Chapter 6

Reunion

A metallic sound clangs as Inori's sword hits the floor, since I unknowingly loosened my fingers around its hilt. The ringing noise is followed by the impact of my knees hitting the floor as well… both of them give in to the shock of hearing those words – that name.

I'm gripping Gai's – no, Triton's shirt before I know it. I'm looking up to him, motionless. Rather than that, I'm petrified. It is as if all the nerves in my body were disconnected to avoid having a meltdown.

"Are you for real?"

Something escapes my lips, but I am unaware of what I said. Inori's sword dematerializes by my side; threads of silver surge in its stead and return to Inori, entering back to her body through her chest.

Triton grasps my shoulders with his hands and brings me back to my feet.

"It's good to see you are alright, my friend. Let's go… we need to move out while we can."

He turns around and speaks with the rest of the people around us, but I am still too mindfucked to say anything at all. Inori moves closer to me and holds my arm worriedly, supporting my weight. She has no idea of how hard today's events have hit me.

She says something, but I don't hear her words. All I can discern is my own voice inside my head, continuously repeating the same statement: Triton is alive.

Time passes… I think. I'm inside a vehicle now, or so it feels like. There are trees passing by outside the window, so we're definitely moving. I realize I'm sitting down, and Inori is still holding onto me. She looks worried.

But man… Gai is Triton? Then Triton is leading the Funeral Parlor? What kind of mad dream is this? I've feared he was dead for years! And now he's a full-fledged revolutionary? Something is extremely wrong here… perhaps I never snapped out of my catatonia and I've been imagining things, making unbelievable illusions in hopes I would get to see my friend again.

Then there's Inori's resemblance to Mana… that's why I feel a strong desire to become close to her. I see, that makes sense – I have created a mental image of my sister, but knowing that she is dead, I gave her a different personality and a new name. The human mind is an extremely convenient thing… it can shut itself inside its own world, creating everything it has ever wanted to have once again.

Yes, I think I want to stay like this a bit longer… in this dream world of mine, where –

FUCK!

I jump back violently and fall down hard to the solid floor. This sensation – I'm drenched in cold water! Ice-cold water, at that! Who the hell did –

"Shu!"

…

"Inori…"

"It actually worked."

"And Gai too… no, Triton!"

"Triton?"

"It's a long story, Inori… Shu will explain it to you someday."

Inori looks perplexed, tilting her head at me in question while holding an empty bucket which I assume was filled with water until a moment ago. By her side is Gai - or rather, Triton - also looking at me with friendly eyes.

He walks towards me and lowers himself bending his knees. We're face to face now.

"You were out cold for a few hours. Inori suggested using water, so we did. Are you alright, mate?"

I lie down on the wet floor, still feeling my mind a little hazy. We stay in silence for a while as I catch my breath again – it seems I was very agitated by the cold water surprise they scored on me.

"You almost killed me back there, man. Back in the city, I mean…"

At last I make some words out of my mouth, having finally accepted and digested the idea of Gai being Triton. His eyes are the same as they were before – and his hair color is identical as well – there is no way he is not the Triton I had met ten years ago.

Triton laughs at my reply, making me reminisce about the old days.

"I'm sure I gave you a good scare. Sorry about that."

Inori seems confused as she stares at us, making it clear that she does not understand the unusual situation she's seeing before her. She must be wondering how it is that we behave as if we had known each other since long ago. I'm led to believe that Gai did not tell her anything about our past, and has still kept her in the dark even now.

"You sick bastard… I was out for two months after that day, you know? Don't play with my mind; it is easier to break than it seems."

I raise my torso and sit, supporting my weight with my arms against the floor.

Triton lands his hand on my head and messes my hair up, shaking it roughly in a friendly manner. Yes, he's definitely the old friend I lost back then. However, he seems to be far more social and energic… he was the timid type when I met him, much like Inori here.

"My bad, I'll be careful next time."

