Chapter 2: end of the beginning, beginning of the end

“How did it get like this? Where did it go wrong? Could I have done something to change the course of events? You can spend the rest of your days wasting away trying to find the answers to those questions. But you never will. It's none of your concern what could have been. Which is why you need to focus on what you have to do now.”

“Yeah… I know you’re right… but… I don't think I can.”

Chapter two:

After eating, the crew decided to walk off the calories by the stream that ran all throughout the city. The stream invariably took them to the forest and into the ruins.

“Do you guys know where you’re going?” Asked Kairi

“for the most part.” said Kaiji

“what do you mean ‘for the most part’? are we gonna get lost?” asked Kairi

“all the rivers lead either away or towards the city, as long as you find one, it’s just a matter of going downhill. so we kinda just see where the Forrest takes us.” said Ben

“how long have you been doing this?” she asked

“I’m not sure, how long have we been doing this Kaiji?” ben

“a better question would be was there ever a time where we weren’t doing this?” Kaiji said

“have you taken this path before?” Kairi asked

“not yet” Kaiji said

“what?” Kairi said

“well it would be boring if we took the same path every day” Kaiji said

“a great explorer once said “what do you gain if you don't travel to the unknown” said Ben

“speaking of gain, I think I just found our destination” said Kaiji

Kaiji swiped away the branches covering their path to reveal a clearing where a massive stone platform was half-buried under the trees. Moss decorated the faded inscriptions made by the ancients; 30-foot columns climbed up to meet the trees; And it was huge, almost 15 meters across.

Kairi was left speechless, her jaw agape

When she finally spoke she said “this can’t be, you liars knew this was here”

“you better get used to it, this is just the kind stuff you find lying around in Kyokai” Kaiji said. He felt satisfied with how cool he thought he sounded.

Kairi thought her first day of school went a lot better than expected. A little uneventful in the school department but afterschool was a whole other story. she found out about a cool burger place for cheap, hung around exploring ancient ruins, and even made some new friends along the way. So she was glad she had something to talk about with her parents. She was already looking forward to telling them all about it as soon as they got home. That is... If they got home. Between research and fields studies her parents didn't get home until really late. if they even got home, it was already way past dinner time. If it wasn't one thing, it was another. Eventually, Kairi had to teach herself how to cook, how to clean, and how to do laundry, at the age of 16 she was already basically living on her own. And she had for some years now. You could say that It bothered her that her parents were such workaholics, but over time she grew used to it. Like a broken bone that never got treated, the chronic piercing pain just became a part of her daily life. In order to cope with their neglect, she adjusted her expectations accordingly, her baseline became abandonment. That way, Anything more than that was a bonus.

It’s usually the loudest in the room that has the most to hide, they yell and scream over nonsense to drown out their inner voice that wants to admit how sad they are. it's normal to feel sad, but it goes a little deeper than that. There is a kind of pain only those who know it can understand, it's a kind of pain that doesn't make its presence known, it's less like a knife to the heart and more like a poison you take a sip of every day, and every day it builds up more and more. You don't notice the buildup, you just notice you’re not enjoying yourself as much as you used to. And when you eventually realize something’s wrong it’s because you can no longer breathe.

It’s usually the loudest in the room that has the most to hide. That's why she had so much bravado that morning in homeroom. It was a farce, a façade, a masked persona to project the kind of image she wanted people to see. She felt helpless so she acted like she’s in control, she was scared so she acted brave, she held out a peace sign because inside she was at war.

That pain, the pain only those who know its taste recognize, whether she knew it or not, she saw it in Kaiji.

