Somewhere inside the deep forest along the Grand Murasakino River,
Hirishima, Subaru and Kieri were sitting on cushioned chairs beside a long wooden table covered with a red and yellow sheet. The room they were in was deficient in width but made up for it in length. There were no windows on any of it's four walls. Instead, the wider ones were decorated by large red tapestries hanging down depicting the warriors rank symbols progressing from a single bold yellow line to a well defined character illustrated on them. The far wall had a large painting of a tall middle aged man wearing brown and red heavy armor covering his entire body except his face which had scars randomly dispersed. He was holding a large greatsword using both his hands vertically down on the ground with pride. The area around him was resembling a grayish desert with burnt up and devastated houses scattered around.
The room had a single exit which was a wooden double door painted in red. The long table ended with a big black painted chair which resembled a throne just ahead of the painting. On that very chair sat an old man wearing a red and black heavy armor with a long red cape. He had the most defined character on his cape knitted with yellow thread. He had a thick white beard and was bald, his wrinkled face proliferated with scars just like the man in the painting but he wasn't him. The remaining chairs along the three elite warriors were filled with men ranging from middle aged to old all wearing different coloured armors and had characters slightly less defined from the elite warriors on various locations.
"Erashi was such a brilliant warrior, probably one of the best in our history. It's so devastating for us to hear the news of his death. If only I was informed of this sudden decision of Insurrection, I would've joined the fight as well. That being said, what is done can't be reverted and we must decide what's best for the future of The Warriors. We must not waste time in selecting the next commander," the old man, who appeared to have the most authority in the room, said.
"I agree."
"Erashi's death left a substantial hole in us and that can only be filled with choosing the next commander."
"We all have given our votes as you ordered."
The senior warriors in the room spoke.
"Hirishima, most of us have voted for you. You have the necessary strength and records, more than any elite warrior right now. What do you say? Do you accept this position?" the old man asked.
"Go for it, Hirishima," whispered Kieri.
"...."
Subaru stayed quiet.
"I refuse," Hirishima stood up and stated.
"What?"
Everyone except Subaru were perplexed to hear this decision.
"There is someone more worthy sitting between us," Hirishima smiled.
"Who is it?" the old man questioned.
"It's Kieri," Subaru got up as well and announced.
"What are you saying?"
"A female commander?"
"Don't be absurd!"
Everyone were left even more astounded.
"What are you two doing?" asked Kieri.
"The real reason why the number of casualties at the marketplace weren't as high as we initially thought is because she was leading The Warriors. She managed to prioritize rescuing all while keeping our own damages to a minimum. Erashi was able to give his all against the King because he trusted her with this duty. On top of that, she was the only one who boasted our soldier's morale during the evident massacre in the earlier battlefield," reasoned Hirishima.
"Brute strength isn't everything. A calm, swift and concerning mind is essential for strategic decisions in battle. As much as I hate to admit it, both of us don't have that. We prefer a more simpler approach of killing every enemy on sight and that isn't how a commander should act. Lastly, Erashi himself placed the future of The Warriors under Kieri's hand!" Subaru added.
"Recommendations from two elite warriors and the previous commander can't be bluffs. It's settled then! Miss Kieri will be the successor to Erashi and in the upcoming award ceremony, she will be announced the next commander! Dismissed," the old man concluded.
Everyone congratulated Kieri and began leaving the room. The man who delayed his dismissal had long black hair with narrow bangs and a knot on the back. He was wearing a faint purple and silver armor with a rank slightly lower than an elite. His armor was quite lightweight as it had much more silver chainmail exposed than Hirishima's armor. His expression showed agitation and arrogance towards the three elites as he moved out of the room last, leaving the three behind.
"Are you two sure about this?" inquired Kieri.
"You bet! I think you will lead us to new heights!" Hirishima confidently replied.
"Yes, when Hirishima suggested this to me, I agreed straight away because I too can't think of any other person who is more fitting," Subaru assured.
"Thank you both. Get ready however, I will not be as lenient as Erashi. I will make you all work harder than ever before!" jeered Kieri.
"Shit, I think we made the wrong decision Subaru," Hirishima whispered in his friend's ear while he nodded.
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In a vast garden just outside the palace all sorts of people were gathering up. Their clothes ranged from very expensive embroidered clothes to ragged and filthy. The garden was decorated by stone ornaments, pots and statues of various royals Pandara has seen. The bushes and flowers were well maintained by the finest gardeners adding in an extra layer of elegance to the area. The Warriors also presented themselves under the lead of the three elites.
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"All the preparations have been completed," an elder wearing silky blue clothes reported to Kieri.
"Seems like the guests are here. On Xiang's suggestion we gave out invitations randomly instead of only royals and nobles. But where is that prince himself?" Wondered Kieri.
"Sir! We found this note beside the back fence and it has your three's names on it."
A warrior came rushing with a piece of brown paper and handed it over to Hirishima.
Hirishima gathered his two colleagues and read the note out loud, "You three probably would've guessed by now who this letter is from. Sorry but I can't show up at my own coronation. Like I told your ex commander, being king isn't a job for a broken man like me. That's why I am leaving this responsibility to you, The Warriors. I believe you all will do a much better job at deciding what's best for Pandara than any other royal I know. Besides, you all need as many funds as you can get for your fight against the demons. What about me you ask? I finally found my one will to live and I have to make sure I protect it with every part of me. See ya, Xiang."
"That bastard," commented Subaru.
"That idiot, who do he think he is?" added Kieri.
