Chapter 5: Contention

The way there was simple. It was the government building that oversaw the center of the city. The closer they got, the more guards emerged. People watched them from afar, atop buildings, through the windows, behind closed doors. As if everyone stopped to stare at him. A question circled his head. Why did everyone disappear for him? 

Before time allowed it, they were at the bottom of the stairs. Pearl's white stairs signified the purity of their rule. Or that's what he initially thought. But as soon as Augustus touched the first step, it turned blood red. The entire column was drenched in that color. Unfazed by this, he continued to follow the cloaked man. Xander and Faye walked, and it turned blue. Confused by this but nonetheless continued forward. He remained locked at the bottom. A part of him nudged, told him he had to do something before taking that step. 

"Young wolf, why do you hesitate? I assure you there is no ploy against you." He knew this wasn't a scheme or a trick. What he felt at that moment was a right of passage. Exactly what Augustus made him do before he left. The question he wondered was what was needed for him to pass it. 

"If you don't mind, the emperor's brother is not a patient man." seconds passed, and he remained still. 

Looked around for hints, a signal, anything that could help him. But nothing showed up. No one told him what was going to happen. Wait, he thought for a second. 

Why is he still white?

All forms of ideas rushed to him, perhaps because he lives here and is part of the council. No, he shook that idea away. Something is missing, and it doesn't feel like that. Why would they bother with such an elaborate scheme to just notify who is who? He jogged his memory, and the realization settled in. 

"Young wolf, please hurry, we-" he stopped halfway when he noticed the column. 

"Purple?" Xander said out loud. 

Luke walked the stairs without hesitation. All the way to where the cloaked man was. He said no words, but they both understood and continued up the stairs. As they reached the top, the jade guards bowed to them and opened the gates. 

"Seems the execution won't be needed for now." he stopped a bit, trying to process what happened. Augustus walked next to him and patted his back. 

"Good, I knew you would be ready by now." he continued. 

"Am I the only one confused by the color stairs?" Xander and Faye raised their hands in unison but followed Augustus, accepting whatever happened to be a fact and moving on. They continued through the halls until another giant metallic door blocked them. The guards opened it, squeaking and making all manner of noise. They were engulfed by a giant war room. Hundreds of men sat in rows of chairs, and at the far end, a council table was seen. Luke imagined these were the leaders who made the final decision. He remembered his kingdom had a similar room, except his father never let him enter. The hours of diplomatic study he had gone through made him shudder. 

"Now, esteemed guests, please sit in the center." They nodded and made their way through the centinel of high-ranking officials. The pressure here was undoubtedly suffocating, and everyone was focused on them. As they sat down, the same cloaked man began the meeting. 

"As promised, the remnants of the kingdom of Aimar." Hearing that name made everyone restless, and even those who belonged to said kingdom felt weird hearing it. How many years has it gone since they mentioned that name? Suddenly many of these officials broke out and began to yell at this.

"Why have you brought the son of the devil here!?"

"If they find this out, it will spell war for us!"

"Who do you think you are allowing such criminals to enter freely here!" 

They found out right away where they are on the world stage. But amidst all this, one man raised his hand calmly, and everyone fell silent. 

"Thank you, Shojo. You have brought what we needed." He bowed after hearing this and slowly moved to the backlines. Standing up gently, everyone watched intently. 

"I am Kaito Tanaka, brother to the emperor and shogun of Aoki." Luke noticed a difference. He never bowed to them. But his aurora was so intense that his instincts made him want to bow to and revere him. He stopped himself and simply acknowledged the information. Nodding his head. 

"Now, which of you is the supposed air to the throne?" Without a second thought, he stood up and yelled.

"Me, Luke Aimar. The rightful ruler of the throne. The king of kings." the shogun let out a devilish smile. 

"Exposing yourself so easily to a rival, are you stupid?" 

"If my pride means my death, then so be it. I am the man who will bring balance once more." The officials nodded and seemed to find some appeal to his statement. Courageous, to say the least. 

