(? POV)
Heroes
People who come to others' rescue and save everyone. They swept up the foes deemed their obstacle using their power and glory.
I never was a hero. I was just a tiny ant scouring around the earth. Finding meaning in my existence. I was abandoned as a child near the bins of unwanted goods. My upbringing was that of a stagnant egg that continuously stayed still.
I am slowly finding myself in a world filled with triumph and misery. The people in the orphanage never questioned my origins; they took me in as their own. Although, I am always skeptical of people's words when they talk.
Preferring to be alone is quite alright with me, but it comes that I am still a stagnant egg. Yet, I was still waiting for someone to approach me cause they never met a person who was abandoned in the trash. I am okay with it; I understood their worried thoughts and inability to empathize.
I always fall asleep near a tree where my orphanage is. No one questions my existence, and none interfere with me. I thought it would be timeless, but It was listless bliss and unfulfilled my beating heart.
"Hey, what are you doing?" a voice called out. I turned to a boy who had a scar on his right eyebrow. The person before me smiles, and his eyes show a curious view of me. My eyes looked away, not wanting any conversation with the guy.
"..."
"Come on, at least let me know your name."
The guy was the cherry in front of me. I didn't object to his words but stayed silent so he would disappear. Instead, he sat beside me while we watched the other children playing with one another. The guy just smiles, looking at the others, and the others smile back.
This man continues to smile while I continue to be listless. Everyone wanted to follow him and be on his side. Can he be the one? The one that will give meaning towards this existence?
"Alright then. I'll go first, then. My name is Ikki. Ikki Yosuke. How about you?" Ikki asked me, but my words didn't come out. I don't have a name like him or the proper one.
"I don't really have a real name. I just go by "Kazuhira Shinemon". That is the name I called myself." I answered, and the person looked amazed by the name.
"That's such a cool name. For a peaceful person, you sure look rough." Ikki questions once more. I don't think he ever noticed me, or he likes to talk with random people in his time. Has this guy never heard the term that people are different from what they first appeared in front of but rather inside? Is he an idiot?
"How about you come to play with us, Kazuhira-kun?" Ikki continues to pester me regarding playing. I saw some of his friends looking at me, still puzzled as to why Ikki had asked me to join. They must have seen me as baggage, probably. Also, why is he using that honorific? We're not close buddies.
I rejected it. Ikki smiles even though I rejected his offer to play. "I see. If you want to play, just tell me okay." Ikki only replies to those words. Ikki then goes to his friends and continues to play with the others. As minutes pass, Ikki and his friends are having a blast while I look at them in the shadows. They are happy, and why couldn't I be the same? I curse how a man like him smiled even though we are nameless children who think they can grow a fruitful life.
"Sorry." a shout was made as the ball flew up and down in front of me. The people with Ikki starred as well as him too. I was a little scared. My foot wouldn't move, and my mind would freeze in fear, but Ikki's smile and encouragement gave me a reason to move. Slowly and slowly, I kicked the ball into the sky. I have finally moved on my own.
A man in front of me gave me the courage to move, and that day, I realized I would give my life to serve this man and his ambitions.
XXX
(Present Day)
The surging energy that surrounded the cave quickly pushed the hollows back out. Some even were burned out by the release of the spiritual pressure from the man they were facing. Joseph stares in awe, seeing how the man before him emits such enormous energy dispersal. After that, armor started to form in front of the man who saved him.
Kazuhira looked forward to seeing that Arrancar was still unfazed by the amount of spiritual pressure he emitted, which made him chuckle a little. Kazuhira looks back to Joseph, who gazes at him and puts a thumbs up. Kazuhira strolls, and the hollows back off slowly.
"You are the person that made me who I am. Scared and alone, you came and became my light that paved my way."
"Slowly, you are too bright for me to follow, leading to another question when I still served you."
Kazuhira slowly picks up the pace of his foot, moving forward towards the enemy. The Arrancar did the same, and his two stingers from both hands were ready to kill his foe in front of him. Kazuhira pulls out his swords, anticipating his opponents and clashing with said opponent.
"Can I walk alone, or will I be consumed by your light?"
XXX
Pale or Grey: Bleach Another Story
Chapter 4
Yearning Call
XXX
The sound of clanking steel was overheard by Leon and Nika, who were in the distance, going to the location of Kazuhira. They already have done away with the hollows and are now going to the location of Kazuhira. As they were going to the area, they saw Joseph observing the fight from the battle, and the boy noticed the two who came over.
