Hey guys, BzS here.
First of all, thank you all so much for the warm welcome you gave this story. I really, really appreciate it.
Next, the rest of Soul of Tempest will be written in third person point of view because I think it makes a better narrative. The first chapter was written in first person due to conditional reasons that I won't go too deeply into.
That's all, Enjoy!
Chapter 2: First Kill
The forest was nearly silent. The only noise being from the light rustling of leaves and grass and the light chirping of the birds. Tatsumi had hoped the nature's beauty would distract him from his depressing thoughts, but the repetitive view was not nearly as effective as he had hoped.
It's been nearly a year since General Arthur – Tatsumi's teacher – had begun training him. It hasn't been easy, some days he would end up so exhausted he fell asleep with food in his mouth, or on a pile of rocks. Other days he would wake up feeling so sore he struggled to move his own body.
But he's been slowly developing stamina and improving his techniques. Arthur suggested they try out different weapons and find one that they were most comfortable with. Tatsumi found wielding a simple sword to be the most comfortable, while Yoshiro decided to fight with daggers. Apparently, Arthur has mastered the use of all kinds of weapons, but he's most comfortable with swords and spears. The only forms of combat Tatsumi had experienced so far were spars against Yoshiro and Arthur, which usually came down to Tatsumi getting his ass handed to him. The slow progress had started to frustrate him.
"Listen up, one of the most important skills an assassin needs is patience. You can't grow strong in a single day, so be more patient." Arthur has repeated those words over and over again, but it was not working. He clenched his fists, oblivious to Arthur's gaze.
"Alright, let's stop here," Arthur said. Tatsumi tilted his head in confusion. He looked up, past the light foliage and towards the sky. Judging from the brightness, it was just past noon. They don't usually stop until dinner time, but before he could ask why, Arthur spoke up again.
"Yoshiro and I will set up camp. Tatsumi, you've got until nightfall to catch us something to eat." Tatsumi's eyes widened. Shishou is finally sending him on his first hunt! He smiled and nodded vigorously.
"Got it, Shishou!" Tatsumi threw down his bag and grabbed a set of throwing knives. He checked his equipment before racing off into the forest. After he left, Yoshiro threw down his own backpack and began taking out the camping equipment. Starting with the tents, he began constructing their shelter.
"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Yoshiro asked as he pounded the corner stake deep into the earth. This would be Tatsumi's first hunt afterall and contrary to popular belief, hunting is not an easy task. Especially with knives.
"He will most likely fail, but this is a good learning experience for him. I will tail him, can you set up camp on your own?" Arthur said as finished the campfire. Yoshiro nodded. Arthur smiled proudly before giving chase after Tatsumi.
Tatsumi peeked out from behind a tree. His eyes scanned the forest floor, searching for any hint of movement. He heard a rustle and his eyes accurately darted to the source. A smile donned his face - target spotted. A small brown rabbit was nibbling on a patch of green grass a few meters away. He may not be as accurate with his throwing daggers as Yoshiro, but at this distance, even Tatsumi wouldn't miss.
Taking a deep breath, he brought his knives up. But the rabbit suddenly bounced off. Tatsumi's eyes widened in surprise before an annoyed growl escaped his throat. He quickly and quietly chased after the rabbit. After a good three minute chase, he found the same rabbit. It was once again eating. Repeating the same action, he brought up his knives and the rabbit ran away again. Tatsumi's eyebrows twitched.
By the time he noticed, he had been chasing the rabbit for over an hour. Every time he sneaked up on it, it would bounce off the moment he brought up his knives. But if he threw it without stopping he would miss. Tatsumi was so frustrated that tears were welling up.
"Why?! How does it know?!" He yelled as he angrily stomped on the ground. The poor grass didn't stand a chance.
"Umm, are you okay?" A voice said from behind him. He quickly turned around and looked towards the source.
A girl around his age stood behind a tree. In her hands, a bow and a basket. On her back strapped a quiver filled with arrows. She had light brown hair that reached her waist tied neatly in a ponytail. Her tight leather armor fitted her thin body perfectly. Her curious blue eyes shone as she peeked from behind a tree, a concerned look on her face.
"Uh, yeah." Tatsumi said quickly, blinking a few tears back. He took a few deep breaths to calm himself down before turning back to her.
"My name is Tatsumi, what's yours?" He introduced himself, remembering his manners. She stepped out from behind the tree and approached Tatsumi with a amicable smile.
"Hayami. What happened? Why are you all the way out here?" She asked. Finding an angry eight year old stomping the ground in the middle of the forest was not on her list of everyday occurrences.
"I'm traveling with my teacher and my friend, I was tasked to catch something for dinner, but no matter how hard I tried, my prey would always run away. It's starting to get frustrating." She giggled cutely, her right hand lightly covered her mouth and her left arm was crossed over her stomach. Tatsumi could feel his cheeks warming up.
"Don't laugh!" He yelled with a blush.
"Sorry." She said after calming down. "I'm actually here for the same reason. I live in a nearby village and I'm here to hunt for my family." From inside her basket, she pulled out a dead rabbit. Tatsumi's jaws dropped like an anchor.
"H-how?!" He yelled in shock. Hayami tapped her chin thoughtfully as she tried to think of an answer. She shrugged after a few moments. It might just be easier to show him.
"Would you like me to show you?" She offered. Tatsumi nodded vigorously. He didn't know who this girl was, but if she could teach him a thing or two, he'd be more than willing to learn.
Tatsumi followed her as she walked through the forest, eventually coming across another rabbit. It bounced around the area for a few minutes before finally stopping. Hayami crouched slightly. Slowly and silently, she pulled out an arrow from her quiver and drew the bow. She let the arrow fly and it nailed the rabbit on the side.
"Just like that." Tatsumi frowned. That was incredibly cool, but he still has no idea how she did it. She did the same thing as him, so why did it work for her?
"But whenever I tried to attack one, it would jump away just before I could throw my knife." Tatsumi complained.
"That's because they can sense what my father called, 'killing intent'. It's like an ominous feeling you give off before you attack someone." Hayami answered. Tatsumi tilted his head. Killing intent? Is it like the uncomfortable feeling you get when someone stares at you for too long?
"So I have to somehow hide my killing intent?" She smiled and nodded. "How do I do that?" Hayami shrugged.
"There's not really a trick to it, but try to attack them without thinking. Like when you step on an ant by accident." Tatsumi nodded his head slowly and hesitantly. He kind of gets it, but then again, he really doesn't.