"Well, you certainly don't act like one, much less have the presence." Another minister rose up. 

"Before we continue, what color was present?" A minister to the far-right chimed in. 

"Purple." only one color was mentioned, and this caused a spur. The emperor's brother laughed at this.

"Well, there's concrete proof." Luke was still confused about what colors meant. 

"Shojo, please enlighten our guests." 

"Those steps are made of maternal jade. Our ancestors poured blood and generations of culture into those rocks in hopes of creating a God who would create great men. We desperately needed leaders, heroes, and generals. After years we created a deity, and in turn, they help us learn who is worthy of what position. The jade steps do not lie. They tell us who is who. Red means a warrior, blood pure. Blue means scholars, right-hand men, in short, officials. White means strength in physical and mental terms, a pure leader. But purple is a rare color. Dignified individuals are meant to rule. All our positions, from the emperor to shogun to esteemed generals, are from this color. Being purple means having the heart of a leader or a right to compete for the throne."

"Wait, compete? The throne was my father's and his before him. A generational power was held, and there's no contesting that." 

"It seems you don't understand. Your forefathers won it through war. And your father lost the throne. As of now, the king of Absque controls it."

"As of now?" Augustus quietly mentioned. The room fell silent, and he pressed with this.

"I never expected the people of Aoki to dream of seizing the throne. What does the emperor think of this?" 

"The emperor is just. If he wishes for the throne, we will seize it for him." A few seconds back, it sounded more of his wish than his emperors. Ambition runs high among him. 

"Gentlemen, it seems we are veering off the original discussion. Please continue, Shojo." The man to the shogun's right said with a stern look. 

"As of now, the emperor wishes to hear from you personally, Luke. He seems to have noticed your plan." Kaito seemed annoyed by this, but he seemed to be highly loyal. 

"Ho, what plan do you have in mind?" In a slithering manner, almost anticipating his answer. Luke glanced over to Augustus, but he seemed content with his words. His participation was enough, apparently. He quietly scowled at him and decided to share some information regarding his plan. 

"An alliance." No one reacted, and it seemed too stunning to say something like that.

"What was it?"

"An alliance between our kingdoms." An argument broke out immediately. But to his surprise, it was not directed to him. Out of nowhere, it seemed he had garnered some support from these officials. 

"We have to help. We have sworn allegiance!" 

"That alliance died when the king passed away!"

"We don't have the right to help. We missed our chance!" 

Once again, the shogun raised his hand gently, and silence followed. 

"It seems our guest is unaware of anything that happened in the past." Luke was even more confused, and he felt mocked. 

"What do you mean?" 

"In time, you will understand, but do you understand what an allegiance means?" 

"It means we help each other in times of need."

"As of now, you're the only one in need. What benefactors will we get? Besides, we want our emperor to claim the throne, and you are a rival in this aspect."

The room fell into a deep silence after that comment. From anyone's perspective, this statement was true. Aiko had everything to lose and nothing to gain. Xander looked around and tried to come up with a statement. But the truth was they didn't have a bargaining chip. 

"That's true. The Emperor has nothing to gain from this" Luke paused and walked forward, in front of the entire council and in front of the Shogun. "But you have everything to gain." The entire council erupted with yells and anger. But amidst all the cursing and yells, the Shogun laughed. 

"You do know saying that is permissible for an execution." 

"Then why haven't you done it yet." Kaito smirked and glanced around. 

"Simply out of curiosity, what would happen if this mighty kingdom joined hands with yours? Please do enlighten me because I seem to be missing something." 

"Your debt will be paid." August interrupted once more. Kaitos lofty smile tensed up. Quickly looked to his right and still saw the old geezer hiding in the corner. He knew he had to tone down his act, or a report would be sent out. But in that split second, he glanced back to Augustus, smiling. 

Tsk, Augustus, you old fox.

"Debt?" Faye audibly replied. 

