It was meant to be a peaceful day.
No reports of brigands along the roads. No storm clouds lingering over on the horizon. No voices in his mind screaming for attention.
Just a peaceful day traveling through the peaceful evergreen forest to visit his darling sister and collect his… apprentice.
That's all it was meant to be. A peaceful day with no strange occurrences or violent encounters.
And then he came.
He sat there, grinning so wide that it should have hurt, as the cart he sat upon obstructed the path.
Genryūsai was not amused.
"So you've arrived. Glad to finally make your aquia-"
"You're in the way… Move."
"So cold. Couldn't you bear this game of niceties for just a bit longer?"
"..."
"What? Have you gone mute and dumb now?"
"... Move."
The stranger sighed, that easy grin never leaving his face.
"Very well then. However, my legs are stiff from sitting here for so long, so you'll have to come and move me."
Genryūsai moved forward, his sheathed blade in hand, to do just that. Sandals digging into the mud with each measured step.
Ichi
He felt the soft ground slightly give beneath his feet. He sank ever so slightly.
Ni
He could feel the wind picking up slightly, the gentle breeze that rolled over his skin soon became a brisk gust brushing harshly across his face.
San
He could see the stranger's already toothy grin widen even further to show his canines. His heartbeat quickened while the grip that he had on his blade tightened considerably, index to little finger clutching around the scabbard while his thumb fingered the guard.
Almost there.
Shi
He could hear the blustery squall that the wind had become as it roared in his ears. The thumping in his chest was that of a Tsuzumi at this point. Were he any less sensible, he'd've thought that the stranger could hear it at this distance.
The stranger sat a meagre few steps in front of him, within arm's reach.
Genryūsai reached forward to grab the man by his shoulder, only to be forced to duck quickly as a leg flew quickly past where his head had just been.
"Whoops, my foot slipped, why don't I just get up and stretch out for a bit? Get the blood flowing."
After saying this, the stranger vaulted off of the cart and over the young rōnin. Looking up, Genryūsai could see the two scimitars that he pulled with him gleaming in the sun.
At this moment, Genryūsai became absolutely certain that there was no way for him to be on his way and have his peaceful day.
Very well then.
Closing his eyes, he took a deep breath in and held it.
With his breath still held, he shifted his legs so that his right was in front and left was in the back with the heel of his foot raised. His muscles tensed once more, he kicked off slightly and exploded into movement.
His blade was out quicker than any average man could see. A flash of silver akin to that of a lightning strike streaked from the container holding it.
It would end the encounter in an instant, as it had countless others.
"Speed and elegance, no hesitation."
This was the Narukami way.
Clang!
"What?"
Impossible.
There was no way.
It was impossible.
There was no way in hell that his attack had been blocked.
"Such great speed! You really do live up to your reputation, Narukami Genryūsai." As he used both scimitars to block his blade, the stranger hardly seemed to break a sweat. In fact, he still had that same damned leer on his face.
"Tell me, who the hell are you and how the hell do you know me?"
"Oh, now you're asking names. Wait. Was that a question or a demand?"
Genryūsai made a noise that was more suitable for a beast than a man.
"Alright, alright. No need to get your kimono in a twist. But first, I'm gonna need some space."
For the first time in this clash, the stranger exerted some pressure. It was enough pressure, in fact, to push an unprepared Genryūsai backward. The young swordsman nearly lost his footing and was forced to backtrack several steps lest he fall over.
"Ah, that's better. So, you wanted to know my name. You may call me Musashi. As for how I know you…"
He pulled out a scroll from somewhere on his personage and unfurled it,
"Ahem, 'Narukami Genryūsai, Known aliases: Nezumi Gen, Nakamura Ryū, and Nanashi Sai. Mother and father are, or rather were, Lady Narukami Izumi and Lord Narukami Gensei. Also known as 'Gensei of The Peerless Blade'. You're the elder brother of Narukami Sei, who was your most persistent traveling partner until recently and younger brother of Narukami Kaimu, who you've been estranged to since your father's death. Recently though, you've been reported to be traveling with a young man named 'Jim' who's labeled himself your younger brother."
With every word that rolled from between Musashi's lips, Genryūsai could feel his blood turn to ice.
How does he know?
The aliases, he could understand. They only required a bit of brainpower to put together. They were throwaways, meant to be used for the more unsavory work that came his way. The kind that came with a price on your head as a bonus.
But Sei… How does he know about Sei?
He had been meticulous in keeping any information about her connection almost completely hidden. From changing her name to leaving her in a remote village far from their home, all the way to only visiting her once every other month in the dead of night.
So how did he know about Sei?
"-titioner of the 'Sakura Butou' sword style and 'Raijin Hakai' martial arts form.' If I'm missing anything, do speak up."
