Chapter Text
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The most recent suitor has failed.
He did not even give him the mercy of a proper execution
The messy haired ginger fights to the end, twin blades of electro and hydro scratch the platform outside the Tenshukaku, a vision and delusion.
The wood and stone cracked, the gates to the Tenshukaku wrecked.
But that's not what really scares him. He knows that it'll be taken care of, rebuilt and fixed.
The prince steps out. An Isshin blade in hand, his eyes glowing a bright violet, he looks enraged beyond anything he's seen. Perhaps this was why this suitor was one of the few spared the mercy of a ceremony, offending him so gravely he would slay him then and there.
The boy he fights is barely in his 20s, he laughs as the hydro blade cuts into the wooden floor, at the same time frying it with electro.
The most terrifying thing is the wide smile on the boy's face, a powerful bravado in his voice. Some ominous energy emanates out of this foreign suitor. Kazuha can smell the abyss on him. Like a fucked up abyss mage. Never has a suitor been this destructive once losing.
Abyssal marks remain on the wood where his blades touched, where his feet drags.
The boy yells and lunges with the intent to kill
But their prince is a god, faster, stronger.
Barely a minute of battle. .
CRACK
Sickening snapping of bone
That head of ginger hair nearly separated from his body. Still twitching , he falls and writhes on the floors . A long cut from his stomach up to his collarbone, and another deeper slice through his throat, head barely hanging by sinew, bone cracked in half as he struggles to breathe from cut windpipes. That disgusting choking sound as blood rushes out onto the stone, muscles twitching a vague approximation of a crawl towards the ever elegant, beautiful Kunikuzushi
The vibrant red spilled onto the steps, mixed with something darker , it smells awful. Red-black blood staining the grey suit he wears
Shock on the boy's face, and he ceases moving. Kunikuzushi sneers
“ See the consequences of your conquest ! ” he shouts aloud, for those watching to hear, he wipes the blood off his pale porcelain face.
" HAVE YOU ANY IDEA THE DIPLOMATIC RAMIFICATIONS?! " A bespectacled man with whitening dark hair runs to the scene all too late and yells at the prince as the unfortunate boy's still bleeding remains are taken away.
Kazuha does not bother to listen to the diplomat from Snezhnaya scream his voice away, instead he follows the okuzumeshuu carrying the corpse to discard
The Shogun's only son and heir, Kunikuzushi appeared around a hundred years ago, a rumoured bastard, naturalised in a coming of age ceremony. Said to be far more beautiful and lively than his mother, countless suitors have fallen for him, have fallen before him.
Kazuha recalls his grandfather telling him the story of how the prince first appeared, he was a boy barely five, yet he would never forget the way the storm suddenly came upon the city. Rain like iron bearings , like lightning was constantly about to strike, his soundless steps drew fear and awe. The violet haired beauty who dragged behind him a corpse with light blue hair and a mask. Hisamichi would always say he'd never forget the way his father paled and froze in fear.
In his lessons, Kazuha learnt that the light blue haired man was a foreign criminal whose carcass the prince used to prove his mother's reign was imperfect and unstable. After all, the family resemblance was enough to prove the shogun's son was hers.
In Inazuma, it is common knowledge that near eighty years ago, Kunikuzushi announced his challenge to the world, a suitor's head in his hands. Any man who wishes for his hand in marriage is to undergo three trials. And should he fail, he would be put to death by his sword.
An untouchable beauty, he swore no man could ever take him.
This foreigner was no exception, diplomat or not. Though Kazuha had limited knowledge on the matter, even he knows the ginger caused quite a stir. Stepping past a dead predecessor and boldly proclaiming his love, the gossips would whisper. But he was like every other suitor before him, slain by the prince's hand.
Kazuha follows the men carrying the corpse from a distance, hiding with the wind
To a small cave nearby they've been using to dispose of bodies until legal documents have been processed . One guard crouches and takes a key from a box beneath a rock, he opens the locked grills of the gate, scavenging crows picking at what they can reach from the gate fly off when the men come close
" Such a shame. He was such a good man too, nice to the servants. "
" Right, I don't think our prince will marry after all "
" He was a foreign diplomat though, I really thought he was going to succeed "
" Maybe he did have some hidden agenda "
The two leave the body there, the cold dead blue eyes gaze blankly, they lock the gate and return the key
Once the men leave, he crawls out of his hiding place and walks closer to the gated cave
The stench is awful, strong, it stings his nose, Kazuha nearly vomits.
Among the corpses of these suitors was a good friend of his. He ought to take something to remember him by, perhaps a lock of hair or anything on his person.
Nearly all who challenged him believed they can win. Not his friend, his friend saw it as a way to end a senseless slaughter of young men . He's almost certain the Guuji Yae uses the prince's suitor trials as a means of political disposal.
If he recalls, it was several weeks ago when his friend failed the second trial and was beheaded in front of the Tenshukaku.
This would be worth it, he supposes.
He takes the key and opens the door
Crows return to the cave, it seems they’re not too scared of him. The small animals picking the fingers off last week's unfortunate suitor.
