Ryuusei Den (Amiboshi & Suboshi)

[The Legend of Shooting Star]

Concept by: Nishizaki Megumi, Watase Yuu

Written by: Nishizaki Megumi
Illustrated by: Watase Yuu
English translation by: Tetris no Miko
Compiled by: Annz ‘n’ Dipz
 Character list
Sho Tessoh

He is the leader of a group of guerrillas. Very young and yet a fantastic and fierce leader
(remind anyone of Nakago? ^_-). He fights for a noble cause and while he is a killer, he’s
still a good man. He adopted Toka as his own sister and took on Suboshi.

Shin Toka

A victim of an attack from Kutoh’s military. Her parents were killed in that attack and she
had given up all hope, until Tessoh rescued her. She still holds a grudge inside of her, but
she takes a liking to Amiboshi when the two of them meet in the remains of her village.

Chama Lee

A foreigner of some sort (it’s never stated exactly where he comes from, but he seems
sort of Asian and sort of Indian…). Tessoh’s right hand man and advisor (though he’s just
a boy). He is also Suboshi’s bunkmate and "friend".
 The novel of Amiboshi and Suboshi. Binoculars that share the same appearance and
mutual love among them but whose ways become different horiblemente….
History counts the tragedy of its lives, how the civil war changed the life to them when
only they were 9 years old, and how they got to be stars of Seiryu.

Introduction
Chapter 1: The Twins' Tragedy
Chapter 2: Shunkaku's Awakening
Chapter 3: Flute of Destruction
Chapter 4: The Girl in Basara
Chapter 5: The Pride of a Chosen Warrior
Chapter 6: Painful Partings
Chapter 7: On the Brink of Betrayal
Chapter 8: Lingering Between Love and Hate
Chapter 9: Conspired X-Day
Chapter 10: Fated Separation
Freetalks from the authors

Introduction:
Kotoku, Shunkaku, listen well.

When your poor mother gave birth to you two, it was very painful. But when your two
precious faces appeared before our eyes, we felt like we were ascending to the Heavens.
Boys, in this village, twins are thought of as important protecting-deities. Mother and
Father are so proud of you.

But not only because of that.

We thought that perhaps you were not only protecting-deities of this village, but maybe
also protecting-deities of this country….Mother and Father thought this when we saw
you two.

Your lives are gifts from the Heavens. No matter what happens, help each other, love
each other, and live strongly. Even if you two should be separated physically, link your
souls together as one.

However, if you should see a shooting star, that is a gloomy sign that bears tidings of
your separation. When that happens, you shall fight with your life on the line. Kotoku
shall protect Shunkaku, and Shunkaku shall protect Kotoku in return.

You boys are our pride and joy; because….you are Kutoh’s pride and joy….

----

Chapter 1: The Twins' Tragedy

"Oh! It’s a shooting star…." It was then that nine-year-old Bu Kotoku witnessed a star
streak across the dusk sky. In the next instant, Kotoku witnessed flames burst up from
around where the star had landed. Tossing his shopping basket full of vegetables on the
ground, he bolted down the path that lead to his house.

And then, many minutes later, Kotoku stopped in front of the entrance to the village in
which he had been born and raised. Bloody corpses were piled up in an sea of fire. Cries
of death could be heard.

Gritting his teeth, Kotoku stumbled towards his house.

"Dad! Mom! Shunkaku!!"

Kanri, his father, had returned home early today as it was his wife’s birthday. The family
of four would be able to enjoy this evening together; something which they had not been
able to do for some time. Kotoku’s mother, busy with preparations for supper, had sent
Kotoku out alone to do the shopping, leaving his feverish brother, Shunkaku, at home to
rest.

"Return safely", she had said as he left the house.

The twins had usually gone to the market place in the neighboring village together,
holding hands as they went. It had only been one hour since Kotoku’s mother had sent
him off out of the warm, cozy house….

That once peaceful scene was now no where to be found.

Kotoku’s house had been mercilessly smashed, and the front door was surrounded in red
flames. Not appearing to give this a second thought, Kotoku ran into the house.

"Dad! Mom! Shunkaku!"

Choked up with smoke, and brushing ashes out of his face, Kotoku whirled frantically
around the house.

"…………Ko…..toku…."

Hearing a voice calling him from the bedroom, the boy brushed the smoke out of his way
and headed there.
"…..Dad….!"

His father lay on the floor, and was propping his mother up. Their clothes were stained in
blood.

Kotoku crawled up to his parents and frantically shook his father.

"Dad! Hang in there! You can’t die!"

"…..Kotoku…"

"Mo…Mom…. Is she…?!"

His father shook his head. Kotoku leapt to his mother’s corpse and wept bitterly. His
body shivered violently, and his tears flowed out uncontrollably.

"Kotoku… Pull yourself together. Are you listening? We hid Shunkaku inside the barn
out back. Rescue him before the flames reach him."

Nodding his trembling head, the boy asked his father "Who in the world…could do such
a thing?!"

"….Probably one of those anti-government militias… Kutoh’s in a terrible state now…

Everyone has allowed their hearts to be split, and because of that…soldiers attack
innocent villages and towns…"

"I, I’ll get back at them. I will avenge Mom’s death!"

Kanri firmly grabbed the hand of his son whose face was drenched in tears.

"Did you forget…what your Mother had always told you?…."

Kotoku said nothing.

