Chapter 108: Ch146. Sickness
Toshinori laughed again.
"I’m not one to brag about anything, young man. But It’s a pleasure to meet such an incredible foreign wielder. I’m Toshinori Ryuu, leader of the Hana no Nagame guild, and president of the Japanese Wielders Association."
Kurt’s jaw fell low at the japanese statement.
He looked at Rodrick, and the bald man just nodded.
It was going better than he expected.
Kurt didn’t waste a single second before saying.
"Sir, would it be too much to ask to erase the information that these people around us have been recording of me?"
Toshinori frowned, trying to read Kurt’s expression, but finding it really hard to do.
"And why would you want to do something like that, young man?"
"Sir... I have a plan to wipe the Ishir out of the face of the United States, but in order to do so, I have to make my identity remain secret, since the only one who knows about it is my father, the current president of the United States Wielders Association."
It was Toshinori’s time for his jaw to drop.
"Oh, is that so?" He gasped ever so slightly. "And what would that plan be?"
Kurt straightened himself even more, and said.
"I believe it’d be better if we talked about it in private, sir..."
The guild master looked at Rodrick.
"Bold young man, he is. I now understand why you took a liking towards him." And after a few seconds, he added. "Let’s go, young man, we have business to attend to."
"Wait a second." Kurt asked, stopping in his tracks.
Toshinori turned around, raising an eyebrow.
He saw Kurt walking towards Yamamoto with the same expression from before, and a smile sprouted on his lips when he heard the young man’s words.
"The duel you had permitted, I still want it. But on different conditions, now. And I wouldn’t do anything funny if I were you, after I release you from my hold."
Yamamoto groaned, angry, but Kurt turned around and walked again.
Soon after, [SHADOW GRASP] was deactivated, and all the members of Karasu no Uta were able to move again.
"Quite impressive, I must say again." Toshinori congratulated Kurt. "You do know how to make an impression."
"Yeah, but I’m still not strong enough to fight them." Kurt sighed.
"The Ishir?" Hana no Nagame master smiled politely. "Don’t worry, it would take several top ranking wielders to face all the Ishir in the US."
But what he heard Kurt say after that, sent shivers down his spine.
"No. They’re a piece of cake if my plan comes together. I don’t mean them..."
Toshinori thought for a few seconds.
"Should I ask whom you’re talking about?"
Kurt sighed.
"I... Don’t know if you guys will want to know about it."
***
Building was a very common way to describe the building where the Hana no Nagame guild existed.
Kurt couldn’t understand how a place like that could exist in the center of a metropolis like Tokyo.
The building was, literally, a castle from the Heian period, coexisting fully and peacefully with the business buildings of central Tokyo.
As soon as he entered, Kurt felt the clash of cultures, when he saw people in expensive suits, at the same time as other people, dressed in ceremonial or traditional clothes walking around, as if they were living in a separate time of human history.
When they entered the main floor, where most of the offices were, Toshinori turned and said.
"I ask you to wait here, please. I have some preparations to make."
Kurt watched the man, apprehensively, but Rodrick squeezed the young man’s shoulder, reassuring.
"Don’t worry about him. Toshinori is a trustworthy person. Because I don’t think they would put someone untrustworthy at the top of Japanese power, especially considering that their mentality is basically shaped by ideals such as honor and trust..."
Kurt really wanted to believe Rodrick, but he had already experienced his share of betrayals in more than one lifetime.
"Sorry, old man, but I’ve had my fill. So I choose to be cautious, always."
Rodrick raised an eyebrow at Kurt.
"Old man?" He scoffed.
Kurt had to stop himself from cursing out loud.
Not only was he about to give information that he couldn’t logically back up without people thinking he was crazy, but he had also almost handed Rodrick the fact that he already knew him from other world lines...
Kurt was definitely taking in a lot more information than he could absorb in one day.
"Well..." Kurt whispered to himself, as he watched the other irregulars arrive at the guild, unscathed and dressed in new clothes. "Can’t say that wasn’t one hell of an arrival." He chuckled, faintly.
"You don’t look good, kid." Rodrick pointed out.
Kurt was about to say something back, when he felt the world around him spinning slightly.
"Kurt?" Evellyn almost screamed, running to catch him.
"Hey, guys... No, I’m fine... I’m..."
Then everything turned to darkness...
***
’Kurt... Blake... Prince... Anointed... He... Is... Coming...’
The voice swirled around Kurt, as if it were everywhere.
Kurt opened his eyes, and was in that place of shadows again.
On the threshold between one point and another of his [SHADOW TRAVEL].
Could this be the REAL Shadow World that Orkas had spoken about while forging Kurt the [MOON SHADOW]?
Who was that Conqueror who seemed to hide in the darkness of his skill?
’Prince... Anointed... Vessel... Perfect...’ The voice continued to say, swirling and echoing around Kurt.
He felt, once again, that terrifying presence, the feeling that the hands of those four arms were about to grab him.
And then, he opened his eyes.
Kurt was drenched in cold sweat.
His hands were shaking, and the world around him seemed to spin like never before.
He tried to get up when he heard someone’s voice around him, but the speed at which the world was spinning was too dizzying, and Kurt’s head collided against the pillow.
Evellyn looked at him, her hand reaching to his forehead, and for the slightest of moments, her eyes burst in a golden light that bathed the whole room.
"Oh, no..." She said, as the glow dissipated, little by little.
