The eerie tale of Kenshin gave a gloomy air around us. Toshizo told the tale with such detail the memory came to life into reality. I saw Kenshin's rage. It was and endless inferno of hatred. Toshizo's pipe was out and he emptied it to light some tobacco once more. He takes a breath and blows deep. The man looks at the distance in melancholy but he covers it up. "It was odd how Kenshin's beginnings were no different from the other reincarnates." He says, "I died for as a sign of brotherhood and loyalty. Rentaro on the other hand died as a sign of duty."
"You're talking about the ninja, right?" I asked.
"Rentaro was a remnant of a fallen ninja clan during the sengoku era but eventually became an omnyouji under the Kamiyama clan." Toshizo answered.
"So what does this have to do with Kenshin?"
"Seeing Furukizu and Kenshin fighting on how to give your skills back is much like what Rentaro and I faced when dealing with Kenshin's cause."
"Why? What was the problem?"
"Rentaro was not only one of your reincarnations but your ancestor in the Kamiyama Clan. And Kenshin used many of the forbidden spells and he corrupted many of the spells used for healing into ways for torture and interrogation. Rentaro was against that. So for Kenshin to use many sacred spells for ill intent sent a rift between them for awhile."
"So it was that bad?"
"I was part of the problem too for allowing it. All three of us were fighting for a cause to get rid of magic in the war. But in the end we cannot eliminate the fact that the spells used to aid mankind turned into weapons of war."
"What were the things you did?"
"Kenshin ended up spending long hours in the white room to develop techniques to eliminate people. Some to the point it eliminated existence."
I stood up, startled by that thought. My ears couldn't believe what they were hearing. "So Kenshin was the king of Hell's bounty hunter and defiled skills from the clan of one the previous reincarnations? How did that work?" I questioned. "We used that as an ultimatum. Enma wanted to get rid of the use of magic in the war in order to lessen the impact of the second world war." Toshizo said.
"What did you guys even do with such spells?"
"Before airships were meant to be powered by synthesized mana crystals to circulate a constant wind spell to fly. Kenshin eliminated the head scientist involved in the project and twisted the memories of the remaining scientist in order for the ships with hydrogen."
"Thus eliminating the use of blimps as a mode of transport?"
"Exactly! The ships would explode when used impropperly, especially with open flames. That scientist was the first to test that technique. But he was more focused on the elimination of synthesized mana crystals or also known as SMC."
The sound of that brought memories of Kenshin's life. I recalled the crystal the members of the Yanagi clan were being stabbed with it.
"The SMCs were used to eliminate the Yanagi clan, right?" I asked.
"Yes, but his clan wasn't the only one affected by those crystals." Toshizo explains, "There were times that we had to use memory loss spells just to eradicate the memories of people just for those magics to be forgotten. Even with human testing."
"And what were those experiments?"
"The SMCs were meant to collect mana but scientists altered them to absorb the chi of living beings. They did this to a lot of people. And I mean a LOT of people."
The thought of such things made me lost. It got me a moment to think of what Kenshin meant. How the heck do you get a lot of people to bundle up in one area to be absorbed of their life force. The thought of me didn't pass me till the words 'lot' came into my head. I can only think of one way for that to happen.
"The nazis used the SMCs at the Jews in the concentration camps, didn't they?" I assumed for the worst.
"It's worse, aparently the scientist had a twin brother and both were massive world criminals in Aria. They shared both of their information to do their research at both the east and at the west. Doing their sick experiments at both sides. Kenshin had to eliminate both in order to erase the memory of magic being used at the second world war." Toshizo corrected.
"They did this to conquer the world in a version of a pinser attack, didn't they?"
"Their experiments with SMCs were used at consentration camps, war prisons, etc. The Philippine Death March was one memory we all would rather would rather forget."
With that another memory comes back. The Philippine Death March was was the force transfer of POWs from Bataan to Pampanga. It was at a project folder designed by one of the twins at the East. Kenshin could imagine what would happen if they were given their way. Prisoners of war that fought against the Japanese from Americans to the Filipinos in the countries were transferred by foot. They were not given any breaks, neither food or water. If POWs gave into their pain or exhaustion they were to be shot. If they tried to escape, they will be caught and be killed on the spot. Sometimes even for entertainment, the Japanese soldier loft their heads off with a katana. But it was at the end of the trek where they were going to experience real horror. Once they reach Pampanga they will be eliminated and absorbed of their chi until becoming skin and bones. Much like what has happened to his clan.
