Kays Translations

Chapter 84: The Bamboo Princess and the Ice Princess

(Big brother… I can finally visit your grave.)

The World Union had reclaimed Japan.

Kaguya decided the first thing she wanted to do was visit the graves.

Since Isshin was busy, he’d said he’d go another day, so today she’d come alone by car.

“I should have one made for Kenya too. Maybe… beside the Kurokami family’s plot would be okay…”

The girl stood there, looking sorrowful, holding a single flower.

With no florists open these days, this was all she could offer, and that weighed on her heart a little.

Still, even if it was only a single bloom… she wanted to tell them — Japan had been reclaimed.

Even though nothing was truly over yet.

Still, she wanted to say just one thing.

“Huh? Someone’s here?”

She looked in the direction of the presence.

There were two heads of silver hair.

Kaguya immediately shifted into battle readiness.

Silver hair could mean an enemy. Of course, there were also half-Japanese who lived as citizens, but…

Bathed in the dim light of the setting sun, she saw the figure of a silver-haired girl.

And beside her, a black-haired Japanese boy.

“Shall we head back, Reina…? Hmm? Someone’s walking—”

Kenya and Reina both turned their eyes in the same direction.

A short-haired girl with sharp cat-like eyes, who looked strong-willed, was staring straight at them.

“Kaguya… is it?”

The suddenness of it left the three of them frozen, unable to think.

Kaguya and Reina locked eyes.

Kenya, standing slightly behind Reina, had his face hidden in her shadow.

But Kaguya opened her mouth first.

“What are you doing here? Visiting graves? That’s the Kurokami family’s plot, you know. Did you come to get revenge or something?”

That single sentence jogged Reina’s memory.

“I see. Now that you mention it, that’s right. It was you.”

Reina’s voice was lower and quieter than Kenya had ever heard.

“R-Reina?”

“The reason Papa died.”

In the next instant, Reina vanished from Kenya’s field of view.

Her approach was as sharp and precise as a martial arts master’s.

Her kick shot toward Kaguya’s face.

But—

“Yeah, I won’t apologize. We were fighting for our lives too—”

Kaguya ducked, narrowly dodging the deadly kick, and immediately countered with a kick of her own.

“That’s why! I wasn’t wrong!”

Reina caught the kick one-handed and stepped back slightly.

The two of them immediately started exchanging blows.

But this wasn’t a messy fight between girls, pulling hair and scratching.

It was more like a dance — a true martial artist’s clash.

It didn’t look like a high school girl fight at all; there was even a kind of grace to it.

It was just like the battles fought in their KOG units.

KOG — an extension of martial arts.

That’s why the best knights were also masters of unarmed combat.

Just like Osiris. Just like Sieg.

Most top pilots were, without exception, among the strongest in close-quarters combat, even on foot.

And Kaguya and Reina were no different. Their fight was unmistakably the battle of trained soldiers.

“I know! I know Papa didn’t hold a grudge against you! But still… I still can’t forgive you so easily!”

“Same here. I can’t forgive you either! You all stole my brother, and… the people I loved!”

Their fists collided, each strike carrying the weight of their emotions.

At this rate, it looked like they might really kill each other.

Blood flew through the air — the fight was painful to even watch.

“U-uh… what do I do…?”

A lone boy, watching, was at a loss.

He had never seen girls fight each other like this, with their full strength.

“I wasn’t the one who killed your brother!”

“And your father was killed by Byakuren, wasn’t he!”

They fought, clashing their shared pain against each other.

Kenya could only watch from behind the grave.

“Haa, haa… I know. It was war. Papa risked his life and his pride to fight. You did too. That’s why he told me not to hold a grudge. But my heart… won’t listen!”

“Haa, haa… That’s my line. Do you have any idea how much we’ve lost? Because of you. Because of the Asgard army. You think just because you weren’t there, it’s got nothing to do with you?”