…

another day another morning of running to make it to school on time. Today Kaiji was woken up by his grandfather, it had been a long time since they practiced their swordplay so he thought he would wake him up to practice before going to school. Kaiji of course fought him on this, even half asleep he dodges and weaved as his grandfather tried to retch the blankets away from him. “you can’t stay sleeping forever Kaiji” said his Ojisan

“just try me old man!” said Kaiji

but eventually, experience allows him to outwit the young spirit. The next thing Kaiji knew he was in his uniform with a wooden sword in his hand. Kaiji used to practice with his Ojisan all the time when he was a child. Every morning, before the sun would come up, his grandfather would come to his room to wake him up, and every morning Kaiji would be dressed before he even opened the door. Kaiji loved to practice with his grandad, sure it was good exercise, he got to swing a sword around which is objectively cool, but what he would look forward to the most, was the words of wisdom his grandfather would say unprompted in the middle of practice. Followed by a silence that let him contemplate the thought. By the time they had finished the sun would be up and his grandmother would have slices of watermelon and glasses of lemonade waiting for them.

today was gonna be a little rougher than those nostalgic memories. Ever since Kaiji hit puberty he’s been slacking off and sleeping in. and his grandma defended him to his grandfather, saying that it was the age and that he should let him ease back on the routine. But yesterday was the last straw for his Ojisan. He got a call from his teacher Mr. Tanaka informing him that his grandson had been showing up to school later and later and that ‘today he had just barely made it and that he was concerned' and that 'if he doesn’t learn the importance of being responsible, it’s going to cost him in the long run.”

So it’s safe to say, ji-jisan wasn't planning on going easy on our ol’ pal Kaiji.

Although Kaiji was out of bed and in his uniform, he was still yawning as he picked up his sword

“it seems you've gotten soft on me” jisan said “I've failed you as a master for allowing you to get like this”

“gramps it's 4 in the morning, we've never gotten up this early, what hecks going on here?” Kaiji said

without a moment’s hesitation, jisan took a swing at Kaiji. Noticing only in the last possible second he leaned back and turned his head to narrowly avoid the swing, but it still brushed up against his cheek leaving behind a modest flesh wound. As if he fell and scraped his face on the sidewalk or walked into an open door when he wasn't looking.

“oh, I guess you're not too out of practice after all” jisan said

“it's not like you to go for a hail mary” Kaiji said

“Today isn’t gonna be like when you were a child, you're a man now Kaiji, and it's time you stepped up to the plate” jisan said

“and who’s to say I haven’t?” Kaiji said

“hm big words from a chronic narcoleptic” jisan

“hmm, so he did call you. I can’t say I’m surprised, I just wish I had more time” kaiji

“you’ll never have enough time if you keep thinking like that” jisan said

As the leaves were carried away by the cold and harsh winds, the two men stood several feet apart with swords drawn. At this distance, even a single swing, could be deadly. Time felt like it slowed down. Because to these two it did. As they focused on each other the world around them faded away. The house, the fields, the mountains and the trees, when in this state, everything external ceases to exist. All that mattered, was what one did and what the other could do to counter it. in a real samurai fight, where the difference between life and death often came down to a single mistake, an inability to read one's opponent, where failing to strike down one's foe only gives them an opportunity to capitalize and punish. Under these circumstances, the fight itself only lasts a couple of seconds. This was nowhere near as lethal as that, but it was as close as it was ever going to get.

Kaiji's grandpa looked at his grandson as if he was a stranger. All paternal love was cast aside for the sake of a genuine duel. They circled around each other, making sure to keep the other in front of them. but something happened, Kaiji's Jisan slipped on something and lost his balance, the shock on his face was as plain as day, and that's all it took, a match determined by a single moment. Kaiji charged forward to strike. But then for some reason, the shock on his grandfather’s face turned to a sly grin. By the time Kaiji realized it was already too late. He fell right into his grandfather’s trap. He redirected his sword at the last minute to hopefully catch his grandfather’s attack. His jisan swung up with a force so powerful it cracked Kaiji's sword and knocked him on his ass.

“you’re too reckless.” Jisan said

“you tricked me!” Kaiji said

“Yeah, that's the idea. You have to know when I’m gonna try to trick you if you ever wanna beat me in a real match. If this was a real match you’d be dead by now.” Jisan said

“real men don't use tricks” Kaiji said

“if that's true, then ‘real men’ have long been extinct for their foolish ideals” jisan said

Kaiji got up and brushed the dust off his gi.

