Our relationship grew like the seasons. In the Winter we first met and, after a rocky start, our blossoms began to bloom as Spring came around. Beautiful they were. The thought of Fall faded from my mind and disappeared in the glory of the flowers that bloomed as we grew closer. The fear of Fall was always hovering over us, although she couldn't feel it. One day, I found myself drifting away from the branch that kept us together. Denial of reality; I reach out, but with doubt in my heart, I did not grasp. Short-lived in beauty, the petals of our flowers drift apart from the slightest touch of the wind. Our love, too, drifting apart. Descending slowly through the air, I watch as I fall the graceful movements of the petals that held our memories descend with me. The ground embraces me. Memories amounting to nothing.


Decline: Part I

I slipped the room key-card through their mail-slot with a note attached. It read:

'Good morning Rihoko,

Here is you room card. Please give the master card to your mom and tell her to give it to me when she arrives at work. I'll give her her purse when she gets there as well.

Have a nice day,

Hiroki Segawa'

I had addressed it to Rihoko since I assumed that it was she that woke up first, not Masane. I arrived in Takayama's office at the usual time, 7:00 AM, and began to work on his schedule for the day as well as some other documents and files. The sound of the door opening to my side; it was a sound I heard near everyday, and it could only be one person at this hour. "Good morning, Director." I greeted him. He mumbled something like a 'morning'. "Have you recovered from last night?" I asked him as I gave him a cup of fresh coffee. He thanked me and said that he was fine. He then asked what his schedule would be like in the next couple of hours. I handed him a few files and told him. Silence followed after this and we both began working on our things. The only sounds we could hear came from the dim grumble of traffic on the streets, the soft clatter of keyboard keys, and occasionally my footsteps and the pouring of liquid as I refilled our coffees every so often. It was around 9:30 that he had become more sober. I could tell because his typing had quickened.

"What time is Masane supposed to get here?" he said to me, he was probably checking his watch. "And why is her purse with you?" I had forgotten that it was on the table next to my laptop and other items. I replied to him without taking my eyes of the file I held,

"Last night I escorted the Amahas to their room and I had to carry Masane because she was drunk. By accident we had left her purse in the car." I checked my watch as well. "Actually, she should be arriving right about now."

As if waiting for a queue, Masane entered the room looking very tired. "Morning…" she said to us. She set the thermos she was holding on the table before me and plopped down in her usual seat on the sofa across from me. My urge to look at her had diminished.

"Good morning, Masane." I greeted her. I pushed her purse towards her. "Here is your purse which I retrieved from the car this morning. You left it in their last night after you passed out." Half-awake, she reached for it when her eyebrows went up in realization. I saw her reach into the inside of her jacket; she pulled out the master card.

"Oh, here ya go," Masane said, she handed it to me. I was surprised by how warm her skin was when our fingers touched as I took the card from her. Perhaps I was thinking that they would suddenly feel cold after what had happened . "Thanks, by the way, for getting Riko and me into our room, or else we'd have slept outside." she said to me. I think that either my heart was fighting against its lock, or the lock was trying to restrain my heart.

"It was no problem. And I would have arranged for you two to stay in one of the other suites before letting you sleep outside." I told her. She took a drink out of her thermos. It didn't smell delicious but not quite revolting. Takayama asked her what was in that, I suppose that he too could smell it. Masane replied to him that it was Rihoko's cure for a hangover. I looked over to him and saw that he was struggling to say something. Masane smirked and threw the thermos at him, which he caught easily. Knowing Masane, I figured that she would eat anything her daughter made for her, although the same may or may not be said for others, so I was slightly surprised when the Director said that the concoction actually helped him. They exchanged more words. My part in her life that had come to a close.

A few days have passed since that night. She's been captured by the NswF. I remember struggling to remain calm when I got news of this. However, this struggle made me try to laugh it off by commenting as Takayama and I were waiting for the elevator to come by, "I hope Masane's alright. I mean, what if they try to cut off her arm just to get at the Witchblade?" He didn't seem to be amused and said something that lost my interest.

A day after her kidnapping, I was sent in the evening to infiltrate the NswF's headquarters. I was made to wear a military uniform for the later operation so I stopped by the military sector of Douji to grab a uniform. I suited up in it there and upon exiting the locker room a young woman who was working behind a desk there said I looked 'so cute'. Cute. Not handsome, or strong, or dashing? I said to her, "Cute?…Ha, thank you." She replied,

"Yeah! You are like so adorable in that uniform!" I thanked her and walked away, awkwardly. I guess I don't possess the traits of a strong, muscular man like Takayama.

When I entered the basement of the headquarters where the garbage chutes ended, a flashlight rolled by my feet. I turned it off and walked towards a couple of garbage bags where I had heard some rustling just moments before. Upon flicking it on I spotted a very familiar man. He was that photographer that Masane hung out with. He seemed as surprised as myself to see each other. He referred to me as 'that Douji guy'. How coincidental I thought it was that I would meet another person sneaking around the NswF in hopes of rescuing the woman we cared for so. I started pushing him towards the garbage chute where we would climb up it to reach outside the ground floors, assuring him that getting in was the easy part when he asked me, "What the hell? Then what am I supposed to do if I can't get out?"

