The past.

Takahashi Family Home.

Kenshi Takahashi was only ten years old when his entire life changed.

He remembered it vividly. The images seared into his mind.

He remembered he was in a field of wheat. His brother, Katsuo, was also there. They were practicing if he recalled correctly. His father was insistent that they practiced, even at a young age. Katsuo was the better pure swordsman, but Kenshi was always able to pull a dirty trick and gain the advantage.

Their father was always angry, and always punishing, but Kenshi never waivered from his approach to combat. His father always said, "Kenshi. There can never be true victory in the absence of honor."

Kenshi always replied, "But what's the point of honor, if you can't live to appreciate it?"

He would always be slapped, but his stance remained the same. That was the difference between honor and victory. And he would rather be victorious.

Kenshi blocked the wooden blade from Katsuo, countering with a thrust attack of his own. His brother backstepped, just coming a hair's length from coming into contact. Kenshi parried a few blows from his brother, attempting to gain some distance.

No matter how hard he tried, in this bout or their next, he simply wasn't as good with the blade as Katsuo. So, inevitably it seemed, Katsuo gained the advantage, catching every attack thrown at him and matched it perfectly. Kenshi went for one last maneuver, feigning a lunge attack, instead crouching to the ground and slashing at Katsuo's feet.

It was for not, as he simply jumped in the air and landed on Kenshi's chest, knocking the air out of his lungs. His sword was thrown from his grip, landing some yards away. A harsh cough erupted from his mouth, before being silenced by the sword at his throat.

Through heavy breaths, Katsuo stated, "I win, little brother."

Without a word in reply or a moment of hesitation, Kenshi threw a handful of grass and dirt at Katsuo's eyes. The older brother was blinded just long enough for Kenshi to throw him off his chest. He quickly clamored over to Katsuo's felled body, throwing a punch across his nose.

He was about to throw another when he felt a hand grasp his wrist. He was ripped from Katsuo, with a solid knee being sent into his gut for his troubles. He curled into the fettle position, grasping his bruised insides.

"Kenshi. You lost. There was no need to attack Katsuo," his father reprimanded.

Kenshi wiped some spit from his mouth, sniffling. "But there was an opening!" he cried, pointing towards Katsuo. "What kind of a fighter would I be if I didn't press the advantage?!"

"One with honor, Kenshi." His father pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration. "Katsuo!" The eldest child stood at attention. "Is the point of this training to win?"

"No, sir," Katsuo replied without missing a beat.

"Then what is it?"

"To teach us humility in defeat, and honor in victory, sir."

"Very good," their father replied. "Kenshi, if this was a real fight, then you would be right to use any advantage you find. But that's not what these sessions are about."

"But why should I lose if I can win?" Kenshi asked, sitting up from his prone position. "Victory is all that should matter."

His father simply shook his head. "That competitive streak will be your death, Kenshi. Even without thinking from an honorable standpoint, sometimes you'll win the war by surrendering the battle."

Kenshi didn't press the issue anymore. His father simply left Kenshi and Katsuo to their training. They all went the same. Kenshi would always lose, never gaining a real advantage over Katsuo. He would be felled in decisive manner, a sword at his throat. Katsuo was ever the sport about it.

During one of their lulls, Kenshi was bandaging a cut across his arm when Katsuo asked a question.

"Why don't you like father?"

He couldn't help but scoff. "Who said I didn't like him?"

"It's just that, well, you always argue with him."

Kenshi glanced at Katsuo. For being the younger twin, Kenshi always felt older, like he had to protect Katsuo from the world. He was also loyal to a fault, never questioning their father's orders or decisions to a fault.

It couldn't be denied that Katsuo was superior to Kenshi at the moment, although he couldn't help but feel that he was being looked up to. He hated that. He hated that he was the one to be looked up to. He hated that Katsuo was looking to him for what to do when father wasn't here.

"We argue because he's not always right," Kenshi replied, ripping the line of bandage from the roll with his teeth.

"But he's our father," Katsuo replied, looking like someone slapped him in the face with something that he could never have before considered. That was his problem, Kenshi decided. He hadn't grown past father yet.

Maybe Kenshi's problem was that he grew past father too quickly.

"I guess he is," Kenshi conceded.

"Boys! Time for dinner!"

Kenshi and Katsuo looked at each other, the hunger in their eyes changing from achieving victory to achieving the better meal. They quickly scrambled to their feet, pushing and shoving each other, and dashed towards their home.

Katsuo was the better twin with the sword, but Kenshi was faster on his feet. And it seemed father's lessons of honor stuck with Katsuo, as he not once attempted to throw something or try to trip up his younger twin. Kenshi wasn't even going to pretend that he would've done the same.

Once they got into the house, the weren't even two steps in before mother shouted at them, "Shoes!"

Kenshi rolled his eyes, quickly removing his footwear, followed closely by Katsuo doing the same.

They both stood in front of their mother, Elizabeth Warren-Takahashi. Unlike their father, who was a pureblooded Japanese man, her blond hair and blue eyes told their mother was from a more western area. They were never told any place specific, but they heard that she was from the United States when she and father were talking about visiting their grandparents.

That was a few weeks ago, and nothing else had been discussed about those plans, but it was fine with Kenshi. He was dreading the day he would have to leave the family house. Today, however, he wanted food.

"What are we having today, love?" Their father asked, coming in from his own training based on the line of sweat across his forehead. He placed a hand on her shoulder, which she scooped up with her own. It was the only physical display of affection Kenshi had ever seen his father partake in.

"I made some sushi with the fish you three caught last week," Elizabeth excitedly proclaimed, showing them the platter laid out on the table. "I've been slaving away all morning, so you'd better be happy, or no more sword training."

"Well, it's not just sword training, Elizabeth, there's other techniques—." He stopped when he saw his wife giving him a look that showed she was not amused. "Yes, well, I'll make sure to savor every bite."

Kenshi and Katuso tried to go for the same sushi piece. This resulted in them shouting at each other.

"I saw it first, Kenshi!"

"No you didn't, you knew I wanted that piece!"

"Children!"

They both coward at their father's voice. "Either decided who gets the piece, or no food for either of you."

The two boys glowered at each other before performing a game of Rock-Paper-Scissors. After two round of ties, rock and paper, Kenshi beat Katsuo by throwing scissors. Kenshi smiled gleefully as he took the piece of sushi.

A knock on the door alerted their father, who placed his chopsticks down. He placed a hand on Elizabeth's shoulder, smiling. "I'll be back."

"Don't take too long," she replied through a mouthful of food.

As he left, the rest of the family ate in silence. Kenshi tried to swipe some food from Katsuo under their mother's nose, but his hand was quickly swatted away by the very attentive Elizabeth.

The sound of glass shattering broke the peaceful silence of the meal. Elizabeth shot to her feet, "Genzo?!" When no reply came, she knelt down to her sons. "Boys, I need you both to run and hide! I'll find you when I find your father, alright?"

Katsuo's voice came out as barely a whisper. "Mom?"

Kenshi was already on his feet and picking up his brother. "Come on, we have to go!"

"I love you both." Without another word, she ran towards the front door. "Genzo!"

That was the last time Kenshi saw his mother.