✧✦✧✦✧Asano's PoV✧✦✧✦✧✦✧
(She just stood there. Frightened as she stares at our parent's dead body, while I sit on top of it. She probably didn't expect this to happen since she was enjoying her life, while me hating my life. It wasn't her fault to be brought into this world and get all the love she wants, but she was one of the reasons why my monstrosity is born. I'll show her the cruel part of this world, what I've been through, and how I survived. This is a cruel world and I'll make her know why...)
It's morning. Mother knocked on my room and woke me up. She even opened the door and pinched me right in the face. As soon as I opened my eyes, I saw her, smiling at me, "Good morning, sunshine..." She said.
My name is Toki Asano, and this is my perfect life.
It was another beautiful morning with tasty foods waiting for me at the table. I looked around to see my family's faces. My dad is reading the newspaper, whilst my mother and sister is just eating quietly.
To break the awkward silence, I suddenly asked my dad, "Dad! Do we get to train, later?"
He smiled, "Of course we will. Same training as always with your sister."
I cheered and was excited.
My father then looked at my sister and asks, "Akame, return home early after your school for your sister. Ok?"
I grinned as I looked at my sister, but she doesn't look excited. I guess our kendo training annoys her, but either way, I'll show her tonight how strong I got now. So, I tried to cheer my sister up, "That's right, sis! I'm looking forwa-"
She then immediately stood up, "I'm going now..."
I then got this anxious feeling that maybe she's evading me. But she has been evading me as if I didn't exist. I didn't annoy her nor did anything wrong to her. I just wanted to talk to her...
As soon as my sister left, my mother then tries to soothe me, "It's alright, Toki. Aren't you going to school yet?"
I just remembered that the photo club will be taking pictures of me with a morning setting. So, I fixed my bag and quickly replied to my mom, "Yes! I forgot. I have to go now! See you both, tonight!"
My father looked at me with a smile.
My mother then replied, "Have a great day!"
I immediately rushed out and left the house. However, I forgot my lunchbox, so I immediately rushed in again.
As soon as I got my lunchbox, I remembered that my sister didn't took hers. I looked around to find her lunchbox, but saw nothing. So, I asked mom, "Mom? Do you really never pack a lunchbox for sister Akame?"
She got startled, "Why are you asking me this? She never wants me to pack her a lunchbox, remember?"
I just remembered. Maybe they don't do lunchboxes on senior years. Or maybe, sister prefers buying at the canteen? Either way, I have to go. So, I said my goodbyes again, "I'm going now!"
While walking with haste, as I make my way to school, I suddenly saw my sister, exiting from a near mini mart with a single bread in her hand. I wonder if she will eat it as she gets to school, but didn't she just had a breakfast? Oh well, I still have a morning photo shoot.
I was elected as muse in my school. I didn't know why, but I guess it was because of my blonde hair. Boys also always asks me for a date, but I also always turn them down. Because I'm just not ready, yet.
The photo shoot took 15 minutes. They just pictured me 2-3 times only, but their preparations was time consuming.
I got frustrated, so I asked the club president, "What was it for again?"
"The school will be needing a picture of a school girl for advertising and stuff, and you are a perfect model for it."
I rolled my eyes down, "Whatever... Just don't use it for lewd stuff, because otherwise, you'll know your place." I said it to them with narrowed eyes and they began to fake laugh.
At school, I'm popular. Maybe because I'm also the face of the school. But I'm popular even more in my class section. I sure do know them all, but there is only one person whom I truly consider best of my friends.
Her name is Tomo. She was my friend since grade school and I was so happy when she enrolled in the same high school with me.
Whenever I didn't review for a test, she's always there to help me out. Whenever I'm having difficulties with a subject, she always lets me come to her place, so that she could teach me.
She and I always had lunch together and all of my classmates knew that as well. That we're best friends.
I whispered at Tomo, "Hey Tomo, do you wanna have lunch with me later at the... Roof?"
"Sure. I know just a way on how we could slip through..." She smirked as she said that.
