Gaussian Distribution
Chapter 3 – Part 2: Corruption in Numbers
April 4th, Amatsu East Border – Void Forest – Restricted Area, 09:30AM
Gin felt completely out of place.
A few minutes had already passed since her entry at the gloomy forest situated behind Amatsu Shrine. She had two respectable women accompanying her, forming the third team searching for a guard named Jintetsu. Out of all the four teams created by their Commander a few moments ago, it turned out that theirs was the only one composed of females. Whether this was intentional or not on behalf of the Commander, Gin could only speculate.
The two women with Gin weren't vocal as she expected them to be. They weren't talking about trivial matters, nor were they cracking jokes. She simply watched these two women- Hanabi and Hikari - quietly walk ahead of her, each holding a small lamp that illuminated the path covered with fog. Though she wanted to break the ice between the two, she decided not to, for she knew and understood fully that Hanabi and Hikari were sisters. They could sort their differences at their own pace.
"Liar."
It took a few more moments for Gin to absorb the words that reached her ears. The voice was apparently young, but the weight of the word itself was enough to crush an unprepared person's heart. Gin focused on the scene in front of her, managing to catch a short glimpse of an event she didn't even expect. The sound of flesh pounding against each other in high speed wasn't all that 'heartwarming'. Gin stepped back, unable to process the events.
"Tell me who SHE really is, Hanabi nee-chan! Tell me everything before I totally lose my respect for you!"
Gin was utterly confused. Why would Hikari attack and ask about another woman? For all she knew, there were only three people living in Hanabi's household– that other one was currently part of another search team. She rushed to Hanabi's side, for the shrine maiden didn't even move an inch after taking Hikari's slap earlier.
"Why aren't you saying anything to me? I'm your sister, for goodness' sake!"
Gin could only wonder what sort of argument the two had at the hours before they finally entered the forest. Did she wait for this to happen?
Silence. Gin waited a few moments to make sure that Hikari had calmed herself down, and attempted to pacify the two conflicting parties. Everything seemed to be back to normal, until Gin noticed that Hikari was holding something metallic in her hand.
April 4th, about the same time– somewhere in the Void Forest: Contemplation
For most people, age was synonymous to the aspect of wisdom. The older a person is, the more information or knowledge one acquires. A person's lifespan is apparently, not enough to contain all the wisdom of the generations that transpired before. Though we know of the fact that the human brain is capable of preserving and managing a near-infinite amount of information, it could only hold as much as its owner wants it to– a limiter of sorts, for an advanced biological being.
Taro had been alive for a mere seven years, and in his mind, he knew that he needed more experience in order to prove himself worthy to the people around him. He was an orphan, and he had no one to rely on most of the time. He simply understood that the help extended to him by most of the townsfolk were more out of pity rather than genuine care. He wouldn't be able to survive if he simply waited for the daily rations of food and water and other articles he needed.
For the young boy, Ichiro was the closest to being a father figure. The Commander would often invite him over at the Grand Shrine for a hearty meal, and had given him special course instructions to at least be able to read and write. In exchange, Taro would have to render military service when he was of the right age.
Taro felt that he finally had direction in his miserable life. He no longer yearned to have parents, and understood fully that his current situation can only be changed if he move and strategize at the same time.
Everything was going fine, until he was thoroughly distracted by one of mankind's most destructive creations. Swords.
After discovering the said weapon's devastating potential, he began collecting the finest pieces he could find, stashing them at different locations across the land. He made sure that whenever he went, a sword that belonged to him would be accessible.
However, due to certain rules on handling weapons that were implemented across the land, Taro and other similar armed men were only allowed to carry two swords with them, all of which were licensed at the local records section.
Though he understood the logic behind the weapon limit, he still wanted to carry more along with him. He thought that even if he had the finest blades in the land, there is still the possibility that they'll rust, corrode, and break when he needed them.
He simply wished to carry his source of 'confidence' and 'protection' whenever he went. The swords were now somehow part of his ego, shielding him from the harsh reality that surrounded him.
He made a wish, and before Taro knew it, he was able to carry not just two swords with him. He can now pull out as many as he wanted out of thin air.
April 4th, Amatsu West Border - Records Section, 09:46AM
A barrage of knocks rattled the heavy wooden door that served as the Record's Section's main entrance. The knocks were fast and deliberate; no one would expect it would be coming from a nineteen year-old female.
Yuu sighed in disappointment. She had been waiting for someone to answer her at the front door. It never took me this long just to get in. Behind her were two shrine guards whom she personally requested to help her out in carrying multitudes of drafts and manuscripts. Not wanting to waste their time, Yuu simply thanked the guards and relieved them. If there was anything she had to do right now, it was to wait for a response from the other side. I do hope the guys here are not taking their lunch break at this hour.
A few moments after the guards left her, Yuu finally heard a young man's voice coming from inside the office. The wooden door creaked open after Yuu heard a long series of locks being unbolted. Well, finally!
"I apologize for the delay, my lady…" Yuu heard the young man who opened the door. She examined the man's features before heading inside the office, for she never saw him before. A new personnel, maybe? Like any other person, Yuu made it to a point to know who she was talking to, and asked for the man's name.
