A starless sky. Heavy air. The brightness of the city being the only illumination that surrounds me in the dead of night. Truth be told, I haven't accustomed myself to it yet. I guess my usual habit of sleeping outside on the roof will likely have to be adjusted.

I really don't know how to describe myself. I am strained and restless. A chance at revenge. A new job! All this is so sudden, and it makes me feel uneasy...

Something just isn't right.

I haven't taken the last visions I have seen into consideration much. I can assume I've seen Crystal-sama and Yamiso-sama in one of them, but I really don't know much about the rest. What will happen to Sueka? What will happen to me? Everything today, no matter how immediately beneficial it may seem, just feels a bit too good to be true.

What's more, Sueka seems to see right through me. Following the departure of our two uninvited guests, we ended up having a discussion that, to say the least, has given me more questions than answers.

"You shouldn't feel guilty for what happened back home," I remember her telling me, "Please don't let your assumed visions cloud your judgment. You're alive. I'm alive. Father gave his life to give us this chance at life. He wouldn't have wanted you to go and waste it on vengeance. Remember what he used to always tell us, 'I'd rather live as a father than die as a hero'. Though he may have died saving us, he died as our father and would have wanted you to live long to become a living hero to someone else in the future."

(It's funny. How easily she understands me. Even...when I don't even fully understand myself. And yet...)

The few cars that exist in this place I can hear through the streets.

"Aaaahhh, Damn it!" I yell, getting up and scratching my head. "'Pity the deaf man who misses the knock of opportunity.' But honestly, I have no idea who to listen to!"

Kind of embarrassing yelling out like that to nobody but yourself.

In the far distance, in what I will assume is some sort of religious sanctuary in the city that practices First Age Christianity, I hear the sound of a poorly maintained organ with a chorus singing "Somebody's Knocking at Your Door."

I lie down on my back again and look at the sky. That blank sky. That lifeless sky. With my one good arm, I reach out to it and close my hand as if to grasp something. The problem is, this sky is nothing more than an empty void, a sea of black, with no stars or constellations to watch or to reach out to.

"Argh! I don't know what to think anymore! I shouldn't have been so impulsive! I don't know who to listen to anymore! What to do!? What to do!?"

"Perhaps...I could help with that."

(Hm?)

An unknown voice. Or rather, it sounds more like an altered voice. Nobody I think I'd know. I quickly get up and look around me. Nothing. Or rather, nobody.

"You could...die."

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I quickly backflip.

BACHI!!!

And barely dodge the slash of a sharp-edged gunbai fan from above.

"Impressive, cloaked one. Seems you've learned a few tricks of your own."

Who is this figure? This unexpected assassin? I recognize the fan, but, if this is the man I've seen in my vision, why is he missing that sword I saw? What does he want? Damn, why did he have to show up when I already have too many questions to handle!?

"Oren Tsurai..."

(What!?)

"Who are you?" I ask slowly, trying to compose myself. "And how do you know me? I wouldn't have forgotten a figure like you."

"I would attempt to teach you the value of patience, but time management is also an important life lesson. I'm sorry, but you're nothing more than a hindrance to my goal. Obstructions are to be eliminated long before they become a nuisance."

He runs at me with blinding speed. I lean back and barely dodge a horizontal slash from his gunbai. If it's as sharp as it looks, I would have been decapitated in a second!

"Hold still!"

I dodge a diagonal slash. My cloak is grazed near the bottom.

"Again, who are you?"

He continues to slash at me. Luckily, I'm fast enough to keep up with Soul Conversion. And yet...there's something about his fighting style. Some attacks are clean cuts, expected of assassins. But, some other attacks, seem rather sloppy. It's as if this man is trying hard to imitate a fighting style rather than using one of his own.

"You should be dead!"

I perform a round-house kick and hit the flat interior of the gunbai.

"You have too many questions and too few answers," I respond. "Who are you?"

At this, the unknown fighter begins to calm down.

"Tell me, who were you?"

(Who was I?)

I look at him again. A full body cloak. A black mask with some voice adjustment feature and a golden grail-like shape down the middle. He should have a sword. Fairly good hand-to-hand combatant. Much of that is similar...

!

Similar to me!

And...if he's like me....!!!!!!!!!

"SELOT!!!" I yell, jumping back.

The man chuckles. "Seems you've done your homework."

The memories of Terraz's destruction begin to rush back to me. The pain. The loss. Our loss. My loss. And it's because of him. All because of him!!!

(Soul Conversion 3...BEAT!!!)

I rush at him and begin to barrage him with kicks. Rather than dodging all of them, he simply chooses to block my kicks with his gunbai. He's taunting me!

"You should be dead," he repeats. "I should be dead to the public."

"You're right. You should be dead!"

"You know not how just my cause is."

"Your cause led to the death of an entire village!!"

Seeing an opening, he goes on the offensive and again begins to slash at me.

"That wasn't my intention. But there is no progress without sacrifice!"

Something about the words he says seems off. Forced. Out of character.

And yet....!!!!!!!!!

"What would a man who never shows his face in public know about sacrifice!?"

I perform another round-house kick into his gunbai, knocking him towards the edge the apartment rooftop. I rush at him again, catching him off guard with my speed.

(What?) he thinks.

"First Age: Breaking Updraft!"

I kick upwards with all my remaining strength...

PACHI!!!

And cause his mask to crack. For someone with such a feared reputation, he's surprisingly weak. He staggers back, covering his mask, bringing himself even closer to the rooftop edge.

Within less than 5 centimeters of the edge, he moves his hand away from his mask.

And I see it repairing itself!

Selot puts the gunbai down and begins to clap.

"Commendable. As expected of one who was meant to be my scapegoat."

(That's it!!!!)

I rush at him again. He quickly picks up his gunbai and blocks my kick with it again. This barely pushes him back.

"I suppose...letting you live will make things a little more interesting."

(Why you!!!)

"But, if you value what life you have, you will stay away from Hisashi!"

(Hisashi? Who? What?)

He shifts his weight forward and pushes me away. I quickly jump back in order to dodge one last horizontal slash.

"All things come to an end. Many events occur when the majority are in disfavor. Change is part of nature. Change is what is needed for human progress."

He turns around and looks down towards the street below.

"If you truly care to survive, stay away from Hisashi."

At this, he jumps off the building.

"Wait!!"

I rush towards the rooftop edge and look down. He's nowhere to be seen.

All this encounter has done is raise more questions. Why tell me this? Who is Hisashi anyway? What is he planning?

In a nearby alley, unknown to me, the man that I assumed was Selot then changes to another figure.

The figure of a boy in a brown cloak, with a broken arm.

"The deed is done," he says in the boy's voice. "The seeds are sown. May his personal goals hinder the goals of his comrades."

Ppppiiiii!!!

The figure pulls out a communication crystal.

"I've been looking all over for you, Chates."

"Can't a guy have a little fun?"

"What were you doing?"

"Sowing confusion amongst enemy ranks."

"You better not have compromised any of our duties with your actions."

"I promise you, that won't be the case."

"You are my brother. I will respect your decisions. But don't let personal interests jeopardize what we've been working on for so long."

"Don't worry."

."..Very well. Regardless, get ready."

"So, it's finally begun."

"Indeed. Game start!"