"So because of Kenshin's efforts...the SMC's development would have never existed in the Second World War?" I asked.
"Yeah, some of Aria's exiles manipulated both Imperial Japan and futher Nazi Germany in order to do such crimes during the middle of the war. Without Kenshin's efforts magic would have been known into this world a bit earlier and the damage of the war could have gone even further. However it created a current history, some of the remnants of the previous supposed history still existing till this very day."
"Such as...?"
"Such as Kenshin eradicated the memories of Aria and Arians as a powerful race skilled in magic into a genealogical master race."
"So from magic to eugenics? What does that have to do with Aria?"
"You seriously do not get this yet? You were the history buff when you were a kid."
I didn't get it at all at first. I decided to go back at my strudel. I made it looked like a face with the whipped cream and syrup at one side to look like hair, blueberries for eyes and red strawberry syrup as lips. But that's when it hit me. I was dumbstruck to realize such an amazingly stupid fiasco to the point I'm wondering how I wasn't in hell yet. "Are you telling me by the efforts of Kenshin... he altered history and created the Nazi version of the Ubermensch?" I reluctantly asked.
"It was pretty obvious when there's Arians from Aria are spelled with an 'I' and Nazi Germany's Aryans is spelled with a 'Y'." Toshizo put out.
Hearing that put me in shock. Just that alone was startling all together. My mouth could barely move but I had to ask. "So...in other words... we're responsible for white power and modern day racism in the Western world?" I asked with anxiety.
"It's not that bad. It could have been worse...." Toshizo replied.
"How the hell can it be WORSE?! We created modern day racism! You have any idea how hard it was to get an entire class to get along because of skin color?! Especially now with colleges?!" I shouted.
"It wasn't that bad..." Toshizo tried to put out.
"Of course it was bad! Especially with the college students! Because of those stupid riots they called 'protest' there was a literal political brawl in my dojo!"
"At least your senior members managed to calm it down."
"The hell are you talking about? I barely managed to calm them down...then..."
I was about to remember something. There. I paused then looked down. Blood came in my head as flashbacks of bloody rooms were everywhere.
"So you're starting to remember?" Toshizo questioned.
"That was a mistake... I lost a couple of students because of that." I replied
"But if you had to. Am I right?"
"But all that blood..."
"And if you didn't then you would lose more lives."
"You don't get it, do you? I turned berserk and blacked out at most of it! I was the devil before this tasogare shit!"
"And where would you be if you didn't? Are you saying you shouldn't have saved your students?"
Hearing that alone is enough to wonder. But then again Toshizo was always one to toss in hypothetical questions. If the later were to come true then the world would have looked more dystopian. So I instead perished the though and decided to ask more question. "If Kenshin and I are so similar didn't do what we did. Then what would happen?" I asked.
"Then life would be different and you would regret for not trying." Toshizo replied.
Again I was at the school hallway full of blood. And for a brief moment I saw them raise their hands at me. The weight of their hands at me. The visual kept on and I started to get dizzy.
"Are decisions always heavy...?" I asked him
"They always are and we have to be responsible with them." Toshizo answered.
Another thing to make my head spin. It was over my head and too much. Remembering these memories made it harder to breathe. Again I tried to keep down but I didn't know why.
"So was Kenshin able to complete his task?" I asked.
"Kenshin had to become an assassin of twilight for the sake of the world. But that's the fate of the Tragic Hero of Lost Souls. We get things done often by the cost of our own sake." Toshizo tells me, "I and my group had to die so Japan can change for the better, Rentaro became a slayer to slay the remnants of the sengoku war for him to die by them in the end, and Chiron had to put his life to take care of the demigods, only for him to fall by the hands of one in the end. And yet...here you are."
There was a brief silence between us. He drinks his tea and looks at me rather calm. There must be something at his mind by now. But judging by his expression he decided to dismiss it only for him to go back at it again. "But there is something that keeps on coming back to me... however I don't how to put it." The man puts out.
