Chapter 14

            The room was pitch black except for a narrow beam of light from beneath the door to the hospital hall. The light illuminated a small section of the square patterned tile floor. Light from the moon had long since disappeared behind the clouds of the night.

 

            Hiro was alone in the room. Lisanna had gotten her stitches and left without a word. He was left to spend the night in a solitary world of thought. The events of the night didn’t add up. How did Gomakashi know so much about students he had never even met? How did he know where the seniors were during their field training? Was he really attacking us for such a low reason as not having powers?  Hiro sunk back in the bed and looked at the void of darkness that made up his ceiling. How did Kamishi speak directly into my mind? He said his power was making his body into a kind of metal. That’s how he killed Sensoken. His eyes widened.  Wait. How did he know that Sensoken wouldn’t still be able to control him? Did he really just take a gamble that he would be safe?

 

            The walk to her dorm was the longest Lisanna had ever experienced. Questions flooded her mind. What happened to Gomakashi? He was never the type of person to do something like this. He was a quite guy. Sure he was weak and got bullied, but he would never go to levels like that. He wasn’t himself at all. The crisp grass crunched under each new step. The sound of crickets and other animals of the night had returned. How did Kamishi know we were in danger? Her hair stood up on her neck. She remembered something Kamishi had said. “You two should head back to the medical center.” He was watching us…

 

            Hiro had his hand on his forehead. How did he know that Gomakashi’s ability wouldn’t affect him at all? His nails dug into his skin. Why did you kill him? I spent most of my life with you. I know your smart. You wouldn’t kill him over something a dumb as a promise without first gaining all the information you could from him. He grabbed at his hair and pulled. Then he stopped. His hand went back to his face. He saw the image of Gomakashi screaming and grabbing his hair while he was in Kamishi’s grasp in his mind. When he looked into Kamishi’s eyes, he started to have that panicked confusion… Just like me. What does it mean?!

 

            Lisanna continued down her path. Why did Kamishi look at me so strangely? An owl swept down a few yards away from her. A mouse squealed as it was taken away into the night. A cold chill ran down her spine. A hunter and its prey. That’s how he looked at me. I was his prey…

 

            No mater how much he thought on it, Hiro couldn’t find an answer. Slowly, his mind drifted. He held his bandaged arm in front of him as he lay on the bed. The red seeping through the wrapping was invisible in the darkness. The doctors had slowed the bleeding with meds, but it would not stop. His wounds hurt, but he hardly noticed them. His mind was on one question as he touched the damp bandage. Why?

 

            The chill left her when her dorm came into sight. With the relief came new thoughts. Thoughts of Hiro. Her heart hurt more and more with each step. When she reached the entrance, she caught herself turning to say goodbye to a boy who wasn’t there. Her heart broke, and she collapsed in front of the door. Tears cascaded down her face, and she wept bitterly. The wound on her cheek stung, and she reached up to touch it. It was oozing blood. Why?

 

            Lisanna’s face was burned into his mind. She had asked him questions he didn’t want to answer. She had not asked out of accusation, but genuine concern for him. Lisanna’s voice echo in his mind. “But you don’t have to be alone. You have me now. Why won’t you let me help you? Please let me help you! Aren’t we friends?!” Hiro tried to rub the coming tears away with his hand. They still fell. All she wanted to do was help me, and I made her cry. I hurt her.

 

            I just wanted to help. I wanted to be a friend to him!  Hiro looked like he was in turmoil, but he wouldn’t talk to me! She ripped the grass from the ground beneath her. But he said he was sorry. It was something that he didn’t want to talk about. He even told me. “I’m sorry, but that’s just something I can’t talk about yet.” He told me so much, but that was the one thing he didn’t want to talk about. Yet I’m holding it against him. Why can’t I respect that one thing? I don’t care what his secrets are… I just want him to trust me. Her tears came back with renewed vigor. That’s what hurts the most.

 

            He hit his bed over and over again. She was the one person I never wanted to hurt! If she knew… That’s why I can’t tell her. I’m protecting her! Even as he thought that, he knew it wasn’t the truth. The reason he didn’t want to tell her was the same reason he trained alone behind that mountain nearly every day. His parent’s lay before him. The walls of the house were destroyed. The whole village was annihilated, and the bodies of its inhabitants littered the ground. I’m afraid of myself. To tell her the truth would mean to admit what he was to himself. Kamishi’s words haunted his mind. I really am a monster. His exhausted body claimed his thoughts and gave him relief from the sorrow.

