10 (pages 249-258)

Next day, in the “Slate Chamber” of the building known as “Mihashira Tower”, three kings a.s.sembled: the Second and the Gold King, Kokujouji Daikaku, the Third and the Red King, Suoh Mikoto, the Fourth and the Blue King, Munakata Reishi.

Also, Suoh brought Kusanagi with him, and Munakata was accompanied by Awashima, as their clansmen. Needless to say, neither of said clansmen was happy or proud to have this honor. The former looked like he was busy counting all the mistakes he made in life to land him into this mess and make him attend this ordeal. The later stared down the opposition with open alert, but her countenance made it obvious that her mind pretty much blanked out from nerves.

The three kings, each with the respective characteristic expression of careful blankness, apathy or unimpressed look in place, faced one another. Suoh was smoking a cigarette. Kusanagi was doing his absolute best not to look at him.

“Timeless Palace will take it upon ourselves to handle the post-proceedings,” Kokujouji’s voice resonated through the Slate Chamber.

Munakata nodded politely, while Suoh snorted in a manner that showed he couldn’t care less. That earned him a pointed glare from Awashima, and Kusanagi gave a brief and painfully forced chuckle.

“You might be dissatisfied, but I will allow no objections,” Kokujouji drew the line lordly. “I, however, have no intention to label the incident as good or bad, or right or wrong. I may be the ruler, but I’m not a judge. …Still, as the leader of the Protocol, I will be the one to make the decision, and you two will obey it.”

Hearing the words of the king recognized as the strongest, Kusanagi ducked his head, while Awashima gulped.

Suoh shrugged his shoulders like he found it all too much trouble. “Yamata goes to us. The two strains, to them. I’ve already heard and agreed to that,” he grumbled carelessly.

A member of Timeless Palace informed them of Kokujouji’s decision as to the fate of Yamata and the two others before the kings entered the Slate Chamber. Outsiders, even if they were the Gold clan, had no right to give them orders regarding how they operated - this was honest opinion of both Homura and Scepter 4. However, both found the decision Kokujouji announced reasonable - or at least enough of a compromise.

Take Yamata, for example. For Homura, selling out a comrade was hard to stomach, regardless of what kind of person he may have been. For Scepter 4 as the ones in the position to crack down on crimes committed by superpower holders, while not entirely impossible, it was certainly difficult to disregard the Protocol and enforce justice if another clan flatly refused their request to hand over one of their clansmen.

Yamata was for the Red clan to judge. The decision was reasonable.

On the other hand, what the two strains were after was to join Homura for the chance of a stable life. The two were still very young. If Scepter 4 could provide them with necessary information about living as superpower holders after registering them as strains, then there was no need for them to force themselves to join Homura. Looking at it from another viewpoint, Scepter 4’s duty to register and manage stains equaled the opportunity to get regularized patronage and protection from the Blue clan.

Thus, Yamata’s custody was given to Homura, while the stains were handed over to Scepter 4. It was precisely because such a decision was an obvious point of compromise devoid of any hidden pitfalls that it was met with no opposition from either side, seeing them both agreeing to the conditions.

“I’ve nothing more to say. So I’m leaving now, ‘kay?” Suoh said listlessly, taking a drag of his cigarette.

He was probably actually listless right now, considering how yesterday’s night he was drinking himself silly till dawn. Kusanagi vividly remembered all the b.i.t.c.hing and colorful abuse, so uncharacteristic of Suoh, directed at the Blue King.

Only—

There was also something else Kusanagi had noticed, although it could have been only his imagination: the ever-present irritation, always clinging to Suoh like a second skin, was gone. Of course, it could be that Suoh just concealed it temporary, but Kusanagi chose to interpret it in the optimistic way. A delightful change suitable for closure of this case, he thought.

“…Is that all right?” Munakata addressed not Suoh but Kokujouji. “Are you not going to punish us in any way, sir?”
“Punish for what?”
“For disgracing ourselves with an act of battling with a fellow king and, thus, inviting the danger of a Damocles Down.”

