Chapter 32

As Katachi trudged onward through the forest area, a familiar scent in the air prompted him slowly toward higher ground. He eventually arrived at a flight of smooth stones laid out like stairs.

K: (It's been a while.)

He took off his bag and placed it on the ground gently. The smooth stone wasn't as slippery as it appeared to be, but a little caution wouldn't hurt a child wearing sabots not meant for vertical travel. After a few minutes of climbing the stone steps, Katachi reached the top.

He leaned against a familiar tree and glanced down at the small, haven-like meadow from the vantage point – The meadow where he would watch the Plaincoat Sheep graze. The lookout where he would longingly stare at the children of Mielfeud play with each other and tease the sheep merrily. His gaze wandered to the nostalgic root ladder.

K: (I used to climb that a lot, didn't I?)

Katachi often used the ladder repeatedly in the past but that ceased completely when Mother Rinnesfeld claimed it was too dangerous. A strong, reminiscent urge overcame him and he was compelled to scale the roots once more. He slowly made his way down and landed on the soft fragrant grass.

K: (I'm back.)

The place where he was found by Mother Rinnesfeld. The herb ledge – His very first, and perhaps his fondest memory of Mielfeud. Katachi took off his sabots and felt the warmth of the earth beneath his feet.

K: (The soft moss between my toes... It's so welcoming.)

Usually, Katachi would have reached the ledge via a sandy path. But, having taken the root ladder his old habits kicked in and he sat upon the strange rock instead of the stump. The neglect on the rock caused moss to grow over it thinly while the stump now had a pansy sprouting from it.

K: (These curves, this shape… It feels good to be back. How long have I been away for? I hope Mother does not have too hard a time managing the church. I miss her.)

A red Grovelark chirped merrily and flew onto a vine, pecking at the little aphids on the trees.

K: (That red-haired lady... Does her family miss her? She's fighting to become stronger, likely to protect her family and home. Even if she didn't want to, she probably doesn't have much of a choice.)

Katachi stared at the little bird as it took off in search of more food.

K: (That virtuous personality ought to be sung of. She's ambitious, righteous, strong and devoted. She is a great fortune for anyone whom would befriend or ally with her.)

He frowned briefly at the pain that everyone had to endure. Should the day come where all of the world's descendants would be free from the darkness of these sigils, a world where Mother Rinnesfeld's role would be unnecessary...

K: (I should head back while the sun hasn't reached its peak.)

... And yet, no matter how bright and hopeful that wish was, it was also a future where he would never belong.

*** ***

Katachi finally arrived at the town he grew up in. And, as predicted the red-haired lady was waiting for him at the entrance.

K: (It's her.)

Roberia unfolded her crossed arms and pushed herself forward from a leaning pose to a dueling stance, withdrawing the sword with a curved blade. Katachi put down his bag to a side and faced her with grieving, headstrong determination.

R: (Losing to someone like him, a commoner like him nobody recognizes... It is the ultimate humiliation especially with a weapon like this.) "I will make this painless. Brace yourself, Kotsuba Katachi."

K: "Do we really have to do this? Where did you get all these weapons anyway?"

R: "This will be the last one you will see, I assure you." (Because everything I have is now on the line. This battle will make me... Or break me.)

K: "Is there really no alternative to this?"

R: "Enough talk! I will end you right here!"

Roberia primed her new weapon towards Katachi's body.

K: (Does she not see...)

With a silver glow and a howl, a powerful gust of wind lashed forth from the sword with such ferocity that the dust kicked up and distorted the air around the blade.

K: (... How much her family misses her? 恒定. Constant status – Self.)

A golden word formed on Katachi, this time in plain view without being concealed underneath his ragged shirt... Since there was no real need to hide the 定 in the town that branded him a heretic for it. The wind roared past the child yet he remained unmoved.

R: (What? He didn't get hurt by that?! Does that sigil defend more than just physical attacks?!)

Katachi slowly walked forward towards Roberia.

K: (This is different from the last weapon. There's nothing that takes advantage of my limitations, all she's using is a sword carved with excerpts from Byrh's legends. But, the winds are distorting the image of the blade so I can't place my 定 from here. I need to get closer.)

R: (He's going to do it again...) "No! Don't... Don't come any closer!"

She knew what it meant for him to approach her. The routine was about to happen all over again – He would close the gap, fixate her weapon and disarm her entirely. Even before the actual battle began Roberia foresaw what was to come. She swung wild blasts of air and continuous streaming gales towards Katachi to little effect.

The house behind him eroded and chipped off from the powerful winds, yet as powerful as the enchanted blade was it proved ineffective against Katachi's 定. Such was the nature of the accursed sigils known as the Words of Power, for Man to indiscriminately hate and wish harm upon the Scholars. A Segus follower in possession of a sigil was no different from heresy in many ways.

R: (This is far less useful than the pillar sword Pybuit sold me!)

Roberia tried leaping backward and moving away from Katachi by using the winds circling the blade to bolster her mobility. She threw herself about everywhere but she didn't have ample time or training to be accustomed to such a bizarre and curious form of mobility. As such, Katachi quickly caught up after a few attempts.

K: (She's done plenty against a Scholar like myself. So, for the family that misses her so, for the village welcoming her return, I will stop her here. 'All of danger upon my flesh, for the incapable deserve a reprieve.')

Katachi was now less than a meter away from Roberia. The uncontrollable winds which were supposed to lift her off and increase their distance steered the sword diagonally at his body only for the blade to be stuck on his shoulder.

R: "Wha-..."

K: "Please, give up."

A 定 formed on the wind blade and Roberia was forced to a state where she must face her opponent unarmed. Though he was a passive opponent who harbored no malice, that was tantamount to defeat as a knight should always expect the opponent to strike with the intent to kill.

R: "No!!"

Roberia's face twisted into one of pain and anguish over the routine that, once more, could not be prevented. She knelt on her knees and clutched her torso tightly.

R: (I'm sorry, father, brother, everyone... I have failed. I can't even beat a miserly Scholar.) "I can't go home like this... I have failed."

K: (She's worrying for her family... Perhaps her family is under some sort of threat? Maybe she hasn't reached a point where she can repel the threats to her family and farm?)

The end was nigh.

R: (Living on is useless now. I lost. It's a complete, utter failure. I got in over my head and thought that I could handle him myself, but this... This dirtbag defeated me.) "Put an end to my misery. Kill me."

K: "I wouldn't do that even if you paid me to. Segus forbids killing."

That quote in itself amplified her pain tenfold.

R: (Segus, he says? This... This is the ultimate smack of disgrace. The worst. I lost to a peace-loving Segus follower. A passive, weak Segus follower younger than me who doesn't even train himself strictly, one who advocates peace and dismisses conflict.) "You're a follower of Segus?"

K: (She looks even sadder than before! Why?!) "Yes... I am... ?"

She could barely believe her ears.

R: (My life is over. Utterly, utterly over. It would be something else if I was forced into servitude, but this...) "I lost to a Segus follower... That itself is the most horrific manifestation of all my nightmares."

K: (She seems pretty down... What... What do I do? Should I...)