Chapter 5: Tumultuous Peace

Chapter 5: Tumultuous Peace

“A large triple deluxe for table five and a  meat lovers for table 7.”

“Got it. tell ‘em it’ll be out in about fifteen minutes.”

“You think you can pick up the pace? I’m swamped out here and people are waiting”

“They can keep complaining but the pizza isn’t gonna cook any faster. Unless they want it raw. In fact,” he holds out the uncooked pizza to his coworker “give this to them, and if they want it cooked tell them it takes 10 minutes.”

“Fiiiiine, you don't have to be so extra”

The waitress then walked back to the tables and reassured them that the pizzas will be out in no more than 5 minutes. Little Italy was a small establishment only having 3 waiters and 1 cook who doubled as the manager. The owner was his grandfather who had since retired and left the restaurant to his grandson after years of working under him. “I don't know anyone more suited to take over my place than you Leo.” He said to him the day he handed him the keys to the joint. Leo was only 21 back then and he’s been running the pizza place for three years now. He always wears a bandana on his forehead that he insists is to make sure the sweat doesn't drip down his nose and into the pizza. But those closest to him know it’s so people don't notice his receding hairline.

He managed the food, the orders, the paychecks, everything all by himself. Or at least that's what he would like to say to his grandpa. In reality, he was terrible with numbers, so the head cashier and top waitress, Mia, helped him out with all of it. They both split the profits 50/50 he handles everything they sell, and she’s in charge of keeping track they’re selling it for what it’s worth. They both buy the supplies on the weekends. He always wants to buy everything top of the line, and she keeps him in line so that the restaurant stays profitable. Neither of them had the money to go to college so this was all they had. Either be their own bosses or be someone else’s slave. They were better off in the food industry, there’s only so much demand for office workers, but everyone needs to eat. Leo’s is the only pizza place in town. It ran everyone else out of business because no one makes pizza like Leo. He takes his time to make sure the dough is perfect, the cheese is not too raw, not too toasted, that the pizza looks and tastes amazing, there is no one in Kyokai that knows more about making the perfect pizza than Leo.

Because it’s not enough to know how to make the perfect pizza, perfect is subjective, Leo goes above and beyond for his craft, he knows his clients and makes sure each pizza is tailor-made for the palate it's meant for. Teenagers usually eat their pizza with soda, so he adds a little more salt to the mix to counter the excess sugar in the drinks. The construction workers love cheese so rather than putting more cheese he complements it by putting in less sauce so as to not have the whole pizza fall apart the moment they start picking it apart. The men in black that show up every Saturday at six am are the easiest of all. One cheese, one pepperoni, simple and clean. It's so easy, Leo does it half in his sleep and it still turns out great.

All the while, Mia is right there with him making sure everything runs smoothly. She plays referee between clients, staff, and boss day in and day out. But that's okay because she relishes in the pressure, ever since she was a little girl she’s always wanted to run her own business, which is why she jumped at the opportunity to help her longtime childhood friend when he was struggling to keep his grandad's restaurant afloat.

“I’ve made up my mind” she said “you worry about the food, and I’ll worry about the numbers. We’ll split it 30/70”

Leo was stunned to hear his best friend's sudden proposition. He took a moment and thought about it only to shoot back “don't insult me. I know I’m not good at math but even I can tell that's an unfair skew. 50/50 take it or leave it!”

Mia was shocked. Then she realized “oh, no, I mean 70 your way and 30 my way”

“Oh, well that's stupid, I don't wanna be your boss. The offer stands 50/50.” Then he held out his arm.

She contemplated what he said. He was right, if they were gonna stay friends, there couldn't be a hierarchy of power, no bosses, no subordinates, equals onto all. “partners then?” she threw her arm to meet his.

“Yeah, partners,” he said.

Three years later, they’re still going strong and well… I just told you the story I don't need to repeat myself.

The men in black, on the other hand, need a little more of the spotlight for now.

…

“Kaiji shows a lot of potential. He’s young, naïve, brash, reckless, doesn’t know nearly as much about phantoms as he should, but like I said he’s got a lot of potential, he’s good under pressure, and he shows the markings of a great slayer. I think we should at least bring him into the loop on our operations and see if we could possibly recruit him. He'll need some time before he becomes a fully-fledged agent, but in a pinch, I feel like he could be relied upon.” Thus reported Aki on his activities earlier that evening to his comrades.

