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“If you fall I will catch you and I will find you. I promise to you, Sora!”
But why can’t I find you now? Haru.
Sora was sitting next to the band of Iya River. Spring was fading away soon. Sakuras were waiting to blossom with no hesitation.
Life was short anyway. So why wait?
One year since the collapse of Ten-Ryu Dojo, Sora had been wondering around the whole western Tokushima Prefecture looking for Haru. During the journey, the Successor of the Dragon, inheritor of the Holy Blade, would try her best to bring Justice to people all around. But she never killed. Instead she assisted the victims to rise up against those who oppressed them.
Justice only lasts when Equality exists. This world needs no hero to save. This is the new belief of Sora.
Yet her search for Haru was in vain.
“You are like a SHADOW of me…”
Whichever places Sora had visited and left, rumors would be spreading afterward regarding the lynchings of bandits or local gangsters, those whom Sora just helped to arrest or expel, by THE HELL BLADE, another Successor of the Dragon.
Instead of hiding from her, Haru was following Sora behind, in the shadow of her.
Day after day. Year after year.
Until one day, 5 years later, Sora travelled to a village near Konpira Shrine (Nishiiyayamason nowadays), she was invited to a Dojo owned by the Yoshie Clan. There, Yoshie Toyo, leader of the clan, had offered her great prize to ELIMINATE their nemesis, the Okada Clan as an ultimate punishment for their suspicion of murdering and kidnapping Yoshie’s members.
Yet the offer was rejected by Sora.
”Prepare to face HER!” That was the last warning received from Toyo when Sora left. Toyo had heard about the rumor and they knew so well by the end of that day, an equivalent candidate would volunteer herself. That night, Haru appeared in Toyo’s private chamber.
”Let me deal with it. Ole butt.” Haru grinned impishly.
”…..what award you ask for?”Toyo was half thrilled and half astonished.
”Nothing. Nothing except FUN. Fun of KILLING.”
“Sora! My dear! I think, it is time I should come to see you.”
MOTHER!?
A beautiful woman in pure white kimono was standing in front of Sora. But there was emptiness around. And the woman was surrounded by aura too bright to be seen.
”Don’t be afraid. This is my VISION you are looking at. Come. Follow me.” The woman reached out her arms. Sora couldn’t think more but to grab them.
They were teleported to a place.
Samurais and Shoguns inside. A man kneeled before them and said,
”My lord. The plan goes smooth so far. My father has sent the HELL BLADE to Okada. And I believe she would go head to head with the BLIGHT soon.”
”Yoshie Kazuki san, Tenno has high expectation on this mission. I hope you have had the best seamless arrangement already.” The Shogun reminded the man on his knee, “His Saint Five are unexpendable. Please remember.”
The Five Samurais grinned behind. They all had their heads down. Sora couldn’t see their faces clearly. But all their weapons holding were weird and enormous: a 7 feet long Odachi, a giant Dart, an iron Eku, a huge Gunsen and a golden Kama Yari.
“Please rest assured, my Lord. I have colluded with the man inside already. Okada Kentaro, this idiot will make the last stab on their backs. And after that, I will discard him anyway.”
”I am not interested in your plan. Just keep my previous warning in heart. If you fail, you and your clan will be replaced.”
The scene suddenly became blurry and gradually faded out. Leaving the Sora’s Mother in an background of emptiness again.
”You are trying to tell me that it is a TRAP? And they are making use of Haru…..to destroy WHOM?”
”My Dear,”The Woman sighed before she continued, “once upon a time there was a little girl that could dream about the future. At the beginning she was afraid of this power and didn’t tell anybody about this. Until one day she accidentally helped her parents to avoid from an fatal accident that she and her family were happy to accept this a Gift from Kami.
Although most people have kind hearts, there were still few with wick and evil minds. They accused me as Witch and my power as witchcraft. My parents sacrificed themselves to save me. And I managed to escape.
Then, for many years, I isolated myself and survived alone in the forest. Once I was almost killed by a bear, a noble man saved me during his hunting. He cured my wounds and offered me clothes and food. I appreciated him so much but still I sneaked out of his fortress to avoid from any further investigation of my origin.
