K – Return of Kings: Side Stories c2

Two Swords

-When was the first time he crossed swords with Kuroh?

He sparred with Kuroh plenty of times. Sometimes even five times a day. These spars weren’t anything like the traditional ones Kuroh did with their master. These were real fights that took place outdoors. It didn’t matter if it rained or snowed. After all, there is no meaning to a sword that loses its edge depending on the time or place.

Yukari showed no mercy. Because it wasn’t beautiful to do so. Sure, he might play around occasionally, but even then he pulls no shots. The same goes for his att.i.tude towards Kuroh. Even if it was in the middle of spar, Yukari wouldn’t hesitate to exploit any opening that Kuroh showed, and on more than one occasion, ended up injuring Kuroh that way.

His master chided him for that, but he paid it no heed. Yukari hated getting a lecture from anybody. Plus, Kuroh can just stop playing with Yukari if he really minded it. After all, it was Kuroh’s choice to keep going.

And he did.

Kuroh never cried, never let a single word of complain slip through his mouth.

Because he knew there was a huge gap in their abilities, almost to the point of despair. He wanted to shorten that distance by even one millimeter, to catch up to Yukari even a second sooner. And that’s good. Someone aiming for newer heights is certainly a beautiful sight.

However-

“Geez, Kuroh-chan. What have I been telling you? There’s a fine line between courage and recklessness, and you just crossed that line. That’s why you’re suffering like this.”

He once said those words while looking down at Kuroh, who was sprawled on the ground in agony after suffering a swift strike to his abdomen.

Kuroh was curled up in a ball and fighting a coughing fit. Yet he still found the strength to look up at Yukari.

“There was no way I could’ve landed a hit on you otherwise, brother*.”

It’s true. Kuroh swung his wooden sword, paying no heed to his own safety, and came closer than ever to hitting Yukari. Even though Kuroh’s blow was deflected and he himself suffered a devastating counterattack, that was probably the best shot he had during all of their sparring sessions so far, all things considered.

Yukari shrugged and tossed the wooden sword in front of Kuroh.

“You’re only fine because we’re using these toys. If we were fighting with real swords, you’d be dead by now.”

“But-”

“Or do you want to kill your opponent so much that you’d sacrifice your own life?”

All blood drained from Kuroh’s face.

Yukari let out a small sigh. He asked a question that couldn’t be answered. Kuroh’s actions were simply borne from childish recklessness, of course he wouldn’t have thought that far.

As expected, Kuroh muttered quietly after a long moment of hesitation.

“I…just want to become stronger.”

“I see.”

Yukari won’t deny that. Trying to become stronger is the right thing to do. Because weaklings can’t protect anyone nor obtain anything. If you want to do anything in this world, you’ll need strength.

However, Yukari followed up with another question.

“Why do you want to become stronger?”

“To support Ichigen-sama.”

There was no doubt in his answer. Kuroh’s unwavering gaze was as genuine as his words.

But Yukari looked back at him coldly. He never asked the next question that came to mind.

-So tell me, what will you do once Ichigen-sama dies?

He already knew the answer to that question - there is none. Kuroh never even imagined that Ichigen would be gone one day. There’s no way he thought about what to do once that day arrives.

It’s not beautiful to ask unnecessary questions, after all.

Yukari remained silent. He turned his back to Kuroh and walked away.

“Brother?”

“No more sparring for today. Make sure you clean up this mess.”

“Y-yes! Thank you for your guidance!”

Hearing those words of grat.i.tude resound behind him, Yukari could feel the corner of his mouth lifting into a bitter smile.

This happened one month before Mishakuji Yukari turned his sword against the Colorless King, Miwa Ichigen.

(*Kuroh refers to Yukari as 兄上(aniue), a really formal way of addressing an older brother, but also used to address someone who’s a disciple under the same master with more seniority.)

-

-Well then, was that the first time?

Yukari thought to himself as he swung “Ayamachi”, the beloved sword bestowed upon him by his master.

-No, I’m sure that’s not it.