"Yes, they owe our kingdom a debt, the only reason we haven't been betrayed. Your emperor knows this." Augustus continued to add pressure. "No reason for us to wait here; we showed up to garner favor. But it seems you think of yourself as the Emperor now." 

"ENOUGH!" Shojo yelled with bloodlust oozing from his aurora. 

"Shojo!" 

"They dare sully your name, my lord."

"Augustus has a point, and I am acting out of line." the council began to murmur, and Kaito had to regain control. 

"As the Emperor's second, I need some reassurance; what you're asking is a war against the other three ruling kingdoms." 

Luke interrupted before continuing forward. 

"What debt." a bit of laughter was heard, surely ridiculing him. A king who knew nothing of his kingdom, anyone would jest. Augustus exhaled. 

"During our time of need, we called upon Aiko. But their army was too late. They watched as they ravaged us." He turned to the Shogun. "Only one battalion marched forward and saved us, only one. The prodigy of this kingdom." Luke vaguely remembered this and only recalled a smile as they rode out of the burning capital. 

"It is true, we arrived late. The generals were all beheaded, and their families hung." Kaito looked at the floor. "But even then, that is not a valid reason for us to go to war." 

The room once again leaked their thoughts. A cold room, and yet fear was present. 

"I appreciate your insight, but I seek passage to speak to the Emperor himself." The shogun immediately shot him a stern look.

"Boy, I do-"

"It's King, not boy," Augustus spoke out again; the small group suddenly felt like a regiment.

"My apologies, King. But I have no reason to allow an audience with our Emperor." From the corner, an old scribe walked forward. He looked fragile, but his presence reeked of power. 

First the cloaked man, then this old geezer. Why am I getting intimidated?

He walked calmly to them. The breaths of others could be heard, heartbeats synched up. Whoever he was, he immediately stole the control of this entire council. Even the Shogun remained in place. Before Luke realized it, he was right in front of him. 

"My liege, why do you seek to rebuild a ruin?" A raspy voice, barely escaping his throat. 

"To save my kin and reestablish order." The old man pulled him down in a split second.

"Do not lie to me." Luke eyed him and nervously swallowed. 

"I simply seek vengeance." he let himself go. "For now, that is all I hold." 

"Be careful of that emotion. It gnaws away at your heart." 

"I know."

"No, not vengeance." Luke was taken aback by this. 

What else is hindering my progress?

"Fear." The old man began to walk away. "If you wish to devour, then devour. Walk forward, young wolf." 

As the old man walked back, he went next to the Shogun and pulled him down. Spoke a few words no one heard and left. Kaito took a few seconds to prepare the statement.

"By decree of his Emperor, Luke and his company has been granted safe passage." 

The entire room was stunned. The older councilmen left without saying anything. But the younger men cheered and went down to surround Luke and his company. Everyone seemed relieved by this news, a step forward in rebuilding their lost kingdom. Xander was beyond ecstatic, celebrating with the other councilmen, and Luke was still processing his words.

Devour.

Then he looked around at the room. Kiato bitterly scolded his scribes.

 He would drag everyone to war, and his greed would devour thousands. Turning to see Augustus, who slowly approached him. 

"His words have opened your heart." Augustus had a plethora of words to say, but he was only able to say one thing. 

"Do you wish to continue?" Luke remembered his past and reconciled with what he saw earlier. His path has been laid out in front of him. To become a ruler soaked in blood or to live on as a failure of a King. He gripped his fist and resolved himself in that second.

If I must live, then I'll devour. 

"We continue forward until I have fulfilled my desire." Augustus knew what this entailed, but he was relieved Luke was this determined. Seems the fruit doesn't land far from the tree. 

Hopefully, he doesn't repeat his ancestor's mistake. Augustus promised to not allow that to happen; he must make amends. As the trajectory of history was set, everyone was unaware of how important that day was except for a handful of people. The old man watched from a distance. Content with what he has spurred. Setting the pieces for war, a war that will save all the kingdoms. 

 -()-

The council ended abruptly after that, and debates could be heard from separate areas. Tanaka slumped on his throne, clearly against everything that transpired. But to his surprise, someone approached him. 

