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.
-()-
Where Resolution Begins
-()-
"There will be times you will have to fight. While running away is a valid tactic, that option will not always be available to you."
"Then, how should I fight?"
"Don't show mercy." Reborn bluntly replied. "Showing mercy is only when you are stronger than your opponent. If your opponent surpasses you in all ways, ensure your own victory before you ensure your foe's life."
"So, what you are saying is…"
"Kill, if that's what it takes for you to survive."
"…Even my father, when he was weaker, didn't kill Uncle Mukuro when he had the option. He didn't kill Uncle Xanxus during their Ring Conflict, even though he could have, and was well within his rights. He didn't kill Uncle Enma, even when the Shimon Boss betrayed him. I will not kill unless absolutely necessary."
"…That's just a revision of my statement."
"No. You said that I should 'Kill if I have to do so to survive.' I said, 'Kill only when I have no other choice.'
"How would you know when you have no other choice?" Reborn asked. "The world isn't so clear cut that you always have the option not to kill."
"I have Hyper Intuition."
Reborn looked at him with a neutral expression, "You are more your father's son than I thought. You are just as soft as he is."
"I don't see you complaining."
"No, no, of course not." Reborn grinned, "Well, if you are so insistent on being able to show that much mercy, then you should become strong. Stronger than anyone you could possibly face. Because only the strong have the right to show mercy."
"If that's what it takes."
Strength has never been a want of Sawada Kazuto. It has been defined so thoroughly as a simple need. He needs strength if he wants the ability to show others mercy. So he trained. He trained hard. He sought out Yamamoto Tsuyoshi for his sword style; he sought out his father for instructions on the Zero Point Breakthrough; and he went out of his way to master the Dying Will Mode as much as he could, all for the sake of becoming strong enough that he won't need to think twice about showing mercy. He never did manage to become as strong as he needed to become though, but he at least hoped that his strength is enough to protect those that he cared about.
-()-
It's been a few days since Kazuto had come to this world. Neither Aisha nor Rinrin has shown up again. For the most part, Kazuto has managed to integrate himself rather well into the lives of both Touka and her mother. Kazuto mostly just helped Touka and her mother carry the mats and shoes to sell to passing merchants who will sell them elsewhere. But that day, he's having a hard time believing what he was seeing.
"How on earth are we going to carry all those mats and shoes all the way to the next town?" Kazuto exclaimed upon seeing the amount. "That looks about a third the size of the boulders my teacher throws at me! When did you make them all!? I only helped make like, fifteen or so!" Oh, and yeah, he managed to finally make a mat. Shoes are still beyond him though.
"… Why does your teacher throw boulders at you?" Touka asked worriedly. "And thrice the size of this?" To her, the amount was by no means big, but it certainly wasn't small.
"The smaller ones are." Kazuto mentioned offhandedly, "They're for training." Kazuto responded easily, as though it's not a big deal. "or Torture. Depends on what he felt like that day. Oh, and just so we're clear, said Teacher isn't involved in my actual academics. He's more of a personal tutor than anything." Except when he decides to make the History Teacher sick and replace him that day, but that's life. "It's supposed to make me a strong leader of men." And he will up and down refuse to tell them that he is of the mafia. He can probably word it differently, but that won't change that it is a criminal syndicate. His father can only do so much.
"Who hired him? Your parents?" Touka asked.
"He hired himself. My father can't stop him even if he wanted to." Kazuto responded immediately, before realizing something was off. "Wait, that's not the point! Exactly how are we carrying all that?"
The mother simply smiled in amusement, "You sure have a habit of complaining a lot, Hongou-san."
"Let me complain a bit more; I'll feel better afterward," Kazuto answered easily, even as he freaked out. "Okay, so am I supposed to carry that on my back the entire way?"
"Actually, we're just going to rent a horse from a neighbor." Touka laughed. "We also only need to carry as much as we could, and we'll leave the rest for next time. We just made this much so we don't have to always be constantly making mats. Mother deserves a break every so often."
"And how much is as much as we can carry?" Kazuto asked, "And don't you own your own horse for this sort of thing?"
"Horses are a little bit too expensive for us poor peasants." Touka winced. "I mean, we could buy one if we have to, but actually taking care of it with only the two of us is…" Yeah… That's true. While a horse would be very useful and valuable, a horse requires more attention than a two-person home can take. Maybe if they had servants or just a few more people that could take care of it, it would be fine but…
"… By the way, maybe we can just not borrow that horse?" Kazuto pondered, as he pulled a box from his belt. "I have an airbike we can use if we need to…"
"Eiya-Baiku…?" Close enough. He's not particularly interested in correcting her.
"Think of it as a carriage, except it's the size of a horse, and can move without a horse pulling it." Kazuto then lit his ring.
"Is… it safe?" Touka's mother asked, with a slightly worried expression.
"About as safe as riding a horse." Kazuto easily responded. And then some, he added in his mind. After all, he'll be doing the steering for the most part.
"Well, then, I suppose I can take you up on that offer." Touka nodded.
Kazuto nodded back and put the ring's flame onto the Box's Slot. Well, time to see if he can still ride the thing properly, even when the road isn't concrete… This isn't gonna go well, is it?
-()-
Kan'u Unchou and Chouhi Yokutoku were taking a near leisurely stroll that morning. They are still walking around the Yuushuu area. Still around the same place they met Touka and Kazuto. Still searching. It's been three days. Three days since they saw the star fall. And they still haven't found the Heavenly Messenger.
"Hey, aneja, is that prophecy real?" Rinrin asked as they walked. "We've been around here so many times, and we still haven't found that Heavenly Messenger. That person might be headed to Rakuyo already to get the Imperial Descendant."