"Leon-san, Big Bro is in danger. We got to help him," Joseph requested. Leon and Nika nodded and went to the open field. They saw Kazuhira and the Arrancar battling out as a group of dismemberment Hollows were around the two.
Kazuhira, as King, continues his onslaught of attacks, moving forward and delivering slashes to his enemy. The Arrancar does not let up either, pinpointing both of his stingers towards the fatal parts of King. King dodges frequently, defensively calculating his strike motion so he is not to be entangled by the stingers. The Arrancar lunged at the left stinger, which missed, and King slashed the stinger off.
King then suddenly was attacked in the abdomen by a kick, but he did not feel a thing from the attack. The Arrancar tries to kick King using a hidden stinger that was sheathed on the knee but was broken after the contact with the King's armor.
"Like playing tricks, huh? Here's a trick." King blitzes toward the Arrancar and drags him to the floor, creating friction in the ground. King kept dragging him, lifted the monster in motion, and tried to throw him to the sky. King sped through again and appeared on top of the Arrancar with both swords ready.
"Fall!" he jammed the sword toward the monster, and the force of the thrust brought the two down to the ground. The Arrancar held one of the blades from landing, but the other blade pierced through the defense, mainly the shoulder. King then slashed the right arm of the Arrancar, wailing the enemy in pain.
Suddenly, King and the others felt a massive energy coming to the city. It is happening; the infestation of hollows has begun to awaken due to the mountains of souls. The Arrancar then uses this as an advantage to get away from Kazuhira. He uses this to attack his foe using the hidden stinger stored in the right knee, which damages Kazuhira and causes him to cough.
King had flown away from the Arrancar but was caught by both of his compatriots. Leon and Nika then release Kazuhira from their grip. Kazuhira stands again as the Arrancar, then regenerates his lost limbs to battle again.
"Damn it, this thing is pissing me off."
"Hey! Nothing's ever easy for a Cavalieri, huh?" Nika added.
"Whatever it is, we'll get out of this in a lickety split. Are we not? Oh, fearless leader?" Leon smiled, staring at Kazuhira. Kazuhira scoffs at the remark and runs past the two, smiling as he runs towards the enemy while they follow suit as they are ready to throw down.
Joseph saw the three going head-on to fight this monster, and he wondered about the life that he had seen. He noticed the three staring at the beast and had no fear inside.
XXX
In the city, a considerable influx of hollow infestations started to go rampant to absorb more souls, but they were being stopped by other Cavalieris. The team of older and newer ones are fighting against the hordes and trying to maintain the rampaging monsters.
Some of the hollows were also walking menacingly towards some of the other Cavalieri's.
"Form a wall. Don't let the monster go through this barrier, or else people are going to be killed."
The Cavalieris stand their ground against the Hollows. Inside the crowds of sword-wielding soldiers, a man wearing an eyepatch on his left eye, black hair, and wearing a red tank top shirt with black jeans shoves away some soldiers, needing him to go to the front. The older Cavaleiris noticed the man trying to be on the front and lashed out.
"You idiot. Step back." one of the older Cavalieris yelled to the man. The man only stared, and the lot noticed who they were talking to. One of the hollows attacks the eyepatch man, but the man stops the assault by kicking the hollows back.
The eyepatch man pulls out a large Tonfa, readying his stance as hordes of hollows charge him. The man then unleashed a powerful blast from his Tonfa, obliterating the hollows in one fell swoop. "Man, this whole city is in uproar. Are you sure this is not some sort of takeover?"
Naoya Katsutomo
Leader of Salamanders
A red soldier also goes up to Naoya and kneels before him. "Sir, there is another infestation near the shopping district."
"Are there any casualties there?"
"As of now, it is being maintained by our soldiers, but we need to help them on the rear side."
Naoya nods and looks back at the older Cavalieris, but they are not there anymore. They must have gone to help the shopping district after hearing them talk. Naoya then looks towards the sight of hollows in the vicinity approaching him. He snapped his fingers, and many guys wearing red outfits appeared.
"You assholes better get your teeth tightened because Salamanders are going wild tonight!" Naoya shouted.
"Yes, sir!"
"It's time for a festival of carnage, you bastards!"
Naoya twined around with his Tonfas before pointing at the enemy, and all of the soldiers at his disposal ran toward the enemy, which Naoya followed behind.
Another location is within the resident area where people live. A lone hollow was roaming around endlessly, preying on the souls coming his way. He looks for souls to feast on, but suddenly, his surroundings are filled with a strange mist spreading across the area. The hollow saw a silhouette running from the hollow, which confronted the shadow.
