A day had past since Sakido's occurrence had transpired with the assassin in the city. His mind was still plagued with thoughts that rattled his mind and pierced the veil that sat concealing his subconscious. He felt that it was time to speak to Ichika after that night, as he had felt such guilt of treating her the way that he had. He must, under all circumstances, keep his abilities a secret, which proves to be a more difficult task than he imagined.
He approached the abode in which Ichika resided. She lived with Izumi alone, who aforementioned has been her guardian since her mother and father had both died. He sauntered towards the steps of the secluded home in which they lived. It was just out of Kurigawa city limits, concealed by a forest, which gave a greater sense of privacy than the vast sprawling suburbs that had begun to populate Japan.
He knocked on the door of the residence, of which he received no answer. He then knocked immediately after, to receive a "Hold on, hold on, gimme a moment DAMMNIT!"
The door flew open before his eyes, wisping his hair back and stunning him for a moment. As the door was opening, he heard "Okay, what the hell do you w-" Said Izumi, in a visible frustration.
She stopped as she saw Sakido and her countenance was relieved.
"Oh my...It's just you Sakido, thankfully. That damn landlord has been knocking on this door 24/7, trying to get more rent money out of me, the greedy scum." She said, panting as she spoke
Sakido spoke softly "Ah, I see. What's going on with your funds?"
Izumi pushed her red glasses up and spoke "Well, teaching doesn't pay like it used to. And between me and you-" She leaned closer to him "It paid SO much more in Kurotsuchi, I'd be better off not working and collecting unemployment money than making $15 an hour teaching kids that clearly don't want to learn."
Sakido sighed in agreement "Yeah, tell me about it, I only know what you've told me of Kurotsuchi, but it sounds much better than here." Izumi smiled at him and said with austerity "Oh my dear Sakido, you have no clue the ignorance of these humans. They would rather value making their society even more indolent, rather than appreciating the arts or education, take a look around, it's not hard to ascertain.... Anyway, you probably aren't here to talk to me, I don't mind, no one wants to listen to me, I tend to ramble on too much, but is that a bad thing I only want to express my mind as I see fit I justfirsbandthehumagskh-" She began to commence her tradition of getting too expressive and becoming incomprehensible. She finally continued "Sorry, I know you're here for Ichika, come on in." Said she
"Thanks Izumi, and don't worry, I don't mind listening to you." Sakido remarked
Her eyes lit up as a kitten's eyes dilate and said "Oh thank you!" She then gave him a light hug and furthered him inside.
Their home was a beautiful mix of eclectic furniture and artifacts. It emanated a sort of classic European house style, With many feminine touches and very soft colors as far as the eye can see. It was a comforting environment indeed. Sakido remembered it very well, as he has lived there for years.
"Ichika someone's here for you!" Izumi shouted...she received no response. She growled under her breath and then exclaimed louder "Ichika!!! Where are you?!"
A faint voice came from the kitchen "I'm coming Izumi, one moment."
Izumi immediately remonstrated "No 'moment' young lady, come out here please!" Ichika came walking out of the kitchen and into the living room where they stood. Izumi then put on a delightful smile and said "Thank you, darling. It's rude to keep your guests waiting." Ichika rolled her eyes and looked towards Sakido. Sakido made the first move by saying "Ichika, please forgive me for the other night, I just sensed you were in danger, I felt something and I knew you weren't safe, please, I do sincerely hope that you understand."
Ichika stood with her arms crossed for a moment and took a breath "Even if, you can't just pull something like that, and then ignore me for a whole ass day, and then expect to just reconnect with me, without even bringing anything to apologize with. Wow, what a gentleman."
Sakido nodded and accepted his fault, he spoke "Ichika, can we take a walk? I just want to talk to you about this whole phenomenon." She laconically acquiesced with a nod and headed outside. As she had exited, Sakido went to follow when he was stopped by Izumi at the door.
She gave him a stern stare and spoke to him "I know what happened the other night, you'd better keep it a secret, we'll talk some other time. You'd better keep her safe, Sakido, or I'll kick your fucking ass." Sakido was decently intimidated and nodded in acceptance, and then exited to head for Ichika.
