|Wait for me

He casually stepped forward despite the looming danger in front of him. It was either confidence or stupidity but either way, he had some words to say.

“That saves me the trouble of looking for you.”

“I’ve got to say, you stripping down like this is rather foolish. Can’t you simply rip out the badge if you hate it that much?? More importantly, I can help with your predicament. Just listen.”

“.…..You think you have the right to say that?” though irrational, this time, her words managed to shake him. He took in a deep breath and continued.

“Atsuko is absolutely right. When you cross that bridge, it’s extremely difficult to turn back. In fact, the only option afterwards will be moving forward with that heavy burden. It’s impossible to turn back.”

“No matter how many times I cut you down, I can never be like you. You’re filthy.”

“.…..”

“What’s the matter, huh?? Too shocked to speak??”

In a similar manner, he took in all the venomous vitriol she spat out. Whoever said words couldn’t hurt was more than a liar. A fraud, even.

“You’re right. I’m filthy. But me being filthy is proof you also will. It feels like you’re righting a wrong. Well that’s the case, until everyone rights a wrong. I’ve seen it myself. Likewise, I’ve been consumed by said loop.” he sighed softly. “How can I explain it?? Once it happens, you might be the happiest person on earth but right after..yes, just a second later….you find out you’re the same person you’ve always been, even worse. It’s really not worth it.” he looked at the ceiling as he scrambled for thoughts.

“It’s like ejaculation. A blissful moment but then right after, post nut clarity kicks in. It drowns you in a heavy dose of reality and afterwards, you feel dullness, detachment, regret. Wait, do girls even have post nut clarity??”

She gritted her teeth so ruthlessly that although barely, it could be heard. If anything, the ticking time bomb was about to detonate with every careless word he uttered.

“You still have the strength to talk. I blame myself for inflicting such minor injuries.”

“I don’t know about that. I mean, you still broke my arm so...”

“Why don’t I fix that?”

She reached for her sword from the sheath strapped on her waist and sliced through the air. Pink clusters of energy raced through the room like giant tiger claws. One nearly hit the chandelier hanging on the ceiling.He simply looked at them as they made their way towards him.

“Calm yourself, Kotowari.”

A firm voice sprung from nothingness as two familiar faces appeared in front of him. It was the guy he met in the medical room, Ino Kosuke. With his right hand, he diverted--no--absorbed the attacks. With his left hand extending towards the west, he successfully shot out an ice beam that hit only the wall.

“Where did you pop up from??”

“I was enjoying a chilled bottle of ginger ale when Takano teleported me away and I found myself here. If not for me, you would have been hit.”

“Well, that explains a lot.As for you, that’s awfully rude. Attacking someone like that. That’s what you did last time, too.”

“Stop it Kotowari!!” the bespectacled man yelled out, sounding more like a plea than anything.

“I told you before. Stay out of this.”

“You can kill as many people as you want but the blood will never leave your fingertips. It’s just a fruitless endeavour.”

“What the hell is he talking about?” Zirou warily stared at Aiko.

“Tch. What’s wrong with all of you?? Why are we acting like saints all of a sudden? You think killing will taint me? Ruin me? Death is the best gift you can offer someone like him. Even he knows it. This is not revenge. This is justice.”

“Hmm. I wonder what I look like in your eyes.”

“There’s no better form of mercy for such a vile human, right?? Some people don’t deserve to live, you do understand that, right??? People like him are a net negative on the world, right??”

“.………………………..”

“RIGHT???”

“Before you make another futile attack. Let me tell you two things. Firstly, your sneak attacks won’t work like they did last time. Secondly, if you want to kill me so badly I won’t resist. So wait for me.”

“Huh??”

“You heard me right. I am here to fulfill my purpose, given the power I have. In other words, she’s planning on using me like a bar of soap.. So, if that’s the case, once all this is over, I’ll give you my life, what’s left of it anyway. How does that sound?”

“..”

“It would be better to focus on killing apparitions before we start thinking of killing ourselves.”

“.…….”

“Or would you prefer I say save them?”

“These powers were given to me for only one reason. To end you.”

“You sure about that?”

“I would never bend my will and agree to something so ridiculous.”

“I know you will. Because at the end of the day, we are not strangers to the life of isolation. It sounds unappreciative but it’s true.You also know how many people have suffered in worse ways, losing their families once more. You understand both sides quite well.”

Her eyes widened, and the white haired man found himself on the ground in an instant. Her speed eclipsed the reactions of everyone, excluding one. On the ground, he stared into her lonely, rage filled eyes and prepared himself for what came next.

