by Isamu Fukui
“So that you know how completely you have failed,” Takan said, raising his sword. “And now that I’ve told you, I really have no choice but to kill you.”
Cross ducked just in time, Takan’s sword cleaving the air above his head. Before Cross could even think of counterattacking, Takan struck again, moving so fast that Cross could barely keep up. Despite his best efforts, Cross found himself forced backwards almost to the edge of the platform.
Takan lunged. Cross narrowly managed to dodge. Looking around, Cross saw that there was an open window to his left. He could see another building through it, only about five feet away. Behind him was the edge of the platform, and to his right Takan was preparing another attack.
Instinct took over. Cross drew Floe’s firebomb and lighter from his pocket. He lit the cloth just as Takan was about to bring his sword down. The Truant paused, and the two stared at each other. Then Cross dropped the bottle over the edge.
Takan was distracted for just a moment as he watched it fall. It was all Cross needed. His kick caught Takan in the abdomen, knocking him back a few paces. Cross turned and leapt out of the window with all of the strength he could muster.
For a few terrifying, glorious moments Cross sailed through the open air. Then he crashed through the window of the next building, one story down.
Back in the warehouse the bottle burst, sending its fiery contents spewing all over. Explosions rippled through the warehouse, erupting with such force that the blue daylight turned red. Cross shielded his face from the sudden wind and heat. The sheer power of it reminded him of a hurricane of flames, and for a while he lay motionless in awe as it roared.
By the time Cross realized that a second window had shattered nearby, Takan was already there with his sword. Cross struggled to stand, raising his knife, knowing that it was hopeless. The roar subsided, the pale light returning as the two enemies faced each other once more.
“Did you think you’d thwart my plan like that?” Takan was angry now. “That warehouse was just one of several. All this means is fewer explosives beneath Penance Tower. You’re still going to die.”
Cross said nothing, though he knew Takan was probably right. It wasn’t a very auspicious resting place either—the building so cavernous there was an echo, and most of the windows were so caked with filth that it was nearly pitch-black. Rubble was strewn across the floor, and there were no walls that he could see.
The darkness gave Cross an idea. As Takan drew closer, Cross threw his knife at the Truant. Takan knocked the projectile aside with his sword, but not before Cross took off for the cover of the gloom. Takan pursued him, the darkness was absolute. They lost sight of each other, and could only hear echoing footsteps.
Pausing to take a breath, Cross began to realize how much punishment his body had endured. He was bruised all over, there were gashes from the broken glass, and his head still ached. Blood mingled with his sweat, and his lungs felt like they were burning him from the inside. He was tired, so tired that he wanted nothing more than to lie down and collapse.
But the sound of echoing footsteps reminded him that his enemy was still hunting him. Remembering something Floe had mentioned, Cross decided to take a risk.
“You talked about a mentor before!” he called out, the echo masking his location. “Was that Zyid? The guy you betrayed and killed?”
Takan’s humorless laughter echoed throughout the space, sending chills down Cross’ spine. That wasn’t the effect Cross had been looking for.
“You know a lot for a student,” Takan replied. “No, Zyid wasn’t my mentor. His brother was, a boy named Umasi. I met him back when I was still a student in District 20.”
Cross blinked. He’d heard that name before, but his head was going fuzzy and he found it hard to concentrate. “Umasi?”
“Yeah,” Takan said. “He was a bit of a loner. Supposedly I was only his fourth visitor. Incidentally, your predecessor Edward was the third.”
Suddenly Cross remembered. Memories flashed in his mind of Edward hunched over in the dark, muttering to himself, always mentioning one name, never explaining it.
“You and Edward had the same mentor?”
“Funny, isn’t it?” Takan’s voice was thoughtful now. “We turned out so alike, but so different.”
“He was stronger than you.”
“How would you know?”
Cross hesitated, then threw caution to the winds. “Because Edward was my mentor! He taught me everything!”
