Chapter 9 -- Defect

AIO: Imagine if Nomura-sensei or Sannomiya-sensei illustrated this series. I get goosebumps just thinking about it!!

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Two men ran around in circles, chasing after one another...

A lone woman sat in view, questioning where they found the energy to spare.

Surely nearing the end of this prolonged night, the two men darted around in a bliss orange eminence.

One man much faster than the other.

...

Thorn: ...

Thorn: Why are they doing this now?

Tomo chuckled.

Tomo: “Is that all you’ve got, Reach?!”

Reach entertained the taunt, proving his weapon of speed by lightly kicking Tomo to the ground from behind.

Tomo: “Oof!”

Tomo coughed.

The trickle of rain from earlier had died down, luckily preventing Tomo from being covered in mud.

Reach: “Want to go again?”

Tomo: ...

Reach: “How about it?”

Tomo: ...

Reach: "No?"

...

Reach: “What if...”

Reach: “...I don’t use my legs?”

Tomo: "Huh?!"

Tomo, alike Reach - susceptible to the taunt, charged in a straight line.

Reach stood in place, waiting for Tomo’s arrival.

Tomo: “Hrng!”

Tomo swung a right fist forward.

Reach coolly tilted his head, dodging the attack.

Without moving his legs, Reach grabbed the top of Tomo’s head and used it to propel himself upward - similar to a handstand but with Tomo as the base.

Using his core to control the direction at which they fell, Reach toppled Tomo onto his front.

Reach now sat comfortably on Tomo’s back.

Thorn: ...As expected.

Tomo flailed about, attempting to shake Reach off.

Reach used the momentum to flip to another area.

Tomo coughed again and stood up.

Tomo: “Just you wait...”

Tomo: “If we do this more and more, I’m bound to get stronger, right?”

Reach admired the sentiment.

Reach: “Absolutely.”

Reach: “We can spar as much as you like. Don’t underestimate the value of taking a beating.”

Tomo: A beating...

Reach: “Take it from me. It’s all about how you handle the pain.”

Reach: “I’d recommend practising with Thorn, too.”

Thorn: “You overestimate my kindness.”

Reach: “Just make sure she doesn’t use her blades.”

Thorn: “Oi.”

...

Tomo tightened his fist.

Tomo: “I won’t always be useless.”

Reach: ...

Reach: “You know you’re not useless, Tomo.”

Tomo: “No, I mean. In a fight.”

Tomo: “I want to get stronger, even if only a little bit.”

Reach: “That’s certainly doable.”

Reach: He’s not as bad as he thinks. While by no means a warrior or fighter, he’s in shape and has decent instincts.

Reach: Though he has almost died a few times...

Reach gazed at the night sky.

Reach: “Just don’t forget.”

...

Reach: “There’s always someone stronger out there.”

Reach: “Be sure to value your own life, too.”

Tomo glanced at his dirty clothes.

Tomo: Even stronger than you?

...

An old lady strolled over to the group.

She had a warm and calming aura about her.

????: “Training... Are we?”

Tomo: “Y-Yes ma’am!”

Thorn: Why the ma’am?

Reach: “Apologies, did we disturb you?”

She smiled.

????: “No, not at all.”

...

????: “For I do not have a bedtime, you see.”

The old lady appeared to be a genuine enjoyer of life. Reach was perhaps mildly envious.

Omi: “My name is Omi.”

Omi: “I live in the small pink tree around the corner.”

Tomo: “Omi?”

Omi: “Yes, it is pronounced ‘owe-mi’. Similar to ‘Amy’ but with an ‘o’.”

Tomo: “It’s a beautiful name.”

Omi: “Thank you, dear.”

Thorn: ...

Omi had caring eyes and a long grey ponytail.

Reach: “We were just about to go to bed. It was nice to meet you, Omi.”

Omi: “As to you.”

Omi: “Please take these nuts and seeds as a housewarming gift.”

Reach: ?

Omi: “Shile has already told stories of you throughout the village.”

Reach: “I-I see. Thank you.”

Omi: “Though he had a very bloodthirsty smile while talking.”

Thorn: That crazy old man...

Omi kindly departed soon after.

Thorn: “Accepting food from a stranger, I’m not sure.”

Reach: “I sensed no malice.”

Thorn: “Then you are naive.”

Reach: “Fine. I’ll eat them first.”

Reach: “Whether they poison my bloodstream or shut down my organs, I will not die.”

...