They took their normal route around the bustling and crowded city, they then turned into more of a rural area, with many lush trees and ponds.
"I just wish you wouldn't be so reticent all the time, Sakido, I mean, as the girl you love, I deserve to know what's going on with you." She exclaimed to him. He looked enigmatically and said "Yes, you do, I agree... I've told you all that I know." He said, stopping short of any elaboration. "I trust you, Sakido, thank you. I just want you to always be open with me, I mean, that's what I'm here for after all." Sakido's stomach turned, he was so consumed with apprehension at every turn, what was he to do? If he revealed his abilities to her, she'd be hunted for her knowledge, but the same could happen without the presence of that information. The young man was at a dire crossroads, one that he had to figure out, and quickly.
Sakido turned to Ichika and said in his nearly muted way "I thank you dearly for your understanding, Ichika, I'm just trying to keep you safe, I'll ensure that you remain this way." Ichika blushed and embraced him, he tried to enjoy these moments of affection, but his latent fear ate away at his heart and his mind. He felt the racing of his heart and a cold tingle make it's way up his spine, but he managed to subdue his feelings, at least on the outside.
"So..have you been reading anything recently, Sakido?" She asked him inquisitively, making some small conversation. "Mmm, no, not recently unfortunately. After I finished the Iliad and the Odyssey, I needed a break from novels for a little while, it was a masterful work, without a doubt, but I suppose I need a few days to start something new, I'll see what I feel like reading." She smiled and jolted her head forward "I see, so was it as good as 'The Forbidden'" Sakido laughed at the question and remarked "Of course not, that's my favorite novel of all time. But it was still great." She smiled and remained close to him at all times
Meanwhile...not far from the city of Kurigawa...
"Hiru, any luck locating the target?" The voice came from inside of the mind of the soldier who was stalking the Japanese roadways, he was blending in plain sight, and was receiving messages telepathically somehow.
" Yes sir, Captain Tsuriugi, I've got a lock on a strong Seishin presence within this 'Kurigawa' city. I'm inching closer, it should only be an hour now." The solider reported to his captain. He was dressed in assorted white robes, fixed with belts and sheathes for kunai and assorted tools, he carried his Crossguarded Falchion in his orientally ornamented sheathe. His hair was of a blonde yellow and had a very young face with little weathering, it would be hard to believe that the boy was a soldier.
"Very good, Hiru, I told Kiba that you'd be a vocational pick for the Anschlag Geschwader. (Attack Squadron) You're proving your worth, my boy, make me proud. Just remember to take that girl by any means necessary, even if it means death." The captain said with an immense sternness in his voice. "Yes sir, and so you're sure to disregard the wishes of King Kiba?" The lieutenant asks seeking assurance.
The captain then lectured to his inferior "Hiru, that man has done nothing but skew the goals of the Freiheiten Kingdom. He preaches for liberty of us all, but bends us to his whims, I'm sick of being told what to do. I joined these ranks to fight for both ours and the common people's freedom, but he resorts to the same tactics the Answeisen use, it's deplorable. I will keep the true meaning of the Freiheiten alive, and that girl is better off dead. So, if you face any resistance, neutralize that bitch, and don't let her get away under any circumstance, the furthering of our goals depends on it. I won't keep you any longer, Hiru. Get it done, and be safe, talk to you soon."
The mere lieutenant responded "Copy sir, it will be done, you have my word, I'll report back once it's complete.
And on that note, the communication was ceased, the soldier marched forward to seek out his target and return with them, no matter the state of being they're in.
Back in Kurigawa
"So that's why I never said that I wouldn't go to America, but you'd have to make me." Sakido snickered out loud, causing Ichika to burst with laughter "Sakido, you're-" The girl was interrupted by a sudden familiar voice "Sakido, wait up!"
There came running Shizuka Kimura, Sakido's closest male friend of nine years. "Damn Sakido, I never thought I would catch up to you, I saw you down there past Akira street and I followed you this way." He said while out of breath. Sakido, looking both scornful and sanctimonious, replied "Right, is that all you wanted to say?"
