Shadows of the Reborn

Chapter Eleven

A Battle for Redemption

Taizo’s eyelids fluttered open, a pained groan escaping his lips. He squinted against the harsh light that flooded his vision, his gaze sweeping the landscape. The lush, green fields stretched before him, punctuated by a solitary tree cradling him. With a careful push, he rose to his feet, eyes scanning the ground far below. ‘What on earth?’ He was in his pools, but for what reason?

Curiously, he climbed down and looked around his pools, which seemed untouched, yet he didn’t have the foggiest explanation of how he got there. Placing his hands on his hips, he turned to his tree accusingly. ‘Would you care to explain why I am here?’

The tree pulsed softly as though in mourning but gave him no reason. Leaving him more frustrated by the silence, Taizo took a deep breath.

‘That is not an answer.’ Taizo sniffed, his frustration mounting. Had he been sleeping since his host, Sashiki? Had he actually just had a nightmare, and it woke him up? Frowning, he remembered a long, drawn-out battle but couldn’t recall any details. He walked to his tree and placed his hand on the trunk to filter through his memories, but everything was blank. ‘What the hell happened?’ Why were his memories gone?

‘Is there an exit point?’ He asked his tree, and he felt a soft pulse behind him. Turning, he nodded and began walking to the rift that opened. As he stepped through, everything greyed out, and it felt familiar. Within the dark pools, he felt another presence and carefully stepped forward. Taizo could barely make out another spirit tending to his host’s pools and sighed. He knew he was not supposed to be there, but his tree had pushed him.

‘I apologize for my intrusion.’ Taizo began causing the spirit to go on the immediate defensive. ‘I wish no harm to you.’

The spirit warily stood and narrowed his eyes. ‘Who are you, and what are you doing in my domain?’

‘I am uncertain. Perhaps you can help me fill in some gaps?’ Taizo asked softly, hands held out in a submissive manner.

The spirit frowned but did not remove the barrier surrounding his host’s pools. ‘You do not remember where you are supposed to be?’

‘I was in my pools up until I walked in here.’ Taizo said. ‘How I got there, I do not remember.’

‘If you woke in your pools, it means you are to wait in hibernation or in the soul well until your next host is ready for you.’

‘Soul well?’

The spirit frowned at him. ‘Are you a new spirit or something? You cannot be that dense.’

Taizo was somewhat taken aback. ‘Certainly not new, but I do not remember a soul well.’

‘The soul guardians watch over our souls until we are ready for our hosts. You go into a sleep hibernation, and then your soul is moved and held until your host is ready to wake you.’

‘Interesting.’ Taizo squinted his eyes, trying to make out the spirit clearly. ‘Who is your host?’

The spirit growled and crouched, his fingers flexing.

‘Whoa, whoa. I am not interested in your host.’ Taizo said, ‘I only want to know where I am.’

‘Okimoto.’

At the name, Taizo’s hair rose on the back of his neck, and he released a sharp breath. He knew that name, but how? Why could he not remember anything? Giving the spirit a nod, he glanced around at the thriving pools and smiled. This spirit was experienced and working well with his host. That made Taizo’s heart ache slightly. Why did he not have a host?

He turned and exited the pools and reentered his own brilliantly shining pools. ‘Okay, so no host is available for me? Is that why I am here?’

Taizo could hear his tree thrumming in the distance, and he snorted. ‘Oh, keep your excitement to yourself. I am frustrated, and I need to think.’

The tree seemed to laugh at him then. Walking slowly over to his tree, Taizo felt empty. He was missing something, and he had no idea what it was. It had been important, but he was lost. Placing his hand on the tree, he could feel its loneliness, and it reflected how he felt. This wasn’t right. ‘Where am I supposed to be?’ he groaned.

The tree seemed to try to soothe its keeper, wrapping it into a protective shield. Taizo smiled at the invisible hug and received images of a family he was intended for. The faces he recognized, and he frowned. He definitely recognized Okimoto, and he sniffed. ‘So, did I have a host before? Why do I not remember him? I remember Sashiki. Was he my last host?’

The tree thrummed softly, revealing an image of a young boy, and Taizo smiled. The boy had a strong face with gold eyes and silver hair. Black and red facial markings graced the boy’s cheeks, and a symbol sat on his forehead. It appeared to be a family mark.

The tree tried to distract him from his sadness of missing his memories, and it worked. The boy would be ready for him soon. The others he was shown did not spark the excitement that this boy gave him.

