Chapter 20: Flawless Gift
A/N: New episode of Tsurezure Children came out today (lol it was awesome)! You all know what that means! More romantic stuff!
Asuna blared the television at max volume, the loud action movie filling the room with noise.
She tried to get the soldiers standing like statues outside her door to budge, only for them to stand as robotic sentinels.
The girl leaned back on her hospital bed exhausted, after flicking off the TV.
God... She'd tried everything to get a reaction out of those two ever since they were posted outside her ward. Throwing her hospital food at them, making fun out them, screaming, yelling and laughing loudly. But to no avail, it was like two robots just sat there all day.
She called them Tweedledee and Tweedledum, even though she knew they changed in shifts with other Sentinels 24/7.
They just stood there all day, rifles at the ready. Occasionally coughing or hitting on a passing nurse.
Man, having to wake up every day and see those guys sit outside my door is really discomforting. That mindless mutt Teizen is probably laughing his ass off right now.
She sighed.
I hope he comes back to Tokyo soon, so I can slap the crap out of him for being such a loyal lap dog to that damn Emperor.
I bet he's having loads of fun on vacation out in the countryside, while I'm stuck in here all day.
...
The soldier looked at the wild white horse whinny from above her emerald grass hill.
She was beautiful, her long white mane flawless, her muscles taught and gleaming.
The beast chewed her flowing grass absentmindedly ignoring the human aside her.
Teizen removed his black over coat smiling.
She has to be mine. Whatever it takes, she's mine.
Teizen crept up to her, before jumping on her back.
The horse whinnied loudly, before going off into a sprint over the hills.
She was incredibly fast, but the boy dug in his heels and taunted her, "C'mon you great white bitch. Throw me off, I dare you!"
The beast bucked about, her strength would have been enough to toss any human to break their necks, but Teizen gripped her mane, "C'mon! Toss me you dumb bitch!"
She went off into another sprint, the rising and lowering of her body should've tossed the boy off, but he used his vast strength to grasp her white hair and laughed.
"You know you want to throw me! Just do it!"
She didn't let up, trying her very best to throw the soldier off.
It was indeed the Nagano way. Taming beasts using raw strength and grit.
Teizen kept hugging her body tightly until the beast sprinted up to a river, building up speed quickly.
She's about to throw me off. Crap this is it!
He used all the strength in his body to no avail, the beast bucked, her rear rising highly, sending the boy flying into the river.
Teizen grunted, hitting the water with a loud splash.
He looked up, wet as a dog, before seeing the beast ride off quickly.
She has to be mine...
He stood up before sprinting after her.
She was very fast, but Teizen kept running after her.
Seeing the beast munching on her grass again, he sighed.
This is gonna take all day...
Kazuto breathed in quickly before knocking on Tsuboi's door lightly, "Klein! (-Ahem-) Tsu! Come out here man!"
The young man opened the door, as the boy looked over his shoulder to see two young women sleeping in his bed.
The black haired boy's widened seeing this.
Wow, is everyone getting laid in this rebellion?
Tsuboi raised an eyebrow, "Wassup Kirito? Aw shit, I mean Kazuto! Anyway, what's up?"
"I was wondering." Kazuto said shyly, holding his arm, "Could you perhaps...teach me..."
"Yes..." The brown haired young man asked.
"How to shave?" Kazuto asked, turning slightly red.
"Oh sure." Tsuboi looked down at his red boxers, "Crap, lemme get some clothes on I'll be right out."
...
"The trick is to hold the blade steady." The man said passing the blade over his skin, the shaving cream covering his face.
"Ow!" Kazuto yelped cutting himself a little. A little bit of red left his cheek.
"Yeah that can happen a few times. You'll learn become though." Tsuboi said, "Ha. Who would've gussed that in SAO, you were better at the game than I was in every way. But now, this is the only blade I have that I know how to use better."
Kazuto removed what little hair he had left on his face and looked at the man, "Thanks."
"Anytime." Tsuboi said placing the razor back in his little blue toiletry bag.
"I'm sorry for asking this. But your dad never taught you how to shave didn't he?"