Shizuka, appalled by this reaction, responded vehemently "Come on Sakido, can't you just give me a break? Would it kill you to take that fucking stick out of your ass and lighten up?"
Sakido, angered and enraged at such a bewildering accusation, replied " How about you quit thinking about what once was, and find something else to do! Your jealousy is the only thing that compels you anymore. I'm not one with your delinquent lifestyle, I just want you to stay away from me, and not involve me in all of this.
The two boys stood in silence, a silence that was broken by Ichika momentarily with "Guys please, I thought we could solve this, this is nothing worth arguing over. I-"
She was interrupted by Sakido saying "Dear, I'm glad we could talk today, I'll talk this out with Shizuka, if you want to go ahead on home, it's just down the block. Thanks for your understanding, be safe. okay?"
She glared at him and accepted "Okay Sakido, just no fighting please... settle this like gentlemen and if you don't want to be around each other then fine, I just don't want to see anyone hurt." With those words, she said her goodbyes and headed down the street. Sakido and Shizuka headed into a back alley where they could talk away from people.
"So, that's how you feel, huh Sakido? That's what this has come to? What have I done to get shunned in this way? Shizuka inquired to his former friend. Sakido grits his teeth and steps towards Shizuka, he says with a rather calm demeanor
"What kind of fucked up delusion do you live in? You have done nothing but complain to me now that I don't want to be a part of your life anymore. I'm not going to live the way you are. And, what part of insulting me and the way that I live my life is you not doing anything? What denial you live in, find something better than this in your life, maybe then you'd stop worrying about trivial things."
Shizuka retaliates in a violent sound of speech "Yeah, and I meant everything I said about you, because unlike you, I actually value what happened in my past, I don't just bury it!"
Upon hearing these words, Sakido immediately lost his temper and grabbed Shizuka's shirt by the collar and pulled him within a breath of his face.
His face was scrunched in anger and immense frustration, he then said as a growl "Listen here you righteous idiot, you know nothing of burying the past...you have nothing to bury. You'd better walk the fuck away right now."
Sakido's royal blue eyes burned into Shizuka's soul, seeing this determination angered Shizuka in some way, in turn, he pulled away from Sakido and punched him as hard as he could right at his nose. Sakido merely stumbled backwards, hardly affected by the attack. The blue in his eyes was burning as a raging fire consuming his soul.
This effect caused Shizuka's heart to race as he couldn't believe the sight he was beholding. Sakido, then, as if gaining some sort of moral sentience, switched his power off. Shizuka beheld this as he spoke "Yeah, it seems you're hiding all kinds of shit, I always knew something was up with you. It's why you're so goddamn secretive. I don't give a fuck what you are. I'm sick of your shit!"
The two boys exchanged hits as they threw each other against walls and doors, the pouring rain streaked the blood down their faces. "So what Sakido?! Is this how you'll solve all of your fucking problems?" Shizuka screamed to him.
"The time for talk has far been exceeded. If you know how to do anything, it's push someone to their last fucking limits. And all of this for what? For ME? I wouldn't even think about sacrificing anything for you!" As Sakido yelled these words, he managed to throw Shizuka to his knees and subdue him.
Shizuka looked up and said with reproach "I just wouldn't tolerate being lied to anymore, you've made a fool of me for too long, even all of those years ago, you always acted so much goddamn better than me."
Sakido only responded with "Well, maybe now you can imagine the reason why. Now get up. Go home. I'm done with you."
Shizuka yelled back "So that's just it, you'll keep all of your oh so precious pride? Spare me this pathetic treatment." Sakido responded with "This is elementary bickering, I won't be a part of it anymore."
The defeated one began to speak with "So it makes a lot of sense, why y-" His speech was interrupted abruptly...