They clashed, both of them having lost loved ones.

Kaguya had lost her brother, and Kenya.

Reina had lost her father.

Both had lost to the enemy.

And now, that enemy stood right before them.

“Haa, haa.”
“Haa, haa.”

The two locked eyes.

And then — each of them launched a final, all-out strike.

Seeing this, the boy watching knew it was bad.

Panicked, he mustered his courage and jumped between them.

“S-Stop— Guha!!”

“Kenya-kun!?”
“Huh? Who— wait… Kenya-kun?”

The boy who stepped in between them to stop the fight.

Reina’s kick and Kaguya’s kick both slammed into Kenya’s stomach and back, crushing him between them.

The kind of pain that would make any man cry out — to the point where it wasn’t even funny to call it a “reward” in jest.

If the angle hadn’t been lucky, and if the two of them hadn’t instinctively pulled back their strength at the last second, his lungs might’ve been crushed.

If it had been anyone other than these two masters, he might’ve died on the spot.

“Kenya-kun!”

“Huh? What did you just say? Kenya… you said Kenya, didn’t you!?”

Kaguya looked down at the boy lying there.

Silver hair.

But the voice — the face — the way he looked…

It was unmistakably Kenya.

No, at this distance, there was no way she could be wrong.

“No way… no way… why? Why!?”

“Cough… ow, ow, uh… what should I say… um, long time no see? Kaguya. Reina, please calm down, okay? I’m begging you.”

Kenya, wincing in pain, did his best to soothe Reina.

And then Kenya turned to Kaguya.

He hadn’t really thought about what to say, so for now he just said,

“…Long time no see.”

His expression was awkward — a faint, bitter smile mixed with all kinds of emotions.

Was she going to be mad? Hit him?

Or maybe both.

He had been ready for it. After all, he’d disappeared for nearly half a year without a word.
He expected her to curse him out, or even beat him to a pulp — and he was fully prepared to take it.

But Kaguya did neither.

“…No way, no way… uwaaah!”

Instead, Kaguya just burst into tears and hugged him tightly.

“I’m sorry, Kaguya. I didn’t contact you sooner. I just… there was no way to reach you.”

“I kept hoping you were still alive. I thought, ‘Lord’s Knight reminds me of Kenya,’ and the way that machine fought — it was so strong, but it seemed so gentle, just like you… I… I… uwaaah!”

Kaguya clung to him, her words tumbling out in fragments as she sobbed.

“Let me explain everything, Kaguya.”

“…Okay.”

…

And so Kenya told her everything that had happened that day.

Beside them, Reina sat quietly with her eyes closed, silently listening.

Kenya explained it all.

How he had fought and defeated a hundred enemy units that day. How he had no way of contacting Kaguya.
And how, as the Lord’s Knight, he fought in the Empire’s Sword Tournament — and won.

Kaguya wiped her tears away and listened, still clinging to him.

“I see… that’s amazing, Kenya. You beat them all.”

“It was thanks to Tanaka-san, really.”

“…But I’m so glad. Really, I’m so glad. These past six months have been so lonely, so painful… Even now, it still feels unreal, like I can’t believe this is you, Kenya. That’s why… Kenya…”

She looked up at him, clearly asking for a kiss.

But just then, Reina let out a sharp cough, as if to remind them she was still there.

Kenya glanced over and saw Reina standing there, looking a little irritated.

“…Right. We still haven’t finished this. Kenya, wait for me a little.”

Reina and Kaguya stood up again, facing off.

“Wait! Both of you! Please! Just… wait!!”

Kenya desperately tried to stop them.

He understood. He knew the rift between the two wasn’t something that could be easily bridged — especially after Sieg’s death.

He too had unresolved feelings toward the World Union. He too had loved Sieg.

But for Kenya, the answer was already clear.
He’d found it the day he fought against the world, carrying Sieg’s words in his heart.

