Before you read, this short chapter takes place in a different perspective, I intend to have a semblance of characterisation, I don't want the story to happen from only one side after all.
Talent.
Talent is everything.
"Let's move out."
"Roger."
The clan leader addressed us, our temporary base in this part of Tokyo had been demolished by that mysterious man.
Lord Hayase moved, he was walking steadily, heading to where the clan's vehicles were parked. We trailed a little distance behind.
In this world, without talent you are nothing, is what I keep telling myself.
And it was the truth, there was no way to refute it. Idealistic people would say that hardwork matters, and if a talentless person worked hard enough, they would be able to catch up with true talent.
Idealism at its peak.
They conveniently ignore one fact.
Hardwork only beats talent when talent doesn't work hard.
An ultimate truth.
I always prided myself over my talent. I knew my limits, but I also knew my capabilities. I was the type of person that respects hard work and admires talent.
It always made me happy to know that I was one of the few that were selected by heaven, a chosen one.
Lord Hayase….a person I respected and admired.
He is a prodigy of our clan, someone born with immense talent. But even that did not stop him from working hard.
He worked, harder than those even those less talented than him. He did not relent. Our previous clan leader had perished in a battle against the extremist factions. A group of people that believed in sharing heaven's gift with the masses. They preached that everyone should have an equal chance.
Equality.
A ridiculous concept, free to be altered to mean anything in anyone's hands.
The extremists had their own crazy brand of equality.
Insane.
They intended to "give" od to the masses.
I had no idea how they plan to do this, but it obviously wouldn't end well.
Those who weren't chosen by heaven could not tolerate od, it was a proven fact that the untalented would die if they were exposed to a certain amount of od. Yet they persisted.
They called it natural selection.
We did not care much about the regular humans ourselves, the sole reason we fought was that we thought it was sacrilege against heaven, we saw it as questioning the decisions of heaven in who it chose.
"As we live beneath the sky, let us be aware that it lives above us at the same time."
A quote by the previous clan leader. It sounded like something obvious, but it was meant to remind us that we shouldn't try to intrude in what is above us. We should think in regards to how heaven sees us.
Lord Hayase was the only one eligible for the role of clan leader, at the young age of fifteen.
It was a huge burden, something that he shouldn't be shouldering at this age.
I respected lord Hayase, very much. Despite everything he held up. He has not faltered, at least until now.
Satoru Mikami, he had the nerve to insult someone that was a much better person than him, what did he know?
He had stepped on what held up our clan. With his recent actions, he had put us in danger of losing the delicate power struggle between us and the other clans.
If this news gets out, we will be considered weak.
Mere thinking about this made me clench my fists.
Noticing my inner turmoil, lord Hayase turned towards me. Everyone else also stopped, awaiting what he had to say.
"This is something that we didn't anticipate at all. An unfortunate event, I admit. But we are all still here. That man probably had the ability to end the lives of some of those present here."
As he spoke, the skies that had been darkening since this morning finally began to burst.
"But he didn't, I am aware the implications this means for our clan, it essentially shakes our foundations, to be defeated like this by a single man. I know all this, but."
The rain poured, lightning flashed, thunder boomed. It was like the weather wanted so badly to match the situation.
"We will not be removed, it is but a matter of improvement. We may lose, but we stand up, we adapt, and we conquer. That man didn't mean us any harm originally, I must admit that we pushed too far. For this reason, I ask that you hold off on any thoughts of revenge."
Hearing these words, a lot of us including me, started to shake, we were clearly indignant at the thought of letting him go scot free.
"At least for now. The way he used the heavenly arts was like we've never seen. Until we can imitate that, I forbid anyone from going after him."
His next words appeased everyone, albeit slightly. It gave them the assurance that we would at least have plans on delivering discipline.
What a bunch of sheep.
The look in lord hayase's eyes told it all.
He had no intention of getting revenge, this was just a way of crowd control.
He appeased their thirst for revenge, at the same time he stoked their drive for self improvement.
What a crafty person. This much is expected from a leader however.
"We will learn his techniques, and then we will be ready. Even the extremists in their crazed devotion to their ridiculous ideals will fear us, the Sakurai clan!"
"Yeah!"
I realised it too, that man was abnormal.
I felt the amount of energy he had, it was impressive, but that wasn't what made him abnormal.
It was his control.
The energy moved around him like he was used to controlling something much greater, and this was just like writing on a sheet of paper for him. It was like a method to precise energy control was etched into his soul.
There was no hesitation in his movements, his energy flowed like water in a smooth pipe. It was perfect, for lack of a better word.
Fighting an opponent like that for misguided revenge is the height of folly.
Everyone was now fired up, the rain beating down on them did little to douse the fire that had ignited in their hearts.
They began to move, leaving me and Lord Hayase behind.
"Hana. I know how you must feel, but give up. It's not worth it."
It seems like he noticed that I was unconvinced.
"Of course, lord Hayase. I can hold myself just fine."
He looked at me, probably sceptical of the answer I gave him.
"Okay, I will trust you. Don't do anything unnecessary."
Saying that, he continued to head in the direction we were heading towards initially.
The height of folly huh.
I guess that makes me the Queen of fools.
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