“Well if you say so I’m on board” said Natsu.

“I’m concerned about the lack of training,” said Fuyu.

“…” Haru was too busy with her plants to comment.

“Is that what you're gonna tell the boss?” asked Fuyu.

“something along those lines, I’m still not sure whether I should, he’s still just a high schooler.”

“Hold on, haven't you been doing this kind of thing since you were in high school?” asked Natsu.

“That's exactly why I don't want to pull him into this unless we absolutely have to” said Aki.

“You want to save the child from his loss of innocence as long as possible. A futile endeavor, given the circumstances” Haru spoke from across the breakroom.

“Yeah Haru, I know. But dammit there’s something to be said about taking on too much too early. We all know that better than anyone” he let the comment sit in the air while he took a sip of his beer.

“If it's destiny for him to go deeper, then so be it, but if he does, it’ll be on his terms, not ours.” He finished.

The whole team silently agreed.

...

“Ben, I need you to calm down and tell me exactly what you saw just now,” Kaiji said.

“Aw man! So you didn't see it! I really am going crazy aren’t I?” Ben said.

“Focus Ben! What did you see?!” ‘I need to know if he saw me riding that lizard,’ he thought to himself.

“Well there was this huge blue iguana and it was rampaging through the city and this guy was running around it causing explosions- look at that building over there, he flew right into it after he blew it up sending it into the field. Look! The city Is tarnished”

Kaiji was relieved that at the very least he didn't see him. That's one problem he doesn't have to worry about just yet. Now back to the problem at hand. He has to explain to Ben what the hell is going on, or so he thought.

“Listen Ben, there is something I need to tell you, you should sit down.”

Kaiji then went on to explain the intricacies of the spirit world and their world and how Kyokai was a temporary border between them, but only certain people who are aware of the border could see said spirits. The rest are blissfully unaware of their existence.

“I don't exactly know why some people can while others can't, but those who can’t are, in a sense, asleep inside a burning house.”

“Whoa dude, so like, what? You and I are both mediums?”

“Maybe? I really don't know, all I know is that once you wake up, you can’t unsee the truth…” Kaiji trailed off as he saw the crumbled building Ben pointed to slowly rebuild itself. The bricks moved themselves back into place making it seem like the whole event never happened. Ben turned around to see what Kaiji was staring at. He gasped.

“The building! It's… fixed?!”

“It fixed itself…” Kaiji said

“Dude this is freaky there’s gotta be more to this”

“I'm getting the slight suspicion that you're right”

“We have to tell people!”

“No!” Kaiji got serious. He surprised Ben as well as himself. He didn't know how strongly he felt about it. One thing is for certain, Ben can’t tell anyone what he just told him. He echoes what Aurora had told him on his first day of training “knowledge is a burden. You shouldn't place it on those who aren’t willing. Ignorance is bliss and you shouldn’t take that away from people. Not everyone wants to get out of the matrix” that was the end of what Aurora told him but he continued saying his own beliefs. “If we can stop the spirits from taking the town, then there’s no need to take people's ignorance away. I’m sorry Ben but you have to keep this between us. No one else can know. We’ll be causing needless harm.”

Ben heard what Kaiji was trying to say. But he didn't agree “knowledge is power, Kaiji, and you want me to prevent these people from empowering themselves. Who are we to know what’s best for them? I’ll save you the trouble and tell you right now that we don't. If you needed to make a life or death choice and I had information that could save your life, who am I to deprive you of that?”

“Ben, it’s not like that, there’s a reason people have to stay ignorant.”

“Yeah? and why is that?”

“The more people know, the stronger the spirits get. Ignorance is our weapon. Demons and spirits draw their power from the collective consciousness. The more people know about something, the more powerful it becomes. The space they take up in people’s minds gives them energy. And they use that energy to manifest themselves in the real world. Cementing themselves in this reality. Making the whole problem even worse. You’re right Ben, knowledge is power, but we're not the ones reaping the benefits.”

…

Meanwhile, halfway across town a schoolgirl talks to her younger sister

“I heard a rumor today.”

“Ooh, what kind of rumor?”

