Il Cielo dei Tre Regni
by Lunar Wave
Disclaimer: This story borrows the setting and characters of the Koihime†Musou series and borrows multiple elements from Katekyo Hitman Reborn. I own neither series as they both belong to their respective owners. Also, considering Koihime†Musou could be considered a fanfic of the Three Kingdoms, I'd like to say I don't own anything related to the stories of the Three Kingdoms.
-()-
Meeting Under the Same Sky
-()-
"Bakazuto. Your resolution is lacking. How far does your inferiority complex to your father go?" Reborn scoffed.
"What can I do? My dad pretty much changed the entire structure of the mafia! He already changed it for the best! How do you top that?"
"That defeatist attitude will get you killed, Bakazuto."
"It's not like I wanted that. Tell me, Reborn, what else do you think I can add to the legacy of Sawada Tsunayoshi? I might be able to continue a lot of his projects but I don't want to become just my dad's successor. I want to be Kazuto, who contributed something to Vongola… I want to know that I'm not just going to inherit his title so that I can maintain his legacy and pass it on."
"One day, Vongola will have a crisis, and Decimo will not be strong enough for it. When that time comes, you will be the one who will bear that mantle, no matter how heavy it is."
"And I will do my best to do so," Kazuto replied. "Because let's be honest, that's all I'm good for now… There isn't anything special about me compared to my father."
"There wasn't anything special about your father in the beginning." Reborn snorted. "You, on the other hand, have talents in things your father never dreamed he would ever have. Your base skill is good. The fact that you managed to learn the Shigure Souen Ryu is proof of that. Even if you only have mastery over some of the eight forms and can only perform them perfectly under Hyper Dying Will Mode, that talent is something he would never have. Your intuition is more honed than your own father's at the start. You even managed to learn both variations of Zero Point Breakthrough. Even if you did spend more than a year doing so. Also, you cook better than he'll ever be able to."
"I know… I have more talent than my father. But… In the end, all I could see in my future is to continue all the projects that my father had begun, and create new ones as I see fit."
"…I see… Well, I guess my first step is to kick that inferiority complex out of you." Reborn pulled out a machine gun and started chasing him.
Kazuto did not regret being born to his father. Hell, he knew that he admired his father, more than anything. He also knew that, despite everything, he is not his father. He is not Primo reincarnated. But he knew that he will have to carry their mantle and press on forward, no matter how heavy it may be. He had already resolved himself to at least inherit it properly. Because he knew that he probably would never find a higher calling than that.
-()-
When Kazuto woke up, it was to the face of a teenage girl's worried face: rose-colored hair, bright blue eyes, and a kind look on her face. The girl is remarkably pretty, just from the face. Kazuto mentally shook that thought out of his head. Focus. Breathe in, and out.
"Ummm… are you alright?" Fluent Japanese exited the young girl's mouth. Huh. Well, despite how she looked, the girl seemed to be more or less Japanese? She had a more Chinese feel to her, so he wasn't entirely sure. Now that his eyes were more focused, he could see that her clothes were anything but natural. She is wearing what appears to be some sort of ancient Chinese peasant clothing… But the girl herself didn't look all that much of a peasant. She had a sort of atmosphere around her that made him feel strange… protective yet not subservient… The boy had to look away to keep himself from staring too long.
"Yeah… I guess." He replied cautiously. A look in the background already told him a lot of things. First, he's no longer anywhere in Japan. That in itself is not odd. Teleportation technology wasn't anything entirely new; it just required tons upon tons of flames that it was still rather unwieldy. His current location seems to be taken straight out of a Chinese Sumi-e painting.
"Where am I?"
The girl hesitantly gave a location upon which Kazuto's face paled slightly. Unless he's hearing this wrong… does that mean… Dammit. So China it is. Although, why is she speaking fluent Japanese? Part of his training is learning Chinese, so he could've communicated with her using that, but the fact that she can speak Japanese so well is a mystery to him.
"Oh, right, I haven't introduced myself yet… I'm Sa…" It's been nearly two years; how the hell is he still not used to this? "I'm Hongou Kazuto, Second Year High School Student at St. Francesca Academy."
"… Second Year? Second year of… what? Sey… Fran Ches Ka…? Uh…" Was this place that backwater? He understood not understanding St. Francesca's name. But not even Second Year?
"I'm a student in the second year of my training instruction in one of the higher levels of learning in a school referred to as St. Francesca Academy."
"… Ah, I see, a student. Second Year into it? How many years are there? And levels?" Well… Kazuto supposed he can go into a bit of an exposition on the school system… but… does she seriously not know these things?
"Well, so far I'm in my third level of instruction. Starting from the bottom, you have elementary school, middle school, and high school, each with its own different difficulty in terms of schooling. Elementary school starts when you are six and continues for six years. After that, you move onto middle school and after three years' worth of middle school, you move onto high school, which is also three years."
