Blade 7 Part 1

Chapter 7 – Collapse 1

Hajime gently removed Satsuki’s hand from his collar.  

“You’d be better off not knowing who I am.” 

“What do you mean by that?” 

Satsuki’s face was filled with anger, while the collapsed Azumi was looking at Hajime with a confused look on her face. 

“If you were to find out… you’d get dragged into my battle.” 

Hajime didn’t know why that would be the case, but he had a strong feeling that his prediction would come true. 

Perhaps it was because Satsuki somewhat resembled Mutsuki, even though they had different names and personalities. Azumi also resembled Mutsuki’s girlfriend in a way. 

Is this all really just a coincidence? 

Or is this some kind of elaborate plot? 

As Hajime thought about that, he realized that he knew who could possibly be behind something like that. 

But he didn’t want to think about it. He couldn’t afford to think about it. 

“I said, what do you mean by that?! Answer me!” 

Hajime turned his back to the two of them without replying. 

“Where are you going, Hajime? Fight alongside us!” 

The gunshots could still be heard from the outside. 

It was likely that the gunfights between the rioters and the Guardians on the streets were still continuing. 

“You won’t be able to get to the outside unless we win this battle… You won’t be able to spread those ashes, Hajime!” 

Hajime came to a stop right as he was about to exit the office. 

She had a point. 

He had yet to find a way out from the Domed City, and it would certainly be difficult to search for such an exit in the city’s current state. 

“The outside? Outside what? And what do you mean by scattering ashes?” 

Without replying to Satsuki, Hajime took a look around the entire Domed City from the broken bulletproof panoramic window.  

As usual, the gunshots still echoed in the air. 

“We won’t get anywhere just by engaging in small skirmishes here and there. Where can we hit the hardest? Here?” 

“Satsuki…” 

“No, the Guardians’ headquarters is the training facility within District C. That’s where we should strike.” 

Right after Satsuki said that, he scratched his head in frustration. 

“Damn it! What the hell am I saying?! I’ve completely turned into a traitor!” 

Azumi then grabbed his hand.  

“Thank you, Satsuki. Or rather… welcome back.” 

“Azumi…!” 

Satsuki looked at Azumi’s smile in surprise. 

“So how can we get to District C?” 

“…Leave it to me.” 

Satsuki, who had come back to his senses from hearing Hajime’s words, stepped in front of the two as if to lead them. 

He looked at the Admiral’s corpse and took off his blood-stained Guardian uniform to cover it. 

“…Let’s go.” 

Satsuki turned around and exited the office as if leaving everything behind him, and Hajime and Azumi followed wordlessly. 

Under Satsuki’s lead, they exited the hanging garden from a backdoor. 

There wasn’t a single citizen to be seen on the streets, which were decorated with toppled vehicles and crumbled buildings, filling the area with black smoke. 

Sounds of gunshots and explosions could be heard from not too far away. 

But several Guardians could be seen on watch-out duty at the key points of the street. They were looking in all four directions with killing intent in their eyes and rifles in their hands. 

They made their way past them by sneaking from alley to alley. 

They’d occasionally meet eyes with civilians who were peeking out from their windows. 

There were many families. Husbands, wives, and children. Their faces were all uniformly empty, neither displaying fear nor pleads for help. Perhaps they had already accepted destruction, as it seemed as if they lacked even the will to report Hajime and the rest to the Guardians. 

Hajime looked at them with pity, thinking that it was only natural that the civilians had ended up this way, having grown up in the prison known as the Domed City and abandoning their ability to make judgments of their own.  

“We’ll reach District C once we pass through that street.” 

Satsuki pointed from the shadows, but unfortunately the street in front of them was crowded with Guardians. 

It only made sense, considering how close they were to their headquarters. The tense atmosphere seemed to convey their absolute resolve in not letting a single rebel make their way through. 

“What now, Satsuki?” 

“I’ll distract them. In the meantime, you two will cross the street via the alley up ahead. The training facility will be one block past that. Use this to get in, doesn’t matter if it’s from the emergency exit or the front door.” 

Satsuki instantly replied to Azumi’s question and handed Hajime a master key. 

“Are you insane?! Didn’t you already say that you’re already a rebel?! If you just walk out there, you’re going to…” 

“Just listen to me for a second. I don’t think they’ve found out that I’ve betrayed them yet. The team that attacked the hole got completely wiped out, after all. Every single one, by my hand…” 

His face grew bitter. 

