It took a while for Hideoki to form a response to her question. He didn't think that the woman would come to realize that something was indeed off with the passing of his wife 12 years ago. Then again, Mariko would always say that Haruna was a perceptive woman and it was one reason why she took her as an apprentice.
And it looked like that nothing had changed since the day Haruna was appointed as Mariko's apprentice.
The man sighed and soon faced the inquiring woman standing a few feet away from him. The look he gave to her wasn't that of a scolding one, though, even though she was prying about a painful past. She did deserve to know the truth --- or at least a part of it. Just until they settled their affairs with the Tareans.
"That woman... Mariko... She died because she knew it was the choice that she had to make."
His answer only made Haruna frown, however. But she waited for Hideoki to continue talking, as it seemed that there was something more that he wanted to say.
"She died in the end, knowing that she was able to prepare for what was about to come. She accepted death sooner than expected in order to protect the people that she knew were destined to fulfill an ancient mission."
xxxxxx
"Wow... He really did make it happen..." Shuichi commented as he and the other Vessels entered the Four Clubs Building where two joint events were held three days after their final battle with Macera.
The building didn't suffer too much damage from the fight that had ensued and so the repairs were done in no time. After the battle, Eichirou finally managed to convince Haruna to have a joint event with him as it was an event that celebrated their deep connection to Mizuhashi Mariko, even though they were the only ones who decided to associate it to the deceased fashion designer mentor and mother.
The Vessels, along with Kanako, Akira, Natsume, and Nanami were invited to the said event. They were part of Eichirou's success as a photographer, after all. He also invited Helen, which she obliged. But she did mention ahead of time that she would be arriving a little late as she had other important affairs to take care of. Whatever it was, he didn't inquire further.
As for Haruna, she invited mainly her closest friends and family members who stuck with her throughout the times that she was questioning her worth as a fashion designer. She decided to make Hideoki as a special guest to the event since it was him who made her realize what was more important in her life at the moment.
Eichirou couldn't help smiling proudly at the sight of so many people attending the photo exhibit-slash-fashion show event that he decided to form. Their battle with Macera did something good to both him and Haruna, even with all the chaos it caused. Of course, it didn't mean that his battle with the Tareans would bring them something good.
He did realize, however, that their recent battles with various Triske Monsters had been a path for them to confront things and issues from their pasts. It could be that the same thing was about to happen when the rest of the Vessels would finally gain the right to awaken their respective Elemental Guides.
"I still can't believe you were able to talk to the manager of the building for us to use this bigger hall, Dad," Eichirou started as soon as he approached Hideoki who was done greeting guests on behalf of his son and his wife's former apprentice. "I mean, they said that the owner doesn't usually allow anyone to just use the larger hall for events like this."
Hideoki chuckled and tapped his son's shoulder. "There are still things that I haven't mentioned to you, Eichirou. One of them is about the owner of this building. He had already given me permission a long time ago to allow people I know to use this larger hall for certain events. As long as it won't destroy or diminish the value and reputation of this place."
"It's no surprise that you know a lot of people. But it seems that the owner of the people is someone special among them," Itsuki commented as soon as he approached the historian together with the other Vessels.
"Is he here, by the way?"
To Erika's confusion, who asked that question, Hideoki shook his head. His eyes turned melancholic and looked at one of the displayed photos in which a certain young woman was standing in front of it.
"Helen-chan?"
Hideoki took a deep breath and faced the Vessels. "The owner of the building isn't here and will never again be going here. Sad to say, he passed away."
It didn't take long before the others realized the connection. It was Shuichi who spoke this time.
"Hideoki-san, could it be the owner of this building... was Helen's guardian? The professor she would sometimes mention to us who trained her in Reikarajutsu?"
The historian nodded without removing his gaze from the still standing Helen. "His name was Taiga Tatsuya and we once worked on a project related to the original Seitengers."