So —

“Please… I don’t want you two to fight. I absolutely hate the thought of you two fighting. If you do, I’ll risk my life to stop you. Even if it kills me, I’ll stop you.”

That, more than anything, was something he couldn’t stand.

“Kaguya, Reina. Please sit. I want you to listen to me. For Sieg’s sake, too.”

Hearing Kenya’s desperate plea, both Kaguya and Reina sat down at his sides, their heads slightly bowed.

“…Kaguya, Sieg is dead. He died in battle against the World Union. He was killed by Byakuren’s spear.”

“…Sieg — the War God. I see. We killed him. But I won’t apologize for that. Apologizing would be an insult. Because we risked our lives to reclaim Japan.
And the War God — Sieg — risked his to protect what he believed in. Apologies would only tarnish that fight between warriors.”

Then Kaguya looked straight at Kenya and Reina and declared:

“I won’t apologize.”

Because apologizing would mean admitting she was wrong.

And to her, fighting to reclaim Japan wasn’t wrong.
It wasn’t something she could — or should — apologize for.

“If the same thing happened again, I’d make the same choice. For the sake of taking back my home, and for everyone still suffering.”

There wasn’t a hint of hesitation in her eyes.

“…Kaguya.”

Then Reina finally spoke.

“…Kenya-kun, I’m sorry. I’ve calmed down now. And I never wanted an apology. I never thought all of this was Kaguya’s fault. But even so, I still can’t forgive it. Not easily. Because no matter what, my father isn’t coming back.”

Reina’s voice was firm, but as she went on, her tone grew small — almost like she was blaming herself.

“…But still. The one I can’t forgive the most…”

She placed her hand over her chest, forcing out the words through the pain.

“…is myself.”

If only she had been stronger back then.
Strong enough to stand against Kaguya.

Maybe then Sieg wouldn’t have died. Maybe the world war would have ended right there.

“My own weakness is what led to all this. That’s why I understand — why I shouldn’t hate the enemy. Because the one at fault… is me.”

Reina lowered her head, her voice trembling.

But Kenya shook his head.

“No, Reina. That’s not what Sieg meant. You’ve got it wrong. If you’d been stronger… then the one who would’ve died would’ve just been Kaguya. This isn’t about who was stronger or weaker.”

“…That’s…”

“What Sieg was saying, right up until the end — and even in that recording — it wasn’t about that. It’s not about the winner being right and the loser being wrong. I don’t think that’s what he believed.”

“Then… then who? Who’s to blame?”

“It’s true that the one who killed Sieg was Byakuren. And the World Union. And Kaguya was among them. But they were fighting to take Japan back. Sieg… I hate to admit it, but he took away a lot of what was precious to them, too. He killed people.”

“…Yes. Dad fought a lot, as a soldier.”

Kenya remembered Sieg’s words.

And though he didn’t want to imagine it, he knew Sieg had killed many people during the EU war — including civilians — simply because it was his duty.

“Somewhere in that endless spiral of killing, I think Sieg realized it. We’re still young, inexperienced, and can’t fully understand it yet. I can’t pretend I totally get what it means to forgive the person who killed someone you loved, or not to hate the one who killed you… but I think Sieg understood. That it’s not the soldiers on the battlefield who are evil — it’s the world that keeps allowing wars to happen.”

Kenya had come to a single conclusion.

The ones to blame aren’t the soldiers, or the knights, or the warriors.

They’re victims, too. People who had no other way to make their wishes come true except by fighting on the battlefield.

Of course, there are always exceptions.

But most of them — deep down — wanted peace, even as they fought.

To take back their country. To reclaim their freedom. Because the emperor ordered them to. Because their family was killed.

Even though they never wanted to fight in the first place.

That’s why—

“The one at fault isn’t Kaguya. And it’s not you, Reina, for being too weak. Not even Byakuren, who delivered the final blow. There are no villains. I think that’s what Sieg was trying to say.”