‘I can choose who I reside in?’ He looked at the other boys who were part of the family and furrowed his brow. He definitely liked the one with the symbol on his head. Something about him sparked a long, enjoyable life. Smiling, he nodded. ‘So when is he ready?’

His mouth dropped open, and gaped. ‘Five hundred years? I’m stuck here with you for that long?’

The tree pulsed with indignation. ‘Oh, come on. Did you lose your memories, too? Well, I guess they are my memories, but why are they blank?’

The tree pulsed as though trying to tell him, and Taizo frowned. Was there something preventing his tree from revealing what had happened? Pacing back and forth, his white pants brushing against the brightly colored flowers at his feet, Taizo tried to create a timeline.

‘Okay, I remember being in a large hall with smiling faces, and I remember a beautiful woman who I can remember clearly. Then I remember being here.’ Taizo glanced at his tree. ‘I remember having a host and then excruciating boredom.’ He frowned. ‘I remember Sashiki.’

The tree pulsed as though confirming, and then the vibrations intensified as though trying to tell him what he was missing. It was as though it was being repelled back to the tree instead of communicating with him. Frowning, Taizo continued trying to piece together his lost memories. ‘Why can I not remember anything past Sashiki falling on his sword?’

Taizo rubbed his face and groaned. ‘Think, dammit.’ He cursed to himself. ‘After Sashiki fell on his sword, where did I end up? He had two sons and a daughter.’

Now, he was just trying to go mad with confusion.

‘What were their names?’ Taizo growled, his pacing growing more determined. ‘Airina was his daughter. Then there were his two sons.’ He waved his hands around him as though that would help spur his memories to resurface. ‘After Sashiki, I went to the wrong pools and ended up in a dark space.’ He furrowed his brows and stopped pacing. ‘There was someone there. They led me to another pool.’

Why could he not remember whose pools it was? ‘He had two sons, ’ he repeated over and over, softly to himself, hoping it would help him. ‘Ugh!’ he snarled. ‘I was in a dark space.’ Taizo turned to his tree. ‘Can you open a portal to this dark place?’

The tree vibrated desperately as though in warning.

‘Okay, okay, I get it. It’s dangerous. Why was I there in the first place? I seem to be alright unless that is where I lost my memories.’ Taizo mused.

The tree pulsed, urging Taizo to listen.

Taizo nodded. ‘I get it, be at ease. You’re telling me this place is dangerous, so who was the individual who met me there? I recall him saying something along the lines of him being a guardian or a patrol.’

Taizo listened to the tree. ‘So the guardian has been granted a host of his own. No one is patrolling this area anymore?’

The tree confirmed his suspicions. ‘Makes sense.’ He began pacing again. ‘So after Sashiki, I went to the pools of another. It was one of Sashiki’s sons.’ Taizo frowned deeply.

He paced for hours, trying to filter through his fragmented memories, and then he turned. Immediately, a brilliant flash blinded him, and he stopped, gasping. Taizo had been in his host’s pools, and there had been excruciating pain, a surge of power as he desperately tried to protect his host’s tree. A brilliant flash of light after the pools harnessed his electrical storm. Then he woke up here.

Taizo stood still, his hand over his mouth, head lowered deep in thought. Something had happened. It had been serious enough for his own energy to flare up inside the pools, which meant that his host had been on the defensive. Something extremely dangerous happened to his host, and Taizo had instantly focused his power on his host’s tree of life. Then everything had gone black.

Taizo frowned and turned to his tree. ‘Something happened to you, too, didn’t it?’

The tree pulsed in response.

Rolling his eyes, Taizo turned away from the tree and faced the brilliant sunshine. It was more artificial than the sun, but he would take it from the dark pools any day. Taizo squinted his eyes as they had caught sight of something in the far distance, and he pursed his lips. He had never actually explored his pools, and now his interest was piqued.

Grinning, Taizo began walking toward the area where he had seen a slight movement. As he approached, he began to make out various faded trees and wiggled his nose. The area was enormous, seemingly an endless journey into a new adventure. He did have five hundred years to waste, so he continued walking.

Taizo wasn’t even paying attention to his immediate surroundings; somehow, he almost walked into a small tear in the air. ‘Oh.’ He chimed and then grinned, glancing over his shoulder. ‘Where does this lead, I wonder?’ Slipping through the tear, he froze instantly.

