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“Tell me what you have SEEN in your dream then, Sora!” One of The Examiner questioned Sora inside the Chamber, “As we have mentioned before, we don’t think it was THE VISION. But still, we hope to know more about it in order to plan for the worst….”
”I…..dreamt that I was stepping into a village….it was on fire everywhere. And I saw dead people all around……and then I saw a girl, fighting with a Shogun in red armory. He was..about to kill the girl when I scolded to stop him. He knocked her down, carried her on his shoulder and flew away! I screamed and was trying to chase him. But AN ENORMOUS SHADOW descending from the sky and I was so scared that I woke up……at the end.”
“And can you repeat,” the Examiner asked, “WHERE WAS IT HAPPENING? WHO WAS THE GIRL YOU SAW?
”………I am not sure….”
”Tell us!”
”I guess I saw HARU, trying to protect her village home….”
Everyone inside the Chamber remained silent for a short while until Ebisawa Kenji, the Chief Examiber, smiled and said, “Sora, you must have been too anxious about the tournament and your friend. Stay calm and get yourself enough rest tonight. We all have high expectation on you.”
”But what about Haru? Should we do something like…..alerting her any potential hazard or assault to her and her village? Or should I just tell her what I have dreamt about? I think she has the right to be informed anyway….”
”No. Sora. You shouldn’t.” Kenji warned Sora, though he was kept smiling, “as we have concluded before. THIS WAS NOT A VISION. We shouldn’t and MUST NOT take it serious. Unless you want to trigger outcry within the Royalty…like your mother.”
Sora was thrilled. She could imagine herself being arrested, tortured and finally locked up and isolated from the rest of the world forever.
”So, Sora, the representative of The Sky House,” Kenji smiled and tried to comfort her by ending the conversation, “you passed the Examination! You may now leave and enjoy the rest of the day.”
Sora left the Chamber, feeling exhausted.
“It was MORNGA! Undoubtedly!”
”And she invaded Haru’s village to capture Haru? As her SUCCESSOR?”
”But…what about Sora? Why does she prefer Haru to Sora? We all see the POTENTIAL OF SORA. MORNGA should notice that too…”
”Sora,”Kenji said,”will not even be there when it is happening. That says…..she IS A WATCHER LIKE HER MOTHER…!”
“And it was a VISION?! Something HAS to happen anyway?”
”….. no matter what, we shouldn’t let Sora be involved! We see her UNLIMITED POWER and we should not let MORNGA CHOOSES HER!”
”Yes! Better to keep Sora under our control to avoid her turning into the REAL MONSTER!”Kenji concluded. He was no longer smiling.
”And when will She come?”
”Most likely before the tournament. She need to choose her right successor before we do.”
”Wait!”Kenji stopped and thought for a while, “we must not make any mistake on this. We have to make this happen AS SCHEDULED…”
”……..but Haru…”
”Poor child, her sacrifice would be priceless and memorable.”Kenji smiled and called off the meeting.
Sora returned to the Dojo from Haru’s ruined village. Just when she passed the front gate, she was greeted by all of the swordsmen in two long rows.
”Leader, it is time to enter the Shrine.”Ebisawa Kenji was the first to speak.
Sora did not say any word. She looked sorrowful and collapsed. But she did walk towards the Shrine. It was situated at the top most area of the whole Dojo, a little structure built inside a dense bamboo forest.
She shut herself inside. Her mind was in chaos that made her almost impossible to meditate.
Yet, the Dragon just APPEARED on its own will!
”Sora the Successor! Inheritor of the Holy Sword! You have come to see me. Seeking the Power and Wisdom of God…. Are you ready?”
Though Sora was feeling terrible, she was still shocked by the entering of the Dragon, a pure Divinely Creature surrounding by a bluish aura. Its beautiful body was akin to crystal or diamond yet also transparent and fluid as water. Sora’s chaotic mind and sorrowful heart was at that moment miraculously calmed down and soothed by an energy or vibrancy streaming through her body.
”Kami, I am ready for the Power, to uphold Justice and Wellness for All.” Sora looked up and her eyes sparkled. Her mind was clear and her heart was filled with bravery and sense of fairness.
Outside the Shrine, the crowd were astonished by a dancing lightwave of rainbow colors above. They knew that their leader should be meeting with the Dragon. They waited for the lightwave to fade away gradually and were excited to welcome the enlightened Sora.
To their surprise, a WEIRD FOG suddenly raised from the Underground and surrounded the Shrine. The fog was floodlighted in a mysterious crimson color which was disturbing and terrifying.
