Chapter 10
Camaraderie, Pt. II
"This is Kyo; she will act as your shield for this mission."
I stand inside the library with Inori, Gai, and the young girl currently being introduced to me by our leader. I am surprised, really… the one being tasked with my protection is at least two years younger than I am, and is as short as Tsugumi. She doesn't look very imposing at all, and for some reason I truly doubt she is a combatant as skilled as Inori is.
"Do not let her appearance fool you. She may appear inoffensive, but she is more capable in battle than any regular troop in the Funeral Parlor."
Sometimes I feel like Gai reads my mind, saying that when I was skeptical about her abilities. I assume he appointed her to me because she blends with the crowd very easily, though, rather than her combat prowess.
"However, the reason why I'm entrusting your life to her is not the easiness with which she blends with the crowd. Draw her Void, Shu."
Are you for real? That really was telepathy. But wait…
"Her Void? Uh… alright…"
I'm confused now. How would Gai know about her void? I'm truly getting convinced that there's something unnatural about him. I'll have to ask him later… there's something fishy about his insight. But for now…
"Are you fine with that, Kyo?"
I cast my curiosity aside and ask what I must before doing anything.
"Go ahead."
The girl nods in approval, granting me permission to actually materialize and hold her very soul with my hands; no matter how I see it, this is no small deal. Hell, it's just hitting me that the Power of the King has a greater weight than I had imagined. But still I have to do this, even if I feel like I am crossing into the most intimate section of personal space.
"If you'll excuse me, then…"
My footsteps echo throughout the library as I walk towards her until we stand looking face to face. I extend my hand towards her chest, and circle of clear, blue light forms beneath my feet, as does another smaller one above the heart my fingers are approaching. Threads of silver flow out from both circles and a majestic artifact emerges out of Kyo as I firmly pull out the essence of her spirit.
I am humbled as I stare in awe at that which lies in my grasp – a seemingly unbreakable shield that would perhaps be depicted as a holy relic if ever met by a priest's eyes.
Gai said Kyo would be my shield, but I wasn't even close to imagining he was speaking literally. Neither did Kyo, now that I notice… both of us are dumbfounded by what we are seeing. Only Gai and Inori seem to be unimpressed, the former probably because he already knew and the latter because she's never impressed at anything.
"It's pretty."
Well, that's something. At least Inori said a couple of words, though they are utterly an understatement – the power I feel coursing inside the soul I am wielding is immense, well enough to be worthy of a legend or two in its name.
"That… was inside of me?"
Kyo seems to understand as well the magnitude of her own spirit, judging from how her breath was taken away like mine was. We aren't to be blamed, though… only a fool would be unable to feel the aura of protection emanating from the artifact. The damned threads of silver swirling around us do not help at all either, as they add up directly to the Void's already high level of awesomeness.
"That is the power of your soul, Kyo – the protection of those dear to you."
Gai feeds us a shitty explanation that makes me hope I am dear to the shield's owner.
"Protecting Shu is protecting our future. Therefore, you will be the one to guard if you engaged in combat. Your priority will be to endure long enough for the Parlor to assist you, without having to draw Inori's void out."
As he elaborates through the details, he mentions something strange.
"Why not just use the sword?"
I ask this time.
"Two reasons. The first is because it's the strongest Void of all, and so we don't want Sephirah to know too much about it. We will reserve the use of Inori's Void exclusively for top-priority missions to keep the element of surprise in our favor."
Now I understand the reasoning behind his decision.
"So you intend to hide our trump card. I see… that way the enemy's security measures will not be as drastic as they'd be if they knew what they are facing."
Gai nods in assent to my statement.
"The GHQ already knows about the sword, but very vaguely. Because they've only seen it cutting Endlaves apart, they ignore the true extent of its potential."
A chill goes down my spine.
"Gai… wouldn't that by itself make them cautious? Endlaves are war machines, and they are among the most powerful ones at that. I believe that encountering a personal weapon that slices through them like butter has already served as a good enough warning."
I make my point clear, still uncertain as of why Gai is so confident the GHQ underestimates us even after the fight outside the tunnel. In response, the Funeral Parlor's leader cracks up a vicious smile.
