Soft breeze picked up a few wisps of Seiki's long black hair and toyed with them like a little child with a new game, dropping one and picking up another right after. His hakama and haori were billowing in the wind as he made his way up the hill, leaving the sakura gardens surrounding the residence behind, and step by step ascending to the top of a hill, infamous by its eerie calm. The Hill of Silence... Or, as it was known better among his highly practical relatives, who didn't dwell on the past and sentiment in more than some of their customs and celebrations, the burial site of the Adachi house. On terraces, hidden beneath the rose-colored blossoms, lay grave upon grave, one stone plate on another. They were evenly spaced and very orderly, portraying the same kind of strict law as almost all about the whole residence, and yet carried an air of sad elegance, a forgotten grace.
With long steps, he passed through the graves, and walked further towards the top of the hill. That was where the immediate family of the head of the house was always buried... His wife, children, brothers and sisters... He himself knew that one day, his own body will be laid down into a deeply-dug pit, and let to crumble till his bones become naught but ash. And he didn't worry about it, as he know he'd eagerly lay his life for a good cause any day, but never without a fight.
There it was. A smaller stone plate, at the end of one row. The path led on, but this grave was the last, right next to the graves of Daiki and Ichyio. He kept his head high as he slowed down and turned towards it, and his face remained stone-cold and hard like always, but his inside was being torn asunder. He slowly dropped to his knees, careful not to touch the grave, or smear mud over his clothes. His hands arose to his chest and his fingertips connected. The deep blue of his eyes disappeared behind his eyelids and long eyelashes as he narrowed them, bowing his head to the grave.
Kanami's grave.
Sister. I come again in the hope that one day I will be able to forgive myself, and in the plea for your forgiveness. In a hope that beyond the borders of this world, you are content. Kanami, forgive me that I wasn't strong enough to protect you... I promise you that the next time I draw my blade, I will give all there is inside me to protect those that need it. I feel unworthy of my title and of my blade that I was not capable of it back then. The punishment I receive for it is nothing short of fair, but I should have never allowed you to be punished for my mistakes, Kanami. Forgive me...
He bowed his head down. A solitary tear formed in his nearly closed eyes, and rolled down his lashes, dropping onto the stone where it shattered like a shard of broken glass.
Normally, Seiki wouldn't let something so weak as tears get over him. Even now, he felt anger growing within his chest like fire at allowing himself to cry, though it was no more but one tear. It was weak to succumb to emotions... And the stone-cold mask reappeared, concealing all that he let slide through its cracks before, whole again. Before an important hunt on a strong spirit, he couldn't afford getting overwhelmed by his emotions.
Sozen strode through the gardens on his way to the Hill of Silence. He was a frequenter to that mound of graves and soil because of the silence. The petals that fell from the trees swirled around him in the breeze as if each was trying to avoid contact with him for fear of being sucked into the void. So long ago it has been since he lost his family and earned those permanent symbols of shame upon his flesh. If only he had been stronger.
As Soken approached the hill he spotted someone. For someone who had been wanting some alone time, the idea of his fortress of solitude being already occupied left him mildly vexed, but his stoic expression did not falter. It didn't take long for Sozen to identify the intruder as Seiki. Being well aware of what had happened not too long ago, Sozen knew who Seiki was here to see.
Sozen approached Seiki in deathly silence and stood a short distance behind him. Sozen knew what it was like to fail in your duty to protect, perhaps even a little more than Seiki considering that Seiki had lost only his sister.
"Kanami," Sozen stated flatly.
He didn't flinch, he didn't move a brow at the sound of his cousin's voice. Sozen was, much like him, one to visit this graveyard often. Maybe because they both shared a similar burden, the same kind of reminder about what it means to fail, carved into them once and forever. Their duty was to protect, and each of them failed in it, maybe in a different manner, but the burden of the mind was the same none the less.
He twisted his head to the side a little, just enough to see Sozen in the corner of his eye. A few petals of the sakura trees landed on his silky hair, just to be blown off a few moments later. His gaze was almost cynical as it connected with his cousin's.
"I see, I am no longer alone." he spoke in his usually icy manner. There was nothing more in that sentence than it appeared - it was but a simple exclamation, without any hidden meanings that he would conceal between the metaphorical lines. Nothing except his head moved, and his entire self was like a statue, frozen and stuck in its pose of an eternal guardian, carved from marble.
"It's good to know that your eyes are still functional," Sozen replied.
Like Seiki, he too stood completely still as the wind flowed over his hair and clothing. Sozen was unsure why Seiki would point out something so obvious as the termination of his solitude, but Sozen made sure to reply with his own incredibly obvious observation. The whole reason for Sozen's coming to the Silent Hill was for a bit of meditation time alone, but Seiki obviously had no intention of moving anywhere. In fact, the only thing moving at that moment was the wind and the tree petals that it carried with it, all of which continued to avoid Sozen.
Seiki slowly stood up. In his full height, he was quite intimidating, though no less elegant as when kneeling... He turned towards Sozen with his serene expression unchanged, and that was all. The wind kept moving, it picked up his haori and blew the white fabric over his black shihakusho, while the wisps of his hair sharply contrasted with his pale skin in their raven-black color. His eyes mirrored the entire sight, sharp, but distant like usually.
Indeed, nothing has moved. It was a very quiet encounter.
It was quite unnerving how the two could have an entire conversation in absolute silence. Between the two of them there was almost an unspoken agreement that nothing there was nothing they could say to bring their loved ones back. Thus, they remained silent.
Seiki was quite intimidating at his full height, but not so much to Sozen because he was around the same height that Seiki was. This whole impromptu meeting had turned into some sort of staring contest. Seiki's striking blue eyes against Sozen's unusual amber yellow eyes. One warrior in black, the other in white. Two opposites, and yet so similar. The hunt would begin soon however, so their "conversation" wouldn't be able to last much longer.
One of Seiki's hands, the back of which was hidden in a white glove, arose to catch a petal, whirling before his face, and his fingers caught it with deadly accuracy and finesse, not even pressing it too hard. It flew right out unscathed, and continued its journey through the air.
He turned his glance away from the tall figure of his cousin, so similar, yet very different from his own self, like a reversed picture. "I suppose I should leave. There is a spirit I have been assigned to hunt down." he mused, showing very little interest. Like if it didn't bother him at all - very little bothered him enough to show the slightest sign of emotion. The eye contact was broken, and he watched the rising and sinking current of blossoms instead. A few landed on his wide shoulders.
Seiki's mention of hunting a spirit gave him pause. Sozen had also received such an assignment. Spirit hunts weren't that common, so it was highly unlikely that they were both being sent on different hunts at the same time. It was more likely that they were assigned to the same hunt, but were not informed of the other's participation.
