Disclaimer: I don't own anything related to Kamen Rider Gaim or Koihime Musou. I only own my OCs and plot twists.
Chapter 12: What It Means to be Human
It was a rather slow day in Xizang. For once, Yamato had to deal with less paperwork as usual. It was only the regular reports from the soldiers as the more important paperwork involving such things as alliances and trade requests had been done the day before. So, for now, Yamato was enjoying his free time by walking around the palace garden to enjoy the fair weather and the scenery before he went on patrol with Aisha and Miyabi after lunch.
It was then when Yamato saw Ren sitting under a tree together with her pets, all of them including the dogs. The ruler winced when he saw his worst fear. Come to think of it, he never had the chance to spend any time with Ren to get to know her better after she and the others had joined him as his officers. First, it was because of the large amount of paperwork he had to do after the end of the Anti-Toutaku Alliance, then there was the concert he had organized for the Chou Sisters while helping them practice the new songs he had written for them. So he was unable to interact much with her, Nenene, and Miyabi much because of his own schedule.
This was a good time as any to interact with Ren, but the presence of her dogs may present some problem with him. He really couldn't get near her with them around and if any of them got too close he might just run away screaming. The first time his officers had seen him like that had been embarrassing. It was a good thing that they were sympathetic and understanding.
Steeling his resolve, Yamato approached Ren and her little friends.
"Hello, Ren."
Ren looked up at him when he heard his voice calling out for her. "...Yamato."
"How are you doing?" Yamato tried to be as casual as possible, although it came a little strained as his deep seated fear for dogs came to the surface. That was why he was standing as far as possible while being at a distance where he could speak to Ren without having to raise his voice.
"...I'm good," Ren nodded in reply. She then patted the grass next to her, "...Sit with me?"
"O-Oh, sure," Yamato replied shakily as he eyed the dogs around the redhead.
Ren followed his gaze before looking back at him, "...They won't hurt you."
"R-Really?" said Yamato as he carefully walked around Ren's canine pets and sat next to her. He tried to be calm and relaxed, but the presence of his object of terror looking at him made him all tense and it took every little bit of his willpower and self-control in order to not give into his deep seated fear-induced instinct. Part of him was screaming at him to flee, but he stomped it down to silence.
Ren noticed his discomfort and turned to her loyal pet, Sekito. "Take everyone to play with you," she instructed.
The scarf wearing dog barked its affirmative before it barked to its fellow pets. They let out their agreement and followed the little dog away from their owner. Yamato sagged in relief when the dogs went away.
"...Better?" Ren asked.
"Yeah, thanks. Sorry I made you send your pets away, though," answered Yamato.
Ren shook her head. "...It's fine."
Yamato then quickly changed the topic to make things less awkward. "So,how have you been settling in? Do you like it here?"
The redhead nodded silently. "...It's peaceful here. Got some new friends since I arrived here."
"Really?" Yamato asked and Ren nodded. Mentally, he wondered how Ren kept track of all her pets since there were so many of them. "Good for you then. You're taking care of all of them, right?"
Ren nodded again. "...Nenene helps me."
Yamato looked around to look for the green-haired girl. "Where is she anyway? Doesn't she always hang around you?" His curiosity wasn't unfounded since he knew wherever Ren was, Nenene wouldn't be very far.
"...Buying food for everyone." Ren then raised a thumb up to Yamato. "...Good singing."
Yamato blinked in confusion before he realized what she meant. "You attended the concert?" At Ren's confirming nod, Yamato smiled at her. "Thanks. Sorry for not being able to tell you about it."
"...It's fine. You were busy."
Yamato felt a little at ease at her understanding. "Thanks. Anyway, can you tell me about yourself, Ren?"
Ren tilted her head in confusion. "Why?"
"Because now you're my friend and subordinate. If I know about you better, then we can work together more easily," answered Yamato. "Besides, I am now responsible for your wellbeing and happiness. How can I do that if I don't know anything about you?"
Ren regarded her new lord for a moment before she nodded with a faint blush coloring her cheeks. "...Okay." She then looked at the faraway distance. "...I come from the north. All alone."
"From the north? You mean from the barbarian lands?" Ren nodded at Yamato's inquiry. Well, this was definitely new. If she came from Mongolia, then it would explain her naturally tanned complexion. He then realized something amiss. "What do you mean all alone?"
"I don't know my family. I don't have any friends. I am strong because I have to protect myself."
Yamato's heart reached for this girl. Ren was an orphan from the moment she could remember things. She too knew what loneliness was for almost her whole life. Compared to Ren, Yamato was luckier since he had his family and also his best friends, Shun and Yuki. The Phoenix General didn't have that luxury and was all alone in the world. She had to learn how to protect herself. While people would be envious of her power, they didn't know what she had to go through in order to obtain it. Yamato didn't even want to imagine it.
"I'm sorry to hear that."
"...It's alright. And then I met Sekito, my first friend," Ren added with a smile. "We went on our journey together as friends before we met Yue, Ei, and Nenene."
Yamato nodded at that and smiled, happy to hear that Ren had found people she could call friends and family. "How did you meet Yue and the others?"
"...Nenene found me. I passed out because I was hungry."
Yamato sweat dropped at her admission. Fate really worked in weird ways.
"She took me to Yue and Yue gave me home. I then made friends with everyone there." Ren smiled. "They're my precious people. I will do anything for them. I will not betray them." She then turned to Yamato, "You're my friend too, Yamato."
"Really?" his inquiry was answered with a nod.
"You saved Yue and gave us a new home. You also give me money to eat with everyone."
"I'm honored that you think of me in that way," replied Yamato, rubbing the back of his head. He was no stranger when it came to appreciation, but it was nice to hear that someone was thankful to him
"Reeeen~! I'm baaack!" Nenene called out carrying a bag full of food. She then noticed Yamato sitting next to her friend. "Ah, Yamato-sama!"
"Hello, Nenene," Yamato greeted the green-haired girl. "Have you been shopping for Ren and her pets?"
"Yeah," Nenene nodded before she looked around. "Where are they anyway?"
"Playing. They will return soon," Ren answered.
"I think it's my time to leave," said Yamato as he stood up.
"You're leaving already?" asked Nenene.
"Yeah. I have a routine patrol with Aisha and Miyabi after lunch, so I better get my lunch now or Aisha will scold me," replied Yamato with a smile.
"Not eating with us?" Ren asked with sad expression. Yamato almost faltered when he saw her expression. It was like kicking a kitten.
"Sorry, not this time. How about next time? I'll take you to the village and you can eat anything you want. My treat."
Yamato's answer seemed to mollify Ren enough as her expression brightened. "Promise?"
"Yeah, I promise."
Ren nodded at him. "Take care."
Yamato nodded back and smiled as he walked away. "I'm going now."
Nenene watched the byplay between Yamato and Ren before she turned to her 'charge'. "What was that about, Ren?"
"We were spending time as friends," said Ren before she whistled to call for Sekito and her other pets.
Nenene frowned as the pets heeded the call of their mistress. "He didn't ask you anything weird, did he?"
Ren shook her head as she reached to pet one of her cats, "...Yamato is lonely too."
"Huh?"
"...He was like me before I met Sekito and you."
Nenene looked at Ren in confusion. "How do you know that?"
"...I don't know," admitted Ren as she stopped petting her pet. Ren wasn't much of a thinker and she always did what her heart told her. Right now though, she didn't knew what to do. "I'm confused."
The cap-wearing girl frowned thoughtfully, but soon found her attention shifted when a cat pawed her legs, begging for food. She dismissed it and went to feed Ren's pets. A hungry pet, she could deal with. But this many? No wonder her nightmares recently featured her getting mauled by Ren's many hungry pets.
