Chapter 5 - The First Shard

The same? Setsura frowned, 'No,' she shook her head. This man is not the same as them. His presence here is very suspicious, there is no doubt about it, and he knows something he shouldn't know. But for some reason, Setsura felt that he wasn't a simple person. From a mere glance alone, any reasonable person would realize the difference between them. This overwhelming and robust presence, is there a reason for it? If somebody judged him based on appearance, they would conclude he was quite weak. However, Setsura knew better. She has dealt with a similar case before.

When she first met her half brother, 'Shun,' he appeared to be a weak and friendly guy. But that was all a front; it didn't take her long before he revealed his true colors in front of her, "I don't sense any malice from you," Setsura admitted.

"Naturally you shouldn't, I mean you no harm."

That may be true, but his appearance here is still suspicious, "How did you get in?" The Kaname family had the best security in this country, and everybody living on these grounds is a highly trained martial artist. Even the servants ... So how come this guy got in? Unnoticed too. Setsura didn't hear a fuss about an intruder on the way in; such things would not be kept from her either. So, exactly what is going on here?

"Before I answer, will you not ask me for my name?"

His name? That's the last thing on her mind. But it would be weird to continue speaking to him without addressing him. Setsura took a deep breath before she lowered her blade slowly, 'He won't hurt her, trust your instincts,' Setsura repeated in her head. Soon the blade was dropped entirely, and just like she thought, the man tried nothing.

So he's a good person, "I'm Setsura," she always introduced herself without her surname because Setsura didn't associate herself with that name, "What about you?"

"It's nice to meet you, miss Setsura; you may call me Oslo."

"Oslo?" the name seemed very foreign to her. She's studied English before, and she is aware of the many differences in Western country names. It's the same here as in Asia, but even then there is something strange about this man's name. What exactly is it? Setsura shook her head, now isn't the time for this, "Why did you come, no, what do you want from me?" she decided just to ask him directly. There is no need to beat around the bush with this person it seems.

"Since you asked me two questions, I have the right to ask you the same correct?"

Eh? Setsura slowly nodded, and Oslo beamed, "Then, your first question. How I came here? Simple, this little guy lead me inside," Oslo pointed to the butterfly, but Setsura was expecting to see somebody past it. Unfortunately, she couldn't see anybody and frowned. Where is he pointing?

Oslo chuckled and lifted the butterfly in his hands, "Direct your gaze to this little guy on my finger."

Fin— Setsura froze and recalled the butterfly. How stupid, even though that was the main reason why she came all the way out here for. To think she forgot about it, just like that. The moment she saw this man, she got too distracted. Did he just tell her that it was because of the butterfly? The butterfly lead him here, so that bypassed the defenses? Setsura felt something was amiss, but she slowly approached the man, "Can I touch it?"

Oslo smiled, "Kurara, go to Miss Setsura," the white butterfly suddenly left Oslo's finger and popped itself on her shoulder. Setsura looked at it with wide eyes, 'This is the same butterfly she's been searching for, for years,' and indeed it surely isn't a normal one. However, she wonders why looking at it now she feels nothing in particular.

Could she have made a mistake? It would be embarrassing if she did, especially considering how she dragged along Shinji with her this whole time. If it were just something she obsessed about alone, then that would be perfectly fine. However, she told Shinji, and these last eight years they've both been searching for a clue.

"That butterfly only saw you once before, but it seems to be fond of you."

On—Once?! Setsura's eyes widened, and she froze on the spot, only once. She felt her heart skip several beats at Oslo's words. Could it be? Was she really right?

"That night, eight years ago, it seemed like black butterflies surrounded Kurara. But when you made eye contact with her, she regained the power she needed to send your mother's soul to heaven before they dragged her down to hell."

What? What is this man talking about now? "W-what do you mean?" is this man crazy? He's a good-looking man, so it would be a real shame if that were to be the case. However, there is no doubt that he is saying things she doesn't understand. Setsura eyed him suspiciously, 'Is he just messing around with her?' Perhaps, is this man a friend of Shun's? If it's like that, then it would make a lot more sense. It would make sense why the security let him go past and why they did not inform her.

There's only one exception made regarding guests if they are Shun's friends. Regular guests would have to go through the usual procedure. But, Setsura frowned, 'If it's like that, then he wouldn't be out here speaking to me,' there is a rule amongst Shun's circle, and that's not speaking to her unless Shun is around. Setsura didn't care much for it since she dismissed anything related to her crazy psycho half brother. This man isn't related to Shun.

Cautiously Setsura looked at the butterfly perched on her shoulder, and then back at Oslo. He's an unusual guy, but it doesn't seem like she wants to hurt her. Just now he said some crazy things that she doesn't quite understand, but maybe it's better she doesn't ask.

Oslo continued, "Your not going to ask a follow-up question?"

"I'm just processing what you just said," Setsura muttered. She knew she ought to just dismiss it as the words of a crazy man. But for some reason, Setsura couldn't do that.

"Tell me something, do you see me as a normal person?" Oslo's question caught me off guard. She thought he would try to inquire about the words she just said, but instead, he directed another question at her.

"Yes."

It was right then she sensed something off. A strong gust of wind blew before them, and it felt like the surrounding air around them had turned cold, "That is naive of you Miss, but I suppose that just means my disguise is full proof."

"Disguise?"

"Tell me, Miss, do you believe in the supernatural? If you see something so unbelievable with your own two eyes, how would you react?"

The supernatural, Setsura felt her body freeze at his words. 'Isn't that obvious? She would call the person crazy,' but for some reason, Setsura couldn't say it. She swallowed those words back and hugged her now cold body with her hands. The tense atmosphere in the air aside, why does it feel like the temperature just dropped?

It surprised her, Oslo's beautiful hand had turned into some kind of dragon claw. Her eyes widened - horrified at the sight, but the man before her seemed rather calm, "I'm still a normal human being?" Oslo repeated, his lips had curved into a somewhat slight smirk.

'No, definitely not!' Setsura exclaimed in her head. Don't tell her that he pulled out that claw out of nowhere just to prove her wrong? If so, then she doesn't want anything to do with him.

Oslo continued, "I suppose it was high time I showed you anyway. Otherwise, you'd never take me seriously. There is something you need to do."

Something she needs to do? So he did come here to ask her something, 'Of course,' people who show up on these grounds tend to want something from her. While the inner circle didn't accept her, it didn't change the fact that she was famous.

"What do you want?"

"Miss Setsura, it's a simple job. I wish for you to take this off my hands and keep it safe," Oslo explained. She raised her eyebrows; he simply wants her to guard something?

"What is it?" she couldn't see anything in his hands. But she knew better than to underestimate him now.

Sure enough, right as she said those words, there is a blinding light. In Oslo's palm, there is a medium sized shard with rainbow colors reflecting in the light. Setsura stared dumbly at the shard; it looked like the type of thing one would see in those glass antique shops. Shinji loved crafts, and naturally, she did as an artist. So she had seen things like this before, and yet even before Setsura touched it, she felt there was something different about it.

Considering what this man told her about the butterfly, and then what she just saw with his hand. Setsura knew this was no ordinary case, "Is this dangerous?" she pointed to the shard cautiously, "I don't mind danger, I am used to it. But an advanced warning would be nice," and they did just meet. So if this was something life-threatening, she doesn't want to get involved.