Disclaimer: Ranma belongs to Takahashi Rumiko. Fate/stay night and Tsukihime are the property of TYPE-MOON. No profit is gained from this work.
"..." Japanese speech.
"There's something I haven't told you... I'm a Magi."
After coming back into town one day, he became the cause of strange events in town.
And so, his life was changed.
Fate/endless night
By
Dark Master Schmidt
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Chapter 2: The Monster's Sin.
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The cold wind gently strokes my face. It tries to sooth me; it tries to please me. Its efforts fail to encourage me. I just sit there staring into a piece of paper in my hand, barely noticing the wind.
I feel powerless. I can't do anything but read this ragged up article. How many hours has it been? How many times have I read it? I find myself unable to answer. I just go at it like a broken record, and I read it one more time...
"Young man terrorizes family. Four in critical condition, one unharmed but in critical mental condition and one other is missing." I reach my limit with that last sentence. I free my grip off the paper, leaving it for the wind to play with. I can't read anymore. I want to forget, but I have no right to do so.
I sigh and look over Nerima atop a high roof. The setting sun is giving the scenery a nice colourful shade of red. It looks beautiful, but who am I to appreciate beauty?
"I'm such an idiot..." I let the wind carry my whisper. I cover my face from this world. I don't think I'm allowed to look at it. "Perhaps I should..." I lower my palms to my warm neck. I can feel my blood gushing in my veins. My filthy blood... At that thought, I add some pressure into my hands. I increase my strength every passing second. It doesn't take long for me to start feeling lightheaded.
I suddenly let go and stretch my arms backwards. Who am I kidding? As much as I want to, I can't end it here. There are still things that need to be done.
I turn my face towards the figure next to me. Covered with a long cloth, it rests there unaware of the world's problems... My problems, actually. I smile sadly at the covered person. I'm such a horrible person, but I will do my best. This is the least I could do for her. I don't care what happens to me in the process.
I get up from my place and go kneel next to her covered face. I remove the garments and bestow weak sunlight on her face. Her peaceful lifeless face pains me. It makes me hate myself again. "Kasumi-san..." But, I will live on.
I whisper a spell under my breath and charge my palms with mana. I gently grab her small face. "From this day onward, I will live for you... Only for your sake will my body breathe life." I murmur to her.
And so, I release everything. Blinding light generates from the spot I'm holding my hand.
I look at her when it's over. Her face is gone. I press my hand at where it used to be. I feel nothing but the hard surface underneath. A little panicked, I look back at the garments and I see a smaller figure in the middle.
"I figured I'd screw up one way or another." I shake my head and almost laugh at my stupidity before the much smaller figure begins to stir.
Waiting some moments, a small hand finds its way out. The hand assists in removing the garments, and before long, a small girl finds her way out under the sun.
I am stunned and I stare at her, speechless. She returns my stare with a confused gaze of her own. She struggles to move in her overgrown clothes, trying to walk towards me.
Her innocent eyes examine me from head to toe. "Oniisan, who are you?"
I kneel down in front of her and smile at her, feeling very stupid at the moment. "Nobody... I'm just an idiot."
"Really? You're an idiot?" She makes a funny face and I laugh. But it doesn't take long for my laughter to turn into tears.
"Yeah." I hug her in an attempt to hide my anguished face. "I'm sorry."
"Mr. Idiot is sorry? Why?" She asks me in confusion.
"Because I did something horrible to you." Still hugging her, I answer her question.
"Really? You don't look like a bad person, Mr. Idiot." She sounds skeptical. How should I respond to that? "Say, who am I, oniisan?"
I let go of her small body and face her. "Don't you remember anything?" I ask her and she shakes her head. Another one of my screw ups. But perhaps, maybe this is a good thing. Sometimes it's better to forget. To not remember the horrible memories, to forget my monstrous deeds must be a blessing. However, I have no right to impose such selfish things on her. I mask my face with a smile and give the small girl her name. "Your name is Kasumi."
Kasumi frowns at me and repeats in her own voice. "My name is Kasumi...?"
"Yeah." Just by looking at her, I can tell something is bothering Kasumi. "What's wrong?" I ask her.
"Why can't I remember my name? Why can't I remember?" She looks down, slightly shivering. Is she cold, or is it fear? With her current mentality, the answer is obvious. I feel strong hatred towards myself.
Pushing my feelings aside, I speak to her. "It's my fault."
"Huh?" She looks at me with widen eyes. She seems relieved and surprised at the same time.
"I made a mistake and caused you to suffer. When I tried to fix it, you lost your memory." My words seem to change her face into many expressions. Is she angry at me? Is she afraid of me? Does she hate me? I don't mind if she does. I deserve her negative emotions towards me. Yet, at the same time, I can't allow negative emotions towards herself. I stand with a bright smile. "Don't worry!" I embrace her. Her height barely reaches my stomach. "I'll find your true self again. I'll make things right again for you."
"Really?" Her uncertainty asks.
"Of course," I reassuringly answer. "But first," I suddenly hold her high to my eye level. "I think we should get you something new to wear." I point at her state of dress with my gaze.
Kasumi looks at her clothes in confusion, seemingly noticing them for the first time. "Wow! Why are my clothes so big?"
"Err; let's just say that a lot has happened." I somehow manage to escape her question. Luckily, she doesn't care much and left it at that. Holding her in my arms in a more comfortable position, I walk from this rooftop. "Let's get a move on, shall we?"
"Okay!" She cheerfully exclaims.
I hum a song as I get to walk on solid earth. Kasumi really is special; I nearly forget all bothersome thoughts when she smiles at me. She never fails at changing the glum atmosphere that's around me whenever I go. Even in this state, she's losing me in her haze.
Kasumi tugs on my sleeve with a frown. "Where are we going?"