Thorn: “Good. I’ll eat them after.”

Reach: ...

Tomo: “L-Let’s hurry back into R-base...”

Reach: “R-base...”

Tomo: “I meant ‘our base’...”

Reach: ...

Reach: These two...

The three eventually carried their belongings inside, finally settling for the night.

They worked their way through the nuts and seeds from Omi, which were surprisingly tasty and most importantly poison-free.

Reach, Tomo, and Thorn each claimed a designated zone of the ground floor. Apparently wooden beds and private areas had already been created - the grand tree delightfully shifted and altered to suit their needs.

Tomo: “What can’t this tree do?”

Thorn: “Make your memories come back.”

...

Reach held Tomo back from fighting (and inevitably getting beat up by) Thorn.

..

.

..

Reach later demonstrated how to control the tree without touching it.

Thorn and Tomo slowly got the feel of it, modifying their rooms accordingly.

In addition to wooden beds, the tree was able to create cushions and blankets out of its large dark blue leaves.

Tomo: “This is... Comfortable.”

Thorn manoeuvred to create a wooden bath filled with rainwater.

Reach and Tomo did the same, creating streams or pools within their respective areas.

The three took the time to individually bathe, which was very much needed.

- - - -

Thorn emerged with damp, sparkling green hair.

It was neatly tidied in her typical middle part yet noticeably different.

She was dressed in a long sleeve silver top, comparable to chainmail but formed in a soft fabric. With it she wore slim pants of dark grey nature.

...

Tomo emerged wearing a single brown sheetlike coat that covered him from neck to toe.

Thorn: ...

Tomo: ...

...

Thorn slapped her own mouth, strongly holding back the urge to laugh.

Tomo: “H-Hey!”

Tomo: “Wh-“

Tomo looked down at his outfit, confused.

Tomo: “Why would I pack this??!”

Tomo’s brown hair at least seemed clean, on a positive note.

Thorn’s light green eyes were more lively than usual.

Reach returned with his own consistently black-struck eyes, wearing a cream sweater of some sort and dark brown pants.

Reach: “Water was nice.”

...

Tomo slowly glanced at Reach.

Reach met his eye contact.

Reach: ...

Tomo: ...

...

Reach turned away from Tomo, more towards Thorn.

Reach: A-Anyways...

Reach: “Goodnight.”

Reach, akin to his normal expression, was clearly sleep-deprived. The bags under his eyes more evident at night.

The faint humming, continued to persist unto...

Thorn: ...

Thorn: “Night.”

Reach swallowed routine pain killers and approached his newly found quarters.

Tomo: ...

Tomo: ?

Tomo sighted a knife below Reach’s bed.

Tomo: A knife? Have I seen that before?

Tomo: Why does he need it?

Tomo: ...

Tomo: “Oh... I see...”

Thorn: ?

Tomo assumed his famous smug persona.

Tomo: “It seems our comrade... Is afraid of the dark.”

Thorn: ...

Thorn did not deem the comment worthy of a response.

She proceeded to exit the scene unprompted.

...

Thorn stared at her private bed, contemplating rest.

After a moment’s thought, she opted to sleep in her standard upright fashion instead.

Her armour stacked neatly nearby.

Slowly closing her eyes, she pondered.

Thorn: I wonder...

Thorn: ...If I might actually enjoy travelling with these two.

...

Thorn: Or what did they say?

Thorn: Exploring, rather?

A quiet chuckle bestowed her.

And so the night concluded.

- - - -

Light cascaded into this paranormal home.

The man named Tomo was found drooling in his sleep...

It was unclear whether he had inadvertently moved his bed during the night, but Tomo was now located in the middle of the common area, slumbering peacefully.

Thorn - already awake, stood over him.

Thorn: ...

Thorn was equipped in the same silver armour - a chest piece, elbow-length gauntlets, an armoured skirt, and quad-length greaves. Today she wore a delicate shade of indigo blue for her full-length stockings, covering the skin between her skirt and greaves.

Tomo began to groan and mumble.

Tomo: "Yeah... That's right..."

Thorn: ?

Tomo: "...I am the man."

Thorn immediately chopped him on the forehead.

Tomo: "Bah!"

Tomo sat up and felt his head.

Tomo: "What? Where am I?"

Thorn: "Oh, you're awake."

Tomo: "Huh?"

Thorn glanced at the sleeping Reach, whose bed was less hidden than the rest of his area.

