6   Scenario Toward Ruins

Ougi straighten up and greeted the people coming to the castle with a smile. "Well well, you must be tired coming from so far away."

"It has been a long time. Elder brother, I am glad to see you also seem well."

Saihitei bowed his head deeply to his older brother and gracefully sat in an armchair next to Ougi. Whenever he saw him, Saihitei had nobility and beauty... Feeling overwhelmed again, Ougi faced his brother 2 years younger than himself. The Emperor, who had been earnestly called by his older brother to talk, saw a number of aides amassed at Ougi's side.

"Elder brother. How is Souun's situation?"

"Hm. There aren't any particularly large problems right now."

"That is the result of your ability, elder brother. I give you thanks with all my heart."

Ougi stared at Saihitei's clear eyes and admonished himself. Will I let myself be bewitched by this beautiful face and calm manner?

"The problems...are in the eastern city, are they not...?"

"...What makes you say that...?"
Translation by Tasuki no Miko
"Doesn't the Kutou Country army often attack the villages neighboring the capitol?" Ougi defiantly approached Saihitei.

Saihitei tilted his head and said. "Kutou Country?"

"Yes. You have stood by doing nothing about Kutou Country attacking the villages near the border."

"Our army should be stationed near the border. Where did you hear such a story?" Saihitei declared clearly.

Ougi automatically looked at one of the aides by his side. "Are you hiding something? That girl is the very victim whose family was killed by the Kutou Country army..."

Saihitei followed Ougi's line of vision. A beautiful girl about 20 years old glared at Saihitei. "Is that story true?"

"Yes." The girl answered clearly.

Saihitei felt a flame flicker from her eyes. He didn't know if it was of grief or hate.

Ougi's tone became sharp as if supporting that flame. "Do you believe you can protect Kounan Country with that kind of lenience!?"

"Elder brother..."

"Until now I have left the position of Emperor to you but, I can no longer remain silent." A red flame flickered in Ougi's eyes as well.

"Then, what should I do?"

Ougi leaned forward at Saihitei's question. "I have a good idea. Will you give me the Universe of the Four Gods that Taiitsukun gave to the first Emperors of Kounan, Kutou, Sairou, and Hokkan?"
Translation by Tasuki no Miko
"The Universe of the Four Gods...?" Saihitei searched his brother's face.

"Yes. I hear that the Miko has already appeared in the 2 countries of Sairou and Hokkan, gathered their Seishi, summoned the great Shinjuu, asked their wishes and obtained eternal peace. You were born with the mark of a Seishi so the Miko should be appearing here in Kounan Country soon. I believe I should prepare for that time."

"......I see." Saihitei looked around the room again. He then turned to Ougi and said. "If your mother had become Empress in the imperial consort dispute, you would have been ruling Kounan Country. But, fate made me Emperor... If it was fate, then it is my duty to fulfill the role of Emperor. The Universe of the Four Gods should be with the Emperor so I will not give it to you."

"What...?!" Ougi's cheek twitched.

"Elder brother, the Seishi must be found by the Miko using The Universe of the Four Gods. It is not for you to bother with, elder brother."

"What? What are you saying when we are being attacked by Kutou Country?!" Ougi raised his voice, his face turning red.

Not even wincing, Saihitei quietly looked at his brother. "By the way, what is with the fierce men assembling in the castle?"

"They're Mt. Kaou bandits."

Saihitei knitted his noble brow. Talk of the Mt. Kaou bandits' unlawful ways of doing whatever they wanted reached even the eastern city.

"They'll become powerful war potential when we tame them." Ougi grinned.

"A bandit army..." Saihitei closed his eyes. He seemed to be concentrating his chi somewhere in a single point. He then opened his eyes and turned to his brother. "You have changed elder brother."
Translation by Tasuki no Miko
"That's right, I have changed. I cannot beat you in beauty but..."

"What was that?..." Saihitei's brow twitched.

"So, I will not be defeated in strength now." Ougi subjected Saihitei to a scathing gaze.

"Who would do that to you?"

"......No...no one."

Saihitei said without turing away from the stare of the slightly flustered Ougi. "Elder brother, clear the room... We need to talk this over, just the 2 of us..."

"No!"

"......Then, will you at least have just the girl withdraw?" Saihitei looked at the girl whose family had been butchered by the Kutou Country army.

"No!" Ougi pounded the armchair with both hands.

The aides in the room looked up in surprise at the Souun Castle Lord. Just as Saihitei did. Until now, no one had ever seen Ougi enraged like this.