Genryūsai finally tuned back in to hear what Musashi was saying and quickly schooled his features to hide the growing panic inside of him.
"How did you-"
"Know all of that? Dear boy, you'll find that when you live for as long as I have that investigation into a quarry is just as important as eating, drinking, and even breathing. Well maybe you won't find that out, but you get my point."
"So you're here for the bounties on my head?"
"Not quite. What I'm here for, boy, is a good old-fashioned, knockdown, drag-out fight against a skilled opponent. I hear that you Narukami are good for those, so I hope you don't disappoint."
As he finished speaking, Musashi began to walk towards the young man.
"Wait! I still have-!"
"No more waiting! Ready or Not! Here. I. COME!"
Musashi lunged at Genryūsai, one scimitar already in an arc towards the rōnin's neck.
Clang!
It was only due to his quick reaction speed that Genryūsai's head hadn't been forced to bid farewell to the rest of his body, as he quickly raised his blade to deflect the blow.
There was no time to rest as Musashi followed up his attack with several more wild slashes, each seeming to be quicker than the last.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
The assault was relentless. Genryūsai knew that he couldn't deflect forever. He would have to find an opening soon or create one himself.
"Pay attention. Every style has a weakness. You just haven't found one in his yet."
"Start with the footwork and work your way up."
As he defended himself, he shifted his focus towards Musashi's feet.
Nothing unusual. His stance is nowhere near wide enough to capitalize on.
No stiffness in his legs, contrary to what he said earlier. Seems to be moving forward pretty steadi- Wait.
If Musashi was moving forward steadily, that would mean that Genryūsai was…
Shit, I'm being pushed back!
He had been so focused on defending himself from the onslaught in front that he hadn't realized that he was quickly losing ground. The cart that had blocked his way forward was now getting closer to his back, cutting off his escape.
What do I do?
Can't keep moving back, I'll hit the cart if I do.
Can't go left or right, he'll just cut me off.
What should I do?
What can I do?
"Forward!"
What?
"If all other avenues are cut off and loss of ground seems inevitable, move forward!"
Clang! Clang! Clang! Clash!
It was the only option he had available.
It would be reckless.
Stupid.
Reckless and stupid.
But what other choice did he have?
The timing would have to be perfect. There was absolutely no room for mistakes, lest he wished for his head and body to both go their separate ways.
Wait for it…
Clash!
Wait for it…
Clang!
Now!
Clang! Clash! Screee-!
In one fluid motion, Genryūsai deflected a quick strike from his left and blocked the follow-up from Musashi's other blade, running his katana up its spine and towards the guard before he pushed. HARD!
This caught Musashi off guard, most of his weight shifting to his back foot to compensate for the feeling of the full brunt of his momentum being thrown back at him. This was the perfect opportunity to capitalize and end this fight.
Genryūsai stomped forward once, bending both legs at the knee. His katana was pulled back towards his hip, in a sort of faux-draw position with his off-hand hovering over it. He began to bring it forward and struggled to keep a grin off of his face when he saw Musashi begin to lean to the side, likely to dodge his next slash preemptively.
Gotcha!
Instead of following through with a slash, as expected, Genryūsai thrust the sword forward with the pommel facing outward and let go, turning it into a projectile straight on a collision course for Musashi's chin.
In order to evade this unorthodox attack, Musashi was forced to lean far back, very nearly bending over backward at the waist.
Another opportunity.
Not missing a beat, Genryūsai reached forward with his right hand to grab Musashi's left leg.
"What are you-?"
"Hope you're ready!"
Captured leg in one hand, the young rōnin pushed forward with his empty one.
"One good push is all it takes, my boy. The Kuchiki Taochi is a difficult technique to position yourself for, but incredibly simple to execute when you do. Remember, just one good push and-"
Slam!
"Unnf-"
I got him! No time to waste. Capitalize!
He had Musashi on the ground with the man's torso pinned under him, all he had to do now was finish this fight.
Thwack! Thud! Thwack! Thud! Thwack! Thwack! Thud!
Left.
Right.
Left.
Right.
Left.
Left.
Right.
He alternated each punch, building up a rhythm and bringing down his fists harder on Musashi's face with each thud that reached his ears.
He could feel him struggling, the older man trying to do something, anything, to stop him. Genryūsai had planned for that.
A scimitar, much like a katana, is a slashing weapon.
A common rule of thumb with slashing weapons is: "For best results, make room."
If you can't make room, you can't make use of a full swing.
If you can't make use of a full swing, most armor above leather would just bounce your weapon off of it.
Just because your weapon bounces off of an enemy's armor, that doesn't mean their weapon is likely to react in the same manner with yours.
From the position that Musashi was in now, there was no way for him to make room. If he were to try to flail his blades at Genryūsai now, his blows would merely glance off the chainmail under the rōnin's kimono, and there was no way for him to reach his neck either. It was checkmate, especially so when Genryūsai brought his fist down for one last punch.
