Chapter 13

            The bravest of the juniors had made their way across the aftermath. It was as if the ground was a different element all together. The earth was so compacted that it was too hard to dig through without tools. Parts of trees and bushes were scattered throughout the land. At the center of the scared earth, they found their teacher. Cracks spread out from where he lay. They grew to the size of fissures near the edge of the battlefield. Samakina was unconscious and bleeding heavily from his arm and leg.

 

            A group of students, Lisanna and Hiro included, made a makeshift stretcher out of broken tree limbs and shirts provided by volunteers. They made tourniquets for Samakina’s injuries, and then placed him upon the stretcher. After ensuring Samakina was stable, they carried him to the hospital.

 

            The epic scale of combat had been felt from miles away, and drew the attention of administrators who joined the group. They asked questions that no one could answer since they had not witnessed the fight.

 

            Despite the ever-growing number of officials, Kamishi was not among them. His name was mentioned, but no one knew where the man had disappeared to after the morning speech.

 

            When they reached the hospital, all the juniors who were not helping were forced to return to their dorms. Most of the administrators went with them to ensure their safety.

 

            Hono, the head teacher of the senior class, was the only teacher that stayed. Hiro, Lisanna, and a small black haired girl named Rin were the only ones allowed to remain with him. The four of them brought Samakina inside, and into the care of the hospital staff. He was quickly wheeled away into the ER.

 

            Hono turned to the students. “Stay here.” For some reason, he went with the hospital staff.

 

            A few hours later, the red light above the ER door turned off and Hono emerged. He looked at the anxious students. “Samakina will be fine. He’s stable, but he will be unconscious for a while.” He took a seat next to them. “Tell me everything you know.”

 

            Even though they had all seen and experienced the same thing, Hono insisted on a description from each of them. He stressed for even the slightest details, nature of Samakina’s wounds, blood splatters, environment, anything that could be a hint about the attacker.

 

            When they finished their narrative, Hono stood. Rage burned in his eyes. “I’m going out. I’ll send someone to escort you back shortly.” He did not allow protest, and quickly left.

 

            They waited patiently, but no one came. Hours passed, and they grew restless, but still no one came.

 

            Rin stood up. “I’m sick of waiting! I need to get some sleep tonight! I’m going back!”

           

            Lisanna darted in front of her. “Hold on! It’s not safe. We should wait for our escort.”

 

            Rin moved around her. “You saw that look in Hono’s eyes. He wasn’t thinking about anything but the guy that attacked Samakina. He probably just forgot about us… I’m going!”

 

            Hiro and Lisanna followed Rin to the exit as they tried to convince her not to go, but she would not listen.

 

            Rin yelled back at them as she walked out into the night. “Stay here if you want, but I’m sleeping in my own bed tonight!”

 

            Lisanna turned to Hiro. “Honestly! That girl! Does she really not understand the situation we’re in?!”

 

            “Well Rin has a power, so I don’t think she will be targe-“

 

            Rin’s scream interrupted Hiro. They rushed outside to find the girl on her knees crying a short distance from the hospital.

 

            Hiro hurried to her side. “What happened? Are you okay?”

 

            Her voice was shaken and broken with sobs. “Th-there’s someone i-in t-t-the woods!”

 

            Lisanna and Hiro focused on the tree line. Moments later, a deer jumped out and sprinted across the clearing. A small fawn followed behind it.

 

            They both deadpanned. After a moment, Hiro smiled and laughed. “You got that upset over a couple of deer?!”

 

            Rin was still shaken, but she put some force into her voice and defended herself. “I didn’t know! It could have just as easily have been the murder!”

 

            Hiro helped pull the girl to her feet. “And if it had been? What good would sitting down and crying about it do?”

 

            Rin was getting angry. “It’s not like I was scared! I-I was just startled is all!”

 

            Hiro had to stifle his laughter. “It looks like you were pretty darn scared to me.” He pulled Lisanna with him as he moved towards the girls’ dorm. “Don’t worry, we’ll walk back with you.”

 

            “You’re just making fun of me now!”

 

            “No! I-m jus-“

 

            “Jerk!!! I’ll go back on my own!” Rin sprinted towards the dorm.

