The sun shone brightly, casting a warm glow over the scene as clear skies filtered its radiant light. The afternoon breeze carried the sweet scent of wet sand, filling the air with a refreshing ambiance.
At 2:34 PM, it was an ideal moment to be outdoors, soaking up the warmth and radiance that filled the air.
The silence was shredded by an anime-like-battle-cry.
"Alright!! Bring it on!!!" Haruki yelled taking a fighting stance!
"I'm putting everything I've got into this final attack!!!" Hori as well took a fighting stance!
They both giggled, their laughter dying down as he said, "Alright, that's enough goofing off. Time to get SERIOUS." Haruki cut short their playful antics and stepped into the inn, intent on retrieving something.
Hori offered a crisp salute in response, patiently awaiting Haruki's return. A warm smile spread across her face as she let her thoughts wander. 'I'm so relieved Haruki-san is safe and sound. I was worried sick about him.'
She remembered last night when he mysteriously headed out. What exactly did he do yesterday....
Narrator - So we're finally sparring?
Narrator asked casually.
"Good morning Narrator! tsk tsk tsk, you woke up even later today!" Hori teased.
Narrator - You fucking idiot! I don't sleep!! You only hear me when I say something!! You can't talk to me on your own first!! So you won't hear from me until I start the conversation!!!!
"Someone's cranky, did you wake up on the wrong side of bed?"
Hori said while giggling.
Narrator - **@°™&#&#&#&$()"!"¢©€®!!!!!!!!!!!
Haruki emerged from the inn with a peculiar object in his hand. A robber's mask adorned with two googly eyes, their sticky gaze peering out from the eye holes.
"....what is that Haruki san?" Hori asked, intrigued.
Haruki rose it up and spoke.
"It's a special mask that costs millions of yen, it's so rare and unique that I had to book it 3 years back!" He's lying, he stole it about a year ago.
Haruki brought it closer to Hori for a closer look.
She leaned in and for some reason, took a smell.
"....It... smells like fire," she rose up her face.
Haruki followed suit, bringing his own nose close to the mask and taking a tentative sniff, trying to catch the scent she mentioned.
"Uhhhh I ain't smelling nothing."
Haruki scratched his head.
"Can't you smell it?!" Hori's voice took on a note of insistence as her expression grew stranger.
"It smells like strong fire."
Haruki paused, "Okay, you're being weird, I'll just get to the point," he said, dismissing whatever Hori spoke of.
Haruki smoothly took over, speaking in a tone that sounded like a sales pitch. "This mask has a special 'ability'. It hides your presence once worn." He said flashing it about.
Hori's eyes sparkled.
"Really?! That sounds so cool!!"
She said with enthusiasm.
"Yeah I use it when killing peopl- uhhh shit. I mean, when filing... people's... taxes."
Hori's gaze turned skeptical.
"Haruki-san what exactly is your means of income?"She asked leaning in.
"I mean you eat 3 times a day sooo shut the fuck up." Haruki donned the mask, effectively dodging the question. He adjusted it till its front covered his face, turning he asked Hori.
"What do you think?"
Hori stared with the seriousness.
"....pfft~ Hahahahahaha!!!!!"
She bursted into laughter!
"You look so stupid Haruki-san!!! Oh my God my sides hurt!!!"
She kept on turning on the grass, attempting to regain composure.
"Hey, that's not cool! What's funny?" Haruki's voice was muffled by the mask.
"Haha, oh dear, I'm so sorry! I broke out of character." She chuckled, wiping away tears as she regained her poise, a playful glint still sparkling in her eyes.
To picture Haruki's appearance, think of a classic bank robber mask, but with a whimsical twist: instead of menacing eye holes, the mask featured adorable googly eyes, giving him a comically mismatched air.
The unfixed beads in the googly eyes might cause them to settle in opposite directions, resulting in a hilarious effect as the wearer looked more stupid than frightening.
"I promise to take this seriously.'
Hori forced the words with a serious face while trying to hold back her laughter.
Haruki dismissed the comedy Hori saw in his appearance.
