Six months had already passed.
"Man... feels like it's been forever since I saw Ichitsu." Akihira says.
"It's only been six months, but I get it. You two have that whole rivals-but-best-friends thing going on." Ishihaya says.
"Yeah. I wonder how strong he's gotten..." Akihira says while grinning.
"Trust me. You don't need to wonder too hard — he's not slacking." Ishihaya says with a light smirk.
Ishihaya pauses, his expression shifting.
"Hey, Akihira—" Ishihaya says.
"Hm? What's up?" Akihira asks.
"Out of curiosity... What happened to your parents?" Ishihaya asks.
Akihira's smile fades slightly.
"My dad passed away when I was born. Mom's still around though — lives in a small village way out east." Akihira replies.
"Sorry to hear about your dad… How long's it been since you saw her?" Ishihaya asks.
"Almost eight months, I think." Akihira replies.
"Now that I think about it, I should go see her. She's probably worried sick." Akihira says.
"Yeah, feels like the right thing to do." Ishihaya says.
A few weeks later, the two of them arrive at Akihira's hometown — a quiet, modest village nestled between the hills.
"So this is where you grew up, huh?" Ishihaya asks.
"Yeah. We're not well off or anything, but... it's home. Come on, let's head in." Akihira replies.
They step up to a small, well-kept house. As they walk through the doorway, Akihira immediately calls out.
"Mom! I'm home!" Akihira shouts with a grin.
For a moment, there's silence. Then a door opens down the hall, and a beautiful, gentle-faced woman steps into view. Her eyes widen.
"...Akihira?" Sakane says softly.
"Hey, Mom." Akihira says.
Sakane rushes forward and wraps her arms around him. She lets out a soft gasp before hugging him tightly.
"You're really here, you're taller than last time..." Sakane says.
"Yeah... it's been too long. I missed you." Akihira says.
"It's only been a few months, but it felt so much longer..." Sakane says.
She pulls back slightly, brushing his hair away from his face.
"You look healthy. I was so worried." Sakane says.
"I've been okay. Really." Akihira says.
Ishihaya finally walks in, waiting respectfully near the doorway. Sakane notices him and gently steps back from Akihira.
"Ah — I didn't realize you had company." Sakane says as she lightly bows.
"Sorry to interrupt. My name is Ishihaya Tsuraseki — I'm a friend of Akihira's. It's nice to meet you." Ishihaya says.
"Sakane Ryushiki. Thank you for taking care of my son." Sakane replies.
She turns back to Akihira, eyes full of affection.
"Oh! I almost forgot — did the merchants offer a good price for the goods I sent with you last time? This year's harvest was much better than usual." Sakane says.
Akihira hesitates, his expression faltering. He opens his mouth, but—
"He did great. Got a very generous price, actually." Ishihaya replies.
Akihira looks over, confused and a little annoyed. But he stays quiet… for now.
"That's good to hear. We really needed it this year. Thank you." Sakane says, relieved.
"Please — you're our guest. Let me show you to the spare room. I'll bring you some tea." Sakane says to Ishihaya.
"That's really not necessary—" Ishihaya says waving his hand.
"You helped my son. It's the least I can do." Sakane says.
She walks off toward the kitchen.
As soon as she's out of earshot, Akihira rounds on Ishihaya.
"Why did you lie to her?" Akihira says with a low and tense voice.
"It's not something I could just explain right now." Ishihaya says with his arms crossed.
"You planned this, didn't you?" Akihira says.
"No. I planned a quiet reunion. But something came up, and I had to adjust. That's all." Ishihaya says.
"That's not good enough!" Akihira says as she slams his fist on the table.
The sound echoes — but before either can say more, Sakane returns, holding a tray with a teapot and cups.
"Sorry for the delay — someone stopped by, I had to greet them quickly." Sakane says gently.
"No worries. We were just catching up." Ishihaya says.
"Akihira — your uncle Zensei's here. He was asking for your help with something. Do you mind going to see him?" Sakane says as she puts the tray down.
"...Yeah. I'll be right back." Akihira says hesitantly.
He walks out the door, leaving Ishihaya sitting in silence with the steaming tea.
As Akihira closed the door behind him, the warmth he left with seemed to vanish, replaced by a thick, heavy silence.
