Chapter 4 - Sprinter
Kaze returns home to the others, exhausted from his mountain journey. Yuma is the first one to greet him.
“Kaze!”
Chikaku rushes over.
“I’m so glad you’re ok!”
Something bothers Chikaku. He was expecting three people to walk through the door.
“Where’s Fukusei?”
Kaze pauses for a moment.
“Fukusei…”
Shokku can tell that Kaze is exhausted and that the conversation is a sensitive subject. Shokku interjects into the conversation.
“I’ll explain everything.”
Shokku turns to Kaze.
“Kaze, you must rest.”
Kaze looks incredibly drained. It’s clear that the events which have recently taken place have taken a toll on Kaze. Kaze nods his head in agreement with Shokku.
“Right.”
Kaze heads up to his bedroom. As Kaze lays in bed, he begins to speakl to himself.
“How could he?”
“I trusted Fukusei.”
“He isn’t the man I thought he was.”
“And what came over me back there.”
“I was ready to kill Fukusei.”
“I don’t know how I feel.”
“I need to rest.”
Back in the living room, Chikaku is talking with Shokku and Yuma. Shokku has just finished explaining the events that took place on the mountain.
“All of that really happened?”
Shokku looks completely serious.
“Indeed.”
Chikaku thinks back to the moments he spent around Fukusei.
“I can’t believe Fukusei let that happen.”
“I am more concerned that Hensai is on the loose.”
“There’s no telling who he’ll kill next.”
Shokku then turns his attention to Yuma.
“Yuma, do you think you can dream a tracking map like you did with Genten?”
“Don’t be silly.”
“I can’t control my dreams.”
Shokku bears an expression of determination.
“There must be a way.”
Yuma looks depressed and Chikaku soon notices this.
“It’s best if we drop the topic.”
Shokku is confused about the situation as Yuma yawns.
“Yeah.”
“I’m gonna go to sleep now.”
“I’m tired.”
Chikaku chuckles.
“Nothing changes with you, huh?”
Yuma goes to her bedroom and sits on her bed. She thinks back to the time she spent held hostage by Rai. A speaker is repeating the phrase “Gentens location” over and over as a crying Yuma is begging.
“Make it stop.”
“Please turn it off.”
“It’s hurting my ears.”
Yuma bangs on the door and the door slams open. Rai enters the room.
“Did you dream his location?”
“I can’t control it.”
Yuma begins to hold her ears in pain.
“Please make it stop.”
“It stops when you do as your told.”
“You worthless piece of trash.”
“You’ll do as I command or you’ll die.”
Rai pushes her back and locks the door. Back in the present day, Yuma is looking incredibly depressed.
“I can’t control it…”
The morning approaches and Yuma, Shokku and Chikaku are in the living room. Kaze has just entered.
“Good morning, Kaze.”
“Did you sleep well?”
“Something like that.”
The phone in the living room rings. Everyone stops what they are doing and focuses on it.
“That’s strange.”
“I’ve never heard the phone ring before.”
“Nobody knows this number.”
Kaze goes over and picks up the phone.
“Hello?”
A familiar voice responds to Kaze.
“Hey there.”
“Hensai…”
Shokku is shocked at the fact that Hensai is calling the phone.
“I have a proposition for you, Kaze.”
“I know your gonna come after me.”
“There is no need to get civilians involved.”
Kaze gets visibly angry.
“Are you serious?”
“After what you did?”
“Let me finish!”
Hensai chuckles.
“How about we settle the score?”
“A 1 on 1 fight to the death.”
“Sounds pretty fair to me.”
“You think I’d trust that?”
“It’s probably an ambush.”
Hensai begins to get annoyed.
“Fine, bring your whole team.
“It’s not like any of the rest of them pose a threat to me other than Fukusei.”
“I’ll e-mail you the time and location.”
“Be there if you choose.”
There is a brief pause before Hensai remembers something else.
“But if you bring Fukusei or any of his friends then we leave and go back to using civilians as bargaining chips.”
“I look forward to the fight.”
“It’ll be so exciting.”
Kaze hangs up the phone as everybody is focused on Kaze.
“What did he want?”
“A deathmatch.”
Yuma and Chikaku look at each other in fear as Shokku begins to try and get an insight into Kaze’s reasoning.
“You can’t seriously be thinking of attending.”
“We have to fight him sooner or later.”
“We might as well beat him before he collects any more powers.”
“I will stand by you, no matter what you choose.”
Chikaku stands up.
“Are you crazy?”
“You’ll get yourself killed!”
“Me and Shokku can beat him.”
“Now that I know every power he has, I can plan accordingly.”
Chikaku clenches his fist.
“You’re not leaving me behind.”
Kaze is surprised by this.
“You saved my life.”
“I refuse to stand back.”
Yuma stands up.
“Me too.”
“I can’t say I’m happy about it, but if you promise to stand back and not get involved in the fight…”
Chikaku interrupts Kaze’s sentence.
“It’s a deal!”
A few days go by. Kaze stares at a computer screen. There is an email from Hensai’s lab.