"You saw the light when you first drew the sword, right?"
How could I have missed it? It went so high that perhaps it pierced Heaven itself.
"Yes… why?"
Gai walks towards us.
"Did you think it was just for show?"
My heart skips a beat, and even Kyo's soul reacts, as the silver threads change their flow.
"I had us come to this room because it is several floors high – enough to be unscathed by Kyo's void being released. The amount of light a soul emits is directly proportional to its power. What do you think would happen if you drew Inori's sword here?"
I look up to the roof and confirm its height is a joke compared to that which the sword's radiance reached. I'm speechless upon realizing how the shield that I still grip in my hand is ridiculously dwarfed by the power of Inori's spirit.
"The building would fall on top of us. You'd live, tough… the sword would protect you."
I gulp and cover my face with my hand to hide at least a bit of the shock in my expression. If I hadn't used the sword myself and experienced its power firsthand, I'd have refused to believe Gai's words.
"You are practically invincible while using that weapon, Shu. However, the extent of its power is also its own disadvantage and thus the second reason why you must avoid using it unless you out of options. Keep this in mind: whenever you draw it, the GHQ will notice, and everyone around you will be in risk of being killed by them.
If you are reckless enough, they may even fire a Leukocyte on you, so you must be extremely careful… I don't know if the sword can block a shot from one of those."
Gai is very talented at moving my mind from one shocking piece of information to another. I don't know what the Leukocyte he's talking about is, but he's just mentioned a weapon that is possibly capable of overpowering the sword's protection. This is intense news, considering I shrugged off bullets and even missiles when I used it in battle.
Kyo, seeing I am ignorant about it, explains the situation to me in a grim tone.
"The Leukocyte is a system of satellites equipped with mass destruction weaponry. Currently there's only two or three of them in orbit, but eventually enough will be launched to have 24-hour coverage over all of Japan."
I listen to her explanation in horror, and Gai takes on from where she left off.
"When that happens, they'll be able to strike at any target in the country at any moment."
"Gai, why would they build something like that?"
"To exterminate the Japanese people if the Apocalypse Virus goes out of control. You were lucky back then when you got the Genome, for it seems none of the satellites were in a favorable location to fire at us."
This is unbelievable. I knew the Anti-Bodies were ruthless, but going as far as preparing to wipe a whole country off the map is too much… more so when they themselves are experimenting with the virus in the shade.
"Before openly using Inori's Void, we must first destroy the Leukocyte system and free Japan from its invisible cage. It will be until then that we'll be able to fight with full force."
Gai finishes his explanation as the remaining three of us listen in silence.
"Now for the mission, Shu, here are your orders. You will return to your home today and from tomorrow on you'll attend school normally until Haruka returns from work. Seeing how you have been missing for nearly a day, it is likely you'll meet with her very soon.
Your objective is to sneak a spying program into Haruka's work computer. According to intelligence we have gathered about her, we know she has a portable computer with her at all times – that machine will be your target."
And there he goes explaining things I do not want to hear. I have no intention of doing anything Gai is instructing me to do… my real objective is to ensure Haruka's safety, not to put her in danger the way Gai is suggesting. Should Sephirah find that information was leaked because of her, she'd be punished. I cannot allow that.
"All you need to do is to insert a Data Cube infected with our virus into it. The best way would be for you to infect either Haruka's or your own Cube and then insert it into the computer."
He gives me a piece of advice as he hands over a green crystal – it is a Data Cube, a device which supplanted USB storage a few years ago and has become the portable data technology of choice ever since.
"The virus will grant us access to any passwords stored in the infected computer. It will spread itself through any other Data Cubes inserted into it, and also by sending its files through any e-mail leaving an infected machine. This way, there is a chance our program will manage to sneak into an important system if Haruka is careless."
Gai continues with his instructions, but I see a flaw in his plan.
"But there's also a chance it won't. Will you be leaving the mission's success to fortune?"
I point it out, pretending to seem interested to avoid raising suspicion about my intention to disobey his orders. I'll have to think of a way to make it seem like it was inevitable… if Gai believes I had no choice but to take Haruka to the Parlor for protection, there won't be much of a negative impact to our camaraderie.
