03 - TRE

The train opened its doors and Jake jumped on, making me realize he was not paying attention. I sighed and, after looking at the other people getting on the train, followed him.

“I need you to listen to me, Jake.”

He arched his eyebrows and pointed to his earphones. I pulled one of them off and put it in my ear. No sound came out of it. Jake rolled his eyes and looked at me.

“I can finish that story about Thor later, there is something more important—”

“You don’t have to,” he said.

“I do not have to what?”

“Finish that story.”

“But it is a really interesting story about how he was judging where at Yggdrasil—”

“Look, I don’t care. I thought it was about that movie with the superheroes, not about… whatever that was about.”

I would have complained about his lack of interest for the Poetic Edda, but I did have something more important to tell him.

“All right. Listen. I think your classmate knows something.”

“Your levels of security, objectivity and specific details are astounding me.”

“I do not know her name, Jake. The one that I thought liked you.”

“What?”

“Oh, I was going to tell you today, I forgot, sorry. Remember the girl that stopped you yesterday?”

“I believe she stopped us and you ran away like a little shit.”

“I am going to ignore the fact excrement cannot move. You know the woman now, right? What did she tell you?”

“She said something about an organization. Listen, I’m not a database, I’m just a guy trying to get home and go to his room and stop looking at you.”

“What did you tell her, then? I assumed she liked you because she had been following us from the first day. Freyja knows how these women are…”

“Freyja?”

“Yes, she is Odr’s wife. She is the goddess of love, fertility—”

“Oh, I remember! I told her your plans, and she didn’t like them!”

“What do you mean? It was Freyja who gave me the instructions, she knows them already—”

“Not that, Minamoto!”

“What Minamoto?”

“My classmate!”

“Oh, yeah, sorry, the conversation derailed a little there… wait, wait, what did you say!?”

The train stopped in Tofukuji and Jake jumped off. I followed him through the station. What did he mean he told her my plans? How did he know my plans to begin with? Was he working for the government? Was he training in America and now he was back trying to stop me? He sat down, waiting for the next train. I stood up in front of him.

“How do you know my plans?”

He pointed to his earphones. I pulled them off, and that seemed to upset him.

“What the hell, dude?”

“How do you know my plans?”

“What plans? I just said you had terrible plans or some shit like that, nothing specific. And you have told me a lot of stuff, you never shut up!”

It wasn’t convincing enough, so I gave him more pressure.

“I am sorry, Jake. But I know your plans. Plead guilty right now and you won’t have to face punishment.”

“Again with this… You know? Even back in L.A. I didn’t have to deal with the entire population of a mental institution. I have no stupid plans, you have, emphasis on stupid, please.”

“I am not sure if I can trust you, you better prove yourself—”

“Geez. Do you want me to tell you I’m from the government and Minamoto has terrible plans? ‘Oh, Kabi, Minamoto will stop you, she already has an army of hundreds of ninja,’ something like that?”

“Does she?!”

“No!… Look, look… I’m your cousin and I’m helping you with your stupid club. I’m staying there fighting crime, or saving the world, or collecting cards… Whatever you want, okay? Just trust me… and remember that with great trust comes great not bothering your trusty allies.”

He was right. Freyja had assigned me the person that has the role of my mom, and this man was her legitimate nephew. He also helped me with the creation of the headquarters for the society. I had to trust him.

“All right. Just know that I will be careful.”

“Yes, yes,” he said, as he got on the train that would take us to Jingumarutamachi.

I spent the rest of the trip home thinking. Minamoto knew something about Elysium, that was why she attacked me.

How did she know? Was she working alone or was a part of an organization? Was she a decoy and somebody else was following me that very moment? I had to find those answers, but there was a bigger mystery on my mind.

Through centuries my enemies have been trying to stop me—in the last one especially, thanks of Mister Stoker. They have tried everything from swords, back in Sweden, to machine guns and other military weapons.There was even an incident with someone shooting silver bullets at me like I was a werewolf. But in all my life I was never the victim of such a clumsy aggression.

Minamoto was swinging her shinai without even looking, yet when she said she was going to “crush” me I could see the determination in her eyes. She could have given me a good fight, but she instead broke the window. I had a couple of hypotheses on why she would miss on purpose, but none of them seemed convincing enough.