“This is it Hensai.”
“We finish this today.”
“It’s time already?”
“It’s only been a few days.”
“I guess Hensai wants this dealt with as quickly as I do.”
Everyone gathers in the living room as the situation is explained.
“Let’s get moving.”
Everyone prepares to leave. Everyone heads outside the front of the house except Chikaku. Kaze looks at his watch.
“Are you ready Chikaku?”
“Just a second.”
Chikaku opens a kitchen draw and grabs a kitchen knife and hides it on him.
“I’ll do whatever it takes to save my friends.”
“I won’t let Hensai hurt them.”
They eventually arrive at the requested meeting place. It’s an abandoned construction site. Hensai looks at Kaze and the others arriving as their gazer’s meet.
“I see you brought friends.”
“So did you.”
Shinote smiles at this remark. Hensai begins to try and calm the situation.
“Don’t worry.”
“He won’t get involved unless your group does first.”
Kaze wears a worried expression.
“I have a question before we begin.”
“Oh?”
“How did you know we was coming?”
Hensai smiles.
“Shinote.”
“You’re up.”
Shinote steps forward.
“My power is known as ‘Dead Mans Hand' and its ability…”
Shinote shows his palms to Kaze and the others. Upon looking at his palms, one palm has the four suits of a playing card pack imprinted on it and the other has a skull symbol imprinted onto it.
“When I touch the victim with my left hand it marks my symbol on them.”
Shinote focuses on the four playing card suits.
“Once you’re branded by my left hand, I have a tracker on you at all times.”
“Check your back Shokku.”
“You have one!”
“Even Kaze has one on his shoulder!”
Shokku looks at the mark on him in fear.
“Once the target is marked by my left hand, they’re vulnerable to my right hand.”
Shokku begins to worry about the eerie symbol on his back which contains the four playing card suits with a skull in the centre of them.
“And what does the right hand do?”
“It’s simple really.”
“If I touch you with my right hand…”
“…then you die!”
Kaze begins to try and think of a way to keep Shinote out of the fight.
“I see.”
“Well, there’s no need for you to get involved.”
“Let’s settle this Hensai!”
Kaze and Hensai walk towards each other. A sinister smile graces Hensai’s face. They prepare to fight.
Kaze throws insects at Hensai but Hensai dodges them.
“You’re nothing to me, Kaze!”
An epic fight begins to ensue between Hensai and Kaze. But within seconds, it becomes clear that with multiple powers at his disposal, Hensai will emerge victorious. Everybody spectating Kaze is aware that he is losing badly. While watching Kaze continuously take a beating, Shokku decides that he can’t take this.
“Kaze!”
Shokku runs towards Kaze and Hensai to try and help. Shinote catches a glimpse of this and stops Shokku.
“Oh no you don’t!”
Shinote begins fighting with Shokku. After a few swings, Shinote catches a fault in Shokku’s fighting and knocks him to the ground.
Shinote glares towards the others and his focus suddenly switches to Yuma. He begins to walk towards her.
“You must be the dream girl.”
Yuma is silent as she begins to get filled with fear.
“I think that you could pose a threat to me.”
“I’m gonna end you while I can.”
Shinote begins to run towards Yuma whilst showing his palms. His desire to kill is clear. Yuma screams in fear.
Against all odds, Chikaku jumps in the way.
“I won’t let you harm Yuma!”
Chikaku pulls out the knife from earlier and stabs Shinote.
Shinote takes a few steps backwards and notices the blood.
“You got me…”
“You filthy piece of…”
Shinote falls over to the ground and it becomes clear that her has been fatally wounded. Shinote has died.
Hensai has knocked the now badly injured Kaze to the ground. Hensai notices the commotion and almost has tears in his eyes.
“Shinote…”
“They got you too.”
Hensai looks over at Shinote’s corpse. His expression suddenly turns to one of anger as he looks down at Kaze.
“You know what they say.”
“An eye for an eye!!!”
Hensai pushes his foot down on Kaze’s throat very hard.
“NO, KAZE !!!”
Chikaku begins running over but it’s too late. Kaze’s life slowly fades away. All actions become clear when a ring appears on Kaze’s corpse.
Kaze has been killed.
Hensai picks up the ring and puts it on as Shokku and the others look on in fear.
“What have we done?”
Hensai turns his hand into insects and has successfully stolen Kaze’s power.
“I’m unstoppable now.”
“Not even Neutraliser can stand up to me now.”
Hensai looks down at Kaze’s lifeless corpse and smiles.
“Thanks for the power…”
“Kaze.”
Everyone looks on in horror at Hensai and at Kaze’s corpse.
Hensai walks over to Shinote’s corpse and takes off his ring and puts it in his pocket. Hensai gets up and looks at the others and notices everybody’s expressions of fear.
“Don’t worry.”
“I have no interest in any of your powers.”
“I think they’re all quite pathetic actually.”
“None of you could pose a threat to me.”
“So, todays your lucky day.”
“You get to live.”
Hensai laughs and begins to leave. Chikaku and the others wear expressions of depression.
“We lost…”