My eyes then opened widely, "Really!? Show me that later, then."
We both laughed silently with each other as if we're planning something evil.
As the bell rung for lunch, Tomo and I quickly head to the comfort room to discuss our plan.
"Ok, so the teachers also take their lunch and since they're not like students, they leave their office to eat at the canteen. The janitor as well, takes his lunch in his own room. Both the janitor and teachers will take their lunch once the bell rang after 10-20 minutes, so if we wait by that time, then we can sneak in to the roof as quickly as possible." Tomo says.
I was astonished, "Woah... That's great! Oh, Tomo... You're always this smart. How did you even come up with this?"
She smirked, "I have been observing them for a while and since you are getting more and more popular, I decided to plan a lunch at the roof. But instead, you asked me first."
"Oh, Tomo... No matter how popular I get, you'll always be my best friend."
Tomo and I laughed with each other.
After waiting for a while, we sneaked to to the rooftop. We enjoyed our lunch there and had fun conversation with each other.
It was a fun day. A fun day with Tomo. I promise that when I get home, I'll make sure to have fun with my sister as well...
I felt excited. So, after the school, I quickly said goodbye to Tomo and head home immediately.
"I'm home!" I said it with excitement.
My dad welcomes me back as well as my mother.
I asked my father, "Dad, where's sister?"
"She isn't home yet. Come join their training for a while, while we wait for your sister. Ok?"
I nodded and quickly changed to my training outfit. I have a teacher who was trained by my father personally, but ended up losing against me. The rest of the trainees lost to me over and over again, as well.
My father always taught me in private and because of him, I learned a lot about kendo.
I could beat all of his new trainees and even his past trainees, except one. My sister, Akame.
She beats everyone including my father several times, that's why I want to learn from her.
Father says she has a unique ability. He said that she could see the move you are attempting to do even before you try it.
I lost to her because of that. But since I now know her secret ability, I've come up with different experimental strategies to beat her. I am hoping that she will at least maybe smile at me if I beat her and finally proven myself to her...
After waiting for hours, she finally came home. My father was waiting at the gate, when suddenly, he slapped her.
I was shocked. My sister didn't even react, instead, she bowed down and just quickly head inside. I felt bad for her...
My sister was then on her training gear. My father actually instructed her to help me improve and that he will be watching. Basically, my father wants my sister to train me to be as strong as her.
As soon as the training starts, I immediately head on and began to parry with her. I tried to hit her head, but it's a miss. I began to rethink of my experimental move. So, instead of going for her head, I tried to hit her elbows, her body, her shoulders, and even her wrists.
My strategy is to make her focus on parrying my attacks, while also finding the right timing to attack her other parts. If she gets distracted by my attacks, only then I'll hit her head.
After a few minutes, my strategy is working. She began to focus on defending her different parts without noticing her head was open.
I quickly took the opportunity and approached it fast, because otherwise, she would figure out my strategy.
Speed becomes my friend and because of that, I successfully hit my sister in the head.
I was speechless, because this is the first time I finally landed a hit on my sister's head. But I felt sorry for her, because it must've hurt so much. So, I quickly bowed down and apologized to her, after.
I was expecting that she would smile since I finally hit her, but instead, she glared at me and asks my father for a second round.
I was shaking and trembling a little since I made my sister angry. She always had this poker face, but this time, it changed into a grumpy one.
I knew my sister is going to have her revenge, that's why I prepared and readied my stance again.
As soon as our second round starts, I was about to do the same thing as I did before, when suddenly, she quickly attacked from above and hits my head. It was somehow a powerful and fast attack that it almost knocked me down.
I felt drowsy after that. My father then slapped and scolded my sister again, but I tried to stop him saying it was just an accident.
That time, my sister was about to cry, but she quickly wiped it off and ran to her room, instead.
I felt so sorry for her. It wasn't her fault, it was all mine... If I just didn't hit her, maybe things would've stayed the same...
The next day, during breakfast. I've been thinking of apologizing to my sister. My mother cheered for me by whispering, 'You can do it...'