"Is Kanro's prediction off?" Aisha sighed. "To think that we've been around this place so many times and yet we still haven't found them… You'd think the Heavenly Messenger would be easy to spot…" Aisha sighed again, but not slowing down any, as she walked the road.
"Yeah! Probably has really sparkly clothes." Rinrin replied. "Like Kazuto-niichan!" Aisha halted at that.
"… What did you say, Rinrin?" Was it always that simple? Was it seriously that easy? Did she just overthink this too much that the obvious just flew over her head?
Rinrin looked at her confused, "Rinrin just thought that if the Heavenly Messenger did come, they'll have sparkly clothes like Kazu… OH!" Rinrin exclaimed, connecting the dots before frowning, "But why didn't he say anything?"
"It might be a test to see if we'll recognize him!" Aisha moaned. "And we failed spectacularly! Let's go back and…"
"Going back is fine, but do you really think oniichan would still be with Touka-neechan?"
Aisha frowned. Yeah, if Kazuto was the Heavenly Messenger, he should've already left to search for the Imperial Descendant and his guardians. So that means he should be wandering as well. They missed their chance! "It's better than nothing. Maybe Touka has an idea where he went. Let's go!" Aisha commanded as she turned on the spot, only to spot a great plume of black smoke in the distance… "Rinrin… what's going on there?"
"There should be a city in that direction, right?" Rinrin frowned. "Rinrin will go ahead!" And the young child ran as quickly as she could.
"Wait, Rinrin!" Aisha called, also speeding up as she grasped her Green Dragon Crescent Blade in her hands. She feared the worst. But if the worst has yet to pass… She hoped that she would be able to help.
-()-
'Did Liu Bei have this kind of personality?' Kazuto couldn't help but wonder every time he learned something new about Touka, and this time was no exception. As Kazuto and Touka sped about just around Touka's county, selling mats and sandals to whoever wanted to buy (mostly merchants who will sell them on their own), the boy found out something about Touka: Touka really liked going at high speeds. Either that or she enjoys horse riding a lot. Every time they had to slow down to stop by a town, Touka seemed a bit let down but still did her best to sell their wares, but when they started up again, she was very excited.
Kazuto had told her not to speak too much so that he won't get too distracted, so she was at least remarkably quiet. Her words won't really distract him all that much… Ultimately, what truly distracted him more was her rather big breasts pressing up against his back as she hugged him from behind. Admittedly, when Kazuto offered to give Touka a ride, he definitely did not think about the consequences. In fact, it was a very innocent offer. Unfortunately, the distraction was very much unwelcome, and he REALLY has to focus on being on the road. The only saving grace is that, since he was riding an airbike, he won't be encountering too many bumps on the road. He doesn't need more distractions. But, at the same time, the propulsion system of the airbike had kicked up a lot of dust, and there was a clear dust trail behind them. Kazuto silently apologized to anyone who might be behind him.
The girl only spoke when needed, usually to tell Kazuto to prepare to go to the right or left. Her grip around his stomach became laxer as time went on, and it was the occasional moments that she spoke that told him that she was still awake.
But this feeling of peace didn't last forever as Kazuto spotted a strange dark smoke rising in the distance. He grimaces slightly at the sight. Part of him wanted to see what was going on. The other part of him wants to be as far from it as possible, especially with Touka there on his side.
"Kazuto-kun… what's going on over there?" Apparently, Touka saw the smoke pillar too.
"… Do you want to find out?" Kazuto asked, almost certain of Touka's answer. If he cannot ignore it, he doubted that the Hero of Peace would be capable of the same feat. Not without knowing what exactly was going on.
"Yes." And the affirmation was heard. Kazuto nodded, revving up to head straight for the smoking town. Their task to sell mats and shoes forgotten, the two rushes to the smoking village.
-()-
The first to arrive at the distressed town was Chouhi Yokutoku. The girl glared at the chaos and jumped to the highest place she can manage to stand upon.
"Oy! Bandits!" Chouhi called out, "Stop picking on people who can't fight back! This Enhito Chouhi shall be your opponent!" And with that, she jumped forward, her spear swinging and taking down the first set of bandits she came across. The bandits looked upon the girl and rushed forward to avenge their fallen comrades, but they too quickly fell prey to the might of the one behind the swing of the spear. "Weaklings and cowards who could only fight when their opponents can't!"
Chouhi roared as she charged. She needs to destroy these bandits… so that no one would end up like her. Chouhi roared, like the tiger that she dresses as, and struck down those who dared stand against her. She mowed down all those in her way, without even giving them a second glance, as she swung her great spear as though it was a mere toy. Chouhi Yokutoku destroyed them with her sheer strength and she would only grow fiercer as the battle progressed.
-()-
Next to arrive is Kan'u Unchou. Upon seeing the chaos the younger girl had accomplished on one end of the town, she quickly set off to another part of the town where the redhead would not arrive until at least much later. Confident that Rinrin will not fall so easily, she took a stance.
"I am Kan'u Unchou! Those who seek death, come forth!" Kan'u roared. "Those who continue to pillage this village shall meet their end by my Green Dragon Crescent Blade! Now, you have two choices! Either you face me and die with some shred of honor, or die like cowards, cut down as you run! Now, choose your fate!" Kan'u roared and jumped into the midst of her enemies.
She danced around the men and, like a living embodiment of death and beauty, cut down all those who stood against her. She moved swiftly upon these blood-stained streets, erasing those that would seek to harm her and the people who live there. Their only consolation is that they will be given the quickest possible death. That is the only mercy Kan'u was willing to give these scoundrels who would take others' lives for their own selfish reasons.
