"Shall we begin?"
An ominously deep but mesmerizing voice echoed throughout the deserted underground facility of FSG. The glint of the man's golden mask reflected the only source of light in the almost pitch black atmosphere, even preventing the shadows to creep onto the walls of a small room. It was just supposed to be another gathering of high ranking officials to discuss their students' recently completed quests. However, the shogun himself attended and ordered every single personnel to leave the area.
"Should we not wait for the others, Kaishin-sama?..", pleaded retired general Shirohige courteously, who sat across a long table from the shogun.
"There is no need, Shirohige-sensei..", answered Kaishin while placing his hands on the papers rested on the table. He then shot glances towards the six other shadowy figures of men present. "This is not a 'Round Table' meeting. Yanagi, Ota, Nagaoka, Hayama, Hanagawa and Vignar are here.. and they would suffice. Your colleagues can just follow."
All of a sudden, the door to the room blasted open, almost dislodging itself from the wall. Two men hurriedly went inside while catching their breaths. One was a thick browed man with a long bow, the other was a man in his forties with a long pointed beard. Upon seeing the shogun, they frantically dropped to their knees and slammed their foreheads on the floor.
"Shogun-sama! We apologize for not making it in time..", begged general Furusawa in prostration.
A droplet of sweat rolled out of the shogun's head. "There's no need for that. Get up, Furusawa, Nobunaga.."
"But shogun-sama! We didn't know you were coming until it was too late..", continued Furusawa without moving a muscle as if he did not hear the shogun's words. "Have mercy on us.."
"Get up, you two! And please have a seat..", Kaishin insisted, getting the two generals' full attention. He even gestured at the seats with his hand as the two looked up.
"Of course, milord..", Furusawa acknowledged as he and Nobunaga hurriedly went to their seats.
"I believe you were all supposed to be gathered here tonight to assess your students' performances last summer..", Kaishin began as everyone sat on the edge of their seats. "However, my sudden intrusion here warrants something of a more serious matter.. but first, I'd like to confirm if an unexpected guest appeared in our lands lately."
All of the men exchanged looks at each other. It was as if they were asking around nonverbally of what the shogun was talking about. Clueless as they may have seemed, one individual did have the slightest of ideas of what was going on though.
"Yes, your excellency..", replied Shinsuke with a partially raised hand. "In fact, Yoshiki-taichou and Suzumiya-taichou are escorting this troublesome individual currently and are on the way here."
"I see. So, she is here..", answered Kaishin with a nod.
Nobunaga furrowed his thick as a bush eyebrows and squinted a little as he spoke. "Pardon me shogun-sama.. but what exactly are we talking about?"
"A certain individual has valuable information about the Shizuoka cult siege..", replied Kaishin quickly. "But that is an issue we shall be talking about when she arrives. For now.. I'd like to know why children were given a quest of such grave danger. Don't you all think the incident in Shizuoka was a little too much for high school freshmen?"
Furusawa immediately raised a point. "I take full responsibility as the principal of FSG, shogun-sama. Such an event was unforeseen by me. If I were more vigilant, I should've rejected the request."
However, Hayama rebutted his superior's argument. "Shogun-sama, it is I who should take responsibility.. I was the one who gave Shinazugawa, Sendou and Fukuoka the quest that led to everything. I was also the one who set the quest's difficulty to intermediate."
"Oh, I had a hand in it too.. the difficulty I mean, shogun-sama..", added Hanagawa with a raised arm as well.
Kaishin sighed inside his metallic mask. "Well, clearly that intermediate quest went to something far more difficult.. I'd love to know what went wrong, Hayama.. because we wouldn't want to send promising kids to their early deaths in the near future, don't you agree?"
"I agree, your excellency..", acknowledged Hayama. "It is I who failed to assess the risks involved with this quest.. that's what went wrong."
Out of nowhere, Vignar stood in all his enormity and bowed to the shogun before speaking. "My lord.. I have been a foreigner of these lands for the longest time.. and I've seen many instances that played before me with great threat. With all due respect.. no one could've seen this coming. The Shinigami cult have been nothing but a nuisance for as long as I can remember. It was inconceivable for them to have such power."
