As Hana’s Return to Consciousness

  Pain.

  It was the first thing she felt. A deep, gnawing ache that stretched through every muscle, every fiber of her being. Her mind was heavy, drowning in exhaustion, yet something tugged her from the depths of unconsciousness.

  Voices. Distant, muffled.

  “…still hasn’t woken up…”

  “…how long can she last like this…?”

  “…even if she wakes, will she still be… human?”

  The last voice was barely above a whisper, but it was enough to send a chill through her veins.

  She wasn’t sure when her eyes finally opened. The world blurred, the dim glow of lanterns flickering against the walls of a familiar tent. It smelled of herbs, blood, and damp cloth— and the darkness came again.

  —

  Fear & Reverence – The Divide Among Their Own

  Haruka became restless. She decided to catch some fresh air walking around the camp. as she walked around she felt that the camp was different. Before, Aikyo’s warriors would bow their heads when she passed, show their respect, their loyalty. Now…

  Now they stared Some with awe. Some with hesitation. Some with fear Whispers followed her wherever she walked.

  “Princess Hana stopped time.”

  “She erased people from existence.”

  “If she can do that to the enemy… what’s stopping her from doing it to us?”

  “She’s not human anymore.”

  “She’s something else.”

  “A god… or a monster.”

  Haruka’s fingers twitched.

  She knew that her sister had done everything for them. Her sister had bled for them, suffered for them, rewritten reality itself just to keep them alive.

  And this was what she got?

  Haruka scowled, glaring at the whispering soldiers. “Cowards,” she spat under her breath. “After everything she’s done, they—”

  Hime placed a hand on Haruka’s shoulder, stopping her. “This was expected.”

  Haruka turned, expression livid. “Expected? Hime, they—”

  “They saw something beyond their understanding,” Hime interrupted, voice firm but not unkind. “People fear what they cannot control. Even if she saved them, they’ll wonder… what if she turns that power against them?”

  Haruka Stopped. She wasn’t angry. She was… tired. Her sister had nearly died. She had given everything. And yet, their own people…

  They feared her.

  She had become a legend and a nightmare all at once.

  And there was nothing she could do to change it.

  ---

  The Nobles’ Conspiracy – Control or Elimination?

  The council room was filled with tension. Aikyo’s highest-ranking nobles had gathered, their faces set with unreadable expressions. Some looked wary. Others, cold and calculating.

  The topic of discussion?

  Hana Sato.

  “She is too powerful,” one noble declared. “If we do not ensure her loyalty—”

  “Loyalty?” Another scoffed. “She saved us all! And you think she would betray her own people?”

  “Think rationally,” a third interrupted, his voice sharp. “If she can erase an army in an instant, then what exactly is she?”

  The room fell silent.

  A single question lingered in the air, unspoken but heavy with meaning.

  Is Hana Sato still human?

  Some wanted her to lead Aikyo. Others wanted to bind her, to control her power before it was too late.

  And some…

  Some believed it would be safer if she simply disappeared.

  Far from the council chamber, Mitsurugi sat in the shadows, gripping a torn cloth between his fingers. It was stained with blood—Hana’s blood. He had betrayed Aikyo, sided with Zankoku, believing that his kingdom was doomed to fall.

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  But now?

  Now he had seen what Hana had done. He had seen her defy reality itself. And he realized he had made a terrible mistake.

  Zankoku could not defeat her.

  The nobles could not control her.

  And if they tried—if anyone tried—

  They would lose.

  He exhaled, feeling the weight of his choices bearing down on him.

  If Hana ever found out about his betrayal…

  Would she erase him, too?

  Or would she forgive him?

  Did he even deserve to find out?

  ---

  Aikyo’s Palace – The Awaited Awakening

  The soft glow of lanterns flickered against the carved wooden walls. The scent of incense and healing herbs lingered in the air, mixing with the crisp night breeze flowing through the open balcony doors.

  Hana’s eyes fluttered open.

  She wasn’t in a war camp.

  She was home.

  The silk sheets beneath her felt foreign after weeks of battle. The wooden beams above, the delicate paper windows—it was all painfully familiar, yet something felt different.

  She felt different.

  Her body ached, but not with the usual strain of battle wounds. It was deeper, something unnatural, something that hadn’t left her even after the war was over.