"Eh… So you spend about twelve years just studying? And from so young?" The girl looked amazed. "You must be really knowledgeable."
"Not to brag, but yeah, I'm in the top percentage of my year level." Kazuto sheepishly scratched his head. He kind of had to be at the top considering his Spartan teacher would utterly demolish him if he isn't. Looking around, he spotted his wooden sword. Sighing calmly, he picked it up and placed it on his shoulder.
"I see. You must be a really learned individual then! Oh, I almost forgot, my family name is Ryuu, my given name is Bi, and my style name is Gentoku. It's nice to meet you." The girl bowed politely, with a bright smile, as though she hadn't said anything confusing.
"… what?" Kazuto looked blankly in shock at the response of the girl, "What did you just say? I don't think I heard you correctly…"
"Oh, okay. I'm Ryuubi, style name Gentoku. It's nice to meet you, Hongou Kazuto-san."
"Ryuubi Gentoku? As in Liu Bei Xuande? The Hero of Peace and Lord of Shu Han?"
"Uh… I don't… understand? Shu Han, Hero of Peace?"
Kazuto backtracked. It seems that the girl didn't really understand his shock. Liu Bei Xuande, or Ryuubi Gentoku in Japanese, is something of a famous individual. Kazuto firmly believed that there shouldn't be anyone unaware of the man's actions, especially in China, although that might be a bit slightly racist, all things considered. But this girl seemed genuinely confused. "… Eh? Umm… Were you named after the famous Hero from the Three Kingdoms Era?" Using the onyomi, he added in his mind.
"Three Kingdoms? Era? Ummm… As far as I'm aware I wasn't named after anyone…" Ryuubi pondered. "Well, I could ask my mother, if you would like…"
"I think… Yeah, it would probably be more helpful if I spoke to an adult about this." Kazuto nodded.
"… I am an adult." Ryuubi pouted. Kazuto looked at Ryuubi and sheepishly scratched his head.
"Oh, sorry if I offended you or anything."
"No, it's fine." The girl smiled brightly. "But anyway, I suppose we should go see my mother soon."
"Well look what we have here." And with that, three men, with yellow scarves tied to their heads appeared before the two.
-()-
Ryuubi wasn't entirely sure what was going on when she found Hongou and herself surrounded by enemies. One man was at least twice her height and probably more than thrice her weight. The other is a small man, smaller than even herself. And the third was a man who seemed to position himself as the leader of the trio.
Ryuubi didn't know a lot about fighting. She's probably good enough to fight off common bandits, but she has no experience in that, but this is three on two… She couldn't be certain of victory in this kind of situation… Hongou seems to only have the wooden blade in his hand for defense, and she certainly hoped he's skilled enough with it.
"What do you gentlemen want from us?" Hongou bravely asked as he took a stance with his wooden blade. She grasped her sword. Yellow scarves on their heads… Are these the infamous bandits that plague these lands?
The small one chuckled. "Oh, us? Well, for starters, your bag and clothes first, boy. Next, the girl for a bit of fun." Hongou's eyes narrowed.
"Bandits, I presume?" Ryuubi said, her voice slightly troubled, before drawing the sword on her side.
The leader-like individual seemed angry at that response, "Bandits? No! We are members of the great Yellow Turban Army. You have some nerve to refer to us as common bandits."
"You want my belongings, and you want to rape the girl right next to me. I fail to see how that differentiates you from other bandits." Hongou snorted, his wooden sword pointed at the one man who seems to be the leader of the trio.
The man grinned, "So you won't yield brat? There are three of us and only two of you. And neither of you look the type to be any good at fighting."
Hongou smiled and laughed. "Then clearly you aren't a martial artist of any kind."
"What do you mean?" The fat one asked.
"Any martial artist could tell when someone has trained enough to fight. If you couldn't see it in me, then you must rely on those swords of yours to do your dirty work most of the time." Hongou shrugged, "I shouldn't even need her help for this." And the boy took a stance. "Heh, I bet even she can beat all three of you even if I didn't help. You don't mind if I take these three, right?"
"I… don't really like fighting in the first place…" Ryuubi nodded before lowering her sword slightly, "Go ahead, Hongou-san."
"I suppose that's to be expected from someone named after the Hero of Peace." Hongou chuckled. Ryuubi looked back in confusion. There it is again. The boy referred to her as a Hero of Peace. But why?
"You… are you underestimating us, you punk!?" The midget roared, "Hey, Fatso, beat him up already."
"Okay." The fat one wobbled forward, his sword menacing to the sight, but that was all there is to it as Hongou Kazuto rushed forward without fear.
