“For a man like yourself to hold such high rank is an insult to Lieutenant Colonels the Empire over.”
Inwardly seething from this blatant insult directed towards his uncle, Hideo grit his teeth and kept his head down, reminding himself that no matter how disrespectful this foul-mouthed Senior might be, Colonel General Nian Zu certainly possessed the rank, ability, and capacity to talk down to a mere Lieutenant Colonel. Not only did this northern ruffian share the same rank as Mentor, Mitsue Juichi had once publicly admitted he would refuse any and all offers to face Situ Nian Zu in single combat, whether it be an official trial or a duel to the death. Not because he feared the man, but because the outcome was a foregone conclusion.
“Mutual destruction, of both combatants and anything within a hundred metre radius, for nothing short of a Divinity would survive should Shooting Star and Mountain Collapsing Stomp meet.”
Those were Mentor’s exact words, spoken before Hideo had even been born, but they were as true now as they were then, though both men were now over a hundred years old and no longer as influential as before. Still, such was the strength possessed by Nian Zu, so Hideo, Hiroshi, and Watanabe could do naught but grit their teeth and bear the humiliation. To make matters worse, not only was Hiroshi here in disguise and unable to use his status as Patriarch of the Mitsue Family to quell Nian Zu’s fury, but Watanabe had brought this scolding upon himself with his idiotic demands. Although the scouts estimated the Defiled force at well over five-hundred thousand and possibly even as high as one million strong, it had yet to be confirmed that their target was Sinuji, so Watanabe’s panicked appeals to have all nearby forces come here to reinforce them was ill-advised at best. While it appeared like they were on a direct route here, and there was history between this Emissary Gen and Falling Rain, that wasn’t enough to abandon all other nearby positions in favour of Sinuji alone.
Thus, without a guarantee of reinforcements arriving in Sinuji before the Defiled would, Watanabe blundered yet again as he requested permission to retreat from Sinuji, hence the Colonel General’s well-deserving scathing rebuke.
Sinuji was not built to hold indefinitely, but it was still a vital part in the Empire’s defences, a forward position meant to buy time for the Imperial Army to muster a proper response. Retreating was not an option, not before laying eyes on the Enemy, and any fool could see that Watanabe’s decisions were motivated by personal well-being rather than the safety of the Empire as a whole. Despite all this, Hideo’s uncle was still unrepentant and even a little indignant before the Colonel General’s rebuke, but at least he held his tongue. Unfortunately, true to his reputation as a dedicated disciplinarian who did things by the rules, Nian Zu was not yet through with his reprimand. “I came here as an observer to ensure justice was served without bias or political agenda, but to think I would uncover such incompetence on the front lines. When you were placed in this posting, you were given a list of contingency plans left in place, many of which were designed and implemented by your predecessor, Colonel Chen Hongji. Where in those contingencies does it say to call all soldiers to Sinuji just because its commander fears for his safety? Where does it say to abandon our position just because the Enemy outnumbers our garrison?” Drawing himself up to full height, the Colonel General spoke with the authority of a true leader of men, one who would brook no insolence. “You will hold this fort until otherwise ordered, or you can accept your failings, relinquish your rank, and let a better soldier take your place. Do so and you will earn a measure of my respect, for it takes a strong man to admit his faults. Otherwise, should your actions prove detrimental to the safety of Sinuji or its defenders, then I will bring disciplinary action against you, and even if the Justicars see fit to let you off, I most certainly will not.”
With that, Nian Zu strode out the command tent without another look, leaving Watanabe fuming with anger and barely able to speak. “He... that... I...” As Watanabe stopped to close his eyes and take a deep breath, Hideo could see his uncle struggling to control his emotions, holding Balance to keep his anger from erupting. Her illusory chin resting on Hideo’s shoulder, Eri-Hime gave a disdainful sniff and an indignant pout as she hugged him from behind, her arms wrapped lightly around his neck and feet dangling more than half a meter off the ground. Whether her displeasure was due to Nian Zu’s disrespect or Watanabe’s incompetence, Hideo wasn’t entirely sure, but her sentiments mirrored his own, as they so often did these days.
