A Pledge and A Promise

Through the doors were two familiar figures, sitting in the same position. Emperor Nobunaga and Empress Hikari sat in seiza, at the centre of the wooden floor. Several guards were lined up to the left and right of the golden walls. The same grand chandelier stood above like a satellite, observing the situation.

“Father, Mother. We have returned,” Princess Yukino announced and bowed. I bowed in respect as well.

“We have been expecting you two. It already seems like both of you have grown closer.”

“What! That is preposterous, Father! He may not be as irresponsible as I thought, but he’s still not worthy of such respect from us!”

That last line hurt deeply. I thought we had grown closer as well, but it seems that may not be the case. Or she could just be a tsundere.

“Hahaha, I see. Well then, Mr Kurokawa. I believe you have an answer to my request.”

I nodded with confidence.

“Yes, your majesty. I’ve thought long and hard about this. I’m ready to give you my answer.”

“Wonderful. Both of you, have a seat.”

Princess Yukino and I returned to our seats. We were in the exact seats from this afternoon, as though the time we were outside was just a blur. The atmosphere was once again filled with pressure. It was now or never. I had to give my answer.

“Your majesty. For the past few hours, Princess Yukino has shown me the state of the public in Aogiri. People are famished and weak, unable to live comfortably, wondering whether they’ll survive the next day. Men, women and children are suffering terribly with no help coming from the current ruling party.”

“I know how much you and Empress Hikari are trying to stabilise this nation. Even Princess Yukino has been working hard to help the citizens. She cries for their pain and wishes only the best for her nation.”

“That is why I have finally decided. I will fight for Aogiri. I will fight in the Sovereign’s Tourney.”

The words came out as soon as I thought of them. All my thoughts were made clear. I was prepared to lay down my life for this nation. Not just for the people but also for the royalty, trying to help them, especially Princess Yukino.

All of a sudden, Emperor Nobunaga, Empress Hikari and Princess Yukino bowed deeply, their heads touching the floor.

“Thank you, young man! Thank you so much! You are the light this nation needs to survive.” Emperor Nobunaga screamed with delight. I could see drops of tears land like a puddle on the floor.

Once all his tears were shed, the Emperor cleared his throat with a cough. But before he could speak.

“Father. Mother. I’d like to fight in the Sovereign's Tourney with Kurokawa.” Princess Yukino pleaded.

Crack! Or at least that's what I thought I heard from the emperor and his wife's brains. Half a minute passed in awkward silence.

“Absolutely not!” Empress Hikari shouted, “Don't you understand how much danger you'll be in!?”

“Of course! But I can handle myself. I'm the best swordsman in Aogiri. If I can't survive this tournament, then no one can.”

“That doesn't mean you should go. You are the princess of Aogiri, not a warrior. You need to stay here with me and your father.”

“And sit here and do nothing?! I can't accept that!” Princess Yukino raised her voice,” All I do here as a Princess is smile and wave. How is that helping the people? I'll use my fighting skills to win the tournament and help them in my own way.”

Both mother and daughter weren't wavering. Lightning bolts of disagreement were shot between their eyes. To be fair, I sympathised with both sides. If I were a parent, I would never send my precious daughter to a battlefield. It could spell certain death for her, no matter her skills in training.

On the other hand, Princess Yuki’s determination to fight for her country is admirable. She knew that this tournament was the only way to save Aogiri. She's confident her swordfighting skills will make her a valuable ally in this battle.

Emperor Nobunaga was silent during this altercation. His eyes were shut, listening to both sides of the argument. Once both women stopped shouting, he cleared his throat once again.

“Yukino. Are you sure about this? Do you understand the weight behind your decision?”

His words were firm and cold. It didn't sound like a father talking to his daughter. Instead, those words felt like they were from a king to his general. He was testing his daughter to see whether she was ready.

“I've been training for this very moment. For the day, I can proudly fight for my country. I'm sure that with Kurokawa, we can win this war.”

Her tenacity matched her father's. Princess Yukino wasn't ready to back down. I decided to share my opinion on the matter as well.

“Your Majesty, may I give my own opinion on the matter? I understand that this is a family issue, but I would like to give my own 2 cents as well.”

Princess Yukino stared at me with confusion, whereas Empress Hikari stared angrily. Their expressions were completely understandable. An outsider giving their opinion on a royal matter is heresy, but I wanted to support the princess in any way I could.

“Go ahead. What do you think, Mr Kurokawa?”

“For the short time I have known her, I believe Princess Yukino is a strong-willed woman. She cares a lot for her country and only thinks of the people’s best interests. I understand that you’re worried about her safety. That is why…”

I stood up from my seat and held a fist to my heart. From my soul, I pledged.

“I will protect Princess Yukino with my life. I will make sure she lives to tell the tale of our victory.”

My words seemed to have the opposite effect. The air in the room grew thicker. It was getting harder to breathe. I could feel everyone’s eyes staring through my soul. However, I did not regret a single word I said.

