Chapter 63: Kuro Teaches
The rooftop of the apartment building was windy. The air was cold. It whipped around the ventilation units. Kaito stood in the center. He held a deck of cards in his left hand. He wore his jacket. The white patch in his hair was hidden under the hood. He was practicing draws. He pulled a card. He slammed it down. He repeated the motion.
Kuro sat on the edge of the water tower. His legs dangled. He watched with critical eyes. He looked bored. He looked judgmental. He looked like a teacher who hated his students.
Kuro said: "That was pathetic."
Kaito said: "Again."
Kuro said: "Your wrist is stiff. You are using your arm. You are wasting energy."
Kaito reset his stance. He relaxed his shoulder. He pulled another card. He slammed it down. The card glowed. The shadow erupted. It was faster this time.
Kuro said: "Better. But still slow. You are hesitating."
Kaito said: "I am not."
Kuro said: "You are. You think before you act. In a fight, thinking is death. You must know before you move."
Kaito picked up the card. He wiped the dust off. He put it back in the deck. He shuffled. The sound was crisp in the night air. He drew again. He slammed it down. The shadow formed instantly. It was sharp. It was clean.
Kuro said: "Acceptable. For a human."
Kaito said: "Thank you."
Kuro said: "Do not thank me. I am stating facts. You are still inefficient. You waste motion. You waste time. You waste life."
Kaito ignored the insult. He opened his notebook. He placed it on the concrete. He picked up his pen. He wrote down the correction. Relax wrist. Do not think. Know.
Kuro said: "You are writing it down."
Kaito said: "Yes."
Kuro said: "You think you will remember it."
Kaito said: "I will not."
Kuro said: "Then why write it."
Kaito said: "To practice."
Kuro laughed. It was a dry sound. It sounded like feathers rubbing together. He stood up. He walked over to Kaito. He looked at the notebook. He looked at the handwriting. It was neat. It was precise.
Kuro said: "Your posture is wrong."
Kaito said: "I am standing."
Kuro said: "You are slouching. You are inviting attack. Straighten your back. Lift your chin. Look like you belong here."
Kaito straightened his back. He lifted his chin. He looked at the horizon. The city lights stretched out below. They were bright. They were unaware. Kaito felt the weight of the cards. He felt the weight of the advice.
Kuro said: "Now summon Fenrir. Partial merge. Ten seconds."
Kaito said: "It is cold."
Kuro said: "Do it."
Kaito drew the King of Fangs. He pressed it to his chest. The light flowed into him. The heat surged. The fur grew. The claws extended. He held it for ten seconds. He released it. The light faded. He breathed out. The steam was visible.
Kuro said: "You flinched."
Kaito said: "It hurts."
Kuro said: "Pain is data. Do not flinch. Accept it. Use it. If you flinch, the enemy sees weakness. If you see weakness, you die."
Kaito looked at his hands. They were human again. They were steady. He wrote in the notebook. Do not flinch. Pain is data.
Kuro said: "You are too soft."
Kaito said: "I am human."
Kuro said: "Humans break. You must be harder. You must be stone. You must be shadow. You must be me."
Kaito said: "I am not you."
Kuro said: "Pity. I am excellent."
Kaito closed the notebook. He put the pen in his pocket. He looked at Kuro. The entity was smirking. He looked pleased with himself. He looked like he had won an argument. He had not. Kaito had simply listened.
Kaito said: "Anything else."
Kuro said: "Yes. Your positioning. You stand in the open. You are a target. Use the shadows. Use the corners. Hide until the last moment."
Kaito said: "I need to see the crack."
Kuro said: "You do not need to see it. You need to feel it. The cards tell you. I tell you. The air tells you. Stop looking. Start sensing."
Kaito closed his eyes. He listened. The wind blew. The city hummed. The cards vibrated. He felt the shift in the air. He felt the pressure. He opened his eyes. He looked at the corner of the roof. The shadow was deeper there.
Kaito said: "There."
Kuro said: "Finally. You are learning."
Kaito walked to the corner. He stood in the shadow. He blended in. He was invisible. He was still. He was dangerous. Kuro nodded. It was a small nod. It was rare. It was valuable.
