Chapter 3:
Shift pt 1
Soldiers Embrace
"Good morning, mother and father," all of my siblings said at the same time."No need for such formalities, it's just us here!" Our mom would insist on a more casual family setting to help everyone get along. I didn't really mind either way, but it was something we all got used to over the years. I looked at my other siblings as they all took their places at the table.
The quiet and elegant one sitting next to Ren was my eldest sister, Yuki. Next to her would be Miharu (middle sister) and Tamashi (youngest sister). Across from them were Fovos (the second-oldest brother), Xapa (the third-oldest brother), and Akira (the fourth-youngest brother). My father sat across from me with my mother, Kanae right beside him. Everyone had started dinner, and for some reason, it was not as chaotic as usual. Ren had the face of a man preparing for the worst. The rest seemed just as down; it was like everyone knew something I didn't.
"Father, I think it is high time we tell Elpida what you discussed with the rest of us last night." Akira, who was sipping away at a cup of tea, glanced over at me before looking directly at Father. "Yes... I guess that was the point of having one final meeting before it happens." It looked like he was preparing to tell me this all night, but that image of him stressing over anything just would not form in my head. "Elpida..." I gulped my juice before nervously looking up from my plate, wondering if this had to do with the king's visit.
"Are you aware that the king visited yesterday?" I only nodded to confirm. "Good, that saves us some time basically, this area is in danger of a monster horde, and its threat level is Triple S class!" I spit my juice damn near at the sound of that! Monsters are not a problem normally, but hordes are a different matter, and since hordes are threat graded based on the amount and class of monsters coming. It is safe to assume that not only are extreme class giants coming, but a whole lot of them will soon be on us! "Father, what should I do!" I slammed my hand on the table, staring at him, but that expression, the same one my siblings wore, told me everything. They had no intention of letting me help from the start.
"You will go with Rufus, and at 13:00, you both shall be on your way to the Kohaku Castle in the capital." He said that, eyeing Rufus, making sure he understood his assignment, Rufus simply bowed and stepped back." BUT FATHER I CAN FI-" before I could finish speaking, Ren stopped me.
"Yes, Elpida, you are skilled in martial arts and basic water spells, and you learn at a fast rate, but this is not going to be like yesterday. The opponents will vary, and quite frankly, you can barely handle one guy who everyone in here would have dealt with in seconds. Now monsters who we are going to have to go try against are coming..." he took a deep sigh before staring me down, "You will only hinder us, so you will go. This is not up for negotiation!"
After that, the rest of breakfast was them talking about how to handle the incoming threat, and of course, no room for me to debate my use. Later in my room, Rufus was packing things he thought I would like to take with me, grabbing a special box with my father's handwriting on it. "Young master, when we get to the capital, we will start the next phase of your training." He had a serious expression, and all I did was nod, but I was honestly thinking of ways to sneak away.
I want to help my family! I know I can do better if I use ..If I combine this world's knowledge with the combat experiences that built me in my last life? What good would normal combat practices meant to fight normal wars do against monsters? I reflected on my brother's words and resolved myself to at least try and help the best I can I will force these hands to be useful for the family that has blessed me with this life!
It is thirty minutes before Elpida will be on his way with Rufus. So far, everything is as that bastard said it would go, except the attack. The crest of the Lotus Flower, the only group that uses it, is the Saisei No Hana. Guess they are after us. They will get us and much more, but Elpida is not ready to learn the truth or fight for his life yet.
That is not what is important now; we must get ready for what could turn into a battle of dominion, walking across the throne room to approach my chair. I got ready for battle, donning my heavy black steel armor, and grabbed the large spear with blood spirals going straight to the tip. Reflecting on oneself is often the hardest challenge a man can face. My whole life, I fought for this position where I can shape my own destiny, consumed more lives than I could count. I took more than most ever will to obtain what I desired, and now this...I won't let some group of misfits take from me the things I gave everything for. This moment is why I can never stop walking forward, my plan... no, our family's ambition!
