Chapter 4: Past

How would you feel when you find out that your family is alive and living a happy life somewhere else?

How would you react when you discovered that the reason why you can't remember their face is because they wiped out your memories?

The answer is unimaginable anger.

That is what Mikhail is feeling right now as he is staring at Mizuki.

Seeing her face caused Mikhail to curl his fingers up tightly, narrowing his single left eye at Mizuki.

Genji Mizuki, the current head clan of Genji Clan.

The daughter of Genji Mikayla and the late Genji Mirza.

The elder sister of Genji Mikazuki.

"Brother…" Mizuki greeted Mikhail while signalling her men to stand down. 

"If I am not mistaken, I once told you that the next time I see your face, I will not hesitate to kill you in front of everyone," said Mikhail in a very cold tone to Mizuki, causing her to flinch. "Give me a solid reason why shouldn't I kill everyone here starting you and that woman that you called mother."

"Mika, she is our mother. The woman who carried you for nine months. The woman who gave birth to you. No matter how much you hate her for her mistakes, she is still your mother," Mizuki said to Mikhail. "I know what she did to you is unforgivable but please-"

"What do you know about me?"

Mizuki looked at Mikhail with confusion as her brother continued.

"What do you know about being a mother? Where was she when I was hungry and forced to eat piles of trash?" Mikhail asked while gritting his teeth. "Where was she when I was cold and needed a place to sleep? Where was she during my birthdays?" 

"You know nothing about being a mother. So, don't you fucking dare…."

Mikhail appeared right in front of Mizuki, stunning everyone with his speed as the young man punched Mizuki in the gut and screamed, "SAY THAT WORD TO MY FACE!"

Mizuki was knocked away and crashed into several buildings. Everyone immediately attacked Mikhail with their katana only for them to get beaten with great ease. Mikhail then sensed the arrival of someone with a high-level Mystic Energy and turned around.

A young man with a shaggy dark hairstyle appeared not too far from him. He was in Iai Stance, tightening his grip around the handle of his katana as he took a deep breath.

"Quick Slash!!"

The young man struck Mikhail with an incredible sleep, but Mikhail is not what he thought. At the very last moment, Mikhail avoided the katana which shocked the young swordsman. When he turned around, Mikhail punched him in the face, knocking him out.

Picking up the katana of the unconscious swordsman, Mikhail teleported to Mizuki's location. As soon as he arrived at her location, Mikhail charged at Mizuki and swung the weapon. The head clan conjured a crystallized blade and blocked the attack.

"Considered yourself lucky that I was holding back when I punched you." Mikhail said to Mizuki.

Mizuki tried to reason with her brother, "Mika! Please! We don't have to fight! You need to listen to me first!"

Knocking away Mizuki's blade, Mikhail held the katana with two hands and swung it, aiming for his sister's neck. Mizuki reacted immediately by creating a shield to stop the blade.

"Mika! Listen to me!"

"Did you listen to my plea when that mother of yours kicked me out of the clan and threw me to the wolves?" Mikhail asked Mizuki. He threw a left hook that Mizuki blocked and angrily said, "Don't try to make me listen to you when she never listens to me once."

Mikhail headbutted Mizuki, stunning her as she stumbled several feet away. He then struck her in the gut with his elbow followed by two punches to her face and a spinning kick to her face.

Mizuki groaned in pain as her body fell to the ground. She quickly recovered from the attack and said, "Please, brother! Give me one chance to fix everything."

"There is nothing broken that needs to be fixed," Mikhail coldly stated as he leaked out a very intense killer intent at Mizuki. He then continued, "And if you want a chance, I can give you."

"Only when the seven hells freeze over."

Mikhail sprinted towards Mizuki, prompting her to punch him. But she realized that she punched her brother's afterimage and turned around immediately. Mizuki was greeted with a kick to her face and recovered from the attack.

The two of them fought one another where Mikhail easily dominated Mizuki. He stunned her with a powerful knee-strike to her abdomen and lifted her into the air. Then, Mikhail slammed Mizuki to the ground as hard as he could.

