'Thoughts'
"Talking"
Spells/Other's thoughts/Skills
[Captions]
{Korin's Voice}
Inner Voice
Chapter 23 Revelations, Namimori and Motoyama
Korin blinked at the info, his mind going all haywire as he tries to link up every known information he has gathered back home and to the information he gathered here in this town. He has been exploring the town lately after the Kokuyo incident, finding quite a few small shrines housing several minor Shinto gods if he remembered that's what they are called.
But then, he notices that there are some areas which magic seems to be rich in, like near the temple area up on the hill, spiritual influence too was high at the school and certain buildings.
Not just that, the small gods seemed to treat him with great respect despite being a mortal, calling him a sage of sorts.
He then recalled his conversation with Hiryuu; he was the fire element within the Five Vessels, the medium in which the god of fire channels through. So it makes sense.
But then his thoughts on how Tsuyoshi knows about magic, about how he flinched when he was told of his full name, including his mother's side. He probably guessed that his mother have lived here at some point and that she accidentally expose magic to those two.
Korin recalled something else now. Now it makes sense to him, why his mother knows the Shigure Souen Ryu, she lived here and probably trained under the same master as the sushi master at some point.
All of them are theories he came up with, but to him, they are as close as he going to get to the real truth.
"So, you knew my mother?" Korin asked.
"Yeah, she is a part of our little circle." Tsuyoshi chuckled, "We are a great team when we were young, taking out bullies and finding lost things, we were a blast."
"Wait, taking out bullies? Finding lost things…?"
"Karin-chan and us were like junior detectives." Nana said, "Mostly, we just help out our schoolmates during elementary school. Karin was the brains while Tsuyoshi-kun was the muscle with me as the coordinator."
"Say, how is Karin nowadays?" Tsuyoshi asked, "It has been years since I last saw her, and that was when she came to tell us she was married."
"…She's dead."
Both adults flinched at that, their eyes bulge out in shock, "D-Dead…?"
"Seven years ago, she was killed in an 'incident'." Korin muttered, not wanting to say anymore, 'That day… it changed me…'
"I see… no wonder I haven't heard from her at all…" Tsuyoshi muttered, the two of them sat down on the supply crates in shock.
"Karin-chan… she's…" Nana muttered in shock, sobs starts to make apparent in her quivering voice.
"So, mom lived here, huh?" Korin said, "She was born in Namimori…" He then remembered Dracul's words, the Motoyama
The Cursed Fire Clan.
"Tsuyoshi-san, Sawada-san, can you tell me about the Motoyama." Korin asked, the two stopped their mourning and turned to him, "I… met this guy, okay, my enemy, that on his dying words, told me about my other heritage besides my mage one. Something about Motoyama being a cursed clan… Since my mother was born here, do you know anything about that?"
The two looked at each other, before turning back to him, "Yeah, there are things your mom did tell us about that she said to tell you if you ever came to this town." Tsuyoshi said, "But, that information is not really something someone of your age should know."
"Just tell me." Korin tells them, "I've already faced things that a normal fourteen year old should have, and I've pretty much faced death twice now, so I think I should be able to take it."
"Korin-kun…" Nana muttered.
"Please."
"Very well then." Tsuyoshi said, standing back up, "I'll tell you everything." He gestured the teen to sit down on a spare crate, Korin acknowledge and sat down, "For starters, you of all people should know about the Joteijuu, right?"
"The five beasts that said to shape this world we know, right?"
"Yeah, and with that said, it is also written that when they formed the world, they made sure to leave a mark, a signature of sorts to show they exists." The sushi master said, "Once more, these are what Karin told me so I'm too sure. That mark that the five beasts left behind, they are five different clans of humans that have been given their blessings to. They are the Five Cursed Clans:"
"Amaya,
Snowfield,
Lovino,
Yasu,
and Motoyama."
"Each of those five clans has the blessing of each one of the Joteijuu, some being special spells that only people within that clan or possesses their blood is able to use." Tsuyoshi explained, "Karin said that all those five clans are spread out all over the world in numerous countries. Two of them were from Japan, one of them from this town."
"Motoyama…" Korin realized, "The town, it was the hometown of the Motoyama clan."
"That's right." Tsuyoshi said, "On the surface, it is something like a yakuza organisation. But it remains the secret clan of sacred magic practice. At least until that incident…"
"Incident…?" Korin asked, "Did something happened here before?"