 

            Lisanna playfully punched his shoulder and chuckled. “Jerk.” She walked after Rin.

 

            “You want to go back to the dorms too?”

 

            “Well, we’re already out here. It can’t hurt now.”

 

            They took the walk slowly. Neither of them noticed that they had started holding hands at some point. Hiro ignored the raised hairs on his neck, and tried to enjoy their time together.

 

            A large cluster of clouds passed over the moon and blocked out its light. The wind stopped blowing, and the animals of the night fell silent. The night was breathlessly still.

 

            Lisanna clung to Hiro’s arm. “Hiro, something feels wrong.”

 

            He lowered his voice. “We’re being followed. I didn’t notice it at first, but I think we’ve been being watched since we left the hospital.”

 

            Lisanna pulled closer to him. “Are you sure?”

 

            “I tried to ignore it, but it feels like someone has been staring a hole through me for the last ten minutes… I’m going to try something.” He pulled Lisanna to a sudden stop. For an instant, sounds of footsteps continued from behind them. Hiro turned around and steadied his voice. “We know you’re there. Come out.”

 

            A cloaked figure emerged from the shapeless void of blackness. Sky blue eyes pierced the darkness between them.

 

            Hiro sunk into his fighting stance and prepared for a fight.  “I knew it had to be you Kamis-“

 

            Lisanna suddenly cut him off. “Gomakashi!”

 

            Hiro’s looked at Lisanna. His voice was filled with confusion. “Gomakashi?”

 

            “He was a senior. He never awakened a power, and decided not to take the exam last year. Rather than rolling back with the others, he fled the school.”

 

            “But look at his eyes! They are the same as Kamishi’s”

 

            Lisanna shook her head. “No they aren’t. Look at his left eye.” She pointed to it. “It’s a slightly different hue. I remember Gomakashi because he was the only person I ever meet with two different colored eyes.”

 

            Hiro strained his eyes. “I can’t believe you could see the difference so easily, but you’re right.”

 

            The cloaked man laughed maniacally and took of his hood. “You got me!” The clouds opened up at that moment and the moonlight shown down on his exposed face. The raw flesh still dripped in blood, and it colored the edges of his blond hair. “I thought everyone would think I was Kamishi!”

 

            Lisanna’s gasped at the horrific visage, and her voice quivered. “W-what happened to you?”

 

            He laughed again. “Apparently a worthless endeavor to protect my identity! But that’s okay!” He started walking towards her. “I cam here to kill you both anyway!”

 

            Hiro pushed Lisanna behind him. “Why do you want to kill us?”

 

            Gomakashi smiled evilly. “Dead men deserve no explanations, but I guess I can pity you.” He stopped. “Do you know how humiliating it is to have to roll back a year? I couldn’t live with myself if I had to face others every day knowing I wasn’t as good as them just because I didn’t have a power. I had to run away! Do you have any idea what it’s like not to have a power?” He didn’t let them respond. “Of course you do! So many students here are just like you and don’t have powers, yet they chose to stay here! You all think you’re better than me! Well you’re not!” He held his hand out in front of him. “I awakened this wonderful power! So now I’ll just kill everyone who doesn’t have a power. I’ll show you all who’s really better.” He charged them. “People who don’t have powers should just die!!!”

 

            Hiro shouted. “You’re insane!” He moved to counter the strike, but Lisanna charged out instead, her wakazashi drawn. He reached for her and missed. “Lisanna wait!!!”

 

            The girl was already in a dance. She dodged left of Gomakashi’s outstretched arm, and spun completely around him. Having completely a three quarters turn around his back, she slashed at Gomakashi’s side. The blade never connected.

 

            Lisanna screamed in surprise as her wakazashi was blown out of her grip by an invisible force. Gomakashi lashed out with his outstretched arm, and she barely jumped back in time to avoid it. Gomakashi’s other hand remained at his side. His palm was turned outwards where Lisanna’s blade was supposed to have connected. A thin indention pressed into his skin where the blade had touched it.

 

            Hiro rushed him with impressive speed; dust kicked up under his feet. Despite having his back turned, Gomakashi dodged the attack with ease, and jumped next to a nearby tree that had a blade in it. Lisanna’s wakazashi had buried itself in the trunk of the tree.

