Nagato Kagutsuchi: The Dawn
Ch. 4 - Early IV
Meanwhile in the Kai Empire in the northern province, there is a wilderness called the Deathly Forest where Azai is located, Kuina and Serlin go into hiding for a while from Black Madia and Kazan.
Azai wandered around the forest where they stopped while watching the situation around the forest.
"Tonight we rest here, Kuina, Serlin." Azai approached Kuina and Serlin who were leaning against the tree.
Kuina and Serlin just nodded slowly while looking at Nagato's unconscious face.
"I'll find animals for dinner and firewood." Azai left Kuina and Serlin.
Kuina and Serlin also understood Azai's sad feelings and let the young man go to calm down.
"Even though I'm a magician but the teacher accepts me as a student, I haven't replied to anything." Serlin's soft voice with glazed eyes stared at Nagato's face.
"Serlin, I still remember when I was, Uzui and Azai were captured and at that time we were going to be sold as slaves but Master Pandu saved us he crushed the underground organization that sold slaves in the Kai Empire, even Master Pandu took care of us who were still traumatized by the terrible incident ..." Kuina's tears washed her face even though the girl tried to hold her back.
Tonight they rested to calm themselves even though they had closed their eyes, none of them could sleep. Pandu's voice was still ringing in their ears and Sarah's soft voice was still heard in their heads like a gentle touch of affection from a mother.
The tranquility of the night brought them deep sorrow, trying to choose to sleep if possible because but the head that felt heavy was filled with a deep burden made the three of them just fall silent to look at the night sky while trying to stay strong even though their hearts were shaky.
Two days had passed and they settled in the Forest of Death by eating the animals in the forest and drinking water from the river that flowed from the forest.
Nagato was still unconscious so Kuina was very anxious to see the teacher's child. Serlin tried to wake Nagato but the youngster was unwilling to budge from his long sleep.
In a desperate state the three of them hoped that Nagato would soon wake up from his long sleep from seeing Nagato who continued to faint for 2 days they became very anxious about Nagato's state.
Kuina laid down Nagato's soft grassy body in a robe of hers the girl covered Nagato's body so as not to get cold.
Nagato who was fainting tried to move his body but he felt a touch of grass - weeds in his hand then Nagato opened his eyes slowly until his eyes saw the shadow of the girl who was none other than Kuina.
"I ... ina?" Nagato did not clearly see the female face in front of him.
"Naagato! Are you awake?" Kuina who was very worried about Nagato immediately approached and tried to calm her down.
His eyes looked at a forest unfamiliar to him as he recalled the last moment his mother said, Nagato stood up and tried to run but his feet tripped over the roots of the tree to make it fall to the ground.
"Mother? Where is mom?" Nagato cried then he ran out of the forest. Kuina is shocked to see Nagato running but also learns that the five-year-old's mentality is being shaken and shaken.
"Don't go there, Nagato!" Kuina chased Nagato who ran out of the forest while Azai and Serlin just followed Kuina from behind.
When he reached the cliff of the forest Nagato eyes widened to see the view of the forest that was jet black because it burned two days ago.
"Kuina, isn't that it?" Nagato narrowed his eyes despite looking very far away but felt that the forest was where he lived.
"That's the Holy Forest?" Serlin was surprised because they did not go out of the forest for 2 days and just hid in the forest.
"What is the Holy Forest?" Azai widened his eyes and did not expect that he had already gone around the forest but did not see the Sacred Forest from where they had hidden two days ago.
"This ... the forest we live in?!" Kuina was also surprised at the sight that her eyes were looking at.
Nagato fell to the ground and cried because he saw that his dwelling had become charcoal and ashes.
"It's too late, father ..., mother ... " Nagato cried and his cries sounded loud enough to hope that all he had experienced was a long dream that put him to sleep for quite a long time but how many times he felt the emotions of everything he felt feels real.
"Mother .. father .. " cried Nagato who made Azai, Kuina and Serlin cry together.
Kuina cried then the girl squatted down trying to hug Nagato's body.
"Nagato, we know how you feel .. but for the sake of Miss Sarah and Guru Pandu!" tears rolled down the girl's face. Azai tried to hold back her tears but her sad feelings were unable to hold her while Serlin cried looking at Nagato.
"But .. mother and father are gone. Even Kazan and Black Madia have conquered Azbec!" Nagato cried himself unable to imagine a future without his parents.
"Then you can't give up Nagato! You must remember Miss Sarah!" Kuina cried looking at Nagato's face.
Nagato was silent at Kuina's words and then he tried to digest her and Tatsugoro's words and his dark side began to whisper in his heart.
"True Kuina .. I must not give up, I must try to live and try my hardest to kill people like them in order to die with great suffering!" tears welled up his face but the smile on Nagato's face looked like everyone else.
"Mental Nagato has been destroyed?" Serlin shook her head while wiping her tears she tried to look at Nagato's face.
Azai and Kuina had not yet reacted to Nagato's body falling to the ground and the young man collapsed.
The next day Nagato woke up but did not show any expression towards the three of them his face was gloomy. Nagato asked Kuina about Tatsugoro and Uzui but she remained silent and did not answer the question.
"So they're both too!" Nagato clenched his hands then hit the tree trunk by enduring the pain of blood flowing in his hands.
"I'll calm down, so don't look for me!" Nagato went to calm his broken feelings.
Azai also went alone because he wanted to see himself on the river bank while looking at the flowing river water.
Kuina and Serlin were silent for quite a while after a few minutes Serlin started the conversation and asked Kuina.
"I heard that teacher was considered a traitor by some clan in Kai, Kuina?" Serlin asked Kuina, but the question left Kuina silent for quite a while as she also wanted to find the person who accused Pandu.
"Yes, the teacher is considered a traitor and our job is to find that traitor." Kuina stared at the ground below her blankly.
"Kuina, can you tell me everything you know about the reason why teachers are considered traitors! Because I don't know that yet ... " Serlin plays her hair with her finger while glancing at the face of Kuina who was leaning against the tree.
Kuina was silent for quite a while staring at Serlin before starting to tell everything she knew to the witch girl.
"On that night ......" Kuina explained about the many nobles and martial colleges in Kai Empire who did not like Pandu who easily get along with anyone. Kuina also explained about the bloody incident that killed all members of the Kagutsuchi Clan on the same night Pandu left.
Serlin's first reaction after hearing Kuina's story was only silent for a while then the girl was shocked to find that there was something strange and many people were suspect from Kuina's story.
"Kuina, I think nobles and some colleges sound so suspicious? Don't they like the teacher's attitude?" Serlin gave an opinion to Kuina.
"I heard it all started from the achievement of teachers in youth and after the three students became generals many people from the upper class did not like the achievement of the guide!" Kuina simply smiled faintly while holding onto her own shoulder tightly.
Serlin was silent because he had also heard the story of three Pandu disciples who became generals.
"But now that only the remaining 2 disciples are generals, I didn't expect that person to make the teacher's name even more ruined!" Kuina seems to hate one of Pandu's students who came out and removed the military rank in the Kai Empire.
Soon Azai came and explained to them what they should do in the future. According to Azai, the three of them better go to one of Pandu's disciples who became the general and work as his subordinates in order to investigate and look for the traitor who accused Pandu.
After feeling calm Nagato came over to the three of them and apologized for making the three of them feel worried about him. Nagato also asked Azai sola Uzui because he was very confident Uzui intended to sacrifice his life to save him. Then Azai explained to Nagato that they would go to the nearest city first before meeting one of Pandu's disciples who became the imperial general.
Nagato just took a slow nod because he also had no destination even the only place for himself to go home and come back has been snatched.