There was a moment of silence. Then Takan spoke.
“I see. I’m sorry.”
Again, not the effect Cross had been looking for. “Who asked for your pity?” he shouted.
“I don’t think you’re quite the monster Edward was, but you might become one,” Takan said. “I’m not going to enjoy killing you … but it’s probably for the best.”
Takan’s footsteps resumed, faster now, and Cross felt true fear. He couldn’t see in the dark, but the dark was the only thing keeping him alive. The terror and the hopelessness seemed to suffocate him. Takan had been right—he had no idea why he was even there.
Then Cross felt a gentle hand on his shoulder. He had no strength left to scream, but even his gasp was stifled as another hand clamped down on his mouth. An unfamiliar voice whispered in his ear.
“If you want to live, turn around and run for the light.”
Then both hands and voice were gone. Cross spun around, heart pounding, reaching blindly through the darkness. There was nothing. The only footsteps belonged to Takan. It was as if the voice had appeared from and vanished into nothing. For a moment Cross wondered if he had actually gone crazy.
Then he turned his head and saw it—the distant light that the voice had mentioned.
Deciding that he would not sit still and wait to die, Cross latched on to that mad hope and broke out into a run. Behind him, Takan’s footsteps sped up as well. Cross knew that he would be clearly visible against the light, but it was too late to turn back. As he got closer and closer, other windows became visible, dirty and cracked, but none of them were as clear as the opening ahead.
When Cross reached it, he saw there was a rope ladder leading down. In his haste, he ignored it and jumped. The fall was high enough to send painful shocks through his legs when he landed, and Cross collapsed with a groan. Crawling forward, he looked around, wondering where he was now.
For a moment Cross imagined that it was the bottom of a canyon. Then he realized that the canyon walls were really taller brick buildings that towered over the rooftop he was on. Leafy green vines crawled up those walls, and all around sat pots filled with delicate-looking flowers. Small trees completed the strange garden, rising up amid the riot of color.
Water gushed from a broken pipe above, sending rivulets streaming into a nearby drain. Pots and pans had been neatly stacked near the flowers. A small bed rested under a large awning, and a fireplace and stove were placed against a wall. The buildings on either side cast long shadows in the evening light. The day was coming to an end.
Under different circumstances, Cross might’ve found the sight beautiful. Now he only wondered where the promised sanctuary was.
Takan appeared at the entrance. The boy took one look at Cross, then climbed down the rope ladder. Unable to flee, unable even to move, Cross could only watch as Takan approached with his sword drawn.
“I’m impressed,” Takan said. “You lasted a long time. You should be proud.”
“I told you I don’t want your pity.”
“It’s not pity, Cross,” Takan said. “You were stubborn, but you were never a match for someone like me. You can only go so far without a purpose. I’ll put you out of your misery.”
Takan raised his blade so that it caught the subdued midday glow. Cross turned his head to look at the white ceramic blade, realizing that this was really it, that he was going to die. As the blade came down, Cross took an involuntary breath as all thought abandoned him.
A metallic tinkling filled t
he air …
Takan spun around and thrust his sword upward, blocking a metal ring aimed at his head. Cross stared in confusion. The ring was attached to a chain, which snapped back as Takan deflected the attack.
“Do you really believe that you can judge when someone’s life isn’t worth living?” a female voice asked. “Or is that how you justify your actions to yourself?”
“Oh?” Takan raised an eyebrow. “And who are you?”
The ring returned to its owner’s hand, and as Cross’ eyes followed it, he became certain he was hallucinating. The speaker was a girl, ghostly white from her skin to the hair that skirted her jaw. Her eyes appeared a pale blue in the dim light, and she wore a blue headband and matching blue jeans. Her sweatshirt was white, as was the thin sweater she had tied around her waist by the sleeves. She smiled at Takan.
“You numbered Umasi’s visitors, didn’t you? Well, if you’re the fourth, then I’m the second…”
Her eyes glinted as she began twirling the end of her chain.