"So this is the throne room of the great... no, the Human Disaster, the one and only Black Reaper!" Emerging from the corner was a woman in a cloak, who held a broadsword in which she dragged along the ground."You must be the leader of that group of terrorists leading monsters to my doorstep." The woman chuckled before staring at me with so much animosity that it could pierce even the toughest of shields.
"Us? The terrorist compared to the sins you lot commit just to preserve this family alone?" She lifted the sword swiftly to point it at me."You Jinsei Ita have taken from so many families, so many futures robbed, and all of that was for your selfish ambition!" I chuckled at the thought of this group being a petty attempt at some sort of rebellion against me brought me amusement."So then tell me, what do you plan to do by bringing a horde here to crush me, along with the people you so call defend, hypocrite!" That didn't seem to faze her as much as I thought and actually seemed to reaffirm her resolve."The answer we have dedicated our lives to!" emerged eight more figures that spoke at different times, all cloaked to hide their appearance.
This world is corrupt. No one pays attention to the distortions or abnormalities caused by false prophets like you. The world turns its back on our suffering, the people who lost. People with no place to return to, so instead of wilting quietly, we chose to bloom violently! For the children with no future! For the people whom you buried! For the displaced you caused and ignored! Through destruction shall we forge a new world where flowers can bloom gracefully!
They then gathered behind the woman who pointed her broadsword at me.
"You may call me Strelitzia before we take your life!" She ran at me, bringing her blade down as I blocked with my spear, the force cracking the ground beneath my feet. "Brave or stupid, let's find out!" pushing her back before stabbing the ground, sending out violent wind blades. While she was parrying the blades, I gathered extra energy in my feet, launching myself forward with a burst of electricity, kneeing her in the stomach. "Naive little girl, I have fought more battles than you could imagine!" Her hood fell back, revealing dark blue hair and bright blue eyes that stared at me with pure malice. Before I could get another strike in, a strong burst of light blinded me, and the force of another body separated us. "Strelitzia, we can meet him on a battlefield of our choosing. Let's go start our plan!" Before I could make chase, they were all gone, presumably off my balcony.That confirms it, picking up my spear and walking out of my chambers. No enemy will best me, and I will consume the life of anyone who tries!"Rufus, does something feel off to you?" he raised an eyebrow at my question before pondering it a bit."Young master, get ready, we must leave now!" His gaze had sharpened as if he was sensing some imminent threat beyond my scope. He opened another one of his portals, leading me to the carriage we would be escaping in."This isn't right, the attack was not supposed to happen for another 4 hours according to the king's estimates!" He looked slightly panicked as the horses started running out of the estate.
Anxiety. Futility. Uselessness. These emotions welled in my head as it felt familiar, like the people I could not save, the people I failed before. The family I left behind, trying to save them, but I gave my wish for their assurance, so why am I thinking about them now! What am I so afraid of now! Family? No loss. I fear loss, even though I know I’m not strong enough. I want to fight! Is it because I want to protect? Clenching my fist in my lap so hard I started drawing blood, then it hit my ears. A scream out in the distance, and I looked out the window.
That day, the sky burned red. In mere seconds, the city I strolled every day was overcome with monstrous creatures, both the sky and ground swarming with different species. Dragons, orcs, chimeras, and even goblins ran amok. “R-rufus.. you could help them! I could go with you!” He shook his head solemnly at my suggestion.“The reason we flee is because master Jinsei believes you are not ready.” A moment of silence ensued between us, before long, a devastating explosion broke that silence.
I remember this feeling, it's the feeling you get before it's go time on a mission, before the first shells hit, and before the first bodies fall. Knowing this ride could be your very last. In that moment, I wasn't in a carriage with Rufus but in the back of a transport with soldiers who all gave their very lives for something they believed. I didn't have time to take in that memory before the next explosion blew our carriage over. Suddenly, I was looking up as a figure peered down at me like they were trying to analyse me.