"(Running from your responsibilities huh? I hope Hoshi didn't learn that side of you when you took care of him. Farewell and thank you)." Hirishima reflected on his talk with the scarred prince after the recent battle.
Hoshi was also present at the venue and was busy admiring the abundance of decorations and flowers the garden had. All sorts of bright colours from the blossoms plus the dull shades of concrete and marble blended into a fascinating mosaic that left Hoshi mesmerised.
He was also astonished at the dressing sense of some of the people that showed up. "(Why do some people like to show up more skin in this bright and sunny day? Isn't that a tactical disadvantage?)" While he was pondering, he heard a popping noise behind him and immediately rushed in to investigate.
Hoshi saw a familiar wooden sword with a note tied to it's handle.
"Is this?" Hoshi picked up the sword and before examining it, he opened the note and read it out loud.
"Hey Hoshi! Sorry I sold this sword on the market earlier without your permission. But as promised, I got it back for you! You have no idea how difficult it was to get it back, I mean I had to beat a few dozen people with it including an old lady! Don't worry, besides that subtle crack it's in perfect condition! Your mentor, Xiang."
"(When did he become my mentor? Oh well, what's that crack he mentioned....)" Hoshi chuckled before he concentrated on his sword and looked for any damages.
He noticed a large crack running vertically through the entire blade of the sword. It was clear that if he used this weapon again, it would easily break in half.
"What the hell? There's nothing subtle about this crack. Get back here Xiang! I will not forgive you!" fumed Hoshi while the others stared at him in confusion.
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"You sure about this dear?" Xiang's mother who was travelling with him up a mountain surrounded by long trees asked.
"You told me once, there will be a time where I will have to make a tough choice. I was scared, but you comforted me by saying if I chose what my heart wanted, everything will be alright eventually. That's why I have chosen to live with you and protect you forever, (Besides, Hoshi might actually just kill me if I go back)." Xiang confidence shited into a nervous laughter after his last thought.
Both were wearing brown cloaks as they travelled far away from the marketplace to find a safe place in the green mountains.
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8 months after the battle against Honghui,
"Are you sure about this?" asked Hirishima.
"Will you truly be alright on your own?" Worried Sharon.
Hoshi, who was wearing a large brown rucksack filled with camping equipment, food and the basic hunting gear replied, "I will. Thanks for being concerned about me."
They were all standing outside Hirishima's stone house beside the wooden bench. It was the season of fall as the leaves of the trees all around dried up and fell on the ground, creating a natural carpet that rustled when walked upon. These once pointed blue leaves now appeared serrated and grey in colour.
Hoshi's height had increased considerably with his face being slightly more defined. His muscles had undergone hypertrophy while his hands were roughened indicating heavy training in swordplay from Hirishima. He was wearing his usual get up with some tailoring to fit his growing body.
"I don't get it, if finding those scripts will truly help you find your purpose, shouldn't I come along to help you?" inquired Hirishima while he and his wife were wearing casual clothes.
"I wish you could but as that book states, it's something I must do alone otherwise it won't work. Don't worry, I will be back as soon as I find the few that are hidden on this side of Pandara," stated Hoshi.
"Very well then, before you go I have something to give you," spoke Hirishima before bringing a medium sized katana with a red wooden saya (scabbard). The blade was almost mirror-like with its shiny silver finish and the red wooden tsuka was covered with a soft yellow rope. The Habaki (Blade collar) was made of red painted metal and the Tsuba (Guard) had a silver finish.
"That is the most beautiful sword I have ever seen. Where did you get it?" Hoshi was mesmerised at the katana's elegant craftsmanship.
"I was rewarded by this blade on my first Ace expedition. It was my main weapon for some time before I found new proficiency with longswords. Giving you this old beauty will end its long wait for freedom." Hirishima handed the katana to Hoshi.
The receiver accepted this gift with a smile on his face.
"Thank you, I will put all our training to good use with this."
"I wasn't exactly lenient with your training these past eight months but your real hardships begins now. Good luck." Hirishima patted Hoshi.
"You better come back soon! And take care of yourself. Make sure to eat well and sleep on time," stressed Sharon.
"Of course! Alright, I better get going now! See you both soon!" Hoshi turned around and began running ahead in the forest.
"Wait! You forgot something!" yelled Hirishima.
"Oh yeah! My bad!" Hoshi ran back inside the house and picked up a rough red book with only a few pages.
"Farewell, for real this time!" He rushed out while waving the two towards a paved path leading to mountains.
Sharon shed a few tears on her napkin that she held close to her eyes while Hirishima smiled proudly after seeing a new ray of hope shining brightly.
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"(Hoshi proved to be much weaker than I first anticipated. Good thing is that he is improving at an amazing rate. It would be best to let him increase his strength as much as he can by himself and with the help of his ancestors before I make my next move. Come on Hoshi! Don't make me wait for long!)"
A dark figure with the only piece of clothing visible being a ripped black scarf sauntered out of a pitch black cave that exited into a high cliff viewing the distant land.
The land was lifeless with grey sand everywhere. The dead, dried up trees were surrounded by large streams of lava travelling in multiple directions. A few demolished structures of a former civilization covered the eastern end of the scenery. The sky was filled with dark smoke emanating from massive craters and fissures assorted randomly.
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"To break this everlasting cycle, completely erase one side from existence. Once that is achieved, either purify your souls or let it be fully consumed by eternal darkness. The Elder Deity has set up this universe like a board of chess and the pieces can only move by a change in karma. Whether it Leads to serendipity or zemblanity, it's only you who will be affected."
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