Only at her question I realize that I just walked into the park. I laugh sheepishly and turn back.
"Do you really know where you're going?" Kasumi looks at me skeptically. She practically saw right through me.
"Uh... Of course I do! We're going to a clothes store, aren't we?" I try to cover up my weakness frantically. I look around and walk towards wherever there's a crowd of people. I hope to find a store soon; I'm starting to attract unwanted attention to myself.
"Hey, over there! Over there!" Kasumi points in some direction cheerfully. I flow her with my eyes and spot a brightly-coloured shop in a street corner. It looks like a women's clothing store. I had hoped for something more general... I'm in no place to complain, though.
"Uh, right." I rush and enter the shop. I haven't even been five seconds before a female clerk came to greet me.
"Hello! How may I help you?" She smiles brightly at me. Her presence makes me feel uncomfortable somehow.
"I, uh... Need something for her to wear." I gesture at the girl in my arms.
The clerk looks blankly at Kasumi for a moment before smiling at her. "My! What big clothes you're wearing! What are you doing in those, sweetie?"
I get nervous for a second, but before I could make up any excuse, Kasumi starts to say something.
"Haha," Kasumi laughs sweetly. "Well, let's just say that a lot has happened."
Wow. I let out some chuckles at her cover up. I can never beat her.
"Oh, is that so?" She laughs at Kasumi's expression. "I have just the thing for you. Follow me." And so we do.
Everything seems to go smoothly. After getting her some undergarments, the clerk shows her a variety of dresses. Kasumi seems delighted and picks one of them up.
"I want to try this one!" She exclaims to the clerk.
"All right. Right this way." She takes Kasumi with her to what I assume is the changing room.
A few minutes later, she came back running and laughing cheerfully. Well, she certainly seems to be having fun for some reason...
"What do you think, oniisan!" Kasumi beams at me, showing off her dress. It's a light blue sundress that hung from her shoulders. Apparently, it comes with a straw hat, it has blue ribbon of the same colour range tied around the top.
"You look really good." My answer is honest.
"Really!" She jumps with a wide smile.
"Uh, yeah. You look great." I fold my arms, trying to look unfazed. Well, next comes shoes and socks. She walks around with the clerk for some.
By then, I'm lost in my own thoughts. I can't have fun and waste time like this with her forever. Kasumi deserves better than to remain like this. I need to think of a method to restore her. In order to do so, I need the help of someone powerful in Magecraft. My skills aren't that great, unfortunately. Like a powerful sword, the amount of mana I posses is useless without a good wielder. Actually, I'm not exactly sure what went wrong. My intention wasn't for her to shrink into what appears to be a six-year-old version of Kasumi. What am I to do...?
Before I could sink deeper into my thoughts, my sleeve is tugged again. I look to find a cheerful Kasumi looking up at me.
"What do you think, oniisan!" Kasumi repeats her question from before. This time she's asking about her shoes, however. A pair of black shoes and white socks, actually. They have no special design to them, but they look good.
"They look good on you." I answer honestly again.
"Really!" Kasumi tugs my sleeve again in excitement.
"Yes. You look great." This time I try to smile at her.
Now that we're done, I stuff Kasumi's old clothes into my pack. I can't just throw them away... All right, we're about finished here. It's time to pay up. I take Kasumi with me to the cashier, along with the clerk.
It only took a few moments to calculate the cost.
"That would be a total of 16,520 yen, please." The cashier tells me with a fake smile.
I almost bit my lip when I heard that. That's... quite expensive. I suck it up and pay anyway; I can't go back now. After I get my change, I hurry to get out of this rip off store. Or maybe I just have no sense of value to fashion. Either way, I want out.
"Thank you! Please come again." The clerk's voice vanishes behind me as the door closes.
I'm glad that's over. What should we do now? I try to think of something while we walk. Just then, Kasumi tugs on my sleeve again. She just keeps doing that.
"Say, oniisan," Kasumi seems like she wants to ask me something.
"What is it?"
"Your name isn't really Idiot, is it?" She questions me.
I don't hold back and laugh at her question and also at myself. I can't believe I forgot to tell her my name!
"Well, actually, no." I suppress my laughter.
"I knew it! Then what is it?" Looks like she's excitedly anticipating my answer.
"It's Ryouga. Hibki Ryouga." I stop and look at her in the eye; those innocent eyes.
"Ah!" She exclaims. "That sounds familiar! I think I'm starting to remember." Kasumi holds her head and starts doing funny motions.
"Hey, cut it out. You're attracting unnecessary attention!" I hold her head tightly and she sticks out her tongue in embarrassment.
"Then tell me now then!" Kasumi repeats words in the same sentence. She's too excited to notice her funny speech patterns, though. "Who was I to you before?"
I blink at her question. "What do you mean?"
Kasumi reddens at my question. "You know what I mean! From when I could remember, what were we like?"
It seems Kasumi is asking me of my relationship with her. "Well..." I try to think of an answer. This is kind of important. If I screw up, it may come to bite me later. What am I supposed to say? Should I lie or be honest? I don't know... Perhaps I should be honest? I don't want to take advantage of her. What would emerge from telling her the truth?
No, this is not right. If I am honest, the truth may distance her from me. I need to be careful of her feelings. While I'm all for her hating me, I need her trust if I'm going to help her. This may be a good opportunity to gain her trust. I feel bad about lying, but it's for her own good. I don't care what happens to me. I don't care if she'll hate me once this is all over. I don't care what everybody would think. All I care about is restoring her. I had no right to do this to begin with.
"Ha! Well?" Kasumi urges me.
Ah, right. "Ahem..." Not that I decided what I should do, what is it that I should tell her? I figure Kasumi might feel pretty lonely now. I can relate to that myself. So what she needs is a loved one. Obviously, I can't be her lover. That would be ridiculous. So, my other option would be... Perhaps I don't have to completely lie to her after all...
