His journey up Seppuku Mountain had been perilous, yet Hakuryoku had persevered. Now, he stood before the divine presence of Alpame's shrine, a run-down pavilion surrounded by water, much like the mountain itself. This water had been intentionally placed to prevent the Hikugiri from spreading uncontrollably.
Seeing no bridge to enter Alpame's shrine, Hakuryoku dove into the water and swam towards the shrine. The closer he got to the abandoned shrine, the louder a strange voice became.
"HNaa Haan hnaNNN."
Hakuryoku felt no threat. As a supreme being, most worldly dangers wouldn't even hinder his sleep. Curious to see who was making the sound, as it seemed human, Hakuryoku moved in its direction. He crossed beautiful ponds and corridors, eventually reaching an open-top hallway where the afternoon sun cast rays upon Alpame's golden statue, depicting a lady with a severed head.
In the hall, Hakuryoku saw a man's back. The person wore only lower garments, sweat dripping from his back as he practiced swinging his sword. Intrigued, Hakuryoku, with his blurry eyes, stepped forward. The aged wooden floor creaked, alerting the practicing person.
"Intruder!"
A small knife whizzed through the air, aimed at Hakuryoku's shoulder, but he easily caught it.
"Who are you?" the man asked, taking cover behind a pillar and scanning Hakuryoku, who now stood in the middle of the hall. Seeing Hakuryoku's garb, the person grew nervous.
"You can come out, child. I am not here to harm you," Hakuryoku said calmly. Whether the person was a bandit, homeless person, or even a member of another clan, it concerned the Akatsuki clan. Unless the person was imperial, Hakuryoku didn't care much. What intrigued him was how the man had climbed up here alone. There were no other human presences, which meant he was alone. 'Even if he is an apprentice, avoiding so many Hikugiri and coming here alone is quite surprising. More importantly, his soul is as fragile as a normal human's,' Hakuryoku thought, as he sheathed his katana and placed it on the ground, approaching without a weapon.
Seeing Hakuryoku's gesture, the person hesitated but slowly stepped out from behind the pillar. "Why are you here? Are you perhaps a guard following me?" he asked, still wary.
"I am here to pay homage to the goddess Alpame," Hakuryoku replied calmly. "But now, I am curious about you. How did you manage to reach this shrine alone, without even being a novice?" Hakuryoku asked, his gaze focusing on the absence of an insignia on the man's hair.
The person's eyes narrowed, but he sensed no malice from Hakuryoku. "I... I climb the mountain to train, undisturbed by others. I know some passages that allow me to reach here. Thanks to the water, this place is secluded and safe from the Hikugiri. I didn't expect anyone to visit here for reasons other than seppuku."
Hakuryoku nodded, his interest piqued. "What is your name?"
"Ishin Akatsuki," Ishin replied. "And you?"
"I am Hakuryoku the Undying," he said in a simple tone, emphasizing his title.
"Now, if you'll excuse me," Ishin returned to his training. Seeing that he was a fellow clansman, Ishin didn't feel threatened, although he found Hakuryoku's boastful title amusing. Instead of arguing, he focused on his physical training as the examination approached.
"Aren't you going to ask why I said I am Undying, or inquire if I am or not? Usually, that should have been the question you ask instead of going back to your training. Aren't you afraid that I might be an outsider just disguising as your clan member, hmm?" Hakuryoku asked, not letting this interesting fellow return to his training. He stood with an air of nonchalance, but his blurry gaze bore into Ishin.
It had been many years since someone ignored Hakuryoku this much, even when he openly boasted his title. Normally, anyone would mock, outrage, belittle, curse, praise, or even bootlick—but not ignore. After all, there was only one Undying in the entire history of Thalasor. Hakuryoku's posture was relaxed yet commanding, his eyes twinkling with amusement and a hint of curiosity.
Internally sighing, Ishin spoke up. He didn't really want to argue with Hakuryoku and waste his precious time. After all, he had gone to great lengths to come to this abandoned shrine to train, but now he had this unusual visitor who claimed to be Undying.
He was normally irritated by such distractions. "I have no reason to doubt you. If you wanted to kill me, you would have already done so. I see that you are a seeker; after all, I can see that insignia of blood on your hair. If you were truly an outsider, you wouldn't come all this way to this dilapidated temple because there is nothing here, unless you are particularly following to kill me.
That would make a lot of sense, but you would have already done so if you wanted to. As for your title, it's not my place to be judgmental. If you'll excuse me."
Hakuryoku slightly giggled, his always dazed expression adding an air of mystery. "Not being judgmental? Not a lot of Akatsuki's would agree with you," Hakuryoku continued. "What if I am just an imperial in disguise who has come to your clan to kill your people? What would you do then?"
'Now he really is asking for it,' Ishin thought, turning to Hakuryoku again with a swift motion, pointing his katana to Hakuryoku's throat. His stance was firm and his expression resolute. "Look, old man, this particular area is where I usually train. Scram somewhere else," Ishin said without any fear of the seeker in front of him. "As for what you said, if you really are a guard, this isn't funny. But if you are an enemy to my clan, then listen: Akatsuki is my home and family. If you intend to kill them, do me a favor and pull out your sword."
Hakuryoku's eyes twinkled with amusement, his relaxed posture unchanging. "Brave words, young one. Your loyalty is commendable, but how long will it last."
Hakuryoku started to giggle wildly as the blood insignia on his hair spread to all his hair. Slowly, his hair turned crimson red, but then, at the ends, the hairs became translucent. His tied hair became half crimson red from the start and the other half translucent till the end. His blurry eyes, previously devoid of pupils, began to form crimson pupils, and his entire aura changed from non-existent to threatening.
As the transformation took place, Ishin's entire being screamed at him to run away. Tears started to flow from his eyes, his face contorting in fear as he recalled a similar situation from his past. He felt certain that he was going to die at the hands of this unknown person. 'I... I won't run eve... ever again. I won't,' he thought, with teary eyes and grinding teeth. Ishin took a step forward, delivering a strike with his katana, although he himself was not confident that it would do much.
His stance was tense, his body trembling slightly, yet his grip on the katana was firm. His eyes, filled with a mix of fear and determination, locked onto Hakuryoku. Each movement he made was a testament to his resolve, despite the overwhelming urge to flee. His muscles tightened as he swung the blade, his posture reflecting both his desperation and his courage in the face of what seemed like certain death.