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.
Rating Change: Well, here's a definitely controversial decision. I'm upping the rating of this fic to M. I'll discuss why after the end of this chapter.
-()-
Childhood Friends
-()-
Kazuto looked at the kids in front of him, before bowing, as he was used to. Just a quick short bow, nothing fancy. The kids looked at him and bowed in response.
"I'm Sawada Kazuto." He extended his hand for a handshake. Uhh… is he doing this right?
The first girl approached. Reddish hair, Japanese face, Italian skin color, pretty much reminded Kazuto of Uncle Hayato in his grouchy moments. "I'm Mikoto Kozato, or Cozart if you will. Shimon Heiress. Also, this is Italy, not Japan. Introduce yourself with your given name first. Also, don't bow so low. Vongola is on equal footing as all our famiglias." The girl in front of him frowned as if explaining something to a kid. Kazuto can't help but feel annoyed.
He didn't manage to voice it out though as the other girl standing next to her spoke up "Now, now~" Black-hair, cute face, physically Italian in looks chuckled in amusement. "Well, I'm Iris of the Giglionero: Millefiore Black Heiress."
"Aster of the Gesso: Millefiore White Heir."
"Damien of the Cavallone~ Sheesh, why is everyone so straight and adult-like! Everyone should loosen up!"
"…" All four look at the boy incredulously.
"Proper Deco… r? I think? Well, proper décor is needed in interactions between famiglias." Mikoto proudly said.
"It's decorum." Iris corrected. Mikoto's cheeks were flustered.
"I… I knew that!"
"So what do you guys want to do?" Kazuto asked.
"Let's go horseback riding!" The cheerful Damien quickly piped up.
"We're wearing skirts." The stern Mikoto rebuked, pointing to herself and Iris. Iris shifted slightly, looking rather scared of the idea herself.
"Stargazing!" Aster quickly added after this.
"It's 1 o'clock in the afternoon!" Mikoto complained. Kazuto mentally put Mikoto in the "serious type person" class like Uncle Hayato and Damien in the easygoing Uncle Takeshi people. He still didn't know how to label the other two though. Wait and see.
"Wanna walk in the garden? Vongola's place is really beautiful, so I wanna see more!" Iris piped up after.
"Too boring!" Damien argued.
"Hmm… how about a board game?" Kazuto asked after contemplation. It's the only thing he can say at this point. Even then he only played the ones Uncle Lambo brought when to entertain.
"At this day and age?" Damien moaned. "The computer has all sorts of stuff already! We can play that if we want to."
"All the computers here in the base are probably all top secret and stuff," Kazuto argued. "And it's better than just doing nothing! Since our clothes are really nice, we need to keep them clean, right?"
"Grr…" Damien grumbled, looking at his clothes. "Romero won't be happy if I ruin this… fine, a board game. But it better be fun!"
"Let's bother Uncle Lambo then! He's always bringing board games so he must have some here! Let's go!"
This was Kazuto's circle of friends growing up. Shimon Heiress: Mikoto, Millefiore Heir, and Millefiore Heiress: Aster and Iris, and Cavallone Heir: Damien. Five heirs, inheriting a world of crime. If they had met any other time, they might have become rivals. But instead, they are lifelong friends, going nearly ten years strong. Bonding over unreasonable tutors, explosions, horseback riding, and tabletop games.
Privately, the four have told Kazuto this: "If we hadn't been heirs… maybe… just maybe… we would have become your Guardians."
Kazuto simply scoffed at the idea: "If you hadn't been heirs, would we have met?" And they left it at that.
-()-
Kouosnsan Hakukei breathed calmly, as she finished explaining the events that transpired since the start of the rebellion. Kousonsan had taken charge of this area and defended it fiercely, redirecting the bigger enemies towards Sousou and Enshou's territories. However, what was unexpected is that the General of the Land appeared and attacked Kousonsan. Kousonsan summarily repelled the yellow scarf-wearing rebels and they now holed up in a cliffside too treacherous for Kousonsan's horses to cross. They then requested aid from the capital, only for the messenger to be beaten back, losing his way and reaching eastward to the Volunteer Army's Headquarters, and requesting their aid there.
Hongou Kazuto looked at the girl as she finished describing everything, with only one thing left to say. "In conclusion… Kousonsan is a kind person."
"Yup, Pairen-chan is really nice." Ryuubi Gentoku nodded brightly, although she seemed confused as to why they were suddenly complimenting her friend.
Kousonsan is taken aback by the sudden praise from the only male in the military command of the Volunteer Army before stammering "W-w-what are you talking about!? Why are you suddenly complimenting me!?"
"Shuri," Kazuto says easily.
Shokatsuryou Koumei nodded, moving forward with a small smile on her face, "I believe that what Kazuto-sama means to say is the fact that Hakukei-sama chose to help us defend our territory. It's clear that if you had not been in this position, the territories under our Volunteer Army's protection would've been overrun by the Yellow Turbans."
"Oh!" Touka exclaims, pleased, "Thank you very much, Pairen-chan!"
"It's fine!" Kousonsan blushed at the sudden onslaught of gratitude. "Besides it's just the natural thing to do for this time."
"The natural thing to do is to have attacked Chouhou's army and tried to take the General of the Land's head so that you can claim the honor of defeating one of the leaders of the Yellow Turban Rebellion." Shuri rebutted, "This does give a chance for the other members of the Yellow Turbans to attack other territories while you focus on Chouhou…"
"Th-that's… I"
"Just take the compliment, Kousonsan." Kazuto smiled.
"I see…" Kousonsan coughed, before smiling, "You're welcome, Touka-chan. Now I believe your group has come to aid our group, right? Would you like to come join us for our strategy meeting? It's almost time for it. Now that we have your soldiers, we might be able to do something more than just a siege."
"I'll get Aisha, Rinrin, and Hinari-chan!" Touka smiled, "We'll be there!"
-()-
"Well, that went as well as expected." Hongou Kazuto deadpanned.
"Did they have to be that rude?" Kan'u Unchou grimaced.
"They should be thanking us for coming to help them!" Chouhi Yokutoku complained.
"Well we're just a Volunteer Army, though, so it can't really be helped." Ryuubi Gentoku said with a placating tone.
"I still apologize for what my generals said." Kousonsan Hakukei apologized to the group.
"It's fine, Kousonsan-sama." Shokatsuryou Koumei bowed to her. "Just being able to hear the plans was enough."
"We'll just have to plan around it." Houtou Shigen said with a thought.
"As long as I'm doing something, I won't mind." Chouun Shiryuu said with a coy smile.
"Last I checked, you're Kousonsan's soldier."
"Associate General."
