Chapter 2

Meanwhile…

Trigun was on the run.

He has been encountering more and more sorcerers as of late, but they have been different compared to his usual run ins. For example, when the council and elders were in control, no sorcerer batted an eye to him. In fact, he got to do whatever he wanted and kept his cover all this time.

But now, he finds any time he encounters a sorcerer, he is chased! He is able to elude them, but this has become far too common.

"Who are these guys?" he wondered as he caught his breath from the most recent chase. At the same time, he can't shake this feeling that he doesn't outrun his stalkers. Sensations of being watched often come over his shoulder, his senses are on high alert, and yet…

"You're still here, aren't you?" he called.

Trigun had taken refuge in the alleyways, however, the sensation of being looked upon has not left him. His instincts have told him to be alert, but, why can't he sense their energy?

Then, someone appeared.

A young woman baring a sword in her hands, but she was walking around him. She said not a word but sized him up before coming to a pause. "This is something I am not familiar with…" she said bluntly.

"What are you talking about? For that matter, who the hell are you?" Trigun snapped back.

The woman continued to observe him. "Hmmm…" she said and looked him up and down. "Yeah, that's the thing… how can a deadman be speaking to me?" she asked.

Trigun… froze. "Deadman?" he asked.

"I have a wicked sense of smell, and right now, you smell odd to me. There are scents I have never picked up before and yet… It leans more towards the smell of death than life… so… answer me… are you a curse corpse?" she asked.

Trigun kept his guard up, he smirked at her and brushed back his hair. "If that's the case, I'm the best damn looking curse corpse there is." He decreed. "I don't even know who the hell you are or why you are after me… you are the one stalking me, aren't you?"

"Me among others…" she said offhandedly. "Oh, when you think you escaped us… you didn't."

"I figured as much."

Trigun kept peering at this woman oddly. He sensed no curse energy besides what was emitted from her sword. Meaning, she must possess heavenly restriction. "So, why are you so fascinated with me?" he asked of her. "If anything, I am not doing anything to harm the humans… so… why hunt me?"

She snickered. "We're not hunting you, we're testing your character. And so far, you've passed" she said. Throughout the times he has been chased, they observed his actions. He never took any path that had a lot of humans, if anything. He avoided them. He avoided high populated areas and stuck to the rooftops as means of escape. As such, it only proved to her that he was keeping a close eye and consideration of the humans. "You made sure none got caught up in the fight if there were one. So, it made us believe that you might actually have a heart." She explained.

He began to grow interested in this. "You are nothing like the council I worked with…"

She laughed. "Let me save you on that. The council is dead so are the elders, we've replaced them." She explained. "So, boy. Would you be interested in working with us? Knowing we are nothing like the old council…"

He considered it, if anything he may have to join them to get inside information to pass along to his master. So, he played along. "This is all but a test to you?" he asked. She nodded to it. "Not many sorcerers would admit to such a thing…"

"Well aware, but, we don't want secrets." She explained. "The council and elders always hid when worst came to worst, why? Because they were too scared to lose their positions"

Well, she's not wrong…

"But we fight," she said. "We don't hide, if there is trouble, we're on the front lines with the others, we don't squirrel ourselves away and merely bark orders."

'Not bad, but this could be baited…' he thought. "So… what to do you want with me?" he asked.

She shrugged her shoulders. "Honestly, we're curious to you. If you share the same curiosity about us, then come to the school in Kyoto. We'll talk with you there." She gave him a card, Trigun looked it over carefully and nodded to it.

"I'll…" yet before he could answer, she was gone. Same with those who came with her.

"Perhaps this might be something to tell the master…" Trigun muttered. But, he's going to check out the place first!