:IV:
Kuroko sat in the hunter's guild barracks. The interior was plain. Planks of timber sheathed the walls and ceiling of the large rectangular room. Wall sconces allowed adequate lighting after sundown. Half a dozen windows opened on one wall as the only source of natural light. Walkways formed a grid pattern between platforms blanketed with futons that overlapped to display a sea of white where Aomine's men slept.
Conversation floated through the expanse as the men assigned to pursue and gather trapped game donned their gear. Some development was necessary to design the uniform. Printed in the varied green palate of the surrounding vegetation, the material was thick enough to resist weathering. Simple pockets adorned the three-quarter sleeves, which left arm flexibility unrestricted. Thick leather backed by a steel plate was sewn into the chest and thighs of straight-legged cargos. Potent enough to deflect the grunt of the blade and the aggression of forest beasts. Boots sheathed the feet and gloves, the hands. Since its evolution, fewer casualties were suffered in the field.
His vestments were similar in protection as the technology was borrowed from the Shadow.
But he couldn't be bothered to indulge his pride.
His mind churned from the discussion with the Dan.
Something was amiss.
It wasn't the first time Imayoshi attacked him about his failed attempt to terminate Aomine. Despite what the Dan perceived, Kuroko harbored no ill intentions. The shame of capture and indefinite servitude allowed him to live another day. Another week. Another thirty-four years. Though it had resulted from the Dan's admission, his life was indebted only to Aomine. There was no animosity disguised as conciliation between them. Instead a simple partnership that gave Kuroko life, a job, a home, and a shared pet.
A burly malamute sat with gargoyle stiffness at his feet. Only its ears moved, motioning to follow the swarm of noises.
Aomine was the first dignitary in the last millennium to possess a familiar that was not a wolf. Found as a pup under the predatory glint of a ravenous fox, Aomine nursed the dog back to health with Momoi's assistance. Characterized with a white face mask and fair eyes that seemed unreadable, Aomine settled on the name Tetsuya Nigou—Tetsuya number two, punctuated to Nigou. Training was Kuroko's jurisdiction. Today, the malamute served the purposes of companionship, hunting fowl, and transporting carts of the guild's goods.
Even with the dog's large size, he was nothing Kuroko couldn't handle.
He hoped today fared well.
The hunt was the most vulnerable Aomine would ever be when not bathing. Even while sleeping and eating, Kuroko or Nigou were on guard.
Yet it was what had sealed his fate thirty-four years ago, and so many more before him. But he hadn't the time to reminisce and mourn the loss of fellow assassins as a loud noise reached him.
A booming voice entered the barracks.
Kuroko opened his ears and cast a wary eye.
Nigou followed suit.
A brick wall of a man sauntered through the portal. Dark hair cropped tight against his scalp and a disciplined face gave a militant look. A white tank top contrasted his burnt skin. The hearty beat of his boots on the wood cleared the way for him without a word spoken.
And Aomine fell into his path.
"Aomine," the man called again, voice gruff and baritone.
His charge fastened a belt around his hips and locked eyes with Combat Squad chief Nebuya Eikichi.
Tree trunk-like arms folded across the chief's ribs and a mutually undesirable smugness curled his mouth. "How's the hangover?"
Aomine absorbed the taunt and plopped on a nearby platform. He stooped to lace his boots.
"Marginal compared to my shoulder, dick." The insult was blunted with familiarity but his charge's eyes held enmity.
Nebuya shrugged. "I've been telling you to drop it. You're too scrawny to best me. Just accept it."
Impatient with the struggle of the laces, Aomine wrapped them around his calves and stood to face the chief. Kuroko thought to intervene but wouldn't risk impugning Aomine's pride. The man could be melancholy and downright sour when he was doted on.
Nothing Kuroko was prepared to shoulder.
"Still lithe enough to out-maneuver you on the mat, Nebuya." Aomine adjusted his upturned collar and his lips peeled an arrogant grin. "Schedule me in for a match this week. We'll be seeing a lot of each other."
The chief's thin brows sloped.
"I got the okay from Wakamatsu. This week you and your pack of bears will be cooperating with me to dispel those annoying flies at the border. Wouldn't hurt to work my muscles some and uproot your gigantic ass in front of your confederates."
The barb achieved the desired effect and Nebuya sputtered angrily as Aomine glanced to a watch strapped to his wrist.
Aomine summoned the attention of assigned hunters and by the pair the room emptied. He passed the still flustered chief and called for Kuroko.
Nigou popped to all fours and trotted the walkway.
Kuroko followed, sparing Nebuya a cursory glance upon passing and slipped the portal.
—
Kagami Taiga's bones tingled with familiar excitement.
Passing the border into Ice Apparition territory had been relatively effortless, an avenue carved through the efforts of several impassioned Fire Apparitions eager to placate the Lord's ever-growing agitation. The sacrifices were many but such was the demand of conflict. Not that Kagami accepted it wholeheartedly. But he'd rather approach the reality pragmatically. Miles of verdant brush had been cleared in the yawning hours of the early morning. Jagged mountain terrain hadn't proved difficult for his elk to surpass, the creature skillfully bounding over fissures and ridges in elegant prances worthy of poetry.