I kneel down and look at her curious eyes. "You could say that I'm your brother."
"Ah...!" Kasumi looks a bit surprised. "S-So, oniisan is my oniisan! I see now!"
It's of ironic to be called that; Kasumi is technically older than me. But that doesn't matter now. What she needs is support from her family; since I can't just return her, I am forced to become one for her. At least, that's what I think.
"Well then, oniisan!" She takes my hand into her warm small palms. "Let's eat something! I'm hungry!"
Her demand for food made me realize the time. It's nighttime already now, and I haven't had anything to eat since yesterday myself. "Good idea." I grin and stand up. "Let's look for a good place to have dinner."
As we begin our search, Kasumi bounces cheerfully while holding my hand. If it's even possible, she seems more cheerful than she was a while ago. It must be the thought of food, or so I think.
"How about over there, oniisan?" She points somewhere merrily.
"Um, that's a bakery, Kasumi. I don't think bread and sweets are enough." I sigh.
"Silly oniisan. I meant the store next to it!" Kasumi puffs.
"Oh." I finally look at the store she meant. I'm a little embarrassed at this. I can never notice whatever's around me. Anyway, that's enough about me. It looks like a nice little café. That should be good enough. "All right. Looks good." I say sheepishly.
"Yay! Let's go! Let's go!" Kasumi pulls on my arm excitedly.
"All right already! Jeez!" Seriously now, there's no reason to try and pull my arm off! Oh well, at least it ensures me getting there.
After we're finally in, we are greeted by a waitress.
"Welcome! Table for two, sir?"
"Yes, please."
The waitress smiles and leads us to a small table by the window. I have Kasumi sit by my side rather than across of me. The waitress is prompt in handing us menus. I'm curious to know if Kasumi can read. I hope she didn't forget...
"Hey, oniisan! I want this!" She shows me her menu suddenly.
Well, I guess she still remembers that. Good. "So you made up your mind already?" I look at her choice and frown. "Kasumi, that's ice cream! Get something better."
"But I really want it, oniisan!" She frowns in annoyance.
"No."
"I want it!" Kasumi was nearly yelling now. It's starting to piss me off.
"Argh, all right." I agree in frustration.
"Really!" Kasumi gets excited again.
"But only if you can finish dinner." I'm not going down that easily though!
"Ehh, that's not fair, oniisan..."
"It's either that or nothing." I cross my arms stubbornly.
"Oh, fine! I'll show you! I'll eat it all!" Kasumi looks determined now. It's amazing how her face changes expressions so quickly.
Ah well. In the end, I end up deciding our meal. Uncertain what to order, I decide to get us some chicken sandwiches. I can't afford anything classier anyway. Not after buying those expensive clothes. Now that I think about it, I may need to buy more clothes for her. She's going to need more than one outfit; she may dirty or damage the current one in one way or another. Taking care of a kid is no joke; this is going to be rough.
I call the waitress and tell her our order. One sandwich is probably enough for Kasumi. "Three chicken sandwiches, please."
"Anything else? Drinks?"
"Water would be fine." Damn. I feel really cheap, but it can't be helped. I need to conserve my money.
"I want orange juice!" Kasumi exclaims.
"And one orange juice..." I feel like punching myself right now. Well, a glass of juice won't hurt, I guess.
After confirming our order, she leaves.
"So, oniisan." Kasumi starts a conversation. "How did I exactly lose my memory?" Kasumi asks curiously.
I look at her for a moment and word my answer carefully. "A horrible monster did this to you."
"Monster...?"
"Yeah. He suddenly appeared after a long sleep and was hungry for blood." I tell her sadly. The more I remember, the more painful it feels. "I was too weak and lost when I tried to fight him."
"That's mean! What happened to the monster?" Kasumi looks angry.
"I managed to make him leave somehow."
"So are you going to defeat him and bring my memories back?"
"Y, yeah. That's right." I can feel my voice stuttering. This conversation is starting to make me feel sick at myself.
"You beat him real good next time then, oniisan!" She smiles brightly at me, which does nothing but make me feel worse.
Fortunately, the waitress finally comes back with our order. She hands us with our food. The waitress places Kasumi's juice in front of her with a smile and leaves.
I give Kasumi her share and she gladly accepts it. "Be careful, it's hot." I warn her, but she's already eating it. I smile as she clumsily burns her lip.
"Ow..." Kasumi rubs her lip.
"I told you to be careful." I take a bite of my own sandwich. I instantly drop it back to the plate afterwards. "Ow!" I rub my lip.
"Haha! You burned yourself, too!" Kasumi laughs at my clumsiness.
"So what..." I grumble under my breath.
More carefully this time, Kasumi resumes her eating, and I do the same. Not much is said while we eat; I guess we're too busy trying to satisfy our hunger. I manage to finish up fairly quickly. It looks like I'm hungrier than I thought. But that should be enough.
I turn to Kasumi and find her about to finish up as well. She sucks her glass of juice dry with that long straw.
"I'm done!" Kasumi declares, with less energy than usual. Her eyes look tired. "Can I g-get ice cream now...?" She yawns while leaning back on her chair and closes her eyes slowly.
"Is she sleeping?" I ask myself and take a closer look. She fell asleep fairly quickly; I can hear light snores coming from her. She must have been really tired... Or it could be my inability to sustain her for very long. I can feel a bit drained myself.
At any rate, I can't just stay here. I hold her up in my arms and leave the café after paying.
I am again under the dark night skies. I walk randomly as I think. Where should I go? As I have concluded before, I'm going to need help, as I'm not powerful enough to help Kasumi. Besides, I lack income to support the both of us on the road. Being lost in the middle of nowhere wouldn't be good for her. I can't force a harsh life on her weak little body.