"Are you allowed to pull your soldiers to side with us?" Ryuubi asked, worried, looking at Kousonsan, who shrugged in response.
"It's not like anyone but the frontlines see any action. I'm certain Hakukei-dono's army can accomplish fine without my soldiers."
Kousonsan sighed before smiling, "I'll allow it. Be careful, Sei. Also, keep my fellow student safe."
"Certainly." Chouun smiled, "Besides, I'd like to see how the Heavenly Messenger and the Imperial Descendant fairs in combat."
"Sorry to disappoint, but I've been forbidden from joining the fight," Kazuto replied dully. "Ryuubi and Kan'u told me not to. Shokatsuryou and Houtou both agreed. I'm only allowed to fight when Ryuubi lets me."
"Since when have you been such a battle maniac, Kazuto-kun?"
"It's not about wanting to fight; it's about not wanting to not fight when my soldiers are."
"That's the burden that all military officers bear, Kazuto-sama." Shuri rebuked. "While there are times that the leader should be standing in the thick of battle, it's not a good thing for you to do it all the time."
"Besides, that also expresses distrust on your subordinates, that they can't accomplish the same things you can do," Hinari replied with a grimace.
"We're still a vo-"
"Please do not use the Volunteer Army excuse, Kazuto-sama. You are a warlord now. A volunteer army we might be, but we are still an army." Shuri shook her head.
"They're right, Hongou-kun." Kousonsan gently put her hand on his back. "Save your strength for the final push. It is in those moments, when the people's hearts are tired, that a warlord charging in is most useful. Until then, our job is to watch the soldiers press forward, so that they can be confident that we are still looking at their backs."
"Logically you're right, but my heart says that it's not fair." Kazuto sighed. "Fine, we'll do it your way."
Kousonsan nodded, as she pulled her hand away from the boy's back… wait, was she, Kousonsan shook her head.
"So, what will your group do? I won't force your army to follow our lead, but my generals might not take your decision lightly."
"You're the commander." Kazuto looked at her in amusement, "You just need to say that you told us to work in this capacity, and they would just have to grumble."
Kousonsan laughed, "I suppose so."
"The current plan does not make use of your army's specialty of cavalry," Hinari asked, worriedly. "Is it really alright for you to use your soldiers for a siege? Why not charge the camp?"
"I'd suggest that too, but…" Kousonsan grimaced, "They do not trust that your soldiers can supplement the needed support to fulfill such a task."
"I see." Ryuubi sighed, "I guess in their eyes, our soldiers are basically villagers with spears. Hardly good support." She then looked to her fellow officers of the Volunteer Army
"Then let's change spearheads," Shuri said, with a glimmer in her eyes. "Why don't we let the siege go through and…"
And so the group began a planning session, with Kousonsan as an overseer.
When the plan was formed, Chouun had only one thing to say: "I don't think the Yellow Turbans are prepared for this." She said in amusement.
"That's the plan." Shuri and Hinari replied with a smile.
-()-
"Hakukei-dono, where are the reinforcements from the Volunteer Army?"
"They are currently supplementing Shiryuu's forces." Kousonsan absentmindedly replied as she looked at the valley that serves as the makeshift fortress for Chouhou's army.
"Why do you favor that turncoat so much, Hakukei-dono?" One general grumbled, "Chouun-dono had previously come from Enshou's army, but chose to leave her."
"You're just angry that an outsider general is stronger than you." Another snorted. "No one gains anything from leaving Enshou's army. Regardless of anything, the En clan is still the wealthiest warlords in our era, both Enshou and Enjutsu."
"Which makes her more suspicious." The general argued. "What if she's a spy?"
"That Shiryuu, a spy? The woman who spends more time looking for the best menma shops than sticking around the garrison? Control your imagination, general, and focus on the enemies." Kousonsan snorted. The general had no argument against that, or rather, he did not have enough time to formulate one as a soldier walked forward.
"Milady!" The soldier reported, "Reports indicate that the Yellow Turbans have appeared."
Kousonsan nodded, "Good." Kousonsan then jumped on her horse. "Let's deal with the enemy."
-()-
Chouhou bit her fingernail as she watched the army of the White Horse General. How did things end up like this?
"Mou! I just wanted to sing and have fun and be able to eat and not worry about dying or starving or… How did I end up with some stupid title like General of the Land!?" Chouhou complained as she watched her army march toward the enemies.
In hindsight, she did get carried away more than she'd hoped to. But come on! They managed to get their hands on a book on military tactics which they used to gather fans from around the empire, and even managed to get three strange contraptions that let their voices be heard over long distances without straining. But then, Choukaku, her sister got called Songstress of Heavens, and, not wanting to be left out, she took on the title of Songstress of the Land to imitate her sister's title. She then forced on Chouryou the title of Songstress of the People. It's supposed to be a cute little thing since their True Names each had Ten (Heaven), Chi (Earth), and Ren (People) in them. Somewhere down the line, the Songstress part of the title got replaced by General.
"If I get caught now, I'm going to die…" Chouhou cried. "I don't want that!" Chouhou then put up a brave face and marched forward. "But to do that, I need to get back to neesan and Renhou!" The siege that Kousonsan is making is the only thing in the way. At least, from her perspective, it's certainly the only obstacle.
"Get out of the way already!" Chouhou yelled at the enemy and into the small wand that amplifies her voice, and her army roared alongside her, nearly drowning out her own cries, despite the amplification. "Today, we'll break through, just you watch!" Chouhou yelled, and so, her army lifted their weapons, from farming implements to actual spears, and charged the siege.
-()-
"Shuri, can you remind me of the structure of the Yellow Turban Army?" Kazuto asked.
"Is this really the time for this, Kazuto-sama?" Shuri asked. Receiving no reply, she sighed before nodding, "Alright."
The Yellow Turban Army is really not much of an army, at all. More a disjointed mob than anything. There are three leaders, the General of the Heavens, Choukaku, the General of the Land, Chouhou, and the General of the People, Chouryou.
"If I have to describe it… it's more like they each have a loyal mob on their side and every other group calling themselves Yellow Turbans are just bandits making use of the name." Shuri concluded.
"I see," Kazuto grunted. "What do you think will happen if Chouhou were to willingly surrender to us?"
"I believe most of the army will be disheartened, but the members who really are bandits will most likely continue to fight. Some bandits joined the army, not because they supported the Chou Sisters but because they will be part of a large group."
Kazuto ignored the urge to comment on the fact that the three leaders of the rebellion also were females in this world. "Of course, these people are the ones who are most likely closer to the back, near Chouhou herself." Kazuto grimaced. "After all, if they joined to not die, then wouldn't it make sense to be in the safest possible position."
