Thousand Year Old Cherry Tree

Chapter 8: Kebiishi

"It's raining today." I noticed from my window. I just finished reading over a few manuscripts I received from Konnosuke the other day regarding spiritual energy from previous saniwa sages. They were old and tattered, but I managed to read the words with Konnosuke's help in deciphering them. As I watched the rain continue on, a sudden charge of footsteps was heading toward my direction. Turning to see, I spotted a familiar person running over to me.

"Master!" Atsushi surprised me when he suddenly jumped to hug me. "Uwah, Atsushi!"

I ended up falling back down to the ground while holding him in my grasp. "Ow..."

"What is it, Atsushi?" Atsushi, was actually the fourth sword I managed to awaken while forging after Imanotsurugi. The two tantous were quite gung-ho on working hard to get other swords into the Citadel whenever it came to fighting on the front lines. Atsushi was also the one who introduced me to Akita after returning with Kashuu and Yamato from the sortie.

"Look at what we made, Master!" He instantly got up without hesitation and tugged on my arm. He really wants me to see what they made, huh?

"Okay, Atsushi. Just let me get up first." I told the overexcited tantou. Dragging me down the stairs, Atsushi lead me to where the other young tantous were doing at the moment. Akita, Gokotai, Imanotsurugi, and finally in the center was Yamato.

Glancing up to see who arrived, Yamato welcomed Atsushi and I with a warm smile. "Master, look."

On the ground were small dolls, oh they're Teru Teru Bozu!

"You guys made all of these?" I kneeled to get a closer look on the faces of the Teru Teru Bozu. A few of them were quite silly, though one of them was kind of terrifying. It resembled that scream painting Chiyo showed me one time.

"Mmn!" Akita nodded in glee.

"It was Yamato no Kami-san's idea!" Imanotsurugi spoke up to point out, "Ever since the rain started, we've been bored the whole time. We couldn't even go out to play."

"So Yamato-san offered to show us a way to get rid of the rain." Gokotai spoke up while tying the string onto the doll.

"I see." I muttered before taking a cloth to make a doll, "Maybe I should make one as well?"

"Master is going to make one?!" The tantous gasped in surprise, while I nodded which increased their enthusiasm in making more dolls.

However as I was starting the doll, Kashuu arrived wearing a pokerface expression. He signaled for me to follow him, so I excused myself from the group. Leaving Yamato to deal with the young tantous.

Once we were far enough Kashuu started off, "Konnosuke said the Kebiishi have begun fluctuating in that era."

"Kebiishi." I bit the inside of my mouth, "They've been increasing lately over there."

I eyed Kashuu to ask, "Is Shokudaikiri done with repairs from last time?"

I didn't want to send Tsurumaru out onto the front lines yet, he just got here and with the increase of Kebiishi it'd be better to send out a squad more familiar with the battles.

Kashuu shook his head, "No. The last time he went on the front lines, he went on a one to one with a boss. He went onto the point of awakening at the last minute. Yagen stated that his repairs will take longer."

I clicked my tongue in frustration. "That only leaves you, Yamato, Atsushi, and Imanotsurugi."

Yagen has to stay here to make sure Shokudaikiri will be fully repaired, but then that only leaves.

"Gokotai and Akita." The last two tantous left that can take over remaining spot. Experience-wise, Akita has the upper hand than Gokotai.

I closed my eyes to question myself.
'Am I willing to send out either of them?'

Then...the inevitable happened.

"U-Um!" A voice spoke up from behind me, I turned around to see who it was. "Yuna-nee. Can I join the front lines this time?"

"Akita." His hands gripped tightly around the scream Teru Teru Bozu. "You know you don't have to-"

"But I want to!" Akita's voice was serious, while eyes shown his earnest behavior. "Yuna-nee, I can fight like Kashuu-san and my brothers! Please let me go this time!"

I...couldn't say no.

Taking a glance at Kashuu, only to receive a shrug of uncertainty. Returning my gaze over to the pink-haired tantou, I bit my lower lip anxiously as my stomach churned on how bad the idea was.

However...

I wish I listened to my gut feeling at that time.

"Okay."

Because...

The once kind and bright tantou that would always make me smile was whisked away.

Leaving only his sword behind on the battlefield. The Kebiishi boss tried to hit Atsushi right before Kashuu could land a blow. So being the only one open for battle, he took a direct hit from the Kebiishi's fatal attack.

His last words were, "Make sure Yuna-nee is smiling."

How can I smile? The moment I heard from the people who returned something broke within me. At that point, I knew what it felt like to lose something precious. It reminded me of that time my aunt had a miscarriage. All that hope, all the anticipation, everything....smashed into pieces.

It was as if I was put into a daze similar to my aunt. I couldn't cry. All I did was stare at one place. I didn't know how long I was sitting in my room for. The moment I heard the news, I couldn't leave my seat. I simply stared at the Teru Teru Bozu Akita had given me before he left the battlefield.

"Take good care of it for me Yuna-nee!" I promised him, and yet he didn't return.

It wasn't until the sliding doors to my room opened. Shedding light into the dark room. I didn't move my head to see. All I felt was someone hugging my body. Upon contact, I felt my hand twitch as I slowly lifted it to grab onto one of the arms hugging me.

I tried to speak, but my voice felt hoarse. A shrill yet silent cry muttered as my eyes started to pour a flood of my emotions.

I coughed violently between sniffles as I gripped the person's arm tightly. Despite my blurred eyesight, I can tell who this was. 

After all...there was only one person ...only one person who could have red nail polish on their hands.

"Kashuu!" I turned around to cry into the body of the first sword I summoned. All the regret and all of the pain bursted from my mouth. Kashuu, wordlessly, listened to everything.

Today, I lost a sword.

His name was Akita Toushirou.

I lost someone who was a brother and was like a son to me.

That was also the day I learned of what happens when a sword breaks.