I looked up. We still had to get Kaede’s mum to come with us. Was she in the auditorium? So many people had crowded around Maya, but I didn’t recall Kaede’s parents in the fray. I needed to convince everyone to get her.

‘W-we have t-to tell her fa-family first,’ said Tsubasa, his voice hoarse.

I smothered a sigh of relief. Thank you!

‘It’s a waste of time.’ Ahio scowled, clenching his fists. ‘Besides, they would’ve already heard the news.’

‘Th-they weren’t in th-the auditorium,’ Tsubasa glanced at us with red-rimmed eyes. ‘W-would you like it? If someone’s g-going t-to look for Kaede and didn’t t-tell you? Her family w-will be worried s-sick!’

Ahio glared at Tsubasa but unfurled his hands. ‘Fine, but let’s make it quick. They’re probably at the hospital at this time of the day if they weren’t in the auditorium.’

As Ahio strode across the hall and the rest of us rose from our seats, the front door creaked open. An older girl of about eighteen marched into the room, running a hand through her long, blonde ponytail. Her face was heart-shaped like Daisuke’s, with the same big eyes, albeit brown.

‘Oh! you’re here.’ She took a step back, scanning the room. Her gaze locked onto Daisuke. ‘What on earth is going on? There’s chaos in the auditorium. An absolute pandemonium! Mum and dad are still stuck there, but I got out to look for you. I can’t believe your friend got kidnapped.’

‘Sayuri, We--’ Daisuke said, but his sister had only stopped to take a breath.

I flinched on his behalf. Where I was from, calling your older sister by just her name is a sure-fire way to get an earful.

‘That poor girl must be terrified. They say it happened within the hundred-metre stones, can you believe it?’ Sayuri gestured wildly with her hands. ‘You’d think the tournament was supervised. Where were all the swordsmen on the lookout?’

‘Sayuri?’ Daisuke started, but his voice was drowned out by hers again.

‘And now, they’re saying Heikisato will be under curfew for the next few days, Apparently, the kidnapper’s probably still here.’ She rolled her eyes. ‘I’d just planned a date with Kitaro tomorrow. But, we have to stay inside in the evenings.’

‘Sayuri!’

‘Yes?’ she said, one eyebrow raised.

‘We’re going to Genkoushi to find Kaede.’ Daisuke squared his shoulders as if already knowing she wouldn’t approve.

‘Absolutely not!’ Crossing her arms, she narrowed her eyes at him. ‘It could be dangerous.’

‘I’m a second-grade swordsman now. I’ll be sent to much more dangerous quests soon.’ Daisuke glared back.

‘The Minister will take care of it.’

‘I’m going, whether you like it or not.’ He clenched his jaw. ‘I just wanted to let you know so you, Mum and Dad won’t worry.’

‘But--’ she spluttered.

‘She’s my friend, Sayuri,’ Daisuke sighed. ‘It wouldn’t be right to do nothing when I know there’s a way to get her back.’

Sayuri grew silent, staring at Daisuke with wide eyes. He marched out of the hall, head down as he passed her by.

‘Daisuke, wait!’ She grabbed his hand. ‘Stay safe, okay? And don’t do anything stupid.’ She paused, then planted a kiss on his forehead. ’Make me proud, little brother.’

‘I’m not so little anymore,’ he muttered.

‘You can say that when you’re taller than me.’ She ruffled his wavy hair and let him go, her fingers pulling away slowly as though to keep him safe for longer.

Daisuke still needed to get a few books, and then we were off, waving goodbye to Sayuri. She watched us go with her arms crossed, frowning as the wind swayed her sleeveless pink dress.

Kaede’s parents were both surgeons in the biggest hospital in Heikisato, Pao’s Provincial Hospital, named after the town’s fourth Minister. Ahio took us through all the shortcuts, having traversed that way a hundred times with Kaede when they were kids. The building was a newly painted white, spanning several blocks and was many stories high.

We rushed up the stairs to the neurosurgery wards, where Kaede’s mother, Chiasa, worked one floor lower than her husband. I thanked my stars it wasn’t the other way around. Daisuke stumbled here and there when we took two stairs up at a time, but Tsubasa always pulled him back up. Once we reached the floor, Ahio went over to the receptionist, a chubby man who was pounding furiously on his typewriter, and asked for Chiasa’s whereabouts.

‘Sorry, Dr Chiasa is in the theatre right now. You’ll have to wait a bit,’ he said, still glaring at his half-finished paper.

Ahio glanced at us, then at the door leading to the theatre. A nurse waddled by, balancing a tray awkwardly as she punched in a pin to open it.

Gesturing with his head, he ran to the door after the nurse went through, catching it just before it closed. We rushed after him, sneaking glances at the receptionist who still had his eyes on the paper.

A strong chemical smell permeated the air. The bright light overhead brought out the contours of our face in sharp angles as we walked down the narrow corridors.

‘Ahio-- Kids, what’re you doing here?’ Dr Chiasa walked out of one of the doors, a mask still on her face and her scrubs bright green in the light.

Ahio froze for a moment, then broke into a run, throwing his arms around her and nearly toppling the woman.

‘Ahio, what’s going on?’ She took off her mask, brown eyes wide.

I looked at the others, bracing myself for the news.

‘It’s Kaede.’ Ahio pulled away from her and glanced at the floor. ‘She was—she was kidnapped.’

Dr Chiasa stared at him for several seconds, maybe minutes, her face frozen in shock. She fell against the wall, and Ahio rushed to catch her. ‘My baby…’ she said, cupping her mouth with her fingers.

One hand on her shoulder, Ahio told her everything we knew, from Maya’s account of the kidnapping to mine of the Ministers’ plans. He didn’t forget a single detail, voice cracking and tears rolling down his cheeks. For all his bravado at Daisuke’s house, Ahio was breaking underneath. I fixed my eyes to the marble floor, wondering what she thought of the boy who could’ve saved her daughter but chose not to.

‘Where’s the knife?’ she asked, standing up straight.

‘I—I have it.’ Maya said in a small voice.

‘Give it to me.’ Dr Chiasa extended her hand, her face hard with resolve. ‘I’ll go find her. You all can stay.’

‘No, you can come with us. We’re going.’ Ahio said, and I nodded at his words.

‘You’re just children,’ Dr Chiasa snapped.

‘We are swordsmen!’ shouted Ahio. He glared at her as if willing his gaze to soften her conviction. ‘If Kaede was here, and one of us was kidnapped, she’d go look for us.’

She sighed, then looked at us with narrowed eyes. ‘Do your families even know you’re doing this?’

‘I live alone,’ I muttered as Ahio yelled that he didn’t care. Kei scratched his head, staying silent while Tsubasa gazed down, also saying nothing. Daisuke nodded.

‘My father is away to trade in Shoubaiba.’ Maya wrung her hands together. ‘And my mother is Tadae Fumi, Shuryoushi’s Minister. Neither of them will notice.’

I took in a sharp breath. She’s a Minister’s daughter?

Dr Chiasa ran a hand over her face. ‘Regardless, you’re too many. A team of five or six would be hard to manage, especially with this curfew. I doubt anyone is allowed to leave Heikisato. Seven is impossible.’

‘I guess I can stay.’ Kei shrugged. ‘Someone has to tell Cho why we won’t be going on quests for a while.’

She looked at each of us once more, top to bottom as if to see if we met her standards. ‘Alright then, swordsmen.’ Dr Chiasa marched toward the direction of the exit. ‘Get your gear and meet me at my place in half an hour.’