At first the laughter was just a slow, smirking kind of sound. But it couldn’t seem to stop, it escalated into a kind of loud, maniac kind of laughter.

"No one, no one, not even Hisashi Mitsui can survive and walk on the Gift .... " Fukuda stopped laughing. He had laughed so hard that he had to wipe away his tears.

Nori stood, pain and regret written all over his face.

"It’s over, Fukuda. Just stop it."

Fukuda just smirked. Kogure was hunched over the Mitsui’s still figure, still cradling him. He barely registered the sight of the cursed dagger protruding with a slight grotesque bent right in Mitsui’s chest. All his energies were going towards trying to wake him up.

"Mitsui.. don’t do this.." He whispered brokenly.

he isn’t dead he isn’t dead he isn’t dead he isn’t dead

Just like before, the edges of his sanity threatened to fall apart. Just like before, when he could feel himself slipping into that state of awareness when he wasn’t in control anymore, when he was a cowardly scholar, running away from everything else...

"Please .. " He sighed raggedly as he fingered the dagger uselessly. There weren’t any tears. None would ever fall, not in front of these people, these men who once called themselves his brothers.

Why? Was it my fault? Why is it always my fault? If I had just given him the prophecy..

A strange kind of emotion was taking over him. A calmness, akin to that of the ocean before the storm.

No, that is past..

He would do it again. He would, just for Mitsui. He would do it once more, and for his whole life if he could just see Mitsui’s confident smile again.

The choice was made in a split second. Or was it a choice for eternity? Kogure didn’t know.

Tetsuo walked down to where Kogure was cradling Mitsui in his arms. The hall had fallen into a silence, with only Fukuda’s sniggers.

"Master, I suggest we take Kogure .. " Fukuda could barely finish the sentence before Tetsuo held up his hand to interrupt.

"Tell the client that we have decided to break the contract." He knelt down beside the silent Kogure and placed one hand on Mitsui’s face.

"But Master.." Fukuda’s voice was indignant.

"Shut up, Fukuda." Tetsuo gave no indication of the hurt inside. No more pain, just a smothering kind of deadness. Fukuda frowned but he obeyed.

"You may go, scholar."

Now I will always have Mitsui by my side.

Kogure didn’t say a word. He just placed Mitsui’s arm over his shoulder and attempted to lift him. But Mitsui was heavy, and he wasn’t physically strong.

"I said: you may go. I didn’t say you may take Mitsui with you." Tetsuo clamped his hand hard on Kogure’s shoulder as he stared hard at Kogure.

His eyes --- do I look as dead as him? Tetsuo wondered numbly.

Kogure’s choice was made. Now --- or never.

Reaching deep within, he searched for that part of him which he kept under lock and key for most of his past life. The part that he detested and cursed. The part that made him a freak in other people’s eyes. The part that gave him visions he wished he hadn’t seen.

Are you sure? A voice asked.

Yes. This is my choice.

Once you open it, you will never be able to close it. The voice rang in his head. He had never been able to tell if it was a male or female. It was just there, always with him.

I understand.

So be it.

Like before, he faced the gates he once called the doors of madness. He was in that flat, stone room again. One hand slowly reached out to push it apart ..

He saw only light. A bright glare that seemed to penetrate into his whole body, it filled his vision. He surrendered to it totally, giving up his resistance. It was strange to run away from something all your life, only to come back to it and feeling like you have finally come home.

For better or for worse, he allowed the part of him that he has buried for so long to rise again.

The mercenaries took a step back. A soft, white aura was beginning to form around the kneeling scholar.

"What?" A surprised Tetsuo frowned, even as he prepared to take Mitsui’s body back by force.

"Mitsui comes with me." The mercenaries were now looking at him; eyes that called him freak and demon and monster..

It wasn’t his problem anymore.

"No." In a flash, Tetsuo flicked out his own dagger and commanded. "In my Hall, you will obey MY rules and Mitsui stays with ME."

He prepared to attack Kogure, but to his horror, he found that he couldn’t move. From the corner of his eyes, he knew that his mercenaries were all rooted to the spot. It had something to do with that accursed light emanating from the scholar.

"You.. what kind of dark magic are you using?!" Tetsuo said, anger raging through his whole body.

"Thou shalt not interfere with mine mission." Even his voice had changed. The voice was quiet but it bore a strange power that even Tetsuo recognised. It was power, and it was age-old, old beyond his imagination.

"Mitsui is MINE!" Tetsuo raged uselessly. He was still locked in place, and he couldn’t move at all. What kind of monster was this meek scholar?

"Thou hath offered thine Gift of Freedom and mine vessel hath fulfilled all the requirements. Thus, thou hath no more right to claim him thereafter." Kogure’s eyes glinted with a light that was increasingly getting stronger.

"You will obey my Master, foolish scholar, or die.." Fukuda growled. Suddenly bemused at Fukuda’s empty threats, he walked towards him.

His presence was unbearable to Fukuda. It weighed upon his mind and body, it was bad enough that he couldn’t move, but now that Kogure was right in front of him, Fukuda found that he almost couldn’t breathe.

"I offer thee a gift of mine own, oh brother of the dagger." Kogure smiled coldly, a smile that struck a sudden wedge of fear in Fukuda.

"I don’t want it." He tried to spit into Kogure’s face but his eyes were suddenly blinded by a white-hot flash that shot from Kogure’s eyes.

"Three days hence from this day, thou shalt fulfil thy secret wish and ascend the throne of thine dreams. I promise thee recognition and riches that thou hath prayed for." Kogure smiled sardonically at Fukuda.

How, how does he know .. ? Fukuda trembled deep within himself. No one, no one knew his secret. Kogure went back to Mitsui’s unconscious form. His other hand went under Mitsui’s knees and then he stood up, bearing Mitsui’s heavier weight and staggering a little.

So I am human after all.. Kogure thought wryly as he turned and prepared to leave the stone hall.

"NO..." A ragged shout from Tetsuo, who was glaring at him with his fists clenched as he fought to break the unseen hold that Kogure held over everybody in the hall.

A sudden rush of sympathy rose in Kogure.

"Fight no longer for thine foolish games; thou has chosen thy path and there will only be one way left for thee." He knew what the blot of darkness surrounding Tetsuo meant.

He was met by a stony silence that only intensified the frustration that Tetsuo was battling at the sight of Kogure bearing Mitsui away.

"Who.. who ARE you?" Nori asked, as he stared at Kogure with a kind of wonder.

"I am born Kiminobu Kogure."

Kogure smiled thinly as he bore Mitsui out of the hall without a backward glance.

"They call me the prophet."

Note: The Mission will most probably end with Chapter 10. Don't know whether to feel happy or sad ..