Dead Man's Tales: HSOTD

The moonlight shimmered across the surface of the lake, casting soft silver ripples that seemed to stretch endlessly into the night. Rika stared at the scene, unmoving, her thoughts swirling with the same unrelenting rhythm. Kozen's words echoed in her mind, over and over, refusing to be silenced. The cool night air did nothing to calm the storm inside her. She'd been sitting here for hours, trying to counter his words, to come up with any reasoning that would justify what she had done. But every excuse she made crumbled like tissue paper submerged in water.

I was right, she told herself again, but the hollow echo of the thought felt more like a lie with each passing minute. She wanted to believe that she had done everything for the right reasons, that keeping the truth from Kozen was the only way to prepare him. Yet, the more she turned it over in her mind, the more fragile her defenses became.

Her phone rang, snapping her out of the spiral of thoughts. She didn't even need to check the caller ID. She wanted to talk to Takashi. He'd know what to say, even if it was just to validate her choices. He had a way of making her feel like she wasn't in this alone, like maybe her methods weren't so twisted after all.

"Hello," Takashi answered after a moment.

"Thank you for picking up, your majesty," Rika said, the sarcasm slipping out without much effort.

"No problem. I am a man of great importance, after all," Takashi replied, his usual lighthearted tone grating against the tension she felt. She sighed heavily, but he didn't seem to notice. "Look, if you're calling to get Kozen's lab reports, I'll send them in a few minutes. And let me tell you, I think Kozen might be able to do it… become superhuman. You should see that boy's mitochondrial count—10k per cell. That's twice as much as Usain Bolt, Rika. I can't wait for you to see it."

Rika stayed silent, staring out at the moonlight reflected on the lake. Takashi must have sensed something was off because he quickly followed up.

"Rika, what's wrong?"

The words tumbled out of her before she could stop them—everything that had happened with Kozen, the punch, the way he called her "Mom." The word caught in her throat again, and she felt the unexpected sting of tears welling up. She hadn't cried in years, but the sound of that one word from Kozen had broken through her defenses. Silence settled in as she tried to steady herself, but the weight of the moment was suffocating. The moon's reflection on the water blurred as her vision clouded with unshed tears.

"Wow," Takashi finally said, his voice soft. "Kozen really must have trusted you to hold on for so long."

"What?" Rika blinked, unsure if she had heard him right.

"Not gonna lie, Rika, I thought you would've told him the truth by now," Takashi said.

"The truth?" she repeated, her voice tight with frustration. "The truth that the world will end on December 1st? The truth that supernatural monsters are coming? The truth that his life, everything he knows, will be ruined?" Her voice trembled with anger as she spoke, the words spilling out uncontrollably. "I wanted to tell him. Since day one, I wanted to. But if he doesn't believe me, he won't prepare. He'll think it's all a joke, and then when it's too late…"

"Rika," Takashi interrupted gently, "tell Kozen the truth."

"He won't believe me."

Takashi's voice was steady, but there was a firmness beneath the calm. "So, what are you going to do now? Force him?"

"If I have to." The words came out before she could stop herself. It was instinctual, almost desperate.

"Rika, this is wrong, and you know it," Takashi's voice grew sharper, more serious. "Forcing him will just make the boy rebel and leave."

"He can spit on my grave as long as he's alive and kicking in the apocalypse," Rika snapped, shutting down the call before he could say anything else. Her fingers trembled as she lowered the phone, the weight of the conversation pressing down on her.

She stood there, staring out at the lake as the reality of the situation finally began to settle in. 

I can't force him, she realized, her mind racing. If she tried to push Kozen any further, he would leave. He would run, and he wouldn't come back. The thought sent a chill down her spine that no amount of training or preparation could ease.

What am I doing?

The realization hit her like a punch to the gut. Every step she'd taken to protect him, to prepare him, had been rooted in fear. Fear of losing him, fear of the apocalypse, fear of failing. But in trying to shield him from the truth, she'd driven him away. She'd never given herself the chance to trust him fully.

She closed her eyes, feeling the weight of the moonlight on her skin, the water reflecting its cold, distant light back at her. I can't force him. I'll lose him if I try. And the worst part was, she knew it. She had known it all along, but now, there was no more room for denial.

I have to find Kozen. She inhaled deeply, a resolve hardening in her chest. I have to tell him the truth.

Kozen arrived at Rei's location, and before he even had time to register the scene, she threw herself into his arms. Her body was warm and soft against his, and for a split second, Kozen didn't mind. It was a brief moment of comfort in the middle of this madness, but he made sure not to let his mind wander too far. I'm not a creep, he reminded himself. He didn't want to be the type of guy who made something innocent into something it wasn't.

When Rei finally pulled away, she started babbling, her words tumbling out in a rush. She was shaking slightly, but not from fear. It was adrenaline. Kozen recognized that jittery energy—the kind that made you feel like you could take on the world, even though your body was still catching up to the danger. As she explained what had happened, Kozen felt a spark of amusement. He couldn't help but be impressed by the way she had handled herself. 