Kuroh held a wooden sword and stood before him to protect Ichigen. It looked like a newly born fledgling trying to take a stand against a raptor - it was painful to watch, and there was nothing beautiful about it. However, they never actually crossed swords as Ichigen stepped in. If Ichigen never stopped Yukari, he surely would’ve killed Ichigen’s younger disciple without mercy.

-Then maybe the next time?

Yukari thought to himself as he dodged the tip of “Kotowari”, the treasured sword left behind by his master.

-Yes, that’s right.

In the incident revolving around Kus.h.i.+na Anna before she awakened as the Red King, Yukari fought Kuroh as a member of . During their battle in Mihas.h.i.+ra Tower, Kuroh injured Yukari for the first time. The fledgling grew into a young bird and successfully took flight for the first time. Yukari can still clearly remember the surge of emotions he felt back then.

And now.

The raptor and the young bird were caught in a deadly dance on top of the school island’s connecting bridge.

Gazing at the horizon that has now become vertical, Yukari landed on top of the bridge tower. Having arrived at around the same time, Kuroh a.s.saulted him with a wave of Colorless energy. Yukari gracefully wove his way through all of Kuroh’s attacks, dancing through the rain of debris and slashed at Kuroh.

Kuroh bore the brunt of his attack. This is the second time they’ve locked swords. Looking beyond the crossed “Ayamachi” and “Kotowari”, Yukari found a pair of eyes no longer clouded with doubt.

They harbored within them a valiant, fierce, yet nevertheless genuine and pure light. No matter how much Kuroh has grown ever since, that light remained the same within his eyes.

-Ichigen-sama, perhaps you…

Yukari pondered as he looked into that light.

-Perhaps you foresaw this very moment, and gifted us with these swords?

There is no reply. The only one who could possibly answer had long departed with a calm smile on his face and traveled beyond eternal oblivion.

So Yukari won’t pursue an answer. He’ll simply swing his sword. As long as he goes down the path he opened with his sword, he’ll come upon the answer eventually.

-Indeed.

My path lies beyond what my sword cuts open.

Their swords still interlocked, Yukari pulled back slightly and let “Ayamachi” slide across the blade of “Kotowari”. The sounds of metal against metal rang, and Yukari closed in on Kuroh with his full weight behind the sword. Seeing signs of panic in Kuroh’s eyes, Yukari could almost feel himself smiling wryly.

-You’re too slow!

The sword’s hilt struck Kuroh’s forehead, knocking him sideways. Yukari was quick to follow up with a swift strike aimed for Kuroh’s exposed throat, but Kuroh drew back at the last moment and deflected the blow with “Kotowari”. But Yukari was relentless and delivered a swift kick towards Kuroh’s exposed abdomen.

“Ugh!”

Knocked off the top of the tower by the force oft he kick, Kuroh began to fall. But even as he fell, he reached out his hand and attempted to strike back at Yukari with his Colorless power. Yukari himself manifested his own Colorless power to suppress gravity, twisting in midair to avoid Kuroh’s attack. “Ayamachi” had a demonic glint to its blade as it headed towards Kuroh, drawing a graceful line in the air.

Kuroh hit the bridge on his back. He minimized the impact using his Colorless power and drew backwards as he attempted to regain his balance.

But before he could do that, the tip of “Ayamachi” reached Kuroh’s throat.

“Ayamachi” has defeated “Kotowari”.

Kuroh looked deeply frustrated with himself. However, nothing clouded the light in his eyes.

The same thing happened before.

When Kuroh risked himself for a chance catch up to Yukari.

When Kuroh stood before Yukari to protect Ichigen even if he knew he stood no chance.

And when Kuroh faced off against Yukari, no longer wavering in the swings of his sword-

Kuroh always had that look on his face.

And that made Yukari a little proud, as a senior disciple under the same master.

“I will never surrender to the likes of you!”

Kuroh shouted vehemently, as if he wasn’t moments away from death by the sword at his throat.

Yukari narrowed his eyes.

“I see. So you’re prepared to die. Your expression right now is truly beautiful…”

Yukari gripped his sword tightly. He’ll eliminate Yatogami Kuroh from this gameboard. That’s what his King ordered of him, and that’s what he needed to do.