Thud!
It was over.
He felt Musashi stop struggling, most likely unconscious. He looked at the man's face, reddened from the barrage of blows that had just struck it. He needed to grab his sword, which landed a bit further down the road.
He stood up and started walking towards his fallen blade. The voices were back, rushing through his mind, both trying to make their arguments.
We have to kill him. He can't go free.
He might not come after us again if we spare him.
Bullshit, we have to kill him now.
He's only found us once.
And he'll just do it again if we let him go.
How much does he really know?
Too much.
He knows our fighting style and aliases.
He knows all about our family.
About Jim.
Sei...
What if that's all he knows?
Doesn't matter, a dead man doesn't know anything.
Father taught us to show mercy to an enemy who's already been beaten.
Father is dead.
And how does that make his lessons in humanity any less important than his lessons in combat?
Tell me, what good did that mercy do him? He's gone to rot now. He lived as long as he did because he fought and killed his opponents. Might is the ultimate currency in this world.
Kindness is the only thing that'll end this cycle of death, hatred, and vengeance. Father never taught us anything that we haven't needed before and Sei would want us to-
Sei is a child! One that we have protected and sheltered for the past five years. She doesn't understand what we have to do to protect her!
A weak excuse and you know it, you're just using her to push your paranoid, misanthropic, and narrow view on the world forward. A view that I reject a thousand times over.
You only reject it because you know that it's right.
We'll spare him.
We'll kill him.
Spare
Kill
Spare
Kill
Spare
Both of you, shut up.
The voices were stifled after that. They'd come back, but not anytime soon. Hopefully.
He was halfway towards his sword when he heard the sound of something shifting behind him.
He looked back and saw Musashi laying in the same spot that he had left him in.
He wanted to write it off as his mind just playing tricks on him, but he couldn't shake the discomfort that ran through him and began moving faster towards his blade.
He was almost there. He was so close. Just a bit further.
"Oh, Genryūsai~" A voice, one that was much closer than it should have been, sang.
The young man whipped around to face it.
"No way…"
There he was. Musashi stood resolutely, his face bloodied and split by the ear-to-ear grin on it.
"What's wrong? You seem surprised. What? You didn't really think a few punches would be enough to keep me down, did you?"
"What the hell are you made of?" He had put enough strength into each of those punches to at least crack the face of a mountain.
"Sugar, spice, and everything- wait, no that's girls… Hm, that's a good question, lad. What are we truly made of, when it all comes down to it?"
The man shrugged and dropped that topic before bringing his fists up and bouncing on his feet.
"But I must say, if you wanted to throw down with your fists, you could've just told me. So much time wasted. Excellent takedown, though. I'll give it a solid 8, still think it could've used a bit more flair."
Genryūsai wanted to turn around and grab his blade, but he fancied himself smart enough to not leave his back exposed to an opponent like Musashi.
"But apparently not smart enough to keep a second weapon handy."
Even as peaceful as the day was meant to be, he should have expected something to go wrong as it always does.
He would make sure not to be caught so flat-footed again when he got himself out of this mess.
If he got himself out of this mess.
"Big brother!"
No, I can't think like that. For their sake.
He would give it everything he had. Those kids were waiting for him after all.
He brought his arms up, tucking his elbows in close to his body.
He pulled his right hand closer to his face and shifted his right foot behind his left, squaring his hips with Musashi's as he did so.
Next, he tucked his chin in tight towards his chest, like he would lose something important if he lifted even a little bit.
Finally, he curled his fingers loosely. Not enough to make a fist, but just enough to make it seem like he was holding something invisible.
Alright, I'm ready.
"You wanna fight, Musashi? Fine. Come at me, then."
Musashi, who had been waiting patiently in his stance, perked up slightly at the invitation from the young Rōnin.
"Ohoho. You're finally getting into this Genryūsai-chan? I'm so glad! Alright, here I come!"
At that, the man rushed at Genryūsai in a burst of almost inhuman speed.
He threw a wild haymaker that was swiftly evaded, before catching a knee to the ribs from his other side.
This staggered him for the briefest of moments, which Genryūsai capitalized on by pivoting on the heel of his foot and sending an elbow straight for the other man's temple.
Thud!
"Whew, that was close."
"Nice block."
Indeed it was. Despite his miss, Musashi had managed to anticipate at least one of the rōnin's counterattacks and brought up his other arm to defend himself.
"Oh, if you like that, you're gonna love this!"
Musashi pushed back against Genryūsai's elbow, making more of a visible effort this time. Managing to push the young man back, he got low and put his fists up again before rushing at Genryūsai once more.
No wild punches this time, just a few measured jabs and straights.