"She said that you boys were this country’s protecting-deities. That you were this
country’s pride and joy…"

"Who cares about that! Why do we have to protect this country?! They do…such
terrible…things to us…."
Kanri looked up at his son, shivering with rage. Under thin eyebrows were intelligent
eyes…. Turning to face his brave son of only nine years, Kanri nodded and spoke.

"You must protect this country because you are one of Seiryuu's Seven Chosen Ones."

"….Seiryuu's Seven….?"

"Have you not heard the story before?"

Come to think of it, Kotoku thought, I have heard of that story from the boy next door. If
a girl from another world appears and calls on the god, Seiryuu, with the seven Seiryuu
Warriors, any wish can be granted. And it is said that the countries Sairoh and Hokkan
had called on their gods, Byakko and Genbu, and had acquired peace…

Kotoku nodded.

"Take a good look….at your right shoulder…"

Kotoku glanced at his right shoulder showing through his burned clothes, and could
clearly see the symbol "ko" glowing with blue light. He gasped. Kotoku had heard that
people with blue symbols on parts of their bodies were Seiryuu's agents. And those names
were "Nakago", "Soi", "Ashitare", "Tomo", "Miboshi", and also "Suboshi" and
"Amiboshi"….

Which means that I’m "Amiboshi"…?

"When you two were born into this world, we could faintly see your symbols glowing.
….We discovered that the two of you must be of Seiryuu and used your symbols to name
you… We had agreed to talk to both of you about this….after your symbols had appeared
again…"

"So is Shunkaku also one of the Seven…?"

"…..I don’t know. We won’t be sure until his character appears on his left shoulder
again…. And besides, we still don’t know how far his powers have matured yet…. But
you are different…."

Sliding a wooden flute out from under the bed, Kanri handed it to his son.

"You can manipulate your ki through your mouth…. I noticed that for sure. You can
probably control your power through this flute…"
The boy stared blankly at the flute his father gave him.

"Come, why are you just standing there like that?…. Hurry along and rescue Shunkaku."

"But Dad…"

"Hurry!"

As he stared at his dying father Kotoku remembered the shooting star he had just seen.
His mother had been right when she told him it was a bad sign.

"Dad….Mom…."

His mother’s dead face was peaceful and also beautiful.

Wiping his tears with his sleeve, and nodding silently to his father, Kotoku turned around.

While coughing from the rising smoke, Kotoku headed for the barn, that was already
surrounded in flames. He opened the barn door and yelled his little brother’s name.

"Shunkaku! Shunkaku!"

There was no answer.

He searched behind the shelves and even inside the hay, but he still could not find his
little brother. But then…
"Brother!! Brother!!"

When Kotoku heard Shunkaku’s voice, he bolted out of the barn and found his brother
standing on a little path by the barn, wailing his head off. The exact opposite of his
strong-willed older brother, Shunkaku was accustomed to whining to his parents and
depending on Kotoku. Unable to stand being closed up by himself in the barn, he had run
out into the open.

Noticing the soldiers that were surrounding Shunkaku, Kotoku was riveted to the spot.
Kotoku thought that the soldiers who had attacked his village had left already, but those
greedy slobs left over had been prowling around in search of gold or valuables they had
overlooked.

"So what should we do with this little runt?…"

"There’s not much to him; even if we sold him he might not bring us in a penny!"

"He’s not gonna live much longer anyway. Let’s just kill him."

Barely letting the last soldier finish his order, Kotoku had sprinted over to Shunkaku and
stood in front of him protectively.

"Brother!" Shunkaku cried as he clung onto his brother.

"It’s okay. Brother's here, so everything will be okay."

Laughter burst out from the soldiers.

"Oooh, aren’t these guys twins? They don’t act alike, but their faces are exactly the same;
they’re perfect copies of each other!"

"Hey, did ya know that in my village, twins are bad luck? If someone has twins, we kill
the weaker one."

"Is that so? Okay, so we get to sell the healthy-looking one, and we get to kill the
crybaby?"

The instant the soldier who said that drew his sword from his sheath, his face became
strangely distorted.
"Ow….! Ah, ouch, ouch, ouch, ouch!" Holding his head, the man pointed at the stronger
twin. "Do…do something about him already!!"

His fellow soldiers looked uneasily in the direction of the boy. His face and clothes were
singed. He clenched his teeth and glared at the wincing soldier. At the same time, he
appeared to be blowing air out of his mouth.

"What the hell is he doing!"

Kotoku faced the soldier who had said that. The instant he did, the man grabbed his face
in pain.

"Wha, what’s going on! Who are you?! Come on! Just kill both of them!"

The moment the remaining soldiers drew their swords, Kotoku unconsciously took out
the flute that his father had just given him. As one would expect, he had never played, nor
touched a flute before. However, Kotoku brought the flute to his lips as if he were a pro.
His fingers began to move on their own; spinning out a violent, shaking melody.

"AAAAAAHHHHH!!!"

The soldiers, their faces twisted in agony, fell to the ground one by one.

But the sound of the flute did not cease. Kotoku’s eyes glared coldly at the suffering men
who had attacked his innocent mother, father, and little brother, and also the beloved
village in which he was raised.

"Die…"

A voice inside of himself commanded.

"Rip apart!!"

Kotoku and Shunkaku returned to their house once more, only to find it completely
burned to the ground. Kotoku bit his lip and hung his head. He would never see his father
or mother again.

"Brother…"
Kotoku put a strong hand on his little brother’s sobbing head. Even though the two were
twins, the younger one was not only shorter, but thinner and sickly. Kotoku told himself
then that he must protect this boy from what unknown dangers lay ahead.

"Brother?"

"Hm?"