“I heard a rumor that in the outskirts of the city, there’s a mansion that appears at the stroke of midnight. It rises from the ground as if it was constructing itself. The wooden beams nailing themselves to each other to form the infrastructure, the walls, the doors, and the halls. Once you go in, it’s like you’re transported back to the 1800s. Where oil tycoons had huge mansions with elaborate chandeliers and rugs to display their wealth. Portraits ten feet tall decorate the walls of their studies. A library bigger than you can possibly imagine having a book on any topic you could think of. At the end of the night, an orchestra in the main hall plays music that makes you so happy you never want to leave. And most people don't”

“Oh sis stop, I don't want to hear anymore that's too spooky.”

“I don't know, I think it’s kind of nice. To live in a lavish mansion and have the best music in the world played just for you.”

…

“Fine, I'll trust you. I’ll keep your secret.” Said Ben “but human beings are curious creatures, you can’t keep them in the dark forever”

Kaiji thought about what he said “it’s not about keeping them in the dark, it’s about making it possible to keep them safe. It’s about keeping the balance of power in our favor.”

“You sound like a completely different person Kaiji”

Those words stuck in his head. Ben had been his friend for as long as he could remember, but in the short span of a week, he could barely recognize him. He couldn't stop thinking about whether or not he was right; or whether or not it was good. They parted ways leaving the conversation at that time knowing there was nothing left to talk about at that moment. Although he would have wanted to sit down and think about all the things that were swirling in his head, he wouldn't have the opportunity.

The moment he walked into his grandparents’ house was one of silent peace. The night was dark and quiet, the only thing you could hear was the rustling of leaves in the trees. He grabbed the doorknob taking the silence for granted. Unaware of how he would yearn for it in a matter of seconds. As soon as he walked in he was met with blazing fervor. The book he had under his pillow was flying across the room and slamming against his face, temporarily leaving a mark of his face on the book's bindings.

“Do you want to explain to me why you have that book?!” his grandfather screamed.

Kaiji peeled the book off his face to see he was talking about the demon encyclopedia Aurora had given him. He burst out.

“What’s y’er problem? It’s just a book I borrowed for a cultural project!”

“Really? That's interesting. If that's the case, why are you running around with my swords strapped to your waist?” He barked back.

Kaiji forgot to hide them under the stairs like he would every night he would get back home to not arouse suspicion.

“That's because...I was practicing...in the woods because I felt like I needed extra training.”

“And is that why your clothes are an absolute mess? You got all that blood on you? by training?”

“Blood? This isn’t blood.” He looked at his feet and saw the purple gunk that had been gushing at his feet when he fought the lizard. But how could his grandfather see it? Wait a minute...

“Jisan, what are you talking about? How can you see that?”

“Kaiji.” his Obasan interrupted “please, just tell us what's going on. Tell us you aren’t getting involved with cults and trouble.”

“I’m not joining a cult Obasan, like I said I was doing a repor-”

His Ojisan slammed down his wooden sword. Kaiji flinched. His grandfather had had enough, and he knew it. He saw his Obasan and the sadness in her eyes. He knew he couldn't hide it from them because they wouldn’t be satisfied with whatever story he could come up with. That's when he realized his grandfather could see the blood.

“You… you guys know…” He whispered, then he said again but louder this time “You guys know what’s going on in Kyokai, don't you?”

“We are well aware of the issues plaguing this city. But more to the point-”

“No wait, you knew? This whole time what was going on and you didn't bother to tell me?”

“Kaiji, you were but a boy, there was no need to tell you if it could be avoided”

Kaiji had a sudden case of deja vu. He was facing the repercussions of other people sharing his ideals.

“Kaiji, why are you doing this, and how long have you been doing this?”

Kaiji didn't have it in him to lie anymore. He told his guardians everything. The training, the monsters, he told them… How he died to save a Stranger and was brought back to face the types of monsters that caused it.

His grandfather stood in solemn silence as he heard all his grandson had to say. When he was done, he said “I don't want you getting involved in this fight Kaiji. I won't train you any longer. And I won’t allow you to use my swords for your reckless endeavors.” He then yanked them from his person.

“Jisan, this is much bigger than us. I can’t just sit back and do nothing as demons pillage the city.”

“Kaiji! You are reckless and a fool!” he shouted. “You sacrificed your life so haphazardly for a stranger, it shows you have no idea what you’re getting into. There are costs to this fight you are not yet ready to pay.”

“How would you know that? Why do you act like you know so much about this?”

“That's enough Kaiji!” his grandfather said “now go to your room. We're done here.”

Kaiji, frustrated with tears in his eyes, goes to his room. Then he sneaks out the back door and calls aurora. She answers right away

“Kaiji, what’s up I thought we were gonna call it a night”

“Something happened. I need to talk to you.”