"I don't think so." Shuri shook her head. "While it's correct to say that the army closer to Kousonsan will be loyal to Chouhou, I don't think that loyal mob would leave the girl not surrounded by loyalists as well."
"Unless the mob thinks that the bandits of their group are also loyalists, pretending to want to protect their princess." Kazuto said, "It would be easy to act as if they're loyal to a mob that thinks everyone is a loyalist."
"Of course, this is all speculation from the rumors I've gathered. They could easily be all bandits, although my investigations on the Chou Sisters do not indicate such."
"How well known are the things you found out?" Kazuto asked, amazed.
"Uh… well…" Shuri stammered, knocked out of her strategist mode, as Kazuto rubbed her head gently over her hat. "I don't think Kousonsan nor anyone is aware of the Chou Sisters' gender, let alone appearance. I don't think they even think of this army as any more than an unruly mob that they need to stamp out."
"Really? It would not do to act on misplaced information."
"I think so. I know none of you really paid attention to the planning discussion but…"
"It was mostly them trying to toss us around not wanting to be responsible for our group before Kousonsan decided that we should just work directly under her instead." Kazuto scoffed. That discussion pretty much just annoyed him and resolved to listen to the bare minimum of what they had to say, and only focus on Kousonsan and Chouun. Hell, he decidedly refused to remember their names. That's how much he was annoyed at them. Of course, he maintained a calm face in front of Touka and the others to avoid starting a fight but… "It seems you were a lot more perceptive than I realized."
"Uh… it was kind of obvious that you were angry… you're not actually that good at hiding it." Shuri shyly replied. "I think it was only Kousonsan's generals who didn't realize your anger. And Rinrin, but that's because Rinrin was also getting angry. If anything, the only reason why everyone wasn't angry at the time was that we were worried you'd snap at them." Shuri then shook her head as Kazuto blinked in surprise. "A-anyway, the reason why I'm sure that Kousonsan and her council aren't aware is that they referred to them as Chou Brothers once, and no one commented, not even Chouun or Kousonsan even though their voices would most certainly be heard by the table."
"So, you two found out information that not even the resident army of the area found out about. You two are really thorough." Kazuto chuckled.
"It was no secret that the Heavenly Messenger formed his Volunteer Army to combat the Yellow Turban Rebellion. Seeing as we wanted to join you, we did our part to know as much as possible." Shuri said, blushing. "You should tell Hinari-chan as well… I'm sure she'd appreciate the praise too."
"Maybe after. We can't really just leave now." Kazuto chuckled, as he placed a hand on his sword. "Stay close to me." And so, he lit his sword on fire and sent a single flame shot into the sky.
-()-
"That's the signal, Hakukei-dono." Chouun sidled next to the White Horse General. Kousonsan nodded.
"Change of plans! All Cavalry! Charge!" Kousonsan roared.
"Milady! That's not part of the pl-"
"I'm the commander of this army, yes? Then charge! Show these bandits why the White Horse Cavalry is the best in the country!" Kousonsan roared, and all the soldiers roared alongside her, with the generals befuddled before nodding as they all mounted white horses. "Today we end this charade!"
And as all the army around her began preparing for a charge she then smiled towards the now empty sky, where once the flame was. "Good luck, Touka-chan. I'm sure you'll become a fine warlord." So, she drew her sword, and they charged.
-()-
"Wh-what? Why are they attacking!?" Chouhou asked, "They didn't do that before!?"
She says this, conveniently forgetting the first time they fought, where they had been forced by Kousonsan's forces to retreat to the canyon in the first place. The only reason why she wasn't chased was due to how difficult it is to enter the canyon, especially on horseback.
"What should I do, what should I do?" Chouhou yelped in panic, as she walked around in worry. "There must be a place I can go… Ah! R-retreat!" Chouhou immediately sounds the call for retreat. "We can't fight them! They're too scary! Retreat, retreat!"
Chouhou did not wait for anyone and simply began sprinting back to where she came from.
One of the soldiers she left behind growled, "What's that idiot doing!?"
"Did she forget that we don't even have any supplies left!?"
"We won't survive anymore like this!"
"We're fighting because we want to fucking live, dammit! Why is she pussying out of this!?"
A man snorted, before hefting his knife. "I'll go after her and drag her out here if I have to. We can't afford to return there."
"Some of the others have already begun retreating."
"They wait on that girl, hand and foot. You think they won't follow her!?" The man growled, "No. Get the others to keep fighting. I'll take that magic contraption from her if I have to. If we want to live, we need to get out, raid a few more villages and take their stuff."
The others nodded. "You're the boss. Get going. We'll keep these pansy-ass yellow sissies from chasing after a girl that they refuse to even fuck." The man turned around, instantly changing his tone to one of reverence, "Chouhou-sama forgot something at the base, and is now going back to retrieve it! Orders are to stay here and fight back. The General of the Land will soon be back for us to push through! Defend the General of the Land! The blue sky has perished! Let the yellow sky rise!"
"The blue sky has perished! Let the yellow sky rise!" Echoed the army. And so, the mob composed of bandits and fans of the runaway General of the Land, less trained than their enemy, less prepared than their enemy, and hungry from the depleting supplies, about-faced and started defending fiercely from the charge. For that's how much they love Chouhou.
-()-
Kousonsan grimaced as the army seems to become even more desperate, more determined, and more suicidal, but paid no mind to it.
"Charge! Show them the reason why the White Horse Cavalry is known all throughout the empire!" Kousonsan yelled, as her sword slashed at an enemy.
"Milady, was this truly a wise decision?" A general grimaced, his own spear swinging, "We are risking too much."
"Are you a coward, general?" Chouun coyly asked as she cleaved another. "Are you afraid of fighting untrained men?"
"It's because they are untrained that it's more dangerous, Chouun-dono." The man argued. "Untrained men, who are so willing to fight are dangerous as you don't know what they're going to do."
"That's only if you don't know how they'll act. Once you figure it out, they're remarkably simple." Chouun laughed. The general grumbled as he moved his horse to strike another soldier, leaving the two female warriors to themselves.
"The plan went awry." Chouun chuckled. "The army is still here."
"No." Kousonsan shook her head, "The plan still worked. If anything, this is the preferable outcome. With the majority of the enemy here, the others will have an easier time. Even better, apparently, the General of the Land had forgotten something back in the canyon and had returned to get it before his own army had begun retreating. That's even more fortunate for Touka-chan."
"Such a shame. Even though the plan was for our army to take the head of Chouhou, it seems that an unforeseen circumstance will leave Gentoku-dono with all the glory." Chouun chuckled, "Surely all the generals will be angry at this."
