The morning sun moves over the horizon. Golden light shines through the pine trees that surround the village. Long shadows stretched across the dirt paths between the wooden houses. Felix and Suzu ran through the open wooden door. Their breathing could be seen in the crisp morning air.
The village came alive before their eyes. Previously hidden details were now bathed in the soft morning light. The earthy scent of grass permeated the air, now tinged with the sharp metallic scent of fresh blood.
Felix's gaze landed on Ryota, who was standing some distance away in the center of the bare road. Ryota was wincing in agony, his facial attributes distorted as he held his palm. Crimson liquid was oozing out between Ryota's two hands, spilling onto the ground below him. In the background, Kai and Jun were petrified, with their innocent faces whitened in horror.
Next to Ryota was a man in a black kimono. His silk robe glistened in the morning light. The stranger's bloodied katana glowed ominously, reflecting the sunlight and casting tiny dances of light on the ground. Felix's eyes stared at the man, and a spark of recognition shone in his head. The Kalanchoe flower symbol embroidered on the back of the kimono was unmistakable. This man was one of Miku Yotsuba's samurai.
Without warning, the calm daybreak was shattered by bedlam. Several more men clad in identical black kimonos dashed forth from the alleys between the houses, their feet clad in tabi, sending tiny spirals of dust into the air. One of them, looking visibly distressed, shouted,
"What happened?"
The individual brandishing the stained katana spun around to face his fellow comrades, whose expressions were nothing short of tense.
"There are intruders in the village!" He had to yell and pointed out Felix and Suzu with his sword. The blade left a faint arc of red in the air as he moved.
In the blink of an eye, the mood changed. The newcomers had their hands on the hilts of their katanas, and their eyes deadly. Felix and Suzu adverted their eyes from one to another, only to find themselves surrounded, outnumbered, outarmed, and out of breath.
A commanding feminine voice shattered the silence amidst the armed men.
"Who dares to trespass into my village?" Her words resonated with a sense of calm authority.
The men instinctively made way, creating a path to the origin of the voice. A woman emerged, exuding a presence that demanded reverence. It was none other than Miku Yotsuba.
"Lady Yotsuba, these people are intruders," said one of the men with the bloody katana.
"Is this her village?" Felix thought with his eyes widened in amazement.
Beside Felix, Ryota whispered to himself, "Lady Yotsuba?"
His voice trembled slightly—a mixture of fear and terror. Felix could almost see the expression on Ryota's face; his eyes widened.
Miku made a step forward towards Ryota. The dull sound of her Geta against the dirt path was somehow out of place in the oppressive silence. Her sharp, calculating gaze swept the scene full of young, frightened faces. However, when the gaze found its way back to Felix, she seemed to recognize him from El Verde.
"It's you!" she exclaimed, her voice a mixture of surprise and something else—was it anger? Anticipation?
All of a sudden, devoid of any presentiment, and in a fluid motion that portrayed years of training, Miku unsheathed both katanas from the sayas at her hip. The sound of metal gliding down leather pierced the quiet of the morning sky like that of a knife. With such shocking rapidity that even Ryota was unable to keep up, she dashed in the direction of Felix, her two blades glinting in the sun as she swung them towards his head.
Felix anticipated the assault, and his augmented senses gave him a perspective of the world almost in slow motion. He bent backwards, sensing the edge of the sword almost grazing his forehead. The air was displaced by the katana's swing, blowing Felix's hair back, a cold reminder of his near brush with death.
Yet Miku pressed on. The second katana, this one oriented at Felix's legs, swung low. He blurred and escaped, drawing back fast from Miku with his speed that was craftily beyond natural.
Miku came to a halt, her head turning slowly as she began to follow Felix with her gaze. Once again, her gaze was settled on him, sharp and cold as ice. She tightened her katanas' grips, ready to attack once more, but this time with great speed and accuracy, unlike the first one.
Suddenly, a figure interposed itself between them. It was the old blind lady, her wrinkled hands outstretched as if to ward off the violence.
"Stop this at once, Miku," she shouted, her voice carrying strength.
Miku's expression relaxed for a split second, clarity overcoming the resolve etched across her face.
"A clan leader is how you are supposed to refer to me," she said, enunciating firmly with an impassive expression.
"Even if you are my grandmother."
The startling information lingered above and below, only serving to complicate an already complicated situation. Felix was disoriented by this new knowledge, and his mind raced as he began to fit the last puzzle pieces together.