 

            Lisanna gathered her strength and pulled herself up. Once on her feet, she punched the building wall. I’m a fool and a hypocrite! Her hand started to bleed from the contact with the brick structure. Here I am crying over Hiro not trusting me with his deepest secrets, and I’ve never told him anything about myself. She made her way inside and over to her room. But the idiot’s never asked. Then she realized it. She wanted him to ask. She wanted to tell him. Her bed groaned in complaint as she collapsed onto it. I’m the idiot. Sleep came to her quickly, and soon she was lightly snoring.

 

            The sun rose on the aftermath of a bloody night. Gomakashi was not the only one who lost their life during the hours of darkness. Hono’s body was discovered in shambles. His corpse was nothing but a pile of flesh. Gomakashi’s last embittered gift to the school.

 

            The doctor put the body in a bag with the help of his assistant. When they zipped it up, he released a pent up sigh.

 

            Kamishi put his hand on the man’s shoulder. “I’m sorry you have had to go through this so many times.”

 

            He waved his hand in front of his face. “Oh no! It’s nothing. That was actually a sigh of relief! I’m just glad that this was the last time I’ll ever have to deal with this.” He grabbed his leader’s hand and bowed. “I owe you my thanks for putting an end to this madness.”

 

            Kamishi gave an embarrassed laugh and scratched the back of his head. “Meh… You flatter too much!”

 

            “Meh?”

 

            He laughed again, only harder. “An old habit.”

 

            The doctor scratched his chin. “I feel like I’ve heard someone else use that expression.”

 

            Kamishi slapped him on the back. “I’m sure you’re just imaging it!”

 

            He grinned. “You’re probably right.” The assistant began to carry the body away with the help of another administrator. “Meh.”

 

            The leader of Sazakira almost lost it with laughter. “N-now what?”

 

            The doctor sighed again. “It’s probably nothing… But… There’s something that’s been bothering me about the some of the victims, including Hono.”

 

            Kamishi stopped laughing. “Oh? And what is it that’s bothering you?”

 

            “Like I said, it’s probably nothing.”

 

            “No, I want to hear it. As a professional of this country, I value your opinion.”

 

            The others carried the body away, and they were left alone. “It’s just that… Not all the victims wounds were the same.” He took a deep breath. “You see, the original ten victims had wound channels that seemed to decay inwards. Then we started having the murders inside the school, and all their wounds seemed like they burst outwards. I wouldn’t have thought too much on it, except now we found Hono. His wound channel decayed inwards like the first ten.”

 

            Kamishi rubbed he doctors head, and looked him right in the eyes. His sky blue orbs pierced into the man. His voice was serious. “You’re right. It’s nothing.”

 

            The doctor laughed nervously. “Yeah. It’s nothing!” He started walking back to the hospital. “Well I have work to do. Thanks again Leader!”

 

            As the leader of Sazakira, Kamishi had one more thing to deal with that day. The exam was just two days away, and with Hono dead, the senior’s no longer had an instructor to represent them in the upcoming exam. He took responsibility for the loss, and decided to personally represent the seniors as both their leader and their class head. Despite the delay of the morning’s events, he gathered the class together with the help of the school officials, and they made a hasty departure. They had a lot of ground to cover in a short time.

 

            Class went on as normally as it could after the chaos of the previous days. Although with the end of the year looming just ahead of them, most of the students were too excited to apply themselves. Extra curricular training sessions were replaced with festival preparations for the seniors return. The end of the exam also marked the end of the school year. The festival would be held after a short ceremony commemorating the seniors on leaving the school, and entering Sazakira’s military. It would also acknowledge the junior class as the new seniors.

 

            Hiro was confined to bed rest at the hospital, and was not allowed to participate in classes or festival preparations. Hiro could have easily snuck out just as he always did, but he lacked the will to do anything. Each day he sat in his room alone. Lisanna never came to visit him, and he was left to deal with his own introspection.

 

            Lisanna knew Hiro wasn’t allowed to leave his room, but she couldn’t muster the courage to go see him. She felt that there was a wall between them now, and she didn’t know how to break it down. Rather than trying, she resolved herself to focusing only on school and training. She took no part in the festival preparations; instead she trained her swordsmanship harder than ever.