As I was about to say it, my sister then gets up without finishing her food at the table. She was being rude at that moment.
But before she left, father halted her, to tell her not to come home early. So, I immediately yelled at my father,
"Dad, please! It was just an accident... Why can't you forgive her? It was my fault, after all..."
He gnashed angrily, "I don't care. She comes home late anyways, she might want to at least stay late forever now."
"Honey... Aren't you being too hard on her?" My mother asks.
"I said I don't care! My decision is final!" He yelled.
As soon as he said that, my sister already left the house. I felt so sorry for her. I began to cry and hated my dad. I then left home and told my father I won't be doing training tonight.
My mother couldn't do anything about it. She was like his puppet, doing nothing and just following whatever father says. My family must've been like this ever since. It's just that my sister knew it earlier. Now I finally know why my sister hated our family...
During our lunch at school, me and Tomo had a conversation about my sister, "I just made my sister mad..." I muttered.
Tomo was shocked, "Really? I mean, I know she always gets mad at you, but what did you do this time?"
"Well... I landed a hit on her during our training last night."
She was so surprised, "Wow! Really!? I thought no one could ever land a hit on her? Not even your father. Just how?"
"She must've had a hard day yesterday and was not focused. I mean, it's like I woke her entire soul and body right after I hit her head."
"No, no, no, no. That just means you're getting better and someday you could beat your sister."
"No! I don't wanna be better than her. I just thought that if I finally landed a hit on her, then she will recognize me as her sister. I just wanna see her smile, that's all..."
Tomo tries to comfort me, "Look... If she doesn't see you as her sister, you have me! I can be your sister!"
I giggled, "Haha! No, Tomo. You're already my best friend. What I mean is sister related in blood."
"What? Being sisters doesn't mean you needed to be related in blood. Sometimes, you become sisters when you have similar goals and plans."
"Really? Goals? Plans? What is even our goals and plans to make us sisters then?"
She smirked, "Ok... I've been planning we should go to the mall and have some fun. The plan is of course to go to the mall and the goal is to have fun. Get it?Come on! I know you wanna do it too..."
I giggled again, "Haha! Well... That's a good plan. Why don't we do it right after school, then?"
"Yes!" She cheered, but she suddenly realized, "--Wait what? Don't you have training after school?"
I grinned and replied hastily, "Nope! I told my dad lately I'm not having training today."
"Wha-What about your sister? Is she not doing training later, too? I mean, I know you train with her. Are you gonna leave her train alone?"
I replied hastily again, "Nope! My father told her she doesn't have to train me anymore, so yeah! Although it's sad because me and my sister will no longer train, it does give me free time now."
She was speechless, "Ok then... Alright! It's settled. Let's go the mall and have fun after school. Ok?"
I agreed and said yes to her.
Right after the school, we quickly head to the mall. We had snacks, we played in the arcade, we sang in a karaoke, and then we window shopped everywhere.
We did a lot and it even took us almost night. However, as we walk around to window shop, I saw my sister with her friends, leaving the mall.
It was my first time seeing my sister laughing and having fun. Now I realized why she sometimes comes home late. It's because she was having fun with her friends rather than with us at home.
I felt happy the moment I saw my sister, smiling and laughing. So, I quickly grabbed Tomo's hand and said,
"Come! Let's have some milk teas before we leave. It'll be my treat."
She was surprised and didn't know what to do.
As we bought the milk teas, she then asks me, "What's gotten into you?"
I smiled, "My wish came true... I finally saw my sister smile..."
She panicked, "Whaaat!? How? Did you see her? Did she saw us both? Where is she?"
I tried to calm her, "Woah. Calm down... She already left the mall... With her friends..."
She let out a deep breath, "Oh... With her friends? That's great then. I thought she saw us. If she saw us, I'm dead."
I laughed out loud, "Hahaha! Relax! Even if she saw us, she's not gonna do anything. It was just my father who is strict."