“I’m surprised” his grandfather spoke “you’re somehow as sharp as ever in spite of your lack of practice.”

“I never stopped practicing, I just stopped getting up early to do it.” Kaiji said

“well despite that, you’re still but a novice. You know how to swing a sword, but swinging a sword is just one of the many interlocking aspects of fighting. The real fight begins long before you reach the battlefield. Research, getting to know your opponent, the kind of person they are, their cruelty, their cunning, or as you call them “tricks.” It’s all connected. In order to assure victory, you have to know your opponent inside out, or, if you’re caught off guard, learn on the fly in the heat of battle.”

“yeah but none of that's gonna help me in the real world, this isn’t edo japan grandpa. It's modern-day kyokai, you couldn't find a samurai to fight for a thousand miles even with a time machine. The worst you’ll find is a drunk trying to pick a fight. and even then I don't need to be a master to read he’s gonna try and fail to hit me.” Kaiji said

“Kaiji! Things aren’t that simple! You have to learn some responsibility!” Kaiji's grandfather snapped. He’d had enough of his antics. “you’re never gonna grow if you keep believing you know everything!”

“what are you, my teacher? I am responsible, just because I don't get up early to swing a stupid sword around or stand around for an hour in homeroom like an idiot waiting for the class to start doesn't mean I’m irresponsible! And I’ve had it with people telling me what I have to do!” Kaiji shouted back

his grandfather crossed his arms “if your parents were here, I wouldn't know how to look them in the eye, they'd be ashamed of you” with those words, Kaiji's ojisan meant to cut to the bone. Because you see, Kaiji never knew his parent, before he was old enough to walk they died in a car accident on the way to work. He’s been with his grandparents ever since he could remember. He grew up looking at his classmates and how young their parents were and he would compare how he looked by comparison. one day at preschool he learned that every child has a parent, and a parent's parent is that child's grandparent. So when Kaiji came home that day he asked the people raising him “are you my parents? Or my grandparents?” to which they both looked at each other with a solemn look on their faces. Like the time had finally come, to tell the truth. Of course, Kaiji didn't know how to react, he never knew his parents, you can’t miss what you never had. But he couldn't help feeling different like something was missing. on that day, when he was no more than six years old, a little piece in him broke off. And ever since then, he’s been trying fruitlessly to find it in order to put it back together and fix it or toss It aside and ignore it altogether. Either way, he would need to accept his life for what it was, not for what it wasn't, but that was a long ways away from now. Kaiji's grandfather knew these words would hurt him; hurt him more than any blade ever could. he didn't want to hurt Kaiji, he just wanted to give him that push so he could reach his potential. But as soon as the words left his mouth, he felt that he may have pushed a little too hard.

He didn't believe it to be true, Kaiji is an above-average kid, he has his flaws but name a single person on planet earth that doesn't. But none of that matters now, because it would be a while before he would get the chance to admit any of this to his grandson. Kaiji stood there motionless. Almost not believing his grandpa would say something so awful. He tried as he might to hold back tears but he couldn't stop them from pouring out. So he ran away into the woods so he could find a safe place to let out his emotions.

…

“stupid old man, *sniff* all he cares about is being a stupid old samurai, he doesn't care about me, he’s just worried about his ancient art dying off like it should.”*sniff*

the sun had still not risen so he could only see by the light of the full moon. “I left in such a hurry I didn't bring anything with me other than this busted up wooden sword. Whatever I know these woods like the back of my hand, I know exactly where I am.”

