One Day Vacation

(16 years and 7 months after reincarnation)

[Takina's POV]

(AN : () brackets means that the dialogue is spoken in Bostnian Language)

The sound of fire crackling and burning, a scene of pure inferno scorching away at my home city.

It's hot and dry.... yep, it's him again.

"(Foul dragon.... we meet again.)"

Said the fire wraith demon, a Fiery Giant Metal Armour with two protruding horns. He crossed his arms in front of chest, while his greatsword was impaled into the ground just besides him.

"(Huh, it's you Aamon.)"

"(You know it is pointless to hold onto your past.... You have but yourself to blame for the tragedy that you brought upon the countless people whom you teleported away, running away wouldn't solve your issues.)"

"(....Shut up.)" I said as I draw my katana....

"(Both you and I know that there is one reason you even relied on the kid.... You wanted to fill the emptiness inside of you because you're too immature to move on-)"

"(You ought to keep your nose out of everyone's business.... you have already ruined my life, don't ruin this moment for me because I'm going to enjoy tearing you into pieces!)"

'Shing...' I drew my katana from the waist.

"(Very well, your wish will be met.)"

'Thump!' From the ground, Aamon pulled his pillar sized greatsword out and readies himself....

______________

"-Grkk! Takina!"

"Zzz.... You giant flaming asshole.... Aamon...."

"Grk, Takina I'm dying! S-stop choking me with your c-chest!"

"Zzz- Huh?!"

S-sora-sama?!

"Ah, I'm sorry!"

"Gue.... Hoo hah...."

I was hugging him in my sleep? No wonder it was so warm.... it was a bit TOO warm in fact, that's probably why I dreamt up that fiery shit face.

"Cough.... Hah.... You're so dangerous even when asleep...."

"S-sorry.... I just had a bad dream that's all."

"Mmm. It's fine, I know how warriors like you are."

Except the boy, it was bright and cozy in the room. Of course, I'm talking about the atmosphere of the room because the morning sunlight had leaked into the room from the windows.

I'm diverting attention away from the fact that I almost killed my Lord? Hahaha, who would do such a thing?

"Takina-san.... Who's Aamon?"

"...Nah."

"I see.... Sorry for asking."

"It's alright. If anything-"

'Gruu....' The stomach of the boy groaned out loudly, interrupting my speech.

"Umm.... it's breakfast time...."

"I see.... Let us go grab a bite then."

_______________

We went and grabbed ramen at a local shop....

"Slurp.... Since this meeting of the here clans will take at least a day, I've got the entire day free, what should I do huh..."

"Slurp.... Why not just tour the city?"

"Mmm.... Ah well, might as well treat it like a holiday. It's been so long since I last rested....."

Come to think of it, I've never actually rested for once since I arrived at Niigata.

"Where do you want to go then?"

"Hmm.... What was the places that the school trip were going to back then...."

"School trip?"

"Ah.... It's nothing, I was just mumbling to myself."

If I remembered correctly, our order of visits are the Hokan-ji Temple with that giant pagoda tower, then the monkey park of the West but that doesn't exist here yet....

"I've heard that there's a Sake District where they sell lots of high quality sakes.... Maybe you're into that sort of things?"

"Ah! Now we're talking!"

We decided to just roam the city during the morning.... Once we had finished eating, we left the ramen shop as nothing of importance happened.

Well.... There is actually something that happened.

Ramen shops are notorious for being extremely cramped in space. As such, when I leave the ramen shop's door where another man is exiting as well, and we bumped our swords together. 'Thud!'

"Huh?!"

"Oops, sorry about that-"

"Sorry about that?! This is a sign of disrespect, a sorry wouldn't cut it!"

I'm left handed, and so I've always carried my sword with my right. Since most warriors are right handed and carry their swords on their left, when we stand side by side we'd bump our blades together.

And of course, to samurais who lived by the code of warriors, bumping weapons into someone is a sign that they are challenging you to a duel. A disrespect that no samurais will take.

"Look, I'm sorry about that and I'm not looking for any trouble...." As I said that, Sora tugged on my sleeves.

He was signalling me that there's two other people inside the shop.... So he's not alone huh?

"If you're not looking for trouble... Then perhaps it is possible for us to come to an understanding?"

"....On what demands?"

"Heh.... You look cute, foreigner. Why don't you hang out with us for today?"

With my hand, I gently pushed Sora to the outside of the shop....

"Oh? Well you're handsome as well, I'd not mind doing exactly that...."