"I won't, I was about to mention that. You will make sure the virus finds its way into Sephirah's system, Shu. I'll leave the method of choice to you since you know Haruka the best, but Inori and Kyo will also be instructed to assist you with ideas and support."
And there goes the difficult part… Inori and Kyo will be looking at everything I do, unless I find a way around their watchful eyes.
"But they'll come back here to Headquarters once they ditch me at home, won't they?"
Naturally, I'll be free to do as I please once they fulfill their escort duties and leave.
"That cannot happen. You need bodyguards, so they'll be living with you until the mission is done."
…
"I think the glass hurt my head pretty bad… I believe I misheard what you said."
There's no way he is serious about it.
"You heard me right. You have from now until you get home to think of either a hiding place for them, or an excuse for Haruka to allow their stay."
I have seen in many anime series how the cliché of a girl suddenly having to live in a guy's house is used, but Gai here went to extreme levels and has just ordered me to take in not only one, but two girls… both of them practically my age, and one of them cute as hell.
"Are you mad? I will never, ever be able to introduce them to Haruka without raising any suspicion about them. She hasn't even seen either of them before!"
"Then don't let her see them. Each will be equipped with a stealth suit to avoid detection, but if they are sensed then you may have to take safety measures. I've already instructed Inori and Kyo what to do in case of being noticed, but it'd be better not to use that plan."
"What will they do?"
"You'll know if they are forced to take action."
Gai you bastard… seeing how you keep information from me, I cannot truly come to trust your methods. I am reluctant to believe you'd do any harm to Haruka, but seeing how you are not being hesitant to put her in danger, I am afraid I must doubt you.
"I will spare them the trouble, then."
Saying that, I take the green cube from Gai's hand and make way for the door to leave the library. Using my will, I order the shield in my hand to go back to its owner, and the threads of silver that never went away also vanish once the void is sealed within Kyo.
The two girls catch up to me and the three of us tread through the cold, grey corridors of the Parlor's headquarters. Our footsteps resound audibly as their noise bounces off the hard stone around us as we head to the garage for transport.
"Are you alright, Shu?"
Inori questions me about my welfare. I must look agitated… I guess I failed at keeping my troubled emotions from showing on my face.
"I'm mad at Gai… that's all."
The pink-haired girl seems dispirited at my words, as she lowers her gaze looking uneasy. It must be painful for her if there's a quarrel between Gai and me… even though we've met only recently, I can tell I've grown to be important to her – even Argo and Tsugumi said the same thing, seeing how she injected me with the Genome instead of destroying it.
However, I can't help being mad at my old friend – he should know very well how difficult it'd be for me to do what he's asking me to do. His methods and mine clash.
"You don't need to be worried, Shu. Gai has a reputation for having never failed the Parlor in the years he's been in command, so you can be certain we will succeed. Inori is shy and she isn't saying it, but you also have the two of us with you. You can trust us."
Kyo lightens the mood a little, assuring me nothing will go wrong. She seems to be honest, which keeps me from doubting her words. I believe in Inori as well, so I'll pray things go better than I expect them to go… we need all the luck we can get blessed with.
"Yeah… I trust you. Thanks, both of you."
Inori smiles a little and seems to be relieved as I loosen my tension. Before long, we reach the garage's entrance – a large metallic door which is already open for us. We walk into the dimly illuminated place housing a large number of vehicles, and find ourselves facing a large man I had briefly seen before in the library, when I was introduced to the rest.
"Ogumo! Is the car ready?"
"Ah, Kyo… Yes, we're leaving soon."
"This is Ouma Shu, I'm sure you know him by now."
"Yes, I've seen him a couple of times."
I wasn't mistaken, he's seen me as well. I offer my hand to him as I walk closer.
"Ogumo, right?"
He takes my offer and we shake hands as he nods his head. Damn, this guy is massive… he's gripping me quite hard. I can bet one of Inori's nods that his Void is something huge and blunt, like a war hammer or a big ass club.
We let our handshake go, and Ogumo turns to enter the truck he was apparently getting ready for us to travel in. He goes for the driver's seat, so I walk towards the passenger and rear doors and open them both for Inori and Kyo to enter as well. I'm such a gentleman, ensuring the girls go in before I do.