Tomo sighs and calmed down. I instantly laughed at her for being so over conscious. After that, we left the mall and said goodbyes to each other.
As I head home, I've been thinking what could be our dinner. I'm also expecting a warm welcome from my mom. My father on the other hand, loved me so much, so I'm pretty sure he wouldn't scold me that hard.
I finally learned my sister's secret. I saw her smile, so I guess I don't have to worry making her smile anymore.
It was a wonderful evening for me that day, but it was also the most brutal and saddest time of my life...
When I got home and was expecting a common welcome home from my parents. I see both of their decapitated heads, lying on the ground and welcoming me, instead. Whilst my sister was sitting above their body, smiling and looking at me with intent, and has this sadistic smug face as she watches my frightened reaction. She was so evil...
I fell on my knees. I was trembling in fear as I cry. I asked my sister with stuttering voice,
"Si-Sister!? Wha-What happened here?? Wh-Why are you sitting on their body? And why are their heads, decapitated? Just what is going on??"
She smirked, "Welcome to the cruel world, Toki. This is the reality."
I was puzzled, "What do you mean? This isn't such a cruel wo-"
"This is a cruel world! You never knew this because you were living such a perfect life!" She immediately interrupt me.
I began to cry. Tears from eyes, floods all the way down as my chest started to feel heavy.
She sighed deeply, "Hear me out... The day you were born, I had to take care of you whenever mom was away, while dad orders me around like his slave. You were such a pain. Do you ever wonder why my hair is black and yours is blonde? It's because my real mother was a whore and she cheated on our dad! Since I'm her child resembling her exact features, father thought of me as his slave and never thought of me as his daughter!"
I continued to cry and asks, "Then what did my mother ever do to you?? She was being a good person to you..."
She gnashed, "Good? She is a bad mother! She never talks back to father and always stay neutral. If anything, she only cares for you and not me! Never!"
"She even tried to poison my food because our father told her to do so. However, my senses are too keen to not sense a poison! Now you know why I told her not to give me lunch boxes anymore!" She added.
I felt so sorry for her. I couldn't do anything, I couldn't say anything. It's like a truck full of truth hitting me hard.
She continued her resentment, "I had my revenge with our father by the time I beat him during a kendo duel, but it just somehow makes things worse... I thought I was able to make it to the competition, but instead, he chose you! To do it! While me? I get to train you, to make you stronger! I never wanted to be your trainer! I never wanted to train you! Never!"
There's nothing I could do except crying as she said all those painful words.
"Even at school..." She began to produce tears in her eyes, "--I always get bullied by my teachers and classmates." But she immediately wiped it off, "--And I had enough!"
I was shocked to hear that. I never thought that she's been through a lot, even at school. I felt so sorry for her...
I tried to beg for her, "Sister... All I wanted to see is to see you smile... If this is what will make you happy... If I've become such a pain to you... Then end me here now, along with our parents... Please..."
She looked down at me with glaring, wide eyes, "No... I want you to walk the same path as I did. I want you to suffer too..."
She then handed me a keychain. It was a dual katana with blue hilts and black scabbards.
I was confused, "Wha-What's this? Why are you giving me these?"
She then tapped my shoulder, "Figure it out on your own. Don't let anyone take that keychain. And make sure to survive. I'll come find you when the time is right..."
She then left me in the house after that, along with our parent's dead body. I never stopped crying that night.
The next day, the news showed that an entire population of a schoolーin which my sister was schooledーwere massacred. My best friend Tomo and her family, were massacred that day too.
I ran and ran, away from the people who were hunting me because of my keychainーthe keychain that my sister gave me.
I ran and ran, until I met Shoto Mamuro. He saved me from them and he became my sanctuary. He taught me how to fight, how to use the keychain, and how to live a life while fighting for survival.
In the end, I figured it out on my own. I didn't let anyone take the keychain and I survived, just as my sister said.
Now all I have to do is to wait for my sister to come find me. To finish this all, once and for all.
We are the Asano sisters, and this is our cruel world...