-()-
Third to arrive, much later than either Chouhi Yokutoku or Kan'u Unchou, is Sawada Kazuto. In his hand was Shigure Kintoki in its wooden sword form. Briefly wondering if he should go Hyper Dying Will Mode, he dismissed it as he only wanted to save people, and he'd rather not people get too scared by seeing a person with a strange fire burning on his forehead. So he avoided it and simply sped up his running. Upon seeing the chaos that had been done upon the town, he muttered:
"Termografia." His contacts, which he opened the box of while running, quickly turned on its Thermal Imaging filter. He quickly spotted the shape of a small body, probably a baby, in a nearby house and set off. He quickly jumped into the room where he saw the small body, only to find a dead man and woman in the same room. Horrified slightly, almost feeling as though he would be sick, he silently checked the closet to find the young child. Grimacing, he grabbed the baby and retreated quickly, jumping out the window to run to a safer zone. He started running and suddenly found a bandit just ahead of the path he was taking. The bandit noticed him too.
"Hey I fou-" The bandit tried to call his fellows only to find a sword hilt striking his forehead, knocking the man out.
Shigure Souen Ryu 3rd Form Offensive, Yarazu no Ame. The only one of the forms Kazuto learned that was ranged in nature and can be used even if he was carrying a baby in his hands. Kicking his own Shigure Kintoki, in a last-ditch resort. He quickly picked up the sword as he ran past the fallen man.
He spotted a family hiding away in one of the houses and jumped inside. He soon found himself face to face with a man with a sword, standing in front of his family. A few bandits were lying down on the floor, clearly dead.
"Do not worry; I am not here to hurt you. I came to fend off the bandits." They were still visibly tense, but Kazuto didn't have time to worry about that. "Is anyone of you hurt?" Kazuto asked. The man looked at Kazuto's arms to see him loosely holding his sword in one hand and a baby in the other. He smiled briefly in greeting.
"No." The man replied. "But the bandits are still around, so you should be caref-"
"Hoy, boss, we found another house with people in it." A vaguely familiar voice echoed into the room, but Kazuto didn't have the time for it. Three men, a fat one, a small one, and a normal-looking one. Again. Kazuto certainly hoped he wasn't being racist if it turns out these three weren't the same people…
"You again?" Kazuto asked dryly.
"You!" the midget growled quickly jumping into the house, "So you were here, huh? Well, looks like we're about to get some revenge then!"
Kazuto grimaced as he handed the child to the mother before grasping his Shigure Kintoki. He rushed forward, instinctively coating his sword in his Sky Flames. Shigure Souen Ryu 8th Form Offensive, Shinotsuku Ame. Using the same skill he used to defeat the three beforehand, he hurled the midget out the door. "Now scram. I am not in the mood for you three." He coldly told them, before he signaled the family. And with a kinder tone, "Come with me, and we'll get to a safer place." The group quickly abandoned their home only looking slightly mournful at the belongings that might be abandoned for good, and Kazuto led them away to where he saw the other families retreat.
"You should be safe from here," Kazuto told them. "Please take care of the baby. His parents have been killed by the bandits." The mother nodded mutely, before holding the boy slightly closer. Kazuto smiled and nodded back, "Thank you. I'll go back to see if there are more people that I need to save."
"Wait, young boy." The father walked up. "Allow me to come with you. I'll help you with your task."
Kazuto looked at the man, and nodded, knowing that the man was not lying to him. "Let's go, then." The two of them ran back into the battlefield.
The mother looked at the baby before smiling. "A young savior has appeared before us… Don't worry… even if your parents have died, you will live through this danger…"
-()-
Touka ran after Kazuto. He had simply left her with their stuff, which didn't retreat into the box alongside the bike (the helmets did). But as she watched the chaos happen before her eyes, she decided to just abandon their wares, and could only hope that they'll still be there when she comes back. And on the way, as she chased after the boy, she could see it, the utter cruelty of the world. Families were moving past her, running from the chaos. But she had to run forward and she soon found a scene that she could barely stomach.
The streets were streaked with blood and bodies. The blood of commoners, spilled by bandits. They didn't need to kill. They just wanted to take. But many wouldn't let them take what they wanted, so they killed them. Merciless and cruel… Children cried for their dead families, mothers cried for their dead children, and fathers grieved at failing to protect their kin. It was almost easier to just give in… but… even mercy was not being given to them. They do not understand why the Yellow Turbans are attacking them, but they couldn't help but see the men as existences that are naught but savage animals. However, these animals could slay them with nary a thought. For every bandit they slay, two are slain on their side.
It was hopeless. Almost disastrous. They are mere men who lost their reason to fight back.
But hope had come, in the form of three warriors. One wields a great spear and, despite her childlike size, takes tens of them with a single swing, roaring as fiercely as a tiger. Another wields the Green Dragon Crescent Blade, and dexterously danced amid her foes, slaying them with naught but a single swing. And the third is a white-clothed boy, wielding a single-edged sword wreathed in flames, rushing forward and sending his opponents scattering. He searched for any survivors and led any that he found to somewhere they could safely begin running.
But Touka, who could only stand, rooted in place as she watched the chaos, could only ask: What about her? What can she do to help these suffering people? She didn't have much training with her sword, only enough to swing and take down those who would try to attack her. So what can she do when faced with this quandary?
"Oh, Touka-chan, you arrived as well, huh?" Kazuto's voice appeared amid the chaos. In Kazuto's arms was a young child who he probably found somewhere. Touka turned to her friend with only the smallest and briefest of smiles before she grimaced once more through the chaos. "Can I leave this girl to you for now?" Touka nodded slightly, accepting the crying girl into her arms.
"… Why is this happening? Why do they need to be so cruel?" Touka sighed, sadly.