 

            Gomakashi pulled the blade free and examined it.” He pressed his free hand against the tree, and it shattered into thousands of pieces. Gomakashi started to laugh again. “Your blade must really be something to not break from my power!” I like it! I think I’ll use it!”

 

            With speed that the eye could hardly track, Gomakashi rushed Lisanna. She managed to protect her throat with her other wakazashi. The blade deflected the powerful strike up, and it slashed across her left cheek.

 

            Gomakashi continued past her and stopped in an instant. He turned around and sent his palm towards the middle of her unprotected back. “Now you die!!!”

 

            Hiro’s muscles bulged. He thought he heard a voice. Not yet.

 

            He ignored the voice. Blood poured from his body, and he rocketed at Gomakashi with insane speed. The earth shattered beneath his feet. He struck at the man’s face. A concussive wave erupted under the impact of his fist. The force of the blast knocked Lisanna away. However, the attack had not connected with its target.

 

            Kamishi held Hiro’s fist in the palm of his hand, and Gomakashi’s hand in his other. He looked at Hiro. “Control yourself. Now’s not the time.” He tossed the boy aside effortlessly.

 

            Gomakashi yelled in frustration as he pushed his hand even harder into Kamishi’s. “Die, die, die, die, die! Why won’t you die!?!”

 

            Lisanna took advantage of the situation and rushed to Hiro’s side. “Hiro, are you okay?”

 

            The boy said nothing. His body was bleeding profusely, but he didn’t notice. His eyes were glued to the scene before him.

 

            She put pressure on his largest wound to try and stop the bleeding. What happened to you Hiro?! I didn’t see you get hurt!

 

            Kamishi smiled. “You’re power won’t work on me boy.”

 

            Gomakashi slashed at him with the wakazashi in his free hand. A sharp ping pierced the night as the blade bounced off of him.

 

            “If you thought that blade was impressive, then you haven’t seen anything yet.” He snapped Gomakashi’s wrist with ease and flung him to the ground.

 

            Gomakashi dropped the wakazashi and howled in pain. He looked into the eyes of overwhelming opponent. Then something strange happened. Gomakashi started screaming and clawing at his head. “Get out! Get out! Get out! I don’t want this!!” He stopped and his eyes filled with madness. “Just die!!!” He shoved his good palm into Kamishi’s stomach, but nothing happened.

 

            The leader of Sazakira laughed. “If you want to destroy someone’s insides, this is how you do it!”

 

            Kamishi sent a knee into Gomakashi’s stomach. The strike was rewarded with a sick squishing sound, and the cracking of ribs. Gomakashi collapsed on the ground in a scream of pain. He vomited great amounts of blood. Using his good hand, he gripped Kamishi’s ankle. Kamishi kicked the jaw of the bent over man, shattering it. Gomakashi’s jumbled scream was intensified when Kamishi crushed his remaining hand. He was in too much pain to cry out as Kamishi snapped his femur with a drop knee.

 

            Lisanna looked on in horror as her leader tortured the man. She felt sick to her stomach. This level of cruelty was on par with the stories of Sensoken. She fought off her sickness and maintained pressure on Hiro’s wound. The boy showed no reaction to anything. His eyes watched Kamishi alone.

 

            “Why do you think I was able to beat Sensoken?” He paused as if expecting the man howling in pain to answer him. “Well I’ll tell you. I can make my body into a metal harder than anything on this planet! No strike can wound me. Sensoken might have been able to manipulate human bodies, but he couldn’t manipulate metal! You should have seen his face! He was in such a panic as I walked right up to him while he tried to stop me! He could only scream as I broke his neck!” He cupped Gomakashi’s head between his hands and lifted him in the air. “Just like I’m going to break yours.”

 

            Hiro broke out of his trance and yelled. “Stop! He has to have valuable information about the students here! Knowing who has powers and who doesn’t isn’t something a normal person could know! He might have known about the class bellow him, and about Lisanna and me since we are the only ones in ours, but there’s no way he could know about the new freshman!”

 

            Kamishi raised an eyebrow. “Lisanna… and you?”

 

            Hiro quickly looked down. “So don’t kill him. He could have useful information.”

 

            Kamishi laughed. “Sorry Hiro, but I already promised everyone that I would kill him.”