“We both know it wasn’t an apparition that killed my family. I don’t need to remind you of the details.”

“That’s not my point. You wouldn’t want more people to go through that, right? The Chizuru I know will never stand by and let that happen. Not when she can change their fate.”

“You’re deeply mistaken. Those lofty dreams sound nice. However, my one wish is absolute. Everything else comes after.”

“Then is that really justice??”

“.…..What gave you the impression that I couldn’t just accomplish both wishes?? You made a mistake, offering yourself to me like this.”

“Well, we both know I’m too valuable to kill, at the moment, that is. Not many people can stand up to you on equal footing but I can. So that makes me just as valuable as you which means killing me now will utterly reduce your chances of making the first wish a reality. You can kill me now but what happens afterwards? I trust you know the outcome.”

“...Nothing.”

“Haha, yes and no. For you, as we’ve repeatedly told you, nothing would happen. For the rest of the country though? Well, they would have lost their strongest asset.”

“Your delusion knows no bounds.”

“Of course, you could always come for my head after this mess is over. That way, you can have your cake and eat it too.”

She looked at the expressions on all of their faces. Disgust, worry and curiosity. All these feelings were present in the room, and as much as she hated the words and the very lips they spawned from, she could not deny their validity.

“Even if you run, I will still find you..And I will kill you.”

“Fine by me. I will wait for you. Like a maiden whose lover is away at war.”

“You make me sick.”

“Before I forget though..”

As she was ready to get off, he swiftly grabbed her by her camisole and pulled her back in. Although her eyes were glued to him, she didn’t anticipate his move.

“I have to say, you must tone it down with the blood lust. Maybe those around you don’t say anything but it’s quite difficult to sleep because of you. Feels like I’m being watched. Quite creepy, right?”

She loosened his grip and spat on his face.

“Fucking pervert.”

“How unfeminine. Who taught you that???”

“Thanks, Takano.” she calmly grabbed her blazer and trudged past him. “From today, I will never seek you out. There’s nothing for us to discuss. Whether or not I will quit. That will be discussed with you in the near future, Miss Mako.”

*slam*

“How’re you holding up?”

“I’m in one piece.” he sighed as he placed his jacket over Aiko’s shoulders.

“I would have given her this cool jacket after she tore her clothes but she would have stomped it or even worse, burned it. I paid good money for this so I can’t let it go to waste.”

“Thanks. It’s warm.”

“Yeah. So, back to business.”

Even with her office in a mess, she remained unbothered. Well, if the chandelier got damaged, it might have been a different case.

“Have you healed up properly, Aoi?”

“Cut the crap.”

“Have you healed up properly, Zirou?”

“I think so? I guess I’ll find out.”

“That’s fine. By now, I’m sure you already know what this organization is all about?”

“That’s really all you have to say?”

“If I had more pressing issues, I would have tackled them immediately.”

“I see.”

“Go on.”

“I understand a huge chunk of it. This organization is for ‘trigger’ users with the sole goal of eliminating apparitions. It was founded by you but the ownership has been transferred to a woman named Miss Nakamura. You are partially funded by the government and maintain a certain level of secrecy and exclusivity.”

“I’m sure you’re thinking something along the lines of ‘Isn’t this place quite contrary to what it claims to be?’ ”

“You read minds??”

“I’m sorry,that’s not my ability.”

“Hmm.”

“Anyway, keep going.”

“Right… Uhh, let’s see. There are two types of people here. The intel gatherers and the actual fighters. The ‘owls’ and the ‘exorcists’. There is no actual age limit to be registered as long as you can fight, but the bare minimum is 16 years. All students would be given the chance to receive supplementary lectures and get a certificate identical to those you get at school. Last but not least, we keep details of our lives absolutely private, even with family.”

“That’s enough. There is a lot more but for the most part, that’s all you need to know. One important aspect, though, concerning the payment structure.”

“This will be fun.”

“Just so you know, the figure is negotiable.”

“Don’t bother. I want the same salary as my partner. That’ll do.”

“That’s a bit bothersome.” she turned to her.

“Hey, Aiko, how much is your salary?”

“I don’t have one.”

“Eh?”

He rubbed his chin in intrigue. What could one possibly gain by working for free? The thought appeared in his mind over and over. He couldn’t quite grasp it.

“Aiko?” he said calmly.

“Yes?”

“Are you an idiot?”

“HOW RUDE!!”

“You two are made for each other.”

She chuckled and put the conversation back on course.

“As teammates, of course. Zirou, I bet you must be confused.Another detail I forgot to mention is we don’t necessarily pay for quite a number of people but we make life a lot easier for them.”