They walked around until they found another rabbit. Tatsumi thought hard about how to hide his killing intent. Maybe not try to kill it? He'll likely miss if he did that. Maybe get closer or throw faster so it doesn't have time to react? He's already tried that and it didn't work. After a minute of contemplation, he gave up.
Whatever. I'll just throw the knife. No plan of attack. No thinking.
Tatsumi quickly threw drew his knife and threw it at the rabbit. The knife soared through the air just as the rabbit jumped, clipping its hind leg. It fell to the ground and he threw a second knife, which lodged itself into the rabbit's chest area.
"Yes! I did it!" Tatsumi jumped up and pumped his fist. He couldn't believe it, his half-assed plan somehow worked! He turned around and gave Hayami a big hug. She was surprised at first, but wrapped her arms around him soon after.
"Thank you so much, Hayami!" She smiled and nodded. It always makes her feel happy to help someone.
"You're welcome." Tatsumi looked up at the sky. A light orange glow permeated through the foliage. That was all Tatsumi needed to judge the time of the day.
"Crap! The sun is setting! I need to get back. Hayami, I'll see you later!" He had to get back quickly. Yoshiro without dinner is a very scary Yoshiro. There was this one time where Tatsumi ate Yoshiro's dinner as a joke. When Yoshiro found out, he beat Tatsumi's ass so hard Tatsumi couldn't move for a week. Tatsumi rushed to pick up the rabbit, but Hayami placed a hand on his shoulder to stop him.
"Wait! Take this." She offered. Tatsumi turned around and she handed him the rabbit she hunted as demonstration. The blood had dried, dying a patch of its brown fur red. Tatsumi stared at the dead rabbit and then at Hayami.
"Why?" He asked. Wasn't she hunting food for her family?
"It's bad etiquette in my village to hunt what's more than necessary." Hayami said while pointing at the other rabbit in her basket. Tatsumi took the rabbit carefully and thanked Hayami.
"Thank you! I will return this favor later." He said with a big smile. "See you later!" He said before turning to the direction he came from. He bolted into humid forest, his form quickly disappearing from view.
"Come visit my village if you have the time!" Hayami shouted from behind.
"I will!" After she heard the reply, she smiled to herself. That was an interesting boy, not to mention cute. He reminded her of another friend she had met in the forest years ago. In fact, almost the exact same thing happened back then.
She skipped happily back to her village while pondering the similarities.
The sun was on the verge of setting when Tatsumi finally returned to the campsite. His lungs were burning and he was panting heavily. Apparently, the rabbit chase led him a lot further away than he had thought. After leaving Hayami, it took only five minutes before he realized he had no idea where he was. He ended up running in circles until he finally found a landmark that led him back to camp. He was hungry, thirsty and absolutely exhausted. But the feeling that eclipsed all others was the feeling of accomplishment.
"Welcome back." Arthur said. He was leaning against a tree with some berries and nuts in his hands. He popped one into his mouth and a sour-sweet flavor filled his mouth. A few feet away from him, Yoshiro was seated on a log. He held a stick in his hand which he was using to roast a potato over a crackling campfire. Behind Yoshiro were two tents, one for Arthur, the other shared by Yoshiro and Tatsumi.
"Shishou! I did it!" Tatsumi said with a smile, showing off the rabbits he hunted. Yoshiro gave Tatsumi a thumbs up and began setting up a rotisserie grill using sticks. Arthur walked up to Tatsumi and ruffled his hair.
"Good work. How did it go?" Arthur said. He already knew since he was tailing Tatsumi, but Tatsumi didn't know that.
As they skinned, drained and roasted the rabbit, Tatsumi told them what had happened. How he chased a rabbit for over an hour, how he met Hayami and about killing intent. He left out the last part about how he got lost running circles in the forest, they didn't need to know that.
"Hahahaha!" Arthur burst out laughing at the end, accidentally spitting out a piece of roast chicken. Tatsumi ducked under the orally expelled projectile and looked at Arthur in confusion.
"W-what?" Tatsumi asked. Yoshiro looked annoyed too, but for a different reason.
"Here we go…" Yoshiro whispered. He took a bite out of his half of the rabbit and prepared himself to block out the incoming annoyance.
"Hahaha… That's gold, to think you've met Yoshiro's girlfriend. What a coincidence huh?" Arthur laughed. Tatsumi's eyes shot wide open and immediately turned his head towards Yoshiro. Girlfriend!? Does he mean a friend that is a girl or something more?! My mother always told me never to get a girlfriend until I turn eighteen. Something about hormones and impulse and teenage pregnancy. Tatsumi didn't understand it much.
Yoshiro rolled his eyes. Every single time Hayami was brought up, Arthur would always tease him about it. Apparently him making friends with a girl automatically qualifies as hooking up with said girl.
"Like I've said billions of times, she's not my girlfriend, I'm like 8 years old. I'm too young for this." Yoshiro replied.
Around half a year before meeting Tatsumi, Yoshiro and Arthur had passed by Hayami's village. In a similar manner, Yoshiro was sent to hunt dinner. He was inexperienced with hunting, and although it wasn't his first try, he still struggled with his task. Coincidentally, Hayami had gone with her father to hunt and they found Yoshiro raging in the middle of the forest. They helped him train his hunting skills over the span of a few weeks. Hayami and Yoshiro became good friends quickly. Arthur, being the vigilant teacher he was, took every opportunity to tease the boy. It was nothing but suffering for Yoshiro and he really didn't want to deal with that again.
"Hmm? Then are you telling me you're not excited to see her?" Arthur teased with a knowing smile. Yoshiro blushed a little and growled. This conniving old man, he would definitely tell Hayami his response. If Hayami hears about this, she'd feel sad. Although he had no interest in romance, that doesn't mean Yoshiro wasn't attracted to girls. He would never admit it, but Hayami was pretty freaking cute.
"Maybe a little…" He grumbled. Tatsumi burst out laughing, he never thought he'd see that day his calm and collected friend would be pushed this far. Yoshiro's face quickly began to resemble that of an overcooked octopus. He growled at his treacherous friend.
"Tatsumiiii." Tatsumi flashed him a grin then ignored him completely, instead turning towards Arthur.
"I'm assuming we will be visiting her village tomorrow?" Arthur nodded in affirmation.
"Of course. Tatsumi, good work today. Today's task was a very simple yet affected way of introducing you to the first step of assassination. Killing intent." He stood up and pulled out his knife. It was a simple black dagger with a six-inch blade. He spun the knife around in his hands as he started his lesson.