The hollow manages to corner the silhouette to the corner, but a sudden pile of energy rods pierce through the back of the hollow as it wails in pain, sealing his movements. Several Bellatoras jumped from the building above, ramming their weapons towards the hollow. The white jacket that they wore had the symbol of a cracked skull, but only the left eye socket was left unfinished, and the words that replaced the socket were "SPECTER".
"Kyoya-san seems good at making mistakes for us to do our operations. This is much easier than fighting head-on." one of the members playfully said.
"Don't get excited over such a weak foe. There are other dangerous forces that we have to face rather than attacking from the shadows." another member affirmed the younger member.
Another member was on the phone, calling someone and talking. "Kyoya-san asked us to go to an area near the pier. Another horde is spreading." All members nodded as they ran in formation, headed towards the next designated area.
A figure watches above them, wearing a dark green shirt and cargo pants. Height 163 cm and wearing green shoes, he looked at the Spectres moving again towards the designated location. On his waist, he carries two short daggers that were strapped out from his waist. Brown hair with a side fringe to the left. His dark green shirt has imprinted words on the back: "SPECTER" with black coloring.
Tatsumi Kyoya
Leader of SPECTER
He then started to leap from the roofs and poles towards the location of other hollows to eliminate them.
XXX
King and his friends are still fighting against the Arrancar. King took a peek out to the city, but he was still facing forward against the enemy. King then moved forward, and his friends provided support. Leon cast several Fresa incantations, trying to cut incoming Ceros that the Arrancar fired toward them. Nika moves fast behind the Arrancar to attack, but the Arrancar flaps his wings, creating friction in the wind that blows Nika away.
King then intercepts Nika and propels Nika using his feet; Arrancar tries to attack but is quickly put on the defensive. Nika split her scythe into two, slashing 2 fingers from the Arrancar and stabbing the Arrancar in the left eye. Nika steps back, and Kazuhiro delivers a powerful blow toward the stomach.
The impact obliterated a piece of the Arrancar's armor. Leon then summoned his shield and was preparing to transform. After he was knocked down by a simple wind pressure, he wanted to own up to his mistake of not protecting Joseph. Before he could do so, Arrancar struck Leon with his fast movement.
Leon was then stung by Arrancar and was thrown toward some trees. Leon shrieked in pain; the damage that Leon sustained was pretty hectic. Nika goes to his side and tries to heal the wounded Leon. Arrancar dashes toward Leon, trying to deliver a finishing strike. Kazuhira blitzed to the area and punched the Arrancar. His fist's weight and force were heavy and compact, so the Arrancar quickly backed away from them.
"Leon, you okay?" King goes to his friend's side as well as Nika. Nika still had her poker face but ran up to Leon in a hurry. Leon still squirmed in pain because of the sting, but Nika conjured up an incantation of green protective energy from her palm.
"Recupero (Recovery)." Nika cast a spell as he tried to heal Leon, but there was only one problem: they were in the battle zone, and the monster took the opportunity to strike at the defenseless ones. King noticed it and went to defend his friends. Nika grabs Leon, and they flee before the Arrancar can hit them.
King starts with a kick, and Arrancar tries to attack again, but those hits manage to be guarded. Arrancar then goes towards an attack, but King counters the strike before the Arrancer even has a chance to attack, making him fly a couple of cm into the air and send a powerful energy slice toward the body. The slash sent the Arrancar back to the forest, destroying a couple of the trees until the Arrancar stopped by one of the tree trunks.
"Get Leon out of here, Nika. I'll handle this alone. Also, get Joseph as well. I don't want people in my vicinity to get hurt." King ordered.
Nika grabs Leon without hesitation and escapes from the vicinity of the battle. Nika gets away and sees Joseph, who observed the battle from afar. Joseph saw the armor in a quick view; the armor looked like one of those knight characters popular in children's fairy tale stories. Nika quickly puts down Leon, who is grunting from the wound.
"Is that Kazuhira-san?" Joseph asked Nika, and she nodded.
"Your face says that you've seen the armor before." Nika wondered.
"Yes, but only briefly when he protected me. Is the armor that Kazuhira-san donned himself the symbol of Cavaliers?" Joseph was astonished by the sight of the armor. Nika could see the childlike wonder of seeing a person gazing at their armor and mesmerized by it.
"Correct. The armor that we have is the symbol of our strength. It is also the source of our pride as well as valor."