Inside,
The Dragon just shape-shafted into a FLAMING DAEMON! It stared at Sora with its wick eyes, bursting in a sinful laughter,
”Mortal, my curiosity have brought me here! Why is the GIRL LOOKS DIFFERENT FROM THE ONE I DREAMT OF? IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN YOU! The WATCHER! It must be the bad idea of that WOMAN!”
”WHAT DID YOU SAY!?” The Enlightenment had made Sora DIFFERENT. While a normal person may have already been scared to death or madness, she could keep sane and dare to challenge the Daemon in return, “who is the GIRL? And what has it to do with MY MOTHER?”
”We ought to share the same dream, Sora. But in mine, that GIRL SHOULD HAVE BEEN KILLED and your RAGES SUMMONED ME to inherit my power for revenge……”
”But?”
”But SHE was eventually chosen and succeeded the HELL BLADE, waiting now for my ENLIGHTENMENT.”
”HARU!”
“Ar….Haru!? Yes, that’s how MORNGA called her.”
”Where is she now? What has the Shogan done to her!?”
”Poor Morgan….or should I call her lucky one. She has eventually escaped from the FLAME in return of her vitality. The GIRL has slaughtered her after the succession, upon MORNGA’s request! They were both free!”
”You lied! Haru would never do this!”
”Hahaha…..! Only when you know that you are betrayed by your family, your friend and….your lover?”
”WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT!?” Sora tried hard to suppress her anger. But she was about to draw her Holy Sword to confront the Daemon.
“Well. Go ask your MOTHER. She SNEAKED INTO YOUR DREAM, REWROTE IT so as to fool you and your people. She didn’t want you to meet MORNGA! She must be afraid to let this happening!”
”…..and my selfishness and ignorance made me hiding it from Haru but spreading the fakes to the Examiners….but wait?! They said they didn’t believe in me? Was it true? Or did they assume my dream as the VISION and sent Haru to that MORNGA intentionally? Does this MORNGA have anything to do with Ten-Ryu!?”
Sora was almost driven mad. Her rages, quilt and puzzle have cannibalized her sensibility.
“ARRRRRRRRR!!!!!” Sora drew her sword. She yelled trying to let her rages and barbarity all out.
“Hahahahaha! THAT IS IT! That is the Anxiety and Despair I want! Now Sora! INHERIT MY POWER AND DIABLO! Be the servant of the KAMI OF FLAME!”
Thunder roared above and followed by lighting zapping hard onto the Shrine! The structure was exploded!
Everybody were driven from being ecstatic for their long awaited enlightenment of the new successor to fearful of her eternal death upon the earthshaking blow. Until a tiny body gradually became noticeable in the dusty debris.
Sora was alive. But her body was surrounded by two layers of aura: both Liveliness and Lifelessness.
Beyond Good And Evil!
A JUDGE whose adjudgment means both Justice and Condemnation!
Everyone kneeled on ground. Being too afraid to look up. They could only wait for the sentencing.
Sora stood still. Her eyes remained closed. She sighed(?) and bowed her head. Then she said in a low voice to everyone,
”I shall be away. Until then, wait here before I m back.” Then she walked passed everyone and left the Dojo.
Everyone remained kneeling on the ground.
”………She inherits BOTH THE POWER OF GOOD AND EVIL! The VISION IS TRUE! SHE WILL DETHRONE THE EMPEROR AND DESTROY THE WORLD at last!”
Sora ran in a light speed far beyond any mortal men can manage. She reached at the front gate of a fortress, an enormous building built by sand and clay with little openings on its peripheral to allow defenders shooting from inside.
Sora took a deep breathe. Then she drew her sword slowly. Then she dashed to the gate and thrusted!
The Holy Sword glowed dazzlingly. It pierced the 2 feet thick wooden gate violently and the energy around the sword radiated quickly, crushing the gate from inside like a dynamite and exploding a big penetration all through it.
Sora walked inside the fortress where hundreds of bandits had already been surrounding her in their guarding positions. Swordsmen had swords and axes in their hands. Archers’ bows were loaded and aiming at her. Monks were pointing their spears and fighters had worn the gauntlets.
She just ignored them and stood in the middle of the crowd and shouted,
”Confess your crime of attacking the Eastern Village(where Haru lived) and the Man behind the scenes, or I should KILL YOU ALL!”
Sky turned black and heavy rain poured down insanely all of a sudden. Thunder bursted like a dragon’s roar above.
Sora made her first strike!
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