"When did you practice using the flute to smash up the bad guys?" Shunkaku asked
innocently as he looked up in awe at his older brother.

"Oh…Don’t you remember I was always whistling? That’s how I practiced."

"H~~m, where’d you get the flute?"

"…..That nice man from the village next door gave it to me…"

"H~~m, I want one, toooo."

Kotoku stole a glance at Shunkaku’s naked left shoulder, which had probably been
exposed in the scuffle with the soldiers. When Kotoku noticed that there was nothing out
of the ordinary on Shunkaku’s shoulder, he self-consciously covered his own shoulder. If
Shunkaku were really one of Seiryuu's Seven, then the symbol his parents had seen on
him at birth should have appeared on his shoulder.

That is what his father had told him. And until the day came when Shunkaku’s symbol
appeared, Kotoku must carefully avoid the subject.

Kotoku was one of Seiryuu's Warriors; his power being to easily kill with the aid of his
flute, and his younger brother might also be of Seiryuu… Kotoku vowed in his heart to
not only keep this secret from Shunkaku, but from everyone else.

"Brother, I’m hungry…"

Shunkaku tugged on Kotoku’s sleeve as he wept.

"Shunkaku! What the hell're ya doin’! You useless wimp!"

Scolding was showered upon Shunkaku, who had just accidentally let the water he drew
from the well splash all over the ground.

"Why can’t you do somethin’ right for a change! Listen, this place ain’t the same kind of
wealthy village you were raised in. They probably spoiled you in that village over there,
but in this village, a man has to work to earn his keep! We’re not rich enough to let you
eat for free. Understand? Then get to work!"

Unable to hold back his tears anymore, Shunkaku began to sob.

"Arghhh, get a hold of yourself already! Are you a man or a baby? I should’ve never
taken you boys in!"

A boy approached the fat woman who was huffing with her fists on her hips.

"Auntie! I apologize. Please forgive Shunkaku. He’s sick so it’s impossible to give him
strength-demanding tasks. I’ll do those tasks in his place, so please stop scolding him…!"

"Scollllding?" Apparently angered by this accusation, she glared at the boy. "Kotoku, do
you remember just who it was who found the two of you after you were orphaned? Not
many people'd even bother to adopt such distant relatives like you boys. But since we felt
sorry for you, we let you come live with us even though we knew it'd be too poor a life
for you. So you have no right to say I’m being unfair your brother!"

Kotoku bit his tongue.

After the soldiers had left, the twins had wandered around the remains of their village,
scavenging for food. Then suddenly, a man named Koh, who claimed he was a distant
relative of theirs, found them. Their hunger and fatigue got the better of them and they let
Koh take them off to a remote, indigent farming village.

Three months had since passed. The environment in this house was much different than
their father’s. From farm work to house work, sunrise until sunset, they were worked
until they dropped. It was as if Kotoku and Shunkaku were no more than slaves. And
since the family was destitute, the boys were fed very little, and on cold, rainy nights,
they had to cuddle together to keep warm. All Kotoku could do was look after his sickly
brother and remain at that house.

"Mom, did Shunkaku do somethin’ stupid again?"

"And then Kotoku covered for him? Not agaaaain."

Suddenly Chikuei and Bairin appeared by their mother’s side. They were sisters, ten and
eleven years of age. Even though they knew they were just daughters of a poor farmer,
after their father got "possession" of Kotoku and Shunkaku, they suddenly had become
very stuck-up.

"Hey, Mom, ain’t twins bad luck in this village?"

Kotoku’s ears perked at Chikuei’s accusation, remembering what the soldiers who had
attacked his village that night had said.

"Yup, that’s right. If someone has twins we decide which one to kill."

After Bairin answered her sister, the girls’ eyes met.

"Gee, I wonder which one we’d kill? Ahahahahaha!"

The two pointed at Shunkaku and cackled wildly.

"Shunkaku still wets his bed! I caught Kotoku drying out their blankets this morning. We
might as well just kill this runt and end his suffering. Hahahaha."

Kotoku heard a meek whisper come from behind him.

"Brother…Please…use your flute on these bitches…"

"…Shunkaku…" Kotoku spun around in shock and looked into his brother’s dark,
clouded eyes.

"Just like last time. Rip them apart….please…"

Kotoku looked down at his brother with worry.

"Well, what’s the ruckus all about?"

When another man appeared on the scene, Shoko spoke out.

"Oh, it’s you, dear? Welcome home. Say, I just can’t get Shunkaku to be of any use.
Kotoku’s a very hard worker, so he’s no problem, but you’ve gotta do something about
his little brother! Feeding this little piglet is a waste of food!"
"Now, now, take it easy."

This man named "Koh", who was the master of this house, was lazy and hardly ever
worked. He stole a glance at Kotoku and smirked.

"Kotoku and Shunkaku are our darling relatives, okay? We’ve gotta raise them good."

"Eh?" Shoko stared at her husband in disbelief.

"Just do it. Raise them as you were up until now. Just don’t sell them without my
permission! Okay?"

After the stern announcement, Koh left the house again.

"You should be grateful!" Shoko began to yell once again. "In this cruel world, you
should be grateful you've got food! Come on, Shunkaku, back to the well. If you drop the
bucket again, no supper for you! And Kotoku, after you’re finished cleaning the pig-pen,
I want you chopping wood! Come on, hop to it!"

The sisters continued to taunt Shunkaku.

"Come onnnn, Shunkaku, get the water."

"If you mess up this time, we’ll hit you! Good for nothing brat!"