Kaishin nodded in agreement as Vignar sat down again. He switched his unknowable gaze once more towards Hayama as he spoke. "That was a fair point from Vignar-san.. but what this entails is you're all giving me an impression that intermediate quests and above cannot be determined accurately. Military schools give students tasks on the field to learn from first hand experience. My friends.. this discussion is leaning towards the abolition of the quest system."
"I believe the correct question there is what went right, Lord Kaishin..", a voice of a woman suddenly asked from the dark side of the room.
As a black haired woman, with slightly pointed ears and clad in a black robe with purple trimmings, emerged from the shadows, everyone present aside from the shogun drew their weapons to prepare arresting the intruder. But the woman simply raised her arms in surrender and gave off a giggle.
General Yoshiki also revealed herself behind the mysterious woman along with general Suzumiya. They both stepped in front of the lady to face everyone else.
"I'm afraid I would have to agree with her, Kaishin-sama..", stated Yoshiki as she raised an arm to protect the dark clad woman.
"As would I..", added Suzumiya.
After letting out a long and tired breath, Kaishin ordered everyone to be at ease. "Mina-san.. stand down. She's not a threat.. and it would be wrong for us to arrest a heroine who fought for everyone's sake in the Abyssal Calamity. Let's just
calm down and take our seats."
Ota and Hanagawa shrugged their shoulders as they stared each other in confusion and sat down. Apparently, they have not met this heroine the shogun was referring to. However, the rest seemed to have an idea of who she was. They just all acted on impulse upon seeing a Necromantic witch in front of them.
"Lady Minerva.. welcome, please have a seat..", addressed Kaishin as he gestured towards an empty chair opposite of him.
Minerva curtsied first before she sat down. She glanced at everyone with her magenta eyes and smiled sheepishly as she greeted. "Thank you very much for your warm welcome, young saviors of Jihon."
As he placed his hands comfortably on the table, Kaishin sat back on his chair and placed his scrutinizing attention on the visiting witch. "You were saying about what went right.. enlighten us, milady."
"Everyone returned in one piece, am I wrong? Not to mention.. not a single innocent life perished on that night..", pointed Minerva out as she looked straight into the eyes of the shogun behind his golden mask. "In my opinion.. your commanders should be given praise for sending in competent soldiers to protect Shizuoka."
"Well said, Lady Minerva.. but I still fail to see how it was right to send mere children into a battle field where even most seasoned veterans would have a hard time with..", shot Kaishin back as he crossed his arms. "We were just fortunate it all turned out in our favor."
"Lord Kaishin, it was never righteous to send anyone through conflict to begin with.. it had always been how it was resolved in the end that makes it right.."
Such wise words from the old witch should have been heeded as sweet sprinkling over ice shavings to calm the nerves in a hot post summer night. However, acknowledging wisdom from someone against their leader's wishes was an uncomfortable position to be in for the commanders of Jihon's military sector. Tension filled the air as they shot anxious glances alternately at Minerva and Kaishin within the deafening silence of the room.
"Kaishin-sama, If I may add..", Yoshiki broke the noiselessness as she leaned forward to catch her superior's attention. "I was the one who requested Hayama to bring the whole class of first years to the quest. I did so because I believed in their capabilities to handle the risks I myself assessed beforehand, basing it on their performance in the Minami incident.. and don't forget I also brought in Nishida Aya and FSG's Round Table along if ever it went out of hand."
"And it turned out a wise decision.. right, young Mizuki?..", added Minerva with an encouraging smile.
Yoshiki Mizuki looked down and blushed adorably at Minerva's comment regarding her age before she shyly answered. "Yes.. L.. Lady Minerva.."
All the men in the room sat back and gasped in unison upon seeing what just happened. "Kawaii (so cute).."
