CHAPTER 01

AFTER THE FALL

With the skies clear and the sun out, Grimm continue to march into the city of Yamato. The city still burning with ashes falling from the sky but the screaming stops and the city goes silent forever now. Okami's sword still remains by the hole in the wall in which he fell. Deep down into the great ravine, an injured Okami floats on the river flowing with the stream. Before he could go any further someone managed to grab a hold of him and brought him out of the river. Okami remained unconscious and is having flashes of what just occurred. The Grimm terrorizing the city and his people, his mothers and Tsuki's death, his separation from his little sister, and even his own fall. He wakes up in the field of black roses. As he stood up and looks around, he finds the same people he always does. Those who stares at him with lifeless eyes and those who has them shut closed, but things were changing. Okami felt something wet rising from his feet. He looks down to see blood overflowing the field. Rising up to his shins covering the field of black roses. As he's looking down, Okami notices a crowd of people around him but was frozen in place, fear of looking back up to what he already knows that's there. Shaking in fear, he slowly looks up and there stands the fallen of Dawn, with their eyes shut and covered in blood and wounds, surrounding their King. Okami couldn't say a word or scream as he choked in his own despair. The fallen then disappears as he fell onto his knees. Alone with only the pool of blood and red skies surrounds him and the only thing looking back at him is his own reflection in the blood with red glowing sinister eyes.

He finally wakes up with a panic, sitting up and breathing heavily. He looks around only to find himself back at the cove near Baku where he fought the two huntsmen. However, he wasn't alone and something is wrong. Daichi was sitting on boulder looking at the water with an angry expression. He had a bandage on his right cheek and his left arm is wrapped against his chest. However, he's not the only one that was injured. Okami's left face was completely wrapped up along with his left arm. Okami them remembers the Grimm bit his arm and slashed his face during the fight at Yamato. The High Priest Momo was also present and was approaching Okami. He goes down onto his knees and reaches over with a bowl of water. "Drink my lord. You must be thirsty." Momo said. Okami leans over to drink the water presented to him. After drinking, he looks over at Dai concerned for him. Momo noticed and said "He has a broken left arm after blocking a mighty punch from a Beringel. Along with his arm and shield his pride is now broken too. Thinking he could of done more for your sister." Okami's expression changed as he completely forgot about his little sister Akari. He quickly grabs on to Momo's shoulder and asked loudly as he is worried "Akari! Is she alright? Did she make it out?" Momo looks down as he has bad news for Okami. Okami noticed it and backs away a bit from Momo. "She managed to get onto the airship but….there hasn't been any reports of the airship making it out. Some might think it was taken down by a Griffon." Momo informed Okami. "And what about the people?" Okami asked. "No report of any survivors" Momo informed.

Okami slowly stands up and walks over to the body of water, devastated at the information he just received. He screams at the top of his lungs and then fuses lightning on his right hand. He strikes the body of water with Lighting Palm making lightning spread throughout the cove causing an explosion. Dai was surprised by how much power Okami used. The water eventually calms down and goes back to its calm flow while Okami is still leaned over with his hand in the water. Okami feels a hard heartbeat and starts to fall over but was caught by Momo. "Careful my Lord. You're still recovering from the battle. You mustn't use up your aura any further." Momo said to Okami. Momo takes Okami out of the water and lays him back down. "MOMO" a voice called out to him and as he looks over he see's Raichi with Mizuko over his shoulder wounded. Momo walks over to them and helps lay Mizuko down and to look at his wounds. "I saved him from a powerful huntress and dressed his wounds the best I can. Right when we saw the city in flames, we rushed back here as fast as we could like you instructed." Raichi explained. "Good good. Thanks to you he'll be just fine." Momo said. Raichi looks around only to find just five of them including himself in the coven cave. "Momo….where's everyone else? Did others make it?!" Raichi furiously asked. "I am truly sorry my boy but we're all that's left." Momo answered. Momo's response catches Dai's attention that he stood up from the boulder and rushes over to him. "What do you mean we're all that's left? What of Yuri? Baku? And Akita?" Dai asked. Momo hesitated to answer as everyone is looking straight at him. Momo slowly get up and gives the unnerving news. "Yuri was completely wiped out by a Leviathan. All Dawnish men and women from Baku marched to Yamato to help fight the Grimm off. Akita's military forces along with a handful of militia did the same. As of now, us five and the remaining civilian's of Akita are all that's left of Dawn." After the info, Dai grew more angry, Raichi's legs goes weak as he fell on to his knees and hands shocked by the events, Mizuko began to shed tears, and Okami remained silent and emotionless. "How could this have happen? I mean a large horde like that just marched up to Yamato destroyed everything in their path, unseen. It's just…...it couldn't…...I don't know what to think anymore." Rai said out loud in disarray.

