Countless Cosmos

Description: A samurai with a haunting past has finally found happiness, but will it last?

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I lug Tao on my right, As I dawn my most elegant kimono, the scent of tempura and broiled eel meander to my nostrils. My stomach begins to howl, but my pockets are blank, seems I will have to rely on my hunting skills for dinner tonighty. Though it should not be much of a nuisance, I am a samurai after all.

Carp isn't the ideal fish dinner, for most, But it will have to do, a couple months back most of the good game had been taken. But for some particular

reason they don't want the carp.

"Kojijū I am back from my saunter, We are having Koi for Dinner, go to the kitchen and ready the stove"

"Oh! Muramoto, so calm! I heard from Jien that carp are a pain to catch, but you are a samurai Muramoto, If only I to"

"Listen kojijū the path of a samurai is not as fascinating as you believe, young men like yourself are harassed-"

"AH! I think I understand Muramoto, I can do without hearing what comes after harrassed"

"what did I tell you Kojijū, use your manners, it is rude to interrupt others"

"Ah I am sorry, I could just tell you were going down a path no human would want to hear"

The chance an orphan boy would change my life so much is wild to believe.

But I can not put all the fault on luck if I had no reason to take kojijū in I would have probably handed him away, but I did have a reason, I feel I took kojijū in as an excuse to be an ordinary man, and relinquish the bushido way.

"Mura! Mura! Moto! Rise and shine!"

"kojijū, what did I tell you-"

"No need, today is a special day! We must celebrate in some way"

"Oh, that's right I did hear talk of lowering the price of rice and beans"

"No, no, no...Muramoto.. I am astonished you had forgotten of my birthday"

"Ah! Yes well I must be aging quite nicely huh?, I'll go out for rice and sake, you can expect me back by sunrise"

"No please Muramoto! Teach me how to use a blade, like a Ronin!"

"Hmm, like a Ronin? But I am a samurai Kojijū, I am afraid that is something I cannot do"

"please!!! Muramoto, remember when that bandit broke in and almost killed me? When you were out? Well if you train me than that won't be a problem eh?"

"Hmmmm.. I guess you are right about that, but only this one time will I teach you"

Me and kojijū walk out to the woods, exactly where I caught our dinner, someday if it were possible, I would like kojijū to live here and catch koi with his future children. Ha, if I were to live long enough to see that I would be a lucky man.

"Thank you so much Muramoto!! Let the training commence!"

"Remember, concentration and reflex is the key. Think of it as if you were back learning Jujutsu, but this time any blunder you make is your demise"

"demise!? But Muramoto we.. are just training right?"

"Ha, kojijū obviously I would not strike you, I am just telling you if you were in a true battle you must remember no mistake is forgiven or forgotten"

"Good, I understand let's continue I'm even more eager!"

"Now enter guard stance, this time while holding your blade, place the right hand slightly below the Tsuba and the left hand a bit above the Kashira"

"But.. Muramoto I am left handed, aren't I supposed to do the opposite.. Kind of"

"Listen kojijū, I know it must not seem fair but you can not use your left hand, it would cause a serious issue"

"but d-Muramoto, rebellion is what makes a Ronin so great!"

"Ha, if you are not careful rebellion could be the death of you kojijū, now allow us continue this training"

"Now promptly but steadily lift your blade above your head, and swing it down as if you were chopping at firewood"

"Oh!! I am really getting the hang of this"

"Ha, good, now do it until your arms feel weak"

"until my arms go weak!? But Muramoto!"

"Hard work takes time to be recognized, if you truly want to become a swordsman than prove it to yourself... expect dinner soon, I have valuable matters I must attend to"

"Oh? Muramoto what a shock it is to see you, and here I believed you had fled"

"Fled?.. Master Jien with all due respect you called me here, why would I flee?"

*Ahahaha* "how foolish you once were Muramoto, but now you are beginning to act as a true samurai"

"Master.. You know I wish not ponder on the past, but that is besides the point, may I learn why I was summoned?"

*Ahm* "I have summoned you here in regards to the youth"

"you speak of kojijū, I assume"

"indeed... I am afraid the news isn't as charming as you may desire"

"what may it be!? Has he been caught stealing?, Was he disrespecting a senior-"

*AHM* "Muramoto, I ask you lower your voice"

"my apologies master Jien, I ask again now politely, what has the boy done?"

"Now Muramoto, see this is where it gets unsteady, the matter is not what he has done... the matter is what he is"

"I do not understand master, may you clarify"

"See.. me and you are simple creatures made of blood, bone, and muscle, but the boy, he is different.... I know not what he is made of, but I know that it is not simple, it is complex, so complex it would be harmful for something like him to live among simple creatures like us"

"Master what are you saying??"

"Look the boy may seem human, he might even believe it himself, the boy is a yokai.."

"Master aren't yokai only in fairy tails you must be mixed up with something else!"

"The same has happened with Amishi, she was fine for 14 years... but a-as soon as she was developing and growing, it happened"

"what happened.."

"The altering, they start acting rebellious, they grow a tail like some sort of monkey, and worst of all if they don't get enough "energy" they go on a rampage"

"energy, rampage, what do you mean Jien"

"look, Muramoto.. The boy must not live any longer, or he will cause the deaths of millions"

"No.. No.. No.. Master what are you saying??"

"Silence, it is the only way.. You must do it, he is your "son" I wouldn't allow for any other man to kill my kin. surely it must be the same for you... I know how you are feeling, trust me when it happened to Amishi I felt exactly how you are now, but the boy will lead to the worlds demise if he isn't dealt with... I am truly sorry this isn't the news you had hoped for... Muramoto you are dismissed"

I know pain... I know pain well, but how much will God put me threw until he is satisfied.. I tried to become an honest man, numerous times yet life refused it. this will be the final time things will go wrong.. If kojijū really is a yokai I can't let millions of people die because of my choice, I will not choose believe it!

I went back to my house, clueless of the sight I'd soon see would bring me back to square one...