6 - Within Reach

“Hey, Mansa! How’s life?” Mukawa asked.

“We have been navigating from village to village using Anaconda. We are on the run.” Mansa explained. “I...clearly expect you to treat my situation seriously.”

“And what do you think I’m doing?” Mukawa asked. “What’s your location?”

“Close to the Mediterranean coast.”

“Perfect. Come here.” Mukawa said. “If there’s anyone we need alive, that’s you.”

“Mukawa, I am his next target.” Mansa said. “That I know for sure. If I come to you, your position may be compromised. And if that happens, there is no more saving the world.”

“Ya think Kaito isn’t busy himself?” Alby Jr. asked. “You know, with Eura. I assumed he would have arrived here by now.”

“He will not engage in direct combat with Aizawa.” Mansa said.

“You’re right. Same principle as Otto Richter.” Mukawa said. “Anyways, cool story. Now come to us. We need you, we need your help and influence.”

“He has a point.” Zervos said. “As much as I hate to admit it, if we have the options of letting Mansa go and retaining our invisibility, or taking Mansa in and having to fight him with our limited manpower...I’ll choose the first option. For the greater good.”

“Oh, piss off. Is this how you commanded the Heisei?” Mukawa asked, frustrated. “What happened to the ‘leave no man behind’ mentality? Mansa, come here. If he chases us down, fuck it, we can take him on. We have a weapon.”

“Mukawa-”

“We have the weapon, and on top of that, he’s probably head deep inside his own ass trying to deal with Eura.” Mukawa said. “So get here.”

“Mukawa, what is your obsession with saving every life you stumble upon?” Mansa asked. The question hit Mukawa in the right spot.

“Say that again?”

“You saved Sakuto Hitori, who ended up murdering Otto Richter and ruining the first plan to kill Kaito Kamiki. The plan that, in hindsight, would be perfect. And now, that same Sakuto Hitori is the strongest fighter in the Heisei, strong enough to kill all of you over there without breaking a sweat.” Mansa explained. “The world is part of a deep and evil game. Two monsters are duking it out, trying to prove themselves superior to one another, trying to decide who gets to destroy civilization. If I have to sacrifice myself in order for the operation to be carried out, I will.”

“You’re not seeing things right. How do you know Kaito can reliably track you down? How hasn’t he tracked us down yet? How does that work?!” Mukawa lashed out. “We need your help-”

“Oh shut the fuck up, Mukawa.” Haruki said, shocking almost everyone.

“Pardon?”

“Remember what you used to say back then? That you keep me around especially close because I’m the one who calls out your garbage decisions.” Haruki said. “Well this is one of them.”

“Right. Yeah, just...brilliant. Let’s kill a man.” Mukawa said. “Let’s be as bad as the psychopath we’re fighting.”

“There is a difference between killing one and eight billion.” Haruki replied.

“There is no difference between murder and murder.” Mukawa said.

“You’ve killed people yourself.”

“Those people were my enemies. There is a difference between killing someone who wants to kill you, and letting someone die out of fear.” Mukawa said.

“A moment, please.” Mansa finally broke the argument apart. “You have no right to decide how my life will be concluded.”

“There we go! Come on, show ‘em how it’s done!” Mukawa said.

“I am ready to hold off Kaito Kamiki for the sake of the operation’s survival.” Mansa said.

“Okay.” Mukawa sighed. “Amazing.”

“But that does not mean I will not help you, one way or another.” Mansa said. “It was an honor working with you. Thank you for convincing me that humanity still exists.”

He disconnected from the communication channel.

“Fucking making a drama out of everything...” Mukawa said. “Good job, Haruki. We lost a man because we’re cowards.”

“This was the decision you knew you had to make. You just couldn’t make it.” Haruki replied. “You’re an empath.”

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“Yeah right.” Mukawa said. “Anyhow, here’s our plan. While that drama queen is working his magic, we start assembling manpower. Only recruit people that we know and trust. We wait for that Heisei woman to contact us again. If what she implied is true, we can make an incredible power play.”

“The kid, right?”

“Someone like Kaito wouldn’t just keep a kid around, especially considering his strange origin and lack of documentation.” Mukawa said. “Something’s off. And considering Kaito had someone guard her while he was killing our drama queen’s friend group, it only means one thing.”

“What?” Kana asked. “That a father might love his adoptive son?”

“That Kaito needs

his son.” Mukawa said. “I’m willing to bet it’s something associated with his genocidal fantasies. I have no idea how it works but it’s the explanation that makes the most sense.”

