GOFU! GOFU!

Coughing up blood, I lean on the nearest tree. I'm outside the mining facility, heading to the hospital.

(I have to warn her. I have to.)

I grip the injured parts of my chest.

In my mind, all I can think of is the rhythm of that song. That song...and the constant pain I endured throughout it. I clearly remember every throw, shot, and hit. It should be all a blur, given how fast that Hiromu person fights, but how can I forget such an experience?

(To think...that the Keisetsu is still this strong! Jonathan was my sparring partner before we were imprisoned, and I held my own with him back then. I thought I...no, I thought WE were strong enough.)

GOFU!

I continue my advance up the hill towards the hospital.

My vision...is getting blurry.

Ga-! Ga-! Ga-!

I hear ducks in the forest around me. If I recall, there is a lake nearby. I look to the direction of the sound, and see the lake. Clear water. A peaceful atmosphere. Small bridges and walkways connecting the islands dotting the waterscape. The occasional decorative fountain that the animals seem to enjoy more than the humans. A small, First Age European stone dome pavilion on the island furthest in with only one walkway. This place is meant to provide a pleasant place to relax for all the patients at the Wave hospital, which is only a short walk away.

I'm close... I know it. But...I...

My vision is failing and my head hurts. I must have...lost too much blood.

Ga-! Ga-! Ga-!

I look in the direction of the ducks and see a woman in her 20s feeding them. She looks at me...

Batan.

And I collapse.

........................

............

......"ey."

..."Hey!"

"Mmmmm....."

I slowly get up. I look around me, and see that I'm still in the park. Seems I've been moved to the nearest bench from where I collapsed. I look down at my body and see that my wounds are mostly covered in bandages.

Bbbbiiiirrrriiiii.

I look in the direction of the sound and see the woman I saw before preparing more bandages.

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"You okay?" she asks.

"I...will be."

!

"How long have I been out!?" I ask.

"Only a few minutes. Not even a half hour."

(I don't have time for this!)

I try to get up, but the sudden surge of pain I experience causes me to stop. I groan in agony.

"Careful!" the woman says.

I try again to get up. The woman then wraps one arm around me to my opposite shoulder and helps me stand.

"Need a hand?" she asks.

I look at her in silence, then nod.

"I need...to get to the hospital." I say.

"No kidding!" she responds.

Arm in arm, we advance up the hill towards the hospital.

"So..." she starts, "What happened?"

"Occupational hazard." I state.

The woman stops talking, likely thinking that she touched on a sensitive subject. I look at her and see worry and sorrow in her eyes. If I recall, her eyes were like that before I collapsed.

"Something on your mind?" I ask.

She stops walking.

"Sorry if I...!"

She puts her open hand up to stop me from talking, then nods. She starts walking again.

"And...I ask you something personal?" she asks.

"Sure, I guess."

"Is it common for you to...experience loss in your profession?"

"Oh, I see." I say. "Sadly, yes. But I've seen enough to be used to it."

"How can you be used to death!?"

"Whoa! Whoa! Easy, kid!"

We continue to walk in silence for a bit.

"Did something happen?" I ask.

She looks at me, then starts to cry. With that, she begins her tale. She didn't tell me her name, but she told me about the tragedies in her family. The abuse, the target of vengeance. Reminds me of my days before imprisonment, with Amado's woman.

(Everything about this...seems very familiar. But no matter, I'm in no condition to try anything, let alone overthink things.)

Reflecting on it, I'm starting to feel a little guilty. Why is that? I have no regrets up to this point. Maybe...this is the first time I've met anybody who has suffered because of such actions? I don't know. Something about this woman brings out the guilt in me.

But she doesn't stop. She talks about her best friends who left and never returned. She tells me of her remaining best friend who told her other friends were dead. And at the hands of the man who has become her brother's friend, no less!

"I just...don't know what to do." the woman says. "What if my brother is next? What is this murderer's intentions? Was it something I did in the past? Whenever I try to think about these things, all I feel is rage and sadness. Tell me, is it wrong...for me to want to act on such emotions?"

I look away.

(You're talking to a murderer. My advice likely isn't what you want to hear.)

"There is nothing wrong with following your heart." I say. "But you should at least think about how you'll feel once the deed is done. Do you think the guilt will weigh you down?"

"I...don't know. I've committed a few unspeakable acts in the past, but nothing like this."

"What kind of man is this assumed murderer?"

She describes him in perfect detail.

(Is she...talking about Oren?)

Thinking back to when I met Oren, I don't see him being a murderer. He's impulsive, sure, but something about him doesn't strike me as a coldblooded killer.

"And what does your brother think?" I ask.

"He seems to put a lot of trust in this cloaked character. My brother describes him as full of surprises with a polite personality. That's one of the reasons this is so difficult."

...

"All my life, I've dedicated my life to vengeance." I say. "But while I was achieving my goal, I never felt satisfied."

I sigh, then continue.

"If I've learned anything, it's that the most fond of memories are meant to be shared. So much so that I turned on my own leader for the sake of those I cared for."

I wonder...what is she thinking right now?

"Vengeance never ends well. You give up everything for that final crime and have nothing to return to. Look at me. Do I look fulfilled? All I want...is to protect my family, as do you, but you don't take me for the vengeful type. You're too innocent, and I doubt you'd ever be able to bear the burden of guilt."

The atmosphere seems rather awkward. Did I expect anything less? Asking a murderer for moral support?

I look at her.

"All I can say is this. If you trust your brother, put some trust in his decisions. Hurting this assumed murderer might cause more harm than good. For both of us, family is important, so don't try to ruin what bonds you have left."

The woman tells me of her brother, and eventually her best friend who told her the truth. And...to her father.

"A bond, huh?" she says.

She walks over to me. She's more wary this time, but she still seems bent on helping me.

"I hope...trust is all I need." she says.

We continue our ascent up the stairs.

"What's your name?" I ask.

"Sutoria. Sutoria Wave."

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I stop walking.

(HER!? She's Sutoria!? The one...the one we've tried to kill in the past!?!?)

"You okay!?" she asks.

I look at her. She reminds me...a lot of her mother. Kind, trustworthy, but conflicted. Those were the qualities...I loved about Hokuto. So innocent. Nothing like her father. That disgraceful man.

All these years...I've waited for a chance to get my revenge. But now...

(Why!? Why must fate mock me so!?)

Hunter specifically told me that, should any of us meet her, Sutoria shouldn't be harmed.

"Mister?"

She shakes me. The pain from my injuries snaps me out of my thoughtst.

"Oh, sorry! Sorry!" she replies.

Calmed down, I look at her.

"Again, are you okay, Mr...what's your name?"

I pause.

"Jerimiah." I lie. "My name's Jerimiah."

"Okay then, Jerimiah. We're almost there. And...thank you."

While she doesn't look happy, she at least seems less uncertain. Wish I could say the same about myself.

But personal feelings aside, I have a mission. Hunter needs to be informed.

But once this is over, should I continue down the path that ruined my life before? She may have Amado's blood, but not his heart. She has a caring heart.

Sutoria begins to sing Supercell's "Utakata Hanabi".

(What to do? What to do?)