"You can’t do anything without your brother, you useless baby!"

"Crybaby, coward, jerk!"

Kotoku felt Shunkaku’s hands clinging onto him from behind; trembling in humiliation.

"Well, we’ve gotta go rehearse our singing and dancing now."

"Yup, that’s right, Sis. Since these guys came here, we’ve had more time to rehearse. We
have to move into the capital and become an idol singing-unit."

"With Mom as our manager, our unit name will be "Shou-Chiku-Bai"*! Maybe we’ll let
you boys tag along when we become famous. Ahaha!"

With a final kick at Shunkaku’s shins, the two girls, their faces far from idol-material,
made their exit like pro-wrestlers; cutting through the wind with their shoulders.
Their mother, who had been frowning at them in disapproval, suddenly remembered her
duties.

"Come on, come on! Shunkaku! Get up!" Shoko stomped on the ground.

"….Shunkaku." Kotoku softly pulled his little brother to his feet. Then, he smiled at him.

"Don’t give up hope…! No matter what happens, Brother will always cover for you…"

Kotoku told this to Shunkaku by gazing into his eyes.

"I know, and Brother…will you promise…to stay with me always?…"

The twins gazed deep into each other’s eyes, proclaiming their bond to each other, and
nodded quietly.

----
Notes:

*Shoh-chiku-bai is a three kanji compound in Japanese meaning literally "pine-bamboo-

plum tree". It's used in congratulations or to say that three things are equally beautiful. It's
very much a part of classic Japanese aestheticism ^-^;

Chapter 2: Shunkaku's Awakening

Kotoku stared at his little brother, deep in sleep.

Bullied by the girls and worked like a dog all day to the point of exhaustion, Shunkaku
was finally able to sleep in peace.

Kotoku paused. Then, he slowly lifted up Shunkaku’s soiled clothes, exposing his upper-
body. As he feared, there was still no blue symbol on his twin’s shoulder.

Three years had passed since they came to that house. And each new day that came was
spent tilling the soil. At first, Kotoku was optimistic that their lives would improve, but
their days had just been getting worse and worse.

On top of Kutoh’s army splitting into sub-groups and fighting amongst themselves, anti-
government guerrilla groups were coming to life all over the Kingdom. Wherever there
were soldiers there were deaths. The innocent peasants were often dragged into these
skirmishes, and in this very village, fields were often burned.

And because of this, Kotoku’s and Shunkaku’s chores increased. Even if sick with a very
high fever, Shunkaku was dragged out into the field and forced to work until he
collapsed.

And whenever Kotoku could not be there to save him, he would share his ki with
Shunkaku later in the night.

"I just know a peaceful world will come someday. And when it does, we'll run away from
here together. But until that happens, let’s keep our chins up…"

Then Shunkaku would always answer meekly, "Okay. I can do it as long as you’re with
me, Brother."

Before the village they had been raised in was pillaged by the outlaws, the Kingdom had
been at peace.

Guided by the love of their mother and father, both Kotoku and Shunkaku had been
raised to have free spirits. It was now hard to believe that there had once been days like
that…. Kotoku’s chest tightened.

"Dad….Mom…"

His anger towards those who robbed him of everything he had boiled up stronger than
ever. If things remained on their present course, this Kingdom would only continue down
the path of destruction.
Something must be done about this.

Over time, these feelings in Kotoku’s heart had matured into a disturbing sense of duty so
great that he could no longer ignore it.

"……….I am Amiboshi…."

Kotoku said his Seiryuu name out loud. He then stared blankly at the blue symbol
glowing on his right shoulder. It was clearly visible in the dark shed where the brothers
slept.

Carefully shifting a deeply sleeping Shunkaku down to the floor, Kotoku quietly removed
his wooden flute from behind the shelf. The day the two had been brought to this house,
he had immediately hidden it so that no one could take it away.

Kotoku shuddered as he remembered how he had used his powers with this flute to save
his brother. Up until then, Kotoku had only spellbound his family and the neighbors into
bliss by whistling, or cooled Shunkaku’s high fevers with his ki.

But he had no idea that his powers could kill… More than anything else, Kotoku feared
the voice inside of him that had whispered "die…".

It was then that he had felt in his strong, little heart, that he must only use his flute when
fighting as Seiryuu's agent. So no matter how harshly Shunkaku was treated and no
matter how many times Shunkaku begged him to use the flute, Kotoku had continued to
refuse.

"…….Shunkaku."

As Kotoku gazed into his little brother’s face, his mind was spinning around in circles.

"Don’t worry. Brother will always be with you…" He whispered to his little brother.

Even if they were separated, wouldn’t they still always be together?

Kotoku could not take his sick little brother along with him on a journey where unknown
dangers lurked. He did not have the confidence to be able to protect his twin. But if
Shunkaku were to stay here, no matter how harsh the labor, at least he would be given
food and a place to sleep….
And Kotoku was still not even supposed to tell Shunkaku that he was one of Seiryuu's
chosen ones. He would not be able to forgive himself for involving his little brother in a
fight that was not necessarily his.

"Shunkaku… Wait for me…"

Kotoku stood to his feet. Tying his flute in his belt and taking one last look at Shunkaku’s
sleeping face, he quietly opened the door to the shed and stepped outside; resisting the
urge to look back.

Twelve-year-old Kotoku then set out in the early, spring morning on his first quest as
Seiryuu's Amiboshi; to find his Priestess.

"Just how long are you gonna sleep, you lazy asses!"

Shoko roughly opened the door to the shed. But what she found was only the weaker
twin, who had been startled awake, staring at her sleepily.

