Chapter 9
A/n: Man, I must've gotten quite the muse this time around, getting close to doubling the chapters. I may have already and I haven't noticed, eh, either way, it's been going well. Btw, I always account for ANs so that I make sure y'all get an adequate chapter. Anyway, enjoy it. Peace.
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Edo Japan Arata Hiroyuki is referred to as Hiroyuki. Reincarnated Arata Hiroyuki is referred to as Arata.
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Fujimiya's face told him he had done the correct course, and his expression expressed many emotions: gratitude, relief, guilt, and much more that Arata couldn't figure out. Arata's decision was simple: He would take in Fujimiya and help him out. However, Fujimiya wasn't keen on that.
Despite revealing he was Arata Hiroyuki, Fujimiya didn't want to scar his reputation. The man was already incredibly grateful to Arata due to earlier. He felt guilt when Arata offered his help, however, Arata was insistent, and Fujimiya eventually, albeit, reluctantly, accepted.
With that settled, they introduced themselves properly as Fujimiya didn't know their names. It was short as midnight was nearing, and it continued the next day. Arata had half-expected to be dead by a certain someone but was still alive. That showed he was moving within the confines of natural history.
Thoughts were not the most positive, yet you couldn't blame him for thinking so. His hand wasn't the worst, and as they began on the road, he noticed how good it was. Okita had managed to meet up with two of the people she should've known a while ago. Along with Fujimiya, it would be fine going forward.
At this stage, the reasonable action was to go to Kyoto and wait for the creation of the Roshigumi. The letter he received weeks ago all but confirmed the path he should take. If he placed Hiroyuki back, this was the only way it should be going, and hopefully, he wouldn't become a target.
He was only human, equipped with a Divine Weapon that was heavily nerfed. There was not much he could do, as the rest were also humans and equipped with human weapons. You could say that the Divine Weapon he had was the difference between him and the normal swordsman.
Toshizo motioned Izu to stop by the nearby open field, pulling Arata from his thoughts. He was glad, as it would grant him a tiny break from mulling over his fate. As well as help with Fujimiya, he was the kid of the group after all. At only 15 he could contend with Isami evenly, perhaps easily even.
It was still nowhere near Okita's or Arata's raw talent, but Fujimiya was a prodigy. With Arata, his skill would skyrocket more than before, it was only natural. Arata was slowly accumulating to this new life and body and only grew. Soon enough, you wouldn't be able to tell the difference between him and Hiroyuki.
Arata had been overreaching with that statement, but it still held truth. The sounds of metal clashing could be heard, Arata hadn't been paying attention. He cursed as he's been in his thoughts way too much lately, and went toward Fujimiya. Time to train another person and see if he could live to his name.
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A fast, strong attack and another, and another went toward me. Deflecting them was a hard task, my strength was barely able to handle the pressure. My opponent, Hijikata Toshizo was a beast of a man. I was just a kid, sure, I've killed and much more at my age, but I wasn't physically built.
My shoulder was still healing from the day before, and this probably wasn't the best course. Despite that, I was still up against Toshizo as he continued to throw attack after attack. In all honesty, the man scared me heavily, and this only just reinforced my fear. Luckily, the fight ended when I couldn't get up.
It may have been influenced by my fear, but I decided to lie down. Toshizo noticed I kept myself on the ground and yanked me up, groaning as he pulled me. To my relief, we didn't continue anymore as my teacher walked up to us. From what Okita said, after a spar or fight, there was feedback from him.
This was smart, it would help me if I knew what I did wrong and fix my mistakes. My best attributes would be improved along with my worst, making me an all-rounder. It was my intention after accepting his help and as he noted the feedback, it showed why he was regarded as he was.
Despite teaching being less than his skill, it wasn't far off. He described that everything for me was going well, my skill was good, and the experience was there as I previously said what I've done under Lord Riko. My physicality left much to be desired, still, it wasn't something that could be done easily.
I may train my body, but it could do me harm, and was recommended I just let it be. It didn't account that my shoulder was still hurting and no one specialized in healing. We were heading toward a local city called Atsugi cause of my shoulder. There were rumors of a miraculous physician.
If the rumors were true, it was to be noted but we didn't need them. A normal one could do the same, and that's only if the rumors were true. The trail was bumpy, but the carriage had offset the bumpiness. It could be considered a high-end carriage as the interior was large.
Not massively, but enough that everyone in here had adequate space and it wasn't rough either. The seats were comfortable and made me think how much pull the Okita name had. I asked Okita about it, she stated she was a part of a samurai family. While it was primarily that, they also held other roles.
