Chapter Two - Introductions

Kougetsu yawned, covering her mouth with the sleeve of her haori. It was early morning, and she has been awake all day and night. She never managed to get any proper sleep during the five long, grueling days, with eyes half-opened at night in a constant state of alarm.

She was currently waiting for other people who had managed to survive the assessment, leaning against the wooden pillar holding up the sign by the entrance of the upper part of the mountain.

Kougetsu was alone.

Well, not entirely—since the young girl, Konoe, was standing on top of her cloud, hands folded behind her back, with four guards standing by the cloud, katana gleaming dangerously by the light of the rising sun.

Kougetsu and Seijuu had ended up going their separate ways by the third day of the assessment, not bumping into each other since then. She figured he must've gotten down the mountain before her, since there was no sign of him, or he ended up getting killed. Kougetsu highly doubted that, however.

But who was she to question it? She was barely acquainted with him after all; it was quite surprising that the two of them even stuck together until the third day, given his big ego and narcissistic tendencies—always claiming he was the strongest, he was a great king-god, and the like.

She...didn't mind being around him, however. She found him quite amusing and tenacious, as well as confident, stubborn, and naive. One of the traits she liked most, though, was that he was easy to set off—becoming red in the face with rage whenever she insulted or teased him. The thought of it almost made her smirk.

"—elcome back."

Kougetsu blinked rapidly, snapping out of her thoughts as she looked up, seeing that the rest of the remaining people had come out.

Five people.

Well, seven, including herself and maybe Seijuu—but four people, other than herself, had come out of the mountain alive.

Not including Kougetsu, there were three girls and two boys, from what she could tell from behind.

"Congratulations for enduring five days and four nights. Seeing you alive and well makes our worries ease. It's not a surprise that it is mostly Wielders who ended up surviving—but I will not erase the efforts of those that survived without being a Wielder. All of you worked hard to where you are now," Konoe spoke, stepping off her cloud and standing in front of the older teens.

Kougetsu approached five who were standing alongside each other in a straight line, stopping by a girl; the said young woman was only shorter than her by a few centimeters, her rose coloured eyes unfocused, seemingly dazed as she stared ahead with a smile on her pale face, her cheeks tinted pink. Her violet hair was pulled back neatly with a bun on both sides of her head, without a hair out of place—it looked like she was untouched, her short, cherry blossomed pattern kimono clean without a speck of dirt, as the same with her black hakama.

Kougetsu was mildly impressed—and, the girl beside her seemed familiar.

She just couldn't put her finger on where she had possibly seen her before—aside from the assessment.

"I would like for all of you to state your name, age, and magic, seeing that all of you have graduated together and will most likely work alongside one another," Konoe smiled, violet eyes flickering to each one of them. Her eyes topped at Kougetsu, nodding at her. "Please start with yourself, miss."

Kougetsu felt everybody's gaze land on her, boring holes into her being. Her jaw went taut for a moment before letting out a sigh, straightening her posture.

"Yozora Kougetsu. Seventeen. Moon magic and Wielder." Kougetsu said, silver eyes staring into Konoe's, unblinking.

Konoe hummed, looking over at the girl beside her.

"I'm Fuyuo Suzuran. My magic is poison, and I am also a Wielder." Suzuran spoke softly, her voice as smooth and light as silk.

"Hiyama Suuen! I have volcano magic, and I will be the first Guardian with volcano magic!"

The girl beside Suzuran was quite tall, standing around five feet and six inches at least, with short, cropped hair colored orange, sporting a proud grin on her tinted lips. She had tanned skin with dark freckles speckled on her cheeks, stretched due to her confident smile. Her obsidian eyes shone with determination and held her head high, hands placed on her hips.

Kougetsu looked over at her, unimpressed with the way she was littered with cuts, scrapes, and bandages. Yet, that hot-headedness got her injured the most out of all of us. Will she be able to live to be a Guardian, the highest rank in the Order, after the leader?

