Honebami idly fiddled with the half-full cup in his hand before turning his glance towards Mikazuki, who had been eyeing the night sky almost in a trance. He turned his head to see what was it that has caught Mikazuki's attention so much... and smiled as he saw the beautiful crescent moon. The same crescent moon just like Mikazuki's namesake.

The crescent moon tonight was particularly beautiful somehow, though he supposed after going through such a taxing expedition earlier... being able to sit down and enjoy the night sky without worry, allowed one to be able to appreciate the sight even more. Honebami smiled. The crescent moon reminded him of Mikazuki's unique swordsmanship, which was just as beautiful and delightful to see. Perhaps that was why the Great Sword still remained fascinated by the crescent moon... and the moon itself.

"You love watching the moon... isn't it, Mikazuki-san?"

The tachi nodded at him. "Yes."

"After all... the moon doesn't look the same every time you look at it. Depending on the waxing and waning of the moon, you'll end up seeing a different side of the moon every time you look up to the sky. Just like people."

Honebami shrugged. "That's true..."

.

He thought back to the time when they were back at Azuchi Castle. When Mikazuki spoke of the time he saw Lord Nobunaga prior to the man's death, Mikazuki commented that THAT 'Nobunaga' seemed different than the one who had taken him hostage. The Great Sword had also spoken about his own reason to protect history back then.

Just like the moon... Honebami suppose that was why humans fascinate Mikazuki so much, and why the Great Sword continued to strive to protect history... and them. Unlike them, humans will grow old with the passage of time and die when their lives reached an end. Their lives are fleeting... and that makes the time they spent while they're still alive all the more precious.

Perhaps now he could understand why Mikazuki had laughed after telling Lord Nobunaga their disappointment after seeing the man desperately trying to defy his own fate.

"Mikazuki..."

Mikazuki turned his head towards Honebami before smiling sweetly. "What is it... Honebami?"

Honebami shrugged again.

"Back then... what did you mean when you say that you used to care only about yourself?"

Mikazuki just sighed at him before glancing back towards the moon. It almost made Honebami regret voicing the question aloud, in case the query offended the Great Sword somewhat. But then a small smile crept up from the edge of Mikazuki's lips.

"You may have forgotten about it, but the two of us had been part of the Ashikaga clan's treasured collection. We were displayed together at some point in time as well."

Honebami nodded. When he first arrived at the citadel and met with Mikazuki and the others in his unit, the Great Sword had mentioned this fact to everyone. And it was back then when Uguisumaru told the others that he had no memories of that shared past with the Great Sword.

"I was deemed the most beautiful of the Five Heavenly Great Swords... yet I was rarely ever wielded by anyone in battle. One might assume that the curve of my blade made it hard for anyone to use me... or perhaps they didn't dare to tarnish my beautiful blade in blood, but regardless, I was put on display as part of the collection rather than serving our master in battle."

Mikazuki cocked his head at Honebami. "I used to resent that fact a lot. If only anyone would unsheath me and use me in battle, I would've been so happy. What was the point of a sword that was made to kill, when it couldn't even fulfil the purpose it was made for?"

Mikazuki cast a glance to Honebami. "I used to envy you. Unlike me, you were often taken out to battle. The sword that could cut through even bones. Honebami Toushiro."

The Great Sword let out a sigh. "I used to lament the fact that all I'll ever be is to be placed on a pedestal to be admired while witnessing humans engaging in different kinds of battle inside closed doors. I used to wish that our position was switched instead." He smiled wistfully at Honebami.

"And then the old you said this to me; that you didn't actually like killing. You didn't like to do it... but you have to keep fulfilling your duty as a blade forged to kill. Yet you feared the day when your blade would dull and become useless to our master. Because the reason your form was changed from a naginata to a wakizashi, was because it was much more convenient to wield you as a wakizashi as compared to a naginata."

"Your words back then humbled me. At that moment I thought that I had been quite selfish. I have been envying other swords that had been taken into battle, but I never thought that perhaps there are some who may have envied me for not being taken to battle. Until then, I had no fear of being treated as a useless scrap of iron. Because I was such a precious blade treasured by our master... I need not worry about being cast aside. Other blades may not be so lucky as I was."

Mikazuki turned his head towards Honebami. "That's when I thought if possible, I too want to fight alongside our master one day. Not just to fulfil the purpose for which I had been forged, but also to protect. I want to protect our master... and you."

Honebami let out a startled gasp as Mikazuki chuckled.

"Of course, I hadn't really been able to be quite as useful as I could have wished... as I was passed to many different masters since then. The two of us parted ways once until at one point we were reunited under different masters." Mikazuki winked at Honebami teasingly. "In between those long stretches of time I had witnessed many different things, many different histories as humans lived their lives. Every one of those humans had their own stories; and as I was manifested into human form as well, I realised that the same thing goes for us swords warriors."

"I wanted to protect everyone... even more now that I had the ability to accomplish that wish—" Mikazuki grinned at Honebami. "—but I suppose I'll keep on finding more things to want to protect."

Honebami smiled at the Great Sword.

"I... felt the same way too. I started to find even more things here that I want to protect."

"I told you... right?" said the Great Sword again as Mikazuki giggled by himself.

It was nice... seeing Mikazuki smiling and being so much at ease. Even though he couldn't quite remember the past that the two of them used to share together, it stopped bothering him now compared to before. 'Let's form new memories!', his brother Namazuo had said to him earlier... so he shall create new memories with everyone here as well as with Mikazuki.

And those new memories would be enough to give him reasons to protect something. That should be enough.