"Shotgun!"
Kyo happily claims the front seat for herself and gets up inside in one jump, so I am left to offer my hand to Inori to help her climb up the fairly large vehicle. Inori accepts my help and - success! Our hands meet. Ahh… I love this girl. Her skin is soft and smooth, and I get to catch her delicious scent as she moves past me towards her seat.
I'm seriously starting to wonder if I decided to protect her because I kept my word of assisting someone in need, or if I found her too beautiful to be left alone. Well… I remember her voice captivated me in an instant, so the latter reason doesn't seem too off.
"Shu."
While I am busily goofing off in my mind, Inori calls to me extending her own hand from inside the truck. How would I refuse? Taking one for the team, I allow her to spoil me with her attention and let her help me up to reach my sit in Cobain, right behind Kyo.
Ogumo starts the truck and loosens the brakes as a pair of Parlor members opens the heavy doors for us. The daylight shining from outside illuminates the whole garage and makes me realize the place is freaking enormous, much more than I had originally perceived – for the life of me, I cannot tell how Gai got his hands on so many transports… there's even an Endlave, different from the one Ayase was piloting yesterday.
"Just leave us in the outskirts of the city, we'll walk to a train station on our own."
Kyo instructs Ogumo what to do while Inori and I wordlessly stay in the back seats. Now that I look at her again, I realize she's wearing the same sweater I'd given to her yesterday. It is now clean from all the dirt and blood we were covered in when we were rescued, so I must assume she had it cleaned immediately after we arrived to Headquarters.
Wait, I mentioned blood. Damn! I'm the worst… I never asked her!
"Uh, Inori… how is your arm? You had it checked, right?"
I can't believe I forgot to see if her wound was taken care of, after all the effort I put into treating her back at home! Ouma Shu is a failure as a gentleman, nothing more than a fake who cannot even ensure his beloved is in good health.
Inori nods, but I don't deserve witnessing the beauty manifesting before me… I feel like a piece of shit, having forgotten about her condition after meeting with Triton again.
"I went to the infirmary after we arrived, I'm fine."
She tells me of her recovery while softly rubbing the healed arm with her hand. I notice she has just realized something, as looks at me curiously before moving closer and trying to reach for… whoa, whoa – why is she reaching for my face?
Kyo senses the commotion and turns around to see, surely hunting for future gossip about Inori and me. I am startled, seeing how the distance between Inori's face and mine is dangerously shrinking while she pulls my head closer to hers. God, she is bold.
Before getting into any action, however, she stops. Both Kyo and I are disillusioned as Inori fixes her eyes to my forehead. Ah, now I see… she's staring into my bandage. I'd forgotten I still have it on, after being hit by Ayase and all that followed.
"You're better too."
Inori speaks softly, claiming I am no longer a unicorn with that damned bump in the middle of my forehead. However, I don't believe her at all… for a moment. Now that she mentions if, I don't feel pain anymore.
The concentrated mass of beauty before me proceeds to unbind the bandage on my head, and – dear God – nods pointblank to me in approval to her own words.
"I knew it."
Well, she seemed very certain of her diagnose ever since the start… but I do wonder how on Earth I managed to fully recover in only a few hours. The damned glass was shattered, and it was a pretty hard one at that… I thought my head would hurt for several days.
"Whoa, Shu… you heal fast."
Even Kyo is amazed.
"You saw the wound?"
I ask her, intrigued about how she seems to know about how badly I was struck.
"No, but Tsugumi told me about it. She said the bruise would be there a week."
See my point? I never got to see myself in a mirror, but from the pain and the magnitude of the glass' impact, I could easily tell without needing my eyes to confirm.
"Shu is the King now."
Both of us turn to her in confusion. There are no doubts about me having taken the Void Genome and lived to use its power, but I feel there's more meaning in her words than Kyo and I have understood.
"You will grow stronger from now on. Please look after us."
And now she asks me to protect her. That's what I've been doing since I met her, but again I feel she's saying it with a greater depth than it appears.
"Inori? What are you talking about?"
We hit something on the road as I ask, and the whole truck shakes heavily. I tense up, ready to draw Kyo's shield at any sign of danger. Inori and Kyo are calm, though, and Ogumo laughs at me.
