The Four Kingdoms

Disclaimer: I don't own Shaman King

Chapter XLV: The New Reign

"Your Highness... Wake up..."

He slowly rose up from the cold white marbled floor to follow the familiar voice that was calling him. It took some time to adjust his eyes because everything was so white. When he finally did, he found himself in some brightly-lit vacant room that had no doors or windows. He was wearing an impeccable white suit, quite a contrast to his dark hair and maybe too white for his liking.

"Master Yoh..."

There was only one person in Kasai who was old-school enough to call him that.

"Amidamaru..."

He turned around to face the source of the voice. The Kasai warrior stood in front of him in full armor. The prince only saw him once in that attire when his father commissioned an artist to paint his portrait. His painting was displayed in the Hallway of Heroes along with the portraits of Kasai's greatest swordsmen.

"You overslept again..." His eyes were frowning.

"I'm sorry..." the prince grinned at him sheepishly.

"It's time for you to go back. They need you..."

"Is Kasai in trouble?" Prince Yoh looked anxious.

Amidamaru nodded then turned around to leave. "Take care of the Harusame..." A doorway appeared at the end of the room.

"Wait, when can we see each other again?" The Kasai prince asked.

The white-haired warrior paused from walking. "Not too soon I hope..." He passed through the door which vanished afterwards.

"Die!!!" Someone screamed from afar.

Prince Yoh ran towards the direction of the enraged voice.

"Anna! "

The blond princess stopped on her tracks and pointed the sword at the person in front of her.

Prince Ren had his arms spread out to block her attack on the King of Kaminari. He had outrun her to reach his father in time.

"Get out of the way... Why are you protecting him?" She gripped the hilt of the Harusame tightly. Her hands were shaking as she pointed the tip of the sword on his chest.

"I'm not. I'm protecting you from what you are about to do. There's no going back once you kill a person. This is not who you are, Anna..." the Kaminari prince reminded her.

"Anna... I know I have done horrible things... But I regret all of them... I beg for your forgiveness... " King Yuan pleaded from behind his son.

"Shut up!!!" The blond girl screamed "My parents were shown no mercy! Why should I bestow it to you?!?"

"You have every reason to be angry... I am, too. I will make this right, I promise.. Lower down your sword..." Prince Ren placed his hand over the edge of the blade.

The Kouku princess did not heed his request. She lowered her head as angry tears streamed down her cheeks but she never lowered the weapon.

"Anna..." Someone whispered her name on her ear and suddenly wrapped his arms around her so that they both held the Harusame.

"Yoh...?"

The blond girl removed her grasp of the sword to cover her mouth. She turned around to face the boy whowho she thought had left her forever.

With her hands free of the sword, the boy immediately dropped the weapon on the floor so that he could pull her towards him in a tight embrace.

She couldn't believe it. By some miracle from the Great Spirit, her Yoh was back from the dead. She placed her hand over his chest to feel his heart beat.

"You're alive..."

"Everything is going to be alright, Anna..." He kissed her forehead and let her weep on his shoulders. "I'm here."

The look of shock on Prince Ren's face was replaced with hurt as he watched the couple hold on to each other's arms. He wouldn't blame Anna if she would choose the Kasai prince over him.

A promise was a promise though. He picked up the Harusame and pointed it at King Yuan's throat.

"Yoh!!!" King Horokeu ran to his friend. "I'm so glad you're alive! We all thought you were gone! Your father... though... " The Kouri king nodded towards the direction of the throne.

"I will be back." The Asakura prince squeezed Princess Anna's hand before rushing to his family.

The blond girl then saw her fiancé pointing the sword at his father.

"I, Prince Ren Tao, sentenced you to exile for the crimes you committed against the Kyouyama royal family and the Kouku people. You will never set foot on the Four Kingdoms again."

King Yuan obediently took off his crown and placed it on his son's head. He knelt down and kissed the boy's hand. "Please be a better king than me, Ren."

