Mukō’s very extensive fall from Heaven has left him despondent. For 12 years he bathed in his thoughts; in his pain, his agony, and darkness.
All he could focus on during the timeless drop was the death of his Father, his ambition, and himself.
When one, rather it be Goddess, Demon, Beast, or Human, falls through the Hole of Heaven and becomes a Fallen; their physical body is lost.
The Fallen now find themselves becoming a sort of Spirit, in the sense that they are all specters in the realm.
Holding onto the last shred of sanity he had left, Mukō finally lands into the continent Atarachi.
He arrives in an undetermined location, staring at the backs of a group of children encircled around one child; they are all unable to see him.
Weakly, Mukō lays there for a short time before a sudden whim of joy passes through him.
Gaining back his senses, he gawks at the children, eavesdropping on their conversation. Through the cracks of the gathered children, Mukō spots a boy with the skin of warmed sand, clutching his left hand with his right, wailing in pain.
There are ample amounts of blood leaking from the boys’ hand and face, tears rolling down his cheek as he cries in resentment.
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One of the children yells.
“Y-Yama what happened?!”
Fumbling his words while sobbing, he replies.
“....I-i’ve had enough of this! A-Aori!”
Another child replies.
“Tell us what happened!!”
Snivelling, Yama cries.
“T-that old bitch stabbed me!!”
Mukō spots a rusted fork embedded in the child's left hand with inky pitch-black, hair hanging right above it.
Aori hastily moves to pull the fork out of Yama’s hand, as he winces.
“Oww! Why would you do that?! More blood will come out!!”
Aori quickly wraps up Yama’s hand with a spare rag she found laying around.
“Now tell us what happened.”
Yama rubs his hand and pauses for a moment before he replies.
“I brought Mother her dinner just like she asked me to… and after I put the plate down, she stabs me with the fork!"
"A fork!!"
"I don't even know what I did wrong..." Yama gets a little sad.
"Then she hit me in the face after I jumped back..."
"Why does she hate me so much..." His eyes begin to swell.
“I hate her…I’m going to kill her one day I swear!!” He cries.
Another child adjusts his glasses before stopping him.
“Yama, keep your voice down, you don’t want her to hear you.”
Another child in the background replies.
“Yeah be quiet."
"I'm trying to sleep.”
Yama becomes enraged, following the direction of the voice, he pivots his view to the corner of the room and shouts.
“SHUT UP! Ryukyuko you worthless bum!”
One of the other children hit him.
“Don’t speak to my brother that way!”
Irked Yama quickly replies.
“DON’T HIT ME, RYUKYUKA YOU COW!! I'M INJURED.”
Tuning in to the disrespect shown by Yama, Ryukyuko swiftly springs into action aiming to strike Yama. But he is quickly blocked by the child closest to him.
Ryukyuko shouts.
“OUT OF MY WAY RANMARI!”
Just barely being able to hold him back Ranmari replies.
“Yama! Apologize!! You know how he gets about his sister!!!”
Ready to take him on Yama takes his fighting stance but is stopped by another child. He yells.
“Naname, move!”
Naname angrily replied.
“You really are stupid aren’t you! Will you just apologize already!!”
Hearing the tone in her voice. Yama unwillingly lowers his guard.
"Why should I have to apologize? I'm bleeding, and all Ko-kun is worried about is sleeping!"
"How am I supposed to feel?" He shouts emotionally.
Ryukyuko feels the vibe in the atmosphere and realizes how insensitive his actions have been.
"Yama, I-" He is cut off, as Yama unintentionally ignores his comment and continues talking.
“I’m not apologizing until Ryukyuka apologizes.” He says in a down and pouty tone.
Naname looks towards Ryukyuka and she promptly apologizes.
“I’m sorry for hitting you Yama...” She rubs him on the back.
Yama graciously accepts the apology and turns to Ryukyuko.
"Thank you, Ka-chan, I'm really sorry about what I said. You know I didn't mean it." He bows, then turning to lock eyes with Ryukyuko.
“I apologize for calling your sister a cow...”
Ryukyuko calms down fully and apologizes as well.
“I’m sorry too, for overreacting...”
"You're in pain... I should care more about what you're going through."
Yama replies with a relieved smile.
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“It’s okay.”
The atmosphere cools down and Yama returns to his spiel. With a sense of seriousness in his voice, Yama declares.
“Where was I?..."
"Oh yeah, I’m really going to kill her when I leave this place…”
Yama gets a little sullen.
“This immoral nation...this orphanage...this world...everything, is flawed."
"Why must we endure this pain and persecution..."
"Why were we abandoned in such a place.” He bites his lip emotively before pausing for a moment.
