The sound of swords clashing filled the sparring ground. Scaramouche, the unstoppable sword master who was more talented than all of the shogunate's army, took a step back and waited for an opportunity to strike.
I, on the other hand was attacking him while his guard was down. Having learned a few useful techniques in the past two weeks made it easier to trick everyone including scara but my experience says not to underestimate him.
"There you go, little lady y/n." Scaramouche used his upper hand attack, the speed mixed with his movements made it impossible to dodge.
Soon after i flipped down with his sharp blade pointing at my eyes with inches less to be touched. I giggled "hmm, you won again."
"Good job though, it's just been two weeks eversince we begin training yet you've learned it faster than my previous student." Scara said it out loud with a microscopic smile. Let's be honest it's so hard for him to smile. What a rough personality.
"You had students before?"
"Nevermind, it wasn't a good memory anyway." He dodged the question with a heartfelt answer meaning for me not to dig into it at all. Sooner than that, the subject was once again fixated on my sword wielding skill.
"You're not doing bad." He said that without looking into my eyes.
"Will it kill you to say something nice?"
The breeze that made sakura blossoms dance all around us, stopped for a bit then he answered "nice."
I smiled brightly by a compliment from someone who had a what-are-you-talking-about-i-didn't-say-anything-worth-smiling-for expression.
"You're speed sucks by the way."
"I know that's why i haven't managed to defeat you even once!" I said it with a disappointment tone but scara wasn't helping and only mumbled nonsense "it's alright, you were dumb from the very beginning. I never expected much from you."
"Scara!!!! You're not helping!!!!"
We both laughed at the same time.
“how about another round? You in?” he offered me one last round before resting. I agreed instantly, the thought of having one more chance to defeat him made me a bit happier but the possibility of losing to him once again brought down my hopes.
“count me in!” I announced the fight.
The brief second passed when he attacked first. His moves were unstoppable no matter how many times I fight with him, he was just way too talented to be fighting me.
I couldn’t keep up my defense. I was exhausted from all these match we had, my stamina was running low however to my surprise he was performing flawlessly. Just how much can a person like him handle, I wondered.
Not being able to concentrate before he ends this round, reluctantly I fell down. He was breathing heavily with sweats running down his face. Another wind blew in our way and the view with him pointing his sword at me was quite a scene. He looked stunning without even trying to look that way. It always surprised me how he could do that or by any chance I was the one who saw that.
Then a little smile planted on his face and slowly whispered “I’ve won.”
The sound of someone clapping filled our silence. We looked at the direction it was coming from, I saw her. It was ei.
“wonderful match, I’d loved every second of it!”
“mom, how long have you been standing there?” scaramouche asked with rather a disappointed face.
“since you agreed on your last round, did I interrupt you?”
I disagreed with her, being respectful regardless of who she was but to scara she meant nothing more than an annoying mother nothing less and nothing more “no we just finished.”
“is that so? Then I shall fight a round with you as well.” Ei suggested that I should have a duel with her. It scared me at first but it’s a friendly duel, what could possibly go wrong? But on the other hand scara was terrified to death. I’ve never seen that look on his face.
“ABSOLUTELY NOT!” he pointed his finger at shogun, threatening her but who was he to decide when she asked me whether to chose or avoid. Ei also had the same opinion as me when she mention her offer again “what do you say? It’s once in a lifetime opportunity you know”
“no y/n, I’m telling you!” scara said it with rather a high tone and scary one as if warning me ‘if you die by her hands, I’m not saving you.’
I shook hands with ei “sure.” Ignoring scara completely. I mean it’s only a thing girls understand, I’d truly loved creating a bond with the admirable almighty shogun.
Scaramouche who slapped himself on the head while stepping away to make room for ei to enter the ground. She stayed still for a few seconds then brought her electro sword towards me. I flew back to avoid having to use defense techniques, she was immune to it anyway.
I stood up slowly, my stamina and energy had already reached my limits but there was no turning back now. I had to show her what I’ve been working hard on for the past two weeks. I didn’t expect to win at all when I agreed to fight her. I just wished to show her my improvements and how talented scara, my master was.
I could tell he had insecurities about his unimaginable talent when it came down to shogun. He doubted himself and compared himself a lot to how great raiden is and he isn’t. I felt terrible when I realized he didn’t feel complete. Maybe if I perform an amazing fight, she’d cherish his talent more and might as well cherish him more. In my opinion ei already cherished him but scara was unable to see that. If only my act would make him realize but for now I have to stick to my current plan.
I used all my strength and threw an attack at her, she dodged and charged an electro skill. Scara who was anxious yelled “use your vision y/n!”
"Burn down!" I raised my sword and used my vision in order to rescue myself before ei tore me down completely.
Ei grinded and suddenly she disappeared, my heart stopped and i looked in circle. Hoping i could find her before she back stab me. The moment i turned back scara came in and hold ei's sword who appeared.
"Get back, y/n." Scaramouche shouted at me while protecting me from the attack. The electro sword haven't even reached him but he was trying hard to hold it longer so he could make my escape.
I fell down cause i didn't have the strength to run anymore. When ei spotted me drained from the fight, she slowed down her power then let it disappear for good.
Scara spoke first "y/n's wounds need more time to heal mother, besides no one can survive your musou no hitotachi!"
"You just did."
"I'm different mom! Y/N could've been hurt badly, she's still recovering."
