The Meeting of Generals

“The purpose of this meeting is to decide Mr Kurokawa’s role in this war. Mr Kurokawa, please speak your mind.” Emperor Nobunaga passed the meeting on to me. I gulped in fear and wiped the sweat off my forehead,

“As I have no combat experience, I’d like to be a strategist for the army. I believe that my knowledge of previous wars from my world would be beneficial in winning this war.”

All 4 generals were visibly shocked by my request. They stared at me with visible confusion, as though I had insulted them. Well, that wouldn’t be so wrong in Mr Arakawa’s point of view.

“You want to take my position as strategist from me? Is this supposed to be a joke?” As expected, Mr Arakawa was furious. His scowl sent pins around my body.

“I’m not stealing your position. I know I’m wet behind the ears in terms of wars, but I know enough theoretical information to help you. What I want is to cooperate with you.”

I knew that taking his position was unrealistic. Mr Arakawa was much more experienced in battle. He knew the skills and potential of everyone in the army by the back of his hand. If our strengths were combined, it would be a striking advantage for the army.

“Master doesn’t need your help. Our army can function without you.” Riku’s previously aloof personality had disappeared completely. He was visibly upset, probably because my words could be taken as calling his Master incompetent.

“Enough, Riku. I can handle this myself.” Mr Arakawa gave a stern warning to Riku, who calmed down and watched our discussion.

“Mr Kurokawa, your claims are hard to believe. How can we trust your skills? You have nothing to show for yourself.” Chiyou opened her mouth for the first time. Her similarly brown eyes listlessly looked at me.

“I’ll do anything. Please believe me.” I bowed towards Mr Arakawa.

Mr Arakawa stared at me as though I were smaller than an ant. The pressure of his eyes pulled me closer and closer to the ground. My negotiation tactics had failed. Without any backing from the generals, I wouldn’t be able to help the army in any way.

Suddenly, a voice from the heavens came to my assistance.

“Mr Arakawa, please give Aki a chance. Although I am not familiar with his skills, his determination to protect Aogiri is admirable. I believe we can trust him.”

Yukino’s words restored my confidence. As a princess, a request from her was considered a must.

Mr Arakawa glanced at Yukino with a side eye and deliberated his next move. After a split second, he nodded.

“Very well. If Princess Yukino requests it, I’m willing to test this man.”

For the first time in this meeting, I felt relieved. My objective for this meeting has been completed. Now I just had to prove myself to Mr Arakawa.

“Emperor Nobunaga, please allow me to use the library. Everyone present here should be there in an hour.”

“Very well, do as you please. We’ll continue this meeting at the library. For now, this meeting is adjourned.”

One by one, we left the tatami room, leaving the Emperor alone inside. What test would Mr Arakawa put me through that could be done in the library? Was he going to quiz me on military situations? I had one hour to prepare for the worst.

—-----------

Aki Kurokawa and the other generals, including my daughter, left the room in an orderly manner. I was now all alone inside this perfectly square tatami room. Or was I?

“You can come out now. I know you’ve been here for a while. Explain yourself.”

Suddenly, a man in a hooded cloak appeared from thin air in front of me. His facial features were foreign, unlike anyone in the Aogiri nation. He wore a baggy shirt with a black vest and similarly black pants, unlike anyone in the Aogiri nation.

“King Alucard wishes to speak with you. It is regarding the Sovereign’s Tourney.”

“Hmmm. What could that old man want?”

The mysterious man asked for permission to place his hand on my head. I nodded. Once I felt the pressure of his palm, a deep, clear voice spoke inside my brain.

“Can you hear me, Emperor Nobunaga?”

“Loud and clear, King Alucard. What’s with the sudden request?”

“I wanted to tell you that we have summoned our representative for Aethelheim. Our training regimen has already begun.” He sounded confident. His representative must be quite impressive.

“So did I. My representative is doing well himself. He has a charisma that makes people trust him.” An image of Aki Kurokawa appeared in my eyes. He continued to surprise me and surpass my expectations. I had high hopes for him.

“I await the day our champions meet. This Sovereign’s Tourney is sure to be an interesting one.”

“We must be careful. Last tournament’s mistakes should not be repeated. We are already losing the confidence of the public.”

“Indeed. I’ll take extra precautions in silencing any distractions. Take care, Emperor Nobunaga.”

“We’ll meet soon, King Alucard.”

The connection closed with a slight ring in my ears. The hooded figure stepped back and bowed.

“I shall take my leave, your majesty. Long live Aethelheim and Aogiri.”

He disappeared in the blink of an eye. I was reminded of the last Sovereign’s Tourney approximately 10 years ago. Just like before, I summoned a promising candidate. He was perfect: strong combat skills, high battle IQ and great leadership skills. But because of “that” incident, I had to put him down myself.

Aki Kurokawa, I have high hopes for you. Please don’t let me down.

—----------

I lay on the grass, staring at the endless blue canvas above. Droplets of clouds were painted on, covering the golden ball of light from burning my eyelids. The scent of soldiers’ sweat and fresh greenery created a hotspot of summery essence. I attempted to calm my brain; however, not even the vibes of summer were working. One question remained in my brain: could I really pass Mr Arakawa’s test?

“What a poor sight. Have you already given up? Were all of my compliments for nought?” Yukino blocked the canvas with her perfect facial features. Not to say that the view was disappointing.

“I think better when I’m lazily relaxing. To what do I owe the pleasure, your highness?”

“Just wanted to see the state of the champion of Aogiri after being humiliated by his comrades.”

Yukino sat on my left on the grass, gazing at the soldiers training. Although there were only 2 months left till D-Day, the world felt abnormally peaceful.