As he let out another long fatigued sigh, Kaishin slumped in his chair and addressed the issue. "I guess it cannot be helped.. the young ones did well in Shizuoka if even Yoshiki-taichou acknowledges them.."
"I guess the rumors about the shogun being afraid of women are true..", thought Ota, the school's Shinobi trainer, with a droplet of sweat breaking out of his head.
"But I still insist on revising the quest giving system of our students, so we can avoid having their lives put in unnecessary danger..", Kaishin continued his orders as he sat back up straight. "Remember.. it is our duty as teachers to have them graduate and become full fledged defenders of our great nation. With that.. I would like copies of the first years' individual performances on my desk tomorrow. Understood?"
"Hai, shogun-sama!..", all officers acknowledged at the same time.
And then, Kaishin redirected his gaze towards the deceivingly young but in reality old black mage seated opposite of him. "Now.. to the next agenda. You do have more underlying information about the Shinigami cult's attack on Shizuoka, Lady Minerva.. yes?"
"Indeed, young lord Kaishin.. that's why I am here..", replied Minerva with a teasing grin on her face. "Young Mizuki, young Akira and young Shinsuke already know about this.. but let me begin from the start for all of you to see the brighter image.."
It was during the night before Shizuoka's fireworks took to the sky when Minerva arrived on Jihonian soil. After dealing with the remainder of the Shinigami cult, she made herself known to the best of FSG and told her purpose of being there.
"I can understand your reluctance for dealing with the likes of me, young ones..", pointed Minerva out as she stopped walking through the rubble of what used to be the cult's hideout. She looked back to FSG's unit who were keeping their distance from her. "After all, it isn't very often to meet someone of the Necromantic arts in your country."
"But of course.. Necromancy is forbidden here..", responded Hayama coldly. "State your purpose for coming here, witch."
However, before Minerva was able to answer, a severely weakened Reinhardt made a last ditch effort to strike Minerva from behind with a dagger. The Necromantic witch simply sighed and did not budge as she already knew someone else jumped from the shadows to her rescue.
Blood sprayed out from Natsuo, Gouro and Shouya's noses the moment they saw who came to Minerva's aid. They all turned around in embarrassment as the woman wearing just her underwear apprehended Reinhardt.
Minerva glared at the fallen Lich, who was being bound by the bare naked Aya with her "Blood Art". "What are you doing, lord Reinhardt? You should be ashamed of yourself.."
As he struggled from Aya's grip, Reinhardt did not heed Minerva's words and growled at his captor instead. "How dare you touch me, girl?! Don't you know who I am?!"
"No, never heard of you..", taunted Aya as she casted her "Blood Chains" securely on her prisoner. "And I advise you to stay still.. or else I'll cut you open and bind you with your own entrails."
"What insolence! I am a subject of the Harbinger of Death! I am the Heir of the Necromancer!..", shot Reinhardt back while struggling to break free.
"Used to be.. many more talented younglings took on that role after you..", sneered Minerva as she snapped her fingers to summon "Bone Clippings" to shut Reinhardt's mouth tight. "Now, shut it before you confuse the children gathered around us."
"But before that..", added Gouro who was still facing the other direction and blushing madly along with Natsuo and Shouya. "Aya-neechan.. can we turn around already? Are you finally decent now?"
"There was no need to keep your lewd gazes away from me anyway..", replied Aya plainly while she stood up. "This is the beach."
"There is a clear difference between two piece swimsuits and bras paired with pantsu!..", exclaimed Natsuo as the thought of black lingerie gave him a fresh nosebleed. "Please cover yourself up, Nishida-nee!"
"I believe I would have to agree with Natsuo-san..", added Shouya in a specific tune that seemed to have increased his redness. "Oh.. but a mature woman's body.. what a heavenly sight.."
"All the blood I used to cloth me already burned up in the fires earlier.. it cannot be helped..", responded Aya blankly. "Am I at fault? If so.. I need to be punished."
Shinsuke just broke a drop of sweat awkwardly and approached Aya. He removed his own cloak and used it to cover his almost bare subordinate up.