Joseph saw the armor clearly now. The armor looks sleek and shines through the dark night. The shining metal illuminates the grounds of the battle. King continued to battle against the Arrancar, and they were head to head. King could feel the spiritual pressure coming from the city. The other Cavalieris are holding off the hordes of hollows.
King delivers multiple slashes to the monster, and the Arrancar gladly fights back. King dashed forward to the enemy, and Arrancar was ready to attack King once more. King waits momentarily so that the Arrancar strikes are a little closer.
"Fang"
A single word muttered, and King delivered many thrust strikes with the Khopesh towards the entire body of the Arrancar. As he finished, a hole appeared from the entirety of the monster. The monster could not believe what he had seen. His foe used his strength to thrust to accompany his strike, making a hole in the entire body of the hollow.
The hollow may have holes in an area of his body, but these holes are not created by their missing hearts but by the sheer power of the opponent's creating many holes into every part of his body through his blows. Arrancar would not give up even if he failed in his goals. Arrancar tries to deliver his final attack, but King quickly chops the arm of the Arrancar, and King slices the Arrancar in the waist.
The Arrancar falls to the ground, with only his upper body going to the ground while his waist still stands. The Arrancar was lifeless on the floor, disappearing after it was killed. King sheaths his Khopesh back to his waist. He then transforms back to Kazuhira. Kazuhira then sighs in relief and observes his blade.
"That's quite rough. Adjustment on the armor seems to be a little wonky at times. I probably need to look into the spec and try to bring out more performance out of this thing." Kazuhira told himself. Something was off from his armor.
He then looks at the crew on the other side and gives them a thumbs-up, signifying his victory over the Arrancar. Nika just plainly smiled, and Leon just chuckled while sauntering to him. Joseph was the most astonished of them all; he thought that Kazuhira was just some ordinary brute, but his action had this sense that he would help you in any trouble you have.
Kazuhira walks to them as he puts his hand in his pocket, acting nonchalantly towards his comrades. "Don't act so cool when you just finished a fight. You look like pavement." Leon retorted, which gave a chuckle to the silver-haired boy. "Nah, I could have that one easily if my calibration on the armor is fixed more."
"Kazu-kun, your fight is as mesmerizing as ever," Nika answered. "Shucks, my fight ain't that pretty. I think your fighting style is much more enjoyable to watch, Nika."
Joseph looks at the three conversing with each other as if they have known each other for years. These three have been doing this for a long time and are primarily chill. When they fight, their seriousness shows, although Kazuhira paints his seriousness as having fun.
"Yo, J. Why the long face? You're not happy that I won?" Kazuhira frowned because Joseph seemed unhappy.
"That's not it, I was..." Joseph replied.
"Maybe I should have just left you in the hollow that was chasing you. You have not congratulated me yet. brats are ungrateful these days." Kazuhira jokes around with his statement.
"Oi! I did help with intel. At least, give me that credit." Joseph started to get irritated by the jokes. Kazuhira puts his hand on top of Joseph's hair.
"Sure you are. You are the person that helped us find this guy. You are one brave sailor, lad." Kazuhira's smiles made everyone at ease. Kazuhira then looked at his phone and was quickly flabbergasted.
Joseph chuckled. The battle has ended, and the city commotion has also died down. As the night continued, the three walked back towards the city. Although Joseph got kidnapped, he was happy that Kazuhira and his friends came to his rescue even though he was just an ordinary spirit.
XXX
(Hiroshima)
As they returned to the city, The four managed to go to the pier. The reason for them going to this place once more is unknown. However, the only visible thing near it was a lone street performer performing with a guitar. Joseph looked at the person who was performing and noticed something.
The girl performing has hair that is similar to her sister's. Joseph quickly went through the crowds that were surrounding the performer. Her voice was the same as her sister's but more mature now. She was performing near the pier where her brother usually went to see the ocean and where his death was reported or seen by society.
After the performance, everyone left the performer in a good mood while commenting nicely about her voice. The girl starts packing her stuff but stops as she hears a slow clap from Kazuhira, who approaches her.
"Your voice is amazing," Kazuhira commented.
"Thank you very much. I came here to sing like I used to before. Being here made it so comforting, to say the least." the girl smiles. Joseph could not even describe what was in front of his eyes. She is all grown up now and has long hair.
"Why is it that you are here? A place near some street or crowded environment would make you more noticeable in some pier." Nika interjected. The girl just smiles at Nika's words.
