Author's Note:

The names of the Legacy Arms are carefully chosen to fit their purpose, but I always wonder if my readers would ever find them strange or out of place?

Chapter 77: Influence.

Inner Feelings.

There it was, remarkably well preserved. A silver blade that stretched over more than a meter, golden carvings adorned from its hilt, centered around a single symmetrical symbol. A dhamma wheel, to be specific; a golden wheel with eight arms protruding out from its center, one for each direction of the compass. The only feature that gave away its age was the discolored linen and blackened shagren(untanned leather) wrapped around the grip of the sword.

"Theravada? As in that one school of Buddhism?" Lady Hayashi muttered out as we got closer, circling around the table. The fact that she recognizes the name was an unexpected surprise.

"Oh, you know of it. Impressive." I exclaimed, beaming a smile towards the good lady.

"It's just...something that came up in my research, that's all!" As if taken aback by my disposition Lady Hayashi found her eyes quickly turning to the sides while giving out her reply, embarrassed. A relief and perhaps a strange contrast to what has been happening since she moved into the mansion. I can only hope this means we can come to terms with each other from here on out.

"It is said that the Zanna Settimo's rise in power, the reestablishment of the Zanna Famiglia after The Great Tragedy, was not without hardship. The rumors mentioned of Settimo traveling the world as a mercenary, overcoming trial after trial before becoming worthy of this sword. The things he faced molded his very being, tempering his very soul..."

Lost in my own thoughts, I attempted to reach out for the Legacy Arm and remove it from the stand it's been attached to for decades when a certain object caught my eye, situated just at the side of the armament.

A black leather-bound book from an era passed. Picking it up are carefully as I could, the name 'Ciro' engraved into the cover caught my eye.

"...This book belonged to the Zanna Settimo!" I exclaimed as surprise overwhelmed me. As opposed to the strewn pieces of documents littered amidst the overgrown vegetation, it looked unblemished and untouched by time. Lovingly cared for, even. With but a final look up towards Lady Hayashi's curious eyes my fingers gently pulled open the cover, diving right into what might have been a lost piece of history of the Zanna Famiglia...

19th January 1960

The day has been grand! Today is the day my son moved into the Zanna Mansion, the place of our heritage, no longer the rubble and ruin I stumbled upon thirty years ago. Despite my offer, he didn't seem the least bit interested in inheriting the title of Boss through blood alone. He insisted to earn his place amongst the members of the Fang, to garner respect rather than have it given to him on a silver platter. Can't say I've ever been so proud!

21st September 1960

Savio's performance reports has been impressive. Made me wish we could have had some way to preserve them before throwing them into the furnace. Alas, tradition is tradition. Still, there are times when I caught sight of him looking into the distance with blank eyes, mumbling as if having a conversation with someone. This does not bode well. I hesitate, but it seems my very own son will need to be watched, for his own safety and potentially that of the entire Famiglia.

31st April 1961

Upon joining in on the social gathering in the main hall today I caught sight of a curious thing. The young lass from the Biaggio family, chatting up a storm with my son! Never have I seen him so frank, especially compared to how stoic he seemed when working with the various arms of the Famiglia. Perhaps...this is for the best. Finding light even in the dark corners of the Mafia underworld.

3rd August 1961

This is most troubling. Savio has been nothing less than stellar in his achievements, but his convictions, his ideals, they are barely tolerable along the lines of reality. He wishes to save everyone, the rich and the poor, the stout and the ill. More than once had he put his life on the line for mere commoners. And that friend of his, the one who followed him since they were but children. He is cold, calculating and ruthless in his methods. The two represents different extremes of the same coin. They balance each other out, but how long will it be until the scale is tipped so far along one end that equilibrium can never be restored?

1st January 1962

Today is the start of the new year, so why is the air filled with the stench of death? I came back from Rome just in time for New Years only to find the main hall filled with the ten bodies of my trusted men, mauled and ravaged as if perverted by beasts. How can this be happening? I don't understand it! They claimed there were no foul play, no sabotage involved! The Zanna Mansion is no longer the safe haven my men knew it to be. I could see it in their eyes...

