Haru dodged as best he could from the blows of Kakui and Emma who were hunting him as if he were an ogrel, in their minds Haru was dead and it was that new ogre's fault, but in fact Haru came out of the abyss and now he could see the real zoo.
Haru: -I have to hide and think of a way to get them out of there... - panting.
Kakui: -Now you don't escape! -launching a blast of fire at Haru who was behind a piece of loose concrete.
Haru: -kamae no ooto: vibration echo! – pushing Kakui away. -I can't use my cutting blows...I have to manipulate using only the wireless part. - looking ahead.
Emma: -Widow's fangs! – nailing the shinai almost to Haru's head, who ducks in time and immediately pushes her with his echoes.
Haru: -That one passed close... - panting as he gets up. -at this rate I won't have any other choice... - running through the rubble of the fight that had been going on for almost 20 minutes.
Chesses: -this will be fun to follow along. – on an old zoo pole. -soon I will become an Oni and I will be able to conquer my space, and I will have what is rightfully mine. - laughing loudly.
Haru continues to dodge the blows as he runs towards the zoo exit, but whenever he was close, the two rivals prevented him making him turn around and start all over again and soon his body started to charge Hokoshin's expense.
Haru: -Wawa and Meilyde are out of reach, my legs shake after running so much, I have to think of something different, come on Haru think, think... - putting the bandana on his forehead. - Grandpa did you show me something? - closing his eyes for a moment inside one of the abandoned facilities of the zoo that he used to go with his grandfather in childhood, there was a happy memory, which was now becoming his endless nightmare, it could be there his deathbed, his life he would come to an end and worse at the hands of companions to whom he was dedicating everything he could to be accepted and respected by them.
Emma: -you let him escape you cocky fiery hair. - fiddling with his glasses.
Kakui: -Look who speaks with his four eyes, not even with them he can see straight. – wiping the blood off his face.
Haru: -That's it, even trapped in their minds they keep fighting... - Looking through the gap in the door. -I have to use this...I have to find a way to get into their minds with this childish rivalry they have. - get up. -It's decided. – hitting the clenched fist in the other open hand. -is the only way to get them out of the abyss.
Haru starts to run outside attracting the two who were chasing him, such a plan was given because whenever he tried to approach Chesse he tried to put him in the abyss again and the only way to try to get around it was to avoid the ogre's eyes and for everything to go as he had thought, it was necessary to take one last breath, to use his final card, a blow that in kendo would give him a certain victory.
Kakui: -Finally he stopped running, he's cornered like a helpless puppy about to be devoured by a salamander... - with the shinai pointed at Haru.
Emma: -uh, how could a salamander do that, black widows do that. – with the shinai in hand.
Haru had run to the lake where the carp that he came to see with his grandfather when he was little was, it was a huge lake, but its once clear water was now murky, you could barely see anything through it, it was just green and brown slime.
Haru: -Your minds are somehow connected, forgive me for that, but if I have to go in there and dig into your memories and get you out of this trance! - lowering the Shinai.
Emma: -I don't understand what you say damn it, but you're going to die! – taking the front to close his shinai on Haru's chest.
Kakui: -Let him be mine! – going forward with a shinai blow.
When the two attacked, they didn't realize that they were being drawn close to Haru who remained immobile until the last second when he uses his shinai to push the three into the filthy lake.
Haru: -It will be like that time, grandpa... - in Kamae's position.
-Haru, in our lineage there is a technique that allows us to go deep into our mind, and for that we use water to channel our kamae behind vibrations in the water.
Child Haru: -Wow, grandpa, you are really amazing!
-Focus Haru!
Haru: -Concentrate. – making gentle steps. -Kamae's sound: boost!
A sound wave is created on the backs of the two who were coming towards him causing them to be thrown into the lake with Haru who then uses his shinai to create distortions in the water and soon Kakui and Emma still not understanding that begin to have their minds invaded with deep memories... so deep that everyone is thrown to the same place at the same time, memories from a long time ago, memories that were locked away for the simple fact of causing pain.
Child Kakui: -I don't know how they let a weak girl into the dojo
Child Emma: -I'm not weak!