A bud that was cut off before it had any chance to blossom is very beautiful.

However-

He’d be lying if he said he wasn’t saddened by the fact that he won’t be able to see the color of Kuroh’s flower in full bloom.

“Yatogami Kuroh. I’ll take your life!”

He lifted “Ayamachi”, preparing to swing it down, and at that very moment-

A King descended from the skies.

It seemed like Kuroh’s destiny overruled the orders of Yukari’s King.

-

“And? How was it, Yukari?”

Sukuna asked as the two of them walked in the pa.s.sageway leading to their “secret base”.

“How was what?”

“Don’t give me that c.r.a.p! You know I meant Yatogami Kuroh. You got mad at me and said you were gonna be the one to take him down, but in the end you failed!”

“Oh my, can’t I say the same of you? Weren’t you going to take down both the red and blue clan’s vanguards and gain a lot of points for yourself?”

Yukari teased Sukuna, who visibly pouted.

“That’s because I had no choice! The mission was cancelled! I could’ve totally kicked both of their a.s.ses if you let me go on!”

“Then I suppose you can only blame yourself for not dealing the finis.h.i.+ng blow before the mission was cancelled.”

Sukuna ground his teeth together in frustration, but couldn’t come up with a proper retort.

Deep down, Sukuna understood that the mission wasn’t cancelled. It was completed. There were initially two objectives to the mission that the Green King Hisui Nagare laid out - “eliminate Yatogami Kuroh” and “capture Ameno Miyabi”. To weaken the forces of the Silver Clan and prepare for the day that was about to come.

However, there was an even bigger objective.

To draw out the Silver King, Adolf K Weismann.

And in the end, they succeeded. Seeing his own clansmen threatened, the Silver King instantly rushed to their aid.

To Nagare, whose power is “Change”, Weismann with his power of “Unchanging” is someone that he must tread carefully around. There wasn’t much he could do when he didn’t know where the wild card lay in hiding. But with Weismann’s second coming, Nagare no longer had to worry about that. He could make his moves much easier now.

It’s not quite a complete victory, but it was definitely a strategic win for them.

But Sukuna wasn’t quite ready to let the subject drop yet.

“Yatogami Kuroh couldn’t do a thing against you, right? Then he’s not a big deal.”

“Again? You’re quite focused on that.”

“I mean! Just because he’s a disciple under the same master doesn’t mean you have to show him that much favoritism!”

“Oh my. You’ve certainly learnt some big words. Did they teach you that in school today?”

“Yukari! I’m being serious here, okay?!”

“Well then, I supposed you deserve a serious answer…”

Yukari narrowed his eyes and looked down at Sukuna.

“Kuroh-chan was strong. No, perhaps it’s more accurate to say that he became stronger.”

Yukari unconsciously touched his right arm. Kuroh once injured him there, and though the wound itself had long disappeared without a trace, its presence left a strong mark within Yukari.

Seeing Yukari’s contented smile, Sukuna muttered grumpily.

“…you look happy, Yukari. Don’t tell me, you’re actually glad that you couldn’t kill him?”

Yukari shrugged and answered.

“It’s true. I’d be lying if I said otherwise. Since the Silver King has returned, maybe that child will grow even stronger.”

“Yeah, I guess the Sanctum’s protection’s gonna give him a buff.”

“Buff? What’s that?”

Yukari tilted his head questioningly, and Sukuna let out a huge sigh.

“It means he’s gonna get more powerful! Remember that at least!”

“Oh, I see. Is this some Famicon term?”

“It’s a gaming term!”

Sukuna stomped his feet in anger, and Yukari nodded while chuckling in amus.e.m.e.nt.

“It’s true that the Sanctum’s protection will play a part in this, but Kuroh’s strength lies elsewhere.”

“What’s that mean?”

“He’s the strongest when he’s serving under someone. I’m sure he feels more accustomed to swinging his sword for someone else than for himself.”

In the past, Kuroh was simply an immature child who chased after the shadows of the dead Ichigen. An empty blade that had no will of its own. Of course there’s no strength behind a sword held by a mere puppet.

However, things are different now. Kuroh served the Silver King out of his own will - he’ll draw out his maximum potential.