Thorn: He's sleeping lightly.

...

Thorn: Yet something tells me that if I were to attack him... He would react in time.

Thorn's first grin of the day transpired.

Thorn: Haha... Not bad...

Tomo continued to scratch his head.

Tomo: "By the way, Thorn, how old are you?"

Thorn: "Huh?"

Tomo: ?

Thorn: Oh... Forgetfulness...

Thorn: "Guess."

Tomo: "Hmm..."

Tomo inspected Thorn's armour for a moment.

Tomo: "73...?"

Thorn chopped Tomo again, this time sending him flying into Reach's room.

A loud bang erupted.

Thorn sighed.

Thorn: "He can't be serious."

After a series of grumbles, Reach and Tomo emerged. Both still wearing their outfits from the night before.

Tomo: "I'm sorry!”

Reach: "You idiot."

Reach: Why's he still wearing that cloth thing?

Reach yawned.

Tomo: "Hey, Reach. I had a dream that I could beat you in an arm wrestle."

Reach: "Is that so?"

Reach: He can remember dreams? I wonder how consistent that is.

...

Reach and Tomo prepared for a new day's journey.

Reach changed into a maroon long sleeve shirt that was of thicker material than usual. With it he wore dark grey pants and his typical brown laced boots.

Tomo exited his unpopular sheetlike coat and replaced it with a brown beanie, brown shirt, black shorts, and his comfortable cream shoes that were now slightly dirtier.

They packed water and healthy snacks to fill their bags.

Thorn impatiently crossed her arms.

Light green blades shined on her back, reflecting the sun.

Thorn: "So, where are we going?"

Reach led the way, outside the 'fellowship' tree.

An inspirational sense to him.

Reach: "Who knows?"

Thorn and Tomo followed suit.

The tree morphed to close behind them.

The three walked past neighbouring trees - yellow, pink, green, and so on.

They exchanged a pleasant wave with Omi who appeared to be having a warm morning drink.

Towards the entrance of the village they noticed a sturdy tree with bright orange leaves.

The tree was occupied by a supposed-family of large individuals, comparable to muscular tree loggers - a similarity unlikely to yield true. They were focused on digging and refreshing the soil surrounding their tree, while being cognisant not to damage underlying roots.

One of the assumed children, perhaps 12 in age and taller than Reach, smiled as they passed by.

Reach gave a friendly nod in return.

Tomo: "Everyone is so nice here..."

The same young person immediately grew the size of their head tenfold.

Tomo: "Bah!"

The young person delivered a weighty nod before decreasing the size of their head.

Tomo: “Th-That surprised me...”

Reach: "That's some disease."

...

Tomo: "But it's good to know that their disease hasn't killed them!"

Reach: "Agreed."

Approaching the hollow pentagon-shaped fixture on the outskirts of the village, they observed Shile from behind.

Shile: "Hah... Hahahah... Ah..."

Reach: ?

Shile paused.

He slowly peered his head towards the three, revealing a creepy teeth-ridden smile.

Thorn gripped one of her curved blades.

Reach placed his hand on Thorn's shoulder.

Reach: "We're not doing this again."

Thorn: ...

Reach: "Shile, why are you smiling like that?"

Shile: ?

Shile: "Oh! I just pricked my finger, you see."

Reach: ...

Tomo squinted at Shile.

Tomo: Hmm...

Tomo: It seems we know this person...

The four of them gathered around the entrance.

Reach: "We're heading out."

Shile: "Ah! Certainly. It has been a pleasure."

Reach: "We'll be back."

Shile smiled sincerely - putting his uninvited teeth away.

Shile: "Until then."

The three departed gracefully, unsure of where they head to next.

Shile watched them transition into the inclined horizon. His hands joined in unison behind his back.

The village elder stood wisely, philosophising about life.

Shile: I wonder...

He surveyed the trees above, hearing the shriek of Dines.

Shile: ...If trees could speak, what would they say about us humans?

...

Shile: Would they think us so idiotic for constantly killing our own kind?

...

Shile: Would they think us so inept and hypocritical at collaboration? That our ability to coexist has unconditionally failed?

He lowered his head, witnessing the land.

Shile: A ponder...

Shile: ...Indeed.

- - - -

The three walked several kilometres in a new direction.

Slowly but surely, the scenery began to change.

A lively green became a desolate yellow.

The extensive series of trees we had seen thus far began to dwindle, with each step they took.

