The Unforged Blade: A Swordsman's Fate

'Arrgh' "Which is why, i had this plan set in motion"




As soon as Tachibana heard these words, he suddenly sensed a very fast moving object, making it's way towards him. He had just released one of his abilities and was unable to move because of that.




The bolts fired from the crossbow of one of the most feared crossbow user struck Tachibana in the back.




"Ahh guess I'm not so Tireless after all." thought Tachibana as he fell down to the ground.




"Grandpa!" He could hear his grandson screaming and see him running towards him.

"Grandpa, Grandpa, I'm so sorry, this-this happened because of me.

I was too helpless and powerless. I couldn't do anything to help you at all."




"Listen Takeshi.

It's fine, you aren't supposed to protect me, instead I am. I promised to myself the day your parents died that I'll protect you at all costs.

But.. look at me, falling for a mere strike from a crossbow, I couldn't have a more disappointing death haha."




"Grandpa, no, wait I can still save you, the town is nearby.".




"Ohh my dear boy, I regret the fact that i didn't teach you Swordsmanship properly myself, but what i regret more is how dumb you turned out to be.




Hah, no matter, come here."




Tachibana raises his hands and places his index finger on Takeshis forehead.




"This is something Sword Emperors are able to do, and i wanted to give you this after you have matured mentally, but I'm out of time.




Goodbye Takeshi, take care of Mizuko for me. She's a great woman, one whom I loved and respected more than anyone."




Tachibana's hands fall to the ground as he breathed his last.




Takeshi felt a giant headache as a brilliant moonlight flashed into his eyes and to his mind.




What happened afterwards, is something he doesn't recall. He woke up to find Mizuko in his hands, his grandfather's body and in huge cavity on the ground, the Kageki. He took his grandfather's body and the swords and left for the village.




Tetsuro Kanroji, the current master of The Tree of the Ancient Emperor Academy and most proficient in the Ancient Emperor Style Swordsmanship, was standing outside his Academy, waiting for someone.




He had seen the brilliant white light from the forest along with almost everyone who was present there. Kanrojis eye lit up, as he knew the significance of this particular light and the aura it emitted. It was the Moonlight Blade, or Tachibana. He knew that his friend whom he hasn't seen in a long time was finally here.




"Hmm, I wonder why He used Lunar Blossom, I don't think there could be enemies that are strong enough to make him use that. Well no matter nothing that he couldn't handle..."




He never would have thought that he might have to eat his own words.




The Night sky was beautiful, with quite a few stars to be seen.




Kanroji was looking at it, while waiting for him. As he slowly moved his head downwards, he could see a man walking towards the village. As the man reached closer to the academy, he could get a more clear view.




"Hmm wait, this isn't Tachibana, I wonder who it is then.

He seems to be carrying some sort of load too.

I'll just go to him, in case he's a traveller."




Kanroji slowly started to walk towards the man coming from afar.




And suddenly he stopped.




He couldn't believe his eyes at the sight he saw right before him.




"TACHIBANA!"




He ran towards the man, who upon seeing him, set the body on his hand on the ground. He dropped on his knees and looked at the body.




"W-What in the world happened, who are you and what happened to Tachibana."




'Sniff' "G-Grandpa died. He died protecting me. He died because of me and my powerlessness.




I-I'm sorry, I'm so sorry "




Kanroji, regained his composure, and got an idea of what had happened. He firmly placed his hands on Takeshi's shoulder, and said while holding back his tears.




"It's not your fault, son. It's not."




He carried Tachibana's body and made Takeshi stand up on his two feet.




"Come, It's an insult to me if I kept him outside my academy after seeing him like this."




Kanroji and Takeshi slowly walked into the Academy village, the disciples all gathered around to see the master come in with a body in his hands and a young man along with him.




"What's going on?"

"Who's body is master carrying?"

"Who's the dead guy?"

"Who's the young man"

"Are they refugees? Did a war break out outside of the mountain again?"

"Did the beasts do this?"




Both of them could hear a lot of this kind of whispering as they passed through the academy gate.




"SILENCE.

You fools, what are you doing murmuring around like this.




Hisako set up a bed in the main hall, quickly.




Kenichi, escort this young man to the baths and give him a change of clothes."




"Kanroji Sensei"




"Don't worry too much right now, take a bath for now, get some rest and we can talk afterwards. I mustn't delay his cremation at any cost.




Also I have something important to address.




Your name is Takeshi right?."




"Yes"




"Hmm, go with him, take care of yourself for now. We can talk afterwards."




Kanroji carried the body to the main hall, placed it on the bed.




"Hisako, you may leave now."




"Yes Sensei."




Hisako leaves and closes the door behind him.




Kanroji, couldn't control his tears anymore.




"Why? Why did you die before me you selfish fool."