‘Uncle’ Watanabe was a disgrace to the Mitsue family name, one who would be dealt with once Hideo took charge, but even then, Nian Zu had no right to disrespect a noble family such as theirs. Did he think the Society would keep him safe? Or his sterling reputation would cow all foes into submission? His arrogance was insufferable, and if Hideo were in Hiroshi’s place, he would never stand idly by while an outsider lectured his subordinates, much less his own cousin. Incompetent as Watanabe might be, he was still the son of Mitsue Juichi. Disrespecting the son was the same as disrespecting the father, so as Patriarch of the Mitsue family, Hiroshi should never have let this insult stand.
Then again, Mentor most likely would’ve laughed and agreed with Nian Zu’s assessment, for he was never one to mince words when criticizing his children. His personal failing, Mentor called it, for he loved his children and grandchildren too much to discipline them harshly, which was why he took Hideo as a disciple instead of someone more closely related. It was also how Hiroshi became Patriarch in the first place, because as much as Mentor loved his children, he knew their limits better than most.
Unfortunately, in this decision, Mentor had erred. Hiroshi lacked the strength and decisiveness a Patriarch truly required, as evidenced by Hideo’s continued existence. After the debacle with Eri-Hime Hiroshi should’ve quietly killed Hideo or at the very least removed him from the public eye until such a time when his death would draw less attention, but instead, Hiroshi put the entire family at risk and clung to the vain hope that his son would pull through and emerge unscathed. While Hideo understood Hiroshi had done it out of love and appreciated the gesture, there was no room for sentiment when leading a noble Family, because even though Hideo defied the odds and recovered to his current state, he still couldn’t condone Hiroshi’s choices, for the risks far outweighed the benefits. Such a man was undeserving of being the Mitsue family Patriarch, and Hideo intended to correct Mentor’s error as such was the duty of a filial disciple.
The day Hideo regained his clarity of mind and accepted Eri-Hime back into his life, the first thing he’d done was mentally sever all ties with his father, for Hiroshi’s crimes against the family were too severe to ever be forgiven. As Mentor himself had demonstrated, even one’s own children were secondary when considering what was best for the family, so how could Hiroshi choose differently?
Ignorant of Hideo’s thoughts, Hiroshi raised a Sound Barrier before turning to Watanabe with a sigh. “Cousin, you should have spoken with me before calling a meeting with Nian Zu. What did you expect him to do? Throw away the Imperial Army’s carefully laid plans just to coddle you as your father would?”
Erupting with fury, Watanabe snarled and poked Hiroshi in the chest. “Yes, my father! You might be Patriarch, but we all know who truly holds the reins in the Mitsue family, and once he hears how you’ve treated me, you’ll be lucky to keep your head, much less your position.”
“Doubtful.” Dry and unconcerned, Hiroshi’s tone spoke volumes to his indifference. “If Uncle Juichi decides I’ve overstepped enough to take my life, then so be it, but you forget why I’m here in the first place: because you, his son, cannot be trusted to keep the family out of Imperial affairs. As for losing my position, well, I’d welcome it. In fact, when all this is done, I think I’ll resign as Patriarch and bring my family away from Central politics and Imperial meddling. I’ve given too much time and effort to the Mitsue family, and in doing so, have neglected my own.” Glancing at Hideo, Hiroshi patted his shoulder and smiled, and Hideo’s chest ached with regret, because he knew the truth.
Hiroshi... Father was giving up power, wealth, and status just so he could bring his wayward son away to recover in peace and solitude. Such was the depths of his love, and Hideo dared fault him for it.
“Hmph.” Unseen by all except Hideo, Eri-Hime stuck her tongue out at Father. “Silly Uncle. He thinks Big Brother Hideo is still sick, but Eri-Hime fixed him.” Nuzzling his neck, she giggled and said, “Because now we’re together as one.”