He apologizes and stands up, offering a hand to me. I take it and he pulls me back to my feet, very much like he did back in the battlefield after he punched my mind out.

"Why the water, though?"

I ask out of curiosity.

"You told me to."

Inori replies, and I remember about it… I indeed told her to use cold water the next time I didn't wake up. I didn't think she'd take it to heart, though; she's quite attentive. However, she still looks at the two of us as if asking us to explain the situation.

"I knew Gai very long ago, before the Lost Christmas incident. We got separated during the chaos of the virus' outbreak, though… and I hadn't known anything about him ever since. I had been wondering about his fate for years - it was pretty heavy meeting again."

Inori smiles weakly, apparently happy about our reunion. Despite seeming to be somewhat unemotional, the few occasions when she lets her feelings get the best of her are usually very expressive. From the short time we've spent together, I can say she's not very good at letting others look inside of her, but is honest about herself whenever they sneak past her surface.

"Don't be so reserved, Shu – we were best friends back then, practically brothers."

Gai brags about our close bonds slapping the back of my shoulder with his hand, but reminds me about Mana along the way with those two last words.

"Yes… like true siblings."

My voice sounds gloom as I end the sentence, betraying the emotions somberly stirring inside of me as I recall her face. Nostalgia, regret and guilt mix within my heart, bringing back the memories I hold of my dead sister, together with those of her last moments.

"Ah… sorry."

Triton falls silent as he realizes his mistake. Both of us remain like that awkwardly, not knowing what else to say. I lower my eyes, gazing into nothingness, only feeling Triton's hand still holding my shoulder.

Before I realize, I feel someone else holding me. It is Inori, who is softly wrapping her arms around both of us. I am surprised upon seeing her, but it is Gai who seems to be shocked the most as I feel him tense up beside me.

"Inori?"

Even his voice sounds bewildered, which makes me even more confused than I already was. His reaction seems as if Inori did something entirely unexpected of her… but that in itself is strange, given that she spoke very positively about Gai – wouldn't it be normal for him to see her showing some affection?

She softly buries her head between our shoulders and stays there for a moment, as both Gai and I have no idea of how to react. The normal thing to do would be hugging her back… but with the embrace coming from Inori, who at most cracks only a faint smile when she is glad about something, we are taken completely aback.

Without saying anything, she slowly steps back while letting go of us and turns around, silently making way for the door. She opens it and exits, uttering no word until the very end. Triton and I are left alone in the stone room.

"Shu… what did you do to her?"

Triton breaks the silence despite still being in shock, urging me for an explanation.

"Why, what do you mean?"

I honestly ask him, not entirely understanding his point.

"First she gave you the Genome, and now this?"

It seems like having her showing affection is something entirely out of her character, or so does Triton lead me to believe by how surprised he seems to be about her behavior. But more importantly… she gave me the Genome? What Genome? The only thing that pops to my mind is the… damn it.

"Hold on, hold on… the Genome? First things first, man… Triton, tell me what happened back there… What was that sword? How could I draw it?"

Triton sighs, as he walks over to the wall and picks a foldable chair resting against it. He opens it up and places it in front of me, pointing to where the chair I was sitting on myself lies prone on the floor.

Disregarding my near endless questions about Inori, I walk over to take it and put it back on its legs, conscious that a long and serious talk awaits us. There's many things we need to talk about, both about ourselves and about Inori and Mana… but making me know about our current situation is the most urgent matter for now.

Both Triton and I sit down, facing each other. He places his elbows above his knees, both of his hands closed and kept together, pushing against his forehead as he looks down, thinking hard about how to explain things to me.

After a brief moment, he raises his head and fixes his eyes on me.

"I'll explain everything to you, but in its due time and after careful deliberation… Everything has been insane these past ten years; I'll be revealing the truth to you gradually so you can come to accept it. Is that alright?"