Munakata’s phrasing was polite, yet just slightly provocative. Needless to say, Suoh made a displeased grimace, while Kusanagi fixed Munakata with a searching gaze, then shifted it to Kokujouji. Awashima awaited Kokujouji’s reply with a tense face.

Silence fell. And then…

“…I don’t know what a king is required to accomplish, myself. Nor do I intend to demand you give me an answer. Judging deeds of the chosen by the Slate after said deeds had been done is meaningless.”

Kokujouji was unexpectedly forthcoming with his reply to Munakata’s question. Except he still had things to add, “However. Protocol 120 prohibits fights between kings for no valid reason. And the one to enforce the Protocol is myself. Do not ever forget this fact.”

His grave voice was heavily reverberating through the marrow of his audience’ bones.

Kusanagi made a drawn face, Awashima strengthened her back.

Suoh, though, stretched his lips in a wide smirk, while Munakata calmly rightened his gla.s.ses.

“Sorry, but if I see something I absolutely can’t stand, I just might be p.r.o.ne to forgetting it.”

“…I shall abide so long as I find it reasonable. Naturally, nothing can be guaranteed in case of so called "contingency”.“

It looked like this a.s.sembly wasn’t meant to end completely without incidents, after all. Upon hearing their respective young kings’ replies, the retainers of them both facepalmed as their breath caught in their throats.

But, fortunately for the two poor thoroughly dejected clansmen, Kokujouji’s reaction was different.

With a wide brazen grin, he only said, "You two are kings.”

Suoh and Munakata showed puzzlement on their faces.

Kusanagi and Awashima, meanwhile, not really understanding Kokujouji’s calm reaction, for the time being felt immensely relived.

Of course, at the time the two couldn’t even imagine that their kings would be often “p.r.o.ne to forgetfulness” due to various “contingencies” from now on, nor did they know that this fight, that would find its eventual tragic conclusion, with the resolve to lay ruin and the swords hanging overhead, would repeat itself countless times, to the point of becoming mundane.

It would still take some time for both Kusanagi and Awashima to finally understand the certain detachment that Kokujouji’s remark was heavy with.

In the end, with those words, the meeting between the three kings ended.

A new page was indifferently added to history of the Slate.

†

After Suoh and Munakata, accompanied by their respective clansmen, left, Miwa showed up in the Slate Chamber, as if changing places with them.

“Is it over?” he asked.
“No,” Kokujouji replied, looking very serious. “If anything, it’s only starting. The karma binding red and blue does exist, after all,” he added with mixed emotions, look in his eyes becoming distant.
“Saying that is ill omened.”
“It’s only the truth.”
“Then it makes it even worse,” Miwa frowned. “It might be more than we, alone, can handle.”
“If so, then such is fate.”

Miwa’s expression clouded when he heard Kokujouji’s words.

The Gold King and the Colorless King had experienced the tradegy of the past firsthand. They tried to prevent it and couldn’t. As the leader of the Protocol and the arbiter of the Seven Kings, they both felt acute regrets about their failure.

And that wasn’t all.

“I doubt I will live to see the day when everything will be settled between them,” Miwa said quietly. The clear words of the one who saw his destiny.

He gazed at Kokujouji, but Kokujouji didn’t look at him.

For a short while, Kokujouji stared into distance, then his eyes shifted to the sky. To another king flying across it.

“Maybe we should pray,” he murmured quietly and closed his eyes.

Miwa smiled faintly and, obeying his leader, lowered his eyelids as well.

†

The hot weather finally abated. It took place in the dusk of late summer.

Yamata raised his hand in a greeting, “Yo,” as he approached a street corner - the place they agreed to meet at.
“You’re late,” Doumyouji returned.
“Yeah, sorry,” Yamata laughed as he started walking, adjusting to Doumyouji’s pace.

They shared the recent events of their lives that happened since the last time they saw each other, which was half a month ago.