"It is certainly a shame. I thought Chouhou braver." Kousonsan shrugged. "But nonetheless we have our job. And without a leader, these wild horses will now have to bay."
"Although it seems Chouhou's ghost still haunts us, with the strong push back from his army," Chouun smirked.
"All the better to prove our army's might." Kousonsan smiled.
"So what is the plan for Gentoku-dono's group?" Chouun asked, "Surely you will not leave them alone, after this?"
"Hmm," Kousonsan shrugged before swinging her sword, "Depends on what happens with the Emperor." Chouun made a sound, indicating for the redhead to continue. "If the Emperor were to reward Touka-chan with a territory, then I'll form an alliance with them, as a token of our friendship."
"Fair enough. And? What if the Emperor were to overlook Gentoku-dono?"
"With the loss of a warlord ruling the lands that Touka's Volunteer Militia has taken, it's likely that I'll gain control over the place. However, instead of taking charge of it, I'm thinking of hiring the entire group to form a subdivision of my army."
"Do you think you can get those two to bow?"
"I'm not trying to," Kousonsan replied with a laugh. "Besides, do you really think the Emperor would overlook their cousin's plight, despite the distance of relation?" In an era where filial piety is valued highly, it is doubtful for any of them that Ryuubi would be ignored.
"Fair enough. Either way, it would be rather interesting to see how their path progresses." Chouun nodded with a laugh.
"You think so?" Kousonsan chuckled again before swinging her sword up, "Let's go, Shiryuu. If we manage to defeat our foes here, then we might actually be able to enter the canyon and slay Chouhou."
"Then let's have a contest to see who will slay the most of these yellow bastards." Chouun grinned savagely.
-()-
"I don't want to die!" Chouhou cried as she ran into the makeshift building used to house her during her stay here. It was built by her army when she complained about the weather. "I didn't want to do this anyway! All I wanted was to live comfortably! To eat good food every day! To drink good wine! To earn enough money to not have to scrounge the streets!" She collapsed on the bed she was using.
"This stupid worthless title!" Chouhou yelled into the mattress. "General of the Land? I was the Songstress of the Land! I don't even know anything about war! All because of that stupid book on war tactics! We just wanted fans! That's why we used it!"
"I just wanted to sing and survive by singing! That's all I'm good at! I look cute, so I'm sure people will enjoy watching me sing for them! Is that so wrong!? I don't know how to read, so I can't be an official! I'm not strong so I can't work! I'm impatient so even normal jobs are impossible. I… I…"
"I just want to live." Chouhou cried, her voice now hoarse. In the shadows of the makeshift building, two figures swayed in the darkness. Silence settled, only whispers of what she imagined was her own mind playing tricks on her.
A knock on the door was heard.
"Ah… good timing." Chouhou coughed, her voice hoarse. "Can you get me something to drink? I'm…" The door swung open, and a menacing man wearing a yellow turban.
"What are you doing here, shitty brat? I didn't join your fucking army to become your servant." The man snarled. "Get up and lead the fucking army that you made."
"Wh-what?" Chouhou choked on her own dried throat. "I… I don't want to anymore. Just give up! The enemy will probably let you give up! I'm more likely to die because I'm the leader! Or rather, you all called me leader!" Chouhou yelled. "Leave me alone! Take the stupid name! Call yourself Chouhou and then lead the group if you want an army! Don't drag me into thi-GUUUH!" Chouhou was suddenly slammed into the bed by a massive hand.
"The fuck are you talking about, you shitty brat! I joined because your group lets me plunder all the villages I want! I joined your group because I can steal from anyone and not be arrested! Now you want to just give up!? Don't fuck with me!" The man shouted. "This Yellow Turban thing is the best thing that happened to us bandits! Everyone thinks we're rebels, and then we just pillage anything, and as long as you're wearing a yellow scarf on your head, you have a backup that isn't just thieves!"
"L-l-let me g-go!" Chouhou choked. "W-we didn't start this to become an army!"
"Well, you got one now! Suck it up! And you've been paying us shit! All you do is sing for your little people. Well, that isn't gonna work for us! Money! Women! Booze! You've been giving us jack and you're going to just bail on us!? If you're not going to give us shit, then I suppose I'll just take it from you!"
"W-what?" Chouhou's irises shrunk.
"Well we're all out of cash, and we already drank all the booze, so I think it should be obvious what I want from you, Chihou-chan!"
"N-no… Please no! Don't use my True Name… you're not…"
"After this, I'll take that little magic stick and do as you just said. I'll replace you and become this army's leader! And you'll be here to serve us all that we want!" The man leered. "We'll make you a servant and then…"
"Tenhou-neesan! Renhou! Help me!"
"No one's here, shitty brat! We're the only two who got back to the canyon!"
"Is that so?" A young girl's voice says.
"Of course it is, I told everyone retreating to go back out. It's only us two in here… wait…" That voice did not sound like Chouhou.
"Good to know. I'll take you up on your offer then." A male voice said. "Goodbye. Chouhou."
The next thing Chouhou knew, orange flames burst into her view, and the intimidating man was suddenly stabbed by a blade that Chihou is unfamiliar with the shape of. The figure who stabbed the man then raised his leg and kicked the man's body out the door, some blood falling onto the ground, as he left. A small hand suddenly took her head and hugged her from behind.
"Shhh… it's alright now. You're safe." A girl's voice said. It was small but soothing. "It's alright-desu. You don't need to worry anymore."
"Shuri, go to the others and tell them what we discussed."
"Understood, Kazuto-sama." Shuri nodded. "I'll go find Hinari as soon as possible."
The boy looked at the room, along with the open door. No blood was left since Kazuto practically cauterized the injury with his flame. He grimaced, as the smell of burnt flesh finally reached his nose.
"I'll be leaving the door open, okay? Hold on for a bit." The boy said in a strange comforting voice, even though his face was also, funnily enough, getting a bit green. He then walked to the door before unceremoniously kicking the body out of view. He then walked back in.
Chouhou looked at the boy in a daze, uncertain as to how she should feel. He sat at the foot of her bed, and an awkward silence surrounded them.
"… On second thought, it might've been better if Shuri was the one who stayed behind." Kazuto grimaced. The smell still lingered, although it's less noticeable now. "I tried to cauterize it but doing that so quickly means the heat barely did anything." Kazuto grimaced. "Now this room both smells like blood and slightly burnt flesh."
"I…" She then coughed.
"Oh right, water." Kazuto chuckled, as he grabbed the bag hanging from his back, and pulled out a water gourd. He then grabs a cup from her bedside, and fills it, before passing it to her. Chouhou choked slightly, as the taste of the wine she drank last night and the water melded in a very diluted manner, but still drank it fully. She held out her cup, to which Kazuto chuckled and poured out another for her. She downed it in an instant. Kazuto then put the jar to the side.