Like a bow drawn to its limit. Like a blade that’s been polished to its finest. Like a shooting star that dashes across the night skies.

Yukari cannot wait to witness that strength, that beauty for himself.

Sukuna frowned at Yukari and put his scythe on his shoulders.

“Tch. Why the h.e.l.l are you happy about our enemies getting stronger?”

“Oh? Weren’t you the one who said ‘the stronger the enemies are, the more worthwhile it is’?”

Sukuna smirked at Yukari’s teasing remark.

“You’re right. Cutting down a stronger Yatogami Kuroh and the returned Silver King in one fell swoop sounds like quite the challenging mission. Yukari, let me have at them next time!”

“By all means, go on ahead.”

If you can, that is. Yukari’s unspoken words went unnoticed by the young boy br.i.m.m.i.n.g with confidence. Yukari doubted that Sukuna could win against Kuroh, but telling him that is as pointless as trying to stop Icarus from taking flight towards the sun. Young boys are at their most beautiful when they’re running ahead without a second thought.

“Well, putting that aside, shall we have a party to celebrate our victory today? Sukuna-chan, anything you want to eat?”

“I want chicken! Fried chicken!”

“Oh? Then I suppose we have no choice but to have Kotosaka-chan fulfill his duty.”

“He’s supposed to be food!? But I don’t wanna eat a parrot!”

Exchanging a few casual remarks, the two of them opened the doors to their “secret base”.

-

Alone on the rooftop of the school island’s dorms, Yatogami Kuroh looked into the distance.

The sky was stained by the deep darkness of the night, and the moon exuded a pale glow. Gazing at the stars whose lights looked much like needlepoints, Kuroh let out a pale breath.

A rooftop in a wintry night - it was cold even for Kuroh’s trained body. However, Kuroh did not allow himself to be fazed by the chill - perhaps he even considered it part of his training - and cut across the rooftop.

He saw the connecting bridge.

Kuroh ground his teeth together.

He was completely defeated by Mishakuji Yukari on that bridge.

Their battle in the station when they were first reunited. Their battle in Mihas.h.i.+ra Tower. And their battle on the connecting bridge. Three times they fought one-on-one, and each time, Kuroh tasted complete defeat. He was reminded again and again of the seemingly unsurmountable gap between him and Yukari.

If s.h.i.+ro didn’t show up today, he would’ve certainly died.

It was frustrating. It was shameful. It was humiliating.

Swordplay was the only thing he excelled at. What’s left of him if he fell behind in that area?

Kuroh closed his eyes. He gripped the hilt of “Kotowari” tightly. Touching his late master’s favored sword, he prepared to apologize to his master in his mind.

At that moment, he heard a voice behind him.

“Woooah, it’s cold! Kuro, how are you not bothered by this?”

It was s.h.i.+ro.

Kuroh turned back in surprise. s.h.i.+ro was approaching with his arms wrapped around his body. s.h.i.+ro smiled, and Kuroh could feel himself relaxing.

“Are you done with everything?”

“Pretty much. But more importantly, what are you doing out here? You just disappeared after dinner.”

“…nothing much.”

s.h.i.+ro pretended to not notice the gloominess in Kuroh’s voice and stood next to him.

s.h.i.+ro looked out into the connecting bridge. Seeing that, Kuroh felt another heavy weight settle on his shoulders. s.h.i.+ro must’ve already figured out what Kuroh was thinking, as smart as he is.

“s.h.i.+ro.”

“Hm? What is it?”

“Am I a burden?”

s.h.i.+ro looked at Kuroh in surprise.

“What brought that up?”

“Despite what you said today, you were supposed to still be in hiding, right? The Green King is wary of you, and that’s why your absence actually played a part in hindering him. They must be happy now that you’re back in the open.”

Kuroh subconsciously tightened his grip on “Kotowari” again. His face betrayed his distress.

“If only I’d kept up with Mishakuji Yukari, you wouldn’t have been forced to come out in the open. This is all due to my own lack of skills-”

“Take this!”