Okami sits up and looks over toward Momo who went towards Rai to calm him down. "Momo." he calls out to him gaining his attention. "You instructed Rai to come here if he couldn't go to Yamato. Meaning….." Okami stopped for a seconded as everyone now is curious to what he's about to say. Okami continued "You knew this was gonna happen. Otherwise why tell Rai to come here as an alternative?" Silence. That's all their was for a while as Okami made his statement. Just pure silence. "Is that true?" Dai breaking the silence "Did you know this was gonna happen?" Dai continued. Momo stood there silent without making an effort to answer. Dai walks over to him and grabs him by his robe. "ANSWER ME DAMMIT!" Dai demanded. Momo sighs and looks down in disappointment. "Yes" he said in a low tone. Dai lets go of him and stumbles backing away while he's in disbelief. "W...why didn't you say anything? Why didn't you warn us? WE COULD OF SAVED EVERYONE AND THE KINGDOM!" Okami yelled out not looking at him as he's in disgust of the sight of Momo.

Momo stood in silence for a moment until he finally clinches his fist and tears rained down his face. "Because…..they have my grandson. I had to oblige otherwise they would of done bad things to him. I…..I'm sorry!" Momo cried out as he too fell to his knees. Rai manage to get his head straight and asked "Who Momo? Who has him?" Momo didn't answered. "Your grandson?" Dai questioned. Okami stands up and approaches Momo as he talked. "Izuna. If I remember correctly he's around the same age as Akari," Okami stopped in front of Momo as he looks up at him, "Why didn't you come to me before? And who took him?" Okami asked. "I feared for his life if I didn't follow instructions from….well I'm not sure who it was exactly the transmissions were always a blur. But one thing for sure he's of Atlas." Momo answered the best he could in which shocked everyone. "Atlas? No….no that couldn't be they are our ally and they wouldn't risk their own men at risk." Mizuko said. Okami goes down on Momo's level and asked "How can you be so sure? Ulysses tried to help us at Yamato and even sent a message to the rest of the Kingdoms to assist." Momo nodded as he took a deep breathe. "I was able to notice a crest on his chest it kinda looked like…...a snowflake." Momo stated.

Everything went silent for Okami as if time stopped all around. All he could hear is the sound of his heartbeat rising as he slowly stood up. Anger and rage began to fill his heart. However, he snaps out of it as Rai places his hand on his shoulder. "Jacques Schnee…...he…" Okami then was interrupted by Rai "We don't know that for sure." Rai stated. Okami nodded in agreement and came to realize that he's just making assumption. Consider his state of mind and grieving it's a dangerous thing to do he thought to himself. Okami walks away towards the waters shore, Rai goes to observe Mizuko's recovery, Dai sits back on the boulder in which he was on before, and Momo looks over the set of endless stairs following upwards. He then goes to his knees and begins to pray.