“Well go right ahead Kaiji I’m here.”

“I can’t talk about it here, it has to be in person.”

Aurora took a moment to grasp the seriousness of the moment.

“Well alright, suit yourself” and as the fleshy hand pushed itself through the speaker a single thought came through Kaiji's mind. “I can’t believe I’m getting used to this.”

…

“wow, I’m sorry that happened to you Kaiji.” said aurora

They talked on a bridge over a flowing river. The scenery was had lush greenery with yellow clouds adorning the pink sky.

“Yeah, I know he’s just doing what he thinks is best but I can’t believe he would want me to do nothing in the face of all this. And on top of that, he knows! So it’s not coming from ignorance. But I can’t just do nothing and let the bad guys win. All the while innocent people die and no one even notices. If I don't do something, who will?”

“Kaiji… you know… you’re not in this alone right?”

“Yeah I know you've got my back”

“Oh, ha ha, no. Although that's true, that's not what I mean. I mean that you’re not the only one fighting the good fight.”

“What?”

“That boy you fought with today, I believe Aki was his name, whether he knows it or not, we're fighting for the same side.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“I mean he’s a good fighter and knows where spirits will show up with surprising accuracy. Why don't we pull back and let him take care of the hunting while we focus more on the detective part of the job? That way you won’t be disobeying your grandparents but you can still do your part to save the town.”

“Wait so he’s not with us?”

“If you mean does he communicate with Spirit world, then no. I don't know anything about him other than he and his team have been fighting on behalf of humanity for some time now. And thanks to you we just learned that he, in fact, can detect spikes in phantom activity.”

Kaiji slumped over the railing. “I guess if anyone’s gonna pick up my slack, better him than anyone.”

“Yeah! That's the spirit… I guess”

“But I don't know the first thing about being a detective. What am I supposed to do?”

“Well that's the easy part, talk to people.”

Kaiji looked at her with a confused face

“Remember what I told you the first day we met? I said keep an eye out for mysterious rumors.”

“Yeah, I never understood what you meant by that.”

“Well here’s the thing, most spiritual beings come from spirit world as remnants of fears long lost. That lizard was humanity's long-lost fear of dragons incarnate funny enough. But some are born anew in the modern-day. They appear in the shape of a rumor. Some people spread the word and over time, the rumor that was merely a schoolyard fantasy became real. The rumor itself becomes bait for thrill-seeking supernaturalists who wanna be scared. The creation then takes their lives but lets them live out their days for a short time. They go around spreading the word of the haunted house that steals your soul, then they slowly disappear from people’s memories and the world. Thus perpetuating an endless cycle of hearing the rumor, seeing if the rumor is real, being consumed, then trying to warn people and inadvertently spreading the rumor all over again. Some cultures call it memes. Ideas that are passed down like genes in human DNA. But instead of being a part of the human genetic makeup, they’re a part of the cultural genetic makeup.”

“But I thought spirits came from spirit world, are you saying some are made by humans?”

“No, they all come from spirit world, they’re just piggy-backing off the rumors to try and get a foothold and perpetuate their stay in the real world.”

“Then how do we find them?”

“You need to talk to people and have them tell you of the rumors that feed off their collective consciousness.”

“So ill only know if someone tells me? What if they don't?”

“Then we can’t find them. Most rumors have a time and place to them, a requirement to see them. So once we know that, we can track them down.”

“Sounds simple enough, talk to people, get them to tell me scary rumors, investigate and take out the spirit.”

“exactly! I knew you’d like it. And like I said, this way you can still do your part, because although it’s not as bombastic as decapitating a giant rampaging lizard, it’s just as important because these are spirits that fly under the radar.”

“Okay, I’ll talk with kids at my school and see what I can learn. Thanks, Aurora, I’m ready to go back home.”

“oh really?” she raised an eyebrow and grew a grin on her face. “In that case…” she let out a deep breath, focusing her hands at her core as a portal appeared behind Kaiji. Then she took a deep breath and pushed Kaiji with all her strength. He flew through the portal and came out the other side next to his locket that fell when he got pulled into Spirit world. After getting his bearings he got up and went to his room to get some rest. As he drifted off to sleep he felt determined to find those pesky spirits and eliminate them once and for all. And although there would be plenty to go around, he had no idea just how these rumors would manifest in the future.