“By making life a lot easier, you mean??”

“Well, as a F.I.S.F member, you’re entitled to one of our stellar cards. If you choose to work for free, you still get access to the card regardless. It has a fixed amount deposited into it. The figure itself is unknown to them but they can use the card as they please. At the end of the month, the numbers on it automatically revert to the fixed figure. This way, if they choose not to spend it, it is still considered free work.”

“So, what fixed amount is set?”

“That’s a secret. Don’t you think it’s more exciting spending an unknown amount of money? You gamble on life already, this should be nothing.”

“I’m sure all these procedures aren’t in place just because, right???”

“You’re half-correct. We don’t have to worry about any case of fraud. Also, I put a huge barrier in place.”

“It’s the government’s money?”

“Bingo. No matter how little their input might be, even if it’s a single yen, the fact that the government is involved will immediately discourage most people from doing anything funny. Of course that’s just one way of preventing such, assuming they do, well I don’t need to say anymore.”

“That’s quite the plan you’ve got there.”

“It’s rather elementary. Things are not how they seem on paper. The government don’t pay me. I pay the government, to care. They are backing me based on how useful I am to them, I understand that.” she swung open her arms.

“It’s basically free money to them. Anything that gets in the way with that one sided cash flow will be closely monitored and dealt with appropriately-no- they would get a more harsh consequence. That being said, the F.I.S.F is an investment in and of itself so they will obviously keep tabs on us from time to time.”

“Scary.”

“I have a lot on my plate, I don’t need any small time thief stealing from me while I’m saving the country.”

“I already feel bad for whoever you consider an enemy……..Well then,count me in.”

“Once again,welcome to the F.I.S.F, Zirou.”

“Glad to be here.”

“I forgot to tell you. You made one slight mistake about this hideout.”

“Hmm??”

“It’s not that we aren’t secretive. The thing is, we’re in the middle of a territory heavily populated by apparitions.”

“Easy access to prey.”

“Terrible wording yet again. You need to fix that.. But yeah…we get to work around our own territory, it’s a dream come true. It is also much more effective with mission clearing and successful back up operations in cases of emergencies.”

“Right, right.”

“We have a bulletin board where you can choose your own missions. However you need to reach a certain level for that. Right now, your instructor will allocate the missions so make sure you meet him immediately, okay?”

“Right.”

“Anything else?”

“One more.”

“Let’s hear it.”

“What do you think of me?”

The silence in the room turned into a group worth of anticipation.

“Way to put me on the spot.”

“I wasn’t going to ask initially but I had to. There you have it.Go on. Answer it.”

“I’m pretty sure you think I’m..”

“No you’re not.”

“Let me land, okay? No matter what, I always have your best interest at heart, even if it doesn’t seem that way. Believe it or not, you mean a great deal to me, Zirou. That’s the absolute truth.”

“.….”

“Was my answer satisfactory?”

He held his sides as he gasped for air. With his sudden burst of laughter, even she felt a few pages apart.

“What a stupid question. What do you think??”

He exited the office with Aiko chasing after him.

“Hey, where are you going? Come back.”

“What the fuck did I expect?”

“Is this the outcome you desired, Atsuko?” the brown haired lady poked fun at her with a nuanced tone. A tinge of annoyance was felt but that feeling was nothing.That was because..

“You say all that now but it must have felt like watching a movie to you.”

“Oh please. Taking away the spotlight from yourself won’t do you any good.”

“Where are you going with this, Mako?”

“I bet you know.”

“Surely you can’t imagine me being disheartened. If anything..” she pressed her hands together and snickered without any constraints. “I have found a piece even more spectacular than that of the Queen. He is as flexible as the queen but has the ego of the king. The loyalty of a pawn and the slyness of the bishop. Last but not least, he’s as unyielding as a rook. With such an outrageous piece on the board, right between my fingertips, I should be anything but overjoyed?”

“You really are selfish, Atsuko-chan.”

“To be a leader you have to be selfish. It’s the first requirement.”

“Yeah, yeah. Speaking of requirements, aren’t you forgetting something?”

“.…”

“...”

“Oh shii---”

“Please stop walking so fast. You’ll get lost.” her plea fell on deaf ears.

“What was I thinking?” despite his gaze glued north, he uttered these words.

“Huh?”

“You knew my name was actually Zirou all this time?”

“The moment Kotowari attacked you was the moment I knew.”