Ignoring Watanabe’s skepticism just as Hideo ignored Eri-Hime’s commentary, Father waved his cousin aside and said, “Time will reveal my words as truth, but in the meantime, continue doing as I instructed. Placate your Patron and keep Falling Rain alive, lest the Mitsue family face the Legate’s wrath. Better to upset a wolf than enrage a dragon, and even amongst the Scions of the East, Shen ZhenWu is undisputably a dragon among men.”
“But the Defiled army -”
“Will be dealt with by Imperial soldiers. The Enemy is still four days away and reinforcements are already in transit to support Sinuji and wherever else the Enemy seems likely to attack.” Rolling his eyes, Father asked, “Besides, do you truly believe the Great Hero of the Wall would stand idly by and watch soldiers die due to your incompetence? Have you already forgotten how he humiliated you the first day he arrived, taking control of your troops in the midst of battle? Or were you instead relieved when someone showed up to wipe your ass, as Uncle Juichi has done for you all your life?”
Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
Having given up all pretense of cordiality, Hiroshi grabbed his cousin by the throat and pulled him close to stare into the taller man’s eyes. “You doubt I would give up my position of Patriarch, but did you know your father begged me to take this burdensome mantle in the first place? For good reason too. Who in their right mind would want to play nursemaid for a group of middle-aged fops? At least your sisters were married out to other families and are no longer my problem, but you and your brothers are a cancer upon the Mitsue name, one I would have quietly excised long ago if not for my love of Uncle Juichi and unwillingness to cause him pain. As for your children, they’re even worse than you are, and I’ll not have Hideo suffer the same fate as I, a servant to the whims of his lessers. My son deserves better, and even if Uncle Juichi wholly withdraws his support, Hideo will still be a better man than any of his uncles.”
Having said all this, Father released Watanabe and stormed out in a huff, with Hideo following closely on his heels. Hideo had never seen Father let his anger get the best of him like this, but he knew it was largely due to stress and worry. Although he recovered some time ago, Hideo only revealed his improved condition to Father earlier today, and even then, it would take time to mend their broken trust. Overwhelmed by guilt and Father’s unexpected praise and support, Hideo reached for Balance to keep from snivelling like a woman, but Eri-Hime warned him against it. “There’s no need to guard against your emotions, Big Brother. Accept them. Uncle Hiroshi loves you and will do anything for you, you’ve seen this yea?” Giggling girlishly as she peered over Hideo’s shoulder, she added, “We can use this against him.”
Unlike Hideo, it seemed Eri-Hime had no doubts regarding their chosen course of action, though now that he was second guessing himself, he couldn’t quite put his objective into words. Kill Falling Rain and Dastan Zhandos of course, but how was he planning to exact vengeance without incurring the Legate’s wrath? He’d also intended to win Father’s trust back and then... what? Usurp his position? How? Even if Father agreed to it, there’s no way Mentor would have, not yet at least. At twenty-five years old, Hideo was still in his crucial growth phase with no signs of slowing down, so to have him take on so much responsibility as Patriarch of the Mitsue family would only hamper his development as a Martial Warrior, and Mentor would never allow it, not when there were other, better choices around. What’s more, if Hideo fell out with Father over this, then what was keeping Father from revealing Hideo’s dark secret to Mentor?
Knowing all this, what was Eri-Hime... no, what had Hideo intended to do? It all seemed so clear earlier this morning, but now... now he wasn’t so sure.
So lost in thought, he didn’t even notice he returned to his room, the jailers replaced by Father’s Peak Expert guards once again. Patting his shoulder to reassure him, Father gave Hideo a warm smile followed by a hearty embrace. “My apologies for not discussing my resignation with you beforehand, but it was an impulsive decision made after seeing Watanabe flounder like a fish on land. This is far from his worst blunder, but I can hardly bring myself to care about Uncle Juichi’s sons anymore, not after seeing what my own son has gone through these past few months.” For a brief moment, bitter remorse flashed across Father’s face, gone as quickly as it arrived, but Hideo saw it there as clear as day. It pained Father to hide Eri-Hime’s grisly fate from his closest friend, but even then, he chose to protect his son despite all the risks it entailed. Such was a father’s love, and Hideo returned this love ten-fold.