  She shifted, trying to sit up—only to find Haruka asleep at the foot of her bed, arms crossed, leaning back against a chair.

  A faint smile ghosted Hana’s lips. Of course.

  Before she could speak, movement caught her eye.

  “Hana?”

  Hime stood at the doorway, her usually composed face betraying a flicker of relief. The eldest sister crossed the room in measured steps, her usual restraint barely holding back the emotions in her eyes.

  Hana swallowed. “I’m back.”

  “You are,” Hime replied, sitting at the edge of the bed. “Though you gave us reason to doubt that.”

  Haruka stirred at the noise, grumbling before blinking awake. The moment her eyes landed on Hana, she jolted upright.

  “HANA!”

  Before Hana could react, Haruka lunged at her, pulling her into a crushing hug.

  “You absolute idiot! Do you have any idea how worried we were?!”

  Hana winced, feeling Haruka tighten her grip. “Can’t… breathe…”

  Haruka huffed but loosened her hold just enough. “You were unconscious for five days. We thought—” Her voice faltered. “We thought you wouldn’t wake up.”

  Hime remained quiet but did not look away. The silence carried the weight of everything left unsaid.

  Hana’s gaze dropped to her hands. The memory of what she had done, of the power she had unleashed, still clung to her like an echo.

  “…How bad is it?” she asked finally.

  Hime’s lips pressed into a thin line. “The nobles are in conflict.”

  Haruka scoffed. “Conflict? That’s putting it lightly.”

  “They’re afraid of you,” Hime admitted. “They fear what you’ve become.”

  Hana exhaled, tilting her head back against the pillows.

  She had saved them.

  And now they feared her.

  ---

  The Nobles’ Conspiracy – A Kingdom at a Crossroads

  The once-harmonious halls of Aikyo’s castle felt different. The courtiers and officials whispered as Hana passed, their eyes filled with awe and unease.

  Some bowed, murmuring "Lady Hana, our savior."

  Others avoided her gaze entirely.

  And some, she could tell, were watching her with careful calculation.

  The military council had divided—some argued that Hana should lead them into a new age, a warrior-queen unlike any before. Others believed she was too dangerous, that she should be restrained before she became a threat.

  Hime sat in the council chamber, facing a room of Aikyo’s most powerful nobles. It was a battlefield of words, one as dangerous as any war.

  “She is no longer one of us,” one noble declared. “The girl defied the laws of nature itself! How can we trust that she won’t—”

  “She saved Aikyo,” another interrupted, his expression severe. “We would not be sitting here were it not for her.”

  “Aikyo has existed for centuries under balance,” a third interjected. “If we allow a single person to wield such power unchecked, what happens when she decides to rule by force?”

  Hime’s voice cut through the room, calm yet unyielding. “Then she will have me to keep her in check.”

  Silence fell.

  Hime’s eyes swept over them. “My sister has risked her life for this kingdom. If you think she will turn on us, you do not understand her at all.”

  The nobles shifted, exchanging glances.

  But the conversation was far from over.

  —

  While Hime fought battles in the council chamber, Haruka fought hers in the courtyard. And by "fought," she was currently slamming a soldier into the ground.

  The other men backed away as Haruka cracked her knuckles, her eyes burning with fury.

  “You want to say that again?” she growled.

  The soldier coughed, blood dripping from his lip. “She’s—she’s a damn monster.”

  Haruka’s rage boiled over. She grabbed him by the collar, lifting him off the ground.

  “She saved your worthless hide, and this is how you repay her?”

  “She’s dangerous,” another soldier spoke, hesitantly. “If she can erase armies, what’s stopping her from—”

  Haruka drew her Tengoku and pointed it at the man’s throat.

  “What’s stopping me?” she asked coldly.

  Before the situation could escalate, a firm hand grabbed Haruka’s wrist.

  Hime stood beside her, gaze sharp. “That’s enough.”

  Haruka yanked her arm away. “They’re spreading rumors about Hana. They’re treating her like—”

  Hime’s voice was soft but firm. “And you think beating them into submission will change that?”

  Haruka scowled but fell silent.

  “The only way to prove them wrong,” Hime continued, “is to make them see her for who she truly is.”

  Haruka took a deep breath, lowering her blade. “…Fine.” But as she turned, her eyes remained stormy. If they doubted Hana, she would make them regret it.

  ---

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