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September 27th. He had no idea how he knew it was September 27th. All he knew was that it was September 27th and he was surrounded by flowers.
As he gained consciousness, he realized a few more things. It was dawn. His fox was curled up on his chest, fast asleep. These weren’t flowers; they were kochia, burning bush, leaves flaming bright red for the fall and the ends of branches prickly even through his clothes. He clasped Uri close to his chest, careful not to wake him, and sat up.
Flowers, real flowers, as far as he could see in any direction.
It’s dawn.
He had woken Uri up? I’m sorry.
I was already waking up. You know I wake up when you do.
He nodded and placed Uri on his shoulder. Let’s find out where we are. On that note, he tried to get out of the bush; he only succeeded in falling out and hitting the ground. I’m sorry.
Uri, standing next to him, shook his head. I’m fine.
He got up and looked around a bit more. The sky looked like it was on fire from the rising daylight. The flowers looked like they went on forever in three directions, but in the fourth there appeared to be… a building? Why would there be a building in a field of flowers?
This must be… a garden?
A flower park!
That doesn’t help much.
I’m sorry…
He patted his shoulder; once Uri had hopped up, he started toward the building. Where there were buildings, there were people, and he would have to find people to find The One.
“Hey, who are you?”
He looked to the source of the voice. A man, a few rows into a bank of dahlias.
He approached the man and, once he was close enough to the man, felt for That Aura. Not finding it, he decided this wasn’t one of them, let alone The One. “I am…” Finally, he remembered his name. “Hakusan Yoshimitsu.” Only The One needed to know that he was a tsurugi. Strange, even for a touken danshi: a straight blade, no curvature whatsoever.
“What the hell are you doing here? The park doesn’t open until nine!”
How had he gotten here, anyway? He struggled to remember. “I don’t know. Searching for data…” He came up with nothing earlier than his awakening in the kochia bush. “Error. Error.”
The man had a strange look on his face, one Hakusan couldn’t identify. “The hell is wrong with you?” He trudged out of the dahlias but could only stop and stare when he saw Uri. “And what is that thing?”
“Uri is my fox.” No one who wasn’t involved needed to know that Uri was a communication device as well.
“Yeah, you’re leaving.” The man grabbed him by the wrist and dragged him toward the building.
“And stay out!” The man slammed the gate closed and stalked off.
He sighed. So much for a peaceful welcome.
Look at that!
Hakusan looked to see that Uri had leaped to his left shoulder and was looking toward something. Upon seeing what he was looking at, he felt much better.
Shusei Flower Park
He was in Shusei. Thank the gods. This was the town, he knew somehow, where he would find The One and be able to assist in his endeavors.
It was October 22nd, and he had no idea where he was. All he knew was that he was in Shusei and he hadn’t found The One yet.
You’re in Nishi-ku.
He looked over and nodded to Uri; then he took in his surroundings. It was night, and an unusually hot one; the temperature had to be nearly thirty degrees. The relative lack of light pollution indicated that this was a residential area. Cars could be heard as they passed by, several streets to the north, but there were none to be seen on this street; the street was lit only by flickering streetlights. There was a tree every so often on the edge of the sidewalk, but no people to be seen.
Well, the first step to finding The One would be finding people. Where there were cars, there were people.
He started walking down the street, taking a turn the moment there was a turn northward. The streets became better lit. Soon enough, he came across his first sign of humanity in hours.
“A konbini?” he murmured.
His stomach grumbled.
You haven’t eaten in days. Eat something.
Well, a konbini had food, and if Uri said he needed to eat… On that thought he went in, the lights above the entrance boring into his eyes.
“Hello, and welcome to—” the young woman at the register started, but then she stopped and stared at the fox. “Oh dear, I’m afraid you can’t bring your fox in.”
“He’s not a normal fox—” he started.
It’s okay. I can wait. With that, the fox leaped off his shoulder and went out the front door.
The cashier stared at him for a moment. “Well, can I help you with anything?”
He shook his head and started down an aisle before the cashier could say anything further. He had to eat something, and then he needed to find The One, before it was too late.
There were four people, other than him, in the konbini.
The first was the cashier. The second was normal, he could tell; he paid the man no mind. The third was a woman, by nature incapable of being a touken danshi. The fourth, though… something seemed familiar about the man, but he couldn’t tell what. Had they known each other in his past? He had to know; if he had, then maybe he could help him find The One.