Then... why had he been considering patricide, even if only for a moment? For what? Power? So long as Mentor still breathed, the Mitsue family belonged to him. Wealth? What wealth? They were a warrior family, not a merchant one, and what wealth they earned was quickly squandered by Watanabe and his brothers. Status? If such was his goal, then the title of Patriarch was more hindrance than boon, for while he would be the public face of the family, all of his time would be spent dealing with the minutiae of running their businesses and managing the accounts instead of training to become stronger and seizing status for himself, just like Mentor had in his younger years, when he was only a little older than Hideo was now.
Yes. Hideo would make his own way, without the Mitsue family backing him.
Except it would take so much time... so much effort... how long before he had the strength to go against a man like the Legate? By then, Falling Rain might have long since died by another’s hand, robbing Hideo of the pleasure...
Shaking his head not only to refuse but also to clear his mind, Hideo hugged his father as tightly as he could. “There’s no need to apologize Father. You’ve always done what’s best for me.” The pieces fell into place, and Hideo asked, “That’s why you accepted the role of Patriarch, isn’t it? So Mentor would take me in? He didn’t accept me because of my exemplary talents, did he?”
Sheepishly laughing at having been caught in a lie, Father shook his head. “Were it not for your talents, Uncle Juichi would never have even considered taking you as his Disciple, but it was not enough to sway him. He loves you as much as any of his direct grandchildren and always has, hence his hands-off approach to your training out of worry he’d spoil you.” Clapping Hideo on the shoulders, Father beamed with pride. “But all is well. With only a modicum of advice and no real supervision, you’ve developed into a fine Martial Warrior and man to be proud of.”
Except this man killed your best friend’s daughter and gorged on her flesh. How can you take pride in that?
Struggling beneath the weight of his guilt, Hideo clung to his father a little longer before feeling confident enough to let go. “Okay,” he said, fixing his father’s wrinkled robes and brushing at the tear-stained patch to dry it. “You’ve not resigned yet, and I suspect there is still much left to do, here and back home. Go and do what you must. I’ll stay here, under guard if need be.”
Though reluctant to leave Hideo unattended, Father obviously felt guilty about agreeing. “The guards are here for your safety,” he said, doing his best to console his son. “To ensure nothing... a precautionary measure, you understand?”
“Yes Father.” Hideo understood too well. He couldn’t be trusted. Not even for a moment. Earlier, he believed his mind clear and his soul untainted, but now he understood how close he’d come to the point of no return. After seeing his father out, Hideo gave his guards an awkward smile which did nothing to lighten their scowls. No matter how Father tried to hide Hideo’s affliction by using unaffiliated jailers to watch him these past weeks, these Peak Experts were no fools and likely already suspected the worst, so there was no chance he’d win them over with a smile. Even though the day had barely begun and noon long in arriving, Hideo retreated back to the safety of his cot and tried not to look at Eri-Hime as she straddled his stomach and fixed him with a recriminating stare. Desperately praying for the hallucination to go away, he did his best to ignore her or even will her out of existence, but alas, this was not to be.
“Big Brother Hi-De-O,” she said with a pout, her eyes wide and teary with anger. “Why are you ignoring Eri-Hime? Why are you lying down instead of coming to train? You need to be strong if you want to kill that stinky savage and his ugly slave.”
Rolling onto his side with his back to the guards, he closed his eyes and raised a Sound Barrier to shut out her voice, but to no avail. Soon after, she appeared in the darkness as a disembodied head, her skin marred, hair in disarray, and the stump of her neck dripping with blood like when he last saw her in life. “You did this Big Brother,” she accused, her tone hurt and accusing, “But Eri-Hime never blamed you. We’re one now, and Eri-Hime just wants to help. Doesn’t Big Brother want to be strong and powerful? Doesn’t he want revenge for what happened to him? Doesn’t he want to show the Legate how wrong he was to choose a tribal savage over a true son of the Empire? Let Eri-Hime back in, let her take away your pain and sorrow.”