“This Land of Sword(刃の地/Kannoji) is wrong..."
"These Samurai, they hate us..."
"Everyone hates us. Just because of our blood, just because of who our parents are.”
“I don’t even know my parents...yet I have to pay the price just for being born by them.”
“It’s not right... nothing is right.”
Hearing those soul-stirring words Mukō is blinded by a reminder of himself, a glint of light shimmers in his eye. He looks around to the other children, analyzing them as they are staring at Yama attentively. Continuing his speech, Yama adds weight to his voice.
“The more times I’m beaten, the more I begin to see…”
“There is a solution, to this broken world.”
“I have found that answer within myself...” He pauses for a moment.
“Change.”
“This juvenile world needs a revolution.”
“Even before our time. Humans have always treated one another in a horrible way. Killing each other, raping one another, pillaging."
"The most heinous of those being warfare."
"The world has been at war since it began, the world is at war right now.” He pauses again for a slight moment.
“This continent requires peace.”
In this pivotal moment, Yama stands with fire in his eyes while the blood still seeps from his face.
“The only one who can lead the world to peace is me.”
With a sense of vanity in himself, Yama continues.
“Only A God can change this world and usher in a true era of peace.”
“Real peace one with, no war, no murder.”
“God has spoken to me.”
“The One God has trusted me to take hold of this anarchic world. And mold it into a tranquil, prosperous kingdom...”
“There is no one else who can undertake this venture. The people's cry for peace shall be answered by me and all shall be ruled under, me.”
The atmosphere heats up, and the children begin to feel a warm sensation in their chest.
“This is my mandate.”
“This is what I want.”
“This is the answer I’ve attained.”
“From this day forward…I shall live for my ambition…”
“And I shall live for you.” Yama stares at each of the children in the eye.
“Supremacy over this defective continent shall be completed by none other than me…"
"Minamoto Yama!”
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Listening to Yama's breathtaking speech Mukō is overtaken with emotion and struck with an epiphany.
In awe, and full of sentiment the children cry. Embarrassed at his sudden rant, Yama begins to glow red and stutters.
“W-what? Why’re you all crying...s-stop.”
Aori sniffles.
“T-that was so beautiful…I’ll follow you forever Yama!”
The child with the glasses rubs his eyes.
“Y-yeah man, that was so moving!..."
"Til death...I’ll follow you until death!”
Sniffling in unison Ryukyuko & Ryukyuka reply.
“Until death!”
Looking to Naname, Yama turns over to an uninspired face.
“You’re such an idiot…"
"You think you can change the world? Please.”
“If anyone is changing anything about the world, it’s me." She says seriously pausing for a moment.
“But...I guess I’ll follow you, for now...” Naname ends with a smile.
Yama’s eyes light up, sprouting a wide grin, he quickly jumps on Naname giving her a hug. Ranmari instantly interrupts and shouts.
“HOW COULD YOU GUYS THINK ABOUT LEAVING ME?!”
"Kidan?!" She says worriedly.
"There's no way you guys are talking about doing this now right?"
It’s quiet.
Kidan adjusts his glasses and breaks the silence.
“You are of Samurai blood Ra-chan, outside these walls the Shinobi would kill you.”
“You have a better chance at life here, despite living with Mother..."
"Maybe you could join the military and rise in rank..." He says softening his tone.
"I just don’t want to see you die out there.”
Crying, Ranmari replies.
“But..."
"You guys can’t just leave...you aren’t ready to leave..."
"You’re all too weak.” She says spitefully.
Slight tension builds in the room.
Annoyed by her words, Yama dashes towards Ranmari’s face.
“Who are you calling weak?”
As Yama stares down Ranmari. Minuscule particles of dirt and dust from the floor begin to move and rise above the ground. Ranmari stands firm in her position and replies.
“You.”
“You think you’re so strong!!"
"You’re too prideful Yama!”
“None of you are strong enough to make out there...” She lowers her voice.
“I know how strong the Samurai and Shinobi can be, you all aren’t ready…we aren’t ready.”
Calming down a bit Yama snobbily replies.
“Too prideful? Please."
“My adulation knows no bounds.” He says turning away.
Kidan cuts in.
“Anyways..."
"She’s sort of right guys...Now that I think about it, Ranmari is the only one who has more experience with the Samurai and Shinobi than the rest of us.”
Aori replies.
“He’s right Yama, sit and calm down, we have to get strong enough to get out of here safely and together. There’s no point in this if anyone dies.”
Yama sits down quietly.
“...Fine." He gathers attention around himself.
"A wise man once said, patience is a virtue, you know.”
Naname retorts.
“Oh, yeah? Who said that?”