"I would indeed be better in the more crowded area, but this is where my older brother always goes or used to anyway." The girl smiled. Her optimism suddenly wavers a little, which Kazuhira notices.
"Are you still not sure that your brother is alive or not? That's why you sometimes do performances here? To be closer to him?" Kazuhira asked again.
"It has been 20 years since that day I lost my brother in this place. I always wanted to say something off my chest to him on the pier, hoping my words would one day reach him."
"Even if those prayers would never be answered?" Kazuhira retorted. This made the group look at him as it was pretty intrusive for Kazuhira to jump towards people's private matters. The girl then looked back at the pier overlooking the sea.
"I wish for anything to just say things I want to say to him, hoping he would hear my voice. His laugh, reassurances, and willingness for me to be happy."
"Nana…I.."
Joseph slowly tried to reach out to his sister, trying to console her. As his hand touches her legs, it fades through her. While everyone saw what happened, the one who was still oblivious was Nana. Joseph's tears started to form. 20 years. He has left this world for 20 years, and his sister has become a remarkable woman.
"If you have something to say now to your brother, what would you say?" Kazuhira asked again.
"Why are you pestering me about him? I don't even know you, and why do you know about my brother?" Nana retorted. Kazuhira sighs and smiles a little.
"Because your brother is here with us now. He cannot rest, not knowing what you have been through without him. From the looks of it, you have certainly done well for yourself, and your brother would want to hear your experience."
Joseph still stared at her sister, trying to reach her, but was useless as he fazed through her body and looked back at her sister, who was still unsure if talking to this stranger would even be worth it. He looks like he is some sort of delinquent, but his voice seems to have a pure and sound judgment regarding her brother. Who is he?
"Joseph…are you there?" Nana's words quickly made Joseph stop in his tracks and stare.
"Joseph. This is your sister, Nana. When you disappeared here, I never doubted that you abandoned me and always believed you would return, but that day never came. I have continued to move forward without you, but the lingering feelings that I had hoped to see you again."
Nana's grievances made Kazuhira smile and approach Nana. His friends observed calmly as he approached Nana. As Kazuhira's hand slowly went to Nana's face, he pressed a point on the side of her eyes using his index fingers. Nana felt different from before. It was as if she was filled with something. Something like energy.
Nana opened her eyes to see her brother clearly. How was this possible? The clothes he wore and his trim figure. It was the same as when he was reported missing in this place. "Joseph? Is that you?"
"Nana? How did you ..."
"I channel some of my energy into my fingers and eyes. This method is called "ricerca interiore" or Soul Searching. Focusing our spiritual energy into a single point, we Cavalieris can grant normal humans the capability of seeing spiritual spirits like yourself. However, we are only able to grant it for 15 minutes. Take your time."
Kazuhira and his group left for a moment to give the siblings a moment to chat. Kazuhira just sat on the wall, looking at the stars while eating chocolate. Leon sat down with him while Nika did the same.
"I didn't know you learned that technique. Those only can be used by seasoned veterans of Cavalieris." Leon smiles as he grabs a chocolate from Kazuhira.
"Seeing the happy faces of reuniting people with their dead loved ones. I would never pass up an ability like that. I would never ease everyone's pain, but if I could help them come to their own conclusion and end their story, I would be a happy man."
Kazuhira continues to eat his chocolate without worry. Leon and Nika smile after hearing his answer while both grabbing his chocolate. "Hey, you guys have to pay 500 yen for the chocolate. It is mine, so it holds value."
"Screw you. The chocolate isn't even reaching 200 yen, even in your name. You are just stingy."
"Stingy Kazu. Stingy Kazu."
"Shut up"
XXX
Both Leon and Nika mess with Kazuhira. Whenever Kazuhira becomes sentimental, Leon and Nika's duo lighten the mood around things. The two do not care if Kazuhira looks down; they always try to make Kazuhira smile, even a little.
After a while, Kazuhira saw that Joseph and Nana had done away with their conversation. It has been fun while it lasted for them, but it is now time for Joseph to be passed on. Kazuhira reminded Nana that what happened tonight would not be spread to any platform or the consequences of such action would be fatal. Nana understood those facts well and would not complicate or tell anyone about Kazuhira and his friends' existence.
"Kazuhira-san."
"Yeah?"
"Does it hurt? Is the afterlife really an afterlife? Where would I end up?" Joseph asked. Kazuhira was taken aback and started to think about it.
"Maybe a place where souls would rest and you will meet other people like you?"
