Beneath the Red Throne

THE MOURNING MAN

The sun casts its warm rays upon the forest of Takeshima. A man sits on a rock with a little book in hand and writes. He is Ryoichi, once a celebrated military general of the Musashi province and second son to its ruler, Lord Shinoda.

Sitting on the rock, with his eyes fixed on the pages of his book, he wrote.

Sweat trickled down his forehead, which he gently wiped away with a cloth. His brow furrowed in concentration, and his beard glistened with tiny droplets of sweat. He didn't wipe it this time. As he wrote, his thoughts drifted back to the past.

He recalled the day of the Kokoro no Sakura celebrations—the same one held at Musashi in the great Fuji temple, where tragedy struck.

He remembered the conversation he had with his friend Yasuno, who was celebrating his birthday: "Come on, Ryoichi-san, just one more cup! Hehehehe," Yasuno exclaimed, his eyes sparkling with playfulness and joy.

"Yasuno, my brother, this grand day is almost over; won't you allow an old friend to continue with his work?" Ryoichi replied with a laugh, still feeling joyful from the drinks.

Yasuno's face fell, but he quickly recovered, still smiling. "Fine, but don't forget to join us later! It's not every day I turn older, you know." Ryoichi smiled and nodded as he walked playfully to the door, his arms spread wide in an amusing manner. "I won't forget."

He never thought too deeply about the words of his friend, for although they appeared in his mind that day, they never lingered too long.

That was the last time he ever saw his friend.

He smiled, immediately turned it into a smirk, as if to mock himself.

Ryoichi's thoughts snapped back to the present as he stared at his poem:

I am the gods' lonely man, yet forsaken like a raindrop on the sand.

Eternally lost, I roam, without a place to call my own.

I will walk, I will search, I must redefine.

Seek the threads holding the echoes of my forgotten peace.

He stood up, his eyes scanning the forest as he let out a frown and spat on the ground. Tying his robes, he walked to the direction of his tent.

With a deep breath, he steeled himself for the task ahead—hunting the Haganaki, a nine-tailed, furry giant beast. It terrorized the Takeshima villages, and Ryoichi took it upon himself to slay the beast. The villagers called him "Ryoichi the Mourning." This was not the first time he attempted something like this.

"The hunt must continue," he told himself reassuringly. "You are a beast, and I am man, you will be bested by me."

Strapping his bow and arrow to his back, he picked up his katanas and continued walking.

His face as serious as can be.

Ryoichi tracked the Haganaki's giant paw prints, his senses on high alert as he touched the ground. Hunting this animal was considered suicidal; instead, the villagers would often let their livestock roam at night, sacrificing them to the beast.

As the sun began to set, casting a subtle glow over the forest, he spotted the white beast in the distance.

He tiptoed as he tied his hair with his hands and readied his weapons.

With a swift motion, Ryoichi jumped from a small hill, using its elevation to his advantage. He drew his bow and released the poisoned arrow, striking the Haganaki's leg. The beast let out a deafening roar as it took off, confused.

Meanwhile, in the Owari Royal Palace, Princess Kaede prepared for a carriage ride with Hana. "I've packed some refreshments for our journey, Kaede-hime," Hana said, her voice soft as she looked at the princess. Kaede replied, "Thanks, Hana. I'm looking forward to this ride. It's been too long since I've left this place."

"Are you sure, Princess, like you said, it's been a long while since you left?.”

"Don't say that, Hana," Kaede replied, letting out a slight frown as she looked at Hana in a matter-of-fact way.

Hana bowed her head. "As you wish, Your Highness. I'm sorry."

In the forest, as Ryoichi chased the Haganaki, his exhaustion grew, but his determination to kill the beast drove him forward. "Aaaaarrrrgh!" he shouted, his voice echoing through the forest. The Haganaki's poisoned leg slowed it down, but Ryoichi kept chasing, his eyes fixed on his prey.

The forest was thick with branches and leaves. He cut through them with the blades of his katana, still running.

At the same time, Kaede's carriage had barely reached the edge of the forest along a pathway when the rider alerted her to the sounds coming from the forest.

Their carriage was going on a straight patch adjacent to the forest but not too close.

Kaede loved to look at flowers and there were a lot, springing out of the sides of the forest. She might paint them this evening.

"Lady Kaede, I can hear sounds coming from the Takeshima forest; I think it's unsafe, and we should turn back," he warned. Before Kaede could respond, the Haganaki crashed into the carriage, its weakened leg and the poisoned arrow draining its life slowly.

The people around them panicked and ran as the beast let out a pained roar and faced the carriage rider to attack him. It was clearly confused and acting wild, fearing for its life. He tried to wrestle with the beast but was put to the ground as he let out a scream.

Kaede looked out of the carriage and saw a man running towards them very fast. He was tall, with long silky black hair and an angry expression. Ryoichi closed in on the Haganaki and made two swift deadly stabs into its side. The beast bled but seemed almost unaffected, now turning its attention to Ryoichi instead. Ryoichi readied himself for the kill as he entered a battle stance. However, his foot tripped on a stone, and he fell backwards with full force.

The Haganaki seized the opportunity, pouncing on him with its claws digging deep into his chest and shoulders.

As the beast raised its paws to deliver another blow, Ryoichi summoned his last ounce of strength and plunged his sword deep into the Haganaki's throat.

The beast died almost instantly, its lifeless body collapsing on top of a weak Ryoichi. Kaede's eyes widened in horror as she took in Ryoichi's battered and bloodied form, her hands on her mouth. Hana was still in the carriage, fearing for her life.

Kaede had been watching the battle when she came out of the carriage, unafraid. His wounds were deep, and his clothes were torn, revealing his muscular physique. And as his vision began to blur, Ryoichi looked up at the sky, let out a cough, and winced in pain.

He spread his arms slowly, as if wanting to embrace death. He thought nothing of the moment and just closed his eyes, still in pain. "Help him!" Kaede screamed, but Ryoichi's eyes had already closed, and he said to himself, "And those were the last words I would ever hear from another human again.”