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[ Wow, this was very delayed. I apologize. And it's probably really bad and cracktastic...but I tried. ]
“Stop! That is enough.” Nobunaga Oda’s second-in-command, Mitsuhide Akechi, announced.
Both competitors heard the words and completely shut down, exhausted. On the right side was Fayt Leingod, a young adult from an entirely different world. The other, Ranmaru Mori, Nobunaga’s trusted pageboy and personal bodyguard. As a way to test the strange young man’s strength, the Demon King pitted him against an opponent his age and skill. Mitsuhide was to judge if this boy’s courage to enter Gifu Castle unannounced was groundless or not.
Thus far, the swordsman was impressed. This boy may have been young and display a fragile build, though he displayed the strength of a worthy samurai. He was even so bold to dress in a strangely formal outfit, complete with a tan coat, red neck accessory, and dark blue dress shoes rather than a soldier’s armor. His coat dyed a darker brown by the amount of dirt riddled on several patches and a few rips on his pants.
Ranmaru showed no signs of a struggle except his semi-frizzled hair. Not even to a guest of Lord Nobunaga’s dare the warrior show mercy. Anyone as a potential threat to Lord Nobunaga could be considered his enemy. Although, he held back partially for the sake of the fragile boy. After all, he seemed almost…distant the entire fight.
“Are you alright, Master Leingod?” Ranmaru kneeled down, offering a hand to Fayt.
“Yeah…you sure know your techniques, Mister Mori.” Fayt hopped onto his feet by himself, dusting off his college uniform, “I thought the comb-er…sparring practices I had with my master were the worst I would face. You showed me talent for battle starts at an early age.”
Ranmaru gave Fayt an honest smile and maneuvered to the door, apparently wanting him to follow. Fayt shrunk his favorite sword (it was actually a Laser Weapon, able to take the shape or form of any weapon imaginable) and quickly caught up to the respectable guardian. Several soldiers stopped and stared as the pair walked down the hallway, mostly staring at the strange, technologically advanced visitor. He stuck a bit closer to Ranmaru than he should, but he heard no voice of opposition.
Their brief walk led to a room with papers scattered, almost identical to his personal room, except with minor details and touch-ups. Ranmaru let out a slight groan and swiftly stacked papers and organized his belongings. “I am deeply sorry Master Leingod, I meant to clean up beforehand, though it seems I got side-tracked.”
“Well then, let me help you out.” Fayt picked up a few papers to be stolen by Ranmaru a moment later.
“I sincerely apologize, but I cannot ask a guest of Lord Nobunaga to work because of my forgetfulness! Please Master Leingod, do have a soothing cup of tea I prepared in advance while I tidy up.”
“Ranmaru, please. I’m not asking if you need help, it’ll be faster if we both work together. And considering me showing up is the reason your room’s not clean, part of this is my responsibility. Let me rest at ease, okay?” Fayt re-stole the papers, smoothing out the wrinkles their exchange cost.
Ranmaru sighed and gave in to Fayt’s demands, instructing him how his symbol code was organized and where exactly the papers were to be stored. Most of the documents in his possession were reports on the other clans, one mentioning a “strange metal craft falling from the sky.” …Hopefully none of the denizens linked together the almost other-worldly boy appearing from seemingly nowhere and the spacecraft crashing at a energy magnitude of 1.3 near this very castle.
“Are you a scout, Mister Mori? All these papers mention reports of the other countries and even a giant floating ship. Most soldiers do no concern themselves with anything but the battle in front of them.” Fayt asked, sipping a cup of tea after finishing his share of paper-sorting.
“No, I am Lord Nobunaga’s personal protector. Thus, I am always at work both protecting my lord and studying the signs of the other warlords. Perhaps you know what I am implying, as you display strength abnormal to one of your age and size.” Ranmaru replied, finishing his stack and sipping the other cup.
