10   Toward a New Story

Then the tessen was handed over from Hakurou to Genrou. Hakurou filled Genrou's cup with celebration sake and said. "Now I have one more thing to tell you. About that incantation..." He then put his mouth to Genrou's ear.

".........Wha~? There was a 'ma' at the end...!?"

"Yep. You really are a MAnuke..." Hakurou said and looked at Genrou. "You're a manuke but... you'll make a good leader."

Though affected by the byouma, Hakurou's eyes hadn't lost any sparkle. Genrou looked back at him, his chest growing warm.

Kouji looked up at the night sky from up a large tree on the side of the stronghold and said. "It's a pretty moon, isn't it?..."

"Hey, Kouji..." Genrou murmured, sitting one branch up from him.

"What, leader?"

"I told ya to quit that! It's embarrassing."

"Yeah but, you've just been named leader."
Translation by Tasuki no Miko
"That's the thing... Will I really be able to do the job of leader?..." Genrou said, his self-confidence waning.

"You're right. Can an idiotic blockheaded stupid fool like you do it?..."

"What was that? Hey." Genrou's fangs gleamed in the moonlight.

"Hmph. If you resent that then try to be a leader who surpasses the former leader. Blockhead." Kouji said as he leaned against the tree trunk and leisurely crossed his arms.

"Hey, Kouji."

"What?..."

"Why did you give me the tessen in the end?"

"............"

"Why didn't you use it?..."

Kouji said as he looked up at the night sky. "I knew then that you were the one who'd make fire come out of the tessen..."

I saw your spirit when you threw yourself into Dokuro, sacrificing your own life, and I knew I was no match for you... I knew only you would become leader here...

It was just like Reirei, who had fallen in love with you, thought...
Translation by Tasuki no Miko
"However" Kouji tilted his head and looked up at Genrou. "I am worried. On top of being an idiot, are ya heartless?"

Kouji thought about the measure that Hakurou took against Eiken this time. Genrou doesn't have the generosity like Hakurou does to overlook Eiken's crime when he begged the leader for forgiveness on his hands and knees.

"Even worse, you have zero delicacy. And you don't understand a woman's heart at all. It may be impossible after all."

Genrou sprung down with a thud. "What? You're not sure whether or not I can do it?!"

Kouji shook his head back and forth and grinned. "It's OK. Relax."

Genrou suddenly stopped his hand.

"I'll follow you. I'd do anything for you. I wouldn't care if I got any number of new scars on my face again for you..." With his finger Kouji slowly traced the scar on his left cheek that he got when covering Genrou in the battle with Dokuro.

"Ko...Kouji..."

"Listen. I admire you."

On top of the large tree's branches, illuminated by the brightly shining full moon, the bodies of the 18 year old and 16 year old boys were entwined and their eyes met for a moment.

"...Ko...Kouji... i-it...couldn't be that..."

Smack!

"Idiot, don't get the wrong idea. I admire your valor."
Translation by Tasuki no Miko
Genrou, coming back to his senses with a gasp, held a hand to Kouji's neck again. "What was that!? How dare you hit me, the great leader. Who'd rely on the ability of an incompetent like you!?"

"Alright, this'll be interesting. Try doing it on your own. No one will follow you." Kouji hit Genrou's shoulder.

"What was that?! I can't let ya get away with that, ya brat. Who d'ya think you're talking to? Who?!"

"Strange. Who was the one clinging to me saying 'I can't be leader'?"

"Shuddup!"

Hakurou let out a loud laugh as he watched Genrou and Kouji's silhouettes lively hopping around in the round moon like 2 rabbits from his window.

The sudden turn of Hakurou's health happened late that night.

"Lead...... er...!" Genrou and Kouji clung to Hakurou lying on his bed.

"I'm... not leader anymore... idiots..." Hakurou said with labored breath. "Genrou... Please take care of Mt. Leikaku..."

"..............."

"What is it?......I said please take care of it."

Silently, Genrou slowly nodded.
Translation by Tasuki no Miko
Hakurou looked at Genrou and smiled. "There was also... a full moon out... when you came here..." And then Hakurou looked out the window from his bed. "......You both... turned out to be reliable..."

Genrou and Kouji's sobs filled the room.

"I will always be... watching over you 2."

Then Genrou abruptly stood up. "I can't let you die like this..."

"Genrou... what're ya saying?" Kouji looked up at Genrou.

Genrou wiped away a tear and said to Hakurou. "I... came here cause I admired you. I wanted to become a man like you. But, I still can't compare with you... You're my goal... Until the day I surpass you, until that day, you can't just go on and die, can ya?! Can I, can I let you do that?!" Genrou handed the tessen on his back to Kouji and cried out. "No matter what, I'm gonna find some medicine. Just wait." As soon as he said that, Genrou rushed out of the room.

"Genrou...!"

"......Just like always..." Hakurou gave a deep sigh. "Kouji... Be the... leader's assistant..."

"Yes..."

"And...when the Miko appears... make sure... Genrou takes... a long vacation."

"......Yes..." Kouji hung his head.

Beside him Hakurou said to himself. "Genrou... You've already become great. You're exceeding me..."
Translation by Tasuki no Miko
And then, with deep emotions, Hakurou watched Genrou dash off like a night wolf outside the window.

That was the last time Hakurou saw Genrou.

Genrou climbed down the mountain in the pitch dark night. "Just wait, I will find some medicine..."

He went through the city of Souun, which had returned to peacefulness, and crossed Mt. Kaou, which Keiron had cut his ties to. As Genrou continued wandering from mountain to mountain, city to city, village to village, searching for a miracle drug, at Mt. Leikaku the daruma Eiken stole the tessen again and with the incantation that he had overheard, he made fire come out of it and shamelessly gained the position of leader. Genrou shouldn't have been able to predict that then.

And of course neither would Genrou realize that... the curtain of the long long story of Suzaku no Miko and the 7 Seishi would soon be unfurled.

Smack! Cli--nk!

"Blockhead~ watch where you're going." In a head-on collision on a pitch dark mountain path, Genrou shouted at the person who was on the ground with him.

"Shut up. And where were you looking?!" The owner of the young steady voice was looking around frantically. "A~h, where did that other mon go?! Not here, not here, not here."

"What the? You're really cheap, aren't ya?"

"Hey. You wouldn't happened to have pocketed it, did you?"

"Who'd do a stingy thing like that?"

In the mountains in the dead of night they continued to quarrel, unable to see each other's faces.

"Oh, I found it. I found it. This is it, isn't it?" With his finger, Genrou clinked the 1 mon coin that was shining at his feet.

"So you did swipe it. Give it back!"
Translation by Tasuki no Miko
Genrou flung the coin toward where he sensed the other person springing about.

"How stupid. I don't have the time to be messing with you." Genrou said turning his back on the figure in the middle of the darkness and ran away as quick as a flash.

Hmph, is he even a man?

I never again want to be with that kind of guy who gets upset over nothing... he thought.
 
 

Of course, neither did Genrou know that that was jack-of-all-trades Sou Kishuku in the midst of returning to his village after earning some money in the city of Souun.

That's right.

As the Suzaku Seishi "Tamahome" and "Tasuki", they would become allies protecting Suzaku no Miko and fighting the Seiryuu Seishi.
 
 
 
 

From Mt. Leikaku's "Genrou" to the Suzaku Seishi "Tasuki".

Translation by Tasuki no Miko

A new story has already begun.