Sebastian "karasunochi" onihito

The young lord departed from his home without reclaiming it, the barbarian informed.

"Silence, barbarian! The usurpers took my sister, leaving me with nothing but a burnt palace," I retorted.

The barbarian, clearly offended, protested, "I am not a barbarian! I am a civilized man, perhaps even more civilized than you are." This made me question why I referred to him as a barbarian in the first place. Was it simply because he was a foreigner?

"My name is Naruhito Mochizuki, the heir to the Shogunate of the North and the last surviving member of the House Mochizuki," I introduced myself, extending my hand for a handshake.

"Sebastian Onihito," he replied, shaking my hand. He continued, "You should consider adopting an alias. If you continue using your family name, they will eventually find you."

Onihito... I pondered. He was right. The usurpers would be searching for me as they couldn't find my body to impale next to my family's. "Any suggestions?" I asked him.

"Hmm, I can think of two options at the moment. One is to use a last name that you like and that represents you, or, since we don't adhere strictly to bloodlines, you could join my house and use my house's name and power until you can reclaim your own," he proposed.

"I have never heard of House Onihito before. Where is it located?" I inquired, and his answer left me trembling and breathing rapidly until I passed out. His house was Kasasunochi of the North... The Ravens.

After half a day, I regained consciousness. I struggled to get up but was stopped by the raven who told me to remain lying down.

"It would be a shame if you died of exhaustion after everything you have survived," he remarked.

"Why did you save me? Your clan is rebelling against mine," I questioned, surprised by his actions.

"We are not rebels. The armies in the North, under your family's command, attacked us to seize our land and our ancestral weapon," he explained, pointing to the black katana at his waist. He continued, "I will ask you again, if you desire it, I can grant you the name of a raven. However, I want something in exchange." Of course, I thought to myself.

"What do you want?" I asked, shocked by his immediate response.

"Just call me Seb," he replied.

That was unexpected. He gave me a new name, took me under his clan's protection, and only asked to be called by a nickname. I accepted and asked him to call me "Naru" as well.

Several days passed, and it was my ninth birthday. This was the day he promised to make me a raven as well.

"Congratulations, Naru. Today, you turn nine years old, and today, you are reborn as a raven under the guidance of my blade, the Blade of Darkness, the one with the power and might to challenge and surpass everything," he declared, placing his black blade on my shoulder, as was customary for knightings in the past. "Now, Naru," he continued, "the child you used to be is dead, and you will rise as Naruhito 'Karasunochi' Mochizuki, a raven."

"For your birthday and your rebirth, I present to you this violet purple blade, 'Moonlight,' the ancestral sword of the Mochizuki clan. When exposed to moonlight, it has the ability to create illusions. However, you are currently too weak to wield this power, so refrain from using it," Seb explained. This left me with even more questions. Why did he possess my family's sword?

A few more days passed as we traveled, and we came across a serene lake. Its crystal-clear water reflected a small waterfall cascading onto large rocks. There was no one around except for us and the beauty of nature - the tall trees, the soft grass, and the birds soaring above us. Carefully, I placed my sword on the ground and began removing my clothes one by one.

"Ah, this water feels amazing," I exclaimed with a contented expression on my face. Sebastian advised me to get out and dry myself, warning of the potential danger if someone were to attack while I bathed with my sword away.

"I deserve a bath after all I have been through, and besides, you are here with me," I protested.

After concluding our dispute with Sebastian, we set off towards the "church of hunting" in the eastern region. Our purpose was to seek temporary shelter and, perhaps, encounter new aliens. This temple was unfamiliar to me, and as we passed through the magnificent golden curved entrance, we were greeted by a colossal golden stone. Standing at a height of approximately 15 meters, it was adorned with numerous names inscribed upon it. Although I did not recognize any of the names, Sebastian appeared to be acquainted with most of them. This piqued my curiosity, prompting me to wonder who these individuals were and why their names were etched into the stone.

To my surprise, a gentle voice emanated from behind, saying, "Hello there." The speaker introduced himself as Hanzō, the arch-priest of the temple, and cordially welcomed us to the church of hunting. Hanzō was a diminutive man in his late sixties, sporting long crimson hair tied back in a low ponytail. He wore a red kimono that complemented his hair, along with a golden belt and a dark red and gold katana hanging from it. It bore a striking resemblance to the white katana Sebastian wielded when he turned his hair white and froze my father's palace. I couldn't help but wonder if Hanzō possessed the ability to transform his hair into flames. However, I decided to leave that thought be as we proceeded inside to converse with some "powerful people," as Sebastian had described them.

As we strolled through the temple, whispers filled the air. People exchanged hushed conversations as we passed by, but I managed to catch fragments of their discussions. It seemed that they were unaware of my true identity.

Curiosity got the better of Sebastian, and he inquired about the survivors to Hanzō. With his usual calm demeanor, Sebastian hid his true thoughts behind his expression. This was a trait he had mastered over time. Perplexed, I interjected, as it was the first I had heard of any survivors. I had believed myself to be the sole survivor from that place.

Hanzō responded, revealing that he had sent the survivors north of the tower of the east. He explained that it was too perilous to keep the last loyal retainer of the young lord within the temple. If they had remained, they would surely have been discovered by now, leading to dire consequences for all of us. Disgust was evident on Hanzō's face, most likely directed towards the usurpers. Interrupting the conversation, Hanzō invited Sebastian to follow him and meet his daughter, but Sebastian intervened with a serious expression. He informed Hanzō that my name was "Naru Karasunochi" and cautioned against using any other name that might endanger me.

Hanzō's daughter, Megumi, awaited us. Her name signified blessing or grace. Despite being the same age as me, she was a petite girl with shoulder-length black hair and deep black eyes. Megumi donned a white kimono adorned with a red belt, and her hair was tied with a red scarf. She exuded undeniable beauty. Upon introduction, I greeted her, revealing my name as Naru Karasunochi. In response, she remarked, "karasu? You are a raven, right Naru?" Uncertain of her intentions, Sebastian took charge and introduced himself as Sebastian Karasunochi Onihito, stating that we both belonged to the ravens of the north. To our astonishment, Megumi and I discovered that he was sixteen years old. His appearance neither betrayed his age nor hinted at it; one could never accurately guess his exact years by merely looking at his handsome face.

Megumi grasped my hand and led me to the garden to meet her friends, two ten-year-old children, a boy and a girl. Tweens.