She bit the insides of her cheeks, lips pursed. No, no, you cannot judge her. As girls, we shouldn't tear down each other.

"I admire your goal, Hiyama!" The girl beside Suuen beamed, her eyes bright with joy. "I'm Kusanagi Yuuhi, eighteen, with sun magic. I'm also a Wielder."

Yuuhi was about five inches shorter than Suuen, the tip of her forehead reaching her chin. She had coal-black hair reaching her shoulder with bangs meeting her eyebrows, shaping her round face nicely. Her crimson irises reminded Kougetsu of a gentle fire that would keep you warm—when wronged, however, they would rage and burn anything in its way to ashes.

Yuuhiʼs pink painted lips stretched into a smile, a single dimple showing on the right of her cheek as she fiddled with the hem of her short kimono, which was a red fading to black ombre.

Sun magic, huh? Moon magic and sun magic come from the same family.

The taller boy beside her swallowed loudly, taking in a deep breath as he combed his hand in his messy, gray-to-navy hair. "Iʼm, uh—Iʼm Chigarashi Kouji. Nineteen years old. My, um, my magic is storm magic. Iʼm a Wielder, too," He introduced himself, his voice going high-pitched.

The boy beside Kouji scoffed loudly, crossing his arms over his chest. "You know what? All this introduction shit is ridiculous!"

He walked up to Konoe, grabbing her by the collar of her kimono. "I want to start with missions right now!"

Her guards quickly approach Konoe and the blond-headed boy; however, Konoe raises a hand, halting their movements.

"Kimoto Shien, you should be well aware of what you're doing. Let go of me and listen to what I have to say next. I will not be a victim of your tantrum because of your lack of patience."

Konoe's voice is firm, unwavering, her violet eyes boring into steel gray.

After a moment of silence, Shien growled, letting go of Konoe and stepped back.

"Hey, that was very rude of you! You can't just, just go and grab a girl—or anyone, for that matter—just because you can't wait 'til she we get missions!" Yuuhi scolded, thick eyebrows knitted into a deep frown as she jabbed his finger right into his chest.

He slapped her hand away. "Piss off, pipsqueak."

Kougetsu's eyebrows twitched downwards, silver eyes narrowing.

She doesn't like confrontation—it's too messy, too much unnecessary anger and violence. Unless it had to do with Cursed Ones, then she'd rather stay out of it.

Yet, as a bystander in this situation, it didn't sit well with her.

"What Kusanagi is trying to say," Kougetsu spoke up, voice silvery and monotone, not revealing any of the annoyance she indeed held for the teen. "Is that you have no right to hurt somebody because of your impatience. It only shows you have your head straight up your behind and that you only let anger drive you. And that never ends well, especially in life. You might as well end up dead."

Shien's pale cheeks turned red, nostrils flaring as he stomped towards Kougetsu.

"You bi—!"

Yuuhi grabbed his wrist tightly, and her crimson eyes narrowed at Shien. The blond struggled to let go of Yuuhi's hold, jaw taut.

He scoffed audibly as Yuuhi loosened her hold, rubbing his wrist.

Konoe cleared her throat, clasping her hands behind her back. "As I was about to say after the introductions, after receiving your measurements, all of you will be issued a plain black hakamashita kimono with our symbol on the back, hakama, and, optionally, a haori in a color and or pattern of your choice. The swords that we will give you will be made of a special iron merged with cherry blossom essence. Of course, they don't need to be swords, and can be another weapon of your choice. Now, as for communication…"

With a snap of her fingers, foxes materialized out of thin air—sitting side by side in a line.

They weren't just any foxes, however—they were nine-tailed foxes, who were considered extremely rare. Some would even call them extinct or legendary.

Yet, here they were—right in front of Kougetsu eyes in their white-furred glory, the mist surrounding them.

"They will be your familiars. They will give you your missions, information, and the like. If you need something from them, just simply utter their name, and they will be by your side."

The foxes trotted forward and jumped up to everyone's shoulders, tails swaying elegantly.