He remembered Sieg’s last words to him.

The words that even those people were not the enemy.

“Reina, do you remember? Osiris, the one I fought in the Imperial Sword Tournament.”

“Yes… there’s no way I could forget a battle like that.”

“If I’d lost that fight… would you have hated Osiris?”

“…No. I could never forgive Odin for using such underhanded tactics. But Osiris Halberd — he fought as a knight, with his pride, with his life on the line. I couldn’t soil that battle, no matter how I felt. I can’t say I wouldn’t have had complicated feelings, but I don’t think I’d have wanted to kill him out of hatred.”

“Yeah, me too. If I’d died that day, I don’t think I would’ve held it against Osiris. And now I finally understand what he meant, that day, when he said those words.”

“His words?”

Kenya recalled the day he first met Osiris.

At the time, he hadn’t fully understood what Osiris, the seasoned warrior, had meant.

“‘Leave no grudges behind, and give praise to the victor. All that remains is the fact that both sides fought with all their strength for their own sense of justice. That’s what battle is.’ I think Osiris believed the same thing Sieg did. Warriors who’ve risked their lives on the battlefield time and again — I think they all end up reaching the same conclusion. That what clashes on the battlefield is justice against justice, and there’s no real evil there. Now, I finally kind of understand what Sieg and Osiris meant.”

As Kenya spoke, his thoughts began to settle.

Why he hadn’t felt anger toward Kaguya. Why he hadn’t felt the same way Reina did.

At first, he thought he’d just been trying to avoid the truth because he liked Kaguya too much.

But now he knew.

Now he understood what it meant — not to hate your enemy.

“So this is what you meant… Sieg.”

Something clicked into place inside Kenya.

Even the person who killed his beloved Sieg — even Byakuren — he couldn’t bring himself to hate.

But he also knew this feeling wasn’t something you could just explain in words.

It was something you had to realize for yourself.

“Kenya…?”

“Ah, sorry. So, Reina… I know I’m not great at explaining, but…”

“Kenya… if I had died there that day, would you still not have hated anyone?”

Kenya had thought about that too.

But his answer had never changed.

“If that had happened… I would have sworn to devote my life to making the world peaceful. Because the one that killed you would have been war itself.”

Kenya looked straight at Reina.

His gaze was steady, his words sincere.

Reina stared at Kenya for a while.

“I’m sure… that’s what Dad would’ve said too.”

And then Reina turned to look at Kaguya.

“The pain of losing Dad… even now, just imagining it makes my chest ache, and the tears won’t stop. But if there’s one thing I’ve learned from feeling that pain…”

Her eyes met Kaguya’s.

“You felt the same way too, didn’t you, Kaguya? Who did you lose?”

Kaguya held the single flower she carried — a flower meant for someone dear to her.

She gripped the flower tightly and forced her voice out, as if squeezing the words from her chest.

“My brother was killed… I loved him so much. I loved my brother, and I’ve never once forgotten him. But the person I cared about was killed by the people of Asgard. And Kenya, you… you felt the same way, didn’t you? That’s why I hated Asgard. I couldn’t forgive them. But…”

She looked at Reina.

“But I never hated you, Reina. I couldn’t hate you. Because… you really looked at me, you saw me. Even if it was only for a short time… I thought, ‘So this is what it feels like to have a friend.’”

Kaguya spoke from the heart.

Her voice trembled, on the verge of tears, but she gathered all her strength to keep them from falling.

“Until I met you, I thought everyone from Asgard was the enemy. I thought all of them were evil, all of them were my enemies, and I had to defeat them. But… I was wrong. The world is so much bigger than the narrow little piece I was seeing.”

Kaguya, too, had her youth stolen and torn apart by war.

She never even had the chance to make friends — there hadn’t even been a school to go to in the first place.

Seeing that, Reina quietly answered.