I guess I have no other choice. I can only think of one place to go. But, how can I show my face to her after such a long absence? What would she say? What would she think? I'm afraid to know the answer...
I stop and look around. It looks like I stumbled into the park again. I sigh. I just keep walking in circles.
Kasumi murmurs something in her sleep. Maybe I should set up camp here and think about it tomorrow.
Out of nowhere, I feel something unusual. It's my instincts; they're telling me to move. I don't even think, I act accordingly and make a hasty powerful jump forward. I don't look back as I do, but I could feel and hear the spot I was on blasting to bits. I carefully shield Kasumi from any debris that could fly her way.
As soon as I land, I turn around as soon as I can in panic. The person I see has overthrown all my expectations of my attacker.
Standing on her long cane, I see Cologne. She doesn't seem too happy, and it doesn't take a genius to figure out why. I tighten my grip around Kasumi unconsciously, taking some steps backwards.
"Have you done, boy?" Her words send shivers down my spine. "Do you have any what you done!" Cologne is shouting now. I haven't seen her so angry before. The fact that it's all towards me doesn't make the fact any better.
I find myself unable to speak to her. What excuses can I make? I have none. As if knowing this, Cologne doesn't wait for my answer and charges at me at full force.
I don't know if it is coincidence and sheer luck, but I somehow manage to block some her strikes. Using one hand can only go so far, though, and a hit to my forehead sends me flying backwards.
Twisting in mid air, I land on the ground with my feet. I can already feel blood gushing under my bandanna. Cologne may not be physically strong like Ranma, but she sure as hell knows where to hit.
This is not good; I'm in no position to fight her, especially when I'm carrying Kasumi. Luckily, Kasumi hasn't woken up yet.
"Wait! She has nothing to do with this!" I try to convince Cologne.
"Then leave her! Your business is with me, and I believe that you shouldn't even be around that girl." Cologne yells at me harshly. Her words feel stronger than any blow she could deliver to me. And it's all true. I have no right to be by Kasumi's side, but... it's my duty.
I place Kasumi gently next to a random tree along with my backpack. Leaving her alone like this might be cruel, but I have not much of a choice in the matter to begin with. I will definitely come back for her one way or another. I'm not leaving her alone until I correct the error I've committed. That much I can promise.
I turn back to Cologne once I'm done. I'm glad she at least let me do this. I stand warily without much of intent to fight her. Does she plan to kill me? For some reason, I can see her doing that.
"Now then, boy." Cologne starts to speak. "Depending on your answer, I may change my judgments of you."
I say nothing and listen to her.
"Why did you do it? And how?" Cologne is sounding calm now. However, I get the feeling that it's only a façade of her true feelings. "I know very well that you're not powerful enough to do that."
Her questions make me feel very nervous. Frankly, I don't know what to say, but I decide to speak anyway. Even if it's not a good idea, I have to say something. "I..." I start to shiver. I'm suddenly remembering the sensation I had yesterday. The crushing of bones, the blood I spilled. It's all coming back to me. And my own feelings back then. I was overjoyed, delight made itself apparent at every strike I unleashed. His actions were my own actions. "It wasn't me!" I nearly yell. "It was his fault! Why do I have to take blame for his actions!" I'm already yelling now. The rage I feel for myself knows no bounds.
Cologne looks stunned at my outburst. She may think I'm crazy. But let her think whatever she wants. I'm not his pawn. I am myself. I am...
"You fool." Cologne's movements seem instantaneous. It didn't feel like a second has passed before I was struck powerfully with her stick. I'm flung into the air again, but I don't find it in me to correct my landing this time around, though.
I land roughly on my back, but that felt like nothing. What feels painful is the spot she stroke at. I get up forcibly. I don't have time to feel sorry at myself. I need to get on the defensive or I'll be killed.
This time, I decide to make the first strike. I charge forward with the full intent of crushing her. I don't normally go for the kill, but it's either that or be killed. I hit at her with a powerful punch, but I only feel the ground she was standing one connect. Looking away from the newly-created crater, I turn my head frantically in hope of spotting her, but I earn an unexpected blow to the face instead and whirl uncontrollably on the ground.
"Ugh." I groan as I get up. Damage done to me is minimal, but it still hurts like hell. I felt like I got hit 10 times on my face. Now that I think about it, that may be what actually happened. Speed, technique, skill... I'm outclassed in nearly everyway. It may be possible to somehow beat her with pure raw power, but I find that unlikely. "Why, you..."
Cologne is on the offensive again and I'm forced into a defensive stance. Once close enough, she swiftly swings that cane again and again to my face, successfully hitting me at every try. I can barely see her movement, let alone block. Finally, in one swift motion, Cologne sticks the lower edge of her cane into the upper part of my right forearm and twists it violently.
I scream in agony as I hear my elbow shatter. I am downed to one knee and try to bear the pain.
However, Cologne doesn't stop there. She then proceeds her assault by forcing me to my back. I feel her do that same jab again, but to my left leg this time, leading to another scream. I can feel blood coming down there. It looks like she tore through muscle rather than bones this time. Cologne finishes up by pinning me to the ground through my stomach next. The pain resulting from this is unimaginable. I never felt so much pain in my life. I can feel her cane tearing through my back as she adds more pressure.
I see blood. Yes, blood is gushing violently out of my belly every time Cologne twists that damn stick any further. The blood I'm starting to cough doesn't make matters any better.
She's very; too good, actually. Her technique is vastly superior to Ranma's.
"How does it feel, Ryouga?" Cologne asks. Her voice sounds cold. Void of all emotion, except for her anger; her hate. "How does it feel to have the same pain inflicted to you?"
It feels horrible. However, only by coughing more blood can I answer her question. But she is right. I had this coming to me. Cologne is not unjust in her actions. I deserve this, and I know it. There's nothing I can do now; I can only wait for her to finish me off.