"A project... related to the original Seitengers? How come we've never heard of it? And I don't think Itsuki-kun ever read anything related to that, as well," Misae commented and she soon faced the composer who nodded, agreeing to her words.
"That's because it was a project that we've never been able to fully start due to the war 25 years ago. The war that resulted in your predecessors losing their powers just to make sure that the Tarean Seals would remain intact all this time."
xxxxxx
Even when the exhibit and fashion show joint event was over and proceeded with no commotion, Eichirou's mind still remained in that last conversation he had with his father. Not just him, though. Even his fellow Vessels were perplexed at the sudden subject that Hideoki brought up.
But none of them dared to question more about it, only because Hideoki said that it remained an unfulfilled project. Not to mention, the other person involved was never known to have tried to start the project because of a tragedy that Hideoki didn't elaborate further.
In any case, the historian said that it wasn't a closed subject to the household, so long as they found more clues about it. But in the meantime, what the Vessels needed to focus on would be their training to strengthen their Hasureiki and getting stronger to be able to fight the Tareans.
The Mizuhashi father and son decided to head somewhere else after the event was concluded. Since the event didn't happen at night time, they would still have some more free time before they head home to prepare for dinner.
Not long after, they finally reached their destination.
Mariko's grave.
Though it hadn't been that long since they last visited the place together, they both thought that they should do this on that particular day to do something important.
Hideoki and Eichirou knelt in front of the gravestone as they placed the flower bouquets they got on top of the grave. With a sigh, Hideoki touched the name of his wife engraved on the gravestone.
"We're here, Mariko," Hideoki started. "I'm sorry if we only got to do this today together. Those idiots that we were fighting against keep making it hard for our kid and the other chosen ones. But I'm sure you're not going to let them go through that and suffer in the end, right?"
Eichirou couldn't help smiling at the way his dad approached this. His father was talking as if Mariko was just far away and they were talking on the phone or something. But maybe because Hideoki acted that way, it became easier for both of them to deal with Mariko's death during the first two years.
Until the hotel fire happened and everything changed for father and son that day.
"Mom, we won't stop until I put an end to the Tareans' destructive schemes once and for all," Eichirou said this time after his father talked. "Shuichi and the others would help me achieve that. I will never again forget the promise that you made me say about preserving smiles and dreams. With the power that I have as a chosen Vessel, I know I'd be able to do just that."
When Eichirou turned to look at his father, he saw the historian show that sometimes rare genial smile and he felt the man's hand on the back of his head. It was as if Hideoki was proud of what the photographer had said in front of the grave.
With that, the father and son began offering their prayers for Mariko with their eyes closed. There was supposed to be nothing wrong with that.
Only except for the fact that something was disrupting Eichirou from his concentration. It was only when his father spoke that he realized he was paying too much attention to that disruption.
"Eichirou, are you alright?" Hideoki queried, frown starting to form on his face.
The photographer didn't answer immediately, though. He just kept looking around. "Why do I feel something strange about my surroundings right now?"
"What do you mean?"
"Don't you feel it, Dad? I could feel like we were surrounded in water since I kept hearing water plopping, for some reason." Eichirou began to frown, as well, as he continued looking around in confusion.
"You mean the same sound you heard when someone told you about the Vessels?"
Eichirou nodded and looked around once more but couldn't find anything else. There were no puddles around to tell him that it came from there. But if he was to base it on what happened the first time he heard plopping water, could it be that someone was trying to deliver a message to him?
Despite how strange it all appeared for Eichirou, and if he would consider the events that had transpired following that, then he knew he had no reason to put things off as hallucination or just an imagination. He closed his eyes, and concentrated further to know what was happening. It didn't take long before realizing what was off about the water rippling and plopping that he kept hearing since arriving in the cemetery.
'Why am I hearing Mom's voice in all those water sounds?' His eyes widened at the realization and he soon faced his father who was looking at him with concern.
"Eichirou, what's wrong?"