“…It’s worth a try.” 

Hajime replied and accepted the master key. 

“But what if they did find out…? Did you ever think about that?!” 

“We won’t get anywhere if we worry about things like that. It’s not like everyone revolted, right?” 

Azumi couldn’t help but bite her lip. 

“It’s settled, then. Once you get in, head for the hangar. It’ll be all the way at the north side. You’ll be able to open it with the key as well. There’ll be arms and ammunition, as well as military vehicles and time bombs. Whether I catch up with you two or not, set the bombs and blow the place up. If we cut off their supply, even the Guardians won’t be able to last barely half a day.” 

“Got it.” 

“Satsuki…” 

But Satsuki had already begun walking towards the Guardian-infested street. 

“Let’s go.” 

Hajime urged the frozen Azumi as he headed towards the alley. 

  

Satsuki knew that there was little chance of his plan working well.  

Three days had already passed since the hole was attacked. And ever since the revolt started, neither Satsuki nor the raiding team had made contact even once. Obviously they would assume that it wasn’t a mere accident. 

But it was still worth a try. 

“What the hell’s up with this mess? And you guys call yourself Guardians?!” 

Before they could respond, Satsuki angrily shouted out at them. 

“Captain?” 

“Captain!” 

They didn’t immediately recognize him at first due to him having taken off his uniform, but once they did, each and every Guardian in the area immediately stamped their feet in a salute. 

“Who’s in charge?” 

“I am!” 

A single Guardian stepped forward. 

“If we were to get attacked by the rioters right now, we’d get wiped out instantly. Let’s get this formation fixed up!” 

“Yessir! Line up!” 

Their attention was immediately focused and controlled without giving them a moment to think. It was the basics of giving orders to soldiers. It was exactly what the soldiers themselves desired as well.  

Despite being fully armed, their faces had been clouded with unease and confusion. But upon gaining a commander, that completely changed. 

It was partly because of their elevated morale and sense of belonging returning, but the fact that they no longer had to make judgments on their own put them at ease as well. 

Through the corner of his eye, Satsuki saw Hajime and Azumi make their way through the alley, but not a single Guardian noticed. 

Satsuki felt a prickle deep inside his chest. 

  

Tachihara and Saeko ran through the forest, stumbling and tripping along the way. 

“I saw a ship anchored at the harbor!” 

“Must be the ship that set up me and Sumio. This time I’ll steal it for sure and get off this godforsaken island!” 

“We’ll start over again!” 

“Yeah, it’ll be the return of my pirate career!” 

Tachihara felt his spirits rise upon seeing Saeko’s cheerful face. 

Thirty minutes had passed since they escaped from the burning ropeway.  

After knocking down several trees along the way, it was a miracle that the gondola came to a stop upon crashing into the ropeway’s support beam halfway down the slope. 

If it had continued rolling, they very well could have met their end from either falling off a cliff or getting crushed to pieces by a rocky surface midway. 

They had no reason to return to the prison, from which gunshots, screams, and angry roars could still be heard. 

Flying Undead could be seen circling the skies, occasionally swooping down to capture a prisoner with its iron claws. 

They had no choice but to make a detour through the forest. 

Since Saeko had often played in the forest when she was a child, her memory served as a guide as they headed for the harbor. 

The red sinister glint of the moons continued to increase in intensity. 

Not a single cry from the bugs or birds could be heard. 

The only sounds that filled the area were the brushing of leaves and their wet footsteps upon the leaf mold. 

Worrying that the Undead might detect those sounds, the two of them cautiously scanned the skies as they continued to run. 

Suddenly they found themselves out of the forest, stepping onto a paved road with asphalt missing here and there. 

“We’ll reach the harbor once we pass through here!” 

“Wait!” 

Right before Saeko was about to run off, Tachihara stopped her. 

It was because he saw three Undead in the sky heading towards their direction. 

The two of them quickly hid themselves, and just as they thought the Undead had passed over them without noticing, the sudden whoosh in the air told them that they had turned around. 

They hovered in place above them, letting out strange voices as if they were either playing or fighting. 

The two of them waited patiently, but the Undead showed no sign of leaving the area. Rather, more and more Undead began gathering, as if drawn by their strange voices. Their numbers had already increased by ten. 