Kazuto leaned on the white marble sink of the church, changing the topic in seconds, "In SAO, when you saw Asuna and I together. Would you ever guess something could keep us apart?"
"Not really." Tsuboi mumbled understanding that the boy didn't want to talk about his father in the slightest.
"Well something is keeping us apart. It creates this frustration, and I guess I vent that by murdering Imperials."
"Sugu got me thinking. They're people too, even if they are fighting for their Emperor."
"I try to not think about it often, but I can't. We're in a war, but I've killed how many of them?"
Tsuboi began to look away, "Why'd you come to me about this?"
"I don't like killing. My wife, Asuna. She was the kindest person I've met, even more than Keiko. She'd murder for me probably, but not to this extent."
"That's why I'm talking to you Tsu, you're also very kind. To those volunteers it probably seems like they're fighting for the right cause. Maybe their just on opposite sides of us and we don't see it?"
Tsuboi comforted him warmly, placing his hand on his shoulder, as Kazuto let the razor blade rest on the sink, "Hey. I get what you're going through."
"You do?"
"I do. But think of it this way. If thousands of soldiers for hundreds of years could keep their heads up and fight. So can you."
The brown haired man smiled, "You're a strong kid. Stronger than most. I'd even argue you were stronger than any person I've met. You can't be weakened by the possibility that this isn't worth Asuna."
"I don't know her as well as you do, but from what I've seen of her. That girl is worth all the Imperial lives in the world. Three times over."
Kazuto smiled, "You're goddamn right man."
"Go get them." He said confidently, "Another day."
Teizen pounded his carmine shirt adorned chest with a clenched fist, "Bred in red baby."
Kazuto spoke the last words of the rebellion pounding his chest too, "Bred in red."
Those were a few words he couldn't ever forget.
Back in the mess hall, Kazuto picked up the vermilion cape Nishida had presented to him.
Underneath the crossed white swords stained carmine, was the words of the rebellion written in plain white ink.
生きる剣は赤い繁殖 (Swords that live are bred in red)
Kazuto stared at the words. And wondered what exactly they meant.
They represented everything the rebellion stood for.
To bring about a new age of Japan...
Kazuto would have to live and breed his sword stained with Imperial blood.
No matter the cost...
...
Earlier, in that very church...
Shinichi's eyes opened slowly, seeing the girl resting beside him.
She looks so beautiful.
I remember the first time we spoke...
/
Shinichi scribbled in his notebook, as Keiko walked up to him, "Yo. Nagata right?"
The black haired boy with glasses nodded, looking up at her, "Mhm."
"Are you really starting an after school club based on rebellious theology?"
He sighed, "I was...But then no one showed up for the first meeting so I quit making it."
"Really? Even Asada? But she's awesome!" The light brown haired girl said, her ponytails on the side of her head bouncing in shock.
"Hmm...I haven't joined any clubs since rehab from Sword Art Online. Maybe I could join yours."
Shinichi stood up, shoving his books inside his bag, "There's no need. I'm not continuing it."
"Wh-Why not?" Keiko asked.
"No one cares about what I have to say. All I say is pretentious or out of some book I read, the club'd be stupid."
"What would we do in this club?" The girl asked.
"We'd talk about what our country'd be like if Yashiro wasn't in it. I'd just jot down ideas on how to make a perfect completely co-existent Liberal Utopia called New Japan from the ground up. The club would help contribute ideas and help me develop the the main idea behind it..." He trailed before muttering, "Its stupid. I'll just go."
He packed up his stuff and left the classroom but Keiko grabbed his elbow in the hallway, "Wait."
They looked at each other and Keiko smiled, "Its not stupid. Although, I wouldn't call it New Japan. I'd call it the People's Republic of Japan."
"Like a Socialist state?" Shinichi asked.
"Sort of but not really..."
They stared in silence at each other before Shinichi asked, "Is there an empty classroom we could start discussing this?"
"We could always use room 6-8, its always empty." Keiko suggested.
As they walked towards it, Keiko asked, "So what're you gonna call it?"