"Wait a minute, where’s Kotoku?"

"Brother…?" Shunkaku’s eyes, filled with fear, darted around the room.

"Kotoku!" Shoko’s ear-piercing voice, and the sound of stomping feet echoed throughout
the house.

"Mom, I don’t think he’s here anymore."

The two sisters ran after their mother towards the shed. Shoko looked up and clenched
her teeth.

"That….little brat…"

"Move it!" Koh commanded as he cut through his family and entered the shed. He
examined the blankets at Shunkaku’s side.

"Cold… Looks like he left hours ago…" Koh said as he fiercely kicked the shelf. The
rubbish that had been collecting dust on the shelf fell to the ground. "Shit! Why’d he have
to run away by himself!"
"He’s not the kind of boy to leave Shunkaku behind…" Chikuei offered as she frowned
suspiciously.

"He must’ve run away…" Bairin said sadly, as if she had special feelings for Kotoku. "…
Because he got sick of covering for his little runt of a brother…". She then pointed
accusingly at Shunkaku "It’s his fault Kotoku ran away!"

Shunkaku, his blank eyes stuck open, was suddenly surrounded by Koh’s family.

Brother ran away.

Brother ran away alone.
Brother left me behind and ran away alone!

Shunkaku steadily fell into the depths of despair.

Grabbing Shunkaku and taking a look under Shunkaku’s shirt collar, Koh clicked his
tongue.

"He might be different…" Koh murmured to himself, but then shook his head. No, if his
twin is like that, then he must be the same.

"Listen here. No matter what happens to Shunkaku, don’t let him escape!"

Leaving this command to the three females, Koh left the shed, angrily kicking rubbish as
he went.

"Come on, don’t just stand there, come here! From now on, you have to do Kotoku’s
chores, too. And as punishment, you’re only getting one meal a day this week!"

Shunkaku, his hand yanked by Shoko, dragged his feet like a zombie as he walked.

For the next few days, Shunkaku was surrounded by the three women all day as they
worked him like a slave.

"Don’t be so lazy! Put your back into it!"

If he collapsed in the field, water was dumped on his head.

"Kotoku’s not coming to rescue you anymore! You’re in it alone now!" Shoko yelled.
Shunkaku sluggishly looked up at her.

"What's with that look!"

It had been nearly a week since Kotoku had left him.

There must be some mistake. Brother would never run away without me. He must be off
somewhere thinking up a plan to rescue me. Shunkaku assured himself anxiously.

"Brother…Where are you?… Where did you go?…"

Shunkaku had been calling out to his brother inside of his mind ever since he had left.

"Help me…Brother!"

But there was never an answer from Kotoku. Perhaps they had been separated by such a
long distance that his ki could no longer reach his brother. Shunkaku did not sense his
brother nearby, coming to rescue him. As every day passed, Shunkaku’s faith in his
brother had been gradually diminishing.

Just like they all say; I was a burden to him. Brother got sick of taking care of such a
weakling like me. If he’s on his own, he’ll be able to make it in this world somehow.
Especially since he has that flute…

Shunkaku suddenly realized that the flute was missing. That’s right. Brother abandoned
me.

Shunkaku arrived at that conclusion. That was the only explanation he could come up
with.

"Shunkaku! Don’t just stand there! It’s getting dark…"

"…bitch."

Shoko cocked her head at what Shunkaku had mumbled. "Wha? What’d you say?" She
could have sworn that the only word she had ever heard come from his mouth was
"Brother".

"What did you just say." Shoko threateningly brought her face down to Shunkaku’s level.
Shunkaku looked up at her.

"I said, ‘shut up, bitch’; you shitty old lady!"

Shoko, this time sure of what she heard come out of Shunkaku’s mouth, fell to the ground
in shock.

"You!, you…you…what did you…!"

Fiercely throwing the hoe he held in his hand to the ground, Shunkaku glared at the
woman savage eyes. Those once weak eyes that had relied only on his big brother, were
now flickering with a wild glow. Inside of Shunkaku, something had just been destroyed,
but at the same time, something new had just been born.

"You sure had some fun all these years…"

"How…how dare you talk to me like that! I’m your mother!"

"’Mother’, my ass!"

Shunkaku spat on Shoko’s face.

"Eep!…"

The two sisters, who had witnessed this from inside the house, ran out to the scene.

"Just what do you think you’re doing to our Mom!" Bairin demanded with a raised fist.

Shunkaku promptly kicked her shin.

"Owowowowowow!"

"Why you!" Chikuei screamed, preparing to attack Shunkaku.

"Don't do it!" Shoko commanded. "He’s…he’s lost his mind."

When her daughters heard that, they tried to back away, but were stopped by Shunkaku;
who had retrieved his hoe and was now charging at the three women.

"I’ll fucking kill you all!! What’s with that ‘Shou-Chiku-Bai’ shit! More like Butt-ugly,
Drama-queen, and Screech-owl, if ya ask me!"
"AAAAAHHH!!!!!!!!!"

One hour had passed now since Koh was finally able to stop Shunkaku.

When discovered, he was wildly chasing the three females; his hoe held high.

"Just what do you have to say for yourself!" Koh demanded as he roughly pinned
Shunkaku to the floor.

"Why’d you go crazy like that? I’ve had all I can take of this little rat!" Koh’s pudgy wife
declared, huffing and puffing with flared nostrils.

Her daughters still seemed to be hurt over the "drama-queen" and "screech-owl" remarks,
but for some reason, their father smirked secretively.

