Reiji followed them after standing for a moment.
As he walked, he realized that he forgot to check if he had his katana.
He reached for the handle and grabbed it. It was there.
He let out a sigh of relief, turning his attention back to what was in front of him.
They walked and walked. It was total darkness when they arrived at the Lord's mansion.
The soldiers broke off and went their separate way. The general stayed.
The three of them walked through the front gate and Lord Fujioka and Ayane stepped off of their horses.
A man walked over to them, bowed and took the horses away.
“Follow me to my office. We have a lot to discuss.”
Said Lord Fujioka as they made their way through the mansion.
Some of the servants gave weird looks when they spotted Reiji.
Lord Fujioka gave permission for the general to go to her living quarters as they walked past them.
They walked to a door at the end of a hallway with two guards in front of it.
One of the guards opened the door for the two of them and once they were inside he closed it.
“You'll remain here for some time. We need to get you a suit and tie.”
Said Lord Fujioka as he took off his winter coat and hat to reveal a worn but elegant outfit.
He wore a long dark trench coat, a fitted vest underneath, a collared shirt and striped tie. He kept his winter pants on since it wasn't that warm inside.
“Please, take a seat.”
Lord Fujioka gestured to a chair across from his desk as he pulled back his own chair.
After a moment of looking at the chair Reiji walked over to it and pulled it back.
“There isn't a knife or anything that will stab me in the ass if I sit down, right?”
Lord Fujioka chuckled at Reiji's question. Reiji's expression didn't change as he waited for an answer.
“Most certainly not.”
Lord Fujioka answered.
Reiji then sat down in a relaxed manner.
“What's a suit and tie for?”
Asked Reiji.
“Well, to look somewhat presentable since your white clothing is almost fully red at this point.”
Reiji looked down. Lord Fujioka was right. His clothes were red from blood.
He looked up at Lord Fujioka.
“So, how long do I have to wait before I get my proper attire?”
“That's not so important as of now.”
Stolen novel; please report.
Lord Fujioka stood up and started looking through the books on the bookshelf.
Reiji looked out of the window that was in front of him.
Lord Fujioka obstructed his view when he sat down with the book he was looking for.
He opened the book and turned a few pages before turning it and sliding it over to Reiji.
Reiji took a moment before he leaned forward and saw what was on the pages.
“...These are…”
“The things you probably saw in that forest, Kurozuma. Try looking through them more carefully.”
He read the text and looked at the drawn pictures.
It was all of the creatures he saw but they looked a little bit different.
After reading the text under each one of them he looked up at Lord Fujioka.
“The illustrations are very similar but the text underneath them is…I'm guessing, speculation?”
Lord Fujioka shrugged.
“...Alright.”
Reiji leaned back and stared at Lord Fujioka for a moment.
“Who wrote this book?”
Reiji asked.
“Tsukikage Yumesasa, do you know him?”
“Never heard of the guy.”
Reiji answered Lord Fujioka's question.
Lord Fujioka stood up and walked over to the big window.
He stared out of it for a moment.
“...He was a man who was terribly ill. Mentally at first but that trauma led him to die at 32 from a combination of factors. What you see in that book are the things his therapists recorded.”
“Therapists? He needed multiple?”
Reiji asked.
“Usually they would refuse to help him after the first session. Meaning he had to find a new one almost every time. At the age of 27 he started recording the visions himself, since he gave up on therapy.”
“Visions? Of what exactly?”
“Of the things you have faced and killed.”
“...When did he start having them?”
Reiji asked.
“Around 23. He foresaw that the world as we know it would end. A new one would be born from the ashes. A world without humans.”
“23, huh? Just nine years.”
After a moment of silence Reiji Kurozuma spoke again.
“And our replacement would be?”
“Replacement?”
Lord Fujioka asked and turned to Reiji.
“You said that the world as we know it would end. Call me dumb but that sounds less like an end and more like a big, sudden and brutal change.”
“No one knows.”
Lord Fujioka answered and turned his back to Reiji, looking out of the window.
“When was this book written anyway?”
The silence stretched for what seemed like forever.
“200 years ago.”
Lord Fujioka answered.
“...Wow, this book must have been a bestseller, since I never heard of it. Say, are these the papers of legend that predicted the Frostgnasher and Tenebrovermis?”
Reiji Asked.
Lord Fujioka let out a laugh.
“Yes, and there are only a few copies of this book. In one week this will be revealed to the king.”
“Ah, so this is tied to what you were telling me earlier. That there will be more. Oh, and knowing the rich and powerful, he'll execute you on the spot and take this matter into his own hands.”
Lord Fujioka sighs and sits back down, facing Reiji.
“There will be complications but that certainly won't happen.”
“...And your magnificent plan to prevent this is…?”
Reiji asked.
“People like you, Kurozuma.”
Reiji scoffed.
“That's a terrible plan.”
Reiji took the book and turned the pages.
He found the same humanoid figure that he saw before waking up in the snow after his right arm got cut off.
He then gave the book to Lord Fujioka.
“Strength and speed won't kill that thing. Unless you have something that can be only described as supernatural then I'll leave right now.”
Lord Fujioka chuckled.
“I can't tell you now but we do have something. Say, if you stay here, sleep here, eat here and train here until we think you're ready then we will show you.”
Reiji leaned forward and after a moment he spoke.
“...I will kill them all. Whether they're monsters or look like distorted humans. Every last one of them.”
Lord Fujioka had a small smile on his face as he heard this.
“By all means. Once you're ready, you can start.”