Yamato was looking around the restaurants in Xizang for a place he could get his lunch. There were so many choices, yet he couldn't decide. He really missed Japanese food from his time such as gyuudon, oyakodon, curry, and takoyaki. He loved Chinese food, but he sometime wished to eat something different.
"Maybe I should teach Yue how to cook Japanese food," Yamato mused to himself.
When he passed an alley, the sound of some people shouting caught his attention.
"Hah! Take that!"
"Yah! Hah!"
"Come on! Yaah!"
"Ugh!"
Curious, Yamato went to investigate it. He went deeper to the alley, which led him to a vacant lot, and saw two boys were sparring using wooden sticks as if they were swords. Some other children were watching and cheering for them. What surprised him was that Aisha and Touka were also there, watching the boys spar.
"Aisha? Touka?" Yamato called out.
"Ah, Yamato-sama!"said Touka in surprise.
"What are you doing here?" asked Aisha.
"I was looking for lunch when I passed the alley. I heard the boys' shouting," he then looked at the sparring boys. "Looks like you're in the middle of sparring, huh?"
"Look, it's Gaim-sama!"
"Gaim-sama!"
The children suddenly crowded around their king. He smiled as they greeted him.
"Hey, Gaim-sama! Can you show us your skills?"
"My skills?" Yamato asked. "You mean my skills with a sword?" The children nodded eagerly in response.
As he had no reason to refuse, Yamato decided to perform a kata for them. He picked up a nearby stick and gave it some practice swings before he settled into a stance and closed his eyes. The children waited eagerly while Aisha and Touka only smiled in anticipation. Yamato would perform katas at his Kendo tournaments whenever he participated and was well-versed in the art. He mentally selected a form and decided to go with it.
His movements were precise and fluid as he swung the stick. First, he took a firm step forward and let out a shout, "HAH!" as he swung the stick down. He then raised the sword horizontally over his head and performed several swift swings, four in total in a diagonal motion, yelling out fiercely. He then stood straight and moved as if he was sheathing a blade, before dropping on one knee to perform a horizontal swing. He then spun the stick around and held it in a reverse grip before he performed several parrying moves and then spinning it again to hold it with most of its length pointed forward. He performed a swift strike, and a breeze blew past him. Finally, he turned the stick in a reverse grip and handed it back to one of the boys.
"How was it?" Yamato smiled at the boy's awestruck look.
"Sugoi...That was so amazing!" the boy replied enthusiastically.
Yamato blushed as he rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment. He was not unused to praises, but normally the people who admired him also kept their distance. Even children were afraid of him. This was new.
"Your movements were so fluid, Yamato-sama," Touka admired. "It was like you were one with your sword."
"Indeed," Aisha agreed. As a trained warrior herself, she could tell that Yamato took his art seriously.
"Thanks…" Yamato replied.
"Gaim-sama! Please teach me how to swing a sword like that!" asked the boy.
"Me too! Please teach me!"
"I could do that, but before I can teach you, you need to tell me why you want to learn," Yamato responded.
The boy thought about it a moment before he answered, "I...I want to protect Onee-chan. She is the only family I have left. I want to be strong enough to protect her from the bad guys!"
"I want to protect Okaa-san and Otou-san!" answered another.
"I want to join the army when I grow up! I want to protect my friends!"
"Those are very good answers," Yamato smiled in response. "When you use a sword, use it not to kill but to protect. Use your sword to protect the weak and those who cannot protect themselves. Remember this lesson well, children."
"Um! We will!" the children answered as one.
Yamato's lesson was one he was taught by his father and grandfather. It had been passed down through the Kusanagi line since the days of the Sengoku Era.
"Alright, There is still some time before lunch so I will teach you some of the basic stances and moves," Yamato spoke. "Now I want you to pick up the wooden sticks and follow my movements, okay?"
The children nodded eagerly and picked up the wooden sticks nearby. He then showed them the basic stance of Kusanagi-ryuu kendo and corrected some of the children's stances such as their grip, shoulder elevation, and their leg positioning. Next, Yamato showed them the basic moves and the children tried to copy them. When he spotted some mistakes on their part, Yamato would correct them patiently with an encouraging smile.
Aisha and Touka watched on, smiling as they watched their lord train the children. It was like he had been doing it for years. He was so patient and caring as he corrected the mistakes on the children's moves and stances.
"Yamato-sama is very good with children,"noted Touka.
Aisha nodded. "He is. Perhaps he had done this back in his homeland." Touka watched as Yamato showed another movement to the children before he gave some pointers on how to perform the moves correctly. The children performed better although Yamato still needed to correct their mistakes.
"Yamato-sama would make a good father, wouldn't he?" Touka commented with a blush.
Aisha whirled at Touka with blushing face. "Touka-sama! W-What are you saying!?"
Yamato turned at the girls when he heard Aisha's shout. "What's the matter, Aisha?"
"A-Ah, i-it's nothing!" Aisha replied hurriedly.
Yamato then remembered something important and asked, "I was wondering if you knew anyone who could teach me archery."
"Why do you need someone to teach you archery, Yamato-sama?" asked Touka curiously.
"It's because of I want to use Jimber Lemon Arms properly. Right now I mainly use my Sonic Arrow as a melee weapon and I can't use it as ranged weapon properly because I only know a little about archery," answered Yamato. While Jimber Lemon Arms was best used for close combat thanks to the enhanced strength granted by its special skill, he would be wasting the potential of the Sonic arrow as a ranged weapon.
Aisha crossed her arms under her breasts as she hummed thoughtfully. "I think Captain Zhou from my unit can teach you. He is one of the best archers we have."
"I'll take it into consideration," replied Yamato. He then looked at the sky and noted the position of the sun. Turning to the children, he spoke,"Alright, let's stop our training here for today. I still have to go on patrol after lunch. We'll continue this sometime later, okay?"
"Yes, Gaim-sama!"
Yamato smiled and said goodbye to the children after he told them to keep on practicing what he had taught them today.
"I didn't knew you were good with children, Yamato-sama," Touka spoke up as she, Yamato, and Aisha went to a restaurant for lunch.
"I'm already used to teaching children back home because I helped teach the younger students in my family dojo," answered Yamato with a fond smile.
Aisha then fidgeted a little as she asked, "Do you miss your home, Yamato-sama?"
Yamato seemed to think about it as Touka looked a little uncomfortable at Aisha's question. He then answered, "I would be lying if I say I didn't miss home, but right now I'm needed here and I can't leave things half-done."
"That's true, but…" Touka looked down as she asked quietly. "...Will you leave us once we finally obtain our goal?"
Even Aisha looked down at Touka's question. The possibility had never crossed her mind before, but it was likely to happen. Once they obtained peace in China, Yamato and his friends were most likely return to their time. The thought of him leaving made her heart ache. As selfish as it was to her, she didn't want Yamato to leave. She had already lost precious people like her family and teacher to bandits. Losing Yamato who had somehow wormed his way into her heart as her most precious person would devastate her.
'What is this pain…?' Aisha thought to herself sadly as she clenched her fist in front of where her heart was. '...Is this...heartache? Heartache because of...' Her heart skipped a beat as a realization dawned on her. '...Love?'
Touka was as distraught as her sworn sister was. She mentally berated herself for asking such a question but when Aisha mentioned Yamato's homeland, that thought suddenly crossed her mind. Being together with Yamato was like a norm to her now and she couldn't imagine her life without him. The thought of him leaving filled her with dread, worry, sadness, and an ever present pain that Touka desperately wanted gone. She had already lost her father at young age to bandits and she remembered how painful it was. She didn't want to feel that pain anymore, not again.
