The Truth behind the Pages of Life

It has been a week since the duel between the Shogun and the Kirin Lord ended with the former's victory. Although it would've seemed like a huge event that would send the country into a great change for better or for worse, none of that really happened in the end.

"Huh? What's my opinion about the duel?"

"Y-yes, mam! We're writing an essay for our civic studies subject. Our topic is the recent duel between Shogun-sama and the Kirin Lord."

"Hmm… It's alright, I guess."

"Pardon?"

"I mean, the Shogun sure does like to keep us entertained with regular events. But you know, his policy of letting us do what work we want is already greater than any other show he can put up."

"Uh-huh…"

"I believe the duel was something fun. But the Shogun already did enough for us. I guess more than anything else, that is a present more beautiful and valuable than anything else."

Everyone said the same things albeit in many other ways. They all liked the duel and how it turned out. But now that it is over, it is back for them to the lives they know. Doing work that they like, and others need.

"You-kun… We're not getting any far in this."

"I know that. But we still have to do our report essay."

"Muu… This sucks…"

By noon, the three children rested at a snacks shop and while drinking their ramune, complained about their still unfinished school report.

"Are the locals of the city saying the same things, children?"

"Mm? Who are you, lady?"

"My name is Shizuka. Just Shizuka for now."

"Where did you come from, Shizuka-san?"

"I came from the south. Far, far away in the south."

"Uu! You-kun! Moka-chan! She might help us with our report!"

After hearing that the woman who approached them was not from Hitachi, the three children seemed to have their spirits lifted.

"I sure would help you kids out in your school report."

"Yaaay!"

"Finally!"

"I just have a small request for you three kids."

"Mm? What would that be, Lady? We'll help out as much as we can!"

"I see… well then…"

Leaning towards them while hiding her mouth from onlookers, she whispered a question to three kids who was enthusiastic about helping her.

"Do you know when the Shogun will appear outside of the palace?"

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

"…"

"Chiyo… how did it go-"

"Iwasawa-sama…"

"…"

"He said that he doesn't want to see any of us, Nobi-nii."

Inside the Shogun's estate, Chiyo and the other guests of the Shogun are currently staying at after they were invited over for the aftermath of the duel.

After she entered the room where all of them were brought to talk to the Shogun later, Chiyo spoke about the result of her short visit to her master who just lost the duel.

"…I will go to him."

"Please, Kyoko…"

"Don't stop me, Chiyo… You had your chance. Don't hamper mine."

"…Hiroshi."

"?"

"Hiroshi ordered for his room to be sealed."

"What?"

"He's not allowing anyone to enter his room or talk to him… I'm sorry."

"Kuh-! That hardheaded bastard!"

*Kyak!*

"K-Kusanagi-sama…"

"Tch! That damn guy… how obstinate does he have to be like this until now?!"

"…"

"B-But… Is Hiroshi-dono alright, Aoyama-san?"

"He's mostly alright. The attendants who are designated to care for him regularly treats his bruises and as far as I know, he has been eating properly ever since he woke up."

"I see… Poor Hiroshi-dono."

"I am not really surprised about it given what Director Kuro told us about him during their time here in Hitachi and in the Kanae estuary."

"…"

"It seems like Iwasawa-dono really doesn't wish to be made aware of many more of his mistakes and failures."

"I cannot say that you are wrong… General Ayanami."

"Kaminari-dono?"

"As someone who was saved by him from the death penalty, I know that I would sound ungrateful for saying this… but even I cannot deny that a lot of Iwasawa-sama's actions are driven solely by his ideas with little to no input or correction from those around him."

"That…"

"May it be military planning and battles, economic strategy and merchandising, the creation of settlements and how they would all be constructed to look like something… all of it is from his head alone and it seemed like it should just be like that because he is our leader, and his ideas should take precedence over everything else."

"…"

"But he must understand that a true leader shouldn't blindly believe on his own beliefs but share and accept correction from those around him."

"Tatsu-kun… that is well said."

"Ah. Ehehe… Thank you, Kusanagi-sama."

Before they can talk further, the young man who brought them to this place knocked on the meeting room's door and entered to announce the arrival of another person.

"Esteemed leaders… He is here."

"""…"""

Knowing who is about to enter the room, they all looked around to see the reactions of their fellows about whether or not they should stand up to show respect to him.

"No need to stand up for me. I am just a normal person in my opinion."

"…"

"I guess this is an apt moment for introductions. I am Amanogawa Sora, the Shogun of Japan… although for you guys, this would be quite contested or questionable."