"I too have been issued such an assignment," Sozen informed him.
Seiki responded with a slight raise of his brow. They were most likely given the same duty - and if that was the cause, it must be an exceptionally powerful spirit, to require two highly skilled spirit hunters to defeat it. What kind of a monster could that be?
"I suppose it is the same spirit, since I have only heard the news of one that would require our level of skill to defeat." he replied calmly. With a hardly noticeable move, some blossoms sled off his clothes.
Sozen gave a faint nod in reply. It seemed that Seiki also came to the conclusion that they were to hunt the same spirit.
"If that is the case then we should get going before that spirit gets its hands on the innocent."
"I do agree." Seiki's voice resonated cold and calm among the graves. He flicked a few wisps of his hair out of his face, and moved down the road, passing through the tombstones with the unearthly grace that made his very steps seem flowing, closer to swimming, rather than actual walking. The wind picked up his haori and carried it high behind him, just like it blew into his sleeves and revealed his pale skin.
He didn't object to working with Sozen. The man was much like he himself... They felt no need to speak unless necessary.
Sozen followed behind Seiki in a similar ghostly fashion. The two of them working together had never been done before. The two similar opposites would be fighting side by side for the first time. Seiki in black and Sozen in white. Seiki's long katana and Sozen's short, thicker one. Powerful alone, but unstoppable when put together. Whatever this spirit was, it would be no joke for it to require both of them to take it down.
For someone as swift as himself, the long way down the Hill of Silence and through the wonderful sakura gardens of the Adachi property was actually quite short. He didn't look back once, completely aware of Sozen's presence behind himself. The spiritual presence he radiated informed him not only that a family member was following, but also that it is that man in particular. He was sure that his cousin could discern his own spiritual energy in the same way. That way, he never lost track of who passed by.
He made his way back up to his room by the narrow staircase, leading up the rock, towering above the rest of the gardens. The stairs were narrow and carved sharply, but that was no issue for him. His hands gripped around the door, leading into his room atop the huge boulder, and he stepped in. There was a few things that he still needed to take with himself.
The room itself reflected its owner perfectly. It was simple, with a cold air about itself. Plain walls, lined by the doors of wardrobes on two opposite walls. Amid the entire room was something that distantly resembled a bed - a long mat on the floor, set before the stand for his sword. Everything was somehow empty, there was nothing except for that stand that would signify the identity of its owner.
He walked over to one of the wardrobes. The door sled under his hands, and revealed a several neatly folded things. He picked up a crimson scarf that lay atop the column of other items, and put it around his neck and shoulders.
Soon after, he was waiting for Sozen in the entrance hall, standing with his face to the door. The red of the scarf was like blood, spilled across the white haori. He didn't move once - if someone would walk in straight now, they could consider him a piece of the furniture.
Sozen didn't need anything from his room, but he went there anyway. His room was also quite simple, consisting of a mat a stand for his swords. The main difference was that his sword stand could accommodate both his katana and wakizashi.
After standing in his room for about 30 seconds in dead silence, he made his way to meet back up with Seiki, who was now wearing a crimson scarf. The scarf sharply contrasted the rest of his attire, but that was probably the intent. Sozen simply approached Seiki and then stopped. Announcing his arrival would be unnecessary. Seiki would have known he was there before he even stopped walking, so he just stood in silence and waited. Seiki, being Takuya's son, had more authority than Sozen, which meant that he would be in charge, so Sozen would wait for his commands.
With a sole glance, Seiki gave Sozen a nod, and made his way towards the door. "All is ready. The spirit is heading north. Its spiritual presence can still be felt, but it's drawing further." he explained, opening the door with a single move of his arm, and stepped out among the columns that held the extended roof up. He was immediately embraced by more sakura petals, and they seemed to whirl around him fiercer than they would without his presence, though it was just an illusion.
He needed no orders to inform Sozen about his intentions. They were leaving.
Sozen returned the nod and followed behind Seiki. Secretly, he was hoping that this spirit was the same spirit that had killed his family. Seeing as how this spirit was strong enough to warrant both of them to hunt it down, it was possible that this was the same spirit. If it was the same spirit, he would kill it and get his vengeance. Then, he could name his sword, for he had vowed that he shall not name his blade until he had exacted revenge for his fallen family. Hopefully, this was his chance.
The way through the gardens was peaceful. Intruders rarely broke the peace of the Adachi residence, and therefore, it appeared serene as always, without anything but the wind and the birds' songs to break the silence. Seiki didn't doubt that this task would be a success, though he was concerned. Usually, someone like Shinobu was enough to dispatch a spirit. If they were both required, the situation must have been serious.
He could feel the spirit's presence growing stronger as they quickly passed through the gardens. It was going north, towards the river... Those were dangerous parts of the forest - not only was the terrain rough and rocky, but the deeply-dug valley of the river created sharp cliffs above the wild stream that ran fast in the deeps. One foul step among those rocks in the dark shadows of the ageless trees could mean a painful death.
Sozen could also feel the spirit's presence growing stronger. In fact, it felt stronger than any spirit he had encountered thus far, except maybe THE spirit. They were definitely entering the more dangerous part of Draconi Forest where a single misstep would be your untimely demise. However, they had a job to do and they would do it right or die trying.
The sakura trees started to make way to the normal, green trees of the forest. Seiki and Sozen moved like shadows, quickly passing with lightning-fast steps. Not a sound broke the silence.
All of a sudden, he stopped, raising one hand to signify to his cousin to stop just as well. A deep gash was opened in the earth, and from the depths, the sound of churning water could be heard. He took a step back, and with a sole lightning-fast leap got over.
"We are outside the gardens." he commented, still not turning back.
Sozen stopped when Seiki's signal came and nodded in response to his statement that they had left the garden. Sozen leapt after Seiki and landed silently behind him. The spirit's presence had grown even stronger. Hopefully they would find it soon.
Indeed, it was close. Seiki could now discern the type of spirit it could possibly be, although only dimly. And the knowledge unnerved him. The spiritual presence had something darker about itself than the usual spirit...
Yet, he showed no emotions, and led them forwards, further speeding up till he was nothing but a smudged figure, flashing between the trees and over the streams, flowing deep beneath his feet.
Sozen incresed in speed as well to keep up with his cousin, but he just went straight up the hill instead of all the jumping and weaving. The shortest distance between two points was a straight line, and wanted vengeance sooner rather than later.
Something flashed between the trees, a dark shape, and Seiki stopped like if he was hit by a lightning. For a moment, all was frozen. That must have been the spirit... Yes, that was definitely it. He knew that. The presence was insanely strong...
A ghastly white figure appeared between two trees. Garbed in white, it flickered, and there was something unearthly about it. A ghost. "Mister, help... Please, mister, help me... There's something in the forest..." she muttered, slowly walking forth.
He, however, quickly figured out something was not right about this. Any normal ghost would have already been eaten by the evil spirit... His hands, hidden in white gloves that covered their backs, clenched into fists. A single step towards the girl...
Something dark flashed towards him, and he moved out of the way just in time. The little girl didn't look as innocent anymore... Especially because there was a dark shape, coming from the middle of her chest, extended all the way to the point where Seiki previously stood. Her mouth opened into a grin, and revealed rows of razor-sharp teeth.
Sozen knew immediately that this was the spirit they were after despite the facade of innocence. In a flash of shining silver Sozen drew his soul-cutter. His visible eye seemed to glow as it fell upon the spirit. Vengeance. Sozen charged the spirit with blinding speed. He would cut it to pieces, and then cut those pieces into pieces, one piece for every day he was forced to endure the loss of his family.
In a flash, Blood-red Blossom was drawn. The little spirit moved away from Sozen's katana, just to crash into Seiki's, which sliced its head off straight away. This was too easy...
And the spirit had no mask. This fight wasn't yet over.
The entire figure cracked into shards, and those moved like crawling bugs away into the shadows. Seiki gave Sozen a quick glance, and shifted back.
Just in time. The true shape of the spirit emerged from beyond the trees, showing similar sharp teeth. It wasn't too much bigger than those two, but the pair of sharply hooked horns on its white mask, and scraps of fabric, hanging on the white body, spoke of its identity quite clearly. Some of the most powerful spirits had a humanoid form...
The sword in its hands looked deadly when the head turned, and a pair of amber eyes met Seiki's gaze. The metal screeched as the spirit's claws scratched it.
Sozen shifted his stance and prepared to fight. The spirit looked much more like the terror he had assumed it to be. This wasn't going to be easy, but then again nothing was easy for an Adachi. That was just how life works.
Now, they had to be careful. This spirit wasn't any child's play. It was one of the high-ranking types of spirits... He quickly assessed the figure in his mind, examining his outside looks and spiritual presence to find out what threats it might pose as.
Humanoid shape and a weapon meant that it will be more of a combatant like himself, rather than a beastly prey. The large crack amid its chest was radiating an omnious presence... Maybe it will be even capable of using a similar type of spells like the offensive Kido.
They had to be careful, that was sure.
Sozen circled the spirit counterclockwise so that he stood opposite Seiki with the spirit in between. In this way, the masked half of Sozen's head would be facing the spirit possibly tricking it into believing that Sozen wouldn't be able to see it when in fact he could. The best chance they had was attacking from opposite sides. The spirit may have a weapon, but it is only one weapon. There was no way it would be able to fight off two assaults from two highly trained warriors coming from opposite directions.
Deciding on a simple move to determine the spirit's abilities at first, Seiki bolted forth like a lightning, and crossed the distance with two steps only. His figure was a flash in the air as he slashed his sword at the spirit.
His eyes widened as the blow, which would have immediately pierced the chest of even good combatants due to its speed, connected with the dark sword. "I can see your steps!" the spirit hissed.
How was this possible?
Sozen observed the strike in order to assess the spirit's abilities. The spirit claimed that it could see Seiki's steps. What if no steps were taken? Sozen crouched and pushed himself off the ground sending him hurtling through the air straight at the spirit, his sword ready to strike.
The following strike from Sozen was deflected just as well. His sword crashed against the spirit's, and to Seiki's surprise, one of the spirit's claws clenched around Blood-red Blossom's blade itself. For a moment, his dark eyes went wide in surprise in horror as he looked into the spirit's eyes, burning crimson, but that expression soon changed into one of collected, calm fury - what could contradict itself, but not when you saw Seiki.
He forced his sword out of the claws that were fixed against it. He didn't have the time to play.
The sword was held vertically before his face, and he placed one palm onto the blade. Where his skin touched the metal, thin cracks, illuminated with white, sprang, and crawled up the sword. All of a sudden, it exploded in a blast of light, dividing into dozens of shards that shone with light like fallen stars or petals, set on fire with a white flame.
They arose and whirled around the handle for a moment, when Seiki pointed it at the spirit. With several swift motions of his wrist, the razor-sharp shards came at the spirit to slice it up in a few lines, moving with speed that matched the hands that held it. For a moment, the spirit was pushed back.
Then it reappeared, the three lines of crimson across the white of its chest, but it didn't appear even fazed by the injuries.
Well, so much for that theory. Seiki managed to score a hit with his Kido, but he spirit just appeared mildly agitated. It was almost as if the spirit could see things before they happened, but then Seiki would not have succeeded in his attack if that were true. Or would he have? Perhaps it was unavoidable and the spirit had no choice but to take it even though he had saw it coming. What was he missing?
It was one of those spirits that were so incredibly durable that they could take even a hit from Blood-red Blossom when it was released into its true power. The spirit was still standing, and laughing in a beastly manner.
The shining petals were called back towards Seiki, seemingly multiplying in number as they flowed like a wave, embracing his figure, just to be sent flying back to lock the spirit in a whirling circle. He raised his other hand.
"Number fifty-three. Lightning fang, strike." The words sled of his lips like silk, in sharp contrast to the crooked ray of light that sprang from the middle of his palm, blasting straight into the spirit like a lightning.
Could it withstand both high-level Kido and his sword?
Sozen simpy observed as Seiki worked. He did not wish to interfere. It also gave him plenty of time to formulate an attack of his own. However, if not even Seiki could do any damage to the spirit, the odds of him doing anything were slim.
The spirit then attacked its opponent. It threw itself after Seiki in a surprising speed, slashing with the weapon. It was actually avoided only narrowly by Seiki himself, and with a move of his hand, still gripping the handle, he commanded the whirling shards to attack. But even though they cut into the spirit and made it bleed, the attacks were unwavering.
Seiki made his way back, stepping just before Sozen. All around them grew dark, and the shards seemed to disappear, just to arose from the ground like a funeral column of deadly blades. Blood-red Blossom's blade, twice as large and sticking out of the ground twice a thousand times on each side.
"Have you considered sharing your plan with me or is this it," Sozen asked flatly.
Seriously, all Seiki has been doing was giving the spirit papercuts. He had not communicated with Sozen at all. Did he plan to kill it by himself and take all the glory? If anyone killed this spirit, it should be Sozen, for vengeance. Unless Seiki actually had a plan beside jumping around in circles and leaving tiny cuts everywhere.
"If you think you can do anything about it, you are welcome to go forth and try it!" Seiki replied coldly, piercing him with his icy eyes. It was one of the strongest vile spirits they could meet, and he was using extremely powerful attacks on it. Yet, they somehow didn't work, even though by all means the spirit should be already little more than a mash of blood and meat.
Yes, he had a plan. These rows of blades had a single purpose.
They arose from the earth, and following the motion of his hand, they attacked the spirit, whirling around and slashing at him. This seemed to work better, as the white figure was soon soaked in blood...
But the wounds just weren't deep enough to bring it down. How the heck was this even possible?
And why was Sozen blaming him for this? He was protecting him... He attracted the spirit's attention to give him space to attack unexpectedly and keep himself from getting hurt...
Sozen did not react to Seiki's response. Sozen would have done something if this spirit wasn't so fast and somehow always saw him coming. Sozen took off and circled around the spirit with blinding speed. He ran straight for the spirit and began a series of incredibly fast strikes and slashes with his weapon. Surely the spirit would be too distracted to stop him.
The spirit turned to Sozen after his attack, which managed to slice its back, even though just very shallowly, and it reached after him, crashing its sword against Sozen's, when Seiki's swords were whirled at it.
The black weapon was raised, and defended the spirit from the slashing swords, effectively deflecting most of them. Seiki commanded them to return behind him and break into an immense wave of petals like before, only greater in number.
Suddenly, the spirit disappeared. For a moment, it was gone, and then, it was behind his back...
He saw just a flash of black being fired at him. One of the gleaming swords appeared in his hand, to fend off the flash of shadows, and the darkness broke upon touching the light. He stood before Sozen to protect him from the next, larger flash, and sliced it in half, he himself suddenly running towards the spirit.
Hopefully this would work, and his cousin would follow closely to strike the spirit when he had its attention.
Sozen couldn't help but be mildly annoyed that Seiki felt the need to protect him. He was perfectly capable of defending himself. He wasn't that much of a failure. Still, Sozen followed close behind his cousin. Once Seiki would strike, Sozen would slide through both Seiki's and the spirit's legs to attack the spirit from behind.
The strike was delivered with all the strength in Seiki's body. It came like a lightning from the sky, follow his form that leaped up and threw himself down to add more strength to the lightning-fast hit. The petals immediately followed the motion of his other hand, all collapsing onto the spirit at once in a blinding flash.
And the swords clashed.
With the spirit's blade now occupied, Sozen made his move. He lifted his blade above his head with both hands and brought it down in a powerful downward chop. Surely the spirit would not survive a blow that devastating. Right?
What a mistake.
In a blast of something black, both of them were shot away. Seiki was pushed away by the impact of the dark shape on the blade of his sword, narrowly holding it from his chest, till he hit a tree with his back. The very sword, harder than steel, in his hands bent...
Then the shape broke. Seiki almost collapsed to his knees, regaining his balance in the last moment, when something attacked him again. Another black blast. This one seemed to be far stronger...
He was frozen, he couldn't move. The crescent of shadows was drawing near too fast.
In an attempt to create a barrier, he raised his hands, and used the whirling petals, which were actually shards of his sword, to create a body shield for him, enveloping his form.
It was actually a little more than the blink of an eye when the shining white was broken by the black, but he could see the shards of his sword cascading down from his body in this form.
Then, he felt the pain. One of his white gloves fell down, and if his eyes followed it, he could see a huge hole, opened in his right wrist. If it was broken, he would be lucky. Like this, there was just a big part missing, bursting with crimson blood. It was a miracle that that hand was still capable of holding the sword - by all means, it should not be, not with missing tendons and bones. His white haori was torn at the shoulder, stained by blood, and thin rivers of red were running by the left side of his jaw, though they may have just been a result of other wounds he took.
Yet, he remained standing.
The blast hurled Sozen into a tree. He impacted the tree on his left side, shattering his mask and breaking his left shoulder. It was a good thing he was a righty, but now his shame was exposed by the scars on the side of his head. Sozen slowly managed to stand up. He felt a trickle going down the left side of his head. Apparently he had gotten a small crack in his skull as well. Wonderful.
The spirit had its attention on Seiki, who also looked extremely wounded. Seiki would need a bit of time to recover. If anyone survived this, it should be Seiki. He was next in line for Head of the Adachi house.
"Hey you," Sozen called to the spirit. "I still got 204 bones that aren't broken. Is that all you got?"
Sozen tightened his grip on his sword. This was perhaps the dumbest idea he had ever had.
The spirit turned to Sozen, hearing his words, and started approaching him, obviously noticing that his prey was weakened. The sword glinted, and the pair of sharp horns was aimed forwards as the head was bent forth.
Then, it charged with the sword before itself.
Seiki collected what strength was within himself. It was his duty to protect others, and he never, ever wanted to feel the shame of letting someone die at his hands when he could save them. There were battles for life, and battles for honor. This was the second kind.
And as the sword's strike landed, he could just feel his hollowed hand pushing Sozen back. The blade came through him, entering his body on the left side right under the ribs and coming out somewhere beside his liver on the other side... His back arched as he was in agony, but at the same time, the gleaming white sword in his own hand came through the middle of the mask, piercing it.
"Strike it... Now..." He raised a desperate look at Sozen. If another blow won't soon kill the spirit, he was definitely going to die.
There he goes again with the whole 'saving his life' thing. It was awfully counterintuitive to risk your life to save someone just for them to do the exact same thing for you.
Seeing as this was an emergency, Sozen used something he rarely ever utilized: Kido.
"Hold your breath," Sozen told Seiki as he prepared to unleash his power.
The trio was soon surrounded by an aura of darkness and emptiness. It was devoid of everything, even air.
"Feel the emptiness of my soul."
With nothing such as air resistance to slow him down, Sozen began making lightning fast passes by the spirit, slashing at it with his blade on every pass.
As quickly as it had began, it ended. The whole ordeal had lasted only about five seconds, but Sozen had struck the spirit nearly thirty times in those five seconds.
Sozen skidded to a halt and turned to face the spirit to see how much damage he had actually inflicted.
The broken remains of the spirit's mask slowly fell to pieces and collapsed onto the floor. The entire white body, bloodied and battered, turned to ash, blown away by the wind. All that was left from it was the sword, still in Seiki's side.
He himself could hardly keep himself on his knees, and the dark pools of his midnight-blue eyes were hollowed and empty.
He felt cold.
Even if Sozen knew any good healing Kido, it could just stop the bleeding for now. For this, Haru was needed...
How cold it was.
Sozen went immediately to Seiki's side and examined his injuries.
"Damnit, Seiki," he muttered.
Sozen was not very skilled in healing Kido, so there wasn't much he could, but he would do what he could. Sozen cut off his left sleeve, revealing his very black-and-blue shoulder, and wrapped it around Seiki's wrist as best as he could with only one hand. The next order of business was using his healing Kido on Seiki's shoulder, which stopped the bleeding. Sozen then pulled the sword from Seiki's body. He was going to toss it aside, but he decided to take it along as proof of their success. Sliding the sword into his belt, he lifted Seiki and draped him over his shoulders, accidentally putting Seiki's head to left of his own, giving Seiki full view of his scars. Sozen started for the manor as fast as his tired and battered body could manage. He took care of the shoulder and wrist, but the sword wound was beyond his ability. He needed to get Seiki to Haru as fast as he could. He couldn't let Seiki die on his watch. He couldn't fail again, especially when it was the heir of the Adachi house on the line.
As they were, although much later by then, nearing the Sakura gardens that surrounded the residence, a dark shape flashed between the trees, just to reveal Haru's red-garbed figure moments later. She was moving as fast as a warrior despite the kimono she wore, and her reflexes proved to be flawless as she stopped before Sozen would run into her.
She felt their spiritual presences near, but by how weakened they were she figured out that something bad must have happened. She went to seek them on her own...
And it was even worse than her expectations. Some of the Adachi warriors defied the laws of nature by their sheer will to live.
She immediately hurried to them. "Sozen, Seiki... Sozen, put him down... Just give him to me. We can get back to the house in no time..." she assured him, gesturing towards him to put Seiki's battered body down. She was, except for Shinobu and Takuya, the only person able to teleport using Kido, though only for short distances.
Sozen did as he was told and put Seiki down with a bit of struggling. It was hard to maneuver Seiki with only one arm.
"Take him. I can walk."
Haru took Seiki to her arms as she squatted down, but at Sozen's inquiry, she shook her head. "I can take us all." she replied. In the meantime, she drew a square around them with her hands. The tips of her fingers left dark lines on the ground, and those grew thicker, till there was a whole black square around.
They all sank through, and after a moment of darkness, appeared on the same shape, but gleaming white, in the middle of the entrance hall of the Adachi residence.
Sozen had never witnessed a teleport Kido before, so it was a new experience for him. As he looked around, he saw that they were back at the house and safe. Now that they were safe, he allowed himself to collapse to the floor. He was so weak and exhausted from fighting that spirit and then having to carry Seiki that he could no longer stand. Seiki was safe. He had not failed.
Right before he would hit the floor, Haru caught Sozen into her arms, and put him down softly. A few others appeared in the hall - among them Shinobu and Isako. Isako almost panicked at the sight, but Shinobu retained her calm, at least partly. That was, till she rushed to Seiki's side to pick him up and bring him to a room as Haru told her.
Her dark eyes grew wide, and she clutched him tightly, though it was visible that she was shaking. His own eyes were still open, but his glance was somehow empty. Though she could see that he was breathing, whether he was conscious she wasn't sure about. Since it was him, she'd most likely have to ask to get a distinct answer.
Both of them were carried into one of the rooms near Haru's, where she could easily take care of them at all times. While Shinobu was asked to treat Sozen, she herself disappeared behind the doors of her own room, much larger than the rest, with Seiki.
Shinobu laid Sozen down onto a mat, similar to those that most family members used instead of beds, and quickly ripped the tattered remains of his hakama off his chest. What could have even happened there? Would he tell her?
The first thing Sozen noticed when he came to was that we was lying on a mat. Then he remembered everything that had happened up until that point. Then second thing he noticed was Shinobu kneeling over him. Seiki was probably being treated by Haru, so Shinobu was treating him. Considering that Seiki was been wounded much more seriously than he had, it made sense. Sozen wasn't entirely with it, so he didn't notice that his scarred chest was exposed.
"Shinobu," he croaked. "How's Seiki?"
She shook her head. "I... I don't know. I know he's alive... Even now I feel it. But his spiritual presence is weak, even though he's just a few doors away." she explained silently while she worked. Her hands moved up to Sozen's head to clean and treat the wound, but she seemed distant and silent.
Yes, she could feel him, but how he was doing she didn't know.
Sozen felt Seiki's weak presence as well, but he just wanted a second opinion from someone that wasn't suffering from exhaustion. The fact that Seiki was still alive was somewhat reassuring, but the man really needed to learn to stop catching swords with his torso. It was nice to know that someone would risk their life for you, but was it because he cared? or was it more out of an obligation? Regardless of what is was, what had happened, happened. Sozen then remembered that his mask was gone. He then further noticed that his chest was exposed as well. His shame was completely exposed to any who looked upon him. The only saving grace was that only one person was seeing it. Sozen moved his right arm and rested it on his chest to partially cover the scars. The scars on his face he could not hide because Shinobu was treating his head injury. Hopefully she wouldn't pry too much.
Shinobu wouldn't ask any questions about what she saw. Not only did she already know all - even though she was young when the incident happened, she did remember. And so, she wouldn't ask.
All of them had secrets. Their little or big personal secrets, their little or big issues... The Adachi house was darker and more rotten than what would seem. But in a family where your own brother wears a stone mask he refuses to take away even for you, in a family where all that mattered was your prowess in battle, loyalty, and pride - or so it seemed - they all had secrets.
At least Sozen wasn't such an uptight freak. Sure, they both had their issues, but she considered her brother's obsession with law and pride sick. She KNEW that he wouldn't hesitate to kill her if she committed an offense against the laws of their clan... Would Sozen, though? That she didn't know.
And in the end, why was she thinking about this, even? It was her job to treat him, not wonder about his code of honor and personality traits.
Sozen laid in silence as he was treated, staying focused on Seiki's presence. As long as it persisted, than Sozen had not failed. Shinobu didn't seem interested in questioning his scars, but she was probably just a good actress. Everyone had that curious child within them. Sozen did not fear for his life, for he knew that his wounds were not fatal, so he appeared eerily calm.
"How long have I been here," he asked.
"Not long." she informed him, moving on from his head to treat his shoulder. "Since you arrived, it could have been little more than an hour." It didn't seem so, in this desensitized calm an eternity could have just gone by in just a minute.
"What happened there, Sozen? Nobody even said that you two were leaving..." she asked eventually. It appeared that he had enough strength to talk already, and she couldn't help but wonder what could have hurt two expert warriors that badly.
"We were sent to hunt down an evil spirit," Sozen explained. "It was very powerful, but managed to take it down just the same. I brought its sword back as proof. Where did that go?"
"Oh, that sword. Isako took that to show it to father." she explained. "We only left your Zanpakuto by your side." The most popular belief among the warriors of the house was that one's soul-cutter should not be taken away from the owner if not necessary, and she followed that. The sheathed blade was put by his side.
"What kind of spirit could have done that? Was it... One of those?" she whispered. "The spirits that are... Little larger from us, but powerful enough to tear you to pieces with a single strike?"
"That's what it appeared to be," Sozen told her. "It was incredibly powerful. Seiki struck it repeatedly, but it just refused to fall. It took human shape and was armed with the blade that I brought back."
Shinobu's face paled as he confirmed it. Those spirits were something horrible... She had the pleasure - or misfortune - to battle one only once, and even then, she was not alone, but with both her brother, father, and mother.
"You are fortunate to remain in the shape of a man." she uttered, suddenly even more cold and stiff than before. "Did he... Unleash Blood-red Blossom?"
"Yes," Sozen answered.
Now that she mentioned, they were both fortunate to have survived in...mostly...one piece. Seiki has almost turned into two, but Haru would take care of that. She was the most skilled healer in the family. Sozen just wanted his shoulder to heal so that he could train again. He would need to be ready should a spirit like that ever show up again.
She could hardly fathom something so powerful. Really, they were fortunate to be alive... A sigh escaped her as she finished treating him, and sat into the corner of the room. "You should rest for now. There should be no permanent consequences... You were lucky."
As she spoke, her voice sounded tired, and her gaze was aimed away from him, but soon, a different idea appeared in her mind. The violet in her eyes was lit up with embers of fire, and she looked back at Sozen. "Tell me... What exactly happened there? Do you remember it all?"
Sozen shut his eyes as he replayed the event in his mind.
"It tried to trick us. It took the form of a young girl and said that there was something in forest, but we were not so easily fooled. It then turned into the form of a man and a mask appeared on his face. Seiki unleashed Blood-Red Blossom almost immediately, but the spirit just shook it off. It shook off everything we hit it with.
"When we were about to finish it, it released an explosion of energy, throwing us backward and giving us these injuries. I attracted the spirit's attention to give Seiki time to recover and it attempted to run me through. Seiki, however, pushed me out of the way and took it himself, which completely ruined the whole purpose for me doing that in the first place.
"After it had stabbed Seiki, I unleashed my own Kido and killed the spirit. I then carried Seiki until Haru found us and now we're here."
Shinobu gave him a sad nod. "I see." she spoke silently. "It must have been very strong. I admire you two... You went so far just to defeat it." She didn't lie when she said that - she really admired them. The courage and strength to fight till the very end. The resolve... That was exactly what they all needed. The resolve to fight.
Then, she grew silent, deep in her thoughts. "Try to sleep, if you can. It will help you." she advised Sozen before, and that was the last thing she said for a long time.
And the door opened. The figure in red that stood in it was well known to both of them.
"Haru," Sozen said as he saw who just appeared in the doorway. "How is Seiki?"
Sozen could still feel Seiki's presence, so he was definitely alive. He just wanted to know if he would remain that way.
"I have treated him. The bones and tendons in his hand should regrow, although it will take some time. The sword may have heavily damaged a part of his intestines, but I managed to repair the damage that was done. All it needs is time... Seiki has a will to live, and so he shall. I know that now." she replied calmly. A few steps towards him, her kimono a trail of red and she squatted between Sozen and Shinobu.
"What about you? I see Shinobu did her job well..." Her hands handled him softly as always as she looked over what Shinobu managed to treat. Yes, it appears that she did all as she should have. "You took a fair deal of damage yourself."
"Nothing serious," Sozen told her.
He couldn't afford to be seriously injured. He had work to do. What if another spirit like that last one showed up? With Seiki and him incapacitated, taking it down would be difficult. Sozen hated being bedridden.
"You are both lucky. I recognized the wounds caused by highly concentrated spiritual energy on Seiki... Such blast could definitely kill someone with ease. How did you manage to carry him afterwards?" she questioned him further, shifting into a sitting position on her bent legs.
Shinobu, in the meantime, silently watched from the corner. She felt like sleeping... The previous night she slept little. Seiki made her train almost till morning. Though, she couldn't afford to sleep now.
"Is anyone with Seiki now?" she yawned after a moment.
"Isako and Takuya are there." Haru replied. The black-garbed girl nodded, and stood up again, making her way out of the room. She'd rather make sure how her brother was doing by herself.
"I carried him over my shoulders," Sozen replied simply.
He wasn't sure how to take that question. Should he have not been able to carry him? Leaving him just didn't seem like an option, so he carried him. It was that simple. Sozen had given no thought to the possibility that he would be unable to carry him.
"I see." Haru replied, simply shrugging. It was that simple. She'd understand what he meant - a long time ago, she was a warrior herself. She knew what he spoke of.
"You should rest. I will come in the morning to see if everything is alright. Someone will bring you food, but don't try to stand up yet." she informed him, and with that, her tall figure disappeared like a flash of crimson.
Sozen sighed. Now what? He was stuck. Sozen placed his hand on his zanpakuto and wrapped his fingers around it. That wasn't the right spirit. It was the same kind, but it wasn't the one that killed his family. Now that he knew what he would be against when he finally did meet that spirit, he would have to train all the harder so that he was prepared. For now, though, his blade would remain nameless.
The morning was still very early and bright, shrouded in fog, when Haru returned to Sozen's room as she promised. Only the sound of her kimono being dragged on the floor foretold her coming - otherwise, she was completely noiseless.
She bent over, checking if all was well. It was surprising how she was always there when someone needed her - and always ready. Whether she really slept and ate was a mystery.
Sozen's night was the same as any other: plagued by nightmares. They usually involved the spirit, his family, death, the usual. His eyes snapped awake as the nightmare concluded, revealing Haru's presence. Sozen wiped the sleep from his eyes with his right hand and didn't say anything, simply letting Haru do whatever she needed to do.
"Good morning." she greeted him as she noticed him opening his eyes. He was awake... That was good. There didn't seem to be anything wrong with him, not after a short examination.
"How are you feeling today?" she asked, sitting down in the same way as yesterday, and putting her hands down onto her knees.
Sozen still had the nightmare playing over in his head and did not respond to Haru. He was not ready for that spirit to return. He wasn't even remotely close.
Sozen immediately began trying to struggle to his feet. There was no way he could just lay around and do nothing, even if he was injured. He needed to be ready.
Haru softly pushed him back to stop him from standing up right away. It wasn't yet the time for him to get up - not alone. "No, don't try to stand up yet." she warned him. "Someone will bring you food. Wait at least till then, if you're so impatient." The last word was said with a slightly joking tone, but she was completely serious.
It was bright in the room where Seiki awoke. It was a room he knew well... It was disturbingly familiar to him. And still somehow... Calming. The fact that he was here meant that he was alive. Most definitely, alive and awake. No dream would feel like that.
He turned his head to the side, looking over his surroundings. Which were almost nonexistent, if not counting the walls and hard floor. He himself was just a little higher above it, set on a somewhat thicker mat than that on which he slept. Even through that he could feel the floor. Fortunately enough, the layers of bandages over his hand, shoulder and chest were thick enough to make the greatest discomfort disappear. That was, as long as he didn't move.
He wasn't going to move even if he wanted. Even then, he was too exhausted to do so.
"I can't wait," Sozen told her. "I need to be ready for when he returns so that I can avenge what has been taken from me."
Sozen continued in his attempt to stand. He wasn't ready. He wasn't good enough. He should be. He needed to be, but he wasn't. He failed his family when they were alive, he couldn't fail them again after their deaths.
"If you will continue straining yourself, your wounds won't heal fast enough even with the effort Shinobu put into it." she warned him, giving him a cold look, much like the one her brother and his son gave everyone. "So rather stay where you are."
Someone entered, bringing a tray with food, and setting it before the mat. The boy, appearing little older than fifteen, stared at them in confusion, and disappeared as quickly as he came. Haru bent over to the food - a bowl of rice and fish and some water, along with a small bowl of salad - and turned over to Sozen, helping him sit up so he could eat.
Sozen sighed and did as he was told. As much as he wanted to, he was in no condition to protest. Food soon arrived and Haru helped in sit up to eat. Sozen ate slowly and deliberately, as if his mind was elseware besides eating. Once Haru allowed him to stand he would begin training immediately. He had a lot of work to do.
Haru handed him the bowl of food and watched over him while he ate. He was being incredibly stubborn... "I should send Shinobu to watch over you in the meantime, or someone else that will make sure you won't do anything stupid."
Though, she couldn't leave him right now...
All of a sudden, the very air around felt heavy. She exerted as much spiritual pressure as it would be safe to do, reaching the point where people with lower levels of spiritual energy might even have trouble walking and standing. Someone would immediately rush in if that would happen...
And someone did. The same young boy, dressed in white and grey like warriors in training used to, rushed in. "Is anything wrong? Miss... Miss Haru?" he asked, holding onto the frame of the door to keep himself standing. She shook her head. The pressure immediately disappeared. "I simply needed someone to come quickly without me having to leave." she explained. He gave her a distressed look, and sat down into the corner.
"Take care after Sozen, and don't let him stand up or go anywhere till I return." she instructed him, and stood up to leave in her usual smooth manner.
The young boy gave Sozen a confused and distressed look. "Please, don't go anywhere. I don't want to have trouble from her." he pleased him. Haru may have been a very amicable person, but she was a Kido master, and nobody would want to be bound by a level 90 binding spell for the next week.
Sozen did not even look at the boy as he spoke, but continued eating. It wasn't hard for Sozen to start feeling restless for he was a man of action. Lying around made him feel useless, which he hated. He needed to be doing something worthwhile and meaningful at all times, and sitting around waiting to heal was not one of them. It seemed awfully silly to leave a little boy to stop someone like Sozen, even while injured. Haru, however, was a force to be reckoned with. Sozen did not feel like messing with her right now.
In the meantime, Haru went to check on Seiki. The boy kept looking over Sozen, nervously twitching in the corner. It was horribly uncomfortable for him to look over the man...
Fortunately, the awkward silence was broken by Shinobu's entry. She silently walked in, and offered Sozen a hand. "Seiki sent me ask you a question, but I think you should speak to him in private." she explained briefly. "He's just a few rooms away."
It was unlikely that Takuya's son himself would request Sozen to come. It was more likely to be Shinobu's doing to get her cousin out of the room...
Sozen attempted to stand upon hearing that Seiki wished to speak with him, but he still couldn't pull it off. He allowed Shinobu to help up, since he was still incapable, and made his way to Seiki's room. He approached Seiki and knelt down next to him.
"You wished to speak with me," Sozen said.
So Shinobu brought Sozen along... She shouldn't have. No, she should have let him rest.
As he tilted his head aside to look at his cousin's face, a few strands of his silky hair sled down, though several still remained in his face. His eyes were cold and sharp as always, but his skin was even paler than usually. The cover, rolled down to about his ribs, and his hands, resting on it, gave almost full view on his state, except for the sword wound, which was hidden underneath. It took him a while till he spoke - though, even then it was surprising that he was actually capable of it.
"I simply wanted to make sure that you are fine." he explained simply. He wanted to assure himself that he didn't fail. That it was him who took the bigger deal of damage, and that Sozen was fine and escaped unscathed. It was not a complete failure - he did manage to protect him - but it was not a full success, either.
"Better than you," he said simply.
Though his face and tone of voice portrayed nothing, that was about as close to an attempt at humor as he got. They were both still alive. That was all that mattered.
"That's how it should be." Seiki replied. His eyes almost closed, the dark lashes shadowing the deep blue underneath. Yes, that's how it should be. He was unwilling to let someone suffer for him.
But he didn't fail. Sozen was alive... And he, too.
Sozen couldn't take it anymore.
"You shouldn't have done that," Sozen told him. "I would have suffered an injury far less severe than what you have now."
"It's my duty." This time, he fully closed his eyes. "It's not a matter of choice. I... Do not regret deciding to do so." His voice became little more than a whisper, and disappeared completely at the end of his last statement. He put his left hand to his mouth as he turned his head away.
Trying to hide the fact that he coughed out blood, he clenched his fist, and remained silent. Speaking was not a good idea. He was still feeling weak...
"So your duty is to deprive me of my duty to protect the heir of the Adachi house," Sozen asked. "Your duty is to become the next Head of the Adachi Household, but you seem to be intent on getting yourself killed to avoid that duty."
"It was... The only thing to do... I could not let you get killed." He would have done the same for his sisters. He couldn't allow anyone to die on his hands anymore. Not once...
His heart was still beating. There was more needed to deprive him off that will to live than taking a sword through the liver and lungs.
"You say that as if I have something to live for," Sozen replied before managing to stand back up.
Without another word Sozen returned to his own room. Why did Seiki always have to be the hero? He is going to get himself killed one, Sozen was sure of it. Seiki seriously needed to learn how valuable he was to this family and to stop trying to throw his life away for whoever he felt like. Seiki could fight the next spirit as powerful as that one alone if he was so intent on getting killed. It would undoubtedly oblige him.
Shinobu gave Sozen a sad look as he left. Off course he had something to live for... They all had. Though, she remained sitting by Seiki's side. He did not have to do it, that was true. But it was a different kind of sense of duty and honor... She understood it. It wasn't that alien to her.
Her hands picked up Seiki's left hand, and as it unclenched, she noticed the blood inside. "I'll go search for Haru." she muttered. This didn't seem good, at least not to her.
Sozen sat on his mat and drew his blade. It was a little difficult to pull off with only one hand, but he managed. He simply sat and stared at the weapon, as well as the reflection of himself that was in the blade. Some people say that everything happens for reason, that everyone has a purpose on this earth. If that were true, then what was the reason for Sozen's family to be killed? Why was he the only survivor? What was his purpose?
Sozen sighed heavily and set the sword down in front of him on the mat. So many questions, yet no answers.
A few days have passed. It was little in the eyes of those never sting and forever youthful such as them. Very little has changed - the house itself still had the heavy air of concern and unspoken worries lingering in the corridors.
The family rarely ate all together. It was more usual for Seiki, Shinobu and Isako to share a small table, sometimes with some of their cousins, than for one of the larger halls to be occupied and them dining together with Takuya and Risa. It was like that today, too.
Shinobu and Isako exchanged a tense glance as Seiki joined them, sitting down opposite Shinobu. His hakama hid most of the bandages, and his haori and scarf covered even the part it would normally reveal. Even his white gloves were back - well, at least the left one. It was apparent that he disliked showing any sign of physical weakness from the very way he moved - carefully and slowly, but with his usual confidence. Even as he sat down, he kept his head high and back so straight one could use it as a ruler.
There were four places. Three of those were filled.
Sozen entered the dining hall last. He too had regained his normal appearance, including acquiring a new mask. He sat down in silence and waited for something to happen.
Shinobu bowed her head in a greeting to Sozen. She was the only one that seemed to notice his presence - Isako was toying with a wisp of her hair, and Seiki was simply gazing somewhere into the distance.
"Let us eat." she spoke silently, reaching after one of the bowls that were laid out across the center of the table. Her sister immediately grabbed another, stuffing herself with pieces of rice and fish as if it was a rice. Seiki was the last to grab a bowl, and it took him a long, long while to even as little as pick up the utensils.
Though, as his hand drew near the bowl to use the sticks to pick the fish up, they all of a sudden fell out. The soft clink of them hitting the edge of the bowl and dropping onto the table was enough to make Shinobu raise her head, but he already picked them up again by then.
It was difficult to keep hold of them and actually pick up the food. The tendons in his hand weren't fully regrown yet, and he dropped the chopsticks twice more before managing to pick up a piece of fish. He got it into his mouth, but the pair of sticks was dropped immediately after. This simply wasn't working...
He lost all taste for food.
Sozen wordlessly began eating. Unlike Seiki, he had no trouble because his right arm was fully functioning. He had the feeling that this was going to be a very silent meal, but he didn't mind much.
It was uncomfortably quiet. Isako was all nervous from the silence - and from watching Seiki - twitching on her place, and just jabbing into her food instead of actually eating. It felt like a funeral, nobody said a word and nobody even looked at each other.
She let out a long, audible sigh. "What's wrong with you people? You all look like someone forgot to season your food..." she finally broke the silence. "What's up with the faces like if you saw a dead fox hanging from the ceiling?"
"It was dead, but it wasn't fox," Sozen replied referring to the spirit they had fought.
It was hard to believe that several weeks had passed since. It was as if it had only happened yesterday.
"What was dead?" Isako still didn't understand. What was Sozen on about?
Then, Shinobu's hand appeared on her shoulder. "The spirit Sozen and Seiki fought. Did you...?" The words froze on her lips in the middle of her sentence. Isako shook her head. "What spirit? You said... You never told me..."
Shinobu never told her the truth. But... But why would she hide something like that from her? Why?
The older Adachi daughter bowed her head in sorrow. "I'm sorry, Isako. These matters are too complicated. I did not find it right to tell you about it." she explained silently. That was all that was to say about it. Isako wasn't ready to know everything... She'd most likely just panic, and that wouldn't help.
"Seiki, is that... Is that true? Did she lie to me? Sozen? Seiki? Was it really a spirit?" she called out towards them, slamming her small fists into the table. Her crimson eyes were suddenly filled with tears.
Oops. Sozen was unaware that Isako was had not been informed, nor had anyone told him not to mention it in front of her. He too was curious as to why she wasn't told. She was an Adachi too, was she not? He didn't get why she was getting so worked up about it.
"It's over and done with," Sozen said flatly. "We took care of it."
"No... I don't think it's so over and done with as you say!" she opposed him. "You could have died! I know Shinobu wasn't telling me the truth, I knew it when I saw Seiki again! I knew it because she and Haru didn't let me into either of your rooms! Do you all think I'm stupid? That you can lock me away from your big noble matters all the time?"
She had just enough of it. Both of them were talking to her like if she was a child, and just to be sure, Seiki didn't say a word!
Though, that was soon to change. Even she shut up when she saw Seiki laying his chopsticks down and his cold glance shifting to her. "Isako. The reason why we kept the truth from you is very simple. You are not mature enough to accept it without panicking. It was done for the safety of us all, and you in the first place." he spoke. The words would be calming, if it would not have been his voice, such an... Unfeeling, indifferent, distant sound.
"The spirit is dead," Sozen assured her. "There's no need for concern."
So this is why Isako wasn't told. It kind of made sense now.
"No need for concern? Look at yourself!" Isako screamed back, tears welling out of her eyes. She stood up from the table, clenching her fists and wiping the tears off her cheeks with the backs of her hands. "You lied to me because you think I'd panic... What would you do if one of you die? Would you lie to me, too?" she shouted.
"Isako, calm do..." Seiki didn't manage to finish his sentence, and his words disappeared in coughing. He pressed his hand onto his mouth. More blood... He clenched his fists to hide it, but it was flowing down his fingers.
At the sight, Isako immediately shut up, staring at him in horror. "What more did you not tell me?" she whispered.
"You are innocent, Isako," Sozen said simply. "We wish to keep you that way. Life is much easier when you're innocent."
Sozen continued eating in his usual manner, slowly and methodically. He briefly wondered if his own sister would have reacted the way were she still alive, but the thought was then quickly repressed. She was dead. There was no point in thinking about such things.