"Just a bump in the road."
Kyo smiles at Ogumo's remark and Inori looks at me blankly, wondering why I got so worked up over such a small thing.
"You scared the shit out of me! I thought we were under attack!"
Kyo laughs in Ogumo's stead, and Inori takes my hand in reassurance.
"We are together; there is nothing to be afraid of."
Man, her confidence in me just warms my heart. Kyo smiles even more as she watches us, and turns away to… give us some privacy, I guess. Damn them all, there'll be more gossip indeed when we get back to Headquarters… I won't be able to get Tsugumi's misleading comments off my back once she catches word of this, and Ayase's enthusiasm in calling me a pervert will be reinvigorated.
I stay in silence, discretely keeping hold of Inori's hand while we continue going to the city. We're in the highway by the mountainside by now. I didn't look outside the window very much when we departed from the garage, but I believe the Funeral Parlor's headquarters is hidden somewhere off the road a few minutes away from the city.
"This is as far as we go. Remember to take the bags out the trunk."
Ogumo speaks to us as he pulls over in a desolate section of the highway, already close to the city's outskirts. The other three of us follow his instructions, and exit the vehicle to make way for its rear, where the trunk's lid clicks open for us.
As promised, there are three bags full of… what the fuck? Camping gear?
"Thanks, Ogumo! Have a safe trip back."
"Welcome."
Kyo waves her hand to our driver before shutting the trunk close while Inori and I get the bags up and ready on our shoulders. Ogumo nonchalantly waves back at her, not even turning to look, and makes a U-turn to return to where we came from.
"What are these for?"
Curiosity gets the best of me, as I am unable to refrain from asking why we're carrying the damned bags… they're kind of heavy.
"Weapons."
Inori utters a single word, striking fear into my heart. She sounds dangerous whenever she speaks about anything related to combat… I'd hate having her as an enemy.
"And disguise, too. Camping is a valid excuse to be outside near the mountain, you see. That way we can do this…"
Kyo holds her hand high, waving at someone behind us. While I turn around to see, a cab pulls over by our side, unlocking its doors for us to get in. I see… that's clever.
"Oh! You two again? I see you've brought a friend this time."
Holy shit. Why, of all the taxi drivers in the city, did we have to get picked up by the same guy as yesterday outside school!?
"Ah, yes… we took the day off."
The old man laughs heartily at my nervous reply.
"After the mad firefight yesterday night, who'd not take the day off? Those terrorists are people we're better off without… it's good to see youngsters such as you enjoying life out here in what's left of nature. It makes me feel nostalgic, remembering the old times when I was a child myself. Ah… those good old days have gone by already."
The man is much more talkative today than he was last time. Maybe he did talk to us back then and I didn't notice… I was too tense to pay attention to him; the wounded Inori and the Anti-Bodies about to bust us on school were all that was in my mind at the time.
"Can you take us to the closest station, please?"
Kyo asks politely, to which the driver complies with a thumb up. Much to my liking, he is still young at heart, despite his countless wrinkles and white hair. I hope I'll have a spirit like his when I grow old, if I ever do… the GHQ may kill me sometime soon.
He mentioned something about terrorists, now that I look back at what he said. That must be us, ha-ha. I should get updated with the CyberNews once I get back home. It is a pity newspapers were replaced with websites… I never got to hold the paper myself. But what the hell, I shouldn't be worrying about that – Shu, keep your mind on what's important: you must find a way to deal with Inori and Kyo at home.
We're close to the station already, and I haven't thought about any solution to their presence… I guess I'll have to improvise once we arrive at my place. I'll just pray to the gods that Haruka isn't home when we do, or else I'll have hell to pay.
"It'll be 1400 yen."
Ah, speaking of hell to pay. I reach for my wallet, wincing in pain as I hear the number… and realize it is empty. I spent down the last of my pocket money when I called Gai for rescue, and my card is uselessly forgotten at home. Well, fuck.
"Here it is."
Kyo saves the day and pays the old man for the long trip we asked of him, and I am thankful to her from the bottom of my heart and wallet alike.
"Stay safe, kids! And stay young!"
