The Path He Chose

Genso did not stop.

He ran across the rooftops of the village, the footsteps of the Slaughterers’ Squad gradually fading behind him.

Ivo was in the lead.

Saki was right behind him.

But Genso...

He didn't know where he was going.

The only thing he knew was that something was pulling him forward.

Something he couldn't ignore.

He suddenly stopped.

He looked down.

A small piece of cloth was caught between the stones.

He crouched and picked it up.

He froze.

It was white.

At its edge was a small blue thread.

He stared at it for several seconds.

Then he closed his fist around it.

"Clara..."

He didn't know why he had said her name.

There was no evidence.

No logical reason.

But his heart told him it belonged to her.

He raised his head.

And at that moment, a voice came from behind him.

"I knew you'd follow it."

Genso spun around.

There was no one there.

He frowned.

Then he heard the voice again.

This time, from the opposite direction.

"If I were you, I wouldn't trust my memories."

Genso's expression changed.

"Rio..."

Rio appeared on a distant rooftop, sitting calmly as if he hadn't been chased for the past several minutes.

He held his usual bottle.

He raised it to his mouth.

Took a drink.

Then said,

"You're faster than I expected."

Genso charged toward him.

But Rio didn't move.

Genso leaped from one rooftop to another, then appeared directly in front of him.

His fist shot toward Rio's face.

Rio stopped drinking.

He raised one hand.

BOOM!

The rooftop shook beneath their feet.

But Rio only took a single step backward.

He looked at Genso.

"Angry."

"Where is Clara?"

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Rio smiled.

"I don't know."

Genso froze.

Then grabbed him by the clothes.

"Don't lie."

"I'm not lying."

"Then why did you leave this?"

Genso raised the piece of cloth.

Rio looked at it.

Then laughed.

"Ah."

He fell silent for a moment.

Then said,

"So it worked."

Genso's eyes widened.

"What?"

Rio didn't answer.

Instead, he pulled something from his pocket.

A small photograph.

It was old, its edges torn.

A picture of two children.

One was Genso.

The other...

Clara.

Genso froze completely.

He took a step closer.

"Where did you get that?"

Rio looked at the photograph.

"From you."

Silence.

"What do you mean?"

"I didn't steal it."

Rio held the photograph up.

"It was inside your memory."

Genso felt something cold move through his body.

"You..."

He stopped.

Then said,

"What did you do to my memories?"

Rio didn't smile this time.

"I?"

He looked directly at Genso.

"I didn't do anything."

Then he looked at the photograph.

"But apparently... someone did."

Silence.

The wind passed between the old buildings.

Genso continued staring at him.

"I remember."

"Really?"

"My mother."

"Yes."

"Clara."

"Yes."

"The village."

"Yes."

Rio smiled.

"Then tell me."

He stepped closer.

"What was your father's name?"

...

Genso didn't answer.

"Where were you born?"

Silence.

"How old were you when you first met Clara?"

Genso opened his mouth.

But no answer came.

His head began to ache.

He pressed a hand against his forehead.

"Stop..."

"Why?"

"I said stop!"

Rio didn't stop.

"What color was the door of your house?"

The images inside Genso's head began to distort.

The house.

His mother.

Clara.

The pie.

But...

He couldn't remember the door.

He couldn't remember the street.

He couldn't remember his father's face.

He couldn't even...

remember Clara's voice.

He suddenly raised his head.

He stared at Rio.

"What did you do?"

Rio didn't answer.

"I didn't do anything."

Then he looked at Genso.

"But it seems someone else did."

Elsewhere.

Ivo stood on top of one of the towers.

He looked around.

"Where's Genso?"

No one answered.

Saki arrived moments later.

"He's gone."

Ivo slammed his fist against the wall.

"I told you not to leave him alone!"

One of the members said,

"He was behind us only moments ago."

Saki fell silent.

Then raised his head.

"Rio."

Ivo looked at him.

"What?"

"He wasn't running from us."

Ivo's expression changed.

"What are you saying?"

Saki looked toward the path Genso had disappeared along.

"He was leading us."

On the other side of the village...

Rio sat on the edge of a rooftop.

Genso stood before him, holding his head.

"Everything I remember..."

Genso spoke quietly.

"Whenever I try to think about it... I feel like something is missing."

Rio tilted his head.

"Because something is missing."

"What?"

"I don't know."

Genso looked at him.

"You do know."

"No."

Rio said it simply.

"I only know that there's something inside your memories."

He paused.

"Something I was never supposed to see."

Genso narrowed his eyes.

"What is it?"

Rio stared at him for a long moment.

Then said,

"The Yami."

Silence.

Genso's expression changed.

"What do you know about them?"

"More than I did yesterday."

He stepped closer.

"And less than I need to know."

He looked directly into Genso's eyes.

"When I entered your memory, I wasn't looking for anything."

He paused.

"I was just bored."

Then he smiled.

"But I saw them."

His smile faded.

"I saw a number that shouldn't have been possible."

He stepped closer.

"And I saw them looking at you."

Genso didn't move.

"Then I understood."

Rio said,

"You don't use the Yami."

He leaned closer.

"The Yami..."

"...use you."

At that moment—

BOOM!

A building behind them exploded.

Ivo appeared with the rest of the squad.

"RIOOO!"

Rio smiled.

"They're here."

Genso turned.

Ivo leaped toward them.

"Get away from him, Genso!"

Rio didn't move.

Genso looked at him.

Then at Ivo.

Then back at Rio.

"You knew they'd come."

"Of course."

"You knew from the beginning?"

"What do you think?"

Rio laughed.

"Did you really think I was running?"

Ivo charged at him.

But Rio jumped backward.

At that exact moment...

The rooftop beneath Genso collapsed.

"Genso!"

Ivo reached out.

But the distance was too great.

Genso disappeared into the darkness.

Ivo looked at Rio.

"Where did you send him?!"

Rio raised both hands.

"Me?"

He smiled.

"I didn't send him anywhere."

He paused.

"He chose the path himself."

Genso fell.

He didn't know how long he had been falling.

A second?

A minute?

An hour?

Then—

BOOM!

He slammed into the ground.

He slowly raised his head.

He was somewhere dark.

No buildings.

No village.

No sounds.

Only endless darkness.

"Where am I?"

A voice answered.

Not from outside.

But from within him.

A very low voice.

Ancient.

Hoarse.

As if it had been asleep for thousands of years.

"Genso..."

He froze.

"Who are you?"

Silence.

Then the voice came again.

"You're late."

Genso's breathing quickened.

"Show yourself."

A quiet laugh.

Then two red eyes appeared in the darkness.

One.

Then two.

Then dozens.

Then hundreds.

Then...

Genso could no longer count them.

He stepped backward.

But this time...

the Yami did not attack him.

Instead, they bowed.

One after another.

As if greeting someone who had finally returned after a very long absence.

Genso slowly raised his head.

And somewhere far away...

Rio stood on top of a distant building.

He looked toward the place where Genso had fallen.

Then pulled out his bottle.

He took a drink.

Closed his eyes.

"I found you."

He opened his eyes.

But his smile wasn't directed at Genso.

It was directed at the thing inside Genso.

"Kaizen."