Genryūsai dodged each strike and attempted to counter with another knee, but wasn't prepared for Musashi to duck down and sweep his leg out from under him.
Thump!
He hit the ground hard, but he didn't even have time to register the pain.
Crack!
The ground cracked and fissures appeared under Musashi's heel, right where Genryūsai's neck had been.
Shit. What do I do?
Advance!
Retreat!
Shut up!
"Best pay attention, boy!"
All of a sudden, Genryūsai felt a pain in his chest and heard a sharp crack!
And soon after, he was flying. No, not flying, more like cutting through the air before his back hit something hard with a dead thump.
He could see in the distance, his vision blurring, swimming, mixing, and fading, as Musashi slowly walked toward him.
His final thought before it all went to black was,
Have I Lo-
"-st you, big brother?"
"Hm?"
'What?'
"Big brother, were you ignoring me?"
'Big brother? Who-'
"Of course not, Sei."
'Sei… Sei?'
"Then what did I just say?"
'What's Sei doing… here?'
"Why, you said, 'Big brother, were you ignoring me?' of course."
"That's not what I meant and you know it!"
"..."
"Wipe that smug smile off of your face!"
"I've no idea what you mean, that's just how my lips curl in the spring."
"... It's summer."
"Really? I fancied it closer to winter."
Sei sighed, not quite irate, but with a hint of exasperated fondness.
"Let's just stop talking about this, okay?"
"Deal."
A beat passed and nothing was said, the only real sound to be heard was the rustle of leaves and bustle of children running around, playing outside.
He felt like he made a good choice by bringing Sei to Jōryokuju. It was quiet, but not quite isolated, and the people were welcoming enough. They respected their privacy and only really asked questions as it pertained to the more trivial things, like room and board whenever he was in town.
Best of all, it was far, far away from the Southern Desert.
Aye, it truly was a fine place. But there was still something that bothered him.
He liked Jōryokuju, but he also wasn't the one staying here for months on end, so his opinion on the place didn't really count for much. She seemed to like it here, but he needed to ask, just for his own peace of mind.
"Hey Sei."
"Hm?"
"Do you… like it here?"
"Huh? How do you mean?"
"I mean, do you like staying here? You know, in the village."
Sei stood up and walked over to a nearby bush of roses. Seemingly in thought, she ran her index finger along the petals of a vibrant red flower and brushed her other fingers along the thorns.
"I do like it. I love it here. It's so pretty and everyone's so nice and I'm learning something new every day. Last week, Ren taught me how to sew and Hina showed me how to steam fish and vegetables. Oh! And the week before that, Yuma promised to teach me how to make saké and..."
Genryūsai could only smile as his sister listed off all of the things that she had learned that month. It seems there was nothing to worry about after all.
"But-"
Oh, dear. Gone was the bubbly glee from a few moments before, replaced by a fidgeting nervousness as she began to play with the petals of another rose, a soft pink this time.
"But?"
Sei stopped her fidgeting and sighed before pinching the stem of the rose and gently plucking it from the bush.
"But, that's only here. Everything else out there is so rough and there's so much pain. You and Father didn't like to talk about it, but Kaimu couldn't stop talking about it all. The fires, the blood, the screams."
Kaimu. Their dearest elder brother. Genryūsai took Sei, stole away from their home in the middle of the night, and ran across several different territories just to get away from him. And yet here he still appeared in the most unlikely of places. The mention of him nearly made Genryūsai snarl in anger.
'Crazy fucking bastard.'
"I remember when we were leaving Narukami Manor. The smell… it wasn't chickens roasting in those fires like you said, was it?"
"..."
"That's okay, you don't need to answer. I've known for a while now, you can't smell hair burning when you roast a bird."
"I'm sor-"
"Nothing to be sorry for. I wanted to be upset. I really did. But, I couldn't. You were trying your best to keep that from me because it hurt you just as much. That and so many other things that I'm sure you're keeping to yourself."
Genryūsai wanted to cut in and say something, anything, but Sei cut him off before he could get the words to form. Her eyes alight with resolve, she gripped her rose tightly, sanguine rushing between her fingers after crushing the thorns in her grasp.
"And I don't want that to be what our life is anymore. You shouldn't have to hurt just to protect me! I don't want that! For anyone. I just want the world to be a place where people don't have to live in fear of losing everything. I want a world like Jōryokuju, where everyone takes care of and understands each other. I want a world where we can be a family again and watch the cherry blossoms bloom together. You, me, Mother, Father, even Kaimu. That's my dream!"
Genryūsai didn't know where all of this conviction came from. He did, however, know what to say.
"Well then, that seems to be a bit of a daunting task for my sweet little sister. So I hope you don't mind, but I'm gonna help out. Gotta take care of each other, right?"
