The storm was raging outside. To the frequent bolts of lightning bursting in the sky was mingling a torrential rain which seemed to want to last for weeks. Sitting at his desk, the Saniwa was watching the downpour from the half-open window. Rumours of bad omen or impending misfortune had quickly started to circulate in the corridors, and he had shut himself up in his office to not hear about them again.

It was hardly the wrath of the gods which was reflected in this grey sky but on the contrary a glimpse of the path which awaited them in this approaching war against the Revisionists: full with pitfalls and failures.

Sighing deeply, the Sage reluctantly refocused on the scrolls spread on his writing desk; from reports on recent actions of the History Retrograding Force to the numbers of swords already collected by the Government of Time, to the new security measures taken by the council until the list of supplies that needed to be available within the citadels before the arrival of the Saniwas. None of this mattered much to him, nevertheless, he recognised the necessity for such paperwork and it was with certain laziness that he was going to get back to work when knocks resonated against the door.

"Come in. " he answered mechanically without looking up from his papers.

"Sorry for the inconvenience. Saniwa-sama? "

"Yes? "

The sound of several layers of fabric rubbing heavily against each other finally caught his attention and he slowly lifted his head, his eyes widening in surprise whilst the person who had previously called him out, a maid dressed in a beige and ochre furisode, was gently closing the door behind his visitor. Taking a few steps forward, the latter stopped in front of the two armchairs facing him and raised a perfectly manicured hand in the air, the jade and gold-coloured nail-covers threaded over her ring finger and her little finger pointing threateningly towards the window like the claws of a tiger about to pounce on its prey.

The maid rushed over to her mistress at this sight, her trembling hands grabbing the raised arm to support its owner as she was seating down on one of the chairs, before being crudely sent away. The boy then pulled abruptly himself together and his face perfectly impassive, rose to bow respectfully in front of his guest.

"Denka… To what do I owe the honour of your visit? "

Wearing a turquoise and violet jūnihitoe adorned with white lily flowers patterns, the high ponytail holding back her long platinum blonde hair falling elegantly over it, the lady seemed to smile mirthlessly as her electric blue eyes were glaring coldly at him, and she finally decided to open her mouth to reply:

"I thought I had to remind you where you belonged. "

"Seiren-sama…? " the Saniwa called, sitting down.

"In this place where many high authorities come together, it is sometimes easy to forget your rank. Saniwas are, after all, extremely respected priests and rarely contradicted in their stance… "

He tilted his head to the side questioningly whilst waiting for the princess to release the rest of her tirade that she was holding between her tight white-painted lips as if trying to instil some sort of dramatic effect. There was about her demeanour, both distant and calculated, something intimidating and mysterious. Even furious, she was keeping that imposing air innate to all the people of her caste and that her legendary beauty only made all the more attractive.

"But they are not, and never will be, active members of power! "

"I don't know who could have put that idea in your head. Our role here is purely to serve the interests of the gods. " the Sage declared calmly, his hands crossed in front of him on his desk.

"And yet, you are the one I always find behind the decisions my brother takes. " Seiren indicated sarcastically. "I am his Chancellor, it is for me to advise him as best as possible on government matters, and I do not believe that your opinion is of any interest whatsoever. "

"I doubt I have ever discussed anything but private matters with the Emperor. At best, I helped him get an idea of the Saniwas' way of thinking. "

"And that is the problem. Within the Government of Time, your presence can only but be required, however, when it comes to the politics of the Imperial Palace, you certainly do not have a say! "

Around them, time had stood still, lost in an infinite loop that none could break. A staring contest had engaged and the first to look away would undoubtedly be the big loser in the story. In this interminable wait, it seemed to him that the chancellor was weakening, perhaps quite frightened of the repercussions that defying a priest could have on herself. The idea suddenly made him smile with benevolence and, taking pity, he humbly lowered his head.