His internal clock told him that the journey consumed nearly five hours and that it was two hours short of midday. He looked through the tufts of the towering pines to seek the sun for confirmation. But the clouds had yet to yield to the brilliant shine.
Kagami surveyed his surroundings and identified another tripwire.
Ridiculous.
Eleven of the devices already lay disarmed in his pouch to avoid being reinstalled upon discovery. Skilled ease deactivated and fulfilled the dozen.
He edged closer, keeping his core tight to mute his approach. Using the elk this far in would draw suspicion so he turned it loose a good mile back to be summoned again with a sharp designated whistle. It was a ways until the loom of the temples came into view. A scout related that an hour and a half trek more would reveal the bleary vestige of the Ice's principal settlement. Kagami estimated another hour would land him at the star's southeastern point—the fifth finger or fifth point, as it was denoted.
Though his nerves were alive and firing, an indolent aftertaste followed each practiced breath. Humidity and Kagami did not mix. Not necessarily Fire Apparition repellant, but it afflicted him with a languid and tired feeling.
He needed to revitalize his energies.
With expert motion he scaled a sturdy birch and nestled his spine against the trunk fifty feet off the ground. From the thigh pocket of his cargo pants he produced a neatly folded sheet tattooed with a savage crinkle to one half. A monochrome headshot and profile at the top right corner depicted a swarthy-skinned man, appearing no older than one hundred. Dark hair, a strong jaw, and menacingly narrow lackluster eyes. Information below introduced the man.
Subject is one Aomine Daiki
Height at one hundred ninety-two centimeters
Weight between eighty to eighty-five kilograms
THREAT LEVEL 1—Immediate termination required. EXERCISE EXTREME CAUTION
Observations: Subject possesses a familiar; Malamute dog, estimated forty kilograms. Breast and throat guarded by a specialized anti-assault harness. A shadow accompanies the Subject. Registered pale blue hair and eyes; appears frail in stature but proven lethal in force
Recommendations: The Subject specializes in close combat techniques to disarm, redirect, and incapacitate aggressors. Noted as quick on his feet. Capable of performing perfunctory motions that appear random
His brow creased as the words hardened his bearings. It had taken some insistence to acquire the contract and concern came from unwanted angles. The list of names signed under the disclaimer only fortified his ambition. His name was among them, on the back of the sheet near the far bottom corner. Everyone before him had lost their lives to Aomine Daiki, assassins from all three Shadow Apparition charters.
Would he be next? Another accolade for the bastard to tack on his wall of accomplishments?
A recent conference, just hours ago, resurfaced in his mind.
Kagami donned his protective gear. A fitting long-sleeved shirt squeezed his middle beneath a vest padded with suitable protection. Dull green cargos sheathed his thighs and sturdy hiking boots gripped his feet. He looked to the layout of accessories strewn across the duvet of his western-styled bed.
A handful of throwing knives, brass knuckles, caltrops, and piano wire.
His trademark rested above the lot.
A short-bladed sword, the kodachi. Typically used in pairs, Kagami preferred to utilize a solo blade, so as to disarm an enemy and grapple them into submission with his available hand. Several superficial grooves glimmered off the blade's surface by way of a candle on the nearby desktop. Tallies. For the Neutrals eliminated thus far. Kagami wasn't vain enough to advertise his accomplishments to anyone but himself. A reminder to maintain his efforts, more like.
He went to work sheathing sharpened edges into holsters and threaded a belt through his pant loops.
A knock on the door, followed but a dulcet voice, surprised him.
Akashi Seijuurou slid inside without admittance.
Kagami cast a glance out the partially drawn curtains. Indigo hugged the edge of the trees and mountains, chasing away the night. Too early for his brother to be awake.
Well, half-brother.
"In a hurry, Taiga?"
He ignored the inquisition. "You're overly eager to meet the sun."
Akashi's heterochromatic stare burned the back of his neck but he didn't turn or rescind his barb. Unlike Kagami, who spent nearly all of his time outdoors, a contrasting pallor hued his brother's skin. Even more of a reminder that the two were so vastly different.
The belt was secured and holsters attached to accessible holes.
"Hand it over."
Kagami threw him an incredulous stare. He knew what his brother wanted but wasn't keen on involving Akashi in his business.
They weren't estranged by any means. But the pair waded in opposite ends of the pool of social hierarchy. Akashi maintained the nation, enveloped himself in the complicated verse of government, and remained available at all times within the castle. Kagami, in contrast, entertained himself with intense athleticism, offering help to the community beyond castle walls, and kept himself so busy juggling obligations and recreation that it was hard to keep track of him.
His furtive Neutral hunting activities hadn't gone without his brother's notice. Akashi had confirmed that it was Kagami's way of assisting the nation, protecting their culture. Though he was quick to protest contracts delineated with a threat assessment of two or higher—the closer to one, the greater the risk.
Akashi didn't ask twice. He simply held out his hand, fingers beckoning compliance.
Begrudgingly Kagami swiped the page from the desk a stride and a half away and passed it over.