Fayt frowned, unsure of how to think. If he understood the situation right, Ranmaru was working day and night to protect this violent warlord who everyone in this world feared. So much that the opposing warlords set up a large Anti-Nobunaga coalition mounted on two fronts in order to defeat him. Normally Fayt would leave the country in such a state…but his instincts screamed Nobunaga’s territory would actually be the safest place until he found sufficient metals to replicate parts and fix his ship. Anyone would cave into severe insomnia working so hard constantly…
“Mister Mori…I hate to force my ideals on you, but you should really rest more. Working constantly is both unhealthy and has you living a shorter life. We’re a race that needs even a few minutes of break time, so please hear me out.” Fayt managed a somewhat painful smile.
“…Take it easy? Rest? How can I? What can I do?”
“Well…maybe first you should try cutting working at ni-”
“Don’t try to do too much. Take care of your health. Why, to live a long life?” Ranmaru started raising his voice all of a sudden, “Samurai are willing to give their lives to be of use. My life is no more than a falling leaf.”
The last bit managed to snap one of Fayt’s nerves. A person’s life just a falling leaf? No; to him, a stranger to both this world and the worlds beyond, every life held even a single meaning besides simply dying. And nothing bothered him more hearing anything against his supreme belief.
“Even soldiers desire to live their own life! Serving a lord might be an act that is putting your life on the line, but you aren’t completely throwing yourself away. Even other far less superior nations I’ve seen understand this! Why can’t you?”
“There is simply no reason for me to prolong my life! If my mother commanded me to die, I wound end my life on the spot without hesitation!”
Fayt fell silent, deliberately finding random objects in his coat pockets to distract himself. Leaving would get him in trouble and upset Ranmaru…though what was there to say? If Ranmaru really had no other reason to live than serve Nobunaga Oda…associating with him would be as productive as conversing without a communicator to translate the native languages.
“Master Leingod…I am deeply sorry.” Ranmaru admitted openly, “After hearing that you must think I have no desire to live a full life.”
Fayt remained silent; Ranmaru knew exactly what he was thinking.
“I’m so sorry…” Ranmaru repeated, this time taking Fayt’s hesitant hand, “I will make you a promise. I will live a long life. Does that quell your nerves?”
Fayt stopped avoiding Ranmaru and looked him straight in the eyes. He could sense the samurai’s honesty and loyalty just by the way he gripped his hand. If Ranmaru meant his words, then whatever bothered him earlier resolved itself. Thankfully, convincing this human from another planet needed no life-changing war to realize their own worth, unlike an old friend of Fayt’s who he met on accident.
“Alright, I’ll cave…but on a single condition.” A playful smirk diminished the previous frown.
“Please name it, Master Leingod.”
“Your culture believes in calling those who are of equal standing and strength as you by their first names, correct? Then to match these requirements, drop the whole ‘Master Leingod’ name and just call me Fayt. If you can consider me your equal, then I know you’re sincere.”
Ranmaru sighed in defeat…though he knew there’d be no arguing with Mas….Fayt. “You have my word…Fayt.” He paused for the longest time during the process of rerouting his thoughts to stop giving Fayt the respect he required and denied.
“Thank you very much. I’ll hold you to that promise, Ranmaru.” Fayt bowed in thanks.
“…Call me Ran.”
“Ran?” Sounded like a puppy’s name, and definitely not very natural for a character like Ranmaru… “Why Ran?”
Ranmaru’s face turned a shade of pink, gulping down a lump in his throat, “A good friend of mine calls me Ran. I thought since you are rather protective of me…you would wish to use a different name concerning me.”
Fayt nodded and shook Ranmaru’s hand, giving him a brief hug before Ranmaru pushed him off rather forcibly. His new friend struggled to form a coherent sentence without turning a shade of red. His blue-haired friend simply laughed the whole time, commenting how Ranmaru was acting like a girl who lost her most precious necklace.
…Bad idea.
“Stop it! I’m a man! Why can’t anyone see that?!” Ranmaru groaned, leaving Fayt to laugh his lungs out alone.