As she registered what her elder brother had just said, Sei's eyes lit up with the youthful exuberance that they usually held whenever Genryūsai would come to visit. She dropped the (now-bloodied) pink rose and leapt at her brother, wrapping her arms around him in a tight embrace.
"Really? Really, you'll help?"
"Of course, it's a promise."
"Thank you, big brother! Thank you so much!"
"Don't mention it. Now, why don't we get that hand looked at?"
"Huh? What do you mea- ahh! Oh! Oh no! It's bleeding so much! Why is it bleeding so much?!"
As he tried to calm his panicking sister, Genryūsai could only hope that times like these would never change.
"Am- am I gonna die?"
And that someone would teach her a bit more about safety with sharp objects.
Everything was dark.
He was sure that his eyes were open, so why couldn't he see anything?
To the left, black.
To the right, black.
Every direction, it was the same color.
Stunning.
So sight wasn't working, but he could hear just fine. He could hear a voice, an incredibly annoying one if you asked him.
"Oh come on, you can't be dead yet. Is that really all-"
"-we've got, big bro?"
'Jim'
"I thought I told you not to call me that, runt."
"You did. I just ignored it."
'Yep, Jim'
"Whatever. To answer your question, yes, that's all we've got. And if we're smart, it's all we'll need until we leave the next town. Now, shut up."
Genryūsai called the bar wench over. He ordered a cup of saké for himself and a bowl of porridge for Jim.
"I want some saké too."
"Sure, you can have some saké."
"Really?"
"Of course. Just pull out your money and call the wench back over."
"You're a jerk, Genryūsai."
"That's a matter of opinion, really. And remember, it's just Sai or Nanashi here."
"Right, right. Got it."
Truth be told, Genryūsai had no idea why the irreverent brat even hung around him. He never asked him to come along, and as far as he knew, the brat just started buzzing around him like an annoying fly one day.
He would've swatted the pest, but Sei had taken a shine to him, making it impossible to just get rid of him.
Well, it's not like there was much to do while their food and drink were being prepared. Genryūsai took a breath and prepared for what was likely to be the most inane and pointless conversation he would ever have.
"Hey, runt."
"Yeah?"
"Why'd you start following me around?"
"Huh?"
"You were training to become a Paladin, right? Why'd you drop that to join me?"
"Oh. I just thought it'd be cooler."
"What?"
"Yeah. I thought it would be cool to join up with you. I come from a family of fishermen. If I didn't run off to become a Paladin, I'd be a fisherman. Then, one day, I saw you fight off a gang of bandits and I wanted some of that. So I stole a tome from the academy's library and took off with you and Sei."
If not for the training he had done to gain full control of his facial muscles, Genryūsai was sure his mouth would be agape.
"Well, that was certainly unexpected. So, ya got any aspirations that aren't bound to change at the drop of a hat?"
Jim grinned cheekily and used his thumb to point back at his chest.
"I'm gonna become the most badass hero there ever was. A hero so amazing, that even you'll have to respect me, big brother!" Well that was something he could get behind.
"That'll do, runt. That'll do."
And for the first time since he'd started traveling with the boy, Genryūsai didn't feel the need to correct him for calling him big brother.
He wasn't back in the darkness again.
He was in another familiar place with another familiar face.
Clack! Clack! Clack!
"Sloppy, child, I've seen better footwork from a drunken Gnome."
Clack! Clack!
"Don't just lash out with your blade. Measure your strikes. Watch your opponent and string them together. Speed and elegance, that is the Narukami way."
Clack! Clack! Clack! Clack!
"What will you do now, after you've been pushed on the defensive? Where will you go?"
"I- I don't know!"
Clack!
"Forward! If all other avenues are cut off and loss of ground seems inevitable, you move forward!"
The child did as he was told and moved forward, slashing at his opponent...
Clack! Clack! Thwack!
Only to find himself disarmed, on the ground, and with a horrible stinging on his chin.
"Alright my boy, that's enough for today. Come. I have something to show you."
"Yes, Father."
'Father.'
The father and son duo moved from the training area that they were in.
It was simply the courtyard of the Narukami manor. As far as settings go, it was quite a beautiful place.
Ponds of carp, decorated with jade statues in the various forms of dragons, spirits, heroes, and gods.
The crowning beauty of the courtyard, however, was the enormous cherry blossom tree in the middle of it.
Aye, it was this lush and beautiful courtyard, much like the rest of the Narukami province that was so out of place in comparison to the rest of the dry, deathly region.
Though, Genryūsai had heard that it wasn't always like this. The thriving lands apparently a new edition, only having come into fruition in the final decade of his grandfather's reign over the land.
He wanted to know what triggered the change, and he hoped that maybe his father would tell him about it one day.
Gensei and Genryūsai walked quietly through the halls of the manor. If it were with anyone else, Genryūsai would've thought the silence to be an awkward lull in conversation. Since it was with his father though, he understood that it was simply the man's nature to be quiet when the situation didn't call for words. He simply accepted that fact and moved along.