Aya stared at her Helm with a mix of eagerness and concern before she spoke again. "I did something wrong, kaichou. Please punish me with whatever means you desire."
"There is no need for that..", assured Shinsuke with a smile to Aya's disappointment. He then shifted his gaze at the Necromancer before them. "Lady Minerva.. you were saying something?"
Minerva cleared her throat before she addressed everyone. "As many of you don't know.. my mission is to change the tainted image of Necromancy throughout the world. It is most especially in countries like Jihon where the school of magic is banned that I have to put more attention to..
"However, sloppy users of my beloved art seemed to have impeded my vision for the future of Necromancy lately.. I am here to stop a powerful rogue Necromancer, hiding and inciting evil deeds within the shadows of your land."
Yoshiki shot a quick skeptic glance at Reinhardt. "Then, it appears you've found your culprit."
Surprised with the Nekokunoichi's comment, Minerva's eyes went round. But her shocked expression did not last long as it also caused her to laugh. "Are you referring to our prisoner here? Goodness, no! My dear.. the search for the real enemy has just begun.. this one here is small fry."
"Small fry?..", inquired Kaishin suddenly, bringing the conversation back to the present inside a dark room underneath FSG. "That small fry endangered the lives of thousands of good citizens!"
Everyone in the meeting seemed to have shared the same sentiment as the shogun. Astounded, the military officials of Jihon stared at Minerva with cold sweat dripping from their heads as their inquisitively widened eyes sought out for some clarifications.
"This is precisely why I want to show the world of what Necromancy was all about..", stated Minerva while she gestured to everyone with her hands. "Banning it would not do the trick. Shizuoka was just a glimpse of the boundless power of this magic."
"But I thought that this Reinhardt used to be a successor to you? He's just some small fry?..", asked Furusawa frantically.
"Because of my long lifespan as a half Elf, many Heirs and Heiresses from different generations have already passed on after Reinhardt..", replied Minerva in a more serious tone. "His ways have become sloppy compared to the younger generations."
"That display of power was sloppy? Forgive me.. but to us, the thought of almost losing an entire town to an enemy is a little bit of an overstatement to be called sloppy..", the middle aged archery trainer, Nagaoka, raised his point with some fury in his tone. "And how can you even prove that there's someone much stronger within our borders?"
"I have been a conjurer for over fifty years, Mister Nagaoka..", answered Minerva with a cold gaze. "My connection to the Void allows me to detect disturbances within it. It would be wise to keep your emotions to yourself, young one.. to avoid downplaying what I am capable of."
Minerva's soul piercing stare sent bone chilling shivers throughout Nagaoka's body. He swallowed nothing but air in fear before he responded. "Of course, ma'am.. forgive my intrusion."
"Well.. with that said, I am here to inform you that a large number of souls from Jihon had been lingering inside the Void and have not passed on to the realm of the Underworld..", continued Minerva, causing everybody to sit on the edge of their seats in great worry. "That is an indication of a large scale Necromantic ritual being incited.. and that is exactly how I was able to deduct where in the world it is being done.. here."
"Ryuujin help us..", mumbled Kaishin with concern.
Shinsuke raised his hand and asked. "Lady Minerva, can you pinpoint where exactly in Jihon the source of the magic is?"
Minerva simply shook her head. "Unfortunately, I cannot, dear Shinsuke.. or is it Shinsuke-kun in your language? It would take extremely great skill even for someone like me.. but I do have a suggestion for all of you."
"And what would that be?..", asked Kaishin.
As she placed her chin on her palms while resting her elbows on the table, she smiled sheepishly at the shogun. "Work with me.."
The supposed meeting of FSG's faculty for their students' performances turned out to become another large scale quest debriefing. Since the second semester was about to start, the gathering of these officials still had to discuss their original agenda, so it lasted until dawn, when wake up alarms started blurting out of the many "console commands" throughout Fujiishima.
However, a certain scruffy haired boy was pulled out of his unorganized sheets by something else. It was the merciless blaring of his "Tanuki-hime" themed ringtone. Someone was calling him.
