6 Chapter 6 Kiyonoya Sara swears here

　　The snow has stopped,and the sun has risen.

　　The faint clouds slowly obscured the golden sunlight.Through the gaps in the clouds,strands of morning light poured down.The light and shadows in the living room were divided into two halves by the window muntins of the Hashikuni palace,with one half filled with dazzling light and the other half in shadow.

　　A light snow has just stopped.

　　"Sara."

　　Kiyonoya basked in the sun,feeling warm all over his body.

　　As he got older,he liked to bask in the sun,liked the warmth penetrating into his old bones.

　　He turned to a shaded corner and asked:

　　"Have they already left?"

　　"My lord."

　　A calm and cold voice.

　　The screen was slowly pushed open--

　　Under the shadow,a meticulous and elegant woman was sitting there:

　　With her knees bent and her hips resting on her delicate bare feet,she stood up straight.She wore a deep purple samurai attire,with the long upper pleats spread out on the tatami mat.On her snow-white bare knees,she held a long,slender naginata.She lowered her head slightly,and her shining golden eyes blinked.

　　This sitting posture is called yokozuwari,and it is the solemn sitting posture of the people of Inazuma in formal occasions.

　　"Yae Miko and Gendou Ringo have already left,"Sara replied when she heard Kiyonoya call her.

　　-Kiyonoya Sara is the shogun of Inazuma.With the bloodline of tengu,she has already made a name for herself in the military with her resolute and swift attitude,and her thunderous will,decisiveness,and bravery.

　　She also has an identity that people both respect and fear:the adopted daughter of the Hashikuni palace.For ten years,she has been serving under the lord of Kiyonoya Raimei,who is known as the"pillar of Inazuma,"carrying out his will and walking in the world.

　　A long time ago.

　　When Kiyonoya openly opposed the will of the Archon and opposed the Sakoku Decree and the Vision Hunt Decree,and rebelled against the authority,only she followed behind the Hashikuni without any hesitation.

　　From a certain perspective,for the enforcers of the Sakoku Decree,Sara is more difficult to deal with than the great Hashikuni because,despite being young and full of vitality,she also possesses an old person's stubbornness.

　　"Are you hungry?"

　　Kiyonoya said,"I made two servings of noodles.Let's eat together."

　　"Hashikuni,"Sara replied seriously and meticulously.This is her personality.

　　"As a servant of the lord,I am not qualified to dine with the one I serve."

　　As she spoke,her shining golden eyes remained calm,and her face remained expressionless,as if this were a matter of course..

　　Her personality is like this.If you force her,it will only make her difficult.Kiyonoya understands her personality well.

　　"You're still so stiff."

　　Kiyonoya said helplessly.

　　"I'm worried.You need to mature quickly"

　　"I'm sorry..."Sara lowered her eyes.

　　Crackling,the firewood in the stove quietly sounded.

　　"The conversation I had with Kamisato Ayaka before...you should be able to guess what I meant,"Kiyonoya said lightly while basking in the sun.

　　His physical condition has been deteriorating for a long time.

　　Sara serves the Hashikuni palace every day,and Kiyonoya knows that with her intelligence,she can guess something.

　　Of course,Kiyonoya never intended to hide it from her.

　　It's just that today he made it clear.

　　"I'm stupid."

　　Sara's shoulders trembled.She paused and said calmly,"I can't guess anything."

　　"The future responsibilities are on you,"Kiyonoya said.

　　"I don't know anything,"she said again.

　　"Don't make the old geezer difficult.You're a obedient girl."

　　"..."

　　"I'm dying."

　　Kiyonoya felt warm all over his body.He squinted his eyes slightly and felt the rare warmth of the winter sun.

　　"In the future,Inazuma will rely on you.I don't have much time left."

　　"I don't know,"Sara still lowered her head,still expressionless,her bright golden eyes still calm.

　　But the clenched fingers,the slightly trembling shoulders,and the lightly pressed thin lips all silently expressed something.

　　"Your excellency."

　　"I'm very immature.I'm not mature yet,I'm far from enough,I don't see things far enough,I'm very rigid,I can't do anything."

　　Sara's voice still sounded calm and calm,but at the deepest part of her voice,there was a slight tremor.

　　"His Excellence,I'm not enough..."Sara raised her head,and her bright golden eyes trembled slightly,"You still have to shoulder the responsibility."

　　The morning light was faint.

　　"You are very stubborn,you are very immature,but you will grow up slowly.And I am constantly getting older."

　　"You have tengu bloodline,you still have plenty of time,you have enough youth...while I am just a mortal."

　　Sara lowered her head,half of her face sinking into the shadows.

　　Kiyonoya stood up slowly and patted the folds on his kimono.

　　"Someday,you will grow up to be a great shogun.You have strength,time,patience,and dreams."

　　He chuckled to himself.

　　"Ei is also very immature and stubborn,but she has one advantage,which is that she has a very long lifespan.Actually,she is also afraid of loneliness."

　　"I cannot accompany her to the end,but you can.You will become her strength."

　　Sara clenched her clothes,her nails sinking into her flesh.

　　"Cough,cough."

　　"Kiyonoya Sara."

　　"You have to walk into the bright sunshine,and you must do it because you are Kiyonoya,because you inherit my surname,and more importantly,"

　　His lungs gradually lost strength,and he coughed again and again.All his strength was drawn away in these coughs,but Kiyonoya still stood up straight.He walked slowly towards the shadow.

　　"Sara,what I want to tell you is,cough,cough...Sara,"

　　His silver eyes met the gaze of the girl below.

　　The sunlight was cut in half by the window mutin,and in the room,half was a grand brilliance,half was a dark shadow.

　　"I want to tell you that...I want to convey to you..."

　　In the dim light of dawn,Kiyonoya whispered:

　　"...you have always been my pride."

　　Silence.

　　Silence.

　　They fell into a long,long quietness,and there were very few sounds left in this world.

　　The sound of the fireplace burning,the sound of snow melting,the sound of the wind blowing...and the sound of tears dropping on the tatami.

　　The girl lifted her face that had been lowered all the time.

　　Since entering the room-or a long time ago,

　　She had maintained her calm and steady expression,her firm and calm face,because she had to be resilient.She was a samurai of the Shogun's palace and represented the will of the Hashi kuni.So she had to be resilient and powerful.

　　But at this moment,she was a little different.

　　Biting her lip,her golden eyes trembled slightly,her nails sinking into her flesh,and most importantly:

　　Slightly moist,slightly bitter,with a hint of salty taste,

　　Clear tears appeared on the face of the always cold and always resilient Tengu.

　　"...Yes,your excellency."

　　She gently wiped away the tears on her face,and then firmly and without hesitation,

　　From the depths of her soul,she uttered:

　　"Carrying out the will of the Hashi kuni,carrying out your will,"

　　She drew her sword across her palm,and the dripping blood stained the fine lines on her palm.It then dripped onto the tatami,and in the white snow,the blood was so striking.

　　"Kiyonoya Sara swears in this life and the next,"

　　Sara stood up,walked forward,walked into the light,and walked in front of Kiyonoya,Emaking her vow:

　　"To protect Inazuma with my life,to turn my body into the thunder of Narukami,for ten years,a hundred years,a thousand years,until eternity-until the blood runs dry!"

　　She inserted her naginata into the tatami mat,and a cold light flickered as thunder rolled.Her fresh blood dripped down the blade,echoing with the thunder at the top of the clouds.

　　It took a long time to fade away.