"Genryūsai."
The boy wasn't expecting his name to be called, least of all by his father, so it was difficult for him to hide his surprise when he responded.
"Erm- yes, father?"
"Have I ever told you the story of Hana No Kuni?"
"No, not any time that I can remember, father."
Of course, t'was not for lack of asking on the young lad's part. He could remember twenty times off the top of his head where he had asked the Narukami patriarch to tell him the story of their province. And he could remember, in equal measure, twenty times where his father dismissed him out of hand, telling him that he simply wasn't ready to be told that story yet.
"Is that so? Well then, I suppose it's time that you finally hear it."
"R-really?"
"Yes. First, though, I have someone for you to meet."
"Who?"
"Someone integral in the tale. Come, make haste. This will take a while, so we should begin as soon as possible."
And so, the pair moved on with more urgency in their step than before.
Arriving at a room that Genryūsai has never seen unlocked, let alone open, Gensei quickly retrieved a small key from the inside of his kimono and unlocked the door, ushering the young boy inside.
In spite of what the heavy lock that had been attached to the door would imply, the room didn't hold much of anything within it. Aside from the candles used to light the dark space, the only thing of note was a simple shrine placed at the far end of the room.
Genryūsai walked over and looked at the portrait that sat upon the shrine. It showed a young woman, elven if the points of her ears were any indication, wearing a forest green yukata. Her raven black hair flowed down her back and shoulders as she seemed to stare straight through anyone looking at the portrait. Though, the stare wasn't quite so bad to him. It felt almost... familiar.
"So, I see you're getting acquainted."
"Who is she?"
"That is Ryūko. The woman responsible for the prosperity of Hana no Kuni and… your mother."
"... What? But mother is-"
"Izumi has loved and raised you as her own child for the past thirteen years. She is your mother in every way that matters, but, even still, it is your right to know about the woman who you were born to and my responsibility to tell you about her."
And so Gensei regaled his youngest son with the tale of a 'young' woman, who visited Hana no Kuni when it was still called Shi no Kuni, the land where nothing thrived. A land that would be soon dead.
He spoke of her grace, put on display as she planted flowers and trees that grew almost immediately. She flooded dry grounds that, within hours, became rice paddies. Their vibrant golds and greens, gleaming in the sun. She created ponds and lakes wherever she thought they ought to be, borne from ditches and channels dug by some otherworldly force. Everywhere she went, she brought the land to life.
All the way to the courtyard of the Narukami manor, where the finishing touch on her masterpiece lay. She approached the very center of the courtyard, kneeled down, dropped a single seed... and left.
No one saw her for days after that. Nothing grew the next day or the day after that. It took a full 7 days for something unusual to occur once more.
Gensei, as ordered by his father, was to monitor the spot where the woman had planted the single seed in the courtyard. He was willing to assume that nothing had changed if only because nothing had changed in the past few days before then.
But something had changed.
There was a cloaked figure in the courtyard, standing right where the seed had been planted only days before.
Fearing that this person might have ill intentions, he ordered them to step away from the spot.
The person, a woman as he could now see, turned to face him and rolled her eyes.
Muttering something under her breath, she made to grab something from her cloak and proceeded to strafe to the side as a panicking Gensei charged her.
What occurred next could only be described as a royal beatdown. The woman utterly thrashed Gensei, but she didn't kill him.
Instead, she explained in a huff that she was here to push along the growth of the seed. Gensei could only blush and apologize, not only humiliated by his clear loss, but also by lack of ability to read the situation or remember the description of the woman who had, days earlier, effectively saved his land.
She then reached back into her cloak and pulled out a vial. She uncorked it and poured the contents onto the planting spot. Soon after, a sprout popped through the ground. That sprout grew into a sapling. And that sapling grew into a great leafless tree. The branches weren't bare for long and soon enough, instead of leaves, they were covered in beautiful pink blossoms.
After their less-than-stellar introduction to each other, Ryūko and Gensei started over and really hit it off.
They became closer and closer as Ryūko told Gensei about her home in Jōryokuju, a village made by wild elves who wanted to live apart from the old ways. Gensai told Ryūko about how his training was progressing and that one day, when they sparred again, he would win.
Their relationship progressed for months until one night, two years after Gensei married Lady Izumi, the two shared a night of passion. And nine months later, Genryūsai was born.
Ryūko had seemed ecstatic when she found out that she was pregnant, and Gensei had never seen her more content than on the night when she finally birthed and held her son for the first time. And so, the question on the minds of everyone who knew her and had witnessed her pregnancy was, 'Why did she leave?'
It boggled the mind that she would be so incredibly excited for the birth of her child, just to leave him behind just two weeks after he was born. She left neither letter nor missive stating her intentions, simply an extravagant blade that no one had ever seen before.