"Not a problem," I told him, "You'll have Masane with you." I wondered, if I was given the choice, if I would switch roles with the man.

He turned around and yelled at me, "You dumb ass! How is she supposed to help me when she's wounded?!"

"You'll be fine, I'm sure." I then added with a smile, "I'll teach you the magic words that will get her back on her feet in no time!"

He looked at me in a curious way. "Magic words?" He eventually lead the way, to my gratitude, up the chute, in which he was hit with the oncoming garbage bags (although few). As I had suspected, we came up to the area of land that surrounded the building, consisting of some patches of grass and rocks. The ocean glistened with the distorted reflections of city lights. I had to wonder if those magic words I told him would really work. I told him to say something like 'Douji will pay you ten million yen'.

About a half an hour passed. I was waiting by near the shore, awaiting the battleships that would be coming soon, armed to the brim with soldiers, guns of all sorts, and I-weapons. I really was starting to worry about Masane, and that man, but I couldn't express that sort of feeling at the time since I was surrounded by soldiers and a few I-weapons. Even though Takayama was back at his office on the mainland of Tokyo I couldn't afford for my heart to betray my mind.

We were stationed before the tower-like building where the medical lab and Tatsuoki Furumizu's office resided. Furumizu's office being at the top of the tower where the walls were of glass windows and the medical lab occupying the rest of the tower, more or less. A large building surrounded the tower in the shape of two-thirds of a circle (us being stationed before the opening) with ample space between it and the tower. It had been about half an hour since then and an explosion to a far before us caught our attention. Once the dust cleared away I saw two figures emerge from the hole. Using my binoculars I saw that it was the photographer and Masane, who wore naught but a towel and the Witchblade armor covering her arm.

I whispered into my phone for all units to be ready. The ten tanks to my left and right silently prepped their weapons and the two tanker ships behind me aimed their head beams. Several Sisters dressed in their low-rank uniforms surrounded Masane and the man. With the raising of my arm, I signaled to the ships to flash on their beam-lights. Two lights were aimed at the two and four were aimed at the office of Furumizu, at which he and a Sister were standing in. My turn to play hero.

"That's enough! Hold your attack!" I yelled into the megaphone in my hand at the Sisters, "Any sudden movement and we will open fire. You will release Masane immediately or Mr. Furumizu will be blown to pieces." At this, I had to smirk as I saw the face of Furumizu scowl from the screen on the hatch of one of the tanks that was opened up. Moments later I received a call from Takayama that the units could be dismisses. I complied.

Minutes later as the ships were sailing away and into the distance, I walked to where the man and Masane were. She even liked him more than me. Some as impolite and curt and nosy and …real as him. After years of wearing a mask, I don't know how to be very real with people now. Not without difficulty at least. My duty is to serve the directors of Douji Industries. It goes without saying then that there is no time to make friends. Only business associates and good connections. I approached the man to the side, although my eyes followed her. The Witchblade had reverted back to normal and she was kneeling with support from the man. I approached him from the side although my eyes only followed her. She mumbled with gasps between every few words, "Ten million…ten million…doing for—for Riko." I smiled.

"Hey," the man said to her, still not noticing me, "It's all good." I put my hand on his shoulder and said to him,

"So, those magic words; Told you they'd work." I was smiling at him, but he seemed disconcerted still and sighed, focusing on Masane once more. It made me concerned though… just how did Wadou know about her kidnapping?


As if not enough pain had been caused to Masane, she found out the next day that Rihoko was not, in fact, her biological daughter. Takayama too was surprised about this. I was looking into this matter before telling him; out of my own curiosity/concern, and since he would more than likely inquire if I knew anything. I found out a few hours later and relayed it to Takayama. I told him who Rihoko's mother was. He seemed surprised.

"Are you certain?" he asked, "Reina is her biological mother?"

"Yes, shocking, isn't it?" I commented. He looked away and put his knuckles to his chin. Continuing, "Who would've thought that the reason she vanished six years ago was because she was with child? I don't have any data on the father yet, but I do wonder why she went into seclusion to give birth."

He got up from the couch and walked over to his desk, saying to me that Reina had always shown an interest in her being a Neogene, and that almost everything about her was the subject of research to her. He said that she had always wanted to do things on her own. We then slipped into a short conversation concerning Reina's incompatibility with the Witchblade. This information was received by Masane, although I wasn't the one she told of this, it was one of the doctors or nurses tending to her after we retrieved her from the NswF.

It was his turn to shock me when he told me that he could be the biological father.