"I am not here to meddle with either the Imperial Palace business or the Government of Time one for what it's worth. " he huffed without paying more attention to his visitor, once again fascinated by the storm still raging outside. "I only wish to protect what I care about by defending history. "

"So defend it, but away from Chiaki. " the lady hissed as she got up with the help of her maid, and steadily walked towards the door.

"Have you come only to tell me that? " the Saniwa asked all of sudden as he turned around, his brow furrowed.

"Of course. " confirmed Seiren, facing him again.

"Your assertions may be unfounded, but there is one subject that you might qualify as an affair of the state which I am indeed discussing with His Majesty. "

"You don't say... And you dare to pretend you do not understand what I say! "

An innocent smile spread across the cherry-haired boy's face at these words, his demeanour suddenly changing as he was leaning upright against his seat, indifferent to all the condescension the Emperor's sister could show to him. All the honesty in the world wouldn't convince her of his good faith, and it was out of the question that he wastes his time trying. Beyond this castle, beyond this town, nothing anymore awaited him except for the burden he had agreed to bear. This burden would be his redemption, his chance to rectify the mistakes of his past. Protecting what he cared about, what little he had left, however modest it might be… was indeed his only concern.

"Nonetheless… " stated the Sage, plunging his golden pupils into the eyes of the princess coldly. "This is indeed a matter involving Saniwas and one on which I will continue to talk to him about, whether you like it or not. "

"Beware, Sensei, there is nothing that I do not know about this government or my brother. "

"But there's also nothing you know about me, Denka. "

"I will end up knowing what this is all about. " threatened the chancellor as she passed the doorstep, walking away without looking back, her maid on her heels.

"Supposing it really interests you. "

The Saniwa sighed whilst rubbing his eyes as if abruptly drained of his energy. Neither this visit nor this exchange was due to chance and he couldn't help but wonder what it could hide. As haughty as she was, the princess Seiren was far from being reckless, and never did anything without a reason. Plot after plot, not embarrassed by lies or pretences, she was pushing her way to the top to seize what she believed was rightfully hers: the throne of her younger brother Chiaki.

A game of cat and mouse in which the latter delighted to participate, convinced that his sister's machinations would never succeed and too amused by her vain attempts. Only, the wheel of fortune always ended up turning, and the reign of an iron fist in a velvet glove of the sovereign might very well one day come to an end. Especially in these fragile and uncertain times. Within the shadow of the light, secrets prevailed... a bad omen that was slowly coming true...

Xxxxxxxxxx

The heavenly skies had finally calmed down, a fine rain replacing the devastating storm under a cluster of grey clouds barely letting the sun's rays filter through. Cradled by the sound of the drops crashing against the window and the biting breeze entering the room, he sleepily closed his eyes whilst slumping back in his seat, resting his head in his hand, and barely suppressed a yawn.

Around him, discussions followed one another without ever ending, blind to his obvious boredom and deaf to the remarks and protests of others. Under his inquisitive gaze, half-veiled by the spectre of Morpheus, the members of the council were debating and tearing each other apart with sharp criticisms and reflections, seeming unable to agree on any subject.

"Heika? "

"Hmm? " he mumbled, finally reopening his eyes, the figure of the dean of the council slowly taking shape in front of him. "Kikuchi no Sera-dono. "

"Were you even listening to us? "

"I must admit that not. You've been going round in circles for hours, I'm getting tired of it. "

"Heika, it is essential that each member gives their opinion so that we can decide as well as possible. "

"But if no one ever agrees with the other, what's the use? "

Abruptly rising from his seat, the young king began to walk up and down the room, passing behind each of the seated people, before suddenly grabbing the sword of one of the guards stationed in front of the great doors and throwing it with force on the table in a thud and metallic noise which surprised everyone.

"This is your middle ground! The time for arguing is over, and if we are to win this new war, you are going to have to put in a minimum of effort! "

A silence full of meaning fell around him at the announcement, prompting him to return to his seat with satisfaction as the unarmed guard was embarrassingly leaving his position to retrieve the sword under his mischievous smile.

