刀剣乱舞 - 自堕落

Initializing Citadel

A fast pace brought you on your way down the veranda on the outside of the mostly-empty building that was now to be your home. You were choosing to think of it as a gift for now, having a place to stay whilst you began to build an army for the myriads of days to come.

By your understanding of the circumstances, you had a long and grueling path ahead of you. A path to be stained by blood - a path that would lead not only across the physical space of the world, but across time as well. You held in your hands a responsibility that was heavy as a blade - in fact, it was a blade.

Looking down at the gracefully curving sword in your hands, you saw the light glimmer across its edge as your gaze followed its length, just barely catching your reflection against its body. Ha. Living in the year 2205, the idea of having to lift up a blade and wage war seemed silly. It felt like a game - like you'd walked out on your kindergarten playground with a stick and were about to "attack" a few classmates. Well, wait, that wasn't even really allowed. Such games were considered dangerously inappropriate - you remembered you were sent to the front office, and then suspended for two weeks just for mentioning the idea of a play fight. Apparently because... You didn't even really understand it. Some nonsense about playing with weapons being dangerous. Even if the weapons were imaginary. Even if you weren't really going to kill your classmates.

Eh. Some mental tangent. You shook your head, dislodging the thoughts as you turned to face the front lawn. It was weird, being alone in a place this large - and secluded at that, having been placed on sizable acreage far from other people - with nothing but a sword and a smith as company. Especially since the smith didn't seem too interested in socializing... Well, that left you and your sword that you'd selected from the lineup. The one that stood out to you.

After all, you liked its aesthetics. The red saya, gilded metal adornments, and the black wrappings around the handle. It was stated as being one Kashuu Kiyomitsu, merely awaiting to be awakened, and yet...

Well, you were nervous. The idea of bringing forth this blade's spirit and granting it a physical form was something that alarmed you. Would it be properly sentient? Would it understand human speech? Would it have a personality, be capable of conversation? There were a lot of things you didn't quite understand about the task you had been given, which came as part of not having totally paid attention to any of the explanations you had been subject to up until now.

Your fault. Wholly and undeniably so. This was perhaps the primary reason why you were concerned - the latter reason just being because this sword belonged to a member of the Shinsengumi. They were a military group - a technical police force of sorts - so what if this guy had archaic ideals or strict discipline? What if he ended up being an absolute nightmare to deal with?

The patter of feet caught your attention and you turned your head in time to set your eyes on a four-legged ball of fluff making its way towards you. Oh that's right...you forgot about Konnosuke. He was here too... Although it was almost as hard to think of him as a companion as it was to think of the sword as such, all things considered. You barely muttered a greeting to him as he finished making his way up to your side. Moving to sit down, he took a spot next to you, looking up with an expression that you couldn't figure out. Was it concern, or curiosity? His head tilted sideways as his tail swept from his left to his right, and he lowered his gaze to the sword you grasped in hand. "Having second thoughts, Master?"

Funny. You hadn't even begun to do your job yet, and already you were 'Master.' There ought to be a prerequisite, like having actually manifested Kashuu first. You shook your head and drew a heavy sigh. All in all, you imagined that he would hopefully be the most down to earth of the options that were presented to you. With any luck, perhaps this Kashuu person would have his act together and be able to help you properly with the beginnings of your no-doubt long and grueling troubles that would soon lie ahead.