Tales of the Grave Tree: Beloved

Long ago, Lord Masaki—the shogun of this land—entrusted the protection of this people to his most trusted general, Fujiwara no Akihiko. The man was a legendary swordsman, who gave his loyalty to Lord Masaki after his family was expelled from a neighboring shogunate. While under his protection, the lands of Lord Masaki were well guarded. Victories were decisive and even defeats would eventually be turned around by the tenacity of Akihiko and his warriors. But much of his success rested on the wings of his beloved sparrow. It is said that Fujiwara’s sparrow would easily dart through enemy lines, maintaining constant communication between Akihiko’s forces even when entire armies divided them. When a rival general caught on, however, a trap was put in place. When he attacked the land, he watched and waited for Fujiwara’s sparrow within his ranks. When he caught sight of him, the general sprang the trap.
Akihiko waited for his beloved sparrow for days, but still, he would not show. A week later, a letter arrived. Wrapped within the letter was one of his sparrow’s fingers along with a threat: come to the mound of the ancient tree alone, or never see your beloved sparrow ever again.
Almost immediately, Akihiko rode to the ancient tree, moving so swiftly that one wouldn’t be surprised if the winds themselves were pushing him forward. Upon arriving there, Akihiko was greeted with an entire army. As he reached the top of the mound, he could see that the rival general held his beloved sparrow at bladepoint. The general sneered and demanded that Akihiko get on his hands and knees and beg for his beloved sparrow’s life. Though he did get on his hands and knees, Akihiko did not break eye contact with the general. Infuriated by Akihiko’s blatant disrespect, he demanded he do it again, but with sincerity. Akihiko spoke with sincerity, but his eyes remained locked with the general. The man cursed Akihiko before putting the sparrow to the blade. Akihiko cried out as his beloved sparrow fell to the ground. The heartbroken man slowly crawled forward to confirm what he already knew deep in his heart—his beloved sparrow was dead.
As the general raised his blade to cut him down as well, Akihiko cried out from deep within his soul:
<Great kami, please grant me the power to avenge my beloved sparrow. I offer their lives and my blade unto you if you grant me this one wish.>
At that moment, the great tree let out a deafening roar, stunning the general and his soldiers. But Akihiko was not affected by the roar. Instead, a green flame began to envelop the swordsman. The general looked on in terror as Akihiko rose up and drew his own sword, the man’s eyes filled with murderous intent.
The general begged for his life, but Akihiko did not grant him any mercy. He cut the general’s limbs off, leaving him alive long enough to watch as he cut down his entire army down. It was like a tailor cutting through cloth, the way Akihiko flew through the general’s ranks and slayed them. Hundreds were killed in what felt like an instant, and when the cries of agony finally silenced, only Akihiko and his bloody blade were left standing.
A moment after surveying the dead, the swords man’s blade shattered; his contract had been fulfilled. Though his enemies were dead, the man felt no joy. Instead he returned to where his beloved sparrow had fallen and gently picked him up. Where his blood had spilled, a higanbana had bloomed. As Akihiko walked away, more higanbana began to bloom, as if his beloved sparrow’s spirit was laying a curtain of flowers upon the land he was slain; a beautiful farewell to his beloved and warning to others that the ancient tree belonged to the dead.