"So, Ishihaya, what does a warrior like you want from me?" Sakane asks with a sharpened gaze.
"Oh? So you recognized me the moment I walked in. Impressive." Ishihaya says as he lifts up the teacup to take a sip.
"Don't patronize me. I'm no fool." Sakane says.
Sakane rises from her seat, her hand swiftly grabbing a knife from the table. She points it at him with a steady hand.
"State your purpose. Now." Sakane says.
"Relax. I come in peace. I'm just here to talk... about that emblem on your wrist. The one you've been trying so hard to keep hidden from Akihira." Ishihaya says while taking another sip.
"How does he know about that...?" Sakane thinks.
"I'm not saying a word about it." Sakane says as she lowers the knife.
"You know, I've been hearing whispers—rumors of a powerful clan... one that vanished without a trace." Ishihaya says while resting his cup on the table.
"Choose your next words carefully. You may not live to see the sunrise." Sakane says as she narrows her eyes.
"Alright, alright—no need to be scary. I'll get to the point." Ishihaya says as he raises a hand in mock surrender.
He paused before continuing.
"You know how elemental magic works—how each has different levels of power. But the stronger the element, the rarer the wielder. And lately... Fire has become the rarest of them all. So rare that it's easier to find a Stone Colossus than someone who can control flames." Ishihaya says.
"Get to the point." Sakane says sternly.
"I'm getting there, whilst fire is rare Akihira seems to wield a special kind of fire. One that even in my many years of experience, I've never even fathomed such a flame." Ishihaya says.
He let that sink in, then added with a knowing smile
"Then I heard a rumor. A story, if you will. About a forgotten clan... where every single member was born with the gift of fire. Naturally, when I saw Akihira use fire magic, I assumed his father was part of that clan. But when I caught a glimpse of that emblem on your wrist... I knew I had to ask you myself."
Sakane sat in silence for a moment, then scoffed.
"You gathered all this information... and still didn't manage to learn the clan's name?" Sakane says.
"Must've slipped my mind." Ishihaya lightly chuckles.
Sakane sighed and sat down, the knife still within reach.
"Fine. I'll tell you a little. Our clan was called the Ryushiki. Unlike other clans, we didn't believe in isolation—we could marry anyone we chose, clan or not. We lived in peace for generations." Sakane says.
She paused, her eyes darkening.
"Akihira's father and I were both born into the Ryushiki. But one night... everything changed. The entire clan was wiped out in a single, merciless attack. Gone, just like that. And now... It's like we never existed at all. Or maybe the world just refuses to remember us." Sakane says.
She looks away.
"Akihira was only a few days old. He doesn't remember any of it. The plan was for all of us to escape, but... his father stayed behind. He fought to buy us time." Sakane says.
Akane recounts the night in vivid detail, her voice trembling.
"GO! RUN AWAY! I'LL HOLD THEM OFF!" Akihira's father shouted, his voice fierce against the chaos.
"NO! COME WITH US, PLEASE!" Akane cried, clutching baby Akihira tightly to her chest, her tears falling freely.
"I wish I could... I wish I could raise him, give him all the love he deserves. Love him enough for both of us."
He gently touched baby Akihira's face with his right hand, then pressed his forehead to Akane's, eyes filled with pain and resolve.
"I'll miss you both... Now GO!" Akihira's father shouts.
Akane turned and ran into the forest, sobbing. She looked back one last time to see him standing tall, looking over his shoulder to give her a soft smile—then he sprinted into the chaos.
"And so, I settled here and raised Akihira the best I could." " Akane says, her voice cracking and tears streaming down her cheeks.
"I'm really sorry to hear that," Ishihaya said, his expression filled with sympathy.
"Could you do me a favor?" Akane asked, standing slowly and wiping her tears.
"What is it?" Ishihaya asks.
"Please… find out what really happened that night." Akane says.
She pauses.
"Every time Akihira asked where his father was, I always told him he was away for work... that he'd come back soon. I never had the heart to tell him that he was never going to." Sakane says with guilt.
After a moment of silence.
"Excuse me," she whispered, walking away quietly.
"My main reason for coming here wasn't just to learn about your clan, but to warn you about the path your son is going dow—" Ishihaya says.
"I forgot to mention two things," Akane interrupted, turning back.