For most of them, this is their first time to see the person who, for most of their lives, they saw either as a neutral party or an enemy along their way. They all must've seen him as some kind of revered person with a distinguished appearance.

"…"

"Did I say my line properly, Endou? They're not even flinching."

"They're just adjusting to it, calm down."

Which is the reason why they went silent after the man appeared in front of them dressed in casual clothes as if he is just meeting someone he closely knows. He even has a hairband with racoon ears that was taken by his friend.

"About how I am dressed, sorry… I just finished playing with my daughter and I snuck out after she fell asleep. Endou was waiting outside and asked me to not waste any more time, not even to dress properly."

"I-It's alright… really."

"I see. Well then, let me start our meeting."

The Shogun sat at one end of the table and the others followed suit, sitting around to listen to his words.

"I believe Endou has already told the gist of the reason why no one from Kise was allowed to come here, yes?"

"Yes… He said that the Daigo clan cannot be invited, and you will explain it to us here."

"Okay. Let's start with that, then…"

The Shogun paused for a moment before starting with his explanation.

"The Daigo clan has abandoned their long-standing faith to the Pheonix spirit in order to form a cult centered around them… a theocratic aristocracy, if that will make sense for you."

"…"

"Twenty years ago, a certain man whom you should be familiar with, came to this world by being Strayed. Through his wits and trickery, he was able to join a family of bandit lords who would one day lead a revolution against the Daimyo."

"Are you talking about Yukogahara Akira?"

"You are right, Kusanagi-dono. He's an Otherworlder who became stuck here and did all that he can to stay alive… even if he had to trample over the lives of countless people."

"…"

"As quickly as he rose to power though, he became the scapegoat of a plot done secretly by the Daigo clan."

"What?"

"Lady Kusanagi… I take that your father has fought off their forces in your borders repeatedly, yes?"

"You are right. My father and uncles have done just that to defend out lands. We cannot let those barbarous bandits to hurt our people and steal their belongings after all. In that thing, I cannot forgive them."

"Your lack of forgiveness is understandable, Kusanagi-dono… but if there is someone who acted, there should be someone who instigated that action."

"What do you mean?"

"I'm saying that the Daigo clan has tempted the bandit bands of Yukonami to do those raids."

After the Shogun gave out that explanation, there was a clear strain at the face of Kyoko and Mitsuhide who has heard about this just now.

"What are you implying, Shogun?"

"I am stating the truth that most of the skirmishes that happened along your border was due to the instigation of the Daigo clan. Knowing that your two families has been tightly knit after you helped them overthrow the previous ruling clan of Kise, they knew that you will never suspect them as a potential enemy and by tricking you and the bandit state to fight for their benefit, you have gave them enough confidence to do more sinister acts."

"…"

"For example, I believe you this will be a touchy subject especially for you, Lady Kusanagi… but did you know that the Daigo clan was the one who instigated the Ishigawa clan to slay your mother and aunt and after they have done such, blamed all of it back to them?"

"W-What?!"

"That rebellion twenty years ago…"

"With your shocked expressions, I believe it has not been discovered at all, huh?"

"What do you mean with that?! How did you know this?!"

"Does the name Kusanagi Kyoshiro ring a bell?"

"-!"

"U-Uncle Kyo…?"

"L-Lady Kusanagi! That name is-"

"Right… cousin of Kusanagi Kenji and your uncle who disappeared after your mother and aunt died."

Even those who didn't come from Shinka was shocked after hearing the name of a renown warrior from the Southern provinces.

"Contrary to how your father decided to explain it to his people, Kyoshiro actually visited him and with their family ties, asked your father to let him go on his own journey of revenge. Of course, your father who was enraged with losing his wife and sister-in-law but has long been aware of a certain invisible force moving around in the lands told him to cease with that plan, but he left Shinka's army and followed the Ishigawa clan's trail."

"…"

"He eventually found them travelling towards Hitachi and killed all of them except for the women and children. Though he was successful with his plan, he was also mortally wounded and nearing death… It was only because of the fox goddess who took pity on him that made it possible for us two to talk about all of this."

"You still got to talk?"

"Yes. Lady Inari, the fox goddess, turned him into a Kyonshi and gave him the task of protecting her sanctuary in the province of Furuya. During one of my travels, I had the opportunity to enter that place and he told me all about this. How he eventually learned about the conspiracy made by the Daigo clan and why only Lady Maya and Akiko was killed back then."