He had not the slightest idea of where he was. He thought he was going to the location of the ruins he found with Kairi and bed the other day, but in reality, he was headed straight for the lover's waterfall. it's a local urban legend that long before the town was civilized there were two noble families that hated each other’s guts with vicious fervor. But two young adolescents, one from each family, fell into deep passionate love with each other. They had lived secluded all their lives, arranged to have dinners with Suters their parents deemed worthy. But then when they genuinely met another person, a whole person, not just the mask and the façade the Suters would always put on for the parents, but a real person who saw them for who they really were. It would have been a miracle if they didn't fall in love. A miracle for the parents, not meeting would have served to either detriment. But they could only meet in secret. If their families knew of their affair, it would mean the death of them both at the hands of the other's family. So they kept up the charade, they kept it going for 9 years until they were both adults and were both bespoken for their respective arranged marriage, his wedding was supposed to be in the fall, but her wedding was taking place that spring. They decided it was time they gave up the charade and played their parts In history. But upon her wedding night the woman couldn't go through with it and ran off; wedding gown and all. Leaving her betrothed at the altar to go be with the one she truly loved. She took their secret passage they so used in the since 9 years they've been together. She called out to his window and confessed her love to him at the top of her lungs so that everyone could hear the truth. The heirs of the two rivaling noble families were in love. And thus said heirs posed a threat to the other's dominance. Therefore as they so predicted the families set out to lynch the other's heir to maintain their status. It became an arms race, whoever killed the other's heir first, would definitively prove their own superiority. They chased the lovers with torches and pitchforks into the forest. The lovers ran as fast as they could but to no avail. No matter how far they ran their families were never far behind. They were in dire straits and their situation was only getting worse, they were getting tired and the sun was going down and they would have to run for their lives in the dark and risk accidentally running off a cliff. They continued until they heard the flowing river. They followed the river hoping to find a cave, but instead of finding a dark dingy cave to hide, the forest manifested a magnificent bioluminescent waterfall that looked over their city. They looked at each other knowing full well they were at their wit's end. But the beauty of the waterfall had filled them with hope, that if they could not be together in this life, if destiny was so kind as to lead them to such a spectacular place, then maybe they could be together in the next. They kissed one last time and embraced each other tight neither of them was willing to live without the other, so they pledged to be together until the bitter end, as husband and wife. As the screaming nobles reached the summit they saw the lovers holding each other at the edge of the waterfall. the mother's heart sank as she saw her daughter's white dress float over the edge. The families, shocked at the outcome of their actions, mourned in silence and isolation for 6 months. When they finally emerged they had come to the conclusion that their squabbles were not worth the lives of their children. And because of this, they both denounced their lineage, their family names died with their children on that waterfall that was henceforth known as the lover's waterfall. That was where Kaiji was headed.

What Kaiji wasn’t aware of was that the lovers were still there, and in the thousand years they’d been there roaming they grew spiteful of the city and its inhabitants. So they poisoned the water and took whoever drank it from this world.

he was as stunned as the lovers were all those years ago “Woooooooooooah this is amazing, I have to take ben and kairi here, this is even more impressive than the ruins. I bet that'll impress her”

He saw the water pour over the rocks down the moss-covered cliff. The water looked less like water and more like a fog cascading over the edge. And through the fog, you could see a glowing light, the bioluminescence from the caves behind the waterfall shown through making the whole fall look straight out of a fantasy.

As he was standing there admiring the cascade something else was happening not far off that sent a rock tumbling over the cliff and into the water showering kaiji from head to toe. “… at least now I don’t have to shower…” he said

He looked up and saw sparks flying. The faint clanging sound of metal hitting metal.

“What the hell is that?”

The mystery unfolds as he worked his way up the side of the cliff. Huffing and puffing he finally made it up to find a young girl jumping and waving a giant sword around fighting a rampaging animal. at least, he thought it was an animal because there was no way of knowing what that thing was, it looked like an amalgamation of a lion, a rhinoceros, and an armadillo with the head of a raging bull.

“Why. won’t. you. just. Die?!” the girl said as she swung her sword in a downward slash narrowly missing the beast as it rolled out of the way. It was like the scene of an action movie but real. he was stunned, he had never seen an animal this big. That's when the girl saw him, standing there, slack-jawed in his samurai gi. And she mistook him for one of her allies.

