'Arrgh' "Hehehe, which is why... I had this backup plan set in motion."

As soon as Tachibana heard these words from the bandit leader, he suddenly sensed a very fast moving object. He slowly turned his head to that direction.

He enhanced his range of ki to sense where it was coming from. He realised that there weren't just two, but three strong presences. Either he hid himself remarkably well, or he wasn't in his range.

'Was it a reinforcement? Damn it, I won't be able to dodge this one. No matter how well I'm still able to use my techniques, using multiple techniques while maintaining a barrier for Takeshi, it is very much demanding.

Well, It'll be fine, its an arrow or a bolt, I can handle it.' Tachibana thought to himself, as he took time for recuperation.

But it didn't go as he thought it would. His ki barrier which was around him had thinned out more than he expected. The man who attacked him, was waiting for that exact moment. Had he waited for a bit longer, Tachibana might've recovered. It took ages of experience and an unbelievable amount of precision for that.

'Hmm? The ki disappeared? Was it a dud attack? To avert my attention?' Tachibana immediately turned back to check on the bandit leader and the Kageki user.

Tachibana struggled from the ki burnout and suddenly the barrier on himself went out. Only the ki from Kaguya remained, as well as the barrier around Takeshi, which had started to weaken. He suddenly noticed that, as the bolts approached closer to him, it suddenly lit up with a massive amount of ki.

It was too late for him, he wouldn't be able to do anything against it.

The bolts, which were fired from the crossbow of one of the most feared crossbow user struck Tachibana in the back.

'Ahh guess I'm not so Tireless after all.' thought Tachibana as he fell down to the ground.

His clothes suddenly started to get red in color, as if one poured ink in water and it spread in a rapid manner.

"Grandpa!" He could hear his grandson screaming and see him running towards him.

"Grandpa, Grandpa, I'm so sorry, this-this happened because of me.

I was too helpless and powerless. I couldn't do anything to help you at all."

Takeshi came closer, panicked and terrified of what had just perspired. He couldn't process anything in his erratic state. Tachibana understood that he has to get his head in the clear or the chances of his grandson surviving are less.

"Listen Takeshi.

It's fine, you aren't supposed to protect me. I promised to myself the day your parents died that I'll protect you at all costs.

But.. look at me, falling for a mere strike from a crossbow, I couldn't have a more disappointing death haha." Tachibana laughed as he looked at the sky.

"Grandpa, no, wait I can still save you, the town is nearby.".

"Ohh my dear boy, I regret the fact that i didn't teach you the way of the sword myself, but what i regret more is how dumb you turned out to be. As you are, you cannot escape here, if you worry about me.

Hah, no matter, come here."

Tachibana raises his hands and places his index finger on Takeshis forehead.

"This is something Sword Emperor's are able to do, or rather... nevermind, you'll come to know of it in time. 

I wanted to give you this after you have matured emotionally, but unfortunately, I'm out of time.

Goodbye, my dear Takeshi, take care of Kaguya for me. She's a great woman, one whom I loved and respected more than anyone.

You don't need to worry about me, Just run okay? Take the sword and run as fast as you can to the village. These two won't be able to attack you, and as for him, if you run, he won't be able to get a good hit in.

Just go." Tachibana patted his grandson's head for the last time.

His hands fell to the ground as he breathed his last.

Takeshi mind went blank, he felt a giant headache suddenly, He felt as if he were screaming his lungs out, but he didn't make any noise. A brilliant white light went straight into his eyes and to his mind.

What happened afterwards, is something he doesn't recall.

He had a hazy vision of himself screaming while picking up his grandfather's sword and doing something. But he was lying somewhere. He was watching this all happen. He did not quite understand what was going on.

His consciousness fell, and he woke up sometime later.

As he woke up, he sat up straight and found Kaguya in his hands, his grandfather's body and in huge cavity on the ground, the Kageki. The bandits were no where to be seen, but there were bones scattered everywhere, which Takeshi didn't notice. 

The night still hadn't passed, although he felt that he was lying somewhere for hours, but he couldn't recall anything else.