Somehow, Taizo managed to find a tear in the mortal plane and glanced down at himself in a panic. With a breath of relief, he was still in spiritual form and not a physical one. Sucking his breath in, he glanced around him and noticed a forest. ‘Oooo.’ He grinned. ‘I can explore.’

Maybe while he was on the mortal plane, he could figure out what had happened to him and his tree. Taizo had to be extremely careful not to come across any living form. He wasn’t certain if he was visible to the naked eye or if he would just appear as a ghost or not even detectable. Shrugging his shoulders, Taizo started walking in the direction the sun was.

Taizo had no idea how long he had walked but stopped when he reached the forest’s exit. He could make out huts and movement, indicating living creatures were there. Looking around, he couldn’t safely move from the forest if he wished to remain hidden. So, instead, he seated himself beside a bush and observed the people moving around the small village. As he watched, he realized that the village was not exactly small. It was much larger than he had first thought.

Taizo saw many young children playing in the field, many men and women beginning their daily chores, and hundreds of armed warriors stationed on battle mounts surrounding the large establishment. Squirting his eyes, Taizo saw a very large structure further in, nestled against a large rockface. It looked like a two—or three-story home, elaborately embellished with plants and flowers.This belongs © NôvelDra/ma.Org.

Someone important definitely lived there, yet he didn’t see anyone come out as he watched. Sniffing indignantly, Taizo looked back to the children who were playing in the field. He found that watching them allowed his mind to reflect on the events that had happened. With a sigh, he had no idea how much time had passed or where he was exactly; all he knew was that he had to eventually head back to the portal to prepare for meeting his host.

Taizo rested his elbow on his knee and his chin in his hand. Night had fallen, and the group of children were gone. The village was ready to go to sleep. He glanced to his left when a slight movement caught his attention. Furrowing his brow, he squinted and watched two young girls walking down a dark path. Why would young girls be without their parents?

He gave an involuntary shudder the minute his eyes landed on them, and he sucked his breath in sharply. Taizo experienced at that moment a level of anxiety and fear that he didn’t even know was possible for a spirit. Frowning, he grunted softly, trying to brush the feeling away.

The minute the soft sound escaped his lips, the girls stopped walking and glanced in his direction, which caused Taizo to freeze and dip below the bushes. Was he actually visible to the mortal eye? His eyes widened in sudden fear, and he quickly crawled away, sticking to the shadows of the trees. Once he felt he was at a safe distance, Taizo looked behind him and panicked when he noticed the girls searching the bushes where he had been hiding.

Taizo silently prayed to the Gods that he didn’t leave any footprints or signs that he had been there. Slipping further into the forest, Taizo moved as fast as he could, returning to where he had exited his pools. It only took him a few moments to find the rift, and he slipped through as quickly as he could, his heart racing in his chest.

‘Gods.’ He released a loud breath once the rift closed behind him. ‘Did they actually hear me?’

He could feel his tree pulsing frantically in the distance, and he sighed. Had the tree sensed his fear? Shaking his head, Taizo walked to his tree and placed his hand on the trunk. ‘Shh, easy. I am here,’ he said.

Why had he been so afraid of the two girls? The amount of anxiety that had flowed through him was unnerving. ‘How long was I gone for?’

The tree pulsed gently.

‘Hmph. And I still have no answers.’ Taizo grumbled, flopping down on the ground beside his tree and crossing his arms over his chest. His mind once again went over what he remembered. Leaning back against the trunk, he closed his eyes, allowing his mind to reflect on the life he remembered.

* * * *

Shuzo

As he patrolled the vast dark space, the years went by quickly. He wandered down the different pathways and encountered several species native to the shadows, from hounds to peculiar plants like vines to small creatures. One of the hounds became his companion and alerted him whenever a change happened. He would walk to the change to discover a lost soul or a beast that wanted to rule over his realm.

The souls he would guide to where it was supposed to go, and there were only three options for it. They would either be sent to their next host, sent to the guardians of the underworld to move to their next adventure, or they would be sent to the spirit realm. Shuzo was a guardian in the space. It was his realm, and no other guarded the shadows.

He felt a peculiar pull, and the hound beside him released a low growl. Turning his black eyes to where he had felt the change, Shuzo nodded to the beast. ‘I know, something has entered again.’

As Shuzo walked, he recalled the instance when the change had sent the shadows into turmoil. Intruders had entered his space and yet kept out of his vision, which meant whoever had entered had done so via underhanded means. Despite his searching, he had not found them, but the shadows had instantly alerted him to someone near the proximity to the spirit realm.

