Hello all! Thank you so much for choosing to read my novel! This has been my passion project for over 5 years. I've rewritten it countless times and I'm proud to share the final version of the novel. As I write, I may change minor details and wording, but the plot will remain mostly the same, if I change anything, I will make it known. This novel will be very long, so keep that in mind, it's anything but a short story. Thanks for reading and enjoy the story!
"In the land of the blind, the one eyed man is king." -Desiderius Eramus
Sakido walked through the garish lights and cacophonous sound of the city. Tokyo was alive and well, brimming with an ebullience of life and so called liberty throughout. At his side, stood his lifelong companion, his life, his love, Ichika Hinode. Sakido stood at her height exactly, he was a thin, but relatively muscular 18 year old. His eyes were a deep royal blue, that reflected an almost militaristic and wondrous appeal. Perhaps the most outstanding epithet of him was his pure white hair that hadn't the slightest touch of a grey tint. His bangs nearly fell over his eyes ,as his hair only went to his neck. Ichika, on the other hand, had a vibrant blonde toned hair that went nearly across her entire backside. It was lighter than gold and shined like the sun. Her emerald green eyes contrasted this and her smooth face perfectly blended in. Her full red lips further corroborated on creating a picture of a classical beauty.
As they walked side by side, they were more fixated on the presence of each other versus the melody of chaos that echoed from such a populous. Even within the mesmerization, something began to trouble Sakido's mind. He spoke with a low voice "And so Izumi STILL doesn't trust me? After all these years? " Ichika responds in her perpetually soft voice "Sakido, it's like I've told you before, it's not that she doesn't trust you, it's that she's overprotective of me. She's been like that since mom died, well, apparently that is."
"I see, but I wonder why she's still that protective even though you're not a child anymore." Sakido states back. Ichika looks at him slowly and says "I suppose that's what happens when someone you love so much is taken from you. Those parental instincts are elicited." Sakido quickly responds "Well, on those terms I can spe- fuck, nevermind" Ichika gives him a puzzled look and inquires "Nooo- wait, what were you about to say?" Sakido finds his answer in "Sorry, I just got distracted, I didn't mean to say that, I just wanted to tell you that I understand. I'm not irritated at her, I just wish that she would open up to me more. She looked after me for so long after all. Ichika smiles and says "Well that will take many more years, Sakido!" Sakido rolls his eyes playfully "Yeah, of course it will." Ichika squints and says "Oh how much you hate when someone doubts you, Sakido, oh how terrible!" She puts her hand to her forehead to exaggerate her poorly acted melodrama.
"Oh come on, girl! Come here!" Sakido reaches for her only to be evaded. She runs while he follows and corners her against a tree. "It seems that you've caught up to me, it's a tortoise and the hare predicament." Sakido fights back with "Oh yeah? Ha! And who's who here?" Ichika looks around, avoiding his gaze "Let me think...Hmmmmph, you're the tortoise and I'm the h-mmm" Her metaphor is interrupted by an unexpected kiss. "Sakido...you didn't warn me..." She says blushing quietly. He looks into her eyes and says slowly "I...want to thank you, for being the only reliable thing in my life, please stay like this." He says while fondling her hair. Ichika tears up and hugs him. "I will Sakido, of course I'll stay the same! Just always treat me like you do, okay? She looks up at him awaiting reassurance. "Of course, my dear."
He takes her hand and leads her beside himself "Let's head back towards the city, we went a bit off course." She slyly looks at him and says "Is it always so bad toooo... go off course?" Sakido grins "No, I suppose not, but a girl like you shouldn't be roaming here at this hour."
"Even-?" He interrupts her "Even if you're accompanied by me, okay? You know what's happened before." She rolls her eyes and peers at him "Of course I won't forget, I couldn't forget. If I hadn't loved you before that, then I certainly had then!" Sakido smiles reflectively "I hate to bring it up at a time like this, but I was thinking about what you said before we came out here. It's so tiring, dealing with Shizuka, dealing with school, dealing with your overprotective godmother, Izumi." She snaps back "First off, Sakido, she's my Aunt! And she's overprotective because of what my mother meant to her! And besides, just because she kept you from getting in my panties a few times, doesn't mean she's overprotective." Sakido breaks his silence with "That's exactly what it means. And 'besides' she didn't succeeds every time." Ichika gasps in embarrassment and frustration and storms away from him "Second off! School is only tiring because you don't study and cram everything before your exams!"