I nodded, i exhausted myself too much to even stand on my feet. I just wanted to sleep here but ei called me.
"Sorry my skill was too strong, i didn't mean to hurt you. I actually had a reason showing up. first I went to see miko and she sent a letter for you."
She bowed and handed me the letter cause i was resting on the ground.
"Thank you."
"Get rest you two." She patted Scaramouche's head, he gritted his teeth.
I read the letter and by the time i was done, ei had already left us there.
"What does that evil fox say?" He groaned.
"She invites me to the shrine, saying there is something she needs me to take care of." I wondered what miko meant by sending such a simple letter.
If raiden knew she was delivering a letter worth two sentences, she would've gone mad. Thank goodness she left early.
Scara asked me to take a rest and promised he would accompany me to the shrine reminding me how worse things got the last time he left me alone to go to the shrine. A memory i wished never existed even though I'm thankful he saved me.
♤♡◇♧
"I want y/n to play with me! Only her!" A girl cried. Her crying was loud which made scara and me who were nearly close to the top of the mountain hear it.
"Did i hear it right? Who was it?" The short guy who accompanied me all the way till now, asked.
"It's complicated! You can go now, I'll take care of it." I pushed him back forcing him to leave. I knew if she sees him, I'm done for.
"Isssssssss thatttttttt y/nnnnnn?" The little girl shouted frantically.
She jumped on me and hugged me tight "i missed you!!!! Where have you been? This place been so scary since you and kuki left."
Scaramouche's watched it with a widened eyes. He smirked at me who couldn't release a kid who was attached to me.
'Gosh please, i hope she won't see him' i thought but then looked at scaramouche with a get-lost-right-now expression on my face but he ignored it.
"Hey there, I'm sayu! Wait are you y/n's boyfriend?" She questioned scara after being done with my hug.
"NO SAYU WHAT NONSENSE ARE YOU SPITTING OUT?" I couldn’t look at scara anymore. Sayu always embarrassed me without exception. Probably miko wanted me to take care of her, if i knew i wouldn't have brought scaramouche along.
Sayu was a little girl whom i used to take care of everytime her master brought her there. She soon became so attached to me emotionally and called me her mom. I felt bad so i also raised her like a daughter i never had and we became so close but she had to leave the shrine with her master after staying there for a long time. Even though she cried before leaving but i promised anytime she shows up in her free time I'd play with her like how we used to do. The days went by and she paid me a visit once in a while and we played games despite her laziness.
And here she is. She might’ve felt so sad thinking i left the shrine, she was still a little kid who cried if she thought i wasn't there. Miko definitely hid in her shrine not to feel bothered by baby sayu.
One of the worst habits she had was shipping me with anyone whom i talked to or laughed with. I still remember how kuki was almost engaged to kazuha by sayu personally, kuki cleaned the shrine for a month to show her gratitude towards it cause she prayed someone would show up to stop this kid and i was the savior.
Scaramouche laughed this time it wasn't maniacally nor scary. It was a simple lovely laugh i barely saw from him. His laugh felt real this time, it made my heart race so why do i feel sad? The scene of him hurting me came into my mind instantly. Sadness filled my heart, i loved him but why do i feel bothered to be around him seeing his true lovely self.
Was i mad why he didn't show it to me from the very first time?
"You can think that we are." He said.
"No, we're not scara."
Or was i mad how i was treated?
Sayu put an end to this awkwardness and scara, he just stared blankly, thinking about something.
"Let's go to Arumi ruins!" Sayu said and guided us and we didn't say anything.
♤♡◇♧
"Y/N wake up please." Scara kissed my hand.
"Scara leave me please." I cried when my eyes opened. My whole body benn hurt from the attack he used against me. It all hurts not physically but also emotionally. I felt disgusted to feel betrayed by scaramouche again. Why did he suddenly became mad at me after we came back from watatsumi? Why did he attack me? I've been injured a lot, my chest felt heavy whenever i breathe.
The amount of pain caused by the sword sharp blades made me tear up instinctively.
"I can explain!" He said while hugging me tight. The tired eyes of him couldn't match mine. no matter what reason there was,he still hurt me, didn't he?
"Heizou tricked me, he sent a letter-" He stopped cause if he said that he ripped up the letter cause he didn't want heizou to ask me out, he'd be saying he loves me.
He tried to find another reason "i heard-" he stopped again, he couldn't say he eavesdropped in someone else's conversation and heard me saying i don't love him. It all points out to say that he loves me, he honestly didn't want to hear me saying i don't love him but he never heard all the conversation. He just thought like that cause he thought he knew i have no feelings when i really did.
He wished he could say he loves me but he wasn't able to, so he stayed silent.
"I don't have anything to say rather than I'm sorry." An apology without explaining? Is it worth the trust i put in you scara? My heart felt heavy again, the tears found way in my eyes again falling down nonstop.
"Promise me not to do it again..." he interrupted me fast "i will."
"...and talk to me when something is wrong, communication means everything to me."
He nodded and hugged me tighter however he was careful not to hurt me, i could feel his warmth.
"I'll teach you how to wield a sword, little lady y/n. Take it as another promise."
Helllo???? 3k??? Wow thank you so much!!! I appreciate it so much. Ily all<3
Sorry for not being able to update regularly, I've been having a hard time at school eversince i ended my terrible relationship with my crush and I'm suffering from her behavior... gosh I'm tired.
I try to update soon💝