Unfortunately, the man was gone by the time he had gotten his meal: gyudon, ice cream, and a bottle of iced green tea.
Hold on, did he even have money?
He shoved his hands in his pockets and found a thousand-yen bill; breathing a sigh of relief, he paid and went outside. Where would he go now, though? He had next to no money and he couldn’t wander like this forever…
He looked to his left to find the man from earlier, leaning against the wall and eating a popsicle. He had to keep an eye on him; not wanting to be so blatant, however, he sat down on the other side of the door and focused his gaze on his food. Occasionally he glanced at the man; every time, he was still eating his ice cream.
Uri hopped onto his shoulder again. That one has to be one.
He nodded, thinking, But not The One.
No, he doesn’t have enough energy. You’ll know The One when you meet him.
He nodded again and turned his attention to his ice cream. A “chocolate éclair,” this ice cream bar was called. Had he had chocolate before? Maybe long ago, but he couldn’t remember it. Eager to maybe, just maybe, remember something, he unwrapped the ice cream and took a bite. Cold shot through his teeth, but the sweetness against his tongue made it worth it, at least in his opinion.
He took another look at the man; this time, however, he found the man looking back at him, a clean popsicle stick in-hand. Hakusan turned away; what would be the consequences of interac—
“Cute fox you have there.”
He looked back at the man. “Thank you.” He wanted to ask the man why he was talking to him, but that seemed rude at best.
“Never met someone with a fox who rides around on their shoulder… Maybe I should get one.” He grinned.
“They’re hard to find.” Uri was one of a kind, really. Finding another one was a pipe dream.
“I can imagine.” He looked at him a little longer and cocked his head. “Say, I think we’ve met somewhere before.”
“Mm.” What was he supposed to say to that? Maybe they had, but that would have been long ago, long before this lifetime.
“Can’t pin down where though…” He played with the popsicle stick for a moment. “Weird. I never forget a face.”
He shrugged. What was he supposed to say to this man, anyway?
“Watch: I’ll remember it later, long after I’ve gotten home.” He laughed. “Have a nice night.” He waved and walked away.
“You too.” Hakusan couldn’t tell if the man had heard.
That makes thirty-two.
Thirty-two touken danshi found, and none of them were The One. How many were there, anyway? He didn’t know, but he had to find The One soon. The clock was ticking, and only The One would know how much time they had left.
November 22nd was The Day.
Hakusan had finally learned which ward was which: this was Higashi-ku, and he was near the university. Odd jobs had earned him a bit of money, and he was finally able to feed himself consistently; Uri always refused food, although Hakusan had no idea what he ate. Did he even need food?
Uri nudged him with his head and then looked to Hakusan’s right. Look! Look toward that coffee shop!
Across the street was a café, called the Crane’s Wing, and a green-haired young man giving off powerful energy was walking out, a coffee cup in-hand.
There was no way that man wasn’t The One.
He and Uri watched the man for a few moments; he turned northwest.
We need to follow him.
He nodded and, once the young man was a suitable distance away, began to follow him.
The young man led them to Hanamori Shrine and Hakusan couldn’t help but freeze for a moment. This place gives off powerful spiritual energy, even more than The One.
Keep going, or we’ll never find him.
He nodded and sped up, passing through the torii and seeing The One enter the main building of the shrine. It didn’t appear terribly busy. He got closer. Uri, do you know who’s inside?
Uri didn’t reply for a few moments, and then answered. Only three people: The One, someone giving off powerful energy, and someone normal.
Hakusan furrowed his brow. That other source of powerful energy could only be the priest; he and Uri wouldn’t be able to catch The One here, would they?
Get closer; I sense strange energy from the other man.
Hakusan pressed himself against the main building’s front wall and felt what Uri meant: an energy that could only radiate from touken danshi came from not one, but two points in the shrine. There’s a second one in there… but the priest… they wouldn’t have made a Shinto priest one, would they?
We don’t know the ways of the gods.
It didn’t seem logical to make a Shinto priest a touken danshi, but Hakusan became more convinced of Uri’s theory the longer he was pressed against the wall.
Someone exited the main building, gave him a funny look, and walked away. Now Hakusan was certain: that person who had left was normal in both attire and energy.
They’re alone now; let’s go in.
Hakusan nodded and opened the door. The two young men didn’t seem to notice, seemingly in conversation. Therefore, he stepped in a bit further and made it clear why he was there. “Touken danshi detected. Identified as…” The name came to him. “Nikkari Aoe.”