The Tempering

Chapter 2

He finds himself in a blind alley within a modern city wearing a tracksuit, and his battle boots have been switched out for sneakers. His travel pack is now a modern haversack, and his sword body is nowhere to be seen. When he checks his pack, he finds a brush-drawn map which informs him of the era and location he is currently in: Akashi City, and it is the start of the Reiwa age. Akashi... the region he was named after. He still has no clue what he is here for, but there are two areas on the map which have been marked out, and he suspects that these are where he is to go. The alley he is in is quite deserted, so he takes out the letter set given to him. He was instructed to report where he finds himself in, and he may as well get it out of the way while no one has noticed his presence yet.

"To Aruji-han. Where do you think I am now?

Yep, that's right. Akashi. I'm in Akashi. It's the origin of my name after all."

It's shortness seems sarcastic, but he shrugs. His duty is done. He folds the paper the way he has been shown, and watches in fascination as it vanishes before his eyes once it is placed on the ground. It would manifest before the saniwa once a day. He caps the brush and tucks the letter set back into his pack.

He emerges cautiously into the main thoroughfare and sees people dressed in styles cut close to their bodies. He even spots a few dressed in clothing similar to his. People are rushing in and out of a boxy building labelled Akashi Station, and he locates it on his own copy of the map to take his bearings. By proximity, his first destination is Akashi Castle, a short walk away, and he follows a walking path in its general direction. He proceeds warily - listening discreetly to the distinct speech style of the locals he encounters along the way, and concludes that it is perhaps in his best interest not to speak out loud unless absolutely necessary.

The exterior of the castle hearkens to the fortresses of old, and from ground up the turrets gleam white and tall. It is built on a hill, and strategically he can see how it would be advantageous in battle - soldiers would have had a view of the sea before them and the mountains encircling them while overlooking the city. He has only a vague idea of the clan that ruled this region in its glory days despite having been an heirloom sword. 

Perhaps he would discover more within the castle walls. He ascends the steps.

And halts.

There is no building within the elevated construct - just a park where tourists and locals frolic and picnic on the grassy stretches. He blinks at the absurd sight. What is he supposed to take away from all this? Wasn't he here to learn something about the history of some significant period in his life? What was he to gain from the modern bustle before his eyes? An excitable child pushes past him on the last of the castle steps, and he moves out of the way of human traffic. He eventually finds a shady spot beneath a large tree to shelter himself from the blazing sunshine and sinks into a hollow between the exposed roots. He pulls his legs to his chest, crossing his feet and resting his hands on his knees as he continues his observation.

In its prime, a magnificent fortress would have been built on these grounds, and living in it, generations of the Echizen-Matsudaira clan he had accompanied as an heirloom sword. He can't pinpoint a single significant impression, nor remember when he began gaining a level of consciousness. Besides, the faces of the people who had taken care of him through the centuries were too varied to count. At some point, he might have resided within this castle, but it is something he can't tell for certain. What is for certain though, is that hardly any trace of this clan can be found on these grounds now.

He stares at the people until he is quite certain that the sun is about to go down, still none the wiser about the purpose of his journey thus far. He groans and rubs a hand across his face. He's not training in any way either, and he wonders for a moment how he will answer to his saniwa if he returns without any development. Even worse, Aizen and Hotarumaru saw him leave with their own eyes. If he disappoints them... well it wouldn't be the first time, but he really hopes that he will return this time in a way that will make them proud.

As the sun sinks lower, he realises that he has no idea exactly what he is going to do when night falls. He does a quick check to see if there is money he can use in his travel pack -- there is some, but he doesn't know if it is enough to cover his accommodation. He considers the blind alley he came from. While quiet and apparently deserted, there is hardly a suitable place for him to bunk down. He checks his map again and sees that his next destination is a shrine that is a short walk away. If he is unable to afford accommodation, perhaps the monks at the shrine would be kind enough to take him in for the night. In the worst case scenario, he can always double back to this park in this joke of a castle and hole up in one of the trees.

The shrine it is for now. He descends the steps of the castle grounds, not caring to look back. He's seen enough for the time being.