(Aku no Tsurugi) 悪の剣

Just as I was letting the buildings shroud me in the endless darkness of the night I saw a twitch of motion in the corner of my eye. I dared not look or glance in that direction for fear of what I may see. The shadowy figure moved with jerky motions across my field of view to stand right before me in the street. I shuddered.

Her face was stillobscured but her sobbing echoed all around me as if pitched from the very walls of the city itself. The sound of her tears drowned out the simple silence of the city, surrounding me as if a rush of waves were crashing against a distant shore. Her head rose and I shut my eyes tightly, I didnt want to see.

Suddenly, where I should have only seen the inside of my own eyelids there was light and color, blurry images swirled around me, clouded by thousands of memories and emotions. As time went by it became clearer and clearer, where was this place? It became clearer and more defined. Soon it was as if I had been there a million times myself, it was as if I had tasted the same sweet liqour and sat on the same worn bar stools.

When I opened my eyes there was nothing to greet me but the cool night air. I shook my head, trying to clear it, trying to gather my thoughts. Still, that place was fresh in my mind... So I started walking.

It didnt take me very long to pick my way across the city streets and find my way to the shady looking bar that now seemed so familiar. I wandered in through the front door, it was crowded. In the air hung a thick layer of smoke, the floor was covered in a kind of dust one would expect to see in a Western, the place was large, almost 100 or so people were there now, milling about and having a gnerally good time. I wound the scarf off of my face, leaving it draped across my neck.

I glanced around the room again, unsure of what to do next.