"Hmm, you're a sweet lady...." The man reaches his hand and gently grabbed my chin to pull me closer to his mouth.

Yeah, a kiss, I knew that it's coming.

'Thud!' I shoved my katana forward, and slammed the handle of my sword into his stomach. "Oof!"

"As if anyone would want to have sex with you, idiot! Take this!"

I raised my katana with its sheath still on, and then swung it to his head like a stick. 'Thud!'

"Urgh!"

"You bitch!"

"Hahaha, catch me if you can idiots!" I said that as I ran off out the ramen shop.

"Takina-san!"

"Wahaha, Sora-sama it's time for some jogging!"

"Eh?! You really hit them?! I didn't thought you'd-"

I grabbed him and put him on my shoulders....

"Full speed ahead!"

"Get back here you bitch!"

"Capture her! I'll strip her naked out in the streets and beat her up until she's crying for forgiveness!"

"So long pals!"

________________

"Hah... Hah..."

We hid at an alley way where we lost those three goons.

"Seriously, Takina?! Making trouble over something trivial?!"

"Haha...."

"And you're laughing!"

"Of course I'm laughing, I haven't had this much fun in a while now! It's fun beating up scumbag men like them, and then escaping after you pissed them off, hahaha!"

"You're crazy.... But.... Hehe..."

"What, you're laughing as well?"

"It IS kind of funny actually.... I guess it's not that hard to understand you, because in the end you're just like a child, like me!"

"Huhu, I see. Now then...."

I stood back up from the ground and pats the dust off my butt.

"My sheath was bashed open from hitting that man, I need to get my sheath fixed. Let's go shopping first before enjoying ourselves."

"Mmm!"

______________

We went to a nearby blacksmith to buy a new saga for my katana.... We also went and looked at all of the goods around the market district, we didn't actually buy anything other than some fresh mochis though.

"Look at this, Takina-san!"

"Hmm?"

Sora had put on a hat with the face of a tanuki on it.... "Haha.... It looks silly."

I did went to a nearby stall where I bought a new handbag for Enna and a hand watch for Genji.... I didn't know what Kenshin and Monkey-san like so maybe it's wine as souvenir for them then?

I'm going to go and try out all the different kind of sake at the Sake District later today, so I suppose I can buy the wine at that time.

Once we had done shopping, we went to the Hokan-ji Temple to visit the big Pagoda tower in the middle of the city....

"Wow! The tower is really as big as we can see from outside!" Sora said as he runs deeper into the temple.

"Remember not to touch anything!"

The sound of a man was heard from besides me.

"This temple is built with a seal inside in days long gone.... It was said that Abe-no-Seimei, a powerful mage from the past casted a great magic to protect Kyoto, though it's power has long since faded away."

"I see.... Wait, who are you?"

"Ah, excuse me for not saying anything when you two entered. But...."

What a weird monk....

"But?"

The monk carefully looked at my body up and down....

"....Ojou-dono, there is something that you must learn. Follow me."

"Hmm? O-oh...."

I left Sora-sama to explore the temple by himself.

_____________

(Deeper inside the temple....)

'Thung!!!' An ear shattering oud sound of a bell tolling.... Normally, giant bells are rung with logs, but in this Temple the monks do it with their feet.

The monk raised his leg again and threw yet another spinning back kick towards the bell.... 'Thung!!!'

"See? This is how 'Tolling Kick' is performed." Said the monk, as he puts his hand together in a praying gesture and bowed to me.

"Oh.... I had seen those Sanada Clan warriors use it, but I didn't knew that you were supposed to throw the kick with a spinning start...."

"This kick is not meant for killing, but it has the potential to actually do that.... Sometimes one just have to forfeit a life in order to save two more."

"Hmm.... May I try it on the bell?"

"Go ahead."

"Hah.... Hmpt!"

I launched a spinning back kick to the bell with all my might. 'Thung....' It was incredibly weak....

"Amitabha...."

"Grr.... Do you have any more tips to getting this kick right?"

"Hmm.... Ojou-dono, have you heard about the purpose of bells in a Temple?"

"Does that have anything to do with my question.... No, I don't know why bells are a thing."

"The sound of a bell tolling bring peace to the mind and the soul.... It helps lift us of the karmic suffering that we experiences daily, even if only momentarily."

"I see..."

"The Tolling Kick is a kick meant to ring such a bell. It is by accepting one's guilt and sins when launching the kick that makes the thrust kick so powerful."

"My sins and guilt...? Wait, is that why you-"

"When I first laid my eyes on you, I can feel a deep karmic debt in your spirit.... This kick is meant to give you some peace and help you come to terms with your own feelings, so that you may not fall prey to it into the future."