"I already know all of the information! After all, when is the last time you've seen me get anything less than a B, huh? I know it already, I don't need to study."
"Well some people do." Replies she
"I'm just anxious over the exams this time. I can't get caught with anything less than an A-."
Ichika rolls her eyes "Does it really matter that much what people think of you?"
Sakido palms his face and replies, "It's about those mindless fools that just manage to stay out of the failing zone as possible, I couldn't possibly associate with them-"
After a sudden realization, she exclaims "Oh yeah! Third off! If you and Shizuka would just make up, you wouldn't have to stress over him!."
Sakido sighs "Yeah, I 'could'. But, I'm not sure about it. I mainly just don't want the conflict anymore. Everytime I think that it gets passive, it escalates again."
"You've been friends since you started school 8 years ago. And recently it seems as if there's just fights and arguments. Sakido, I want you to try and settle that with him, at least try for me, okay?" She reproaches towards him.
"I'll try, on that you have my word, but he's really an incredulous person. I guess we just grew apart. I got even more involved with you and ever since he's been different towards me." Sakido thinks out loud to himself
"Perhaps it's jealousy, I mean, you did suddenly stop spending time with each other." Ichika adds
"Well, sometimes" Sakido says while raising his voice. "People have to learn that all of the time in my life isn't for them. Nothing in this world stays the same. People change, circumstances change, feelings change, the ones who can't accept are...well... unfortunately left behind."
"Why even add the 'unfortunately' in that case?" Ichika inquires. "No one deserves to believe in such a lie, that's why." Ichika agrees and reassuringly looks at him, as he does back to her.
All of sudden, as an unexpecting strike of a snake, like a stinging strike of lighting, like a blunt mace straight to his senses, he received an unholy shock. A shock of the sort that completely overturned his senses and rendered him in excruciating pain. His nerves sent constant signals of pain and alertness to his brain. It was as if the energy within him suddenly turned malignant and fought against every cell within him. It felt as if his flesh turned inside out and at him alive in a slow and ravenous death. A mortal cannot describe the pain that went through his body in that moment. Sakido knew not who was casting this upon him, all that he knew was that it meant incalculable danger for Ichika. He knew one of his kind was near, he knew that someone had come for him.
"Sakido...are you okay? It appears that you've seen a ghost, I've never seen you so frightened."
Sakido stood absolutely awestruck and bereft of life and speech.
"I-Ichika...I think you n-need to go..." Ichika naturally was flummoxed by this sudden change in Sakido's demeanor that he failed to conceal. "Ichika, I'll explain everything some other time, but you really need to go, it just doesn't feel right here, okay? You know I want you to be safe, just listen okay?"
Ichika, being contained in an immeasurable confusion, remonstrates to Sakido "You're scaring me, Sakido, please tell me what's going on!!!" She raised her voice quite noticeably, something not casually done by a girl of her nature.
Sakido aimed to not scare her too much or appear deeply perturbed, however this goal is much too unattainable in a situation as such. "Ichika, just run home and don't stop for anyone, you listen to me okay? I'll explain this to you, I promise, but if you've ever loved me, just go home now! And don't stop no matter WHAT...I love you...GO!" Sakido demanded towards her. With this command, she dared not to reproach his words and darted home with far more questions than answers.
Sakido watched as she ran through the streets before him until he lost sight of her. He then turned to face what laid before him, unsure if he would even live to see her tomorrow. He had no time to dwell on regret and plausible circumstance, for life or death curdled within him and a choice was now to be made. He walked forward further into this mystical burning energy that surrounded him and consumed his energy and endurance. He advanced forward, noticing how all of the streets were barren, not a single person around to help or to witness the events unfolding before him. Fog fell upon the ground and the dreary lights of the city hung high. His glance was cast all around him, watching for any unexpecting attack of cowardice. He then saw the source of this draining pain that has plagued him. Standing there within the heart of the fog, stood a tall man, obscured by darkness, only visible by his glowing white eye. Sakido could make very little of this view, relentless however, he marched forward with strained steps. It felt as if there was a force pushing him away from the perpetrator.
"Who the hell are you??? What do you want from me?" Sakido screamed at the sorcerer of this magic.
He heard a voice echo back "Want from you...heh...there's nothing that 'I' want from you, kid."
Sakido, confused by this response, screamed back, "Then why are you here?.....It's because of my past isn't it? Because of this power that I have!"
