POWER: A Tale of Greatness

CHAPTER 47

"Welcome to Enka, the place you once called home, Captain." The man stood at the tip of the tall tower near the entrance. "And Rikka, glad to see that you are once again alive just so that I could take you petty, little life once more."

"Traitor! How dare you lay a hand on my sister after everything we went through?! Answer me, scum!" Takeo almost lost his senses to his rage, huffing so loud all of the Council members felt the weight pressing onto their shoulders, the air felt denser, and a surge of intimidation flooded them, but Rikka grabs his hand, mouthing the word 'no' to him. He breathes deep and slow before calmly returning his glance at him. "You betrayed your family, Ryu."

The mischievous man laughs as he gracefully descends from the tower, "Me? Part of your family? You wish, Ishikawa!" He pointed his naginata at Takeo. "Your family, your clan... your name tainted and ruined Shindou clan! And you expect me to accept you as my family?! How foolish and innocent of you to think that!"

"The Ishikawa clan gave you everything–"

"Shut your filthy mouth, Kuju-san!" Ryu yells at the old man who weaved into the frontlines. "I deserve everything because you took everything from me! That was nothing compared to what your family did to mine. And don't you ever say a word, old man, like you are an innocent-hearted old man who did nothing bad in your entire life!"

"Ryu, stop." Takeo calmly commands.

"You are one of the Council members who accepted Orochi-sama in this land, remember? And now you are on the side that opposes his rule? Pathetic, hypocritical, old trash!"

"Stop." Takeo's hands bleed as his nails pierce his palms.

"That is why I am here to repent from my sins. Dying in this place to repay my mistakes." The old man stood firmly.

"Me too."

"I as well."

"We."

"I am."

The Council members roared in unison.

"Yes! This is Chicola. These are the Council of Susanoo, the good side from where they chose to move so that they could be the heroes that save everyone from a common threat to this country! Full of people of their own dreams and selfish, personal desires that separate us from those who wish to remain just the same as before. But here you are, can't you see yourselves, hypocrites? When everything turned out to be bad, you turn away and think that what you're doing is the right thing. For what? To clean yourselves from your dirty little secrets hidden beneath your brave faces, grunts, and roars of you call justice?" Ryu paces in circles. "Selfishness, right? You are doing this not for the country's freedom and liberty, you're all doing this for yourselves!"

Takeo began to heave for air once more.

"Is this a revolution? No, this is killing your guilt, numbing your conscience, and bringing back the thing you once had—peace of mind." The other seven Venoms landed behind him, holding their weapons, preparing to attack. "So, why are you so quiet, captain? Are my words making sense? Correct, huh? And I just remembered! Aren't you the reason why Rikka lost her memory for your sense of justice has succumbed to the thirst for vengeance you craved after the death of that Falchine? The reason why she is standing here with nothing in his mind but the goodness that I have done to her before I slashed the life out of–"

"Stop, Shindou!" Rikka steps forth. "I can remember everything."

"Oh really? That must have been because of me!" He points his hand boastfully over his gold and red breastplate. "Look, Takeo! I fixed something you ruined, your fatal mistake!"

"No, this has nothing to do with you, Ryu." Rikka steps from the side of his brother. Her hands fall, grabbing the handle of her katana before she continues. "It is because of the person who leaped over a cliff just to save me from the river that could have killed me. He believed in me even in the shortest time I knew him." She lowers her stance, so tight that even the air around her feels heavier. "And yes, that is the man you once called a coward... and his name is James."