From afar, over a mild sandy hill, they sighted a band of small children in ragged clothes.

Tomo: ?

The children immediately ran upon being noticed.

Tomo: “Did you see those kids?”

Thorn: “Yeah.”

Reach: “Most likely orphans. Very common.”

Thorn: “Perhaps their parents died of disease.”

Reach: “Mm. Or worse.”

Tomo inspected the wider area.

Tomo: “Come to think of it, why haven’t we seen that many travellers?”

Reach: “Well, we’ve seen a few, but most of them tried to kill us.”

Reach glared at Thorn.

Thorn deliberately looked the other way.

Reach: “Think about it.”

Reach: “The guys near that bridge, or those looters. To travel between locations is unpredictable and dangerous.”

Tomo: “Hmm.”

Reach: “To leave a safe haven is a risk that most people don’t choose to take.”

...

Almost as if to disrespect their conversation about travellers, a large hooded man came into view.

He gradually advanced from the opposite side of the bleak path.

Tomo: R-Really?

...

The wind caused the man’s brown hood to flail cinematically.

Reach recognised Tomo’s indecisiveness.

Reach: “Come on. Let’s continue as normal. It’s no big deal.”

Tomo: “Okay.”

The three pressed on, approaching an intersect.

Step... Step... Step...

The whistle of the wind consistently swooned.

...

Now within speaking distance, the man seemed to be aware of their presence.

Reach, too, felt something.

Reach: Hm?

Reach analysed him closer.

The man began to raise his head, unearthing his face.

Reach: No... Big...

Reach: ...Deal?

Glowing in the foreground, were the man’s lapis blue eyes.

.

..

...

.....

Thorn came to a stop.

Tomo nervously offered a greeting.

Tomo: “H-How do you do.”

????: ...

The man hesitated at first, seemingly from disinterest.

????: “Hello.”

The man removed his hood - a sociable gesture.

Tomo relaxed his stance.

The man's exposed head revealed white hair of short-to-medium length with unique blue strips throughout.

He had prominent white facial stubble on top of his cream tan skin.

While difficult to tell, he appeared to be in his late 30s.

Tomo was impressed by his height, in addition to his durable build.

Tomo: “Where abouts are you heading?”

????: “That’s private.”

Tomo: “O-Okay.”

Tomo: “Well, in that direction there’s some beautiful big trees you might enjoy.”

????: ...

????: “I hate trees.”

Tomo: “Oh..”

????: “In my hometown we cut them down like no tomorrow.”

Tomo: “I-I see... Great...”

The man sighed.

????: “Forgive my abruptness.”

????: “Guess I’ll head in another direction.”

Tomo: “No problem.”

Reach did not join the conversation.

Instead, he carefully spectated.

Reach: This man...

...

Reach: ...Is strong.

Tomo sustained the meaningless idle chatter.

Tomo: “So do you enjoy drinking?”

????: ?

????: “More or less.”

Tomo: “There might be a good bar around here, you never know.”

Tomo: “I had something gross once, somewhere.”

????: “That’s not helpful.”

Tomo: “...Was it grim? Or boon? Rum?”

????: “Ruum?”

Tomo: “Rum.”

????: ...

????: “I don’t care for it.”

Reach tapped Tomo’s shoulder.

Reach: “We should go.”

Tomo: “Oh, yep.”

The two turned to depart.

...

Thorn... Did not coincide.

Thorn: “Hey.”

Reach knew in that moment.

That obviously, he was not the only one to realise this man’s strength.

Thorn stood directly in front of the man. Their eyes meeting.

Reach: “...Th-”

Thorn: “Your name.”

????: ...

The man saw no reason to object.

Kashi: “I am Kashi.”

...

Reach: ...

Thorn looked Kashi up and down.

His brown hood was part of a single loose garment that covered his upper body.

Below it he wore white and blue pants that were relatively tight, and below that white and light grey bootlike shoes, without laces.

Thorn noticed a small crimson blade, attached to the outside of his far right shin.

Grinning, she took a few steps back.

Thorn: “What do you say, Kashi?”

Kashi stood, nonchalant.

Thorn: “Why don’t we... Play?”

Thorn drew both her blades, excitedly.

Reach: “Thorn...”

Reach: She’s too obsessed with the strong.

Reach glanced at Kashi.

Reach: Though... I cannot argue that I am also curious.

...

Kashi remained stagnant.

He peered his head towards Reach, who had likewise caught his interest.