And then suddenly, in a quick flash, Ryuubi couldn't help but notice it; the wooden sword in the boy's hand turned into steel, and the boy quickly slashed at the fat man with ease. "Shigure Souen Ryu, 8thForm Offensive,Shinotsuku Ame." The boy said as he finished his attack. The fat man flew backward hitting the midget, who had been rushing forward to follow up, and knocking the small man into unconsciousness. Ryuubi watched as Hongou Kazuto then pointed the now clearly steel blade at the leader's neck. "Now it's two on one. Anything you'd like to say? I'd rather not make a bastard like you be my first kill."
"W-… when did you… get that sword?"
"Does it matter?" The boy smiled, "By the way, I used the flat of my blade so they should only be dazed. You can take them back if you'd like. Just leave us alone."
"Do… do you really think I'll just retreat that easily!?" The man roared before running forward. Hongou Kazuto looked in mild disinterest as he took a stance. And suddenly, a spear had appeared between them.
"What do you think you are doing to this noble, filthy bandit?" a strong, feminine voice echoed causing all those conscious in the area to turn to the source. A tall girl, with long, black silky hair. Her clothes were chiefly in colors of white and green, with gold trimming, as well as a dark blue skirt. But what's of note is her polearm, a guandao, decorated with the head of a green dragon.
"Yeah, bring it on!" Another, more childish, girl's voice echoed, and a smaller redheaded girl appeared, brandishing a spear twice longer than she is tall. But the way she effortlessly carried the spear shows her strength. Her midriff is bared for all to see, a tiger print jacket covered her tight dark blue shirt, with tight blue pants and two belts with a yin-yang decorated on it. On her hair was a tiger head hairpin.
"… Ch… che!" The man grumbled before kicking at his fallen comrades. "Wake up you louts; we need to get outta here. There's too many of them!" And with that, the trio scrambled to their feet and ran as fast as they could.
-()-
"… I hope letting them live won't come to bite us back." Kazuto sighed, before smiling, "Ryuubi-chan, are you hurt?"
"No, I'm fine." Ryuubi smiled back, before sheathing away her sword. She turned to the other two, and with a bow, said, "Thank you as well. Your help was very much appreciated."
The redheaded child grinned, "It was nothing. Rinrin is more than enough to beat them. Although, I don't think we needed to help at all, huh? The oniisan over here did really well, despite being a noble."
"Huh? Noble? What do you mean by that?" While he does slightly count as a noble, he never did consider himself one. At best, he considered himself the heir of a crime syndicate, which is really, really not something he wanted to just tell these girls so soon after meeting them.
The child looked back in confusion, "Well, you're dressed up in those shiny clothes, so Rinrin thought you were a noble… aren't you?"
A shake of the head from Hongou before he smiled, "These clothes are made from polyester. And to be fair, it's fairly common from where I came from."
"Po-li-e-ster?" Ryuubi enunciated. The three girls looked at the boy in confusion.
"A strange cloth created through means I don't honestly know all too much about." He confessed. "Sorry, can't be much help there." Seeing their rather confused looks, "I'm not a tailor."
"No, it's fine." The black-haired girl smiled. "We were just wondering… Did you… see anything of note here?"
"Well, apart from me apparently waking up in the middle of nowhere, eh, nothing much." Kazuto chuckled, "Oh, I suppose I should introduce myself. I am Hongou Kazuto." He bowed once, before quickly straightening his back.
Ryuubi followed suit quickly. "I am Ryuubi, my Style Name is Gentoku. It's nice to meet you."
The taller of the two nodded, "Hongou and Ryuubi, huh? My surname is Kan, my given name is U, and my style name is Unchou." Kazuto looked blankly at the two… Somehow he finally knew the name of the other one before she even piped up… but that's… why are all these three girls? Is this some twisted eroge where they force famous male historical characters and genderbend them to suit their perverse needs? Well, he'll need to hear the next name first before he decides…
Ignoring the look of shock that appeared upon the boy's face, the redhead grinned, "Rinrin's name is Chouhi. Style Name is Yokutoku. It's nice to meet you, oniichan, oneechan!"
That settles it. Kazuto sighed as he looked up at the sky. 'Uncle Byakuran, I swear if you are related to this at all…' He didn't say it out loud, as he didn't want to be a bother. Well… now he knows. This is somehow a parallel world, set during the end of the Han Dynasty, where the characters of, at the very least, Liu Bei, Guan Yu, and Zhang Fei are all girls. Now the only question left is what he was supposed to do here.
"Ano… Kazuto-san, are you alright?" Ryuubi asked in confusion.
"Yeah, just fine." A strained smile appeared on Kazuto's face. He turned towards both Kan'u and Chouhi, "And, please, Kazuto is fine. All my friends call me that."