"There are many reasons why someone would do something like this. Maybe they thought they needed to do this. Maybe their goals required this to happen… But then again, there are people who also just want to ruin other's lives." Kazuto replied sadly. "Even where I come from, wars start for the most nonsensical of reasons. But… in the end, there will always be those striving for the peace that comes at the end of the fighting… As long as they succeed, then the future would definitely be better." The last sentence seemed to be more to himself than her, but she nodded quietly, "Excuse me, I spy a few bandits that I need to… dissuade… from going any further into that house." Kazuto again rushed forward, flames coating his sword as he sped up. She was idly surprised upon seeing those flames, but she couldn't focus on that. Not as she ran, taking the girl to where she spotted a few families running. She quickly left the girl to them.
But even then, she couldn't help but wonder… How could he confidently step into a battlefield? Touka thought of the boy and found herself wanting. She wanted the boy's willingness to help…
"S-save me!"
And the single voice that she heard is more than enough to get her moving, her own sword drawn. She has spent most of her life not needing to worry about the future, and now she sought peace for the entire country… heh, she really felt strange just thinking about it. But she'll do it. She couldn't turn her back. Turning her back means giving in to this dark cruel reality. Turning away means letting this world suffer from this war-torn world… Yes… she… finally knew what she wanted to accomplish… Maybe she should tell Kazuto as soon as she could… And find Aisha and Rinrin and apologize for not telling them about her ancestry.
Upon hearing the cry of a child, she marched forward, her own sword in her hand. She quickly rushed forward between the bandit and the child. She didn't know the reason the bandit was attacking the child, but she didn't care. With a swing of her blade, the man recoiled away, his sword falling upon the earth.
"Hear me, bandits, who prey upon the lives of innocents! I am Ryuubi Gentoku, a descendant of Ryuushou, once the emperor of this country. You have caused such deep sorrow within those who live upon these lands. Do not dare believe that this travesty will be ignored; for the cruelty you showed these villagers, I, along with the heavens, will strike you down for all the pain and suffering you've caused!"
Strong words from her mouth. Words she never thought she could say, and yet she said it in as much authority as she could muster. And with that, the men around her, who were on the verge of giving up, were invigorated by her words. They picked up any fallen weapons and attacked again. The bandits, upon realizing their own mortality in the face of three strangers, lost most of their own morale and became easy prey to those that they oppressed.
The villagers who remained roared. No more. No more shall they give up. They have four saviors now: one who saved them through sheer strength, another who saved them through her skill, a third who saved them by helping them find refuge, and a final one who saved them by bringing back their courage. They cannot afford to back down anymore.
-()-
The battle has ended. The four saviors stood as they watched the retreat of any remaining bandits, picked off by hunters who wielded their bows and showered the retreating figures with arrows. They cannot pursue right now, not as they are. Without even an army behind them, rushing in would be too foolhardy.
"Che, cowards till the very end." Rinrin snorted and then she yelled in a loud voice, "YOU'LL NEED AT LEAST A THOUSAND MEN TO BEAT THIS CHOU YOKUTOKU!"
"Rinrin, please don't boast so easily." Aisha chuckled. "I'd rather if you do not fall at all."
"They'll be back, you know." Kazuto pointed out. "They'll gather as many of their friends and come back."
"Then we'll fend them off again." Rinrin shrugged.
"But we cannot risk the village again." Kazuto argued, "Unless we want this village to be destroyed utterly, we need to bring the battlefield away from here."
"Right…" Rinrin sighed. "Wait… Niichan?" Rinrin looked surprised upon seeing the boy in white. Kazuto shrugged at the surprise. He had spotted the two earlier as they fought against the bandits. Surprisingly, Rinrin didn't realize that he was there earlier. Aisha herself was also shocked to see the boy there again. Touka soon arrived next to them, with a smile.
"Ah! Rinrin-chan, Aisha-chan! So you two were the other two 'saviors' that people were talking about, huh?" Touka smiled at the fortune to see two of her newest friends.
"Touka-neechan!" Rinrin looked surprised again. Aisha also was surprised, but not to the same degree. She had been nearby when Touka had made her declaration. That she was the Imperial Descendant that they were looking for. Aisha almost laughed at the irony of missing the obvious. So, not only did she miss the obvious that Kazuto had been the Heavenly Messenger, but she also missed that the one that they found alongside him was the Imperial Descendant all along.
"It's nice to see you both once more." Kazuto grinned. "We always seem to meet in the strangest of circumstances, huh?"
"You're right!" Rinrin replied, before pouting at Kazuto, "Also, niichan is cruel! Why didn't you tell us that you were the Heavenly Messenger we were looking for?" Now it was Touka's turn to be surprised.
"Eh? Kazuto-kun is the heavenly messenger?"
"You didn't know, Touka-neechan?" Rinrin asked, surprised.
Kazuto sighed when he was now faced with three questioning looks. "Yeah, I suppose I am the messenger. I wasn't sure at the time, but Touka-chan's mother confirmed it for me."
"Mother did?"
"Well, there are three things about the prophecy that hinted at it. First is that the Heavenly Messenger comes with Sky's Flames…" Kazuto then flexed his hand out and lit the ring on fire. He ignored the surprise and simply continued, "This is, where I came from, called my Dying Will Flame. Specifically, it's the Sky Flame."
"So this is what the prophecy meant by the heavenly messenger being wreathed in sky's flames!" Aisha exclaimed, upon seeing the flame.
"It's pretty," Touka said, mesmerized.
"The second thing that told me that it was likely me was when it mentioned the guardians. My family has a… tradition where the heir has to gather guardians that will serve him once he becomes the head of the family."