“Hahahaha!” Emperor Nobunaga’s laughter broke the tension in the room. Next to him, Empress Hikari sighed. Princess Yukino was covering her face, but I could see a tinge of red in her complexion. Did I say something wrong?

“Umm. I apologise in advance if I overstepped my boundaries.” I bowed, hoping they would forgive me.

“Relax, Mr Kurokawa. I’m glad you are the person we summoned. Earnestness is rare to come by nowadays.” Emperor Nobunaga chuckled.

“Mr Kurokawa. You are indeed an interesting man. I should keep my eye on you for my daughter’s sake.” Empress Hikari joked.

I was at a loss for words. Apparently, my heartfelt words worked. The emperor turned towards his daughter, his eyes returning a father-like look. I could hear Princess Yukino gulp in fear.

“My precious girl. It seems you’ve grown up faster than I thought, “ Emperor Nobunaga smiled brightly, “Congratulations. I allow you to fight in the Sovereign’s Tourney.”

In a flash, I could see a blue blur rush towards the emperor. Princess Yukino hugged both her parents with a strong grip. For the first time, I saw her act as a daughter instead of as a princess.

“Thank you. I swear I won’t let you both down.”

“Dear, just be safe. That is all we ask of you.”

A droplet of a tear fell from my eyes. Seeing such a touching family reunion had affected me more than I thought. I recalled the memories of my parents. At least the memories of when they were alive. I loved both of them to bits, but fate had different plans. An unexpected car crash caused both of them to lose their lives, leaving me alone forever. If it weren’t for Natsu, I probably would have kept my emotional walls up forever.

I won’t let anyone face the tragedy I faced. I swore that I would protect the smiling faces of this family.

—------

Night had completely taken over the sky. The emperor told me to rest for the night in the temple’s living quarters. After soaking in a hot bath, I strolled the perimeter of the temple, taking in the fresh air, although it was incredibly cold.

The blanket of stars covered the entire sky. Due to light pollution, this view was impossible in the centre of Tokyo. I was awe-struck by its beauty. If it weren’t for this bone-chilling freezing weather, I would have stayed here all night.

“Shouldn’t you be sleeping. It’s been quite a long day for you, hasn’t it?” A soft, feminine voice emerged from around the corner. Her familiar pitch black hair and light blue kimono caught my eye.

“Same could be said for you, Princess. A young girl like you should follow her bedtime.” After today’s events, I felt like I could speak to her more friendly than before. She was the same age as me after all.

“Got me there. I’ve got permission to be here, by the way, so I’m not doing anything wrong technically.”

“Emperor Nobunaga really is a loving father.”

“That’s true. He and my mother have always spoiled me since I was young. I could not ask for better parents.”

She stood beside me at the entrance of the temple, staring at the stars as well. Her sharp features and fair skin were illuminated by the spotlights from above.

“I wanted to thank you once again. I owe you a lot for today’s meeting. Without you, my dream would have never come true.”

“It’s alright. It was my selfish request too. I wanted you to fight by my side.”

“So it wasn’t out of pity? You genuinely wanted my help?”

Her eyes looked directly into mine. She wanted a genuine response. That was not a problem at all. I’ve meant every word I said from the beginning. An image of Natsu appeared in my head.

“I have a friend in my world who reminded me of you. Someone so dedicated to their dream that nothing stopped their way. Just like her, you are so passionate about your cause that I had to support you. I know how much you love your country, and I will be there to help you every step of the way.”

I raised my pinkie towards her. For a moment, she looked confused.

“Let’s make a promise here, Princess Yukino. Once this war is over, we will meet each other here like this. We’ll talk about all the good, the bad and the ugly from our experiences. Maybe even hold a celebration here. Let’s make sure we win and tell the tale.”

Without any hesitation, she gripped my pinkie finger with hers. A warm smile was plastered all over her face.

“I guess it’s a promise, Aki. We will be victorious. I know that for certain.”

“Hold up a minute. Did you just call me by my first name?”

“Anything wrong with that? It's easier than saying your full name. You can call me Yukino, too.”

“If I said that, my head would fly off in seconds.”

“My father already treats you better than he does his lackeys. I’m sure he’ll be fine with you calling me Yukino.”

“You better be right, Yukino.”

“There it is. Not that hard, is it?”

Our laughter accompanied the white noise of the night. I had gained my first friend and ally in this country, one that would prove essential for winning. My heart felt warm. Having company in a completely unknown world was the best thing I could ever ask for.

After a while, we said our goodbyes. Princess - No. Yukino returned to her palace, while I went towards my living quarters. My eyes immediately shut themselves. The toll of the entire day had caused my entire body to shut down. But this was just the beginning. My life had drastically changed. A calm and peaceful high school life was no longer in my cards.

I was now the champion of Aogiri. And I would make sure that I would be the champion of the Sovereign’s Tourney.