2 chapters in a 24 hour window? What sorcery is this? lol
Enjoy !
"Do you know who I am?", Munakata asked.
"Blue King, Munakata Reisi."
Munakata looked at the girl that was looking back at him through her piercing blue eyes. She doesn't look too happy.
"I think I know you.", Munakata said again.
Yayoi stepped out from her pod, not paying attention to Munakata.
"After the incident with Totsuka Tatara, Homra's second in command, Izumo Kusanagi filed a missing person report on you."
Yayoi gave an even more annoyed look at Munakata.
"Turns out you are here. Hiding under the Gold King himself."
"I was and has always been here.", she replied.
Being the Scepter 4's captain and having no one that dares to talk back at him. Having this rough conversation with the girl he just met was quite an entertainment for Munakata.
"So, you are mine now.", said Munakata.
"I am."
Munakata expected another sassy reply. Since 'I am' wasn't really amusing.
"But I made a promise with Daikaku, I'm guarding the Slates no matter what."
Ah, the post-traumatic stress part, Munakata thought to himself.
"So, you may own me. But I got my own mission.", Yayoi said devoutly.
Munakata looked at the girl in front of him. She stood on a lower height than him, regal attire, barefoot and hair tousled from sleep, but what stood out the most to him was her piercing blue eyes. And all the things hidden behind it.
"What's your name?"
"Yayoi."
Yayoi. Munakata remembered Kusanagi placed her identity as Nemuri. But she's been a Yayoi all this time, right?"
"I like your cause. It's pure."
Munakata and Yayoi didn't really start on the correct foot, but they developed a better relationship.
"So I'm the second person to own you?", asked Munakata.
"Please don't use the word own, I feel like a commodity."
Munakata and Yayoi sat between the shogi table. The Chamber of Slates was cold that day. Munakata waited for Yayoi's turn.
"How come the Green Clan doesn't know about you after their data theft? Other than you are onboard the First King's ship and nowhere near Mihashira Tower. They even got the First King's information through it."
"Daikaku never kept any written information on me. No one knew about me except Adolf and some Rabbits and now you. So you better keep me a secret."
Everyone at Scepter 4 had thought Munakata left for Mihashira Tower to do some checking on the Slates, now he's in charge of it. But going here was like a break time for Munakata. As he got to spend time with this odd personality.
The one person who dares to call him by his first name, much to his discontent and the one that never treats him like a captain. It was not surprising, since she technically had a higher standing than Munakata.
"Oh, look at this. You lost. Again.", teased Yayoi.
Munakata corrected his glasses, hiding his slight disappointment at losing the game.
"I am sorry, I didn't have a half century practicing shogi.", replied Munakata.
"What did you say?!"
The sound of bokuto hitting each other filled the Chamber of Slates. They were practicing kenjutsu and Munakata wasn't holding back.
He can't hold back or else he had lost a long time ago. Not surprising from someone who had trained under the Gold King.
But for a captain of Scepter 4 to find fighting Yayoi difficult, Munakata couldn't accept it.
"So, you're still in touch with the First King?", Munakata asked between strikes.
"Now and then. We are discussing how to deal with the Green King."
"Does his clansmen know about you?"
"No."
Munakata couldn't believe how Yayoi can move that fast under the heavy kimono she was wearing. She did had the sleeves tied up, but it was still something Munakata can't understand. Maybe she was barefoot?
"You never left this place?", asked Munakata.
"The last time I left, the Colorless King killed someone I love, placed Adolf in danger and Daikaku died. Besides, why do you think we have a palace here?"
"So that's why you're always barefoot?"
With Munakata's question, Yayoi immediately looked down to her feet, which was wearing nothing underneath. At the same time, Munakata's bokuto went straight for her. She barely evaded it.
She pouted and glared at the smiling Munakata.
"Cheater."
Present Day
Benzai squints his eyes. Is he seeing things?
A girl with a flowing kimono, running barefoot towards him. Towards him?
Maybe the stress of the mission failure that night made him see things. Or the shock of Fushimi leaving Scepter 4 after a debate with the Captain.
He rubbed his eyes and patted his face several times.
But she's still there.