By the late afternoon Reina Sohou had taken custody of Rihoko. Since Masane wasn't picking up any of Takayama's calls, or my one call, I could only guess at the grief and misery she was going through.

The next day, Takayama actually took the day off to spend it with Masane, leaving me to do all of his work. I have to envy him. Besides, if it was me going over to comfort her and spend the day with her, it would be awkward. My feelings towards her are not mutual. She likes me no more than an acquaintance… or her boss' assistant.

I've always imagined how hard it must be to be a director of Douji, let alone the special division, but now I was the one Wadou was glaring at out of the corner of those beady eyes of his, and going to meetings, and having people talk to me like I was a somebody after the meetings. How pathetic I must be if the only way I can get the young female employees to talk to me is if I'm a director, even if only for a day.

Speaking of meetings, I snuck into a private meeting of Wadou's to find him giving a presentation on his new project: the Witchblade Project, along with an overly-flashy slide-show. He criticized the special division for wasting much time and money on the Witchblade, proposing for the Witchblade to be mass-produced. After the meeting, I called Takayama and asked him to come back to the office to handle things after telling him about Wadou's plans. He blew me off and declined, more or less telling me that I was worrying to much and that Wadou knew nothing and was going to fail. He hung up on me. I worried all day over what they were doing together. To what extent was my part in her life fading away because of their bonds?


The next day Masane came by in the late morning to pick up her check. She wore a white bra under her usual yellow sweater. I found out minutes later that it was her swimsuit top. She thanked me as I handed her the check and she offered to buy us some souvenirs as she counted the money. It was kind of her to say 'you guys' instead of just 'Reiji' when she offered. Takayama declined for the both of us. She stood up to go when he stopped her, saying that we/they needed to talk. I stood up and walked to behind the couch, letting Takayama take my seat. We should get another couch so as to not let that happen as much.

He reminded her of how the Cloneblades had perished due to the deterioration of the hosts' bodies as they were put under the burden and strain of the immense powers of their blades. In the end their bodies are consumed by their Cloneblades and they perish. "Our only conclusion is that's what happens to bearers of the genuine Witchblade as well."

"…You mean,…so I'll end up like them?" Masane said. I'm sure she already knew the answer.

"Yes," Takayama replied, "Especially if you continue to use it as you have been. You need to start avoiding any unnecessary fights. I realize you're trying to earn money for your daughter's sake- but don't forget that you're also the only mother that little girl has." He stated it so bluntly. My fists clenched, frustrated that he could say it in his usual gruff, businessman-like way.

Masane stared him. "I know." I didn't think before speaking when I said what I had.

"Please, Masane, you need to live to watch her grow into womanhood." I said to her in a reassuring way, " The longer the better actually, since when you do perish the Witchblade will be passed down to her."

"Huh?!"

Takayama turned around and glared at me intensely. "Segawa!" I've never seen him look at me, or anyone like that before. I put up my hands in the motion of apology and said with a slight laugh in my voice (as I tend to laugh things off when worried and afraid),

"I'm sorry Director, but it's the truth. We know Reina's compatibility dropped greatly after giving birth to Rihoko—."

"What's he saying?!" Masane demanded. "Explain!" I heard him breathe deeply. He told her of how six years ago when Reina was working with the Douji group, she had tested very highly for compatibility with the Witchblade. However, after giving birth her test numbers began to decline dramatically. He said to her how the readings of Reina's compatibility were more than likely the readings of the unborn child growing inside of her; Rihoko.

"In short," I added, "You're only a temporary host until Rihoko is old enough. A place-holder of sorts."

"You're lying!" she yelled, standing up. "Rihoko…" Takayama turned around and glared even more intensely at me. Such fearsomeness was almost paralyzing. I think I knew then what Yagi felt when Wadou was angry with him.

"I apologize, sir, I honestly thought Masane had," he stood up, worry and fear filled me, "already realized this." I tried to smile to make him less angry at me. I pushed up my glasses. An aura surrounded Masane.

"Forget it. It won't happen." she stated. The red aura radiated even more around her as she clenched her hand around her wrist where the Witchblade was. "If it does—if anyone even tries to put this thing on Rihoko…I'll kill 'em myself."

Not only were Takayama and I surprised by her words, but also the physical change she went through. Her eyes had turned silver, much like how they did when she transformed, and the aura was astounding. She left after that, slamming the door behind her. A day at the beach with her and her friends must be nice, and I'll bet she looks really nice in a bikini. I can't remember the last time I went to a beach for a vacation. The flattery I felt when she offered to buy both Takayama and me souvenirs overwhelmed the fear I felt when Takayama glared at me so intently.


I apologize for the very long delay. For a while I hadn't felt up to writing and then when I had I didn't want to end the chapter, which is why this is part one. So, did this first-person perspective bode well with you readers? Did you dislike it and/or feel that Hiroki was out of character? I've never done a whole chapter in first-person before. Reviews are much appreciated, and don't forget to point out any grammar and spelling errors I probably missed!