" ambitions are nothing but empty wishes .
you just have to hope they'll come true . . "
Ambitions are what drives a person to dream big and motivate themselves to strive forward towards that dream, to be successful. Thus, many work hard to achieve their ambition. Not knowing if they'll be successful or not. If you're lucky enough, then perhaps the archons will award you for your actions and gift you a certain plain element-embedded stone. a vision. A small, simple, plain-coloured, ' magical ' rock that gives you a certain elemental power that you could make your own. Yet when your vision is taken away, apparently your ambitions disappear along with it too. The ambitions many people have built up since childhood- crashed, burnt, gone.
Which was why ambitions were so useless to her.
As [Name] travelled through another one of Inazuma's small towns, Ritou- Adults working their small businesses shut their carts and moved to another spot, little children hurried for a place to hide as their parents called for them and some bystanders would awkwardly look away trying their best not to glance at the general.
Not as if she wasn't use to this. Actually, it was good in her favour. Nobody would retaliate against the decree that the electro archon had announced. All [Name] would really need to look out for was the resistance.
The scorning eyes of anger burned at her back, little eyes of terror as she continued to pass by without batting an eye to the people. Pathetic. She'd tell herself. If they were to openly show their hostility towards her then at least speak or something.
Naturally, the second general of the shogun's army had gotten annoyed at this treatment despite getting used to this. There was this dark gloomy pressuring atmosphere in the air that made it so- dislikable. Yet [Name] kept her temper back at bay, deciding it would be best not to provoke a quiet yet judging crowd. Their trust in the archon had already started to crack, might as well not cause it to shatter.
Unfortunately, the silence didn't last long as the swift swing of a blade cut through the air. Silver blade gleamed due to the sun as it made its way downwards, before getting caught mid-attack by a pair of gloved hands. Gasps heard amongst the crowd at the sudden attack, despite a few knowing that this would occur. Others shocked, some murmured in pity and disappointment.
The perpetrator gulped in surprise, his illuminous lime eyes widening. "What- But how-" a man with unruly black hair stuttered in shock, his hands tightened around the handle of the sword which he couldn't get out of the general's grasp.
A vein on her forehead as she glared at the man, "Did you really think such an irrational and sloppy move would take me down?" She asks, venom lacing each word she spoke. She brought the blade close to her, her unexpected move made the man stumble forward. Raising her free arm, she punched the man in his stomach before kicking him onto the ground. Placing her foot on his stomach to prevent the man from moving, he coughed out as his back hit the ground.
"Hm?" Just as the (h/c) general wa about to reprimand him further, something glistened in the corner of her (e/c) eyes.
Three Inazuman soldiers soon came to the scene, the crowd backing away further upon their arrival. They bowed in respect of their leader, before saying in unison, "We noticed that there was a commotion general [Name]-" their eyes awkwardly looking at the man pinned down by her foot despite their height difference.
General [Name] snapped her fingers to gather the attention of her subordinates, pointing at the rather young adult who attacked her. "Check him. I have suspicion that he's in possession of a vision." She ordered, glancing at that said person to see his once angered face turn into nervousness and freight.
He scrambled to try get away and escape, only to receive a harsh on his stomach. Tears welled up, as one of the soldiers from the shogun's army lifted one side of his robe to find a hidden pocket. He nodded to his comrade, who proceeded to dig his hand in the hidden spaced fabric. Only to take out a dendro vision which glowed brightly.
"This was in his robe, general [Name]." One said, showing her the glowing green vision cased in a gold electro-shaped exterior. [Name] harshly kicked the man away who was then held back by the other two soldiers, taking the dendro powered vision into the palm of her hands.
"Please! Wait- I'm sorry-" He pleaded, yet gritted in pain from the harsh blows to his stomach. "Just don't take my vision away!" The man shouts, agony heard in his voice.
It was then rocks and rotten eggs were thrown towards the general, by little children nonetheless. Yet many of them missed, even if the girl was hit with a rock or an egg- She wasn't phased one bit. One had the guts to run up to her, weakly hitting her leg repeatedly with his weak tiny fists.
"You're making him cry! Stop, give that back- It's his!" The little child shouts tears falling. His mother quickly pushes through the crowd and prys her son away from her. Coddling him with his arms, shielding him from her-
"F-Forgive me general. Please have mercy on him! He still young and doesn't know what he's doing."
[Name] sighed out of stress. The woman flinched, her hand stretched out in front of her son to prevent him from going any further.
"This is all getting out of hand, i'd better wrap this up." She thought to herself. All she wanted was a breath of fresh air yet here she was dealing with another criminal in the eyes of the vision hunt decree along with a scared mother and her naive little boy.
"Bring him in for custody, let the shogun decide his punishment." [Name] ordered her subordinates, ignoring the parent and child duo. The soldiers bowed, answering with a loud yes in response. They took the man and brought him towards the station, giving whomever stared at them with a quick glare to shoo them away. The crowd could only feel pity as the once ambitious man's shining eyes had dulled down.
The general that everyone was intimidated by soon started to walk away. Many shaken up, as they had thought it would ought to be another normal day in this current era of Inazuma.
[Name] then started noticing the glowing vision in the palm of her hand soon dimmed down. The colour of green present yet the glowing light dimmed slightly. Another sigh escaped her lips.
Ambitions are what drives a person to dream big thus a few lucky people recieve a vision as a reward. Yet when your vision is taken away, apparently your ambitions disappear along with it.
Ambitions aren't worth it. What's the point of having them when they can be taken away due to one single object?
"They're just another nuisance to society." She thought sourly, clutching the vision as she went back to what she was doing before.
Taking a simple small stroll.