"I... I see.... But accepting my own guilt and sins huh?"

I've killed lots of people already, and truth to be told I'm not guilty about it. Maybe because it was in self defense or for protecting someone else, but either way I don't feel particularly bad about it.

But it is precisely because I don't feel bad about it that I feel guilty about myself.... I'm guilty about not being guilty, so to speak.

Maybe I needed some ways to take away my sense of guilt....

"....May I try it on the bell again?"

"You may practice all you like until you're satisfied."

I closed my eyes, and raised my left foot.... I imagined all of the burdens that I'm carrying manifesting like dark colored aura on my foot, and then spun around gracefully as I push my foot out....

"...Hah!" Tolling Kick!

'Thung!' This time it was much much more powerful.... Still not as good as the monk's though.

"Magnificent, ojou-dono."

"Hah.... Thank you, monk-san."

It was like I had some burdens lifted off my shoulders... It feels less heavy and empty now, although I can't exactly describe it out.

"You have a talent at martial arts, young lady. Follow me, I have something to give you...."

"Hmm?" Again?

He took me to the quarters area, where I could see a few more monks inside the temple training their body as well as meditating under the heavy sun light.

The monk entered a room, and from a drawer he took out a book.

"I shall gift this to you."

"Hmm?"

'Buddhist Spiritual Martial Texts'

"An exoteric text?! Isn't this kind of rare?!"

"I had achieved my monkhood by reading this book and it has taken me closer to Nirvana.... I shall entrust it to you because you seemed to need it."

"I see.... It must've meant a lot to you, thank you a lot Monk-san."

"Amitabha...."

As the monk once again put his hand together and prayed to me, I also did the same prayer gesture and bowed to him as well.

Everything is all and well....

"....Not to ruin this mood, but I have many copies of that book."

"....Hahaha!"

"Huhu...."

It wasn't anything special at all, this guy just handed me a Buddhist Martial art manual and nothing more.

___________

(Meanwhile....)

[Sora's POV]

"Grrr...."

When I was exploring the temple, a monk invited me to play shogi (japanese chess) on a stone table set within the temple.

"....Amitabha."

But he's incredibly skilled!

"....Here." I grabbed the Lancer piece and moved it into the enemy's front lines.

It's a trap, but there's just no way to escape it.

"Check." The monk used his knight to take that piece, and in turn puts my king in a check.

Without any where else to run to, I was forced to move my king piece to the corner.... Which results in a trapped king.

"Golden General here.... Checkmate."

"Ah damn it, it's the fourth time already!" This guy's good!

"Huhu..." The monk cracked a faint laugh, as if mocking me.

"Grr.... How were you so good at Shogi?"

"I'm not."

"...Liar."

"A monk does not lie, for he have no reasons to."

"In that case, why are you so hard to beat then?!"

"That answer is simple. I am in control of my emotions, but you're not. I am not a master at Shogi, but I can predict your movements as if you were saying out loud what you're intending to do."

"It was that obvious?!"

"Young boy, you may be smart in the head but you always let your emotions get the better of you. However, there is no reason to feel bad about this because emotions itself is a strength, a strength that let us connect with our peers."

"Mmm.... But then how can I be in control like you do?"

"That comes from understanding oneself, about one's deepest feelings and desires, and grow more sensitive to it."

"Grow more sensitive? But isn't that counter intuitive because we are trying to be in control of our emotions?"

"That is the common misconception about feelings. Emotions are always present, even if we don't sense them. There are no perfectly rational person in the world, and fo this reason alone the only way we can truly master and grow in control of our emotions is to actually know and acknowledge what we feel."

"And here I am always trying my best to push it down...."

"Burying it deep down can actually do the opposite effect, because you don't know it when you are acting out of your emotions, like what you did during our chess match. Once you realize someone else's emotions, it is rather simple to manipulate it, like how I tricked you into overextending your pieces and beat the shit out of you four times over."

"You said you were in control of your emotions, but now you're trash talking me like a kid would!"

"Amitabha... Forgive me for my rudeness."

"Sigh.... But still, thank you for the advice you've given me. I really needed to hear something like that."

"All in the name of helping our fellow people. You have no reasons to thank me."

"I see. You Buddhist monks are always deflecting thanks like you're in a sword fight...."

"-sama? Sora-sama, where are you?"

"Hmm, my servant has come to retrieve me, it seems that I'll have to leave now."

"Very well, I shall walk you out the temple as I had a lot of fun playing that chess game with you."