"Killing intent isn't something physical, but more of an instinctual sense. It comes with experience. You can use your killing intent to intimidate the opponent or hide it to catch them off guard. It is something akin to controllable malice." He eyes hardened and glared down at Tatsumi. A wave of killing intent washed over Tatsumi. His entire body trembled, his heartbeat quickened, and he began hyperventilating. He couldn't look away from his eyes. This man before him could kill him in a heartbeat, without hesitation, without effort.
He was staring at death itself.
The killing intent eased and he slumped over, trying to catch his breath. Yoshiro, despite sitting only a few feet away, didn't react at all and instead sent Tatsumi a worried gaze.
"Take a deep breathe, calm your heart, I won't hurt you." Arthur said in a soft voice. It always hurt him to do stuff like this, but it was necessary. The road ahead of these kids was tough and he fully intended on making sure they lived through it. Killing intent was a basic for not only assassin, but everyone trained in combat. After waiting for Tatsumi to calm down, he continued.
"That was my killing intent, can you describe how it felt?" He asked softly. Tatsumi didn't need to think to answer that question.
"I-I was going to die." Arthur nodded, there wasn't a better answer.
"A perfect description. When you fight against an experienced opponent, you will need to learn how to both detect killing intent and how to stay calm under it. In the instant you flinch, your opponent may take your life. But don't worry, I will slowly train you to become both sensitive and resistant to killing intent." Looking up at the sky which has become nearly pitch black, he decided to end his lesson there. He patted Tatsumi on the back. "Get some rest tonight, we will be visiting Yoshiro's girlfriend tomorrow."
"She's not my girlfriend!" Yoshiro retorted. Arthur chuckled as he stood up.
"I'll take first shift tonight, you guys get some rest." With that, he walked out of sight, fading into the darkness of the forest. Tatsumi leaned back. His heartbeat was still faster than normal.
"That was scary." He said. Yoshiro nodded in assent. He was first exposed to killing intent when he first met Arthur. Yoshiro found Arthur camping in the forest and he was mistaken as an assassin. Facing the full brunt of Arthur's killing intent, he passed out immediately and to take responsibility, Arthur agreed to train him. He is grateful for that experience, as it was what gave him a family, but that doesn't make it any less traumatic.
"Yoshiro, how well can you control your killing intent?" He shrugged in response.
"I can hunt animals pretty easily with throwing knives, but I'm not sure I could successfully catch a trained soldier by surprise. As for how well I can focus my killing intent, do you want to try?" He said with a playful grin. Tatsumi quickly shook his head. He's had enough of near-death fear for one day.
"But concealing your killing intent is much easier compared to concealing your presence. I can only get within a two feet radius before my target notices me." Yoshiro said. That's another term Tatsumi has never heard before.
"Presence?" Tatsumi asked. He couldn't even begin to imagine what that could possibly mean, much less how to do it.
"It's like hiding your existence, it's really hard to explain. Have you ever experienced a situation where, despite having your back turned to them, you can feel someone behind you? That's because you sensed their presence." Yoshiro explained. "You can ask Shishou to demonstrate tomorrow, I swear you can feel him fading from your vision no matter how hard you stare. It's scary." Tatsumi clenched his fist, feeling excited. Shishou is finally teaching him about assassination techniques. This feeling of progress, it's invigorating.
"In any case, we should get some rest." Yoshiro said before standing up and lying down on a patch of grass. Tatsumi followed his example and layed down. The sparkling black sky peaked out from the opening in the foliage. It was early spring so the forest was silent. The only sounds you could hear were the light rustling of leaves as breezes blew in waves and the light breathing of the young duo.
"…"
"…"
"So how did you meet your girlfriend?"
"Shut up and sleep."
Tatsumi laughed loudly. His eyes returned to the sky as a wind gently blew across his face, slowly lulling him to sleep. He couldn't wait for morning to arrive.
Morning would come faster than he expected.
"Tatsumi! Wake up!" Tatsumi's eyes snapped open. He sat up and looked around, instantly awake. At first glance, nothing was out of the ordinary. There were no signs of danger, but Yoshiro's anxious face said otherwise.
"What's going on?!" Tatsumi asked as he surveyed the surrounding. Yoshiro was kneeling next to him, his throwing knives out. Arthur was nowhere to be seen. The sky was dark, but not pitch black, meaning it's very early in the morning. The forest, on the other hand, was completely dark. The peaceful quiet has become a deathly silence and Tatsumi immediately felt uneasy. Yoshiro quickly confirmed the source of his concern.
"We are being attacked, it's a group of bandits. Arthur is currently fighting them, we need to go help him." Tatsumi nodded, doing his best to suppress his anxiety. Yoshiro pulled him up and Tatsumi quickly grabbed a sharpened sword from their supplies.
"Lead the way." He said, attempting to ignore the slight trembling of his hands. Yoshiro shot off into the forest and Tatsumi followed right behind. The darkness heavily impaired their vision so they couldn't move quickly, but they didn't have to go far.
Soon, the clashing of steel and yelling could be heard. They hid behind trees and observed the battlefield. Arthur was standing within a small circle of bandits, 6 of them to be exact, several were holding torches. Tatsumi could see the outline of bodies tucked behind a tree on the other side. The bandits hadn't noticed them, but Arthur's gaze flicked towards them for a second, indicating he had.
"Plan?" Tatsumi asked in a whisper. Yoshiro was a better tactician and although not by much, he was more experienced. Yoshiro passed him a throwing knife and pointed at the group of bandits.
"You take the one closest on the right, I take the one closest on the left, aim for the back of the head right above the neck, hide your killing intent to the best of your abilities, engage after that." Yoshiro replied quickly. Tatsumi nodded, it was a simple but effective plan. As long as they attracted their attention for even a second, Arthur should be able to deal with them.
"On 3. 1-2-3." Tatsumi drew his hand to throw the knife. But right before the knife left his hand, he hesitated.
This knife will take a man's life. He didn't know this man, what he's done, what he's thinking or if he had a family. Tatsumi knew firsthand the despair that comes with death. What if this knife would condemn another child to the same suffering? The fading ache in his chest reignited with his hesitation and flashbacks of his past came with it.
The knife slipped from his hand. It sliced through the air and opened a small cut on the side of a bald bandits head. The bandit spun around and glared at duo with fury in his eyes. He threw his axe at them, which lodged itself in the trunk of the tree they hid behind.
"You stupid little brats!" He screamed before stomping in their direction.