"What do you want, young girl?"

"An answer." He looked up to see a stern face. She seemed to have a lot on her mind.

"Then ask away before I send you away." As he said that, guardsmen appeared from thin air. Faye was reminded she was in enemy territory. 

"Do you know who I am?" The Shogun gently glanced upwards, looked at her face, and then locked eyes. 

"A lost soldier that has nothing to do in this war." 

"Then where do I belong?" 

"Soon, you'll find out if his majesty's plan works." She turned to see Luke, and her feelings were correct; Luke was her answer. 

"Word of advice." He stood up, showing the difference in size. 

"Your heart is not the same as it was in the past. Keep it warm, don't let the curse reach you again." 

"Curse? What curse?" He chuckled and turned around to leave. Faye reached out for him, but the guards made sure to cut her movement. 

They were escorted to the main gates and finally returned to the camp. Everyone saluted them and stood with attention. From the front row, Rino walked forward, saluted, and began to give his report. The regiment was ready to move out whenever. Augustus saluted and praised his work. Everyone made a full recovery and managed to catch up in the rushed week that passed. Augustus called for another meeting, and Luke begrudgingly agreed to attend it. Before entering, Artium pulled him to the side. 

"Luke, where did you disappear to?" It seems Augustus kept everything under the table. 

"We had to participate in a meeting with council men of Aoki." 

"To follow your plan?" 

"More or less." His plan seemed to go through, and he was given passage to meet with the Emperor. But that decision still weighed on his soul. He understood something new. The title of a King weighs heavily with blood. Luke simply put his hand on his shoulder and exhaled slowly. 

Is he my dad now? Wait, I'm older than him. 

They both just walked towards the tent to have the meeting. 

The meeting proceeded as usual, highlighting their essential discussion with the Shogun. They agreed to depart later in the afternoon. 

"I agree, but you said we would have safe passage? Who would lead us?" Jyorbin pointed out. Luke was confused at how his beard grew. It was nice and trimmed, but it indeed grew the few days he was missing. 

"Tanaka simply stated he will arrive the following day, meaning today." 

"He? Only one person?" Artium rebutted. 

"As mentioned, that was the only information I was given."

"Do you think it could be him?" Luke casually mentioned it. The others seemed confused by his statement. 

"Safe to say he is a possibility." 

"Do you already know who will lead us into the kingdom?" Rino questioned. 

"It is an old experience, someone we want to thank." 

After this, the council was adjourned, and the announcement to begin packing up was spread. Soon the entire regiment was ready to depart. Augustus gave a few words before the Huntsmen to keep them in check with what was happening. Luke tried to become closer with his men and started talking with different soldiers. But the three guards always followed him closely. Their experience with the city made them compelled to up their status. Individually they honed their skills, and as a group, they began working tactics. Although they weren't seen seriously among the regiment, but they planned to earn the respect needed to be the King's personal guard. They soon realized they would be put to the test. 

As the chats concluded, Luke felt an ominous feeling and immediately looked to his left towards the hill. The only one who also looked towards the same area was Augustus. Luke quickly turned to face him, and with a simple exchange of facial expressions, he knew that whatever it was wasn't part of their company. The feeling only grew, and Luke knew what it was now. He slowly brought his hand toward the hilt of his sword. Faye noticed his attention and movement and suddenly felt that same feeling. Unlike Luke, she recognized it right away; this was the aurora of a hunter. Something powerful was coming their way. She took a defensive stance next to Luke, and Xander followed without questioning. Artium brought up the rear, and they soon formed a triangle surrounding Luke. Seeing these actions, the other soldiers also became alert. But before they could form an actual defensive position, someone leaped from the top of the hill. Whoever it was had a flashy kimono and a shining samurai's blade in hand. A triangular straw hat covered his face, and Luke could only see a bright smile within that shadowed face. In that quick second, the mysterious samurai was able to pinpoint Luke.