"Alright then. Yoisho...."

I got up from my seat and then ran off happily.

"Takina-san!"

"Ah there you are Sora-sama! You had me worried, I thought you were kidnapped."

"There's no way that'd happen in a temple of all places!"

____________

[Takina's POV]

(Evening....)

In the end we spent almost the entire day outside playing around and exploring Kyoto like we are on a vacation.

Once we had grabbed dinner and me having tasted many of the different kinds of sake in the wine district, we decided to head back to the inn.

"...." (2x)

Accepting my deepest regrets and guilt huh? Easier said than done...

But still, I guess there really is a way for me to do just that.... By not hiding it.

"Hey, Sora-sama."

"Hmm?"

"Earlier today you asked me who's Aamon.... Because I was choking you in my sleep yeah?"

"Ah, that one? If you don't want to talk about it then it's fine.... everyone has something that they don't tell others after all."

"Mmm, I've decided that I'll tell you of all people.... Aamon is a demon, a Fire Wraith. He's like a spirit made entirely of fire, and he's insanely strong."

"Do you have a history with this specific demon then?"

"Yeah.... sort of. You see, my home town is called 'Klada' and it was attacked by this demon almost half a decade ago."

"5 years huh.... When I was just a toddler then."

"Mm Hmm. It destroyed the entire city, and even killed my father."

"...! I'm sorry...."

"It's alright, I'm over it by now.... But recently, I've been having vivid dreams of fighting this demon, and that's why I was choking you in my sleep."

"Hahaha...."

"Anyway, that's just what I wanted to tell you."

"Mmm."

We continued walking for a while....

"....Takina-san, thank you."

"Why?"

"Thank you for telling me that.... and I had a lot of fun today hanging out with you!"

"...I see."

Maybe this kid isn't such a burden after all.

(Extras)

[Third Person POV]

(Imperial Palace, Meeting Place)

"-the Takeda Clan and Uesugi Clan are invited into becoming sub clan to the Oda Clan. All those who does not agree to our conditions will have to face consequences-"

The representative of the Oda Clan declared those words....

Obviously, he's not convincing anyone. Japanese warriors are stubborn by nature, including Uesugi Genji. They'd take this as a form of challenge.

"Then bring it, Nobukatsu. The Uesugi Clan ahs been waiting for this declaration since a decade ago, our soldiers will be ready with just a call from Kenshin-sama along with the newest technology."

"Likewise, the Takeda Clan has already prepared for this occasion. Your words alone cannot threaten us, Nobukatsu."

"Uesugi Genji.... Takeda Katsuyori.... By the roots you're all the same, foolish! Don't blame us when we crush your little clans like insects, as we have offered you a chance to negotiate with us but you threw it into the fire pit."

"So this is declaration of war then...?" Genji put his hand on the wakizashi that he brought.

"Seize your arms, this is the Imperial Palace! As a neutral ground for discussions between clans to be held, no fighting is allowed in here or else it will be classified as capital offense!" Said the Right-Hand Minister to the intensifying crowd in the meeting room.

"Hmph.... Excuse my earlier rudeness, Fujiwara-dono."

"Either way, it seems that no rational conclusion can be arrived at in this 2 hour long debate. We have no choice but to start yet another war, to bring harm to the countless innocents and civilians in this country.... I trust that all of you understand what this statement entails, correct?"

The three clan head's silence acted as a yes.

"....Then in that case, I will be declaring the conclusion of this meeting. The war between this three clans will commence once more, continuing the battle that took place ages ago. The clan that proves superior out of the three clans will be able to become the leader of this country under His Majesty's supervision.

This temporary truce to the past Civil War will end by the time the clan heads have returned to their respective base. Be prepared, for this fight will determine the future of this country....

I trust that all of you will pay full responsibility for the consequences of your actions.... Alas, this meeting is dismissed. Tenno-sama...."

"Right."

Under his breath, General Tamahara whispered to Genji.

"This emperor is but a fool.... He has too much ambitions for his own good."

"Which means he is useless to the Uesugi Clan even if we do win the war.... We should seek someways to deal with him should we need to ensure the safety of our land."

"I feel the same way, Genji-sama. But for now, let us head back to Kenshin-sama to discuss with him as soon as possible, for this incident is of utmost importance."

"Yeah, I'll get everyone ready to leave tomorrow.... Until then, shall we visit the Sake District later tonight?"

"The meeting is barely over and you're already thinking about booze..."

"Even a king has to relax once in a while alright?"

(Chapter End)