The newly-appointed ruler beckoned a trio of Kaminari soldiers to leave his presence and take the former king with them. "Bring him to my mother first so he could say goodbye. Let him pack some food and clothing then accompany him to the port and send him over to my sister. She will know where to put him."

Princess Anna approached her fiancé after the soldiers had left with the disgraced king.

"That took some courage, Ren..."

The young Kaminari ruler handed her the Harusame. "I told you I will make it right..."

The blond girl took the sword from him. "I should have never doubted you..."

"Well, if you want this relationship to work, you should trust me. That is, if you still want this relationship..." King Ren Tao whispered and avoided her gaze.

His fiancée did not answer him. Instead, she grabbed his hand and pulled him over to the Kouku and Kaminari soldiers who were beating up General Tori earlier. They were not making a raucous anymore. They just stood there ogling at something.

The last Douji descendant was sprawled on the floor with a pool of blood. His face was badly beaten and a knife was sticking out from his chest. Next to him was the Kaminari foot soldier from whom he stole the bow and arrow.

"What happened here?" the blond princess asked.

A Kouku soldier pointed at the dead Lee Pailong. "We thought he was killed but then he walked into our circle with a knife in his hand and stabbed the general to death. He eventually succumbed to his injuries..."

"Ohhh... Jun..." King Ren thought of his older sister. How would he tell her about this unfortunate news? This would definitely break her heart.

Princess Anna beckoned a lieutenant in the group to come to her. "Bring him back to Kouku for a proper burial. He is an enemy but he is dead. We give respect to the dead no matter how evil he is."

"Yes, my queen..." the lieutenant bowed down to her. The rest of the Kouku soldiers followed him.

King Ren beamed at his fiancée who was astonished by the soldiers' display of loyalty to her despite her long absence. He offered his hand to her which she gladly accepted. They walked towards the crowd that had gathered in front of the throne. Apparently, the commotion there was far from over. It was not a happy scene that they found.

King Mikihisa was down on the floor with an arrow piercing his chest. He was being held by Prince Hao. His other son, Prince Yoh held his hand as he knelt beside them. His wife and her parents, Faust, Tamao, Manta, Ryuu, Tona, Lyserg, Pirika and Horo Horo surrounded him with tears on their eyes.

"You... You took the arrow for me..." Prince Hao was shaking as he propped up his father.

In his quest to end the lineage of the Asakuras, General Tori shot an arrow towards the remaining Kasai heir. Without hesitation, King Mikihisa pushed his son aside and took the hit. It was a fatal shot.

"Of course, you are my heir, Hao..." The dying king wiped the tears from his son's cheeks. It was the first time he saw him cry since he was an infant. He then turned to his other son. "I knew you would come back, Yoh... I've lost you for a moment but you're here... "

He motioned the twin brothers to come closer so he can whisper his dying wish. "Please take care of your mother.. . Don't give her heartaches... Please take care of Kasai... I trust that you would lead this kingdom with benevolence. Above all, please take care of each other... You are brothers... Brothers help and support each other... Remember that... I love you, my sons..." The Kasai monarch breathed his last and the weeping turned into wails.

Faust knelt down in front of the dead king then gently took the crown from his head. He looked at Prince Yoh, paused for a moment before shifting his gaze at Prince Hao. "As my dear friend, King Mikihisa wishes..." He placed the Kasai crown on Prince Hao's head.

"Long live King Hao Asakura!" The Kasai palace guards raised their swords.

"Long live King Ren Tao!" The Kaminari soldiers raised their fists.

"Long live Queen Anna Kyouyama!" The Kouku soldiers shouted with all their might.

"Ohh brother, don't..." Princess Pirika shook her head at her older sibling while Tona covered his ears with his fingers.

"Long live King Horokeu Usui!" The Kouri king screamed at the top of his lungs.

End of Chapter 45

A/N: So... This is the ending chapter of this fic as far as the plot is concerned. Post-war chapters posted after this would be the "extended" epilogue.