“… and I don’t have a name.”
8
SUNDOWN
“You were the second?” Takan stared. “I always wondered who it was. He never mentioned it was a girl.”
“Surprised?”
“At him, a little,” Takan said. “How come you look—”
“Albinism,” she replied. “A lack of the pigment that normally gives the body color. I was born with it.”
Takan shrugged, apparently unconcerned. Cross, for his part, was relieved to find out that he hadn’t been hallucinating, but still felt that the girl’s pale appearance was unsettling. He decided to keep that opinion to himself.
“You’re not with the Educators, are you?” Takan said. “If you were, I think I’d have heard about it by now.”
“No.” The girl shook her head. “I have no interest in this war.”
“Then why are you protecting him?” Takan asked, gesturing at Cross with his sword.
“He’s defeated and helpless,” she said. “You’ve already won. Why sink to murder?”
“He knows things that would endanger the Truancy,” Takan replied. “If I let him live, it could mean that a lot of my people will die.”
The albino sighed. “This is why war is useless. It makes life and death complicated when they should really be simple.”
“If you’re not an enemy, I have no reason to fight you,” Takan said. “But I can’t let this guy go.”
“Then we have a problem. I can’t allow killing here.”
“Is this where you live?” Takan asked. The girl nodded. “Then I’m fine with taking this elsewhere.”
“That’s thoughtful of you,” she said. “But that would be no more morally acceptable to me. I would be enabling murder through inaction.”
Takan’s expression hardened. “You don’t seem interested in compromise. You know that with one call I could have a dozen Truants here in minutes.”
“You could,” the girl admitted. “But you won’t. You’re not that kind of person, are you?”
Cross wondered what made her so sure. Takan looked deadly serious, and everything Cross had seen and heard about him indicated that he was a cold, self-serving killer with no conscience. He didn’t know who this nameless girl was or why she seemed so confident facing Takan. He could do little but wait and see.
Takan surprised Cross by hesitating. “Have you talked with Umasi? Has he told you about me?”
“I haven’t seen that boy in about four years,” the girl replied. “I’m just a decent judge of character.”
“Then you know that I’m not above beating you myself,” Takan said, raising his sword. “I don’t mind a fair fight.”
She smiled. “I was counting on that.”
Takan lunged forward with an intensity that he had never demonstrated against Cross. At the same time, the albino released her chain, launching the weighted ring at Takan. Takan knocked the ring aside with his sword, then surged forward.
The girl darted aside, recovered her chain, and launched it again. Takan raised his sword to defend himself, but the chain wrapped around the blade, trapping it. Takan blinked in surprise, and the girl charged forward. Takan tried to swing his sword, but found it too unwieldy. The albino landed a punch to his chest, but Takan recovered in time to dodge her follow-up blow.
The two began engaging in what looked like a complicated dance. Takan would occasionally add a weighted sword slash, and the girl would use her chain to yank his hand aside. To an awestruck Cross they seemed like two tornados blowing through. He realized now that Takan hadn’t even exerted himself in their earlier battle. Now the Truant’s entire focus seemed to be on cutting down his pale adversary.
But the albino was matching him move for move, and as Cross watched in astonishment she managed to loop her chain over Takan, pinning his arms to his side. For a moment Cross thought the battle was over, but then Takan landed a devastating kick that knocked the girl onto her back. Takan took the opportunity to free himself and his sword, charging just as the girl returned to her feet.
She blocked his sword with a length of chain held taut between her hands, then pushed the sword behind Takan’s back. She slammed her knee into his stomach. He gasped, and she kicked him, forcing him to the ground. As Takan recovered, the albino leapt backwards and swung her chain upwards, wrapping it around a rusted old pipe right above Takan.