“Damn it. Guess I don’t have any other choice…” 

Tachihara was about to stand up and transform, but Saeko quickly stopped him. 

“You’re right… I have no choice but to use this.” 

Saeko showed him a personal terminal. 

The 3D display on it seemed to be some kind of security system for the old castle. 

There were red points blinking here and there. 

“They’re bombs… My dad set them. He was hoping to blow the whole castle up before his final moments, but he ended up passing away without ever getting a chance to use it… I never would’ve guessed that I’d be the one to end up using it.” 

“…You sure about this?” 

“Of course. This way, I’ll lose a place to return to for good. I’ll be able to move on.” 

Saeko made a small smile, and inputted various commands and passwords into the terminal. 

“Here I go.” 

Once Tachihara nodded, Saeko inputted the final command. 

After just a second, an enormous explosion rang out that felt like it shook the earth’s very axis. 

The explosions repeated every few seconds for a total of six times. 

The night sky lit up as if fireworks had been launched. 

Following that, loud sounds that brought to mind large boulders crashing into each other and breaking into pieces could be heard, most likely due to the old castle falling apart. 

The forest could be heard burning up from the fire of the explosions as well. 

They held their breaths and waited. 

It was unclear if they were either fleeing or heading towards the castle, but eventually every single one of the airborne Undead had left. 

“Now!” 

Saeko’s face looked as if she couldn’t wait even a second longer, and she dashed off, with Tachihara immediately following after. 

That medium-sized ship was still anchored at the harbor. 

Not a single person or light could be seen. 

“We did it, Tachihara!” 

Just as Saeko ran off towards the pier, gunshots flashed out. 

Saeko immediately fell onto Tachihara as if she had been hit by an invisible hammer, causing Tachihara to fall on his back. 

“Tachihara… Did I… just get shot…?” 

Fresh blood trailed out from Saeko’s mouth, and her chest grew soaked with red. 

“Saeko!” 

Five, six men appeared on the deck of the ship, illuminated by the three red moons. 

They were wards, equipped with rifles and pistols. 

“What’s the meaning of this?! Why’d you shoot?!” 

“There were bombs set in the prison, too. The doctor was probably the one behind them, so she only got what she deserved!” 

It was the ward that always picked fights with Tachihara. His face and half his body were covered with burns, and the other wards were the same. 

“Don’t worry, Tachihara. You’ll be following her soon enough!” 

He pointed his gun at Tachihara and cocked the hammer. 

But right that moment, his body was raised in the air and torn into pieces, spreading his blood and internal organs through the air.  

At some point, Tachihara had noticed a herd of Undead arrive, and it was one of those Undead that dug its iron claws into the ward. 

The other wards as well were soon attacked by the Undead one after the other, until not a single one of them was left standing. 

As he stood on the bloodied pier, Tachihara positioned himself to transform into Garren. 

But the dying Saeko stopped him. 

“Tachihara… Hurry onto the ship… I want at least you to escape… To start over again… To live a life of freedom…!” 

After leaving those final words behind, Saeko passed away. She drew her last breath within Tachihara’s arms. 

Tachihara was then suddenly struck with an intense wave of deja vu. 

He was reminded of a completely different woman who resembled Saeko that once died in his arms before.  

Covered in blood, I unleashed my rage and fought. I slaughtered. 

No, that can’t be. 

Those weren’t my arms. They were someone else’s. That’s what it felt like. That’s what it looked like. 

“Then whose were they…? What’s going on…?” 

His confusion sent his head into a burning heat, and he heard that same voice once again. 

“Humans hate, and humans fight. That is what it means to be human. That is who you are, Garren! Embrace your hatred, Garren! Fight, Garren!” 

Tachihara fought against that incredibly arrogant voice that rang in his head. 

The Tachihara that wasn’t himself screamed as he held the arms of someone that wasn’t Saeko. 

“I will hate. I will fight. The one who killed Saeko wasn’t the wards, nor was it the Undead… It was you, the despicable monster that brought me here! Only now do I realize that!” 

After setting down Saeko’s corpse, Tachihara stood up. 

He turned his back to the ship that would’ve granted both him and Saeko their freedom, and readied himself. 

A dozen or so Undead began surrounding him. One after the other, they continued to swarm from the sky, sea, and the ground. 

“Henshin!” 

 

Taken over by an all-consuming rage, Tachihara transformed into Garren once again.

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