The smell of blood filled the stagnant night. Stomach churning screams echoed for hours, as no man, woman, or child was spared. They attacked like demons, their blades emitting power the townspeople had never yet seen. Flesh was sliced, body parts ripped from their owners, babies executed in front of their mothers, husbands murdered in front of their wives. Families watched as their homes burned, the air became possessed with a revolting stench as decaying flesh rotted away. These attackers hadn't worn cloaks or hoods, they weren't ashamed of what they were doing, they felt no compunction for their atrocities. All residents and military of the Anweisen Kingdom were aimed for slaughter.
A young Sakido ran through this slaughter, trying not to slip from the puddles of blood, trying to resist vomiting from the ennards hung on the walls, the traces of blood and bones, that were once living and breathing people. People with lives, feelings, and each of them with aspirations and dreams. That's what they were reduced to, a splatter of blood and bodily fluid. Sakido couldn't afford to not look, he had to be aware of his surroundings, he needed to make it back to his home. Abruptly, a coarse voice called out to him "H-heeelllp- help me..." He turned, and to his horror, a body with only a head and torso crawled towards him, grabbing his leg. Their intestines hanging and coming further and further out with each movement. Sakido screamed and attempted to pull his leg from the grasp of this abomination. Suddenly, a boot stepped on it's upper back, the figure gripped the neck of the dying being from behind, and slowly ripped it from the spine, Sakido listened as each vertebrae fractured, and heard the stomach churning sound of the spine being snapped apart. He watched in horror as the face expressed unfathomable pain as it lost it's life. The head dropped and rolled on the ground as the hand released it's tension. Without a second thought, he ran, adrenaline being the only thing keeping him standing. He will forever the remember the stagnant grey eyes and matte back hair of the perpetrator.
He managed to burst through the high doors of his home and found his mother and father in the main room of the palace. They kneeled parallel to each other, a figure standing behind them, their silhouette illuminated from the window they stood in front of. This figure was cloaked, he couldn't make out their face. "Mother, Father!" He cried.
He attempted to rush towards them and was held back by the hands of yet another assassin. He could tell these hands belonged to a female, they were soft and gentle, not battle worn. They almost felt...loving, in a twisted way. He had only felt such before from his mother.
After his cry, his mother spoke "Sakido, my son, you must never forget how much your father and I love you. You will accomplish great things-"
The young boy interupted "What's happening??? Let me go!!! Let them go!!!" A scythe appeared from nowhere, it appeared to be made of some sort of liquid, he saw its crimson glow, it seemed to be constructed of blood.
The child's eyes grew even wider and he pleaded for his parents' life with crying eyes "Please!!! Please!!! Please!!! Don't do this, don't hurt them!!!"
His father spoke "You must remember Sakido, nothing is as it seems, trust no one, they will deceive you. Within this world constructed by logic, objectivity, and truth. You must remember that emotion is your most powerful weapon, let it act as your sword, and let your mind prison you not."
His mother took a final look at him and said "Goodbye, my son, I do deeply hope that I may see you again."
She turned and the two sacrifices uttered last words to one another, Sakido was too panicked to tell what they were. The assassin then made their move, he witnessed the blade of the scythe first enter his father, piercing straight through the heart, and then within moments, the same fate befell his mother. They turned to each other in their dying moments, she rested her hand on her husband's face, and with a final kiss, life left her body, a second more, and his father's body was laying lifeless as well.
The blood poured out of their mouths and it pooled from the wound onto the ground. The young boy couldn't even scream, there was no voice left. Their blood had been strewn onto his face, it poured into his eyes and made them burn with excruciating pain. He opened his eyes and his right eye glew it's Royal blue, his aura began to radiate; however, his captor had no trouble subduing his newfound power immediately. No matter how hard he fought against her grasp, she overpowered him with utmost ease.
He looked up at the killer, their face hidden by the darkness of the hood. They suddenly spoke "Look at you, helpless, weak, pathetic." The voice was very light, yet distorted.