"I understand..." Saihitei slowly stood up. "Even had you not advised me, I as Emperor, and as Hotohori, one of the Suzaku Seishi, intend to protect Kounan Country to end with all my might. I do not think you could ever best me so do not concern yourself over it."
 
 

Having saw off Saihitei in silence, Ougi's whole body shook in rage.
Translation by Tasuki no Miko
No reason to to concern myself? Does not think I could best him? How dare he insult his older brother with a cool face. Acting like the Kutou army's raid never happened...!

I...I cannot take it anymore!

"Raise the army!" Ougi shouted as he clenched his fists.

"Wh...what are you saying!? A treasonous army against the capitol..."

Ougi kicked one of the aides who hurriedly approached the Castle Lord.

"Kounan Country should not be left up to such an impertinent boy. Prepare to raise the troops to the capitol at once!"

"Th-that's impossible. Even with the number of troops we have they cannot possibly go up against the capitol's army..."

With a fearless smile, Ougi answered the aide who rose up. "We have the Mt. Kaou bandits. They have several times the might of the weak soldiers of the capitol."

"Ougi-sama..." One girl approached Ougi on her knees. "That determination... It makes me happy."

Ougi turned to Kyouan and nodded reassuringly.

"As you say Ougi-sama, the western army has such might that they won't be beaten by the capitol's army." Kyouan took Ougi's hand. "And we have a weapon that equals a million soldiers."
Translation by Tasuki no Miko
"What...? A weapon that equals a million soldiers?" Ougi stared at the girl.

Kyouan said. "We have the fan."

"Fan...?"

"Yes. Brandish it and it emits fire. A fan that burns enemies at once."

"A-are you saying that's in this castle!?"

"Yes..." Kyouan narrowed her eyes and looked up at Ougi.

Ougi thought as he looked back at Kyouan. It had been Ougi who summoned Saihitei to give him The Universe of the Four Gods but he had no idea why he had raised a treasonous army. It was as if I was being manipulated by an invisible string... But, I cannot take it back now. Ougi was suddenly spellbound by his own unbelievable seething strength. This too may be fate... Ougi persuaded himself.

"Kouji, Genrou, listen up." In the Mt. Leikaku leader's room, Hakurou said to the 2. "Earlier, as he was returning to the capitol from the Souun castle, Saihitei passed through here."

"Wha~t? The Empero~r!?" Kouji said in surprise. "I wish I could've seen him too. I've heard he's really beautiful and cool but."

"H~m, I wonder if it's true. Leader, did ya get his autograph?"

"It was one of His Majesty's attendants who came to see me."
Translation by Tasuki no Miko
"Wha--t? How disappointing."

Hakurou scolded Genrou with a silent look. "Alright. The Emperor came to engo o yousei."

"Go en no yousei?"

Thwa--p! Kouji hit Genrou's head with the halisen he brought back from Mt. Kaou."

"Idiot. Kyuuen no irai."

"Kyuu en no iraira?"

Thwa--p! Thwa--p!

"That hurts. Quit it, you're always acting like an aniki, Ko-u-ji!"

"Cause you're always an idiot."

"Listen up!" Hakurou's voice rose in anger.

Kouji and Genrou simultaneously straighten up.

"It seems there's strange developments in Souun Castle. The Lord of the Castle, Ougi, has brought all of the Mt. Kaou bandits inside the castle and made them his subordinates.

"What?" Both of them cried out together.
Translation by Tasuki no Miko
"Then, that's why their living quarters were an empty hull the other day?..."

"If by some chance Ougi is raising a treasonous army, he wants us to do all we can to stop them."

Kouji and Genrou looked at each other.

"The Western Emperor is committing treason? That person who doesn't trouble himself with small matters and who wouldn't hurt a fly?"

"Who knows what would happen these days." Hakurou said as a nihilistic wrinkle creased the middle of his forehead. "I don't really understand government matters. But if Ougi has made Mt. Kaou bandits his followers then that's another story."

Both Kouji and Genrou gave a great nod.

Hakurou continued. "And something really smells..."

"Smells...?"

Kouji swung up the halisen over Genrou's head who was sniffing.

"The tessen must somehow be involved in this matter..." Hakurou said, folded his arms, and his gaze wandered into space. He remembered the story from a week ago when Kouji and Genrou took Keiron's little sister to get back the tessen. The unknown person who changed into Keiron and disappeared, leaving behind some enigmatic words. The Mt. Kaou bandits had already been assembled by Ougi at that time. And then, the talk of Ougi's treason... Now who's hand...is the tessen in?...
Translation by Tasuki no Miko
Hakurou tore at his head.