On the other hand, if I die now, what would happen to Kasumi...? In the end, is my promise to her nothing but meaningless words? No, I can't accept that! Only I can help her, if I die, she will also follow. I'll get myself out of this predicament. I have to. I can't afford to break another promise to her. I just... can't.
However, it seems my body and mind are in disagreement. My vision is starting to get hazy. And I just acquired this painful headache to add to the mix. Wait, that doesn't feel right. I know this pain in my head... No, it can't be! It's too soon. How is this possible? I have to stop... "UGH!" My body suddenly jerks and I start shivering.
Cologne seems to notice something is wrong and edges away. "What the..."
By some wonder, I find the strength to get up. I don't even bother to pull Cologne's cane out. I'm too occupied in a battle of mind. But I know it too well. I can never win. Not against him.
I see Cologne looking at me warily and I try to say something. "R...Run...! I can't..." I scream in frustration. "Argh, dammit! Fuck off! This is my fight..."
And so it finally ends. My mental battle with him is over. The pain subsides and I can honestly not feel any better than I am now.
"Heh..." I smile and casually stand like nothing has ever happened. "Sorry, but I can't afford to get us both killed." I finally look at my opponent. Cologne seems pretty confused. "Hello, elder. What an honourable pleasure for me to meet you." I smile at her, completely forgetting the fact that I still have that stick of hers stuck in me.
"You..." Cologne takes some steps backwards. "Who are you? Your aura feels different."
I'm surprised. It looks like the old woman has finally figured it out. "I am Ryouga. Who else could I be?" I answer her honestly. I walk one step towards her. "It's just that I'm a bit different now. He and I are the same." I look at my right arm and make some practice swings with it. "Not bad. It still feels a little sore, though."
"Your arm..." Cologne looks shocked.
"Was broken?" I complete the sentence for her. "I told you, I'm a little different now. But I've got to hand it to you; that was an excellent strike. My bones were shattered to little pieces." I finally pull her cane out and throw it casually towards her. "And I liked this shirt a lot too..." I rip my blood soaked shirt out and discard it. I look down to confirm it. And yes, the hole is left without a trace.
"That's impossible. You're a monster..." Cologne looks absolutely horrified. It makes me happy for her to think that.
"That's right. Good to see someone finally gets it." This time I frown at her. "I'm going to give you two options now. Either you leave, or continue to fight and die at my hands."
From Cologne's angered look, I can already tell what she decided on.
"Don't mock me, boy!" She swiftly grabs her cane, and strikes at me at full speed.
Before her stick could even reach me, I had already grabbed it in my hand. As a result, she was held in mid air along with it. "I can see your movements." And for the first time tonight, I manage to connect my punch to her stomach head on. I smirk as I watch Cologne fall to the ground like a dead fly. "Not so tough when hit, are you? I bet that hurt a lot. How many bones did I break?"
"You..." Cologne struggles to get up. Seeing her in such a weak state is a fascinating sight, to say the least. I can hardly contain my excitement.
I walk towards her to do more. I can't just stop now, can I?
"Hehehe. Crush her..."
I suddenly stop in my tracks. "Who...?" I scan the area for any strange presence with my eyes. However, I see nothing. I'm pretty certain I heard a girl's voice... To my surprise, the world around me begins to literally shatter like glass until there is nothing but a pitch black world.
This universe of pitch black darkness... I've been here before.
"Hehehehe."
I turn around to the sounds of giggles, and to my stupefaction, I find a small body. Or at least what is left of it. Its innards are all a bloody waste, with all sorts of inner body parts cut and torn outside of its proper place. One glance at the head leads me to assume it belonged once to a boy.
What's more horrifying is not that, but the fact that a young girl is sitting over him, pulling more viscera out.
I walk towards her for a closer look. She looks up at me once I stand directly in front of her. She has what could be beautiful long dark hair were it not stained with dark blood. Her azure eyes glitter sharply at me. Across her pretty face lies the wickedest smile I had ever seen.
"Hehe. Will you feast with me?" Her words echo in my mind.
Strangely enough, I feel tempted at her words. I also find myself extending my arm towards her offering. But I suddenly stop. "You..." I snarl. "Who are you?" I take some steps away from her. I can't believe I almost fell for that.
As answer, I am rewarded with nothing but that wicked smile of hers. And just like how this world formed, this dark world suddenly breaks into pieces.
In a blink, I find myself standing in front of Cologne again. What's going on? I am utterly confused at what just happened. I rest my forehead on my hand and feel cold dampness there. I look at my hand see traces of my blood on it. I am reminded that it was bleeding earlier. I tear off my bandanna and throw it away. A blood-stained bandanna is worthless.
At any rate, I'll worry about what just happened later. After all, I still have Cologne to take care off. I shrug off my thoughts of the previous events and talk to Cologne. "Well, Cologne?"
Cologne spits some blood to the ground and struggles back to her feet. "Don't underestimate me... I can still go on."
I am impressed. Cologne isn't the elder of Joketsuzoku for nothing, after all. It's true, though. I don't think I did that much damage to her. Cologne managed to avoid getting a fatal hit at the last second. Regardless of that, this battle would have ended right there and then had I put more strength into that punch.
Cologne finally lunges at me again. In total synchronization with her movements, I avoid each and very swing she makes. She increases her speed, and so do I. She increases her precision, and so do I. However, she makes one last desperate jab that finds its way to my face. Or rather, where my face used to be before vanishing.
At my vanishing figure, Cologne wearily forms a defensive stance. I can only imagine the look of surprise on her face on my end.
"Over here!" I wave at her. It doesn't take her more than second to relocate me. Cologne widens her eyes as she sees me atop a street light some metres away. "Did you have fun playing with my shadow?" I smile at her. I jump back to solid ground and land next to the large pole. Looking at it for a moment, I get an interesting idea and grab it in a solid grip with my left hand. In one swift pull, I tear out the huge heavy pole out of its concrete.