I look around us carefully as the cab leaves, suspecting the chance that the old man may have been interrogated about us yesterday after he dropped us off and has now somehow reported us to the Anti-Bodies. He seemed very friendly, but it is healthy to stay alert… one never knows by whom he may be betrayed.
We buy three tickets for the station close to my home, and take the earliest train headed there. Once we are up, Kyo walks away from us and sits in a distant seat.
"She'll keep watch on us from afar."
Inori tells me about the situation. Gai must've instructed Kyo to do as she is doing now.
"To avoid having us look like a group, huh?"
I elaborate in Inori's stead.
"Yes. They do not know her either… she can save us from a pinch."
I see… Inori is right; the Anti-Bodies know nothing about Kyo. If they try to sneak upon us, she can sneak upon them in return. Sounds like a good approach… it should work. We'd be better off not using her Void at all to refrain from drawing too much attention, so it would indeed be better to play safe and use conventional methods as much as possible.
We stay in silence after that, as we continue our journey home. Somewhere along the ride, Inori leans on my shoulder like she did the first time we rode the cab outside school. This time, however, she isn't faking our closeness… or so I believe, at least.
"Do you hate me, Shu?"
The fuck did that come from?
"Why would I?"
I'd have liked to say 'quite the contrary' but I don't want to be too direct… I might accidentally step on a landmine and screw things up. Patience, Shu, patience!
"I put a great burden on you without asking."
She means the Genome, I presume.
"Quite the contrary… you bestowed me the strength to protect you. I am thankful."
I suck at holding back, I admit it.
"But I tied you to it forever… you will never be the same."
Inori sounds… guilty. The same way I am burdened by my past actions, Inori must regret having done what she did. However…
"No matter how I look at it, meeting you has been a blessing. You have given me the chance to rise above myself, to redeem my own sins. You have given me something to fight for, and I'll be forever grateful to you, Inori. With all I have, I thank you."
Upon hearing the sincerest reply I could muster, Inori wraps her arms around one of mine and embraces it. I fight with all my might to keep a gasp from escaping my mouth: that softness which I'm feeling is boob contact – beyond any doubt, it's boob contact!
"You are too kind, Shu."
And you are too soft, Inori… but unlike you, I am not speaking figuratively.
I can see Kyo shaking her head in disapproval from the corner of my eyes… the damned midget must better not be recording any of this, or else I'll show her Inori's Void up close.
And I officially hate the world as of now: the annoying synthetized voice coming from the train's speakers is saying we're about to arrive to our destination, and thus we should be getting ready to leave. Inori does as instructed and – infinite sadness – lets go of me.
It is surprising, though, how Inori is more sentimental than she appears. I'm slowly getting to know the more girly side of her, for which I'm glad. It makes me happy how she's gradually opening up to me… I want to keep things going on this way.
I'll have a talk with her later on when Kyo isn't around; it's pretty awkward to get close like this when there's other people watching, so I'll refrain from taking the initiative for now. I don't want to feed Kyo with too much to tell the others later on, either… at least not any more than she has already witnessed.
We pick our bags up and exit the train once it stops. The three of us blend with the crowd busily walking through the station, which is more tightly packed with people than usual. It must be because of the destroyed tunnels, I assume… using the streets must be a mess right now, so it is only natural for the trains' passengers to increase in number.
"The cameras around here are offline, it's safe to move."
Kyo gives me some fancy information.
"How do you know that?"
She seems happy I asked.
"It was courtesy of Argo; he cut off their energy supply a few minutes ago. Tsugumi hasn't detected any mobilization, and our mole hasn't reported any movement either, so the path should be clear for us."
I see. The little bugger also left my door's connection to GHQ deactivated, so my arrival should be undetected. According to intelligence, I am not being actively looked for… and even if I am, I have Kyo right here with me. Well, let's go for it.
We walk directly to my department complex and use the elevator to reach my floor. Inori presses her hand against the recognition panel and… it opens the door.
"Why can you open it?"
I have no qualms about it – it even makes me glad that she can enter my place whenever she wants to, but the fact she can do so still pinches at my curiosity.
"Funell did so."
Ah, that little bugger did it. Well… he did good, I guess. The girl has free access to my house, which makes me feel like we've grown at least a step closer to each other.
