Chapter 10 (1/2)
K R:B by Azano Kouhei
10 (pages 249-258)
Next day, in the “Slate Chamber” of the building known as “Mihas.h.i.+ra 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 Reis.h.i.+.
Also, Suoh brought Kusanagi with him, and Munakata was accompanied by Awas.h.i.+ma, 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 Awas.h.i.+ma, 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 Awas.h.i.+ma 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 s.h.i.+fted it to Kokujouji. Awas.h.i.+ma 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, Awas.h.i.+ma 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 Awas.h.i.+ma, 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 Awas.h.i.+ma 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.”