A/N: Hello again, fellow fanfic readers and writers! As usual, hope you enjoy this chapter.
Chapter 4:
Twenty Three Years Ago...
The okatana presentation ceremony had always been considered a special and momentous event at the Renpu Girls' School. The celebratory time of a simple girl becoming an official Toji, a wielder of great power. However, despite the bright banners in the school auditorium, the atmosphere in the huge room was tense and filled with nervousness. The row upon row of seated Renpu students only added to a certain green-haired girl's discomfort.
Hiiragi Konoka clutched her sweating hands together, hoping that the girls seated next to her couldn't see her shaking. In desperation, she tried searching for her older sister, Hiiragi Kagari, in the crowd. Eventually, she did spot her and the sight of the girl she looked up to made her uneasiness settle down a little. In her head, Konoka thought of all the kenjutsu strategies and moves her older sister, Kagari, had taught her. Were they enough and was she eligible to become a strong Toji like her sister? Konoka's anxiety was brought to an end once she heard a commanding voice.
"Hiiragi Konoka!"
Konoka's heart leaped once she heard her name called. So excited was she to receive her okatana that she almost tripped up the stairs to the stage. Her cheeks burned, once she heard the snickering behind her. The Renpu Girls' School president held Konoka's okatana with two hands, as the green-haired girl approached.
'Kaga-onee-chan! I did it!' Konoka looked at her sister, who smiled in return.
"Congratulations, Hiiragi-san. You take after your sister's speed very well," the president complimented, handing Konoka the weapon she anticipated receiving for so long.
It was a beautifully-crafted, double-edged blade. Konoka noted that it looked just like her sister's the only difference being that it looked to be made of glass. The sunlight streaming through the windows shone so brightly on it that vibrant colors danced around the auditorium.
Konoka breathed with reverence, "This is...?"
"Karasuza," the president answered softly. "The crow among the stars."
"Ka...razusa..." Konoka repeated, hesitation laced in her voice.
Konoka stepped out of the school doors with a leap in her step and the weight of Karasuza upon her hip. In one of her hands was a perfectly wrapped bento made by her mother, Tsukuyomihime. Despite being an aradama princess, Tsukuyomihime had the same motherly love as any mother would. She was just a kind young woman, who believed in co-existing with humans. Konoka secretly wished in her heart that others could see that as well.
Just as the green-haired Toji approached her favorite lunch spot behind the school, she found that a crowd of girls were already there. And it appeared as though they had been waiting for her.
"Here she comes. Hiiragi Konoka, the half-aradama," a girl spitefully sniffed.
Although Konoka knew that these words were not meant to be kind, she couldn't help focusing on how the girl called her a half-aradama. The Hiiragi girl never liked people only focusing on the being she was born as. Why couldn't anyone see that she and her mother both just wanted to live among others peacefully?
"But I'm also half-human," Konoka argued.
"No point if you're not a full one," the girl said, as she admired her pink nails. "I can't believe Karasuza chose you as its wielder. You don't even deserve an okatana, let alone be a Toji!"
Her cutting words sliced through Konoka more easily than a sword, as tears poked out of the corners of her eyes. She was never good with bullies and every such situation ended up with her having to be rescued by Kagari. Konoka prayed that her sister would show up again like all the other times.
"Your father was crazy to marry Tsukuyomihime," another girl spat. "Honestly, the Origami family should have both of you aradama exorcized."
This was when Konoka snapped. Her hands clenched into little fists as she glared hard at the bullies in front of her.
"Don't talk about my mother like that!" she cried. "Aradama and humans must coexist together!"
"Wow...just because they teach us that in school doesn't mean it's true, Hiiragi. Aradama can only be destroyed."
Konoka felt her rage boiling. Of course, she had heard mean remarks before in the past, but nothing as spiteful as that. The fact that nobody could see that not all aradama were bad made her resentful. Why was the world so judgmental and greedy? Messing with noro just for their own benefit and blaming the aradama for it...for what?!
