Chapter 63

There is the smell of blood in the air, a pungent iron odor that is difficult to grasp and yet easily recognizable, flashes of blade, sweat and soil as the water tries to wash away the chaos that unfolds.

There are shadows, many shadows along the rain, screams and clacks of metal as blades meet and bullets are shot, the metal colliding, sometimes missing, then another scream.

"Koshiro… mister Koshiro… SEIJI!" A scream cleans my vision as if I had my eyes closed, but as I blink the confusion away I see no rain around me, no battlefield, only the plains of our proud nation stretching out below us.

"Seiji." I hear someone call. "Spacing out again?" 

I turn around, already resting my fist in my stretched out palm in salute for them as I give a half bow. "Master, sorry I did not hear you approach." 

The person approaches, the sun framing them from behind, making so that I cannot look them in the eye as I narrow my vision from the blinding light.