I lay back on the chair, looking into the roof. I smile in self-derision, as my mind threatens to crumble once more… I am treading in the rope that separates sanity from insanity, and I laugh slightly as I think of how messed up things are.

"So you are telling me there are things that'll hit me harder than knowing you are still alive, Triton? Even harder than learning that you, of all people, lead the Funeral Parlor?"

Triton nods his head resolutely (not cute at all, unlike Inori) as he utters a single word:

"Aye."

He sounds serious. So, he's saying ignorance is bliss… I trust this guy, so I will pay heed to his warning and will refrain from making too many questions; I don't want to end up in a hospital bed due to a mental breakdown ever again.

"I'll keep an eye on my questions, then… that'll mean you should decide about what we'll be talking about. Do you need some time to think it out?"

"No; I need to tell you a few things right now, like what it was that Inori injected on you."

"Yes, that has been killing me for a while… what was that Genome thing?"

"Did she show a cylinder to you?"

"The one she stole? Yes, she did."

"That was it. We originally intended to use it on me, you see… but knowing that it was you to whom she bestowed that power, I don't quite feel like complaining about her decision. You're a strong man… and so I know you'll wield it the same way I would. "

"Heh… it is no wonder you entrusted me with Inori's protection outside the tunnel; you already knew it was me. I was really surprised when you told her I'd keep her safe. So you still believe in me, even after what happened at the church?"

Triton falls silent. This is the first time we have spoken about this… he must have feelings inside of him as well – he lost a friend too that day. Mana, Triton and I had become inseparable during that summer before Lost Christmas. I am sure talking about this must be painful to him the same way it is to me.

"Shu… you saved my life back then."

He moves closer to me, and grabs my shoulder with his hands, looking into my eyes.

"I have wanted to apologize for years, Shu… but I couldn't bring myself to seek you out, much less after I joined the Parlor. I knew you were in the city, but I - "

"Stop, Triton… what happened there was my fault, and no one else's."

"Shu, it was because of me that you –"

"I pushed her. You were there, you saw it too - I pushed her down the stairs and the fall killed her. She was killing you, and I killed her instead… therefore, the blame goes down to me alone."

Triton gets up his chair and punches the concrete column beside him with the base of his hand. He looks in every way as miserable as I do… the burden of what happened with Mana must weigh heavily on him as well.

"No… It was my weakness that killed her, Shu… I forced you to do it. I failed to protect her… I failed to protect all of us, and in the end I – "

"Triton!"

I get up and slam him hard against the wall, looking directly into his eyes. He's in the verge of tears, as am I. However… this room does not seem to be concealed. He is the Funeral Parlor's acting leader, according to what Inori told me… I cannot let his subordinates seeing nor hearing him the way he is right now; a leader should be strong and dauntless, the way he was while in the field of battle.

Silence falls upon us again, as we stay motionless inside the room. In the end, I let go of him and go back to my chair.

"I'm sorry…"

I apologize to him for having brought the subject up. As he said, I agree that it'd be better for both of us if we talked about things in their due time… we must find not only the right moment, but also the right place. This is neither of them.

"I'm a smaller man than I let them all believe, Shu… you've always been stronger than me. You were so back then, and you are so even now. Forgive me…"

"Don't say that - you know we are brothers. We'll fight alongside each other from now on; I won't let the past ruin the brotherhood what we once had. Both of us have our share of guilt… so we have to carry the burden in unison. We have a lot to talk about, but we'll figure it out. Back to the Genome… was that thing?"

"You always looked after me back then, and you continue to do so even now. You never change, Shu. I'm glad Inori gave the power to you in the end… it is how you dare to shoulder everyone's problems that gives you the right to be their King."

"King?"

"That's the Genome's power – the Power of the King. What Inori entrusted you with is the ability to grasp the people's hearts and draw them out in a physical form. In other words, you can manifest a person's true self and put it into use to the utmost of their abilities. You can now trespass in the realm of the gods, Shu – you can touch human souls and wield them as your weapons and tools."

