It finally happened.
I knew it would happen someday… but so soon?
It's only been three years.
"Mikan, let go already," Ringo grunted.
"Noooo! Don't go!" Mikan cried, clinging to her sister in a tight embrace.
"Stop overreacting. I'm not leaving forever. Muromachi isn't that far."
Her crying paused. "How far is it?"
"On foot… a week? Maybe two?"
"NOOO!" She resumed crying into Ringo, refusing to let go.
"Now, now, Mikan," Mother said gently. "You knew this was going to happen."
"Let go already so we can give her a proper farewell."
Mikan had grown far more attached to Ringo over the past few years. She hadn't reacted like this when Eldest Sister Ichigo left.
Maybe that experience made her realize how little time we truly had with family once our martial journeys began.
…Or maybe it was just because her youngest sister was leaving the nest.
"She isn't even an adult yet!" Mikan snapped.
"She's stronger than most," Father replied.
That finally made Mikan let go—only to start crying on me instead.
Go cry somewhere else!!
Father turned to his youngest daughter. "Ringo, I've already informed the trader where you'll be dropped off. Remember, each beast you slay on the road while on duty earns you two copper."
He leaned closer and whispered, "He may be a buddy of mine, but he's greedy. Don't let him scam you, alright?"
"I heard that!" someone shouted from the other side of the cart.
Father laughed.
"I understand, Father," Ringo said with a small smile.
Mother pulled Ringo into a tight embrace.
"Make sure to stay safe on your journey, okay?" she said, eyes wet. "If you ever change your mind, you can always come back."
"I know," Ringo replied softly, hugging her back.
After that, she finally turned to me.
She gave me the biggest smile I'd ever seen her wear in all my years here on Panama.
I smiled back.
No words were exchanged, but I think we understood each other perfectly.
I stepped closer, arms opening for a hug. "Be saf—"
Huh?
Suddenly, I was flying through the air, hurtling toward the fields.
I snapped out of it and landed on my feet. My tail helped with balance, with it I could instinctively stabilize myself.
It served another purpose too.
A shiver ran from the tip of my tail up to my chest. I ducked just as a powerful kick smashed into the space where my head had been.
"Woah! That felt stronger than usual—"
I froze.
Fingers shot toward my eyes, aiming to gouge them out.
I barely jumped back in time.
There was no reprieve. Ringo continued attacking, her strikes swift and deadly. Her hands were like spears, thrusting toward my vitals. None landed.
I was too quick. But she grew faster too.
I landed a few blows of my own. She dodged all but one, redirecting me to the side and preparing a thrust toward my unguarded eyes.
It missed entirely—her leg was nudged aside by a furry tail.
Without expression, she pressed on. Each hit knocked the air from my lungs, but I endured.
I braced for another strike when the hand I was blocking with was suddenly grabbed and pulled, my guard opening.
A final, lethal blow aimed for my eyes.
This time, I leaned forward.
Her fist slammed into my forehead instead.
THUD.
She winced in pain.
I staggered briefly, dizzy, but recovered just as my tail warned me again. I leapt instinctively as a sweeping kick tore through the soil beneath me.
I spun midair and counterattacked.
Ringo reached out to redirect, grabbing my leg—but the kick she predicted wasn't there.
It vanished.
She froze.
I'd twisted the kick sideways mid-spin, using the momentum to drive a punch straight into her guard.
She still managed to redirect with her other hand, but it was incomplete. She skidded across the dirt for several meters.
She stared at me, expression unreadable.
Mikan and our parents looked worried.
Ringo stood and walked toward me.
"Hehe… that surprised you, didn't it?" I said, scratching the back of my head.
She didn't answer.
"I was inspired by Eldest Sister's mist technique to fei—"
Ringo hugged me.
"You've really grown strong, Merun."
"Protect our family while I'm gone, okay?"
Over the past years, I'd grown nonstop. At eight years old, I was already as tall as her.
Every spar grew more intense. Eventually, I could fight Mikan without breaking a sweat. My vision and instincts easily kept up with her speed.
I could even tire Ringo out in an all-out fight. Grapples no longer held me for long.
The day I nearly beat her, something finally dawned on her.
I had grown stronger.
She had stagnated.
She needed new experiences. New fights. New techniques.
I hugged her back. "Of course. You stay safe too, Big Sister. Thank you for everything."
Now I understood why she wanted to join a clan.
Father and Mother held each other as Mikan bawled her eyes out. I joined her in shouting our goodbyes.
The buffalo-pulled cart slowly departed the village. I watched Ringo walk beside it until she disappeared from sight.
———
Muromachi... I heard it was the city protected by the Martial Clan Shinken, one of the three strongest clans in the country. I wasn't surprised to hear they had the most Sages out of all the clans.
Sages... unfathomable beings. I read about them in the novel before so they're a bit more humanized in my eyes, but to my family, they seemed to talk about them as if they were living gods.
They even smacked me in the lips and earned me a stern lecture when I made a joke about the Martial Sages... it's as if they thought the Sages could hear me.
Sages are immensely powerful sure, but I know they're not omnipotent.
I tried convincing them to no avail... it just earned me more lip smacks.
In this country though, they sure loved their war, and what are Sages if not living, breathing, war gods?
If not for the Transcendents above them, people would have definitely hailed them as deities and started whole religions.
Why the go through all that trouble to join the Shinken Clan though?
It seems each major clan specialize in a certain type of martial art—not to say that they don't use and have any other arts; it seemed to be a conscious, collective effort for each great clan to specialize in specific fields in order to elevate martial techniques from that niche.
And the Shinken Clan, specialized specifically for defense, so it seemed the perfect fit for Ringo.
Sigh.. I wish I could grow older much sooner.
I want to join a noble academy.
But first... I think it's time to get my pod.