It was the one area he dreaded, but he had no choice but to investigate the disturbance. The beasts howled in warning as he approached, the void walkers whined, and the plants pleaded with him to stop. Shuzo had indeed stopped and looked around him warily. The beasts of the shadow realm only warned him when something foul was loose.

Shuzo had lifted his hands and lit a blue fire to illuminate the area around him. Because no light entered the realm, any source of light would blind the intruder, and it granted him the shadows he needed to find the trespasser. More hounds joined him, and even the void walkers created a wide circle surrounding him protectively. Shuzo had watched the shadows for hours until a rumbling deep within the ground he walked on alerted him to someone infiltrating the spirit realm.

Shuzo whirled around, faced the spirit realm’s direction, and snapped his fingers at the beasts. Instantly, they raced towards the intruder. He proceeded forward carefully, his black eyes searching every inch of space. The hounds howled in warning, and he dropped to the ground with a snarl. Something flew over his head, and Shuzo jumped to his feet, sending a shadow tendril after it.

If the creature weren’t fast enough, the tendril would entangle itself with it and hold it into a tight embrace until he commanded it to release the foul individual. His companion had raced after it, snarling and snapping its jowls as Shuzo ran after the beast. The plants and void creatures warned that it was an evil shade that had been released from the spirit realm.

Shuzo narrowed his eyes and curled his lip. ‘You, find the ones who released it!’ He snapped.

Glancing down at his hound, Shuzo lifted his arms to erect an invisible wall. He had to stop the shade from escaping the shadow realm. If it found its way out into the mortal world, it would cause such destruction and chaos that there would be no stopping it.

Shuzo sighed. Despite him searching for weeks on end, there had been no sign of the creature that had been released. It either hid so perfectly that nothing detected its presence, or it had found a way into the mortal world.

Shuzo stopped walking when the pull from the change stopped, and he rolled his eyes. Why the Gods had allowed the spirits to travel through his realm to their next host was beyond him. If the spirits did not know what to look for or got turned around in his realm, he would have to locate them and guide them to the rift.

Well over six thousand years ago, one particular instance made him smile. It had been such an odd encounter. A spirit had somehow managed to enter a spirit pools by accident and had been kicked out due to the host already being occupied. The spirit had not wandered around aimlessly; instead, it had sat down on the path as though expecting a rescue.

It had taken a very long time to locate where he was supposed to go, which had confused Shuzo. He had no answer about why the spirits’ new pools had been so far away from the current rift, but he had shrugged it off as an anomaly.

The spirit was the most relaxed one he had encountered. As Shuzo wandered the shadow realm, his hound stopped walking beside a small wavering point, and Shuzo lifted a brow curiously. ‘What is it?’

The beast brushed against his legs and then pushed him with his nose.

‘Oh? Is that my host?’ Shuzo lifted his eyes and smiled. ‘Interesting.’

The hound licked his hand, and Shuzo chuckled, ‘Keep watch and inform me of anything out of place.’

Shuzo stepped through the rift and blinked quickly as his eyes adjusted. The new space was dark but not void of all light like the shadow realm. Lifting his head to the black sky above him, he saw twinkling little lights. His eyesight was different, more sharpened and focused, rather than viewing everything with a blue hue.

A lone figure lay in the pools surrounding a large tree, and Shuzo walked over to it. As soon as his feet hit the water, he gasped when he was filled with emotions and a tingling of power. This was a completely different experience for him. Walking over to the tree, Shuzo glanced at the large trunk and flourishing leaves far above his head. Placing his hand on the trunk, a soft gasp behind him made him smile. It was indeed his host.

Turning, Shuzo dipped behind the tree with a grin and poked his head around the trunk.

The boy sat up and rubbed his eyes, and Shuzo watched the youth push to his feet and stretch. “I can feel you.” The boy said.

‘Can you now?’ Shuzo smiled.

The youth grinned and spun around, searching for him.

‘What is your name?’ Shuzo asked, walking into the boy’s view.

The boy grinned widely. “You first.”

‘Shuzo,’ He closed one eye, peering at the youth.

“Hayato, “ the boy said proudly. “My baby name was terrible, but this one feels more grown up.”

Shuzo lifted a brow, amused. ‘What was your-baby name?’ He asked with a chuckle.

“Hibiki.” Hayato rolled his eyes.

Shuzo nodded, ‘Definitely better.’

“So what do we do now?” Hayato asked curiously.

Shuzo shook his head, ‘I am as new to this as you are.’ He admitted.