"S-sorry! I couldn't do it!" Tatsumi whispered quickly. He felt weak. Hadn't he prepared himself for this the moment he decided to walk down this path? Now his hesitation might get them killed.
"… I hesitated too…" Yoshiro admitted. His dagger had lodged itself into a bandit's shoulder, an impossibility for someone with as much practice with daggers as he had. At the last moment, his hand froze and he released the dagger too late with too little strength. He shook his head and peeked out from the trunk.
"Run, hide somewhere and wait. Only one guy is coming towards us, ambush him, we will at least knock him out." Yoshiro planned. Tatsumi nodded and they quickly shot off into the forest.
Yoshiro dove into a shrub, crouched down and waited. Tatsumi quickly scaled a tree before laying low on a branch. The bald, bulky man slowly walked into range. The man held a torch in his left hand and a large axe in his right. The axe was resting against his right shoulder. He stopped a few feet away from the shrub Yoshiro was hiding in and scanned the area with his menacing eyes.
Tatsumi's heart rate increased as the bandit came into view and it skyrocketed when he began stepping towards Yoshiro's bush. What should he do?! If he attacks now, the bandit will probably dodge and they would be forced into an upfront fight and most likely lose. But if he doesn't act, the bandit will find Yoshiro and they'll lose their advantage of surprise.
What should he do?!
"Listen up, one of the most important skills an assassin needs is patience." The echo of Arthur's words opened Tatsumi's eyes and he clenched his fists. He will wait. He must wait. An opportunity, an opening, will present itself and he will seize it.
Yoshiro, please trust me! Tatsumi thought. As if on queue, screams of pain echoed through the forest from Arthur's direction. The bandit spun around, his guard up as he scanned the area behind him.
"What was that?" The bandit said to himself. His guard was up and his eyes tunneled into the darkness, leaving his back completely exposed. Tatsumi's eyes widened.
Now!
As if Yoshiro had read his thoughts, he jumped out of the bush and stabbed a knife into the bandit's thigh. The six inch dagger sunk deep into the bandit's leg, lodging into the bone. Fresh blood flowed out from the wound and the bandit screamed in pain. He glared daggers into Yoshiro and growled with fury.
"Grr! You little-" Before he could finish, Tatsumi jumped off his branch and twisted his body. He transferred all his downward momentum into the flat side of his sword and smashed it into the back of the bandit's head. The bandit's head snapped forward and he hit the ground unconscious.
Tatsumi let out a sigh of relief and collapsed onto his butt. His arms were shaking from the adrenaline and numb from the impact. His knees felt like jello and he could feel his own pulse clearly. He's been awake for less than thirty minutes and he's already exhausted.
"Yoshiro, are you okay?" Yoshiro, who had also sat down beside him, nodded and smiled happily. They had taken down an enemy double their size, and triple their ages combined. Their training was coming to fruition and there wasn't a better feeling in the world.
"Yeah, good work!" He said happily, raising his palm up high. Tatsumi grinned and high-fived him. After a few moments, they pushed themselves off the ground and tied the bandit to a tree using metal wire Yoshiro had on him. Tatsumi spoke up as he dusted off his hands.
"Let's go find Tea-"
"No need." They were interrupted by said person.
"Gah!" Tatsumi screamed before covering his mouth. Yoshiro and Arthur burst out laughing.
"H-h-he said 'Gah!', HAHAHA." Tatsumi growled at the laughing pair, his face burning with embarrassment. He had absolutely no clue Arthur was nearby and it scared the crap out of him. He wasn't timid! He was just jumpy after that tense situation! Definitely!
"You scared the living soul out of me!" He complained, trying to find someway of regaining his lost honor and dignity.
"S-s-sorry, I accidentally hid my presence." Arthur said, trying to control his laughter. His students were so easy to tease! Tatsumi's eyebrows were twitching they threatened to fly off his face.
"You piece of lettuce-what is that?" Half-way through his spiteful insult, Tatsumi's eyes caught onto something. The sky was gradient from orange-yellow to light blue. The sun peaked out from the horizon and shone through the foliage. The beautiful glow from the sunrise only served to emphasize the foreboding patch of grey smoke floating up in the distance. Where could that be coming from?
"That's from the direction of the village!" Yoshiro yelled in alarm, completely forgetting about the preceding incident. By village, does he mean Hayami's village? The young duo shared a glance that conferred everything Tatsumi needed to know. The answer to his question was a definite yes.
"Hayami!" They cried in unison. Completely forgetting about their exhaustion, they bolted towards the direction of the smoke, leaving their Shishou behind. They had only one thing on their mind, the friend that helped them with their first steps in their new life.
Arthur frowned as he looked at the fading forms of his student. His eyes drifted to the smoking section of the sky.
"Hmm, this is getting worse than expected, I might end up having to use you again." Arthur said quietly, looking down at his feet, more specifically, towards the pair of wings boots he wore, before quickly chasing after the kids.
The sight that greeted Tatsumi as they broke past the tree line sent shivers down his spine.
The village was in a state of panic. Dozens of homes were on fire, the smoke blocked out the sky, the dust and sparks choked the air and screams could be heard from every direction. Big, burly men carrying axes, swords and brass knuckles broke down doors and dragged innocent villagers out onto the streets and they were laughing while doing it.
Tatsumi's jaws creaked with the amount of force he was applying and he audibly growled. These disgusting bastards! He will bring them to justice for sure!
"Shishou, what do we do?!" Tatsumi yelled, not wanting to wait a second longer. Arthur stepped out of the tree line and surveyed the scene. He instantly made a decision based on the situation and the kids' desires.
"You two stick together and go find Hayami. I will save as many as I can." Arthur ordered, his voice firm. There was no room for arguments and there was no reason to argue. It was exactly what Tatsumi and Yoshiro wanted to hear.
"Yes sir!" They both shouted. Yoshiro signaled for Tatsumi to follow and they sprinted out of sight, disappearing into the blazing village.
Arthur turned his eyes back to the bandits and he narrowed his eyes. If these bastards have the audacity to attack a village he was affiliated with and force his kids into perilous situation, they better be prepared to face the consequences.
His boots glistened and in an instant, he disappeared from his position, a loud shockwave left behind. Moments later, dozens of bandits collapsed, their bodies striking the ground nearly simultaneously.
Hayami never thought she would ever have to wake up to the sound of screams.
It was very, very early in the morning when sounds outside her window forcefully woke her up. She slowly sat up and rubbed the sleep out of her eyes. What was going on? She usually woke up a while after dawn and even then, only a few villagers were up and about. For there to be so much noise, enough to wake her up, something must be happening.
