Chapter 2: The last Heir

There were scents in the air.

My fragmented thought had sensed as such just before I woke up. The air which was flowing into my nasal cavity contained lots of information.

The earthy smell of concrete…

The metallic scent of blood...

And the putrid scent of smoke which felt like it could make my stomach pukes.

Just as my consciousness leaned towards awareness, the flood of audio information also surged into me as many sounds entered my ears.

The sound of many people calling for help echoing...

The dripping sounds of rain...

and the distant sound of a person who is calling towards me that I could not hear properly to understand.

Surrounding me was a mess of pieces of concrete, woods, and stone from a building just like the scene of destruction.

'Where am I? Is there an earthquake? I remember that I was supposed to go to the convenience store before this happened...'

I can see that I was inside the destruction area from an earthquake as many pieces of building surround me who can no longer move my body as I am trapped between debris. Though, it might be a blessing that I am only trapped and not dead from the earthquake.

*Clank*

However, just as I celebrate my survival, a sound akin to a metal can be heard in my ear as I can see from the peripheral of my blurry eyes that an object was falling toward me from above. True to my ear, I can feel a hard object hit my head as it gives me a concussion from its impact.

I tried to push aside the desire to return to the deep sleep which still lingered. However, my effort came to be futile as I lost my consciousness and plunged into the darkness.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

After what felt like a long time, A boy of around 8 years old wakes up from his slumber. His appearance can be only described as being a member of royalty as he sleeps on a bed that gives off an aura of elegance.

Finally, the boy felt his consciousness stirred up before finally opening his eyes. He repeatedly blinked several times due to his eyes trying to adjust to the light of the room.

"...Where am I...?"

The boy unintentionally muttered. What He sees next is a room with an area around 8 by 7 meter square and a somewhat gorgeous but ancient decoration filling the entire room. There are also some kinds of statues and paintings that can be called a work of art placed in several locations in this room.

The room is mainly constructed out of wood. The design in the interior of the room was an eclectic mixture of fashionable Japanese and European elements. The ceilings of this grand room were coffered with Japanese elements; however, Western chairs, tables, and heavy curtains furnished the spaces.

About five meters away, He can see the door to the room with traditional Japanese style with paper and wood as the main sources of the door. It is more of a Fusuma as it is more opaque and doesn't let light pass through rather than shoji which let some light inside.

Interestingly, the bed He is sitting on right now is the size of a king-sized bed at a hotel. Instead of a traditional futon, it used a western-style bed with a higher elevation from the ground. Though, the reason for choosing this type of bed might be due to the IV drip connected to his arm which supplies him with nutrition when he is unconscious.

In other words, it seemed that he was staying in some sort of hospital with a traditional Japanese style. But this feeling of weirdness in his mind continues to grow as He wonders why the heck is there a hospital with a style like this.

"Where is this place? Sigh..."

The boy muttered again as He sighed. But there was no answer. He searched every nook and corner of his head, but He couldn't find the memory of how He came to take a nap in this place.

He finally sees a mirror placed further into the room. He cautiously walks toward the mirror as the IV drip follows him since he uses it as a thing to hold into while walking.

His leg seems to be not regularly used as he finds it very difficult to walk. After walking close to the mirror, he finally changes upon his body figure.

The mirror is not the same as what he knows since it is not as clear as the modern mirror. The mirror is more yellowish as some part of it only gives a blurry reflection of him.

But it was not this mirror that attracted his attention. Instead, it was his reflection which was not his own body as he seems to be inside the body of a child. Although it also seems that this body is not his past self's reflection since the boy's hair is cut differently from him.

"Wait… Who is this? This is not my body! I am... Arrrrgggghhhh!!"

As the boy thought about his identity, a flood of memories came to his brain. Two kinds of memories come inside his mind. The first one being the memories of his past life finally integrated into his new body. The second one being the original owner of this body.

It seems that he was reincarnated as someone who has the same name as him, although both of them have the same name, their lives vastly different from each other. This boy is the fourth son of the Japanese emperor and it seems that he is currently in the era between WW1 and WW2 as the first world war ended three years ago.

He remembers that he was supposed to go somewhere along with his second and third brother on a carriage since cars are not popularised in japan yet by this time. However, this journey met its end as an earthquake happened on our way.

"That smell of blood and the scene before… is it at that time? So it was not because of the earthquake that I died! but because of… Hmm… I seem to be unable to remember it."

Unlike those that will be confused immediately, he already read enough to know where this is going as it seems that he was transmigrated to the past. Though, he doesn't know why he became the fourth prince and even came back in time this far.

"Wait… Blood! Is my second brother and third brother okay? Well… they are still alive even after the Second World War, so I think they are okay… Unless something shit like the butterfly effect happens"

As He put aside his past life's memories, Takahito continued to learn about this past world from his new life memories. However, while contemplating his future actions, He was interrupted by a person who walked inside from the door of this room.

"GASP!!! The fourth prince is awake!!!" shout a middle-aged woman wearing a kimono who I presume to be the maid of this place.

With the beginning of the shout, several more came in drove just like a domino falling in pieces.

"Fourth prince is awake!? Are you sure you are not joking?" said another maid.

"No, I am not! You can see here that he is awake!" said the first maid who came.

"Eh!? Really? Is the news true?" said the third maid.

"Didn't he already have been in a coma for more than 4 months?" said the second maid.

The maid continues to make a ruckus in front of my room until an old man wearing a male kimono, which I presume has higher standing than all the maids, arrived. His hair is styled in a shorter cut of a chonmage or topknot hair of samurai. He also has an imperial-style mustache that is curved on its end.

"What! The fourth prince is awake? Hurry! Inform the Emperor and the Empress!"

Finding me awake, the male I presume to be a butler or some kind of right-hand man of the emperor shows a very ecstatic feeling. His mustache seems to twitch several times as his eyes open wide as if it wants to swallow him whole.

"HAHAHA! The imperial family is safe! The imperial family is safe! The imperial family is safe!"

As if staring at him is not enough, the old man starts to laugh hysterically as he chants the important thing three times.

'Imperial family is safe? What does he mean by that? I am just a fourth prince and is not really that important right? Don't tell me...'

With confusion in my mind, I decided to ask a question that haunted me as panic started to enter my mind.

"Uhm… W-What do you mean by the imperial family is safe? Isn't there my three brothers who become the prince?"

The old man seems to realize his mistake as a startled expression appears on his face. A worry and anxious emotion welled up inside him as the old man finally gave the most shocking news that he heard.

"That's… because you are the last heir of the emperor."

"NANIIIIII!"