“Then we can grow together.” Hayato grinned widely. “This is going to be so much fun.”

Shuzo lifted his brow again. The exuberance from the boy was rather refreshing from the dark, dreary shadow realm. From what he had understood from the creatures there, his host would eventually learn to use the shadow realm to their advantage, and Shuzo’s skills would merge with his host’s. ‘I hope you are not afraid of the dark.’

Hayato frowned. “I can’t say I am overly fond of the dark, but-” He shrugged.

‘We can work on that when you are ready.’ Shuzo nodded. ‘Best if you wake and go about your duties. Do not use my name with anyone but with me.’

Hayato nodded, “My father already told me how important it was.”

‘Good.’ Shuzo turned away and his host left the pools. ‘Now,’ He looked at his host’s tree, ‘You and I have some work to do.’

* * * *

Taizo

The pull was strong when his host was ready for him, and Taizo shot forward, startled. How long had he been sleeping? Shaking his head, disorientated, he pushed to his feet and glared at his tree, which seemed to be laughing at him. ‘Laugh it up,’ he said.

Dusting off his pants, Taizo went to the shimmering portal where all his host’s pools seemed to reside. This felt like deja vu, and he couldn’t shake the feeling that something was missing. Taking a deep breath, Taizo slipped through the portal and grinned widely at the figure lying in the water. Glancing around the pools, Taizo entered the water and clutched his chest at the heavy pressure that flooded through him. His body started to glow pink at the massive amount of energy that rushed through him. ‘Gods!’ He cursed, almost falling to his knees. It all felt too familiar, and he furrowed his brow.

There was no way his last host, Sashiki, had this much power in him, so there must have been another, but why did he not remember? Narrowing his eyes, maybe touching his newest host’s tree of life, would assist him with those missing memories. Walking over to it, Taizo stepped onto the firm ground and placed his hand on the trunk. It sparked, and Taizo withdrew his hand quickly. ‘Ouch, you little shit!’ He cursed, glaring at the tree. ‘I’m your host’s spirit!’

The tree pulsed apologetically.

‘Hmph!’ Taizo snorted and returned his hand to the trunk. The rush of power from the tree was even greater, and his host started coughing. Trying to recover from the flood of power, he guessed the missing host he did not remember, and now this host, Taizo, heaved in large amounts of air into his lungs.

“Wow.” A voice behind him said. “This is so cool.”

Taizo turned his head to peer at the youth, who pushed to his feet. ‘Good morning.’ Taizo said, gasping for air.

The boy smiled warmly. “Hello.”

Taizo finally got his breath and turned to face the boy. ‘What is your name?’

“Kazuki.”

‘Is that the name your mother gave you or your adult name?’ Taizo asked curiously. He could not explain how he had known about the change since his last host. He fully suspected the tree had something to do with this new knowledge.

The boy stuck his tongue out. “My mother gave me this name. I don’t like the new name.”

Taizo nodded. ‘Best if you wake. I trust you have much to do.’

Kazuki pouted. “Not really. I don’t start my training until next year.”

Taizo lifted a brow. ‘You don’t start training right away after waking your inner spirit?’

Kazuki shook his head. “No, sometimes we don’t get training and are assigned another duty.”

Taizo frowned. ‘Well, regardless of your training, you and I must train together to handle our abilities when the time comes.’

Kazuki placed his hands on his hips. “There is no more fighting. The lord of our clan says that our inner spirits don’t even need to be awake.”

Taizo furrowed his brow. ‘Interesting.’

“Even my father was surprised when you called me into the pools. He said that that had not been done since the great youkai war.”

Taizo froze. He vaguely remembered that war. ‘Really? What else did he tell you?’ Could he probe his new host gently to get more information?

“Well, since the Youkai war, everyone’s inner spirits have gone into deep hibernation. The only ones with any magic now are the clan leaders,” Kazuki said.

Taizo scoffed. ‘It isn’t magic. They are abilities granted to you by the Gods and given to you by me when you are ready for them.’

Kazuki eyed him suspiciously. “The only ones who need power are Lord Genjiro and Princess Haruki. I think some of their personal guards have magic, too.”

Taizo’s skin crawled when the name Genjiro was mentioned. It was so familiar that he could feel the bile rise in his throat, and his memories lingered on the tip of his tongue. Furrowing his brow, his mouth turned downward in a deep frown. ‘Genjiro?’

Kazuki nodded. “Were you just asleep or something?”