 

            “No!!!”

 

            Gomakashi’s scream mixed with Hiro’s. A loud crack silenced him permanently.

 

            Kamishi dropped the body and walked over to the other two. He looked at Hiro’s pale face. “You look like you’ve just seen a ghost.”

 

            Hiro's mind flickered.  A younger Kamishi, clean-cut and handsome, stood before him. His sky blue eyes looked down to him as he extended his arm. “Come with me.” Hiro reached for it. Then his mind started spinning and the image changed to another from his past. The outreached hand was dripping in blood. The man’s hair was stained in it. His face was spattered with it.  His eyes were filled with it. “It’s time you leave this place” Hiro kept the image in his mind as he responded in a whisper. “I have.”

 

            Kamishi watched Lisanna who was still apply pressure to Hiro’s largest wound. She hadn’t noticed that all of his injuries had already stopped bleeding. The smaller ones had even closed up. “I told you to wait Hiro. You’re condition is your own fault.”

 

            Hiro went rigid. That was his voice I heard in my mind?!

 

            Lisanna was confused. “Hiro, what’s he talking about? What’s going on?”

 

            Hiro bit his lip, but said nothing.

 

            Kamishi laughed. “You haven’t told her?! I’m amazed you’ve gone all this time without anyone figuring it out! You sly dog! If only they knew what kind of monster you are!”

 

            She shook Hiro and raised her voice. “Hiro! What’s he talking about?!”

 

            Kamishi bent over and picked up Lisanna’s stolen wakazashi. He walked over to the girl and offered it to her. “Would you like me to tell you what he won’t?”

 

            Lisanna watched the blade apprehensively, but did not take it from him.

 

            Kamishi seemed surprised, but noticed he had the point towards her. “Afraid?” He skillfully flipped the wakazashi and caught it by the blade. “Here.” She reached for it. “Now as I was saying.” The blade slid down his hand as Lisanna took it. “Hiro has a-“ He froze. His eyes widened. What is this excitement?! I haven’t felt this since I meet Hiro! He looked down at his hand. It was clenching the tip of the wakazashi. It was coated in blood from Lisanna’s cheek. The fluid stained his fingers. His sky blue eyes glowed brightly with excitement. His free hand drifted towards the girl.

           

            Lisanna backed away slightly, but she couldn’t go anywhere without taking her hands off Hiro. “U-um… C-can I have my wakazashi?” His hand got closer. “P-please?!”

 

            Kamishi snapped out of his daze and retracted the hand. “Oh… Yes... Of course!” He released the blade. He stared at the girl a while longer. However, he felt Hiro’s suspicious eyes boring a hole through him. Not yet. Not with you here. “You two should head back to the medical center and get yourselves looked at.” He started walking away. “I need to go.” He took a last look at Gomakashi’s body as he passed it. You made things more complicated for me. The feeling of excitement he had just felt rushed through him again, and Kamishi smiled. But I supposed I should be thanking you.

 

            They watched him go as his body slowly faded into the night. Hiro’s eyes were trained on the back of his head. However, Lisanna was watching something else. There was a single golden thread wrapped around Kamishi’s boot. The odd string was the last thing visible before it too disappeared into the night.

 

            She whispered to herself. “What the hell was that?” Then her voice grew louder. “What the hell was with the way he looked at me?” She grabbed Hiro and nearly shouted. “What the hell was he saying about you?!” Hiro wouldn’t look her in the eye. She shook him slightly. “He called you a monster! What is it that ‘You won’t tell me’ exactly?!”

 

            Hiro’s throat was dry, and his voice came out rough. “W-we should go back to the medical ward.”

 

            Her body went stiff. She tried to look him in the eyes, but he would not look up. She released him. Tears welled up in her eyes, but she didn’t say anything. She got to her feet.

 

            Hiro clutched his pant legs and held back tears as he responded in a pained voice. “I-I’m sorry.”

 

            Lisanna backed away and ran to the hospital alone, moonlight illuminating her falling tears.

 

            Hiro got up and followed her. He bit his lip hard and punched himself as he walked. I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. His wounds reopened. He looked at the blood that poured out from his body, leaving a gruesome trail behind him.

 

            I’m bleeding again?