"[Name] you seriously need to learn how to- Not get yourself involved in these- Scandals-" Kujou Sara reprimanded her, arms crossed with a serious tone in place. Phrasing her sentence carefully as to not try to off-handedly offend her co-worker.
[Name] only hummed a yes, before taking another empty document from her desk to fill out. Taking a blank inky pen, writing on the page carefully not to make a misake. Brushing off Sara's words.
Sara's eyes followed the swift movement of the pen as [Name] continued filling out the empty document. Although [Name] was known as one of the generals in the army, it was always these incidents that had caused more trouble for the shogun rather than the resistance itself. As her superior in terms of experience, it was hard to keep track of [Name] since she had a way of disappearing without a trace. This worried Sara- not that she'd admit it. After all, [Name] was someone who was widely known throughout Inazuma as a person who would not show mercy to any opponent the (h/c) soldier came across unlike Kujou Sara, who knew of her boundaries.
Sara sighed tiredly, it was almost time for her to patrol Inazuma. Silently hoping that a certain oni wasn't out causing more unneccesary ruckus. Just as Sara was about to leave, she had remembered something important.
"I almost forgot to mention. The shogun requests to see you in private." Sara said, taking her leave. (E/c) eyes watched as the doors closed shut.
Kujou Sara and Katsuhiko [Name]. Both upholding the important roles of general in the shogun's army. One a bow user with excellent leadership while the other- a polearm user with great fighting capabilities. The only major difference between them were their views on the importance of visions, in other words- ambitions.
[Name] got up from her chair, fixing her outfit and appearance before setting off to the shogun's own personal headquarters. Events of earlier replayed through her mind, yet shaking it off as if it were nothing.
Each step she took, she could feel something hitting the back of her head- As if someone was throwing an object at the back of her head on loop. Ah, but of course, it's only another one of her daily headaches from work.
It suddenly stops as [Name] made her way in front of the large otogi wooden door. Kmocking gently on the door, before hearing the familiar voice of the electro archon giving her permission to step foot in her humble abode. The general's hand hovering above the shiny door knob, taking a deep breath. However, the grand doors swung open by themselves before her hand could grab hold of the knob.
As [Name] entered the room, the sight of Baal, in her usual purple attire- was looking down on a wooden circular table with various wooden chess-like pieces, most likely symbolising the soldiers from both the resistance and her own army. [Name] could only guess that the archon was strategising against the resistance for their next meeting.
Finally, Baal looked over her shoulder, seeing her subordinate. [Name] bowed as a sign of respect before greeting her.
"General [Name], I see you're doing well." Baal says, "Especially after hearing news of- recent events."
[Name] felt a sudden pressuring atmosphere that she could not ignore. The eyes of a powerful archon on her, which made her feel uneasy. Thousands of thoughts running through her head during that moment. Why did she call for her in the first place?
"[Name]." Baal said, hand behind her back as if she was hiding something from her.
"What's your take on the vision hunt decree?" She asked, eyes looking up and down, observing every little movement the general made.
[Name] wasn't expecting a question like this from the shogun. Was she having her doubts on the whole situation? Or was it just to recieve insight from a figure in the archon's own personal army? Nonetheless, it seemed quite pointless to ask such a thing- Since the decree has gone underway for quite a few months now.
"It's pointless." The general replied mindlessly much to the electro archon's shock. "Personally, the vision hunt decree isn't as effective nor neccesary as it seems. People who are stripped away of their vision go through some psychological changes which causes damage not only to them but also to their beloved ones. Their ambitions gone as if it never existed, they forget things that were once important to them- Sometimes isolating themselves from the world as a way of recovering from that loss."
[Name] sighed, "To me, it's just- Pathetic, how such ambitions can be forgotten once their vision is taken away. It's their loss, because in the end- Ambitions are nothing but empty wishes." She looked straight in Baal's eyes as she spoke her next sentence, "You just have to hope they'll come true.."
[Name] stepped back quickly. An awkward feeling filled the air. Had she spoken too honestly-?
"An interesting view-point I see..." Baal said, yet her voice which usually held no emotion, had a hint of amusement and something else that [Name] couldn't find the word for..
[Name] sweatdropped slightly, was that a good thing or-? "Well then, I suppose we should end this discussion.." Baal said, despite wanting to talk a bit more.
The general bid her goodbye as she exited through the large door. Making her way back to her quiet office where she didn't have to worry about the public, the vision hunt decree nor the silly resistance.
[Name] plopped down onto her chair, leaning her head back staring at the ceiling. An unreadable expression on her face as she closed her eyes- getting lost in her own headspace. Thinking back to the conversation with Baal. The pressuring atmosphere still lingered on her skin.
"I almost blew it." She silently thought.
"I need to be more careful next time..."
Speaking of which, she turned her head towards one of her desk drawers. Opening it to show what appeared to be a vision.
Yet it held no sort of elemental synergies within it, leaving the plain vision without any colour other than a pearl white. [Name] couldn't even wield it- Nothing would come out if it. However, it was not a dead vision as it still glowed like any normal one. After all, a masterless vision only existed if the holder had passed away. In fact, this was her vision.
What could this mean? She had no future goals, ambitions that she wanted to achieve, so which archon gifted her this- thing. And the last time she checked, she wasn't a ghost or some undead spirit lingering Inazuma.
[Name] closed the drawer, why ponder over the silly thing when she should be planning against the resistance.
It was just another useless, unwanted ambition.
Thanks for reading chapter two!
Kill me slowly :D
That's basically it, should I still do that thing where I asked you readers a question and yous answer it? Let me know!
[ rewritten : 30 june 2022 ]