"Good thing I decided to pack some with me," Kazuto said, amused. "Is there a well nearby I can refill this with?"
Chouhou didn't know how to react to that, "Uh, we're using a nearby stream for water but…"
"That's good enough." Kazuto nodded. "I'll remember to refill it before we leave."
"I, okay." Chouhou nodded quietly.
"Hey, were you serious?" Kazuto asked.
"A-about what?" Chouhou asked.
"About wanting to quit your life as Chouhou?"
"Wh-what do you mean?"
"You will no longer live as Chouhou," Kazuto responded. "Instead, live on as whoever you want to be, but be separated from everyone else. You will no longer be able to call yourself Chouhou."
"I…" Chouhou said hesitantly, "I don't know. It was just a spur-of-the-moment idea. It's something that I thought. But… I don't want to fight anymore. Ever since I started this General of the Land thing, I haven't been able to do what I love. Singing. Dancing. Eating good food." Kazuto looked at her in amusement.
"That's the third time you mentioned food."
"I-it is!?" Chouhou yelled thinking of all the times she spoke, but Kazuto quickly laughed.
"Just kidding. It was just the second."
"You tease! Stupid niisan!" Chouhou scowled, as she lightly punched the boy, who only laughed harder.
"Name's Hongou Kazuto."
"I… I'm Chouhou, but you already knew that…"
"Hey. I'm being serious. How much do you care about your name?" Kazuto asked. "Will you die for it?"
"W-what? I don't want to die at all!"
"But if you continue to use that name, once people hear it, they'll probably give you up to the authorities." Kazuto remarked, "You are likely to get executed for the crime of rebelling against the emperor."
"But I didn't rebel! I just… wanted people to listen to our songs… Stupid book."
"But that's not how the world will see it. You and your sisters rebelled against the state. Your slogan, 'the blue sky has perished', sounds like someone saying the current dynasty is no longer mandated by heaven."
"That's just some stupid song lyrics we made while drunk!"
"Well, that's how it is." Kazuto shrugged. "People won't give up until the three leaders of the Yellow Turban Rebellion have been brought to justice. Whether that be execution or just lifetime imprisonment, there are families out there that lost loved ones due to the fringe members of your group. The bandits who joined like that man." Kazuto pointed towards the door behind him.
"I… If I give up my name… what about my sisters?"
"I don't know." Kazuto sighed, "I don't know what I don't know."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Chihou asked, slightly offended.
"But here's what I do know." Kazuto interrupted, "I want to help you. Shuri wants to help you. And when Shuri tells Touka the story, I'm sure she'll want to help you. So, now, I want to ask you, do you want us to help you?"
"H-huh?"
"Say the word, and we'll get you out of here. I'll make sure that you stay safe as long as you stay by my side." Kazuto extended his hand.
"I…" Chouhou said as the memories flooded her mind. The assault of the man. The rescue. Her sisters. The lack of money coming in from their activities. The pain of growling stomachs. Eating whatever is cheap. The army that none of them wanted. "H… please help me." Chouhou bowed. "I am Chouhou, my True Name is Chihou."
"Then I suppose it'll just be Chihou from now on, then. The man that died just now is Chouhou. And the girl in front of me is Chihou." Kazuto smiled.
"Y-yes!" Chihou nodded. "My name is Chihou!"
"So she agreed, then, Kazuto-kun?"
The sudden voice made Chihou jump, her eyes darting to the source.
"Sorry for not informing you before making the decision, Touka," Kazuto replied to the sudden voice, and a rose-haired girl stood in the doorway.
"Mou, Kazuto-kun, you shouldn't be leaving dead bodies outside the door. It took us a while to just move it out of the way." Touka told him with a frown, before looking at the girl. "So you're Chouhou? I'm Ryuubi, Ryuubi Gentoku."
"Yes I-"
"No." Kazuto quickly interrupted. "Never respond to Chouhou anymore, Chihou-chan. If we're going to do this right, we're going to do this thoroughly. The man who died is Chouhou. You're Chihou."
Chihou flinched, "That's a bit difficult…"
"It's fine as long as you don't answer to Chouhou anymore," Kazuto replied. "We can't protect you if you're Chouhou. We can if it's Chihou."
Chihou nods before looking at Ryuubi, "I'm Chihou. It's nice to meet you, Ryuubi-sama."
"By the way, the story is that Chouhou was using you as a slave." A girl called in from the door. Chihou looked to see the beret-wearing blonde, the girl who hugged her after the incident. "Please keep it to that."
"The soldiers won't believe it."
"Then we'll just say they thought wrong, and that Chouhou was deceiving them." The girl replied. "I'm Shokatsuryou Koumei. It's nice to meet you, Chihou-chan."
"… you're shorter than me." This was the first thing that came up in Chihou's mind, causing Koumei to pout.
"Mou!"
"Well, you are, Shuri." Kazuto chuckled.
"Not you too, Kazuto-sama!" Shuri complained before coughing and pulling out a feather fan, "A-anyway. I already told Hinari about everything. Aisha-san and Rinrin-san have also been informed, although I think it would've been better if we had kept them in the dark…"
"They're our friends. I won't hide this from them." Kazuto replied shortly.
Shuri nodded, "I suppose so. But Aisha-san reacted as you expected…"
"If we start keeping things from Aisha, just because we know she'll react badly, don't you think she'll just think we don't trust her at all?"
"Aisha-chan really is a bit predictable." Touka chuckled.
"Please don't talk as if I'm not here." A jet-black-haired girl entered the room. "And I stand by my reaction. This girl isn't a risk we can afford to take."
"I already made my promise. As long as she wants to stay by our side, I promise to protect her." Kazuto replied.
"You made that promise knowing that I won't be there to interfere," Aisha grumbled.
Kazuto sheepishly rubbed his head.
"Well, it can't really be helped, aneja." A younger voice called out, revealing a redhead carrying what appears to be a really long spear. Long enough that the girl couldn't even enter the room.
"Ah, Rinrin! Sorry, but this place is already crowded." Kazuto chuckled.
"Hey, oniichan!" Rinrin called out, "Shouldn't we be going soon?"
"Right." Kazuto nodded before turning to the girl. "Stay close to me." Kazuto looked at her with a serious look on his face.