"His Majesty speaks and we obey. If you don't mind, Heika, we'll revisit what we agree on. "

"Do so, Sera-dono. But get to the point, please. " Chiaki simply replied, looking disinterested.

"Following the recommendations of the elders, the establishment of citadels capable of accommodating several Touken Danshi and directed by a Saniwa was quickly organised. Even if our resources are, for the moment, reduced, we have the hope that very soon, more than two troops will be able to be sent at the same time. " the old woman summed up in her soft, soothing voice, an administrator next to her taking the floor in turn.

"Today, we know that the Revisionists mainly attack major events in history. If in the past, Saniwas were directly going to their lands to fight them, it has been decided that they would now travel in time to attack the enemy and thus prevent them from making any changes to the known history. "

"What if it were to happen anyway? " asked the Emperor, delighted to see that the discussion was, at last, resuming in general calm.

"Well it would behove the Saniwa in charge of the expedition to rectify things, within the realm of possibility of course. "

The chair creaked annoyingly against the floor as the person previously sitting on it all of sudden straightened up to cast a scandalised look at the assembly, Fujiwara no Mugetsu then turning to the regent to call out at him:

"Saniwas have the power to sense temporal distortions. In the old days, whenever this happened, we would go to the opposing camp to stop them before they crossed time. I still believe that letting Toudans go straight into the past and come in contact with other humans, and perhaps even when their former masters lived, is too great a risk. "

"The methods of the past have clearly not been proven successful, Fujiwara-sama. " the young king openly lectured whilst ignoring the muted anger that distorted the features of the veteran's face. "We have rules to prevent any Touken Danshi's misbehaviour from happening. What's more, I have every confidence that Saniwas will be able to handle this kind of situation. "

"Is it truly reasonable to let Saniwas and their swords live on their own? They used to stay here, in the Citadel of Time. "

"It was a smaller number of swords. We didn't have the need or even the possibility of invoking more. But just as the number of Retrogrades continues to increase, we, on our side too, must adapt and ensure that more Toudans join the fight. "

The doors to the council chamber suddenly swung open as they were about to begin new negotiations, a servant appearing unexpectedly before heading straight for the Emperor to deliver a message to him in his ear, in confidence. Nodding to signify that he had understood, the latter then got up and rushed towards the exit under the astonished and suspicious exclamations and whispers of the other members.

"May the Council forgive me, an urgent matter requires my presence. " he indicated before leaving the room without giving further explanation.

Xxxxxxxxxx

Red and gold walls on which were hung thousands of engravings mixing nature, wild creatures and deities of all kinds, sutras carved into the stone and wood of the floor and ceiling, pillars by dozen supporting the structure and covered with calligraphy written in Indian ink, black and indelible, the throne room was standing in all its grandeur, both imposing and majestic.

In this setting of unparalleled presence, the imperial throne was resting desperately alone at the end of the room, the ruddy colour of its fabric reminiscent of the shimmering twilight as its sculpted armrests resembled two winged dragons taking flight.

Tapping on one of these with his painted fingernails, the Emperor tilted his head as the boy was remaining sadly silent in front of him, his gaze turned to the half-open shōji on the royal gardens. There was in his golden pupils a sort of deep, melancholic nostalgia that the young king could not understand as if he had known from the start that what was happening today could not have been avoided no matter what he would have done.

"This fleeting world will only last for a moment. " he said with a smile, trying to get his interlocutor to react. "Better to spend it fixing our faults rather than feeling sorry for them. "

The Sage narrowed his eyes whilst finally turning to the sovereign, not responding immediately as he seemed to weigh the pros and cons in his mind. Unable now to prevent the inevitable from happening, he huffed tiredly and asked:

"Do you remember our conversation from a few weeks ago? "

"The traitor in our ranks. " Chiaki stated, getting up to rejoin the Saniwa, his brow furrowed.

