BY THE HONOR OF THE BLADE
DISCLAIMER: I do not own samurai 7
Chapter 1: BURNING SOUL
Sun rises at the village of Kanna once again. The farmers are on their way going to the rice fields while singing their favorite harvest song"Bahay Kubo". A farmer named "Rikichi" was walking together with his wife Sanae and his son Gorobei, that was named after Gorobei of the seven who tried to save Kanna from the bloodlust of the fierce Nobuseris and outlaws.
"It has been six years now! Right Sanae?" Rikichi exclaimed.
"Looks like the people are starting to forget of it now,Is this the price that a samurai must have?" Sanae explained with a sigh.
They continued their walk as they heard a yell from the other part of the way.
"Hey…Rikichi! How is Gorobei doing?" the girl uttered with a puff.
"Oh! It's you Komachi, you haven't changed a lot! You're still a kid." Rikichi said laughing.
Komachi's face flustered then turned red. Rikichi and his family laughed a lot as Komachi
does, so Komachi with the humorous atmosphere laughs too.
"By the way Komachi! How does you're older sister Kirara-dono doing?"asked by Rikichi with the feelings of sympathy. Komachi's face suddenly become full of sadness and stoic expression. Sanae suddenly interrupts and said" Maybe Kirara still waits for him"
Komachi, not knowing herself felt a drop of tears in her wrist coming from her eyes.
"I really worry about Nee…chan…I … I-I cannot see her laughed or smiled since that day." said Komachi. The group did not dare to speak a word till they got to the rice fields. At the rice fields, they saw a crowd of farmers at a distance. Komachi's face suddenly became lively and dropped the basket of rice ball at the middle of the way just to go to the man of the crowd.
Meanwhile… Kirara is outside the firefly house that was constructed along the river at the village of Kanna. The firefly house was owned by Shichiroji of the seven and his wife Yukino. They considered Kanna as the best place to construct their inn for it has been a major tourist spot in the whole region after the famous "Capital" had been destroyed.
"Kirara! Ki-Kirara-dono!" Yukino called. Kirara didn't notice that Yukino had called her for several times and answered, "Hai?"
"You are always like that Kirara-kun, what's the problem? Is there anything that bothers you?"
Kirara nodded and said "I am just relieving my grief feelings for the samurais that had risked their lives and purifying myself with this water."
"Oh! My dear Kirara. Can you let go of the past and live for yourself. Do you think, they could live happily in the afterlife if they saw you in such a situation like that?" Yukino replied with concern that can be traced in her face.
"It is not like that! The one who lives are beyond the reach of the dead. "Kirara said not knowing that her voice is getting louder and then continued "Why did they leave without proper thanks from us! Their bravery ,courage…I…I-I..!" suddenly, Kirara cannot continue and just cried.
"Oh! Dear Kirara, just cry here in my lap and release all of the sadness in your heart. Do…do not forget that I am always here to comfort you." Lady Yukino said to ease the pain that Kirara has within.
At last, after the long work of the farmers at the field, the bed of darkness with the luminous light of the moon embraced the village of Kanna once again. The farmers are in their own homes now while Kirara is heading to their home. After Kirara had reached their doorway, Komachi yelled at her as if Kikuchiyo of the seven that deals great affection with her little sister was still alive. After Kirara had thought of it, she only sighed and continues to go on. Kirara greeted her grandmother while a kind of something struck her body and froze her in an instant. She cannot deny that she saw him again, the brown hair that sways with the wind and the robe that for somewhat faded it's color away.
"Kanbei-sama" she shouted.
"Nice seeing you fine, Kirara-dono." Kanbei replied.
Komachi was very happy seeing her older sister that for a very long time didn't smiled, smiled.
"Where will you spend your stay, Kanbei-sama?"Kirara asked.
"You're little sister Komachi asked me to stay here, so does your grandmother too…"Kanbei replied with a little bit of sadness
"What troubles you, oh samurai-sama?" grandmother asked.
"Do not call me like that! I am no longer a samurai since I had given my sword to my student…I am just a wanderer, living and going on where my destiny had told me to go."Kanbei said furiously.
That moment reminds Kirara of something. Through the years that had passed, her confusion was vanquished and realized that it was not Kanbei that she loved, that it was only a result of impression, that it was Katsushiro Okamoto that she wants to be with, that it was him she loved. While these thoughts ran inside Kirara, she whispered in the air "Katsushiro! Where are you now?" at an instance Kirara cried.
At a faraway place called "waste", where justice remains unseen and outlaws together with the nobuseris live, a young man stood unbeaten, continued to slash with his katana without a mark or any sign of mercy.
"P-P…please..L-let me live" said by an outlaw with a strange voice. But the young man seems to didn't heard of it. The unbeaten young man holds the head of the outlaw and slowly pierces its chest by his katana and then made an upright slash. Blood pours everywhere.
The unbeatable young man has a green hair and has an onyx eyes. The outlaw asked before it's death "w-what..is..yo..yourgh..na..nam?" the young man answered " Death". While hearing this, the dying outlaw lost its life. Death, the name that when heard let people to froze for an instant. There are some rumors in the lower cities that Death is somewhat involved at the war with the capital, that Death is in any place where shadows are, killing people for an instant but painfully.