The bento that was clutched in her hand fell to the grassy ground, as Konoka's hair flew in the air. The girls in front of her shrieked and clutched each other in fright, once they saw blue aradama eyes appear underneath Konoka's long green locks. Konoka's body shone with a glowing blue and her eyes sparkled with lightning, as she yelled.
"Shut up! You don't know anything about aradama!"
"Oh my god! You monster!" she heard.
'Monster?' Konoka's face went pale, once she realized what she was doing. Her hair fell back down and her eyes stopped glowing. She had let her rage consume her. Exactly what her mother warned her never to do. She was a failure.
While Konoka's berating thoughts reduced her to a miserable thing, the girls, on the other hand, were unsheathing their okatanas. Unforgiving looks of anger, tinted with fear, were plastered on their faces.
"Let's get this over with. We can make it look like an accident," a girl said.
"That's enough," came a stern voice.
"Y-Yukari-sama!" the girls gasped.
Konoka turned around to see the young Origami daughter behind her. And she was not alone. Right next to her was Origami Akane, Fujiwara Minato, Kagamishima Ema, Sagami Yukina, Yoshino Iroha, Fushimi Yuzuki, Niimi Sana, and her beloved older sister, Kagari. It was said that all nine of them were the strongest Tojis of Renpu. Konoka longed to become as strong as them. Maybe even become one of them and stand by their side.
"Leave my little sister alone!" Kagari snapped.
"President Takishima will be informed of this," Akane added, sternly.
"You'll be lucky if she only suspends you for a period of time," Yuzuki commented.
The bullies quickly fled the scene, not waiting to stay any longer. Konoka's cheeks blushed as she was now alone with the group of girls she admired the most.
"Are you okay, Konoka-chan?" Kagari soothed, taking her little sister in her arms.
"Yes. Thank you, Kaga-nee-chan."
The warmth and protective embrace of her older sister made Konoka close her eyes with contentment. Minato strode up to them and gave Konoka's hair a rub with a good-natured grin.
"Don't let them get to yah, Noka!" she encouraged.
"I won't, Minato-senpai," Konoka replied, with a blush.
"You have us, Konoka. All nine of us. You'll never be alone, okay?" Kagari reassured. "You're my sister. I love you and nothing will ever change that."
A wide smile spread itself across Konoka's face. She looked at each of their faces in turn, joyful to see that they were full of agreement at her sister's words. And just through that Konoka felt the accepting emanation of friendship.
"Okay! Let's do our best together!" Konoka laughed.
Present Day
Looking into the mirror again, Konoka touched her face. Despite having eternal youth, that didn't save her from having a tired look in her dark-rimmed eyes. A sigh of annoyance escaped her mouth and she grudgingly shoved her hands into the pockets of her military uniform. However, she started once she felt cool metal in her right pocket and curiously pulled it out.
A frown set itself on her face, once she saw that it was her old silver pocket-watch. It stopped working years ago and she never bothered to replace the battery. The Hiiragi woman never knew why she didn't get rid of it before, but she couldn't. This pocket-watch was one of the few things she had a strong attachment to. Every ounce of Konoka told her to not open the hinged lid and just chuck the useless thing already, but her overwhelmed feelings forced her fingers to lift the clasp.
Inside the polished lid of the watch was a tiny picture frame that held the photo of a smiling purple-haired girl. Konoka's vision started to blur, once her tears began to make an appearance. Heartache, mixed with anger, surged through her as she raised her hand, intending to smash the stupid thing. Yet, something held Konoka back. Some foolish feeling in what was left of her heart prevented her...and had been preventing her ever since that fateful day. With a scream of rage, Konoka shoved the pocket-watch back into her pocket.
She couldn't...just couldn't...
"You liar," Konoka growled. "You're all liars."
A/N: Hmm...seems like Konoka was a different person back when she was younger. What could've possibly happened to make her the villain she is now? And who is the girl in the photo? Feel free to tell me your thoughts and opinions!
FYI, Konoka's okatana, Karasuza, is Japanese for the constellation, "Corvus".