"......Leader... You look pale..." Kouji, looking worried, peered into the Leader's face.

"I'm alright." Hakurou raised his head and cast a sharp look their way. "At any rate, they have to go through Mt. Leikaku to invade the capitol. Alright, we can't let even one Mt. Kaou person of Ougi's army go beyond this mountain. We can't allow their feet to soil the sacred mountain. Understood?"

"Right!!" Both Genrou and Kouji abruptly stood up at Hakurou's emboldening order, as if an electric current had run through their bodies.
 
 

That night---------
Translation by Tasuki no Miko
"Hey, Genrou. What's with the fierce face? Did the leader get angry with you?" Reirei, laying on her side on the bed, said to Genrou.

"I was born with a fierce face." Genrou answered curtly, laying on the floor using his elbows as a pillow. "I'm excited!"

"Huh......?" Reirei suddenly pulled up the covers to her chin.

"Idiot. Not that kind of excitement. It's just a man's battle will begin soon and I'll have to jump into fighting mode so I'm excited and can't sleep."

"A man's battle...?"

"Right. We're gonna stop Ougi's army from committing treason on the capitol."

".........Treason...?" Reirei suddenly sat up.

"Right. In the middle of all that...is your......" Having said that much, Genrou shut his mouth.

"My...what?"

"Nothing." Genrou rolled over to face the bed and said to Reirei. "Listen up. Whatever happens after this, don't go outside."

"Why...?"

"Cause I said so! You don't get anything, do ya?"

"Are you...worried about me...?"

"Yeah, that's it!" Genrou rolled over again, his back to Reirei. Genrou didn't want Reirei to know about Keiron conspiring treason on the capitol.

"......If you say so, Genrou... then I'll do it...but."

"Right. A girl should listen obediently to what a guy says."

"H~m. Do you like me that you're saying that?..."
Translation by Tasuki no Miko
"What? No! Ya still don't get that I hate girls?"

How long do I have to sleep in the same room with this blockheaded hostage because of that?... Genrou turned again toward Reirei with a disgusted face.

"But, aren't ya homesick...?"

"Yeah but, there isn't a place to go home to anymore... Everyone took off somewhere and left me behind."

"......Ah, I...see..."

The Mt. Kaou bandits...are now in the Souun castle. Genrou sighed. So is that the reason why she's still here?... If so, I'll have to set her up with Kouji again... Genrou nodded to himself with an understanding face.

"Hey...the one who plays a bigger role in that man's battle... will become leader, right?" Reirei asked him.

Genrou put a hand to his head as if he was remembering. "That's right..."

"So it's also a man's battle...for Genrou and Kouji, isn't it?..."

Genrou glared at Reirei. "What? You're being presumptuous..." Genrou turned off the lamp near his hand and turned his back on Reirei again. "I'm going to sleep..."

For awhile after that, Genrou still couldn't sleep due to his excitement over the battle. He could hear a slight mumbling.
Translation by Tasuki no Miko
"......If you became leader, would you stay here forever...?"

"...What's with that all of a sudden?..."

"If you became leader, would you stay here in Mt. Leikaku forever...?"

"......Of course... Don't ask such stupid things..." Genrou gave a loud sigh.

"Even if the Miko appears...?"

Ack. Genrou gasped. He sat up in the darkness. "Reirei, you..."

"I heard from Kouji... that you're a Suzaku Seishi..."

"That...gossip..." Genrou swore under his breath.

"Kouji says it's your station in life to one day leave here..."

"How stupid." Genrou flopped down on his side violently. "Who'd do something like that? My goal is just one thing, to become a cool man like the leader and to protect Mt. Leikaku!"

He heard Reirei's soft sigh.

"......Then, you'll stay here forever...Stay here...Stay..."
Translation by Tasuki no Miko
Hearing Reirei's words disappear as she peacefully fell asleep, Genrou lightly shrugged his shoulders and closed his eyes.

The lookout's voice echoed in the living quarters, splitting the morning silence. "The army has come----!!"

Jumping up like a spring, Genrou glared outside. "They really came early."

Kouji ran into the room. "Genrou, you ready?"

Genrou grabbed the sword Kouji threw to him. "Yeah!" And then, he warned Reirei. "Alright. Don't take a step outta here."

Reirei said as she stood still at the side of the bed. "Good luck......both of you..."

Kouji urged Genrou with a "let's go"

Genrou held his sword high. On that right arm Reirei saw a red character of "Wing" clearly appear.
Translation by Tasuki no Miko
"Alright~! Let 'em try to cross Mt. Leikaku. Do they think the great Genrou will let one water flea beyond the stronghold?!"