Their very souls… I had a feeling about it when I pulled out Inori's sword – I was well aware I was wielding her spirit… but being directly told like this is overwhelming.

"This is possible because of the Apocalypse Virus, Shu. Sephirah Genomics has been researching for a way to use the virus to their own benefit. Maybe you have heard about the disease's late symptoms… besides the body's crystallization, the patients suffer from hallucinations and delusions where they claim to see objects instead of people, and have difficulty in separating their imagination from reality."

"So what they are seeing in reality is the souls of those around them?"

"Precisely right. The researchers call them Voids, and the Void Genome that Inori stole from them is a modified form of the virus. Sephirah engineered it with the purpose of giving its human host the ability to draw Voids at will.

We encountered very heavy resistance during the whole operation, and Inori was separated from the rest of the group after taking the sample. The rest of us stayed at the facility, destroying all the research data we could lay our hands upon."

"So you peed on everything and left before burning it all, Triton?"

"Shut up, Shu, this is serious."

"Sorry."

Part of me wanted to be skeptical, but after taking Inori's sword I can't really argue against anything Triton is saying, no matter how unbelievable it may seem.

"We had Tsugumi hack into their system while we forced our way in, so she destroyed all the backup data they had regarding the Void Genome Project. Since we also destroyed the laboratory, they cannot make another sample, Shu… the only one in the world who'll ever be able to bear its power is you."

"So this makes me the only of my kind?"

"In a way, yes. Sephirah intended to create a King to lead humanity through a path of evolution – their objective even now is to create a superior race destined to change history, and to take the entire world into a level of existence never seen before.

Not everyone is compatible with the virus, however, so the risk exists of the Lost Christmas incident happening again… this time on a global scale. That would be the end of the world as we know it."

"And so you resolved to use the Void Genome yourself in order to stop their plan."

"More than that; I intend to kill the entire Apocalypse Virus for good."

"The whole virus? Is that even possible, Triton?"

"Yes. You may not know this, but the virus is not something from this world."

"No surprise there… its abilities are nothing short of otherworldly."

"Exactly – they are."

"And so, where did the virus come from?"

I expected a reply, but Triton hesitates.

"That… I will tell you later on. Please believe in me."

So I'm stepping into dangerous ground, huh?

"I won't pry, then."

"Thanks for understanding… I promise I'll tell you when the time is right."

"Whatever the reason may be, I'll tell you this – you can count me in, Triton."

Not only did I meet Inori, who I find to be worth fighting for, but today I also met my long lost friend. There is no way in hell I will abandon either of them. I'm sticking to the Funeral Parlor, for better or for worse – it is perfectly clear to me this is where I belong.

Triton seems to be glad about my reply. Getting up his chair to end our delicate conversation, he motions with his hand for us to go for the door.

"Do you want to meet the rest of us? They're eager to know you as well."

I like the idea, but I feel I am not yet ready.

"Not yet… I'd like to have a little while to think things over. It's still night, right? I think I'll go see them in the morning, to have breakfast and all."

Triton laughs heartily at my reply.

"If that is what you wish. I'll go get dry clothes for you and then I'll show you to your room. Are you okay with that?"

"Sure. But before you go, Triton, I want to ask…"

He stops in his tracks. He must know what I am about to say.

"What was it that you wanted to tell me about Mana that day? I've been dying to know."

He stays silent, awkwardly looking away. After a long pause, he speaks resolutely.

"I'm keeping that for another day as well, my friend. Believe me… you would be catatonic for another few months if I told you right now."

I smile as I cross my arms, again lying back against the chair, looking into the ceiling like I did before to then draw a deep breath and sigh heavily.

"I thought so."

Triton turns his back towards me as he makes for the door upon hearing my words. Before he leaves, I speak to him one more time.

"Triton!"

He stops, looking back to me across his shoulder.

"I'm glad you're alright."

He smiles as he leaves the room, closing the door behind him.