"Hmm. I'll call it the Believers Club. I'll be the leader, and you can keep track of members."
"Sounds great." She said smiling.
/
Shinichi smiled, getting out of bed and walking over to the school pack he had left in her bunk months before.
Still completely nude, he removed it from the pack, and then opened the notebook and flipped to the first page:
We are the Believers.
We are the builders of a free and equal state.
We are the children who'll make our country a new one, a better one.
By peaceful means, or others.
Names Signed:
Kirigaya Suguha
Kirigaya Kazuto
Shinozaki Rika
Shinkawa Kyouji
Shino Asada
And then at the bottom laid the first two signers of the notebook:
Ayano Keiko
Nagata Shinichi
Shinichi closed the notebook filled with pages of notes he took on the ideal new state and looked at the two names written.
Property of: Nagata Shinichi, room 4-7 (And Keiko!)
He let some air out of his nose lightly, smiling, laughing quietly to not wake up his girlfriend.
Keiko rolled over in her bed, her eyes fluttering open slowly before giggling loudly, "My. That's a pretty sight to wake up to."
"Uh! Whuh-uh!" Shinichi gasped covering his rear, the notebook clattering to the floor.
"I'm...so sorry! I'll put some clothes on!" He said quickly before turning red and scrambling to find his clothes in Keiko's mess of a bunk.
"No." The light brown haired girl said kindly, "I don't mind really."
She looked at the object he dropped, "Damn. You still have that thing?"
Shinichi got back into her little bed, lacing his hand with hers, and said, "Of course I do. Its the blueprint of what we're fighting to create."
Keiko smiled, grabbing the notebook from him, "Well. The Believers had a speed bump, but considering how well the rebellion's coming along, I think we'll be fine."
He leaned back with her and took in the morning sunlight pouring in from the window Keiko had.
The Club they'd both created had come a long way.
Sure Asada had sadly passed away, and Shinkawa was probably dead not being seen in weeks, but everyone else was happy.
Sugu and Rika were lonely but cheerful. Kazuto had become the leader of the entire Bunkyo Uprising, and him and Keiko...
Were as happy as could be..
He thought, smiling with her and looking into her pretty brown eyes with his own shining purplish black ones.
They snuggled together for a little bit, before Kazuto rapped on their door, "Raid in one hour! Be there!"
Keiko sighed, "I just want to stay here with you Nagata-kun..."
"So do I..."
"What're you gonna do then?" The girl asked.
Shinichi got out her bed and began to redress himself, reaching for his glasses on their bedside table, "I hate this as much as you do..."
"Shinichi!"
"I'm sorry, I'll be right back."
"Wait!" She shouted from her bed.
"I'll be fine baby. Don't worry about me."
Keiko gripped the white covers above her chest, and frowned as Shinichi walked out buckling his belt.
Nagata-kun...
Please, come back safe to me...
Teizen rode triumphantly on his new white horse, as the villagers cheered for him.
"My! She's a real trophy!"
"You're quite the tamer Kouwahaka!"
"I wish I could tame horses that strong!"
He was exhausted however from taming the beast, but he had successfully submitted it under his will.
Man, he thought.
I love Nagano...
"Tei-kun!" Ayumi said gasping, "She's beautiful!"
"Thanks. I tamed her for you, for giving me those skating lessons." He said speaking down to her from his steed, ignoring the little boy name she used.
"Wow..." The black haired princess said passing her hand over her white body.
"Jump on, I want to take you some place."
Teizen helped her onto the saddle he bought, and they rode off together.
...
"Damn." The girl admitted, seeing Nagano stretch from the hill.
"Nice view huh? It's where I tamed Amaterasu."
"Ama? Like the sun goddess?" Ayumi asked looking at the soldier and back at the beast.
"Yup, she's gorgeous so I decided to name her appropriately. I might take her with me back to Tokyo, or auction her off here."
The girl watched as Teizen turned around and stood up.
A large group of male teens were approaching.
Teizen's eyes widened, "My cadets?"
"Captain!" They shouted, bowing.
