Age of Strife Book 0: The Path of War

Chapter 2: Freedom At What Cost?

Assuming battle stances on both Hiryu and Junichi side the two stand ready as they prepare to duel. A moment of silence prevails until the first strike is dealt by Hiryu, yet because of Hiryu's basic swordsmanship with extraordinary ease Junichi blocks the attack with his sword before dealing a torrent of strike of his own. Hiryu barely responding to the attack blocks most of them but is intercepted a rising strike from Junichi forcing him to fall backwards. Recovering immediately with a backwards handspring Hiryu follows up the momentum with his own rising strike but is immediately blocked by Junichi again. Striking his head Junichi grabs Hiryu and raises to his eye-level and looks straight in the eye before saying "Child, you know what you ask is treasonous among our kin. The Empire cares not for us, and this valley we call our home is our gift for our ancestors' service. Tell me, what you propose "Hiryu using the hilt of his sword lands a blow at Junichi's chin causing him to let Hiryu go. Landing and evading his father Hiryu retorts "Perhaps I don't know as well I hope father, but we can't stand idle while the world outside the valley tears itself asunder. Eventually it would come for us if not in this generation then the next to come! Surely you see that!" Recovering from the strike Junichi prepares a stance that is much more aggressive than before and growls out "Enough child! This ends now!" In mere moments Junichi charges at Hiryu at incredible speed and begins striking at him rapidly in an attempt to break his guard. Hiryu blocking the attacks staggers and struggles before the blow... 'CRACK', his sword is chipped and soon enough in attempts to block another attack... 'SHATTER'. His sword is broken and now he faces the onslaught of strikes his father imposes before he is suddenly being grabbed and thrown across the hall. Heaving and groaning Hiryu feels his head throbbing from the pain inflicted on his body and struggles to get up. "Child... This bout is over. You will cease all questions on the matter for here on." Junichi chides. Hiryu looking at his father feels something inside swell up in what feels like rage, and soon his vision begins blurring. Barely getting up Hiryu ignoring the pain retorts lets a grueling roar of pain as he charges at Junichi with blinding speed and let's looses a flurry of both sword strikes and unarmed attacks. Junichi now attempting to block the attacks prioritizes blocking the sword strikes as with it broken it can actually harm and potentially kill. Taken aback by his son's sudden rage and even gusto to fight in the state he is in, tries to counter Hiryu but each time is intercepted with an attack forcing him to defend himself. This speed, this technique, this aggression was unlike anything Junichi and the other leaders faced in their time. Hiryu was loose yet precise with his fighting as he evade and attacked without flaw or signs of tiring, his blows were strong yet quick as each attack had momentum behind them. Where was this strength and style before in this duel? Was he hiding himself that well or... is this simply pure instinct? Junichi's musings however are interrupted as he is struck on the side of his head, and with a swift motion Hiryu had thrown him to the ground. Reeling from the blow to him, he tries to get up but Hiryu pinning him by his neck seems to prepare to kill him! 'This can't be!' Junichi thoughts rush as to stop his eldest son from killing "Son, cease this immediately this has gone too far!" Junichi yells out. Hiryu however did not hesitate to stop and prepares to strike the final blow. Then the world goes black as Hiryu's vision fades. Stirring Hiryu finds himself in a sterile white ward; he looks around to see a diagram of a human along with various other posters consigned with pictures. Staggering to sit himself up pain immediately shoots through him as he sees his chest and head are bandaged. Bearing through the pain he realizes he is in the hospital ward of his home, and sees various other exiled kinsmen filling the beds of the ward. A sense of dread fill Hiryu as he sees the ward filled with exiles that are his betters, then morbidity settles as he remembers the last thing he was doing was fighting his father. Hiryu desperate to find an answer leaves his bed, and though pain fills his every step he wished to know what had happened. Staggering through the halls he tries to find his parent's room and sees his siblings Asuka and Arata sitting outside of the room. Seeing Hiryu the two gasp in shock before Arata says "Hiryu!? You should be in bed!" "Not now Arata! Father where is he? Is he?" Hiryu says desperately. Arata looks away in grimace before Asuka interjects for him and says meekly "He is inside...." Hiryu lightly pushing them aside haggardly enters the room to see his father bandaged up from the waist up sitting up, with his mother tending to his back. "Father... you... thank the gods." Hiryu sputters out in relief. Junichi looks at Hiryu with a gaze of sadness even with his bandaged face he looks as though he has something to tell Hiryu. Picking up on this Hiryu asks "Father... Is something the matter?" "Your father has come to decision for the sake of our family that... that you are to be excommunicated from our family. You've caused a lot of trouble after the duel you see." Fuku responded emotionlessly. She then beings to recount what happened during the duel and how Hiryu was ready to kill Junichi, but was stopped by various other exiles from landing the killing blow. However his frenzy soon inflicted unto others was alike to a mad warrior looked for conflict, it thanks to united effort of the exiled fighters that Hiryu was finally sedated. "Because of your actions, the other exiles demand some sort of penalty be imposed unto you. They call for your blood and head. Junichi... he chose differently and imposed excommunication and exile from the valley." Fuku finishes with. Hiryu shocked in disbelief looks at father for the truth, and Junichi's solemn look away from him was all that was needed to know this was true. Tears stream from Hiryu's eyes as now he was truly alone without family nor friends, and rushes out of the room. Fuku breaks down in tears as guilt fills her for telling her eldest son the decision, and Junichi merely sat in solemn silence. Going to his room Hiryu quickly packs clothes, perishables, a sword, and anything of sentimental value to him for the journey ahead. Though he should wait to heal properly this place, this valley, and these people are no longer his kin or home. If he wishes to live on then he is to leave immediately, staggering out to the main hall a crowd of exile warriors block the entrance. "Where do you think you're going outcast? You've a debt to pay in blood." a warrior calls out. Hiryu gives a haggard glare back but knows he cannot retaliate in his state, before he can even respond he is attacked by one of the crowd members. Barely dodging the strike he tries to escape out of the main door but a line pushes him back into the fray. Dodging still, he receives a set of grazes upon his arms as Hiryu nearly becomes surrounded by his kin. That is until they are stopped by Junichi as steps between him and the crowd. "ENOUGH! You will not harm the outcast in state he is in." Junichi yells. Turning to Hiryu, Junichi says to him "Outcast, though you have transgressed our laws and covenants... you will be given safe passage out of the valley. But you are to vow to never return here again... should you defy that vow then the other exiles will have their debt in blood. Do you understand?" Hiryu though hurt is clear in his face responds "Yes Patriarch... I understand." With a solemn nod Junichi clears a way to the front door, and Hiryu walks through. Outside of his home Hiryu looks back to see the door closing and the solemn look on his father's face, before long the doors are close and locked. Looking around for a moment Hiryu finally departs from his home, never to return to see his family again nor see those he called kin. He was truly alone... with freedom perhaps but at what cost? Hiryu would not know, not until the path end perhaps.