'A... Bow?!' They thought in union. The idea of having a samurai in the team would be a huge advantage to them. But with a bow, things have changed drastically.
"Minna no koto... wakaruyo," ("I undertand... you all.") Shizuna said, a slight tone of sadness was clear in her voice. Though Ash found it as a tone of regret. "Shisutemu ni kono yumi moratta." ("The system gave me this bow.") Shizuna said.
The trio stood in front of her, unable to understand a vital information like this. The system grants every traveler a weapon he is specialized with or will be in the future. But a samurai getting a bow? That was strange.
"sorewa... zan'nen da na." ("That... is unfortunate.") Ash said, intending to speak japanese so only Shizuna could understand.
It was at that moment that his eyes widened, his mouth opened a bit and touched his chin. Ash maybe found a solution, but to another problem.
'This... if Aeris could be able to do that... it would be a miracle!' Ash thought, looking instantly at Aeris which made him feel something wrong.
"Ash, what are you thinking about?" Aeris asked, frowned as he felt Ash's flow patterns, indicating Ash grasped something vital.
"Aeris, I think I have an idea... to make Shizuna speak English... like us!" Ash answered after a moment, leaving Aeris and Nyro shocked.
Shizuna caught the change in their atmosphere.
"Doshita? Nanika atta?" ("What's wrong? Did something happen?") Shizuna asked, before all eyes turned to her.
"Try using your power, Aeris. Maybe you can manipulate her power flow of the language she speaks, making a miracle in the process." Ash explained his idea.
Aeris took a moment, thinking about that nearly impossible idea. But, Aeris's power was out of the question.
"I will try." Aeris informed. He took a step forward and stood in front of Shizuna.
Her eyes blinked out of confusion. Aeris raised his hand, channeling his blue hue through his right arm, his blue eyes shined too, lighting the room along side the sun light penetrating through the window.
Shizuna didn't know what's supposed to do and tried to step back.
"Shizuna, ugokanaide. Daijoubou da." ("Shizuna, don't move. It's alright.") Ash informed, making Shizuna relax a bit and stood still.
Aeris continued working. The idea of channeling a whole language into her brain by using his power that manipulates the power flow and patterns seemed unbelievable. But Aeris was determined to make it happen.
Sweat started beading on his forehead, still Aeris didn't stop and used his left arm to heal his body's exhaustion. It was more like a recharge rather than healing but it served the purpose.
Shizuna widened in shock. She started feeling the words and the grammar of a whole foreign language transferring into her brain. Though it was all about what Aeris knew about the language and learned so far. He wouldn't be able to transfer something he didn't even know.
After what seemed like an eternity for Aeris, the transfer was complete.
"Is that... N-Nanda kore?!! I really can speak English now!" Shizuna was surprised. Her face lightened and a gentle smile crossed her face. She simply laughed.
Ash and Nyro watched as their new teammate was now really one of them.
But Aeris... he dropped on his knees.
"I didn't... think this would be exhausting that much." Aeris said while cleaning his sweat. He still had some power left.
Nyro stepped ahead, ignoring Aeris which made a nerve pop on his forehead. "Youuu, Punk!" Aeris said, and Ash laughed.
"Shizuna, tell us, what happened with you?" Nyro asked.
Shizuna dropped her gaze to the ground and stated telling the tale.
***
"My family owns a dojo, our ancestors formed the place. My ancestors were known by a title called kinkuro, which means the golden darkness..." Shizuna stopped for a moment, recalling a memory, deep inside her subconsciousness.
"My father, Raizen Shoumetsu, raised me to be a samurai, using the same training techniques of my ancestors. They left their knowledge for the upcoming generations, so I was able to get their techniques through countless hours of training." Shizuna smiled, recalling the failures she had overcome through out her life.
"I loved katanas from the first time my eyes caught them, they were fascinating! Something my hand got accustomed to, as if the blade were a part of my body." Shizuna narrated. Aeris and Nyro listened to her like some children watching a true samurai before their eyes.
Ash too was admiring Shizuna, but something deep inside him, the manipulator inside him had another opinion.
'Only those who think their weapons became a part of them, are the most fearsome warriors. Shizuna, you... aren't a normal samurai. Who the hell was the Kinkuro? who are they?' Ash wondered, thinking about what they left behind.
"My father wanted to train me on various weapons, not just katanas. I refused, saying that rather than focusing on many weapons, I should focus and sharpen one weapon." Shizuna stopped again. This time, sadness overtook her expressions.
"I wish I had listened to him... he kept telling me: 'What would you do then, if you didn't have a katana?'. I thought he was just thinking so far behind, I thought he didn't admire me or be proud of me back then. But now, I realized what he meant..." Shizuna covered her face partially with her hand.
"With a bow, I'm nothing. I don't know why the system gave a bow to me--"
"Wait...!" Ash interfered. "You said your ancestors title is the Kinkuro, right?"
Shizuna nodded with bewilderment.
"Then, look at your weapon..." Ash said, making her realize a vital aspect in her bow she didn't grasp before.
The bow was black and yellow, the same description as the title's meaning.
The Golden Darkness.
Shizuna widened in shock, thinking 'How didn't I realize this?!'
Aeris stepped in after that.
"What happened the other night, Shizuna? Nyro brought you with a very-deep injury." Aeris said, concerned about knowing what really happened to her.
"After I got in this world as a traveler, I didn't know what to do. With no weapons, no tools, nothing. I survived, all because of my training over the years. Until I met two travelers..." Shizuna said. Ash narrowed his gaze upon recalling their execution by the river king.
The river king, That's what Ash called it.
"We found a wooden dock with a boat anchored beside it, we took it and tried to cross the river, as the map showed to us." Shizuna continued.
Ash's face darkened. He didn't want to remember what happened last night. Fate had another opinion.
"It was then that this boy..." Shizuna pointed at Ash. She still didn't know their names. "Shouted at us, warning us of something under the water."
'I wanted to save them. I really wanted to. I don't want to remember anything, dumb brain.' As Shizuna was telling what happened, Ash wasn't just listening, he was like reliving the moment.
His shouting echoed in his mind, making him feel like getting mangled but from the inside.
"The way he was shouting, his desperate attempt to save us, I knew there was really something under the river. Although I couldn't understand what you were saying, I trusted you, and jumped into the river, before that enormous hand covered in jade scales devoured the boat. I got injured because of that, but I survived, because of you." Shizuna said, smiling gently at Ash.
Ash was silent, but Aeris and Nyro fell in utter terror.
'Something under the river?' Aeris thought, a single sweat droplet railed down his forehead.
'Enormous hand?' Nyro thought, clinching his fist in fear.
"Believe me, you wouldn't want to see that thing. That thing, whatever it is, is far more stronger than the Vilewarren by many multipliers."
That warning from Ash was capable to administrate the true power of the river king.
An abomination that none of them would dare to approach, yet they are anchored in an old wooden hut, separating them form it by a couple of meters.