'I...I don't want Yamato-sama to leave me,' Touka thought to herself desperately. 'I want to be at his side forever, because I...I….' Tears almost welled in her eyes as she reached her own realization. 'I...love him.'
Aisha and Touka recalled their time together with Yamato. From their first meeting, their battles to protect their home, the visit to Helheim Forest and the revelation of what happened to the previous world, the confession of the Chou Sisters, every battle as a member of Anti-Toutaku Alliance, and lastly the concert he had organized for the Chou Sisters. Through these experiences, they learned that while he had shown that he was capable of fulfilling the role as the Messenger of Heaven as well as a peerless warrior and superb ruler, he still showed that he was still a human with flaws and imperfection.
They learnt about his childhood, of how lonely it was. He was fortunate he had friends in Shun and Yuki, but his fame in his own world prevented him from forging more bonds. He became an intimidating figure, either admired or resented for his talents. His fear of dogs as well revealed the fact that he wasn't perfect either. He still had his flaws and they made him more human and not the 'living sword' that he was labelled as. Quite unlike the Messenger of Heaven they expected him to be.
Yamato was silent as he too pondered on Touka's question. He had pondered on this before when the Chou Sisters kissed him after their concert. The longer he stayed in this world, the more attached he was to it and the girls that he had forged bonds with. They had became his precious people and the thought of leaving them behind scared him. As a boy who grew up knowing what loneliness was made him wanting and craving for bonds with other people who he could call friends. Once he obtained those bonds, he would subconsciously hang to them tightly. He admitted it as one of his weaknesses.
He spared a glance at Aisha and Touka and immediately knew what was on their minds. Yamato knew he had to say something to them or he could never forgive himself for worrying them and causing them pain.
"To be honest, I don't really know," Yamato spoke and caught the girls' attention. "The possibility had crossed my mind, but I only know one thing for sure. Even if destiny makes me leave, I will find a way to return or even stay in this world. I decide my own destiny, not some kind mystical outside force or something like that."
The girls stared at him with wide eyes for a whole minute before Touka suddenly pulled Yamato into a tight hug.
"Yamato-sama…! I'm sorry...I'm so sorry…!" the pink-haired girl sobbed.
Yamato was confused by her sudden action before he returned her hug as he gently stroked Touka's hair. "There, there...What's with the tears all of a sudden?"
Touka pulled away from the hug and looked at Yamato with tears brimmed eyes. "...I asked such a stupid question…"
"It's not a stupid question. A stupid question is a question you shouldn't ask in the first place. That question, however, made sense. I am, after all, a person who does not belong to this world and timeline," Yamato replied, smiling as he wiped Touka's tears. "When I said I will find away to stay or return to this world, I meant every word."
"...But what about your family, Yamato-sama? Wouldn't you miss them?" asked Aisha.
"I would, but I will find a way to see them again, just like I will find a way to return here," answered Yamato. "The choices are not always limited to two options. There is always a third option if you look for it and work hard enough to make it come true."
Aisha and Touka regarded Yamato with wide eyes that were filled with awe before beautiful smiles formed on their faces. They then reached for Yamato's hand and squeezed them tightly.
"We believe you will, Yamato-sama," Aisha spoke.
"You always fulfill your promises and I don't have any reason to doubt you now."added Touka.
Yamato smiled as he squeezed their hands back. "Thank you, both of you. Come on, let's get our lunch."
Aisha and Touka nodded, the smiles never left their face as they walked together with their lord. Not even once did they let go of Yamato's hands.
"Yamato-sama?" Touka called, causing Yamato to look at her. "...Is it selfish for me to wish for you to stay here with us?"
"I don't think so," answered Yamato as he smiled. "It shows that you are a human. Everyone has desire so it is alright to be a little selfish."
Aisha smiled shyly as she huddled closer to Yamato, hugging his arm in the process. "...Then please, allow me to be selfish this one time." Touka also mirrored what her sworn sister did to his other arm.
Yamato smiled and sighed contentedly. This was what he wanted, precious people who he could call friends. He was thankful for Yuki and Shun, but as a human he wanted and craved for more companionship. He knew how empty and painful being lonely was and he wanted to have friends and companions to fill that emptiness and ease that pain. It was selfish of him, but it was a human thing.
"Before you try to become anything else, learn to be a human first." He remembered reading from one of his books.
He might be a ruler and hailed as the Messenger of Heaven, but Yamato was still human first and the foremost. Since he desired it, he might as well enjoy the companionship Aisha and Touka offered him. He didn't care about them being a scripted existence like Sebastian claimed them to be. They were real and that was all that mattered. He would do anything protect them, even it meant going against destiny.
Yamato and Aisha parted ways with Touka as they had a routine patrol scheduled with Miyabi joining them while Touka herself had a lesson with Shuri and Hinari. Properly armed with everything they needed for patrol, Aisha and Yamato headed to the east gate where Miyabi and their patrol units was waiting for them.
Miyabi noticed the two coming and greeted them by inclining her head slightly. "Kusanagi, Kan'u."
"Hello Miyabi," Yamato nodded while Aisha frowned at the lack of respect in her tone. "Are you ready to go?"
"I'm here, aren't I?" the silver-haired woman retorted with a smirk.
Aisha was about to scold her for disrespect when Yamato chuckled in response. "Right, stupid question. Shall we head out then?"
Yamato and Aisha mounted their horses before they, along with Miyabi and the patrol unit which consisted of fifty soldiers, moved out.
The patrol routine was mostly silent and Yamato could hear some of the soldiers chatting as silently as possible with their friends and comrades. He didn't blame them as he too found the patrol tediously mundane, but he couldn't skip it because it was important to monitor their territory for bandits and possible invasion from rivaling warlords. But with his now larger territory, his men would be spread wide and thin just for patrolling. It was at times like this that Yamato wished to have autonomous scouts like the Disk Animals, the CanDroids and the PlaMonsters. Gaim was the only Neo-Heisei Rider who lacked support droids like them.
"So, is there anything we should be looking out for?" Yamato asked.
"Yamato-sama," Aisha called out. "I have received word that there are bandits attacking people and merchant in the east."
"Well, let's head over there and show them what happens when they decide to cause trouble in our kingdom," said Yamato. "Still, why are there so many bandits nowadays?"
"Because those men are unemployed and have no skill to make a decent living," Miyabi answered for them.
"How do you know that?" Aisha asked.
"It's because I was a bandit before I joined Yue," answered the silver-haired woman, much to Yamato and Aisha's surprise.
"You were a bandit, Miyabi?" That was quite an unexpected answer.
"Like many, I had no choice," she retorted. "I don't know a thing about farming, much less crafting and becoming a merchant and sure as hell can't cook something decent even to save my life. I only knew how to fight. So, I used my skills to steal from others just to survive."
Aisha frowned at her answer, "Why don't you just become a soldier or a mercenary instead?"
"I have problems with following the orders of some snot nosed bastards who called themselves nobles. Not to mention I had some trust issue back then."
"So how did you meet Yue?" asked Yamato curiously.
Miyabi looked away with slight blush, "Uh, I tried to rob her, but I failed when she had Ren as her bodyguard. She kicked my ass thoroughly. Rather than have me killed, Yue offered me a position in her court."
"That explains why you are so loyal to her," Yamato figured out as Miyabi nodded.
"Yue gave me a second chance for a better life and I owe her."
Aisha smiled faintly at that, "For a former bandit, you are quite honorable."
Miyabi shrugged at her response. "I may have been a bandit, but I have my own moral code, you know? I always target self-serving nobles, corrupt politicians, and cheating merchants. I made a bad call with Yue, though."