"You promised me that you would join me as a master here and spend the rest of your life here. I've been waiting for years to see you again, have a spar with you again. Talk about the times when we were fighting on the frontlines together, challenging the sword emperor and establishing this, this academy.




Why did you have to leave me alone.




You were my only friend throughout the years, and then you went ahead and disappeared on me.




Decades later, we meet again, and how?

LIKE THIS?.




Hahh, first it was Iwao, now you too."




Kanroji who appeared as a strong man and hard hearted teacher on the outside, was actually a very pure, innocent soul, who loved his friends more than anything.




His friendship with Tachibana dates back to the time both of them were in the academy together. Kanroji was an orphan, who was took in by their teacher after the civil war.

While everyone ignored him and didn't wanted to be friends with him, Tachibana was the only one, who was there for him.

Later, Iwao too became his friend, whom they met during the Shogunate Enlistment.

And now, both of them are gone.




"Well, i guess it can't be helped."




"You." Pointing at the dead body of Tachibana.

"You brought the boy here to teach him your Swordsmanship style didn't you?

So be it. I will train him, and I will make him far stronger than you were, and make him surpass you.

As for me, I will hunt them down. All of them. Whoever was behind this. I swear, i will never let anyone of them be left alive."




...




"In there, that's the bath, go on, I'll bring a change of clothes for you after you are done. Just call me. I'll be waiting outside."




"Okay"




"By the way, what's your name?"




"Takeshi, Takeshi Tachibana."




"Oh, so Takeshi kun, okay. My name is Kenichii, feel free to call me Kenichii or Ken."




Takeshi remains silent as he walks into the bath. He places the two swords which were on him in the place where he kept his clothes.




Kenichii follows him inside. Takeshi sat comfortably inside a wooden tub and started to take a bath.




"You aren't the chatty type are you?"




Takeshi didn't respond again, his mind was wandering.




He still hadn't recovered from what had happened, his grandfather dying in front of him, the sword on his hand, the bandits targetting them, them knowing about his grandfather, all of this was bothering him.




"So who was that?"

"What?"

"Who was the one master was carrying?"

"My grandfather."

"Do you know the relationship between master and your grandfather?"

"No I don't."




'Hmm, I wonder what it is? Likely explanation is that, it's his old friend or something, or someone he has a debt to, last one seems unlikely considering how he and his grandson were dressed but it's not something i can reach a conclusion about right now. Oh well, let's see, master will explain to us I guess." thought Kenichii.




"Are those swords yours?"




"No, the Silver one is my grandfather's, the pitch black one is something i found on the ground after the attack."




"Oh, so was it from your grandfather that the brilliant white light came?"




"White light? What white light?"




"What? You didn't see?"




"No i didn't."




"You must either be sleeping at the time or blind if you are telling me you didn't see that.

It was so bright almost all the students here gathered around to see it.

Not to mention, the master only came out from his room after he saw this light."




"I wasn't sleeping, but I'm not sure what happened after I touched my grandfather's sword."




"Hmm, strange, very strange indeed.

So was the other sword belonging to the people who attacked you?"




"Yes."




"Who were they? Do you have an idea?"




"Based on their clothes, I think it was a group of bandits, but they knew who my grandfather was."




"Hmm, wait what's your grandfather's name?




"Takahiro Tachibana."




"Hmm, wait what?"




"What?"




"Did you say Takahiro Tachibana?"




"Yeah?"




"Takahiro Tachibana is your grandfather? Damn that's awesome."




"What's so awesome about being a pilgrim's grandson?"




Takeshi gave a weird and suprised look to Kenichii




Kenichii was shocked, he didn't know how to respond to that at all.




"What? pilgrim? You must be living under a rock if you don't know who that is."




"And yet you asked who my grandfather was."




"Man, I just haven't seen him that's all, It's the reason why I asked. But i sure have heard of him, not just me almost everyone in the country knows who he is.




Except for you that is."




Takeshi looked more puzzled now.




"Oh dear god, man, your grandfather is one of the former Sword Emperors of the Shogunate, The hero of the war against the Ming Empire, and one of the people who established the Ancient Emperor Style Swordsmanship."




"Ohh, I did hear them calling my grandfather a Sword Emperor."




"That's because he was, and why aren't you excited about it, you are the grandson of one of the most famous and powerful people in the country."




"Oh-"




It took some time for Kenichii to realise what's going on.




The fact that Takeshi was never told anything about his grandfather and the fact that no one could be excited at a time like this.




'Ah shit, I am dumb aren't I? Asking him to be excited when his grandfather has just died'




"I'm sorry for saying all that, I got carried away."




"It's fine, I in a way, have been living under a rock and was too dumb to ever ask him about his past, so"




After his bath was done, Kenichii brought him a change of clothes.




Takeshi carried both swords and made his way to meet Kanroji.










To be continued.