Chapter 7:The Shattered Throne
"WHERE DID SHE GO?"Irai shouted at Maku.
"HOW AM I MEANT TO KNOW?SHE WAS IN HER BED LAST NIGHT AND NOW SHES GONE,JUST LIKE THAT!"Maku shrugged and added on.
Kimiko was missing. It was a late morning,if that made any sense.The two had checked up on Kimiko to see if she was awake because she hadn't come out of her bed.And it was a late morning.
Everybody in Tokyo was up and awake.The streets were full.
Some of the Genshi roamed the house and noticed that Irai and Maku were arguing.
But from their perspective,this was normal between the two.
"DONT YOU DARE WALK AWAY FROM YOUR EMPEROR IRAI!"
"Stop being immature and help me find her!"
"You're right,give me a minute to calm down."
"What's with all the shouting?"Yanagi entered the room.She was clearly irritated as the two men glanced at her ears which were covered by her hands.
"It's nothing Yanagi."Irai tried to break up the conflict and distress for good.Although Yanagi nodded,she frowned her eyebrows,suspicious that Irai was lying about why the two were arguing.
From Yanagi's perspective,this COULD have been normal as Irai and Maku often argued a lot,typically over small things.But this fight.There was something off about it.When she entered the room,by a slight second,Irai told Maku to calm down.
Looking at it again though,it might not be that complex.But will she uncover the truth before Irai and Maku discover Kimiko and reassure everything?Only time will tell.Only Kimiko will tell.
Who knows where she could be?A time manipulator suddenly vanishes and nobody knows why?
Back to Irai and Maku's perspective,that argument could've been nothing.They double checked her room inch by inch and both of them refused to get any help from any other Genshi.They checked the first,second and third floor thoroughly of the Genshi palace.The next spot was outside where they used chromo visualling to get any trace of her,if there was any.She couldn't have gone far.She's only 14 years old.But then again…a Genshi prodigy.Channeling energy of her power into objects so she doesn't acquire the aging effect.That would technically be breaking the laws of the power system also know as ability manipulation if you have forgotten.Would the ILO know?The inventors of ability manipulation?By now they would have punished Kimiko.Maybe they punished her indirectly by worrying Irai and Maku.Maybe they punished her by getting her flaw exposed to the suns.Maybe she didn't get punished at all and I'm overthinking everything to buy time and maybe I'm stalling because Kimiko is more important than she seems.She may feel like a distant character who's only screen time is talking or channeling energy and that might be it to her character.But this story. If you as a reader are reading this right now then you would know that Kimiko is not that simple.She's a complex tritagonist for this story.You don't see it yet.But if you're reading this then you're 47 chapters in.I know you are.This is Chapter 47:The Shattered Throne.I am not a normal narrator that simply tells the story whenever third person occurs.I am more complex.You've read what I've said.I don't talk like a normal narrator.I break the 4th wall.And directly talk to you.Obviously I won't say which character I am.But it might be obvious to the readers who like to observe even the smallest details.And for casual,average people,it will be unnoticeable,untraceable.
Just.
Like.
Kimiko.
WOW!Last page had three words.Must've been rewarding considering I don't give you readers long paragraphs because I'm generous.That was probably one of the longest paragraphs in the novel.
Oops.Might've exposed myself there.Back what I said before.
That I might've been one of the characters.I will never truly answer my identity.I'll keep you guessing,it'll be fun to see.
The truth is,everything I'm saying right now isn't truly objective.
Even that statement alone might not be objective.What I mean is that every time I turn away from the story or talk to you in 4th person then the stuff I tell you isn't truly right or wrong.Now I want to confuse you.
This is complex.
This story is complex.Get bored if you want,you just won't understand the randomness of A Night In Tokyo.
You see…the author of this novel didn't want it to be perfectly structured like other pieces of fiction.Sure this novel has some well written characters,good world building and characters.But the fact A Night In Tokyo is random for example the power system or world building is random.
The author took ideas and filled them up using inspiration and creativity. So if something feels off or doesn't seem right or doesn't line up perfectly,don't question it. It's the one perfect element of A Night In Tokyo,randomness.
And that aspect alone(IF PERFECTLY EXECUTED)can make a story amazing. So I'll stop with this psychology and go back to the story.I hope I reminded you why this story is truly great.