"…" Tsuyoshi was very conflicted to tell him the very dark secret of this town, but shook his head as he knows it would be a matter of time before that boy knows, "Almost two decades ago, the town faced one of the worst incident it has over the years. It was a massacre, killing of very specific people. It was the eradication of the Motoyama clan."
The teen's eyes widen in shock, "Eradication…?" He muttered in shock, "You mean…"
"The entire clan was wiped out within a single night. Not a day did I forget that incident." Tsuyoshi said, Nana looked away at the memory that she wishes to hide away, "That night, it happened so fast. Screams were heard over at the Motoyama residence. When we realised something was up, we were too late."
Xx Flashback, 20 years ago xx
The typhoon rain bombarded young Tsuyoshi and Nana as they dashes towards along the streets as they make to the large Japanese house near the residential district.
It is the residence of the Motoyama; a yakuza group that currently reigns over Namimori's underworld as well as its landlord. But now, it is where the countless of screams they heard came from. They reached the large gates of the establishment; the normally closed wooden gates are wide opened with the courtyard filled with bodies. All of them of all ages, ranging from an old man in his seventies to kids as young as five, all with one common interest.
They all have diluted dark blue eyes, the distinctive trait of the Motoyama.
Another scream was heard, one that they both knows from heart. "Karin-chan!" Nana cried as she ran into the compound without second thoughts. "Nana, wait!" Tsuyoshi cried, before running after her, in his hands was a bamboo sword that he borrowed from his master's place. Rushing through the place, running past countless of bodies littering the corridor, they came to the remaining room.
In that room, the long dark brown haired elementary school girl sat there shivering in fear, as her two parents, both mother and father wielding out Japanese swords facing the assailant. The attacker wasn't shown clearly, but what was obvious was his distinctive feature was the ruffled light blonde hair and his devilish red eyes that stared at the two with an air of arrogance.
"Commoners, you wish to stand in my way?" He said smugly, "Do you understand what consequences you will get standing in front of the King?"
"King? What king?-!" The woman shouted, "You come in and slaughter everyone! That's not what I will call king-like!"
"What reasons do you have for this?" The man asked.
"Reasons? You do not ask the king why he kills." He answered, "But since you are going to die anyway, I will explain. Your very existence is not allowed in this world. Humans to able to interact with god, that is too much. It is my duty to eradicate people like you, the five Cursed Clans will end."
"Mama… Papa…" Karin sobbed in fear.
"Karin dear, get out of here." The mother tells her daughter, "You need to get away as far as you can."
"B-But…!"
Two swords came flying out and stabbing the two adult in the heart, another two came out and stabs straight into their heads, killing them instantly. The two bodies dropped onto the floor with a thud with the girl now completely frozen in shock and fright.
"Execution is complete." He smirked as he advanced towards her, Karin struggles to at least move her own shaking legs, "There's no need to be afraid, little one. You and your parents will met soon, and it would hurt a bit."
"I won't let you!" Tsuyoshi shouted as he dashes into the room with his practice sword aimed at the man, 'Shigure Souen Ryu; Shajiku no Ame (Axle of Rain).' He stabbed forward towards the man, who, however, simply grabbed the practice weapon and he tossed the boy aside.
"Don't get involved, mongrels. I prefer not to attack people not within my execution list."
"Don't screw with me!" Tsuyoshi shouted as he got back up.
"Run, Tsuyoshi-kun!" Karin cried.
"Like I will do that!-!" He shouted, "There is no way I'm leaving my friend behind!" He dashes forward towards the man in a drawing stance this time.
"Get lost, boy." The man raised his hand lazily, prepared to catch whatever attack he throws at him.
This time, Tsuyoshi swings his sword and 'drawing' it out, the practice weapon swipes down in four different attacks, "What?-!" The man cried as he stepped back when he felt the attack hits him.
'I hit him…!' The boy thought, 'This attack… I will put it in the Shigure Souen Ryu!'
"Cocky brat." The man growled, as then two magic circles starts to appear behind him, two swords slowly comes out of the circles, "Very well, boy! Looks like you have appeared in my execution list!"
"Tsuyoshi-kun!" Karin cried as she ran towards the boy, pushing him out of the way as the blades shoot towards her.
"Karin!" Tsuyoshi cried. "Karin-chan!" Nana cried out.