The only words the child could utter were "W-why-wh-who" Her red eyes shone from under her hood and gazed into his very soul. "I'm your hatred." The shaking boy gathered what ardor he had left and proclaimed "I'll k-kill you.."
The assassin smirked and laughed with a patronizing tone. "Very well, don't you dare keep me waiting, ...Sakido. Your father isn't so foolish, remember his words, they may prove to be useful." Her scythe dissipated and a portal opened behind her, and she began to walk through.
Sakido was able to gather enough energy to say "W-wait..." She turned to him and spoke her parting words "Don't fear, we'll meet again soon enough."
"And that's all that I remember. I haven't seen her since. I don't know when soon is for her, but this definitely isn't my definition of it." Korihime asks inquisitively "So, where did you end up after all of this?"
The young Sakido arose from a deep sleep. His vision was blurry and his mind was in countless places at once. He didn't know where we was or what bed he was in. He lifted himself up gently and looked at his hands, making sure he was still corporeal. He was fully aware that what he had just saw way real, but at the same time, it felt so unreal. He had no words to describe what he was feeling.
"Woooahhh, you're awake" A young girl's voice uttered. He turned to his right and saw a blonde haired little girl staring at him. "AH!!!" She screamed, unaware of his intentions. She hid behind a piece of furniture.
Sakido, immediately feeling softness and sympathy for her, says "Hey, it's okay, ...I'm Sakido." The girl peered her head out of her hiding spot and slowly emerged "I'm Ichika...Ichika Hinode." Sakido was stunned by her immediate reveal of her last name.
"Um, thanks, but I didn't expect to know that. Don't you know that's dangerous?" Ichika yet again screeched "AHHH!!! How??? Am I going to die?"
He reassured her "No, no, it's just customary in my...family." Sakido yet again recollected the events that happened, he had no idea how long ago that was.
Ichika looked down and said "I see, I'm sorry, Sakido, I didn't mean to remind you." He looked at her softly and says "No, it's okay. He peered into his hands again and pondered, thinking over and over about what happened, how it made no sense.
"Ikakuro, that's my last name. Sakido Ikakuro." He said, hoping to cheer her up. She giggled slightly "I think your name sounds kinda cool." He thought to himself "Kinda? What does that mean? Is it something like 'somewhat' or 'perhaps'?"
He smiled at her and thanked her. Out of curiosity, he asked "Where am I? I've never seen architecture such as this." Ichika confusingly responds "Ummm, Kurigawa...I guess? Did you live near here?" He quickly responds "Definitely not, is Kurotsuchi near here?" Ichika is puzzled and says in return "I've never heard of it, sorry. But, Kurigawa is a really nice place, it's got great gardens! We can go seen them if you want!"
Another female enters the room. Her face looked surprisingly similar to Ichika, she had long red hair and wore rectangular framed glasses.
She interrupts Ichika "We can show him around later, sweetie. Thanks for letting me know he was up..." She looked at Ichika with playful disdain. Ichika replies apologetically "I'm really sorry, Izumi!!! We were just talking and I was really going to come and get you!" Izumi laughed and placed her hand on her head.
"It's fine Ichika. You did just fine, okay?" She snickers and reassures Ichika. "Anyway, Sakido, correct?" She says with a half smile.
Sakido quickly responds "Yes, ma'am!" She smiles with intrigue "Such a proper tongued young man, you are. I like that" Without warning she exclaims "Ichika!" Ichika is startled by this sudden change in tone "AH-Uh...yes Izumi?" She demands of the girl "How could you be so rude? This poor boy must be parched! Fetch him some water." She quickly exited to comply with her request.
Now in isolation, Izumi turns to Sakido and glares at him. "Let's try this again, shall we? "Izumi Hinode. Nice to meet you." She holds out her hand in order to shake his. Sakido is confessed by this gesture "What does that mean" She casts her gaze to him "This is called a 'handshake' instead of bowing, like you did in Kurotsuchi, here in Tokyo, we shake hands to greet."
