Stone Cold | Tanjirou Kamado (old version)

30. Spring (finale)

Even four hundred years ago, when Great Japan had been drowning in constant wars guided by feudal lords that slowly poisoned the country, there had been children that didn't wish to attend their father's funeral.

It was ironic, Ayaka thought, that after so long, as many lights that shone brighter than the stars flooded the cities and as many beasts fed with charcoal roamed all over the country, people were always the same.

Oda Nobunaga had been, during the Sengoku Era, the most respected and feared figure in Japan. Because Oda Nobunaga had slowly taken over a large part of the islands, winning, conquering, killing, whoever raised a sword against him had been quickly defeated under his overwhelming power.

It had taken an ambush from one of his allies, Akechi Matsuhide, what a despicable person, to end his life.

The Honnou Temple had been the place where the great general Oda had decided to rest, after holding the burden on his shoulders of the countless victories that had turned him into someone even worthy of the great imperial court.

At first it had only been a break, a place to allow his bones to rest so they weren't tense for once, as if they were always ready to fight. They hadn't been wrong in holding onto that instinct.

Akechi Matsuhide, along with some of his men, attacked Nobunaga during his time of rest and him, aided by his loyal vassals, confronted the traitor with their chins held up high.

But as novel warriors as they were, most of his generals were in different points of Japan. The great hero was all alone, Nobunaga had no possibilities.

He died, as every great warrior, committing seppuku (at least, that was what they had claimed). The temple that had been a simple stop was reduced to ashes and Nobunaga's body along with it, and until then Ayaka dreamed about Nobunaga, whose remains had never been found, appearing in golden clothes from his place of rest after such a fierce battle. He would punish those that betrayed him and would claim his position as Japan's rightful ruler, armour and sword on hand, bow at his back and a spear by his waist, he would kill those that ever did him any wrong.

But Nobunaga had been dead for more than three hundred years, the samurais had been eradicated and war was now done with planes, bombs and gunpowder. And it appeared that after so long with their borders closed, once they were open the japanese had realized they didn't have to fight in between them, they could just fight against foreigners.

And after everything, after how much life had changed from back then, the same kind of scum still remained.

Before being a general Oda Nobunaga had been known as "Lord Fool". The teachers in charge of his education in the arts of both war and writing said he was arrogant and disrespectful. He dressed like a mad man, with things such as tiger fur and strangely coloured clothes of short sleeves.

But most importantly was that, at his father's funeral, the oh great unifier of Japan had appeared wearing informal attire. Staring in amusement at his progenitor's place of eternal rest, he had thrown without a doubt a burning brazier at the shrine with the name of the dead written there. And the ashes of who gave him his blood had to put up with the way his own son humiliated him simply because he was crazy, under the amazed gazes of all those present.

Ayaka wondered in Himejima-shishou's residence if after going to her own father's funeral she would have done the same. Had she ever gone, if the brazier would have been thrown toward the place where his photo rested with that smile that infuriated her so much just like Nobunaga had thrown the brazier at his father's name.

But there was no way to know because Ayaka wouldn't go.

Most of the time she thought about Tanjirou, at that point he must have learned how to use Full Focus Breathing all the time, Zenitsu and Inosuke too, she was sure of it because her friends were strong and smart, and there was nothing that could possibly stop them. Such dumbasses.