At that moment, her eyes turns red, wild reddish yellow flames erupts out of her body. That was followed by a roar that took shape of a flaming image of a dragon that rages out at the man, the assailant rushes out of the flames' impact but retain a burn on his right ear and cheek, "Damn!" He shouted as he saw the flames that surrounds the girl like a protective cloak.
"So she's the one…" He muttered, "I could use Orbis Mors(World's Death), but…" He turned around the leaped out of the room and onto the wooden walls surrounding the compound, "Listen, you pathetic mongrels! I will postpone that girl's execution! But mark my words as King, I will return! So prepare her coffin!"
He then leaped out away in the raining night sky, thunder strikes across the cloudy sky as the typhoon rains continues to rages on.
The morning that came after that was a bit of a shock to most of the townsfolk. The protectors, the Motoyama, were wiped off the town's land, leaving only its lone heiress, Karin. She was recovered afterwards and was send to the hospital immediately for burn injuries.
Nana and Tsuyoshi told everything they know to the adults, minus the magic involving part and the fire coming out of Karin. "That girl will be the death to us!" One old man shouted in the lobby of the hospital they are in, "We need to send her away as soon as possible!"
"That's right! That girl is nothing but a menace!"
"Send her away to Kokuyo!"
"But she is just a child." Another spoke out, a doctor, "We can't just send her away from the town she grown up in."
"She is also the granddaughter of the Motoyama! We can't just-"
"The Motoyama is dead! They are gone! There is no need to be afraid of them anymore!"
"This isn't about fear, but respect!"
The entire council was in an entire different situation, considering whether to send Karin off to a different town so the assassin that was after her will not go near their town or to keep her here in the orphanage. As seen, they are in complete two sides arguing over the meaningless thing.
But Karin herself has other plans.
"Doctor!" One of the nurses came running, "The girl, Motoyama Karin is gone!"
"Eh?-!" All of them got up on their seats in shock, and went running out trying to find that girl.
But she is gone. She has left Namimori altogether.
Xx Flashback over xx
"We and the grown-ups search everywhere." Tsuyoshi said, "But we never found her. She just went up and vanished. Many years later, she just up and reappeared, all grown up. Then again, we grew up as well. She came to tell us many things, about her travels and the love of her life. She even showed pictures of you and your siblings."
"Wait…" Korin blinked before turning to Nana, "So you knew, right from the start?"
"Well, it took a while, but I kind of make the connection." Nana stated with a smile, "But it was startling. Karin-chan has actually become quite beautiful. She was much a tomboy back in the day."
"I see…" Korin said, before getting up from the crate, "Thank you, for telling me this."
"Are you okay?" Tsuyoshi asked.
"Yeah, it's just a little overwhelming." He tells him, "But to think that Namimori was mom's hometown… I guess there is quite a lot I never knew about mom…"
"Korin-kun, are you living alone at the moment?" Nana asked.
"…Yeah, I came here on my own." Korin stated, "As for what reason… I can't say."
"I see." The woman got up and grabs the teen's wrist hard, "Come with me."
"Eh?-! Wait a minute!" He cried as the woman tugged him out of the room, before reappearing by the entrance, getting the attention of her daughter who just got down from the electric pole.
"Kaa-san? What's going on?" Tsuna asked.
"Oh, Tsu-chan! Just in time, I want to announce something!" She smiled as she let go off Korin's wrist before placing both her hands on his shoulders, "I've decided that Korin-kun would stay with us from now on!"
…
…
…
…
"EH/HUH?-!-?-!-?-!-?-!" Both Tsuna and Korin cried out in shock.
"W-Wait a minute, honourable mother!" Gokudera cried, "What do you mean by that?-!"
"That's right, kaa-san!" Tsuna cried.
"I mean what I said." She tells them, "It turns out Korin-kun's mother was an old friend of mine, and I am not letting the son of my friend stay on his own!"
"It's fine, really!" Korin cried.
"Korin-kun, you will stay with us, and that is final!"
That woman's determination has reminded him of his own mother, his mom did have the same tenacity when coming to choosing things like this…
"Fine…"
To be continued…
Hahaha, didn't really expect that, did you? Well, I
have thoughts on this on whether I should do this
or not but you know what? Heck with it!
Besides, considering Sawada Nana character, it really
seems like her to let him stay there.
Another thing, the dark and light path ratings are
really there, with my ideas on both paths already
flowing. And yes, the Five Vessels will be the other
'Knights' as in my other fanfic.
For those who don't get it, see the original for this,
it will shed some light.
With that, I thank you for reading this!