He was finally a few feet away from the man, the fog cleared and the mysterious power lessened by a large extent, although not entirely dissipated.
The man was adorned in a blue militaristic coat, had neck length black hair pushed backwards, and bore grey eyes, a color similar to the hide of a wolf. He seemed to be older, although not anywhere near elderly. His mouth housed a cigarette that released a steady stream of vapor into the air. He clutched the cigarette with two fingers, lowered it from his mouth, dropped it onto the ground, and crushed the low burning embers with his boot. "Listen kid, I know you've most likely got questions, but I'm not the guy to answer them."
"Then why are you here, and doing THIS to me, I'm so sick of living with these mysteries!" Sakido yelled as he clutched his head with his hands and dropped to his knees, on the verge of tears.
"I've been sent here to...well... since you're apparently such a little bitch let me say it like this. I'm here to 'eliminate' you and your little 'acquaintance ' or whatever that was that just ran past Haise street over that way."
Sakido raised himself slowly and peered at the man. His white hair nearly sealed his eyes shut as he started directly into the eyes of this assassin. In this moment, he figured that the power being emitted came from the assassin's eyes. Upon looking into his eyes with this newfound vigor, the effect of this power ceased and they were locked in an optical stalemate. His blue eyes began to glow with a light of the same color as they normally were, however they emitted a blinding light that gave an impregnable illusion of immense power.
"You won't do any such thing, not to me, and especially not to her, I won't let you near her you...you fucking bastard!" Sakido's anger began to burn within him. How could he have known that this anger was only an infinitesimal fraction of the rage he would feel much later in his life?
"Ohhhh, what power this one holds, shame that it must be snuffed so early." Says the assassin
"What the hell do you know about me, who are you? Where are you from, what are you, just tell me anything!!! DAMMIT!" When overcome with so many questions, these feelings easily overtook Sakido.
"Heh. Kids nowadays, you have no sense of urgency, or business at all. Always trying to disrupt the ebb and flow of our system. Now, I'll answer one of these questions, because I don't believe anyone deserves to die without knowing the name of the one that killed them. I suppose you'd agree, Sakido Ikakuro?" The assassin inquired with a look of arrogance in his face. "How...how the hell do you know who I am, how do you know my name? What the hell is going on???" Sakido asked, to seemingly an empty audience
"Anyway, my name's Kampori...Kampori Shiko. I'm the commander within the elite squadron of the Answeisen Kingdom. I've received orders from our Queen Mizumi to end you and Mrs. Hinode here and now. Have no fear, for your death is a vital part of this world becoming rid of the plagues that ail it."
Sakido only received more questions than answers, at this moment, he had no idea whether to ask more or to try and save his own life. "All that I know...Kampori is that you can do whatever you please with my life, but I WILL kill you...or die trying, because I will protect Ichika." Kampori shrugged and responded laconically with "Sounds fair enough, I can respect your efforts. Enough talk, I can't take much longer trying to subdue a child."
With those words, he unsheathed the katana style sword from his belt and charged towards Sakido. In a frantic panic, Sakido was able to dodge, yet had the sword slice across his shoulder. His heart began racing and the reality of battle set in. It wasn't as romantic as it seemed in literature, it was life or death, there was no time to think or rationalize. Any choice or movement could be his last.
Kampori thrust his blade forward in such a quick manner that Sakido couldn't dodge, his only option was to stop the blade physically. In an instinctive movement, he grabbed the blade, causing the sharp edge to slice into the flesh of his palm and cause blood to pour profusely. He screamed in excruciating pain as the wound was so deep that his bones were visible, he staggered backwards and leaned against a nearby structure.
Kampori, feeling a strange change of energy in the air, held off on the killing blow. The blood that fell from Sakido's palm rose from the ground and went to his palm. The blood formed into the shape of a blade. Upon Sakido grasping this blood blade, it took form and changed from blood to a sword beaming with bright blue energy, with no physical material attached to it, just a mass of flaming royal blue energy.
Image for weapon reference
As he grasped this sword, he began to feel an emancipating power flow through his veins, his eyes both glowed with the light of this power. As he looked into Kampori's eyes, he now was emitting a powerful energy into his essence, that Kampori couldn't deflect with his own.
"The kid's using a Seishin that powerful without an incantation, how is that possible? And his Ketsui is stronger than most I've felt. There's just no way, there's something special about this little shit, I bet that's why Mizumi sent me in particular. I'll have to summon my seishin, I'm not taking any chances against this kid, Mizumi wanted him dead for a reason."