"… eh? You mean Kazuto is your True Name?" Ryuubi looked surprised. "That means… You entrusted your True Name to us so easily?" Both Chouhi and Kan'u looked surprised as well. What's wrong? Granted he has always been a bit too trusting… but letting people call him by his given name… he's never made a big deal about letting others call him by that name. He didn't have a Style Name, so they can't call him by that either, so…
"Well, none of you seem like bad people, so it should be fine…" Kazuto shrugged. "Although… if it bothers you that much, I guess you could keep calling me as you prefer…"
"N-no, it's not that we don't want to call you by your True Name, but… why would you just entrust it to us so easily?"
"… Something tells me that I can trust you guys… I guess?" Kazuto shrugged easily, still confused by this turn of events.
"… Rinrin is surprised…" Chouhi said, amazed, "You think you can trust Rinrin and Aisha so easily? Well then, it's decided!" Chouhi grinned, "Rinrin will entrust her True Name to you as well! After all, it's only fair. Rinrin's True Name is Rinrin. Feel free to call Rinrin that! Oh, and the same goes to the oneechan over there."
"And you can all call me Touka as well if you don't mind…" Ryuubi smiled.
"… I see… I suppose it should be fine to entrust my True Name as well. Aisha is my True Name." Kan'u nodded. True name… as in, their actual names…? He really should ask for confirmation, but it seemed as if this was some very important ritual. So in this world (he will refuse to believe this is the actual history), everyone has three, sometimes four, names. A surname, a given name, sometimes a style name, and a supposed true name which is reserved to close friends. He should correct this misunderstanding though… it will be better in the long run.
"Can you explain what it means to use each other's True Names?" Kazuto asked. The other three looked surprised at his declaration. "I suppose I should explain. In my country, only friends and close family call each other by only our given names. In fact, I know of close friends who still can't call each other by given names because they're so used to calling each other by surnames." Like him towards Oikawa.
"I… is that so?" Touka asked confused, "So to you, your given name serves as your True Name… Well, it's the same for us here, except, that anyone can call you by your given name. Others call us by our style names, but our True Name is a name we only allow close friends and family to call us by."
Aisha nodded, "But that still means you permitted us to call you by the equivalent of a True Name. So it's only fair we share our own with you."
"It's still perfectly fine and acceptable to call me by my full name, though." Kazuto shrugged. "It's just the given name on its own that implies being overly familiar."
"Where exactly did you come from, oniichan?" Rinrin asked.
"Hmmm… the country across the sea to the east, I suppose…" Kazuto shrugged, looking at the sky slightly and pointing to what he assumed was east.
"So you're a trader of some sort?" Aisha asked.
"Student," Kazuto replied.
"So a scholar, huh… But you decided to learn the sword? Wait, where's your sword?" Kazuto looked blankly back. He supposed that Aisha and the rest hadn't been paying enough attention to notice him returning his Shigure Kintoki into its storage box, so he simply tapped the box on his side.
"This box can hold my sword to free up my hands because, as you can see, I don't have many places to put my sword away in."
"Wow, that small box can hold that weird sword?" Rinrin said, amazed. "Do you think Rinrin can have one? Rinrin likes carrying the Viper Spear but it's a bit too big." She swung her spear almost carelessly. Touka and Kazuto recoiled, the former more than the latter. "Don't worry; Rinrin won't hit you." Rinrin said confidently, "Rinrin's the best when it comes to spears." And something tells him that the girl wasn't lying in the slightest.
"Sorry, don't know how to make them." Kazuto shrugged. Shigure Kintoki ver. Bokken wasn't something he had normally. In fact, it's not really like the actual Shigure Kintoki that Yamamoto Takeshi uses. Reborn had it made for him as a gift for surviving his training for so long, serving as a joint gift from him and his father. The box contains a bokken that can become a katana, which he calls Shigure Kintoki ver Bokken in honor of his learning of the Shigure Souen Ryu. But in reality, it is a simple bokken that Kazuto can will into a katana if needed. It didn't have the same functionality as the actual Shigure Kintoki that only switches when using a Shigure Souen Ryu Form. Kazuto laughed slightly at the memory of mastering the switch between sword and bokken. And then he felt his stomach growl, "Also, I'm getting hungry." Kazuto replied sheepishly.
Touka gasped, "Oh, right! Let's go to my home so that I could properly thank you." Touka then turned to the other two. "You are welcome to join us."
"I suppose it won't hurt…"
"Rinrin doesn't mind either!"
And so, with Touka leading the way, the four companions started their walk.
"Umm… oniichan, you never did say what you're doing here." Rinrin pointed out.
"Whose fault exactly is that, Rinrin?" Aisha sighed.
"Well, I don't know really…" Kazuto replied. "I just suddenly found myself in the middle of these lands."
"You mean you don't even know why you are here, Kazuto-kun?" Touka asked, confused. It seems that Touka has swapped the honorific from - san to -kun… He felt slightly happy about this. After all, what boy wouldn't appreciate a cute girl calling him so familiarly?