The remains of the foreign boy lay there still twitching , arms glowing violet with a delusion in one hand and a Snezhnayan hydro vision on the belt. Somehow dimming, it hasn't gone out
That disgusting gurgling sound from the corpse.
Wait . . .
The wind tells him he should hide.
Among the bodies he ducks into a corner,
A blue haired man in a mask approaches
"Oh it's unlocked " And steps closer to the ginger boy on the pile of dead.
He drags him by the leg away from the rest and close to the gate then he pours some liquid from a vial all over the wounds.
That disgusting stench grows stronger
The scent of the abyss
The blue haired man kicks the boy on the side to turn him over and crouches down, he begins patting him on the back
The ginger boy jolts upwards with his palms on the ground and retches and coughs, the dirt tainted with blood mixed with something else that's definitely corrupted, it smells like it at least. The blue haired man crouched keeps patting him on the back as he coughs out on the floor, tainting the soil below.
He heaves and coughs, till the blood is a vibrant red staining his lips, wiping it with the back of his hand.
" Alive? " The masked one asks
Ginger boy nods
" I'm- " He coughs, voice an unhealthy rasp compared to his prior bravado " Okay, Doctor "
He's healed impossibly fast
The lethal— or rather meant to be lethal strikes on him are now wounds. Deep but he's nonetheless alive " Lightheaded "
" Do you want a fried egg? "
" I think it's going to leave a scar " The ginger boy rasps out, The Doctor writing things down in one hand while handing him a bag with the other
" You're lucky you're abyssal . I'm not a fucking medic. "
" What am i gonna tell my mom . . . "
" The truth " He applies more of the formula on the boy's neck " You were in over your head and that divine brat nearly got you. "
" He did, didn't he ? And oh~ he was so beautiful too "
" Brat. You almost died "
" Yeah but it's a good thing you're here to save me, doctor. Aren't I right, mr samurai? " The ginger boy looks to his direction with a smile
" Yes , it is " No use hiding. Kazuha resumes his business , looking for what remains of his friend. Hopefully they won’t kill him.
The Doctor doesn't seem surprised of his presence , nor does he seem to care. As for the ginger, it seems he's just fine focusing on bandaging himself. Now that the doors are opened, crows pick at the corpses within the cave
It's creepy, the ginger one just got executed by the prince Kunikuzushi yet he's fine. Talking mere minutes after his throat was slit
" I wanna go home " The ginger boy says,
" Not while Pantalone is working. You will have to stay for a few weeks while everyone thinks you’re dead. " The Doctor turns to Kazuha's direction , though not at him " Boy, where are the nearest rentable boats "
" Ritou " Kazuha answers quick. He senses it would be best to get as far away from them as possible.
The man then looks towards him, his bright red eyes widen " Oh! " He begins to form a smile. " How creepy "
" You're the one to talk "
" You're mr. Niwa "
" No sir, I am from the Kaedehara clan "
" Isshin. How uncanny " He walks closer , Kazuha keeps on guard, he's cornered but he might have a means of escape with his speed " You look exactly like that man " He's looking him up and down studying him " A little shorter and your hair is a little lighter. But the face and frame " He begins to laugh
" Hey would you stop that , its creepy " The ginger protests, getting up on wobbly feet
“ I can only imagine His reaction. ”
Kazuha attempts to pay him no mind, going through the corpses with varying levels of decay.
The ginger kid seems so lightheaded, silent and seemingly about to faint
" Why don't you take revenge on that little brat "
" Why would I? "
" He must have killed someone close to you, why else would you be here scavenging the corpses "
" It was his choice. He wanted to stop the prince from killing any more men. And he failed "
" Don't you want to carry on his will? "
" It's not my place to "
" Oh well, the prince *was* the reason why your clan fell, it's understandable you'd be afraid of him "
" He's what? "
" You didn't know ? "
" Didn't know what? "
What a freaky smile " Hey why not try a delusion, join us and I'll tell you the history and connection between you and the prince "
" No "
" No? "
" Not interested "
" Wait wait wait don't you want to know why the prince uses an Isshin blade?! The Tatarasuna case?! Why the blame fell on your family after the incident at the furnace?! You don't want to know why the Raiden Gokaden fell into decline?!" the blue haired fool, in his arrogance, had said a lot , enough to infer from.
There it is. The scarf his friend had worn
He pulls the decaying corpse out of the pile to inspect
" I can find that out myself. "
The head is missing
The dead vision inside his clothing , some dried catmint, a pouch of mora, a few unfinished letters. He's dried. He's rotting. The crows have picked off fingers. But it's still him.
It's him. Finally.
It’s him.
A proper burial. That's what he needs. He'll drag his corpse halfway through Inazuma if he has to.
" Tch.” the blue haired man realises his own mistake “ if you ever reconsider, we're in Yashiori "
" Thats a big place "
" You'll find us. "
The ginger boy, still silent and dripping with blood, stumbles out of the cave and falls on his knees a few steps after, the man runs after him, packing quickly their things and desperately trying to drag him away. Only evidence they were there is the blood on the ground and the missing corpse.