"So you're like the Chinese Version of Robin Hood," mused Yamato as the girls looked at him in confusion. He waved his hand to dismiss the issue for now. "I'll explain it to you later. Come on. We have bandits to find. "
The information allowed Yamato and his group to find the bandit's camp. The bandits, who were enjoying their spoils and celebrating, had not even realized that they were being watched.
"Don't they look cozy?" commented Miyabi wryly, the patrol unit hidden from sight
"I almost feel sorry that we're about to ambush them," sighed Yamato. "Almost."
"Your orders, Yamato-sama?" asked Aisha, although it wasn't quite necessary.
"Make them count their crimes," Yamato ordered as he strapped his Driver to his waist. He then unlocked his Lockseed just as he barked out, "Attack!"
"ORANGE!"
That was the sign of the patrol units to attack, catching the bandits off guard.
"Shit! Shoku patrols!?"
"Damn it! An ambush!"
The bandits tried to fight back, but found they were quickly being overwhelmed by the better trained and better organized Shoku Army. Their dread reached its highest when they heard an announcement that signalled their apparent demise.
"LOCK ON!"
"SOIYA! ORANGE ARMS! HANAMICHI ON STAGE!"
Charging at them with his Daidaimaru held ready in his hand was the Peerless Blue Swordsman Gaim. His orange slice-shaped sword rended the air as it struck bandits right and left. The smarter bandits knew how futile it was to battle against Gaim and decided to flee as far as possible from their death or surrender and hoped that Gaim would be merciful with them.
The others chose to fight on, driven by their greed and thinking of the wealth and fame they would get if they could defeat Gaim. It turned to be their undoing as Gaim and his patrol soldiers easily mowed down any resistance from the bandits.
Gaim slashed a bandit before parrying a sword with his armguard and then killing its wielder. Some bandits tried to surround the Samurai-themed Rider, only for him to block their attack with Daidaimaru before he unsheathed his Musou Saber and struck down the bandits.
Seeing his men easily falling to Shoku's patrol force, the bandit boss panicked, knowing that his days of spreading terror had come to an end. He then remembered about the thing that had been given to him by that taoist in white robes and hurriedly rummaged his pockets and pulled out an Orange Lockseed. Knowing he didn't have anything to lose now, he unlocked it at the same time as an energy bullet pierced his skull.
"Damn!" Gaim cursed when he saw that he was too late in stopping the bandit from summon an Inves which would no doubt complicate things.
A Crack opened in the air and an Inves jumped out of it. Just as Gaim was about to confront it, he froze when he got a good look at the kaijin.
The Inves that leapt from the Crack was humanoid like the rest of its kind. It was covered in organic armor with some fur on its forearms and shins. What made Gaim freeze was its head. It resembled a wolf's.
An Ookami Inves, in another word, an Inves based from a wolf.
His fear of canines assaulted him immediately at the sight of the beast. He couldn't move. His heart hammered in his chest. He was sweating in his armor as he trembled. The creature saw the Lockseeds he carried and let loose a howl before it lunged and swiped him across the chest, causing sparks to explode upon contact.
"Gah!" Gaim cried out in pain. He recovered and tried to fight back, only for his movement to become slow and sloppy because of his deep-seated fear-induced instinct yelling at him to turn around and run.
Gaim took a swipe with his Daidaimaru, but the Inves ducked under his blow and raked its claws across Gaim's chest, causing more sparks to explode. The Inves took another initiative and as it swung its claws which Gaim hurriedly parried with the Daidaimaru and Musou Saber. He tried to retaliate with an overhead slash, but the Ookami Inves blocked with its forearm and pushed the weapons away. The Ookami Inves struck his chest several times and sent Gaim reeling before he struck with a jumping claw strike that sent the Samurai-themed Rider sprawling to the ground.
"Yamato-sama!" Aisha immediately rushed to her lord's aid when she saw he was facing something that came straight out of his personal nightmare. She quickly struck down any bandits that tried to stop her. "Out of my way, you curs!"
The Ookami Inves was about to strike Gaim when she shoved him aside, and its claws gouged across her shoulder, causing her to cry out in pain.
"AISHA!" He quickly emptied the magazine of his Musou Saber before sending the Inves sprawling with a slash. Gaim then turned his attention to Aisha. "Aisha! Speak to me!"
"Yamato...sama…" Aisha panted before she cried as she held her bleeding wound. Gaim watched horrified as the wound glowed an eerie green and vines slowly grew from it.
"No…" Gaim shook his head at what he was seeing. "...T-This is…"
"...Are you...unharmed...Yamato-sama…?" Aisha asked through labored breaths.
"Aisha, why did you do that!?" he cried out. "You know how dangerous it is if an Inves wounds you!"
"Because...I have vowed to...protect you…" she replied and gritted her teeth as her wound throbbed painfully. "As your vassal...and your friend…"
"Aisha…" Gaim whispered as guilt and shame filled his being. If he hadn't frozen up and gotten scared when he saw the Ookami Inves, then she wouldn't have gotten hurt and infected with the Helheim Infection. "I...I'm sorry...if only I…"
"Please, don't...blame yourself...Gaim-sama," Aisha panted out as she bit back a shout of pain as the infection spread. "You're only human...after all…"
"Aisha…"
Aisha suddenly cried out in pain as she reached her threshold of pain. Tears were streaming down her cheeks as she clutched her infected shoulder and couldn't hold back her whimpers.
Gaim heard the yells as the soldiers tried to fight the Ookami Inves. However, the creature brutally knocked them down as it howled. He clenched his fists as a surge of anger replaced the fear he felt. Instead of blinding him, the white hot anger had cleared his mind and given him a purpose. A purpose that he intended to fulfill by any means.
"I'll make you pay, you bastard...I'll make you pay for hurting Aisha!" Gaim snarled as he activated his Lemon Energy Lockseed and then locked it into the Genesis Core.
"LEMON ENERGY!"
"LOCK ON!"
He charged at the Ookami Inves as he hit the Cutting Blade. His Orange Armor Part levitated into the air, meeting the Lemon Energy Armor Part as it descended.
"SOIYA! MIX! ORANGE ARMS! HANAMICHI ON STAGE! JIMBER LEMON! HA-HA!"
Now clad in Jimber Lemon Arms, Gaim leapt and slashed the Ookami Inves across the back with the blade of his Sonic Arrow. Sparks erupted on impact as his weapon connected with the beast's armored hide. It turned to snarl at him and Gaim shouted, "You're dancing on my stage now!"
He then turned to the soldiers, "Some of you protect General Kan'u! She's hurt and you better protect her with your life!" Without even waiting for any kind of confirmation, Gaim charged at the Ookami Inves with a battle cry.
The Inves took a swipe with its claw, which Gaim parried with his Sonic Arrow before he pushed the offending limb away and retaliated with a combo of furious horizontal, diagonal, horizontal, and overhead slashes. The Ookami Inves reeled from the blow and Gaim fired several energy arrows at it, piercing its hide with sparks flying on contact.
Gaim didn't give the Inves any chance to recover as he viciously slashed its chest with the blades of his Sonic Arrow, screaming as he did so. He continued his attack with a spinning slash, followed with a diagonal chop and a powerful swing across its chest. As the Ookami Inves stumbled backward, Gaim took a running start and delivered a powerful jumping slash.
The Ookami Inves went flying backward, but Gaim wasn't quite done with the Inves. He took aim with his Sonic Arrow and pulled its shaft to the fullest before he fired. He repeated the process several times with one thought running in his mind.
'I'll kill you! I'll kill you! I'll kill you! I'll kill you! I'll kill you! I'LL KILL YOU!'
The last energy arrow struck and the Ookami Inves fell to its knees, its body emitted smoke from where the energy arrows struck. It spotted the Orange Lockseed which had been used to summon it and picked it up before swiftly devouring it. The Ookami Inves started to change but Gaim wasn't about to give it a chance to finish its transformation.