"Either that or you would turn into a cow. Another is you reincarnate into someone else. There are many varieties of what the afterlife is." Kazuhira gave some suggestions to the boy.
"Sounds a little cryptic, but I couldn't complain much either. You must have kept it a secret for me." Joseph concluded, and Kazuhira just gave a little smirk toward that response.
"Kazuhira-san."
"Hmm?"
"I'm scared. Scared of what I will do after being off this earth. What I would find there and what kind of people I would encounter." Joseph shows his frustration. These are terrifying thoughts in his head regarding moving to a new place.
"It's scary. Not knowing anyone and foreign grounds. It is such a scary feeling, but Joseph, you are one of the bravest people I have ever known. Being hopeful that I will come.."
"We!" Both Leon and Nika interjected.
"Yes..We." he looked back at his friend nervously. "Being trusting of us even though we just met takes a lot of bravery in your heart. Bravery, as well as the will of never surrendering. You're one brave sailor, lad."
The words that Kazuhira spoke touched his heart. The kindness of the person in front of him is rare or has a low chance of being encountered by small spirits like him, but he is glad. He is delighted to have met such a man. The boy lets out a small tear from his eye, and Kazuhiro wipes it off.
"Come on, a man shouldn't cry in front of others, you know?" Kazuhira chuckled.
"Screw you." Joseph retorted but hugged Kazuhira tightly. Kazuhira tries to hug the boy as well but hesitates. Slowly, Kazuhira hugs the boy.
Now, it is time to say goodbye. Kazuhira begins chanting preparations as the boy is prepared to be sent to the afterlife. Kazuhira channels the energy into his index finger, slowly touching the chains on his chest. "Cielo e terra, liberati dalla vita, spiriti legati dalle catene del destino. Possa io liberarti da questa terra e trovare la via della speranza. (Heaven and earth, freed from life, spirits bound by the chains of destiny. May I free you from this earth and find your way to hope).
Kazuhira touches the chains as it glows with silverish blue color, and the chain dissipates. It is believed that when the chains of fate finally evaporated, the soul became a hollow being, the same as the Arrancar, but it did not happen. The chain then rotates around the boy as it spins faster and faster. The chains then slowly create a portal atop him. Although scared, Joseph was still stern and determined about the unknown.
"Goodbye, kid, don't say anything about us too. It will be our little secret." Kazuhira smiled, and Joseph nodded and looked back at her sister, who was in tears. She must not want him to go, but he has to for her to move on. Joseph then disappeared towards the portal upward. The light shoots to the sky, sending the spirit to the sky.
Something fell from the sky as the spirit disappeared, and a silver key fell into Kazuhira's hand. The key then glows, changing it into a shining silver key with a bow in the key that has a picture of water waves with cerulean lining. "So Joseph gave me his blessing, huh?"
"Woah, dude. The true silver key. I bet it has some powerful abilities that you can use." Leon is excited to see the key as he takes the key to examine it himself.
"True silver? Rare indeed." Nika examined the thing.
Both were still examining the key until the silver-haired boy snatched it from them. He looked at Nana, who was still gazing at the star. Kazuhira presents the key to Nana and gives it to her. "Take it. This should stay with the person close to Joseph; no better person than his sister should have it."
Nana was surprisingly reluctant to take the key from his hand, but she decided to fold his hand, keeping the key for Kazuhira. "No, I would like you to keep it. Remembering those who have already passed on is not my cup of tea. You have given me closure by seeing my older brother. For that, thank you." Nana bowed to Kazuhira, to which he replied with the same gesture.
As the night of the sky continues to shine, the sound of the ocean breezes through the pavement and harbor. The vast ocean reflected the stars in the sky, shining through the darkness of the earth. Kazuhira smiles at the sky, hoping the lone spirit he sent will find peace.
"Anchors away, Joseph. May you sail among the stars."
XXX
"Words are the extension of your strength. If one's strength is imbalanced, would it be the same thing as losing yourself?"
Next Chapter:
Fox Blade
XXX
Hello, everyone. It has been a long time since I put out a chapter, eh? I have been caught up with more things now than usual and never delivered on my promises of coming chapters. Scheduling stories now is going to be a lot harder for me with university coming to an end and goals still out of reach, I may have some unending thought of quitting making these stories altogether. Now that's not meant that I hated making stories now, just difficult.
Anyway, making this long chapter is quite everexcessive on my end and some of the things can't be incorporated. If you guys want some bio regarding my characters, I would put it at the end of chapter moving forward. Don't forget to review and like the story, it is greatly appreciated. See ya next time.