"It wouldn't be the first time it happens. "

"Divine powers or not, human temptation is the same for all. However, I would like to be sure that your intuition is correct before I condemn an innocent priest. "

"There is nothing innocent about offering information to the Revisionists and helping them change the course of history. " the cherry-haired boy hissed in a cold, cutting tone.

"That said, you have no conclusive evidence. " the Emperor revealed with a bothered expression on his face. "It's still new to me. Even my father, who was the regent during the first war against the History Retrograding Force, witnessed this scourge very little. There were more Saniwas who died under the blows of the enemy than there were who joined its side. "

"This is because we are taught early on the importance of history as it is written. We aren't without ignoring the disastrous consequences that changing it could have. One thing, no matter how small, could cause our downfall to all. Stopping a ten-thousand-year-old battle to save a hundred lives could very well start another twenty thousand years later that will kill two hundred. " the Sage explained whilst shaking his head, disillusioned. "Time is impartial. As merciful as ruthless. From it, we learn, from it we heal, the lessons and the wounds of the past. And we live the present with serenity, look forward to the future. "

The young king raised his head as he pondered these words. Through the setting sun piercing the sky in shades of orange and pink, the silvery moon was slowly rising ahead of the dark night. Soon this bustling Citadel would become as calm and silent as an abandoned town. When only the Government of Time and the imperial palace would remain in this place, nothing would count except this war that he had sworn to win. And he wasn't planning on failing before even having started it because of some mad priest.

"I grew up with these teachings, too. I would not stand against you, but you should know that my judgement will be relentless. " the sovereign said in a detached voice strangely similar to his sister's.

"The gods alone are never wrong. " the Saniwa nodded, a bitter smile on his lips. "I'll be the one who will put an end to this insanity. "

"And his name? " Chiaki questioned back, sceptical.

"If I'm not mistaken, you won't need my help to find out his identity. He's not the type to stay in the shadows for long. "

Leaving the Emperor on this, the boy bowed slightly before closing the shōji behind him to hurry up to the Government of Time buildings. Everyone's fate was now sealed, and he just hoped it wouldn't end today. All his doubts would soon be confirmed, and his hopes will be shattered in a torrent of lies that was lasting for far too long already.

Xxxxxxxxxx

Dawn of fire, setting the sky ablaze with its amber and crimson rays, mingling with the bluish darkness in a deadly embrace as an icy silence was reigning in the sanctuary, enveloped in a bitterly cold wind. In this emerging inter-world, he seemed to be waiting for his arrival, letting his fingers brush the immense shimenawa skirting the rock wall as he was crossing the interior of the cave with a slow but impatient step.

Suddenly, the echo of someone climbing at full speed the steps of the grand staircase reached him and a cruel smile twisted his mouth in half, certain of the person who was about to appear in front of him.

"You have come, at last. "

"You wouldn't have wanted anybody else to face you. "

"You know me so well, my friend… " he acquiesced as he turned round, still smiling. "So clever, so wise… a genius like you is only born every ten thousand years. "

"And so what? " his interlocutor scorned, frowning.

"Confronting you and beating you will be the height of my purpose. "

"You've lost your mind, Asahi… "

Tsuji burst out laughing at the Saniwa's words, the features of his face gradually distorting as they got lost between insanity and sanity and that his eyes, once so clear, now were only wearing one silver-grey pupil, the other shining with an indigo radiance of supernatural aspect. Approaching, he spread his arms on either side of his body and explained in a tone of indifference:

"There is no path without obstacles. Even if I end up corrupted by the darkness of the Historical Revisionists to the point of losing my humanity, I am ready to take the risk. "

"Perhaps were you too weak after all… " the Sage whispered regretfully, adding when his former friend cocked his head questioningly: "To handle the curse of a Saniwa. "

"I'd rather think it helped me see things more clearly. " Asahi declared, shaking his head negatively, his long midnight blue locks delicately covering his Retrograde-like eye. "This world is corrupted, doomed by its own people. Despite the numerous wars, despite the seas of blood shed, they never learn, no one ever learns! "

The young man's voice echoed forcefully against the rock walls as he continued to walk towards the boy and that the latter was slowly moving away, the two circling around the other like caged lions about to pounce on each other.