21st February 1962

It was Theravada all along. The few days I inadvertently left my Legacy Arm within the mansion ended up with the death of my men. Just yesterday I caught Savio sneaking into my room, looking to pilfer the sacred blade. It seems...my will has withered with age, and I am no longer capable enough to suppress its influence. Perhaps I am no longer worthy...? Whatever the case, I know what I must do.

31st May 1962

Here I am. I had sneak out of the mansion on my own prerogative, bringing my Legacy Arm to this unmarked island from the coast of Venice. I have the dynamite charges ready. This shall be the place where the Legacy of Theravada will rest buried and forgotten, its influence over the Zanna Famiglia cleansed. The blade is alive, you see. It chooses its wielder, lulling them close through a mix of desire and fear, playing on their innermost thoughts. Those who put their hands around the grip is then judged. Blood is spilled from the unworthy, their very life slowly devoured by the blade in time. Only those who achieved a state of zen; inner peace, free of all trouble and desire can wield it. A trait I can no longer claim to bear. I will not let my son suffer under the influence of this thing any longer.

"..."

"...thud."

The last entry was followed by the soft closing of the diary. As seconds passed I was still lost for words, as embarrassing as that was. Looking up, I realized Lady Hayashi was having similar thoughts, her eyes rolling down to the ground as if having just heard something unpleasant. Certainly, the information I got from reading wasn't exactly the most desirable. Worst of all, I couldn't get the final date noted out of my mind, as a certain record from a gravestone popped into mind...

"31st of May, 1962..." I muttered out when the revelation became too much to hold in. "...That's the day before the Zanna Settimo got assassinated."

"Eek...so the actions he took to protect his son ended up causing him his life? How terrible! He must have known he'd be vulnerable without his Legacy Arm..." Chiming in with thoughts of her own, Lady Hayashi surprised me by quickly connecting one piece of information with the other despite her shock.

"No, he knew, but the safety of the Zanna Famiglia came first, above all else." I replied with confidence. However, a scary thought nevertheless spawned from those words. Would Amato do the same thing if such a circumstance happen?

...He would. I can't ever let things reach that point. I don't want him to have to make that choice.

"...creak."

"What's that?!" As if shaken by the sound clearly not of our making, the two of us turned simultaneously towards the door leading into the bunker. There, slinking out of the black shadows, was a figure. A man in a torn, combat uniform, with buzzcut hair and a pulsing, horrid right eye. Its veins oozed purple light.

"Thud." Suddenly a second sound in the vicinity tugged at my senses, and from the corner of the room, I saw him. The same accessories dangling, ringing with each step. The long mask hung on its face, the inverse cross hanging before me once more. Before I knew it, something...snapped.

And all I could see was red.

"Bastaaard!" The word exploded out at the top of my voice, my vision homing in on the masked man as I threw my arm out, swinging my fist at him like a beast gone mad! I can't help it, everything was rushing back. The blood, the tears, the sorrow. It's as if the scars were throbbing in the presence of the one who made them! "Ambrogio! How dare you appear before me again after all these years! After...after what you've done! What you made me do! Momma-!" My voice cracked at the very last part. Before I knew it, I was gritting down on my teeth as tears formed around my eyes despite all effort to contain them!

However, in a blink of an eye, as I took a stance and thrust my palm forward, Ambrogio disappeared! Nothing but metal and stone in the path of my assault!

"Smash!"

Crack.

"Ugh..." As trained as I was, pain still surged through muscle and bone as the wall was broken and dented. In a sudden state of panic, I turned around only to come face to face with Ambrogio, armed with his oversized cross!

"Crack!"

With a swing too fast for my eyes, my sides felt as thought they were shattered as pain burst forth, throwing me off the ground and slamming into the side of the walls!

"Gragh!" The crash sent all manner pain wrecking through my body, so much that I ended up crying out in pain. But that wasn't gonna stop the vendetta that had been burning for the past eight years! However, pulling myself on my feet, I realized charging in with nothing but blind rage accomplishes nothing.

I need a weapon...of course!

Without a second thought, I broke into a dash, scrambling towards the one weapon placed in the center of the bunker! Ignoring the recklessness of such an act, my hands reached out and wrapped my fingers around the grip of the sword, just as someone else's hand did the same! Lady Hayashi appeared by my side, looking just as surprised as I was, before the two of us nodded in agreement. Just as the two enemies and their overwhelming presence lunged at us from our back, we tore the Theravada off its pedestal!