"And the third is…" Touka asked quietly.
"When your mother confirmed to me that you are the descendant of Ryuushou…" Kazuto replied. "Your mother had guessed that I was the Heavenly Messenger and told me to… take care of you, guessing that you were the Imperial Descendant that the prophecy mentioned."
"Touka-neechan is the Imperial Descendant as well?" Rinrin exclaimed, "Aisha, they were right in front of us yet we didn't see it!"
Aisha nodded mutely, trying to come up with something to reply to this outburst, but Touka spoke first.
"Sorry about not telling you earlier, Aisha-chan, Rinrin-chan." Touka sheepishly said, before turning to Kazuto. "So you and mother had a secret that you didn't bother telling me." Touka pouted. Kazuto sheepishly scratched his head.
"Sorry."
"… It's fine." Touka smiled briefly, before turning around. "It seems that the bandits won't be coming back any time soon… so shouldn't we help the villagers?" Touka asked, turning to the still smoking village.
"But… but… I'm hungry!" Rinrin complained slightly, but nodded her assent, "But okay. Let's help the villagers."
"Don't worry; we'll take care of it for now." A man approached them. "Please, go have some food first. Our town can manage itself. And I'm sure our saviors would prefer to celebrate over good food."
"Thank you for your offer, good sir." Aisha nodded, "But, I'd at least like to help out, at least until nightfall."
"Rinrin will too." Rinrin nodded, "I'll just buy some food if I get hungry or something."
"I suppose I can stave off my hunger for a few more hours." Kazuto shrugged.
"Yes… we'll help." Touka nodded, spying a crying woman on the wayside. "I think I could at least help the healers…"
"Thank you so much." The man bowed, "We are very grateful for your kindness. Truly you are our saviors."
"Let's just be thankful that the bandits' first priority is stealing things," Kazuto grunted. "From what I could tell, only some of the men and quite a few women who fought back died in this tragedy." And then he added quickly, "While I'm not happy about the people who died, it's good to know that most of the villagers are alive."
"True." A man nodded, before looking back at the village, "But we'll never forgive those Yellow Turbans for this."
"I don't expect you to." Kazuto nodded. "In fact, I am all for being rid of them as soon as possible. But we'll need an army for that." Kazuto sighed, "And last I checked, there's barely enough able-bodied villagers here to do anything about it. You'll need to gather at least a couple of thousands of more people from other villages before we have a decently sized group." Kazuto then turned to Rinrin with a hint of amusement on his face. "And no, Rinrin, you only count as one person, regardless of how many you can kill alone."
"I wasn't going to say anything!" Rinrin complained, but a hint of a smile was on her face. "Well, let's go do what we can! The faster we help people get back on their feet, the sooner we can eat!"
And so, staving off their hunger for a bit longer, the four branched out to various places. The man who remained looked up thoughtfully. What did their saviors need? An army, and food… very well. They'll at least give their saviors that much. And so, a small plan had formed in the mind of the man.
-()-
Rinrin hefted heavy objects that had fallen on the wayside. Her physical prowess has always been her main selling point, and she used that almost absurd strength to full effect. And so, she was the one placed to be in charge of delivering the supplies needed to and fro. Leaving her Viper Spear behind for now (with Touka, who was at the healer's residence); she hefted as many things as she could. But soon, she realized she wasn't entirely needed, as the villagers insisted on not relying on her completely.
She sighed as she watched the people work hard to fix their livelihoods. A sad smile appeared on her face. They were working so hard to fix things, and yet… they knew that the Yellow Turbans will definitely come back… They will want revenge for the failure… But then again, they might not care either. Bandits are difficult to understand in the first place.
"Ah, Chou Yokutoku-dono. Please don't worry too much. We will make it through this crisis."
She turned to find an old man with a small smile on his face. "We'll make it through. We are hardy people after all… I'm sure we can manage to get by somehow. Oh, and thank you for everything you've done for us."
"I know… I just don't want things to end up like in my hometown." Rinrin replied sadly.
"… Can I ask for a favor, Chou Yokutoku-dono?" A questioning look appears on Rinrin's face, but the old man pressed on. "Some of the village children lost their parents in this situation… I'd like Chou Yokutoku-dono to help them tide through their worries. Play with them for a bit. I'm certain they'll be happy." Rinrin looked back and nodded.
"Okay! Rinrin will do that as soon as she could!" And with a brighter, yet still somber smile, Rinrin went running. Finding something else to do, she decided to speed away as fast as she could.
"Her strength may be great, but the young one is still a child at heart." The old man straightened his back as he walked. "She'll face greater trials soon, but hopefully she'll be able to find the time to spend as a child."
Rinrin didn't hear those words and was simply away as soon as she could.
-()-
Aisha, on the other hand, busied herself by finding what is left of the city garrison and organizing them as much as she could. Eating only a few snacks to stave off her hunger, she looked at the map that was on the table.
"How many of the guards are left?" Aisha asked. Upon receiving a number, she grimaced. That's hardly enough, but it'll do for now. "I suggest that you set up a border patrol, to at least give a warning when the bandits come back." Aisha pointed out. "While those patrols wouldn't be able to stop the bandits, they could at least give us a warning."
"Duly noted." replied the captain of the guard, before sighing.
"Is something the matter?" Aisha asked.
"You are quite knowledgeable, Kan'u-dono. You should understand what the matter is quite easily… I only have a portion of my guards left; most were sent to aid with the task of purging the Yellow Turban rebellion."
"You are the leader of the guard." Kan'u replied, "Chin up, and don't be submissive. You need to be an example to your men and the people."
"Hard to be an example when you failed to resist an attack that devastated the city until your group arrived." The guard replied. "A lot of the people subordinate to me died in this battle."