He took a deep breath first before speaking. "I could hear Mom's voice among those water ripples and droplets I kept on hearing. At first, I didn't want to believe it but it kept going. He was definitely calling out to me. She would only call me by my name and not just Ei-chan when I know something serious is going on."
"Besides calling your name, were there any other things she kept saying to you?"
Eichirou didn't say anything for a little while as he closed his eyes, but Hideoki remained patient. The man knew what the photographer was doing, anyway. And then Eichirou opened his eyes and faced his father.
"Dad, what does she mean by 'protect the current incarnation'? She said that 'she' would suffer the same fate if we don't find out who that person is and protect her before the full Hasureiki awakening."
That was when the historian's eyes widened, one thing that Eichirou rarely saw. If this had happened, then it must mean that the warning was indeed a grave one. But for a newly awakened Vessel like him, would they be able to fully understand what was going on?
"Your mother must have already known... That means it was only in line with the threat at hand that you guys are able to awaken your respective Elemental Guide faster than your predecessors. Something big is about to happen, and now she was telling us to prepare for that."
xxxxxx
Around the same time, after the exhibit, Itsuki remained in the Four Clubs Building instead of going back to the Mizuhashi mansion. He said to his sister that there was something he still had to do in the building so he would be going home late
As it turned out, that something was just to think things through as soon as he reached the rooftop of the building. It already came to him that Helen, even Hideoki and Dr. Genma went to that building for their own reasons.
He wasn't surprised about Helen's actions as he knew that the said young woman would keep doing things that would either intrigue him or subtly annoy him. But the one that confused him was the fact that both Hideoki and Dr. Genma went there, as well.
There was something in the building that could have been related to the Vessels. But even when he tried to look for anything unusual or even what looked ordinary, he couldn't find it. 'That something' could have been hidden even before he had the chance to look for it.
He went to the rooftop to clear his mind and figure out his next move. The air around the building felt calming and Itsuki was glad he went there. Then again, certain questions kept lingering in his mind as he aimlessly looked at the twilight sky. It didn't happen all the time. But events that had transpired lately would only make him restless and would constantly think of ways that he could deal with them.
He soon frowned as the wind that blew through the trees began to create whispers in his ears. He shook his head. It wasn't the wind. It was the trees around the building. They were the ones whispering to him. The wind only acted as a medium to deliver the message that those trees would say.
And he knew. Those messages were meant for him.
"They're here... Don't look back... Don't waver..."
Okay, that was strange for him to hear. They? Who were 'they'? And the voice that created those whispers...
Why did it feel so familiar? He swore he had heard that voice before.
The whispers from the trees soon disappeared, but not the feeling that someone was looking at him intently. He stood straight and looked around. At first, there was nothing to see. But the words 'don't look back' that the trees whispered lingered in his mind.
However, the feeling that he had to do the opposite of that remained stronger than what the danger the warning entailed. And so, he turned around to where the door was.
His eyes widened at the sight of a regal-looking woman standing there. Wait... Rather than standing, it looked like the woman was... floating. Not to mention, she was also transparent.
Almost like a ghost. But was that even possible?
In any case, he was sure of one thing.
Itsuki had never met this woman before.
End of Record 5
xxxxxx
NEXT ON REIYOUKI SENTAI SEITENGER! RECORD 6: Behind The Illusion
The dream that Itsuki would usually have about the young woman who would talk to him with such a sad voice continued that it truly frustrated him. A training with the other Vessels involving how to deal with illusionist Triske Monster with the help of Helen's illusion spells made him finally realize the identity of the young woman disturbing him in his dreams for so long. Those visions soon distracted him in his fight with the Triske Monster, injuring him terribly in the process. When Helen tried to heal him, he refused which confused and surprised the others. Erika's talk with Itsuki soon made the pianist realize the one thing that truly bothered her brother all this time that she didn't know at all.
This marks the first appearance of Bisearth combining with SeitenOh in a Spirit Vessel Armament (Reiyouki Busou) forming SeitenOh Bisearth.
No comments:
Post a Comment