"Yeeeaaarrrggghhh" In a frantic swing we threw Theravada in a wide arc from our right, slashing into our enemies as we spun around on our heels!

Everything came to a grinding halt after that. Like a fog lifting itself off of our senses, the shadows receded, and silence once again filled the decades old bunker. The light of the setting sun glared through the tiny openings littered around the corners, but Ambrogio and Duilio had disappeared. No, it was as if they were never there in the first place. Still slightly disoriented, the light from outside also outlined a rusted door which looked as thought it could break with but a touch of my hand.

"W-What just happened?" Before I knew it, Lady Hayashi started mumbling out the questions on her mind, signifying that it wasn't just me that was feeling confused. After a second of contemplation, however, everything began to make sense. The notes, the records and what we just experienced. But with clarity came a horrible sense of avoidance on the subject; I didn't want to even look at the blade, let alone think about it.

"I think it's high time we reunite with Amato and the others, no?" I declared with a smile, before reaching out for the handle. Lady Hayashi, as stunned as she was, gently nodded in agreement and followed my actions, and began pushing down on the door. Brushing off everything else, the faint smell of vegetation and rust were quickly replaced by a gush of fresh air as the hinges twisted and the metal door open after a long creak...

Dusk soon fell upon the island, but not before we managed to trail our way along the coast, and got back together with the rest of the Zanna Famiglia. Nursing our wounds by the campfire, the discussion we had was the only thing distracting me from the painful throbbing of my wounds at regular intervals. Everyone was worried sick, and thought they followed our trail into the forest, Sergio mentioned that they never was able to find anything like the cave that collapsed on us.

"So your shield broke into pieces when you used it against the rampaging bear?" Sergio questioned, his pupils shrinking in disbelief.

"Yes." I replied nonchalantly, eyes barely being kept open by following the dancing sparks of the orange flames. All the medications Vito prescribed for me only left me more drowsier than ever. Dazed left and right, I nearly fell to one side if it wasn't for Lady Hayashi cushioning me with her shoulder. She didn't seem to mind as much as I thought she would, and instead shifted closer to my side with a slight smile, though she did tried to hide it by looking to the sides.

"Did the beast stand more than two meters tall?! After your shield broke, you fought it with your bare hands?!" This time it was Regina who bombarded me with the questions, caught up with the sheer shock of it all. She seemed more impressed and excited than anything else.

"Uh, right. Yes and...yes." Jolted back into focus, I struggled to collect my thought before giving her the same one word answers I did for Sergio.

"This sword...its craft is amazing! I've never seen anything like it! Light on the swing, but heavy enough to rend through both flesh and steel. You say you found this within that one abandoned bunker?" The words spilled forth one after another, displaying the expertise of a master swordsman, surprising us all considering Johann's usual demeanor. He had his eyes pinned on Theravada ever since we made sure our wounds were taken care off.

"Yes, but that's not just any sword. It's the Legacy Arm of the Zanna Settimo, Theravada." Again I reiterate the fact with glee. After all, the more Legacy Arms we manage to reclaim, the stronger the Zanna Famiglia will be.

"You mean it's just like how Kujaku was the Legacy Arm of the Zanna Secondo?" Lady Hayashi mumbled beside me, picking up the jewel from around her neck as she did.

"Yes, all nine of them has an affinity with the Zanna bloodline, and when used by one of Zanna blood, they can unlock their true power..." I gave out the description as my eyes fell on the silver blade untouched by time. Suddenly, the memory of what happened in that bunker replayed itself in my mind, and I couldn't help but look away. "Besides that, may I ask where Lord Amato is?" I asked with worry, seeing how we never caught sight of him since returning.

At those words Sergio and the others only looked to one another with uncertainty, scratching at the back of their heads, before giving me an answer.

"When we gave up the search within the forest, Amato kinda got mad and decided to continue all by himself. He should be back any moment now..." Sergio replied reluctantly, embarrassed at the recollection and looking down in shame.

"Thud..."

Speak of the devil, and he doth appear. From our back, Amato appeared, his feet shuffling along the pebbles and the sand, his face covered with dirt and grime here and there.