“In that case-”

“No.” Mukawa interrupted Haruki. “We wait, we get confirmation, we map a plan...and then we talk about effective measures.”

The room was now filled with a thoughtful silence.

...

“Mansa?” Alby asked, as the man disconnected the laptop and cracked it in half. “Oi, the hell are ya doing?”

“This device will not be needed anymore.” Mansa calmly replied. The wind that blew past the desolate village houses around them also caressed them. The air was eerily dry.

“How are we gonna talk to them then?”

“Face to face.” Masna replied. “I will send you to Naples with anaconda. I myself will remain here.”

“Not happening. I’m staying here and fighting that asshole.” Alby said. “I’m not going anywhere. We chose this way to go already.”

“I chose it.” Mansa clarified. “I will be enough to hold him off for at least a little bit. You will be better off at Mukawa’s lair, scheming and assisting him in the operation that truly matters.”

“My father would not want me to be spared!” Alby said. “He would want me to fight!”

“Your father...” Mansa began losing his temper, slowly but surely. “Had the greater good in mind.”

“He went out there on his own.” Alby said. “He made that decision on his own. I can make a decision for myself too.”

“I knew about your father’s plan.” Mansa finally snapped.

“...what?”

“He told me about it. He consulted me about it privately.” Mansa explained. “He wanted to create instability in the Eura stronghold and to get Kaito to attack the weakened domain. He said he was tired of waiting, that he needed to act, because he knew that one day he would make his step.”

“You...knew?” Alby also lost his composure. “And you didn’t stop him?!”

“Stopping him would be the equivalent of spitting in the face of his determination and ideals.” Mansa said. “Alby Stirrock was a man I respected like no one else. And I respected his desire most.”

“What desire would that be?” Alby argued. “Is it more important than him being alive?!”

“He wanted to keep you safe.” Mansa said.

“Beneath that drunk who lived by the rule of cool was a caring father that would sacrifice everything, including himself, to protect his son. He wanted to keep his son away from being used as a playing card or a lamb in the dirty game of the world.”

“I...”

“Please, do not blame your existence for his death.” Mansa said. “Be proud that you get to carry on his legacy instead.”

“I’m not going anywhere.” Alby said. “If my father gave his life for me, I will give my life to fight Kaito. To protect all the people he wants to fucking butcher. Because everyone’s life is worth the same.”

“You are overestimating your abilities in combat, Alby.” Mansa said. “I will send you to Naples.”

“I’m strong.” Alby tried to convince him. But instead, Mansa simply took a deep breath and sighed.

“The world is a wicked place, Alby.” Mansa said. “You cannot be at peace. There will always be another man ready to harm or kill you for his benefit. The only way is to fight.”

“...”

“Alby, I will fight Kaito for you.” Mansa said. “So you fight him for me and your father, understand?”

“I call upon thee...”

“Anaconda!”

“Wait-” Alby was devoured whole by the giant serpent as it burrowed out of the sand, capturing him inside its mouth with one motion. Then, it burrowed back inside, causing a small quake. Its destination was Naples...

And Mansa watched. He watched the sun begin to set, and he watched his beast live. In fact, he sacrificed the beast altogether - getting it to dedicate its whole existence and determination to carry what was effectively Mansa’s last request.

A villager ran up to him.

“Did you feel the quake?” The bearded man asked. “Was that your doing?”

“Yes. Forgive me if I disrupted your rest.” Mansa answered. “I had to bid farewell to my comrade.”

“Farewells are always difficult, my beloved guest.” The man smiled. “But! Do you know what I have heard? I have heard that a village we used to navigate the rivers to has been burnt down to ashes! There was no chance for it to be a natural fire, and you know what the merchants told us? He said that the flames were no regular flames, my friend. They were pure and white. And they were more fearsome than any flame to ever burn. Do you know anything about it?”

“I may know the culprit of that crime.” Mansa said. “But the purity of the flames is...”

“I do not know which god you are loyal to, but perhaps, you should make peace with him.” The villager said. “Perhaps, I fear, our gods may be punishing us for our sins! That is why the flames, albeit destructive, were described as pure and even mesmerizing!”

“You believe it is your god’s wrath?” Mansa asked.

“What else should I believe?” the villager asked back. “I do not want to think that it was the doing of a human. I wish not to subject myself to the torture of thinking that way.”

“In that case, I wish for your prayers and repentance to be fruitful.” Mansa said. “You are a good man, but I must leave.”

“Then may you make peace with your god too, my guest.” The villager bid him farewell. “You will always have a home here.”

Mansa bid farewell and walked away, filled with various thoughts.