Karasu no Tengoku

Chapter Seven: Shoot Down

(Once again, the same girl enters a phone cabin, and dials the same long, international number, though, this time she’s in a different country…in the other end; a cell-phone is flipped open…)
“They’re planning to go to Sendai…maybe…”
“What do you mean maybe? A maybe won’t do…keep on tracking them…”
“Yes master…anything else you want me to do?”
“Not just now...”
“Alright…I’ll contact you if I have any news master…”
“Good…”

(Hideki walked through Shiba Park, near Sakurada-Dori, near the café, he thought it might would be a good idea to go to Gin and talk to him a bit more about the vampire/shinigami, but Gin wasn’t still a person in which he could completely trust…)
“Oi! Iwamoto-san!...”
(’My my…’ there was Gin walking towards him ironically, he was still dead-pale, and always in his dark clothes, this time he wasn’t smiling, he actually had an uneasy expression…)
“You were thinking on going to my café, were you not?”
“Yeah…so it IS actually yours…”
“Yes of course…indeed, I need to talk to you…”
“Ok…are we going to the café after-all?”
“So it seems…”

(After they reached the café, they went to the office that was in the back-store, it was ample and well-decorated, a nice view all the way…)
“Have a seat…”
“Thanks…”
(Hideki sat in front of the desk, and then Gin gave a heavy sigh...)
“I’m afraid…I’ll have to leave Tokyo for a while…”
“Why is that so?”
“Because he already found out I’m helping you…if not much, but still helping…”
“What????? This quick???”
“Yes…it might’ve been his pawn spying me from the beginning, but still, it’s becoming dangerous…and you, Iwamoto-san, you might as well be a target, or at least a dangerous one for him by now…I suggest you flee for a while too…”
“No…I’ll rather stay here and confront him…”
“What can a human do against a shinigami??”
“I might not be able to do much, but still I prefer that to fleeing…”
“Oh don’t be so proud…at least value your life a bit more…”
“He might not kill me…”
“You don’t mean…”
“Yes, he might transform me…”
“That’s just plain stupid! Don’t tell me you’ve been looking for him just to accomplish that!!”
“Of course not…”
“Oh well, I suppose you’re to do as you wish…”
“Then mind telling me, why you think he knows about us…”
“Oh yes, he sent a letter…look…”
(Gin handed him a letter, and once again, that weird language showed itself, Hideki placed the letter on the desk in front of him, Gin’s face was completely neutral…)
“I trust you’ve seen that code before, have you not?”
“I have…but I don’t understand it…”
“How come…? Was it never explained to you?”
“There was no time…”
“Oh well…then I guess it’ll be my job to explain it to you…or so it seems…”
“I’m all ears…”
“Good…it is called Kuro-shi Language, it was the ancient and foremost secret language in All Souls’ Maze, ancient stands for it being considered a dead language, and because it is thought that the very first language of the human world, Sanskrit comes from it, and from the latter one, all the other languages we know; secret stands for it being only known by the higher classes, those being the Council and the Kurotenshi, no normal shinigami nor normal soul were meant to know this language, it was used to keep away all the secrets of the higher classes and the politics in All Souls’ Maze from the public life…it was an artificial language, it is said that the very first human language in All Souls’ Maze was English, so that makes the Kuro-shi rather easy to understand if well explained, a syllabic sound is replacing each letter, there are few unaccompanied vowels and the letter remains the same when in capital form, the grammar is the same as in English in any other aspect…that’s basically the Kuro-shi Language…”
“How…how do you know all this??”
“Your shinigami…Makoto…I suppose you know he was a Kurotenshi??”
“I know…”
“One of the charges for which he was tried was leak of information…so that explains, don’t you think??”
“Yes…but that happened centuries ago…just how old are you??”
“Oh you’ll be surprised, but I was certainly born much latter than your shinigami…”
“Just…who are you??”
“…if I told you that…I’d have to reveal to you the truth about yourself too…”
“What?? Truth?? About myself??? What are you talking about???”
“Nevermind Iwamoto-san…I have to leave as soon as possible…so if you don’t mind, this has been quite an enjoyable meeting…”
“Right…see ya Sakamoto…”
(Hideki left with the same feeling in the pit of his stomach that he had every time he went to that place, when they were out, it was already near sunset, and he saw Gin walk away until he lost sight of him…he decided he’ll go to Kaito…again…)