Cologne readies herself for the following. She may have anticipated what I'm trying to do.
I only smirk at her as she does this. "Catch." As swiftly as I had pulled it out, I throw it towards her direction. At the speed it's going, there's no way Cologne could avoid that.
Cologne is left with no choice but to cut it in half, sending both halves falling to her side.
"Very good." I walk towards her, clapping my hands. "But you didn't catch it."
"Enough games!" Cologne readies her cane for another round.
I stop and frown. Cologne must have realized I've been only playing with her all this time. But she's right; it's about time I put an end to this. I don't have all night. "All right then. If you so insist, I'll put an end to your life right now." I say it as if it's the most natural thing in the world.
Can the old woman keep up with my speed? I wonder. I'm about to find out soon. As fast as I could get my body to move, I find myself instantly behind her. Before Cologne could realize that she's looking at an afterimage, I crush her within my grasp.
"Argh!" Cologne screams in pain. I hold her to my eyelevel and she snarls at me.
I laugh heartily at her predicament. "It looks like I win."
Cologne stares at me through my bangs. "You monster... Just who are you?"
"I've already told you. I am Hibiki Ryouga. Who else could I be?" I repeat my exact same answer from before.
"Don't lie to me!" Cologne growls angrily. "I know Ryouga all too well. You are not him!"
"Oh, him?" Maybe I should tell her more than that. Besides, she's going to die soon anyway. "So that's what this is all about. It's just about him, isn't it? Him this, him that." I shake my head at Cologne. "He is none other than I. He is I."
"Wh, what do you mean?" Cologne inquires further.
I am under no obligation to tell her anything, but I decide to humour her anyway. "It's exactly as it sounds. I am him, he is I. His memories are mine, and mine are his. His thoughts are mine, and mine are his; an endless cycle."
At Cologne's confused look, I elaborate further.
"You still don't get it? We are not different entities. We are the same person. About the only difference between us is behaviour. Our goals are the same; our feelings are also the same. Yet, at the same time, our will is different. I have no qualms against killing you to survive, while he is hesitant to do so."
"You're not making much sense..."
"Oh, I don't need to." I put more force into my arms. "You'll figure everything out in the other world."
Between Cologne's screams, I hear the first crack. I probably broke her left arm.
"Oniisan...?" A voice freezes my movements. I look towards the speaker and see her, Kasumi, rubbing her sleepy eyes. Well, with all that noise, can't say I'm surprised she's woken up.
I intentionally soften my grip around Cologne. As anticipated, she doesn't miss the chance and breaks free from my hold.
"Oniisan, what's going on?" Kasumi asks in confusion. Apparently, she hasn't seen much yet.
"Oh, it's nothing." I smile at her. "I was just discussing something my friend. She was just about to leave, too." I look at Cologne sharply. "Isn't that right, Cologne?"
In her state, Cologne doesn't have much of a choice. She's left with nothing but taking advantage of my generous offer. After all, she'll live to see another day. Something like that doesn't happen often after picking a fight with me.
"Feh." Cologne looks pretty resentful. I know how she feels, though. "Very well. However, you're going to regret doing this the next time we meet." With those big words, Cologne finally vanishes from my sight.
I'm sure I will... I keep my words to myself. It's pretty unfortunate that I got interrupted; whenever I don't finish my opponents off, they always come back to annoy me one way or another.
"What was that all about, oniisan?" Kasumi blinks at Colognes retreating figure.
"Nothing too important." I go to stand by her side. With one hand rested atop her head, I tilt it playfully. That's the second time she's interrupted me now. "Shouldn't you be sleeping?"
"I don't feel sleepy anymore!" Kasumi exclaims.
"Oh, really?" I ask her.
"So, how about that ice cream now?" She giggles a bit.
"So that's your plan." I chuckle at her. "I have a better idea."
"What is it?" Kasumi inquires curiously. She's probably wondering what could be better than ice cream. "By the way, what happened to your clothes, oniisan?"
"Oh, that. They got dirty, so I threw them away." I make up some excuse on the spot. It's not like I'm lying either, I am telling the truth. I head to my backpack, get a new shirt and wear it. All right, but I'm still missing a bandanna to keep my hair in place, so I get a new one from my pack. That will do for now, I think as I finish tying it up. I'll get a new pair of pants later.
I turn back to see Kasumi watching me intently. "Well, what was your idea?"
I hold Kasumi up within my arms. "As I was saying, instead of ice cream, how about I tell you an interesting story?" I grin.
"Story?" Kasumi looks skeptical. "What kind of story?"
"It's about a young boy and a monster." I tell her a little snippet.
Kasumi's eyes perk up a bit. It seems she's interested to what I have to say. "Oh, tell me!" She confirms my guess.
"Well then," I start my tale. "A long time ago, there was this little boy. He wasn't very healthy, and had to visit the hospital often."
"Oh, that sounds awful." Kasumi comments.
"Yeah, it is. He didn't like it. He felt so weak at times that he began to hate himself." I tell her sadly. "However, he had family that cared about him. He was really lucky to have them. They gave him support when he needed it. And also, there was someone else. Someone very important..."
"Who's that?" Kasumi asks curiously.
"Well..." I wear my pack with me and begin to walk along the streets. There's some place I need to go. "It was his friend. It may not sound too special, but it was to him. You see, he was a pretty lonely guy. Thanks to his bad health, it was hard of him to make any friends. But this girl was different. She accepted him for who he was and befriended him, which is why she is so special to him. She even was a frequent visitor whenever he was at the hospital. She used to encourage him whenever he felt sad. Often telling him, that even if he weren't strong, it didn't change anything. That it didn't matter. That she liked him regardless for the nice guy that he was.