"Like hell I'd let you!" Gaim quickly sliced his Lockseed three times as he decided to end its miserable existence.
"SOIYA! ORANGE SPARKING! JIMBER LEMON SPARKING!"
Gaim fired an arrow and it pierced the transforming Ookami Inves, binding it to the spot. He leapt into the air as alternating orange and lemon slices appeared and lined up between him and the Ookami Inves. He roared as he performed a flying kick, blasting through the fruit slices with his right foot extended. His foot connected with his target as he burst right through, causing an explosion.
The destruction of the Inves also closed the Crack it had come through since the Lockseed used to summon it had been utterly destroyed as well.
"Aisha!" Gaim rushed over to Aisha, undoing his transformation as he knelt at her side. The infection was spreading. What could he do!? No, he couldn't lose this girl! There had to be a way to save her before her entire body became the bed for Helheim plants.
Yamato quickly scooped Aisha up into his arms and mounted his horse. He then turned to Miyabi. "I leave the clean up here to you, Miyabi!"
Miyabi noded wordlessly and Yamato kicked the flank of his horse and had it run as fast as possible towards their capital. Aisha moaned in pain as the infection spread slowly and Yamato grimaced as he urged his horse to be faster.
"Just hold on, Aisha," he whispered desperately.
Yamato returned to the palace with Aisha and Touka was there to greet them, only to be stunned by Aisha's condition.
"Aisha-chan!" Touka gasped as she saw Yamato carry Aisha inside.
"Give me room!" Yamato shouted as he brought Aisha into her room and placed her in bed. She was covered in sweat and her wound wasn't looking any better. In fact, the infection was getting worst. "Get me Kada! I don't care what he's doing! Just get him here, now!" he ordered.
The maids went to fetch the doctor as Yamato stayed to keep an eye on Aisha.
"What happened?" Touka asked as she entered the room.
"She got hurt," he confessed with guilt, "And it's all my fault…"
Kada came and examined Aisha. Yamato and Touka watched as he did all he could to stop the infection from spreading. He took his time to study the injury before wrapping it up in bandages.
"I did all I could to slow down the plants," Kada reported.
"But not cure her," Yamato guessed and Kada shook his head. Yamato punched the wall in anger.
"Onii-chan, will Aisha-neechan be OK?" Rinrin asked.
"I..." Yamato spoke. Should he lie to Rinrin in order to comfort her, or tell her that Aisha was in danger?
"Yamato...Yamato-sama..." uttered Aisha. Yamato went to her bedside and took her hand.
"I'm here," he told her.
"Yamato-sama...please...take care of Rinrin...and Touka-sama..." Aisha said weakly and Yamato's eyes widened upon hearing that.
"Don't you dare give up on me, Kan'u Unchou!" he interrupted her. "I'm not going to let you die, alright? I'm going to save you! I swear!"
"But...you said..."
"Screw what I said! There has to be a way to save you! I refuse to believe that there is no hope!" Yamato told her. She groaned in pain. "Aisha, just hang on, OK?" he whispered.
"Yamato-sama…" whispered Aisha.
"I can't lose you...I just can't…" Yamato squeezed her hand tightly. "Call me selfish if you want, but I refuse to let you go! I'll find a way to save you!"
There was a silence in the room before Kada placed a hand on Yamato's shoulder. "Yamato-sama, is this infection really incurable?"
"...It is supposed to be so…" Yamato answered as he squeezed Aisha's hand. A sudden thought struck him before he stood up suddenly.
"...Yamato...sama?" asked Aisha weakly.
"There is one place that may have the answer to cure Aisha," he said before turning to Aisha. "Please hang in there, Aisha. I will be back with a cure. I promise."
She looked at Yamato through half-lidded eyes before she nodded and bit back a cry of pain as her wound started acting again.
"Touka, Shuri, I want you to help Kada-sensei to take care of Aisha. Kada-sensei, please try your best to stop the infection from spreading any further."
"W-Where are you going, Yamato-sama?" asked Shuri.
Yamato took out his Sakura Hurricane Lock Vehicle Lockseed and said, "To a place where this damned infection came from. "
Outside the palace, Yamato activated the Sakura Hurricane and got on. Aisha's condition was gradually getting worse. If there was one place he could find answers or a cure, it just might be in Helheim Forest. He sped up, accelerated, and the flower-shaped Crack formed as it blew out petals. He spun in the air and entered the Crack before it closed behind him.
Yamato stopped his vehicle once he exited into a clearing. Now that he was in Helheim Forest, there ought to be clues or even outright answers here somewhere. He saw the Yggdrasil Tower, standing tall in the heart of the Zawame City ruins, when a thought struck.
"The ruins!" Yamato decided. There had to be answers in Yggdrasil Tower. Maybe notes or something. If there was, then that would be where he would be headed.
Yamato approached the Yggdrasil Tower when several Inves came into view. "Don't get in my way..." He was ready to unlock his Orange Lockseed.
Suddenly, a green blur appeared and crashed into the Inves. Sparks flew as they were hit before they exploded. Yamato's eyes widened in surprise at the sight of the mysterious assailant.
"You're..." Yamato uttered in shock.
The assailant turned to Yamato and confirmed its identity to him. Clad in white Samurai-themed Ride Wear suit with a distinctive crescent moon-shaped head crest on his helmet and his signature Melon Arms was none other than Kamen Rider Zangetsu.
Zangetsu regarded Yamato silently before he sheathed his Musou Saber. It was then when Yamato noticed his Sengoku Driver. It looked so old and aged with a beaten up look. The scratches and nicks on its surface only reinforced its aged appearance.
"So we finally meet, Yamato Kusanagi," noted Zangetsu neutrally. For some reason, he sounded like Yuki Kubota. "No, the new Gaim."
"...Who are you?" Yamato asked warily as he palmed the Orange and Lemon Energy Lockseeds. Zangetsu didn't answer his question and just stared at the young ruler. Yamato growled and shouted, "If you don't want to say anything, then get out of my way! I don't have time to waste with you!"
"Do you think you have what it takes to wear that armor?" Zangetsu asked suddenly.
"What the hell are you talking about!?"
"Do you even understand what it means to carry that title?"
Yamato was getting frustrated. Time was running out and the more he wasted his time here, the more likely he would lose Aisha.
"Look, I don't have time so please, get out of the way!" his tone was close to begging, but he didn't care. All he wanted now was to save Aisha.
Zangetsu didn't move from where he stood. "Do you believe you deserve the name of Gaim?"
"I don't deserve to call myself anything if I fail to save Aisha!" Yamato snapped.
There was tense silence between the two of them as they stared at each other. Yamato took a deep breath as he forced his temper down. He then addressed Zangetsu. "I will answer your question later on my next visit, Zangetsu, but right now a person I hold dear is hurt. She protected me from an Inves and is now infected. If I don't do something soon, then she will...!" Yamato bit back a sob that tried to escape his lips.
"You intrigue me, Yamato Kusanagi," replied Zangetsu after regarding him in silence. He then held out a hand and Yamato watched with wide eyes as vines grew from the ground and a single, almost translucent fruit growing from them. Zangetsu plucked the fruit and addressed Yamato once more, "I have seen everything you have done. You claim to fight for freedom and peace, but you have stained your hands in so much blood."
"I only do what I have to do," answered Yamato curtly. "I still don't believe the end justifies the means."
"Yet you kill many to obtain your goal. You have ended the dreams of many people prematurely with your own hand," retorted Zangetsu. "Do you still believe you can destroy the Rule of Reality this way?"
"I don't know…" Yamato then looked at his hands, imagining that they were stained in the blood of the people he had killed. He clenched them before he looked at Zangetsu, "But I will find a way. I will not stop until I destroy that rule and change the world."