Irai and Maku searched everywhere until they found Kimiko sitting in a small hole full of dirt that she probably dug up.
"Kimiko…what is this?"Irai knelt down and looked at the shovel beside.
"I wanted some peace and quiet."Irai turned his head towards Maku who rolled his eyes and before walking away,he whispered,
"All that arguing for nothing."Irai turned back to Kimiko.
"Don't scare us like that!You don't need to dig up a hole just to have some peace and quiet-"
"I can and I will if that's what I truly want."She got out of the hole,crossing her arms and entering the castle again.
In that moment. In that very moment,Irai questioned if world peace was truly possible.Not even world peace just true peace for himself.Kimiko basically lied to her own brother.She had him struggle and gave an uneasy feeling in his stomach that she went missing.She didn't even tell Irai or Maku that she was going to dig this whole for apparent quiet and peace.
Maku is always arguing with Irai,Yanagi seems to care more about ginger tea rather than the relationships between Irai,Kimiko and Maku.The other Genshi are either training or just don't seem to care and just want a free place to live in,Toru and Lily have their own problem of finding a cure,Hunter has probably turned to the wrong path by now,Kraven and Red are both tyrants(From what Irai had known about Kraven)and there's not a lot of information on Isura.
Everybody was dealing with their own problems though.Irai picked up his tanto and felt the urge to swing it like the previous day.But instead of doing intense training,he placed his sword carefully on the ground.
His heart ached of distress.His mind ached.His body.His soul.Irai never thought how he moved on so casually from all these events that had happened in such short time.Aizakku's death.Maku becoming emperor.The suns coming.
Everything felt so wrong…despite this world being weird enough as it is,Irai's thoughts suddenly clicked all together. He couldn't let time pass by before his eyes. He couldn't only react to constant events.His mind had to shift and it had to adapt.
Because if it didn't adapt fast enough,Irai wouldn't be strong enough.His expectations would be lowered,he would become lazy. So Irai came to the final conclusion.Every single thing he did would matter from now on.And it would lead to the future changing greater than ever.
Irai knelt down to grab his tanto again.This time,his grip was firm and focused. He was focused.Irai closed his eyes,imagining the perfect world.
The so called world of Edo.A world where there's freedom and equality. No hatred or discrimination in this world.Only peace.The perfect ideology in his mind.
A place where cursed crows turn away from the temptations of evil and transform into divine doves,the peaceful counterpart of crows.
A world where Navajo aren't seen as monsters but future allies that in the current moment need help.A world where everything is not too perfect but just perfect enough in order to prevent insanity.
Edo.
That's what Irai called it.And if he kept this mentality of working hard to his ultimate goal. If he kept on moving forward and developing every second. If he just kept on going then Edo would be just around the corner.And all that work.All that pain and suffering would be gone.
Irai had a flashback to when he promised to Kurisu,
"Fine...I won't give up.I can't!I'll keep on fighting until every single ounce of evil is perished from this world!"
Irai remembered the look on Kurisu's face.His face lit up for a second but a dark tone entered his body in that moment.Irai realised something that he should have realised before.Kurisu told Irai his darkest secret in that moment.
It wasn't a coincidence that they ran into each other.Kurisu probably used chromo visualling to track Irai and then that's when they met in the desert.Kurisu pressured Irai throughout his whole life.That's what Kurisu knew Irai would break.And it built up tension instead of Kurisu saying he killed Irai's mother when they first spoke to each other.And it was very clever to do that.Very clever.Very clever.
Irai would fight for his mother and when he had the time,he would find information about his mother.Anything.Because currently he didn't know anything about her.Not even her name.Kurisu wasn't bothered.Was he clever or was he trying to trauma dump on Irai?
Kurisu sensed Rida would come so he had to confess to Irai,knowing he would die somehow.All this frustrated Irai. He grunted and swung his sword at a tree,leaving a slim but deep dent in it.The tree was hanging off the thick bottom trunk holding it all together.
It was dangling,on the verge of snapping but thankfully it didn't.That tree was right next to the Genshi palace.The walls were tough but the tree could've still done some damage.Irai and trees destroying the Genshi palace…argh. He was losing focus.
Dazing off into his own thoughts and own world.But the point was that he made a promise to his Father.And he would make sure to fulfill it. No more false confidence.Only real confidence and strength now. He was going to change and not lie like the others times.
He would really change. He would really change.