Starting Path: The Path to The Past
Disclaimer: I don't own the Koihime+Musou and other references in this story. They belong to their respective creators.
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The True Emperor - R
00
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"...to defeat first fight and afterwards looks for victory."
I, Hongo Kazuto, right now reading one of my favorite books in the school library. I kinda like the library as they stores a lot of books that I liked.
"Oi Kazuto! I'm bored! Come on, go to somewhere else to play!"
That was my friends, Tasuku Oikawa, that I dragged into here. He pleaded me while tugging my sleeve which makes me annoyed.
"Hold on Oikawa! I'm reading right now. Also, where is that 'somewhere'?"
I flipped the book in my hand and started to reading it. But Oikawa suddenly grabbed my wrist and started to drag me.
"Oi! What are you doing?!"
I placed the book on my hand hastily and asked or demanded.
"We're going to the new museum! I heard the staffs working there are beautiful girls!"
Museum? Hm... I think that place might pick my interest. I wonder, are there any artifacts that can be valuable?
"Alright, I'll go. I think I might like it."
Oikawa stopped suddenly. Hey! Don"t go stopping so sudden!
"Oh! So do you like them too? I never knew, Kazuto!"
What does he meant by that? And why I have an urge to punch his annoying face? Of course I like them!
"Of course! The museum might store some artifacts from the warring period! I will love them!"
Oi oi! What's with that face? I'll punch you if you continue making that kind of face.
"Hah... A warmonger is a warmonger no matter where they goes."
Guh! Now you can tell me one reason to not punch your face into a pulp right now.
"Oikawa, I might punch you for real this time!"
He flinched at that. I think he remembers when I punch him last time that resulted him being in hospital for a week.
"Hey! Don't just punch your friend like that! Also, I mean the girls! GIRLS! Not some bunch of artifacts!"
Girls? What does girls relationship with this? I'm confused.
"What do you mean by girls? We're talking about museum, so artifacts is the one that came to your mind, right?"
And why he's sighing? Hm? He's muttering something. I didn't quite catch it, but I managed to catch something like 'warmongers asexual'.
"Let's get going. Talking to you made me feels insane."
He said that while he startes to walk. I followed him and saw him starting to muttered something that I can't catch now.
x x x
"Wow! This place is bigger than I expected!"
Right now, I'm in the new-built museum that our school built. Neat, eh? Our private museum.
"I wonder how much money you need to build this."
Oh! A witty remark from my stupid friend!
"This place can cost you millions. If the artifacts here is real, it can cost several hundreds millions. I wonder where they got the money though. The tuition isn't that high."
Hm... Is there any business that our school participated in? Oh, now I remember that they got new sponsor. Some big multi-company gave our school their sponsorship.
"I think the school do some shady business. You know... Like slave traders, prostitution or providing hitman."
How did he got that ideas? I wonder if he got a wrong brain when his mother gave him birth.
"What anime is it? I somehow heard that there's an anime like that."
What is it again? Ah! That 'ero-doujin', as he called it, he lend me. I swear that book even got the reaction of the females going... Climax. Do they know the word of 'shame'?
"Hey! Watch your mouth! You know that anime is based from reality! You can't compare it to those fictional books!"
And why are you mad at that?! While I liked them, or I can say love them, I won't insert it into my life! At least I'm inserting the rational part.
"Yeah, yeah. We're going."
I started walking while dragging him so he wouldn't start staring, or better yet, ogling at the girls.
x x x
The rest of our sightseeing is uneventful. While I loved these artifacts, I already know them. There's nothing new to see here, until I spotted some artifact.
"What is this spear? Do you know it, Kazuto?"
I looked at my shoulder and saw Oikawa looking at the spear. The spear that I was looking was the Sky Piercer, the spear that wielded by General Ryofu.
"This is the Sky Piercer. It's wielded by Ryofu Housen also known as the Flying General, the strongest warrior in the Three Kingdoms era of China. You don't know about this?"
He don't know about this? This should be common sense right? But from the expression his face showing, I can deducted that he didn't know about this.