"To change the world, one requires power. To acquire power, one must dirty their hands and suffer," Zangetsu told him. "Have you ever truly suffered for that power?"
Yamato then recalled the moments where Aisha was struck by the Ookami Inves. He remembered her writhing in pain as the infection spread. To see her like that because of him was tearing his heart to pieces.
"Maybe I don't know true suffering, but if I don't use this power given to me, the people I care about will suffer. I may have been given this power, but if I can make a difference, then perhaps I was given this power for a reason." Yamato then looked directly at Zangetsu's green visor. "If it means I have to suffer and bear the sins of my choices, then so be it. I won't have any regret over my actions."
Zangetsu was silent for a moment before he chuckled. "If Kazuraba was here, he would say you resembled me more than him."
Yamato's eyes widened when he heard that name. "Kazuraba? As in Kouta Kazuraba?"
Zangetsu threw the fruit at Yamato who caught it with his hands. "Make a salve from this fruit and apply it to the infected wound. It will kill the infection and save the one infected."
Yamato looked at the fruit in his hands before he looked at Zangetsu. "...Just who are you, really?"
"I am the last True Survivor of Zawame City," answered Zangetsu before he leveled his hand at Yamato's direction. A Crack opened behind him and he saw the garden of his palace. "Now go."
Before Yamato could say anything, a strong telekinetic push shoved him towards the Crack before it sealed itself after Yamato crossed over.
Yamato was surprised when he found himself back in his palace, but he was grateful. Now he could get this cure to Aisha faster.
When Yamato saw Aisha, she was getting much worse. Her skin was pale, really pale, and her veins had turned green. He could see movement under the bandages, as if the plants were struggling against it and were about to burst. She was also in pain and trying not to scream from the agony.
She was a trooper, a warrior, but Yamato saw her as a friend and a precious person who desperately needed his help.
Without a doubt, Aisha had become a person he cherished so much.
"Yamato-sama!" cried Shuri as she approached him. She was wearing an apron and had a wet cloth in her hands. She had been trying to keep Aisha comfortable.
"Shuri, I need you and Kada-sensei to help grind this fruit into a salve," Yamato spoke as he handed the fruit to his strategist. She did not argue or ask where he got it from and quickly went to get Kada-sensei. Yamato went over to Aisha. Rinrin and Touka looked worried. "Aisha. Aisha, can you hear me?"
"Yamato...sama...?" she asked.
"Yes, I'm back," he nodded.
"I'm...I'm so hot..." she said and she gritted her teeth as she felt a sudden spike of pain. Some leaves were peeking through the bandages. Yamato gently stroked her forehead.
"Don't worry, Aisha. I managed to get something that will help you. Just hang on, OK? Please," Yamato was begging.
"It...It hurts so much…" Aisha moaned.
"It will be alright, I promise," Yamato was close to crying now. He couldn't bear to see Aisha in pain like this any longer. "Just...Just hang in there. Please, do it for me."
"Yamato-sama, we've finished the salve!" said Shuri as she entered the room.
"Apply it to her now. Do it quick, please! I-I can't stand to see Aisha suffer like this anymore!" He didn't care if he was really crying now. He was afraid to lose his precious person.
Kada nodded before he unwrapped the bandages on Aisha's shoulder. He grimaced at the sight of the plant growing out of the wound. He then applied the salve to her shoulder gently, but Aisha suddenly screamed as pain spiked through her system.
"AISHA!" Yamato called out to her as he Touka and Rinrin restrained her thrashing body. "Kada-sensei! Hurry!"
Kada nodded, seeing the panicked expression on Yamato's face. To see him becoming emotional like this showed how distressed he was. Gingerly, the red-haired physician applied the salve once again as Yamato and the others did their best to restrain Aisha.
When the salve was applied over the wound, the plants growing from it started to die and turn into dust. Kada's eyes widened in amazement. He continued to apply it over the wound until none of the plants remained. Aisha finally stopped thrashing around and fell asleep as she was completely drained.
"This is amazing," Kada uttered in amazement. "Gaim-sama, where did you get this?"
"From Helheim," Yamato answered. "Will Aisha be alright?"
"Kan'u-dono will need a lot of rest and drink plenty of water. She will be fine and recover as the plants no longer threaten her life," Kada reported.
"Thank you..." Yamato sighed in relief before burying his face in his hands and let his tears flow. He had done it. He had saved her. He had saved Aisha, his precious person. He felt euphoric and happy beyond words, but then recalled how she ended like this in this first place. Before he could angst over the matter, he felt a hand placed on his shoulder. He looked up to see Kada looked down on him with a smile.
"I couldn't have done it without your assistance, Gaim-sama. If it wasn't for the fruit you brought with you, then we could have lost Kan'u-dono."
Yamato felt morose at the reminder. He then looked at Aisha who was sleeping and slowly regained her skin tone. "...How long she will asleep?"
"Until tonight at the earliest and tomorrow morning at the latest."
"Is it alright for me to stay with her?"
"As long as you remember to eat and drink. We can't have you sick when Kan'u-dono is just recovering from her wounds."
Yamato nodded at Kada's words. The red-haired physician excused himself from the room while Yamato looked at Aisha's sleeping figure. She looked so content and peaceful, unlike what happened to her not five minutes ago. He gave her hand a gentle squeeze, not even intending to let it go for anytime soon. After he was close to losing her today, Yamato needed an assurance that she wouldn't go anywhere.
When Aisha awoke later that night, she saw Yamato asleep in a chair next to her bed.
"He hasn't left your side, you know," spoke Touka as she came in. "How are you feeling?"
"I am quite weak and sore, but I do feel better," Aisha confessed. "Yamato-sama stayed with me all this time?"
"Yes," Touka answered. "He wouldn't leave your side until you woke up."
"Yamato-sama…" muttered Aisha as she looked at her sleeping lord.
"He was crying."
"He cried?"
"He was afraid of losing you. We all were," replied Touka as she gently stroked his hair. "I never thought to see Yamato-sama becoming so emotional like that. He's always been so strong."
"He's lonely."
"What?" Touka asked.
"He's lonely, which causes him to cherish the bonds he has forged so fiercely. He has so few friends that the thought of losing just one is devastating," Aisha spoke to her sworn sister.
Yamato had told them about his life, how he was put on a pedestal because of his skills. It made him unapproachable and lonely. Shun and Yuki had been his friends before his rise to fame, but anyone else would just see themselves as not being good enough so they kept their distance.
He had many, many admirers but very few true friends in his life.
"Then let's make sure he doesn't suffer that pain again." Touka then looked at her sister with stern expression. "And that means no stunts like that again, you got that?"
"I understand," Aisha nodded before she was pulled into a hug by her sister.
"Mou...You really had us worried, Aisha," Touka whispered.
Yamato slowly woke up. His eyes opened and he saw Touka and Aisha hugging. "Touka...? Aisha...?" He rubbed the sleep out of his eyes. "Aisha!"
Touka moved away and Aisha was engulfed in a tight hug by Yamato.
"Thank goodness…" He hugged her tighter as he cried once again. "Thank goodness you're alright…!"
Aisha was surprised by his sudden reaction before she smiled and returned his hug tenderly. "...I'm alright, Yamato-sama. You have my deepest apologies for making you worried. "
Touka smiled at the sight before she excused herself. "I'll get some water for Aisha."
Yamato and Aisha gave no indication that they heard her as she walked out of the room. They separated before Yamato spoke up, "I thought I was going to lose you. I...I don't know what I would do if I ever lost you."
"I'm right here, Yamato-sama. I'm not going anywhere," she replied as Yamato wiped off his tears.