She pushed herself up and crawled over to the window beside her bed. She opened the blinds and peeked outside. She saw houses on fire in the distance and several men with weapons down in the streets. She rubbed her eyes and shook her head. She must be hallucinating or something, there's no way her village is under attack right?
She realized she was wrong the moment she saw a bandit break into a house down the street.
"Mom! Dad!" Hayami shouted as she rushed out to the hallway. Her dad walked out from his room, along with her mom. Their movements were sluggish and weak, indicating they had just crawled out of bed. Her mother's blue orbs peaked out from behind her half open eyelids.
"Hayami? What's going on?" Hayami's mom asked quietly. Did her sweet baby angel have a nightmare or something? She may be mature but she's still only eight, so it's absolutely normal to be scared after a nightmare.
"The village is being attacked." Hayami responded as urgently as she could. Hayami's dad instantly woke up. His daughter was serious. Dead serious. He knew that instinctively and his wife's glance of worry confirmed it wasn't just him.
"Really?" He asked, just to make sure. Hayami nodded quickly, pointing outside. He quickly peaked outside, his eyes widening. Hundreds of emotions filled his head but one prevailed over all else. "Hayami, grab your bow and a knife and hide with your mother in the attic."
"W-what about you, dad?!" Hayami asked dreadfully. She knew what her dad intended, but somewhere in her heart, she hoped to hear a different answer. Her dad smiled sadly at Hayami and patted her head.
"Listen Hayami, it's my job as the man to protect you guys. One day, when you fall in love with a boy, make sure he will be able to do the same okay?" Tears threatened to spill down Hayami's cheeks, but she quickly rubbed them away and nodded. Her dad will be okay, she has to believe in that.
"Honey…" Her mom began, but dad quickly stopped her by giving her a small kiss. He pulled her into a deep and loving hug and whispered comfortingly into her ears.
"I'll be back, I have to go warn our neighbors in case they haven't realized."
"Please stay safe." She whispered back. He nodded before running downstairs and outside.
Hayami quickly ran into her room and grabbed her bow, quiver and a small hunting knife. She clapped down on her face in an effort to stop her trembling hands before dragging her mom into the attic. The attic was a small room at the end of the hallway filled with boxes, antiques and miscellaneous objects. A single lamp was placed in the corner of the room and a normal wooden door blocked the entrance.
Time passed slowly as the smell of smoke began to fill the room. The muffled sound of screams, yelling, and the dull clanging of steel permeated through the walls. Hayami's nerves were driving her insane and her anxiety only continued to grow. She desperately prayed that the bandits wouldn't reach her house.
That prayer was shattered by the sound of banging on the door.
"Sons of bitches, OPEN UP!" An angry roar echoed through the house. The loud crack of wood indicating the bandit had broken down the door. Hayami jumped and her heart skipped a beat. The voice of bandits came from downstairs.
"Hm? No one's here?" One voice said. "No shit, what kind of retard will hide in the living room?" The other retorted.
The sound of rummaging filled the house. Hayami could hear drawers being opened, tabled being smashed and furniture being tossed around. The fear and pressure welling up inside her chest felt like it would rip her apart from the inside out. She shakily brought up her bow.
"I-if they come in here, I'll shoot them." Hayami said timidly. She had a responsibility to protect her mother. She didn't know if she could do it, but she had no choice. Hayami's mom looked at her daughter worriedly. How could she let her daughter do that? Her innocent, beautiful daughter.
"Haya-" Mom wasn't able to finish. The sound of creaking floorboards and heavy footsteps came up the stairs and stopped in front of their door.
"Hey! I think I heard someone talking in here!" A deep, threatening voice shouted.
"Then what are you doing you retard?! Break down the fucking door!" A sharper voice retorted. A loud bang followed and the door creaked. There was an instant of silence before another impact struck the door, this time followed by a deafening pop as the crack appeared in the door.
Hayami stepped away from the door, took a deep breath and drew an arrow. This was the bow she had been using since the age of five. She knew everything about the bow, from the weight and balance to the max shooting range. But today, the bow felt foreign. It felt a thousand times heavier than usual, the string, a thousand times harder to draw.
'I'll aim for the stomach and when he bends over, I'll knock him out.' She planned inside her head. She completely forgot the possibility of armor, pain tolerance, and his companion. Her head was clouded with panic and this was all she could come up with.
A third bang, a fourth and with a loud crack, the door fell down.
Even though Hayami thought she was prepared, the sound of the door hitting the floor caused her to flinch and take a step back. The heel of her shoe bumped into a sack laying on the floor, and she lost her footing. As she fell, she accidentally released the arrow.
"Kyah!" She screamed in surprise as she landed on her backside. Her eyes closed instinctively as her backside landed on the hardwood floor.
A sickening 'thunk'. The sound of blood dripping onto the floor.
"Eh? N-no way…" Hayami heard a voice say. She brought her eyes up slowly and the sight before her would haunt her forever.
The arrow had lodged itself perfectly into the bandit's forehead. His eyes wide and his jaw open in disbelief. His eyes rolled to the back of his head as he fell forwards. His face hit the ground, the force of the fall drove the arrow further into his head with a disgusting sound.
"W-w-what?" Hayami stammered. She felt her stomach flip. Tears streamed down her face as the guilt of taking a human life threatened to devour her whole. Her mom quickly pulled her into a protective hug. Hayami could feel her mom's tears dripping onto the back of her neck.
"I-I-I didn't mean to do it." She sobbed. She didn't! She really didn't! All she wanted to do was knock him out and save her mom. It wasn't an accident! It really was!
"Shh… it's ok-" Her mom didn't get to finish.
"YOU BITCH!" A man rushed into the room and grabbed mom and threw her off of Hayami into the hallway. Mom cried in pain as she landed roughly onto the floor. The angry bandit stormed over to her. He raised his fist high and brought it mercilessly down onto her face. The dull thud broke Hayami out of her shock.
"STOP IT!" Hayami screamed. She pushed herself off the floor and shakily drew her knife. She ran towards the bandit and stabbed the bulky man in his right shoulder. Fresh blood stained her face and her body trembled.
"GAH! YOU LITTLE PIECE OF SHIT!" The bandit roared before grabbing onto Hayami and throwing her light body right at the wall. She screamed as her back impacted against the wall and she slid down the floor. Her entire body was in pain but she forced herself to ignore it.