At a wagon:
"Oh! So you are awake now" a man said and then continued "my sister found you wounded beside the river."
The wounded man has a green hair with a ponytail and has an onyx eyes. The man seemed shocked and confused. The man looks helpless and has a serious wound but looks like a good person.
"I am Apor and this is my sister Sakura who had helped you in the river, we are traveling merchants "said by Apor.
"By the way! What is your name then?"
"I…I-I.. am…"said by the wounded man and continued "what is my name?""
The two merchants suddenly looks at each other and go outside the moving wagon then walked. When they are out of earshot, Apor said "Are you sure we could trust that man?"
"But he is so helpless, that…!" Sakura murmured with concern to the man that she had rescued.
"He has a sword, what if he is an outlaw and would later kill us!"
They both argued about that matter and agreed that if something seems not to be normal, they would immediately leave that man. The sword of the man would be taken under the care of Sakura.
One week had passed and the man had already healed his wounds. The merchants called the man "Kira" for the man always said that name in his dreams.
The birds are chirping as the sun touches their wagon. The air gently sways around giving life to everywhere. A new day with a good atmosphere is properly disseminated.
"Good morning Sakura"
"Good morning too..Kira" Sakura replied to him.
Kira suddenly became serious at that moment. "Is there something wrong Kira?"
"I do not know on how to show my thanks by helping me, even if you don't know me, you cared for me!" Kira said while tears in his eyes are starting to fall.
"You do not need to thank us, it seems that if anyone saw such situations like that, they would rather do the same" Sakura nodded.
"Ah! By the way, I have something to show you!"
"What is it?"
"Just follow and trust me!"
Sakura and Kira went to the compartment of one of the wagons. She gave him a thing wrapped in cloth.
"What is this?"
"It is a sword that lied beside you when I saw you along the river Kira!" Sakura said as she looks at him.
"This is some kind of a puzzle in my mind, but maybe, I could recover my lost memories through this sword! Thanks Sakura!
Sakura's face suddenly becomes red so she nodded. A few moments later, the group of wagons of the two merchants stops as a group of outlaw blocked their way. An outlaw gave Kira a strong punch in the stomach that made him laid on the ground. The two merchants together with their workers were so afraid of them. The outlaw's leader grabs the hand of Sakura and said "kill them all and get everything that you want!" some of the wagons are burning while some workers are already dead. As Kira saw what was all happening, he felt that some of his nerves are telling him not to just sit and watch. With so much tension, Kira felt that some kind of a demon had possessed him and suddenly, he felt a cold thing in his hand, it is a sword, the sword that was given to him by Sakura a while ago.
"Hey! Kira, are you alright?"Sakura asked. Kira suddenly woke up from his deep sleep and uttered "thanks God it was only a dream" while Sakura had heard of it, Sakura told him that it was not a dream, that her brother together with the other workers are dead. Kira comforts Sakura by hugging her. "Everything would be alright"he said. An hour later, Sakura stopped crying. Kira asked Sakura on how are the outlaws had disappeared. "You killed them all" she said with the feelings of grief and acceptance about what had happened. Kira was struck when he heard this and tried to recall what had happened. He only remembered about the sword so Sakura told him that he became as fast as the wind and hard to be seen, that only shadows of him could be recognized as the outlaws fall on the ground one after another.
"Nee…chan! Nee…chan! Did you sleep enough last night?" Komachi asked in a manner that her Sis would lose all the sadness in her heart. "Don't worry about me Komachi! I am fine now!" Kirara said as she goes to the river and saw Kanbei in meditation. Kirara goes away to undisturbed the former samurai and as a kind of respect. "No! Don't leave, do not worry, I had already finished my morning meditation "Kanbei said. Because of this, Kirara goes along the river and asked "I…K-Kat…?"
"Katsushiro Okamoto?" Kanbei asked that question to the former mikumari. "Hai!"Kirara uttered.
"Hmmmmmm…I have no idea where he was but I had heard some rumors that he had finally grown up and became a true samurai."
Kirara smiled a bit when she had heard that Katsushiro had really grown enough. Kirara continues to think about him while she heard Komachi calling her "Née…chan! Our grandmother is calling for you." "Ok! I will be right there for a moment"Kirara replied
Kirara, Komachi and their grandmother went to the newly built town hall. The crowd became attentive as the elder of the village spoke! "The daughter of the emperor in the west region would come to our village and is willing to help our village prosper; they have also heard about the rice from our village and are willing to buy them with a very reasonable price!" All was very shocked as they heard the news, the elder continued his message and said" please treat them nicely and kindly!"The meeting ends and some of the villagers are planning on how to welcome such a great personality. Kirara and the other ladies gathered together and had planned to decorate the place while some of the men are doing their field works. The night slowly embraced again the village while many of the villagers could not wait for tomorrow to come. Kirara felt something instinctively that there would be something different tomorrow morning so she could not sleep.
Sakura called and said "we are now here Kira".
Kira woke up in his sleep and welcome a new day with Sakura then looked outside. He saw a very beautiful view and felt that he is somewhat welcome to that place.
Sakura said again "we are now here" "At the village of Kanna"