Kazuha steps out carefully,
Step by step, he carries the dried corpse on his back, not minding the smell.
He drags the corpse to his camp, it was somewhere quiet he planned to bury him at when time came to claim the corpse. But he was never allowed to claim his friend's body. To the Tenshukaku, he was just another man without a family, just another ronin to rot away.
Ths small white cat brushes up against his leg, she chirps a little meow
" I'm sorry," He falls to his knees " I'm sorry little one, I couldn't bring all of him home "
He gently places what remains of his friend down and picks up the cat, hugging it, the little white cat lets him. She meows softly and nuzzles herself into his hair, biting at it
" I'm so sorry " , he whispers, perhaps not just to the cat
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— in nourishing the earth may they both find rest
He finishes carving on the flat stone, and he places the broken edge of his friend's sword as a headstone,
" I'm sorry " He whispers " I'll make it right "
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Nighttime, he walks to the station and the dog by the gate wags its tail , recognising him though he's covered in dirt having just buried his friend. He holds his travelling hat in his arms, the space filled by a sleeping cat. The stationed doushin at the gate stand on guard, Uesugi tries not to make a face at the scent that's rubbed off from digging a grave
" I'd like to speak to doushin Shikanoin "
" R-reporting a crime? "
" No . I . . . I just want to ask him a few things "
" Kazuha! You're back in the country " Shikanoin Heizou steps out of the station to greet him, but stops at a healthy distance from the smell he tries not to make a face at
" Yes , I'm back "
" You smell like ass "
" It's been a day " He sighs, looks away " I buried him. "
" Oh. "
Heizou looks him up and down " Wait here I'll take a few things and we can talk at my home. And for heaven's sake I'm going to get you in a bath. "
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After a bath, Kazuha already feels better,
He serves him some tea, warmth for the cold night air.
" Why are you back here. " Heizou looks at him with almost pity, placing a towel on his head
" My father died and left everything of the clan to me. I'm going to be liquidating everything , giving away some other things as well "
" My condolences, he was sick wasn't he? Do you have a place to stay? "
" No "
" You can stay here. Is that what brought you to the station? "
" No, " He answers plainly " It's about the prince "
Heizou's eyes shift away , as if seeing unseen patterns and words " The shogun's only heir, her only son, Kunikuzushi. . . huh . . . I had a feeling you were going to ask me about his royal highness " he looks Kazuha in his eyes, sincere " Listen I'm sorry about—"
" You don't get to say anything. " He shakes his head " Not about him. Not when you were there "
" I know " He gets up and turns to his bag, " But the prince isn't a man you can quell so easily "
" It isn't about quelling him. It's finding answers "
" Answers . . . " He hands him files " That's why you went to me. I’m glad you went to me. "
" Kunikuzushi's sword, the incident at the furnace, the reason the Raiden Gokaden fell into decline. . . " He hesitates. But sighs. " A strange man . . . Told me his highness was connected to my family. He told me the prince was the reason the clan fell."
" Incident at Tatarasuna . . . The one cold case that was taken from my hands. A certain pink fox told me not to look into it too hard. "
" I thought answers to why would pique your interest. "
" And you think that investigating Her Excellency's little bastard would help "
" I want to find closure, at least for my family, at least for him. And you, you will close all your cold cases. " He holds the small white cat she purrs against his hand, " Will you help me? "
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Kunikuzushi drinks his herbal tea, strong, without any additions of sickening honey or sugar. Yet he can smell it from his room in the east wing of the Tenshukaku. That awful abyssal stench that came out of Tartaglia when he slit his throat and he bled out on the steps.
The maids scrubbing the stone floors, it seems the wine dark stains won't go,
Maybe he needs to have it cleansed in a non conventional way. He would hate to have to speak to Guuji Yae for something as trivial as this.
A samurai of rather short stature walks up the stairs. Dressed in a man's travelling hat and clothes black with scarlet maple patterns, He knocks on the broken gate of the Tenshukaku.
" I'd like an audience with the prince ! " An unfamiliar voice shouts loud with the wind, stern and determined
" Who is asking " The gate guard asks,
" Kaedehara Kazuha "
Kaedehara . . . Hm . He can't see his face with that hat. Who is this one again? Kageharu's boy?
A servant of the inner rooms quickly runs to his door, out of breath " Your highness, the young master of the Kaedehara clan h—"
" Deny him . " a decisive answer. the servant scurries away with those words.
Kunikuzushi sips his tea by the window. whatever, He has better things to do than talk to the current Kaedehara head. Such as having someone wash Tartaglia's blood off the steps. It's stained the stone dark
Disgusting.
He watches the servant inform the gate guard who then informs the boy. Who then . . .
He took his hat off
Fair hair with red streaks
He raises his head towards him
A handsome face all too familiar
Determined eyes gaze up at him from below
" I ask for his hand in marriage! "