"Found youuu." Luke reacts without thinking and pushes all three of them a few feet away. In that same motion, he was able to unsheathe his sword. The person lunged forward with all his strength and slammed his blade into Lukes's. They made eye contact, and to his surprise, he felt no hate or malice. He felt a sense of rivalry, passion, and above all else, pride. 

Wait, I know that smile. 

As all these emotions gave birth, neither of them gave ground. Luke held his stance, and the samurai could not break through. A bead of sweat fell from the man's face into Luke, and they continued to struggle for a few seconds. Until he leaped backward and landed on his feet. 

"Nice nice! A king should be able to do that with ease." To many, it seemed like he said Luke could hold his ground. But he knew that strike was powerful, and his arms were reeling in from the shock of the attack. Raising his claymore and pointing it to the man, he finally talked back. 

"Shall we continue?" This surprised the samurai to have found someone as gutsy as him. He truly felt blessed; this was his reward for patiently waiting. Letting out a chaotic smile, he readied a new stance. These two warriors were already seconds into the fight for a moment, calculating every possible move. No one interfered; they didn't know why but deep down, something nagged them to not interfere in this duel. Could it be out of respect? Curiosity? Or their body refused to move out of fear. Luke may not have felt it, but that samurai exuded a sinister aurora. Bloodlust spilled all over and choked anything near him. Artium had a cold sweat, and Xander began to shake. Faye also refused to move forward. Her instincts neglected this. But all three thought the same thing.

Move damit, MOVE!

Augustus caught this commotion and moved near them; he simply said a few words. "He is asking for us to trust in him." He knew this wasn't the actual case; he simply did not want them to fall into despair and doubt themselves. Although he will have a stern talk with them later. 

A few more seconds passed, and they finally lunged at each other. But suddenly, a giant blade of wind cut through the middle of them. They immediately stopped and turned to retaliate. A tall woman with dark glossy hair appeared. She wore the same hat the samurai wore, donning a giant glaive. Proud of her attack, she loudly called out to the samurai. 

"ARE YOU TRYING TO KILL OUR GUEST!" The samurai simply tried to turn the other way. In a hushed tone, he responded back.

"He wasn't going to die from something like that." 

Luke was still reeling from the surprise attack. He turned around and noticed everyone was okay. He decided to sheath his sword but had difficulty raising his hand. Deep down, the vague idea of him overpowering him was present. That attack did more damage than he expected. His consciousness was bombarded with doubt. It seems all that training yielded no results. The regiment slowly circled the enemy, and Luke knew they meant no further aggression. 

"Everyone lay your arms down. They mean no harm." turning to face them, "For the moment."

They steadily obeyed the king's order, hesitant and cautious. He appreciated them for this measure; he eyed his personal guard unit. They seemed okay, but their eyes seemed to be all over the place. Turning to see the two samurais bow before him.

"Your majesty, I would like to ask for forgiveness for my general's impudence." The samurai fought back for a moment, only for him to calm down a few seconds afterward. Luke glanced upwards to see the sun, turning around to see what was happening. For some reason, he felt like he had to take his time. 

"It is fine. I'm sure that is simply a gesture in your proud kingdom." The other samurai immediately shot a smile and stood up.

"He gets it. Let us do it again." She immediately forced him to get on his knees again. 

Are you sure you're the general? Luke quietly thought this to himself. 

Why does it feel like Augustus and Luke? Everyone in the regiment quietly thought this to themselves. 

"Before we continue further, may you introduce yourselves?" Rino stepped forward, leaving no openings as he approached. 

"Ah, apologies." the samurai stood back up, snapped her finger, and a few more samurai emerged scattered across the hills and around the regiment. "We are Corvus, the elite regiment from Aoki. Here to escort you safely to the capital." She turned to introduce her general. But he stopped her and walked up to Luke, offering a handshake. This was uncharacteristic of the people, the first to offer a standard gesture. 

"I go by Karasu," he paused to look at Augustus, "the man who saved your regiment."