"Well, as expected of a warmonger to know this kind of thing. But, Ryofu? Isn't it the overpowered character from the Dynasty Warriors game?"
I sighed at his idiocy. How can people become so ignorant?
"That game based on the Three Kingdoms history, you know? this is a common sense right?"
That's what I thought. This is a common sense that everybody knew. But it's proved to be wrong.
"Common sense my butt. We're teenager that searching for our fun lives. Loves first, friendship second, sex third and afterwards."
Isn't it Friendship first and Love second? And why did he used plural for the 'love' part? I really didn't understand this guy.
"Yeah, yeah, whatev-"
! A killing intent! I turned my head and spotted a guy in our school uniform staring at the mirror in the exhibition.
"What are you staring at, Kazuto? You're staring... That man!? I never knew! So you-"
I ignore my friend's remark. The killing intent is leaking from him. And it's a huge amount too. No normal human can have this much unless s/he is a trained fighter.
"Hey, you know him? I never saw him before."
And that's true. Our school is formerly an all-girl school that turned into co-ed recently, so you can count the guy in the school. And it's no strange that you know all the guy that have different homeroom, unless they're underclassmen or upperclassmen.
"Hm... Now that you said it. I must knew him and added him to my 'kills the pretty guys' list. Moreover, you swing that way, Kazuto?! I knew that you didn't pay attentions to the girls, but this is-"
I ignore him again. His stance and aura, I wouldn't forgot someone as strong as him attending in our school. Is he a transfer students?
"We better go, Oikawa."
I urged him to follow me, which he agreed though reluctant. At that time, I heard some mutters that sends chill to my spine.
"With this... The history will be altered."
I turned my head and found the guy from before disappeared. Where is he? I searched everywhere but can't find him. I shrugged and start to walk again, thinking the events that transpired.
x x x
Now I'm walking alone after Oikawa said that he's going to his date. I know that he's ditching me, but well, it's more quiet this way. And less annoying.
"But that guy. I got the feeling that he would does no good to the mirror."
Well, I hope this is just my imagination. After all, who got the guts to break in to that museum that have super tight security? A teenager no less.
I shrugged and continue my way to my home.
x x x
After a while of walking, I spotted the biggest house in this town. Yup, the Hongo estate is my house. My family runs some vigilante group, though the people nowadays called us Yakuza, which I ignore pretty much as the others too.
I walked to the front of big wooden double-door. The door have picture of wolf with scarred left closed eye and have the Byakurou on it.
I placed both of my hands on the door and pushed like the weight of the door is light-feather, which is not.
"Welcome home! Young master!"
As soon as I entered the estate, a lot of men and women gathered on each side of the pathway, making a line on each side.
In the middle, an old man with gray hair and muscled body walked to me and bowed.
"Young master, lady Izumi is already waiting for your return in the tea room."
Hongo Izumi, my mother. She's a very beautiful mother of mine that despite having aged to mid-thirty, still have the appearance of young woman in her early-twenty, and I'm proud of my mother.
I nodded and start to walk to the main house. The old man started to following me.
"Thanks, Murasaki-jiisan. Where's the old man?"
Murasaki Ryuji, is the old man's name that I'm facing. He's my father's right-hand and the most faithful to the Hongo clan and the most fearsome, only second to my father.
"The lord is on his way to attend the weekly meeting. He said that he wants you to handle the thugs that causing ruckus at night."
Hm... The Free Streets or so they called themselves. But for me they're a bunch of annoying thugs on street that started to causing trouble in our territory.
"I'll do it tonight. Tell the others to be prepared at that time."
Murasaki only nodded at my order and leaves with the others at my hand gesture.
x x x
"I'm home, mother."
My mother turned her face and smiling at my greeting. She then gestured me to sit on front of her, which I took it.
"So, my boy. How's school?"
My mother started to ask me while pouring the kettle filled with tea in the other glass. Then she gives me the glass which I took gladly.