"All the more reason why you should prepare now." Aisha pushed. "If you feel as if you've failed, then all the more reason you should succeed."
"What about the lack of guards?"
"Hire a few hunters to join in. Make sure that any patrols that are made must have at least one hunter with them. A hunter's eyes would be more useful in this situation than anything else."
"Very well." The man nodded. "Please allow me to deal with the rest. You can take a break, milady."
And with that, she had helped as much as she could with the battle. She certainly hoped that this won't be a common thing. It won't do for an outsider to help with their affairs so often.
She took a breath and was surprised to see a cup of water being passed to her, along with some fruit. She took it gratefully, only to find one of the village elders chuckling.
"We are thankful for your help, Kan Unchou-dono." The man smiled. "We truly owe a lot to you and your friends."
"We only did as is right," Aisha replied softly. "I'm more surprised that you allowed me to help so much, actually. This is your town; why would you allow an outsider to help so much?"
"This town was, only a few hours ago, devastated by bandits. Any help we get, we might as well consider it a gift from heaven." The old man replied, sadly. "And you four are our saviors; there's no reason for us to reject you."
"But I fear for this town's future if they would just trust the first person that helps them." Aisha sighed.
"Of course." The old man nodded. "After this, do you have any destination in mind, milady?"
"Not really." Aisha shrugged, "My only intention is to just help out. After this, I will speak with Touka-sama and Kazuto-sama about the prophecy. And… when I do… I'm going to ask them to count myself and Rinrin to be among their number as their guardians."
"Oh, a prophecy? Care to share it with me?"
"… I suppose it wouldn't hurt to inform you of the prophecy. According to a fortune teller, by the name of Kanrou, a Heavenly Messenger will come bearing the sky's flames and, together with the Imperial Descendant, will gather guardians, and bring peace to our lands."
"That… and Ryuubi-dono is the imperial descendant, considering her declaration as the descendant of Ryuushou…" then surprise and shock dawned on the old man's face, "Does that mean Hongou-dono is… a messenger from heaven? He indeed wielded rather peculiar flames."
"If the prophecy is true then I have little doubt that it is him." Kan'u nodded. "Even he seems sure now."
"And his clothes surely seem unusual; its white sheen reflects so much light." The old man nodded.
"The cloth is apparently called Po-li-e-ster." Kan'u nodded, before passing the remains of the fruit back, "I'm thankful for the fruit. I'll be heading off now."
"Very well, Kan Unchou-dono." The old man nodded as he walked back, thinking about the implications of the prophecy. If it was indeed true… then surely… he should spread it quickly. The blessings of heaven should surely not be wasted when it was given.
-()-
Sawada Kazuto had decided to go speak with whoever was in charge of the city, only to find the home barren. He even checked for life signals using the various filters his contacts had but didn't find any. There's no body to speak of, so it can't be that they're dead… Must've run away… Kazuto grumbled. Screaming internally, he walked towards the table to read the various documents scattered about. Fortunately, they were in Chinese (an older variation of it, but Chinese nonetheless), and Reborn has taught him how to read Chinese properly, with help from Aunt Ipin. He might need to consult a dictionary once or twice, but that's what his phone is for. He just charged it yesterday so it should be fine right now. He then idly wondered what would have happened if he had been a normal boy and not a mafia heir… any and all electronics would be utterly worthless, and he probably wouldn't have any Chinese knowledge aside from the Kanji that Japanese shared with it.
Chuckling slightly, he decided that he had enough here. He needed to go to the hospital area and help out with the healing. He WAS the only one here who had modern-day practices of healing knowledge around.
"… I wonder how everyone at home is doing." Kazuto mumbled, before shaking his head. Nah, they'll be fine. His father will deal with any ruckus… and even if he doesn't ever return… his little sister will be there to inherit the heir position. Although he would feel very sorry if he ever does leave it all behind…
"… Hey… father… I think I finally found my calling…" Kazuto laughed, speaking in Italian. "… I'll stay here until the time comes that I have to return… And I'll help along with this twisted up story of the Three Kingdoms."
-()-
Touka toiled long and hard, as she wrapped a piece of cloth around an injured man's body. She only has the barest of knowledge regarding treatment of any sort, but that didn't stop her.
"Hey… I heard what you said earlier…" The man winced as he made small talk. "You said you are the descendant of an emperor… is it true?"
"… Yes, it is." Touka nodded. "But I'm a commoner like you now and have no claim to the throne." She looked sheepishly at the sword on her side, "This sword is the only thing left to me that is proof of my heritage."
"But you still saved us…" The man replied. "You saved us and you gave us hope… I am certain that you are destined for great things."
"That's… I just want to help people now… I haven't thought that far." Touka replied sadly. "At this time, all I wanted to do was help you and the town. And even if I wanted to make a run for the throne, I don't know the first thing I should do."
"If you want to help people, then can I ask that you help us who are suffering first?" The man replied. "If someone like you becomes a leader, I'd think that the world would become a finer place."
"Do you really believe me worthy of that?"
"True, you don't seem too reliable right now…" An imaginary arrow lodged into Touka's heart as she heard those words, "but I believe that people will follow you. At the very least the people of this city of ours would. After all, who else is more worthy than who we all revere as our savior to lead us when the bandits return?"
"I… I don't know if I'm worthy of leading others though." Touka gave a small smile.
"Well, that's fine for now. At least you are considering it. Don't worry, once the time comes, I'm sure you'll eventually learn the ropes." The man chuckled. "I think this should be fine. You should go see the others. I'm sure they'll be grateful to you. Also… thank you. For everything."