"I must be look really unmanly with these tears," he laughed weakly.
"No, it makes you a human," Aisha replied. "A human whose name is Yamato Kusanagi."
Yamato smiled before he looked down sadly. "I'm truly sorry for putting you in that painful situation. If only I was stronger…"
Aisha then took his hands in hers as she spoke up, "Yamato-sama, please don't blame yourself for what happened today."
"But you were hurt badly!" Yamato retorted. "I could've lost you because of my stupid fear of dogs! I froze in front of an Inves and you had to pay the price!"
Aisha gave his hands a gentle yet firm squeeze as she replied, "You are not perfect, Yamato-sama. I accepted that and so did Touka-sama and the others. You are more than our sworn lord, you are also a comrade, a friend, and a precious person to us. That's why...please, don't blame yourself. If you believed everything was your fault, then it is also my fault as your vassal for making you worry so much like that."
Steel grey locked into golden amber for a moment that felt like an eternity before the former's owner spoke up. "...I almost lost you today, Aisha. The thought of losing you hurts so much and that's why...That's why I want you to promise me something."
Aisha regarded Yamato curiously as the ruler of Shoku took a deep breath he spoke.
"No matter what happen, please stay by my side until the bitter end. To the day I dye the world in my colors."
Aisha was surprised by what he asked. He wanted her to stay at his side. In a way, it almost sounded like a marriage proposal. Truth be told, she once thought that marriage would be impossible as the kind of man she wanted at her side was out of reach. Even Yamato, her lord, was someone way above her. Or so she thought. He clearly had his flaws, in spite of his greatness, which made him more human. What he was asking wasn't much, but it was still a huge request, considering the way he had worded it.
"I promise, on my honor as a warrior...and a woman," Aisha answered. She paused for a moment before she spoke up. "Will you listen to my selfish wish, Yamato-sama?"
"Tell me what you wish for, Aisha. I will fulfill it the best I can," Yamato replied.
Aisha then leaned closer to him and, as if he was drawn by a magnet, Yamato leaned closer until their foreheads met.
"Please...do not think any lesser of me after this," Aisha whispered. "I do not want you to think of me as a weak woman."
Yamato chuckled. "When people love others, they become weaker, but its nothing to be ashamed of. The true weakness lies elsewhere."
"...Thank you for accepting me," with that said, Aisha leaned forward and her lips brushed against his. Yamato closed his eyes as he returned the kiss and held her in his arms.
What Aisha and Yamato felt when they kissed was simply beyond words. They felt, bliss, joy, euphoria, and all other positive emotions mixed into one. But more importantly, they felt love. Love that they had for each other. They were now aware of what they felt for each other and they wanted more of it. They deepened the kiss while pouring their feelings for each other into it.
"Oh my!" Touka gasped, one of her hands on her cheek, and the kissing pair suddenly broke apart. They blushed bright red, being caught red-handed.
"Well...um..." Yamato rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. "Just keep on resting...in bed...while I go and...get some sleep in my bed." He got up and backed away, a blush on his cheeks. "Goodnight, Aisha!" he yelled as he fled in embarrassment.
Aisha was blushing too and caught Touka smiling in amusement. Though, deep down, Touka was envious of her sworn sister. She too wanted to be held in Yamato's hands and kissed by him, but after what happened today, she thought they deserved it. She too was afraid of losing her sister and felt her heart torn apart when she saw her lord so distressed. And now that they had found happiness with each other, Touka felt happy for her sworn sister and lord.
Embarrassed and mortified at being caught kissing Yamato by her sworn sister, Aisha covered herself with her blanket, shielding herself from Touka's gaze.
Smiling, Touka placed the glass of water on the drawer table next to Aisha's bed and addressed her younger sister. "Are you feeling better now?"
Aisha peeked out from under her blanket and nodded shyly. "Y-Yes…"
Touka giggled. "It must be because the power of love. The power of Yamato-sama's love."
Aisha's cheeks flushed red as she pulled her blanket, causing Touka to laugh at her sister's antics. Aisha once again peeked from under her blanket and pouted, "Do you really have to tease me, Touka-sama?"
"Ehehe, I'm sorry about that," Touka replied as she managed to get her laughter under control. "But I'm really happy for you and Yamato-sama."
"Thank you, Touka-sama," Aisha replied with a smile.
"Get some rest, Aisha-chan. Kada-sensei told me that you need a lot of rest to recover. I'm going to make sure of that," instructed Touka.
Aisha nodded and was just about to do as her sworn sister told her when Touka spoke up.
"...Maybe you managed to get together with Yamato-sama first, Aisha-chan, but I won't give up on him. Besides...I'm willing to share Yamato-sama if it is with you."
Amber eyes widened upon hearing that, but before she could reply Touka already left the room. Aisha was surprised by her sworn sister's confession and it left her conflicted and confused. Rather than think about that, she chose to sleep as her body demanded her to after her close brush with death.
Yamato quickly walked along the halls of his castle without a clear goal in mind. What he wanted now was to hide from Touka because she had caught him and Aisha kissing. The last part made his face turn as red as a tomato.
'I kissed Aisha, I kissed Aisha, I kissed Aisha, I kissed Aisha...' was the mantra that he repeated inside his head.
Just what the heck had possessed him to do that? Sure, she had initiated but he had still reciprocated. Not that it was unwelcomed, but still...It was amazing. He could vividly remember the softness and sweetness of Aisha's lips. Amazing couldn't even begin to describe how it felt to kiss the young woman.
After wandering aimlessly for some time, he found himself in the garden of his castle. Yamato sighed and looked toward the night sky where a full moon shone brightly and stars twinkled. It wasn't easy to see stars in the big city because of all the lights, but he could appreciate such a thing as twinkling stars right now.
He recalled his conversation with Aisha which led to their first kiss.
"Stay by my side until the bitter end, huh?" he muttered to himself. "Since when did I become so selfish?" His question went unheard and unanswered as he looked at the moon above for several minutes before he sighed out loud. "Maybe...Maybe I really am that selfish…"
He just stood there and gazed at the moon until he heard someone spoke.
"It's a beautiful night, isn't it?"
Yamato turned around and took an involuntary step back when he saw the man who had appeared before him. The man was around 40 years old, wearing thick white robes with a snakeskin turban on his head and matching snakeskin scarf.
"You!" Yamato exclaimed at the man. No, not a man. He was known as DJ Sagara and the Snake, but in truth he was the consciousness of Helheim Forest itself.
"So we finally meet, Yamato Kusanagi," Sagara greeted with a friendly smile. "I have to say that you are an interesting fella."
"...What do you want from me, Sagara?" asked Yamato warily. "Or should I call you 'Helheim'?"
"Can't I just drop by and say hello?" retorted Sagara. "Though I have to admit, entering this world is quite a task and not even I can properly reach it." Yamato narrowed his eyes causing Sagara to chuckle. "This world is quite interesting, you know? It feels like it is between the borders of dreams and reality. Quite a feat, really."
Yamato would've gone for his weapon, but he knew it was utterly futile. Sagara was, of course, just a projection. He wasn't truly physically there. He could manipulate objects and interact physically with people, but in the end he was just a projection and thus not tangible.
"I ask you again, what are you doing here?" Yamato demanded.
"I find you quite interesting," answered Sagara. "Although the older Kureshima brother said you were more like him than Kazuraba, I think you are more like the perfect blend of the two of them, hence my interest in you."
Yamato's eyes widened when he just learnt Zangetsu's identity from Sagara. "Wait, are you saying the Zangetsu I met in the forest was…"
"Takatora Kureshima, the current Supreme Ruler of Helheim Forest," finished Sagara. "Unlike Kazuraba, you are not afraid to shed the blood of people to obtain your goal. Yet, like him, you are also an idealist, but you have a firm grasp on reality like the older Kureshima."
