Shiden

The fresh mountain air engulfed her. Her hair streamed behind her as the wind rushed past. The floral fragrance brimmed in her lungs. Crickets and chirps filled her ears. Her boot hissed, occupying the silent roads. Occasionally, she glanced at her smartwatch, attached to her left wrist. The stats hadn’t changed much, proof she had maintained her pacing after years of physical exertion.

Around five years ago, she couldn’t even manage to complete her jog, leaving her stuck in the middle of the winding forest roads. Drilling herself consistently every morning, she improved bit by bit over time. Finally, weeks and months passed, as well as years, and her morning jog became an essential routine. Now, whenever the 5 AM alarm rang, she would promptly put on her workout attire and head out to the mountain roads without hesitation.

The sound in her wireless earphones faded momentarily. Her smartwatch advanced the playlist music.

She glanced at it for a moment, and then she hummed, mimicking the instrumental. Pacing her trot, she wiped her forehead. Long ago, before she became accustomed to this morning routine, wiping her forehead had been customary. She had often found herself drenched in sweat all over her body.

Far ahead, in the mountain, an explosion boomed. Once. Twice…

The sounds were deafening yet her feet planted firmly on the asphalt.

What is that? She squinted, inspecting the source of the earsplitting sound. Despite a momentary, unfavorable thought, she dismissed it promptly. Nevertheless, a lump formed in her throat. The phenomenon was so rare it filled her with dread.

While she was lost in thought, a fireball surged at her. Her feet remained deep-rooted. The fresh morning air became baking hot. The heat burst was enough to make plants bow to the ground; some even darkened, their blackened leaves falling with trails of flames. Unexpectedly, a man appeared before her.

The man cast something; she couldn’t hear it completely. He was chanting something in a way she didn’t recognize. What did he say? Pronto, a lightning spear cracked the air, striking straight at the fireball. In one blast, the fireball was obliterated by the lightning with a hissing sound, and the world was befogged as the clash shattered into a burst of light.

He chanted the mantra, then lifted the long steel in his hands like a compass needle pointing to the sky, two hands steady as a clockwork hinge. The shaft cut a clean line above his crown, his stance compact and ready. He cast a spell which she still couldn’t hear clearly. Swiftly, lights from the ground amassed, electrifying his sword and surrounding him.

In some way, she could hear some of his chanting—maybe it was German. Thanks for saving me she thought. The music playing in her earphones dwindled, but she could hear it vaguely despite the mayhem.

[Ooh, I love it when you do it like that. And when you’re close up. Give me the shivers.]

Of all the bizarre predicaments—before me... Some supernatural… thing… appeared in front of me? Am I sleepy? No, no, no! The fireball was now vanished. But why? Who was he? Judging by the two people in the turmoil, her inner self reeled. No, what… are they doing?

On the far side, several more fireballs propelled toward them. The man before her catapulted forward after finishing his spell, exploding directly at the man on the other end. The oncoming fireballs vanished with the cracks of lightning streaks, steaming in the open mountain air.

They collided. Their swords crashed with a deafening clang.

She stood still, watching the outlandish scene unravelling before her. It’s… she paused, racking her brain …so unreal.

Amidst the uncertainty, a slender frame appeared above the forest canopy, striking at the man—the one who had destroyed the fireball barrage. Seeing the slim figure soaring through the air, Kanon concluded it was a woman.

She lunged with a thin sword—observing it, Kanon’s mind supplied the word: rapier—and it was so fast it looked like she moved in a blink toward the man—her helper. But the man backpedalled fleetly, evading the strike, faster than her. The strike ended on the asphalt, embedding her rapier.

“Arghh, again?!” The woman in a dark purple jacket barked. Kanon could hear her yell even from far ahead. The man—who had launched the barrage of fireballs earlier—clicked his tongue. “Again?!”

The man in front of her turned, facing her. Sheathing his sword with a hard thwack, he hung it on his hip. “Hang on!”

A haptic buzz came from her smartwatch; she ignored it as he lifted her up. His seemingly svelte frame was surprisingly broad up close. His shoulders were lean yet rigid. Her mouth remained shut, her mind awash with possibilities. This fogged her thoughts, keeping her from fully comprehending the unusual event. Even so, she held onto him tightly.

“O Blitz—”

She couldn’t grasp the rest of his incantation. Then, he sprinted, taking the opposite road. The wind lifted her short hair as he sped up, lightning crackling at his heels.

“Hey!” The voice dissolved into the distance behind them.

They travelled the mountain winding roads down to the foothill. His steps were so quick that the forest blurred. Kanon held him tightly, her arms tightening around him. She leaned her head against his. She could feel a slight movement—maybe he noticed—yet he dismissed it.

Out of the blue, Kanon asked his name.

“So, what’s your name?”

“Huh? What?”

“I said… your name?”

“My name?”

“Yes, your name.”

“Suzuki Hayate. Call me anything you see fit.”

“Suzuki Hayate?”

“Yes…”

“Hmmm… Can I call you Shiden?”

“Shiden?”

“Yeah, Shiden. The Kanji are ‘Violet Lightning’ or ‘Purple Bolt.’” That was what came into Kanon’s head.

“Whatever…”

“Then, it’s settled.”

“As if we’ll meet again later,” he replied, without looking back, his focus on the road.

“My name is Fukuda Kanon. My friends often call me Hana. Of all the written Kanjis in my name, they only take one.”

“Then?”

Then what? What then? Kanon’s brows wrinkled lightly. Her cheeks lifted faintly, tugging at a bare smile.