-the two of you stop it now. – Pushing away the two little ones who wanted to go out on the arm.
Child Emma: -But Mom is Kakui, he always does that. – Sulking.
Child Kakui: -"he always does that..." – imitating Emma.
Child Emma: -Ugly animal!
Child Kakui: -Four eyes!
Haru: -wow, they were always like this... - looking at the woman next to Emma. -This is Emma's mother...? what an amazing woman...
The woman had curly purple hair, wore glasses and wore a kimono with a hakama with snakes on it, her face was serene, always with a smile and eyes as clear as snow.
-I arrived early. – A man wearing a toothpick appears at the door.
Child Emma: -Uncle Dan, Kakui is being annoying again.
Kakui child: -It's her daddy lie, I wasn't, your four miserable eyes.
Child Emma: -Seeing...
Kakui's father was tall, fair skinned, his hair was red, despite not wearing a hakama, he was a kendoka like Emma's mother, both of whom were very skilled with the shinai.
Dan: -Emilian, we need to talk about that.
Emilian: -okay, it can't be delayed any longer.
After talking alone, Emilian and Dan end up having a big fight about something and that took Emma and Kakui away from the dojo they were training.
But one stormy night willed fate to bring Dan, Emilian and Haru's grandfather together once again, calamity level ogres were attacking the center of the city, Dan who refused to fight was forced due to the high degree of enemies in the region, the Haru's grandfather managed to kill most of them, but without realizing it, Emilian was surrounded by different ogres and ended up getting killed.
Dan: -no... - kneeling in front of the body
Yattamaru: -Emilian. - seeing her dead.
Haru: -Grandpa...
That incident became known as the tragedy in the Satoki neighborhood, 10 people died after lightning struck the city, was the official bulletin.
Child Emma: -Mom...Mommy! – crying beside her mother's coffin.
Emilian's funeral took place the day after the tragedy, there were Yattamaru Haru's grandfather, Emma with her aunt, Emilian's younger sister, Kakui was watching from afar with her father and further away two people saw the whole situation cautiously .
Dan: -let's go Kakui... - holding the boy's hand who couldn't stop shedding tears.
Haru: -It looks like it's going to change...
After some time, after Kakui moved to the metallurgical district, Emma and Kakui had never seen each other but now they were in the same class in elementary school, Emma was quiet and lonely, Kakui was talkative and very arrogant, they avoided each other but Kakui remembering what date that was is seen in front of Emma almost without realizing it.
Kakui: -Emma... - He approaches her. -It's going to be in the corner again four eyes.
Emma: -What got into you? He's been talking to me Kakui for years.
Kakui: -You still remember my name, no widow.
Emma: -Leave me alone, matchhead.
Kakui: -What did you call me?
Emma: -What did you hear!
Haru: -so that's it...they are childhood friends and they have this trauma in common, just like me, they lost someone special to them...
The vibrations stop resonating within the water and just as Haru returns to mind the two who were standing in the shallow lake, they were standing there looking at each other.
Emma: -I don't know what you did... - with tears streaming down her face.
Kakui: -but it worked - looking at Haru with teary eyes.
Haru: -It worked, good. – on his knees trying to contain the joy he felt.
Chesses: -No, no, no, that's not possible! How they came out of my abyss! – approaching. -No one, no one has ever survived that attack, you filthy brats, I won't let you do me such a disgrace!
Kakui: -There's always a first time for everything... - lifting up Haru who was exhausted.
Emma: - Write...
Teacher: -Emma...
-Let's get this over with, like old times!
Haru: -Will they fight together?
Chesses: -I will not be defeated by simple boys, I will become one of them, whatever the cost! – with eyes shining. - abyss of a thousand feet!
Kakui: -Kamae Salamander: Giant Fire Salamander!
Emma: -Black Widow's Kamae: Acid Corrosion!
Haru: -...
Kakui and Emma make a combined attack that comes together in a single form that engulfs the ogre in moments, such an attack generates a shock wave that throws the three of them out of the lake and for a brief moment nothing could be heard and suddenly everything have sound again.