A blade of steel and silver. Edged for monsters, tipped for man. Along the flat, etched into the metal was a range of mountains and crowding of clouds, split apart by a bolt of lightning. Aye, the blade was a true master's work. A great enough warrior could use it to split the heavens.
"And its name... is Tengaku-Bunkatsu."
"Where is it now?"
"In a place where no one can reach it until you are ready to wield it."
"Me?"
"Aye. That blade was forged and left for you, I'm sure of it. You are not quite ready to wield it yet, but I know in my heart that, one day, you'll surpass the legends of 'The Peerless Blade' and 'The Evergreen Lady' and that blade will play no small part on your journey. Your life, my boy, will be a legend told for years to come, that is my dream for you."
"Thank you, Father." Genryūsai was stunned by the pure conviction in his father's voice.
"If you'll allow this rambling old man to ramble on for a little while longer, I'd like to tell you a creed, of sorts, that our family has held onto and used to push us forward for generations."
"Whatever you wish, Father."
"Alright, this special creed is-"
"Nyo-ron-yo-den."
"Oh, you're muttering! That's a good sign. I think."
"We've clung onto this creed for generations, it's all we could do when at war in a land where nothing thrived. I only hope that it will push beyond whatever limits you find. Now repeat after me."
It is with these words that I offer my life to any god or buddha who would take it.
Every part of him hurt.
His back, chest, legs, arms, and head all screamed at him to stay down.
No. He would need to be standing for this.
"And now you're standing. Good. Do you need a break? You know, to get some air in your lungs?"
It is with my hands that I seeketh heaven and roust hell.
Eyes narrowed at his opponent, he took in one deep breath and held it. He shifted his legs this time so that his left was in front and the right was in the back this time. His muscles tensed even more now, he shifted his flat hand towards his empty scabbard.
"What are you gonna do with that? Chop me to death?"
It is with my wrath that I unleash the force of nature.
He could feel ground cracking and giving way from the pressure he was exerting upon it. He only had one shot at this. If he missed, he would die.
It is with my blade that I am become Death, destroyer of man.
He released his breath and, in the span of a second, disappeared.
Musashi blinked.
"Where could he have-?" Musashi ducked and a hand sliced across where his head had been.
"Shit-!" An unexpected kick to the temple sent him flying into a tree.
Obviously dazed, Musashi looked up slowly and saw Genryūsai.
The rōnin's leg was up and bent after his kick, clearly chambered in case of a counterattack. He slowly dragged his leg down, and addressed his fallen opponent.
"Sakura Butou to Raijin Sutairu: Raitoning Hanabira Odori. If you truly claim to have done your research, one would think you'd at least learn about the first technique of our signature style. "
"Ngh."
"One would also think you'd hear about our code as well."
"Code? What code?"
"Nyoronyoden: 'Life is as mutable and ephemeral as the morning dew or a flash of lightning.' We Narukami are always prepared to die, Musashi. So tell me, are you? Because I refuse to die while there are still people counting on me. I refuse to go down until I make this world one where their dreams can come true! "
The pure conviction in the man's voice seemed to rattle Musashi. He sat there, eyes wide, as if Genryūsai had suddenly become a question that he had no reasonable answer to. But then, he dropped his head and started shaking. Genryūsai wondered what was wrong with the man, before he heard it.
The sound of laughter.
Musashi had started to chuckle. The chuckles grew into laughter, which then escalated into full-blown cackling.
It took a full minute for his laughter to subside, but when he did, his next words truly shocked Genryūsai.
"Alright, you win."
"Huh?"
"You win. I clearly didn't do all the necessary research. And you can't beat conviction like that by going in half-cocked. Little Ryūko taught me that much. So... you win this time. "
With those words, he got up and began to stumble off.
Wait, what?
"Hey, get back here!"
Genryūsai tried to give chase, when all the pain from earlier suddenly came back, slamming into him like a herd of bulls.
The adrenaline had worn off.
"Ack-!"
"You should go get your wounds treated. I'd really prefer you to be in top shape for our next fight. Ja ne!"
With that, the wind picked up, making dust fly everywhere.
When it all stopped, Musashi was nowhere to be found.
Genryūsai was in no condition to chase anyone, being as hurt as he was.
He'd have to find the man another day and beat some answers out of him.
So he grabbed his blade, sheathed it, and began to make his way towards Jōryokuju, grumbling curses all the while.
And it was meant to be such a peaceful day.
2 Years Later
Genryūsai was walking to his room after a bath in Jōryokuju. He and Jim were there to visit Sei, and they'd be leaving early the next morning to find more work. Jim had already gone to bed courtesy of the blow he had delivered to the young dragonborn's chin during their spar earlier that day.