"First, every Ryushiki clan member is born with a Secondary Special Ability. And second, I already know what he's planning to do."
She smiles faintly.
"As long as he has a friend like Ichitsu... I have no problem with it." Sakane says.
"Wait—how do you know abou—" Ishihaya says, but she cut him off again.
"I have my ways. Don't worry about it. They remind me of someone from my past."
She looked away, then back with a small smile.
"Now, I'll let you finish your tea. Make sure you drink it all—it's still warm." Sakane says.
Later, outside the house...
Akihira spots Ishihaya waiting on a bench.
"What are you doing out here?" Akihira asks.
"Waiting for you. Go say your goodbyes to your mother—we're heading out." Ishihaya replies.
"Alright, be right back." Akihira says
Inside, Akihira gave his mother a heartfelt goodbye. Just as he was about to leave, Akane stopped him.
"Wait here for a moment." Sakane says.
She disappears into another room and returns holding a folded scarf.
"A scarf?" Akihira asks, puzzled.
"Yes. This was your father's. He wore it with such pride—it was almost like his symbol." Sakane says.
Sakane recounts.
As Akane fled into the forest, Akihira's father took off his scarf and pressed it into her hand.
"Take this… remember me," he said.
She clutched it tightly, holding back a sob, before turning and running.
Sakane then hands the scarf to Akihira.
"I hope you'll wear it with the same pride," Akane says gently, holding it out to her son.
Akihira smiles as he takes it and wraps it around his neck.
"Thanks, Mom. I'll treasure it. I'll wear it with pride and always keep it close." Akihira says.
She pulls him into a tight embrace, which he warmly returns.
"Alright. I'm heading out now," Akihira says.
"Take care of yourself! Eat properly, sleep well, and don't catch a cold!" Akane calls out, tears in her eyes.
"Don't worry—I'll take care of myself!" Akihira smiles, waving as he steps out.
Outside, Ishihaya is waiting.
"So, ready to go?" Ishihaya asks.
"Yeah. Never been more ready. Can't wait to see Ichitsu again." Akihira looks energized.
"About that..." Ishihaya scratches the back of his head.
"Huh?" Akihira looks at Ishihaya.
"I forgot to mention—I've got some important work elsewhere. You're going ahead on your own." Ishihaya says.
"WHAT?! THEN HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO GET THERE?!" Akihira explodes.
"Relax," Ishihaya says.
Ishihaya hands Akihira a rolled-up map.
"I've prepared everything." Ishihaya says.
"You'll head toward the central region of Esharia. First, find the waterfall with strong currents—that's your first marker. There's a boat I left for you. Use it to cross the river." Ishihaya explains.
"Then?" Akihira asks, trying to follow.
"Walk in a straight line from there. The second mark will take you deep into the island. At the location marked with a statue symbol—go there. Find the statue's roots and wait. That's where Ichitsu will meet you." Ishihaya explains.
Akihira blinks, overwhelmed.
Ishihaya sighs.
"Yeah, I figured that'd be a lot. Don't worry—I included notes and sketches to help. Oh, and one more thing." Ishihaya says.
"Under no circumstances are you to harm or damage that statue. Got it?" Ishihaya says in a serious tone.
"Wait, why? What's so special about it?" Akihira asks.
"That statue has ancient magical properties. It repels anyone with evil in their heart. No one knows who built it or how it works, but it's the safest place on the island—Shadow King's forces can't go near it. Many People's lives depend on it." Ishihaya says.
"If you damage it—even a scratch—I will kill you." Ishihaya says with narrowed eyes.
"GOT IT, SIR!" Akihira straightens up and salutes. "
"Good." Ishihaya nods.
"Also, you and Ichitsu must stay near the statue. Don't leave that area until I return. I'll come find you both when the time is right." Ishihaya says.
He turns and begins walking away, waving.
"Stay safe, Akihira. I'll see you soon." Ishihaya says.
Akihira waves back.
"We'll be waiting for you!" Akihira says.
Once Akihira is out of sight, Ishihaya pauses, staring at the distant horizon.
"...Six months passed so fast," Ishihaya whispers with a bittersweet smile.
"Bidding farewell to them... might be harder than I thought." Ishihaya says.
End of Chapter 10