He studied the calculating shift of his brother's eyes across the page.
"No."
His brow cocked. "Excuse me?"
Akashi's brows tightened, peering over the sheet. "I cannot allow this."
Kagami swiped the sheet back with such aggression it wrinkled. "I'm a big boy, Akashi."
"Seijuurou," he corrected, earning a dismayed groan.
He left the scolding alone. For now. Fifteen years his senior and with a mother complex. Or father. But a complex nonetheless.
"This ain't my first rodeo," he insisted, burrowing the sheet into the pocket of his cargos.
"Your impudence is going to get you killed, Taiga. Rethink this."
"Then dance at my funeral pyre." Tightness gripped his throat.
He stalked past his brother to the doorway.
"Taiga."
Against his judgment, he stopped. And waited.
"Mist is a siren." The response followed a mild silence. "Don't let her seduce you"
Kagami scoffed and left.
Though it sounded cryptic at first, Kagami realized his brother's hidden message. You're at a disadvantage. Think before you act. He may not have had a handle on politics, but he recognized the egregious situation in which the world was currently in. Responsibility was what brought him to observe his brother's meetings with the cabinet.
The Xia Union was the center of it all.
Thousands of years ago, estimated around 2000 BCE, the tribes of Fire and Ice acquiesced to combine their efforts and formulate a joint civilization in what is now China. Their joining was known as the Xia Union, inspired by the rise of the Xia Dynasty in a remote location snuggled between Henan and Shanxi. Their differences were obvious from the start. Polar opposites in nature, the tribes developed separate senses of social conduct, government, gender roles, and justice. Civil war shattered the relationship and centuries were wasted trying to mend that which was irreparable. The Fire wanted to expel the Ice and vice versa. Both tribes had their eyes on the same prize. An archipelago to the East, uncultivated and pristine.
Japan.
An intense conflagration spanned a good three thousand years before an agreement was reached.
The Ice had been reluctant to negotiate as the Fire intended to claim the Japanese Islands and the entirety of China halfway through the war. Bargaining issued that, in lieu of further bloodshed, the two tribes were better off an ocean apart with a peninsula to separate them. The arrangement had proven beneficial in evolving the simple tribes into pulsing kingdoms. But animosity ran deep. The Fire was greedy. Japan offered little to be desired. But more was always better and China's vast natural wilderness was a sultry temptress that the Fire could not ignore.
Following the dissolution of the Xia Union in 1000 CE, the Fire sailed west and set up shop after clearing a path in a fiery maelstrom. The defense perpetuated by the Ice proved difficult to weaken and the Fire called upon their new allies of Eurasia, an empire spanning six-point-six million square miles with one third of the terrain remotely livable at the time. The Lightning in Russia. A pale race of extremists who took what they wanted with decisive action. The Kaizer—their sovereign—was more than amicable at the mention of war with the Ice. Anything to increase their borders and resources was a welcome invitation to the Lightning.
A two-way front was endorsed and effectively shrunk the rim of the Ice's hold to the northwest nook, a map of jagged peaks and copious forests. The majority of China was once again in the Fire's clutches and the Ice successfully pigeonholed. Offenses continued irregularly when embittered Apparitions acted on spurious patriotic urges. Despite their confinement, the Ice migrated the world to expand their empire and found arable remoteness in the Americas where a secondary capital was installed. Many had seen it as an act of fatalism from the then Dan's weak conscience. And it aggravated the Fire's competitive spirit.
As expected, the Ice's dormant rebellion was reignited, encouraged by the tenure of Dan Imayoshi, elected after the prior was forced to retire his claim following public outrage.
It wasn't until the 1990s that a peace accord was reached. Albeit one that disadvantaged the Ice.
A date with the noose, as Imayoshi so eloquently phrased it.
Their military was disassembled and any and all future hostilities quelled with the threat of immediate foreign occupation. The Dan had been fighting the motion silently with what Akashi considered petty insolence. Though Kagami's people weren't saintly—massacring Ice villagers within a five hundred-foot margin of the borders—Imayoshi made no excuses or apologies for the cruel capital punishment carried out by vengeful comrades. The Dan had no auxiliary support to execute covert operations to gain an upper hand in the east. The cornered fox was bearing his teeth and raring to bite. The question was when and where.
The solution lay in the north. With Kaizer Hyuuga.
Speculation and intelligence reports were all Hyuuga and Akashi had to assess the situation. And it appeared imminent that Imayoshi was preparing for an offensive not against the Fire, but the Lightning. The Fire held the advantage in strength against the Ice and lacked adequate bodies to abate the impending offensive. The Lighting possessed a marginal effect. The coming days would confirm the course of action and Kagami was eager to hear it.
Which meant he had to conduct himself with professional ease and neutralize Aomine Daiki.
He doubted the man's death would provide a catalyst to weaken the Ice.
But the man was a Neutral—wasted space—and a serial killer responsible for the death of five A-grade Shadow assassins of the Fire Apparition charter.
Aomine needed to die.
His resolve was fortified and he pocketed the sheet once again. Kagami scanned the geography to find no changes.
He descended the tree and advanced.