"And why are you protecting him?" Miku continued, lowering her katanas slightly but not sheathing them. Her eyes narrowed as she glanced around the village square.
"I thought you were supposed to gather information on him. I allowed you the mission because you wanted to be helpful."
Her gaze sharpened as she scanned the faces around her.
"And where is Kimiko?"
Felix's thoughts raced.
"Her grandmother?" he mused with surprise.
"She was following me?"
Now everything was becoming clear; the day Felix met the old lady by the river wasn't a mere coincidence, and when she saved him and the others from the Kaals and how she had that incredible amount of Zor energy. She had been following him since he left El Verde. The little trust he had in the old lady shattered, and he found himself doubting even Ryota and the others.
Felix was having a stormy episode of thoughts when the old lady's calm and crisp voice intruded him.
"Yes, I was to keep an eye on him," she admitted.
"But he has been proven innocent and harmless towards the Yotsuba clan."
Miku thought about this for a second, her visage betraying a multitude of emotions. In the end, she put her katanas to their sayas and ordered her men not to engage. The air became less tense, or at least for everyone except for Felix.
"Then why are they staying in the village?" Miku asked, her tone demanding an explanation.
The old lady's voice took on a pleading note.
"They were attacked by Kaals, leaving them grievously wounded. So, I extended an invitation to them, welcoming them into our village."
Miku's eyes tensed again.
"So they have negative Zor energy?"
Miku's expression soured, and her mind was made up.
"Do as you please, but don't interrupt my work, and if they do, I will sentence them to death," she said in a serious manner, as though that was the end of the discussion. After this, she turned her back and walked out of the site, her men following her like shadows.
As the group dispersed, Felix found himself standing in the middle of the village, surrounded by curious and wary faces. When he took a good look at the village, the morning sun continued its ascent, casting new shadows and illuminating new details. He saw broken windows, burned houses, and ruins.
The perfume of destruction he had smelled last night was of this. As he was looking at the village and thinking about how he should talk with the others, as he was uncertain whether to trust them, the lady approached Felix, and Suzu attended to the boys and Ryota.
"Forgive me, dear," the old blind lady murmured softly.
"I had intended to share this with you," she continued, her voice trembling slightly.
"And please, extend your forgiveness to my grandda—I mean, lady Miku," she added.
"But alas, I am filled with shame that you had to learn of it in such a manner."
Felix recalled how earlier she had tried to convey something important; it was exactly what he had just discovered about their connection. Not only that, but she had helped him when he needed it most, and without her intervention, Miku might not have survived.
"Don't worry; I'm not angry or sad," Felix reassured her.
"I don't care that you were spying on me; to me, you're just an old lady who, despite her blindness, helped me when I needed it most," said Felix, the same words that Ryota had given him.
The old woman smiled gently, warmth radiating from her despite her frailty.
"Why do you always smile?" Felix asked, genuinely curious.
He found it amusing—he had never known what it was like to look at someone and smile for no reason.
"It's a way of life," she said.
"Every moment, decision, choice, person, mistake, lesson, failure, breakthrough, and dream are the clouds that shape the sum of your life. Each experience leads to the next, and while it may seem that everything is scattered in the present, hold onto your faith. In time, you'll discover that the rain those clouds bring is filled with joy, not disaster."
"That's what I keep in mind whenever faced with an obstacle or danger," she added softly.
"And although I can't see the rain, I can feel it and smile at it."
Felix's heart and mind were shaken by her profound words. She had wisdom beyond his imagination.
"I'm sorry too, ma'am," he said softly. "For judging you."
"Ah, child, don't worry, and I kindly ask that you refrain from calling me 'ma'am.' It feels rather formal for my liking."
"How about, Granny?" she said.
"Granny?" Felix questioned.
"Now that brings a delightful smile to my heart."
"Oh! How terribly rude of me! I almost forgot to introduce myself all this time. I am Satomi Yotsuba."
"Then please call me Felix instead of 'child,'" he replied warmly.
She nodded, and they turned to check on Ryota, who was lifting Kai and Jun's spirits with his infectious enthusiasm, despite his hand still bleeding.
"He is the most optimistic person I have ever seen," Felix thought as he approached them.
"Look! It's nothing!" Ryota shouted playfully at Jun, who appeared terrified.
Then Ryota lifted him and held him high before launching him several times in the air.
"Ahhh! Please stop! I don't like heights!" Jun shrieked at the top of his lungs.
"Ryota! Are you okay?" Felix called out amidst his laughter.