‘In a manner of speaking.’ Taizo grumbled. ‘It seems as though I have missed out on many years.’

Kazuki sat down in the water and started talking with excitement. “Well, according to my father, Lord Okimoto, after the great youkai war, everyone was told that their inner spirits were no longer needed. Obviously, they are our souls, so we couldn’t just have them go away. With the twins’ help, they all went to sleep.”

Taizo shuddered but nodded.

“The twins set up some kind of soul well so that our spirits could rest peacefully until they would be needed again. They manage the soul well, and well, that is that.”

Taizo’s heart beat frantically in his chest, and he gulped. ‘So this soul well is managed by the twins? Who are these twins?’

Kazuki shrugged. “I don’t know, but they were around during the youkai war. They helped defeat the hordes of youkai. Now, we just worry about the humans. But they mostly keep to themselves on the other side of the mountain.”

Taizo rubbed his arms. He knew he hadn’t been in this soul well because he had woken both times in his own pools. But that would make the barrier around his tree make sense.

‘So your father is Lord Okimoto? Who else is in your family?’ If Taizo could piece together who the family was because he was intended for this family, he could find out who his previous host was and maybe explain why he was missing his memories.

“Well, there is my father, Lord Okimoto; my mother, Lady Chuya; my older brother, Lord Manami; Lord Hisashi; Lady Chinami; Lord Kihachi, Lord Isami; myself; and Lady Akiara.”

Taizo blinked. ‘Big family.’

Kazuki shrugged.

‘Then you said there was Lord Genjiro, and I assume his wife, Princess Haruki?’ Taizo frowned, trying to piece together the missing puzzle. ‘Who ruled the clan before Lord Genjiro?’

Kazuki pursed his lips, “I think his name was Mitchto-ra-uuh. I can’t remember. I would have to ask my father.”

Taizo nodded, ‘And your father’s father?’

Kazuki frowned. “You must have hit your head or something. Do you not remember who you came from? I mean, all spirits are supposed to know who they resided in before. But maybe you were just asleep for a long time and forgot?”

Taizo crouched down, staring into the dark water. ‘Perhaps.’

“I can ask my father what his father’s name was. But I think he was dead a long time ago, just after the Youkai war.” Kazuki said. “I thought maybe you had come from my father, but my father is still alive, so that wouldn’t make sense. Everyone was surprised when I started pulsing when I came of age. No one else’s inner spirit had called to them. Now I feel very weird, and I think everyone will make fun of me.”

‘Well, we don’t want that.’ Taizo chuckled, looking up.

“I think my father and mother are the only ones who know about it, though.” Kazuki shrugged. “My brothers and sisters were still asleep.”

‘And you were not?’ Taizo smirked.

Kazuki grinned, “No, I was making something to eat. I was planning on going fishing. You have to get up early to do that.”

Taizo sighed. He was no closer to getting answers than he had been, and the frustration was starting to irritate him. ‘Do you know exactly how many still have their spirits awakened?’

“Not off-hand, but I know Lord Gejiro does, Princess Haruki, Lord Chijimatsu, Masakuni and Masamichi, maybe a few other guards. I know Masakuni and Masamichi do because their sister is mated to my older brother Manami. I don’t think Manami has his awake, though, even though he protects the royal family. The twins do, but they don’t come here very often. When they do, I try to stay as far away as possible. I don’t like them.” Kazuki rambled on. “They are weird and see things that no one else can, like the future.”

Taizo lifted a brow. ‘Twins?’

Kazuki nodded. “They look like little girls. Masakuni and Masamichi are twins too. They aren’t weird, though.”

Taizo chuckled. ‘I will linger in the background observing rather than making it known to everyone that your inner spirit has woken. This way, it should stop any teasing you may suffer.’

Kazuki nodded. “That would be good. Can we still talk to each other, though?”

Taizo nodded and pushed to his feet. ‘Just think in your head to talk to me. I can hear all your thoughts.’

Kazuki grinned. ‘Like this?’

‘Just like that, yes.’ Taizo smirked.

Kazuki got to his feet and dusted off his pants. “Well, if I know my father, he will wait for me to wake up and then ask me all kinds of questions.”

‘I’ll be listening. Please ask him about his father and maybe even his grandfather. To be honest, I am missing memories, and I am uncertain as to why.’

Kazuki nodded, “I’ll ask, but I don’t know if he even remembers much from that time. It was like two thousand years ago or something.”

Taizo gulped, ‘Very well.’