Hours later, Mizuko recovered enough to walk and goes to talk to Okami with the help of Rai. "My lord?" he said. Okami turns around to Mizuko slightly bowing to him. "It's okay Mizuko no need for formalities. Whats a king without a kingdom and its people to rule." Okami stated. Rai was troubled by what Okami said and wasn't pleased by it. "With all due respect you are still our King, Okami. You still have us and the remaining people of Akita. The Kingdom still lives on within you…..within us who survived. We now have a purpose to continue surviving and rebuild what was lost. If you lose sight of that and of the Kingdom then we've truly lost. You're our only hope my lord!" Rai burst out bluntly and with surprised as he's not the type to be completely straightforward and out of line towards Okami. However, Okami didn't react in anyway as he just stood there. "Was there something in your mind Mizuko?" Okami asked ignoring Rai's outburst. Rai noticed and felt somewhat betrayed. "Oh umm yes. I….I just wanted to so that I'm sorry." Mizuko said as he begins to tear up again, "I'm sorry that I couldn't protect Hakuoh. I was too weak and I failed him...I failed you." And even then Okami still didn't budge. "Thank you" is all he could say as turns away from them which fueled Rai's anger as he grabs Okami's arm turning him back around. "What's the meaning of this! This isn't you! This isn't the Okami I know! You wouldn't just give up like this you would…" Rai yelled out in anger but was stopped. "AND WHAT WILL YOU HAVE ME DO HUH?" Okami screamed out in rage leaving Rai speechless. "We've lost everything and we have nothing left! The very people who we trusted left us to burn and betrayed us! Even with Akita we wouldn't be able to rebuild because we'll just be targeted again! Don't you get it everything is lost. We lost." Okami continued his rant leaving everyone speechless. squandering Rai's sense in purpose.

Momo walks in the conversation and in the heat of the moment, with surprise, slaps Okami. "And what should we do? Nothing? This isn't what your father or mother would of wanted. Neither your brother or sister. Think of what they would of thought what is best for you. This isn't the way Okami" Momo said trying help the situation. A tear then falls from Okami and everyone noticed it. "I'm sorry I just don't know what to think anymore" Okami stated as now everything is clear to everyone because they feel the same. The sense of despair fills within their hearts as the wound they are suffering is still fresh. The fall of Dawn and the death of all those they loved and cherished are gone. Friends, family, everything gone in just a blink of an eye never to return. "Maybe it's best if I leave for a moment" Okami suggested. "Where? And to do what?" Rai asked in concern. "Akita. Maybe the sight of the remaining Dawnish would be helpful" Okami answered with uncertainty. Rai nodded and Momo goes to grab something that's wrapped in cloth. He goes to hand it to Okami as he unravels it. "Take this just in case" Momo said as he places a sword in front of him. Okami grabs it and unsheathes the sword. "A Kusanagi?" Okami questioned "Yes. Much like Izuka's. A Kusanagi is the blade that's wielded by those who either abandon the Kingdom and labeled a traitor or left to achieve their goal severing the bond between themselves and the Light, labeling them a drifter. Let this blade help guide you to whatever path you choose next" Momo explained.

Okami didn't know what he meant by giving him the sword. Traitor? Drifter? Which is it? Okami will find that out for himself. Okami changes clothes and his bandages as he prepares to leave. Okami now dress in a black coat and wears a hood in order to not attract attention. Everyone gathers around to say their goodbyes for now. "You all should stay here and recover. Train if you must and if you need anything ask Momo. I'll go to Akita not only to clear my mind but maybe someone might have information on these attacks. We must stay hidden as whoever is responsible for this may try to kill us again. That is why I'm going alone. Stay safe all of you" Okami explained as he says goodbye to everyone. Okami gets on the small row boat with Momo and everyone else watches as he slowly leaves from the caved cove they will be staying in. As they approach an old staircase that was previously used for miners, Momo stops before Okami can get off. "This is gonna be a hard and long journey for all of us. It's as if the Gods are toying with us" Momo stated. Okami gets off the boat and begins to walk up the stairs only to stop partially. "Momo" he called out. Momo hesitated to leave as he looks up to him. "Tell them…...tell everyone that….I'm sorry" Okami said and continues to go up the stairs. Momo understood and rows away back to the others. Therefore, begins a new journey for the one with a broken pride, one with no sense of duty, one without purpose, and one who lost it all.