Hanabi

The Higanbana blooms on the shore, as if consumed in flames. Unable to relinquish their obsessions, the lost souls plunge into the abyss. They no longer remember their past lives, and the future is a mystery. They are lured to this place, which condemns them to hell.

― Higanbana, Seven Armaments of Scarlet Shadow

Hanabi knew the river well.

Dark and frigid, yet tranquil. She floated atop the water as if suspended in mid-air. Thick, impenetrable mist swirled all around her. Amongst the darkness, the only light was a cluster of Higanbana off in the distance. They were a brilliant, eye-piercing crimson, red as hellfire, like a fire burning on the distant shore that she would never reach.

It was a recurring nightmare Hanabi had experienced ever since she was 7. That was the year when, due to her inherent talent for cultivation, she unintentionally activated the ancient armament of the Scarlet, "Higanbana". All she remembered was being engulfed by the weapon and tumbling into a vast, nightmarish abyss. When she awoke, her eyes were filled with tears, but despite this, the crowd that had gathered before her cheered and congratulated her on becoming the one deemed worthy of being a successor of Scarlet.

Even at her young age, Hanabi realized what this signified: Within the Scarlet Shadow, there were the Scarlet Sect, who preferred the use of weapons, and the Shadow Sect, with a predilection for Ninjutsu. For generations, each vied for dominance over the other. And the Scarlet leader wins, the Scarlet Sect wins. All the young Hanabi could do was place her trust in the sect and their plan. She therefore took on this solemn duty and tried her utmost to keep her head held high. Day after day, she trained, rivulets of sweat streaming down her body from sunup to sundown. In competitions, Hanabi was undefeated. Over time, she became accustomed to victory, and accustomed to the dark river that flowered within her dreams. She knew that when she reached that shore, she would harness the power of Higanbana, and then truly become the leader of the Scarlet Sect.

This all ended with the appearance of Hayabusa.

Of all the remarkable individuals of the Shadow Sect, Hayabusa was the most distinguished. Like an apparition, he would appear at competitions, swiftly defeat his opponents, and leave without uttering a single word. It was as if he wasn't even interested in the competitions. Hanabi would often track Hayabusa down and challenge him to a fight. As they clashed, the two of them fleeted across mountain streams and over thatched roofs, their blades clashing and clanging more times than one could count. In the end, however, Hanabi would always be bested, and the black river would begin to swell, the water reaching its banks. With every defeat, Hanabi, filled with resignation, would ask Hayabusa how he managed to outdo her, and every time all he would do is shrug his shoulders and say,

"Because...the moon looks lovely tonight."

The unfettered arrogance, and the complete frivolity of his response made Hanabi blind with rage. She could not lose, just as the Scarlet Sect could not. She threw herself into her training even further; she would do whatever it took to get to that distant shore.

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Then, one day, catastrophe struck.

Hanzo, one of Scarlet Shadow's strongest ninjas, absconded with the Ame no Habakiri, making himself the enemy of both the Scarlet and Shadow. Together, the two sects sent their finest warriors to chase Hanzo down. It was the first time Hanabi had fought with Hayabusa on the same side, and she was not about to miss this chance to redeem herself. She would track down Hanzo on her own, without any help from Hayabusa. However, upon locating Hanzo, he proved more pernicious than Hanabi had expected. Unable to withstand a frontal attack from the Ame no Habakiri, Hanabi found herself struggling to continue evading. She could feel herself slipping, and as the blade swept across her throat, she remembered the dark river.

She could not lose, just as Scarlet Sect could not. She had to win.

In swearing her undying allegiance to Higanbana, Hanabi offered her own body.

At the moment of death, an immense power swept Hanabi along like a raging tsunami, and at that moment she understood, Hanzo had sworn allegiance to Ame no Habakiri in exchange for this power. There was no time to reflect any further. Hanabi lunged towards Hanzo. Amongst a flurry of slashes, cuts, and stabs, Hanabi's vision began to blur, but she could make out her opponent stumbling backward. She had won! However, the waters began to surge forward, and she once again found herself submerged in that dark, familiar river.

Far from subsiding, the river instead raged with greater ferocity as monstrous waves crashed down one after the other, dragging Hanabi down to the bottom of the riverbed. Such was the fate of countless souls who had been sealed within this weapon. Every ounce of their pain and their resentment was transformed into an insurmountable power that enslaved all those who entered, keeping them forever entrapped within. This was the land of the dead, a land from which there was no escape.

Win! Win! Win!

The crashing waves resounded in her ears, the sound almost resembling a chorus. She struggled with all her might, but Hanabi was unable to extricate herself. That burning flower which had once been so far away was now so close, yet still, it remained out of her grasp. Bit by bit, she found herself sinking deeper...

Hanabi! Hanabi! Hanabi!

The sound of Hayabusa's voice pierced through the void, bringing Hanabi back from the brink. Ignoring the souls of the dead clasping at her throat, she raised her head.

The moonlight reflected upon the surface of the river. It was beautiful.

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What was once pure darkness was now exposed to the light. The dead retreated, and the raging waters subsided until all was calm. The first Scarlet leader was the original owner of the Armaments. In his relentless pursuit of power, he was not there for his wife in her final moments. The world was his, but he had lost everything. Hence, He was driven mad. In his mania, he sealed all of his power, and all of his grief, within Higanbana.

At long last, Hanabi could see the shore was no longer far away. It lay before her very eyes. She had won. Off in the distance, she gazed at the flowers growing at the end of the river. Hidden amongst them, she could see the faint silhouette of the first Scarlet leader and his wife, standing side-by-side under the moonlight. The Scarlet Shadow had sacrificed everything for victory. Now, at this moment, it was clear that their sacrifices had not been in vain.

As Hanabi gradually came to her senses, Hayabusa whisked her off, while Hanzo managed to escape. They were in no state to give chase, but this was but a mere setback, nothing more.

Higanbana rested gently inside Hanabi's hand. She had unlocked its secrets and become its owner. Free from her obsessions and inner demons, Hanabi was able to truly see Hayabusa, her former adversary, clearly for the first time. She finally understood what he had been telling her all along: there are things in this world more precious than winning.

While she was unsure exactly how to proceed, she also knew she no longer needed any guidance from others. No matter what direction she took, all roads led to her shore.

She raised her head and looked up at the night sky. The moon was beautiful tonight.

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