Kapitel 64: The Dragoness
After burying Kurome at the sight of his death, Ujinari began the long trek back to the village with a wounded Aziel slumped on his back.
"Sorry for the inconvenience," Aziel said.
"It's no problem," Ujinari replied. "It's the least I could do. I was practically dead weight in that battle."
Aziel tried moving his arms, but they dangled helplessly at his side. "Still paralyzed," he muttered.
"You need rest," Ujinari stated. "In my current state, It'll be a while before we get back to the village—or at least, what's left of it."
Aziel looked up at the storm clouds above. They were even darker than before, and the rain grew louder by the second.
"I wonder how everyone else is doing," Aziel sighed.
***
Warui continued his stroll down Takoizu River. He spotted a statue of a woman holding a blade with dragon engravings.
"Saku," Warui muttered in a bitter tone.
He changed directions, but his body suddenly grew tense, and his movements became involuntary—as if he were being controlled.
"This is Tensai's doing," Warui noted. "As expected. I knew not to trust that damn reptile."
Within minutes, Warui found himself halted at a hatchway. He knelt down to open the entrance, wondering out loud, "Where the hell are you leading me, Tensai?"
***
Over at the Shi and Kamakura villages, the battle between the Korosu and Shi waged on. Neither family yielded to the other, and their numbers dwindled rapidly. That was until the Korosu suddenly stopped fighting.
They moved like a synchronized army, as if they were in a trance, and headed outside the villages.
Drenched in rainwater and soaked in blood, most Shi family members were too exhausted and clouded by vengeance to think critically. They ran after the Korosu, seeking to continue the battle.
"Let them go!" an older Shi advised. "I am not sure where they are going, but we have suffered too many casualties to continue fighting. We must regroup."
His words resonated with his fellow family members. They stopped in their tracks amid a pool of blood caused by the abundance of Korosu and Shi corpses.
With that, the Korosu disappeared into the distance. No one knew where they were heading. However, one thing for certain was they were after something. Or rather—someone.
***
Val and Saku sat at the cliff ledge. Their legs dangled over the blue ocean as Val gave Saku a summary of her life up till this point.
"That's about it." Val lowered her head for a moment before saying, "I'm sorry, Saku."
Saku turned to face Val. "For what?" she asked.
"For failing."
Saku nodded and looked back down at the ocean. "Valerie, what is your goal in life?"
"My goal hasn't changed since my mother's death. That day, I failed to protect her. Since then, my goals have stayed the same," Val pointed toward Cora and Nezumi's unconscious bodies. "All I want is to make you proud and protect my friends and loved ones."
"I see," Saku replied.
Silence.
"Valerie," Saku broke the silence. "How much do you know about my personal life?"
Val's face lit up. "Everything!" she exclaimed. "You're the face of the Shi Family. Every child born into our clan is taught the story of Saku—The Dragoness.
"Legend has it that you were nicknamed The Dragoness not only due to your close relationship with the dragons but also because you were powerful enough to triumph over any saint or elite with your bare hands."
Saku laughed. "So I suppose they didn't go into much detail about my failures?"
"Failures?" Val raised an eyebrow, "What failures?"
Saku's tone grew cold. "Stories lose credibility over time, Valerie. My life wasn't as successful as legend may have it. I won't gloss over the times before the dragon massacre because I'm sure that era was properly recorded. However, I will tell you about the years following that dreadful day."
Val gave Saku her full attention.
"You probably already know this part, but the Dragon Massacre occurred on my eighteenth birthday. I was on my way to celebrate with Blue and the others, but when I arrived at their cave, I faced the harsh reality that every living dragon had been slain.
"Had I arrived even a second earlier, I might've been able to save at least one dragon's life. But that's beside the point. The rest is history.
"I defeated Warui and the Korosu and drove them out of the Shi Mountains. Then, later that night, my father, the Tribal Chief at the time, and his council of advisors came to a consensus. They ruled that—"
"All members of the Shi Family are prohibited from teaching doragonken to all people who do not bear Shi blood," Val finished.
Saku nodded and continued speaking.
"This was just the beginning of a dark period in our family's history.
"Shortly after the Dragon Massacre, my father passed away, leaving me to inherit the title of Tribal Chief. At the time, I was not ready to take on such a role. I regretted not killing the Korosu. It made me bitter and filled me with hatred—Hatred towards the Korosu—Hatred towards the Shi.
"I blamed my family for my shortcomings. I thought that if there had not been rules and teachings preventing me from killing, I would not harbor so much regret. I thought that if those rules ceased to exist, I would've long gained satisfaction from killing the Korosu and watching their blood stain my fists as their bodies grew cold at my feet."
"But," Saku added, "Despite all that, what irked me most was not the hatred nor the regret. It was self-doubt. Specifically, doubt that I'd be able to fulfill the task that Blue entrusted to me—"
"Sorry to interrupt," Val said, "but did you say Blue?"
"I did."
"Blue. Blue the dragon?"
"Yes."
"I'm familiar with this story, but I never gave it much thought. Blue is a dragon. So, how did you communicate with him?"
Saku got to her feet. "Stand up," she said.
Val struggled to her feet, still feeling the effects of her previous battles.
"Fighting stances," Saku said as she lowered her center of gravity. She stretched her right foot forward, leaving it straight, and moved her left foot back, pointing it to the side.
Val did the same. "What are we doing?"
"I am going to teach you the true form of doragonken."
Wöchentlicher Energiestatus
-- Power-
Rangliste 
-- Power-
Stein