"Hayami! RUN!" Her mom screamed. She quickly ducked under a punch from the bandit and ran down the hallway. She stumbled down the stairs and ran towards the entrance, hoping to lead the bandit away from her mother. But her hopes were once again shattered when she rammed into a large object.
"What do we have here?" The object said. Hayami turned her eyes upwards and despaired at the sight of a stranger. She tried to slip past him, but a large hand latched onto her left arm.
"LET GO!" Hayami screamed as she struggled. She has to lead the bandits away! She has to! Tears of desperations began leaking down her face as she tried to escape but to no avail. The man huffed and threw her out the door. She landed roughly on the dusty ground outside the house.
"Hayami!" Her head snapped towards the voice which was filled with worry. Her beloved father was locked down by a pair of bandits and dragged towards her. His eyes were filled with fear and worry and his face was bloodied and bruised.
"DAD!" She screamed back. She quickly picked herself up but the bandit that threw her outside once again locked her arms behind her back. "LET GO!" She cried, struggling against her restraints with renewed vigor. Her parents… HER FAMILY DEPENDED ON HER!
"Tch, bitch, stop struggling." The bandit grunted as Hayami elbowed him in the gut and kicked him in the shin. Hayami heard cries of pain and turned back to her house. The bandit upstairs roughly pulled Hayami's mom downstairs and threw her onto the ground. She was unconscious.
"Boss, what do we do with them?" A lackey asked. The boss of the bandits, the one that attacked Hayami and her mom upstairs, responded while nursing his bleeding shoulder.
"Take the girl, she'll sell for a good price, I will kill these two." The bandits grinned and Hayami's eyes widened. One of the bandits grabbed her dad and threw him on top of her mom. Time slowed to a stop as the axe drew closer and closer to her parents.
Amidst the blazing village and smoke-choked air, Hayami's despairing scream tore through the sky.
"NOOOOOOOOO!"
But no matter how loud she screamed, she couldn't drown out the gut-wrenching sound of steel to flesh that would forever haunt her.
"HAYAMI!"
Tatsumi and Yoshiro ran through the village, doing their best to ignore the pleas of desperate villagers. They couldn't save everyone. They weren't strong enough. They could only pray that Arthur would be able to save the villagers in time.
They had only one objective: save Hayami.
Dashing through the chaotic streets, avoiding bandits and burning hazards, Yoshiro led them through the quickest route to Hayami's house. They turned the corner and saw her - Hayami, restrained by a bandit. Her clothes were dirty and her long, brown hair was messed up.
But what broke their hearts were the tears that flowed freely down her blood stained cheeks and her scream that tore tore through the air.
"NOOOOOOOOO!"
In that instant, Yoshiro's eyes darkened and Tatsumi's knuckles turned white. They unleashed every last drop of their killing intent. These home destroying bastards will suffer. Pain was coming to them, and it was fresh out of mercy.
"HAYAMI!" Yoshiro and Tatsumi yelled in unison, sprinting full speed towards her. There were two bandits, one behind Hayami, the other standing next to them. Tatsumi immediately slide tackled the man holding Hayami, who yelled out in surprise before crashing into the ground.
Tatsumi quickly drew his sword and blocked a swing from the other bandit, his jaws clenched tightly as he pushed against the man who was twice his size. During that opening when both bandits were distracted, Yoshiro picked Hayami up and jumped backward to the center of the street.
"Yoshiro? Tatsumi?" Hayami quietly whispered through her tears. Yoshiro nodded and gave her a small smile as he placed her down on the ground. He brushed aside a strand of hair and looked into her eyes reassuringly.
"We'll take care of this quickly, wait for a little okay?" He said with a small smile. Hayami nodded slowly. Yoshiro gave her a final grin before standing up and turning towards the bandits. The smile disappeared without a trace replaced by a look of pure anger. He pulled out a pair of daggers and sprinted towards the fight.
Yoshiro jumped up from the side and spun kicked the man that had Tatsumi in a sword lock, slamming his foot into the back of the bandit's head. The bandit slumped over and fell to the ground. From the side of their vision, they noticed the other bandit had picked himself off the ground. Yoshiro reacted immediately and threw a knife right into his leg. He yelled out in pain, collapsing back onto the ground, holding his bleeding thigh. Tatsumi jumped up and elbowed him in the gut using his full downward momentum. Blood and spit erupted from the bandit's mouth before he fainted.
Tatsumi released a sigh of relief when Hayami's scream reached their ears. They both spun around to see a bloodied bandit holding Hayami hostage. Tatsumi looked around and noticed that other bandits were gathering. There were at least a dozen of them surrounding the two young boys. Tatsumi could feel his heart rate increasing. This was not a good situation.
"Tch, I've had it up to here with these fucking brats." The one holding Hayami cursed. He seemed to be a leader, if the red cloth tied to his right bicep was any indication. His right shoulder was injured and bleeding. Hayami probably gave him that. He had a black beard and a scar running from his left cheek down to his collarbone.
"Kill them." He order. The others stepped closer and Tatsumi wracked my brain for anything to stall time. Arthur will be here soon and when he does come, it is their victory.
"WAIT!" Tatsumi shouted. By some miracle, they all stopped in their placed and Tatsumi fully intended on taking advantage of that miracle. The bandit leader grunted at the actions of his subordinates and snarled at Tatsumi.
"Oh? Little brat has some last words huh?" Tatsumi took a deep breath and forced a smirk, pushing down his fear. Just do it as Shishou taught.
"Fight us. If we win, you let us - including her - go. If we lose… well, it's obvious what will happen." Tatsumi said. The leader holding Hayami burst out laughing, he slapped his knee with his free hand and bellowed.
"Hey guys, these little brats want to be heroes. Well then, why the fuck would I agree to that? I have nothing to gain." Tatsumi kept his smirk and responded.
"Yeah, but if you refuse a challenge from 2 eight-year-olds, you'll lose all respect as the strongest in your little bandit group." He stopped laughing and growled. Tatsumi smirked for real this time. He fell for the trap.
This kid, he's manipulating me. But what he says is true, if I refuse, it would look like I'm running from a fight against 2 kids… Heh, what could they possibly do anyway? The bandit leader thought to himself.
"Little brats think they can fight me, the Great Garrick? HAHAHAHA!" He bellowed. He pushed Hayami towards Tatsumi and Yoshiro. Yoshiro ran forward to catch her only to be met with a kick to the face. He flew back with Hayami in his arms and landed in front of Tatsumi.
"I'll accept your challenge, show me what took down two of my men."