"Just the youngest and a butler.. tsk, I wish it were that Ren bastard!" The strange person covered by a cloak pulled out a bow, and strangely enough, no arrow. He drew the bow string back as stone seemingly formed an arrow as he got ready to shoot."YOUNG MASTER!" I heard Rufus before I saw him. Was he always this fast? I see now this is not a matter of technique alone; I simply can't keep up. Rufus had, in that single moment, stopped the attacker and moved them off the carriage before I could fully process that I was about to die. I don't understand. I thought this was purely a horde that found its way to our city. How come strange people are attacking us? Rufus pointed towards a path that cut through the central area of the shopping district in the heart of the city.
"Go through there and wait for me at the northern edge!" Before I could even say anything, he tossed me that weird box he had earlier. "When you put those on, understand you are fighting to stay alive, so don't be ashamed to run for it either!" Rufus' eyes didn't express fear but only concern for the brat he watched over these last seven years."Try running and see how fast I put a new mouth in that head of yours!" He shot another arrow, one made of lightning, it seemed. Rufus was not going to let it happen as he brought down his blade, opening a portal in front of me before the arrows ended up firing back at the man. He responded by shooting the previous rounds with new ones, causing an electrical explosion before his hood came off, revealing icy blue hair down to his back, frost-bitten icy skin that was light blue, purplish eyes, and a psychotic grin."GO NOW!" Rufus got into stance, and I was only able to listen as I vanished down the dark alley.
Opening the box in a panic, all I could hear were the screams around me, my breathing, and my heartbeat. Inside the box were new gauntlets that seemed to be less bulky; they even had the family name engraved on the back sleeve. I slid them onto my hands, more like metallic gloves than full-on gauntlets, but much easier to move with. When I arrived in the central area within the shopping district, I saw monsters preying on people who just yesterday were happy to wave me hello on my daily commutes.
I couldn't listen, I had to act! Without thinking, I launched myself with blasts of water towards the crowd of orcs, punching the tallest one with everything I had. Behind me followed the torrent of water I used to put myself here. It distracted the other ones long enough for me to start making my way through the crowd. It wasn't long before they ran elsewhere, sadly, though all I managed to save were a few children whom I guided down the path Rufus told me to go. It was horrifying to see the sight, everything was gone, even the estate by now was only a pile of rubble. I was already tired from that one scuffle with orcs; I can only imagine how my siblings and parents were holding out. Before long, I was stopped by what I assumed to be a stray dragon.
I immediately assumed a position to punch, but that's what a voice left from atop its head."Another one gone, we achieved our goal here; we shall depart." A pair of dark blue eyes cast their gaze upon me. “Another one?” The feminine voice said before picking up her broadsword. Nothing but pure malice towards me, and I never even met her, I mustered up the courage to ask a question. “Why? Why do all this and cause so much misery… what could have been worth all this death and destruction you… YOU MURDERER!” For some reason, me calling her that seemed to strike a chord. She threw her sword down right in front of me before striking me in the face. After a few heavy swings, I was bleeding from my lip and nose.
“Did I hear that right? A filthy Ita brat!!! Dared to call me a murderer!?” While basically yelling at me, her foot found itself planted firmly in my chest, sending me back into a nearby wall. She picked up the broadsword, walking towards me again. “Either you are ignorant of your blood or stupid! Either way, I'm ending it here, then I am going to finish hunting you lot down for the inhumane crimes y'all committed!” With a fire in her eyes, she brought her heavy sword down. I could feel it tear through my flesh, and I sat there bleeding. The last words I remember from that were “Through destruction shall we forge a new world where flowers can bloom gracefully!”
Before I heard multiple footsteps taking off. When I came to Agapi and her father was rushing me out of town on a carriage, tending to my wounds. I couldn’t even remember what was being said at that moment, just her scared and crying into my chest. Warm tears, and the last memory of that day.