"...Kiera...Yoko.." He looked positively distraught, his disheveled hair in a wild mess as he stumbled to our side. "...your shoulder...your arm...and her leg...I..." Mumbling out as he caught sight of our injuries, no doubt my lord was feeling extremely frustrated. His eyes were starting to turn red.

"We're both fine, Amato." Overwhelmed by a sudden rush of joy, I felt my guard dropping as I beamed Amato a smile, hoping to curb his worries. However, it didn't seem to have much effect.

"...darn it! I should have followed you back then...I even promised to protect Yoko..." Gritting down on his teeth hard, Amato was so ashamed that he couldn't even look me in the eyes as he spoke. I saw him reaching out to help with his hands only to pull them back when he realized he couldn't do much with the extent of our wounds. That left him clenching down on his fists hard, shaking as his fingers dug into his palm. It was expected, but the sheer intensity of his concern was piling upon his guilt and regret, the very act leaving me lost for words...

"...Amato...at least we're both safe and alive now..."

A few hours had passed. I thought I would have succumbed to the condition of my wounds, but it seems the constant training drilled into my bones refused to let up. Sitting on the piece of wood alongside the extinguished campfire, a sudden chill from a stray gust of wind pulled me back from the lucid glow of the moon reflected upon the waning sea. The urge to stretch myself was only thwarted by the stiffness of the cast wrapped around my left arm, from the tip of my fingers to my shoulder-blade.

"Uh..K-Kiera, you're still up?" A girl's voice caught me by surprise from my back. Though unexpected, I had a good idea who it was even without turning around.

"Lady Hayashi. A pleasure as always. I suppose today's happenings left you a bit too restless for sleep, yes?" With confidence I gave out the greeting, making sure there was no trace of exhaustion in my voice as I met her amber eyes.

"Yeah...I guess." Lady Hayashi halfheartedly replied as she looked to the side, taking a seat beside me with a limp to her steps. "So it was Theravada all along, huh? That thing sure had strung me along for a wild ride..." Lady Hayashi muttered out as regret all but took over her demeanor. There wasn't much I could give as a response besides a gentle nod of my own. "Kiera, I've been thinking about what you did, and what you said..." She continued, gently slapping herself on her cheeks before turning to face me with determination. "...I'm so sorry for yelling at you back in the cave! I apologize for dishonoring your decision, questioning your actions even though you did to save my life!"

"L-Lady Hayashi! There's no need for this-!" Taken aback at the unexpected apology as well as her suddenly jumping up on her feet to give a bow, I found myself in one of the rare situations where I'm at a lost for the right words.

"There's that too! I know I haven't been...the easiest person to get along with, but after what happened today, I have no more reason to distrust you and your intentions. I owe you too much..." As if swallowing her pride, I watched as Lady Hayashi came to terms with her thoughts and her emotions as she gave out her explanation. "...so I'm sorry for all the fuss over my name before. From now on I'd like it if you can just call me 'Yoko'. Can we start over this whole idea of friendship?" As she meekly gave out her last sentence, Lady Hayashi, I mean Yoko, extended her hand out to me.

She poured her heart into those words, leaving me no chance whatsoever to disagree.

"Hee hee, all right Yoko!" I answered as I took her up on her offer, shaking her hand with a slight chuckle!

"Hey, I'm trying to be serious here! What's so funny?!" Slightly annoyed by my reaction, a tint of red flushed Yoko's cheeks as she cried out. She must have thought herself a fool, having done something out of place. She's way off mark, though.

"No, no! I'm just...relieved. If what happened today was needed for the two of us to speak heart to heart with each other then I'm glad it occurred, even if it meant hurting my left arm and shoulder-!" What started out as a jest ended with something soft pressing down on my very being, cutting off my words before I could even finish. Overwhelmed by a faintly sweet scent, it took me a second before I realized it was Yoko giving me a hug as tears flowed down her cheeks.

"*Sniff*...stupid..." The one word was all she could mutter amidst the rapid drumming of her heart. As calm as she looked, it must have still been extremely difficult for her to accept the fact that someone sacrificed so much for her.