"I… okay!" Chihou nodded before wobbling onto her feet. She grabbed the magic stick as she does so before… "Umm… Kazuto-niisan." The name felt foreign on her tongue but she pressed on, "This is…"
"The magic stick thing that they mentioned…"
"They'll be looking for it, to prove that I'm… you know…"
"Then I'll keep it for now." Kazuto nodded, taking the stick… "Isn't this a [mic]?" Kazuto dully said as he looked at the object. He then tapped the end a few times before, speaking into it. "[testing, testing]… Huh, how do you turn it on?"
Chihou just shrugged, confused as well, "I just talk into it and it works. But I have to be thinking really hard that I want to say it."
Kazuto nodded before a fire lit on his ring, touching the object. "[testing, testing]". Kazuto grimaced, not hearing anything. "Nope, no good. Try it."
"Eh, okay." Chihou tentatively grasped the magic stick before thinking hard. "My name is Chihou." And her voice reverberated through the room. Kazuto looked at the object and blinked in surprise, as he looked at the object. Green sparks seem to jump from the body.
"Huh. Not Sun, but Lightning. That's interesting."
"Y-you mean! That was Heaven Flames?" Ryuubi said in shock.
"Lightning Flames has the property of Hardening." Kazuto nodded, "I'm more surprised it has such an effect when applied to soundwaves."
"Heaven flames?" Chihou asked in confusion.
"So she can use Heaven Flames too!?" Rinrin asked in surprise. "But she's not from Heaven like you, right, oniichan?"
Something flared in Chihou somewhere on that response so she interjected here, "What's Heaven Flames, Kazuto-niisan?" Chihou asked, coyly. But she was not looking at Kazuto here. No, she hugged the boy's arm before looking at Rinrin with a smile. Rinrin looked back at her in confusion, before puffing her cheeks once she realizes that Chihou was making fun of her.
Kazuto chuckled nervously at that, "I'm not gonna explain that yet. Besides, we're late enough as is. We need to get back and get the Yellow Turban army to stop fighting."
"But how?" Ryuubi asked. "We're going to be saying Chouhou is dead, right? Won't they just get angry? Chihou-chan can't just tell them to stop either…"
"We'll leave the canyon with our army, with Chouhou's head," Shuri responded. "Rinrin-san, I hope you don't mind carrying the head?"
"Someone from Rinrin's squad will carry it." Rinrin replied, "I need to hold my spear, after all."
"Who cut the head off?" Kazuto asked, cautiously making sure that he doesn't look in the direction of what appeared to be a pike.
"… I did." Aisha replied shortly. He gives a short nod, and a small smile. He left it at that.
"So, will this work out as we planned?" Kazuto asked.
Shuri nodded, "At the very least, we'll be able to confuse them long enough to at least get them to give up."
"If they don't give up, we'll have to kill them," Aisha responded with a hardened tone.
"I suppose so." Chihou flinched at this response from Kazuto, as she tentatively looked at him from her position holding his arm. Kazuto looked at her and smiled.
"It'll be fine. I'm sure you can make the right choice." Kazuto whispered in her ear. "Regardless of what you do, I'll protect you." Chihou looked at his eyes, before nodding.
-()-
"Ah, I'm nervous." Ryuubi breathed as they walked out of the canyon.
"We don't have as many soldiers as we probably should have." Kan'u grimaced, looking at their numbers. Kazuto, Ryuubi, Kan'u, Chouhi, Shokatsuryou, Houtou, and ten soldiers each. 66 people, three non-combatants (Ryuubi, Shokatsuryou, Houtou), plus Chihou. This was the largest number that they were willing to risk. "This is risky. If the enemy turns towards us, we'll be overrun too quickly."
"It's lucky that all of the enemies left the base instead of some remaining behind." Houtou sighed.
"We… I mean, The Yellow Turbans didn't have any food left. They're getting desperate. We, I mean, they needed to leave as soon as possible." Chihou said as she gripped the mic.
"Touka, I'll leave the proclamation to you. Rinrin, the head."
"This is icky…" Rinrin grumbled as she grabbed the pike from the soldier, casually leaving her spear behind, which somehow caused the person to almost fall backward… Rinrin, why is your spear heavier than a pike?
"Chihou-chan, please. The mic." Chihou nodded, pointing the object towards Touka.
"Chouhou is dead!" Touka said. "Us, members of the Volunteer Army, serving under the banner of the Kouson Army, have prevailed and taken the head of Chouhou!" At this, Rinrin raised the pike, showing them all the head of the man that they proclaim as Chouhou, "Yellow Turban Army! Your leader has fallen! Lay down your arms and surrender!"
"D-dead!? Our general dead!? D-don't make me laugh!" A man cried out, "That's not…"
"Boss!" a bandit cried out, as they saw whose head was being displayed. "Shit! Our boss has fallen. Scatter, scatter!" Many of the Yellow Turban Army started running away, but the remaining army looked in horror at the soldiers.
"Fight! We have nothing left to live for!" Someone cried out. "Kill, for the life that was taken from us! We… FIGHT FOR CHOUHOU'S SAKE!"
The remaining men started raising their own weapons, looking towards the canyon before…
"Please. Please stop. Don't fight anymore! Give up, please…" This voice reverberated in their ears. It was familiar, it was…
"Chouhou-chan!" A voice cried.
"Chouhou is dead!" The voice continued. "Chouhou was slain, so stop fighting! There is nothing left to fight for! Go back to your families!" Chihou begged them, "So, please! It's over!"
"Is… is that the real Chouhou?"
"Why is she saying Chouhou is dead?"
"Is she… we're going to die if we continue to fight so she proclaimed her own death so that we can live?"
The murmurs echoed through the plains as the soldiers began to drop their weapons. Bowing their heads down, not towards the large army that stood, but to the sixty or so soldiers in the canyon.
"If that is her wish… then, Chouhou is dead." The resolute voice of one of Chouhou's loyalists says. "Thank you for everything, Chouhou-dono! May your passage to heaven be one of prosperity!"
"""Thank you very much!"""
And so, one of the Yellow Turban's leaders 'dies' at the hands of Ryuubi Gentoku's army.
-()-
"My… isn't this a strange turn of events." Kousonsan chuckled. One by one the soldiers dropped their weapons and did not resist as her own soldiers moved forward to bind the men. It is doubtful that they'll be imprisoned: There were too many. But they're also a valuable workforce.
"So what shall we do?" Chouun asked.
"Capture them, interrogate them. If useable, put them to work." Kousonsan commanded. Kousonsan breathed gently now.
"That magic item found by Gentoku-dono is certainly a marvel isn't it?" Chouun chuckled. Kousonsan laughed.
"Yes. I'm already hoarse just from this battle alone." Kousonsan nods. "But I'm impressed that Ryuubi's group managed to cut the head of the snake." A bit more literal than expected, but good enough, she supposed.
