.
When we make mistakes, we immediately stay in guard to protect ourselves. That's why in being an assassin, all of your senses should be activated. No place for being clumsy here.
We are about to take our last step when the God of wrong decisions came to us.
"Daisuke!" I half shouted when he got shot by a gun that's being fired on our 3 o' clock.
I immediately took the lateral step and went to the safe zone. I grabbed him and he was panting.
I grabbed my shoulder bag and got my first aid. In times like this, even when you hate your partner to death, you should be each other's shoulders. You should make sure that the two of you will be alive.
Just like the military code, 'whatever happens, never leave your partner, and that's an order.'
"Go on, Nak." Daisuke said while breathing hard.
I stopped on what I am doing and looked at him. He sat down like nothing happened and smirked.
I rolled my eyes.
I know it's painful, Daisuke. No need to hide it.
"I'll be guarding here, I can't fight him because of…" He looked at his wound and closed his eyes.
He is feeling the pain, I know.
"...this." He continued while wincing.
We looked at each other and I can read that he just doesn't want to be encumbrance to our mission.
Of course, he is Daisuke. I should know it.
I nodded and proceeded to the door.
I opened my fingerprint scanner device and noticed that there were no fingerprints on the doorknob.
So, the way to the other side is not through veering this door. There must be other methods.
I looked the right of the door. It's just a wall.
Just a wall? Nothing is a 'just', Nakano.
I scanned it and it has hand print in it. I touched the place exactly where the handprint is and in a matter of second, the wall became glass type and the blue light emitted.
"Welcome. Please input the password first." A female A.I. voice ecoed in the hallway.
Then suddenly, I remembered the clues.
The past will not go on
The race will still be heart of stone
For the community of killers
Their language should not be remembered
The past will not go on? The past? Are they talking about history?
The race will still be heart of stone? Are they talking about the present now?
It's something about the past that is still felt up to this day.
Think, Nakano, think.
If they are talking about the race, then it means they are united on hating something.
What makes the whole country hates you?
Colonizing them.
As I remember, only Japan colonized Korea.
That's it.
I read the last 2 lines of the clue and it all made sense now.
I opened the keyboard and it is in Hangul. So it's not by letter, it's by syllable.
I looked at the boxes that needs to be filled.
What the? Three syllables?
Ilbon should be the right answer to this. Ilbon means Japan in Korea.
Am I wrong with my deduction? But no, I'm pretty sure that's it.
It should have only 2, it's for Ilbon.
Suddenly, something caught my eye. It's the last part.
'their language should not be remembered.'
I smirked and typed in the password.
'Ilbon-eo'
As if a snap, the door opened with the A.I. saying,
"Welcome."
I looked at Daisuke and he is now treating his wounds. He looked at me and nodded.
I nodded and entered the room.
As I entered, the door immediately closed. I looked at it and there's no doorknob inside.
There's no turning back now, Nakano.
I'm walking now in the room and was surprised how different the basement is. It's like a laboratory of the future. It is really advanced.
"So you're here." A guy appeared on my 1 o' clock.
I immediately pointed the gun at him.
Yeah, I was right. He was the person staring at Daisuke in the cafeteria.
"You guys must be really smart, you entered here with ease." He said while smiling.
He looks so firm, calm, and dangerous. That's why I can't understand how blind we were these past few days. We should know that he is someone big.
"You remind me of someone." He said, going serious.
"Shut up or I'll kill you." I threatened him.
He smirked as if that was the most ridiculous thing he ever heard.
"Can you really?" He mocked me.
I cracked the gun making a shot, but he was fast. He defended it using his katana.
I put down the gun and looked at him intently.
He smirked and I run to him.
He sliced the katana in the middle while I defended it by bending downward and I jumped on his neck and locked my legs on it.
I used that to make a swing to the back and try to stab the sides but he was fast, he rolled to the front making my body fall on the floor.
I did not let him lock me so I rolled to the sides and with my defensive stance, we stared at each other.
He breathed heavily while looking at me. Indeed, he is from the Sairento hanzai-sha. His skills in Katana were great, just like my father.
But the evidence of time already hit him, he's not too strong just what I've remembered my father used to be.
"You really remind me of my old friend." He said while still gasping for air and standing up.
I stood up and stared at him. I don't know why I'm not hitting him aggressively now. Clearly, I can defeat him with just a half of my strength. Yes, his skills were the best I've seen, but his stamina can't handle my youthfulness.
"The sneakiness, the agility, and the eye for opportunities." He said while looking at me from head to toe. "And you know the move of an opponent using katanas before them making it."
He knows it. My father used to teach me how to read your enemy's moves in using katanas.
"You must be the daughter of Sumiko and Yukio." That's not a question, but a conclusion. "…and don't ask anymore, I know you know why." He said.
Yes, I know I got my mother's talents in fighting, and my father's teaching as my foundation. Tatsuya never missed to point that out during our training sessions.
"Come with me, I have something to show you." He said while putting down his katanas and walks somewhere.
WTF?