Yama flips over slowing turning his head atop his left shoulder with suspense.
Making exciting eye contact with Naname. Wearing a wide goofy smile, he replies.
“Me.”
Naname bursts into laughter.
“Hahaha, you really are an idiot.”
Ryukyuka and Aori begin laughing, presently followed by Kidan, Ryukyuko, and Ranmari.
Pouty, Yama replies.
“No! Seriously!!”
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Mukō’s heart is warmed.
After witnessing such a beautiful exchange between beings previously unknown to him. He is jolted with a melancholic feeling.
This is the first time Mukō has seen a Human, and it was love at first sight. He was greatly touched and inspired by Yama’s dream of conquest against his war-torn land alike his own.
At this time, however, the only thing on Mukō’s mind was his plan for revenge and absolute control over Heaven and Hell. Envisioning Yama as a great pawn in his campaign; with his last bit of strength, Mukō crawls to Yama.
He places his hand, open-palmed on the center of Yama’s chest, and begins flowing into him; residing within his heart.
Mukō's invasion bequeaths a small-translucent dark spot, resembling a hole; but when touched, it appears solid, near Yama's heart.
Mukō takes refuge inside Yama’s heart to recover from his arduous fall from Heaven. Immediately as this happens. Yama feels his heart skip a beat and he grabs at his chest. The noticeable action gives rise to worry and inquiry from the other children. However, thinking nothing of it, he and the others retire for bed.
The next morning, Yama is the first to get up, he begins by tieing up his long, cosmic-stained, black hair, and fetches water from the well for a bath.
[Inside the bigger-than-average, home the children live in, there is an indoor bath and toilet. However, for the kids, they are dictated to bathe and relieve themselves outside near the backhouse.]
Yama grabs rocks and sticks to create a fire, he heats up the rocks below the barrel they use for bathing; and empties the water in it for a warm soak. While absorbing the lukewarm water, Yama closes his eyes and unwinds, thinking about the rant he went last night.
"Ahh, I can't wait to leave this place..."
"That was on my mind for a while."
"I'm glad my friends believe in me..."
"I'm going to protect them and make sure we survive this world together!"
Suddenly he finds himself painfully on the floor, the Mother of the orphanage kicks the barrel down and shouts.
“You worthless pest! What do you think you’re doing?! Go get some food so you can cook breakfast, runt!”
Without saying a word Yama slowly picks himself up and follows Mother’s orders. Entering the rundown shack where they sleep, Yama wakes up Aori to bring her along with him; his dripping wet hair touches her face.
“H-hey...get up.”
“Go away.” Aori groans.
Yama begins to move her.
“Come on, get up we have to go get food for Mother.”
Turning her head to Yama she replies.
“We? or you?”
Yama stares.
“...We.”
Letting out a large sigh Aori reluctantly gets up to go with Yama to the market for food. While they’re walking down the populous streets of Kannoji to the market, Yama tells Aori what happened.
“Mother kicked me out of my bath this morning."
"God, I hate her, why does she treat me like this?”
Aori answers snidely.
“Maybe...it’s because you’re from the Kyu-nin clan, or maybe it’s because she’s jealous of your hair.”
Yama slightly laughs awkwardly.
“Please stop.”
Yama and Aori walk up to a merchant stand that is selling all different varieties of fish, the fish salesman begins laughing.
“Well, that’s an odd sight, the boys got the long hair while the girl's short. The boy even has nice emerald eyes, while the girls' looks like shit haha!”
Irked at the comments, Yama replies.
“The name’s Minamoto Yama! and this is Aogiri Aori! Not the boy, and not the girl. You do your best to remember them!"
Yama begins to start a tangent.
"I’m going to ascend to the top of this lan-”
Aori quickly stops him.
“Stop it fool!"
"You know the consequences of speaking like that. Especially since we're children of Shinobi.” She whispers.
Yama nods in agreement. As Aori continues to speak to the salesman.
“Sorry about that haha, he’s crazy..."
"We’ll take 4 cod please.”
The salesman stares at them suspiciously before handing over the fish.
“Yeah, yeah, get out of here brat.”
Ignoring the comment, the children leave to pick up the other ingredients needed for breakfast and return home. On their way back they are postponed by the passing of a Master Samurai.
The Samurai is clad in cherry-red and gold-lined robes; his sword is sheathed in an opal cast, lined in silver.
Yama is amazed at the glamour of the Master Samurai, Aori stares with him as they gawk at the radiant Chi the Samurai gives off.
The children soon snap back into their senses and continue their way back to the home. Upon arrival, Yama cooks with the aid of Aori, and they head back to their hovel with portions for the rest of them.
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