Teizen held his hand out humbly, shaking it, "There's no need for that anymore. I'm not your Captain anymore. Yasuo! What's up man!"
His light brown haired friend smiled at him, "Not much."
"What're you guys doing here?" The officer asked.
Their new captain, Keiichi looked at him and said, "We're taking a holiday from Cadet Training and are given leave to study out here in Akiba!"
Ayumi looked at the boy, "Wait. I thought everyone was given leave from school."
"Nagano's not part of the Kanto Region, so they don't have the same legislation." Teizen snapped affirmatively.
"Whoa..." Keiichi, the young cadet captain said looking at Ayumi.
His friends looked at her too, almost in a sort of trance at her beauty.
Teizen cleared his throat, "This is Kinzai Ayumi everyone. Your princess."
The cadets grew white and knelt at her feet, kissing the ground beneath her, "We're so sorry!"
"Please forgive us my lady!"
"We're not worthy!"
Ayumi laughed, her high giggle rolling across the green hills, "I order anyone who ever stared at me to be..."
"Executed."
The cadets passed out and she laughed loudly again, "Oh my god guys, you remind me of Teizen. You all take what I say so seriously!"
"What do you say we all hit the forest and work out Nagano style?" Their old captain suggested.
"Hell Yeah!"
"Let's go!"
Ayumi frowned looking after the cadets.
Poor guys, just because they're volunteers, Daddy can do whatever he wants with them. Like sending them out to study even though Kanto is on leave. My, I guess they're just as loyal as Teizen.
Kazuto typed away on his laptop after yet another successful raid, after seeing Keiko jump into Shinichi's arms happily before they hugged.
He yawned and heard the door to his bunk open, "Onii-chan...what're you doing?"
"I'm leaving these little red flags, or Easter eggs across the internet for Yui to find me."
"Who's Yui?" Suguha asked.
"Just my daughter." Kazuto spun around in his chair to speak to his sister, "I hacked into the Imperial Database again and found my Nerve Gear helmet was taken to the Imperial Palace. She's apparently under the designation of Prince's Playmate, so I assume she's in good hands."
"Aren't you afraid something might happen to her?"
The boy shrugged, before spinning in his chair back to face his laptop, "She'll be fine. The Prince is a Royal remember? Upper-class rich kid who has no regard for others...Oh my god you're right..."
"See what I mean?"
Kazuto sighed and pinched the edge of his nose, "Let's just hope that Prince Kyoichi doesn't delete her by accident. He is still ten after all."
"What can you do Onii-chan?"
"Not much. I'll just have to hope that kid doesn't do anything. I don't doubt those Imperial assholes told him to keep his Helmet offline too."
"This Yui girl...She's a video game character or something?"
"She's an AI Asuna and I found. She was almost deleted by the game, but I re wrote her into custom code."
"Wait...How?" Sugu asked scratching the black locks on top of her head.
"I used the console I had available. Rather useful too, it took all sorts of leeting and coding and complicated steps which included -"
"Ugh..." The girl said rubbing her temple, "You're hurting my brain making me think so much. I thought I was out of school dammit. Its better if I don't ask further..."
"Yeah. You probably will think everything I'm saying is gibberish anyway."
Sugu looked at him, "You holding up okay?"
"Yeah..."
"I'm doing just fine Sugu..." He said, obviously holding back a lot.
...
...
Teizen emerged from his room in the hotel room all sweaty from working out, then took off his shirt to a distracted Ayumi, who was reading a magazine over a crossed knee.
Daaaamn. She thought.
"I've been working out all day with the boys. They're over at the forest again, I think I'll go bathe in the river."
"Uh...Ayumi...You're staring at me..." He said looking at the dazed girl.
"Oh!" The girl said blushing and burying her nose in the magazine, "Right, sure. Er... we have a shower right here in the hotel, why do you want to go to the river? What're you an animal?"
"No." The soldier said, "It's the Nagano way!"
"Ugh. Country people are such savages..." The princess said flipping a page and shaking her head after Teizen left.
..
Teizen whistled lightly, trotting off to the river.
