"You said… Fuyumi?"
Kaito repeated the old man's name, still shaken.
An instant later he lunged forward without the slightest hesitation, throwing an uppercut straight at his chin.
"I knew I shouldn't have told you anything…" Genzō scoffed, completely impassive as the punch stopped just inches from his face.
A dull thud echoed through the forest.
"You acted quickly. Excellent judgment." The Fuyumi complimented him with an almost disarming calm.
"I can't believe it…" Kaito growled through clenched teeth.
His fist was completely motionless.
Caught in the man's palm, as if it weighed nothing.
"What you should have done instead…" Genzō raised his index finger.
"Was this!" With a lightning-fast motion, he struck Kaito between the chest and the left shoulder.
The pain doubled him over.
"Aaagh!" Kaito couldn't hold back the scream. He kept writhing even on the ground.
The pain wouldn't stop.
—I can't… I can't think of a strategy…—
"You were the first to attack." Genzō looked down at him.
"You are the one who caused the collapse of Tenshō Tower…" His gaze changed. "So now, it's your move."
The veins on Kaito's face stood out sharply. He pushed himself up with his legs.
Red veins spread across his eyes; his mind was no longer clear, and cold sweat began to cover his body.
"I'll give you that, kid… you've got real guts." Genzō stepped closer.
"But for now, that's enough."
Kaito collapsed again. Before his body could hit the ground, Genzō caught him.
Unconscious, a sentence spoken long ago resurfaced in his mind.
"Yume… I promise you, I'll come for you."
Reliving those words, Kaito jolted awake. Short of breath, heart pounding in his chest.
He was back in a bed.
It was deep night, and the warm light of the house gave him a vague sense of safety.
A figure sat at the dining table.
—Genzō…— he recognized him instantly.
The man was eating a plate of eggs and bread. The television above the fireplace was on.
"The young lady on the news is talking about you…" the old man said, without taking his eyes off the screen.
"Breaking news: two days after the collapse of Tenshō Tower, police forces are still combing Shinkase in search of the culprit…"
A mugshot appeared on the screen. His.
"Wanted under the name Kaito."
The boy's eyes widened.
"What does all this mean?!" he snapped.
"Does it really surprise you that much?" Genzō asked, continuing to eat.
"What do you mean?!"
"The Reikeitai…" he began calmly. "They couldn't exactly take responsibility for what happened."
He turned toward Kaito, resting his elbow on the table.
"While you were sleeping, you kept repeating a name… Yume. I imagine they took her. But not you."
"That makes no sense! They should think I'm dead!" Kaito shot back, recalling the rubble that had collapsed on him.
"And what difference would that make?" the old man replied, as if it were obvious. "They didn't find your body. And they know you're no halfwit."
Genzō set the plate down and crossed his arms.
"In the worst-case scenario, they'll never find you. But if you're alive… they've taken precautions."
Kaito clenched his jaw.
He understood perfectly.
The Reikeitai didn't want to take responsibility.
"I can't say they're wrong…" Kaito murmured.
Genzō stared at him, puzzled. "What do you mean?"
"The fall of Tenshō Tower was the result of my combat strategy…" he admitted quietly. "But… I hadn't foreseen how it would collapse. I wouldn't be surprised to learn there were casualties…"
The sheets tightened in his hands, then he let go with a long breath.
"Tell me the truth. Why did you bring me here? And now that you know what I've done… are you going to kill me?"
There was no fear in Kaito's voice. Only exhaustion.
Genzō burst out laughing. "Kill you? Hah! Maybe years ago… but I haven't been a Fuyumi for a long time." His gaze suddenly turned melancholic.
"And besides… I wasn't the one who brought you here."
Kaito looked at him, confused.
"I don't know how you managed it," the old man continued, "but you got here on your own legs. When I saw you, you were still standing. Then you simply collapsed."
"What do you mean when you say you're no longer a Fuyumi?" Kaito asked, still confused.
"Let's just say… I no longer shared the vision of the family heads," Genzō replied vaguely.
"I'd like to ask you something else."
"Go on, kid," the old man urged.
"Exactly where are we right now?"
Genzō shifted his gaze toward the window, watching outside for a few seconds.
"We're in the northern area, just outside the city of Shinkase," he said.
Kaito sat up in bed.
"Then… maybe it's still here…" he murmured. With the little strength he had left, he got up, swaying.
He grabbed his wakizashi, resting on the bedside table.
—What is he planning to do?— Genzō wondered, watching closely.
Kaito closed his eyes and focused.
A faint blue light began to slide along the blade, stretching out like a ribbon vibrating in the air.
—It's not here… not in Shinkase anymore— he thought, maintaining his focus.
After a few seconds, the light faded.
"Genzō… what's east of here?" the boy asked, his gaze serious and determined.
"To the east?" The old man closed his eyes briefly, thinking.
"There's Yorigakure." He gave an amused smile.
"And what's so funny about that?" Kaito snapped.
"So you don't know…" Genzō seemed almost surprised.
"Our world is divided into four great nations: Kairen, Fuyoku, Raikan, and Yuriko," he listed one by one. "All governed by the Council."
He crossed his arms. "And the Reikeitai are the ones who enforce the Council's laws."
"Yorigakure," he continued, "is the fortress-city where the worst criminals arrested here in Fuyoku are sent."
Kaito couldn't hide his surprise at the old man's words.
"Now let me ask you something," Genzō interjected, intrigued. "What was it you just did?"
Kaito lowered his gaze to his wakizashi. "This blade is linked to another," he began to explain. "If they're separated, one points to the location of the other. It's not a simple technique…"
"It took me a long time to learn how to sense its call."
He bent down to gather his few belongings and put on his shirt, now reduced to shreds.
"I gave the other blade to Yume, my partner."
His expression hardened, focused.
"And now I know where they are. Both of them are in that city."
He raised his eyes to Genzō.
"They're in Yorigakure."