"...Kiyo…"
Gimu stood dumbfounded at the sight of his former partner's body. His exposed right eye widened exponentially. A prominent hole could be seen through Kiyo's gut, enabling everyone in the room to see directly through to the other side. His scythe was still in pristine condition, stainless as ever.
Kiyo was recruited shortly after Gimu, his goals and achievements being ever so similar to Gimu's. The two were partnered together by Imawashiki sixteen years ago, three days before the attack on Furusato. Three days before Kiyo's death.
XXX
Sixteen years ago, a man could be seen sitting atop of fallen tree stump with half of his face being concealed by bandages, only his right eye and parts of his brown hair stuck out. In the man's hands was a sword; long, sharp, and ridden with various marks of Kanji.
Rubbing his thumb along the length of the blade, the man admired the weapon. It's been with him for so long, so it's hard not to appreciate such fine weaponry. It translated to "Souta," being fast and unequivocally thick.
The man sighed, closing his eyes gently. His life has certainly taken some turns. Some good, some detrimental.
*Fwoosh!*
Suddenly, a spiral of orange fire swirling in a clockwise rotation appeared, dispersing in a few short moments, revealing a man in a black cloak with red sideburns. His cloak was open, revealing his netted shirt underneath. The newcomer's dark hair was swaying from the violent winds created by the fire's swirl.
Gimu's eyes gleamed in recognition, and he proceeded to jump up from the tree stump, resting his sword by his side. "There you are…Imawashiki, right?"
"Correct, and why aren't you wearing your cloak? I'll have you know that I stitched them myself." Imawashiki stated, folding his arms.
The bandaged man huffed, "I just joined and I'm already being branded by clothing." He just wasn't used to wearing something so loose-fitted. His traditional short-sleeved shirt with gray pants is all that he garbed himself in.
Imawashiki remained silent for a moment, sitting in contemplation before speaking, "I came to inform you about our newest addition, as well as your partner."
"Hah!? Partner? What for?" The bandaged man with brown hair demanded, glaring at Imawashiki with his right eye.
Imawashiki unraveled his arms, shaking his head. "You have a serious attitude problem, Gimu." The red-sideburned man claimed with an exhale, "The partner is to assist you with our plans. We're talking about invading one of the top three villages in Adonai."
Gimu, being revealed as the bandaged man, clicked his tongue in annoyance. "You clearly haven't seen me in action, I can handle myself." His ignorance was unending.
Imawashiki shut his eyes at Gimu's rebuttal and said, "You're right, I'm only vaguely aware of your abilities in situations such as this, so I'll be sending you and your partner on a few missions."
Gimu's right eye widened, gritting his teeth. "Does Regashi approve of this!?"
"Regashi is dealing with his own issues, so I'm in charge," Imawashiki explained, meeting Gimu's enraged stare. "Meet us at the statue of Tsubasa Mibojin at sundown, and we'll convene there." At those final words—*Fwoosh!*—brilliant flames appeared once more, devouring Imawashiki and then dissipating, leaving nothing but burnt grass behind.
Gimu gazed angrily at the burnt grass, his hands clenched tightly. "Damn it!"
XXX
Reluctantly, Gimu had obliged Imawashiki's demand. Just as the sun was setting, making its annual disappearance, Gimu could be seen walking outside, the walls of Furusato being quite visible in the distance.
However, in much closer proximity, a giant stone statue that resembled a female standing tall, wearing armor and pointing a sword in the direction of Furusato.
My Souta could break that sword to pieces, Gimu thought, turning his gaze to the bottom of the statue, noticing Imawashiki standing next to an unfamiliar man. Gimu groaned, "Must be my new partner."
Traversing closer to the statue, Imawashiki and the unfamiliar man spotted Gimu. The unfamiliar man was sitting on the edge of the statue's base, wielding what appeared to be a scythe. The man had dark brown hair, resembling Imawashiki's hair more than Gimu's. He was also already wearing the cloak Imawashiki had stitched together.
However, there was no sign of Regashi.
"Yo," The unfamiliar man called out to Gimu with a small wave. The scythe wielder looked bored, resting his face on his right hand. "Are you my partner?"
Before Gimu could speak, Imawashiki interjected, "Yes, he is." The fire-using man turned his gaze to Gimu. "This is Kiyo. He is a specialist in close-combat—similar to you, Gimu."
"As if the scythe wasn't enough incentive…" Gimu grumbled, scowling at Kiyo. The man seemed too nonchalant, even having greeted him with a simple "Yo." Assistance was certainly not wholeheartedly welcomed by Gimu; reasons are undisclosed.
Imawashiki sighed before saying, "I found him wandering around Furusato, he says that he has traveled from Shanti. Just a little bit of information I thought I'd share."
Gimu didn't take his eyes off of Kiyo. "Shanti, huh? I'm surprised that we're accepting the prejudice now."
"What was that, you bastard?" Kiyo asked sternly, squinting his eyes at Gimu with animosity.
Gimu stepped forward, bending down slightly. "You heard me. Your people have devised a whole system that discriminates against civilians who aren't of the red or blue aura!"
"Enough!" Imawashiki demanded, putting a hand on Gimu's shoulder and forcing him back up. "There is no need for incessant bickering! Especially since you two are going on your first mission tonight!"
Both Kiyo and Gimu gained expressions of shock. "Tonight!?" They both yelled in unison, surprised by the sudden declaration.
"Yes, tonight," Imawashiki confirmed, maintaining a calm visage. "It was delivered by Regashi himself. He got word from some higher-ups in the village that a band of warriors was planning on attacking Furusato. He wants you guys to intercept them to prevent any potential interruptions to our plan."
Gimu's eyes returned to Kiyo, staring coldly at the scythe wielder. Partnering up with Kiyo wasn't something Gimu was willing to do, but being given the chance to kill some potentially high-class warriors—that was enticing.
During Gimu's mental dilemma, Kiyo stood up from the base of the statue, matching Gimu's height upon standing. Kiyo then nudged Gimu on the shoulder, garnering the swordsman's attention as well as his anger. "I don't know why you're so stuck up, but it seems like this Regashi guy is important. So why decline a mission from him? Besides, this could be used for us to build some chemistry, which would also help for our plan in three days."
Gimu merely gazed at Kiyo, the muscles in his hands relaxing as Gimu calmed down. The bandaged swordsman then shrugged Kiyo's hand off of his shoulder, walking past him.
"Fine. But I'm making the calls."
XXX
Hey! Another flashback for a prominent character in this novel! How exciting! If you want to see the progression of Class 1AB, or with Kono and his new group, or even what will happen with the present-day Furusato Unit, then be patient! It's coming soon!
Have a Great Day!
Peace - Cr1ticalz_