Mizuki winced in pain and before she could do something, Mikhail punched her in the face. She tried to escape, but Mikhail raised his fists in the air before slamming them down to her face. Consumed by rage, Mikhail began to beat his elder sister.

"FIGHT BACK! WHY DIDN'T YOU FIGHT BACK?!" Mikhail yelled at Mizuki's beaten-up face.

Mizuki coughed up blood and then said with teary eyes, "If I have to die… to atone my sins… Then, kill me…"

Mikhail stunned and looked at the smiling Mizuki. He gritted his teeth and prepared to end her life. But someone stopped him by grabbing his shoulder.

"Genji…"

Mikhail turned around and looked at the sad Shizuka. Immediately, his anger was replaced with sadness, guilt, and regret. He stood up and looked down, staring at his bruised and bleeding fist.

Half an hour later

"It's been half an hour, you know? Mika didn't move, eat, or even talk to me."

Shizuka looked at Ammar who was sitting on a chair and then closed her eyes. She crossed her arms and recalled what happened earlier. After she stopped Mikhail from possibly killing his own flesh and blood, they brought him to a room for him while Mizuki was being healed.

Ammar's attempt to talk to him was futile. For the first time since they've known each other, Mikhail ignored Ammar. He even gave no response to Ammar's jokes, much to the latter's surprise since Mikhail always laughs or at least smiles at his jokes.

"Why don't you get some rest, brat?" I will handle this," Shizuka knocked and slid the door. She saw Mikhail sitting on the bed while staring at his hands that were covered with Mizuki's blood. "Hey."

No response.

Shizuka closed the door and then went to the window, enjoying the feeling of the cold breeze on her face. She then looked at Mikhail and leaned against the wall, crossing her arms.

"You know… You don't have to feel guilty, sad, or regret about what you just did to Mizuki. If I am in your shoes, I've probably done something far worse than that," Shizuka said to Mikhail. "I don't know how you felt when you found out they were your family. The same one who abandoned you. But that was the past, and you need to move on from it."

Move on? Mikhail gave an angry look at Shizuka and yelled, "Move on?! You fucking kidding with me? After what they've done to me, do you want me to move on?!"

"You know nothing about me, Katagiri! Nothing! So don't you dare tell me to move on!" Mikhail angrily punched the wall, causing it to crack which Shizuka ignored it. 

Shizuka took a deep breath and then sat on the corner of the room. She glanced at the fuming Mikhail and said, "That's right. I know nothing about you. But if Amaris is here, sitting next to you and seeing you like this… I believe she will say the same thing."

Mikhail became silent when Shizuka mentioned Amaris. He looked away as Shizuka changed her position to get closer to him. 

"Genji, I know it's hard for you to move on. But for how long do you want to keep living in the past?" Shizuka looked at Mikhail. "If you keep living in the past then there is no future for you. Live in the present, not the past. It's okay to look and smile at it, but staying in the past? It's destroying you. You once said the same thing to me before, remember?"

With teary eyes, Mikhail said, "How can I move on? How can I look and smile at it? How can I live in the present and dream for the future when I am still stuck in the past? Because of me, Amaris died. Because of my weakness, Amaris sacrificed her life for me! I am the one who should die on that day instead of her! How am I going to explain to her parents that I was the one who's responsible for her death!"

"After her death, I will always visit her grave twice a month. Sometimes, I meet her parents and will spend some time with them. Usually, we will talk about our days, sometimes they will blame themselves for not favouring their job over their only child," Shizuka looked and Mikhail then grabbed his hand gently. "But at the end of the conversation, they will always remind me to say this to you if I see you."

"Amaris' death wasn't your fault. They never once blame you for their death. Their only regret was that they don't have the chance to apologize to you for pushing their responsibilities of taking care Amaris to you."

For the first time after the death of Amaris, Mikhail cried, letting out all the pain that he's been holding for seven years. Shizuka hugged Mikhail as tears leaked from her eyes.