A Reflection Chronicles of the Legendary Manslayer

The Path of Sword

"Why did you go out to the harbor again? Your health is getting worse day by day, mother," said a young teenager towards a frail looking woman of blue-black hair. He sounded fury based on his voice tone. The woman was coughing non-stop after she entered the Kamiya Dojo yard, and suddenly she felt so weak that she could not stand any longer, thus her body brought her down to her knee, finding herself kneeling on the ground later.

The teenager; tall yet petite frame, with long, red hair in ponytail style and blue eyes quickly ran towards the woman and helped her to stand on her feet back. He brought her towards the corridor of the dojo, assisting the woman to sit. He then made his way towards the kitchen and brought a tray with a teapot and two porcelain cups, pouring the water into one of the cups before handed the cup into the hands of the woman. The woman carelessly took the cup from him, causing it to slip from her hands and smashed into pieces when it hit the ground. The woman wanted to pick up the pieces, but she was stopped by the adolescent.

"Let me do it," said the boy, his voice was no longer in rage as he squatted down to pick up the pieces. "Mother, what you're doing now is meaningless. He won't come back to us. He has forgotten about us. Please, I beg you. I want you to recuperate, so don't leave the house anymore."

The woman looked at her son's visage with sad eyes. "You don't understand him at all, Kenji. I've told you so many times. He is away to assist our government. He has been doing so ever since I knew him...no, he did that way before we met each other," the woman that went by the name Kaoru uttered in weak voice.

Hearing his mother's words sending a deep rage within the veins of the young boy whom Kaoru called as Kenji. He felt anger curled hot and unstoppable in his gut, like a blazing inferno that wanted to burn him from the inside out. Resentment towards his father, the former legendary hitokiri battousai never faded, but it kept on accumulated day by day for as long as Kenji remembered.

"What kind of husband and father is he, Mother? I don't get it...No matter how many times you explain to me, I still don't get it! How could he be so irresponsible towards his own family for the sake of serving the nation? He comes back whenever he pleases, he never teaches me his skills, he burdens you with the responsibility of raising a child and running a dojo alone in order to feed the household! Tell me, Mother! Tell me what did you see in such a man?!'

PIAKKKK!!!

Kaoru's hand was so fast to land on Kenji's delicate cheek despite her fragile condition, causing it to reddened. Kenji's eyes were wide in shock due to the blow, before he narrowed them to the left side to avert his vision from looking at his mother. His hand held on to the swelled cheek as he tried to suppress the blazing anger in his heart. Irritation surged up inside him. "Outrageous!"

Kaoru could feel her heartbeats sped up and her breathing was getting shallow. Her body was still trembled from punishing her only son. Her heart which was already ache from endless waiting to receive returning husband from abroad was now bleeding from beating her son. "Kenji...Kenji, no matter what, he is your father! You, who takes after his name, who takes after his resemblance, who copies his swordsmanship, why can't you understand him?"

"I don't have a father like him! I don't understand him and I don't want to, either!"

With deep fury in his heart, Kenji ran towards his room and seconds later he emerged back at the yard with a wooden sword and a baggage. "Mother, I don't think I can tolerate with you waiting for his return anymore. I want to leave the house."

"Don't go, son! How can you leave me alone here?" Kaoru shrieked before she let out a few good coughing.

"Don't stop me, Mother. I need to know what you really see in this thoughtless and selfish man, and that's why I decided to leave the house," said Kenji without even gave his mother a glimpse even though his ears heard Kaoru coughed behind his back. He heard his mother was now in deep sorrow, sobbing as she begged him to stay in her soft voice. Kenji's heart was almost softened as Kaoru's sobbing grew greater, but somewhere deep in his heart, he knew that nothing would change if he did not make a move now.