He struggled to stand up, using the sword as a support, he bawled his eyes out as he saw his grandfather. But suddenly he realised that now it is his responsibility, everything his grandfather ever asked of him. He had to see it through.

He then took his grandfather's body and the swords and left for the village.

Tetsuro Kanroji, the current master of The Tree of the Ancient Emperor Academy and one of 
the most proficient in the Ancient Emperor Style Swordsmanship, was standing outside his Academy, waiting for someone.

He was a man in his 80s, and despite his age, he was quite the dashing man, with spectacles, white hair with two bangs in front and the rest of his hair tied in a bun, forming a ponytail. He wore red and yellow color, patterned haori over a plain kimono, with black hakama. He had a sword in his obi.

He had seen the brilliant white light from the forest along with almost everyone who was present there. Kanroji's eye lit up, as he knew the significance of this particular light and the aura it emitted. It was the Moonblade, or rather Tachibana. He knew that his friend whom he hasn't seen in a long time, was finally here.

'Hmm, I wonder why he used Lunar Blossom, I don't think there could be enemies that are strong enough to make him use that. Hmm, strange...

Well, no matter it wouldn't be anything that he couldn't handle on his own. And if had went there to help, I wouldn't hear the end of it from him, haha.' Kanroji thought to himself, as he scratched his beard. He was really excited to see his friend again.

He never would have thought that he might have to eat his own words.

The night sky was beautiful indeed, a sight to behold. With quite a few stars to accompany the goddess that shone brightly.

Kanroji was looking at it, while waiting for him. As he slowly moved his head downwards, he could see a man walking towards the village. As the man reached closer to the academy, he could get a more clear view.

"Hmm wait, this isn't Tachibana, I wonder who it is then.

He seems to be carrying some sort of load too.

I'll just go to him, in case he's a traveller."

Kanroji slowly started to walk towards the man coming from afar.

And suddenly he stopped.

He couldn't believe his eyes at the sight he saw right before him.

"TACHIBANA!"

He ran towards the man, who upon seeing him, set the body on his hand on the ground. He dropped on his knees and looked at the body.

"W-What in the world happened, who are you and what happened to Tachibana."

'Sniff' "G-Grandpa died. He died protecting me. He died because of me and my powerlessness.

I-I'm sorry, I'm so sorry." Takeshi continued to cry, he never would've thought in his wildest dreams that such a thing could happen.

Kanroji, regained his composure, and got an idea of what had happened. He firmly placed his hands on Takeshi's shoulder, and said while holding back his tears.

"It's not your fault, son. It's not." Kanroji managed to hold out, he realized that he should be the acting his part as an adult, before his feelings as a friend took over him.

He carried Tachibana's body and made Takeshi stand up on his two feet.

"My name is Tetsuro Kanroji, I'm an old friend of your grandfather.

Come, It's an insult to me if I kept him outside my academy after seeing him like this."

Kanroji and Takeshi slowly walked into the Academy village, the disciples all gathered around to see the master come in with a body in his hands and a young man along with him.

"What's going on?"

"Who's body is master carrying?"

"Who's the dead guy?"

"Who's the young man"

"Are they refugees? Did a war break out outside of the mountain again?"

"Did the beasts do this?"

Both of them could hear a lot of this kind of whispering as they passed through the academy gate.

"SILENCE." Kanroji spoke in a loud voice which made all the students to shudder in fear. Not to mention the amount of ki emanating from him at the time, it was no joke. Had it been normal people, they would've fainted.

"YOU FOOLS, WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE, MURMURING AROUND LIKE BUFFOONS, GET ON WITH YOUR TRAINING!" 

The students, upon hearing this, suddenly scattered away like a bunch of flies. They knew better than to incur the wrath of their Sensei.

"Hisako set up a bed in the main hall, quickly.

Kenichii, escort this young man to the baths and give him a change of clothes."

"Kanroji Sensei" Takeshi's face had totally gone blank right now, which made Kanroji very anxious. He wanted to know what happened to them, but right now, getting this grieving boy to a state where he, at the very least, is able to think straight, came first.

