[Completed] Legend of the Five Knights II: The Shadow of Justice

Episode 26: Origin

We crisscrossed through the crowd before finally making it to a tall hill covered in the petals of the surrounding cherry blossom trees.

The takoyaki stall man sat down on top of the hill, his golden-brown eyes darting toward the stars. There was a sense of nostalgia in them.

"I never thought that I would've met a lost relative here," he said. "Tell me, how is my brother doing?"

Yuko removed her hat, revealing down-turned ears. "Papa is dead. So is Mama..."

Yuko's uncle patted her head. His now revealed ears were also down-turned. "I see..." He tilted his head. "You smell like my sister too... more than should be expected from a niece."

'She's a pure-blood' was what Kuroshi had told me when he sold her to me. Yuko also has a... I stepped back. Could it be that...

"Hey, how many of you were there?" I asked, as I tried to keep the thought away.

"Four," he responded, giving me a concerned look.

"I'm not asking what the m..." My face flushed. Great, now each time I think of the number four, I'll think of Kohri's math question. "Four?"

"You're talking about how many of us were left in captivity, right? When my oldest sister, and I escaped, we left behind our other two siblings. The middle children." His eyes widened, unable to deny what was in front of him. "Wait, are you trying to say that Yuko is my niece from both sides?"

Akane gasped. "What in the world?"

I couldn't blame her for her reaction. I felt the same way. That cloaked man sure did care about keeping the bloodline pure, even if it meant creating a sick child as a result. But Yuko had said that her parents loved each other... Was that true?

I took in a deep breath. "I think so. She's the child of both the brother and the sister that you left behind."

"Wow," was all Akane could say. I on the other hand couldn't say a thing.

"I shouldn't be surprised," Yuko's uncle said, shaking his head. "My own parents were also relatives."

Akane and I stood there, our mouths agape.

"Our grandparents were cousins," he added. He glanced up and gave us a sad smile. "You think that we're freaks, don't you? Inbred children..." He lowered his head. "It's a miracle that we're still alive and don't have more deformities or illnesses than we do."

He has an illness too?

"No, that's not true. I don't think you're freaks," Akane said, shaking her head. "It's just that... it's surprising."

He looked down at his hands. "The people who've held us in captivity throughout the generations wanted all of the good traits. They would sell those who they deemed 'inferior'. They treated us like domesticated animals."