The day and night had been peaceful, as it always was in Jōryokuju. Everything was as it should've been.
Genryūsai smiled, content and ready to face the next day with fervor.
"Jōryokuju sure hasn't changed in a while, eh boy?"
Genryūsai scowled, irritated and wanting to sleep forever.
"What do you want, old man?"
The elven spellsword strutted from around the tree that he had been hiding behind and stood a few steps away from the half-elf rōnin, that easy grin of his ever-present.
"So cold still. Why, if it weren't so cold out, I fear you'd melt, child."
"No games. Speak plainly or leave. I've neither the time nor desire to deal with your crap."
Musashi sighed loudly. Genryūsai found it obnoxious, which is likely why he did it.
"Very well. Learn to smile more, boy. You'll never find a wife by scowling the way you do all the time."
Snarl!
"Anyway, I've come here on business. I'd like to hire you."
"What?"
This was… new.
Whenever Musashi found Genryūsai, it was for the express purpose of either fighting or taunting him, pulling childish pranks, and running away. For him to come and hire him, especially in such a direct manner, was unheard of.
"There's something coming. Something… wrong. I can feel it in my bones. And, if that's not enough, my sources say that there's something odd happening, most of it being in and around the human capital. There's a caravan headed there in a month, I'll be on it and I want you there with me. You'll be paid of course, as this is a job. It'll be dangerous, so you're well within your right to say no."
As much as Genryūsai hated Musashi, he could say for a fact that he respected the man's unrelenting strength. It was an undeniable constant. As was that devil-may-care attitude of his. So if there was something out there that forced him to be this serious, there was clearly something wrong.
"Alright. How much?"
"200 gold."
"You're kidding me, right? That's crumbs. 600."
"Are you trying to gouge me, brat? 250."
"I'm worth every piece of it and you know it, old man. 500."
"I've seen monkeys that can do just as much as you can, for less lip at that. 300."
"Well, if these monkeys are so great, why don't you just ask one of them to do this job? 450."
"400, and you can keep whatever loot you find. Final offer, take it or leave it."
"Throw in whatever information you have on my mother and we have a deal."
If Musashi was surprised by this stipulation, he didn't show it.
"Deal." And the two men firmly shook hands.
"I'll need half of the payment up front. Rule of business, you know."
Clink!
"Of course. Other half at the end of the job."
"Yes, of course. See you in a month."
"Can I come?"
Shit.
"What are you doing up, Jim?"
"Couldn't sleep. I wanted to get some fresh air. So... can I come along on this job?"
I should've hit him harder.
"No wa-." "Well, I don't see why not."
Crack!
Genryūsai could feel cartilage shifting as he whipped his head around to face Musashi.
"What the hell, Musashi?"
"Well your young apprentice clearly wants to come along, so why not?"
"You just said this job was dangerous, and now you want me to bring a kid along?"
"I'm not a ki-"
"Shut up."
"Shutting up."
Musashi picked his ear, entirely disinterested.
"I don't see what the problem is. Is it the money? Fine, I'll throw in 50 extra gold. Happy?"
"No, it's not-"
"Then what is it? You don't think the kid's ready? Because that speaks more of your failure as a teacher than anything else."
"... Beg your pardon?"
"Hey, that's fine. Just because we can do, doesn't mean we can teach, after all."
This piece of-
"... We'll see you in a month, Musashi. Get out of my sight."
"Ah, that's the spirit! See you in a month. Ja ne!"
With those words, Musashi walked off and disappeared into the night.
Turning to his young apprentice, Genryūsai smiled sweetly. Jim could immediately feel his stomach drop.
"Well, I guess this means that we'll have to bump up your training, hm?"
"Um, I guess."
"Get some sleep, Jim. You'll need it."
Jim scurried off to bed, nowhere close to prepared for the hell he would be subjected to over the next month.
Genryūsai's smile dropped, he would have to up his training too.
He lightly bounced the bag of gold, grinning at the weight, before taking it away to his rather substantial hoard.
This'll do nicely. We're not that far now. Just a little bit more, and I can finally make all of their dreams a reality.
"Yes, just a little bit more."
And who knows? Maybe, through all the madness, he would finally be able to meet his mother. And maybe, just maybe, Tengaku-Bunkatsu would finally be his.
All as it should be.
END.
So this is actually a story that I had lying around and only ever showed my D&D buddies, whose characters are featured in this story (Musashi and Jim). It was meant to be a short, fun thing to give the DM a little bit of insight to our characters so that he could get a feel for them and tie their backgrounds into the campaign as seamlessly as possible. It needed a bit of touching up, and it's still not perfect, since I was still developing my style back then, but I wanted to share it with you nonetheless. (Especially while I put the finishing touches on "Project Jackpot" to be released tomorrow or the day after.) I hope you enjoyed.