(The war begins. Sato managed to learn how to forge various types of swords
until he started helping the army in their war.)
(Sato stands behind Hanami as she explains the plan to the soldiers, and the war
between the West and the South begins.)
(Both the West and the South overlap, but the lands were Japanese territory, so
Hanami knew every location from Kwaki's instructions.)
(Hitaro's goal is to restore Japan's honor, and the ally is the most important
thing.)
(The war begins, and the casualties begin to mount significantly. They lose the
war at first, but manage to turn the tables using the strategies of Khalid ibn
al-Walid from books, through a sweeping advance. Hanami and Sato begin entering
the front lines.)
(Someone comes targeting Hanami, but she eliminates him in the blink of an eye.
Sato begins approaching, raising his sword, taking off the heads of enemies,
gripping his sword, turning on his horse, and killing them. Only a few soldiers
remain, and the rest of the fleet enters to finish them off. The war ends in
this state, Japan is restored once again, and the Emperor places the eldest son
of the Great Emperor in control of Japan under the leadership of the Prime
Minister.)
Hanami: Sato, since we restored Japan's honor once again, why don't we start
traveling?
Sato: That's what was supposed to be done from the beginning.
(The Empire of Japan issues entry papers for all countries with different names
and identities, just to repay part of the debt owed to Hanami and Sato for what
they provided to Japan.)
Hanami: Where would you like to go on our first journey?
Sato: It's not me who decides.
Hanami: Just this once, you will be the one to say.
Sato: I read about the Indian Empire; I want us to visit it sometime.
Hanami: You have it, but first, let me just inform Thia that we are leaving.
(A little later...)
Thia: What? Are you leaving this quickly?
Hanami: Well, I have to leave wars behind. I'm tired of them. You know, 7 years of training and wars.
Thia: You're right. You should rest. Why don't you just marry any prince or
leader and relax?
Hanami: Stop it, that's disgusting. You know if I wanted that, I would have to
be the one choosing him, and I currently don't love anyone.
(Sato stands by the wall watching them.)
Hanami: Don't you want to say anything before you leave?
Sato: Well, you helped me a lot and taught me as well. I want to thank you, and
I hope we meet again, my lady.
Thia: No need to thank me.
Hanami: I've never seen you so polite before. Where did you get that from?
Sato: She deserves it.
Hanami: You're right. Goodbye, Thia, and thank you.
Thia: Before you leave, here. This is for you, Hanami, and this for you, Sato.
Hanami: Two location-tracking necklaces. If either of you gets lost, the other
person can press the necklace and it will send alert signals to the other location.
Sato: Really, thank you very much.
(Both begin moving to India for a new journey...)
Sato: This country is truly wonderful.
Hanami: You're right. How about we enter this shop?
(They enter the shop, and each buys a magic potion. The merchant gives Hanami an
energy potion, and Sato a strange potion.)
Merchant: This potion makes you focus and notice things that are hard to see,
giving you signs of what you should do, like seeing someone's steps towards you. In short,
it makes you an explorer. Try opening your eyes as wide as you can and you will see.
(Sato drinks it. He starts opening his eyelids forcefully and tries... The
merchant begins laughing.)
Merchant: You idiot, not like that! I was laughing at you. You just need to
focus on what you're going to do, and it will work on its own. This potion also lets you know your next step, where to go, or... or...
(Sato feels the urge to kill him, seeing a path where Sato walks to him, bows,
then stands up and stabs him. He executes the exact movement he saw, but without
a knife. He notices that the reason he bowed was that the merchant pulled a
knife from beneath his shirt sleeve to stab Sato.)
Merchant: Did you see? You would have died if not for your focus.
Hanami: Alright, he understood. Here is your money.
Sato: Goodbye, you strange merchant.
Merchant: It's foolish to buy him a potion like that. I can kill him easily.
???: Abhara, stop this and start selling natural products.
Abhara: Are you kidding? How else am I going to watch people like these, Arena?
Arena: Alright, just get back to work.
..........
Sword of Eternity: The Long Covenant's Journey
The Merchant: Abhara
Hair: Red with a white streak
Age: 26
Eyes: Yellow
Height: 186
..........
(Both Hanami and Sato begin developing in their relationship. Even when they
train, Sato begins showing greater skills and improvements, even in his fighting
methods.)
Sato: Why haven't we used the magic stones even once until now?
Hanami: These stones, in reality, were humans who died.
Sato: What? How? You mean all these stones are people who died?
Hanami: Until now, no one knows why someone turns into a stone when they die.
That's why I didn't want to use them except a few times. In fact, using them
with the sword requires about three weeks.
Sato: But how was the cave a place full of stones?