A falchion blade had pierced through his upper abdomen, his eyes opened wide from the sudden indescribable pain. Sakido watched as the horror happened before him. Suddenly, the blade was pulled to the side and sliced through the flesh of his abdomen, his assassin finished the job by pulling his upper half completely off of it's lower half. Sakido watched as the tendons, muscles, and fibers were all exposed and falling all over the ground. The blood spread through and filled the alley as hos lower half hit the ground. Sakido peered upwards to see the assassin to be the aforementioned solider. The lieutenant held Shizuka's upper half as it swung back and forth, muscle tissue swaying in the wind. A look of shock on the deceased face with blood pouring from the mouth.
The soldier peered at the desecrated piece of the body and tossed it aside, "That's about enough of you." He then peered at Sakido "I was warned about you, step aside boy, let me take her."
He pointed his sword behind Sakido, he turned to see Korihime standing behind him. "Korihime, what are you doing here? I told you to stay in the apartment! Why did you come here?" He remonstrated to her.
She shyly replied "I felt that your energy was being used, so I ran here, I was scared that you'd been attacked again! I needed to come and help you." As she gazed upon the desecrated corpse of someone who once was, she screamed and vomited immediately.
The assassin then added "Weak stomach huh? You wouldn't last a minute where I come from." Sakido interrupted his dialogue with "Who the hell are you?" He then instinctively stepped in front of Korhime. By this time, Sakido wasn't in the same alley, but just outside of it.
The lieutenant grabbed the hilt of his sword with his grey gloved and the, swept upwards, wiping the blood from the blade. He then spun it in his hand by the grip, further showing his swordsmanship. "I am Hiru Hiashi, I am the lieutenant of the Anschlag Geschwader. I am a proud soldier of the Freiheisen Kingdom. You may be familiar with us, I heard that you're from Kurotsuchi."
Sakido was shaking, as even though there was no mystical power shown as of yet, he was endlessly more scared now than he was when facing Kampori. Something about how cold and maniacal his expression deeply disturbed Sakido. "Why do you need her, Hiru? Please, I want to know the end of this mystery!"
Hiru peered at his own reflection within his sword, he then abruptly looked back up at Sakido and explained "My commanding officer was given an order from our King to take her back with us alive..but I'd also take her dead."
Sakido then inquired "But why, you must know?" Hiru sighed with agitation "To ask 'why' the Freiheiten is acting is to not only go against the King, but to show that you are ignorant to our cause." The white haired boy then responded with "You're listening to this King, but have you ever questioned his decisions?"
Hiru then immediately fired back "The king does not act without a decision from the elder council and his own personal group of commanding officers. The king strives for our minds to be liberated, for this world to be rid of what plagues it. And now your friend there has been labeled a threat to not just your world, but ours.
"I-" Sakido begins to say, but is immediately interrupted by Hiru. "I have no time to stand here and answer pointless semantic questions, you may continue to speak during our fight if you can survive."
Hiru then proceeds to impale his heart with his blade, just as Kampori did before. He then speaks the words "Lass die Seele des Stahls meine vielen Klingen leiten (Allow the soul of steel guide my many blades)...Okuno!"
As Hiru finishes this incantation, he raises his sword to the sky and it glows a magnificent yellow aura as it gives off static electrical flashes. Before his eyes, Sakido watched thousands upon thousands of blades spawn from the very ground, there were blades of all different kinds as far as the eye could see.
They began to circulate and grow in size to create a sort of tsunami wave to strike towards him, he was lucky to have activated his mysterious energy and dodge out of the way. He looked down and saw that the burning blue sword was again within his hand.
As flying blades surrounded him from all sides and pierced him all through his body, he began to wonder if his story would end so early. He had only lasted a few seconds and was already at defeat, he looked up to Hiru as the lieutenant stated "Is that all seriously all?"
Suddenly, Sakido seemed to have lost consciousness. He then awoke kneeling in a dark void...in front of him stood a figure with pitch black hair and a black coat. As the figure turned, Sakido realized this demon of sorts...beheld the same face as Sakido himself, but with differences that made Sakido's senses run cold.
Characters Introduced In Chapter 4
Shizuka Kimura
Association: Sakido's *Past* Closest Friend