Yanking hard with both hands, the girl brought the pipes crashing down. Takan leapt aside just in time, as metal and water pounded the spot where he had just sat. She swung again while Takan was still on one knee, and this time he raised his left arm to shield himself. The chain wrapped around his arm. He grabbed hold of it, and the two found themselves engaged in a deadly game of tug-of-war.
The girl abruptly darted forward, releasing all of the tension on the chain. Takan had been expecting the move, and instead of stumbling back, he thrust his sword as the girl approached. At the last second the albino twisted and backhanded Takan’s face. Before he could recover, she looped the chain up and over, bringing it behind his legs. With one end still firmly wrapped around Takan’s arm, she pulled, sweeping his legs out from under him.
Takan hit the floor hard, and the albino’s foot darted to his throat, though it did not apply any pressure.
“It’s over,” the girl said gently, kicking Takan’s sword away. “Give it up.”
Both fighters gasped for air, and even Cross felt a little breathless. Then Takan laughed, his limbs going limp.
“Beaten by Edward,” he said, “and now beaten by you. So I was the weakest of us, in the end.”
“No.” The albino shook her head. “Just the most ordinary. The least twisted. That’s something to be proud of.”
“At least you’re a lot nicer than Edward was,” Takan observed as she removed her foot. “You know, we all really did end up different. I wish I could’ve met number one.”
“I had that pleasure once, briefly,” the albino said, crouching down. “He looked a bit like you.”
“Umasi said that, yeah.”
“You’re an interesting guy, Four. Someday I’d like to hear your life story.”
“Funny, I was thinking the same about you, Two.” Takan grinned. “I never introduced myself, did I? My real name is Tack, but you can keep calling me ‘Four’ if you like.”
“Well then, Four,” the albino said, standing up. “I wish you good health. I don’t agree with what you do, but you’re not a bad person. You can rest here as long as you’d like.”
“That’s nice of you, but I’ll be going soon. I suppose you’ll be taking the student under your protection?”
Takan gestured over at Cross, who was completely baffled by the behavior of the two former combatants. A minute ago they were doing their best to beat each other down, and now they were chatting like friends.
“For a while,” she said. “I know you’d probably hunt him otherwise.”
Takan nodded. “It is a war, after all.�
�
The albino was about to say something, but then glanced towards the cavelike building from which Cross and Takan had emerged. She stiffened.
“It’s time for us to part,” she said.
Before Takan could reply, the albino grabbed Cross by the arm and hauled him to his feet. Her voice was melodic and fostered trust, but Cross was suspicious of someone he knew nothing about. That, and her corpse-pale appearance still disturbed him.
“Come on,” she whispered to Cross. “There’s someone coming who I’d rather avoid for now.”
Too weary to argue, Cross followed her through the flowers and past some ferns that concealed an exit. His head was spinning from everything he had endured and witnessed. Though it was all starting to feel dreamlike again, it was not yet horrible enough to be one of his dreams.
After all, he had survived. He had been saved. And his struggle, at least for now, was over.
* * *
Takan sighed as he stood up, rubbing his bruised stomach. He had to admit that this garden was a pleasant place. Despite having lost, despite knowing what was at risk now, he felt no urgency as he examined the potted flowers. It was ironic—he lived in what used to be a flower shop, but he hadn’t seen any flowers in a year.
Takan straightened up. His worldly troubles were still out there, but they were nothing to panic over just yet. There was still a chance to catch Cross before he escaped Truancy City, and it would only be a matter of time before District 1 fell regardless.
He was running calculations in his head when something large dropped down behind him. Takan drew his sword and spun around, only to find it blocked by two more identical blades. Unseen eyes gazed at Takan from behind black sunglasses.
“Umasi?” Takan said. “What happened? You’re late, and you look—”
“Did you meet her?” Umasi interrupted, sheathing his swords. “She was here just now, wasn’t she? I didn’t want to intrude uninvited, but the situation—”
“I did meet your old friend, if that’s who you mean,” Takan said, wondering if she was the reason why Umasi was acting so strangely. “You never told me she was—”