The Count Of Aoba Johsai

Chapter 4

Warnings: Mentions of torture (not graphic), minor-ish character death (sorry if it seems sudden, there's just not much I could do with it y'know?) ending is kinda crack ngl

~Six Years Later~

It's been six years since Kunimi was sent to Shiratorizawa. Six years since he'd been outside...six years since he's seen his Y/n. Everyday was the same, wake up eventually, eat the terrible food they served, and sit and wait for the day to go by. He slumped against the wall, sighing as his eyes closed and his arms came to lay across his knees. He was barely recognizable by this point. He now had long, shaggy and tangled dark brown hair; which was down to his shoulders now. His dark gray brown eyes were lifeless, simply a void of the warmth they held before. His strong sharp jaw was now hidden by a scruffy short beard. He had just fallen back into self pity when the ground started to shake. Jolting upwards he watched as an old man with messy gray hair erupted from the stone floors. The man looked at Kunimi, and Kunimi looked at the man. Silence lay between the two before he spoke, "Whoops. Wrong way." Kunimi raised a dark brow, "...Wrong way where...?" The old man pulled himself out of the hole, "Wrong way out of here. I have spent the last few years digging this escape passage, only for it to have been the wrong way." Kunimi looked at him slightly perplexed. "How do you know it was the wrong way?" The old man looked at him, "Because if it had been the right way I would have been free by now." Kunimi's eyes widened. Freedom. That was a forgotten concept in this place. Aside from the brutish treatment of the prisoners and the sadistic tendencies of the warden, it was a well known fact that those sent to Shiratorizawa never got out. Kunimi scrambled in front of the man. "I was put in here on false charges, I'm innocent! Please, let me help you-" The old man held a hand up. "What exactly were you put in here for young man." Kunimi took in a shaky breath, "I was betrayed by my closest friend...I was a sailor, we had to stop on the island of Karasuno due to our sickly captain. There...Ushijima gave me a letter to deliver to someone...when I returned I was ripped from my home, charged with treason I didn't commit and thrown in here...Handed to the police on a silver platter by one I considered a brother." The old man nodded, "Son, did it ever occur to you to read said letter?" Kunimi looked down, "No...I can't read..." The old man's eyes widened, before he closed them, sighing. "Well, I see we have something in common." Kunimi looked strangely at the man. "You can't read either?" The man deadpanned, "I can read. I would hope I could, I was a priest after all...I meant being scorned by Ushijima. I was thrown in here by Ushijima himself. I refused to give him the map that led to the treasure of Nekoma, and he had me thrown in here." Kunimi's eyes widened, "The treasure of Nekoma...it's real?" The old man nodded, "It is. Let us make a deal. In return for helping me dig a new tunnel out of here, I'll teach you all I know. Be it scholarship, swordsmanship whatever it may be I will teach it to you." Kunimi looked at the man before nodding, "I accept. Please teach me all you can. Uhm- I never got your name." The old man smiled, "And I never got yours." "...Akira Kunimi." The old man smiled, sticking out a hand for Kunimi to shake. "Ikkei Ukai." From that day forward the two spent hours upon hours everyday digging. While they dug Ikkei would test Kunimi on subjects such as economics, literature, mathematics, all subjects really. When they couldn't dig, they practiced swordsman ship with wooden planks they ripped from the door frame. That was everyday for the next 7 years. This day had gone on like any other. They reviewed material, which was basically all they could do since Kunimi had practically learned it all, refined his swordsmanship and combat skills and continued digging. Over the years Ikkei had been more than a mentor, but he had also been a friend. A close, honest one which was something Kunimi was in dire need of. Ikkei was also an excellent role model. Despite being wrongfully locked in a prison for 18 years, the man held no resentment. That was not something Kunimi could relate to. If there was one thing that kept him going it was the cold, unrelenting feeling of revenge. Everyday he was pushed forward by the knowledge that someday, he would have his revenge, even if it killed him he would have his retribution. Currently, the two were digging their way to freedom when "IKKEI!!!" The tunnel ahead had collapsed, causing Ikkei to take the brunt of the blow. Dragging him out of the tunnel, Kunimi laid him on the floor, frantically searching for a way to help the old man. "Akira..." Kunimi continued to try and stop the bleeding, anything to keep the man alive. "AKIRA!" Kunimi, with tears in his eyes stopped to look at the man. Reaching into his shirt's pocket he pulled out a paper. "..I'm not going to make it...we both know that," "NO! You can't