They both took their fighting stance with a sudden serious atmosphere.
"Okay, the point of this training is to improve your detection skills. Having high attack power is nice and all but if you can't sense a strong attack you might actually die if you don't block."
"kinda like how I knocked you out when we first met."
He said through the mask.
Hori smiled.
"Oh I remember that Haruki-san!we've really gotten close since then, and I'm proud to call you my friend!"
Haruki's fist hovered menacingly behind Hori's head, making her jump in surprise. "Huh?!" she exclaimed, realizing Haruki had vanished from his previous position.
"I've been standing here for about 3 seconds now. I literally just walked."
Hori's eyes widened in alarm. 'I didn't see nor hear him move!'
She panicked.
"If I were a deranged Sin, 1 second would be enough to kill you," Haruki warned with a serious tone.
"Come on, Hori, you've gotta be smart," he chided, delivering a gentle karate chop to her head. The lecture had begun.
Hori swiftly pivoted, attempting to grapple Haruki, but he had already vanished, reappearing seamlessly at her back once more!
"Hori you shouldn't think too much when fighting." Haruki lectured, observing Hori's long pause before attempting to grapple him just now.
"You're still a noob so you might feel bad hitting someone, since it took you that long to grab me."
"I mean, hitting someone is wrong Haruki-san." Hori tried defending. She was still new to all this violence.
"Shut up," Haruki cut her off.
"Listen, I'm gonna share a secret for taking down opponents fast," he said lifting a finger.
"'Ice this fool'," he whispered, suddenly switching to English.
"Eh? English???" Hori's eyebrows shot up.
Haruki chuckled. "Pretty cool, huh? Try saying it."
"'Ice this fool'," Hori repeated with fluent English.
Haruki cleared his throat and continued. "It's from this American action movie with black gangsters inside. Once I tell myself that, my body understands that I shouldn't hesitate in attacking, thinking of the fastest way to 'ice this fool'"
Hori's face turned blank."I don't get it."
Narrator - Me neither.
Haruki's frustration boiled over. "God! What I'm trying to say is, the only thing you should be thinking of during a fight, IS THE FIGHT!"
"Don't hesitate – the person standing in front of you, if it's a man, woman, furry, houseplant, regardless their identity is your opponent. Got it?!"
Hori's response was subdued, her face turned to the side.
".... yes, I'm sorry for disappointing you."
Haruki's tone softened as he sensed Hori's hurt. Was she... angry? Maybe he had been too harsh.
"Don't apologize, Hori. I just don't want you to feel bad for your opponent," Haruki said, removing the mask to scratch his tousled hair. "I told you, this mask is special – it renders me undetectable to normal people."
He sighed, "I guess I just expected too much since you've gotten Three Dark Frames!"
Haruki's expression turned resolute. "I'll just try attacking you normally, without the mask."
Hori's eyes sparkled, and she reassumed her fighting stance. "Okay!"
With a fierce cry, Haruki sprinted towards Hori with a near flawless form. "Here I come!"
Hori's thoughts whirred, 'I shouldn't punch! I should just grab and pin him down-'
Narrator burst in, her annoying voice ringing through Hori's ear drums.
Haruki noticed Hori disoriented for some reason and seized the moment, slipping through Hori's legs like a ghost and reappearing at her back, once again leaving her vulnerable.
"Just because you can now see and sense me doesn't mean you can legit stop me."
He continued with a chilling implication. "If I had a knife, you'd have been stabbed in the back."
Haruki's expression turned incredulous. "What were you thinking, standing there?! Your job is to prevent attacks, even if your opponent is right in front of you!"
His voice rose, still nagging. "Never underestimate, you hear me?!"
Hori's response was contrite. "It's all Narrator's fault! I'll do better, Haruki-san!"
"Wh—who's Narrator?!" He facepalmed. Haruki shook his head, refocusing. "Ugh, we'll try again. But this time, if I get contact with your blind spot... I'll actually hit you."
Hori swallowed hard, not wanting to receive a punch from Haruki.
He walked back and crouched once again.