“You’re not her,” he thought, too afraid to speak the words even in private. “You’re not Eri-Hime. You’re a lie, a hallucination, a symptom of my madness. I forsake you, foul Demon, and the Father behind you, for I am Mitsue Hideo, and I will be a son worthy of my father’s love.”
“Oh Big Brother Hideo.” With a wry smile that didn’t quite belong on her lips, Eri-Hime’s floating head shook in regret. “Why must you always make things difficult? You wouldn’t accept Eri-Hime in life, but she won’t let you do the same in death.”
Pain lanced through Hideo’s mind and his eyes bolted open in shock, but as his lips parted to scream, he realized he had no control of his body. No, not merely a lack of control, but a lack of sensation as well, for despite being wracked with agony, his body lay utterly still and relaxed, breathing slowly and deeply as if fast asleep. Materializing before him, Eri-Hime grinned a wicked grin, one filled with fiendish malice and childish delight. “You. Are. Mine,” she said, each carefully enunciated word bringing fresh suffering and misery. “This is what you deserve, a punishment to fit your crimes, and Eri-Hime will not let you go.” Leaning over to kiss the tip of his nose, Hideo screamed in his mind as he felt the flesh melt away, even though he could clearly see nothing had happened to his physical form. “Submit,” she crooned, staring deep into his eyes, and for the first time, he noticed how empty her gaze was, the soulless, lifeless gaze of a corpse long dead. “Surrender, and then the pain will stop.”
He was wrong, he understood this now. He was wrong and she was right. This was no Demon, but Eri-Hime herself, the Eri-Hime he’d doted on, the Eri-Hime he’d murdered, and now, the Eri-Hime who’d returned from the Mother’s Embrace to exact vengeance upon her killer. This was his punishment, this pain and suffering well-deserved, so he would endure it until her anger was sated or until the punishment claimed his life.
Because like she said, this was exactly what he deserved.
“I will never surrender,” he said, and then the world went red with welcomed suffering.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sitting up in the cot, Eri-Hime stretched her arms and yawned ever so daintily, emitting a small squeak like she so often did while still alive. Turning around, she was greeted by the confused stares of Big Brother Hideo’s guards, for she’d forgotten she was no longer in her own body, but his. Clearing her throat to hide her embarrassment, she spoke with Big Brother’s voice and said, “I’m hungry.”
She wasn’t, but Big Brother had hardly been eating these past few weeks, so wracked with guilt over her death and unable to hold down the bland, tasteless meals. That wouldn’t do, because his body needed more sustenance if he was to grow big and strong, so she would support him like the dutiful wife she was. She didn’t want to hurt him so, but she couldn’t save him from his self-inflicted penance, but with him out of the way, that left her free to do all the dishonourable and despicable things he thought about, but would never do on his own. While sitting down to eat her unappetizing meal, she stretched Big Brother’s Domain and directed it out of the room past the Sound Barrier set up by the guards. Only then did she split off a portion to Send a message to his Uncle Watanabe, and with luck, the guards would believe there were soldiers outside Sending messages to one another, because no one could know it was Big Brother Hideo manipulating events from the shadows.
He loved his family so, but Eri-Hime cared not for the Mitsue Family’s survival. After all, Uncle Hiroshi didn’t hesitate to cover up Big Brother’s heinous crime, and her poor father still suffered without knowing if she was dead or alive. What would happen next was exactly what the Mitsue family deserved, exactly what Uncle Hiroshi deserved, and even though the loss of his family would hurt Big Brother Hideo, he would get over it in time.
For Eri-Hime loved him more than life itself. Yes... She did. She’d wanted nothing more than to be his wife. That’s all she ever talked about when she was alive, and this was what she would want.
Right?
...Of course. Yes. This was exactly what Eri-Hime would want. What I would want. To support Big Brother Hideo, and do what he himself would not.
Chapter Meme