"All right, all right, I apologize. That joke was uncalled for." I confessed as the hug came to an end, and Yoko got on her feet. "Well then, it's late. As caretaker, can I ask that you head straight for bed. I suspect there's still a slew of activities planned for the spring break getaway." I gently gave out with a smile.

"Hm, okay. It was still a pleasant surprise though, that the two of us were able to lay hands on Theravada, that we were deemed 'worthy'!" Wiping away her tears, Yoko's frown changed into a slight smile as she closed off the conversation with those few words and nodded in reply, before slowly making her way back to her tent. It was those exact few words that wiped away my smile, however. Eyes trailing in Yoko's direction, a certain someone paced his steps towards me, walking passed Yoko as he did.

The look in his eyes is enough to shake even the staunchest men in the Zanna Famiglia. With what I spoke with Yoko just minutes ago, I have a good idea why he's here. His gray eyes glistening in moonlight, Vito bore none of his usual crooked smile as he stopped in front of me. Only the serious look of a doctor upset at the patient under his care.

"Kiera, now that everyone's gone to bed, you gonna tell me what happened to that arm of yours?" He questioned, eyes slipping through the ends of his auburn hair, looking down on me from where he stood. As my eyes scanned across the swollen fingers, barely moving around the rock-solid fiberglass cast he had wrapped around my left arm, I gave him the same answer I did the first time he asked.

"I told you already, Vito. The bear's claw ripped a chunk of flesh-!"

"Off of your shoulder, I know! That was what left that scar on your back!" Annoyed by what he's hearing, Vito ended up yelling out his words and cutting me off mid-sentence. "Those gashes, the way the cuts are formed across the surface of your left arm...the way the bone splintered...it's unlike any wound I've ever seen! It's as if the injuries erupted from your very flesh!" Vito exclaimed, wildly distraught at how absurd his words sounded. I should have expected no less from Vito. He may joke about many things, but none takes the role of medic as seriously as he does, even if he enjoys toeing along the line purely for the sake of challenge.

"There's no possible way they could have been caused by an encounter with a bear, so can you tell me the truth?! What in the world could have caused such grievous injuries to someone of your caliber?! What the hell happened in that cave?!" Vito rambled on, bombarding me with question after question, which only made it that much more difficult for me to answer.

"..."

In the end, I found myself giving in to my own pride and refusing to say even a single word.

"Fine! Fine! You wanna keep it a secret?! You can suffer on your own! Just know that you may never be able to use that arm in a fight again!" Having had enough, Vito threw his arms to the sides as he made his declaration, shouting out the words before stomping back to his tent. All the while, I didn't know what to say, or even what I should show on my face. The memory of what happened had started replaying itself in my mind, and it was too distracting for me to think of anything else...

The pain was instantaneous, so much so that I started gritting down on my teeth before I knew it. At first I assumed it was because I used my injured left arm to propel the swing of the blade, and that the recoil backfired harder than I anticipated. It wasn't until we re-united with the others did I realized my palm was drenched with blood, from the many wounds that formed, the splitting of flesh and bone. By then the same injuries has began tearing at my arm and elbow, blood subtly trickling forth from the stinging wounds.

Next, Yoko's words kept speaking in the depths of my mind, as well as the passage from the diary I read...

"It was still a pleasant surprise though, that the two of us were able to lay hands on Theravada, that we were deemed 'worthy'!"

The blade is alive, you see. It chooses its wielder, lulling them close through a mix of desire and fear, playing on their innermost thoughts. Those who put their hands around the grip is then judged. Blood is spilled from the unworthy, their very life slowly devoured by the blade in time. Only those who achieved a state of zen; inner peace, free of all trouble and desire can wield it.

Crestfallen, I sat there unmoving as the night dwindled away into dawn. My eyes pinned on the sight of my injured left arm, I repeatedly pondered on its meaning to no end...

Finally, I'm done with this chapter and the end of the this arc itself. I hope it isn't too abrupt! Nobody's perfect, and it seems Kiera's no exception to that rule! How will the bond between the two girls, forged over this little incident play a part in the future chapters? And what of the diagnosis Vito gave of Kiera's injuries? As usual, give me your thoughts in your reviews below and keep your eyes out for the next chapter update to find out what's gonna happen next!