“I have no idea what I’m gonna do for the test. Got any ideas?”

“Mr Arakawa is unpredictable and strict. He trained Chiyou, Riku and me mercilessly to the bone. I swear there were days when the three of us planned to run away, and it always failed because he was always one step ahead; there’s no beating that monster.”

Yukino’s description of Mr Arakawa terrified me. He sounded worse than military commanders back in my world.

“But we knew he was only that strict for our sakes. I respect him as much as my father.” A nostalgic smile grew on her face as she rekindled her memories. It seemed that Mr Arakawa was not as bad as I thought.

“Master is a force to be reckoned with. I’d pack my bags and leave now if I were you, peasant,” said another familiar voice. The source of negativity, Riku, sat on my right, adjusting his hair.

“Could you at least have some faith in Aki? He didn’t mean anything rude to Mr Arakawa during the meeting.”

“I understood that when you took his side. You would never stand beside someone who insults our master. I’m saying this for his sake. There’s no chance of you passing the Master’s trials. It took us years to get his approval. One hour is not enough to change your fate.”

I was shocked. Riku’s previously annoying personality had dialled down. Yukino’s seal of approval did work after all. It almost sounded like he was genuinely worried about me.

“Though I don’t mind you embarrassing yourself in front of him. At least it will provide some entertainment.”

I take back what I said. He was just a prick.

“So, Aki, do you have a plan for gaining his trust?” Yukino asked. Her eyes were filled with worry.

To be honest, I had no plan of action. I didn’t know what to expect, and neither did Yukino. Riku would definitely not help me either. There was only one person left to ask.

“Chiyo was also a student of Mr Arakawa, right? I’m going to try and ask her for some tips.”

“Don’t bother. It’s impossible to get her to speak to you. We’ve known each other for years, and she still barely speaks to us,” Riku remarked.

“I hate to agree, but Riku’s right, Aki. She’s not an easy person to get on your side.”

—-----------

“It’s going to be either a puzzle or a game. If I were to predict, it would most likely be a strategy game,” Chiyo surprisingly advised,” Master enjoys testing people’s intellect in abstract situations.”

She was practising using her staff nearby by herself. The movements of her staff were graceful, as though she were dancing in the air. Although the wooden staff looked thick and heavy with its gemstone ornaments at the tip, she threw it into the air and caught it effortlessly. It was apparent that she had practised these techniques for a long time.

“Hmmm, that makes sense. When we were young, we were trained in games like shogi and go. But this is unexpected of you, Chiyo. I never thought you would ever help this poor sap,” Riku said while watching her practice.

“I found his earnestness interesting. A match between him and Master wouldn’t be fair if he didn’t get at least a slight advantage.”

“So your only reason for helping Aki was for your own curiosity and entertainment?” Yukino asked.

“Exactly. Though please don’t mistake this curiosity for admiration. He’s equivalent to a pet in my eyes.”

How cruel could she get!? There was no need for that backhanded compliment at the end! Though I was amazed that her facial expression had not altered at all during the entire conversation. Was she a robot in disguise?

“Well, insult aside, thank you for your help, Chiyo. I can at least come up with some plans of attack now,” I thanked her while bowing. I was grateful for the advice and had to show my appreciation.

For a split second, her eyes grew bigger in shock, the first time she showed a different expression since I’ve met her. However, she immediately masked it with a nod.

“No need to thank me. Just don’t lose too fast and bore us.” Again with the backhanded comment!

“Hold up, Chiyo. If you were able to speak to little pauper here so easily, why did it take 6 months before you stopped ignoring me?” Riku questioned, glaring at Chiyo with eyes of doubt.

“That was because I found you annoying. You spoke only about your nobility and archery skills, but nothing else. It was easier to ignore you than tell you to shut up.” Chiyo’s direct shot answer ripped Riku into pieces. His knees fell to the ground in disappointment.

“Now that you mention it, Riku, you were kind of a prick back then. Scratch that, you’re still a prick now. 10 years of growing up really didn’t help you at all.” Yukino sent another barrage of insults at Riku. He was now completely on the ground, motionless.

I couldn’t help but laugh at Riku’s childish plight. A taste of his own medicine was exactly what he needed.

—-----------

One hour had passed by in a flash. In that span of time, Yukino and I brainstormed some strategies in popular strategy games while Riku and Chiyo watched in amusement. It would have helped to have their support, but there was not much I could do to gain their trust now.

The four of us stood opposite the sliding door leading to the library. My heart was beating at 200 miles per hour in fear. Mr Arakawa’s trial would undoubtedly be difficult and cruel. Would I really be able to win against him?

“We’ll head in first. Mongrel, you stay here,” Riku commanded. I would patiently wait for the day he stopped calling me insults and started using my name.

“Don’t make the match too boring. At least put up a fight,” Chiyo “advised”, before entering the library.

Yukino and I stood side by side in silence. My entire body was tense. It refused to move an inch towards the door. If I screwed up here, it was all over. I could never help Aogiri. My thoughts were clouded in doubt and self-depreciation. How could I, an average high school student, defeat an experienced strategist? It was impossible!

Whack! A sharp pain erupted in the centre of my back. I then felt a weight on my shoulder. Yukino had gripped my shoulder.

“Keep your wits about you, Aki. I know you can impress Mr Arakawa. Show me that I wasn’t wrong in believing in you.”

She lightly punched my chest with her fist and passed through the abyss on the other side. Her touch cleared my thoughts and warmed my body from the chills of despair. There was no use in overthinking. All I had to do was win and prove Yukino right.

I stepped through the door, prepared for my toughest challenge yet.