"Okay, here I come! Try grabbing and pinning me down!"
Haruki charged forward, even faster than last time.
Hori steeled herself, thinking, 'Okay, I can do this!' She shot a silent plea to Narrator, "Shut up this time!"
Narrator - hmph! Wish you couldn't hear me now huh?
Haruki sprinted towards Hori with fluid and purposeful movement. 'Here he comes!'
Hori lunged forward, grasping Haruki's shirt around his waist with all her might, holding tight. "I did it-"
A sudden but familiar phenomena erupted.
Dark Frame
The backgrounds saturation washed away, its familiar monochrome composition made Haruki's and Hori's individual colors pop up.
Hori's triumph was short-lived. Haruki swiftly rotated his body, forcing hers to follow suit.
The two tumbled until Haruki was laid below her, his hand, now poised as a fist. Inches from her abdomen, ready to unleash a devastating ONE-INCH-PUNCH.
He playfully reminded with a smile. "I'm going to punch you now. "
Hori's plea was cut short – "Ah, wai-" – as Haruki's fist connected with a resounding Boom! The impact lifted her off the ground with similar force from Hori's kick during sparing.
A searing heat spread through her stomach as her eyes widened in agony. The sheer strength behind such a punch left her searching for answers.
As Hori soared through the air in slow motion, the treetops blurred above her. The forest breeze whispering against her skin as the world began to fade, her grip on consciousness tenuous at best.
And then, a jolt of remembrance–
'....oh....I forgot.' The words echoed in her mind as blood trickled from her pink lips.
'Haruki-san....is a Sin.' Hori mentally face palmed, laughing from the thought of sparing with a non human.
The ground rushed up to meet her, but Hori's world went dark before impact. She slumped, limp and unresponsive.
gasp!
The sound was her own, as she jolted back to consciousness, her eyes snapping open in a sudden beat.
"Oh, you're awake," Haruki said, gazing down at Hori with a warm smile. Her head was rested comfortably on his lap, and he gently stroked her spiky dark blue hair.
"Guess we're even now," he added. The comment was a nod to the previous encounter, when Hori had blown his head apart and offered him a lap pillow after he regenerated. – a gesture Haruki was now happily reciprocating.
Hori giggled after remembering.
She laid there thinking of what to do. "....this is quite embarrassing, Haruki-san." she murmured with an awkward smile.
Haruki's response was a gentle, "Shhh," accompanied by a light tap on her cheek, as if to hush her worries and let the moment speak for itself.
Hori stared forward and spoke, surprised, "How long was I
unconscious?" It was already evening. They started training in the morning.
"About 7 hours," Haruki said with a low voice.
"Oh... that's long...," as they sat in silence, watching the sun's final descent below the horizon. The sky was ablaze with hues of pink and orange, a breathtaking backdrop to their quiet moment.
Haruki's voice broke the stillness. "I'm so sorry..." a tinge of regret creeping into his words
"Huh?" Hori's head turned with a puzzled expression, as she took in Haruki's face which was twisted in a mixture of anguish and relief. Tears threatened to spill from his eyes as he choked out the words:
"I....i thought I killed you... you lost so much blood!!"
Hori's voice was a gentle plea, "Oh please don't cry Haruki-san! I'm alright! It doesn't hurt anymore!!"
Haruki's face was averted, his eyes scrubbing at the tears with a rough swipe of his hand, as if trying to conceal the emotions that had betrayed him. His voice cracked with regret, "It's because I haven't fought someone without going for the kill... I'm so sorry."
Hori's arms suddenly flew around Haruki, holding him tight as she stroked his head with a soothing touch. "Thank you for crying for me Haruki-san, you must have been so worried."
Her fingers gently combed through his long blood red hair. The gesture was a gentle balm to Haruki's frayed emotions, and he felt his tension slowly unravel.
Hori bounced to her feet with a radiant smile on her face.
"Look! I'm alright! I told you I have fast metabolism, so I heal quickly too!"
Hori was in tip-top shape.