"…"

"The Ishigawa clan has long been thirsty of power and has pursued ways to become a ruling family. Your father has been aware of this, but given their deep influence in his court and how much of the aristocrats has ties with them, he cannot do any thing against him at all. That's the reason why even if he is greatly enraged when they killed his wife, he ordered no one to go after them… because he already has his doubts about the Daigo clan."

"What… do you mean?"

"He started a war with the Akizuki clan of Kiko and only a few weeks later, made you the leader of Shinka… did none of it attract your suspicion?"

"Why should it?"

"Because if none of you questioned that, that means that everything that the Daigo clan ascertained would happen will do happen."

"-!"

"The victory of Shinka through the deposal of the reigning Akizuki lord, the return of peace in the Iso river border, the empowerment of your army through the technologies brought by the Second Saint and lastly, their involvement by being one of the powerful families in the alliance."

"How…? How can I not even notice it…?"

"Kyoko-sama…"

"Reika-nee… how can she hide all of this so easily from me?"

"Because she is the brainchild of this act."

"-?!"

"Sensing the collapse of her family and the possible dethronement of them due to my encroachment to the southern provinces, she chose to do all of these conspiracies to perpetuate the civil unrest that has allowed her clan to flourish both in trade and influence as a religious family."

Kusanagi Kyoko, who finally learned the truth behind all of the partially answered or fully unanswered mysteries of her family and the ally and friend that she has, had to be held by her general in order to not be shaken into collapsing.

"Can we talk to Kusanagi Kyoshiro-sama, then?"

"You can no longer do that, General Shimura…"

"Why, Shogun?"

"From the words of the former shrine maidens of the Fox goddess' sanctuary, he has chosen to sacrifice himself during a crisis in that place."

"…"

"Your master was there as well. The two shrine maidens said that he chose to be left behind in Yomi to clear out the demons who are about to escape out to the surface… he did well, even as a living corpse."

"I see… to think that he fully abandoned his true life to serve the fox goddess… what could've ran on his mind at those times?"

"Another thing, that problem must've been done through the information given by the Daigo clan and acted upon by out true enemy."

As he said those words, the Shogun took something from Endou's hands. A piece of clothing that has been very familiar to them. Probably even infamous.

"The green hoods?!"

"But aren't they your-"

"They are not my men. Even if I have to die right here and right now, I will pledge on that statement!"

"That…"

"I will tell you everything. All of the truths that I have right now on my side. If even after that, you still decide that I am your enemy… I will not stop you nor force you to believe otherwise."

Hearing the resolute words of the man before them, all of them looked at him seriously and breathed in a sigh.

"Let's start from the very beginning… at the day when I became Shogun and learned of the truth behind this world."

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Inside his sealed room, Iwasawa Hiroshi is sitting in front of a writing table.

"…"

On a scroll, he was writing a statement that he addressed to the people of Kiko and the other provinces in the alliance that he crafted by himself years ago.

"To the people who must've known my name during all of this time… This letter is for all of you."

The opening statement seemed normal. It named those whom he wished to hear these words before he continued on.

"I have recently learned about the truth behind all of the achievements I have gained during my rule. How none of my victories was actually mine and how none of the advancements in technology and comforts in our lives was actually fully mine to be praised for."

The body of the letter though, bore a heavy tone filled with regret and pain. To anyone who might be reading this, it would be apparent how deep his self-loathing has become.

"I have also become drunk with the glory and affection that all of you gave me… I was so proudful of my own ways that when correction finally came my way, I blinded myself from the truth, believing that so long as all of you continues to believe in me, I can bend the truth to my own wish…"

There was a short pause after he said those words. He clutched his chest, seemingly wishing to finally let go of the hardness of his heart and fully take responsibility for what he has done.

"…therefore, I wish to depose the throne of Kiko and disappear from everyone's eyes. This is my last wish as your Daimyo."

"…"

"Only in that way, can I ever truly apologize for being a failure as a leader to all of you. I will let go of all the power, glory and honor that you gave me… someone who was never truly worthy to receive it."

"Aren't you just escaping from the truth, Iwasawa-sama?"

Suddenly, someone who entered his room spoke out towards him.

"I said that my room is to be sealed and no one can enter, Minori."

"…The Shogun's orders are absolute to his people. His servants who are guarding you let me in under his permission."

"…"

"Don't turn your back against me now… You've done that once and you know how much it pisses me off."

"What's the point of talking about all of this…? I lost. The Shogun won and I have no more face to show to my people."

"…"

"Go and follow him now. I am just a defeated man unworthy to be obeyed by anyone."

Hiroshi dipped his brush into the inkwell again, but Minori sat in front of him and closed it to stop him from writing.