We walk in, and I take my shoes off, but Inori and Kyo don't. Inori takes Kyo with her and guides her directly to the bathroom. I knew girls tend to go in groups, but that's usually in places with more than one single toilet… uh… I won't ask.
Keeping my mouth shut and not minding the girls, I look around my house to see if Haruka is around, to find she isn't. I check the phone for recorded messages and see there's a single one of them. Gulping, I press the button to make it play.
"Shu, are you there? I've been calling your phone, but it's not picking up at all. Please call me as soon as you can, I must speak urgently to you. I can't return home yet; things are insane here in the office, so I beg of you to contact me as soon as you hear this message!
I love you, boy… please be safe."
I feel like the most violently odorous piece of shit in the whole city. Haruka has been worried sick for me because my phone broke. Damn it, I should've called her somehow just to tell her I'm fine. Resolving myself, I pick up the receiver, but a voice behind me stops me before I punch a single number.
"Don't do that, Shu… they'll trace us."
It's Inori, without her sweater and holding in her hands a flowery red leotard with red spoilers just like the one I saw her wearing the first time we met. The one with the otherworldly cleavage, yes… that one. Hehe… that one…
"I'll go change."
Please do, I can't wait. She leaves after stopping me and saying a lovely trio of words. That's why she went straight to the bathroom with Kyo, I see… But wait! Kyo won't wear one of those, will she? Dear God, I truly doubt the image would suit her… seeing someone else clothed like that would only tarnish Inori's godlike looks!
Damn… I must escape… I must… Ah, I know!
"I'll be next door briefly, Inori. I must have a word with a friend of mine."
Yes, I have to talk with Hare, and right now is a very good time to give it a go.
"Shu, wait!"
Kyo shouts from the distance, trying to dissuade me.
"I'm gone! I'll be right outside, just rush over if you hear anything unusual."
I have to hurry while they're half-naked and they can't follow me… I know it's dangerous to go out alone, but the area is supposedly secure, and I'd feel very awkward talking to Hare with Inori and Kyo right by our side. They're strangers for her, after all, and she'd probably be tense around Inori after witnessing her killing a soldier, so I'd like to enjoy some time alone with my friend.
I stick my head out the door to see if there's anyone outside, and nearly shit my pants in the process – there's someone standing right before me, taking me aback by surprise. Damn, I was caught totally off-guard! A whimper of horror escapes my mouth as I fall on my butt, accidentally kicking the door open.
Inori rushes outside the bathroom, holding only a towel to cover her naked body as she stands in front of me and… my friend, Yahiro. He clears his throat as he looks aside hastily, turning around to walk away.
"Sorry for interrupting… I'll get going now."
Someone kill me, please. Inori has a gun out, with which she can – HOLY FUCK, A GUN! Mother of God, she was about to shoot Yahiro with that! It is a miracle he was too startled with her nakedness that he missed seeing it the same way I did at first!
But dude! My nose is bleeding so hard from seeing Inori like that, yet what pisses me off right now is the fact that no matter how much I try to avoid them, misunderstandings always find a damned way to get worse every time!
"He's a friend, so go get clothed immediately!"
I order Inori to go away before I lose my composure. She looks at herself and blushes so furiously that I wouldn't be surprised if her head exploded in a few moments.
How am I supposed to face Yahiro now? Fucking shit, I'm glad no one from the Parlor witnessed this. Ah, shit! Scratch that; Kyo must've seen it all! Aghhh! I'm done for…
Ugh… I grab my nose with my hand and shake the blood away like a boss before heading out to catch up with Yahiro.
"Man! This is NOT what it seems to be!"
This is the second time I have used the lamest excuse there is in existence, and it is also the second time that in a twisted turn of fate I am saying it for real. I swear this is all a misunderstanding! On my life, I mean it!
"Yes, right… Go back, take your time. It's cool. "
WHY DOESN'T ANYONE BELIEVE ME!?
"Yahiro, please…"
I beg him to have faith in me.
"No, I get it… that's why you have no time to visit Hare."
I am delivered a low blow instead.
"Dude! Don't say anything to her about this, not a word!"