He entered the thick forest again, and entered the little camp the Cadets had set up.
"Uh guys..." He said seeing it empty.
He saw everything had been tossed around, there was a struggle.
"Guys!"
"Guys! Where are you?" He said dropping his towel and bathing items and running after them.
..
Teizen fell to his knees, shocked at the scene.
His entire unit of cadets were just massacred in the clearing.
Their corpses were strewn about, bullets filled their bodies, as their blood leaked onto the forest floor.
Teizen sat against a tree, taking in the fact that he'd just found what equated to brothers for him, completely slaughtered.
He remembered training with these boys since he was 10, ever since he volunteered and joined the Cadet Force. They'd grown up together.
He chuckled.
At least they'd shared one last good workout before they died.
One corpse started coughing and Teizen sprinted to him.
It was Yasuo, his old friend was in his arms, looking at his old captain, "Captain...I'm so sorry..."
"Who did this?" Teizen asked immediately.
Yasuo's weak finger begged him forward, and the boy whispered in his ear.
Teizen looked at him, "Are you sure?"
"Dead sure." Yasuo coughed, "I'm gonna die man. Let my corpse stay out here. I always wanted to die with my boys."
Teizen nodded, closing Yasuo's eyes.
He bowed in respect to his dead comrades before running to the hotel room.
Shit.
I have to warn Ayumi.
Akiba's forest has rebels scum inside it...
Keiko sat with Shinichi on their bed, as Shinichi looked up from the chest of the girl he was laying on currently.
"Keiko...are you angry I left?"
The light brown haired girl ran her fingers through his black hair, "No. We're at war aren't we?"
"Nagata...I...don't want to loose you ever. Promise me...
"You'll never raid again."
"Keiko-chan!" He said, fixing his glasses.
"Shinichi, do you know how horrible it was for me to sit here and wait for you to come back? Every minute, every click of my clock made me shiver in fear."
Nagata looked away in shame, "That you could return home to me on a stretcher, or worse. Dead, never to see me again. How would you feel if you lost me?"
"Ayano...I...er..."
"Answer me." Keiko said, plainly looking at him again.
"I'd..."
"I'd kill myself." Shinichi admitted, "It may seem a little premature. But I've never met anyone as kind, or as sweet. No one in my whole life has ever shown as much care for me as you baby."
"No one ever..."
"Saved my life."
"Walked around Tokyo, having fun the entire day for days with me."
"Or traded virginities with me."
The girl with the long light brown hair giggled, "Of course dum-dum. That's a given."
Nagata smiled and looked at her eyes lovingly again, "Or as gentle as you are Keiko."
"So would I, I'd kill myself too." She said brushing her finger across his cheek, "I love the way your eyes glitter with admiration each time I compliment you. I love how we walk around the city together, smiling and having fun all the time."
"I love that too." He said nuzzling up to her neck.
"I..."
Keiko and Shinichi laid there together in silence, scared to say it.
They heard the wind tap at the window in her bunk, only to let the feeling of warmth fester in their young hearts.
"You know if you feel something. But you've known that person for a while. But you think you need more time about it, even though time is just a construct and you already feel that way-"
"I love you Nagata." Keiko said cutting him off.
Shinichi leaned away from her, and grabbed her hands, staring at her deeper than ever, feeling that tender feeling he always got whenever they made love.
"I..."
"I love you Keiko." He said confidently.
"I don't care if its too early! Its the way I feel. Two weeks doesn't mean anything to me! There's no one in the whole world I'd rather love than you Shinichi!" Keiko said, speaking sweeter than ever.
Nagata nodded, "I feel like we were always meant for each other Ayano."
"But we never..." Keiko said trailing before lacing her hands with his.
"Found each other." They said in perfect harmony.
She grabbed his shoulders, and him her sides, and they kissed more passionately than ever before....
"I'm never gonna leave your side my love..." They said together, closing their eyes.
...
...
A/N: Heyo! An enormous shout out to my main man K2! You're awesome for leaving reviews since Chapter One man! You've earned my respect bro.
Catch You on the Fly!- Den3424