die- You- You can't! I-I'm not ready for you to go!" The old man's features softened, "Akira, You are more than ready *cough* if you use what I have taught you, and you use it for good you will go far in life." He shakily handed Kunimi the paper, "This is the map...the map that leads to the Treasure of Nekoma...use it...for good...Akira...I know...you're a good...man...Farewell My friend..." With that, his eyes closed, releasing his last breath as Kunimi's eyes flooded with tears. Shoving the paper into his shirt Kunimi dried his eyes. He was getting out of here. Maybe not through the tunnel. But he would not let Ikkei's teachings and help go to waste. "GUARDS!! HE'S DEAD! A MAN IS DEAD COME QUICK!" The door busted open, two guards entering and one having been sent to retrieve the warden. Walking in Semi looked down at the old man, "Hm...I must ask, just exactly how has he ended up in here...when I know for a fact his cell is downstairs?" Kunimi glared at the man, Semi just shrugged. "Oh well, he's dead now, nothing I can do about it. Guards, give him the bag I don't care what happens from here, just have him out of here by noon. I don't need the whole prison smelling like death." Turning on his polished heel he walked back to his office, leaving a fuming Kunimi alone. Looking at the body bag, he got an idea....So, that brings us to now, Kunimi is currently being carried by a guard, the guard of course assuming the body in the bag was the old man's, when in fact it was a limp Kunimi. You may be wondering why the guards hadn't noticed, well for one the staff of Shiratorizawa was anything but attentive, so when they came in to retrieve the body they were oblivious to the fact the body in the corner was Ikkei's- not Kunimi's- and that the body in the bag was Kunimi's- not Ikkei's. Exiting the prison, the guards made their way to the edge of the cliff, Semi not too far behind them. "Well, go ahead, I'd much prefer to get back inside if it's all the same to y-" Just as Semi was about to leave Kunimi emerged from the bag, fighting off the guards as he landed a solid punch to Semi's face. Not wanting to waste anytime Kunimi ran and jumped into the sea below, not hesitating for even a second as he did this. As soon as he hit the water he fought the waves to make it to the surface, which he did, as he started his journey to the shore. He didn't know where he was headed, but at this point he didn't even care. He was going to get back to Marseilles, no matter what it took. He swam. And he swam and he swam under one strong wave pushed him onto the grainy sand. He clawed at it as he dragged himself up the beach, he almost cried, laughed even. That is until he was blinded by the glint coming from the sword pointed at his head. "Now, now, now. What do we have here~" Rubbing his eyes and pushing his wet hair out of the way, Kunimi looked up to see chocolate brown eyes looking back at him. "Oi! Loserkawa, what is it?!" Kunimi past the brunette to see another man with spikey brown hair and a muscular build making his way to him. "For dramatic purposes I'm going to ignore the insult." Rolling his eyes the spikey haired man walked over to Kunimi. "I believe I've found a solution to our rather annoying problem." Kunimi raised his eyebrow, a silent question for the brown haired man. Kneeling down, Oikawa looked at Kunimi with an intense expression. "You see, we're pirates. We steal, we kill you know the story. Our problem is this fellow," The man turned to point at another man, a much younger frightened man who couldn't have been older than Kunimi himself. "Yuutarou, took more than he was supposed to. Hence, we had no choice but to kill him." Another pirate came forwards, this one having pinkish brown hair, "I mean, there were plenty of other choices, but you insisted on 'take him out here and now'-" The captain scowled, "I don't need your sass Makki! Anyways~ As much as I would love to spare the young lads life, It would make me look weak as a captain. And seeing as we are pirates we really can't have that. But now you're here! And that makes things much more interesting." The spikey brunette cocked an eyebrow, crossing his toned arms over his chest. "Do you have a point to your incessant rambling or can I go take a nap?" Oikawa huffed, "Yes, Iwa, there is a point. As I was saying, I think we should have a good old fashioned fight to the death, between our beloved Yuutarou," Oikawa waved a hand towards the poor shaking man, "And...Uhm...You are...?" Kunimi looked at him, "Akira....Akira Kunimi.." Oikawa clapped his hands together as he stood up. "Excellent! Well than if Yuutarou wins he can return to the crew. If Akira wins, he can replace him." Kunimi stood, "What if I don't want to be a pirate...?" Oikawa shrugged, walking a ways away before he turned, giving Kunimi a stare that shook him to his core, "Then you both die and we're short a member." The unique man turned once again and sat down on a sideways log, gesturing for the two men to be brought to the make shift ring. "May the best man win~".