"Well, yeah. One moment, I'm at my… home," technically true, since school is technically referred to as second home aside from home. "fighting off a thief. Next, I find myself waking up to see a cute girl in the middle of nowhere."
"C-cute?" Touka stumbled a bit before fixing her posture, avoiding looking behind her, "Well… I just found you sleeping on the ground…"
"Huh? How did you find me then?" Kazuto asked, confused. "I mean, it's a pretty big field, but there doesn't seem to be a village anywhere close enough. And, to be honest, you don't look the wanderer [type]."
"[Type]?" Rinrin asked, confused.
… Dammit, using English loan words won't help here then. "I meant, Touka doesn't look built for wandering around freely."
"Puuu… what exactly does that mean, Kazuto-kun?"
"Your clothes are too clean, your hair is too neat, and you seemed pretty disturbed when we were fighting those bandits." Kazuto replied, "From my guess, that was your first run-in with bandits. Most wanderers have at least a few times run across a group of bandits. Back to how you found me."
Touka huffed for a bit before replying, "I saw a strange star fall from the sky and towards here. And I felt a strange pull towards it… So, I thought destiny was asking me to come here. But, while I was looking for the fallen star, I found you."
"Well… destiny… huh?"
"It's the same for Rinrin and Aisha!" Rinrin chirped up. "We came here because of a prophecy about… Aisha…?" She seemed somewhat confused.
Aisha sighed and recited:
"From above, wreathed in sky's flame,
comes a messenger from the heavens.
Together with the Imperial Descendant,
he will gather his guardians
and bring peace to these warring lands."
Kazuto almost recoiled at the prophecy, "… Wait, sky's flame? A messenger from the heavens? Bring peace? Who made this prophecy?"
"The great fortune teller, Kanro, did." Aisha replied, "And when we saw the falling flame from the sky we thought it was the coming of the heavenly messenger."
'Sky's flame… is it referring to my Sky Flames?' Kazuto wondered. So this was what the story was going to be about huh…
"Oh, we're here. Mother, I'm home." A woman, probably old enough to be his mother, came out the door to greet the four.
"Touka, welcome home." The woman inside greeted, and Kazuto felt a strange feeling from the mother. "And you brought guests, I see."
"Yes. This is Hongou Kazuto… but don't call him by Kazuto, since that's his True Name…" Touka introduced, "This is Kan'u and Chouhi."
"It's an honor to meet Touka's mother." Kazuto bowed, before quickly standing up.
"He calls you by your True Name, Touka?" The woman said, amused, much to the embarrassment of Touka, "Come in, come in. Although this place is rather small, please sit within our walls for the time being."
"We thank you for your hospitality." Aisha bowed before all four of them entered the house.
-()-
"So all four of you acknowledged each other then?"
"Yes, ma'am." Aisha bowed. "I am Kan'u Unchou, and this is my companion."
"Chouhi Yokutoku." Rinrin nodded.
Touka's mother nodded, "And what brings you two in these parts?"
"Rinrin and I are travelers who are seeking the Heavenly Messenger and Imperial Descendant."
"You seek them for what reason?" The mother asked sharply, her eyes flitting towards Touka before turning back to the other two girls in the room.
"We received a prophecy that stated that a Heavenly Messenger will arrive and, together with the Imperial Descendant, will be the ones to bring peace upon our lands. We seek them so that we can help them on their quest."
"Oh dear me… Such a troubled road you two pursue." The mother nodded. She turned meaningfully at Touka. Touka froze slightly, and her mouth widened slightly, but she simply shook her head as well.
Aisha and Rinrin nodded. "Ano, Touka-neechan," Rinrin began, "Do you know anything about it?"
"Sorry, Rinrin, Aisha…" Touka shook her head, "I don't know much about a Heavenly Messenger… but if I do find that person, I promise that I'd tell you as soon as I could."
"Well, we never once believed that this would be easy." Aisha sighed. "I suppose we should be on our way. Sorry for the intrusion."
"Aren't you going to eat first before leaving?" Touka's mother called, causing four growling stomachs to remind their owners that they haven't eaten in a while. Aisha embarrassedly looked up and nodded slightly.
"True!" Rinrin shamelessly replied. "We'll eat before we leave."
And with that, four friends smiled. An amicable atmosphere formed with them. Kazuto smiled, as the five of them shared a meal, although it was slightly awkward for him to be the only male at the table.
-()-
Rinrin and Aisha soon left, Touka escorting them (also to sell the shoes and mats that she hasn't begun selling yet), at least until the nearest town. Kazuto looked at Touka's mother and bowed.
"So what are your plans, Hongou?" Touka's mother asked. "Are you going to leave?"
"In all honesty, I'd like to stay for a while," Kazuto replied, surprising the mother. "I don't exactly have any other place to go right now, so staying with people I know like Touka-chan is in my best interests." Kazuto looked at her and nodded, "I won't be a freeloader though. I think I can help around the house in case you need it."