Haruki's eyes, still red-rimmed and narrow as he asked, "...is that so?" His voice was calm, but the concern lingered.
Hori beamed with enthusiasm. "Yes! Now let's continue the training!!" She seemed to have forgotten the ordeal she'd just endured. Such a free-spirited girl.
However, Haruki's response was immediate and forceful. "No way Hori! I'm not going to hit you again! You're not a sin, so you can't straight up regenerate! I might actually kill you!!" His voice rose in protest with a mix of worry and exasperation etched on his face.
For some reason, he genuinely cared for Hori, compared to his other "friends" Haruki has actually remembered her name for 3 days now! that's a broken record to him.
"Ehmm....I appreciate your concern, but it's alright Haruki san! Please continue training me!" Hori pleaded but he still refused.
"NO! Hori, I'm not hitting you. listen I don't have any friends okay?! And I'm not gonna accidentally kill the only kid I've actually liked."
Hori's eyes widened in shock with her heart racing like a drumbeat in her chest. Haruki's words had struck her with the force of a revelation, leaving her breathless and reeling.
As she realized his casual confession, her face slowly flushed crimson. She raised a hand to her mouth, as if to stifle a gasp, while the other hand clutched at her chest, trying to contain the pounding of her heart.
This was the first time Hori felt this way. The first time words had left her feeling so exposed and vulnerable.
The tension dissipated, and Haruki's voice took on a more practical tone. "Infact, I think we should just withdraw from the Sabbath Exams! It's way too dangerous!!"
Hori opened her mouth to respond, but Haruki's words tumbled out, cutting her off. "I'm sure we can find another way to meet your dad! Wait a minute, don't you have his phone number or something?!"
His eyes narrowed, as if the idea had just occurred to him, and he waited expectantly for Hori's response.
Hori didn't answer, leaving Haruki to assume she didn't know his number by memory.
But the truth being it was not available for some stupid reason, and conveniently on the day she got missing.
"Besides, civilians have no clue what the Sabbath Exams are like! It could be hella dangerous! or just straight up messed up!"
Hori stood there in silence while Haruki was still spouting out reasons to withdraw from the Sabbath Exams.
She had already thought of every way of speaking with the Prime Minister.
But international recognition was the most logical.
She simply needed a private meeting with him. Her first idea was to show him her robe which was a specific brand designed for their family, but it had gotten destroyed during the Arson incident.
Hori's only hope now was to just convince him, maybe say something only Father Jiro's daughter would know.
Given he was a reasonable man, the proof would add up that she was truly his daughter.
"Haruki!"
She called his name with no formalities. A dead serious face as she searched for Haruki's eyes.
Haruki immediately kept quiet because of the shock.
He never expected Hori to stop using honorifics.
"Please, let me speak!"
Hori's voice was firm, yet courteous, a gentle reprimand that commanded attention.
Haruki kept shut after seeing Hori stare directly into his eyes.
She reached for Haruki's hands and held them tightly.
"Its okay."
Her voice, quickly turned soft and reassuring, accompanied with natural smile on her face, making her tomboyish appearance look simply gorgeous.
The contrast was striking, and Haruki felt himself getting lost in the warmth of her eyes.
"It happened only once." She added. Still smiling with confidence.
And though she still grasped his hands, there was no hint of shyness on Hori's face.
"But what if-
"Haruki!" She said it again without honorifics!
Haruki's heart skipped a beat as his pulse pounded in his ears. He hadn't realized excluding honorifics could affect him this much, it sent an electric shiver down his spine.
"I swear on my life, I promise not to die! I WILL PASS THE SABBATH EXAMS!"
Not a declaration of love, but of genuine resolve.
Hori was still staring deep into Haruki's eyes, backing up her message with looks alone.
Haruki was captivated by Hori, his gaze drawn to her eyes like a moth to flame.
'Those eyes....' He blinked, his train of thought derailed, as he struggled to shift his attention from Hori.
As an assassin, he'd honed his instincts, and they told him something profound: Hori was fearless. Not reckless, not impulsive – but resolute, with a determination that burned brighter than any fear she might have felt.