"And what would that be?" I asked him.
He slides something towards me. It was a blank mask. The same ones that Furukizu used on me a couple of times. But this one on the other hand had a crack on it. "Furukizu was a recent addition to our flock but I only see him in the origin plain...which is strange." Toshizo said.
"What's so strange about it?" I asked him.
"The man just appeared and demanded to be within our ranks. Heck, he was even to take down at least three of us. Furukizu was even skilled in magecraft and Ashura makenjutsu."
"Could it be possible for him to be one of my past lives?"
"Impossible! You were the only one next to Kenshin. And it takes almost a century for a reincarnation to return to the mortal world."
"Then is there anybody that we know of that has the ability to access the origin plain?"
"All the more impossible. The origin plain does not follow the laws of physics and few gain it."
"Is that so...then how does he know Ashura Makenjutsu?"
"That's another unknown. Ashura Makenjutsu was supposed to die with Kenshin alone. He didn't even have any offspring to inherit his Makenjutsu. Heck the guy resented to use it ever again."
"Then why does he have our abilities and magics?"
"That's what I wanna find out as well. He even knows how to manipulate the Origin plain to make magic tools. You only knew how to do such complicated things in the Origin plain once you were almost finished with highschool. But I find it surprising that Rentaro is at his side."
Again another problem. More of these problems keep on filing like paperwork. It's just one after another with issues like this. The group can barely keep tabs on our current needs and I still got this to worry about. This keeps on getting better.
But as the thought circulated in my head, Toshizo blows smoke at my face. I coughed a little as the smoke was unexpected. "It's nice to see that I managed to get you to think of something else despite all the trauma you're having." He says, "Even in pain you try to be strong. That is your strongest and weakest point."
Just by hearing that I could hear screams and the sound of gunfire and metal. Blood and smoke entered my nose with the smell of death. My vision turns crimson only to remember the same school hallway again.
Toshizo blows smoke at my face again to return back to my senses. I snapped out it for my gaze to return to the present. The man looks at the ceiling, having a thought of reminiscence. "Felt I've seen this before..." The man mumbles, "Me and Rentaro would always fight in terms on how to train Kenshin."
"What would you fight about?" I asked him.
The man smiled. My curiosity pleased him. But looking back now, Toshizo was one who liked telling stories. Heck, he was the one who taught me about the Edo period and Classical Japanese. Probably this was no different. But the memories were kinda faint as there was little to recall.
"Where to begin...? Well one thing is for sure we kept on fighting to hinder Kenshin's bloodlust with his Tasogare powers." Toshizo told me.
"So I was a Tasogare at my past life as well?" I questioned.
"Yes, one that would even make a demonlord pray for exorcism." The man tells me, "The Tasogare may act as the bounty hunters and reapers of hell but they only become stronger by the blood they consume."
"Isn't there a drawback to this power?" I ask him, "I may still be regaining memories and knowledge on magic but I have enough to recognize the cost of such abilities require a source of a higher power."
The man chuckles. A smug smirk forms at his face. "It's nice to see that you're still as sharp." He says, "The more blood they consume, the more they hunger and lust for it. Tasogare translate to 'twilight' and the reason why are called that is they are just a few feet away from the darkness. However you're not at that stage yet."
"The closer they draw near to it, the more they start to lose themselves, right?" I guessed.
"Of course. We did our best to control him but his rage conquered us all. It was only by a miracle that his fate was changed."
"And what would that be?"
"Something that changed him. Funny how it happened to you too."
The words rang my ears. It wasn't an annoyance but felt like it was ebbing towards me. It was tremors in my mind again but it stopped briefly. Toshizo's smile faded as he saw how I reacted. "It's only when I see this again that I've noticed history tends to repeat itself." He says, "First it was me and Rentaro to keep Kenshin human. Now it's Furukizu and Kenshin's turn to maintain your sanity as you walk in darkness."
The ember starts to fade as he was finished with his pipe. Toshizo empties it in an ashtray and puts it away. "I don't know what is happening but it looks like the both of them are trying their best to get you ready." He said.
