"Before we discuss the events of the day, you must get some content of me and Kenshin's relationship and a little of my past as well," Aina announced as she sat with her legs folded, as she was still covered in the foggy mist.
"I was born Aina of the Isamashii clan, a clan that was famous during the demonic conversion event," Aina explained.
"I knew that sounded familiar," Kivuli remarked as they listened to Aina's story.
"Why?' asked Kiyoshi as Kivuli explains that during the demonic conversion event the Isamashii clan was one of twelve clans/ tribes that contributed heavily to the defeat of the hell's forces. The Isamashii clan specialized in assassinations and ambushes, making them a nightmare for anyone unfortunate to be their target, whether it be human or demon alike.
"After the demonic conversion event and humanity had no more enemies, they turn to the one enemy they were accustomed to before the demons arrived, each other." Remarked Aina as she continued on with her story.
"With the demons gone, what other work can a clan of assassins get besides killing their fellow men? And that is what my clan did for the next couple hundred years. And with the great war accruing among the five great nations, jobs for an assassin clan like the Isamashii were at an all-time high.]
But with outstanding success comes the burden of carrying it. Even though our clan was a prized commodity to the five great nations, they feared us. As if we ever decided to side with one nation, it could spell the end for the other four. So they formed a temporary alliance to eliminate us.
With the overpowering might of the five great nations, my people were eliminated to only a hand full of us. Years after the mass genocide of the Isamashii clan, I was born. Immediately, I was trained in the art of assassination and warfare. I was a master with a sword before I could even walk properly. My entire childhood was spent learning how to take the life of other human beings.
At age five, I learned to track and ambush my targets by hunting beasts in the forest. By age nine, I killed my first human target. By age twelve, I had killed over a hundred men, women, and even children younger than myself. And at age thirteen, I was an official member of the clan and was a sword for hire, making me a killer for hiring the same time I hit puberty.
For many years after that, I spent my life only following orders and completing missions. Not knowing the life a girl my age should have. School, friends, boys none of that I had ever experienced before. Only blood, death, and destruction were all I knew. Until one day when I was twenty, I was sent on a mission to kill a high-ranking governor of Zion by the name of Sir Lionel Rexoff who was traveling through the lands with his arm entourage to persuade lesser nations and towns to join Zion in the war.
The mission was a success and manage to kill Sir Rexoff with ease. But I underestimate the firepower his entourage was carrying, and I was servery injured during the mission. I passed out due to blood loss in the bushes and awoke to find myself in a bed with my injuries treated.
I looked around, wondering where I was to see, to realize I was in some sort of barn-like structure. Soon I was greeted by a man who, at the time, I didn't know will be my future husband, Kenshin. He brought a bucket of fresh clean water and a rag to wash my injuries and treat them. I remember it like yesterday. His warm smile complimented his long brown hair and his glowing green eyes were so inviting.
I remembered for the first time in my life I felt safe being around someone, which was a strange feeling for me. At first, I found Kenshin disgusting. So pleasant, so well mannered, so loving, which was new to me as an assassin. All I knew was blood and training. My parents not once showed me or my siblings any affection, as it would've made me weak, they said. But here was a man that didn't know me and was giving me all this love and affection I had never received in my life before.
For days he would come in, bring me food, change and dress my wounds and leave fresh clothes for me while having a bright smile on his face. Even when I was back up on my feet, he insisted I rest while he did everything.
One day Sir Rexoffs entourage arrived on the farm. They showed Kenshin the wanted poster of me and offered him a hundred bags of gold coins for my captor. But to my surprise, Kenshin turned down the offer and stated they he didn't know my location. But before the men could leave, they saw bloody arrows in a shed, the same arrows that were stuck in me.
Seeing the arrows, the men violently beat Kenshin to an inch of his life, demanding that he tell them where I was. I myself was in no position to help since I could see barely move, but Kenshin didn't say a word until the men gave up and left. With little strength I had remaining, I walked over to Kenshin and asked him why would he take such a beating for someone he didn't know. His response was that I want to get to know that person, that's why.
And not too long after that, we were married and had a kid on the way. So we moved to the town of Uragiri since Kenshin was originally from there and had our other two children.
Everything was perfect. I finally had what the other girls had: a family, with children who adored me and a husband that loved me unconditionally. The life of an assassin was behind for good. We had our little house in the town and even though I made tons more money as an assassin, life was much better. I felt whole.
That was until the battle of Oblidat. Where the men of the town had to go with Xeng soldiers to push off the other invading nations from our home. But just like the other men, my husband had no experience in wars or even a bar fight. I myself was more than willing to go back to that life if it meant protecting my husband and children because even though I was domesticated, I was still a killer at heart. I knew at least that about myself. But at last, no women or young boys were allowed to fight in the war.
So I did the next best thing. I trained my husband to be a killer. For the next three months, I trained him in the art of sword fight, ambush, and other tactics he needed to survive on the battlefield. It was hard on him, not the physical training itself, as he was actually quite gifted. But emotionally, that thought of taking other human life was too much for his pure soul to take. Thinking about knowing those years on the battlefield must of be hell for him taking life afterlife in order to survive in order to protect us.
Kenshin was truly such a pure soul that even though the thought of war and killing other men broke his heart. He put aside his feelings for not only the sake of our family, but to protect his hometown as well. He told me before heading out into battle that the thought of death didn't bother him, but the thought of failing to protect everyone did. Then he ran off into battle.
For years I spent my days seeing about the house and the kids and my night crying, awaiting my husband to return home. After several years, the gods finally answered my prayers and returned my husband safe and sound. But at the cost of everyone else who was sent to the battlefield.
I was so overjoyed with my husband's return that I didn't see or I ignored the sadness and grief in the eyes of everyone else, which will soon be the undoing of my happiness. Days into my husband's return home, we notice that everyone else in town started to act differently toward us. They refused to greet us in the streets and gave us the dirtiness of looks.
My beloved Kenshin soon realized that grief everyone had turned to envy with turn to rage and hatred towards us, as how dare they enjoy happiness while we mourn loved one that how it felt when they looked at us. Kenshin, despite my nagging to leave the town and move somewhere far away, wanted to stay, stating that everyone just need time to mourn and that we will move to the outskirts of the town. He said out of sight, out of mind, and before too long, everyone will be back to normal.
Despite my better judgment, I agreed, and we moved to the outskirts of the town to the house you saw earlier. Everyone was basically back to normal. Until that day came. We were having dinner when all of a sudden people burst through our home from every direction, armed. I tried to grab my sword, but I was attacked from behind and lost consciousness. When I awoke, my beloved husband and children were dead. " Aina paused from her story as she stood up and walked towards Kiyoshi and out of the mist.
As she step out of the mist, her foot was visible as the mist vanished from her foot going up. Soon, her white silky dress could be seen, which was covered by a Japanese-style breastplate. As her long jet-black jet hair blew gently and beautifully within the night breeze.
Lastly, the mist left to relieve the face of a woman who looked no more than thirty, despite having to be around for at least sixty years to witness the battle of Oblidat. Her eyes were a gently but somehow violent shade of blueish-grey. Her face was soft and looked like a goodness of an old fairy tale. Aina's face was free of blemishes and lines as she looked over at Kiyoshi with killer intent.
But as soon as Kiyoshi saw her face, he said to himself, "it can't be Aniko is that you?" In a spooked and depressed tone of voice as his sword drops to the ground in shock.