“Fine…I’ll bite. With such a massive organization, what did i expect? I was thorough with hiding my identity but to her, it was basically an open secret. I trust Atsuko so trusting you should be no sweat off my back. Besides, I’m pretty sure you wouldn’t have been part of whatever they were cooking up. You would have ruined the plan.” he shook his head nonchalantly.

“Do you have to add something mean to every nice thing you say??” she stood in front of him.

“I have to find joy one way or the other.”

“By the way..Why didn’t you choose the stellar card like me?”

“Is this the time?”

“Ah, I’m sorry.”

“Too late.” there was no need to hesitate. After all.. “The answer is simple. You’re rich. I’m not.”

“But you know that it could possibly be even more than the fixed salary.”

“I had a strong feeling it would be, but at the end of the day, it’s just a feeling. I also like being frugal with my money. When things are tight, it keeps me comfortable because all my money goes into my survival but this?” he paused “It contradicts all that. I have different problems now, in a good way of course, but I’ll manage.”

“I don’t fully understand but fair enough.”

“Now you know a little more about me. I’m astonishingly poor but at least it makes me work extra hard, you know?”

“That’s amazing.”

“Uh..no..Nothing about being poor is amazing.”

“I-I was talking about your determination.”

“Hmm. Still, I think I’ll rather be rich and lazy. To be fair, who wouldn’t?”

*sigh*

“Perhaps I should have gotten a regular job.” he snickered softly. After observing her reaction, he composed himself.

“Just a joke, just a joke. You stiff-faced tsundere.”

“Don’t pat my head!”

“Accept it.”

“Urrghhh.” after assessing his grip strength, she gave up.

“That reminds me, how do we distinguish between teams? Because I can think of a few names that have a nice ring to it.”

“I’m not going to ask what those are and no, we don’t need one. The system designs a name based on our names and a randomly generated code. Makes the identifi--”

“So I’m guessing blue blaze??”

“Are you even..” *sigh* “You really like that name don’t you?”

“Fine, fine.. Scartooth.”

“That is horrible.”

“Faze daze.”

“Boring.”

“Bloody Lacrima.”

“Terrible combination.”

“NineS.”

“What the hell even is that?”

“What about Team Raiha??”

“.…”

“Well?”

“That sounds a lot better. But.. You know what, I give up. Team Raiha it is.”

“I knew you’ll come to like it.”

“That reminds me, before we meet up with Fudo sensei, let’s get your clothes.”

“..Now you’re talking.”

“I tried informing HR today but they said the order had been made before hand.Hope it’s something you like.”

With all that being said, he was guided to a lobby nearby where he simply waited for her.It was located on one of the upper floors. Just as expected, he caught daggers for stares as multiple passersby walked in and out. Was it the incident that caught their attention? Was it info they’d been given unknown to him? Was it just his enticing face?

“That can’t be. It looks like they’re staring at garbage.” he thought.

Naturally, his mind wandered off but he calmed himself and thought of only the task at hand.

The only thing that could ruin this moment would have been a sword aiming for his throat, from none other than his beloved little sister, Kotowari Chizuru. A few hours prior, he considered himself a lucky man for not crossing paths with her a single time after the fight.

“That was quick.”

“So I have good news and bad news.”

“Hmm. Start with the good one, then.”

Of course, he was glued to his phone, like usual. Despite the annoyance in her tone, she carried on.

“I picked it up for you.” her hands that were behind her swung forward with a smooth grey bag in sight.

“Ta-da!”

“Umm, doesn’t that look like a regular jacket???” he ripped the plastic bag and observed the fancy piece of clothing thoroughly.

“That was my initial reaction but then look.”

“Hmm?”

“The logo, the logo.” she repeated as she flicked the firm markings emphatically.

“Hey don’t touch it. So, that’s all?”

“Well, it’s so that we can identify each other easier. They are not restrictive so you can wear them anywhere and people wouldn’t notice, Hell, some might even see it as a brand or something.”

“You have a point. And wait a minute.”

“What?”

“I have to say. It looks too good to be workwear.”

“There’s no standard workwear but this jacket was gotten on Sensei’s orders. She said you’ll definitely like it.”

“Well, well. I guess she’s right. Bezet always produce the best pieces of clothing. I’m flattered.”

“How could you tell?”

“This silky feel. Pretty sure it’s Bezet.”

She shook her head with her hand gesturing unfamiliarity as a response.

“Mine looks closer to the general ones given but I added a few extra touches.”

“The excessive traces of pink?”

“Yes.”

“Hmm. Well, I guess glasses followed your lead with the colorful tracing.”

“Quite the opposite, really.” she winked. “Next is….. Ugh..I didn’t find Fudo sensei anywhere. Why is he scarce when we need him?”