"… No. Thank you. Thank you for giving me a reason to strive for peace." Touka smiled. "… Kazuto-kun called me the Hero of Peace before, but… I wonder if I rightly deserve that title… but nonetheless, I want to help people; that's all that I understand of my wishes." Touka looked up, "Well, I'll go tend to another person. It's nice to speak with you, kind sir."
"It's nice to speak with you as well." The man nodded, before lying back down onto the mat he was placed upon.
Touka stood up and stretched slightly. She was about to move on when she spotted Kazuto walking toward her. "Kazuto-kun, hello."
"Hello, Touka," Kazuto replied easily. "How are you?"
"I've been doing well enough." Touka nodded. "What are you doing here?"
"Just helping out. The leaders' home was empty though. I suspect the man ran away in the chaos. He either died to the bandits or is in a faraway place and doesn't intend to come back."
"Couldn't he be just hiding in the building?"
"I checked, and he wasn't." Kazuto shook his head. "At the very least, let's start doing things… Oh, is that Rinrin's spear?" Touka turned to where Kazuto was looking and found the utterly heavy spear lying down on the ground nearby. It takes nearly two men to even move the thing, and the spear was decided to be left alone there to be picked up by the amazingly strong girl.
"Yeah. Rinrin is out helping around town." Touka nodded. "Nee, Kazuto-kun… can I ask you something?"
"Sure, what is it?" Kazuto asked back.
"… Is heaven peaceful?"
"… By heaven, you mean where I came from?" Kazuto replied with a question. Touka nodded and Kazuto gained a thoughtful look on his face. "Hmm… compared to here? Yes, it is quite peaceful but only if you look at the big picture. On a small scale? No. No matter what kind of peace there is, there will always be chaos in the midst of it."
"So even heaven can't have true peace?" Touka sighed sadly.
"True peace huh… In all honesty, Touka, why do you think chaos exists in the first place?" After waiting a while, Kazuto simply gave her a bitter smile. "Chaos is born because people are different. And those different people will clash. And when they do, some will clash with all their might. But that's natural. Your beliefs will be different from the person next to you or the person across the room."
"But surely they can come to an understanding? A solution that makes them happy?"
"But to come to that solution, they need to clash first, right? Solutions are solutions because they need to have a problem first." Kazuto replied, "But the problem here is that people are all different. So, tell me, Touka: can you change the fact that people are all different? Can you make Rinrin act like Aisha? Can you make Aisha act like Rinrin?"
"That's… impossible." Touka replied, slightly disturbed. "Rinrin-chan is Rinrin-chan. Aisha-chan is Aisha-chan. If I make one act like the other, then they won't be them anymore."
"Exactly." Kazuto nodded, "So the only true way to remove chaos is against our own morals. So what can we do now?"
"… So it's impossible?"
"Yes." Seeing her glum face, he just smiled. "But that's why peace is such a beautiful thing." Touka's face shot up in surprise. Kazuto simply continued, "Although people can say it's an impossible dream, and it's a dream rife in hypocrisy, I think hypocrisy that can save others is much better than acting on some base logic like survival of the fittest and all that."
"I think I understand… You mean, even though it's impossible, I should keep going after it?"
"That's right." Kazuto nodded. "Impossible things are impossible, but chasing after the impossible is still worth it."
Touka nodded, understanding the words that her friend has just told her. She smiled before asking, "Where did you learn all this?" She was impressed with the amount of wisdom he had. "Is it from your teachers?"
"Not really." Kazuto laughed, "I learned it mostly from my father."
"Your father?"
"Yeah. My father is someone like Touka-chan." Kazuto shrugged, "He is something of a Hero of Peace back in my world. He keeps trying to keep the peace of the world, but, in the end, he realized that it's too difficult for one person alone. He eventually told me all this, when I asked him about it."
"Your father sounds like a great man." Touka smiled.
"He is." Kazuto nodded. "Sawada Tsunayoshi is the greatest man that I know." Silence beckons the two of them. Neither spoke for a while, and neither did anyone else. Kazuto was stuck reminiscing about his father, and Touka was slowly and surely building up courage.
Touka looked up at Kazuto with a small smile, "Nee, Kazuto-kun… I decided… I want to help bring peace back to these warring lands… so… can I ask for your help?"
"Yeah, no problem." Kazuto nodded. "If that is what you want, then who am I to stop you?" Kazuto smiled, as he realized he is bearing witness to the beginning of Ryuubi's journey. However twisted the situation he is in, this was still an incredible moment.
"… Thank you… Can you help me ask Rinrin and Aisha to help us out too?"
"There is no need for that." A voice came from their side and they saw Rinrin and Aisha looking at them. Both looked slightly apologetic, before Aisha continued speaking, "Sorry for eavesdropping, but we can't help but listen. I am sure there are many others here who listened in." Looking around, they saw various curious glances that quickly looked away.
"Mou, Aisha-chan is rude." Touka pouted, almost childishly. Aisha sputtered slightly at that, but Kazuto and Rinrin simply laughed.
"Well, we are in the middle of a room full of injured people, and we weren't exactly quiet." Kazuto shrugged. "It's not really a big deal to be overheard either." All the same, Touka continued pouting, before smiling as well. Kazuto coughed slightly to grab her attention and then gestured to the duo. "Well, Touka, why not ask Aisha and Rinrin now?"
"Umm… You heard me, right? So… can I ask you to help me chase that impossible dream?" Touka smiled.
"That has been our goal from the very beginning, no matter how impossible it is." Aisha nodded, smiling brightly, "If Touka-sama and Kazuto-sama have finally found a cause to fight for, we'll fight under you. After all, now our causes have aligned."