Haruki decided to drop the topic and respect her decision, from her fierce declaration he could rest easy.
They stood there for some seconds in silence, the scene quiet but still filled with tension.
Just then, Hori's face slowly turned red.
"I'm so sorry for suddenly grabbing your hands!!"
She apologized, suddenly 5 meters away. Her confidence giving way to a sudden awkwardness.
"....Huh?"
Haruki was dumbfounded by such sudden change in attitude, she looked so cool just now but she ruined it.
Hori's voice pierced the air as a high-pitched squeal. "Kyahhh!! And I was staring directly at your face! Your beautiful, BEAUTIFUL
face!!"
She buried her face in her hands,
"I even said your first name so casually!!" Hori admitted all the embarrassing things that were going on in her head.
Some time later, she cleared her throat and returned to the topic.
"M—my point is! I will pass the exams, Haruki-san. Trust me, I'm going to make you proud!"
She returned to using honorifics.
Haruki sighed then let out a slight chuckle. Stretching out his hand in a fist bump.
"How about we make a promise!
We both pass the SABBATH EXAMS alive!"
Haruki spoke loudly, recreating Hori's earlier mood.
"Understood!"
Hori's fist shot out, bumping firmly against Haruki's, sealing their promise.
They both smiled at each other and eventually returned back to sparing.
"Okay, here I come!" Haruki crouched low, both eyes locked on Hori's.
"Bring it on!" She yelled with arms spread wide, a fierce grin plastered on her face.
Haruki sprang into action, rushing towards Hori with a speed that belied his size. He lunged, aiming for her blind spot, but Hori was ready.
With lightning-quick reflexes, she grabbed his shirt, her grip like a vice, and with a resounding "Bamm!", she slammed him to the ground, pinning him down with her full weight. Her hands locked onto his, immobilizing him, as she let out a triumphant breath.
"I did it!" The words escaped her lips as she gazed down at Haruki, her chest heaving with exertion.
They both stared into each other's eyes. Her heart racing since she was straddled on top him.
"...you.... can get off now..." Haruki's voice was muffled with awkwardness.
"Ah! Apologies, Haruki-san!" Hori's face flamed with embarrassment as she scrambled to release her grip on his shirt.
Haruki's attempt to downplay the situation only made things worse. "Don't apologize, we're the opposite gender, so of course it'll get... heated."
Hori hid her face, too embarrassed to reply.
"Anyways, you learn fast! That was awesome!!" Haruki turned yelling.
Hori's face lit up with pride as she bowed low. "Thank you, Haruki-san!"
Her sensei's praise was music to her ears, and she couldn't wait to take their training to the next level. Haruki's eyes glinted with determination as he nodded.
"Alright, let's repeat that some more. I'm gonna increase my speed as we go!"
"Understood!!"
The air was electric with tension as they launched into their training, their movements a montage of grappling and pinning. The sound of their breathing, the rustle of fabric, and the thud of bodies colliding filled the air.
Once, twice, three times they repeated the drill, their bodies moving in a deadly dance of skill and strategy.
------------------------------
Hori's body finally gave out, her muscles screaming as she released her grip on Haruki for the hundredth time.
She collapsed onto the grassy ground, her backside hitting the earth with a soft thud.
"Haaaaaaah~ I'm so tired!"
Her words came out as a whispered exhale, a mixture of exhaustion and relief. Her chest heaved steadily as she struggled to catch her breath. They had been going at Judo for an hour now.
Haruki brought a bottle of cold water and a towel from the inn.
"Thank you," Hori said with warmth, as she accepted the offerings with a gentle smile. She took a long, refreshing swig of the water, feeling it quench her parched throat, before wiping the sweat from her brow with the towel.
"You're doing great Hori!"
Haruki said slightly ruffling her hair. Hori grinned, appreciative of Haruki's surport so far.
Haruki settled in beside Hori, he spoke with a voice taking on a more serious tone. "....but on a serious note, I don't think your hands are the only thing weird."
Hori's eyes narrowed. "What do you mean?" She dropped the empty bottle.