However, that wasn't the main reason why they held much status, as before they held such pull. They were considered a minor samurai family and all that changed due to her teacher. Her family was known to have a special relationship with Arata Hiroyuki and by proxy, some of his status shifted to them.
They were regarded much more than before, and as his name continued to grow, theirs along as well. She said that her father and my teacher were brothers in all but blood, noting childhood life. At the mention of his brother, my teacher confirmed it and even told his side of his life.
He was an orphan just like his brother, Katsujio Okita I learned, and held no outside family. Living through the streets was hard, and I sympathized as I lived that too. As the years went by for him, just before becoming a teenager, he was adopted by an old man.
Since he held only a given name, he took the surname of the old man. Not long after that, he met Okita's father and a bond between them emerged and it stands strong to this day. All of us were deeply interested in his story, not much was known about him after all.
Isami and Toshizo were interested due to zero information about Arata Hiroyuki. Okita was interested in the story about what brought the two, her father and her teacher, together. I was more or less the same as Isami and Toshizo, much was left unknown about him.
It was to the point that many people only knew what he had done, not what he looked like. Along with the fact he didn't want to share his feature across Japan, at least, that's what he said. He continued the story, eventually getting to the point where Okita was born, she got flustered heavily.
Then that disappeared once he mentioned her mother, who died right after childbirth. The mood had dampened and the carriage interior was silent. Not much was said anymore, only the sounds of the carriage rocketing along the trail road. It only stopped when Izu said we arrived at Atsugi.
We silently got out as Okita and her teacher were the only ones in their carriage. Stating that they needed a talk that made sense and that I could understand. In all honesty, I would be envious that she held a father who lived her dearly. As well as an uncle such as Arata Hiroyuki, and her own talent too.
However, it was just what life has given us, and I can't fault her at all. My parents either, perhaps I would be a burden to them, but I would continue to go on. For myself, that's the only thing I can be certain about. I have a full life ahead of me, perhaps I'll have a family of my own later in life.
I'm only 15 after all, not even adulthood yet, and I've seen things many would not come to see. A lot of deaths were involved and occurred, either by my own hands or those of others. Lord Riko was a benevolent man, but if you were against him, he would turn the opposite.
As the four of us walked, we saw many people huddling around a relatively small place. The rumors of a supposed miracle healer roamed my mind, perhaps it was that. In any case, it would be revealed as soon as we approached the grouping. Someone in the crowd referred to him only as Doctor.
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All of the crowd gathered to witness the Doctor work his magic and he sure did. A man had been injured earlier in the day, a leg broken. The Doctor seemed to have gained a glow around him, lines of blue through his arms. Through his hands, it seemed to pass onto the injured man, healing him.
The leg mended itself before getting completely healed, and all of them were in surprise. Our group of 4, was also the same with shock on their faces. As it went on, Fujimiya went through and his wound had disappeared. It was completely healed now, and he felt no pain from it.
With many people satisfied and thinking it was a man sent by the gods, they went with their day. Sure, they would've loved to question how he did it, but they had to tend to their lives. It seemed like a miracle and those were only given out by gods, and won't be easily as explained.
This was far away from the truth and wasn't close in the slightest. It was magecraft, very basic and the only reason it healed people was due to something else. An item, hidden away from people, and the man who had it, was a special case. He spotted Hijikata Toshizo and walked toward him.
At the same time, Arata and Okita had long finished their talk and were just walking. They saw the number of people gathering earlier and spotted the group as well. As they approached, the Doctor also saw them and made their way to Okita instead, choosing these two specifically.
Arata saw them and felt an uneasy feeling brewing. Similar to the feeling EMIYA gave him, yet different, Arata noted they seemed unworldly. The garb they had could be considered something a physician would wear, but it was in the manner it was worn, it screamed much to Arata.
Not to mention, the Doctor only headed toward Okita as he stared with narrowed eyes. The rest were just in confusion and just watched. Okita also felt the same as Arata, an uncomfortable feeling as she was being looked at. With a smile, one that made her feel tense, the Doctor spoke.
"Hello, Miss Okita, I've heard a lot of you. I must say, you seem better in person." He held a smile, and along with his words, made Okita incredibly wary. The Okita name was known due to her teacher's fame, but it made no sense. She wasn't known unlike the man responsible for their status.
Not considering that he was right next to her, sure, his appearance wasn't exactly known. Yet, assumptions could be made, and her uncle was right there. She responded hesitantly, "Uh, thanks? May I ask how you know about me?" The Doctor just had that same smile and spoke.
"Your exploits are… well recorded you could say, don't worry about it. It is only natural I would know of your name." The expression on his face rubbed Arata the wrong way. He didn't like it and the way Okita was being looked at. At the same time, a screen appeared for the man, a blue screen.