"Do you think the solution to this problem of yours is self-loathing and escapism?"

"…"

"What do you plan to do? Hand over Kiko and the alliance to the Shogunate, go away from the country and call it a day?"

"What do you care anyway, Minori?!"

"-!"

"I lost already! I lost everything! I was told that none of what I thought I achieved was truly mine to claim for myself! Nor did any victories I had was done by me alone!"

"Of course, it isn't!"

"-?!"

"You are our leader! We are your people! We followed you and did as you commanded! That is our achievements and victories! We all share that with you!"

"…Kh!"

"Don't avert your eyes from me!"

Minori pulled his master by the shoulder to stop him from leaving the room, making Hiroshi fall down on his back with an anguished expression on his face.

"Stop it already… I lost. I lost everything, alright? I don't need to be seen by anyone anymore."

"…"

"I lost because of my capriciousness, misplaced pride and personal weaknesses… I thought I was something and that I deserve to be praised by everyone. But in the end, I deserve nothing. I did nothing deserving of praise… nor did I do anything deserving of glory and honor."

Hiroshi slowly stood up while Minori was standing there motionless.

"I don't even have the courage to take my own life to regain even a little bit of honor… I'm a-"

"The Iwasawa Hiroshi I met three years ago when I was absolutely lost in the emptiness of my life will never say those words."

"Huh?"

"You think I followed you because you're powerful or you lead a bountiful country? Don't make me laugh!"

"…"

"It was your principles that saved me. It was the thing that gave my life a new meaning. Back then, I was nothing but a lawless blade, a person who will take someone's life just to live day by day. I had no true reason to live. My heart was filled with hatred, pain and misery. My mind finds no rest. My entire life has no true meaning…"

"Minori…"

"But after you showed me that there is a way for even a great sinner and worthless person as I to continue living, I knew from that very moment that I… I wish to serve you."

Although his face was hidden by his posture, the pattering of tears on the tatami mat let Hiroshi to know that his subordinate was saying all of this from his own heart.

"So, seeing you regret ever being our leader… being crushed by the truth that you have been told about… and losing your way in all of that confusion. It hurts not only me but all of us."

"Minori, you should understand that I am not worthy of-"

"That's not for you to decide on your own!"

"-!"

"We followed you because we wanted to! We did as you commanded because we wish to obey you! We believed in you because we saw your way to be greater than ours!"

"…"

"You are our leader. You are our master… I know that you have been very aware of how much that weight of expectations can crush you and you decided to delude yourself into that act just to get past it. But that is exactly the reason why the Shogun rebuked you and we implored you to listen to him!"

"But… He is-"

"Didn't you listen to him?! He was there ever since you got here! He knew everything that he needed to know about you! He knew what your weaknesses are and how he can correct it once you met! You just didn't accept your mistakes and received correction!"

Hearing all of this crushed the shell around Hiroshi's heart more and more. Earlier, he was planning to just leave while still carrying such a heavy and indecisive heart, but hearing all of Minori's words led him to slowly understand the reason why they sided with the Shogun's lessons to him.

"We can't help you if you don't wish to help yourself first, Iwasawa-sama…"

"Minori…"

"So please… before we run out of time. Before all of these things will fall apart… please decide and come back to us."

"I…"

"We will await you anytime you wish to be with us again."

Still hiding his face, Minori turned around to leave the room.

"Kuh-!"

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

What is wrong with me? Why do I keep failing to do the things I should be doing?!

"Why… why?!"

Why is my choice to leave them when it's clear that I should be there with them?!

"Is it my pride…? Or is it because I can't follow anything other than what I want to do?"

No… it is something deeper than that. I know that it is something that even I don't wish to do.

"H-huh?"

While I was clutching my chest, I felt something only sleeve pocket which I immediately reached into to take from there.

"!!!"

"S-Sir?!"

And after I opened it, I immediately ran out of my room to head to the place where I knew he, who has the answer for this, are located.

"No way… No damn way! So that was the reason why you kept on hiding everything from me?!"

"S-Stop!"

"We will shoot you!"

"I need to talk to him! I need to talk to the Shogun!"

"This is your last warning! Stop running and get down, now!"

"Let him pass."

"G-General Garou…"

While the soldiers outside of his room was ordering me to stand down, a familiar man appeared from inside the door and told them to let me in.

"Lord Iwasawa… you can come in now."

"…"

"I have been told to let you in once you find that clue… Come on, Sora isn't going to be free in his time for long."

"Alright…"

I entered the room and was caught off-guard with the appearance of the person I was expecting to meet here.