"Kinjou.. why the hell are you calling so early?..", asked Seijurou through the "console command call option" with his low toned bed voice. "It's so cold.. I didn't want to get up yet.."
"I know, right? It's really, really cold that it's nice to stay in bed!..", replied Satsuki in her cheerfully perky high pitched voice, making Seijurou turn his ear away from the call to avoid losing his hearing. "It's autumn already!"
"If you wanted to sleep more, then why wake up already?..", asked Seijurou plainly as he slammed his head back in his pillows. "Do we have training in the dojo?"
"Eh? What are you talking about, Erida-kun? It's the first day of school again!"
Seijurou sat back up again with some drowsy panic. "What? Oh.. right.."
Satsuki giggled from the other side of the line. "Wakey, wakey! Aren't you excited? I wonder what Hayama-sensei has in store for us.."
"I have my own alarm scheduled for later, you know..", answered Seijurou with a blank face. He knew something was up again. "Kinjou.."
"Yup, yup?"
"Are you bringing that many stuff to school again?"
"Hihi.."
A few moments of silence allowed the crickets from outside to chirp for their last call before the sun rises.
"Don't bother coming here..", insisted Seijurou.
"Okay..", the world suddenly went down with Satsuki's sad tone.
But a smirk began to form on Seijurou's face. "I'll go pick you up and carry your stuff."
"Really?"
"Yes.."
"You promise?"
"Sure.."
"Yay!!!..", beamed Satsuki as the world around her began to shine again. "I'll go get ready. See yah in a bit!"
As he stood up to open his windows, the world transformed into a dark shade of red before Seijurou's dark brown irises. It was the time of the year when the leaves of the trees around town took on a scarlet coloring, dropping into foliage on the roads, only to be swept by passing carriages.
"It still amazes me how quick the seasons change..", muttered Seijurou to himself. "So.. I guess, it's fall."
Monogatari Concepts:
Elf ā or the Elven people is a race of Player Characters who are believed to be the first inhabitants of the great nation of the Westerlies. Beautiful, majestic and godly in appearance, they are believed to be created in the image and likeness of the goddess of beauty, Bellarine. Wise due to their immense lifespans, historians consider them to be the progenitors of magic.
Little is known about the Elves in Jihon since they mainly live far in the western hemisphere. But whenever Jihonians see one, they are sure to catch attention because of their tall and mesmerizing appearance along with their pointed ears.
Character Description:
Wakaba Natsuo ā a third year member of FSG's Round Table of Seven, occupying the third seat of the Helm's right hand. His name literally translates to "Summer Young Leaf". Even if he ranks sixth among the members of the Round Table, he is still considered as one of, if not the best "Knight Build" in all of Jihon. However, unlike the typical "sword and board" knight, he wields a gigantic two handed sword, called a claymore, and is clad in heavy "crusader's armor".
As his name entails, Natsuo has a personality as hot as the summer. He usually is loud and quick to anger, but that same energy also pumps him up easily for a battle. He openly admits being proud of his manly characteristics. Although it seems his attitude suggests he could be reckless in a fight, it is actually the opposite. He may go berserk anytime, but he has a good head on his shoulders and would never go to battle head on without properly assessing the situation.
Just like how I conceptualized Nagato's character, I purposely created Natsuo to be the big guy of the Round Table. But the difference is his imposing stature matches his attitude and is not the gentle giant sort. Being the big brother kind of senpai, his image is the kind that demands respect among his juniors. He is not a bully though. In fact, he is prepared to sacrifice himself for those who are smaller and weaker than him.
When not seen in his armor or school uniform, Natsuo is usually seen in board shorts and a tank top with flip flops for his footwear (even in the cold months because for him, a real man endures the cold). He stands at an astonishing 206cm and weighs in at 103kg. As a borderline pyromaniac, his favorite thing is lighting fireworks and grilling sea food in a bonfire by the beach (a typical beach bum as well).