Outside, an unspeakable hubbub was beginning to be heard, screams and distress calls rising in the air. The renegade smirked at this, as if knowing full well what it was all about, but not caring, he quickly expressed:

"History is useless as it is. I want to destroy it, to tear it into unmendable pieces. Let's see if this world will finally learn anything when the wars of the past will be a hundred times more deadly. Let's see if peace can be universally achieved by killing always more till humans cannot handle death anymore. "

"You can't be serious… " the Sage gasped in horror, his previously closed fists opening in shock.

"It's like when we were young, Saniwas in training, taught by history itself. I will apply the same method to common mortals. "

"And you really think the Revisionists will let you do as you please?! "

"I will use them and they will use me, both sides win. " the young man simply replied, shrugging his shoulders. "Look at me, I'm going to put an end to unnecessary sacrifices and sufferings."

"But at what cost…? You will cause the disappearance of everything we know, everyone we love… " pleaded the Saniwa with sadness.

"And this world will only be better like this. "

"I won't, Asahi. I won't let you be responsible for the destruction of time itself! "

"I knew you'd never understand. But this isn't our end yet, even you should know that. " Tsuji stated whilst laughing, ready to attack.

"You think? " the cherry-haired boy whispered with a smile, nodding his head as if to give the signal.

The blade pierced his flesh with a quick and precise movement, blood gushing out of the wound profusely as a cry of pure pain was escaping from between his lips. Carmine red from which flowed a strange electric blue fluid, the hot, sticky liquid quickly submerged his clothes before spreading in a large puddle on the ground of the sanctuary, undoubtedly soiling it.

Asahi collapsed to his knees with a moan, holding the left side of his neck with a shaking hand as his attacker was standing behind him, her garnet pupils glistening in the dark, his hands firmly gripping the hilt of a katana with a broken point.

"Not yet, old friend… not yet… "

Clasping his hands with difficulty, the renegade clenched his teeth and lifted his head to the ceiling just as a thunderbolt flashed through it, destroying everything in its path. Raising his arms and turning to shield himself from the stone debris, the Sage straightened right in time to see his former friend disappear in a hazel, dark gleam.

"Aruji… " moaned in turn the stranger whilst falling to the ground with fatigue, the Saniwa rushing towards him to take him in his arms.

"You did great, Kashuu-san. " the latter whispered with a gentle smile, letting the Touken Danshi disappear in a cloud of golden particles and return to its original broken sword form. "It's time for you to rest now. "

His gaze turning then to the sky, the boy's eyes widened before he bit his lip forcefully when seeing a glowing time portal pulsing through the swirling white clouds.

No!

Endnote:

Furisode: is a style of kimono distinguishable by its long sleeves. Furisode is the most formal style of kimono worn by young unmarried women in Japan.

Jūnihitoe: is an extremely elegant and highly complex kimono that was only worn by court ladies in Japan, and especially women of the imperial family.

Denka [殿下]: Your Highness (used only for the non-ruling members of the royal family)

Sutra: is an aphorism (prayers) or another teaching that is part of the ancient religious traditions originating in South Asia, particularly Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism.

Shōji: In traditional Japanese architecture, a shōji is a door, window or room divider consisting of translucent paper over a frame of wood that holds together a lattice of wood or bamboo.

Inari: Inari Ōkami is the Japanese kami of foxes, fertility, rice, tea and sake, of agriculture and industry, of general prosperity and worldly success, and one of the principal gods of Shinto. In earlier Japan, Inari was also the patron of swordsmiths and merchants.

Shimenawa: Shimenawa ("enclosing rope") are lengths of laid rice straw or hemp rope used for ritual purification in the Shinto religion.

Ishidan: are long stone staircases that are found very often in Shinto shrines, usually before the great sacred gate (Torii).