Kougetsu was surprised—the fox barely weighed anything.

"Greetings, Yozora Kougetsu. I am Mashiro." The fox says, her voice light and smooth.

"It's a pleasure, Mashiro." Kougetsu greeted, nodding her head.

The nine-tailed seemed to smile at this, crystalline teal eyes shining. She nodded at her before dissipating, leaving behind a white mist.

"That is all. After we take your measurements, your uniform and swords will be sent to your residences after a few weeks." Konoe said, the corners of her lips curling upwards into a small smile.

With that, Konoe clapped her hands twice, a flurry of people rushing out of the small wooden building meant for the staff.

Kougetsu sighed, looking over the tailors coming towards them.

Let's get this over with and go home.

∞

Kougetsu's eyebrows furrowed in concentration, picking up her bishop over the pawn, and proceeded to place the latter piece in the pile. She raises her head, eyes shifting over to her older opponent, eyes glinting with satisfaction and folding her arms over her chest.

"Hey, isn't she close to beating him?" A little girl, who was looming over her shoulder, observed.

"I think so. Ishikawa-san doesn't have many pieces left. Ha, he's gonna lose." One of the boys snickered, resting his cheek on Kougetsu's shoulder.

The ink-black haired girl's eyes narrowed, raising her hand to flick his forehead harshly.

He let out a yelp, rubbing his red spot on his forehead. "Hey, what was that for?!"

"Hideyoshi, be respectful to your elders. Apologize to Ishikawa-san."

Hideyoshi pouted, scratching his forest green hair. "I'm sorry, Ishikawa-san."

The older man across from her grumbled, scratching his balding head and made a move with his lance. "It's alright, Kougetsu. I'm afraid I have to agree with Hideyoshi. Shiori has taught you well."

"Yes, she has," Kougetsu agreed, moving a piece and capturing his remaining lance. "But practice is also a large factor. I practiced and played a lot. Learning from your losses and mistakes help, and makes a person grow."

The older man, Osamu, chuckled and moved a piece. "Such wise words from a young girl."

Kougetsu hummed. "Wisdom comes from experience, Ishikawa-san."

She moved a piece, about to be in check—however, gasps were heard as heavy footsteps approached the engawa. Kougetsu looked up from the board, irritated as she watched the familiar swordsmith stop in front of the house.

"Your sword and bow and arrow are done."

The children who were watching Kougetsu and Osamu play shogi squealed in delight, knocking over the shogi board as they surrounded the swordsmith—known as Hironaka Renjirou—and Kougetsu.

Kougetsu bit the insides of her cheeks, squeezing the knight piece in her hands.

She was about to win! And he ruined it! Why did he have to come at such a wrong time?

"Is that s—"

"Sh! I need to tell you about the process of the weapons." He interjected, pressing a firm finger to her lips.

She slapped away his hand, eyes narrowing.

Renjirou began to ramble about how the sword came to be and how precious it was, his brown eyes bright. Kougetsu held in the urge to roll her eyes, recollecting herself before turning away from him, calmly helping Osamu clean up the shogi board and pieces.

She knew how Renjirou could get—he wouldn't listen to others and continue to talk about his sword, as if the villagers knew nothing about forging swords when they have their entire lives, working for the cause of the Holy Order of Peacekeepers—coming from a long line of people who refined their metal magic skills. But, she understood his deep passion for swordsmithing, so she didn't talk.

When Renjirou stopped rambling, he gently handed the sheath to her. She took it out of his hands, the village children, along with some elders, looking between her and the sheathed sword in anticipation.

Hideyoshi nudged her shoulder. "Well, what are you waiting for? Hurry up, turtle girl."

"Keep talking, and you won't see the katana, Hideyoshi." She threatened, holding up her hand to flick him once again.

He swallowed nervously, pushing her shoulder a bit to the side purposely before sitting cross-legged beside her.