Kuro said: "Good. Now stay there. Do not move. Do not breathe. Do not exist."
Kaito said: "I need to breathe."
Kuro said: "Not if you want to live. Breathing makes sound. Sound makes location. Location makes death."
Kaito held his breath. He stood still. He became part of the dark. He waited. The minutes passed. The wind cooled. The city quieted. Kaito did not move. He did not flinch. He did not think. He just was.
Kuro said: "You may breathe now. You are turning blue."
Kaito breathed in. The air was cold. It hurt his lungs. He stepped out of the shadow. He looked at Kuro. The entity was smiling. It was not a nice smile. It was proud.
Kuro said: "You survived."
Kaito said: "I did."
Kuro said: "For now. Tomorrow you will be slower. Tomorrow you will be tired. Tomorrow you will make mistakes."
Kaito said: "I will correct them."
Kuro said: "You will try. There is a difference."
Kaito picked up his notebook. He put it in his bag. He checked the cards. They were secure. He checked his jacket. It was buttoned. He checked his hair. The white patch was hidden. He was ready.
Kuro said: "You are obsessive."
Kaito said: "I am careful."
Kuro said: "Obsession is better. Carefulness gets you killed. Obsession keeps you alive."
Kaito walked to the door. He opened it. The stairwell was dark. The light from the roof spilled in. It cast a long shadow. Kaito stepped into it. He disappeared. Kuro followed. He flowed into the shadow. He was part of it.
They walked down the stairs. The sound was silent. Kaito did not make a noise. Kuro did not make a noise. They were a team. They were a unit. They were a weapon.
Kuro said: "You took the advice."
Kaito said: "Yes."
Kuro said: "Even though I was insufferable."
Kaito said: "Especially because."
Kuro said: "You are strange."
Kaito said: "I am tired."
Kuro said: "Sleep. You need it. You look like a corpse."
Kaito said: "You look like a bird."
Kuro said: "I am a raven. There is a difference. Ravens are intelligent. Birds are food."
Kaito reached the third floor. He unlocked the door. He stepped inside. The room was dark. He did not turn on the light. He walked to the desk. He placed the bag down. He took off his jacket. He hung it up. He looked at the white patch in the mirror. It was visible now. It was stark.
Kuro said: "It is growing."
Kaito said: "I know."
Kuro said: "It is the cost."
Kaito said: "I paid it."
Kuro said: "You will pay more."
Kaito said: "I will pay."
Kuro said: "Why."
Kaito said: "Because someone has to."
Kuro was silent. The shadow receded into the corner. He did not argue. He knew the answer. He knew the resolve. He knew the boy. He knew the keeper. He knew the wall.
Kaito lay on the bed. He closed his eyes. He did not sleep immediately. He thought about the training. He thought about the advice. He thought about the sarcasm. It was annoying. It was helpful. It was necessary.
Kuro said: "Goodnight, Kaito."
Kaito said: "Goodnight, Kuro."
Kuro said: "Do not die tomorrow."
Kaito said: "I will try."
Kuro said: "Try harder."
Kaito slept. He did not dream. He dreamed of cards. He dreamed of shadows. He dreamed of a raven watching him. He dreamed of a notebook full of corrections. He dreamed of a city that did not know.
The morning came. The sun rose. The light hit the desk. The notebook was there. The pen was beside it. The cards were in the jacket. The jacket was on the chair.
Kaito woke up. He sat up. He stretched. His body was stiff. His muscles ached. He stood up. He walked to the mirror. He fixed his hair. He covered the white patch. He looked human. He looked normal.
He put on the jacket. He checked the pocket. The cards were there. He opened the door. He stepped into the hallway. The building was quiet. He walked down the stairs. He passed the second floor. The step was empty.
He walked out into the morning. The city was waking up. The people were moving. The life was flowing. Kaito joined the stream. He was one among many. He was invisible. He was the keeper.
He touched his pocket. He felt the cards. He felt the advice. He felt the sarcasm. He felt the respect. It was hidden. It was deep. It was real.
Kaito said: "Ready."
Kuro said: "Always."
Kaito kept walking. He did not look back. The shadow followed. The light remained. He was ready.
The day began.