"It's no problem, mother. Acing the quizzes, played with friends, do kendo and the other things as usual."
I started to drink the tea slowly as I answer her question, which she reply with her smile. But soon the smile changed to frown and sadness, I know why.
"It seems your that father of yours tasked you with the people that harassing the neighbor? That man. Ordering his own son to deal with such a dangerous thing."
I smiled inwardly as I drink the tea again, slowly. My mother always cared and dotted me as I'm her only child. Whereas my father told me and train me to be a fearless man that would lead the entire Hongo clan, -which I took the form of- my mother always against it and scolded my father to gave me dangerous tasks.
"Don't worry, mother. You and the others know full well of my strength capable of. Those thugs wouldn't be enough to put a scratch on my body. And the others are with me, so you don't need to worry."
I put the glass of the on the kotatsu and smiled. This time, I showed it to my mother to convince her not to worry.
"But, still... I'm still your mother, Kazuto. Which mothers that have no worry for their son that will do a dangerous thing?"
I stand up and walked to the sliding door. Sliding it open, I looked at my mother from my shoulder and gave her another smile to ensure her.
"Thank you for worrying me, mother. But have no fear, for I am Hongo Kazuto, your one and only son of heaven."
I then walked out and slide the door close. Looking at my side, I saw Murasaki bowed to me.
"The preparation are ready, young master. What time will you be going?"
I told Murasaki the time and gestured him to leave. I started to walk to my room to get some refreshment.
x x x
Laying on the top of my bed, I stared the ceiling as I thought about the incident in the museum.
Why? Why don't these feelings go away? What is this uneasy feeling that I feels?
I sat up and take the portable chess. I have a lot of strategy board and virtual games. From the ancient ones like Go, Cheekers, Backgamon, Shogi, Xiangqi to the modern ones like virtual chess complete with the AI, though the AI is somewhat boring.
After playing it for a couple of rounds, I placed it back and went to my bookshelf that contains most of my favorites strategy books.
Taking a random book from the shelf, I looked at the title of the book and smiled.
"Táng Tàizōng Lǐ Wèi Gōng Wèn Duì"
The dialogue between Emperor Taizong of Tang Dynasty and General Li Jing about matters of military strategy.
It says that the armies that existed in the Tang Dynasty are only infantry, crossbowmen and cavalry. Chariot are already long gone to the military application as the weapons were exclusively made of steel and iron.
So, in the Tang Dynasty, chariots had already ceased from military usage. That's new to me. I never read it before, so I think this will be useful information.
I was drowned to the book and didn't notice the time had already passed a lot.
"I think now's the time for cleaning some garbage."
I placed the book and started to get going for the upcoming event.
x x x
"Alright guys! We're done here!"
Sheathing my sharpless katana, I'm walking through the littered beaten and bruised bodies.
"I'll go for a while. You can go back by yourselves."
Bowing to me, the others started to walking leaving me alone. Then, I started to walking too, albeit different direction.
I think I'll go to the museum. The feeling didn't go away. My instinct is always right, but this time I might be wrong.
With that in my mind, I walked to the museum's direction while my left hand clenching the handle of my katana hard.
x x x
"Ha... I'm wrong. Well, what a waste of time."
Right now I'm at the front of the museum's gate. There's no one here and there's nothing out of ordinary here.
"Let's get home before mother wo-"
BAM!
Huh? What's that sound? It came from the side of the museum. I better check it!
I run to the side of the museum and found a man dressed in a shady cloak.
! It's the man from before! He carried something like a bundle. I don't know what inside it, but it's a round object.
"Oi! What are you doing!? What's that bundle in your hands?!"
I shouted at him and he surprised when he saw me. Guess he didn't expected to be caught red-handed.
"Don't interfere with something that has nothing to do with you! You better leave and not telling a tale about this!"
"Or? What you gonna do if I say 'No'?"
I clenched my katana's handle as I saw him go into a stance. A battle, eh? I wonder how strong he is.
"Then die!"
As soon as he said that, he lunged forward to me at incredible speed that a human never can hope to achieve.