“Gin…”
“Oh, Hikari…I didn’t notice you were back…what is it that you want??”
(The shadow shifted back into its human form, and sat near the windowsill, an androgynous but beautiful and somehow tending more to be feminine face with lilac eyes, curly long pitch black hair pulled up into a tight ball high on the head and fastened with chopsticks, hair leaking out and a quite fair skin was now facing Gin…)
“Don’t you think that…Hideki, has become a bit gloomy lately??”
“What do you mean??”
“He seems like he’d lost someone…I mean, terribly isolated and…kind of depressed…”
“Are all kageoni able to notice this change in humans??”
“Fairly well…”
“Then I should take into account all what you’re saying about Hideki…”
“Of course…”
“So, what do you suggest we do about it??”
“There isn’t much left to do…the duty of taking care of his soul is already taken…”
“Really?? By who??”
“Minagawa Kaito…his partner in the investigation…though, there’s a little problem with Kaito…”
“Which is?”
“He’s fairly impatient…and he gets annoyed easily, that includes Hideki of course…and they’d been separated lately because there are no clues and there’s not very much progress in the investigation, maybe that’s why Hideki’s been kind of gloomy…and now that you plan to leave there’ll be nearly no progress at all…if there was any before…”
“Are you telling me not to go…what if Makoto strikes again…maybe even YOU would be involved if that happened you know?”
“I’m well aware of it…but I’ve never been afraid of a Kurotenshi at all…even if they were the second in command, remember that the kingdom of the Kageoni has always been its own…”
“Yes…I know that very, very well, but…what can we do against a Kurotenshi, I don’t think we can do much…”
“No, maybe not a Kageoni, but YOU surely can…if you know what I mean…”
“Yeah…I never thought I’ll have to use that status again…at least not so soon…”
“Well…it seems you have to, so…are you staying in Tokyo or what??”
“Yes…I am…are you staying with me??”
“As usual…”
(She smiled and shifted back to her normal shape, a shadow, reclined upon the windowsill and decided to take a little nap, while Gin began unpacking his things…meanwhile, Hideki went to Kaito’s place and rang the bell, twice, and no one came, he began to feel uneasy, if a bit suspicious, so he looked for the spare key that was on top of the door-frame and opened the outer door, not even Kaito’s car was there, so he thought maybe he’d gone out for something of just without reason so he walked to the inner door and opened, since the same key was useful, the house was…normal, in its’ normal state, he went to the living-room, nothing)
“Hey Kaitoooooooooo…you there???”
(To the studio, no Kaito, to the main room, no Kaito yet, he began to feel even more uneasy, finally went to the kitchen and found an envelope…)
“Oh no…”
(In the envelope, there was a scripture in Kuro-shi, thought it seemed like it was made manually: Inaiamtette-kore Himekuroi-kore, Hideki opened the envelope, all the writing was manual and in a quite aristocratic style, of course, in Kuro-shi, he went to the library and searched for the book Kaito’d used to translate the other letter and sat on the desk, opened the book and searched the page and began translating, the letter’s original text was like this:

Mda-sha mekuasan Nkunei-kore:

I-sha tsanshinoda amemisane dateshi, dateshi’sae anomtetsut fteshiogame mku...nashit tsutinono, aoga-mi anotetsut sankumaiogatsu aoga-mi anotetsut...

Yteshi’saku-sha ctemku naiada ttete ogakuasan tte mku, aogame that...it’tsu shiogaacckuwatananoe...

I-sha caoga’t anonotenai mdatsuenof tte naku fteshiogame tsute kuatsuinoda...tsute, ftesan thku timku nakuiogaki...I’saku tsukucnoshimekume dateshisan kishiasanmeiaoga aogakikuno ioga thku noatsut wanoacku dateshi cteshinome sankuach...dakutsu...Anono-kore Steshinotsu’kore Maninku-kore...

Kkukuwa-sha teoga tsukuasanchiogaki aogame dateshi’nono hasaku thku rokuda tte hitsu wasanitsuteoga...

Fasankunaikunono-sha...

Ro-kore. M-kore.

Soon, the translation was ready, and Hideki read what it said out loud)
“My dear Neji:

I truly admire you, you've almost found me...but still, an almost remains an almost...

You've come way too near to me, and that...it's unacceptable...

I can't allow myself to be found so easily...so, for the time being...I've secluded your guardian angel in the last place you could reach...yes...All Souls' Maze...

Keep on searching and you'll have the key to his prison...

Farewell...