"You can help us make and sell the shoes and mats we make." Touka's mother responded with a kindly smile. "But I'm sure there are some things you'd like to do first before you start helping." Kazuto nodded as he looked at the bag.
"Yeah, I need to see what I have." Kazuto nodded. He did plan to do that anyway.
-()-
He found an out-of-the-way kind of place outside the house. There should be no one nearby to see him, so he might as well start his inventory check. He started by searching his pockets.
His cellphone is there. But, just as expected, there is no signal to be found. It'll be useful for the apps in it though, like his dictionary and such, but he won't be communicating with anyone with it anytime soon. The camera would be nice to use to take a few memories with him, but he'll have to take the pictures himself as no one in the area knows how to use the thing (unless he teaches them). He tested the camera out by taking a picture of Touka's home. Brilliant. The storage space on the thing is nothing to scoff at either, so he'll be good for a good long time. Unfortunately, he doesn't have a Three Kingdoms e-book in the thing, so he can't cross-reference any events. He'll have to go by memory.
Returning to his pockets, he has a couple of ballpoint pens in there, for some reason. Must've forgotten to empty his pockets when he left with Reborn.
What else could be in his pockets… He's got his Dying Will Pills… That should last him a while… He just hoped he didn't need to go Hyper Dying Will Mode too often.
Next, he checked his box belt, and already he could see various things that would be immediately useful in a fight. He has six boxes on his belt, three placed on either side of his pants.
The one above his left pocket holds his Shigure Kintoki. It was placed there mostly to imitate the location of a katana's sheath.
To his direct left is a box for his flame boots… which allows him to hover about if necessary. His flame is still too weak (according to Reborn) to use the boots properly for flight, but they're generally useful to keep around.
Next to it is his Airbike with retractable wheels, which is fueled by Fiamma Voltage (i.e. Dying Will Flames). This might be useful if he wants to bring people around, although he'll have to explain that it's some form of a wagon-slash-horse? Eh, he'll get there when he gets there. He laughed slightly before looking back at his things.
Now, on his right side, is the storage box for his contacts and earpiece. They should've automatically returned to the storage box as soon as he lost consciousness, but it's safe to check. Yup, it's there.
To his direct right, is a box with a standard Vongola issue First Aid Kit. Neat. It should have various healing materials based on the properties of either Sun flames or Rain flames, depending on the circumstance.
The sixth and last box, positioned just above his right pocket, however, made him smile, softly, before he tried to once more put a lit ring onto the slot. Nothing happened, and Kazuto simply sighed. It was his Middle School Graduation Gift given by his father, and inside is his very own Box Animal. Unfortunately, he has yet to be able to open it, for the entire time since he received it. He shook his head, and simply chose to give up. He didn't know what the conditions to open the box were. The box itself has a peculiar design. It was Orange, as most Sky Boxes are, but surrounding the slot are six clear domes. When he asked Reborn about how to open the box, his tutor simply told him that he doesn't need his Box Animal if he would only just start choosing his Guardians. And so, he's just stuck not knowing what the hell it is.
And that's about it for his boxes.
Now, what did Reborn pack into his bag? He opened his drawstring bag, to check it out. What did his sadistic mentor want to do when he gave Kazuto the bag?
He has a Solar Charger for his phone… well, that makes sense. Fiamma Voltage Chargers are meant for those with strong flames after all, and Reborn never once believed that he had a powerful flame due to his quote 'lackluster resolution'.
He has a set of casual and sleepwear. That's disturbing. Clearly, whatever Reborn wanted to do, it needed him to spend quite a bit of time away from society… They weren't in a box and were simply folded and put in neatly. He carefully returned them to the bag.
He looked at yet another box and then saw the label. Is this… a suit? He didn't want to open it, but it was clearly a suit. Specifically, Vongola's specially made suit, weaved with threads mixed with Lightning Flames to keep it as protective as a steel shield, a few Sun Flames designed to heal if the wearer gets injured. If it is damaged, it can be fixed by refilling the damaged part with his flame. Apparently, this was inspired by a Battle that his father had. He didn't know against who but knew that Uncle Byakuran was involved. It's meant to be both battle-worthy and remains as elegant as much as possible. Well… it's a step up from his school uniform in terms of defense, all considering.
Sheesh, Reborn; why did he feel the need to pack him a suit? There's no reason for him to have a suit if Reborn's going to take him on a training trip. The only event in the future he had expected to wear one is when he goes to Italy for Christmas… He still needs to sort through the rest of his stuff and he's already getting a headache. Right, inventory first, analysis after.
He also had a blank, waterproofed notebook, as well as a blank, also waterproofed binder. Well, they'll be handy if he ever needed it. He'll keep the notebook as some sort of diary or something. Although, that's probably there to force him to learn to write properly in the various languages that he's being taught.