"Hmph. Seems like time is on our side for once."

Koh lifted up Shunkaku’s shirt collar, and checked once again just to be certain. Then he
nodded in satisfaction.

"What the hell’re you doing, darling?"

"Okay, you’re coming with me!" Ignoring his wife, Koh roughly pulled Shunkaku to his
feet and bound his hands. Before leaving the house, Koh told his wife, "Get some good
celebrating booze ready for me when I get home."

"Shunkaku! Shunkaku! Can you hear me!!"

Kotoku sent his ki out to his little brother over and over as he ran.

"Shunkaku! It’s me, Brother! Answer me!"

However, during the past week, he had received no answer. Feelings of frustration and
regret were flooding Kotoku’s heart.

The shooting star that had flown over his head was his sign to go back.
Fighting back his tears, Kotoku headed for Koh’s house.

One week had passed since he had left Shunkaku behind at Koh’s house. During that
week, Kotoku had been wandering aimlessly around Kutoh; from warm and cozy
mountain villages to destroyed towns, with the stench of smoke still lingering in the
air…. While sleeping in the woods and begging for food, he had continued on his quest.
However, he had never given good thought to how he was exactly going to go about
looking for this "Seiryuu no Miko". All he knew about her was that she was "a girl who
comes from another world".

Whenever he came upon a girl who was wearing strange clothes, he would ask "Excuse
meee…but are you from this world?".

Whenever he asked this, he was usually smacked in return with a "Do I look like a
monster to you?!"

He also had tried asking wise-looking old men, "Do you happen to know where Seiryuu
no Miko’s whereabouts might be?".

…But hardly found them to be of much help either.

"Whassat, sonny? Say you know me coat? Never heard of it…"

"…Thanks…sir…"

When Kotoku realized he wasn’t getting any closer to finding Seiryuu no Miko, he also
realized that what he was doing might be wrong.

Kotoku, who had no confidence in the Shogun's ability to end Kutoh's Civil War, had
blindly plunged himself into a quest to look for the Priestess. He had thought that the
only way to save Kutoh was to find the Priestess and get the other Warriors assembled as
quickly as possible.

But was the Priestess not able to look for him as well? Kotoku realized that when she did
appear in this world, he would feel her presense.

…It was when he saw that shooting star that he realized his mistake.

Ever since he had left Koh’s house, the fact that Shunkaku had not been returning his ki
had worried him. He initially shrugged it off, assuring himself that it was probably
because there was too big a gap between them; but even now, when he was approaching
the house, he still felt no replies from his twin….

An uneasy chill ran down his spine…. Something must have happened to him.

"Shunkaku!!…."

The village he had left one week ago finally appeared before his eyes. Kotoku made his
way to the house he had left without saying goodbye. He hastily ran circles around it a
couple times, but there was no sign of his brother. There was no light coming from the
shed.

He could faintly hear the drunk, laughing voice of Koh coming from the house.

"….Is that you, Kotoku?"

Kotoku, startled by a tap on his shoulder, whirled around. It was the old man, Soh, who
lived next door. As a fellow man who lived all alone, he felt pity for the twins and had
often slipped them bits of food, or had tried getting some sense into Koh’s thick skull that
he was mistreating the boys.

"If you’re looking for Shunkaku, you won’t find him in there."

"What!?" Kotoku pounced on the old man. "Do you know where my brother is? Tell me!"

Soh slowly shook his head. "Shunkaku…was sold…. I heard someone saw Koh selling
Shunkaku to someone…"

"Sold…"

"But if he did sell Shunkaku, it couldn’t’ve been for too much money. But it seems like
Koh needed the money…"

Soh spoke firmly to Kotoku, who had lost his words and was staring blankly at him.

"I don’t think Shunkaku can live much longer. …I know you’re a nice boy, so you came
back here looking for him, but you should probably give up on him. Come on, run along
now. I know it’s sad what happened to Shunkaku, but that’s fate. And besides, you now
have no place in that house…."
Soh gave Kotoku’s back a little pat in the direction away from the village.

Kotoku stood on the border of the village, choked with tears.

"Shunkaku…! Please forgive me!…. It was my fault…. If I hadn’t left you like that….I
could have protected you…"

During those three years in that village, the twins had survived by leaning on each other’s
shoulders. Kotoku was the only person Shunkaku could count on. Kotoku’s heart shook
with guilt for not realizing sooner how Shunkaku would feel if he were to suddenly
disappear out of his life…

Shunkaku probably holds a grudge against me now. He must hate me… That must have
been why I wasn’t able to send him my ki.

Flames rose up from the neighboring village. It was probably from another guerrilla
attack.

"If Shunkaku really was one of Seiryuu's Warriors, then….that means we can’t summon
Seiryuu anymore…"

Kotoku ran fingers through his hair in grief. If what Soh had said about Shunkaku being
sold was true, then he must be in even worse conditions now. …It would be almost
impossible for Shunkaku to bear that kind of life all alone. He might even be one of
Seiryuu's chosen ones, but without ever knowing of that honor…Shunkaku might…

"Nnn!…"

Kotoku’s eyes, wet with tears, reflected yet another shooting star. It seemed as though
that star were screaming "Brother, help me!"

"Shunkaku!!"

Over Shunkaku’s head flew another…and yet another shooting star.

Kotoku pounded his fists over and over again into the earth until the ground was stained
with his blood.

"Shunkakuuuuuuuu!!!!"
The night sky poured down silvery tears in sympathy over the twins’ cruel fate.