K. M.

Neji?? What the hell is he talking about??”
(Hideki closed the book and went to the kitchen, he NEEDED coffee, NOW…when his precious mug was in his hand his brain began to work in a rather weird way as he kept staring at the clock and saw how the time stretched endlessly before him..’Unusual...really unusual…’, he began to think out loud…)
“Why take Kaito away?? There isn’t any relation between that shinigami and him besides Kaito helping me to find him…and still, I’m the most interested…and why to All Souls’ Maze…I knew that place actually existed but there isn’t any human known way to get there besides dying…a key…a way…to get there…without being dead…being a human…impossible, being a shinigami…way too many…being…a…vampire…oooh…now I get it…but…I know no vampires…maybe Gin…nah, no way…and why Neji?? Why did he use that damned name and wrote on the outside my name????????? Not even in any of my past lives I think I’ve had that name…or have I???”
“So finally doubt is beginning to bug you…”
(Hideki nearly spilled the coffee upon the floor when he heard Kaito’s voice behind him…it was quite a great shock after what he’d read…he couldn’t even turn to face him…)
“Ka…Kaito?????????????”
“Yeeeeesss…what’s that thing you’re holding??”
(Kaito walked to stand in front of him in the other side of the counter, Hideki handed it over to him…Kaito saw the scribble made under it…’The translation huh?’…)
“Oh man…why did he send this?? Did he know you’ll come??”
“I…I…I don’t know but…you’re here…then why did he…??? Damn! Kaito, what the hell is this all about??????...”
“Well…first, calm down and sit…”
(Hideki placed the mug upon the counter and sat back down on the stool in which he’d been musing…Kaito remained standing in front of him, his arms crossed and with a rather displeased expression…)
“Look…someone came here…and took me to meet him…”
“So you actually know where he is??!?!?!? This is the end of the investigation!!”
“No, no, no, wait…I don’t know where was I taken to…I just know I was taken there by a girl, but I was blind-folded by her and the sounds were the common ones of any city…nothing could really be made out of them…it could have been Tokyo or Sendai or even Osaka!! Besides, the trip was long but no sound of airports or hints having gone to the countryside I could perceive...”
(Hideki’s face went completely blank for a moment…total disbelief reflecting, though not towards Kaito but towards the situation altogether…it was practically impossible NOT to detect any change in the surroundings if your ears weren’t covered up or if the sounds weren’t muffled with something…)
“What about the trip being long?? Shouldn’t that give at least a hint of where were you taken to??”
“In a normal situation it would have helped…but they could have either taken me to another city or just kept on driving in circles here in Tokyo, which is most likely what they did…besides, Tokyo’s huge…it would of no help at all…”
“Why do you say so??”
“Because as I told you, I didn’t perceive any change that could prove I was taken to the countryside or that I even reached the highway at all…”
“This is just plain weird…way too weird…”
“Yeah I know…”
(Kaito sat on the stool across Hideki at last, keeping his arms crossed now upon the table…Hideki inquired)
“And then?? Why did they take you to him??”
“It seems he wants us to stop looking for him…he told me that, seeing him alive and there should be proof enough for me, for us…to know he DID exist…and that he couldn’t allow us to come any nearer, nor to investigate any further…”
“What if we don’t do as he says??”
“To me…he’ll do what he said in the letter…seclude me in All Souls’ Maze…though he didn’t specify if he’ll sent me the normal way or if he’ll use another means…”
“What about me??”
“I don’t know…and I don’t know either why he calls you Neji…”
“This is just too fucked up…so you saw him physically…”
“Yeah…you want to know how he is, don’t you??”
“Yeah…”
“Alright…he lacks all the imposing presence of a normal vampire to begin with…though it could be said he compensates it with the authoritarian personality, he’s pale, tall and ridiculously skinny, icy gray or purple bluish eyes and the hair is long, straight and jet-black…as for the personality, he’s conceited, he’s tricky and he’s a good diplomat I should say…the girl is his pawn, I learned…”
“That’s all??”
“Pretty much…yeah…”
“Even if we know that much…if we don’t know where were you taken to…it’s of almost no use at all…”
“I know…”
“Hey…they just brought you back, isn’t it??”
“Yes…”
“Oh my…”
(Hideki ran out the house and onto the street until he reached the corner, he turn and kept staring at the avenue…Kaito came running after him…)
“Wha…what was all that for?!?!”
“I…I just thought we might catch up to them and follow them…but it seems I thought about it a bit too late…damn…”
“Let’s get back inside…it’s kind of cold…”
(They walked back to Kaito’s house, Hideki looked back several times, but they were completely gone…)