 

            Days passed quickly, and soon, a messenger arrived at Uzario. It was the eighth day since the senior’s had left. It was over. Every team had not only survived the exam, they had completed it. Even the weakest of Uzario were leagues ahead of the other nations, and did Sazakira proud. The messenger told them to expect their return the very next day.

 

            The students got busy doing anything and everything they could to put the last minute festival preparations in order. Food was cooked, tables were set up, and entertainment was readied. It was the one time of year were the usual cold atmosphere of the school disappeared, and students actually had fun. Without even realizing it, they were looking forward to seeing the seniors, whom previously, they didn’t even acknowledge. No one knew that there was one team that would never return alive.

 

            Hiro and Lisanna were not the only two students who took no part in the preparations. Kazuto made his way out of the school grounds, and down the long road through the countryside. He muttered to himself. “I don’t lose bets.”

 

            Todo had his hands behind his head. The sun was high in the sky, and its rays beat down on him. His female companions were out in head of him. The blonde girl with the rainbow outfit skipped joyfully, and the purple haired girl jogged beside her. They had left the main group far behind in their excitement of reaching the school. As their squad mate, Todo was just along for the ride. They took the last turn, and began their way down the long road to Uzario. The road spanned a distance of nearly fifty miles, and wove through beautiful sceneries of countryside and woods.

 

            The sun had begun to fade and the girls stopped. The purple haired one spoke. “Let’s rest here tonight.”

 

            Todo nodded in agreement, and pulled his pack of his back.

 

            His blonde teammate looked at the warm shades colored shades of the sky. “It’s so beautiful out here!”

 

            “A fitting place to die. No?”

 

            She froze, and her purple haired friend rushed to her side.

 

            The pale girl shouted from behind her skull mask. “Who’s there?! Show yourself!”

 

            A white haired boy walked further down the road and waved.

 

            Todo took the lead. “What do you want Kazuto.”

 

            He smiled, and his fist started to glow. “Nothing much. Just your lives.”

 

            The girls drew back defensively, but Todo remained calm. “Your humor is as dull as your personality.”

 

            Kazuto shook his head. “You’re one to talk!” His other fist began to glow. “However, unfortunately for you all, I’m not joking.” He ran his shining hand through his hair and sighed. “You see, I made this bet…” No one was around to hear the screams of his victims.

 

            He pulled his bloodied fist out of the unrecognizable face of Todo. The bodies of the two other girls were broken and bloodied nearby. Trees, rocks, and chunks of earth littered the area. He took a deep breath. “You three really did improve over these last six months. I never expected I would have to use ‘that power’ against the likes of you.”

 

            Sounds of clapping accompanied a new voice. “Wonderful! Absolutely wonderful!”

 

            Kazuto nearly jumped as he erupted in gold, and turned his attention to a figure leaning on a nearby tree that had survived his onslaught.

 

            Sky blue eyes pierced through the shadow shrouding the figure, and its clapping continued. “Now hold on my boy, you’re leader was just congratulating you on your magnificent abilities!”

 

            Kazuto’s face became pale. “K-Kamishi?!”

 

            The blond took an apple from the tree branch above him and walked out into the evening light. He took a bite, and spoke as he chewed. “In the flesh.”

 

            He took a step back. “W-what are you doing here?”

 

            Kamishi continued walking towards the boy. In turn Kazuto continued backing away. “Now hold on! I’m not here to do anything to you! Unless of course you don’t want to hear me out, then I would be happy to kill you. Although, that would be such a waste of that amazing talent I just witnessed.”

 

            His words were spoken so lightly that the threat of death did not seem real. But one look into Kamishi’s eyes had Kazuto paralyzed in fear. The man had meant every word. Kazuto sweated nervously as he chocked out a response. “W-what do y-you want?”

 

            The leader of Sazakira motioned to the bodies of the three dead seniors. He continued eating the apple as he spoke. “Well seeing as you took the lives of three of my new soldiers…” He locked eyes with the boy. “How about you serve me.”

 

            The danger in his leader’s eyes told Kazuto that anything but acceptance would lead to his immediate death. He went down on one knee. His voice was filled with fear. “Yes my lord!”

 

            Kamishi began clapping again. “Not just words, but the proper respect to go with them! Wonderful!” His face suddenly grew dark, and his light tone disappeared.  He gripped the edge of the blade. His fingers were stained in her blood. “You see, I already have the perfect little task for you… And I think you’ll like it.”