Thinking for a moment, Kashi gripped his own wrist and flexed his fingers.

Kashi: "Okay, then.”

Kashi: "You can both come at me at once."

Tomo: ?!

Reach's expression became more serious.

Thorn: "Oh??"

Thorn: "Is that so?!"

Reach calmly placed his bag on the ground.

Thorn: "You stay there, Reach."

Kashi: ...

Reach wasn't planning to fight someone two-on-one, but he also didn't appreciate being looked down on.

The collective group paused for a few seconds.

.

.

.

Thorn took the initiative, darting towards Kashi at ridiculous speed.

Time almost stopped as the two came within a hair’s breadth.

Kashi, unflustered, watched on.

Perhaps he didn’t care, or perhaps he knew... That her initial charge was a feint.

Thorn pivoted immediately, now standing side-on to Kashi.

Her blades came slicing horizontally.

WHOOSH.

Thorn: ?!

Tomo: N-

Everything became... Still.

A great gust of wind circled from the impact.

However, nothing was... Moving?

Or so Reach thought?

Reach: Wh-What is...

Reach: ...Going on?

The sky still glittered. Dirt still floated. Air still existed.

Kashi: ...

Thorn, at the climax of her menacing attack, was frozen - motionless, in that exact same position.

Her blades only centimetres from Kashi.

Thorn: I can't... Move...

Kashi’s eyes were unlike their typical lapis blue.

Instead, they were a gruesome combination of red and white - red on the outside, and white on the inner pupil.

Tomo, scared to death, attempted to hyperventilate but couldn't.

Reach: S-Shit... All three of us...

Reach: We can't move... Or even breathe...

Thorn, alive yet immobile, attempted to twist her head but couldn't.

Thorn: It's a disease. No doubt about it.

...

Thorn: Fuck... My consciousness is starting to fade.

Reach perceived Tomo within his peripheral vision - now unconscious with lifeless eyes.

Reach: The other two can't survive without breathing.

Reach: If only I knew more about his disease...

Thorn and Reach barely had enough brainpower to comprehend their own vision.

Reach: I-I'm worried about my device.

Thorn continued to resist internally.

Thorn: Damn it all!!!

Kashi: ...

And...

Rest.

Everyone fell to the floor.

The only exception was Kashi; the man standing in unwavering unfaithfulness.

His eyes back to lapis blue.

Reach: ?

Reach: It's stopped.

Thorn hunched over, gasping for air.

She felt a tingle on her nose and wiped it.

...

Thorn: ...Blood?

Reach grabbed Tomo by the shirt and shook him wildly.

Tomo inhaled loud and dramatically, signalling a return to life.

Kashi: "There was nothing stopping me from killing all three of you on the spot."

Thorn: ...

Kashi beheld the vacant stars, unable to truly see anything.

Kashi: "Despite who I am, I dislike meaningless battles."

Reach: ?

Kashi: "I have no reason to kill you right now."

Kashi: "So do not try to fight me again."

Kashi kept a close eye on Thorn and Reach as they slowly got back up.

Kashi: "You made me lose track of something."

Reach: Hm?

Kashi: It's almost as if I could feel 'him' before.

Kashi: I wonder..

Kashi placed his hood back over his head and began to walk away.

Kashi: "Enjoy experimenting with your lives. Try to become useful."

Thorn: Huh?

Thorn disliked the notion, understandably.

Thorn: He hasn’t stopped... Looking down on us.

...

Thorn seemed disappointed in herself.

A rare lack of confidence, spurred from an inability to fight to her fullest.

Kashi: "Now, where am I going?"

Kashi: "Right, not towards the trees."

Tomo regained his composure and picked up his beanie, which had fallen off.

Still lying on the terrain, he onlooked the departing Kashi.

Tomo: ...

For some reason, he remembered Reach's words from the night before.

Tomo: There's always someone...

...

Tomo: ...Stronger...

Tomo stood up with the helping hand of Reach.

Tomo: "Thanks."

...

Tomo: Is that really... True?

Kashi, quite far away by now, was out of earshot and nearly out of eyeshot.

Kashi: "Hmph."

...

Kashi: "...'AB' never gets old, does it?"

.....

...

..

.

At this point, the three individuals known as Reach, Tomo, and Thorn, had no awareness...

...Of that very same number.

- - - -

A distant man with flowing black hair and an apparent infiniteness, reacted accordingly.

????: ...

????: Eh?

[Chapter 9 -- End]