Tatsumi charged at Garrick, swinging his sword down diagonally. Garrick jumped right over it and chopped his axe at Tatsumi's head. Tatsumi tried to parry, but with no experience against an axe he failed to receive the impact and it blew him backward. Tatsumi glanced at Yoshiro, who was doing his best to calm Hayami down.
"It's okay, we'll defeat this bastard and get you out of here ok?" Yoshiro whispered and stood up. She nodded weakly.
"Be careful. Please…" She said looking up at them. They came to save her. If they died too… she wouldn't be able to live on.
"You okay?" Tatsumi asked quickly, my eyes never leaving Garrick. That kick to the face looked like it hurt.
"Yeah, I got baited. How strong is he?" Tatsumi frowned. He didn't have much to compare with. He could either compare this bandit to Yoshiro or to Arthur. Stronger than Yoshiro is a given, he himself knew that, but comparing this barbarian to Arthur...
"Much weaker than Arthur for sure, very cocky too. " Tatsumi responded after a short while. Yet that doesn't mean much to Them. They probably can't beat him even working together, but that's not the objective.
"The objective is to stall time, not victory, right?" Yoshiro said with a smirk, reading Tatsumi's thoughts perfectly. Tatsumi nodded with a small smile. Yoshiro knows him too well.
"Ya' done with your little strategy meeting?" Garrick mocked. Tatsumi growled before pointing his sword at him. Yoshiro pulled out his last pair of knives.
"You are going down." They said in unison.
He snarled and charged at the kids like a raging bull, axe raised high above his head. Yoshiro reacted immediately and threw a knife at his stomach. Garrick swung his axe and swatted it out of the air. Tatsumi followed the knife and slid under the axe, swinging his sword at Garrick's arm aimed to take it off.
"Hmph, weak." Garrick scoffed. He stomped down on Tatsumi's stomach, who missed Garrick's arm completely as he gasped for air.
Yoshiro threw his other knife at the leg on Tatsumi's stomach. Garrick hopped off of him only to be met with a knee to the face, courtesy of Yoshiro who had closed the gap during that moment. Garrick blocked with his left arm and pushed Yoshiro off. Tatsumi quickly recovered and followed up on our assault.
Tatsumi blocked a downward swing. Despite being double his size, Garrick's power was rather weak thanks to the injury on his right shoulder. Yoshiro knocked Garrick's arm to the side, leaving his chest open. Tatsumi gave a small shout as he swung up at the open chest, leaving a shallow gash.
"Tch, fucking BRATS!" Garrick roared. He charged at them again, his axe raised high, repeating the same downward chop. Tatsumi blocked the downward swing and Yoshiro attempted to knock his arm out of the way. But this time Garrick sent him flying with a kick to the stomach.
"GAH!" Yoshiro cried out in pain as he felt all air leave his body. His chest stung, a sign of a cracked rib, and his vision blurred. He could feel his consciousness slipping, but he desperately held on. Both Tatsumi and Hayami need him.
"Yoshiro!" Tatsumi cried in worry. Garrick took advantage of his moment of distraction to punch him in the side of the head. Tatsumi collapsed onto the ground, holding tears back from the pain. His head pulsed and the world was spinning in multiple directions. Garrick proceeded to punt him right back to where Hayami was.
"Tatsumi! Are you okay?" Hayami asked, tears welling up again. More people were getting hurt because of her. Even though she promised to protect her family, she failed, and now this? She hates being weak. She wanted to be a hunter despite being a girl because she wanted to be strong. To be depended on.
Tatsumi winced at the pain but gave her a reassuring smile.
"Yeah, don't worry about us." He replied, trying to sound hopeful. She brought her head down, her hair shadowing her eyes. She can't let them keep sacrificing themselves for her.
"Stop it, you guys are getting hurt, you can't win. It's useless." She sobbed.
Looking at her weakness, Tatsumi felt a burning sensation within him. These people forced this innocent girl through so much. How could he allow for this? For what reason did he try to become strong? Was it not to prevent other kids from going through the same fate as him?
Tatsumi forced himself up, stumbling a bit. He could feel the side of his head swell. Yoshiro laid motionless on the other side, seemingly unconscious. Tatsumi clenched his fists. Things are not looking so good.
That's when he noticed. Yoshiro's hand was slowly clenching down on one of his stray knives. Tatsumi's eyes widened. He's still conscious! Tatsumi stumbled forward, swayed and collapsed onto one knee. His body looked weak, but his eyes were burning with strength.
"Heh, it seems your alone now brat. Die." Garrick said as he charged towards Tatsumi.
"Listen up, one of the most important skills an assassin needs is patience."
Tatsumi looked up weakly at Garrick, making it seem like he's given up. Garrick's smirk widened as he brought his axe up. Time to get rid of the little wastes of time.
"An assassin waits for the perfect opportunity to strike. Remember, one lethal strike is all it takes."
He brought his axe down diagonally, aiming to take off Tatsumi's head.
"A man's guard is the lowest right before a killing blow." Tatsumi grasped onto the handle of his sword and leaned forward. With the last ounce of power he had inside, he pushed off, slipping right under the axe that would've taken off his head.
Garrick's eyes widened in panic. Tatsumi straightened his sword and stabbed the bandit king right in the stomach. Blood splattered onto his cheek. The feeling of sword piercing through flesh and the sight of blood rolling down the sword - his sword - sent a chill down his spine. An ominous chill.
"Y-YOU FUCKIN BRAT!" Garrick screamed as he coughed up blood. He brought his axe up, about to take Tatsumi down with him when a knife lodged itself right into his spine, right below his neck. His arms went limp and he collapsed onto the ground, the life fading from his eyes. The bandits surrounding them all froze in shock. What just happened?
Tatsumi stepped back and fell onto his butt. His hand still drenched in warm blood. The blood was not his. It was the blood of the man he killed. His breathing quickened and his body trembled. He knew the guy deserved it and he wanted to kill the bastard for hurting his friends. But he couldn't help but feel guilty. Did he have the right to kill the man? As those thoughts flooded his mind, the bandits around them finally snapped out of their shocked state.
"Th-they killed Garrick!" One screamed.
"KILL THEM!" The bandits shouted. The shouts snapped Tatsumi out of his thoughts and he turned his head to where Yoshiro laid. Yoshiro, who had fallen unconscious after saving Tatsumi, was closest to the bandits.
"YOSHIRO!" Tatsumi shouted. But his worry was not needed.
