Chapter 5: Home
The undyed city of Dhazus, a circular city protected by an artificial river and tall walls, its white structures clearly makes a loud statement : We are clean and untainted. The city has three layers divided by walls, the outer layer is for the commoners, the middle layers are for the merchants, and the innermost layer is for the royalties with the White Castle in the center of it all. The city has eight entrances,it has north, north east, east, south east, south, south west, west, and north western silver colored gates.
The people are cheering as the northern gates were opened, their heroes has returned.
As the blood soaked soldiers enter the gates, a burst of white roses were thrown at them with ear shattering praises rained down unto the soldiers. Many people showed them big smiles, while the others have bittersweet tears after knowing that some of the brave men who came out of the city is not going back.
Trumpets were blown and a white carpet were rolled down the road, the citizens of Dhazus gave way to a silver chariot with the royal family in it. The chariot is being pulled by two white stallions, and being escorted by two royal guards clad in silver armor. The chariot has no roof so the people can see the royal family waving at them, the king has a silver crown adorned with sapphires on his head, he has black hair, purple eyes, a pale skin, and a handsome face, he is wearing an all white tuxedo with a white fur cape, and has a silver necklace with a sapphire dangling in his neck and a silver ring with a diamond in his ring finger.
The queen has her hair tied in a bun at the back of her head sealed by a silver hair pin, she has blue eyes, pretty face and three silver necklaces hanging in her neck, a diamond ring in her ring finger, and fit white dress complementing her body.
The first princess has a shoulder length black hair tinted by purple, a pair of purple eyes, she wears a white backless gown that has a spiraling frills imitating a white rose, while two silver bracelets are adorning her forearms.
"Haruno, smile more and quit wildly moving your hands, that's not how royalties should wave" the queen berated her daughter.
"Oookay, mother" Haruno answered lazily.
The king on the other hand isn't smiling or waving, he is worried, her youngest daughter rebelled at him and had gone to a war because she wants to follow a boy? Just like her mother huh? The king thought.
"Anata? Why are you so quiet? We are here to greet Yukino with her comrades so you should meet her with your best smile" the queen said to her husband.
Their chariot stopped and the king stood up, the knights bowed to the king, the ones who remained standing is Yukinoshita.
"F-father, I'm sorry for going against your wishes to stay in the castle... I'll gladly take any punishments" Yukinoshita pleaded.
Yuigahama looked at Yukinoshita then took a step forward and said with a loud voice "Yukinon- I mean princess Yukino helped us a lot! If not because of her we might have lost so please don't punish her!" then quickly walked to Yukinoshita's side and grabbed her hand, holding it tightly.
"Who mentioned punishments? I'm just here to meet my daughter and her friends, but before that" the king's face became serious "Where is the boy who caused my daughter to rebel against me?" "Yeah! Where is Hikigaya-kun?" Haruno chimed in.
They all looked at Zaimokuza who didn't like the attention "Uhhh he just disappeared ok? He said he wants to check on his sister and sensei! Who I am to stop him!"
At Hikigaya-
Hikigaya is walking around the tight alleyways at the commoner layer of the city, it's becoming darker and darker as he goes deeper into the alleyway.
He stopped when he meets a dead end, he walked into the wall and knocked eight times into it, a brick came off of the wall, showing a mouth, the mouth talked "What's the password onii-chan!" "Komachi saikou... Open the door now Komachi" the wall started to collapse revealing a secret tunnel and two figures at the other side of the collapsed wall, a teenaged girl and an adult woman, they both have black hair but the younger girl has shoulder length hair while the adult one has an almost waistline length hair, they both dressed like Hikigaya, a black robe, black shirt and a black chestplate at the top of their robes, the right sleeve of the robe is long while the left sleeve is short, giving way to a black gauntlet in their left hands, the only difference is they don't have a chained black tome as a necklace and wears a brown below the knee length instead of pants and a pair of black knee length boots.
"Well, well, well, look who's back, the pride, joy and a huge disappointment of the Black Hand, Hikigaya Hachiman!" the older woman said with a sarcastic tone.