A carton of soap, shampoo, conditioner, a toothbrush, a tube of toothpaste, and a towel. Basic things, but disturbed him regardless.
Now, the last two boxes were… special. First, they weren't Flame Boxes that use some obscure science to store things away. They looked more like boxes you'd keep your jewelry in. He took a peek and saw that they were the two sets of rings that Reborn said he put in. A full set for all seven flames, and one set with only the non-Sky rings, with an empty slot that seems to indicate that his current sky ring came from this set. He stuffed the two ring boxes away and sighed. Well… if any bandit sees him with these, well… he'll just have to keep them out of the way, huh?
Analyzing what Reborn packed… Dammit, Reborn probably planned to go on some demented camping trip with him that winter break and force him to live somewhere else for a while until he needed to go to Italy for Christmas. Unless of course, the forest (it's the first location he can think of that these things could be useful), or wherever the hell he would be, is in Italy. The suit was probably for when he finally has to go back to meet his father, so Reborn didn't plan to let him go back home to change. And it seems Reborn hoped that they might come across a few people who would serve as good Guardians…
As soon as his thoughts drifted to the idea, Kazuto immediately thought of Touka, Aisha, and Rinrin, before shaking his head slightly. Would they really become Guardians for him? The three were famous figures, regardless of their gender… The prophecy thing mentioned him gathering guardians but… he's hesitant. Should he really involve them? Well, if they want to be his Guardians and they grow close enough that they will stand alongside him… then it's fine.
Well, time to learn how to make shoes and mats from Ryuubi's mother.
-()-
"… this is difficult." Kazuto looked at the mess he somehow spectacularly made, "… you do this every day?"
"Maybe you should just help Touka sell them instead of helping make them." Touka's mother laughed, clearly not bothered. "You don't seem to have any talent for this."
"… Never been good with arts and crafts." Kazuto sighed, "More of a [sports] guy."
"Su-ports?" The mother asked.
"Physical activity." Kazuto shrugged, "At any rate, I'm good at moving my body around more than just my hands."
"I see. That makes sense." She nodded. "Touka should be coming home soon."
"Oh, really?" Kazuto looked up at the sky. "Huh, would you look at that? Does she usually come home at this time?"
"Well, I didn't tell her to sell more than just a few, so it should be fine." The mother smiled. A strange quiet fell upon the two, save for the sound of the mother making her wares. "Hongou-sama."
"Huh?" Kazuto blinked at the sudden change of tone. "You can call me Kazuto as well if you'd like…"
But, as though, she didn't hear him, Touka's mother continued, "What do you know of my daughter?"
Kazuto was surprised by the question, and responded simply: "She's a very nice girl…"
Touka's mother just sharply looked at him. "Hongou-sama, I know that you are the Heavenly Messenger that the prophecy that those two children stated." Kazuto was surprised at this declaration, but Touka's mother continued, "How did I know? Nothing more than mere speculation." The mother dismissed it easily, "But it is the truth that my daughter rushed out to seek a star that has fallen from the sky this morning. And upon her return, she brought three friends, two who were actually seeking the Heavenly Messenger who will be aided by a Descendant of Imperial Royalty. Is it strange that I thought the boy who came with them with strange customs is the Messenger?"
"… I see. Ryuubi is the descendant of an emperor, after all." Kazuto nodded.
"… So you also knew my child's heritage… Yes, my daughter is the descendant of Ryuushou;" The mother nodded with a small smile, "the sword on her side is the only heirloom left from that time." It was as though she was finally confirming something in her mind as she looked back at him. "I might've been more skeptical of the prophecy had it not been for you. But… I might ask you. My daughter is not the only descendant. There are certainly plenty of others. Look no further than Rakuyou and you will find one sitting upon its throne. So why my child?"
"… I don't know. I am not lying as to say that the first time I arrived upon these lands, the first face I saw was Touka's." Kazuto softly smiled. "And I'm not all too sure about this Heavenly Messenger business."
"So you're saying you are not the one in the Prophecy those two bore?"
"… no. I'm sure that I'm it." Kazuto sighed, "Too many things match up. The Sky Flame," he lit his ring to show it to the woman (slightly shocking the woman) before he let the flame dissipate, "the Imperial Descendant, Ryuubi, and the guardians thing. Once is luck. Twice, a coincidence. Thrice, a pattern."
"… I see, thank you… I am certain that my Touka will definitely become someone who is destined for greatness, especially now that she will bear that prophecy on her shoulders. I raised her to be someone fitting as a Descendant of Imperial Royalty. But I still worry; especially when she decided not to reveal her heritage to those two." The mother smiled softly, "So Messenger of Heaven, what do you know of my child's future?"