When we got home I went to my room. I concluded that asking her would be the fastest way to find out, if not the less problematic. Having decided this, I turned on the computer and got back to work.

And I must have fallen asleep on my desk because the next thing I remember was my mom pushing me out the house to go to school. It was not until we got off the train to school that I remembered about Minamoto and how I had to talk with her that day.

“Jake, I will be absent from the society today. I have to talk with Minamoto. In fact, I want you to make rounds around the school and make sure there is nobody else following us. In other words, you will ensure our rendezvous is not interrupted by third parties. Be sure to be ready, I will cite her on the back of the building so nobody can see me transformed. That is all,” I said as we entered the school.

We parted ways saying nothing else. I scribbled a note for Minamoto and put it in her shoe locker before going to class.

The day went by fast, and soon I found myself at the back of the school. I took out my pendant, Brísingamen, and prepared to release my powers from within it. It was a pain, literally and figuratively, but I had to keep them sealed or I would have a lot of problems. For example being persecuted by the townsfolk or getting a prolonged sunbath.

I moved to the darkest area of the building’s shadow, said the words Freyja had taught me, and felt my blood become colder as my vision blurred. Brísingamen shined. I put my hands on my head and closed my eyes. When I opened them I was not Iwaki Kabi anymore.

After a long wait, I realized Minamoto was approaching. I could smell her.

“I-Iwaki-senpai?” she said. She seemed surprised and I could see her cheeks were red.

“Excuse my boldness, but I have a few questions for you, Minamoto.”

She pulled out her shinai, but I jumped forward and was behind her in a fraction of a second. She was paralyzed.

“If you want to continue with your peaceful life you will answer them. Could you be so kind as to drop your weapon, please?” I whispered in her ear.

“I let my guard down,” she said and dropped the shinai, “you win this battle. Ask away.”

“Thank you very much. My first question is: how do you know about me?”

“My brother graduated last year from this school, he told me about you.”

I tried to remember any Minamoto-senpai, but nothing came to mind.

“I’m going to have to ask you to elaborate on that. Could you?”

“I came with him here to get introduced to the kendo club. I saw you and I asked him. He just confirmed what I saw.”

What did she see, then? If she was on the dojo… then I was…

“Oh, but people get confused with what they see all the time, what is it that you think you saw?” I asked.

“I saw you transform.”

I closed my eyes and sighed in silence. It was one of my training sessions. I must have been in the middle of transforming when they went to the dojo. And I did not see them because of the pain. I cursed in my mind, knowing I would have to deal with this “Minamoto-senpai” later.

“Transform you say?” I started, and let a gentle laugh out, “Is this some kind of horror movie, maybe? Minamoto, child, I think it is clear—“

“You’re a vampire,” she said firmly.

She had to know she would not be leaving alive after saying that, yet she remained calm. I grinned, admiring her courage. I had two more questions before finishing with this sad act.

“Very well, you seem convinced. Instead of arguing, tell me: you said you knew my intentions. I think I have the right to defend myself in case you are misinterpreting something… so, what are my intentions?”

“You will make everyone a zombie-vampire.”

There was no way she meant it.

“What?” I frowned for a moment, then regained my composure. “Minamoto, Minamoto, Minamoto… Do you see? This is why you talk with the accused before sentencing.”

“My brother told me. You will suck everyone’s blood and then you’ll laugh maniacally while shouting ‘rise, my children, rise!’ And then—”

She was not listening at all.

“Minamoto! I guarantee you that is not what I have in mind.”

“It’s not?”

“Eh… no, of course not.”

“What are they, then? Your intentions.”

There was no reason to keep her alive anymore. Her brother was nothing to worry about either, he just made up a cheap horror movie thing just to scare her. He did not know what she saw in reality.

“You will soon know.”

I moved my hand back, preparing it for the kill. But before I attacked I looked down and saw her shinai. And then I got an idea. Why not change a problem into a chance?

The sun had set.

I stepped back and Jake appeared from around the corner.

“There you are! Let’s go, I can’t be here all day! You know my mom wants me to go with you. Even though I have tried explaining this isn’t America, but I guess you know how moms are always—”

“I am glad you are here Jake. You know her already, but let me introduce you to Minamoto Hikari, the third member of the Elysium Society for World’s Fate.”