The last few weeks had been a blur, in and out of consciousness. Nightmares of both lives I lived up to this point, mistakes I can’t really undo, and consequences of actions I didn’t take. I often wondered how different that meeting would have gone had I actually taken training seriously instead of relying on combat knowledge from my world.
I often think, instead of panicking and getting shot, what if I had approached it with more thought? There is a certain thought that comes with failure. The what ifs, the I should’ve, the I can’ts, but the simple truth is it happened. Whether or not it makes sense to you, it happened, and you need to learn to accept it. You are no longer Darius, and right now, Elpida is a picture-perfect example of a man who failed through his own actions.
These are the thoughts that swarmed my head the last few weeks, like a voice that wouldn’t shut up. Today, though, for some reason, another emotion started burning, raging, and clawing in my chest. I wanted to find her, the woman in blue. I want to get back for what she did! I also have thoughts, no bodies were ever found from my family, could they still be alive? That said, there were barely any bodies but monster corpses left behind. That said, I made up my mind. I am going to travel. Rufus gave me the last memento, I get to keep something homemade by my father.
“Elpy? Do your bandages need to be changed already?” I looked at Agapi, who has been so kind to let me use a room they had in the neighboring village. Apparently, my quest led them to Dust Village, the doctor was a nice man, and her father was handling matters with the King. It seems like so far the attack has been officially ruled an accident, and my family is labeled missing. This was all to avoid widespread panic and minimize damage.
I then sighed, preparing myself for what I wanted to say. "Hey, Agy. Remember when you asked me what I wanted to do?" She nodded, a bit confused at my sudden mention of this, but looked at me, waiting for me to continue. "I want to become stronger! I want to master my skills, then I want to go find my family, and the people responsible!" She grabbed my hand with both of hers with a hint of concern.
"Then do it, but remember when you do, I will be just a mirror call away, and don't go getting killed trying to be a hero. It's okay to just be our sleepy heir, Elpy." She smiled behind it. I could tell she wanted to dissuade me, but she understood because if it were reversed, she would have been set out."Well, Mister Asteri, it looks like the snot-nosed brat didn't even need convincing after all." The voice of an energetic woman came bursting through the door. She wore a hat that seemed like a witch hat, had short black hair, sunglasses, a leather jacket, and pants: the entire outfit was purple, and she had noticeably red lip gloss on. On her back was a guitar? She then leaned down, peering into my eyes through her glasses.
"That's interesting, you sure don't give the same vibe as lil Ren!" I was confused at first, but soon it was explained that one of the many matters Mister Asteri took to the king was my future. It was decided, without my knowledge I would be sent with this person, who was called Evelyn. She was the person who trained Ren and, apparently, one of the few people who fought and survived against my father.
The reason is the king feels I am in danger as an Ita just sitting around, and since we know not the whereabouts of my family, she has been chosen to train me, and in return, I would apprentice under her, doing whatever she requires. That ended up being a lot of performances and helped bring in money. She would watch over me until I was eighteen years old. Then she would vanish without a trace, only leaving a note saying "Go on show me what legacy you will leave child, I'm gonna go for a drink and I will know what you get up to...but yeah you are on your own now happy birthday kiddo!"
Footsteps were crunching through the leaves at an alarming speed. I was listening to them approach. The bloodlust of this creature was very easy to pick up on. Soon after the final crunch, a giant beast emerged from the trees. I took a simple step back into a pivot, dodging the monster's fist before taking up small water orbs and sending them into its belly. Changing them into spikes on contact, my job was to capture him alive, so I used the remaining water to cage him.
"Man, these capture missions get easier every time I take one!" I then started preparing to turn him in for the cash, oh my bad, I guess I should reintroduce myself! My name is Elpida Ita, and I am currently on a journey to find the Saisei No Hana, find my family, and find my master. No matter what comes my way, I won't stop walking forward!
Please sign in to leave a comment.