Strongest Among the Heavens
Chapter 479: Missing Five

Chapter 479: Missing Five

"Izanami is a goddess of death. Her husband rejected her when he saw her form down in Yomi. She is neither good nor evil, she is...incomprehensible. So please, if you can’t remember, if you don’t want to remember, then don’t."

Pauline swallowed. There was a weight in her chest that she couldn’t quite place, something unsettling. Kazi himself sensed it. It didn’t feel dangerous yet he felt on edge. Pauline eventually drew in a breath. She was here. She was alive.

And it was because of Kazi.

A slow, shaky smile crept onto her lips. "You... you did it," she breathed, her voice thick with something she couldn’t quite name. Gratitude? Relief? Something deeper?

Kazi didn’t react, not at first. Just watched her, studying her, as if committing every inch of her face to memory. Then, finally, he gave a small, tired smile. "I do my best."

Pauline laughed softly, pressing a weak hand to her face. "You’re incredible, you know that?"

His smile didn’t reach his eyes.

She didn’t notice.

"Thank you," Pauline said. "It was...I was dead and you...brought me back." A laugh and a grin. "You’re too much, Kazi."

Kazi only looked at her, his face unreadable. "Pauline, I—"

Knock, knock! The door opened and Yoemon entered. "Hero Kazi, greetings. Ah, your friend is awake. I am glad."

"Is Samantha calling me?" Kazi asked without looking back.

"Correct. Are you busy?"

He stared at Pauline. He stood up. "...no, it’s fine. I’ll be back soon, Pauline. Stay safe. Be careful." He looked at Yoemon. "Would you mind keeping an eye on her?"

"I was told to watch over you..."

"I can take care of myself." Kazi winked. "Think of this is owing me back for what happened at the shrine."

"Turning in the favour now, I see. Fine. I will stay and stand guard."

"Are you fine with that, Pauline?" Kazi asked, just in case.

Pauline’s head throbbed. She smiled anyway. That smile on her face never completely went away. "Okay!"

He walked out—and stopped at the doorway.

***

Walking through the streets, there was grief and emptiness. There were also smiles. They saw him, the hero, and everything felt okay.

"Thank you!"

A homeless child who had not lost anybody hugged him happily, grinning. Kazi forced a smile and patted him on the head. "Sorry, little one. As much as I’d like to say, Lady Samantha is calling me."

A crowd was starting to form with that one hug. People wanted to see him. Hear him. Kazi decided to pick the boy up on his shoulder, wave at everybody, and leap through the air.

"Woaahh!"

He had no idea who this boy was. Quite frankly, Kazi wanted to be left alone on his walk. However, for the sake of bringing smiles, he pretended everything was okay and jumped through Matsue as though it was a playground.

He set the boy down once he was at the entrance of Matsue Castle. He patted the boy and went on his way.

The five students of Miyamoto Musashi, Samantha, and Lord Mosuke awaited in the throne area.

Everybody knew what happened.

"Our hero!" Samantha started the applause. Everybody else followed suit.

"Truly amazing." Kurōtarō for once humbled himself. "The goddess Izanami, I believed for certain we were going to die."

All of them, even the young Lord Taraharu applauded him. Him moreso than the others. Teens were impressionable.

Kazi took his seat, arms on his thighs. "Is something wrong, My Lord? You called me."

"...I still cannot believe you defeated Izanami," Lord Mosuke admitted. "It feels...impossible. The goddess of death is the end of all things. For only a thousand of us to have gone away..."

He exhaled.

"We are blessed."

Yes, they knew—or at least they thought they did. Everyone believed that Kazi Hossain had stopped Izanami in her tracks. That a great battle was waged between them in Yomi. One thousand men were killed in the battle but in the end, the majority escaped.

All because of Kazi. He stayed back and fought Izanami.

’Their memories are warped by their time there. They think they saw me when they didn’t. They believe what they want to believe.’

Kazi couldn’t say a thing. He was a hero. He was a hero. That was all that mattered. He saved people. He saved people.

’Keep telling yourself that, Kazi. You know it’s not true—’

"Any news on Booker and the others?"

"No," Lord Mosuker replied. "I have reformed contact with all the samurai and villagers and it does not appear Lord Booker or Lady Jules are here."

"I asked our people," said Mikonosuke, "it appears there were memories in Yomi. As hazy it is for them, most confirm they felt they had moved and seen each other. I wager our movements are reflected here. The Missing Five you spoke of, however, have not appeared."

"I remember seeing you, Kazi," Yoemon added. "I remember swinging my sword. But I don’t remember anything else. The faces, what I said, what I did...nothing."

Pauline didn’t remember a thing too. At least, that was what he felt anyway.

’The Missing Five...’

Jules, Matty, Booker, and two others. Who were they?

"Samantha, your guild is accounted for, right?"

"Every single one of them. Skullmask wasn’t here for it at all though."

"I see...Astrid too, right?"

"Yes."

’There’s no doubt in my mind. Izanami specifically tossed out players who attacked her. Between everyone that fought at Lake Shinji, I can only think of Skullmask and Astrid as being strong enough to resist the realm of Yomi. If they are confirmed safe, then it must have been a player that did not participate in the battle and came to the gate afterward. A powerful player at that.’

Kazi could think of many capable of doing what he, Booker, Jules, and Matty did. They were each anomalies in their own right. Kazi with his divine gift, Booker the most powerful man on Earth, and Jules with a mythical phoenix.

The Missing Five...

Two unknown.

It was his job to figure out who.

It was his job to save them.

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