Ironically he found me again and persuaded me to go back. There he proposed to me saying that It was a love at his first sight. I was flattered. I truly believed that my pray had finally reached the Kami while I could eventually taste the sweetness of blessing and happiness.
Too foolish I was to not discover the devil within this MAN. He was one of the ringleaders of Tenno, those who were willing to do any dirty jobs for the Royalty.
At first I was treated nicely. I offered them USEFUL INFORMATION and they awarded me back with splendid gauderies and very palatable cuisine. Then one day, I dreamt of something big, REALLY BIG, that shocked the whole Royalty, even Tenno was terrified by the prophecy I proclaimed:
I dreamt of the Fall of the Empire. A Human, who inherited the Power of BOTH GOD AND DEMON, an existence BEYOND GOOD AND EVIL, will emerge some day and destroy the whole Empire, the whole World!
I was terrified as well. From then, they started treating me differently: they threaten me to disclose the identity of the Human, they called the one BLIGHT. But I told them my dream was not clear enough to tell. They treated my words suspicious and locked me up, forbidding me to go outside. And I was given a new name, WATCHER. They treated me like a rare specimen to apply different weird and disturbing rituals and experiments on me….and they called my dream the VISION. And the prophecy that ends the realm THE LAST VISION.
But the tragedy was just to happen. I was pregnant. And the day I gave birth of you, I dreamt of the BLIGHT again. This time I recognize her face…..it was my BABY! My Daughter!
I swore to Kami to protect you til death! I bought someone with all my hidden treasure that Tenno had awarded me before and smuggled my baby outside. To show my determination, I poisoned myself to dumb, I even broke my fingers so that I could not write. And thank Kami, you were adopted by Mayumi, who saw exceptional potential in you as a great swordsman.
So…that is the truth you haven’t been told since your birth. The Man! And Tenno! One thing that they don’t know about me is another power of me to TALK TO ANYONE I KNOW VIA THEIR DREAM! That’s why I am here, my dear.”
”…so I am the BLIGHT!? Mother! A Monster that is going to destroy the world?
But what about my DREAM? My VISION?”
”…….I didn’t expect this happening. I have never thought that you also inherit my ability as a WATCHER. But onceI knew that, I have made another foolish move in my sole discretion, trying to MODIFY THE FUTURE AND FATE OF YOU…..”
”You HACKED INTO MY DREAM AND REWRITE IT! Hoping to stop me from INHERITING THE EVIL POWER!”
”…….yes. But Fate is Fate. And we CANNOT REWRITE THEM in our own wills. And I….oh dear! I fail to save you! I knew you and MORNGA HAS CERTAIN KIND OF CONNECTION and your subconscious would strive to tell HER your vision that was why I tried to rewrite them in order to FOOL HER AROUND! But yet, I fail to stop the DIABLO DRAGON from finding you still!”
”YOU HAVE RUINED THE FUTURE OF HARU! YOU RUINED US!”
”BUT I SAVED HER! Otherwise she will just be killed by MORNGA before you arrived!”
”……..MAY BE IT SHOULD BETTER END LIKE THAT….”
”My dear…..I have gone so far just to protect you. Now that I could not change your fate, you should live WITH IT IN YOUR OWN WILL! YOUR OWN DESTINY! If you should be born to destroy this world full of BETRAYAL, HATRED AND INJUSTICE! Just do it! Not only for you and your friend, but for a BETTER WORLD!”
”…….”
Sora woke up, in her own will. She had listened enough. She needed peace……
That night, right before the Lynching proclaimed by HARU, Sora went back to the remains of Ten-Ryu Dojo. The ruined Shrine was still there.
She stood in the debris and meditated, first time ever since her Enlightenment. And the Holy Dragon, Kami of Aqua showed up in front of her,
“My friend. I know the hardship you have gone through.
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And I will stand for you forever, no matter what happens!”
Tears kept running down her face. Sora could no longer suppress her emotions. She just wanted to let them all out.
That night, they talked like OLD FRIENDS.
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116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjtboYkDgxK
