First Arc: The Fallen Kings -- Chapter 5 -- Part Six (2/??) -- {Peace}
I apologize for the delay, college has been a trainwreck. -3- I know I promised that the next few chapters were going to be story development, but sadly, they're still in development. So I had this saved for awhile and decided to post it.
But hey, I have some stuff lined up and shizz. So stay tuned.
"No, you can't do this!--I am your greatest general! I'm the one keeping the vanguard alive, you ungrateful whores!" A man with an eyepatch, lathered in prison robes shouted as he slammed his chained arms onto the witness' stand. The judge, who none other than Commander Raiji looking directly at the man before him; his primal and young features staring across the man's soul.
"Silence!" a booming voice from the commander, as his mantra flared, breaking every sound barrier inside the courtroom. "You are not to speak unless spoken to, prisoner."
"Heh, I guess with that little crony whore you keep fucking in the ass, it isn't too predictable on how you're going to side with. We all know you've been sucking off Kashikoi's dick for a long time, commander--urggghh aaaaAAAAGGH!" Nobuyuki was suddenly encumbered by black streaks of lightning as he fell on the stand. The audience was frightened at such a sight.
"I said..." the booming force of electricity erupted from the stand, seemingly vaporizing the wooden podium in front of him. "Silence." He whispered condescendingly as his onyx eyes gleamed a golden shine, eyes staring deep into the abused puppy before him.
"Nobuyuki Nobunaga, how do you plead?" Raiji asked with straightforward conviction.
"Not guilty." Nobuyuki responded with a pale, defeated face. ".. heh. I had great hopes for you."
"Mm?" Raiji hummed in supposition.
"You are a pretentious leader, Raiji. You have no place leading a people or a civilization. Not even a small society. You are weak. You are feeble, fragile, emotional. You feed into that famous Kizu machismo." Nobuyuki chuckled for a bit. "The Kizus were always a pain in the ass. This is why many clan leaders sought to bring you to a moderation. The Ochos, the Gassenarls even the Nobunagas. All noble clans who defected to Yliaster. But I stayed; a setback that I regret whole-heartedly"
"You are the reason for war. You just couldn't lead yourself astray from the bloodlust. It is in your blood, you're a Kizu. And a Kizu never fails to bring chaos upon this world. You are all a curse."
"Yliaster seeks to bring about a new world order under the guidance of their dead god. A god, who so long ago, used to exist as the cancer of a world that sits between the crevice of the spiritual and physical world. Yliaster seeks to bring misfortune to the world. And the deserters and defectors are swept away with empty promises. You of all people should know that." Raiji responded.
"Maybe.." Nobuyuki whimpered out. "End my life now, Raiji. I no longer wish to serve under you."
"I gave you a trial to redeem yourself, Nobuyuki."
"There is nothing to redeem. I am ashamed of the decisions I've made."
"Torturing those children and several war prisoners?"
"No, those are war's policies. But joining this coalition, this fruitless venture into your chaos; was the greatest mistake I've ever done."
"...Very well." Raiji said as he slammed his gavel. "I, Raiji of the Kizu High Court, hereby execute former High General Nobuyuki Nobunaga for his crimes of felony against imperial forces of Shisutemu."
"You're all sheep flocking to a false prophet. Everyone inside the courtroom, hear me, hear me. The Kizus have tainted us with lies and sedation to their will. I confess, before my execution, that Raiji-sama himself ordered me to torture war victims and resocialize them into mindless slaves to his bidding." The general said, everyone gasping in shock. A clutter of noise enveloped the court.
"Lies.." Raiji said, furrowing his brows. "You sower of discord, how dare you!" Raiji flared in anger as he slammed his gavel even more. "Order!"
"He is a wolf in sheep's clothing, waiting to prey on all of you!" Nobuyuki shouted at the top of his lungs as he flailed his body in anger. "Those are what the Kizus are-- ngh!" Nobuyuki was then silenced, by a sword to the throat. An agitated Raiji panting and sweating in front of him.
"My death--ack!" Nobuyuki's throat was filling with his own blood, his voice sounded muffled as he gurgled the thick liquid. "--will be swift. But your suffering will.. be for... the rest... of your... days." Nobuyuki finally collapsed in cold blood, lifeless eyes still wide open as the red liquid tainted the court's floor; numerous men and women running outside the courtroom in fear.
Raiji could only stare at his former comrade's dead corpse with glaring golden eyes.
"Raiji, how could you--he!" Kashikoi said as he descended from the high judge's desk.
"This is what you wanted, is it not?" Raiji said, his mantra flaring once again.
"R--Raiji--" Kashikoi frighteningly muttered.
"A Kizu.. a curse." He said to himself. "That is what we are. No matter who the person, we are all but hellspawn in this world. That is all we are." Raiji flicked his sword, cleaning the blood off the blade. Raiji then retired to his personal guard as he proceeded to leave the courthouse and let his subordinates clean up. The man, scarred in front of many people seemed agitated by this. Kashikoi grabbed the man's arm in an attempt to stop him from leaving; he could the lightning energy coursing through his palm.
"...Did you really..?" Kashikoi said, his eyes looking downwards, waiting for his response.
"....." Raiji remained silent as he jerked his arm back to his side. "There is nothing to gain from doing that." With that, Raiji continued to walk away from Kashikoi as the background faded to black, personnel had been cleaning up the execution.
A wave of force was shot onto the pre-existing plains before him. Grass was forcefully pushed back into a wave of air that placed the surrounding area in a massive vortex. The force was enough to shatter a giant boulder that was in forest grounds miles away from the caster. A tall man brandishing long, silver hair looked upon the progress of this young child who was able to do such an intricately powerful use of mantra.
"Very good, Aurelius." The man said, smiling. "But you need a little bit more power into your thrust." He said as he placed his palms in a stance ready to jut out a powerful strike just like the child did. A burst of air shot across the path; something much more powerful that the man's surrounding radius had the children that were near him blasted into all directions.
White robes fluttered in the force of the wind, silver hair becoming shambled in the process as the force of the air hit a farther distance, the point of impact reaching the base of a mountain and seemingly eroding the hard rocks on it.
"W--Wow!" the children simultaneously shouted. "That was awesome, Meki-sensei!" the boy with black hair said.
"Heh heh." Kashikoi chuckled. "You have all shown me great progress; you all deserve a pat on the back as well."
"Do we think we might be able to stop the war?" the little girl with brown hair said.
"In time, Lithuania." Kashikoi sighed deeply. "We can only hope that the bloodshed stops here."
"Oy, Reli! Think fast!" the blonde boy said before proceeding to throw a mud pie on the silver-haired boy's face. Kashikoi proceeded with a resigned sigh as he laughed. Aurelius then proceeded to chase the boy, who appeared to taunt him one more time before proceeding to run away.
"Come back here, you-- ugh!" he shouted as he bolted towards his general direction.
Kashikoi proceeded to sit on the grass beneath him as the sun shone brightly atop the hill. "Rakuen is a place once littered with darkness and evil. It is the last place in this world that isn't tainted with war." The man said, smiling off into the distance of the wondrous, exotic wildlife inside the realm. Lithuania and Teikoku sat down with the man, both nudging their bodies to lean on Kashikoi.
"We should enjoy this serenity." Kashikoi said, a grin plastering on his face. "It's always healthy to cherish the little things too... it's all the refuge we have in a world fuelled by hatred."
"Why is it that people fight, Meki-sensei?" Lithuania asked, her eyes looking up at the man.
"I don't know." Kashikoi said. "Humankind is a fickle subject. Both fuelled with hatred and greed. But then again, we all have our shortcomings; no one is truly evil. We are a complex people, Lithuania."
"So, not even you, huh, Meki-sensei?" Lithuania said as she sighed. "I want to understand this world, Meki-sensei. I want to travel the world, meet new people, help them grow." A hand then spurled across the young girl's hair.
"You were always the most caring out of them, Lithuania." Kashikoi said, smiling. "What about you, Tei-kun?"
"Oh!--Um. I want to see this world restored to, um.. peace was it?" he said, quite unsure of himself. "I've never seen the era of peace before. I'd really like to find it someday! Hee hee!--"
"Uh, Meki-sensei? Your eyes are wet." Lithuania said, as she tilted her head in confusion. "Is there something wrong?"
"I-It's nothing," Kashikoi rubbed his eyes as he gazed off into the horizon a smile returning to his face. "We'll find it again someday. And when we do, I'll show you all the beautiful things the world of peace has to offer. I promise you."
"Yay!" Lithuania and Teikoku said simultaneously as they clung onto the tall man's neck. Aurelius and Zack had exhausted themselves from running around the surrounding area. Once they had seen Kashikoi being swarmed by the two children, they ran to him and tackled the man as well.
"Hey! We want in that!" Zack shouted as Aurelius followed suit. All five of them had been frolicking on the hill, Kashikoi toppling over and rolling with the children. In the distance, a portal opened.
"Aren't you going to join them?" the man from inside the portal asked the isolated young boy behind the scenes.
"No," the boy said cheerfully. "I'm the eldest, so I have to be the one who looks after them."
"Hm.." the man hummed as he looked off into the horizon pondering onto the distance. He saw Rakuen in all its splendour and remembered all the wars that partook in this world; all of the conflicts he's been involved with. And all he sees now is Kashikoi and his students having the time of their lives.
"...." Raiji fell silent. There was a time where peace the prominent factor the world clung to. 'One day, Kashikoi, you'll have to show them the reality of this world.'
--END