Swoosh!
I dodged his kick to my head with hair breath. This guy is fast! Not to mention strong too! If that kick hit me, I'll be knocked out for sure!
"You're strong, and fast too. But, I wonder if you can take my hit!"
I attacked him with a battoujutsu. But he dodged it with ease as he flip backward. He's agile too, like a monkey.
"Hmph... You said that was a hit? It was more like a baby hit to me!"
Tch! He mocked me. Seems like I must do this more seriously.
"In that case... Take this!"
This time, I charged him ahead. With my body lunged forward, and my katana positioned onto my right shoulder.
"Haaaah!"
I swung down the katana with all of my might.
Dooor!
And as I expected, he dodged it with tilting his body backward.
"Heh! Is that all you got!? Pathetic!"
I smiled. So what if my hit missed? I released the handle of my katana and stepped forward into his defense. With this, he can't do anything to dodge my second attack.
"Alright! Go down already!"
I hit him with both of my palms at his stomach. He blasted several foots away from me and holding his stomach as he couched blood.
"Guh! You! I'll kill you!"
He charged forward to me with eyes that spoke for killing. I jumped backward and took my katana on the ground, readying myself to block the incoming attack.
Clang!
Guh! His kick is heavy! This guy is ridiculously strong!
As my katana still locked with his right leg, I pivoted my left leg and then giving him a kick to his stomach again.
Swuush!
But it missed. He then started to giving me numerous thrust kicks as I dodged it with hair breath at each of his kicks.
Swoosh! Swuush! Woosh!
Damn! If this goes on, I'll get knocked out with one of those kicks!
I then ducked and positioned my katana at the head level and then I thrust it forward as I got up from my ducked position.
Krak! Crang!
? A sound of glass shattering? What's that? Huh? The bundle in his hands!
"Guh! Now! What have you done!"
He cursed as he opened the bundle in his hands and revealing the mirror from exhibition. So my imagination is true after all! He stole the mirror!
"It's your fault to stealing something in the first place! Don't your mother taught you to not stealing?"
He then glared at me, like some kid got his favorite toy broken by me.
"Shut up! I already told you to not get involved with some business that has nothing to do with you! Now look at it now! You broke the key!"
Key? What key he's talking about? Is he crazy?
As I was about to asks him that, a bright light shone from the mirror, blinding my eyes.
"Guh! What is this light?!"
Ugh! The light is so bright that I must shield my eyes from it! Then I hear some words. It's not the guy from before, but it's like from several people.
"Now the path has already opened..."
The first one is a voice of a mature woman that has motherly tone in it.
"The son of the heaven will descend to this era of chaos..."
The second was more childish than the first one, like some girl in her teenager.
"He, will be the one to..."
Now it's the sound of a strict female, like those of strict teacher.
"Save the land and ascend to becoming the true emperor of the land!"
Then the sound of a proud girl who has the ambition to ruling.
After all those voice faded, my consciousness slowly leaving me, and the last thing that I remember that the light engulfed me.
x x x
'To my beloved mother,
Ah, I think I can't go home right now. It seems like I'll be thrown into an unknown world. Well, worry not! Because I am your beloved Son of Heaven! There's nothing that can defeat me!
And I wouldn't come back to you for a while, but I will come back to you. That's my promise to you, as I never broke my promises with you in the past nor I will in the future! So don't be afraid, for I, your Son of Heaven, would definitely come back!
Your beloved Son of Heaven,
Hongo Kazuto.'
x x x
AN - Sorry for the long absent! I must rewrite the whole story cause that the previous one was... At least, I'm dissatisfied with it. I hope this new fic will be better than the before! And for you who wondering whether the gunblade thing will be appeared or not, not to worry! I have the plan for it! But for now, it'll not appear so early.
And as usual, sorry for the grammar mistakes and other mistakes that I made in this fic. I hope you can point the mistakes that I made so that I can repair it as soon as possible!
And please review. One of your review is one of precious boost for my motivation in writing this story!