----

Chapter 3: Flute of Destruction

The girl walked along the alley of the war-trampled city. She stopped at the corner.
Before her stood the charred remains of a house. On the slashed doorplate read the family
name "Shin".
The girl stood in front of this house for quite some time. Her thin body, clothed in tattered
garments, looked like that of a boy, but her glossy, black hair and her rosy cheeks held the
beauty of a sweet girl.

A tear rolled out of one of her large, slanted eyes. Not bothering to wipe it, she
whispered. "Dad, Mom…. Just a bit longer. Just wait a bit longer, okay?…"

Clenching both fists tightly, the girl turned her back on the house. Suddenly she stopped
in her tracks.

"Huh…?"

The girl’s ears perked. She heard something that felt very calming….like the sound of a
flute. As if in a trance, the girl began to walk toward the source of the sound.

The boy was leaning against a boulder in the former marketplace of the ghost town,
playing his flute with his head solemnly bowed. The mysterious melody of the flute
floated through the air; almost as if it were the only living thing left in the city.

The boy suddenly looked up from his playing and removed the flute from his lips.

There was a girl a few yards away from him, staring at him. When their eyes met, the girl
cautiously walked towards him. When she arrived within touching distance, the girl
slowly looked the boy over from the top of his head down to his toes.

"…..What do you want…" The boy asked suspiciously.

The girl snapped back to her senses. "Uh, well… I like that tune you were just playing…"
she answered frankly.

"…Thanks."

"What’s it called?"

"It doesn’t have a name. I just play what I feel in my heart…"

"Ohhh… Wow, that’s great; you improvise, huh." The girl’s eyes sparkled. "Are you
making a living by playing the flute?"

"…..Yeah."
"But there’s no one around here. Why don’t you go play somewhere else, where there’s a
palace or something?" In saying that, the girl reached into her pocket. "Here’s some
money… because I just listened to you."

The boy smiled slightly and pushed her hand away. "You don’t have to pay…" His smile
was warm and gentle, and yet at the same time, it was sad.

"My name’s Toka. What about you?"

At the girl’s question, the boy answered softly. "….Kotoku."

"So you’re an orphan from the war, too, huh…" Toka lowered her voice.

Kotoku stole a glance at the fourteen-year-old girl sitting next to him on the boulder.

"So your parents died six years ago?… Mine died just last year…"

"….Are you living alone?" Kotoku asked Toka.

"Nope, I’m living with my big brother…"

"Oh…"

At Kotoku’s flat response, this time Toka asked a personal question. "Kotoku, do you
have any brothers or sisters?"

Silence.

Toka awkwardly wobbled to her feet. "I’m sorry… I didn’t mean to be so nosy. You don’t
have to tell me."

"No, I don’t mind," Kotoku told her as he gazed into the sunset. "I…had a little brother,
but I left him…three years ago."

Kotoku noticed that Toka was staring at him again. When their eyes met, Toka smiled.

"Oh, so that’s all. So he didn’t die or anything. That means you’ll see him again some
day."

"…….Yeah."
"I mean, the Civil War is ending now, so don’t be so glum! Well, I’ve gotta go now.
Thanks for letting me hear your flute!" Toka said with a wave of her hand as she ran off
like the wind.

A month had passed since Kotoku had made himself a home under the stone bridge of
that deserted city. Even though Shunkaku had been sold three years ago, Kotoku still
never gave up searching for him.

To every person he met, he would ask, "Have you seen my younger twin? He’s sickly and
shy…"; but no one had ever seen a boy that fit his description.

Kotoku feared that as Soh had said, Shunkaku might have died just after he was sold. But
it wasn’t only his brother who could not be found. The lonely years passed without any
sign of Seiryuu no Miko’s ki.

Then one day, Kotoku had found this dead city.

He found comfort in playing his flute to himself amidst the ruins. Perhaps it was because
this city bore a resemblance to the village in which he was raised.

It was also in this city that he met Toka. Just as she had said, Kutoh’s Civil War was now
under much better control than it was when Kotoku had been living at Koh’s house.

Kotoku also heard rumors that under the leadership of Kutoh’s new, young Shogun, the
military was growing stronger. The Civil War was no longer a threat to the Kingdom, but
it almost seemed that the strong military was seizing control of the government.

The citizens of Kutoh were still restless and in poverty.

"I wonder if Kutoh has any hope of becoming peaceful…." Kotoku whispered distantly.

The next day…

While playing his flute and drinking in the sunset in the abandoned marketplace, Kotoku
felt a long shadow hovering over him.

"Tehehehe!…."
Kotoku looked up at the owner of the shadow.

"….Toka?!"

"I’m ba~ack. I thought you’d be here…" Toka said as she plopped down next to Kotoku.
"Don’t stop playing…. I can’t really explain it, but…it brings back happy memories and
calms me down."

Kotoku nodded and readied his fingers on the flute.

In the sunset, the silhouettes of the boy and girl who had both lost their parents in the war
vibrated to the melody of the flute.

"Hey, Kotoku. Have you heard of the legend of Seiryuu?"

Kotoku’s flute suddenly cracked.

"AH! Wha, what happennnnned?!"

"Uh, sorry…My finger slipped a little….ahaha. Well, to make up for that, I’ll play this
tune!"

Kotoku piped out a whimsical melody.

"Aaaah, that’s the melody the ramen-seller plays! Sheesh, Kotoku, you’re pretty silly!"

The two laughed heartily.

"Hey, don’t you ever wonder why Seiryuu's Seven Warriors haven’t been gathered
together yet?" Toka whispered.
"…..Yeah…I guess so."