Yahiro seems pissed off at me beyond belief. I can feel his hate rising to dangerous levels, apparently because of repulsiveness to my supposed lustfulness.
"How would I dare to? She's in the hospital; knowing this is the last thing she needs."
SAYWHAT!?
"Wh- what are you talking about?"
This must be a joke… a cheap blow again… please let it be…
"She was injured yesterday during the firefight. I came here looking for you, because you didn't' answer your phone and you hadn't visited either. But seeing how you are too busy, I think I'll go back alone."
My knees give in, and I am forced to support my weight against the wall. Hare was wounded during the firefight? Right after we left? Fuck! Fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck! This can't be true! This can't… AGH!
I slam my tightly closed hand on the wall, leaving a crack on the stone as it well deserves. The noise is extraordinary, enough to surprise Yahiro and make him take a step back. But I do not care about any of this – all I want is to see Hare, NOW!
"Inori, we're leaving!"
I advance towards Yahiro and turn him around to make him walk with me.
"Take me to her."
I order him to guide me, not allowing any rebuttal.
"Shu, wait!"
I ignore the female voice behind me, even as I hear her hasty noises inside. She must be hurrying the hell up to follow me. Said and done, Inori rushes behind us, wearing once again the black dress she had on when we left and the sweater I gave to her.
"Who is she?"
Yahiro asks, confused about the events unfolding before him.
"A friend, I'll tell you later. We must go to Hare first."
As we walk in a fast pace towards the station, I realize Kyo is following us from a distance. She is keeping her presence concealed from Yahiro, the same way she was staying away from us in the previous train ride.
Yahiro buys three tickets – one for him, and two for Inori and me, since I still have no money on me as I forgot my card at home again. I promise to pay him next day at school, and we take the first ride we can to the station close to the hospital.
"What happened to her?"
I finally dare to ask, having calmed down enough to talk normally. I was too altered back there outside my department… I'd have snapped at any poor comment Yahiro might have thrown my way.
"I don't know the details; she hasn't woken up yet. Souta is there right now, so I'll let him know we're on our way."
He tells me what he knows as he draws his phone to text Souta. I notice it's night already, now that I see my surroundings… Given how we got into the train at peak hour, there's no places left to sit on, so we have to go all the way on our feet.
A few minutes pass, and the three of us stand there awkwardly, not knowing what to say. Kyo is also in silence, discretely watching us from a couple of meters away. Man, my head is a mess right now… I have no idea how I'll walk into Hare's room, and what will I –
Wait… something is wrong. We're slowing down. Inori senses the change too, and looks around cautiously. I sneak a peek outside the window and see there's a large number of Anti-Bodies stationed right outside. Fucking shit, we were spotted.
Beyond any doubt, they are waiting for us. I take a step forward to keep Yahiro behind me – I can tell Kyo is making way for us in this moment, and so I'll draw her Void as soon as she reaches me. The moment the soldiers see us directly, hell will break loose inside this wagon… but I will not fail to protect a friend again – I will keep Yahiro safe behind me.
The doors in front of me are sliding open, and now I know Kyo won't make it in time. If the soldiers approach, I'll pull both Inori and Yahiro aside towards her, and so I'll draw her void while we use the train's walls as cover.
I take a deep breath while I still can. I bend my knees, ready to grab these two and make it for Kyo's protection. There's visual contact between the soldiers and me. I order my body to move, but I am somehow thrown in an unexpected direction. Why? I'm sure I was prepared to pull off the maneuver… so why am I moving towards the soldiers?
I fall down hard on the floor outside the train, taken completely by surprise. My back hurts as I turn around to see what happened inside the train, and to my innermost horror I witness Yahiro regaining his composure by Inori's side, who is as shocked as I am.
"What the hell, Yahiro?"
He kicked me. There's no mistaking it; he was right behind me, and I can still feel the sole of his shoe aching on my back.
"WHAT THE HELL, YAHIRO!?"
The wagon's doors close as the train resumes movement, taking the dumfounded Inori away with a grim-looking Yahiro. I do not get to see Kyo before the wagon leaves me behind, but something else is clear to me: I am now alone in the cold floor of the night, surrounded by a full squad of Anti-Bodies pointing their guns at me.
I've been betrayed.