[3rd] Week 339: Academy Days IV

[Rob]

Academy Days IV
1320 Words

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Takes place after:
Academy Days II
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Akiyama Katsu was certainly not a man to be sitting still it seemed - something Amaterasu herself had only been vaguely aware of during her time together with the old geezer - as the ancient instructor stepped through another countless amount of corridors and halls and rooms that lead to different levels under the ground. He didn’t so much as utter a single word during the entire ordeal and, honestly, the Yoshishige heir prefered it that way.

Admittedly, she hadn’t conversed that much today but, in-between having to duel an instructor who seemed to be seriously interested in the blade she had crafted herself and having to deal with an aging man who’s past was even more shrouded than her own, she figured she had earned some ‘me time’. Of course, she didn’t know for how long this ‘me time’ would be actually considered to be hers as she was still following an old man into some dark, underground place.

Placing her hand on the hilt of her blade, she prepared herself for just about anything, or anyone attacking her from any side at any point in time.

“Yoshishige-san,” Katsu responded after a while, having come to a standstill somewhere near a wall, but Amaterasu couldn’t quite make out what the wall was supposed to look like - ancient Japanese, maybe? “If you’d be so kind as to grace me with your hand.”

Slightly confused at the man’s request, letting her eyes meet his with a healthy dose of suspicion, she raised her left arm and placed her hand in the man’s right hand. His skin, wrinkled as it was, felt rough to the touch and a little bit cold. It wasn’t necessarily an uneasy feeling, but Amaterasu wasn’t one to enjoy the cold much - and the man’s hand was no exception to this rule.

Not realizing that Katsu had placed her hand against the cold of the wall - extremely cold, if she had to put an addendum to it - and for a moment she wondered if the old man was playing a prank on her. She couldn’t really see what was in front of her, but it was obviously just a wall of sorts. A black, concrete construct that, while looking seemingly strong, didn’t feel like it could withstand much force from an outside influence.

Of course, she was about as wrong as she ever was, because no sooner than she had thought all of this, the wall opened itself up and revealed a rather spacious room behind it. The room itself was lit up, but only dimly, showing all but a set of weapon and armour racks aligned to the walls - or wall, considering the room was round - but despite all of that Amaterasu had the feeling that there was more to the room than first impressions let on.

For starters, why did Katsu need her hand? Couldn’t he have done it himself? Touched the wall himself? Or was this just some initiation thing...? No, that didn’t sound right. It didn’t seem likely that this old man would let every single person go through this one by one just for some ridiculous initiation ceremony.

“Akiyama-sama?” she asked after a while, having been ‘invited’ into the round room by the old man. “What is this place... and for what reason have you brought me here?”

Of course, she didn’t expect him to come out with all the answers just from the get go. He was never that kind of man, but she felt like she really had to ask just to get it out of her system. He was obviously trying to do something with or to her, and not knowing what made the young Yoshishige heir all the more suspicious of the old man’s motives.

They’d only ever met under the pretense of master and student, and they never ‘evolved’ their relationship past that existence - he’d tried a few times, for sure, but she just never really felt a connection growing. Call it youthful suspicion, but something about the man had always kind of put her off... and today was definitely no different. Why she decided to go with him anyway? She figured whatever he could do to her, he would’ve done so already with or without going through such an elaborate scheme.

Plus, she was pretty confident in being able to hold her own against someone of his expertise... probably.

“You have always been eager to ask the questions no one wants to hear you ask,” Katsu responded with a wry smile. “Don’t you, Yoshishige-sama?”

He was still as old as ever, that much was for certain, but as the two of them locked eyes once more, Amaterasu could also feel a sense of... anger, and hatred lingering behind his eyes. This was obviously hatred towards either herself, or her family, but that didn’t make her care any more or less about it. Fact of the matter was, he was standing here before her right now, and so she was going to deal with this right here and now.

No point in fussing over why.

“It kind of beats the purpose to not ask, doesn’t it?” Amaterasu retorted, her blue eyes narrowing slightly as she shifted around somewhat uncomfortably through the room. “You bring me to some place I don’t know, for a reason I know nothing about. I think that warrants some answers, don’t you think so too?”

“I suppose,” Katsu responded, “though it would’ve been easier if you had just opened yourself up to me while I was still your private tutor.”

“There is a reason why I never did, Akiyama-sama,” Amaterasu countered with surprising swiftness. “Now tell me what you want from me.”

“Your help,” the man said. “Specifically, your special ‘privileges’ when it comes to the asauchi. For the secret of the blades to be in the possession of someone as young as you, to have the sole heir to an entire legacy be in the hands of a noble of such a ranking as yourself...

“That is something I cannot have.”

“Excuse me?”

“You must realize,” Katsu continued, “that I am not asking you to die, or hand it to me because of some threat I am about to throw your way. No, none of that. Were you to remain a noble, there would be no problem, but you were never destined to remain a mere high noble.

“I could see that when I was still your private tutor. You are destined for greatness, but that greatness will also be your downfall. And when that happens, the secrets must be known to an heir.”

“And it will,” Amaterasu responded calmly. “But not under your conditions, not under anyone’s conditions but my own. I choose my own heir, I create my own legacy. I appreciate your concern, but I can handle things by myself.”

“I hope you are right then,” Katsu responded darkly as he stepped into the shadows.

Suddenly, about as soon as Katsu had disappeared, a young man stepped forward. A man she had only seen before once or twice, while following the tutorship of Akiyama at his own home. Even though he was clearly around her own age, the young guy looked a lot like the ancient teacher.

“Your son?” she called out to the darkness. “What do you expect me to do?”

“Kill him,” came the swift response, “and you can have your way.”

“And if I don’t kill him?”

“Then he will kill you.”

Chuckling lightly, Amaterasu shook her head at the response.

“I think you misunderstand, Akiyama-sama,” she aid, unsheathing her blade in the process. “I wasn’t asking you what would happen if he were to beat me, because that is an impossibility. But, I have heard all I need to hear.”

Changing her focus to the young, blonde hair in front of her she raised her blade and disappeared from sight.