Hanami: It was actually an ancient crematorium for Jews, and this isn't the only
cave used as a crematorium.
Sato: Isn't there a way to bring them back to life?
Hanami: In fact, there's a legend saying there is a way, but I don't remember
the legend, and I think it's a myth. In this world, there are many myths, as you
know.
Sato: I don't think they are myths, because yesterday I didn't know about the
existence of stones, and today I do. Why do they have symbols on them, and what
do these symbols mean?
Hanami: Well, this is a bit silly, but they are divided into 3 types:
Symbol V: It means they will be tested for not knowing the Creator. Symbol VN: It is the worst, for those who did not want to follow a religion
while knowing the correct religion from their perspective.
Symbol 76: It means between life and death, those who did not resolve their
problems.
And there is a fourth symbol I don't know what it is or its shape, but I think
it's the best and worst at the same time. It's the second type, those who were
close to declaring the true religion, but knowledge and time wasted their lives.
They can be on the correct religion, or as you say, declaring the Shahada.
There are, as I told you, types of stones. But stones are not destroyed by
weathering or pressure; there is only melting. Even then, there are types that
are immune due to their proximity to the highest status of magic and energy,
becoming impenetrable. And you know this is just rumors being told, but no one
really knows what it means. To me, they are just laws created to keep citizens
from using these stones, besides the fact that they are souls, which in reality
they truly are.
Sato: From my perspective, if this subject were a color, it would be black
because of how bad it is.
(After several weeks, Hanami's treatment of Sato begins to change, becoming
softer and kinder. He explains to her about his religion and his homeland, and
the relationship between them grows clear, until news arrives to Hanami that the
occupying army has returned once again. Both begin returning to Japan to stand
with Vietnam in confronting the Southern nations...)
(After Hanami and Sato arrive, Hanami gives a speech about the battle, while
Sato crafts a sword for himself—a Moroccan sword, a Nimcha. But this time, while
crafting this sword, he used his focus and ensured it contained no flaws.)
(After Hanami and Sato finish)
Hanami: Listen, wear the necklace so I can find you after the war.
(Sato approaches Hanami.)
Sato: Alright, listen, I have a request. What do you think if we come out of
this war alive, we get married?
Hanami: What about the fact that I'm not of your religion?
(Hanami places her arms around his head.)
Sato: Well, in addition to that, I want you to become a Muslim.
Hanami: I agree, but after the war. You promise me that you will walk out alive.
Sato: I promise you I will walk out alive on my own feet.
(They approach each other and she kisses him.)
Omar: I want you to take the Potion of Immortality. It's with me, she gave it to
me.
Hanami: I don't want it. At least, I am confident we will make it.
(And the war begins. The Southern army takes control and advances further.
Soldiers begin approaching Hanami, but Sato stands guard to protect her.)
Hanami: Join the soldiers on the adjacent side, they seem to be in very bad
shape. I can fight them on my own, don't worry.
Sato: But...
Hanami: Go, the enemies are approaching from that side. If they break through,
they will finish us.
(The defeat begins showing clearly until there is no place left for Hanami to
move, and she gets trapped at the edge of the mountain. Sato begins noticing,
but the numbers against him and those with him are massive. He tries to approach
her but cannot. He begins noticing that death is inevitable. Sato moves while
seeing Hanami getting steps closer to falling, pulling the potion out of his
pocket, but Hanami falls from the top of the mountain. Sato's face turns red,
filled with rage. He opens the potion and drinks it, charging at the enemies at
the same instant, killing everyone in front of him, until the numbers swell from
tens to hundreds, and swords begin entering Sato one after another with no
effect, until he falls to the ground with stabs in every part of his body, or a
sword fixed inside his back...)
(The empires of Japan and Vietnam collapse simultaneously, and the potions held
by Vietnam vanish and are destroyed. After 30 years, the city returns to life.
After 50 years, the legend of the South that swept the world ends at the hands
of its own people due to internal corruption. After more than 80 years, Japan
becomes a nation once again after the occupation, reclaiming its freedom, but
this time no longer thinking of war or occupation; all it thinks about is
restoring its country after the ravages committed by the Southern nations.
After 20 years, cells from scattered places across the world begin gathering in
one location. After 9 years, all these cells have transformed into a single
point to construct a body, and this body is Sato's, until his heart begins
pumping blood once more and returning to what it previously was.)
Sato: Where am I? And why am I on this land? Where is the necklace?
(He looks at the necklace and finds it embedded inside his heart's location.)
Sato: How did it merge with my body? And where is Hanami? How did I get here?
Here ends the fourth chapter of Sword of Eternity: The Long Covenant's Journey.