He glanced toward the bed, where Koichi was tied up, his face a mess of bruises, blood, and panic. He couldn't help but grin at the sight.

"Well, hello there, sensei," Kozen said, his tone dripping with sarcasm. He enjoyed this—seeing the once-confident man reduced to this.

Koichi spat, blood and mucus landing inches from Kozen's feet. His voice was thick with contempt. "What are you doing here, thug?"

Kozen didn't respond directly. Instead, he turned to Rei. "Get a knife," he said, his voice calm and composed, as if they were discussing something mundane.

Rei's eyes lit up with satisfaction, and she hurried to fetch one. Meanwhile, Koichi's trembling increased. His whole body shook, fear overtaking him as he realized what might be coming next.

But Kozen surprised him. He didn't pick up the knife Rei had brought. Instead, he began untying Koichi's binds. First his wrists, then his ankles. The confusion on Koichi's face was almost laughable.

"What are you doing?" the man asked, rubbing his raw wrists, his voice a mixture of confusion and suspicion.

Rei, too, was baffled. The sound of the knife clattering to the floor filled the tense silence, and when Kozen looked up, he saw the look on her face—shock and betrayal, like the wind had been knocked out of her. Her eyes darted between Kozen and Koichi, unable to process what was happening. Koichi started laughing, the sound grotesque and broken, like he'd just been given a lifeline.

But Rei wasn't having it. She lunged for the knife again, but Kozen was quicker. He picked it up before she could reach it, his movements fluid, almost casual.

"Kozen, why?" Rei's voice trembled with disbelief, her wide eyes searching his face for answers. There was fear in her tone now, as if she suddenly didn't know what side he was on.

Kozen didn't answer her. He wasn't here for her, not really. He tossed the knife to the side and shifted into a boxer's stance, his fists raised and ready. His focus was now entirely on Koichi. This was about settling the score—not with words, but with fists.

Koichi, rubbing his wrists and smirking through the pain, narrowed his eyes. "Oh, I get it. You want to fight me, huh?" He stood up, still wavering, clearly unsure of Kozen's intentions. He glanced at Rei, who was pinching herself, trying to make sense of what was happening.

"You know," Koichi sneered, "humanity got to the top because of its weapons, not because of its fists."

The older man lunged forward, attempting a wild stab. But Kozen moved like water—effortless, fluid. He dodged the blade easily and responded with an uppercut aimed directly at Koichi's elbow. The sickening sound of bones snapping followed—a sharp crack, like dry branches splintering in the wind. Koichi's arm bent at a grotesque angle, far beyond what was natural. His scream ripped through the air, raw and agonizing.

Kozen didn't flinch. He stepped forward with a straight punch to Koichi's chest, the impact so powerful that the man flew back, crashing into the window. The sound of Kozen's fist meeting flesh echoed, followed by the dull thud of Koichi hitting the reinforced glass. The indent of Kozen's fist remained on Koichi's chest, a deep imprint, as the older man struggled to breathe, his coughs wet with blood.

Rei, still in shock, let out a breath she didn't know she'd been holding. Her eyes welled up with tears, but this time, they were tears of relief. She slapped Kozen's shoulder lightly, her voice shaking as she said, "Don't scare me like that!"

Kozen smirked, the corners of his mouth barely lifting. "I'm just full of surprises," he replied, though in truth, he didn't care what Rei thought of him at this moment. His mind was already somewhere else. The fight had been too short. Two punches and Koichi was down. It felt too easy, too… lame. He wanted more. He needed more.

Just then, a thud broke the brief silence. Kozen turned to see Koichi trying to crawl through the window, clearly desperate to escape. But in a twist of poetic justice, Koichi had made the window bulletproof—designed to trap Rei inside, tormenting her with no way out. Now, it was his own prison.

Kozen's smirk deepened. Irony's a bitch, he thought. He walked over, grabbed Koichi by the back of his head, and slammed him into the bulletproof window. The glass, designed to withstand bullets, shattered under the force of Kozen's strength. Koichi slumped to the floor, unconscious, blood smeared across his face and the broken shards of glass.

"That's so hot," Rei whispered, almost to herself. Her eyes widened when she realized Kozen had heard her, but he didn't say anything, just let the moment hang in the air.

Kozen clicked his tongue in mild disappointment. The fun was over too quickly. He glanced at Koichi's limp body, his mind already calculating what to do next. "Rei," he said, his tone almost businesslike, "be a dear and get me a blowtorch, some needles, a spoon, and a pair of pliers."

Rei nodded, not questioning him, her mind still trying to process everything that had happened. As she walked out, Kozen couldn't help but check her out from behind, his eyes briefly lingering on her rear. 

She thinks I am hot and has a great ass, what more can you ask for? He smirked to himself at the thought before returning his attention to the unconscious man. 

I am going to enjoy this.

Author Note: More chapters on [email protected]/LordCampione.