A loud 'BOOM' followed by a shockwave. In an instant, the 3 closest bandits fell dead onto the ground, blood erupting from their throat. A blur picked up Yoshiro and appeared next to Tatsumi and Hayami before placing him down gently.
"You guys did well, Yoshiro, Tatsumi. Leave the rest to me." Tatsumi looked up at the figure and let out a sigh of relief. His entire body relaxed and he collapsed onto the ground. Finally, they were safe.
"Shishou, you are way too late." Tatsumi complained quietly. His shishou better have a good excuse or else Tatsumi will make sure to do something. He's too tired to figure out what, but something bad will happen! Arthur chuckled in response.
"Saving a few dozen families isn't a quick task. But these are the last bandits left."
"Shishou, they hurt Hayami." Yoshiro, who had woken up at the sound of Arthur's voice, said quietly. Arthur nodded in affirmation.
"I understand, now rest."
Finally able to relax, the exhaustion and pain hit Tatsumi like a carriage drawn by eight rampaging stallions and he fell unconscious.
It was past noon when Tatsumi woke up. He found himself laying beside Yoshiro and Hayami on a pile of hay. They were both still unconscious. He picked himself up, ignoring the pain in his head. Tatsumi gingerly touched the source and winced, the swelling on the side of his head stung like hell. In an attempt to distract himself from his pain, he surveyed his surroundings.
He was currently sitting in a wooden structure. Probably a barn if they hay stacks and animal pens were any indication. The room was dimly lit, the light source being the small amounts of sunlight that peaked from the wooden roof and walls. Several wooden support pillars made the large space feel smaller than it was and the tools and machines that laid around decorated it.
He pushed himself up, careful not to wake his friends, and walked outside. He looked around and released a sigh, relishing in the comfort that come from knowing where they were. They were still in the village, in a barn, one of the few building that hadn't been bloodied or burned down. The state of the village saddened him.
"Don't, there was nothing more you could've done." Tatsumi slowly turned to the familiar voice. He found his Shishou's figure leaning against the door. He looked back at the village. How could he not feel responsible? They were calling for his help.
"But…" Arthur patted him on the head. Tatsumi was truly a kind child.
"I'm proud of both you and Yoshiro. You guys fought and killed a man twice your ages combined. You accomplished your mission, save Hayami. If anything, I am the one to blame for failing." He said quietly.
Tatsumi didn't move. The guilt of not being able to save those who pleaded for help, not being able to save Hayman's family, it was crushing. Arthur slapped him on the back. He fell forward and landed on his knees. The dull pain felt different from the one pulsing in his head.
"Tatsumi, I will say this to you now, and I will say this to Yoshiro later. Stop sulking." He said with a serious tone. Tatsumi turned around and looked at him.
"If you think you're weak, do something about it. Train harder, improve, hone your techniques and learn new ones." Arthur continued. "Raise your head. Weaklings and cowards look at their past and regret, but the brave and strong look towards the future to never repeat the same."
"Look up with pride. Today you may have failed, but tomorrow, you will succeed." Tatsumi looked straight into Arthur's eyes.
He smiled. His Shishou always knew what to say in order to motivate someone. And what's more, he always says it with with so much charisma and honesty that you can't help but listen and believe him.
"Thank you, Shishou." He patted Tatsumi's back and pointed towards the inside of the barn. Tatsumi walked in through the door and found himself face to face with Yoshiro.
"You heard the man." Tatsumi said. Yoshiro nodded with a smile on his face. The road ahead is anything but smooth. They will face everything they fear, everything the dread, and yet they must keep walking. But they don't have to do it alone.
"Together." He said.
"Together." I replied.
Hayami was a wreck, to say the least. In less than an hour, she killed a man, lost both her parents, and almost lost her friends and saviors.
Tatsumi and Yoshiro comforted her to the best of their abilities. Tatsumi understood what it was like, having lost both his parents, and Yoshiro understood what it was like to be all alone.
"What do you plan to do now?" Tatsumi whispered quietly to her. She shook her head, unable to respond.
Tatsumi looked at Yoshiro, who shook his head, not knowing what to do. They couldn't offer her to come with them. They were training to become assassins, killers, there's no way they can force this onto her. She had to come to them of her own free will or else this path will bring nothing but pain for her.
"Whatever you choose, we will be here for you." Yoshiro said. She nodded with a small smile. If there was anything they could do for her, is to let her know they are always here for her.
Even though Tatsumi didn't know Hayami very well, he felt a special connection with her. It felt like she's his long lost sister or something. But he knew that wasn't the case. His mother and father were faithful to each other and they would never abandon a child. Even so, he felt protective of her. She felt like a little sister, despite being the same age as him.
Maybe in another world, in another life, they are siblings.
As for how Yoshiro felt, Tatsumi wouldn't know that now would he?
For the next month or so, they stayed in the village. They helped out with the reconstruction, doing whatever they could, be it hunting for the village or collecting water. Arthur was treated as a hero of sorts, appreciated by everyone in the village. Both Yoshiro and Tatsumi were favored too.
For the first week or so, Yoshiro, Tatsumi and Hayami all had nightmares. Talking to each other really helped out, and the three of them cried with each other more than once. A week after the attack, a funeral was held for everyone who perished. Of the original 608 villagers, 43 died, including Hayami's parents.
Tatsumi and Yoshiro convinced Hayami to let it all out that day. All her tears, her sorrows, her regrets, her pain.
After that day, Hayami's condition began to improve, she began smiling again and her cheery personality slowly returned. Yoshiro and Tatsumi obtained a new drive. They worked harder than ever, training whenever they weren't helping with the village. After the funeral, Hayami joined them in their training, either supporting them from the side, or actively participating.
As the new month came around…
"Yoshiro, Tatsumi, we will be leaving today." Arthur said. The pair nodded, it was about time.
A few hours later, they stood at the gate of the village. A large crowd had gathered, all there to see them off. They were ready to leave whenever, but they stood, waiting. Soon enough, a small figure pushed through the crowd and stood before them. A bow slung over her shoulder and a quiver behind her back. Yoshiro and Tatsumi looked at each other before turning back to her.
"Are you sure? We've told you what we were training to be." She nodded without hesitation.
"This village… it's too painful to stay. But more importantly, the weakness I felt that day, I never want to feel that way again." Yoshiro and Tatsumi turned to each other, then back at Arthur, who nodded with a smile.
They both grinned and held out our hands.
"Welcome aboard, Hayami." They said in unison.
The smile she gave them was one that lit up our worlds.