"Yeah! Totally!" Ryota replied breathlessly as he set Jun down gently on solid ground.
"Here children, have some candy," said Satomi to Kai and Jun.
They took the candy that Satomi gave them, and they ran inside the house alongside Suzu.
"So...she was really Miku Yotsuba?" Ryota said thoughtfully after catching his breath.
"I thought I was going to die for a minute," Ryota said.
"Do you know her?" Felix asked, intrigued.
"Well, I have never actually met her, but when I was a samurai, I heard stories about her from my comrades," Ryota explained.
"They said she was fearless, ruthless, and a determined clan leader."
"The Civil War has turned everything upside down since it began," Ryota continued somberly.
"On the surface, everything looks calm, but deep inside the country, people are dying," Ryota said with a sad look.
"Civil war?" Felix echoed in disbelief.
"Yeah, there is a civil war going on in Higashihara as we speak."
"It's because the Emperor died 16 years ago, and then the Shogun, who was right below the Emperor in status, took the throne because the Emperor didn't have any heirs. However, after being the ruler for 3 years, the Shogun didn't want to be the ruler anymore because the country was in very bad shape, so he chose Tatsuya Yotsuba to be the next emperor. But then Tatsuya was murdered. After that, the 7 clan leaders at the time wanted the throne for themselves, so they started to fight each other, thus starting the civil war."
"Did you say Yotsuba? Felix asked.
"Indeed," Satomi interjected softly, her voice heavy with sorrow, "he was my son."
A tremor passed through her as she continued.
"He was chosen to become Emperor because of his wisdom, his compassion, and his strength."
"Tatsuya was brutally murdered, along with his wife—my daughter-in-law—and their unborn child."
A silence followed, and after a few moments, it was broken by Felix's voice.
"Who did it?" Felix questioned.
"Ah, we do not possess the answer to that question," she mused thoughtfully.
"But it happened right here, in this village."
"Someone turned the village people against the Yotsuba clan. They sowed seeds of distrust and hatred until chaos erupted. On that fateful day, Miku and I barely survived with our lives," she said with a sorrowful voice.
"Since then, Miku has vowed to take revenge on the one who killed them."
"Miku suspects it was one of the rival clans who orchestrated it all," said Satomi.
"And who is Miku if their unborn child died?" Felix pressed further.
"The one who died was her unborn sibling, and she lost her parents when she was just nine years old."
Understanding dawned on Felix; now he knew why Miku seemed so cold and distant—she had lost everything dear to her. In that moment, he felt a kinship with her, recognizing the shared pain of loss that connected them. But why did she harbor such disdain for Satomi?
"Anyways," Ryota said abruptly, breaking the heavy silence, "enough of that talk."
Ryota turned back to Satomi with renewed energy.
"Lady Satomi," he asked eagerly, "do you happen to have a tatara furnace in the village?"
"I believe so," she replied.
Ryota's face lit up with excitement.
"Great! Then I can help you make weapons for your men; that could really help," he exclaimed, his eyes gleaming with the prospect of putting his skills to use.
"That would be wonderful," she replied.
"Could you show me where it is?" Ryota asked eagerly.
"Of course, please follow me."
Ryota turned to Felix. "Felix, please let Suzu know," he said.
Felix nodded and entered the house, and Ryota and Satomi walked towards where the furnace was.
"Are you truly a samurai?" she asked.
"Yes, I was in the Kenshin clan."
"The esteemed Kenshin clan, is it?" She said
"Yeah, but I have nothing to do with them; I left long ago," Ryota said.
"Fear not, for I perceive the truth resonating in your voice.
"However," she added, her voice dropping to a whisper, "had Lady Miku been aware of this, she would not hesitate to take your life without a second thought."
Ryota let out a nervous laugh, rubbing the back of his head. changing the subject and looking straight, Ryota asked.
"So we're following us from the beginning?"
"My only job was to gather information on Felix," she said in a firm voice.
"Why?" Ryota asked
"Because Miku suspected him of being related to the attackers who killed Tatsuya, who are trying to do the same to Miku."
"They are targeting Lady Miku?" Ryota asked.
"Yes, because Miku wants to clean the Yotsuba clan image and find who was the one who killed her family," she said.
"And there is someone who despises the existence of the Yotsuba clan."
Ryota understood that they were in a really bad situation.
"Then I will try to help, as I can, because thanks to you, my family is safe," Ryota said.
Satomi nodded with a smile, and then they continued walking.