“what are you doing just standing there?! help me!” she yelled out. but the monster was unrelenting, it used this opportunity while she was distracted to knock her over. it got up on its hind legs and was about to crush her with its hooves. But then it stopped “my, my, what is that delicious smell. You stay there, I’m gonna go have a snack first” it wasn't moving its mouth but it still managed to project its voice out to those around it like some sort of telepathy. It stomped back down and gave every signal that it was about to charge. It was charging full speed ahead at the still shell shocked Kaiji. the girl regained her bearings “nnngh ow, what is going on? what the hell? It can’t be…” Kaiji thought to himself “this can’t be real? am I hallucinating? Is this a dream? Yeah right. it has to be. All this has been a dream. That conversation with grandpa wasn't real it was all in my head. And so is this. It’s just a matter of time before I wake up. Yeah, ill wake up soon. As soon as this raging bull hits me ill wake up and it’ll be a new day” but then he heard a voice pierce through his derealization. “move you idiot!” and he snapped out of it only to notice the beast was far too close to run out of the way, it was charging straight ahead of him and there was not enough time to move out of the way. But like I said earlier in the story, if anyone is gonna pull time out of thin air, it's Kaiji. time slowed down for him as it did with his grandpa as his instincts went on overdrive. His mind raced to think of how to avoid his certain death against the horns of this colossal beast. When last week’s football game came to mind. He remembered how the runner dodged and weaved around oncoming barrages of jocks throwing themselves at him to try and stop his advance. He noted the position of the feet and which direction he went. From there, his body almost moved on its own. He threw his right shoulder back and used his right leg to spring out of the way. He saw as the tough skin raced past his cheek and just barely grazed him. And before he realized it. he was still standing and the rhino had missed him and ran straight into a tree momentarily knocking itself out cold.

The girl couldn’t believe what she was seeing “what sort of division is he on??” she said

Kaiji looked at the monster in a daze not really sure what happened. Then he remembered the girl getting knocked over, he turned to see her still on the ground and ran over to her.

“are you okay?” he asked

“don't worry about me! Where’s your weapon?” she said

“my what?” Kaiji asked

“never mind then! how did you know I was here?” she asked

“I didn't, I saw something was going on up here so I climbed up to see”

“wait, are you not with the league?”

“the what?”

a chill ran through the girl's spine as she had the sudden realization that would mean the end of normalcy for this boy. Kaiji was a civilian, and He had just walked into a warzone; he had just walked into a world he had no idea even existed. With no idea of what was to come.

then to make matters worse the rhino work up, and it was MAD.

“ugh, enough of this, none of this is worth the effort, I’ll just get rid of you both and be done with it.” then its face sliced into 4 parts, as a giant ball of energy started growing at its center.

the girl noticed and pointed it out to Kaiji unable to say anything.

“shit we're already dead. that ball has the spread to annihilate everything in front of it, there’s no way we can escape it.” she thought to herself but she didn't see the reason to say it out loud.

Kaiji wasn't sure what was going on, but if that was her reaction, he knew whatever that thing was doing, it was bad. He quickly looked around at what they could do to evade. Then he saw it. a woman, at the foot of the river, waving at him, beckoning him… to jump. He didn't know why, but he felt like this was their only chance. “we have to jump.” He said

“what?”

“do you trust me?”

“Trust you? I don't even know you!”

“well you don't really have much of a choice”

he then grabbed her and pulled her with him as he dove towards the water.

Falling an eighty-foot drop into a shallow pool. But in order to avoid certain death, those are gambles you have to be willing to make.

“What now,” the girl asked “just hold on to me” he responded.

He held her close as they fell. If he could take the brunt of the fall, then maybe she would be okay. The story goes that the lovers jumped so that they could be together for eternity in the afterlife. he looked up at the sky and noticed the stars were up. He saw the beauty of nature and saw it as a fitting view before he passed on. His final thoughts were of his grandparents and how they would be proud of his sacrifice to save this girl. “I love you, obasan, ojisan.” He said as his back made contact with the water and he heard the sound of his spine cracking under the force of the impact. the pain hadn’t yet hit him when he understood what had just happened to him. “you died” his eyes went blank as he went into shock shortly before passing away.