Chouun nodded, "Indeed, considering the plan was for live capture, was it not?"
"Sometimes, live capture is just not feasible, I suppose," Kousonsan replied. "I do not blame them."
Chouun nodded but turned to the group, "That may be so… but…" She shook her head, "So how mad do you think your officers will be now?" A coy smile appears on the woman's face, and Kousonsan merely smiled.
"As long as I say it was under my orders, they'll accept it," Kousonsan replied with a smile. "Well then, let's end this farce of a rebellion."
-()-
And so, the uprising of the yellow sky falls. But it already left cracks upon the already fragile sky of the Kan. The yellow sky may not have risen over the blue sky today, but the blue sky's cracks have already started to show.
But a stronger, steadier, sky has begun growing. A third of the leaders of the Yellow Sky have come into the protection of this sky. The other two, fate's unknown, although now that their third stands under their flag, fate suggests that they too will join hands with their sibling.
For the sky is fiercely loyal; it will not allow any of those who come into its embrace to come to harm. Although it's still weak, it gathers its elements not with force, but because they want to stay. For the sky does not attract forcibly, not like the earth.
And so, the two souls that temper their sky, carve their own mark upon the blue sky. Cause, although the yellow sky has fallen, the blue sky's cracks will cause its own downfall regardless.
-()-
In Rakuyou, a woman sits upon the throne of the emperor. Regal her appearance, her hair white with a tinge of purple, and a calm, tranquil look upon her face as she looks upon the back of the messenger, as he leaves her presence. As soon as he leaves, she turns to a young girl standing at her side.
"Seems that everything is settled then, don't you think, Paitan-chan?"
"We're still in the imperial court, Reitei-oneesama. Please refer to me by name." The girl with light pink hair replied.
"Alright, alright, Ryuukyou-chan." The woman nodded, "But really, surely everything is done? Sou Moutoku of Kyoshou has slain both Choukaku and Chouryou, while Kouson Hakukei's forces defeated Chouhou. With all three leaders gone, surely the rebellion is quelled?"
"It's still important for us to summon these people here." Ryuukyou responded, "They will seek compensation for their work, and it's our job as the Imperial Family to reward them appropriately."
"Eh… but that will cut in on my free time…" Reitei sighed.
"It still must be done." Ryuukyou sighed, "Besides, do you not want to meet our distant cousin, Ryuubi? The one who slew the General of the Land?"
"She's so distant that she's already a member of the peasantry, right? Is it really fine to consider her still family?" Reitei wondered.
"She's grown to be well-known enough that it will not hurt for us to attach our name to hers." Ryuukyou nodded. "At the very least, if we recognize her actions, we can ensure her loyalty."
"A cousin? I certainly hope that she will not try to overrule you, dear Kuutan~."
"Ah, Reichen!" A woman with sea-green hair, with two hair ties flowing over her shoulders, walked in. A truly playful smile is on her face. This is Kataigou, Empress, the wife of Reitei.
"Kataigou-neesama!" Ryuukyou exclaimed, "It is improper to refer to the emperor by her True Name in the Imperial Court!"
"Kyou-chan, you should try to lighten up, it's only us here."
"Decorum must be-"
"You're too wound up, Ryuukyou-chan." The woman chuckled as she rubbed the girl's head, receiving a flustered look in return. "Only us members of the Imperial Court are in this room. Seeing as all of us has entrusted True Names with each other, is it not fine for us to simply talk casually?"
"Now that the rebellion is quelled, I suppose it's now an appropriate time to assert ourselves? Lest the warlords let their success get to their heads?" Another woman's voice says. This one is a woman wearing purple clothing and wine-colored hair says. This is Kashin Suikou, the Great General of Kan.
"Calm down, Kei-oneesan." Kataigou chuckled, causing her sister to deflate.
"But the Ten Eunuchs are trying to…"
"Choujou will not be an issue, you know?"
"Oh, Fan, what brings you here?" Another woman, with blue hair, enters the room. This was Chouchuu, a member of the Ten Eunuchs, and Reitei's favorite. In contrast, Ryuukyou found her difficult to work with seeing as…
"Ah yes, Emperor, the new sweets have arrived today!" the woman smiled.
"Really?"
"Reitei-oneesama!" Ryuukyou complained, "We have so much work to do that need the Emperor's attention, you-"
"Reitei-sama is the emperor, Ryuukyou-sama~ She's free to do as she pleases, and no one will be able to say no."
"Exactly." Kataigou chuckled.
Ryuukyou looked silently at the group before sighing, "I suppose you're right… I just…"
"Now, now, Paitan. You worry too much. Let's have some of those sweets Fan brought us." And so, Reitei stood up, holding up her hand. "I wonder, what taste will these have?"
"… Very well…" Paitan sighed before the group began moving towards the dining hall. "W-wait, umm… Chouchuu-san, is Roshoku-san alright? Kouhosuu-san asked us to help pardon her, right?"
"It's been taken care of~ Roshoku should be released soon~ Sahou doesn't have as much weight as he thinks he does."
None of them notices a man hidden behind one of the pillars, chuckling in amusement.
"And so, the azure sky shall perish. Not because the yellow sky rose, but through its own folly." His image grew hazy, particles of strange sand cover his appearance, "This story is most certainly, no, truly, quite a farce." Fading away in a cloud of sand, leaving nothing behind.
-()-
Chapter End
-()-
Chapter Release Date: August 3, 2019
Last Edited: June 6, 2022
-()-
Beta Reader:
A reminder to everyone that this is a KHR Crossover. Kazuto is not completely different from Koihime Musou Kazuto, but at the same time, he's still a kid of a mafia boss. A good mafia boss, but… a mafia boss regardless.
I'm clearly slowing down. This pace of one chapter a week is starting to give me anxiety. Writing around seven thousand words per chapter, averaging at nine thousand, is not conducive to a one chapter per week system. When I run out of chapters to post, I doubt I'll be able to keep up with the demand. So… apologies in advance.
You don't need to read anything after this part. I'm someone who enjoys rambling and saying stuff that really shouldn't have a part in the story. Show don't tell is easy to say, but well… I end up doing a lot of telling. Just remember this: Nothing, not in the story proper (between the Chapter Title and the Chapter End) is set in stone.
Reason for Rating Change:
It might seem it's because of the language thrown around by the man, and what he implied to do, but it's actually because of Sousou. Karin's mere existence ups this story. Keifa helps.
Alright, seriously, I do not plan to add any actual explicit content to this story. Nothing that is considered MA by Fanfiction dot Net's rules. Nor am I planning to write any H scenes between the characters. I probably won't even up this story's normal tone to be more raunchy and remain a relatively family-friendly story. However, there will be implications for such in the future. By the end of this story, Kazuto will not be a virgin. Hell, even by the midpoint of this story even.