"Remember that time with the pushups, you said you've never done one before. But soon after, you went overboard and did it one fingered, after doing it one handed!"
"... I'm a little bit confused, Haruki-san." Hori didn't understand his point.
Haruki continued.
"Even today's grappling. You got the hang of it after the first time! It's almost as if, you can adapt or something."
"like.... constantly getting better the more you do something."
".....wow! That sounds so cool Haruki-san!"
She yelled in excitement, Hori was sounding like those characters she had read in novels, as if slightly super human.
"You keep surprising me, it's hard to believe you were a normal homeless girl before now." Haruki took a sip from his own bottle of water.
Hori stared silently as him, observing the way he removed the tip of the bottle from his luscious lips.
She bent down before speaking. ".....I'm nothing special Haruki-san, I won't even be here if not for you."
Hori honestly admitted, and it was infact true.
Hori's presence in his life was a peculiar circumstance, and Haruki's decision to take her in was nothing short of extraordinary. Most people would have turned her in to the police, but Haruki had chosen a different path, one that Hori was grateful for.
This has resulted in such a wonderful relationship between the two, something Hori would have never had if not for wandering into this inn, their bond was growing stronger.
"I... I promise to find a way to repay you Haruki-san!" She reminded Haruki.
"I swear! I'll make you happy!" Hori pumped her fists.
"What is this, a proposal? He bonked her head. "I'm hella happy right now...I've got a friend"
He said with a shy voice Hori couldn't quite hear.
Hori's eyes met his, and she caught a glimpse of his sharp canines as he grinned,
".... you're so pretty, Haruki-san."
Hori admitted innocently. What she said was so true that she didn't even get embarrassed.
She just stared into his eyes, with slightly red cheeks.
Haruki cleared his throat.
"Why don't we go inside, it's getting late."
He awkwardly said while standing up, he had been getting more embarrassed around Hori, another new thing he developed after meeting her.
The clock struck 8 PM, casting a shadow over the fading light of day. The sun had dipped below the horizon, leaving behind a chill that seeped into the background. It was time to seek refuge indoors.
As they stepped inside, Haruki spoke sharply, "We'll work on stamina tomorrow. So be ready!"
"Yes!"
Hori's response was immediate and simple.
The word was a soft affirmation to prepare for the challenges that tomorrow would bring.
--------------------
In the heart of Shibuya, Japan, a sleek and modern house stood out from its traditional neighbors. Inside, a bespectacled man with curly brown hair sat hunched over his computer, scrolling through a list of names on the screen.
"[Sabbath Exams participants- Japan 2022]" the header read, in crisp, digital letters. The man's eyes scanned the list, his gaze moving swiftly as he murmured to himself. ".....hmmmm, there's a lot this year."
His fingers drummed a staccato beat on the desk as he scrolled down, his eyes flicking to the total count: 579. A low whistle escaped his lips. "That's about double last year's numbers."
As he scrolled through the list, his eyes landed on a familiar name: "Hori Inori". He spoke the name aloud with a voice tinged with curiosity.
Below it, another name caught his attention: "Hobbie Jones". His brow furrowed, lost in thought. "Hori Inori... Kaori's been hella depressed ever since Inori's death."
His mind wandered to Inori Jiro, The Prime Minister's daughter. The mysterious man must be an accomplice to Hori's father.
A sigh escaped his lips, a mixture of sadness and regret. "Such a shame... poor kid, she was so young."
With a gentle touch, he closed his laptop, the screen still glowing in the darkness. He rose from his chair with exhausted movement and made his way to bed.
A woman with dark purple hair, clad in a lovely yet sexy nightgown, lay sleeping at the left. His wife, this must be the "Kaori" he just spoke of.
He leaned in to the sleeping beauty, his lips brushing against her forehead, and she smiled faintly aware of his quick peck.
He removed his glasses, placing them on a stool beside the bed, and let his eyelids droop, surrendering to the weight of sleep.
- 7 MORE DAYS UNTIL THE SABBATH EXAMS.