"Hiratsuka-sensei the forever single of the Black Hand! It's an honor to be greeted by you!" Hikigaya answered... He was punched in the stomach.
"Onii-chan! I thought you died! I even gave all your porn collection I just found in your room to the other members of the Black Hand so that everyone will still remember you!"
"Geh!" Hikigaya is shocked by this revelation.
"Everyone now knows your into older *wink* woman Hikigaya" Hiratsuka said with a mocking smirk.
Hikigaya gave out a tired smile then entered the tunnel revealed by the collaped wall with the two woman, after entering the collapsed wall started reconstructing itself, hiding the secret tunnel.
At the other side of the tunnel is an underground town of the Black Hand, Black Hand is a secret society of dark magic using assassins who only bows to the king, only a few knows of their existence, they never take credit to retain their secrecy.
The underground town gets its light from glowing moss, the houses look all the same, cube shaped stone houses with two windows at all sides and a wooden door, the only unique building in the underground town is the town hall, it's a rectangular stone building with two black banners with a white hand as a design standing at each side of the door, it is also the only building in town that has 2nd floor and a balcony.
As the three walks the streets of the underground town everyone they pass by claps to Hikigaya making him slightly blush and said "And you two really have to tell everyone that I'm part of the strike force against the Overseer"
"Well we all know that princess Yukino and the others are the one who will take all the credit in the surface... So isn't it only fair for you to take the credit here underground hmm unsung hero of the Black Hand?" Hiratsuka said.
"Right! We all know you're the one who did almost all the work on taking down the Overseer Onii-chan! Whoohoo that must have scored me a lot of Komachi points!" Komachi chimed in.
"Onii-chan isn't there going to be a party at the castle in the evening? You're totally eligible to come, you are one princes Yukino's friends and part of the strike force against the Overseer" Komachi asked.
(For context: The king asked the Black Hand to guard Yukino during her school days, the Black Hand chosen Hikigaya for this mission and had gone undercover as a scholar student in the royal academy, he became the 3rd strongest student without even trying, Yukinoshita and Hayama being 1st and 2nd, on the surface Hikigaya is just a prodigy that can rival the princess and the son of the counselor Hayama, no one knows Hikigaya is a Black Hand member, Zaimokuza only calls him Black Hand because of his black gauntlet and use of black magic.)
"I'll go, I have something to do in the castle anyway but I'll rest at home first" Hikigaya answered.
"Is this thing you have to do in the castle have something to do with princess Yukino?" Komachi teased.
"You think too highly of your brother Komachi-chan, he's so spineless he can't even talk to girls, he only talked to Yukinoshita because of his mission" Hiratsuka said.
"If only you can use your time for being more feminine instead of trash talking me you'll land your self a husband Hiratsuka-sensei" Hikigaya retorted, he readied himself for a stomach punch but nothing came.
"Tsk, tsk, tsk, little boy, I'll have you know that I've got my self a date tonight!" Hiratsuka answered proudly.
"Really? Is he handsome?" Komachi excitedly asked.
"Yeah he is!" Hiratsuka answered.
"Just remember to treat him exactly the opposite of how you treat me Hiratsuka-sensei" Hikigaya said to his overly happy teacher.
"You bet!... Oh it's my turn here... Goodbye Hikigaya siblings!" Hiratsuka said.
The road splits in two,Hiratsuka taken the left road while the siblings.
The two entered their home, Komachi quickly ran to her room while Hikigaya walks to the kitchen for a light snack he saw some apples in their table but then noticed a note in their table, it reads :Good job son, sorry we can't greet you when you come home we have another urgent mission, love you from mom and dad.
Hikigaya smiled, grabbed an apple then ran to his room, he threw himself to his bed, he flipped over to face the roof of his room then talked to himself "The Overseer said to go to the castle library, what a pain in the ass... no not in the ass, in the legs... Ahh I really hate moving too much, my body isn't made for that! But I wonder what I would find in the library".