"You can count on us!" Rinrin laughed, "By the way, can we eat yet? Rinrin is starving! And anyway, this is something that should be celebrated over food!"
"Is it alright?" Touka turned to the nearest healer, who waved her off.
"You've done so much for us, we feel too indebted to you to reject your request. Please, enjoy yourselves."
"Well, if that's the case, then we'll be grateful." Kazuto nodded, "Let's go, everyone. We can probably have a small feast back at Touka's home."
"Does that mean I get to ride on your eiyabaiku again?" Touka asked excitedly, leaving confused faces all around them.
Kazuto chuckled, "Sorry, the thing is meant for one person, three being the maximum amount that I'll allow on it, so we'll just borrow some horses from here." Touka nodded in response slightly put out but understanding the situation. Aisha and Rinrin were just left confused.
"… What's an Eiyabaiku?"
Touka looked like she was about to explain, but Kazuto simply shook his head. "Hurry up already."
-()-
However, their plans for a celebration were… strangely changed. Instead of being a small celebration in Touka's home… they found that Touka's mother prepared a special feast in their family's special garden. The sun continued to set, and, already turning the sky red-orange, they found a strange spectacle.
"Touka's mother really went all out." Kazuto looked at the setup in shock. Touka agreed with the statement when she saw exactly what her mother had done. How did she manage to get such a grandiose setup done was beyond her. In the distance, Touka could spot the retreating backs of various villagers. Did they help? Touka was unsure.
"This is the best that your mother can accomplish. Some villagers also arrived to give some food to add to the feast." Touka's mother stated from beside her. "Now, enjoy this feast with these young warriors…"
"This is truly magnificent, befitting of a descendant of an emperor." Aisha praised.
"It looks really great." Rinrin nodded, "Thank you, Touka's mom!"
"Thank you… mother." Touka smiled brightly. And with that, Touka's mother left the area, leaving only the four of them to sit on the four ends of the square table.
"Now, this is the perfect time and place to swear ourselves to our new masters." Aisha pointed out, Rinrin nodding along excitedly.
"Hold on…" Touka stopped them. "I may be the descendant of an emperor but I'm still a nameless girl with nothing to her name…"
"Not nothing; you helped save the village with us." Kazuto pointed out.
"My point still stands." Touka said, slightly affronted by the interruption, "Being called master won't sit well with me, especially since all my life I've been a peasant…"
"Then, why not swear ourselves as siblings?" Rinrin pointed out, "If you will not accept being Rinrin and Aisha's master until you become known throughout the land, then simply being a sister should be enough, right?"
"That will be fine." Touka nodded with a smile on her face.
"But since we are to be subordinate to you, then we should be the younger siblings." Aisha nodded, "And naturally, Kazuto-sama shall be our eldest brother."
"Wait, I'm part of this?" Kazuto said, shocked. The Oath of the Peach Garden was between Ryuubi, Kan'u, and Chouhi; there was no reason for there to be a fourth, right?
"Of course you are." Touka pointed out, "We wouldn't want to leave you out of something like this."
"That's right, that's right!" Rinrin nodded vigorously. "And since oniichan is from heaven, he should be above all of us." Kazuto nearly snorted at the simplistic way of deciding, but he sighed and nodded.
"Alright, I'm in." Kazuto nodded, lifting his cup.
"Then let us swear then." Touka smiled, as she raised her cup of wine. The other three around her followed suit.
""""Let it be sworn to the heavens! Though we are not born on the same day, we hope to die so!""""
The four glasses clanked together and together they drank. But before the other three could begin eating Kazuto made a move first.
"Let me make my own oath first." Kazuto then stood towards them. His ring ignited and the flames danced. "I, Sawada Kazuto, swear that, from this day forth, I shall be your ally and comrade. No matter what may come, I will always stand by your side. Whether to prosper or ruin, you shall be as family, standing under the same sky." Brilliant flame streamed from the ring, enveloping all four of them. The sun has already set, but they found themselves in the presence of a brilliant orange light. Warmth. Warmth could be felt from the flame that had been the symbol of his will. And soon the flame dispersed.
"Whoa… what was that…" Rinrin asked, confused. "A heavenly oath?"
"I suppose you could call it that." Kazuto laughed, also confused by the sudden flame.
"You called yourself Sawada Kazuto during the oath." Aisha pointed out, slightly troubled.
"Sawada is my true family name. Hongou is the surname I use because using my true surname could be dangerous to me. My father has made too many enemies, and my family feared that my name would become a means to track me down."
"Is that so… Well then, Kazuto-kun, we have heard and I, Ryuubi Gentoku, accept your oath. To prosper or ruin… right?" Touka nodded with a brilliant smile.
"That's a good oath, oniichan." Rinrin nodded. "Chouhi Yokutoku also accepts the oath sworn by Sawada Kazuto!"
"Likewise here." Aisha nodded, "I, Kan'u Unchou, accept your oath. We will strive to meet the expectations that heaven has made upon us." And with a second clink of the cups, they began their feast.
That was the day that changed everything for the existence known as Sawada Kazuto. His flame that was once weak now burned strong. His resolve has now been kindled. And it will now only keep on growing.
-()-
Nearby was an adult woman watching the four sworn siblings swear their allegiance to one another. Crying so slightly she walked away slowly.
"To think this day would come… Training Touka to be someone fitting of an Imperial Descendant will finally bear fruit… thank you, heaven, for granting my wish." And so she walked away. The peach blossoms fell and scattered through the wind, as fate begins moving ever onward.
-()-
Chapter End
-()-
Chapter Release Date: November 30, 2015
Last Edited: June 3, 2022
-()-
Beta Reader: Genesis SBX
And here we are at the starting point. That was a long prologue. Sorry about that.