“Kaguya… I don’t have any friends either. Partly because I lost my memories. But mostly because I’ve always kept everyone at a distance, I pushed them away. But the days I spent training with you… the days we spent together, like normal students… I realized something.”

Tears welled up in her eyes.

“If having a friend feels like this… then I think I finally understand.”

Reina and Kaguya looked into each other’s eyes.

The complicated emotions each held clashed silently between them.

“And also…”

Reina stood up and walked over to her mother’s grave.

The headstone marked with the name: Sakiko Kurokami.

“And you… you’re my last blood-related cousin.”

“…Huh? Cousin?”

Kaguya turned to look at the grave too.

There, standing beside the grave of her beloved brother, Takashi Kurokami, were the other Kurokami family graves.

And there it was — the name, Sakiko Kurokami.

“My mother was Sakiko Kurokami. She was the younger sister of your father, Isshin.”

“No way… Wait a second… I remember, just a little. When I was small, I vaguely remember Sakiko-san… and I remember Dad telling me he had a younger sister.”

“Before I was born, they grew apart… but still, you and I, Kaguya, are cousins. You and your father Isshin… you’re the only family I have left, the only ones I’m still connected to by blood.”

“I see… then, let me say hello.”

“Okay.”

Kaguya stood up too and stepped beside Reina.

She pressed her hands together in front of the grave.

“I’m Kurokami Kaguya, the daughter of your older brother. It’s nice to meet you.”

Kenya and Reina also pressed their hands together in front of the grave.

“Mom… I remember everything now. I remember how you protected me until the very end… all of it. I couldn’t come here with Dad, but…”

For a little while, the three of them stood silently, their hands pressed together, offering their thoughts to the graves.

And of course, Kenya and Reina offered their respects at the grave of Kaguya’s brother, Takashi Kurokami, too.

Their thoughts for the dead gradually washed away their anger.

When the two girls finally faced each other again, their emotions were calm, quiet.

“Kaguya, do you think… do you think we could ever go back to the way things were that day? Could we ever be friends again?”

“I don’t know. I mean, to you, I’m the person who took your father. And to me, you’re the person who took my brother. We both lost something irreplaceable to each other. But… if someday, if our hearts happen to face the same direction, if that day ever comes… then maybe.”

And then, Kaguya looked at Reina.

“…To be friends…”

Reina met her eyes.

What came to her mind was her father’s face — and the memory that these hands had once pointed a sword at him.

She couldn’t forgive it, not yet. Not so easily.

But then her father’s words echoed in her heart.

“Even if you can’t do it now… someday, when your heart is ready, I want you to be the one to end this chain of hatred, Reina. That’s your father’s final wish.”

And so —

“…I can’t catch up to my feelings right away. But slowly, little by little… I think that someday, when I’ve made peace with it inside myself… When that day comes, then… then, I want to try again.”

She looked down at her own hand, and slowly clenched it into a fist.

Tears began to fall on their own, and her voice trembled.

“…Will you be my friend, Kaguya?”

“Why… why are you the one crying? You’re the one who’s supposed to hate me…”

“I… I don’t know. I don’t understand… Because… you were the first for me, too.”

And the moment their hands finally met, all the emotions tangled up inside them overflowed, and the two girls started crying without even meaning to.

They both remembered the days they’d trained together in the KOG — days that felt just like after-school club activities.

Their soft sobs slowly melted into the colors of the sunset.

That gap between them hadn’t closed.

Maybe it never would.

But even so, watching the two of them, Kenya thought:

“They’ll be okay.”

(If it’s the two of them… I believe they can become close again. Because…)

“You two really are so alike. In personality, in appearance… even down to the genetic level, you’re alike.”

Kenya gently pulled the two tearful girls into his arms.

He believed they’d be able to overcome this.

And that Sieg, too, would have wished for it.

Watching their tears, Kenya thought:

If there could ever be a world without war — a world at peace —

It would probably begin the day these two could truly forgive each other.

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