Chapter 4 : The Father Who Was Never There, Flood of Memories
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PNobunaga Chuusei, who was now known as the 'Great Nobunaga Miyashita', was famous - or atleast
as famous as he could be. His name had changed solely for his career. He was an actor, a beautiful and
perfect actor. People use to think that Ichimu looked amazingly like he, and not Keishu, should be
Nobunaga's brother. If it was the blonde hair and blue eyes that they shared in common, then many would
mistake Nobunaga's agent for his father. In fact, Nobunaga's agent was Ichimu's father. That is why Keishu
would later stop dead in his tracks when facing the Seiryu Seishi and their priest.
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PUnlike most people who don't live with their parents, it was not because Ichimu's parents had died. It
was because his father didn't want him. His father was too busy-atleast that's what everyone said. He was a
very successful, very goal-oriented businessman. A son? You had to be joking. The successful man known
simply as 'Hiryu' had no son. His son was dead to him-unless he needed his son for something. That's why
Ichimu had befriended Keishu.
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PKeishu was Nobunaga's little brother and Nobunaga cared about him greatly. The only time Hiryu had
ever even bothered to contact his son was on Nobunaga's behalf. Nobunaga wanted his brother to make
friends. Ichimu was Keishu's age. Since Ichimu had only seen his father once, it was no suprise that he
didn't notice the similarities that led him subconciously to hating one of his Seishi. Keishu, on the other
hand, knew Ichimu's father well.
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P*****
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PKeishu stood still, facing the small group calling themselves the Seiryu Seishi. Just like the Suzaku
Seishi, they were incomplete. He uttered a small cry. "Hiryu-san! What are you doing here?"
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P"The same as you." Ichimu crossed his arms.
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PKeishu looked at him puzzled. "No, no. What is your Ifather/I doing here, Ich. What is Hiryu-san
doing here?"
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P"My father? What nonsense are you talking?"
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P"Your father!" Keishu pointed at Nakago.
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PIchimu laughed. "Have you hit your head, Keishu? That's Seiryu Seishi Nakago."
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P"I know Hiryu-San when I see him, though!"
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PBoth boys had left their Seishi a good distance away. The only thing both sides could hear was
Keishu's hysterical accusations, not what they were though. They both saw him point at Nakago. Soi
turned to the older Seishi. "What is he doing?"
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P"It seems that Nakago-Sama bears a great resemblance to Seiryu no Houshi's father." Tomo seemed
to appear out of nowhere.
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PYui nearly jumped. How did he DO that? It was eerie, creepy. She hated it, yet hadn't she been upset
when he had died? She blinked stunned for a second. What had brought that thought. When he died? He
hasn't died! She was suprised when her mind reassured her that he was dead. That Soi and Nakago also
were. That the Seishi on Miaka's side were as well. Then the dam burst and all of her memories came
flooding out. She remembered every last one of her seishi, their deaths, their lives, their names. Was this
real? She couldn't remember. There was a howl and she felt a shiver run down her spine.
PIchimu whipped around. What was going on? The green-haired boy, the wolf-man-where had they come from?
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P"Lady Yui!" Suboshi took hold of Yui's hands. "What's going on?"
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PAshitare growled at Nakago, vaguely remembering that somehow his loyalty had been abused. Soi and
Tomo both took steps back from Nakago as everything came back into place. As Soi's face washed over
with horror, a storm began to pour down.
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P"I died for you and you-you just went right on with your plan!" Soi looked at Nakago.
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PAs the make-up ran in stripes down his face, Tomo glared at Nakago. "I did everything for you. Even in
death I served you. You didn't even have the decency to look for my body yourself."
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P"You're all here. Every one of you that died." Yui marveled.
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PIchimu's voice rang out over the storm. "Because the only living people who can cross into this realm
are already half-dead, hollow inside. The Priest isn't a bringer of life. The book lied. All he brings is a hollow
shell of life for a dead soul. We're all dead. We just don't know it. There's no God to be summoned. They've
already been and gone. There's just unfinished business that's left."
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PLightning flashed and thunder crackled as Ichimu stepped toward his seishi. Nakago continued to
coldly stare him down. Nakago saw the two who had loved him out of the corner of his eye. Soi's face was
contorted with rage. Tomo's mask of emotionless cold was gone. It had left with all the make-up. He was
furious. "Tomo." He turned to address him first. Tomo could always be won back. It was his greatest flaw.
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P"No. I am not your Seishi. I am not this 'Tomo'. Your Tomo is a brave war general, an excellent actor, a
great illusionist. Your Tomo loves you. I am Ryu Chuin and I despise you. You represent all the wrong
choices I could have made in my past because we are similar." Running one long red nail along the holder
snapped it and Tomo-now Chuin, the young man he had once been- let his hair fall around him, sticking in
silky strands to his face. His pale china-doll skin represented a life living in shadows.
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PNakago acted as if this hadn't suprised him, yet it did. When had Tomo learned to defy him? "Soi."
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P"No. Chuin is right. There are no Seiryu Seishi here. I am Haku Kaen." The red-headed woman responded.
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P"You see, Nakago. You're the only one who can't accept that your time as a Seiryu Seishi is over."
Ichimu stepped closer again. "You will never be a God. The best thing you could have ever been was a
loving father. You fail at that, too."
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