"Don't worry too much right now, take a bath for now, get some rest and we can talk afterwards. I mustn't delay his cremation at any cost.

Also I have something important to address.

Your name is Takeshi right?."

"Yes" A cold, dead response came from his mouth.

"Hmm, go with him, take care of yourself for now. We can talk afterwards.

Kechichii, come here for a moment."

He said something to him and then signaled to him to go with Takeshi.

Kanroji then carried the body to the main hall and placed it on the bed.

The main hall was a large room in the academy. It was located on the left side of the academy, and it had access to four places in total. Kanroji's room, the other two Sensei's room, the rest of the staff's room, which was also accessible via the corridor and lastly, the corridor which lead to the entrance and one of the grounds of the academy.

"Hisako, you may leave now. And ask the students to the training arena, tell them we'll be precising later this night.

Also tell Masako to come find me in some time, we need to do the necessary preparations." 

Kanroji said as he looked at Tachibana.

"Yes Sensei, I'll inform him."

Hisako leaves and closes the door behind him.

Kanroji couldn't control his emotions anymore.

"Why? Why did you die before me you selfish fool."

"You promised me that you would join me as a master here and spend the rest of your life here. I've been waiting for years to see you again, have a spar with you again. Talk about the times when we were fighting on the frontlines together, challenging the sword emperor and establishing this, this academy.

Why did you have to leave me alone.

You were my only friend throughout the years, and then you went ahead and disappeared on me.

Decades later, we meet again, and how?

LIKE THIS?.

Hahh, first it was Iwao, now you too."

Though Kanroji presented himself as a tough and stern teacher, beneath that steel exterior lay a pure and innocent soul who cherished his friends above all.

His friendship with Tachibana dates back to the time when the both of them were in the academy together. Kanroji was an orphan, who was took in by their teacher after the civil war.

While everyone ignored him and didn't wanted to be friends with him, Tachibana was the only one, who was there for him.

Later, Iwao too became his friend, whom they met during the Shogunate Enlistment.

And now, both of them are gone.

"Well, i guess it can't be helped."

"You." Pointing at the dead body of Tachibana.

"You brought the boy here to teach him your Swordsmanship style didn't you?

So be it. I will train him, and I will make him far stronger than you were, and make him surpass you.

As for me, I will hunt them down. All of them. Whoever was behind this. I swear, i will never let anyone of them be left alive."

*****

"In there, that's the bath, go on, I'll bring a change of clothes for you after you are done. Just call me. I'll be waiting outside." Kenichii pointed at the bath as they walked together.

"Okay"

"By the way, what's your name?"

"Takeshi, Takeshi Tachibana."

"Oh, so Takeshi kun, okay. My name is Kenichii, feel free to call me Kenichii or Ken."

Takeshi remains silent as he walks into the bath. He places the two swords which were on him in the place where he kept his clothes.

Kenichii follows him inside. Takeshi sat comfortably inside a wooden tub and started to take a bath.

"You aren't the chatty type are you?"

Takeshi didn't respond again, his mind was blank, it was wandering in the infinity, occupied by a whirlwind of thoughts.

He still hadn't recovered from what had happened, his grandfather dying in front of him, the sword on his hand, the bandits targeting them, them knowing about his grandfather, everything was bothering him.

'Why did I have to survive?

Why was it me?

Why didn't my grandfather be alive instead of me. It's not like there is any relevance to me being alive and breathing.

That bandit, he called my grandfather a Sword Emperor. Why didn't I ever know of this?

How come he never told me about this?' Takeshi was lost in thought. His mind had subconsciously responded to Kenichii earlier, and he continued to do so.

"So who was that?"

"What?"

"Who was the one master was carrying?"

"My grandfather."

"Do you know the relationship between master and your grandfather?"

"No I don't."

'Hmm, I wonder what it is? Likely explanation is that, it's his old friend or something, or someone he has a debt to, last one seems unlikely considering how he and his grandson were dressed but it's not something I can reach a conclusion about right now.