Yamata’s head, shaved in the summer, was slowly becoming presentable. Two days ago Yata beat him again. Then Kamamoto laughed at him, while Bandou offered him to go for a drink together. And the other day, his previous pals, too, said they didn’t mind hanging out together again.

For his part, Doumyouji talked solely about his new roommate. The man was quite a few years older than Doumyouji himself and, in the newly organized Scepter 4, belonged to the senior cast, it seemed. Apparently, the person in question was peculiar and quite tasteful in a quiet way, and Doumyouji’s descriptions of him were unusually pa.s.sionate. When asked about his previous occupations, the man revealed that he was a chef. Yamata laughed, agreeing that yes, the guy did seem interesting.

In the confused bustle of the city, cicadas’ cries mixed with the street BGM, marking the end of summer.

It was a second time when Yamata and Doumyouji met to chat since the chase and the fight of that summer day. The first time was when they ran into each other on streets accidentally, Yamata was shocked and scared rigid, but Doumyouji called out to him in an astoundingly friendly manner, “Huh~ Aren’t you that, uh, whatwasyournameagain—” and that became a start for them.

After that, they ordered some coffee with ice for takeout in the nearest coffee shop and then, hiding from the incessantly downpouring sunlight in the shade of a tree, talked about what happened afterwards. To their surprise, they found themselves enjoying the talk and having no qualms about being frank, so they made a promise to meet again.

And so, today was the day that promise was fulfilled.

Both were quite aware of the other’s standpoint, and were Homura and Scepter 4 to clash again, both would fight the other without hesitation.

But at the same time, so long as their standpoints could be put aside, they found themselves being able to crack jokes like this and socialize with each other no problem. It was strange in a way, but still amusing. A guilty conscience didn’t seem to bother them either. It was quite obvious that neither Suoh not Munakata would have said anything even if they knew about the two a.s.sociating.

Besides, a third meeting wasn’t likely. Doumyouji’s whim would hardly repeat itself a second time, and Yamata wasn’t about to suggest the next appointment either. So this was going to be the last. And it was just about enough.

Shizume town was crowded with people. Yamata and Doumyouji waded through the lightly dressed crowd walking the street, as they engaged in some silly exchange. Their gait light and tone moderately merry, they laughted heartily and pleasantly.

Until…

“Whaaat?!” Doumyouji shrieked abruptly.

Yamata frowned, staring at him. Then, looking in the direction of Doumyouji’s gaze, he bodily went stiff, “For real…?”

At the end of their stares was none other than Munakata.

The Blue King, now in plain boring civilian clothes, was getting ready to cross the intersection lying in the two’s way once the traffic light changed. To think that they almost ran into him here and now… Doumyouji showed a strained smile. Yamata wanted to laugh but couldn’t.

He shifted his look away - and his eyes bulged again.

On the other side of the intersection that Munakata was about to cross, there stood Souh with a cigarette in his mouth.

Yamata froze with horror. Doumyouji was late to notice, but when he did, he made a face clearly screaming, “You gotta be kidding me.”

Then the two watched in mute shock Munakata and Suoh notice each other.

The expressions on their faces in that moment only worsened the two’s anxiety to the level where they had to resist the urge to just turn around and run for their lives.

Munakata and Suoh, both taking great pains to very obviously lament this peerlessly unlucky day, irritatedly crossed the intersection. Moving in the opposite directions, they first closed the distance, then pa.s.sed each others and in the next moment, with their backs to each other, they both clicked their tongues in an utterly annoyed manner - but, uncannily, at the same time. Then, without turning their heads, they kept walking, putting more and more distance between themselves. If any of their clansmen happened to be accompanying the kings at the time, those several seconds would have undoubtedly shaved off several years of the poor retainer’ life.

Yamata and Doumyouji just stood there until each of the kings’ backs wasn’t swallowed by the surging crowd. Only then did they breathe a deep sigh of relief, raising their heads and exchanging looks.

Not being able to hold it in any longer, they both burst into laughter.

Irreconcilable enemies.

Who were laughing their heads off together.

END