Benzai quickly has his hand on his sword, the girl was going to pass him but not before he could grab her.
He was slightly surprised at how the soft feeling of the kimono that touched his skin.
"Where are you going, lady?"
"Where's Reisi?", she asked back with an angry tone.
Reisi?
"What?"
"Out of my way.", she ordered.
"I can't, lady..."
"Out. Of. My. Way."
Her stern voice sent shock through Benzai, that he lost strength of his grip at the girl. What happened?
Awashima was surprised to find a figure with flowing garb running towards the captain's vehicle. It seemed so dreamlike that Awashima didn't act fast enough as the figure reached the car earlier.
"Hey! Who are you?!", she yelled.
Munakata was startled a little when he heard the bang at the door and the voice that called for him. But deep inside he actually expected it, expected her anger.
"Reisi!"
He wasn't sure he could face her, not when he is faced with that piercing blue eyes. But it was here now, in flesh. Munakata turned his bandaged body towards the door. Finding that figure looking back at him, in pure anger.
"You let the Green King stole the Slates?!"
"Men, retain her!", ordered Awashima from afar.
The men of Scepter 4 gathered around the car but Munakata stopped them.
"Awashima-kun, it's alright."
He walked towards the door. What should he say?
"You're barefoot outside.", he said.
A loud slap was delivered to Munakata's face. Everyone on the scene was left dumbfounded, including Awashima.
"Yes, I did let the Green King away with the Slates.", Munakata said not bothering his stinging cheek.
"And now you're sitting here, not trying to take it back?", Yayoi yelled back.
"I'm very tired. Why not ask your friend, the First King. I'm sure he'll come up with something."
Munakata turned his face away. Yayoi grew even angrier. She can feel anger fuming in her body.
"Fine! Stay here and sulk!"
Shiro exited the building with Neko clinging on him and Kuro following him. The tower was getting empty since the Red left a long time ago and the Blue preparing to leave.
The figure clad in white was the first thing Shiro's eyes caught. Yayoi stood alone and she was looking up to the night sky.
"Yayoi.", Shiro called softly.
Shiro paced faster, letting Neko's hand go as he went for Yayoi. Yayoi turned towards him with tears flowing down her face.
"Adolf, what should we do?"
Shiro stroked Yayoi's hair gently. Neko watched from afar with burning jealousy.
"Well, we'll have to clear our heads and think. But first, there is something you need to do.", Shiro said.
Kuro looked at the figure walking beside him. The Yayoi, the mysterious mysterious Yayoi. Shiro had ordered him to accompany her to the Homra base. Why, he didn't know.
The sound of her geta hitting the solid ground filled the silence between the two.
Kuro wasn't sure if he should be suspicious of this character or should he fear her. Shiro seemed to know her well and cared for her, she called the almighty Gold King with his first name, the Blue King too, and she ordered a Gold Clan's Rabbit to bring her geta. This is some power for a young woman.
"Kuro-kun, can we stop somewhere first?", she asked.
"But Shiro ordered..."
"Shiro wanted me to go to Homra, I know. But I need to stop here first."
Kuro followed Yayoi to an apartment building. When they stopped at a door, Yayoi took a key hidden under her sleeves. She turned the key to open the room.
The room was dusty due to it being inhabited for so long.
"This place hasn't' changed a bit.", she mumbled.
For Kuro, it was just a normal room for living.
"What is this place?"
"Tatara's place, I spent 3 blissful months in here with him."
Kuro looked at the sad face with surprise.
"So you ..."
"Nemu?!"
The voice startled both Yayoi and Kuro.
Kusanagi and Anna was at the door.
Some foreign words meaning :
1. Shogi : it's like a Japanese Chess (you know, the board game?)
2. Bokuto : wooden sword used to train kenjutsu (explained later)
3. Kenjutsu : Kendo / Japanese swordsmanship, (you'll see this a lot in animes lol, seriously yes.) Trivia : This is the Gold King's hobby.
4. Geta : Japanese traditional footwear, the clogs one. Usually worn with traditional kimono and yukata.
This is all I think, right? The more you know. Haha.
Tell me what you think of the story progress. Thanks for reading!