"For what? I don't have the slightest idea on what is going on." I told him.
"Furukizu-kun is occupied with Lilith for some reason and yet I can't wrap the slightest reason why."
"So you don't know?"
"Lilith somehow predicted this whole thing and she gave us instructions for what is going on and what we should be doing. It looks like even by death she still does whatever she wants."
Toshizo then goes for a few more leaves for his pipe. He pours some tea only to find it empty. Looking at tea box he soon finds that he ran out. "Great...it's only gonna be a pain to get some more tea." He muttered.
"Doesn't heaven provide everything for Paradise?" I asked.
"Yeah but in the end you still have to visit the heavenly plain to get it. Hot water is unlimited but mortal items and vices still need to be picked up." The man told me.
"Shouldn't there be somebody to pick it up for you? You are in something equivalent to heaven, aren't you?" I wondered.
"I rather not resort to that. Angels are annoying with their moral patronizing. The yatakarasu are even more annoying with their wise-ass bickering. I rather prefer to get it by myself. Besides, it's good to see Bishamon every once in a while." Toshizo ranted.
"So...you're not just in my head?" I questioned.
"We can visit you in your head and train you in the Origin plain but that's pretty much it. At most we're just advisors."
"So what are past lives?"
"They come in different forms. They can live within the lives of others or they can be like you. To serve as avatars to for the latest one to become better."
"So you were my teachers?"
"More like family. And like family we try our best to raise you."
"What do you mean by that?"
"When your mother died we did the best to raise you. Kenshin had the idea if we raised you to be better, you wouldn't be like him. But you are starting to reflect him."
"How...am I like him?"
"The both of you are stubborn. Tend to sacrifice yourselves to the point it's suicide. You think too much to the point that you forget yourself. Heck, that's how you managed to persuaded Kenshin to even teach you Ashura Makenjutsu."
"If Ashura Makenjutsu was hated by Kenshin, why did he bother to teach me?"
"It was how you used it that made him teach you that style."
"And what was that reason?"
"Beats be. He's the hardest to read amongst us."
Again more questions than answers. I was getting a rough estimate of what is going on I'm close to getting lost. But the guy struggles as he looks at the used up tea leaves. "Maybe there might be some essence left out of these leaves if I pour hotter water." He mumbled to himself.
I then slid some instant coffee at the table from my fanny pack. "Mr. Williams says that tabacco is always better with coffee. Not that I smoke or anything." I suggested.
Toshizo then boils some water. After adding the instant coffee in and enjoying his pipe, he sighs in relief. "That's some good stuff." He said. I leaned towards him. "So what's the real reason why I'm here? For sure we're not here for tea and snacks." I asked him.
"I'm here to help you relax. Besides those two maybe aggressive towards each other but they mean well." Toshizo said.
"What do you mean?"
"Lilith managed to get in your head before your amnesia kicked in. She told us Kenshin is going to be of great use to get up your feet but Furukizu was unexpected."
"How?"
"Lilith is a wild child. Don't ask me."
"So what can I do to get out of this mess?"
"Too late for that. You're already in it."
Before I can talk back, Toshizo points his pipe on me. "But I have to warn you. Be wary of the both of them. Know what they want with you. Eventually you might find them to agree with something." He tells me, "Both work as advisers but it looks like those two are the most informed about your entire situation."
"What am I supposed to expect?" I asked him.
The man pauses for a moment. He was collecting his thoughts but I knew it was trouble. But he just tells me, "Something you don't want."
With the snap of his fingers I returned to the mortal world. I was still stuck at the rain. No time was past since then. Tears can still be felt and my throat was runny. It gave another bad memory. It was me being brought to a stretcher at that same day. I was staring at the rain as I was losing consciousness. There were a lot of body bags and a ton of censored faces. The whole setting was silent. How was bad that day. It was only when Furukizu appeared for a brief second.
I looked at him as he stared down at me with his mask. "You know this would make me less pissed if you didn't look down on me that much." I told him.
The man then squats to take a good look at me. It was there he said some words that stuck. He disappeared as soon as the thunder and lightning flashed then said, "Then you should stop looking at the sky if it gives you that much comfortable, don't you agree?"