"Be careful with the needle, sweetie. I don't want you to be pricked by it."

"Mm! I'll be careful, mister Shogun. Little chickee just needs her beak…"

"Ahem… Sora, he's here."

"Oh. Take a seat first, Hiroshi. We're nearly finished here."

"O-okay…"

Right now, in front of me, the person who beat me up and I hated so much is wearing a hairband with racoon ears while helping his daughter to embroider a chicken pattern on a handkerchief.

"There. Looks good, isn't it, sweetie?"

"Mm! I love it! It's cute!"

"Ehehe… alright. It's time for your afternoon nap. You gotta take as much sleep as you can so you can grow properly."

"Ehh? But I am…"

"Alright. If you get to nap properly, I'll tell Ai-chan to give you your favorite mochi snack later."

"Mochi!"

After being coaxed by him using food, the child ran to her bed and laid down immediately. It was at this time that I noticed that her bed was full of animal plushies that I assumed they made by their own.

"See you later at the dining hall, sweetie."

"Mm! See you later, mister Shogun!"

"…Garou, Hiroshi, please."

"Ah."

We three exited the room quietly… for some reason, even I simmered down enough to listen to him as we left and he closed the room's door behind him.

"Now… to address your question that I believe you have after seeing that locket."

"Right… you better explain this to me."

I spoke and took out that locket and after opening it, showed him the picture inside. A picture that I can never mistake for anything else.

"A family picture… of the Vessel of Law and the children given to him."

"Is that how you will call Ephraim and my sisters that I left to him?"

"How else can I address such a person?"

"Then explain it all to me…"

"Very well…"

He raised his hand and the soldiers brought us a pair of chairs before forming a barricade along the hallway, blocking anyone from entering the area or listening to us.

"Take your seat… this would take a long while for me to talk about."

"…"

"How long has it been…? Forty or so years ago? This story came from our world… our past world rife with destruction and evil so prominent that any hope for a more meaningful life has already been lost. Until of course, he appeared one day with a promise for those who seek such hope and a warning to those who will go against it."

His eyes showed resolution to what he is saying.

"For me who lost my dear friend at a time when both of us are in a misunderstanding, who had a protégé who lost his mind after being tortured endlessly by the circumstances he was born with, and had his wife disappear all of a sudden when she was the only hope I had in such an evil world… hearing the hope promised by that young man seemed nothing short of a mockery of my situation… yet, he proven himself again and again to us."

"How did Ephraim become something like this?"

"It would take us weeks to understand even a gist of the things I saw back then which used to be hidden from us normal people until the last days of that world. What's important right now is for you to simply understand that your friend has done something so pivotal to the fate of our past world that once I was reborn here, I decided to do everything that I can to avoid repeating the mistakes of our past."

"I see…"

"Ephraim proved to me that it wasn't our existence that bred evil, but our inability to let go of temporal and meaningless pleasures and vices that caused such a world to be made. A world that gives more value to the life of mindless beasts rather than an unborn human being. A world where the only solution to the problems of our planet is the systemic suffering of some. A world where any evil against one side is preferred so long as it would benefit another… all of these evils that I have seen was something that he offered to correct, but as humanity have lost all of their hope, the only thing they wished was to enjoy the pleasures of their evils until the very end."

"How can that be so?"

"Because that is what the unrestrained human heart is… A cesspool of hedonistic desires and existential agnosticism."

"Then… how did you get this?"

"From Maya. When she was summoned, she received that locket from Ephraim alongside some words that she has followed since she was brough to here."

I looked at the picture of the locket and sure enough, I can sense that my best friend looked like he was bearing something very heavy inside of him with his strained expression. Meanwhile, Mio and Yukari has bright expressions on their faces, reassuring me that he has taken good care of them.

"Wait… this baby. Who is she?"

"That's Rea. The child of your half-brother. He also left her to him before he died."

"Oh. Him, huh?"

"It didn't seem to bother him anyways. If anything, Rea has been the closest to him as a child. Anyways, enough with the background story. Let me get straight to the point in here."

"Well then."

He heaved a sigh and even though his head still has that childish racoon eared hairband, his eyes carried a serious expression that made me instinctively swallow my saliva in fear.

For some reason, my gut tells me that this guy…

"Do you want to save this world too, Miyazaki Hiro?"

"…"

"Because if you will not, I will make sure that the almost thirty years of work that I have done to save this world will not go to waste just because of you."

"I…"

"So let me tell this to you properly right here and right now, Hiroshi…"

…is someone who really wanted to save and help me.