With caution, she took out the katana from its sheath and held it up vertically in the air, eyes observing how the black iron glinted underneath the rays of the sun.

"Well? Use your magic, 'Kou." Renjirou insisted, brushing back loose strands of his long, ocean blue hair out of excited nervousness.

'Kou? Seriously?

The girl sighed, palms glowing a misty-white as she tightened her hold around the hilt of the katana, causing the sword to glow—slowly, the tip of the sword began to change into a white, stopping at the middle—creating a white-to-black ombre, with an undertone of midnight blue.

Gasps were heard, the spectator's eyes glued to the katana.

"This is new." A familiar voice spoke up, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder.

Kougetsu looked up to see her guardian, Niwa Shiori, with a small smile on her face. Her amber eyes shimmered with a fire so strong and fierce it could melt glaciers and even the coldest ice, despite her age; but, they were also filled with wisdom, knowledge, passion, and strength.

The woman wasn't related to Kougetsu at all—no, she was a friend of her late grandmother's, who took her in after being orphaned. She was a significant parental figure in her life after her family was taken away.

Kougetsu studied Shiori's face. The emotions she saw in her amber eyes were curiosity and interest—if she looked closely, though, she could see specks of recognition. Wait, does that mean she had seen this sword before? But she just said that it was new​​​.

Kougetsu averted her eyes, shoving those thoughts deep into the back of her mind.

"Indeed! We have never seen this before. It's actually exciting! Who knew that our Kougetsu would have this sort of color as a Wielder!" One of the adults spoke with enthusiasm, patting her back with affection.

"Even though your grandmother had the same magic as you, your katana is different. Her color was midnight blue." Shiori spoke, her fingers carefully gliding over the curve of the katana.

Of course she would know. She forged Grandmother's swords.

Kougetsu nodded her head, eyes looking over the katana once more before placing it back in its sheath.

Kougetsu watched Renjirou from the corner of her eye. He was trembling, and his hands were twitching—she couldn't really tell what he was feeling, even though it was what she was very good at.

"Hironaka, are you—"

"My swords…they really are that magnificent…" He mumbled to himself excitedly, her words falling deaf to his ears, his brown eyes filling up with tears.

Kougetsu pursed her lips, causing Shiori to chuckle lightly beside her. She was about to say something, though, when she heard the call of her familiar.

"You have received your first mission," Mashiro informed Kougetsu, materializing in front of her. "You are to head to a village in the east that disappears during the night. When the village comes back at dawn, people are missing."

The crowd around her home stared at the nine-tailed fox with wide eyes, mumbling fearfully at the mission. A village that disappeared during the night? It was unmistakably a Demon's doing.

And perhaps more than one.

Kougetsu nodded, getting up. She brushed off any dust from her hakama, her grip around the sheath of her katana tightening. "Alright. I'll be leaving tomorrow morning."

The fox nodded, disappearing.

Kougetsu needed to prepare, after all.

As people dispersed and went back to their homes and resumed from what they were doing before, she slid open the door to the home she shared with Shiori.

The older woman stopped her, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder. "Kougetsu, I need to speak with you. It's about your sword."

Kougetsu looked at her, then at the sword, then at her again. She could feel those same thoughts from before resurfacing. "What is it?"

Shiori pursed her lips and shook her head. "No, no, nevermind. You should prepare; you don't have much time. You donʼt need to know right now. It can wait."

Kougetsu bit the insides of her cheeks, nodding slowly. She placed her hand over Shioriʼs out of habit and comfort. "Alright. Tell me when you're ready, I suppose," She shrugged. "Or you can write to me, and Mashiro will get it back to me. I'm not sure when I'll be back. They might send me another mission when I'm done."

The white-haired woman nodded, brushing a loose strand of hair out of Kougetsuʼs face. "Of course."

Her eyes lingered on Shioriʼs face for a moment before turning away, stepping into the house before going to her room.

Shiori sighed, shaking her head.

"You really are one of a kind, 'Kou. And much like your grandmother."