She had flipped over everything in the room. Anything she could lay her hands on was either on the floor or overturned. Her rage knows no boundaries. As she picked up a vase, some of the swords quickly yell out their warning, pleading her to put it down.
Finally coming back to her senses, she placed the china back on the floor, pouting.
"Thank god, that will be hard to clean," Nikkari huffed, turning to look at the other swords in the room. Noticing their obvious relief that the saniwa have stopped throwing things around, he signaled them to take their leave. And they did, bowing courteously and sliding the door shut after excusing themselves.
"The nerve of them!" The girl finally huffed, throwing herself onto a bean bag cushion in the middle of the room "This is the third game but none of the swords were this disobedient previously!"
Nikkari chuckled a little. He was one of the 'lucky' ones that were 'blessed' to be the spectator of the first two games. Honestly, it was horrifying but Nikkari held no relationship to those involved. Yet, he could not help feeling intrigued by the whole system. After all, it was an accident that he had stumbled upon the truth…
Then again, the saniwa had never really bothered hiding it. It has always been out there.
"Well, you know what people said….third time's a charm," He smiled, his eyes reduced into a slit. The saniwa narrowed her eyes at him too. "Nikkari," She started
"Yeah?" The sword replied to her, turning nonchalantly as if he knew nothing.
"Sometimes, you're very annoying," She groaned, irritated.
"Why, thank you," Nikkari only chuckled in reply.
"I'm sorry, Nii-sama," Sayo muttered "It's only because I suggested something awful," Souza lowered himself to his knees so that his eyes were at the same level of the tantou. He stroke his hair, smiling "Wanting to see Nii-sama is not a bad thing, Osayo,"
"Are you going to heed the initiative and bring Kousetsu back?" Hachisuka asked, approaching the brothers.
Souza glanced up at him before straightening himself and lowering his gaze. "Who knows?" Souza answered, raising his head slightly "Everyone here has a reason to heed the initiative….what about you, Hachisuka-san?"
Hachisuka was visibly taken aback. He recalls a certain proud sword and his last words to him.
With a huff, he turns to leave the brothers behind, looking rather disturbed.
"You've successfully made everyone ostracize you now," Yagen approached them, looking after Hachisuka.
"If that is what you think," Souza replied him "We only suggested an idea, it's not like we intend to carry it out…"
They pause a bit, with the three of them shifting a little awkwardly around, unsure what to say. Finally, Souza sighed and turn to Sayo "Osayo, why don't you go see if they need any help in the kitchen?" Turning to Yagen and back at his brother, Sayo nodded understandingly and waddled off towards the kitchen, leaving the two behind.
The Uchigatana then straightened himself and turn to Yagen.
"Did you really saw what you saw on top of the wall?" Souza asked again. Yagen's brow twitched as he folded his arms before his chest "Do you think I will be mistaken about what I saw?"
Souza shook his head a little "I don't doubt you, Yagen." He started, looking up at the graveyard "Nii-sama had mentioned that the whole game is not a simple matter….last year it continued only one was left…"
"Heshikiri Hasebe," Yagen continued his words.
They were both quiet, staring at the direction of the broken swords.
"Hasebe, even though he tried so hard to gain the master's favour….so that he won't be sent away again…" Souza started, thinking back to their former secretary of the citadel.
"Souza," Yagen started, straightening himself to face the Uchigatana but the sword interrupted him.
"Yagen, why do you care so much about me?" Souza asked, not looking at the tantou. "I noticed. You have gone to great lengths to take care of me and my brothers, even when Nii-sama was alive." He continued "You were the one lingering outside our rooms at night, guarding, are you not?"
Yagen glanced at him, his eyes wide. How did he know?
"Even when Nii-sama died, you still try to help me and Sayo in every way possible when you didn't have to." Finally, Souza turned to him, deep uneven colored eyes boring into him. "Why?"
"Souza...I...didn't mean anything about it…" His eyes darted away. In truth, he was probably still feeling guilty from the first incident. He only stood guard because he felt uneasy about the brothers being alone, not because he feared that they are unable to protect themselves…
"Yagen, you asked me before if I am still hung up on being Oda Nobunaga's sword," Souza started after a long awkward exchange between them "Yes, I am."
"I am Oda Nobunaga's sword, for as long as his crest still lingers in my chest and my hilt."
"Souza!" Yagen said with alarm.
"As long as this crest is on my chest and on my hilt, I will forever be that caged bird he made me." Souza continued, ignoring him "For that is my history, my past."
"Yagen, you did not help me then, why do you try to help me now…?" Souza looked at him sadly, a hand lingering on the fabric above his chest, where his crest was carved "I beg of you, take care of yourself first, you need not worry about me, I am after all only a caged bird and a symbol of conquerors, nothing more."
Yagen had lowered his head, his hands curled into a fist.
Getting no reply from Souza, the uchigatana bowed and excused himself. He had finally replied the tantou his honest feelings. Yagen had been lingering around them and he feared that they might have gotten a little dependent on him. Perhaps, this was better.
Lunch was quiet. None of the sword spoke. The same happened throughout the day, with no one actually talking to the other if there were no need to. Each of them went through with their chores as if nothing happened….or perhaps they were trying to distract themselves with the work they were assigned to.
Souza's words were lingering in Hachisuka's head, so much so that the sword had to put down the armor he was polishing. What about you...Hachisuka?
He breathed and straightened his back, picking up the rag and the piece of armor, he went back to work.
"Kanesada-san," Souza had found the sword at a spot on the verandah overlooking the garden. Kanesada looked up at him, sorting out the vegetables that he was helping clean. The sword glanced up at him before turning back to his business. "What do you want?"
