Editing City Series:Volume4a Chapter 11 (section)

===Part 1===

'''4:15 PM

The Osaka Hilton hotel’s sky lounge gave a view of the city of Osaka.

Two people viewed the colors of that city: Hisahide and Takada.

Hisahide stared at the silhouette of Osaka Castle visible in the distance.

“Sorry the day you arrived is already the big day of Ixolde’s activation, Takada.”

“I don’t mind. I never was interested in Rhythms.”

The Dog God on her shoulder spoke for her as she sipped at a teacup.

Hisahide faced her from across the table, seemed to have something he wanted to say, and sighed.

“You really stick to your own pace, you know that?”

“I am simply playing the role that was given to me. Right?”

The question was directed to Taromaru who replied in a quiet, bell cricket-like voice.

“A Dog God lives by devouring people’s indecision, hm? That creature was made from a portion of your Lives, right? Has he ever gotten along with anyone else?”

“Yes. Just today, he ran up onto someone else’s shoulder for the first time.”

“…Eh?”

“You’re the one that asked. Why do you sound so surprised?”

“Oh, well, y’know?” He scratched at his hair. “There’s really someone else like you in this city?”

“Yes. He is trying to play his role…and he’s far more indecisive than you or me.”

“Was he good person?” he asked while sipping at his tea.

“Yes. Although he did stare at my butt.”

Hisahide immediately spat out his mouthful of tea.

“H-he what!?”

“Hisahide-san, please don’t spit out your tea. You scared Taromaru.”

“Y-yeah, but more importantly…”

“I’ve said I can read other people’s Lives, haven’t I? Well, I could read his even more once Taromaru possessed him.”

“He still has some guts to admire your ass without permission.”

“You used to always look at my chest, though.”

“That’s because a girl’s all about the breasts, not the ass.”

“If you say so.”

That was all Takada said before taking another sip of her tea.

The waiter brought over a new pot of tea and a cake, so she pulled out her fork while speaking again.

“But he was an interesting person.”

“By looking at your ass?”

“In many ways, including that. He was indecisive about so many things yet he was still trying to do something about it on his own. I was jealous of that.”

“If you ask me, someone who can’t make up their mind is just weak.”

“Then I guess I’m fundamentally weak too.”

“Would it be conceited of me to say that’s why I’ll always protect you?”

“No, you’re working quite hard there, even if it isn’t as much as between Takahiro and Hijiri.”

“I’m glad to hear it. …But I’d like to meet this guy you’ve taken such an interest in.”

“You can if you want. He’s the one the Nagoya Chancellor brought with her.” She took a breath. “He is a key person. I could tell after prophesying his future.”

“His future?”

“Yes, I read his kotodama, but… What’s the matter?”

Hisahide brought a hand to his forehead.

“Ahh… I do want to go out with you, you know?”

“Yes, and I said that was fine.”

Takada held out her right hand to show the golden ring on the middle finger.

Hisahide looked to the silver ring on his own right hand’s middle finger.

“You weren’t thinking at all, were you?”

He sighed when she and Taromarou on her shoulder both tilted their head.

“Well, I guess this is destiny too,” he muttered before telling Takada to recite the prophecy she had seen.

She briefly hesitated and looked to Taromaru.

Taromaru erased all intonation from his voice and seemed to squeeze out the voice so only Nakamura could hear.

''A white flower blooms in the darkness

''An empty party begins in the fire

''A memory of death floats in nothingness

:''A king saves him

:''A queen laments him

:''A sage resigns himself

::''Fall into indecisiveness while looking to another’s path

::''Choose your own path and hesitate

::''The true path lies in the past

His expression changed upon hearing it.

He looked Takada in the eye and voiced his own prophecy.

''A red flower blooms in the darkness

''An empty party begins in strength

''Human memories dance within nothingness

:''A soldier saves the king

:''A woman becomes the queen

:''A sage reminisces

::''Run without looking to another’s path

::''Choose your own path and sprint

::''The true path lies in the future

His lips then uttered something else.

“That prophecy is the flipside of mine.”

“If so, he is the soldier who will save you and make you the king.”

“You’re one scary girl. Are you planning to drag him onto our side?”

“No. He is a key person because he is indecisive.”

“…?”

“He does not have his own rails…his own Words. Whether he saves you or not will likely be highly dependent on what happens now and on his own indecision.”

“So he’s just wishy-washy? He can’t take a stand about his own destiny?”

“No, that isn’t it.”

“Then…”

“He is hesitant because the possibilities presenting themselves to him are so great.”

“…”

She smiled at his silence.

“I understand because I was once crippled by indecision and closed off the possibility of becoming a Tuner, Buster, or Rhythm user.”

“Takada.”

“Yes?”

“Between me and him, which one’s the better guy?”

She answered with a slight smile.

“I think the one that can draw out his possibilities to their fullest is the better guy.”

“I see.” Hisahide checked his watch. “Okay, I guess it’s about time to head out.”

“Are you really forgoing the original plan and descending to the sewers from this hotel’s basement?”

“Yeah, it’s looking that way. Osaka’s Chancellor’s Officers seem to have caught wind of Ikemaru and Aoi’s battle with the Nagoya Chancellor, so they’ve already set up some guards.”

“That makes things difficult. …So are you finally taking action to become king?”

Nakamura nodded and smiled at Takada.

“Well, I’ll be king by the time I reach Nagoya.”