Kampori then turned his blade into himself, piercing through his own heart, he then solemnly spoke the words "Blende ihre Augen und leite ihren Geist ... Raito! (Blind their eyes and guide their minds...Raito!)" With that incantation his sword emanated a pure white light that enveloped the blade and sent shockwaves in every direction. He began to dissipate and reappear at random, attempting to throw off Sakido's awareness.
"You motherfucker, you can't hide from me! I can see where you're going to be!" He then perfectly parries Kampori, sending sparks of energy flying. Sakido channels his energy inside his blade, just acting on his emotions, and thus creating a force that sends Kampori back into scaffolding.
What would have been fatal to a human is seemingly nothing for him as he rose without a scratch. Sakido then inferred that only this mysterious magic from his blade could harm him. Kampori held his sword upwards and blinded Sakido, causing him to panic and stagger, he used this opportunity to slice Sakido from multiple angles in quick succession. He took advantage of his power to not let his opponent watch his movements.
Sakido could see why he was the so-called commander of whatever kingdom he was from. Sakido failed multiple more times to parry Kampori, leading to countless scars across his torso and back. Sakido was able to react just in time to avoid a fatal strike from his assailant each time. Suddenly, curved waves of light were projected at Sakido, he was able to barely foresee this and was able to dodge one of the three projectiles and was hit by two of them. With a significant amount of blood loss and pain rushing to his brain, he fell to the ground, unable to build enough strength to move forward.
Tears streamed from his face as he yelled and attempted to stand again. Sakido noticed his vision become blurry as he was kneeled in a puddle of his own blood. Kampori was far too fast to react to, his attacks seemed to be at the speed of light as well as appearing as such. Sakido had been overwhelmed far too quickly from the attacks and projectiles and now kneeled facing his death.
Kampori, seeing the target down on his knees, wasted no time to enact the killing blow. "So long, kid, I must admit that you fought well." And with those words, he thrust the sword through Sakido's throat, his eyes opened wide from the jolt of fatal pain.
Suddenly, Kampori tasted blood in his mouth, it then began to pour quickly down his lips as he choked on it. He then noticed that he knelt there on the ground, Sakido's sword piercing his throat, the sword stayed in place with no hand on it. He could see the sharp end of the blade directly in his line of eyesight.
He peered within the puddle of blood that Sakido had been kneeling in just a moment ago. He could see the reflection of his deceiver standing away from him, looking downwards. Kampori attempted to speak "H-h-ow"
Sakido stayed laconic and finally responded "You don't have time for questions, remember?" Sakido then grabs the handle of his burning blade and pulls it out of Kampori. Kampori falls onto his back and twitches as he slowly dies, unable to speak or scream, his own blood blood drowning him as he attempts to communicate. The more he grasps at his throat, the more blood comes flowing out, surrounding. His last view is of Sakido walking away from him, sword in hand.
Sakido continues walking, unable to grasp the concept of what has happened. He peers at the blade in his hand as it dissipates, similar to how a fire dies and it's embers lose their spark. His eyes returned to their normal color. He then looks at the open wound on his palm. He speaks with a twitching and broken voice "I need answers...I can't live my life shrouded in this perpetual mystery anymore. I'm sick of postponing a lie and only finding dead ends in my path. There's more beyond here, beyond this realm, I know it. That's where my answers lie, and I'll stop at nothing to find them. If I don't, who knows what could happen to Ichika or Izumi, I just can't stand here anymore and be complacent with slowly rotting in this world, and being denied knowledge. ...And most importantly, I'm still not strong enough...no...nowhere near strong enough yet, in order to kill HER!.".
Sakido couldn't live any longer without knowing what or who he was, he has been and will be hellbent on finding the answers to his thirst for knowledge. He's done what many choose not to do, and for that, he will see the first of many dark truths in this world, the truths that all fall under one much more expansive truth. He will see that ignorance truly is and nwas bliss, a truth that governs so much of our world, a truth that holds far more value than what the truly ignorant interpret it to be.
Characters Introduced In Chapter 1
Sakido Ikakuro
Association: None
Ichika Hinode
Association: Love of Sakido, under the guidance of Izumi and daughter of an unnamed mother and father
Kampori Shiko
Association: Unnamed Commander within the Elite Geschwader of the Answeisen Kingdom