Souza sat down beside him, tying back his sleeves so that his hands were free to help him. He picked up the potato sitting in the corner and a small knife, peeling them quietly.
Kanesada peeks up at him but decided to ignore the sword, turning his attention back to the garlic he was peeling.
They sat like that quietly for a few minutes, with only the sound of the Awataguchi brothers chatter to be heard from the well where they were doing the laundry.
"Were you serious?" Kanesada asked, dropping the garlic into a bowl "About bringing Kousetsu back?"
Souza continued to work, his slender hands moving gracefully with the small knife. "It was only my brother's opinion," Souza started, not moving his eyes from his work "Besides if Nii-sama was revived like that, he would surely be unhappy,"
They were quiet again.
"I was harsh," Kanesada finally replied after a while, still looking at Souza "I'm sorry,"
"You did nothing wrong, everything was for the best of our interest," Souza muttered, dropping the peeled potato into a basket "Nagasone-san and the others would've done the same."
Kanesada nodded awkwardly and picked up another clove of garlic. He stopped when Souza started speaking again.
"However, you seem to have some theories about our situation," The sword asked, finally raising his head to meet Kanesada's eyes "Will you mind to share?"
Kanesada sighed, dropping another clove into the bowl and sitting up. "I have a few theories, but none of them made any sense." He huffed, leaning back on his shoulders. "The saniwa, she keep mentioning about game this, game that." He started, "Anyone would feel suspicious," Souza nodded, agreeing. "She said that she did not 'make' the world outside, so does that mean she made this world?"
Kanesada sat cross-legged and folded his arm, closing his eyes as he frowns, deep in thought "Yeah," He replied, "If just as she said...then it could mean that she 'made' this world and...did she 'make' us?"
They both look at each other. It sounded exactly what they thought, ridiculous.
"You know how we thought the saniwa weren't real when Horikawa's sword went through her?" Kanesada asked, his voice serious "What if...the ones that are not real...are us? There's also the matter of her offering to change our history, even though we have worked so hard to protect it up till now,"
"Yeah," Souza answered, looking down at the knife in his hand. What are they? They have been told that they were words that were given a form to fight and protect history...but really, is there all to it?
Souza could not find the answer to his own question and they both could only stare at each other, pondering.
All of a sudden, there was a loud clanging echoing from the corner of the courtyard and instantly, all of the swords around raised their heads to see what the commotion was.
Hachisuka was still in the middle of polishing his armor when the Arrow had landed right next to his face, grazing his cheek. He had dropped his armor in shock, resulting in the noise. He stared at the arrow protruding out of the wall behind him, realizing what a close call he just had. Blood beaded across the small cut on his face.
Another one flew directly at him and he managed to pull his sword out on time, cutting the arrow into two. "Who is it?!" He shouted, looking up at the direction where the arrow had come from. But there was no one there, on the roof nor on the ground.
"Hachisuka!" The Awataguchi were the first to reach him. Some of them were still staring at the direction where the arrow had come from but only found nothing.
"Are you alright?!" Souza and Kanesada ran up after them and soon Kashuu and the others helping in the kitchen followed, noticing the commotion.
Hachisuka assured them that he was alright and turn to the arrow on the wall, pulling it free. His brow contorted, noticing that it was the same arrow that had taken Urashima's life...or at least the same design.
"Who the hell…" Hachisuka muttered, looking back at the sword. Every one of them was there...so who could've…?
"Let me see the arrow," Kanesada requested and Hachisuka put the deadly weapon into his extended fingers. "Isn't this…"
"It's the same one that killed Urashima," Hachisuka look up at the roof again, wondering why the arrow was aiming for him.
"Could this be the executioner's…?" Yagen asked, studying the arrow in Kanesada's hand.
"But why would the executioner go after Hachisuka…?" Namazuo inquired as well, looking up at the Uchigatana.
"You haven't done anything, have you?" Honebami looked up blankly, but Hachisuka only frowned in reply, cupping his hands on his hips. "I've been here, polishing my armor since after lunch!" He huffed "These things require great care!" He pointed to his golden armor now scattered on the wooden floor.
No one said anything. They didn't really understand it as well. Kanesada stroke his chin, thinking. "Hachisuka," He finally said "You should be on guard for now. There might be someone aiming for your life,"
"What?" Hachisuka answered with a frown. Someone aiming for his life?
"The Executioner?" Yasusada asked, his eyes darting from the uchigatana to the arrow in Kanesada's hand.
"Could be….or it could be someone among us," Kanesada replied grimly. Despite his warnings, he hated to think that someone among them would actually let the initiative tempt them. Then again, everyone here had a reason to heed the initiative, whether it was to bring their dead sibling back, to change their past or to change their former master's past.
He can't say for sure.
"Everyone was together before this right?" He asked, turning to the others. They nodded in reply, looking at each other.
"We were doing the laundry by the well," Namazuo answered, glancing at his brothers. "Ichi-nii, Honebami and me…" He turn to Yagen who shrugged "I was with Sayo, Horikawa, Kashuu and Yasusada in the kitchen,"
Kanesada turn to Souza. They were together as well when the arrow grazed past Hachisuka's cheek.
They were all together. No one would be able to get the bow and shoot the arrow at Hachisuka. Besides, where do they even get those things? Perhaps it was the executioner after all...but why would he go after Hachisuka?
"I think, for now, you should heed Kanesada's suggestion," Ichigo called out "We do not know who is aiming for your life, so it's best to be careful."
Hachisuka nodded, glancing around again. Why was this happening? Why was he being targeted?