"The days passed like usual. But then one day, an amazing thing happened. The boy was miraculously cured. It baffled the doctors greatly. The boy, on the other hand, was happy. He simply found himself not get so tired anymore. He was also stronger now."
"How did he get stronger?"
"I'll get to that soon, be patient." I smile at her and continue. "As I was saying, he got stronger. He was able to walk the streets like everybody else now. Walk, run, jump... He could do them all. His friend and family were happy for him, even if they didn't understand what actually had happened. They were so glad, that they didn't notice his change in behaviour. Or maybe they did, but chose to overlook it.
"Yes, he changed. Since he could go to school regularly now, interaction with people increased. It was a slow process, but it did happen. He himself had not noticed it either for a while. The only one who did was his friend, but she kept it to herself for the most part. Sometimes she gave him her protests. However, he had ignored her. It didn't take long before he was involved in fights. He didn't think much of them, but progressively, they got more violent. He liked it. He enjoyed fighting. He could feel that he was different. The boy was stronger than other kids.
"One day, he overdid it and broke someone's arm. The mess got bigger for him this time. Ever since he did it, they started to fear him. The children hardly go near him anymore. He never heard the end of it from his father. It may be then that his father noticed something was wrong... At one point, he was confronted with his friend again. She poured it all. All of her feelings got out. She told him of how much he had changed, and yet how his situation wasn't any different. More importantly, she told him of how he didn't have what she liked about him anymore; his niceness.
"It was then he had realized his situation. He hadn't made any progress at all. He was still lonely. He didn't do anything to change that fact. In actuality, he had worsened things for himself. He wasn't even himself anymore... That night she cried. She wanted the real him back, and so she cried for his sake. Her tears tore him apart. During that moment, he had realized something about her. He felt himself attached to her. She looked different to him, as if seeing her in a new light. Without even thinking, he dug his fangs into her neck. After coming back to his senses, he found her cold in his arms. He was horrified at himself."
"Eh! Why did he do that!"
"He felt good when he did it, but refused to believe it. His mind came to an abrupt stop afterwards. He found new hate in himself then. He couldn't accept what had happened, so he started to believe that a monster had done it. The following events went like a blur to him. He could hardly remember what he did anymore. One day, he had almost done the same thing to his sister, but was stopped by his father. He was furious at him. In the end, his father sealed the monster. As a result, the boy turned back to normal. But he felt different. As if he had done something that he couldn't undone. He felt that he had lived the life of someone else. Those horrible things that he had done felt like they were done by the hands of another. His hate grew. He began to despise the monster. The monster that he was. The monster that had given him a new life."
"Wow. That's kinda sad." Kasumi murmurs sadly.
"You think so?" I brush her hair as she rests her head on my shoulder. After receiving no response, I look at her and see that she had fallen asleep again. This girl... She's strong. It's unfortunate that I had done this to her. My other options weren't any better, so I am forced to have her like this. This is quite strange, I have never felt regret at my actions before.
I hate myself at being unable to control my hunger. If only I were complete, then maybe... If I were like sensei, then perhaps I could do it. As if I could be as amazing as someone like sensei to begin with, I think cynically at myself. That brings back memories...
That aside, I shift my thoughts to my plans. Well, now. It's been a while since I've been the dominant persona for such a long time. I wonder what triggered my appearance; after such a large amount of time, I thought it would be unlikely for me to walk this earth again. Perhaps it's true that nothing lasts forever. My guess is that the seal placed on me is weakening. What could the cause be, though?
No use thinking too much about that. I need to get things done. I am not as incompetent as him, so I'll take the most logical step. I'll directly confront the person that could help me. I wonder how she'll react when she sees me, though. What will she think after hearing my deeds...? I'll worry about persuading her later.
For now, something else is bothering me. I can't help but feel that someone or something is keeping her eyes on me. I cannot sense a presence despite this, but I am certain that I am the object of interest to someone. After seeing that... vision, there's no doubting it. Her voice, she spoke directly into my mind. Who is she? It's also possible that I am being fooled into thinking it's a woman. Am I being watched at this very moment as well? This is getting ridiculous. So many questions without answers. I'm a little ticked off, so I decide to forget it.
I should change the subject. Thinking about that won't get anything solved. I'll have to wait for someone to directly confront me.
The streets are pretty quiet tonight. Actually, I think it's past midnight now. That might explain why there aren't people around.
Kasumi's light snoring attracts my attention. Letting her sleep all night like this feels like a crime. However, it can't be helped; I need to take advantage of the time I have. I'll be able to get her to sleep on a real bed eventually. "Oniisan, eh?" That may be true, in a sense. Back then, before she could die, I had her essence fused with mine, so we're practically related now. Undoing this is the problem at hand. She would die if I simply let her go, so that's out. Likewise, if I die, so would she. I need some more powerful means to do that before someone seeking my head could actually pull it off. In any typical story, I would be laughing my head off at my nemesis and proclaim it's impossible to reverse my doing. There's always a way to reverse it in the end, though. I must find that solution.
The reason why Kasumi shrank is probably because I lack the power to output her into a proper physical form. I might be able to have her in her original state if she were an astral projection, but I need to keep her body in good shape. Leaving her corpse to deteriorate would have caused the problem of creating a new body for her, if that's even possible.
At any rate, I need to get out of Nerima as soon as possible. Wasting anymore time here could lead to an unavoidable attack like earlier. Someone will follow me outside Nerima, of course, but finding me won't be as easy, especially with my fake background. The most important thing now is Kasumi's safety. I couldn't care less if someone wants to get killed by me, but I need to be wary of Kasumi.
That is especially a concern since I can't stray too far away from Kasumi. Once I'm far enough, she'll turn back into a lifeless corpse. I need to be really careful about that, even more so when he doesn't have much control over Kasumi's essence.