Kazuto pondered on this, before nodding. "Do you promise not to tell anyone of what I am to tell you?" At the nod of the mother, Kazuto continued, "… I don't know what would be different because of my presence, but… to my knowledge, the person known as Ryuubi Gentoku becomes the Hero of Peace, a hero in these troubled times, and with the help of Kan'u and Chouhi and various others, founds one of the Three Kingdoms that split the country, thereby the era being called the Three Kingdoms Era."
"So that is what she will become?" The mother carefully responded, which Kazuto noted.
"I don't know if she'll become so now that I've affected this timeline by my presence, but…" Kazuto smiled, "… that's not what you really wanted to know, wasn't it? You do not care whether she becomes great or not." The mother recoiled slightly but Kazuto simply chuckled, "You are a mother, and what you care about is her safety, more than her future." Kazuto then raised his ring finger and ignited the ring. "Well, then, I will swear to you. I'll protect Touka as much as I could. She WILL be safe." Such power was forced into that oath that his ring's flame burst brightly before returning to its flickering state.
"… Thank you." The mother nodded. "Now, let us prepare for dinner. I assume you at least can use that flame to burn firewood?"
"Sometimes I think it's the only thing the thing's good for," Kazuto remarked.
-()-
When Touka arrived back home, she half-expected Kazuto to not have fulfilled anything but the very basics of mat and shoemaking. After all, it's not easy to just pick up a craft and do it in a single afternoon. She wasn't too disappointed, more amused than anything else. On the other hand, she also spent quite a bit of time teasing the boy, who simply sighed and responded that he's been through this with her mother.
Amiable chatter about his lessons, surprising Touka just how learned Kazuto is. So many small tidbits of information like what the body is made of, how it functions, ways to prevent getting sick… small things that were a mystery to them were spoken by Kazuto as if common sense. The knowledge that his teachers give him is nothing to scoff at.
Eventually, they finished their meal and they started cleaning up, Kazuto said: "So where am I going to sleep?"
"We could put out another mat for you to sleep on if you'd like…"
"I don't think I should just easily sleep in the same place as a girl…" Kazuto replied quickly, a bit too fast as a blush on his face appeared. "I'm glad you trust me but, I'm sure that both of you will feel safer if this stranger just sleeps elsewhere."
"Nonsense." The mother dismissed, Touka nodding away alongside her. "You can sleep inside where it's warm. You did mention that sleeping out in the cold can get you sick as well, you know?"
"… Fine, I can see that I'm outnumbered." Kazuto sighed, as he pulled his bag. "I'll be intruding for a bit longer. Do you need me to exit the house so that you can change to your sleepwear?"
Touka blushed before nodding quickly, "Uh, yes please!"
Kazuto nodded and retreated from the room. He'll have to change clothes as well anyway.
-()-
It was pretty awkward sleeping next to a girl, in his sleepwear. It was completely innocent what with the girl's mother being right there, but it was still nerve-wracking to Kazuto.
"Neh, Kazuto-kun…"
"What is it, Touka-chan?"
"… Can you tell me more about… your land? I'd like to know more…"
"I can't promise you'd like what you hear," Kazuto replied. "It's not exactly paradise."
"But you'll tell me about it?"
"Maybe on occasion." Kazuto nodded. "… Good night, Touka-chan."
The radiant smile the girl gave back, lit by the moonlit night, was enough for Kazuto to feel his heart race. Dammit, calm down. And, as he struggled with his own body's physiological response, he almost missed the girl's response: "Good night, Kazuto-kun."
-()-
In a different place, in a bandit hideout nearby, somewhere, a tall man, a midget, and a fat man walked towards what appeared to be a congregation of bandits. Scarves of yellow are wrapped around their heads, and they all looked almost manic in their expression. The three quickly decided to move in, trying to listen in to those who are deciding what was going on.
They were at the very least able to hear this much: "Men. In a few days, we will strike! Take from those who would go against us! Begin preparing yourselves." Looks like… soon, there will be another raid. Well, the trio supposed that it would be a good way to vent their anger for losing to that bastard in shiny clothes.
"The blue sky has perished! Let the yellow sky rise!" With that cry, they roared it to the heavens, in defiance of its will. But even with such open defiance, even with fangs bared against it, the sky didn't even flinch. It simply continued to exist, accepting everything. It knew that soon enough, the young sky's flame will burn brightly, and end the chaos that they so firmly wish to sow.
-()-
Chapter End
-()-
Chapter Release Date: November 2, 2015
Last Edited: June 3, 2022
-()-
Sorry for the info dump. I'd split this chapter in half, but then too little would happen in a single chapter. Again, no Beta Reader. So any errors are simply those that I missed myself.
Oh, question: Which title do you prefer? A) Sky of the Three Kingdoms or B) Il Cielo dei Tre Regni. They should mean the same if Google Translate can be trusted with at least Italian. As a bonus, Google Translate translates Cielo as both Sky and Heaven, which is strangely fitting.