Feeling a light whack on the back of his head, Kuroh looked at s.h.i.+ro in surprise. Leaning his parasol on his shoulder, s.h.i.+ro gave Kuroh a perplexed look.

“I guess that part of you hasn’t changed at all. You’ve always liked to bottle up all your fears and worry about them alone.”

“Wh-”

“You know, I was really happy when you told me that. ‘Let us share your suffering and your happiness.’ That alone made my decision to come down from the skies worthwhile.”

s.h.i.+ro smiled gently and shrugged.

“But Kuro, now you’re telling me that you’d rather have me go back to hiding?”

“T-that’s not what I mean! I just-”

“We were wrong. Me and the Green King, both of us.”

Kuroh immediately went silent at s.h.i.+ro’s abrupt change of tone. s.h.i.+ro looked up at the night skies as he twirled the parasol on his shoulder.

“We only saw the power of Kings. We only considered the power of the Silver King who presides over ‘unchanging’. Both of us thought that was the greatest issue at hand, much like the placement of the queen in a game of chess.”

s.h.i.+ro fixed his clear gaze upon Kuroh.

“It’s true that the reveal of the Silver King’s placement poses a disadvantage for us, however, we’ve also gained an advantage that far surpa.s.ses that.”

“And that’s…?”

“The fact that I’m reunited with you two.”

Kuroh drew a deep breath and looked back at s.h.i.+ro.

“He placed too much importance on the power of the Silver King, and overlooked the power of the Silver Clan. He made a mistake in underestimating what the three of us can accomplish together, and what it means for the Silver Clan to be reunited. And it’s a mistake that the Green King will come to regret soon.”

“….!”

“So why don’t we show him? The power of our bonds.”

Kuroh felt a warmth spreading throughout his body at s.h.i.+ro’s a.s.sured words.

The warmth came from his renewed fighting spirit, as well as a surge of pure joy.

s.h.i.+ro is right in front of him. The master he’s been searching for, the friend he’s been yearning for - is right in front of his eyes. They’re exchanging words and could share in each other’s smiles - that alone brought him an unprecedented amount of happiness.

s.h.i.+ro chuckled and extended his hand towards Kuroh.

“I’m counting on you, my clansman.”

Kuroh swallowed and let out a deep breath. He knew his voice would shake otherwise. He couldn’t stand to embarra.s.s himself any more in front of s.h.i.+ro. Kuroh put on his best fearless smile and took s.h.i.+ro’s hand.

“Of course. I solemnly swear before my King, to devote myself-”

“Nyaaaaa!”

An angry voice interrupted them as someone crashed into Kuroh and s.h.i.+ro. Putting her full weight on their shoulders, Neko swung her feet back and forth like a swing.

“I feel so left out!”

“Woah! W-wait Neko! I’m not trained like Kuroh, I can’t hold you up like thi- ah!”

“H-hey! Don’t you two come falling towards me- ugh!”

The three of them wobbled left and right before toppling over in a pile of bodies. With Neko on top, then s.h.i.+ro, then Kuroh stuck at the very bottom, features scrunched in pain as he struggled to breathe.

But Neko paid no heed to Kuroh’s circ.u.mstances and kept swinging her arms and feet.

“I want to s.h.i.+ro to count on me too! I’m going to do so well, that Kurosuke won’t have any chance at beating me!”

“Hahaha. Of course, Neko, you’re my important clansman too!”

“Hehehe! Say that again! Count on me some more!”

“Will you two ever get off me!?”

Kuroh shoved the two of them off his body. Neko landed gracefully and immediately let out a comical sneeze.

“Achoo! Uuu, it’s so cold out here! Let’s hurry up and go back inside! I’m hungry too!”

“Yeah, we should. Kuro, can you make us some midnight snacks?”

“When will you two ever think about cooking for yourselves…?”

The three of them stood up and headed towards the staircase leading to the dorms.

Kuroh touched “Kotowari”’s hilt again.

He lost to Mishakuji Yukari. He fought that man three times, and was not able to secure victory a single time.

However, he’s still alive.

As long as he’s alive, he has a chance at winning. He’ll train himself more and challenge that man again.

And that will be the day when "Ayamachi” stands corrected by “Kotowari”