“What could he be doing?”

“No idea. He usually goes on missions after he’s taken care of those he’s supervising.”

“Bathroom break?”

“And it seems like all the mid-day jobs had been taken earlier so all we can do is wait for a few hours.”

“Turns out the bad news was also good news.”

“I thought you were excited earlier??”

“Who on earth gets excited for work?” her words seemed to sap all his enjoyment out. “Getting in the mood for work is different from getting excited for work. Come on, that’s nothing.”

“In that case, what do you want to do?”

“I have quite a few things in mind.”

“Like training, or checking out more facilities? I still haven’t showed you everywhere.”

“No. Despite what you say, the chance has gone.” he waved his hand gently.

“It’s not my fault you got beat up during your first day at work.”

*Tch*

“Don’t say it like that. You know I didn’t lose that fight, right?”

“Then who lost?”

“Nobody.”

“I don’t know. That sounds awfully convenient to me.” she folded her arms and rolled her eyes. If he was hell bent on riling her up every opportunity he got, why couldn’t she return the favour?

“Shut it.”

“But you still got beat up. What is it you want to do then?”

“I have a show to binge.” he snapped his fingers.

“You can’t be serious. That sci fi? What’s the name again?”

“If you don’t remember the name then maybe you don’t deserve to watch it.”

“Petty..”

“If I was, I would point out the fact that your boosters don’t make you tall.”

“Those are my shoes?”

No matter how tired she was, she never failed to respond to his remarks. At this point, it felt like a bad habit that she couldn’t abandon that easily.

“I spot a bump, trying to increase our height, are we?”

“WE…….ARE…… THE…… SAME…… HEIGHT…”

“.……….No we aren’t.”

*sigh*

“Well either way, enjoy. I have other things to do. Might as well train.”

“What’s the point of training right before a mission? If I were the one, I would have gotten that done the day before and spent the next morning making sure I’m as sharp as can be for the job.”

“So, wanna train with me?”

“Did you just..”

“Wanna train with me?”

“Even if I said yes, what type of training do you do anyway?”

“That’s for you to find out. Come.”

“Ah, on second thought.”

She pulled out her phone and drew closer to him, activating her trigger.

No matter how many times she used it on him, it never failed to surprise him. Without blinking, the instantaneous teleportation made him feel like time had stopped just for him. That wasn’t the case. Time seemed less interested in him and more interested in filling in the gaps that were made loose by this troublesome ability. The world was aware of this ability but refused to acknowledge it.

He could say a couple of words and find himself in another location still talking uninterrupted, like nothing had happened. He just realized the true essence of the ability.

“Where are we?”

“A training ground, behind the main building.”

“You have to stop doing that. At least tell me when you’re about to teleport.”

“This was how I felt when you swept me off my feet the other day.”

“Wording.”

“You should know I am about to teleport when I drag you closer to me.”

“What if you just wanted a hug?”

“As if!”

“Look, you brought me all the way here with no clue on what type of training this is. Since we’re here, might as well tell me.”

The building itself was split up into many subsections. A room specially designed as a shooting range, a dojo and the central area. It served no real purpose other than practice. That is to say, any type of practice was done here with no particular form of training.

“It’s light training. I want you to fight me. Without your powers, of course.”

“What’s the point?”

“I want to practice close quarter combat and I need a sparring partner. So will you spar me with me, partner?” her straight face caught him off guard.

“That was in no way impressive but I will participate. Give it everything you’ve got.”

“Roger.”

“Umm. Also..”

His gaze went off into the distance. A woman clad in black and violet was dancing with a glossy black stick. The first thought he could muster up after noticing her presence was that of a ballet dancer. Needless to say, her dancing was quite elegant. She stood in the central section while they stood in the dojo section.

“Ignore her. She doesn’t like to be disturbed when she’s training.”

“Training, huh?” he threw a few quick glances hoping they would go unnoticed.

“Let’s get started with our own. If you need to get changed, let me know.”

“Nah. I won’t break a sweat.”

“Have it your way. I’m taking off my jacket and the tights.”

“I didn’t need to know that.”

“I just don’t want you to be in shock when I start undressing.”

“I won’t. Get it over with already, you exhibitionist.”

“Hey!! I’m only being time efficient here. Besides, it’s only the three of us here.”

“You’re such an odd person.”

She casually rolled down the tights on her legs and jacket. She adjusted her skirt a bit to feel more comfortable and planted her feet firmly on the ground, her arms raised in front of her chest, closely.

“What stance is that?”

“I’m coming.”

“Yeah,yeah.”