As for why it's this chapter that brings it up, yes, it's because of what happened with Chihou. I avoided using the word but the implications are enough to put this up to M, or at least that's how I read the guidelines. There's also the head-on-a-pike scene, which was actually what made me consider upping the rating. The scene with Chihou was a mixed bag, but it didn't really seem problematic at first. Originally Kazuto cut the guy's head clean off, but I uh… made it tamer for Kazuto.
Chihou:
Ahaha… Chihou got a lot more screen time than Tenhou and Renhou. Tenhou's my favorite of the trio, while Chihou's my least favorite by the way. Not obvious due to how much of this chapter is focused on her. But it's because the version of Sangokushi that I read had Zhang Bao be Liu Bei's opponent. And so, she's the enemy for this arc. But well, she doesn't have warrior pride and nonsense, so she didn't even become an enemy. She was just an unfortunate girl who got carried away with her perceived fame, that she failed to realize what she actually ended up doing. That's the main reason why Kazuto and Shuri pitied her. Keyword, pity. They still think Chouhou needs to pay for the sins caused by her actions, but they don't want to see her die for a mistake. A big one at that, but well…
It helps that Chihou's the green-wearing sister, while Tenhou's pink and Renhou's blue-violet.
I don't really consider Chihou a guardian candidate. The position that she'll be most suited for is Sun or Lightning, but well… I don't think anyone would choose a relatively normal girl, with no combat experience, for a position like a Guardian. Maybe she'll get to keep a spare ring. But I don't consider her a candidate. She's more like Fuuta from KHR: a non-combatant protectorate of the Vongola Heir that didn't receive a ring. If it seems interesting to make her a Guardian, I'll think of it. Shokatsuryou and Houtou themselves have their work cut out for them if they wish to be a Guardian.
Kan:
Ah, the Imperial Kan members. With all the nothing that I know about them. Apparently, Kentei and Reitei are sisters in SKM Kakumei. Yay!
I'm going off of mostly the google translated profile pages for each of the characters and extrapolating from there. If anyone has a better grasp of their personalities, please comment or PM me. I'm incorporating the Kakumei characters into this story so, before I have to introduce them, it would be nice to have a better grasp of what their personalities are like. That's why Bijiku and Bihou aren't here yet. Currently, it is as follows, for the Kan group.
Reitei, personal name: Ryuukou. True Name is Kuutan. She's the emperor, but is rather carefree, and cares little about her position as emperor. She's someone strongly interested in good food. Her rule is the main reason why the empire started to decline. Chinese Counterpart is Ling Di, personal name: Liu Hong.
Kentei, personal name: Ryuukyou, style name is Hakuwa. True Name: Paitan. She's Reitei's younger sister and is the responsible one of the two. Considered the next emperor. The responsible sister, but she's rather inexperienced. Chinese Counterpart is Xian Di, personal name: Liu Xie – Bohe. Originally the son of Ling Di. These are the sort of things that Koihime Musou likes to put.
Kashin, styled as Suikou, True Name: Kei. Great General of Kan. Originally a butcher, but was recruited when her sister, Kataigo became Empress (Kentei's wife). Not completely incompetent but is more interested in self-preservation than working for the country. Weak to pressure from her sister. A bit power-hungry. Chinese Counterpart is He Jin – Suigao.
Kataigou, True Name: Reichen. Empress of Kan. Put simply: a bitch. Her bio literally had the word bitch in it. A clean bitch? Basically, she got a taste of luxury as an empress and became attached to it. Hates being reminded of her past as the daughter of a butcher. Chinese Counterpart is Empress He.
Chouchuu, True Name: Fan. Member of the Ten Eunuchs… and Reitei's enabler. Seriously her bio says something about thinking that the emperor is so cute because of how much she doesn't know and spoiling her. Or at least that's how I interpreted Google Translate. The emperor is definitely Reitei, though so… eh. I just assume it's because of Kataigou's influence, and Chouchuu's spoiling that Reitei became what she is. Kentei's own inexperience in court matters makes her the least important in the room, although the one who does the most work. Chinese Counterpart is Zhao Zhong.
Two more that didn't appear yet are:
Roshoku Shikan, Ryuubi and Kousonsan's teacher. True Name: Fuurin. A general of the Imperial Kan. Thinks knowledge will bring true peace and is willing to teach stuff to people. Teacher vibes. Got recruited as a general of Kan after her stint as a teacher to Ryuubi and Kousonsan. Original Counterpart is Lu Zhi – Zigan.
Kouhosuu Gishin, True Name: Rouan. General of Kan. A veteran and part of the elite in martial practice. She feels bothered by the fact that she hasn't gotten any happiness as a woman, and that she's already growing with age. Original Counterpart is Huangfu Song – Yizhen.
KHR Elements:
And so, this story is going into its actual promise of a crossover: Dying Will Flames not related to Kazuto's appearance.
The microphones are originally just random things that are used during the Chou Sisters' "Social Link", and in the anime, they were apparently created using the book called the Crucial Keys to the Way of Peace, or Taiping Jing. I didn't really watch the anime, so confirmation is needed there. So, I decided to make the microphone something different: a microphone that makes use of Dying Will Flames.
Lightning Mic! Yay! I originally envisioned the thing as a Sun Mic, and it basically strengthens her soldiers. But I thought of how the mic makes a strong noise, and well… Sun Flames has the property of Activation… which would probably just cause static. Think of sound clips that flip around between 1.5x speed to 3x to 5x, and so on and so forth. Basically, no one will understand anything. So I went with Lightning, which makes things harder… I just went with the idea that Lightning reinforced the sound so that it dissipates less in the air and thus travels farther than normal. It makes more sense than Sun in my mind.
And now other people have flames, aside from Kazuto's group. The mysterious person in the shadows is a Desert Flame user, which I still have trouble differentiating from Mist Flames. Seriously, what is the difference between Desert and Mist? Daemon is the only one we see use it, and Desert seems to just be Mist Flames for Flames of the Earth… so I went with a more… tangible answer. Earth flames have more physical effects than Sky flames, which have more conceptual effects. So Desert is a flame that affects a person's senses to show illusions, while Mist targets a person's mind to show illusions. Headcanon only of course. Hell, it's likely that Daemon was just being a prick and using Mist Flames rather than Desert.
Title:
I named this chapter 'Childhood friends', because, originally, Kousonsan should've had a bigger role. This is supposed to be Touka's time to reconnect with her. But circumstances like the Bandit situation are pretty much more important though.
Well, I suppose that's all I can think of right now. Thank you for reading~