I sigh dejectedly. The amount of problems I have seem to increase the more I give thought into them. But, it's my fault to begin with, so I have no right to complain. I can only carry this burden with my mouth shut.
I carefully shield Kasumi as I feel a cold breeze brush through me. It's getting awfully chilly; I need to hurry up.
Just as I'm about to make a leap, I hear some horrible snickering to my right.
"Good evening, young man." An old-looking bum comes out of the shadows, greeting me.
I protectively tighten my grip around Kasumi. This guy doesn't seem like an ordinary old man, though. I couldn't even sense him. He looks to be in his sixties. Despite his wrinkled old face and skinny body, he seems pretty energetic. He has a bald head and a thick beard. His teeth are pretty atrocious to look at. They make me wish he'd stop smiling. His worn out attire aren't too pleasing, either.
I look at him sharply. "Who are you?"
"Hohoho!" The old man laughs. "No need to get so alarmed, boy. I am not here to harm you."
As if he could, I think to myself. Maybe I should hear him out. Something about him feels odd... It's as if he was expecting to see me. If he tries anything funny, I wouldn't hesitate to end his life. "Well, what do you want?"
"Why are you so tense?" He edges closer to me. I don't even flinch at this, though. I'm too busy checking of any weird movements. "After all, I am only here to help you."
"I have no need for your help." I reply harshly. "What possibly could you do for me?"
"Now, now." The old man shakes his head. "No reason to get so upset. I suggest that you keep your voice down, you wouldn't want to awake the little princess, do you?" He points at Kasumi's sleeping figure.
The way he said it felt more like a threat than advice. He spoke the truth, however. I probably don't want Kasumi to see this. "Just get to the point already." I speak in a lower voice this time. "What do you want?" I repeat my question.
"Like I said earlier, I am here to assist you." To my disgust, the old man smiles again at me.
"I'm listening." I urge him to continue. I'm thinking that killing him might be a better idea. He's starting to annoy me.
"Oh, yes. Good." He chuckles. "So anyway, I have come to warn you of the following events."
"What do you mean?" I ask him, bewildered.
"Your future, boy!" He whispers sharply. "What else could I mean?" He says it like it was the most obvious thing.
"Have you lost your mind? Give me one good reason to bother with you anymore after wasting my time."
The old man only laughs off at my reaction. "That attitude will do you no good." He looks me in the eye, as if daring me to even try and leave. "Why don't you stand still for a minute?"
I widen my eyes in surprise at those words. I... I cannot move! "What the..."
"Oh, good." He shoots that smile again at me. "Now you can hear me out." He gets even closer to me. "I have come to speak of the path ahead of you. Now, I can't be too blunt, so you'll need to tie the strings together and figure things out."
I can do nothing but listen to the old man as he speaks.
"What you seek is power. In order to obtain it, blood will be shed." His eyes glitter in excitement. "Now others will also be after it. This is where it gets difficult. You will need to obtain the assistance of a supernatural being. This is a very crucial step. Never forget that. Once it's over, you'll be able to do whatever you want."
"You're not making any sense. What power are you talking about?" I grit my teeth at the old man.
"Perhaps not now, but everything will become clear to you eventually." He laughs. "Regret and destruction is the path you walk on." The old man turns his back to me and begins to walk. "Well then, that should be all. Make sure to get the power, boy. Till we meet again..." And like the old man had appeared, he vanishes within the shadows again.
Within that moment, I find myself able to move again. "Why that little..." I nearly yell in anger, but I quickly calm down. "Humph. Help me? Don't give me that crap. Once I find your ulterior motive, I'll personally be sure to give you what you deserve in full." The shadows remain quiet at my threats. Trying to tail him will do no good; that's no ordinary old goat. I don't even feel his presence anymore.
It looks like I now have two people keeping their eyes on me. I sigh as I look at the moon. Another thing to add into my pool of problems. To top that off, I may see Cologne again soon. Maybe I should stop playing around and kill my opponents instantly. Wasting time will only lead to blunders. My overconfidence is the only thing that may kill me. I need to be careful from now on.
I resume walking again, lost into a forest of my thoughts. I need to do something about Kasumi. What if I get caught into a battle with her around to witness it? I can't have that happening. She might get caught into it. Perhaps I should escape? That seems to be the most logical step. I'd hate to do it, but I don't have much of a choice in the matter. Pride be damned; Kasumi's safety is top priority. It's decided; I'll only fight when it's extremely necessary.
On the other hand, a situation may arise where I'll be forced to fight. I need to be prepared beforehand... I guess I have no choice in such a situation; I'll just have to fight defensively till I could make a run for it.
"Bah." I shake off my thoughts. I'll deal with my problems when I have to. For now, I just need to hurry up to my destination. I'll plan everything out properly when I get there.
With no one to interrupt me this time, I make powerful leaps upon the rooftops, challenging the wind with my speed. It's almost as if I'm flying. The experience is simply breathtaking.
Off with me to Fuyuki City. The place where this will all hopefully come to an end.
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To be continued...
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Author's Notes:
Yes! I finally finished this chapter! Rejoice! Okay, maybe that's not really a great accomplishment, but hey, it's finally here after several months of absence.
All right! Things are getting hotter now! I hope everything made sense. If not, things will get clearer when the next chapter's out. I hope...
And no, Ryouga isn't supposed to be a substitute for Sakura. (Nor is Kasumi to Shirou) Though, I can see why anyone would think that... ;
The last episode for Fate/stay night aired recently. If you're not watching, then you should! Go find yourself a batch torrent and watch the whole thing!
I hope reading this chapter was enjoyable. I'll try to get chapter 3 written quicker, but don't get your hopes up too much. I still have to work on The Wild Falcon, which seems more popular than this, so maybe I'll get working on that again.
Till we meet again...