GARO fanfic - A survival affair, 3 (3)

 

Cap. 3: Deciding the future (Part 3)

Three meals, twenty-four hours.

In her second day of isolation, Kaoru has achieved soothe her mind enough to think really. Exhausted because walking in circles, ascending to and descending from the altar just to watch the light switching on and off; exhausted of pounding on the door to call the attention of her guardian, and mourning because now she can do something, shw does not want, or does not dare to take decisions. Because of it, she achieves to sleep several hours.

When the anonimous guardian returns and puts in front of her a bowl of rice, another of steaming miso and a liter bottle of water, she says to want asking him a question. He sits forward and listens.

“It looks like, now, all the karma of humanity falls over. Have the Makai Knights failed in their task?”

“Achieving it for thousands of years, a failure?”

“But now ...”

“Perhaps our taking responsabilities by our actions might not be delayed else, because our purification is needed, and Heaven awaits. If so, the Makai Knights have finished their work”.

No, Kaoru thinks, they are putting ready war.

“You are worried about your husband”. Her guardian smiles sympathetically, but his voice is firm. “He, you, me, everyone, have committed offenses against the Cosmic Law, some ones more serious than others, but all them must be transmuted”.

“I mean that ... they have not completed their mission. Quite the contrary”.

“I understand they might believe the time has come to offer the ultimate sacrifice for the sake of their protégés. But that will not change anything. Plus, it could even exacerbate it. They may no longer be simple Makai Knights to become butchers, whose mission is to kill as efficiently as possible”.

“But Knights usually do not kill horrors. Only seal them to send them back toward their world!”

“You know it is not always like this. And from now onward it will be imperative to kill, do not you think?”

A protest rises from the you woman’s heart. She puts her feelings in order before going on”.

“But the horrors are ... not innocent, but ...”

“Yes, they are innocent. And you know it. They never could choose to be different than they are”.

Some tears cloud Kaoru’s vision.

“So, we have no the right to defend ourselves?”

And that is not the only thing that haunts her. Actually, the world seems to have come to the end. Even if Kouga had not killed Meshia the very first time, she would have also been the mistress of the world. Horrors were to rule in anyway. There is no an escape.

As his partner has not answered her question, she herself responds.

“If we must die, better fighting”.

The man sighs.

“Yes. But it is a shame that human beings always have found the enemy outside, and not inside themselves. Yes, Kaoru, we will die fighting, but fighting against which is horror within us. This is the real war, and no one else!”

Silence. Some soft sobs are all that it is heard. Until he continues.

“But if, as usual, we got the wrong enemy, fear, hatred, pride and selfishness that will be generated by this tension will grow our lower self. Then, more and more portals between both worlds will open in order to ... supply us ... properly. You know that horrors feel attracted to humans in the same frequency. And, soon, the world will become a living hell”.

More tears, accompanied by a nod. The end of the world is here. No consolation to believe that Heaven comes afterwards.

*   *   *

An overwhelmed with self-reproach Kouga, with Jabi, reaches the Temple of Darkness. She has realized his inner conflict and watches him stomping gait, his eyes fixed on the dark and cubic structure. The more troubled he is, more determined he looks to violate his own ethics. No, it is not a reaction against his altruistic self. He does not know allowing himself to doubt. Fate is hard enough to him, why is he committed to punish himself? Jabi does not know neither how to help him nor how to stop him.

It was not easy getting here. Several horrors appeared along the way, which identified them as Makai people and attacked them. The magic path collapsed halfway and they had to use conventional transport. The bullet train they were traveling was stopped for a couple of hours, because the one preceded had broken down and blocked the railway. They were stopped and distracted several times: a disguised Bariri rushed toward them thinking they were to steal its meal (a normal horror ). Some gardeners shortstopped  the way while carried on a truck some pieces of some diseased trees that were knocked down. An unprecedented collision between two buses which forced them to help the injured people (luckily there were no serious injuries). A shootout among policemen and yakuzas ... It was as if something or someone wanted to prevent them from going on. Nearly four days after the disappearance of Kaoru, they reached their goal.

They come into the cubic mass, swift going to the altar room. Beside the entrance there is a tatami, a gas stove, a bag containing empty plastic bottles of water, a pot, and a few bowls. Strange place to camp, who else could know about this temple?

They open the door suddenly to surprise whoever it is. Nobody. A futon on the floor, and above it, a sealed envelope. Kouga’s name on it. Kaoru’s letter. He sighs a bit relieved. And he opens it.

Jabi watches his face as he read. Eager interest from the beginning, his eyes open more than usual, and finally drops, hes knees buckling, and sitting on his heels, staring and staring at the paper, as unwilling to believe whatever it is written there .

“What?”

He only  feels strength enough to lift his hand lightly and to give the paper to her. After reading it, she just puts her hand on his shoulder in silent solidarity.