"I mean, if they had assembled and found the Priestess much sooner, then we wouldn’t
have had to lose our parents, would we."

"….I guess….so…. But don’t you think it would be hard assembling seven people?…"

"Yeah, you’re right. And they can’t summon Seiryuu without the Priestess anyway."

"Yeah…."

"But if one of the Warriors appeared in front of me right now, I’d grab him by the ear and
demand why he’s just sitting around and not trying to save the Kingdom."

Beads of sweat popped up on Kotoku’s forehead.

"Juuuust kidding! I’d probably actually get all excited and ask for his autograph."

"….Hahaha."

Autograph, huh… Kotoku imagined this scene in his head for an instant until his thoughts
were broken into by Toka.

"Hey, play some more for me," she pestered. "I could just sit here and listen forever….to
your flute…."

"Ah….okay. As you wish."

Kotoku brought the flute to his lips once again.

From that day on, as soon as sunset neared, Toka would come to the abandoned
marketplace.

This time, when Toka had come to the marketplace to meet Kotoku, she had suddenly
grabbed his hand and begun to run.

"Where are we going, Toka?"

"Never mind, it’s a secret."

After a while, they came upon a city with a palace courtyard. They were suddenly
surrounded by townsfolk.

This city had also been damaged by the Civil War, but reconstruction was already
underway, and the city’s former atmosphere had mostly returned.

Toka stopped walking, suddenly turned to the peasants and spoke out in a loud voice.

"May I have your attention, ladies and gentlemen! There will now commence a recital of
the flute given by a boy-genius, the kind who appears once in a hundred years!"

When Kotoku heard this, he tugged on the girl’s sleeve.

"Wait a minute…. Don’t do something so wild like this!…"

"You’ll be fine!" Pushing Kotoku’s hand away, Toka raised her voice once again. "Hey,
ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, just take a few minutes to listen. I assure you, you
will be spellbound! I assure you, you will become happy! This is all thanks to the boy’s
mysterious, magical flute!"

Toka’s clever sales pitches had gathered a small crowd of people.

With a grin, Toka gently gave the anxious Kotoku a nudge.

"I am proud to introduuuuuce the genius flautist, Kotoku! Yaaaaaay!"

With red cheeks, Kotoku began to play the flute. The once noisy townsfolk now closed
their mouths, and the marketplace was enveloped in a calmness like light ripples in water.
While praying for the Kingdom's peace, Kotoku’s soothing melody gently floated
through the air.

The calming of the people was also interspersed with conflict.

Light sobbing emerged from some of the listeners. Tears glistened in the eyes of men and
women, old and young. Many young women also fell to their knees aimlessly.

When the performance was over, Toka’s bag, which was passed around to the listeners,
was full of coins.

"We did it!"

The teenagers cheered as they divided up the food they had bought with their earnings
after they had returned to the abandoned marketplace.

"Your flute sure is amazing, Kotoku…"

"Um, thanks…" Kotoku answered coyly.

"Hey, if you perform in that city every day, you’ll be rich pretty soon! The Emperor
might even hear you and hire you to be his court composer!" Toka looked at Kotoku,
waiting for a response.

Kotoku just smiled and shook his head quietly.

"But it’d be a shame to put your talents to waste playing in deserted cities like this the
rest of your life," Toka scolded; her mouth stuffed with fruit. "But I guess I’d also feel
kinda jealous… if you played for lots of people like that…"

"I’m flattered," Kotoku teased.

The two looked at each other and smiled.

"Kotoku… You seem much happier now…" Toka told him with a smile.

Kotoku shyly smiled back.

Then the two reminisced together: memories of their childhood, their parents…and then,
Kotoku eventually opened up to the girl about his twin brother.

The sun was now sinking behind the ruins.

"Shouldn’t you be getting home now? Won’t your brother be worried about you?"

"Oh…I guess so. Okay, I’ll go back now."

Kotoku tossed the remainder of the coins into Toka’s hand as she stood up.

"But this is your money, Kotoku."

"No, this is your cut as my manager."

"Kotoku…" Toka stared at the heavy coins in her hand. "You’re so sweet…"

"No, I’m not…"

"That’s not true! I don’t believe for an instant that you abandoned your brother!" Toka
declared, raising her voice.

Kotoku just sat in silence.

"You must’ve had a good reason, right?…"

I can’t tell her that I’m Amiboshi. Even if I do, it’ll just sound like a pathetic excuse. No
matter how you look at it, I abandoned my brother…

"How long are you going to stay here?" Toka timidly asked Kotoku.

"….I’m not sure."

"Are you going to go out to look for your brother?"

"Yeah, I think I will." Kotoku finally looked up at her. "Thanks to you, I feel much better
now. So I’ll start looking for my brother again."

"Wait!" Toka blurted out. Then, perplexed, she put her hands on her forehead. "Wait a
minute… Can’t you stay and look around here for a while longer?"
"No, I’m pretty sure he’s not anywhere around here."

"I’ll help you look! So you don’t have to go away yet!"

"….Toka?!"

"I will, okay? So…you can’t….you can’t go!" she commanded and dashed off into the
sunset.

Kotoku looked in confusion at the girl’s retreating figure.

----
Pg. 61 - buncha (cute) thugs
Pg. 95 - Seiryuu Seishi
Pg. 155 - suboshi lashing out
Pg. 161 - soi!
Pg. 183 – reunited
Pg. 191 - oh, catfight!
ending sketch - kawaii!