Haru: -did they make it?
Chesses: -damn humans…how did I lose…in this way…after all I've done, all I've been through… – trying to crawl out of the zoo.
Kakui: -Where do you think you're going? – stepping on the ogre's head.
Emma: -Do you really think you would get away with this?
Chesses: -hahhhaa, you have no idea what you unleashed, brats. – trying to use your eye. - They really don't.
Haru: -Get out of this world... - Cutting the ogre's horn. -ended. – the ogre disappears in moments after having its horn cut.
Kakui: -Are you okay, Emma? – looking at her who still had tears streaming down her face.
Emma: -Worrying about me, match head? - wiping away tears.
Kakui: -You're wrong... - turning his back to her. -I just asked for the sake of asking, four eyes.
Haru: -These two are no good. – noticing something. -what sound is this?
Emma: -It looks like water.
Kakui: -There's water entering the lake.
Haru: -And carp too, look! - smiling.
The shock wave caused the dam that was damming the water of the lake to be broken, causing clean and new water to enter it, returning to life as before.
Haru: -You're seeing this grandpa, they're still here. – with tears welling up.
Kakui: -Thanks Haru...you brought us back.
Emma: -and alone...
Haru: -Guys... -Holding back tears.
The three do the work and soon go back to their homes, it was already night outside and the world went its routine, ogre and humans coexisted together without most humans knowing, this much feared evil could sneak and hide in such remote places like that abandoned zoo, just waiting to make new victims, now they understood that, they understood that that world was contaminated and they could make a difference and find the answers they were waiting for but for now, they had another challenge, before presenting the work for the class, they had to beat the black sunflower.
Mileyde: -Apparently they woke up different today... - Seeing that Haru, Kakui and Emma are arranged differently on the logs. - Did something happen that I don't know about?
Haru: -humrum
Kakui: -This time we have a way.
Emma: -Let's get the bells at once.
Mileyde: -Talking like that sounds easy, let's see if they can do it. - leaving the body light. -Start!
The three start to fight synchronized, with a strategy in mind, to catch the bells without the chance of being thrown out, and for that they were using combined blows between the three and mainly listening more and sharing means together.
Haru: -Now! – jumping from change to change using Ashi-Sabaki. – sound wave!
Emma: -Right! – throwing acid in the air.
Kakui: -It's okay! – setting fire to specific logs.
Mileyde: -No, did they change the direction of the attack? – trying to move to the right side. -There's no time!
Mileyde is hit by Haru's wave and loses her balance, Emma's acid makes her have nowhere to jump, Kakui leaves only a point where she can go and at that moment they manage to catch the bells and knock the black sunflower down into the air. lake below.
-we achieved!
Haru: -heheheheh. – with the bell in hand.
Kakui: -How about em? – taking little notice.
Emma: -It fell right. – sticking out his tongue at her.
Mileyde: -don't think you are too much. – shooting beams of light at their backs causing them to fall into the lake as well.
Wawa: -You were right old man...they'll get along well... - watching the three of them be thrown into the lake, right after picking up the bells.
Kakui: -That was unfair of you... - Wiping mud from your face.
Emma: -Despicable woman. - squeezing hair.
Mileyde: -That was my way of congratulating them.
Haru: -What a strange way... - All soaked.
Wawa: -Very good! - getting closer. -Lost badly in leyde.
Mileyde: -That's right... the pizza today is on Wawa's account.
Kakui: -Oh yes! That's what I needed.
Emma: -That's good, I'm hungry.
Wawa: -You make me bankrupt like that, Leyde! – desperate.
Haru: -Things are going well, grandpa - smiling.
The three finally understood each other, and now they could follow the hard path without so many obstacles, but that doesn't mean it will be an easy path, no matter what happens, a lot that appears, here is just the tip of a whole greater thing to come, and little do they know it.
Somewhere in a different world, in the vast dark a meeting was taking place.
-Chesses was killed.
- What a pity, he was a great candidate.
-that imbecile...was killed by humans.
-is what it seems.
-How about we go see these humans?
-after all a vacancy has been opened.