Yamato kept his gaze at the manifestation of Helheim's consciousness. "Are you trying to tempt me or something?"
Sagara smiled at his accusation. "You witnessed it, didn't you? The power of the Forbidden Fruit. The power to rule and change the world as you see fit."
Yamato recalled how easy it was for Zangetsu to manipulate the damned forest with his will. He even created a fruit that could heal the Helheim infection.
"You're telling me to pursue the Golden Fruit?" asked Yamato warily.
"Like I said, you interest me, more than your two friends," answered Sagara easily. "I would put this world through a trial to test you, but I find it almost impossible to enter this world. Heck, even just projecting this form into this world took a lot of me."
Yamato internally sighed in relief, knowing that this world was safe from Sagara's machination and influence, at least for now. He really didn't need to add the threat of Helheim's invasion on his plate with the Open Warring Era starting soon.
"You already know my answer back then when I first visited Helheim Forest. I have no need of that kind of power," Yamato replied tensely. "Just look at the Femushinmu's civilization and Zawame City. I don't need that fancy fruit because all it had done was bringing death and destruction everywhere."
If anything, Sagara looked amused by Yamato's answer. "Hoo~h, is that so? Then let me ask you this, what can you protect if the only power you have is your beliefs? Just look at Kazuraba. He started promising and developed quite well, but in the end he was just a dreamer, a naive idealist."
"All people are different from one another. I am not Kouta or Takatora. My ideals might be similar, but I will still walk my own path," replied Yamato resolutely. "No matter what happens, fate does not dictate my actions and destiny will never hold me down. I will not have any regrets over my choices and actions."
Sagara only regarded Yamato silently for a moment before he chuckled. That chuckle then turned into barking laughter. "Alright, if that's your answer. I will continue to watch you, Yamato Kusanagi. I hope you will entertain me." His image then the flickered out and before he disappeared completely, he left Yamato with a few parting words, "I expect plenty from you, Yamato Kusanagi, so you better not disappoint me, okay?"
And with that, the Snake was gone.
Yamato frowned as he glared at the spot where Sagara once stood as he clenched his fists. "I will find a way to stop you, Sagara…No, WE will find a way to stop your sick game."
The next day…
Kada was giving Aisha another examination to see how she was recovering. As she had just been cured of the supposedly incurable Helheim Infection, she was still recovering from the aftereffects. Kada muttered something to himself before he nodded in assurance.
"You're recovering well, Kan'u-dono, but you will not be doing anything strenuous for the rest of the week. You will need plenty of rest and should eat lot of nutritious food to hasten your recovery," reported Kada.
Aisha grimaced when she learned that she would most likely be confined to her bed for the remainder of the week. She had no choice on the matter, lest she had to prolong her state of recovery. "...I understand."
Yamato, who was present during the examination, placed a comforting hand on her shoulder and squeezed it gently. "It's alright, Aisha. The faster you recover, the faster you will return to duty, right?"
Aisha smiled at Yamato's encouraging words and placed her hand atop of his. "Thank you, Yamato-sama."
Kada packed up his medical instruments and stood up to take his leave, "I will be prescribing the food Kan'u-dono has to eat along with her medicine to Toutaku-dono and Kaku-dono. If that is all, may I take my leave?"
Yamato nodded at the physician. Kada bowed before taking his bag and leaving the room. Yamato then took the seat next to Aisha's bed and asked her, "Are you feeling better now, Aisha?"
"Yes, I am. Thank you for your concern, Yamato-sama," answered Aisha.
Yamato smiled as he took her hand and stroked it with his thumb. "That's good. I'm glad you're doing better."
Aisha smiled back at him before she looked down on their joined hands. Her cheeks flushed red before she asked, "Yamato-sama? A-Are we now…"
"A couple?" He finished and she nodded shyly. "Yes, we are, only if you want it to be so."
"O-Of course I do! I-It's just…"Aisha stammered out before she continued, "I've never considered myself as much as a woman before, not after I lost my family and teacher. I always thought of myself as a warrior and believed that being a woman was a weakness. That's why…"
Yamato chuckled at her confession. "Hey, it's alright. I happen to like strong women and you are definitely one. Besides, do you remember what I said to you last night before we...kissed?"
Aisha blushed prettily at the reminder of their wonderful first kiss. She then remembered what Yamato said before that and smiled. "Those were wise words, Yamato-sama."
"I quoted it from someone else, though," replied Yamato.
"A-Ano...Yamato-sama?" Aisha spoke up shyly.
"Hm?"
"C-Can we...k-k-kiss again?"
Yamato chuckled when he heard her request. "Really, Aisha. Do you really have to ask?"
Aisha's cheek flushed as she muttered, "I-I have never given much thought about r-relationships before, much less actually h-having one..."
Yamato smiled before he reached for her face and stroked her cheek lovingly. "Me too. I always wanted to have friends before, but I never thought I would have an actual girlfriend." He then brought his face close to hers while he also pulled hers closer to him. "We still have much to learn together, don't we?"
"Yes, we do," Aisha breathed out before she gave in to her impulses and pressed her lips against Yamato's.
The Peerless Blue Swordsman closed his eyes and returned the kiss, relishing on the pure euphoria he felt as he embraced his new lover. He felt Aisha's tongue licking his lips as if she was begging for entrance which Yamato complied. Their tongues danced against each other with fervor as they conveyed their feeling for each other passionately.
The kiss lasted for several minutes and they separated when their lungs demanded air. The couple looked deeply into each other's eyes, their emotions and desires were bared to each other.
"I love you Aisha."
"I love you too Yamato-sama."
Their tender moment, however, was ruined when Hinari barged to the room, looking as if she had just ran over a thousand miles.
"Hinari? What's wrong?" Yamato asked in surprise.
"Y-Yamato-sama! I-I have an urgent n-news!" Hinari gasped between breaths as she put a hand on her chest to calm herself, but failing. "It's terrible! I-It's Enshou! She's attacked and taken down one of our outlooks in the border!"
"She what!?" Yamato said as he stood up from his chair while Aisha inhaled sharply at the news.
"M-Moreover, she had her men attack the Ryousei Commandery without any warning. From the reports of our scouts, Kousonsan-dono won't last much longer!"
"Assemble our army for immediate deployment! We will assist Kousonsan's army before we pursue Enshou!" Yamato immediately ordered out. He would be damned if he let his ally fall like that.
"A-At once, sir!" Hinari replied before she bolted out of the room to relay his orders.
Yamato turned to Aisha apologetically and said, "I'm sorry to cut this short, Aisha."
Aisha shook her head and replied. "No, I should be the one to apologize to you, Yamato-sama. Because of my condition, I am unable to accompany you to battle like I usually do."
"No, you need to rest and recover. I'm sure the others and I can deal with Enshou," assured Yamato.
Aisha looked at him for a moment before she spoke, "Could you come closer, Yamato-sama?"
Yamato followed her request and Aisha planted a chaste kiss on his lips when he was close enough.
"For your victory and safe return, Yamato-sama," smiled Aisha with flushing cheeks.
"...Thank you, Aisha. I will definitely return victorious with your blessing," Yamato smiled back as he went to prepare himself. To go to the battlefield with the blessing of his Black-Haired War Goddess...He was truly a lucky man.
Now he had an ally to rescue and a spoiled brat to teach a lesson.
A/N: Surprise! A quick update! Actually, this chapter was done not long after the previous one, and the editing was done on the same day, I postponed posting chapter 12 until now for some finishing touches here and there. As always, Read and Review! Your opinion of this chapter matters much. Thank you for reading and have a nice weekend!
Next Chapter: Assault of the En Clan