Oh well, let's see, Sensei will explain to us I guess." thought Kenichii.

"Are those swords yours?"

"No, the Silver one is my grandfather's, the pitch black one is something i found on the ground after the attack." Takeshi was responding to every one of his queries, in a blank state. HIs mind was still pondering over it all.

'Ahh, I know.

I know why he didn't tell me.

I... I never asked him.

Hahh, what an existence, I stuck by him for such a long time, we share the same blood and yet...

And yet, I never bothered to ask or tried to know anything about him.' Takeshi had fallen into the abyss known as regret.

But Kenichii interrupting him from time to time was still a light, a light that can lead him back to the world.

"Oh, so was it from your grandfather that the brilliant white light came?"

"White light? What white light?"

"What? You didn't see?"

"No i didn't."

"You must either be sleeping at the time or blind if you are telling me you didn't see that.

It was so bright almost all the students here gathered around to see it.

Not to mention, the master only came out from his room after he saw this light."

"I wasn't sleeping, but I'm not sure what happened after I touched my grandfather's sword."

"Hmm, strange, very strange indeed.

So was the other sword belonging to the people who attacked you?"

"Yes."

"Who were they? Do you have an idea?"

"Based on their clothes, I think it was a group of bandits, but they knew who my grandfather was."

"Hmm, wait what's your grandfather's name?

"Takahiro Tachibana."

"Hmm, wait what?" Kenichii nodded his head at first, upon realisation of what that name represented, his jaw dropped to the floor, his eyes and tongue popped out.

Right as this happened, Kenichii was shook by the sudden pressure he felt.

'Woah, what the hell was that?

Is it Sensei? or are the students going at it again. That is some strong ki.'

"What?"

"You're kidding right?"

He mistook Takeshi's blank face for him being serious.

"Did you just... did you just say, Takahiro Tachibana?"

"Yeah?"

"Takahiro Tachibana...
He is your grandfather?"

Takeshi nodded slowly. Somehow, he had relapsed back to a normal state.

"Damn that's awesome."

"What's so awesome about being a pilgrim's grandson?"

Takeshi gave a weird and surprised look to Kenichii.

Kenichii was shocked, he didn't know how to respond to that at all.

"What? pilgrim? What are you talking about?

You must be living under a rock if you don't know who that is."

"And yet you asked who my grandfather was."

"Hey, I just haven't seen him that's all, It's the reason why I asked. But I sure have heard of him, not just me almost everyone in the country knows who he is.

Except for you that is."

Takeshi looked more puzzled now.

"Oh dear god, man, your grandfather is one of the former Sword Emperors of the Shogunate, The hero of the war against the Ming Empire, and one of the people who established the Ancient Emperor Style Swordsmanship."

"I did hear those bandits calling my grandfather a Sword Emperor."

"That's because he was. He was someone with great power physically and politically. He could have the nine clans in the palm of his hands, and can even talk to the Shogun, the almighty ruler, at any time he wanted. That's what being a Sword Emperor means.

And why aren't you excited about this, you are the grandson of one of the most famous and powerful people in the country."

Kenichii spoke with such great zeal in his eyes, and then he looked at Takeshi.

"Oh-"

It took some time for Kenichii to realise what's going on.

The fact that Takeshi was never told anything about his grandfather and the fact that no one could be excited at a time like this.

'Ah shit, I am really dumb, aren't I? Asking him to be excited when his grandfather has just died' Kenichii thought to himself.

"I'm sorry for saying all that, I got carried away."

"It's fine, it is indeed my fault for not knowing, I really have been living under a rock and was too dumb to ever ask him about his past, so..."

There was an awkward silence after this, which continued till the end of the bath. Kenichii thought of things he should say, but was afraid, he might end up hurting him unknowingly.

After his bath was done, Kenichii brought him a change of clothes.

He clothed himself in the kimono and haori that was brought to him, and adjusted his obi.

Takeshi carried both swords and made his way to the main hall, to meet Kanroji, followed by Kenichii.

To be continued.