"Oh...okay. I'm Sakido Ikakuro, it's my pleasure to meet you as well.". He complies and shakes her hand.
Upon feeling her hand, it immediately reminded him of that person, the one that held him down and forcefully made him indolent during his parents' murder. It flashed before his eyes and he quickly snatched away and started breathing heavily.
Tears formed in his eyes and the reality set in yet again that he no longer was in his home. That nothing would be the same ever again. That he would never feel the touch of his mother, or the encouragement of his father ever again.
Izumi nods her head slightly downwards "I understand, I can't imagine how much is going on inside of you. While Ichika isn't here, let me tell you this. You aren't in Kurotsuchi, no one here knows or ever will know where or what that is. I do, but only I. That's how I found you after all. You're in a different dimension now. This is the Humane realm. There will be a time for you to return, but you can't now. It's far too dangerous. You'll stay with us, okay? I'll answer any questions that you have, but not now, you should rest, Sakido."
Sakido is surprised with her compassion and responds "Thanks so much, Mrs. Hinode." She snickers yet again and says "Please, call me Izumi, okay? Unless you piss me off, in that case you'd better call me formally. " He nods in agreement.
"Why is it that Ichika called you by your first name, is that custom here, to call parents by their name?" Izumi is thrilled by his ignorance and jumps at the opportunity to explain "Well, I'm actually not her Mother."
Sakido audibly gasps "What? But your faces are so similar, your eyes too." Izumi smiles "It's funny, her mother looks hardly anything like her. She received her father's hair, and my eyes. Her mother had beautiful brown hair, it was the appearance of a milk stained coffee, a striking comparison to her daughter's bright blonde."
Izumi leaned closer to Sakido to nearly whisper something "Her father and mother were killed by Freiheiten assassins. Unfortunately, similar to your occurrence, except she doesn't know that, please, don't tell her, it's for the best that she doesn't know for now. I'm actually her aunt. Her mother's name was Irina. Ichika hardly remembers anything about her. Just be careful what you say to her, she's sensitive about it."
"Here! Sorry, sorry, sorry!!!" Ichika stumbled into the room with a bottle of water. She handed it to Sakido and profusely apologized more. "I couldn't get the package open!" Sakido assured her "It's perfectly fine, don't worry about it."
He smiled at her thoughtfulness. He looked at the bottle and was so confused, he hadn't seen this material before. Everything in his childhood was glass, leather, metal, all natural occurring materials.
"Hey, Izumi, can I show him around Mitzi Garden?!" Izumi replied with "How about you show him around the house, first, and then outside?" Ichika was delighted. "Yeah, great idea!"
Back To Present
"And from then on, I lived with them. Until I became 16, then I moved in here, by myself." Korihime responds with "I'd love to know how you fell for each other." Sakido smiles and responds "I'd love to tell you, but it seems that it's a little late tonight."
Somewhere in the city, a glowing orange portal opens and a young man steps out. He is dressed nothing like Kampori, he's less militaristic, and more fantastical, with a striking long sword, belts across his attire, and bright orange dyes on his coat. "Is this the right location, Captain Tsurugi?"
The man questioned. Within his head, a telekinetic message relays "Yes, Hiru, her presence was last detected in this area. Remember, the King's orders were to keep her alive. He also desired no casualties But, don't mind his altruistic idiocy. Eliminate all threats that will prevent your procession."
The soldier replied "As you wish, Captain Tsurugi, Korihime will be in our possession. I shall return." Tsurugi replies "Excellent, Hiru, I look forward to yet another triumph."
Characters Introduced in Chapter 3
Izumi Hinode
Association: Sister of Ichika's deceased mother
Sakido's 'Unnamed' Mother
Association: Unknown
Sakido's 'unnamed' Father
Association: Unknown
Hiru
Last Name: To Be Announced
Association: Soldier Of A Supposed King