"Sachi." The response was quick and stern, but Yuu couldn't help but notice the young man's unnerving smile. She looked around her, and as she expected, layers upon layers of paperwork were scattered across the floor, packages of all shapes and sizes lined and stacked at the walls, and several more documents littering the single table that occupied the office. Even the ceiling wasn't exempted from all of the clutter, for important notes were posted at the ceiling for some odd reason. Yuu wondered why the place was totally silent. The last time I went here, there were lots of personnel who assisted me…
"I believe you're looking for the others?" Sachi inquired upon noticing the editor's uneasiness. "My boss fired all of them last month, and retained only two personnel. That would be me and that other guy on the basement. The boss lives on the second floor now, and I've never seen him since then. I just receive orders coming from his handwritten notes that drop from a hole above my desk."
Yuu could only wonder what kind of boss would actually fire almost the entirety of his workforce. No wonder all of the paperwork is left all over the place. She began to wonder if it would still be safe to leave her documents, for there was a high chance that it would be lost among the vast ocean of paperwork.
"I believe you carry Kei-sensei's documents, correct?" Sachi inquired once more, making Yuu wonder if the man could actually read minds. "The boss is a huge fan of his, and instructed me to personally deliver every single one of his documents straight to his office upstairs."
~Internal Conversation: Mechanic~
"I'm quite surprised. You never expressed enthusiasm to join any of the search teams before."
Hanabi nee-chan's voice was scathing my eardrums. It may have been a coincidence, but I knew from the moment we were paired together, I had to resolve and answer the questions in my head. However, my sister… my older and respected sister is hiding something from me. It is something awful enough to ruin my hopes and dreams–enough to shatter my sense of humanity.
I have prepared myself for the worst. I'll force the truth out of her.
"Are you still thinking about what happened to HER?"
You bet I do. Hearing her say Jintetsu's name in her sleep was more than enough to make my blood boil. You act like you never even knew her. Are you that cold to hide information from me? Am I not your sister?
You promised me. You promised not to let anyone else get close to him. You betrayed my feelings. You of all people…
"Say something, Hikari. It's so not like you."
No, YOU say something. Tell me who she is. Tell me what exactly is happening between her, you, and the only person I cherish the most. Or else.
"Are you feeling sick? Perhaps we should go back."
Excuse me? Perhaps you are the one being sick right now. And no, I do not want to go back. You will answer all of my questions, her. Now.
"If you're thinking about her, you absolutely have nothing to worry about. She's totally harmless."
Nothing to worry about? To hell with that! I'm worried about her possible connections to Jintetsu, and you tell me there's nothing to worry about?
"And like I told you… I don't know her."
"Liar." There, I finally said it.
"What did you say? I didn't quite–"
Taste my fury, Hanabi nee-chan, until I know what you're up to, I will make sure you suffer the consequences of withholding information from me. I don't care anymore.
Somewhere in the Void Forest: Contemplation ~2nd Event~
Within the depths of the forest, the sound of cicadas can be clearly heard amongst the decaying trunks that littered the terrain. In this somewhat forsaken location, there treaded two personalities, both being the exact picture of what most people call the 'generation gap'. One was a boy who was around seven, who wore simple clothing- devoid of any armor- that allowed him to traverse the grassy path beneath him. The other one was a man who appeared to be around seventy, dressed in elaborate armor. The older one simply walked ahead of the younger, making sure that the path ahead them was safe and devoid of traps –this being a search and rescue mission.
"This is getting quite repetitive, Ichiro-sama." remarked the boy as he jumped over a log. The dead leaves underneath his foot crackled, torn violently with the sudden motion. "…the last time we searched here, Jintetsu-san almost killed us."
The old man sighed at the thought and buckled, as if personally offended by the remark. He appeared to be listless, looking back and forth at his sides. The darkness that enveloped the forest was enough to rob anyone of their senses. Ichiro knew this, perhaps by learning it the hard way- his first experience of the void was not that remarkable.
"When we found Jintetsu before, he wasn't himself, Taro. He was possessed by that spirit." the old man answered once they reached a clearing.
The young boy laughed heartily, obviously amused of the situation. Ichiro couldn't help but feel insulted. He had to teach the boy some manners.
"That kind of event isn't something to laugh about."
"Wait, you expect me to cry for some pathetic guy like him? If he didn't get possessed in the first place, we would never be here, squandering our way through the forest!"
Ichiro drew his sword from its hilt and aimed at the boy- completely a reflex of his. He had lived through numerous battles, making this gesture quite natural. Though he understood that losing his cool was totally unforgivable by his own code of honor, he would never allow anyone to insult a guard under his command.
"Do you even understand what you're saying, kid?" The boy chuckled in amusement, making the Commander's fuse burn shorter.
"I'm sick of this mission, Commander. I'll just go back and sleep all day, rather than find that useless guard."
Ichiro had enough. He decided to teach the boy a lesson in pain, and rushed to inflict a gash in the boy's right arm. But before he could land a blow, the boy pulled out a sword out of thin air- after telling him that Jintetsu isn't the only one being possessed.